The Murder Store by Dani Amore

Review
Dani Amore's "The Murder Store" is a suspense thriller about an an FBI profilers attempt to get to the bottom of an online marketplace where the rich can buy victims.

The main character, a retired FBI profiler named Wallace Mack, is in a race against time to shut down the murderous online business before a senator's daughter is killed.

"The Murder Store" is written with short chapters and lots of matter-of-fact narration, which gives the book a fast-paced feeling as you're reading -- perfect for a thriller. The book is set in a number of locations, from Washington D.C. to Colorado to Silicon Valley, which adds an additional layer to the story. Plenty of twists and turns in the book to keep you interested from start to finish. I would recommend this book to any thriller fan.

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Beneath the Veil by William McNally

Review
"Beneath the Veil" is a gripping novel with a unique blend of horror, supernatural, and sci-fi.

The story follows Barry, a sculptor in search of a relative to give him a bone marrow transplant. His search takes him, as well as his adoptive sister and her boyfriend, to Auraria – a town inhabited by ghastly creatures. There, Barry discovers his horrific family history.

William McNally eases the reader into the horror/supernatural elements of the story, allowing you to connect with the characters before things get intense. Yet at the same time, you get an eerie feeling that horrific things are on the horizon. The supernatural element feels fresh and adds an extra layer to the story.

I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys a scary tale with a strong supernatural/sci-fi element.

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Bones of Skeleton Creek by Eric Wilder

Review
Eric Wilder's “Bones of Skeleton Creek” follows cowboy detective Buck McDivit to investigate the mysterious deaths of cows on a wealthy rancher’s land. As Buck dives into the mystery, he finds himself face-to-face with a gang of career criminals tied up in everything from oil theft to meth distribution.

He also meets the enigmatic Esme whose allure rivals only that of her mystery. When strange happenings that can only be explained by the paranormal emerge, Buck finds himself forced to investigate that which he doesn’t believe.

“Bones of Skeleton Creek” is a fun, light read. Buck is an energetic character with a thirst for romance (there are a few adult scenes) and adventure. The mystery isn’t extremely complicated, but it kept my interest from start to interest. The author, Eric Wilder, does a good job of setting the scene for the reader through out the book.

A fantastic read for anyone who wants a light read with mystery, suspense, and some romance!

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Beta Planet: Rise by Dayton Grey

Review
"Beta Planet: Rise," by Dayton Grey, is a sci-fi novel set in a post-apocalyptic future, aimed at teens.

The protagonist, 15yo Geon, wakes up from a coma in a world that is strictly controlled and filled with technology. At first, the technology is fascinating, including the futuristic sport JetSurf. But the controlling organization known as CARE attracts Geon's attention.

With his friends, he begins to investigate, discovering dark secrets about the future. Grey does an excellent job of introducing this world to the reader, without overwhelming them. The plot is paced well, and I felt that Grey was able to relay Geon's sense of discovery and amazement perfectly to the reader.

This book is an engaging read for anyone who likes sci-fi novels that are approachable and fun.

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The Time Table by N.J. Rayner

Review
"The Time Table," the first book in the Stobes Trilogy, is an imaginative story about the strange creatures that inhabit the abandoned areas of the London underground.

When the creatures discover a mysterious, powerful stone table, a struggle ensues for control. The creatures are fun and have great names, my favorite being Fligboge.

The author, N.J. Rayner, does an excellent job of pacing the plot, revealing just the right amount of info at the right time. The writing really immerses you in this underground world with strange creatures.

One of Rayner's strengths is in his ability to write from different perspectives. You get to read from the perspective of a number of characters above and underground, giving you the full picture of the situation.

This is a must-read for anyone who enjoys imaginative, whimsical stories with exciting characters.

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The Staff of Tzaddi by T.N. Newborn

Review
"The Staff of Tzaddi," by T.N. Newborn, is a fresh epic fantasy novel that’ll grip you from the beginning and not let you go until you reach the end.

 The story follows two unlikely allies, Prince Teiwaz Zayin and Sowelu Kano, who embark on a quest to keep an unimaginable power out of the wrong hands. Newborn does an excellent job with world-building in “The Staff of Tzaddi.” It’s fresh, in-depth, yet approachable.

The plot is paced perfectly, with just the right amount of conflict and action to keep you engaged from the start. Although this is an epic fantasy novel, some aspects of the plot (e.g. not wanting who your family wants you to marry) are easy to relate to for some readers. The characters are interesting (my favorite is Sowelu), and you’ll connect with them quickly.

This is a must-read for any epic fantasy fans.

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The White Amah by Ann Massey

Review

I'm a big fan of Asian fiction, so naturally I had high expectations when I bought "The White Amah." My expectations were far exceeded! The book contains the stories of several characters, over a long stretch of time, that are interlinked. Crystal is teenager who drops out of school to join a group of female performers, the White Diamonds, who are touring South-East Asia. She becomes a star, and is alienated by the other females in the group. When the group runs into trouble, Crystal frees herself from her past and clings to a performer in an upcoming rock band. The two become a couple, and Crystal launches the band into wild success as the lead singer. A series of complicated circumstances lead to Crystal becoming pregnant and giving up her baby, Mei-Li. The next section of the book talks about the life of Rubiah, who is a helper of a wealthy family that adopts Mei-Li. Rubiah is intent on taking the place of the husband’s wife, and repeatedly sleeps with the husband. Disaster strikes when her sin is discovered, and she is left with the baby. Rubiah is too selfish to keep the child, and thinks only of ways to have fun and meet wealthy men who can take care of her. She leaves the child with her parents, and Mei-Li’s story starts when she is about to marry and older man that she doesn’t love.

 
Every single story is unique and filled with culture and traditions that are often underplayed in Western culture. The characters are multi-dimensional, and the reader is left with a sense that they are more than just typical stock characters used to help execute the plot. The author incites emotions from the reader regarding the characters’ lives and actions, whether those emotions are disgust, sympathy, anger, or something else. The transitions from character to character are intriguing, inciting in the reader an eagerness to see what the next turn of events will be and what will happen to each of the characters. I appreciated how all of the characters were somehow connected to each other. It gives the reader a sense of importance in finishing the story, because the book involves so many different characters’ lives. While there is a plethora of action in the book, including rape, love, sex, lust, cheating, and violence in the book, the events are believable and realistic. The story unfolds easily and seamlessly, and the author has very readable writing style.

If you enjoy Asian fiction, you'll love "The White Amah."

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The Paragraph Ranch by Kay Ellington and Barbara Brannon

Review

Kay Ellington and Barbara Brannon's “The Paragraph Ranch" is a gripping literary fiction novel about place, family, and unforeseen obstacles.

The book follows Dee, Ph.D., a middle-aged writer just given the opportunity her writing needs with a writing fellowship in Massachusetts. Before Dee can take the opportunity, she is forced to return to West Texas to care for her ill mother.  Dee must deal with this major transition in her life and the lack of opportunities, so she thinks, it brings. I would definitely say this is a character-driven novel. You have three generations of women (Dee’s mom, Dee, Dee’s daughter) trying to understand each other in an environment complicated by difficult situations.

One of my favorite things about the novel is that the authors do an excellent job of making the reader feel the influence of the West Texas setting. Everything from the description of the places to the vernacular contributes to the reader's feeling of being there and understanding it.

This is a must-read for anyone who likes reading about family and a character who makes the best of difficulty circumstances.

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Dark of Night by Marios Savva

Review
Marios Savva's "Dark of Night" is a suspense-thriller novel that'll have you eager to know what happens next. The novel, the first book in The Man From the Yard series, introduces you to the characters, including a demonic entity...

Told from the perspective of a young woman named Jane and a talented officer named Jake, the reader is quickly pulled into the story. Jane is desperately trying to escape an evil entity that her and her friends called into existence during a fateful night with a Ouija board.

After years, of running from the entity, she comes back to her hometown, only to be attacked once more. The entity will stop at nothing to kill Jane, and wreaks havoc on the town as he searches for her. Jake is left to deal with the onslaught of massacred town inhabitants.

The characters are interesting and easy to connect with, the story is engaging, and the demonic being is a vision from one’s nightmares.

My mind was scrambling, trying to guess just how the two characters could handle facing such a beast. Romance evolves, loved ones die, and the battle against evil seems never-ending. The story took quite a few twists and turns, and kept me in a constant state of surprise. This is a must-read if you like suspense/thriller novels.

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