Chanticleer Book Reviews

Tag: Mystery

AFTERMATH by Marilynn Larew – Mystery Suspense/Thriller/Female Sleuth

Mystery maven Marilynn Larew has devised a can’t-put-down thriller with a female lead who can handle everything from flying bullets, dead cats, and snakes in the jungle, with only the occasional meltdown in Aftermath.

It’s a normal day for private investigator Annie Carter when handsome, Irish, and possibly crazy “Don’t call me Charlie” Magee shows up at her townhouse/office/home claiming someone is trying to kill him. For one thing, a body fell out of a window and landed near him. But even more convincing, someone shoots a hole through Annie’s front window just as Magee arrives on her doorstep – and not long after that, they find a dead cat on the stoop.

But can Magee be for real? His stories are garbled, and sometimes he seems to be dodging the truth, but when she lets him move in (for his own protection) it turns out he’s a decent cook and, well, let’s say his interest in her is hard to resist.

Meanwhile, Annie’s lawyer daughter Elizabeth is bugging her because her boyfriend wants to get married, which is against Elizabeth’s feminist principles, and for some reason, it’s all Annie’s fault. Added to this chaotic, action-crammed and often witty mix is Annie’s newest client, Vivian Rowlandson, whose husband has disappeared without a trace. A complex inheritance means the client must find her spouse or lose all financial support for her over-sized mansion and ten horses. And just as all these mysteries build, Elizabeth is kidnapped.

Threading her way through other people’s bizarre problems is what Annie signed on for when she became a private investigator. It was the job best suited for a single parent. But now her mothering skills are questioned and her own life is in danger.

Eventually, the hunt for Vivian’s errant husband will take Annie to the shadowy, steaming jungles of Southeast Asia where human and reptile killers lurk around every tree—and where the charming Magee will prove a stalwart bodyguard—in more ways than one.

Practiced mystery novelist Larew (Dead in Dubai, The Spider Catchers) presents a plot that brings her expertise to the fore. With teaching and publishing credits in American and Vietnamese military history, she has also visited Hanoi and other far-flung places. Her Annie is a heroine for the mid-life generation: a gritty divorcee with a penchant for adventure and a secret passion for unruly older men. Larew sculpts Annie with just the right proportions of savoir-faire, guts, and a few moments of unabashed girly-ness.

Sure to please Larew’s fans and attract new ones, Aftermath is a welcome addition to the female detective mystery/thriller genre steeped in exotic locales, alluring hints of romance, bullets flying, people disappearing, and just enough humor to wrap it all together for the perfect read.

April 14, 2017
PASSOVER by Aphrodite Anagnost and Robert P. Arthur – Horror/Psychological Thriller/Ghost Story

This novel is a multi-dimensional excursion into the paranormal. Its twists and turns take the reader on a circuitous route, where the impossible is ordinary, and there is no safe place.

Authors Aphrodite Anagnost and Robert P. Arthur have created a fast-paced, well-written read to challenge even the most hard-core fans of mystery and the supernatural. The writers use a mosaic of imaginative ideas, sensory detail, and historic events to move the reader through a morass of implausible events, to a chilling conclusion.

For the residents of Zebulon, a tiny, historic Virginia town on the Delmarva Peninsula, the world has become surreal. For the last three months, a serial murderer has been at work. On the night of the full moon, moving from house-to-house on Burnt Chestnut Road, this creature has committed atrocious acts.

Inexplicable smells, sights, and quirks of weather impinge upon the police investigation of these, driving most of Zebulon’s residents to flee in fear.

If the killer remains consistent, the next house in line is the home of Dr. Rachel Shelton and her family. One, or all of them, is destined to be the next victim, and tonight is the night. Rachel and her husband, Dave, try to prepare for the onslaught. Little do they know that sharp knives and loaded rifles cannot protect them.

Sheriff Phil Wise revisits the murder sites and struggles to make sense of the mayhem that occur at each, when “…all explanations seemed stranger than the crime scene itself…” Beatricia, Rachel’s mother, senses the truth, and her revelations help keep the reader engaged.

The frequency of multiple motifs, e.g., the unexplained smell of burnt wood, levitation of furniture, dis- and re-appearance of objects, random cold spots, and intermittent cessation of normal sound can work to distract the reader. Inconsistencies within the narrative, such as a kitchen floor that is described as linoleum, then tile, and then linoleum in the span of two pages, a discordant timeline of the murders, and a geographic site for one of the serial murders that contradicts the described pattern, detract from the storyline. However, Passover’s plot has “good bones,” and those who enjoy the genre will devour this work. The well-developed character of Beatricia, Rachel’s mother, goes a long way in helping maintain reader engagement.

Beatricia is not only a learned scholar but also a gifted medium, who views the horrendous events through the lens of spirituality. It is only after she enters the investigation with Lev, a Jewish apostate, that those old truths begin to reveal themselves, and the pieces begin to coalesce. Rachel must acknowledge and utilize her innate psychic abilities if they are to defeat the evil supernatural forces that surround and threaten them.

“Passover” by Aphrodite Anagnost and Robert P. Arthur takes the reader to a universe where the mundane meets the mystical. Here, the power of “animal magnetism” enables the dead to reanimate and materialize, and a charming teen-aged ghost attempts to seduce Rachel’s adolescent son.

In this altered reality, symbolism, echoes of ancient religions and myth, memories of age-old bondage, savage twentieth-century anti-Semitism, and ghosts and apparitions collide with everyday family conflict and strife. “Passover” is a paranormal mystery on steroids!

April 13, 2017
The MYSTERY & MAYHEM Awards – First Place Category Winners 2016
The Mystery & Mayhem Awards writing competition recognizes emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Cozy Mysteries and Not-So-Cozy Mysteries. The Mystery & Mayhem Awards is a division of the Chanticleer Awards International Writing Competitions.

We are honored to announce the 2016 M&M Awards Official First Place Category Winners.
- Award Winning M&M Authors Alice Boatwright, Michelle Cox, Lucy Carol, Kate Vale, and Gay Yellen
  
  Humorous: Hot Scheming Mess by Lucy Carol
- Romantic Suspense: Secrets Revealed by Kate Vale
- Amateur Sleuth: Engaged in Danger: A Jamie Quinn Mystery by Barbara Venkataraman
- Blended Genre: A Girl Like You: A Henrietta and Inspector Howard Novel (The Henrietta and Inspector Howard series) by Michelle Cox
- Historical Mystery: The Secret Life of Anna Blanc by Jennifer Kincheloe
- Women Sleuths: The Body Next Door by Gay Yellen
- Classic/British Cozy: Under an English Heaven by Alice K. Boatwright
The Mystery & Mayhem Short-Listers competed for these First Place Category positions. They authors and their works were recognized at the Chanticleer Authors Conference and Awards Gala, Bellingham, Wash. that was held on April 1, 2017.

CONGRATULATIONS to Alice K. Boatwright, author of the MYSTERY & MAYHEM Grand Prize winner — Under an English Heaven!

We are now accepting entries into the 2017 M&M Awards. The deadline is April 30, 2017. Click here for more information or to enter.

Congratulations to those who made the M&M AWARDS 2016 FINALISTS and SHORTLISTERS.

More than $30,000 worth of cash and prizes will be awarded to the 2017 Chanticleer Novel Writing Competition winners! Fifteen different genres to enter your novels and compete on an international level.
April 4, 2017
A SEASON for KILLING BLONDES by Joanne Guidoccio – Cozy Mystery

Gilda has been absent from her hometown for 30 years, and when she returns with a pocket full of cash (19 million from a lottery win), she opens up a business. Everything is ready for the opening night – except the dead blonde in the dumpster out back wasn’t part of the plan. What’s worse, that dead blonde was Gilda’s first client! This is just the start – dead blondes seem to drop everywhere Gilda goes!

In A Season for Killing Blondes, author Joanne Guidoccio introduces a bevy of Italian friends and relatives who are loving, clever, talented, overbearing, overprotective, erratic, abusive, etc., and who try to “help” Gilda manage her life, whether she wants their input or not. Some of the characters have double names—think of The Waltons 2.0—that in combination with some cousins, a few Aunts, and an Uncle, may initially seem confusing, but the author handles it with a deft touch. The names and behaviors add depth, texture, and suspects to the story.

When lead detective, Carlo Fantin, comes onto the scene with a lot of pressure from the city to solve the crimes, he’s all business until he realizes that he knows Gilda from high school…30 years ago. On the plus side, she accepts his dinner invitation to reconnect. On the negative, she’s a prime suspect who has a huge problem with alibis.

But honestly, who wouldn’t love a relative willing to create a handy alibi on the fly?

“Relax, Gilda. You’re not going to jail. I provided you with an alibi for last night. All those times that Roberto and I rehearsed worked.” Sofia (her mother) glanced over at me. “Aren’t you pleased? You’ve said very little since we left the station.”

or how about this:

“I called Detective Fantin and left a message on his machine,” Uncle Paolo said. “When he calls back, I’ll make sure that he knows you and Sofia were with us Saturday night.”

Talk about a support network.

A Season for Killing Blondes is well crafted with solid character and setting descriptions that do not get in the way of pacing. For those readers who enjoy a good humorous mystery and whodunit, along with Italian food, Guidoccio’s cozy does not disappoint. Clues, hints, and some foreshadowing are mixed in with a few curve balls (and meatballs) that keep you guessing until the end.

February 16, 2017
Age of Order by Julian North – YA Dystopian SciFi

In the not too distant future, one girl races to save the ones she loves in Julian North’s Age of Order.

Daniela Machado, a young Latina from Bronx City, is smart and successfully athletic – especially on the track – but she has more than a few secrets. She’s learned to be very protective of herself and those she cares about, her blood, in an environment where others frequently die. Aba, her grandmother, and her older brother Mateo, along with her sister of choice, Kortilla, are the only ones she fully trusts.

Daniela knows something must be behind the sudden offer she receives to attend a very prestigious and selective school in another part of the Five Cities, and she’s reluctant to accept. Attending the new school and leaving Kortilla behind, however, may be the only chance Daniela has to save Mateo’s life.

In this school environment, North skillfully weaves in multiple references to other dystopian works frequently taught in high school. The reader will be reminded of Orwell, Huxley, and William Golding, as Daniela reads them for class. Something else becomes abundantly clear: Daniela and most of her classmates don’t get along.

It’s more than just a question of money and social standing, though. It’s genetics.

Set in the near future of the United States, the action is often thrilling, complete with high-tech rivalries, partisan politics, chase scenes, and class conflicts. While most of the major characters are teens, North’s insights into their thoughts and feelings can apply to any age, lending an ageless quality to this otherwise clear morality tale. Their conflicts, confusions, and pain are more than any child should have to encounter. But in this world, those lucky enough to survive must grow-up quickly.

Daniela finds her one solace in running, and she fights her way onto the school track team. No one, not even the school star, can easily beat her when she runs. Daniela, it becomes apparent, has a gift which, after being honed throughout childhood, is now formidable.

It’s on the track when she feels completely free, even when the competition seems unfairly rigged against her. North does a fine job of writing these athletic scenes and the reader will feel their feet pounding and gasping for breath as Daniela runs against others – and her hidden past.

As that past comes into conflict with what she is experiencing at school, Daniela and her allies (the other misfits at school) begin to see the true shape of the reality around them. Only through courage and steely resolve will they be able to do what must be done to prevent the genocide those in power have already begun. It’s up to Daniela to find her true self, when she needs it most, to save the people she loves.

Age of Order is powerfully charged with rich characters and a dynamic storyline. One of the BEST new YA books we’ve reviewed!

February 9, 2017
MYSTERY & MAYHEM SHORT-LIST for 2016 (2016 M&M Semi-Finalists)

These titles are in the running for the 5 First Place Book Awards for the 2016 Mystery & Mayhem Book Awards competition!

Congratulations to these authors for their works moving up from the 2016 M&M Finalists to the Short List. The novels will now compete for the First Place Category Positions!

These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from SLUSH pile to FINALISTS LIST and now has moved forward to the SHORT LIST of the 2016 M&M Book Awards. They are now 2016 M&M Semi-Finalists as they compete for the limited First in Category Positions of the 2016 M&M Book Awards in the last rounds of judging.

Each of the titles below have earned the M&M AWARDS SHORT LIST Semi-Finalists bragging rights!

The Mystery & Mayhem Writing Competition recognizes emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Cozy Mysteries and Classic Mysteries. The M&M Awards is a division of Chanticleer International Novel Writing Competitions.

More than $30,000.00 dollars worth of cash and prizes will be awarded to Chanticleer Book Reviews 2016 writing competition winners!

The M&M Book Awards FIRST IN CATEGORY sub-genres are: Amateur Sleuth, Romance, Animals, Cooking/Knitting/Hobbies, Blended Genre, Medical/Lab, Travel, Humorous, Historical, Classic British, Y/A, and Senior Sleuth.

The following titles will compete for the FIRST IN CATEGORY Positions and Book Awards Packages.

NOTE: This is the Official List of the M&M 2016 SHORT LIST.

The Finalists Authors and Titles of Works that have made it to the Short-list (aka The Semi-Finalists) of the M&M 2016 Novel Writing Contest are:

Under English Heaven by Alice K. Boatwright

Secrets Revealed by Kate Vale

The Body Next Door by Gay Yellen

A Scone To Die For – H.Y. Hanna

Death Runs on Time by A. B. Michaels

Secrets, Lies, and Champagne Highs by Jeanette Hubbard

Killer Transaction by Catherine Bruns

Twelve for Twelve by Dawn Rasmussen

The Prosecution of Mr. Darcy’s Cousin by Regina Jeffries

The Secret Life of Anna Blanc by Jennifer Kincheloe

A Girl Like You by Michelle Cox

Engaged in Danger: A Jamie Quinn Mystery by Barbara Venkataraman

Death Unscripted by M.K. Graff

Deadly Dye and a Soy Chai by Traci Andrighetti

Sherlock Holmes and the Dance of the Tiger -Suzette Hollingsworth

Skyrizer # 7 by Phillip Buchanon

The Erotica Book Club for Nice Ladies by Connie Spittler

Smart, but Dead by Nancy G. West

Hot Scheming Mess by Lucy Carol

The M&M Semi-Finalists will compete for the M&M First In Category Positions, which consists of Seven Judging Rounds. First Place Category Award winners will automatically be entered into the M&M GRAND PRIZE AWARD competition, which has a cash prize purse of $200. The CBR Grand Prize Genre Winners will compete for the CBR Overall Grand Prize for Best Book and its $1,000 purse.

All Short Listers will receive high visibility along with special badges to wear during the Chanticleer Authors Conference and Awards Gala.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions, concerns, or suggestions at Info@ChantiReviews.com.

Congratulations to the Finalists in this fiercely competitive contest!

Good Luck to each of you as your works compete for the M&M Awards First Class Category Positions.

Good Luck to all of the M&M Semi-Finalists as they compete for the coveted First Place Category positions.

First In Category announcements will be made in our social media postings as the results come in. The 2016 First In Category Winners and Semi-Finalists will be recognized at the 2017 Chanticleer Annual Awards Gala and Banquet.

The M&M Grand Prize Winner will be announced at the April 1st, 2017 Chanticleer Writing Contests Annual Awards Gala, which takes place on the last evening of the Chanticleer Authors Conference that will be held in Bellingham, Wash.

We are now accepting submissions into the 2017 M&M Awards writing competition. The deadline for submissions is March 31st, 2017. Please click here for more information.

January 23, 2017
A DANGEROUS DESCENT: A Sarah McKinney Mystery by Marian Exall – a contemporary cosmopolitan mystery

A hectic life, a missing daughter, love lost and found come together in this spellbinding mystery thriller, Marian Exall’s second book in the Sarah McKinney series, A Dangerous Descent.

Sarah McKinney, a witty, hard-working New Yorker, is whisked off to France to help her old mentor find his long-lost daughter in the second book of this thrilling mystery series.

Sarah McKinney was happy with her chaotic life as a mediator in New York, where the most complicated thing she had to deal with was her love life. When she meets up with an old mentor, she doesn’t expect the meeting to end with her hoping a plane and flying halfway across the world.

But hop that plane she does, to help out her mentor fulfill his promise to his dying wife: locate their estranged daughter living in France. But finding Chantal isn’t easy. She’s not where she’s supposed to be. With urgent business back home, Sarah’s mentor pleads with her to find his daughter. She agrees and with the help of an old flame, she’s off to locate the missing girl.

But finding Chantal proves more difficult than expected and Sarah finds herself chasing leads down dangerous paths.

Marian Exall’s A Dangerous Descent is a captivating mystery that skillfully keeps the reader glued to the page. The book starts out with a light tone that tricks readers into thinking they are following the witty escapades of a New Yorker, only to find the journey darkening and becoming much more dangerous as the story progresses.

But the immediate likeability of Sarah, as well as her touching relationships, keeps the novel positive. Readers will smile as often as they grip the seat of their chairs.

Indeed, Sarah’s narration is perhaps the best part of the novel, and she remains worth rooting for throughout the story. Her traumatic childhood has left her tougher than a bed of nails, and she keeps her wits about her during terrifying situations. Exall masters the characterization of Sarah, portraying her as a sharp, collected professional against the foil of Chantal’s bizarre disappearance.

Exall’s writing is sharp and well-paced, with natural dialogue and gorgeous descriptions of setting. So much so, the reader is bound to feel as if they are in France as well!

A Dangerous Descent is Book 2 of a thrilling mystery series with a soft spot for tender-hearted lovers.

December 16, 2016
The GIRL and the CLOCKWORK CAT by Nikki McCormack – Captivating YA Steampunk

It’s Victorian England and Maeko is a young street kid with a talent for pick-pocketing and a drive to figure out where she belongs. When she comes across a little cat with an unusual enhancement on its leg, she follows it – right onto a murder scene.

The Girl and the Clockwork Cat by Nikki McCormack is a charming Young Adult novel that offers up an intriguing mystery while adding a fun Steampunk twist. Set in Victorian London, the book leads the reader through a murder investigation and introduces the puzzling, quirky Clockwork Cat. But more than that, the novel deals with the struggles of growing up through the eyes of a scrappy girl who must deal with more crap than the average teenager.

Maeko, separated from her mother at the tender age of seven, has lived on the streets with the notorious band of ruffians known to the police and upper-crust society as the “street rats.” Maeko is valued for her pick-pocketing and lock-picking skills in this group. In this dangerous world, she resigns herself to trusting no one but her mentor, Chaff. When she and Chaff are pursued by police during a robbery, they get separated. She hides in an alleyway and comes face-to-face with a friendly cat with an intriguing clockwork leg.

As she seeks a better source of shelter for herself and the cat, Maeko meets a family of musicians who seem harmless enough, but when Maeko winds up in police custody again, she fears for the fate of the cat and its valuable leg. Luckily she escapes and tracks the cat right onto the scene of a double murder. It’s then she pairs up with the musicians’ son, Ash, to once again escape police custody to prove their innocence.

McCormack’s writing is clear and captivating as she creates in Maeko a likable, empathetic character who is learning the art of growing up: who to trust, how to care for others without hurting herself, and how to handle more than one romantic urge. In Ash and Chaff, McCormack gives us two extremely charismatic characters who are vying for Maeko’s attention and caring for her safety. It’s so much fun!

Though the novel is Y/A, the endearing characters, engaging mystery, and insightful writing moves us to recommend this novel to all audiences.

December 6, 2016
The M&Ms, Chanticleer’s Mystery & Mayhem Novel Contest & Book Awards Official Finalist List for 2016
The Mystery & Mayhem Writing Competition recognizes emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Cozy Mysteries and Classic Mysteries. The M&M Awards is a division of Chanticleer International Novel Writing Competitions.

More than $30,000.00 dollars worth of cash and prizes will be awarded to Chanticleer Book Reviews 2016 writing competition winners!

The M&M Book Awards FIRST IN CATEGORY sub-genres are: Amateur Sleuth, Romance, Animals, Cooking/Knitting/Hobbies, Blended Genre, Medical/Lab, Travel, Humorous, Historical, Classic British, Y/A, and Senior Sleuth.

The following titles will compete for the SHORT LIST rounds. The works that make it on the SHORT LIST will then compete for FIRST IN CATEGORY Positions and Book Awards Packages.

NOTE: This is the Official List of the M&M 2016 Finalists.

The Finalists Authors and Titles of Works of the M&M 2016 Novel Writing Contest are:

A Girl Like You by Michelle Cox

Secret Life of Anna Blanc by Jennifer Kincheloe

The Prosecution of Mr. Darcy’s Cousin by Regina Jeffries

Murder by the Spoonful by Vicki Vass

The Magic of Murder by Susan Lynn Solomon

Banished Threads b Kaylin McFarren

Member from Devon by Bruce Graham

Skyrizer # 7 by Phillip Buchanon

The Scarlet Wench by M. K. Graff

Major Crimes by Michele Lynn Seigfried

Death Runs on Time by A. B. Michaels

A Scone to Die For (Oxford Tearoom Mysteries)  by H. Y. Hanna

Killer Transaction by Catherine Bruns

Twelve for Twelve by Dawn Rasmussen

Secrets Revealed by Kate Vale

Bells on Her Toes by Diana J. Febry

Secrets, Lies, and Champagne Highs  by Jeanette Hubbard

Under English Heaven  by Alice K. Boatwright

The Body Next Door by Gay Yellen

Death Unscripted by M.K. Graff

The Erotica Book Club for Nice Ladies by Connie Spittler

Hot Scheming Mess by Lucy Carol

Engaged in Danger: A Jamie Quinn Mystery by Barbara Venkataraman

Sherlock Holmes and the Dance of the Tiger by Suzette Hollingsworth

Deadly Dye and a Soy Chai by Traci Andrighetti

Smart, but Dead by Nancy G. West

Deathbed of Roses by Alannah Foley

Homes and Watkins   by R. J. Lewis

The M&M Finalists will compete to be on the SHORT LIST and those works will then compete for the M&M First In Category Positions, which consists of Seven Judging Rounds. First Place Category Award winners will automatically be entered into the M&M GRAND PRIZE AWARD competition, which has a cash prize purse of $200. The CBR Grand Prize Genre Winners will compete for the CBR Overall Grand Prize for Best Book and its $1,000 purse.
All First In Category Award Winners will receive high visibility along with special badges to wear during the Chanticleer Authors Conference and Awards Gala.

First In Category winners will compete for the M&M Awards Grand Prize Award for the $200 purse and the M&M Grand Prize Ribbon and badges.
- TEN genre Grand Prize winning titles will compete for the $1,000 purse for CBR Best Book and Overall Grand Prize.
- A coveted Chanticleer Book Review valued at $345 dollars U.S. CBR reviews will be published in the Chanticleer Reviews magazine in chronological order as to posting.
- A CBR Blue Ribbon to use in promotion at book signings and book festivals
- Digital book award stickers for on-line promotion
- Adhesive book stickers
- Shelf-talkers and other promotional items
- Promotion in print and on-line media
- Review of book distributed to on-line sites and printed media publications
- Review, cover art, and author synopsis listed in CBR’s newsletter
- Default First in Category winners will not be declared. Contests are based on merit and writing craft in all of the Chanticleer Writing Competitions.
As always, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions, concerns, or suggestions at Info@ChantiReviews.com.

Congratulations to the Finalists in this fiercely competitive contest!
Good Luck to all of the M&M Finalists as they compete.

Short List announcements will be made in our social media postings as the results come in. The 2016 First In Category Winners will be recognized at the 2017 Chanticleer Annual Awards Gala and Banquet.

The M&M Grand Prize Winner will be announced at the April 1st, 2017 Chanticleer Writing Contests Annual Awards Gala, which takes place on the last evening of the Chanticleer Authors Conference that will be held in Bellingham, Wash.

We are now accepting submissions into the 2017 M&M Awards writing competition. The deadline for submissions is March 31st, 2017. Please click here for more information.
August 18, 2016
A THEORY OF EXPANDED LOVE by Caitlin Hicks, a bold, coming-of-age novel

Confused by conflicting messages from family and church, a young girl takes big issues of life, love, and trust into her own hands.

It is 1963, and American Catholics are stirred. First, by the death of the pope, and later, the assassination of the first Catholic president. Preteen Annie Shea, one of eleven children in a devout Catholic family, is the narrator. Because her father, a soon-to-retire Naval officer, once had a chance encounter with a priest who is now a cardinal, Annie sees her parents shamelessly promoting themselves in the community and church as friends of the possible next pope.

As we begin to live among the Sheas, we see a passive, harried mother who suffers in secret from the early loss of a baby and a well-meaning father who is tyrannical in pursuit of prestige, trying to control his unruly brood with strict moral injunctions backed up by a belt. But his rules can’t stop Annie from wondering: why is it a sin to lie, except about the family’s supposed connection to the papacy? Why can’t she talk to someone about a family member creeping into her bedroom and feeling her up?

Worst of all, in a religious culture where babies are so wanted and life so precious, why is her older sister consigned to a convent to “repent” and, Annie learns, have a baby that will be taken away for adoption before anyone in the family even looks at it? Annie’s sudden bold rebellion may tear the family apart—or bring it together in ways never envisioned.

Canadian author Caitlin Hicks is a playwright and actress who has crafted this coming-of-age novel like a series of episodes in a fast-developing family television drama. Annie is a likable, gutsy girl stuck in the contrast between what she knows in her heart to be right and what she is being told by various patriarchs—dad, priest, and pope.

Authentic, amusing, wise beyond her years, Hicks’ heroine marches forth like a modern Maid of Orleans to remind others of their true moral duty. Hicks composes with confidence and competence, deftly manipulating the modalities of the fateful events of 1963 to reveal the Sheas as a sort of “every family,” with strong bonds of caring and some notable fault lines.

A Theory of Expanded Love is a teen’s-eye view of what happens when doctrine threatens to outweigh compassion, and how balance can be restored with a few bold moves.

July 22, 2016