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California Bookwatch
Table of Contents
Reviewer's Choice
Walking in Greatness Together
Dan Kaplan
In Greatness Together Publishing
9798992063707, $8.00 Paperback/$.99 eBook
https://www.amazon.com/Walking-Greatness-Together-Pathways-Connection/dp/B0F22FY22Y
Walking in Greatness Together: Pathways of Connection stems from Dan Kaplan's five decades of life examination and discovery. It synthesizes his findings into a succinct set of transformative opportunities readers can tap into to awaken their own inner wisdom. Specifically, it addresses the idea that humans are somehow separate from nature, encouraging the notion that, in fact, nature is an intrinsic part of human affairs, both biological and psychological.
This approach to wisdom cements its roots in nature in various ways, from acknowledging nature's importance and place to building new values and pathways to wisdom based upon this newfound connection.
Many of Kaplan's admonitions prove enlightening, presenting growth opportunities in a new way: "We must honor diversity to know truth and power. Let's find solutions by embracing the practical, the unknown, mysterious. There you will discover solutions through integrity, wisdom, and common sense."
As he builds a revised platform for not just understanding, but finding new life connections, Kaplan creates not just a philosophical ideal, but exercises designed to support revised approaches to life. One example lies in a set of guidelines for practicing authentic communication. Another involves practices that can lead to unveiling one's authentic self and divine purpose. It helps to view Walking in Greatness Together's approaches as multifaceted directions for spiritual, psychological, and ideological transformation.
These integrate seamlessly into a program designed to guide readers through the murky waters of confusion and potentially misguided life ideals and approaches into better circumstances of discovery via honing new perspectives about old, familiar pathways of choice and being.
At every step Kaplan outlines pitfalls, realizations, and solutions that keep readers engaged in the process and fully cognizant of their goals and illusions. Libraries seeking collection additions that blend spirituality into self-help routines supporting transformation and positive re-imagining of worldviews and life's meaning will find Walking in Greatness Together the perfect recommendation. It will prove especially powerful for patrons seeking to better understand and build connections between themselves, each other, and life as a whole.
Filled with specific exercises and insights that blend Kaplan's experiences with those of others, Walking in Greatness Together is a terrific study in creating new vision and opportunity. It deserves top recommendation for anyone actively seeking to support the process of positive change.
The Business Shelf
The Elephant in the Family Room
Rene Sonneveld
https://www.renesonneveld.com
Guiding Light Publishing
9789915430935, $36.00 HC / $19.95 PB / $9.99 eBook
https://www.amazon.com/Elephant-Family-Room-Complexities-Businesses-ebook/dp/B0F4Y55X3N
The Elephant in the Family Room: Managing the Complexities of Legacy Businesses addresses problems common to global business families and executives -- managing a legacy business above and beyond typical bottom line concerns.
A huge emotional component consisting of family history, interactions, and personalities reflects the elephant in this business boardroom and is the subject of Rene Sonneveld's book, which tackles issues few other business books address.
Legacy owners, inheritors, and managers will thus find many specifics tailored to not just the usual business pursuits, but managing the family personalities and dynamics which can creep into business operations to create complexity and angst.
Take the subjects of fear triggers, childhood dynamics, and wrestling with entitlement. Each receives a case history example that pinpoints exactly how these psychological influences can impact not just business relationships, but business decision-making:
"In the bright office of the Hariri family's Dubai headquarters, Khalil Hariri and his son Elias faced off. The city skyline stretched out behind them, a silent witness to their exchange as Elias's voice carried a tone of urgency, warning that the business risked falling behind if they didn't act now. Khalil remained firm. "The company didn't grow on gambles," he said. Stability had always been their strength, and he wasn't about to abandon it for untested ideas. When Elias leaned in, suggesting that his father didn't listen to any of his ideas, Khalil cut him off and insisted he was protecting what the family stood for."
The in-depth discussion of legacy and ambition that follows outlines generational differences, visions, and background family relationship influences that coalesce to create problems that, if not addressed, can fracture internal business structures and relationships. Sonneveld does more than outline potential conflicts.
Solutions are provided by example, supporting many contentions about how legacy businesses can find new paths of agreement and growth from close-knit ties.
The chapters comprising The Elephant in the Family Room provide examples of these processes, revisions, and choices to support insights about all kinds of interactions, from perceived unfairness and the challenge of adapting across generations to crafting "...a transition strategy that honors the emotional journey."
Many of these concerns do not appear in other books, whether they survey business or inheritance issues, making The Elephant in the Family Room an exemplary production worthy of inclusion and consideration in many types of libraries and a guide to be disseminated among family members involved in legacy business operations.
Replete with psychological insights, business savvy, and unusual examinations of how relationships drive or divide businesses, The Elephant in the Family Room is very highly recommended not just for library inclusion, but for executives and business club members who will find its many insights and suggestions invaluable.
The General Fiction Shelf
Caught You
Berika Black
Independently Published
9798283865751, $19.99 Hardcover/$11.99 Paperback/$4.99 eBook
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F9XH6BT7
Caught You offers a powerful plot steeped in philosophical and moral reflection from its opening prologue: "Humans have the ability to create horrors that not even the devil himself would dare to imagine... or perhaps he doesn't need to. The landscape was covered in tanks, trenches, shrapnel flying everywhere - tearing through bodies, thirsty for souls. It's ironic how two countries can create such devastation, and yet, if a man commits a crime, if he fails in something, he is judged as the vilest scum."
Readers enter a war zone (literally) in which Vanesa, Bob, Mike, and others confront pointless violence, rituals, and challenges to stay human against all odds. This segues into a flashback scene in which Mike confronts poverty, prejudice, and immigrant issues buffeting his small family. This episode lends insights into why Mike, who had assured his family that he wouldn't leave them to enter into war, finds himself on a battlefield.
Early on in the story, it becomes apparent that today's milieu is mirrored in this fictional survey of lives under siege from many different sources: "What if it was all a lie? What if the media didn't report, but sold fear, patriotism, headlines? What if a man in a tailored suit, speaking in a deep voice from a television studio, could shape the opinions of an entire nation? And he does."
Berika Black masterfully juxtaposes power plays, battles, lives of the rich and poor, and issues of justice as the story unfolds a disparate cast of characters who each experience different nuances in their life encounters and objectives. Chapters reveal wellsprings of reaction and decision-making which motivate the characters to intersect their belief systems with social, military, and psychological encounters. The flashbacks continue as Mike contrasts his present-day situation with immigrant experience.
This approach allows readers to gain a more immediate understanding of Mike's life and its many shifts. Other characters enter this introductory picture, from combatants Gionel and Alex to life-or-death confrontations between scavengers. "It will be up to you whether you become a monster or remain human."
Throughout this story, various characters confront this reality and make choices based on their perceptions, influences, and ideals.
More so than many a novel, Black seamlessly entwines social, military, political, and personal issues in a manner that leads to thought-provoking moral and ethical quandaries. These blend unexpected life experiences with romance, self-inspection, and social examination to give the novel a boost of conjoined insights that will prove especially invigorating for book club discussion groups interested in stories packed with subjects for debate and consideration.
Libraries seeking evocative stories that entwine bigger-picture thinking with the lives of individuals whose narratives are changing will relish how Caught You portrays large and small victories, struggles to survive and adapt, and marks of inferiority and superiority that place people at odds - even those purportedly on the same side. As Shirin and Mike's story expands, so does their audience.
Caught You is a eye-opening, involving story that deserves a place in any literary library and strong recommendation to book clubs and patrons seeking an extraordinary story of growth and confrontation.
Pinned
Rebecca Chianese
https://www.rebeccachianeseauthor.com
Mt. Nittany Press
9781632333995, $18.99
https://www.amazon.com/Pinned-Rebecca-Chianese/dp/1632333996
Pinned is a novel filled with portraits of powerful family dynamics as it traverses issues of corruption and the wellsprings of victimization. It surveys the conundrums faced by Emmett Ainsworth and other characters, who find their personal values and objectives clashing with forces outside of their control.
At this point, it should be cautioned that readers susceptible to trauma triggers from their reading will find Pinned's focus on how predators are born and evolve frighteningly realistic. This is both the mark of a well-done plot and the bane of writing which pulls readers perhaps too deeply (for some) into the real world of threats, predators, and survival tactics. Those not vulnerable to such thoughts and actions will find these elements a huge draw not just because they emerge within well-crafted, believable characters and situations; but because they provoke much food for thought as the story forges unexpected new ground.
Rebecca Chianese is adept at juxtaposing the perceptions, concerns, and motivations of a disparate group of characters. From Coach Walker's drive for fame as a winning coach to 'grooming' tactics designed to lure in victims, Chianese creates important opportunities not just for individual reflection, but for adult and teen discussion groups. Each character brings to the table a different viewpoint.
They offer readers expanded opportunities for considering such diverse issues as achieving masculinity through sports participation or understanding the subtle and overt ways grooming is employed by predators to explain, validate, and lure unsuspecting young accomplices into their dangerous game:
"Coach told Emmett that the best way to evaluate Emmett's masculinity was not only through sports, but also through sexual prowess. Coach explained throughout their many sessions that sexual prowess wasn't defined simply by how many girls you got or how hot they were, but whether or not you were pleasing them. Coach explained how easily men were sexually satisfied, but that girls were more difficult to satisfy. That their bodies were mysterious and that there were very specific techniques that even girls didn't know were necessary. If Emmett wanted to be a real man he would need to learn those techniques. And the best way to do that was the same way you became a better athlete, by taping and evaluating your skills in action."
Libraries can recommend Pinned to their patrons for its astute consideration of a variety of issues about control, sexual predation, and identifying threats. It's especially relevant to book clubs interested in teen sexuality, predator grooming approaches, and what can be done when transgressions are identified and finally made public, but aren't prosecuted.
The Historical Fiction Shelf
The Weight of Snow and Regret
Elizabeth Gauffreau
Paul Stream Press
www.paulstreampress.com
9798990791329, $15.99 Paperback/$4.99 eBook
https://books2read.com/u/mgBPB6
The Weight of Snow and Regret tells of twelve residents at the Sheldon Poor Farm in Vermont who face eviction and relocation. It's 1968, and these destitute residents are slated for institutionalization elsewhere, their stories certain to be lost.
Sheldon Poor Farm manager Hazel and her husband have run the farm for twenty years. While her husband has bowed to the inevitable, Hazel refuses to believe these residents and her connection to them will soon vanish forever. It takes stranger Claire, who comes to the Farm because of a temporary emergency, to spark in Hazel the ability to confront the real changes and influences underlying her decisions to help others for all these years.
References to "the weight of snow and regret" emerge from the beginning as the snowy Vermont setting permeates lives that are teetering on the brink of change and overwhelm. History moves back into the late 1920s and 1940s as Hazel's life unfolds in contrast to the 1960s milieu she now navigates. This back-and-forth ebb and flow of time creates interesting contrasts between influence, purpose, and place as Hazel's life becomes more understandable.
The constant movement of snow and wind and the sense that things aren't quite right permeate growth processes and memories which bring Hazel newfound revelations and insights.
The history is delivered with more than a light dose of poetic license that embraces music, social justice issues, and psychological evolution alike. These elements drive a meaningful, compelling story of disparate lives, poverty, and efforts to help which offers intriguing topics of discussion for book clubs and reading groups.
Libraries can consider The Weight of Snow and Regret an important study in changing times, poorhouse history, and a woman who chooses to run away from family obligations. Replete with touches of regret, new understanding, and social consciousness, The Weight of Snow and Regret is a powerful rendering of psychic and social force that is hard to put down and not easily forgotten. It's highly recommended reading for those who seek novels steeped in old regrets and new possibilities.
The Deal
Lisa Passi
www.lisapassi.com
Independently Published
9798992950953, $14.99
https://www.amazon.com/Deal-Novel-Affluence-Intrigue-Deception/dp/B0FGC73YB6
The Deal blends suspense, romance, intrigue, and business cat-and-mouse games in a novel packed with edge-of-your-seat tension and well-developed characters.
The story opens in 1988, where Jaclyn Tate is daydreaming at work, sparked by a romantic landscape painting in her office. A package delivery interrupts her reverie, ultimately prompting her move from New York to Dallas for a new job and life.
Real estate dealmaker Steve Cason is part of that world, competing for the coveted prizes Jaclyn bids for and relishing his role as a desirable, successful bachelor. How could she find him anything but worthy competition?
Passion and power plays dance together as the two formidable contenders for an especially big prize butt heads and consider what they will do to win.
Lisa Passi covers more than romance or business in her story. Political special interests introduce more characters and influences to complicate and deepen both relationships and moral and ethical conundrums.
As Steven, Caroline, Al, JP, and others build connections, friendships, and competition, the story swirls around decisions to engage, overcome, betray, or cement loyalty. Underlying all these emotional currents is the attraction and possibility sparked by business concerns that continue to buffet personal lives.
Passi creates a powerful, take-charge character in Jaclyn, probing how business interests send a potential romance in the wrong direction. She also excels in showing how well-meaning friends try to reinterpret feelings and perceptions, sometimes getting in the middle of the fray.
The main characters show thoughtful consideration not only of their personal motivations, but their professional influences: "We were obviously working against each other without knowing it and only one of us could end up with the deal. It was unfortunately a no-win situation."
Libraries looking to add memorable business stories to their fiction holdings will find The Deal works on many levels: as a suspense story, a real estate business probe, a romance, and as a tale of growth on the parts of two already-powerful characters.
Filled with surprises and the back-and-forth tides of business and love, The Deal is thoroughly involving, highly recommendable, and delivers more than a few surprises as Jaclyn and Steven navigate unfamiliar business and personal territory.
The Literary Fiction Shelf
Beetlebum
Christian Basso
Gonzo-Isha Books Ltd.
9798306043067, $7.99 Paperback/$1.99 eBook
https://www.amazon.com/Beetlebum-Christian-Basso-ebook/dp/B0DQ2MHNBP
Beetlebum is a satirical study in life changes. It presents the impact of an unexpected windfall from an absent father that holds the power to challenge past assumptions and change the future.
Liam O'Shea's course is seemingly set in stone, until largesse from Francis Henry O'Shea shows up. As a "newly disgruntled caretaker to the memory of his father," Liam is now charged with reinventing not only his life, but the milieu his father created with his financial prowess.
Christian Basso's succinct novel creates satisfyingly complex, fun inspections from the start. Poetic descriptions and phrasing inject the story's observational style with appealing, surprising color that requires slow reading for maximum impact: "One of the endgame risks for men who grow a little too enthralled with the rarified air of "estate-owner" is that the moonshot to the ego tends to amplify the uglier aspects of human nature -- running the unchecked potential for both Icarus-like heights and/or the eventual terminus of faded playboy spinsterhood, depending largely on which way your ethical calculus shakes out."
Basso's descriptions are ethereal, mercurial, and compelling, but will benefit from a slower approach to absorbing their impact and delightful color: "But rest easy in this, the safest of spaces, where the judgments are few, save one or two from a cranky-preachy gargoyle holding Kangaroo Court on his reality-challenged neighbors, elephant-stomping past the windows at 2 a.m. But that mirror shines both ways, and soon a sinister self-reflection takes hold. Poor boy, once again victim to that old time high-hat hubris generally favored by moody only children and lizard people."
As Liam deals with "nightshade folk" and a host of new situations that test his worldview in the weeks that follow his father's funeral, readers embark on a wild ride through life's re-inspection. The underlying satirical observation provides delightful commentary on revisionist thinking, shifting attitudes, and the challenge of reassembling a new life with puzzle pieces one didn't know were missing.
As the first in a projected trilogy, Beetlebum is vivid in its action, flamboyant in its language, and presents the dilemmas of a likeable (albeit flawed) young man coming to terms with family, ego, and wealth.
Libraries seeking a literary novel illustrating the power of accidental transformation and the ironies involved in this effort will delight in how Beetlebum builds its story on the backs of characters that face impossible dreams and revised circumstances.
Literature readers will especially appreciate how deftly Basso wields language and satirical elements to create a novel replete with moments of revelation, transformation, and discovery.
Annie in Retrospect
Kristina Voegele
www.kristinavoegele.com
SparkPress
https://gosparkpress.com
9781684633364, $17.99 Paperback/$12.99 eBook
https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Annie-in-Retrospect/Kristina-Voegele/9781684633364
On the face of it, Annie in Retrospect depicts a somewhat familiar theme -- a woman trades places with her younger self and makes new revelations about her memories and life. But the nature of this swap and revised personal perspectives supercharges the writing with nuances and insights that other time-swap novels don't match, making it a standout.
The tale opens in 1991 on Christmas Day. Annie is seeking her grandmother's comfort over yet another battle between her parents. This time, her gift choice is the crux of their fight. Her wise Nonna declares her parents "stubborn" and counsels Annie to remain an eight-year-old child without considering adult problems, but Annie internalizes their battles and can't help but react to the family turmoil around her. Her Nonna heals her stress headache with a prayer, leading to events that eventually prove unexpected and life-changing.
Sixteen years later, 25-year-old Annie still has not received her grandmother's healing prayer and the promise of building something different into her future. Dreams, hangovers, and nightmares coalesce in her shifting world, which moves from past experience to present-day angst in a slippery timeslip manner that introduces readers to Annie at different phases of her life.
It's 2008. Annie Young is experiencing a life crisis while living the high life in San Francisco, heartbroken at having lost her job and her life direction. In 2023, Annie apparently has achieved her dreams, but remains disenchanted with their results. Is this what she really wanted for her life goal?
The juxtaposition of the changing dreams and ideas of young a middle-aged Annie pinpoint dichotomies and ironies in their perceptions of happiness, achievement, and freedom that emerges from different ideals at different ages. These differences are cemented when 25-year-old Annie gets a preview of the future she'd been romanticizing when she wakes up in 2023 even as 40-year-old Annie wakes up back in 2008 and gets the second chance at living her twenties.
Plenty of timeslip stories pose the dilemmas faced in a multi-day transfer; but the dual focus on a character whose youthful and older experiences take place during a swap in time is uniquely compelling. Kristina Voegele's approach creates a story of movement, growth, opportunity, and transformation that tests Annie's notion of her ideals and influences.
Readers who have imbibed in stories of women revisiting their younger selves or switching bodies to relive some point in their past will find a different feel to Annie's experiences, which embed shifting viewpoints with insights on maturity and the wisdom of friends who comment on her choices: "I just worry that you'll go, and you'll be there all alone, without a job, without your friends, and you'll be waiting for him all day, every day. It's one thing to imagine traveling around the world and having this adventure together. But would he even be there with you, Annie? Has he ever actually been there for you?"
The result invites women to reconsider the junctures of their own lives and the various choices that influenced their growth and perspectives.
Libraries will appreciate how Annie reflects differently at these disparate pivot points, while book club discussion groups will find her many insights hold equally vivid talking points. Replete with realization, dreams deferred or incarnated in unexpected ways, and love antidotes to different situations in her life, Annie's story is one that will resonate with many a dreamer and with women who enjoy vivid romances that offer many opportunities for reflection on growth processes and life pursuits.
The Romantic Fiction Shelf
Racing Towards Destiny
Lena Gibson
Black Rose Writing
www.blackrosewriting.com
9781685136413, $21.95
https://www.amazon.com/Racing-Towards-Destiny-Sports-Romance/dp/1685136419
Imagine all your nightmares hitting in one day. That's what neurodivergent Anna experiences as she attempts to navigate a too-noisy office without her noise-canceling headphones, resulting in disaster.
It's not like this work situation hasn't moved in this direction before: "Her boss's presentation was, word for word, what Anna had agonized over for weeks and pitched to Sandra just days ago. Those were her slides on the screen. After belittling it, Sandra had stolen her work and was now presenting it as her own to their biggest client. It wasn't the first time someone Anna trusted had betrayed her."
She's sure her boyfriend will support her move to quit her job: "Adam would be so happy. Her brow furrowed. Wouldn't he? Her boyfriend was always after her to take a different job. This would be the perfect chance. He'd always said she'd never be able to handle a high-pressure competitive marketing job, and she'd just proven him right."
When she stumbles upon a terrible scenario upon returning home early and unexpectedly, she loses her boyfriend, too. There's only one thing to do -- Run!
Anna boards a plane for Europe, determined to escape her woes and never return. It's there that she encounters motorcycle rider Isaac, who has grown up in his brother's shadow and is also searching for new opportunities. He dreams of love and family. She dreams of peace and a better life. The central question amidst their encounter is: "How had she ended up with a life she didn't want?"
Pursuing answers leads her into a very different milieu in which Isaac and Anna, perhaps predictably, fall in love. Less predictable (which makes this book shine) are the insights into neurodivergent people and relationship challenges which prompt characters to revise their perspectives on differences, similarities, and attitudes.
Lena Gibson does more than explore a romance. She reviews the ways in which women are oppressed and accept that oppression into their lives and roles, she considers ways out that result in new opportunities and behaviors, and she most of all poses the challenges of acceptance and growth and how couples not just fall in love, but maintain their innermost personalities, desires, and achievements during the process.
Libraries seeking stories where neurodivergent people interact with society and others in novel ways will welcome how Racing Towards Destiny opens the door for important revelations and discussions about love and family interactions and influences: "You are one of the first things or people that my boy has chosen for himself. I'm glad he's looking out for himself first for a change. I do not know why he never put himself first, but I see him trying. You must be the right incentive."
Readers seeking superior stories of personality-building, strength, and the process of growing beyond one's self-imposed limitations and perceptions will find Racing Towards Destiny not just enlightening, but the perfect title to introduce to book clubs interested in vivid discussions about all these ideals.
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
The Cobalt Conspiracy
Richard D. Ross
https://www.richarddross.com
Steel Door Publishing
9781739015480, $16.99
https://richarddross.com/books/the-cobalt-conspiracy
The Cobalt Conspiracy that takes place in Florida, where a trucker's sole source of income breaks down. He was already on the edge of despair, with his partner and lover Brooke gone and his income sparse. Now, life and finances have become impossible for Marco Ferrero. Help lies just around the corner (or so he believes) when a stranger offers to help, but the bid for resolution comes with a big price tag - Marco's involvement in a conspiracy that leads to not one, but a host of characters seeking his demise. What does his situation have to do with tenacious aspiring young journalist Reyna Rushmore, who is tasked with probing a new electrical vehicle plant's overnight success? Plenty.
These two lives dovetail in unexpected ways as Marco struggles with an offer that contains deadly ramifications and a big mess, while Reyna becomes involved in special interests over cobalt, a scarce metal that's a primary component in electric vehicle batteries. Ethical questions arise in different ways for both characters as they discover international connections and conundrums that test their mettle and life visions, facing the certainty that truth and possible redemption lay just around the corner... if only they can survive long enough to tap them.
Richard D. Ross includes many supporting characters that accompany both down rabbit holes of possibility and danger, from Reyna's co-worker and veteran reporter Brendan Yarwood to Marco's ex, Brooke Chatzky, who is unexpectedly threatened by his new choices. These associations are revealed through different viewpoints that help shift the story into different perspectives of past, present and future goals:
"Once Reyna returned, he would lead her through the organized steps and framework on how to proceed on a covert investigation such as this. Discipline and secrecy had to be adhered to at all times. There could be no casual slip ups if they were to bring their quarry to justice."
Libraries seeking a thriller that delves into moral and ethical issues, discrepancies between company and government special interests, and a mystery which turns into a dangerous cover-up investigation will find The Cobalt Conspiracy holds just the right amount of tension, character build-up, and changing plot to keep readers thoroughly engaged and wondering about outcomes and character motivations. Filled with surprises and finely-tuned tension, The Cobalt Conspiracy is highly recommended for its ability to turn a mystery into a powerful story of a bid for power and redemption.
DEEP FAKE
Vincent DeFilippo
ViennaRose Publishing
9781960299680, $19.99
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1960299689
DEEP FAKE: A Murder, A Coverup, and the Ultimate Digital Manipulation gives thriller audiences an engrossing story in which an expose about to be revealed to the public is suddenly stifled when its author is found dead of an apparent overdose. That should have been the end of matters, but high-level publishing executive Loren Jamison well knows that Grace's expose of the gun industry was about to blow the lid off some dangerous secrets - and so she assumes the reins of investigator as she probes the tragedy. Loren can't do this alone, so she taps a professional to join her in the pursuit of the truth - former FBI agent turned P.I. Mick Greco. What he and his team uncover indicates a deep-rooted conspiracy packed with special interests and dangers which soon target them.
Vincent DeFilippo is himself an international financier and businessman whose background lends to creating especially realistic tension and scenarios in DEEP FAKE. The story excels in nonstop drama from its opening lines, which continue throughout the story's evolutionary process: "Holy shit! Shit-shit! The overly expensive caramel macchiato tumbled from Loren's hand as a hysterical scream caught in her throat. Loren's racing mind barely registered the sudden splash of hot liquid on her legs. She'd worn jeans to the office, given it was the weekend, and the steaming coffee soaked through without scalding her."
Also powerful are the family relationships and connections which evolve as Mick and Loren pursue the truth, involving others they love and lean on in what turns out to be a very deadly game. Mick must learn to walk a careful line when family ties are tested: "Greco almost chipped in, then stopped himself. He knew it was always a bad idea to interfere in family dynamics, especially when trying to garner information. Greco could imagine both of them turning on him if he said a word out of place, and then the lead might dry up. So, Mick Greco kept his mouth firmly shut."
From tech savvy and market research results to buried files, special interests, and dubious connections, DEEP FAKE uncovers a tangled web of truths, each of which seem to lead in a new direction. The twists and turns which evolve from these revelations just keep coming, making perfect reading for suspense and thriller audiences seeking edge-of-your-seat experiences that are unexpected and satisfyingly shocking.
Libraries seeking top-notch thrillers that sizzle with action, are firmly based on strong, appealing, believable characters, and which immerse even the most savvy thriller reader in the unexpected will want to include DEEP FAKE in their collections. Replete with so many twists that readers won't anticipate its surprise conclusion, DEEP FAKE is an outstanding study in action and business connections that is nearly impossible to put down or predict.
Grid Zero
Andrew Diamond
Stolen Time Press
9798988872214, $5.99 eBook
https://www.amazon.com/Grid-Zero-Andrew-Diamond-ebook/dp/B0F6VVQK28
Readers of thrillers centered on power grid failures and hacking will relish how Andrew Diamond crafts the chaos and obstacles to survival to make Grid Zero not just compelling, but riveting reading. The story opens not pre-blackout, as so many in this genre do, but after the power has been out for a while due to back-to-back hurricanes. While nature has a hand in the initial failures, human treachery has taken up the reins of destruction via malware that has completed the job, preventing power from coming back. People are angry, as food distribution systems and law and order barely work. And even when the power begins to return, life does not return to the normalcy everyone had enjoyed before the wide-ranging outage.
The heat is killing people, the death count is blossoming, and even nine days without power is leading to new connections - and disconnections. The challenge of trying to uncover who is attempting to make the outage permanent is multiplied by the numerous restoration and daily challenges that keep emerging to stymie the investigative efforts of a federal agent and a lone hacker who each have special motivations for understanding an especially lethal, elusive form of malware the world has never seen before.
Andrew Diamond creates a fine series of intersecting personalities and purposes as the story unfolds. Thriller readers will relish the tension which develops from many places, the vast challenges imposed by weather change and mercurial life purposes and visions, and the juxtaposition of characters that each hold a key to ultimate survival. Characters struggling with these forces will find many new scenarios force them to adjust not just their survival skills, but their ability to trust strangers:
"She saw the fear and doubt in his eyes, the same feelings that had tormented her through the night, the same feelings that had attacked her the moment she awoke. Only he looked worse. She pitied him. In his eyes she still saw everything she liked about him: intelligence, kindness, decency, warmth. Against reason and her better judgment, she wanted to give him a chance." More so than most stories about grid failure and natural destruction, Grid Zero creates a memorable plot in which no singular reason for failure is at the heart of various characters' attempts to survive and adjust to their new lives.
Libraries that appreciate realistic novels of survival, psychological change, and suspense will want to consider Grid Zero for any collection where apocalyptic scenarios are of interest. Book clubs that choose Grid Zero for their discussions will find many circumstances provoke topics and perspectives that divert from the usual focus on manmade or natural disaster alone. As the story dovetails these two challenges to human affairs, it unfolds a gripping series of choices that are not always obvious and which reveal a time bomb that only a few of the participants have any hope of diffusing. Vivid and psychologically and socially astute, Grid Zero is a series of realizations that proves hard to put down.
Known But Unknown
A. Eveline
Independently Published
9781633378605, $7.99 Paperback/$4.99 eBook
https://www.amazon.com/Known-But-Eveline/dp/1633378608
Known But Unknown takes place in Florida during the Covid shutdown and builds its mystery around a D.C. lawyer who has accepted an invitation from her friend to stay in Florida, trading the cold of Washington for warmth. The environment proves too hot when Leyla stumbles upon a body on a nature trail and comes to learn the young woman will forever be a Jane Doe unless she taps her investigative skills to identify her. Danger emerges as Leyla is pulled into the situation by local authorities, then falls into peril herself. Leyla's first-person account identifies her own motives from the story's opening lines: "I was going to warmth where I could exercise outside without pandemic crowds on exercise paths and rainy, cold weather." These become clouded with issues that pull her from her original purpose and also from anything familiar as facts emerge about her victim: "She gave me her information but I was curious about her involvement in the Tribe.
"Raimondo told me that you are very involved in the Seminole community. Another person in Hollywood I talked with after we spoke did not identify the young woman but stated that she was definitely Seminole. She said she went to school and worked with the Seminoles and could tell by her skin and her hair. I just wonder why you were so definite about her not being Seminole."
Sally hesitated, "As I said, I'd just come from a contentious Tribal meeting. There was lots of shouting and disruptive behavior. I wasn't focused on anything else, unfortunately. I want to stay involved in the community but things are veering off course. Some of us want to put it right."
A. Eveline builds interludes of appreciation and interpersonal relationships into the mystery, providing readers with calm moments to nicely offset the story's tension: "Carol seemed relieved and so was I. About the house and about our friendship. That was a close call... I asked her if she'd like a glass of wine. We took glasses up the stairs to watch the last of the sunset. It was beautiful."
This approach translates to a more realistic series of challenges than most mysteries offer, taking the time to inject notes of personal growth and revelation into the experience of fielding not just whodunit questions, but political and procedural challenges that often lie somewhat outside Leyla's bailiwick: "It seemed easy to me. You read the rules, you follow the rules, you put in your money, you bid for your spectrum and you either win or lose depending on how much money you put in." The tropical setting comes alive under Eveline's hand - but so do a widening cast of characters who each contribute special interests and experiences.
Libraries seeking Florida-based intrigue, well-written stories of personalities that inquire, clash, and bring disparate concerns to the murder investigation, and scenarios that sizzle with not just action, but thoughtful contemplation, will relish how Known But Unknown initially attracts, then plays out. Filled with surprises and insight, Known But Unknown deftly builds suspense and thriller components to make for a riveting attraction suitable for a wide audience.
Murder Pays a Call
Nancy J. Cohen
https://nancyjcohen.com/murder-pays-a-call
Orange Grove Press
9781952886379, $15.99 Paperback/$4.99 eBook
https://books2read.com/MurderPaysACall
Murder Pays a Call introduces a new murder mystery series featuring personal concierge Keri Armstrong, who is up for any job as long as it's legal... until she finds her client dead in bed, which immerses her in a dangerous investigation that threatens her reputation, her agency, and her ethical compass.
The story opens in Orlando, where Keri has spent two years converting a travel agency office into a point of pride for her new service. Her reputation for solving different kinds of client problems through her concierge service is coming home to roost on her shoulders, though, as she finds herself involved in an unexpected relationship with Chef Jarek, a new client, along with fielding murder accusations. It's beyond the call of her job description but also, strangely, lies well within her abilities as Keri hones her problem-solving skills in a different way that propels her in unexpected directions. As in her other mysteries, Nancy J. Cohen's attention to cementing not just intrigue but the personalities and places that surround it makes for a thoroughly realistic read:
"Jarek finished his steak while she polished off her grilled salmon. When he made a move for the check, she withdrew her credit card. "It's my treat. You're a client so this qualifies as a business expense." She hoped he'd continue to employ their services beyond his grand opening. They took their leave in the parking lot. Keri was glad he hadn't tried to push their relationship in a romantic direction. As she'd told her friends, it was against her policy to get involved with a client, plus she still couldn't tell if this man was genuinely interested in her."
The story introduces many auxiliary characters and possible suspects and circumstances which Keri is forced to navigate in a dance of uncertainty and possibility, from Fiona's mysterious necklace to Veronica's paranoia, whose fears may be all too real. From the pressures of charity and money to the motivations of too wide a net of possible perps, Keri has her hands full - and readers will find her considerations and challenges thoroughly engrossing.
Libraries seeking mysteries that hold solid characterization, good problem-solving challenges, and intrigue that sizzles will welcome the full-bodied read that is Murder Pays a Call. Replete with satisfying twists, unexpected character developments, and a plot to die for, Murder Pays a Call is a cozy mystery that readers will find thoroughly engaging.
The Not So Merry Adventures of Max Creed
Matt Cost
Level Best Books
https://www.levelbestbooks.us
9781685129453, $17.95 Paperback/$5.99 eBook
https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-not-so-merry-adventures-of-max-creed-the-modern-day-chronicles-of-max-creed-matt-cost/22592776
It's hard to neatly categorize The Not So Merry Adventures of Max Creed, but the novel is reviewed here under 'Mystery' because of its thoroughly compelling build-up of intrigue, despite the unexpected injection of moral and ethical quandaries into Max Creed's unique approach to problem-solving. Thriller readers, too, will find Max's nonstop situations and reactions to be engrossing reading as they absorb the specter of a fit forty-year-old who has moved away from his role as Milo Sharp, detective, and the grief and revenge wrought by the death of his love and wife-to-never-be Kinsley five years earlier. He now resides in a strange milieu in which has afforded him shelter and healing, but now is about to be changed by Sevyn Knight, who hires him as part of a team to face tycoon billionaire playboy Rupert Hastings, who has done much wrong and needs to be taken down. Max is the perfect choice for exacting vengeance, but in order to stop these events, he first must become immersed in them, himself.
A cast of supporting figures helps Max navigate this dangerous new world, but ultimately Max is on his own. It's then that he discovers that five years of healing may not be nearly enough: "He realized that he was knee deep in the water, staring out at the vastness of the ocean, and wondered how nature could be so in sync and he was so far from that balance."
Matt Cost's special blend of thriller and mystery in a story of recovery and re-entry into the world translates to thoroughly engrossing reading. This is because he takes the time to juxtapose fast-paced action and investigations into the workings of drug lords and money makers. These dovetail with the psychological and philosophical growth of a flawed but likeable protagonist whose efforts to rebuild his life teeter on the brink of impacting his career. Another intriguing facet is that Max himself is not immune to crossing ethical and moral lines in pursuit of his special brand of vigilante justice:
"Day by day he tore down the world of Winthrop Gould, making him suffer, even if only inflicting just one-tenth of the pain that Max felt every day. And then Max abducted the man. It was all over the news, but as the human attention span is short, people no longer cared what happened to Winthrop Gould by the time Max was done with him. It took months, but Max gained access to the man's hidden dirty money."
These elements make Max likeable, realistic, engaging, and his choices and impacts thoroughly understandable as he navigates his latest case and confronts adversaries who hold their own unexpected reasons for killing him.
Libraries seeking mysteries that edge into thriller territory, yet maintain deep psychological ties via profiles of protagonists that are challenged to navigate their worlds in novel ways will relish The Not So Merry Adventures of Max Creed. Not always merry but always delightfully unexpected, Max's ability to confront a wide cast of characters is as astute as his ability to confront his own failings and responses. Readers interested in a mystery that makes them think about broader issues of choice, impact, and recovery will welcome The Not So Merry Adventures of Max Creed's ability to encourage unexpected reflections through events that test Max and his readers on many different levels.
The Poetry Shelf
Jonah's Map of the Whale and Other Poems
Anthony Doyle
Old Scratch Press
c/o Current Words
www.oldscratchpress.com
9781957224541, $14.99
https://www.amazon.com/Jonahs-Map-Whale-Other-Poems/dp/1957224541
Jonah's Map of the Whale and Other Poems presents a nautical celebration of the sea, creatures that reside within and outside of it, and observations of life underwater and on the surface that revolve around wrecks, boathouses, and labyrinths of heart and soul.
Anthony Doyle charts an intriguing progression of experiences steeped in metaphysical and oceanic insights: "But Molly gleams like metal,/Molly twinkles like a star,/a mermaid made in heaven,/to be worshipped from afar;/a mermaid from the heavens,/an angel from below,/her roe rich as stardust/ in drifts of neon glow."
The dovetailing of human affairs and philosophies creates a fabulous interplay between tyrants, monsters, royalty and foreclosed dreams. One example of this juxtaposition of themes is 'The Universe Conspires,' in which: "There are no Marxist jungles, no holy savannas,/No socialist seas./Not even the womb is egalitarian,/ask the shark pup, the runt cub."
Each poem represents a stark delineation between human affairs and philosophies and themes of risk, far-away places, and mythological connections. Each builds a foundation of insight and intellectual examination that will find an especially strong audience among lovers of mythology and tales of the sea.
Libraries, poets, and readers looking for poetry packed with intriguing associations and insights that blends free verse and rhyme to create unexpected interplays between imagination, thought, and philosophical perspective will find
Jonah's Map of the Whale and Other Poems a wonderfully inspiring read.
The Travel Shelf
Affordable Paris Hotels
Caroline O'Connell
Travel Smart Press
www.TravelSmartPress.com
9798992616408, $9.99 Paperback/$4.99 eBook
https://www.amazon.com/Affordable-Paris-Hotels-Travel-Mini-Guide/dp/B0FB5MQH4C
Affordable Paris Hotels does the legwork for destination-bound Paris visitors, featuring fellow traveler and Paris expert Caroline O'Connell's basic advice on how to locate affordable accommodations in a city notorious for its expense:
"All this wonderful culture comes with a price - crowds competing for the same accommodations. My top two recommendations are to stay in the center of the city adjacent the Seine River, where these sites are a short walk away, and to book your trip "off season" when the prices are lower and the crowds have thinned.", then following up with specific recommendation travelers can use to streamline the vetting process.
Those used to budget guides to big cities which recommend fleabag hotels for the sake of saving a dime will be happy to realize that these listings aren't just affordable, but are attractive representations of quintessential Paris. They are three-star hotels that are reasonably priced and lovely in and of themselves, offering a flavor of the city that supports any tourist's desire for centrally-located accommodations that reflect Parisian culture.
Maps, color photos, and discussions of the attractions located near these hotels provide tourists with plenty of options, while each hotel receives in-depth reviews of its pros and cons to help readers decide what hotel would be most appropriate for their needs.
One example is the Hotel Europe Saint-Severin: "The big plus for this hotel is the great location next to the river. It is also near the pedestrian area, and an Italian restaurant is on the ground floor. Prices are a bit higher than the other listings. The rooms run on the small side and have simple, warm decor. Some rooms have balconies with views. They do have the option of "bed and half board" reservations that include dinner in the Italian restaurant."
Each hotel listing includes an address, phone, and website for easy follow-up, and each is depicted on maps that make it a snap to understand its location.
Affordable Paris Hotels needs to be a basic feature of libraries holding solid, lasting references on France, and ideally chosen as a take-along tote for anyone visiting that country. Filled with colorful descriptions, insights, and facts, Affordable Paris Hotels stands out from the wealth of hotel guides in landing somewhere between budget- and student-oriented travel guides and those that would discard budget concerns entirely. Its added value in choosing hotels that are themselves part of the travel attraction makes for an outstanding travel guide and reference.
The Self-Help Shelf
Go Within to Change Your Life
Carl Greer, PhD, PsyD
Chiron Publications
www.chironpublications.com
9781685035327, $24.95 HC, $24.95 PB, 230pp
https://www.amazon.com/Within-Change-Your-Life-Transformation/dp/1685035337
Go Within to Change Your Life: A Hidden Wisdom Workbook for Personal Transformation is a guide directed to readers who seek not just spiritual and self-help growth, but transformation. It is a workbook -- which means that it's a top pick for those interested in not just reading about transformation, but doing the work involved in reflecting, making changes, and tracking progress.
Another facet of this book lies in many fill-in-the-blank points which may not be appropriate for the rigors of library lending, but are perfect for users who want to write down and chart the process and progress of these changes. As for the exercises themselves, they range from poems and writings to paintings. They invite readers to question engrained beliefs and value systems, discuss how new habits may be fostered, and provide important links between spiritual development and nature.
The exercises not only offer opportunities for reflection, but represent invitations to engage with transformative options in different ways. Self-help readers interested in a blend of spiritual and psychological work that encourages them to gain insights and integrate them into life in a revised way will relish the many ways Dr. Greer helps readers form, customize, and outline pathways to self-improvement and change.
More so than similar-sounding books that promise such results, Go Within to Change Your Life delivers the routines, rituals, and reflections accessible to anyone who would closely inspect their lives for actionable, transformative opportunities.
The Metaphysical Studies Shelf
Dreaming of Your Future
Theresa Cheung
Llewellyn
www.llewellyn.com
9780738779386, $22.99 PB, $17.47 Kindle, $29.86 Audio CD
https://www.amazon.com/Dreaming-Your-Future-Precognitive-Secrets/dp/0738779385
Dreaming of Your Future: Unlock the Precognitive Secrets of Your Mind blends science and spirituality in a survey designed to help readers decode dream messages that portend the future.
While the connection of dreaming to precognition is not new, what is new in "Dreaming of Your Future: Unlock the Precognitive Secrets of Your Mind" is its approach to reinforcing and strengthening the dreaming process through exercises designed to sharpen precognition. It employs a decoding directory that helps readers better understand these images and their meaning. Also important are the overall discussions of sleep, dreaming, and mental acuity.
Theresa Cheung offers many definitions that help readers better define the building blocks of their dreams and spiritual and psychological insights. Take dreams about volcanoes, for instance. Here, Cheung notes that: "These dreams generally predict an imminent release of pent-up emotions that have been hindering your progress. Hot passions could be aroused and released. This can create a cathartic shift in your energy and therefore what you attract into your life, but the dream carries with it a warning that this shift may prove to be volatile. If the volcano is extinct, this is a sign that a difficult situation is about to be resolved."
Can dreams predict what is coming? Those who believe dreams can serve as windows not just to the soul, but the future, will welcome this book's many techniques for decoding dreams to better understand how intuition interacts with sleep and symbolism. Libraries seeking a book about dream interpretation that goes beyond symbols alone, considering their applicability to interpreting possible future scenarios, will want to add this book to their new age, psychology, or self-help collections.
Packed with more than just a spiritual or psychological approach alone, Dreaming of Your Future is another key to unlocking underlying powers of psyche and growth.
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive, Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
www.midwestbookreview.com
Diane C. Donovan, Editor & Senior Reviewer
12424 Mill Street, Petaluma, CA 94952
phone: 1-707-795-4629
e-mail: donovan@sonic.net
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