Mia has returned from Sicily only to find that her year away has left the mice to play, and her ‘partners’ have made some pretty questionable choices in her absence that don’t really live up to what she believes her brother Nick would have wanted. This sparks conflict right away, as Mia reasserts her role […]
The Necromancer’s Bride is fourth in Ross’ Gaslamp Gothic series. Anne Lawrence has gone in search of Gabriel D’Ange to set things right between them. With her, she brings the cross her brother Alec stole from Gabriel countless moons ago. Anne finds him in Bermuda, and just in time. Gabriel and the Order are about […]
The Old Dragon’s Head by Justin Newland is a magical realism historical fiction set in ancient China. For twenty years the last Dragon Master, Wing, has been missing. With no successor in place, the energies of the Old Dragon could not be summoned to strengthen the Great Wall, and now the Mongol threat looms large […]
Exiled to Freedom by SGD Singh is a nested story about Priya, a teen visiting family in India. When her behaviour angers her mother, Priya is dumped off at her great-grandmother’s house in the middle of nowhere. Cut off from her tech, Priya at first sulks in her room. She finally decided to come out, […]
Inspired by thePopol Vuh, Moreno-Garcia’s Gods of Jade and Shadow is a dazzling coming of age/ alchemic transformation story steeped in the rich mythology of the ancient Maya. Casiopea Tun and her ma live in virtual servitude to her grandfather. Unlike her ma, Casiopea bridles against the strict rules, and the disrespect of the family, […]
Walking with Ghosts on Ward’s Pond by Heidi Sprouse is a fictional ‘what if’ take in an actual case. Charlie Baxter is a journalist, and a descendant of the Gilette family. He’s staying at Ward’s Pond, working on research related to Chester’s case. Charlie hopes to find evidence that might exonerate his ancestor for the […]
Schwartz’s Haunted Charlottesville and Surrounding Counties explores the many haunted locations in the history rich area of Charlottesville and its surrounding counties. In addition to looking at well-known, ‘popular’ spots, many private residences are discussed. This is a territory steeped in the past. From the Revolutionary War, to the Civil War, there are numerous structures […]
Lesath by AM Kherbash is an X-Files-esque read tinged with elements of Shutter Island, Inception, and the Agent Pendergast series by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child. We mostly follow Greg, an unreliable narrator if ever there was one. A drifter who lives in his truck, and hopes to create a career in free-lance writing, Greg […]
The Embalmer by Anne-Renée Caillé has been translated from its original French. Given the layout, I’m guessing the little vignettes are poem stories, though in English they are more prose. It is the musings of a daughter regarding her father’s job as an embalmer, how he joined those mysterious ranks, and unusual cases he shared. […]
Anne Frank by Isabel Sanchez Vegara Anne Frank by Isabel Sanchez Vegara is a very abbreviated version of Anne Frank’s story for young readers. Most of the book is taken up by engaging artwork. Like the ‘girl in red’ in Schindler’s List, only Anne’s diary is in colour. I think this is a great touch! […]