Chanticleer Book Reviews

Category: Reviews

TIME-MARKED WARLOCK: The Chronos Chronicles Book 1 by Shami Stovall – Urban Fantasy, Murder Mystery, Supernatural Mystery

Shami Stovall’s Time-Marked Warlock rewinds urban fantasy with fresh magic.

Adair Finch is the world’s most powerful warlock – and he’s done with it all. In Time-Marked Warlock, Shami Stovall crafts a brilliant urban fantasy that feels like Groundhogs Day meets Harry Dresden, delivering a take on magical investigation that will leave readers spellbound from the first page.

A reluctant mentor meets his match in a twelve-year-old witch.

After losing his brother in a case gone wrong, Finch has sworn off the paranormal world entirely. But when young Bree Blackstone pounds on his door in the middle of the night – her mother murdered, her father kidnapped – Finch wades back into the magical chaos he’d tried to escape. What starts as a favor for an old friend becomes a twisting mystery that threatens everything he thought he knew about his world.

Stovall excels at creating an unlikely partnership, one crackling with energy and humor. Bree isn’t your typical helpless child in need of rescue – she’s a young witch with questions, opinions, and magical abilities that complement Finch’s considerable power. Their banter and growing mentor-student relationship provides both emotional depth and genuine laughs throughout the investigation.

Time magic creates a game-changing twist on fantastical investigation.

The real genius of Time-Marked Warlock lies in Finch’s unique ability to rewind time and witness events as they actually happened. When someone tries to kill both Finch and Bree, his ability to see the attack unfold adds layers of complexity that keep readers guessing right alongside the characters.

Stovall uses this temporal element not as a gimmick but as a sophisticated plot device that deepens the mystery while raising the stakes. Each revelation through time manipulation reveals another clue towards conspiracy, transforming what appears to be a straightforward murder case into something even more sinister and far-reaching.

A standout series launch that reinvents urban fantasy tropes.

Time-Marked Warlock succeeds because of the originality it infuses into familiar urban fantasy elements – powerful warlocks, magical investigations, supernatural threats. The world-building feels both lived-in and vivacious, populated with complex characters whose flaws make them more compelling than perfect heroes ever could be.

Stovall’s writing sparkles with wit and energy, moving at breakneck pace while never sacrificing character development. Finch’s journey from bitter retirement to reluctant heroism feels earned, while the emotional resonance of Bree’s evolution from terrified child to capable young witch elevates the entire narrative.

As the opening volume of The Chronos Chronicles trilogy, Time-Marked Warlock establishes a magical world readers will want to revisit again and again. Fans of Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files and Kevin Hearne’s Iron Druid Chronicles will find their new favorite series in Stovall’s perfect combination of urban fantasy adventure and time-bending mystery.

Time-Marked Warlock by Shami Stovall won Grand Prize in the 2024 CIBA Shelley Awards for Supernatural Fiction.

July 23, 2025
HELLO? WHO IS THIS? MARGARET? by Dani Alpert – Personal Essays, Memoirs, Writers & Entertainers

In Dani Alpert’s Hello? Who Is This? Margaret?, she shares her story through a series of essays, each one a piece in the larger puzzle of who she is as a performer, writer, director, Pilates instructress, and unapologetic optimist.

Throughout Hello? Who Is This? Margaret?, we follow the author as she learns the important lessons of life, laughing, shaking our heads, and taking away a few lessons for ourselves, too.

Though these essays may seem unconnected at first, they ultimately weave together the story of a flawed woman who suffers through heartbreak and failure only to keep trying, and trying again. She writes with humor, honesty, and hope. Regardless of what is thrown Alpert’s way, she perseveres, finding new ways to plow through difficulties and chase after her dreams—even those that need to be dusted off and rearranged.

From her very first performance at the age of seven, Alpert knew she wanted to be a performer, and international fame was her only acceptable outcome.

Even when no one else believed in her, she stubbornly believed in herself. Despite all evidence to the contrary, she was certain her big break was just around the corner—and any corner would do.

Along the way she got married, divorced, lived with a man with two kids and played at being a girlfriend mom—which, it turned out, was a role she was actually pretty good at. She moved to Prague to teach English to foreign students (something she was very pretty good at), and began to write.

There, in writing, is where she flourished.

Though she never gave up her dream of being an international superstar performer, writing—then Pilates—became her life. And how lucky we are that she found her voice and picked up her pen!

With brutal self-awareness and sometimes dark humor, Alpert shares these stories of her life.

From hanging with Chas Bono (now Chaz) in the hopes she’ll meet Cher, to failing to impress Norman Lear, finding Pilates and learning to pole dance, Alpert weaves along the many paths she took to find herself. At each and every turn, she is certain beyond a doubt that all will work out and she will succeed. She will be discovered. She will find fame. But in the end, what she finds is much more personal. Dani finds herself as we all must.

Anyone who has struggled to believe in their dreams, and yet persevered, will relate to Alpert’s stories. Finding humor and truth in one’s life is not always easy, particularly when surviving a global pandemic or a heartbreaking relationship, but in Hello? Who Is This? Margaret? Alpert shows us how she did it—and leaves us wanting more.

July 21, 2025
THE THIRD ACT: A Spicy Lesbian Romance by Kathleen Brehony – Contemporary Romance, LGBTQ+ Fiction, Friendships & Relationships

The subtitle “A Spicy Lesbian Romance” belies the true emotional depth of Kathleen Brehony’s The Third Act. This story is a testament to the unbreakable connection between a “Tribe” of 60ish lesbian women, and the unexpected possibility of love appearing even in the darkest of times.

The story opens as Shannon, a member of the Tribe, witnesses her lifelong best friend, Linda, pass away after a decade-long battle with breast cancer.

Shannon has been by Linda’s side during the last part of her battle, and now she’s the friend who sends the rest of The Tribe the simple message “She’s gone.” They make a plan to come together on Labor Day weekend to celebrate Linda’s life at Shannon’s family’s beachside resort on the Jersey shore in the hopes that the closeness and comfort they’ve shared as friends all these years will help them begin to heal. When they arrive at the coastal cottage, they toast their friendship with a quote from Rumi, “Friend our closeness is this: anywhere you put your foot, you feel me in the firmness underneath you.”

It is here, with the gathered Tribe, that we begin to understand the long, complicated history between Shannon O’Connell and Elizabeth Mathews.

Many decades earlier, Elizabeth and Shannon shared a tequila-fueled night of passion while Elizabeth was going through a breakup. It was a night that neither Elizabeth nor Shannon have ever forgotten, but the complications of life kept that passion from growing further. Each became involved with different people over the years and never could find a time when they were both single to try out a deeper relationship. Now, they are together again, both free to honor their friend and reconnect with each other.

During the long weekend, Elizabeth shares Shannon’s bungalow on the beach and long-simmering emotions bubble to the surface.

Shannon hesitates, shaken by the end of her 27-year relationship with her girlfriend, Kim, who betrayed her with another woman. She is afraid to have her heart broken again. Even as Shannon and Elizabeth finally act on their sexual attraction, the combination of Linda’s death, her mother’s Alzheimer’s, and Kim’s betrayal may be just too much for Shannon to recover from.

For women of a certain age beginning their own ‘Third Act,’ who have lost a best friend after a valiant fight with metastatic cancer, or have had their heart torn apart by betrayal, this novel touches on many of life’s universal experiences and lessons about friendship, love, and loss.

A message from Linda, pre-recorded to play at her Celebration of Life ceremony, challenges the Tribe to live their lives to the fullest, doing all that they plan to do. As she stares directly into the camera, Linda smiles and tells her friends, “I’m talking to you.”

This “spicy lesbian romance” is lovely not just in its exploration of long-time friendships. It’s also a celebration of women “of a certain age.”

Still vibrant, creative and loving, Kathleen Brehony’s The Third Act portrays women who are worthy of relationships both supportive and sensual. There is something empowering about finally acknowledging the wisdom and authenticity—and sexiness—that comes from really knowing who we are as women. Shannon, Elizabeth, Linda, and the whole Tribe are a perfect illustration of how that sentiment opens welcoming doors to new experiences and the joy of living to your full potential.

July 16, 2025
SPRUCE HARBOR POSSIBILITIES: Spruce Harbor Series Book 2 by David A. Stone – Romance, Contemporary Romance, Small-Town Romance

Spruce Harbor Possibilities, the second book in David A. Stone’s Spruce Harbor series, pulls an independent bookstore owner and a savvy tech billionaire into an improbable whirlwind romance, but each with their own reasons to be guarded about love.

Romantic Maggie Bennett’s last breakup diminished her self-confidence, and she’s since put all her energy into running her cozy literary shop in the small community of Spruce Harbor, Washington. Her best friend and co-worker Bobby wants her to get back in the dating game, but for the moment Maggie contents herself with the solace of her bookstore and her Golden Retriever, Mr. Darcy.

That is until Jason Porter arrives in town.

Handsome and extremely wealthy, Jason was co-founder of the Lifestar Gaming Company, recently and unceremoniously sacked by the Board of Directors and his business partner.

Though they come from different worlds, there’s an undeniable attraction between Maggie and Jason.

Maggie has her suspicions about this enigmatic stranger. But as the emotional chemistry draws them closer, they each put aside their doubts to join forces and overcome the wrongs of big business takeovers, each relying on one another to overcome wounds of the past and find happiness in the future.

Spruce Harbor Possibilities gives readers an extremely well-rounded contemporary romance.

Though this novel is the second book in a four-book series, it can clearly stand on its own. Maggie’s small town quaintness contrasts Jason’s unrestrained lifestyle, and the mirrored themes of hard work and determination vs. corporate greed create a complex storyline. The joy found in emotional resilience and trusting your heart in pursuit of true love elevates the romance.

Stone weaves an engaging tale with two central characters who match each other’s intelligence despite their vastly different lives.

Maggie has always had the support and love of family and friends, while Jason struggles with an aloof set of parents whose only interests are money and status. While each has their own baggage, their compatibility in romance and business ignites a positive and heartwarming relationship—even if they didn’t expect it.

Maggie and Jason weather frequent outside dilemmas, giving their romance an active pace while showing their growing ability to work together.

Like most romances there are ups and downs that illuminate Maggie or Jason’s insecurities. But the comfort provided by those closest to them, whether family and friends, or in Jason’s case a caring assistant and a wise college professor, all help the two realize what really matters.

For those who enjoy an honest and comforting tale that taps into universal issues of trust, self-discovery, emotional growth, and the power of love, this second book in David Stone’s Spruce Harbor series should prove an ideal foray into romantic “Possibilities.”

July 14, 2025
ARES by Jayson Adams – Hard Science Fiction, Space Exploration, Sci-Fi Thrillers

Commander Kate Holman thought she understood the perils of leading humanity’s first manned mission to Mars. In Ares, Jayson Adams’ breathless science-fiction thriller, the Red Planet—and Holman’s own crew—confront her with threats she couldn’t possibly have expected.

A secret mission changes everything for the Ares crew.

As the spacecraft makes its final descent, a videotape from Earth delivers shocking news: Holman will be relieved of her command once they land. The expedition’s true mission remains classified even from her, and leadership transfers to Julian, the one fellow astronaut she detests most (a dislike the reader will almost certainly share).

When a catastrophic malfunction nearly destroys their landing attempt, Holman’s quick thinking saves the mission but leaves their situation precarious. What follows is a cascade of disasters that test every ounce of the crew’s training, ingenuity, and will to survive.

Ancient mysteries and modern perils collide at the face on Mars.

Adams masterfully weaves together hard science fiction with elements of archaeological mystery. When the crew’s mission leads them to the legendary “Face on Mars” and discoveries that suggest an ancient human presence on the Red Planet, the line between scientific discovery and supernatural threat begins to blur. The team faces not only the harsh realities of equipment failures and communication breakdowns but also the psychological toll of isolation in an unforgiving environment.

The novel’s strength lies in its relentless pacing and believable character development. Even as the situation grows increasingly desperate, readers never lose sight of these astronauts as real people struggling against overwhelming odds. Adams grounds the story in credible science while building tension through both external threats and internal crew dynamics.

A merciless environment tests human ingenuity and spirit.

Ares succeeds because it places recognizable human emotions and relationships within an extraordinary setting. Holman emerges as a compelling protagonist whose leadership skills face their ultimate test when conventional solutions fail and survival depends on improvisation and courage.

The Martian landscape becomes almost a character itself—beautiful, alien, and utterly hostile to human life. Adams captures both the wonder of being the first humans on another planet and the terror of being completely cut off from any possibility of rescue.

Ares by Jayson Adams is a gripping tale of survival and human determination will appeal to science fiction enthusiasts and general readers alike who enjoy stories of adventure, mystery, and the indomitable human spirit facing the unknown.

Ares by Jayson Adams won Grand Prize in the 2024 CIBA Cygnus Awards for Science Fiction.

July 9, 2025
THE PROBLEM With SCIENCE FAIRS, CICADAS, And SEWERS: Lorelei the Lorelei Book 2 by Kristen J. Anderson, Illustrated by Audrey Suau – Children’s Friendship Books, Picture Books, Children’s Self-Respect & Determination Books

Lorelei, the charismatic and outspoken seven-year-old, leaps at the chance to save her school’s science fair from disaster in Lorelei the Lorelei: The Problem with Science Fairs, Cicadas, and Sewers, second book in Kristen J Anderson’s Lorelei the Lorelei series.

Beyond excited for the science fair, Lorelei prepares a project with a mission. She hopes to change people’s perception about cicadas, which most consider a gross nuisance of a bug. On the day of the science fair, during a trip to the restroom, Lorelei encounters a plumbing catastrophe.

With the help of her family and friends, Lorelei put a plan in motion to protect the school fair, while learning valuable lessons about sportsmanship, classroom behavior, and empathy. She may be silly and likeable, but some of her quirks can get her into trouble too!

Even when she gets into trouble, Lorelei is always and unapologetically herself.

Readers see Lorelei express her emotions, usually with loud and sudden enthusiasm. In the lead up to the science fair, Lorelei feels excitement, nervousness, disappointment, and even a moment of frustration towards her class rival. The supportive adults in Lorelei’s life, from her grandma and grandpa “Bumpa” to her teachers and school administrators, help to steer Lorelei in the right directions whenever she responds inappropriately to a situation.

As Lorelei says herself, she is only a kid and learns about emotions and social skills every day.

Lorelei the Lorelei: The Problem with Science Fairs, Cicadas, and Sewers is a story that will get kids excited about science projects and will make older readers nostalgic for exciting days at school, whether a science fair, a special assembly, or even a short field trip.

Excellent for beginner chapter book readers, Kristen J Anderson’s Lorelei the Lorelei series is a must-read for young inquisitive minds.

July 7, 2025
THE JØSSING AFFAIR by J.L. Oakley, narrated by Chris Humphreys – Historical Fiction, WWII, Norway

In The Jøssing Affair, J.L. Oakley shifts the spotlight from the familiar battlefields of World War II to Norway’s brutal occupation, revealing the extraordinary courage of the jøssings—Norwegian resistance fighters who risked everything to oppose Nazi collaboration.

For every action, there’s an equal and opposite reaction. In The Jøssing Affair by J.L. Oakley, opposition to the Nazi regime and all who collaborated with it is seen in the jøssings, those Norwegians who opposed Nazism and everything it stood for. Those beleaguered jøssings worked tirelessly in the shadows in whatever way they could, whether by organized resistance, by sabotage, through intelligence operations, providing an escape route for those in immediate danger, or simply, but just as dangerously, by distributing uncensored news from abroad and the contents of rare supply drops from Britain and America.

A master spy’s double life tests the limits of endurance.

Tore Haugland lives a precarious double existence as an undercover intelligence agent posing as a deaf fisherman in the coastal village of Fjellstad. As the final desperate year of German occupation unfolds after D-Day, Tore must maintain his cover while building resistance networks. Smuggling arms and protecting his operations from Nazis and Norwegian collaborators – the despised quislings who gave their name to treachery itself.

Oakley’s tight focus on Tore’s psychological journey creates remarkable intimacy within the vast canvas of war. Years of maintaining deadly secrets have worn down this stalwart operative, and when he finally allows himself to get close to someone in Fjellstad, the consequences threaten everything he’s worked to protect. The author masterfully captures the exhaustion of living perpetually on edge, where a single slip could doom not just Tore but everyone depending on him.

Chris Humphrey’s exceptional narration brings the Norwegian resistance to life.

The audiobook version of The Jøssing Affair showcases narrator Chris Humphreys at his absolute finest. Drawing on his Norwegian family heritage and considerable acting experience, Humphreys seamlessly blends his refined British accent with flawless Norwegian pronunciation, creating an authentically immersive listening experience. His nuanced performance captures both Tore’s outward calm as a simple fisherman and his inner turmoil as a resistance operative, while his smooth delivery of Norwegian names and phrases adds remarkable depth to the historical atmosphere.

Humphreys’ vocal range brings distinct life to each character, from German occupiers to Norwegian collaborators to the brave jøssings themselves. His ability to convey the mounting tension as the German net closes around Tore makes the audiobook version particularly compelling for listeners seeking full immersion in this gripping wartime thriller.

This vast and absorbing historical saga sets itself apart from other stories of World War II through its unique focus.

Focused not on Western theater or the British or American home fronts, but on the less explored occupation of Norway, Oakley zeros in on the final year of the brutal German occupation in the desperate months after D-Day when the Allies’ march on Paris gave hope to so many that the war would soon end, even as the German forces in Norway dug in for one last bloody stand.

By focusing this story on the Norwegian occupation and then tightening the focus to one single man’s experience of that war and the secret work needed to survive and win it, The Jøssing Affair creates an immediacy for the reader that is utterly compelling. WWII is a story that has been told many times over since 1945, and this setting makes all that history feel fresh and alive again.

This is just the start of an extraordinary story of resistance and bravery.

For historical fiction enthusiasts seeking fresh perspectives on World War II, The Jøssing Affair delivers compelling characters, meticulous research, and a story that honors the often-overlooked heroes of Norwegian resistance. And for listeners who have the time to invest in the audiobook of this work, the narrator’s flawless pronunciation and smooth inclusion of Norwegian names and simple phrases adds to the deep immersion in an already absorbing story.

Tore Haugland’s story continues in Oakley’s award-winning series with the prequel, The Brisling Code and the sequel, The Quisling Factor, promising readers more adventures with this unforgettable protagonist.

The Jøssing Affair by J.L. Oakley won Grand Prize in the 2016 CIBA Goethe Awards for Post-1750s Historical Fiction.

July 2, 2025
LITTLE BOY I KNOW YOUR NAME: A Second-Generation Memoir from Inherited Holocaust Trauma by Mitchell Raff –

“The child remains with us.” Trauma, especially that suffered as a child or adolescent, does not fade easily. In his frank and unguarded memoir, Little Boy I Know Your Name, Mitchell Raff shows the generational impact of the Holocaust on his parents and guardians, and how their trauma continued through him.

Mitchell’s childhood fractured between the grip of a deeply abusive mother and his extended family’s struggle to save him.

Four years after she’d abandoned him as a baby, Mitchell’s mother Giza returned to claim him. Though his uncle Issa and aunt Sally didn’t want him to go with her, Mitchell was too small a child to resist the idea of having a Mom. With his father Moshe too deeply traumatized by surviving the Dachau concentration camp to raise a child, Mitchell packed his little suitcase and walked into a new childhood that would leave terrible wounds on his mind.

Giza had spent WWII hidden in the barn of a Christian family, abused, terrified, hungry, and horribly alone when her own mother died. While none of Mitchell’s family spoke openly about their experiences under Nazi rule, Issa and Sally sought to protect him from such trauma. Giza, however, repaid the cruelty she suffered by inflicting the same onto her son. She beat Mitchell mercilessly. Often, he would have no idea what he’d even done. Mitchell became eternally vigilant, while subsisting on little food and less affection.

For years, Mitchell could rely on only his little sister Regina and the support of Issa and Sally—although they had to remain distant or risk Giza’s fury.

When Issa began proceedings to gain legal custody of Mitchell, Giza kidnapped Mitchell and took him and his sister Regina to Israel.

Giza had become too sick with hepatitis to raise either of them, so Mitchell and Regina—who soon began going by her Hebrew name Malka—were left in the hands of the foster care system and eventually separated from one another.

Even here, Mitchell had family who loved him. His aunt Ruska and uncles Yosef and Shraga worked with Issa to continue the arduous work of bringing Mitchell home. Eventually, they succeeded, but this was not without its own losses. Malka was Mitchell’s half-sister, so his extended family had no legal claim for custody. She had to stay behind. Yosef suffered fatal heart failure after exacerbating an earlier condition in a fight over transport documents.

All of these traumas followed Mitchell into adulthood, leaving him a “well-dressed poser” who fled depression and guilt into addiction even as he built a seemingly stable life.

Though he maintained a compartmentalized life for some years, Mitchell’s harmful coping strategies would end up costing him his relationship with his wife Betty and his son Joseph. He could present himself as the man he wanted to be, but beneath the surface couldn’t truly be so.

Little Boy I Know Your Name doesn’t paint a clean picture of recovery from trauma but it shows that, even after decades, healing is possible.

Over time, Mitchell recognized the patterns of harm that had ravaged his sense of security and self. And despite even greater loss than he had yet experienced, he began to face the trauma handed down to him.

Raff maintains impressive and vulnerable honesty throughout Little Boy I Know Your Name.

He empathizes with the scars of his family while being open about his own feelings towards them—even those feelings which might seem unfair or ignoble. This story approaches generational trauma without valorizing or demonizing those who bear it. Because of this honesty, Little Boy I Know Your Name reveals myriad ways people can respond to trauma, how they try to survive it and how it can transform as it is passed down to the next generation.

Raff hopes this book will encourage others to work through the trauma they carry even when it feels insurmountable. His bold confrontation of the ugly reality of trauma—in himself as much as his family—will speak to readers with an impact that couldn’t come from a more sanitized story.

A thoughtful recounting of family dysfunction, the cultural weight of trauma, and the daunting but necessary work towards breaking such a cycle, Little Boy I Know Your Name does justice to the joint pain and love in a wounded family.

June 30, 2025
TSARINA’S JEWELS: Book 2 of The Nightingale and Sparrow Chronicles by Jerena Tobiasen – Historical Fiction, Historical Thrillers, 20th Century

Viscount Simon Nightingale-Temple seeks a life of peace with his beloved Mary after the harrowing years of the Bolshevik Revolution. But in Tsarina’s Jewels, the second book in Jerena Tobiasen’s The Nightingale and Sparrow Chronicles, Simon is dragged back into global conflict through his very family.

While serving in the British Embassy in Petrograd, Simon witnessed firsthand that bloody revolution and the assassination of the Tsar’s family—all but one daughter, Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna, the beautiful woman who became his wife.

Maria, “Mary”, hides in plain sight among the British aristocracy, and the couple hope to settle into their lives with Simon’s parents. However, soon after his return, the highest levels of the British government force Simon into service for the newly minted MI6. Under threat of being blamed entirely for the Romanov family’s execution, Simon has no choice but to accept.

Little does Simon know he’ll soon be spying on his own brother.

As the second son, Richard resents Simon’s success and future inheritance. After drinking and womanizing his allowance away, Richard is forced into a job by his father. Though he holds a respectable clerk’s position, Richard steals files concerning the British movements against the Ottoman Empire.

In a bid to become his own man, Richard now races to sell his secrets to the Turkish government.

Simon has to bear the weight of family obligation and looming treason all while trying to maintain his wife’s secret identity. When a threatening figure returns from his past and adds yet more pressure onto his shoulders, Simon’s life might well come crashing down around him.

The characters of Tsarina’s Jewels develop with compelling emotion in the face of trauma and responsibility, most of all Mary.

Mary, heir to the Russian throne, has lost everything—her home, her family, her very heritage. Still healing from her own physical wounds, she now contends with the full force of her grief. The Nightingale-Temple family helps to fill some of her emptiness, but nothing can entirely replace the family taken from her. Not only is she haunted by the happiness they shared, but also the image of their deaths in her dreams.

Despite all of this, she takes up the mantle of nurse to join her mother-in-law Ann as a volunteer in the local hospital. Mary does what she can to comfort a flood of Spanish Flu victims. Many are Russian immigrants, but Mary refuses to let her fears of recognition stop her from tending to her countrymen—in essence her people had the crown not been stripped from her family. Her brave soul is a shining light throughout the novel.

Even Richard shows a growing depth and capacity to change, although he can’t turn back from his crimes.

Initially, Richard seems entirely loathsome, and the novel appears to move in the formulaic classic spy novel. However, even before Richard begins his life-altering exodus from England, the reader sees a shift in his character. Richard is deeply in love with Sally, an unassuming and hard-working woman. Though he doesn’t voice the feeling aloud, his actions clearly show his devotion angst at leaving her.

As Simon gets closer to catching him, Richard weathers his clashing sentiments about the treasonous path to which he’s committed himself.

Tsarina’s Jewels combines thrilling spycraft with the intricacies of 1918 European conflict, a fresh and fascinating continuation for this historical fiction series. Tobiasen explores the internal conflicts of her characters to build them up as familiar, inspiring, and rewarding to care for, giving emotional life to both suspense and history.

June 25, 2025
THE SUMMER Of HAIGHT by George Petersen – Surreal Fiction, 1960s, Literary Fiction

In The Summer of Haight, George Petersen opens a doorway into the hallucinatory dreamscape of 1967 San Francisco, where the counterculture’s bright ideals are shadowed by something far more sinister.

Forget the peace signs and flower crowns. This isn’t a nostalgic romp through Haight-Ashbury. It’s a slow-burning gothic mystery where the air smells of something rotting just beneath the incense, and reality unravels one eerie page at a time.

The Summer of Haight centers on Longfellow, a straight-laced, impeccably dressed British lawyer living in San Francisco. He’s logical, loyal, and just rigid enough to feel like he’s constantly one step out of place in the groovy chaos of 1960s counterculture. His best friend, the brilliant and eccentric scientist Dr. Jonathan St. Amour, seems to be riding high—hosting elite parties, building a private laboratory under his Victorian mansion, and showing off his mysterious new pet cat, Zelda, who wears a custom-cut diamond in the shape of a cat’s eye.

Things start to tilt sideways when Jonathan suddenly asks Longfellow to draft a new will—one that leaves everything to a man named Dr. Asmodeus Youngblood.

This ‘Youngblood’ is nobody Longfellow has ever met, and Jonathan refuses to introduce them. In fact, he makes Longfellow promise not to investigate him. Naturally, this only makes Longfellow more suspicious.

What follows is a descent into something much stranger than legal drama. Youngblood isn’t just a mystery; he’s a walking contradiction, a man who looks like a flamboyant hippie but moves with something menacing in his step. He sleeps during the day, unnerves everyone in the house, and seems to have an unnatural hold over Jonathan. Even Zelda is terrified of him.

As Longfellow breaks his promise and trails Youngblood through the fog-choked streets of the Haight, the novel morphs into a fever dream.

There are LSD-drenched parties, glowing body paint, hallucinatory visions, and ominous signs that Youngblood may not be entirely human. The scenes at the Fillmore Auditorium—strobe-lit nudity and shadowy faceless figures—feel like a cross between Eyes Wide Shut and a haunted lava lamp. At one point, the atmosphere turns almost otherworldly: “Wide-eyed and anxious, I climbed the stairs to the auditorium, a red apple in one hand, a bright yellow balloon in the other… Janis Joplin belted out ‘Summertime’ on stage… tie-dye backdrops bathed in luminous liquid colors… A puppeteer hung a life-size marionette from the balcony so it could dance with the flower girls on the floor below…”

Despite the surrealism, The Summer of Haight is also about aging, longing, and identity.

Jonathan’s longing to be young again, to break free from the restrictions of respectability and embrace something primordial, is familiar but also terrifying. Readers will find the story clearly depicts how simple it is to lose oneself while pursuing the illusion of independence.

The prose is moody, poetic, and at times playfully gothic.

There’s fog, firelight, hidden blades, secret cellars, and symbolic snakes. But the pace is deliberate; it doesn’t sprint. Rather, it creates a dense atmosphere that allows the reader to feel the dread.

If you like stories where a seemingly rational world starts to fray at the edges—where one must question not only the nature of the villain but that of reality itself—then The Summer of Haight by George Petersen might be your kind of delirium. It’s haunting, heady, and more than a little hypnotic.

June 23, 2025