Sky Parlor by Stephen C. Perkins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A spectacular flight of the imagination!

Sky Parlor by Stephen Perkins is a well-crafted historical sci-fi fantasy. The story had every element a good story should have. An interesting and captivating plot, attention to detail, but best of all fleshed out, well-written and well-rounded character development. There’s plenty of imagery in the writing style that makes you feel like you are right there in the story, and that’s something I look for in a good book.

I enjoyed the story, character development, and dialogue. There were plenty of plot twists that I didn’t see coming and that added to the book’s mystique. When I stopped reading to work, I found myself wondering what happened in the book, and replaying parts of the novel in my head to see if I could figure more out. It has been a while since I enjoyed a book this much.

It’s one of those books that comes along occasionally that will make you want to read it non-stop until you get to the end. For those looking for an interesting, three-dimensional and stimulating read, this would be a great find. I’m giving nothing further away here and this, I hope, will only add to the mystery and enjoyment for the reader.

I’ll be looking forward to reading more from Stephen Perkins in the future. I would highly recommend this book to all fans of the sci-fi fantasy genre. A well-deserved five stars from me.

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Sophia von X by Victoria Ray
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A first-class mystery thriller with perfect pacing...

Author Victoria Ray weaves an action-packed mystery thriller with intriguing twists and turns that will easily captivate the reader’s attention from the beginning. The author paints a tale of ‘violence and obsession, secrets and tragedy, lies, religious hate, and love’ in a very vivid and convincing way. In addition, the characters are drawn with great credibility and conviction. It’s a fast-paced novel that will keep you engaged from the first page to the last.

The book description gives a sneak preview: ‘It was supposed to be a vacation, the trip to a newly discovered tomb of Jesus…When Sabina Ferrara was driving to Bingerbruck, Germany, she was hoping to put a painful marriage behind her. Certain unforeseen events turned against her and during a visit to Christ’s tomb, she is meeting Thomas von Essen – a dangerous thief, who is hiding behind the name of a decent family, pretending that he is a famous archaeologist. Against her will, Sabina is dragged into the middle of the stealing of biblical artefacts, killings and shootings. She ended up attracting the attention of an unknown enemy from Jerusalem, a wicked man called Papa Zen. A powerful mogul who knows too much about Sabina and her mysterious birthmark. She is the one he was looking for all along…’

Now, if that’s not enough to get your curiosity juices flowing, I don’t know what will. But if you want to find out what happens, you’ll just have to turn the pages for yourself! However, I will say it was well worth the read. It’s my first time reading this author and I must say I was very impressed.

Sophia von X had every element a good story should have. An intriguing plot, attention to detail, but best of all fleshed out, well-written and well-rounded character development. There’s an abundance of well-illustrated scenes that make you feel like you are right there in the story, and that’s something I look for in a good book. The story flowed from scene to scene with ease, and the author shows exceptional ability when it comes to storytelling.

I enjoyed the story and dialogue, and there were plenty of plot twists that I didn’t see coming that added to the book’s mystique. When I stopped reading to work, I found myself wondering what happened in the book and replaying parts of the novel in my head to see if I could figure more out. It has been a while since I enjoyed a book this much. It’s a first-class mystery thriller with perfect pacing. Not much is as it appears here, which is just the way fans of mystery, thriller and suspense will want it!

I’m a fan of Victoria Ray so this book comes highly recommended and gets a well-deserved five stars from me. I’ll be looking forward to reading more from Victoria Ray in the future.

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When Worms Abandon Their Burrows by Sean Parr
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A first-class mystery thriller with perfect pacing...

Author Sean Parr weaves a well-crafted mystery thriller with intriguing twists and turns that will easily captivate the reader’s attention from the beginning. The story unfolds in small acts, at first feeling slight to touch, then building in emotional substance. The story had every element a good story should have; a solid (albeit unusual) plot, attention to detail, but best of all fleshed out, well-written and well-rounded character development. There’s an abundance of well-illustrated scenes that make you feel like you are right there in the story, and that’s something I look for in a good book.

I enjoyed the story, character development, and dialogue. There were plenty of plot twists that I didn’t see coming and that added to the book’s mystique. When I stopped reading to work, I found myself wondering what happened in the book, and replaying parts of the novel in my head to see if I could figure more out. It’s been a while since I enjoyed a book this much. It’s a first-class mystery thriller with perfect pacing.

This was a fascinating and captivating read that had me immersed from the beginning. The story flowed from scene to scene with ease, and the author shows exceptional ability when it comes to storytelling. There are plenty of attention-grabbing moments in this page turner that will take the reader on a mesmerizing journey. Recommended reading to all fans of the mystery/thriller genre and a well-deserved five stars.

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A Sickness in the Soul: An Ashmole Foxe Georgian Mystery by William Savage
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Georgian society and its preoccupations are well portrayed in this murder mystery...

A Sickness in the Soul: An Ashmole Foxe Georgian Mystery by John William Savage is a wonderfully written and richly descriptive novel with brilliantly drawn characters and settings. The author weaves a well-crafted Georgian period whodunit that will captivate the reader’s attention from the start. Skillfully constructed, this well researched fiction will have you turning the pages from beginning to end. There’s plenty of imagery in the writing style that makes you feel you are right there in the story, and that’s something I look for in a good book.

This was a captivating read that had me immersed from the beginning. The story flowed from scene to scene with ease, and the author shows exceptional ability when it comes to storytelling. I enjoyed the story, character development, and dialogue. There were plenty of intriguing moments that I didn’t see coming and that added to the book’s mystique. When I stopped reading to work, I found myself wondering what happened in the book, and replaying parts of the novel in my head to see if I could figure more out. It has been a while since I enjoyed a book this much.

This for me was a phenomenal read. It was one of those books that stayed with me for several days after I finished reading. The vivid descriptions of the settings, situations, and the people were stunning and realistic. The author’s use of genuine dialogue further added to the overall atmosphere of authenticity. Georgian society and its preoccupations are well portrayed in this novel.

It’s one of those stories that come along occasionally that makes you want to read it non-stop until you get to the end. I’m giving nothing further away here. And this, I hope, will only add to the mystery and enjoyment for the reader.

I’ll be looking forward to reading more from William Savage in the future. I would highly recommend this book and would add that it has a distinctly cinematic feel to it. A well-deserved five stars from me.

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The Freedom Building by Martin Kendall
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A well-crafted psychological thriller...

THE FREEDOM BUILDING by Martin Kendall is a wonderfully written and richly descriptive novel with brilliantly drawn characters. The author weaves a well-crafted psychological thriller with intriguing twists and turns that will captivate the reader from the first page to the last.

The contrast between tone and content is a characteristic talent of only a few authors. Kendall pays as much attention to his sentences as he does to his plots, shifting or consolidating meaning with the use of a single word. His writing is impeccably honed, full of juxtapositions and qualifications that help to create an emotional atmosphere that will have you spellbound.

The book description gives a sneak preview: ‘When small-time architect John Gowan awakes in hospital with amnesia, he learns he is the designer of a world-famous building, replacing one destroyed by terrorists. But his world becomes a nightmare when a spiraling darkness stops him from seeing or remembering anything about the building, threatening his very existence if his secrets are exposed. Expected to fulfil his responsibilities with the media, his client, his own company and personal relationships, he desperately seeks the truth before it’s too late.’

I enjoyed the story, character development, and dialogue. There were plenty of plot twists that I didn’t see coming and that added to the book’s mystique. When I stopped reading to work, I found myself wondering what happened in the book, and replaying parts of the novel in my head to see if I could figure more out. It has been a while since I enjoyed a book this much. It’s a first-class thriller with perfect pacing. Not much is as it appears here, which is just the way fans of mystery, thriller and suspense will want it!

THE FREEDOM BUILDING had every element a good story should have; A thought-provoking plot, attention to detail, but best of all fleshed out, well-written and well-rounded character development. There’s an abundance of well-illustrated scenes that make you feel like you are right there in the story, and that’s something I look for in a good book. It’s one of those stories that come along once in a while that makes you want to read it non-stop until you get to the end. I’m giving nothing further away here. And this, I hope, will only add to the mystery and enjoyment for the reader!

I’ll be looking forward to reading more from this author in the future. I would highly recommend this psychological thriller. A well-deserved five stars from me.

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A Body Of Her Own by Ella Kanner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An insightful and inspiring book...

For those unfamiliar with Jewish culture, ‘The mikvah is a ritual bath designed for the Jewish rite of purification – to achieve ritual purity.’ Israeli author Ella Kanner PhD is a feminist activist in Israel’s religious sector. Her work also includes education, training individuals and groups, running a dance studio, and promoting the values of equality, female expression, coexistence and peace.

To paraphrase the Foreword: The author began writing this book with a doctorate in mind. She was instinctively drawn to the connection between monologues and feminist interpretation. Initially, she thought of combining interviews with being a participating observer, interweaving them with the writings of prominent thinkers, and deal with what would emerge from the texts about the body, sexuality, power relations, religion, rituals and so on. But the more monologues she heard from the mikvah, the more firmly she decided to submit them in their untouched purity, and allow their voices to be heard, free and unbounded by the confines of interpretation.

Pseudonyms are used for the contributors to tell their stories more freely, and what results makes for some very insightful and interesting reading. This is a book that all women will appreciate and cherish. It’s also a book that will shed light on an aspect of female life that will allow men to appreciate more what it means to be a woman. Highly recommended reading.



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Love Notes for Modest Young Men: A Short Story Collection by Ryan Latini
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A well-written and interesting collection of short stories...

This was a fascinating and captivating read that had me immersed from the beginning. Each story flowed from scene to scene with ease, and the author shows exceptional ability when it comes to storytelling. There are plenty of attention-grabbing moments in this page turner that will take the reader on a truly spellbinding journey!

I’ll be looking forward to reading more from this author in the future. Highly recommended and a well-deserved five stars from me.


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