Chanticleer Book Reviews

Category: Reviews

PAST THIS POINT by Nicole Marby – Post-Apocalyptic, Romance, Contemporary Women’s Fiction

Nicole Mabry draws from her own life, the impact of a deadly snowstorm, and the subsequent shutting down of the subways to create Past This Point, an action-packed dystopian novel featuring a strong woman who seeks a way out of a world gone mad.

Karis Hylen is working in New York City a massive snowstorm shuts down the city. A total quarantine of the city becomes quarantine for half of the nation.

In the introductory chapters of this daily progression, the reader will quickly realize that Karis, with her Latino family heritage, is nobody’s fool. Karis has a strong will. Her seemingly only chance to beat quarantine’s eerie hold and join her unaffected family in California is thwarted when she isn’t allowed to take her beloved dog Zeke on the flight. She switches into survivalist mode, searching empty apartments around her for food. Along the way, she befriends a mother with two little girls still living there. They all help and bolster one another for a while – until Karis’s luck turns and she becomes even more determined to get out of the horror-infused city.

After battling several ill-intentioned men, she finds one man of character, an Englishman named Ollie, who shares her vision of escape.

Karis has always been unlucky in her relationships with men, but they both know that to remain in New York City will be their death. Luckily Zeke, who has almost developed the ability to speak in human language, approves of Ollie, who supports Zeke when the dog adopts a starving kitten they find.

Frequent phone calls with Karis’s family sustain the couple’s hopes as they face minute-by-minute struggles to get out of the now sealed-off eastern half of the US and through the medical and military checkpoints on the border. These official strictures prove almost as life-threatening as the mysterious virus itself.

Mabry is new to the world of wordsmithing but proves herself up to the challenge.

Her profession in photography has garnered awards and attention, and her prose may draw similar kudos. Like Karis, she has lived in California and New York City and has a canine companion who accompanies her on photographic forays. Readers will yearn for more of her dynamic stories – and perhaps a sequel to the questions raised in this intriguing debut offering.

Past This Point by Nicole Marby won First Place in the 2019 CIBA Global Book Awards for High Stakes Thrillers.

August 23, 2022
THE MASK Of MIDNIGHT by Laurie Stevens – Psychological Thriller, Serial Killer Thriller, Suspense

The Mask of Midnight by Laurie Stevens centers on a game of cat and mouse, made sinister and horrifying by the intricate plots of a murderer.

When L.A. Police Detective Gabriel McRay arrests serial killer Victor Archwood, known as the Malibu Canyon Murderer, he has no idea that the killer has some serious vengeful plans directly involving him. Archwood is a most clever, resourceful “mouse” who confounds McRay, the Los Angeles Police department, the L.A. district attorney, and an entire jury through skillful lawyering and a commanding interpretation of the evidence. Despite what appears to be an airtight case against a mass murderer, a jury finds him not guilty.

Not only does he win his freedom, but he also becomes a popular figure in Hollywood and earns big-time money from selling his story. But that’s only the beginning of his new life. No small part of his plans for the future rest on wreaking vengeance on Gabriel McRay; this vengeance becomes this novel’s cruel, almost unspeakable heart.

The history between McRay and Archwood is central to the story.

McRay was a babysitter for Archwood when they were both children. We learn that McRay suffers from multiple emotional issues traced to sexual abuse from an older man in his past. Archwood, similarly abused as a child, believes that McRay was the perpetrator. The complex relationship between the two takes center stage as Archwood takes his revenge on McRay. Readers should be prepared for some stomach-churning graphic descriptions of how Archwood satisfies his need to punish McRay for his alleged crimes against him.

The cruelty of the abuse they suffered works its way into their lives as they become adults. In many cases, no aspect of their lives can be safe from the trauma of it. This commitment to making readers understand these issues’ complexity strengthens the book and makes it a challenging read. Ultimately, the question about this book comes down to whether the reader is up to its strong content.

The answer should be “yes.”

It’s quite a tale, well told, and holds readers to the last page. It’s also a fearless exploration of the state of American masculinity, raising some profound questions about the myths that male children grow up with and how those assumptions affect them as they reach manhood.

The Mask of Midnight is the third in a series with Gabriel McRay as its central figure. There are altogether four books, but this story stands on its own and does not require reading the previous books in the series.

The Mask of Midnight by Laurie Stevens won First Place in the 2015 CIBA Clue awards for Suspense and Thriller Fiction.

August 18, 2022
DRUNK TALK by Mike Davis & TL Banks – Philosophy, Personal Transformation, Humor

Authors Davis and Banks have combined forces to create this humorous but practical look at how people think and why they act as they do.

The essential message of this satiric volume is that most people tend to nurse false notions about their lives and the universe in general – notions that the authors rapidly and thoroughly debunk. They take the stance of a drunk hanging out at a bar, hearing about everything that goes on in people’s minds. In forty-eight segments, various human problems are examined, derided, and substituted for what many readers will consider far more rational viewpoints.

Some issues raised seem trivial – “Celebrities” who do not, as might be supposed, get to enjoy their fame since the general attitude toward them is “shut up and entertain us or else.” Other matters are significant. One of the longer treatises focuses on “Gods,” with the authors asserting that God is merely an imaginary projection, and religion only a means of seeing and believing what people want, “even if it’s not real or makes no sense.” A true, non-superstition-based belief system would impel people to help others more and take full responsibility for their actions.

Science is also a target for this lively discourse, questioning, for instance, that since the Big Bang Theory “is only a theory,” why do people consider it an absolute happening? A repeated motif often placed at the ends of chapters is that we all have the option to “view the glass as half-empty or half-full,” to refill our glass, or even try the middle ground.

Davis and Banks, the creators of this highly unconventional, witty, and wise exploration of human nature, are professional wordsmiths who write with verve and intelligence, spiced with sardonic humor.

They invite readers to see the frailties and flaws in human nature, along with the potential for rational change. They have organized their work neatly, following their narrative segments with a lengthy list of “Drunken Quotes to Keep You Focused,” including such zingers as “Never stand underneath what you can’t lift,” and “Like pets, people are rewarded for being well trained.”

Their book propounds a general sense that one must ignore convention and avoid conformity to succeed. It is filled with thought-provoking concepts couched in curse words that, in their opinion, represent a break with “the ruling majority.” With its undeniably alluring title, this book can help readers organize their personal philosophies and adopt a new, more dynamic way of dealing with life’s thorny issues.

August 17, 2022
WHAT If It’s LOVE?: A Second Chance Romance, La Bohème Book 2 by Alix Nichols – Romance, New Adult, Women’s Fiction

Lena Malakhov, twenty-three-year-old heiress to a Russian fortune, falls for a handsome waiter in Paris. But the influence of a conniving business rival might push them apart, in Alix Nichol’s romance novel, What if it’s Love?

Lena’s father made his millions in the IT world, and he wants nothing more than for Lena to return to Russia and join the family business. However, Lena has other plans. She is finishing her master’s degree in Paris, as her thesis revolves around Marina Tsvetaeva, a Russian poet who lived and wrote in the City of Light.

Ecstatic to be on her own after breaking up with her boyfriend of two years, Lena isn’t looking for romance. She spends her time working on her thesis, exploring the city, and drinking coffee at La Bohème, one of the best but little-known bistros in Paris. As she quickly becomes a regular at the tiny restaurant, she catches the attention of Rob Dumont, a disturbingly sexy waiter. The longer she remains in the city, the closer the two become.

However, Rob has more on his mind than a pre-graduation romance.

He’s been approached by a Russian business rival of Lena’s father. This rival promises a tremendous amount of much-needed money in exchange for spying on the quiet girl and reporting any intel on her father or his business. Even though Rob is desperate for money to pay his tuition, his conscience begins to plague him the more time he spends with Lena. His decision to come clean may ruin what is becoming the best relationship in his life.

Lena embodies a key theme within the novel; she is a self-proclaimed coward.

She literally and metaphorically runs from any conflict and allows life to happen around her, instead of taking charge and creating her own reality. Her father, Anton, constantly beseeches his daughter to join his business. He more or less tells her that she will do so after she finishes her master’s. Though she wants to work on literary translations when she finishes, she refuses to stand up for her dream, telling herself that she has time rather than confronting the issue.

Lena’s relationship with her father is just one example of her running from conflict. When she begins to feel unhappy in her two-year relationship with Gerhard, she doesn’t have the courage to break up with him. In her typical passive-aggressive manner, she simply goes to Paris, and he doesn’t follow. Though she finds new freedom in her explorations, she knows she should have told him how she felt instead of just allowing their relationship to die quietly.

In later incidents with Rob, Lena does the same, running from the truth he reveals and the chance at their happiness.

She allows herself to fall into another relationship, a serious one, with a man she could never love, rather than face her fears and find true love with Rob.

Lena’s need to run probably stems from her mother’s abandonment many years earlier, as she made a deal to stay away from Lena in exchange for a monthly payment. It isn’t until Lena learns to embrace the strength within herself, recognizing that she needs to be seen and heard, that she will ever find her prince and create her own happily ever after.

Rob is a direct contrast to Lena. Where Lena is quiet and reserved, Rob is outgoing and beloved by his friends.

Rob’s good looks give him a lot of female attention, so much so that Lena doubts anyone as handsome as Rob would want her. His financial situation, the very thing that leads to his betrayal, keeps a distance between them. While Lena is so pampered she never has to work or worry about money, Rob cannot graduate if he doesn’t get the money for his tuition. Though he has loving parents, they have made it clear that they want him to return home to the country and take over the family farm.

He feels his only option is to spy for Anton’s business adversary even though it hurts him to do so. The biggest difference between the two is that Rob is willing to wholeheartedly fight for what he wants. Late in the novel, he gives up a good job to pursue his dream of creating his own business, and, as for Lena, he tries multiple times to convince her of his sincerity and love, confronting his feelings head-on.

What if it’s Love? provides a refreshing twist on a typical contemporary romance.

Lena and Rob draw the reader into a world that flows from page to page. The cultural differences between the characters and their commitment to their ideals make for a book we can highly recommend!

What if it’s Love? by Alix Nichols won First Place in the 2015 CIBA Dante Rossetti Book Awards for Young Adult & New Adult Fiction.

August 15, 2022
WHEN YOUR LIFE DEPENDS On IT: Extreme Decision Making Lessons from the Antarctic by Brad Borkan & David Hirzel – Travel & Exploration History, Personal Transformation, Antarctic Expeditions

When Your Life Depends on It by Brad Borkan and David Hirzel is a mosaic of incredible factual stories from the “heroic age” of South Polar expeditions, reviving timeless lessons of tactical decision-making for the present world.

Six vital polar expeditions between 1901 and 1917 catalyzed some of the most difficult and tough judgments in history – choices teetering on the border between life and death. The alluring fascination of Antarctica’s mysteries drew the heroes of this era, even while the continent’s frontier remained dangerous and unyielding. These journeys are treasured records of ambition, teamwork, sheer determination, and sacrifice. With a storytelling-driven approach to learning, When Your Life Depends on It contains a striking collection of true heroic tales from these six expeditions, imparting lessons about goal-setting, overcoming challenges, and approaching adversity with grit.

The thrilling and momentous stories, coming from over a century ago, nimbly flow through each of the book’s twelve chapters. Each story serves as an object lesson for dealing with modern-day personal and business dilemmas. The reader is placed in the role of judge, evaluator, and student as they reflect on various sensible, selfless, and steadfast choices made along the polar journeys.

“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn” (Benjamin Franklin) – this quote holds the core purpose of this book.

The expedition stories immerse readers, drawing parallels between historical expedition conditions and contemporary challenges. The question “What would you have done?” at the end of each chapter and story engages and interests the reader.

The objective third-person narration pairs with a second-person point of view in these stories. The accounts of the dangerous and uncertain winter journeys –be it for national pride, scientific discovery, or personal goals– are not limited to the narratives of the authors. A recommended reading section at the end of the book contains diaries and accounts written by the expedition leaders, as well as pictures for curious readers. The authors offer links to several books and DVDs that they recommend for a continued Antarctic journey.

Bringing together motivation and history, When Your Life Depends on It pays homage to the pioneers who spearheaded great scientific and geographic endeavors and inspired later explorers with their camaraderie and passion.

This book offers stirring adventure with historical significance and valuable lessons on self-development. Its lessons are true to the quote – “It is the way you deal with and react to adversity that defines your life story” (Dieter F. Uchtdorf) – no matter what the terrain is, whether it’s chilly polar regions or your personal and business spaces.

When Your Life Depends on It by Brad Borkan & David Hirzel won First Place in the 2019 CIBA I&I Book Awards for Non-Fiction Guides and How-To Books.

August 12, 2022
TARO: The Legendary Boy Hero of Japan by Blue Spruell, illustrated by Miya Outlaw – Japanese Mythology, Historical Fiction, Action & Adventure

Adventure, classic tales, fantasy, and exciting action combine in TARO: Legendary Boy Hero of Japan, a well-poised debut novel by award-winning author Blue Spruell.

In the turbulent final decades of the sixteenth century, feudal Japan reeled in mayhem as the central hereditary dictatorship collapsed, and tyrannical powers fought to control the empire. TARO: The Legendary Boy Hero of Japan is the story of how one man revolutionized a nation by taking its reigns and forging a new destiny through his depths of compassion and determination.

The story begins with Taro as a young boy. As an heir to the Takeda family, Taro enjoyed reading, much to his father’s disapproval, as he wanted him to follow in his footsteps as a skilled Samurai. Tragedy changes Taro’s presumed destiny when his parents are murdered in a fierce power struggle, leaving him an orphan. Shortly after, a witch saves him from drowning and begins Taro’s new life of adventure, introducing him to a world of mythical creatures. On this new journey, Taro discovers shocking secrets about his lineage, and with them, his ultimate purpose in medieval Japan.

Author Spruell has written an enrapturing novel that brews literary art and imperial Japanese culture with the complexities of human life.

Imbued with historical elements, this novel is tightly plotted to recreate three famous Japanese folktales that will hold your attention to the last sentence. The graceful and precise prose careens readers through a unique period and place in history, with universal appeal.

Clearly, Spruell did thorough research before writing this novel. His enthusiasm and attention to intricate historical detail shape the plot, shedding a light on this period of Japanese lifestyle, society, and, tradition. Allowing the characters’ warmth, frustration, and hope to speak, TARO: The Legendary Boy Hero of Japan becomes a collective attestation to the fortitude of a people and a reflection on the initial stages of a nation’s history.

The feather in the cap of this novel is Miya Outlaw’s grand and enlightening illustrations, which bring out the spirited and energetic life of the Samurai, a world that is uncommon and unknown to many.

The atmospheric representation of disillusionment and yearning that pervades the novel makes this story emotionally resonant. Further, its crystalline writing and flow are cinematic, resulting in a narrative that defies the limitations of any targeted genre.

Indeed, TARO: The Legendary Boy Hero of Japan is a remarkable literary feat. Themes such as betrayal, deceit, zeal, and self-sacrifice are vividly evoked and provide a panoramic view of what it took to restore balance in power in a country that was almost torn apart by years of war and ruthless ruling families. Brutal and intense, this work is an excellent addition to its genre.

Taro: Legendary Boy Hero of Japan by Blue Spruell and illustrated by Miya Outlaw won Grand Prize in the 2021 CIBA Dante Rossetti Book Awards for Young Adult Fiction.

August 10, 2022
THE FOX: Mike, Hilda, and the Green Emerald Cafe Inferno by Battalion Chief John J. Mandeville and John J. Valentino – Fire Fighters, ’60s & ’70s, Action & Adventure

In The Fox, a unique fictional work, Chief John J. Mandeville presents a creative tale that focuses on the various daydreams, successes, and defeats of a lieutenant with the NY Fire Department.

Moving between the ’60s and ’70s, these collective chapters surround strange connections between a bevy of unexpected characters and their chance meetings at a showplace café that unfortunately produces tragic consequences.

Lieutenant Mike “Rooter” Mose is introduced as a Kevin James look-a-like who enjoys the variety of covering assignments for those on leave from different fire stations. While on a trip to Atlantic City with his wife, Rooter glimpses an older restaurant patron wearing a fur coat, which brings to mind a strange recollection. The ensuing chapters then reveal a mixture of storylines surrounding the birth of a fox pup and its fight for dominance and survival, a fur trapper dealing with economic decline and his determination to catch the vulpine that got away. and a younger woman enticed by both the wealth of her older peers and her desire to own a luxurious fur.

In Mandeville’s effort to present a dog-eat-dog world, readers see the casualties that abound in both the animal and human domains.

Here the thematic crossover showcases elements of wealth and desire, jealousy and envy, and a commonality of survival of the fittest.

Within the ranks of his firefighting career, Rooter faces unusual and precarious situations, whether a raucous fiasco created by a brotherhood group helping their fellow fireman with his move to an upscale neighborhood; the tragic mishap of a chief’s aid; the jocular transport of a 750-plus lbs. person; or an unforgettable call to the Green Emerald Cafe.

Here the atmosphere is laced with the likes of transvestite entertainment, irate chefs, obnoxious patrons, art thieves, and a shy coat check girl just trying to do her job.

“Fire can be your friend, but it’s a shaky relationship,” clearly ignites the heroic efforts of those on the front line staring down “The Red Monster.”

Likened to a drooling red devil; an owl after its prey; or “Señor Rojo” enjoying a meal of oxygen, heat, and fuel; detailed descriptions paint a vibrant picture of fire’s destructive power.

Mandeville draws us into the visual realm of his stories, often likening a character’s looks to a known actor or celebrity. The narrative also offers up human and animal comparisons with comments directed to the reader, i.e. a fox escaping into a tree trunk is like ball player Pete Rose diving into first base.

This book includes a character list, a glossary of fire terms, and a diagram of the Green Emerald Cafe that helps to evoke the action for readers.

The story comes together in a circuitous path, combining its disparate people and conflicts.

Through an engaging blend of humor and pathos, the writing is rich in both character and action and driven by a strange group of interlocking storylines that reach an unexpected culmination.

The Fox: Mike, Hilda, and the Green Emerald Cafe Inferno by John J. Mandeville and John J. Valentino won First Place in the 2016 CIBA Somerset Book Awards for Contemporary and Literary Fiction.

August 8, 2022
VICTORIA And The BIG, BRAVE BREATH by Andrea Vaughan, illustrated by Ryan Feltman – Children’s Books, Anxiety, Children’s Emotion Books

Andrea Vaughan’s Victoria and the Big Brave Breath is a beautifully illustrated children’s book, written to ease conversations about anxiety and worry with a child.

This story teaches children how to calm their nerves by focusing on their breath, using a clever onomatopoeia to help. Vaughn’s book is a timely must-read!

Victoria and the Big, Brave Breath starts with a little girl named Victoria recognizing that she is often worried. She lists examples (trying new foods, going to the doctor, playing in the park) of her anxieties. Physically-speaking, Victoria’s hands sweat, her knees shake and her tummy hurts when her feelings appear. Her teddy bear best friend Baxter has a suggestion for her to ease these unfamiliar (and uncomfortable) feelings.

The friendship that the bear and the girl share is sweet and endearing, as if the bear is an allegory for a friend or family member.

Baxter reassures Victoria that her feelings can be calmed by breathing in and out and reciting the magic word “oobeedoobee”. The bear’s person-like behavior in illustrations, such as his cheeks and warm eyes, are kindhearted and sympathetic towards Victoria. Victoria is hesitant at first, but after trying it she realizes Baxter is right and the technique “…makes her worries much, much smaller.”

The illustrations created by Feltman are vivid, with a lively color scheme.

Victoria’s eyes and complexion add refreshing diversity to the story, and the illustrations maintain a cute and endearing style. Feltman uses tender and gentle images to convey a feeling of emotional openness.

Victoria and the Big, Brave Breath flows well.

The examples given of her feelings are accurate and not overly dramatic. This gives the story an unwavering, clear tone and purpose.

The definition of being anxious is to feel unease or to experience worry or nervousness. If these feelings arise, we must stay present in the moment and focus inwards. Like in Victoria and the Big Brave Breath, we must take our time to breathe and calm ourselves, to understand we are safe, present and capable.

This practice is important especially now, with the ever-changing challenges we face. This book will arm children to know that their feelings are natural, while providing a tool they can use to navigate or calm them, which is only a couple oobeedoobees away.

Victoria and the Big Brave Breath by Andrea Vaughan and illustrated by Ryan Feltman won Grand Prize in the 2021 CIBA Little Peeps Awards for Early Readers and Children’s Fiction.

August 3, 2022
EVE’s EDEN by Kate L. Lewis – Literary Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Feminist Fiction Metatheatre, Religion

Eve’s Eden by Kate L. Lewis is a novelette, rich in tone and relevant to today’s audiences.

When Shelly Hart left for the Vanguard Drama House and Social Club, she expected an evening of theatrical entertainment. She was not expecting a protest. Muscling her way through the sign-toting, shouting crowd, Shelly witnesses hostilities toward the playwright, Fran Miller. After Shelly has found her seat inside and Miller steps out and onto the stage, Shelly sees why. With her controversial retelling of the traditional Adam and Eve story, Fran shows the struggle many women experience as she questions the role women play in a misogynistic society.

The theme within this short work is complex.

Misogyny and belonging seem paradoxical bedfellows; however, the two work together to create an engaging focus of the novelette. In an almost memoiric fashion, Fran Miller, the author of the play Eve’s Eden, takes center stage to recount her troubled personal experience with both. Some of her earliest memories are religious in nature. She learned at a young age that questioning the staunch beliefs of her community would lead to heartache.

When Fran finds it far-fetched that Eve, the first female, could be responsible for bringing all sin into the world, she is severely disciplined. She feels this was her first introduction to misogyny and cannot understand how people, especially women, can be punished perpetually for something she finds questionable. However, she learns to hide these feelings, and later, she even justifies the world, which represses her by saying these times are only temporary “bubbles” that will pass.

Fran refuses to believe what she has been taught – that people deserve the terrible things which happen to them – and moves past her abusive marriage and the sexual harassment in her workplace to find her voice by writing her play.

Many women will see themselves within her narrative, her struggles to be a woman in a male-dominated world, and her journey to belonging.

The Vanguard Drama House and Social Club is a place for all. Though some in this small city don’t like its “left-leaning tendencies,” criticism of the theater is rare, and Shelly finds her first visit a defining moment. It is here that she feels and understands the founder’s intent. P.T. Curtis brought his dream to fruition as a tribute to the many traveling shows of his youth. He built the theater and club as a place for free thinkers, a refuge where all could openly express themselves. No play was ever turned down based on content, and each generation after him held to the same beliefs.

Such a place is a beautiful idea, and it’s little wonder so many find it comforting. Eve’s Eden is a perfect read for those who love a unique storytelling approach and who enjoy the theatre.

August 1, 2022
Blood Perfect: A Joe Turner Mystery by T.L. Bequette – Murder Mystery, Contemporary Mystery, Detective Fiction

Defense lawyer Joe Turner encounters and defends the worst that Oakland, California has to offer in T.L. Bequette’s mystery novel, Blood Perfect.

Turner promises to join the ranks of other beloved protagonists in mystery novels. He carries a cynical and hard-boiled approach to the realities of life and his work. Blood Perfect has some elements of Scottish Noir; the protagonist’s personal crises weave into the main plot. He has a personal reason for defending the accused and debilitating flashbacks from a childhood trauma. His struggles engender in him a strong sense of right and wrong.

Turner’s college girl-buddy, the object of his unrequited lust, hooks him into a case that seems to defy logic. Alston Walker, a middle-aged black man with an unforgettable ugly face stands accused of stabbing Jefferson Beauregard Devaney, a middle-aged white man, after an argument over rent. Seventy dollars. Alston has an alibi and Devaney has no reason to lie. But why would Devaney accuse the wrong person?

This mystery hasn’t yet shown all its parts.

P.I. Chuck Argenal, an aging deadhead with a penchant for flip-flops and cargo shorts, and Deputy District Attorney Matt Eisner, an old friend of Turner’s deceased father, join his posse. They can prove Walker’s innocence. But when he learns the fraudulent truth of their key witness, Joe must report it—the verdict cannot stand. Yet, in his gut, he believes whole-heartedly in Walker’s innocence. He drives hard to discover who truly attacked Devaney. That truth arrives with an epiphany that may change his life forever.

Different voices tell this story in a sometimes-non-linear chronology. The complex characters will engage readers as much as the questions of the mystery itself. Their yarns within yarns conceal and reveal their personalities and their part to play in the case.

The murder of his father has haunted Joe since he was twelve years old.

He suffers troubling flashbacks throughout the story, adding an intriguing dimension to his character. In fact, the finale holds a final twist regarding the “who” in the whodunit leaving readers ready for more.

T.L. Bequette masterfully builds his series, creating growth in his characters through each novel. Combining supreme character building and a fast-paced mystery with enough twists and red herrings, readers won’t be able to set the book down until the final page.

In short, Joe Turner is well on the way to becoming a fixture in contemporary mystery fiction.

July 28, 2022