Tag: mystery

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#BookReview: Witness Protection by Robert Whitlow

Strong Christian Fiction Law-Based Thriller From A Long Time Master. For those who are unaware that this is a Christian Fiction book even though Robert Whitlow has spent this Millennium building a career as a Christian Fiction author and even though the description explicitly mentions “faith” or “redemption” in three of five paragraphs… yes, this is an explicitly Christian Fiction book that is going to have people praying and talking about Jesus as much and as explicitly as a jalapeno (or maybe even habanero) level “spicy romance” has sex scenes. (Ok, so with the level that praying in particular happens, it is definitely more akin to a habanero or maybe even Carolina Reaper level spicy romance with their sex scenes.) If you have a problem with that… this won’t be the book for you. Just skip it and leave Whitlow and his fans in peace.

For those that can at least tolerate this level of Christian living in your legal suspense thrillers… this is a remarkably well done book. One where while it can seem a touch slow at times, these slow periods are all about deepening the characters in some way, either enhancing their internal conflict or allowing them to grow in some manner. And yes, between this deep growth and the suspense plot these characters find themselves in, it is almost remarkable that Whitlow was able to constrain himself to *just* 450 ish pages. While some could probably argue to cut at least 10-20 pages here, others could argue that at least that many pages could have been *added* and felt quite well placed in certain areas of the book.

This is also a very *Southern* book, and it actually respects and shows Southern culture quite well, yes, including how race relations down here actually work for the vast majority of us. As a native Georgian (though from the Appalachian Foothills region of the State hundreds of miles away from the Coastal areas shown here) now living in Jacksonville, FL (actually not that far at all from Brunswick, GA, where this book takes place), I can even note that the language used here isn’t that far off – if off at all – from language I would personally use or at *worst* hear from those I either know personally or pass by in the communities I’ve lived in all over the region, from some of its largest cities (Atlanta, Jacksonville) to some of its smallest communities (that barely have a single stop sign, much less stop light). Also, while in this section discussing the Southern nature of this book, allow me to add that I *love* that the cover of this book is an edited version of an actual photograph of the port area at Brunswick with its Sidney Lanier Bridge in the background.

For what it is though, this book really and truly is quite possibly Whitlow at his absolute best, which is saying quite a bit. Fans of Christian and/ or Southern Fiction will deeply enjoy this tale, and those at least open to such a tale will most likely enjoy it a fair amount as well. Though again I ask that if you have some personal bias against either Christian or Southern themes, please do both Whitlow and yourself a favor and just pass this one by. Find my reviews wherever you see this one, and I guarantee you I’ve written a review for a book more in line with your preferences, whatever they may be.

For those who do read this book though, please write your own review and post it wherever you found this one. I’d love to see your thoughts – even if they are diametrically opposed to my own.

Very much recommended.

This review of Witness Protection by Robert Whitlow was originally published on May 8, 2026.

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#BookReview: Paradox by Douglas Preston and Aletheia Preston

Solid Near Stand-Alone Sequel Will Be Divisive. This is one of those books where a co-author was added… and makes an immediate and obvious impact. How you like that impact will likely depend on your own politics and worldview. Making one character from the previous book explicitly LGBT in this book – when this character’s sexuality was never discussed in the previous book at all – is a choice. As is adding in a nonbinary character, introducing them with pronouns, and then explicitly saying of an older character that this older character “needed to get it together”. Allegations that this book curses more than the prior book, as some 1 and 2 star reviews make, are unfounded, however, as Extinction (Book 1 of this series) actually has *more* uses of “fuck” or its derivatives than this book does, per searching the text of both books.

Then there is the religious side. The description of the book mentioning “relics” in connection to “Christendom” makes it clear that this book will have something to do with the Catholic Church. What it doesn’t prepare you for is how much of the darker aspects of the Church this book portrays. Again, some will enjoy this, others will want to defenestrate the book over it.

Divisiveness aside though, and read more as a standalone in-universe sequel with the barest of connections to the first book, for what it is this book is actually a solid mystery that eventually veers into the scifi, with action more a secondary concern and only in small doses. Nowhere near the intense action sequences of the previous book in this series, but also not really that far from Douglas’ earlier work in the Pendergast tales in particular. If anything, Pendergast fans will find a fair amount of that series’ obsession with the grotesque also makes a heavy appearance here.

And then the epilogue. Without saying *too* much, let’s just say that Douglas’ Author Note at the end reveals the title for Book 3, and that title for Book 3 combined with this tale and its epilogue? Don’t let the divisive nature of the co-author’s additions to the story here make you miss out on either story. This one was solid and interesting. The next one promises to be explosive.

Overall a solid tale that continues its series in unexpected yet interesting directions, one that will be divisive for many reasons both earned and unearned, yet ultimately one that does its primary job well in setting up the *next* book.

Very much recommended.

This review of Paradox by Douglas Preston and Aletheia Preston was originally written on May 6, 2026.

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#BookReview: Ephraim’s Awakening by David McAfee

Stunning Return Has Me Absolutely Enraptured. I’ve been talking about McAfee’s 33AD and its resultant Bachiyr series for (nearly?) 15 yrs now. I found it back then because Amazon was insistent on recommending it to me in my early Kindle era, and eventually I picked it up… and was immediately hooked. Opening in the titular year with a vampire assassin killing another vampire who had become a believer in this charismatic rabbi from Nazareth and having a Roman centurion stumble into the aftermath, I was immediately hooked. To this day, I’ve never seen any other vampire tale done quite like this, and I’ve never seen any other historical fiction tale done quite like this either. It was a perfect combination of both, and I’ve been a fan of McAfee ever since.

But something happened over the next few years, and by the time I met him circa 2016, he had already stopped writing, even though I’d been recommending his books to basically anyone who had ears. Seriously, over the years I think I’ve recommended 33AD more than I’ve recommended any book from any author not named Jeremy Robinson – who, incidentally, designed the cover for 33AD that has remained all these years.

So for roughly a decade now I’ve been begging and teasing McAfee to write again. At all.

And y’all… this is the result of that begging and teasing.

WE FINALLY GET NEW BACHIYR CONTENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, this is just a 14 page short story that could well have been expanded into its own trilogy. The opening scene alone would have been an extremely worthy of its own full novel – and thus I need y’all to read this book, and then the Bachiyr series as a whole if you haven’t yet – and help me convince McAfee of this.

But as a “reintroduction” that also fills in at least some of the gap and sets the stage for the opening of 33AD, this is truly a tremendous effort that does exactly that.

And then there is even more recently written lore that McAfee has shown me, but I’m not sure when or in what form he will release *that*. I for one was even more impressed with that bit than this short story – and this short story is *AWESOME* in and of itself.

So read this short story. Contact McAfee via his Substack or whatever other mechanisms he establishes in his re-emergence. Beg him both to expand the opening scene here into a full novel and to *keep writing* this time. Because he is truly talented and this is a spin on vampire lore that blurs the edges of so many different genres that it is truly interesting in so many ways, and it has always been fun to try to guess what the next year/ event would be in this series. I truly did not expect him to ever go where he did in the opening scene of this story, and I’m so very glad we got even a scene there. But I absolutely want to see that entire story, and I need your help to get it.

Very much recommended. Obviously. 😉

PS: Speaking to McAfee further, I’ve learned that the additional lore is actually included in his newsletter on Substack. You’re going to want to sign up, because it is really good.

This review of Ephraim’s Awakening by David McAfee was originally written on April 27, 2026.

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#BookReview: A Cruise To Die For by Heather Graham

Solid Cruise Mystery In Vein Of Doctor Odyssey. When Doctor Odyssey was cancelled around this time last year after barely one singular season, I was bummed. Yes, as an experienced cruiser with 25 cruises and approaching 200 days at sea, I can tell you without hesitation at all that that tale was *not* “realistic”. IT WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO BE! It is FICTION, and it tells an excellent tale in an exotic and exciting setting!

So very many of the 1* and 2* complaints about this book decry its “lack of realism”, and I’m here to tell you: OF COURSE IT ISN’T FUCKING REAL, IT IS FUCKING FICTION! But enjoyed in the vein of Doctor Odyssey (which, I supposed, not enough people enjoyed to begin with), this is really a fun mystery tale set on a cruise ship. Come for the mystery and action and you won’t be disappointed at all. There is a lot here, and it actually works quite well in some remarkably plausible ways that those “it wasn’t real enough” morons completely missed out on, including some explorations of extreme high tech in a few different areas. Indeed, while certain elements weren’t real *AT ALL*, others were very nearly *spot fucking on*, almost getting into “Tom Clancy spends a dozen pages on the first nanoseconds of a nuclear explosion” level actual technical precision.

Is this the *best* cruise tale I’ve ever read? No. Does it work for what it is without pretense or claims of being the best? Absolutely. With its release timed well in mid-spring, this is one of those tales that will really work the “vacation” / “beach” read scene quite well, particularly for those who enjoy mysteries with a touch of romance. Even though I personally define a “vacation” or “beach” read as anything you happen to be reading while on a vacation and/ or at a beach. 😉

Spice level wise, *maybe* jalapeno level? There is “more than kissing” happening, and more than once, but it isn’t anywhere near erotica level. More clothes flying and then fade to black level. Cussing, I’m pretty sure I’ve dropped more fucks in this review than exist in the book, and I honestly don’t even remember any shits or damns. Not that I’m an expert in remembering this, as I use these words like chefs use salt – because I’m a programmer by day and we cuss *more* than sailors – but truly, nothing stood out as particularly gratuitous at bare minimum.

Overall a fun book that did exactly what it set out to do and nothing more, and one that will work perfectly for those looking for an engaging read, particularly in the summer/ on vacation/ at a beach… or on a cruise. 😉

Very much recommended.

This review of A Cruise To Die For by Heather Graham was originally written on April 27, 2026.

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#BookReview: Stolen Grace by B.R. Spangler

Dark, Disturbing Spinoff Starter With Meat. In a first in my experience with Spangler, this is a book where there is a lot of interesting theological discussion *just* below the surface of this tale – hidden enough so that you can enjoy the actual story as told without diving too deep, but also obvious enough that it is fairly easy to follow Spangler’s thinking for anyone who chooses to do so. That is the “meat” here – there really is a lot to ponder, and at least through certain sections of the tale, Spangler really makes you wrestle with a big theological word you rarely see outside of church… if you choose to do so.

If you don’t want to wrestle with your theological outlook, this is still, on a more surface level, a dark and disturbing thriller from a guy that is known for his dark and disturbing thrillers in his Detective Casey White series (where this spins off from, but which is only tangentially referenced – a few times -in this text). Yet as dark as some of the books in the other series got – and they got *dark* at times – this one somehow manages to go *even more dark*, to damn near approaching vantablack levels. Perhaps saved from being *that* dark more by the ages of the child victims here at least primarily being teenagers rather than even younger.

There is a *lot* here that won’t be for the squeamish at all. Saw level gory murders, shown after the fact. An act that was at least somewhat more common – at least in news reports – about 60 yrs ago or so in a specific context (but this is about as close as I can get without going more full spoiler). Fade to black #MeToo level stuff. Oh, and the entire premise of this story being based on at least one version of Christianity – the “prayer card” from the description – though I’ll refrain from elaborating on which one. Suffice it to say that it too has been in the news over the years, but that actually doesn’t reveal much, if anything. 😉 Point being, if you’re one that for whatever reason cannot/ willnot read any books with any mention of any aspect of Christianity at all… this book may not be for you. On the flip side, that prayer card was a clue to a murder in the description, so that too points in a direction where if you’re one that can’t read any book where that direction may be in play… also may not be the book for you.

But for fans of truly *dark* thrillers… yeah, again, you really don’t get much darker than some of the shit that happens in this book. So for that crowd in particular, y’all are going to LOVE this.

Also, Spangler’s fans who have been reading the Casey White books for years… as I mentioned earlier, this is very much in that same general mindset, and in fact is really close to being effectively a way to start over in that series without actually starting over or resetting anything. Truly a nice and interesting pivot of focus that allows for a lot more stories within the same overall world.

Ultimately, again, this book will NOT be for everyone. But for those who can at minimum tolerate this kind of tale, it is a really strong one. Either way, it does an excellent job of introducing us to this particular character and her world, and yes, it sets up Book 2 (apparently scheduled for roughly six months after the publication of this book) rather explosively.

Very much recommended.

This review of Stolen Grace by B.R. Spangler was originally written on April 21, 2026.

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#BookReview: Hollywood Payback by Jon Lindstrom

Hollywood Hope. This one is very different from Lindstrom’s debut, actually corrects some mistakes it made (somewhat), and even manages to land haymakers even Stephen King couldn’t land quite so well… while directly calling out King. Yes, Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption is called out a few times in this tale, and yes, the tale largely follows a similar path to a point… and yet Lindstrom really does take that framework and make it his own in a tale as old as Hollywood itself.

At its heart is a guy who went to Hollywood as a typical midwestern guy looking to make it as a star… who then encountered Hollywood as it actually is, up to an including a #MeToo level scene (that is brief yet present) before falling to its also far too real underbelly (or so I’ve been told – I’ve never been further west than Phoenix, AZ, and I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve so much as crossed the Mississippi River). This section is mostly told in flashbacks to his days before prison even as our main narrative starts as he is being released from prison, and in both sides we get an emotional, heartfelt look at both sides of that inflection point, one with a lot more heart than Lindstrom’s debut… yet also with a fair amount of action.

The action at hand is both of the Carolina Reaper level (if brief, but fairly explicit) on the one hand in the before-prison scenes (along with some perhaps more jalapeno level spice in the post-prison timeline) and of the Without Remorse sheer bloody brutality level in several scenes deep into the text.

It is within the Without Remorse type sections that we get into where Lindstrom made some improvements from Hollywood Hustle… and still shows areas he still needs to clean up. One scene in particular describes suppressed gunshots as Hollywood almost always does… which particularly in that exact situation is very nearly as far from the truth as possible. Yet later in the text, Lindstrom accurately has a character say the reality of what suppressors actually do… before showing them again being used in a more Hollywood fashion. But it is within that last part in particular that Lindstrom really shows his improvements with guns, as he specifically names – and accurately describes – a particular $1,300 ish exotic-ish shotgun and exactly how to actually use this exact model. That he then employs it with such mastery and beauty is just… chef’s kiss. Truly. Though those with low tolerances for gore are going to want to self sensor the movie running in your head in this bit! (But the Without Remorse references in this review should have warned you of that already. 😉 )

Overall this was a really solid mix of emotional depth and excellent action that really any reader will likely find at least something to enjoy about this book, particularly when you add in the free-roaming Los Angeles vibe where not many areas of the city are left unexplored in some manner.

Very much recommended.

This review of Hollywood Payback by Jon Lindstrom was originally written on April 20, 2026.

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#BookReview: The Last Seat by Jenifer Ruff

One Of The Most Spot-On Descriptions I’ve Ever Come Across. So despite having this as an ARC for at least a few weeks, specifically because Ruff is a Lead Author in the Facebook group My Book Friends – which I’ve been active in since its founding several years ago – I only got to it about a week after its release due to some real-life issues happening these last few weeks and continuing through Summer 2026 or so. And yet my review won’t have Goodreads’ discriminatory banner against Advance Review Copy reviews since my review is coming in a week late. And yet, at least as of the time I’m writing this review almost exactly as this book completes its first week of public availability, that description right now really is exactly what I say in the title here – one of the most spot on descriptions I’ve ever come across. Which is pretty awesome itself. It means I really don’t have to tell you much more about what to expect with this book.

Instead I’ll speak more directly to my own experience with the book, which I always make it a point to do anyway, and tell you that for me, this was a very quick and engaging read. Yes, at a hair over 300 pages it can seem long to some readers (and short to others), and in fact for its genre it is in the shorter half of books – yet Ruff manages to pack quite a bit of actual story in here, with Tony Stark’s quip about Nick Fury in the first Avengers movie – “his secrets have secrets” absolutely applying here. Which actually makes for a great quick read, one that right when any given thing starts getting anywhere near overstaying its welcome… bam! We’re moving on to something else.

Indeed, the only thing that I could really nitpick on about this book is that at least some of the revelations and twists don’t really seem to have any hints or breadcrumbs *at all*, and yes, I subscribe to the idea that *every* twist should have at least *some* level of foreshadowing. Instead, we get a version of a tale from a song that first hit number one over 5o yrs ago and then was done as a *cover* (as I only found out when writing this review!) that became a Southern staple nearly 20 yrs after its original recording. (In perhaps a bit of tragic history that at least to Southern kids of the 80s such as myself, this cover becoming a hit when it did meant at least *I* never knew of the original version of the song!) But this is as close as I’ll get to naming this song in the review, and perhaps there are some of my own readers who can piece these clues together well enough. (I guarantee you it will make a lot of sense once you read this book and then look for songs that meet my clues above based on what you find in the text. 😉 )

Ultimately this really is one of those books that reads faster than its not-that-long page count would suggest, which is awesome for those who are perhaps trying to squeeze reading in to whatever nooks and crannies they can find in their schedule. (Lines. Take your Kindle or even Kindle app on your phone in lines. You’re standing there anyway. May as well read instead of doomscrolling. You’ll be much happier. 😉 )

Very much recommended.

This review of The Last Seat by Jenifer Ruff was originally written on April 10, 2026.

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#BookReview: A Spell For Saints And Sinners by Emily Carpenter

Not Southern Gothic. At All. More A Modern Day Gatsby. With Witches And Magical Realism. I’ve read at least one or two of Carpenter’s books before this one (and have a few more), and I know Carpenter knows Southern Gothic – Gothictown, her 2025 release, was spot on for that genre. But this aint that at ALL.

Yet what we *do* get is an “on trend” (re: magical realism) update to The Great Gatsby, that great work of Americana from a century ago, brought into more modern times (complete with sexting and #MeToo elements!) and with a Southern flair, moving it from New York to Savannah yet keeping a lot of the same overall look and feel… yet adding the fact that our main character is a witch and psychic. Had the description been based more on this, I do think at least some of the existing 1* reviews likely wouldn’t be there, as this is far more accurate than the current “official” one.

So yes, for those who want nothing at all to do with any form of witchcraft at all… I’m telling you now, this aint gonna be the book for you.

But for Mass Effect fans… our main character shares at least one verbal tic with one of the more popular characters in that franchise (certainly one of my own favorite non-Shepard characters), so you may want to read this book for that alone. Particularly if you love that particular verbal tic. But if you’re one that plays the drinking game of it… don’t do that with this book. You may get even more drunk than you do from playing ME3. 😉 Or maybe you’re a college student and/ or in your 20s (or later, really, but let’s face it, most of us grow too old for this shit by our 30s or so) and *want* a literary drinking game. In that case, I have a book for you! 😉 No judgement, have your fun. Just try not to land in jail, please. 😉

Gatsby is one of the Great Works Of American Literature for *reasons*, and while this book does a good or even great job of updating it and moving it several hundred miles South, it doesn’t *quite* hit *those* levels. Still, it is absolutely a solid look at how at least some of the themes explored in that book have both changed and remained the same over the last century or so, and for that alone it would do well to be studied in collegiate literature classes at minimum, perhaps even Junior/ Senior level high school classes… assuming, of course, modern high school students remain capable of such analysis and critique that was required of high school students when I was still in school 30 yrs ago.

One last personal note: I had this book for months as an Advance Review Copy before finally getting to it about a week after its release due to some personal “real life” issues that arose in mid March 2026 and are ongoing through April 2026 (and really all summer before they are fully resolved), and for whatever reason I had it listed as 288 pages long when I first entered it into my tracker when I originally downloaded it just before Halloween 2025. Finding out I was both missing the deadline *and* that the book was nearly twice as long as expected was… interesting. But that was also no fault of Carpenter or anyone involved in the publishing of this book and was entirely on me. Still, as it did come to bear on my overall experience with the book, it needed to be noted in my review. 🙂

Overall, this really was a strong book for what it actually is, and I think readers who go in with a more honest expectation of what it actually is will enjoy it quite a bit. But yes, readers who approach this book expecting Southern Gothic and finding absolutely none of that will feel disappointed, and honestly so. So approach this as the modern day update to Gatsby, moved to the South and with witches and magical realism added that it is, and I honestly think you will enjoy this book quite a bit, if that is something you’re into at all.

Very much recommended.

This review of A Spell For Saints And Sinners by Emily Carpenter was originally written on April 8, 2026.

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#BookReview: Two Kinds Of Stranger by Steve Cavanagh

Fun Crime Thriller That Could Have Been So Much More. First, I first accepted this book as an Advance Review Copy because it sounded interesting… before I found out that it is book *nine* in an ongoing series. So for those who cannot stand to have any remote thing about any prior book spoiled… start at book 1 here. For those like me with a long time history of finding series via reading books deep into them first… this one actually works rather well. The world feels “lived in”…. because it is!

For the actual events of this particular book, it is one hell of a twisty crime thriller. A shadowy killer presented in a certain tone that many authors have tried and few have pulled off quite this well. The series’ team of investigators and lawyers that make this series effectively a “police procedural” without a precinct to be found. And both are about to be set against each other in quite explosive manner.

Now, don’t let anyone fool you. This is a *crime* thriller – *NOT* a courtroom thriller. Despite the presence of lawyers as some of the lead characters, the actual courtroom drama here is really contained to the last 20% or so of the book, and even there, there’s still quite a bit of actual crime thriller happening even as the courtroom drama unfolds. If you’re looking for more pure courtroom drama, you’re looking for John Grisham, Randy Singer, and similar. Not this book (and seemingly not this series).

But really the biggest missed opportunity… well, it may get to spoiler level territory to really discuss. Suffice it to say that with everything presented here, this could have become truly legendary, yet with everything presented here, it winds up much closer to earth in the range of great.

Very much recommended.

This review of Two Kinds Of Stranger by Steve Cavanagh was originally written on April 2, 2026.

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#BookReview: Ticket To Ride by Kay Bratt

Suspense Filled Tale Filled With Pervasive Social Commentary Ends Explosively. This is one of those tales that is going to keep you on the edge of your seat with sheer suspense for almost the entirely of the tale… before ending in one of the more explosive endings I’ve ever seen in any book, particularly in any of Bratt’s books. But with this entire series, you really need to start at the beginning (Hart’s Ridge) and work your way to this one, as Bratt has truly mastered over the last few books in particular telling a singular complete tale per book yet having that singular tale both spring from the prior tale and explicitly set up the next.

There are a few different social commentaries in the book, including one in the final pages, but the dominant issue throughout the book is the dangers of online gaming – which have shifted over the past couple of years in particular in ways many likely aren’t aware of. While a child is still statistically more likely to be assaulted by a family member or others in close proximity to the child in the real world than by someone who found them inside a game, kidnapping via similar methods as Bratt shows in this very tale are actually heavily on the rise… yet still statistically near zero. (No more than 500 known cases of any non-family kidnapping by any method in 2024 according to FBI statistics across literally millions of gamers online at any given moment.) Indeed, while many forms of childhood death and trauma are actually plateauing or even declining, the threat posed by scenarios similar to what Bratt builds into this text are exactly what the FBI says is actually on the rise in recent years.

Apart from the specific discussion of how that particular element works within the story (extremely well, in case I haven’t made that crystal clear yet) and within the real world (more cautionary, yet absolutely illuminative and using information which will possibly/ likely be new to at least some readers), Bratt in this tale truly does one of the best jobs she has ever done in regards to keeping the reader on the edge of their seat reading with bated breath to see what exactly is going to happen next and whether everyone will come out as unharmed as possible.

And then that ending. Dayum. Without going into spoiler territory, let’s just say that for me personally, given my own history and favorite bits of pop culture… yeah, that ending was *phenomenal* in so very many ways and levels, and I truly can’t wait for July to get here so we can see where this series is going next!

Very much recommended.

This review of Ticket To Ride by Kay Bratt was originally written on March 14, 2026.