The Abnormal Gumshoe by Tamar Anolic

April 1, 2026 By Leave a Comment


The Abnormal Gumshoe by Tamar Anolic
The Fayetteville Series, Book 2
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Chloe Weaver is the oldest daughter in a conservative Christian family of Fayetteville, Arkansas who lives biblically: long skirts for the women, home-schooling for the children, weekly church attendance and old-fashioned courting rules that lead to marriage.

As she turns thirty and remains unmarried, however, Chloe begins to wonder if she’ll ever have the happy marriage and many kids that she has been led to believe constitutes the perfect life. When her parents allow her to court Barnabas Anderson, Chloe knows she should be ecstatic. Instead, she is uncomfortable with the twelve-year age gap between her and Barnabas. Besides, Barnabas has always been a little… weird.

When Barnabas’ brother visits the Weavers, bringing tales of Barnabas’ previous wife and her untimely death, Chloe realizes how little she knows about Barnabas. As she prepares for a prayer assembly in San Francisco, where Barnabas used to live, Chloe decides to investigate his past and his wife’s death. With the help of Detective Logan Cartwright of the San Francisco Police Department, Chloe steps out of her comfort zone to find the truth- and find hope for her future.

What’s done in the dark will always be brought into the light eventually.

Chloe’s character development seemed weak at first, but after thinking about it I have come to the conclusion that this could very well have been done intentionally in order to show how emotionally and socially stunted she was as the result of growing up as the eldest child in a large family, being homeschooled, and otherwise being sheltered from the outside world. Having known a few kind but also quite naive people who grew up in similar Quiverfull households, so many of her mannerisms and habits reminded me of them from the parental role she took on for her fourteen siblings to the joy she felt when doing perfectly ordinary things like going out to dinner or ordering a coffee from a cafe. Kudos to the author for not only portraying this subculture pretty accurately but also for trusting the audience to pick up on the clues and understand why Chloe felt kind of flat in the beginning.

Another round of editing would have helped to clean up the typos in this novel. While all of them were mild errors that did not interfere with my understanding of the storyline, they happened often enough that I felt compelled to mention it in my review and refrain from giving this the higher rating I would have otherwise happily chosen for it.

The mystery was straightforward and, to be honest, felt rather realistic when it came to the authorities not always paying attention to the clues before them or knowing the right questions to ask when interviewing someone who lives a very different lifestyle than their own. Being a police officer does not automatically mean someone understands the nuances of every subculture or can easily pick up on small signs that something has gone terribly wrong in a case even if they are genuinely trying to understand, after all!

The Abnormal Gumshoe has piqued my interest and made me want to read the rest of this series.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , ,

Movie Review: One Life

March 30, 2026 By Leave a Comment


One Life
Writers: Lucinda Coxon, Nick Drake, and Barbara Winton
Director: James Hawes
Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Lena Olin, and Johnny Flynn
Publisher: BBC Film, Warner Bros. Pictures
Genre: Nonfiction, Historical
Rating: 5 Stars (10 Stars on IMDB)
Reviewed by Astilbe

Sir Nicholas ‘Nicky’ Winton, a young London broker who, in the months leading up to World War II, rescued over 600 children from Nazi-occupied Czechia (then called Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia).

How a society treats refugees is of utmost importance.

The dual storyline worked really nicely, especially later on as Sir Nicholas Winton began to open up about what he was doing at the beginning of World War II as Jewish people were being demonized by the Nazis and helping them required taking great personal risks. I knew only a few basic facts about the trains filled with children that were evacuated from German-occupied Czechoslovakia back then, and I was eager to learn more about how those rescue missions worked and what might have happened to the kids who were sent to England for safety during that war.

One of my favorite things about this film was how much attention it paid to the men and women who worked alongside Sir Winton to save 669 predominantly Jewish children from near certain death. He couldn’t have done such a massive job alone even if it was originally his idea due to the many hours of work involved in every case, so I was glad to see so much teamwork being portrayed as they all raised funds, arranged transportation, found foster families, and otherwise spread the word about this humanitarian crisis.

I loved the complex portrayal of the protagonist, especially in the scenes set in the 1980s as he reflected on both his successes as well as what he considered his failures to be. Other viewers should discover for themselves exactly what he regretted, but seeing how hard he was on himself only made me like him even more. He was a kind and gentle man who struggled to accept the term hero despite all that he had accomplished on what honestly appeared to be a shoestring budget and a schedule that never left enough time for all he wanted to do.

One Life was a beautiful and sobering snapshot of a critical mission and the man who made it happen.

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Musings, Movie Review, Television Show Tagged With: , , , , ,

Kill It with Fire by Lindsey Kinsella

March 24, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Kill It with Fire by Lindsey Kinsella
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Contemporary
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

The remote Scottish islands of St Kilda were evacuated over a century ago.

And for good reason.

Bruce hates the cold, he hates being away from the city, and, most of all, he hates spiders. But, drawn by the promise of rich gas reserves, he leads a team of corporate surveyors to these lonely shores.

The discovery of a dead body, an infestation of strange arachnids, and a seemingly abandoned military base raise worrying questions.

In this desolate isolation, a monstrous presence looms as the team uncover the dark truth behind the islands’ evacuation.

A little profit goes a long way.

This was an excellent example of how to write a rather unlikable but still fascinating character. There were times when Bruce irritated me so much that I wished he were a real person so I could give him a piece of my mind due to how greedy he was and how much he allowed his phobia to control his behavior. His flaws were deeply ingrained into his personality, and yet somehow they also made me want to learn more about him due to how memorably he displayed them.

I adored the use of foreshadowing in this book, especially when it came to Bruce’s weak spots. It struck the perfect balance between hinting at what was to come and trusting the audience to put the pieces together correctly with a little time and effort. This is not at all an easy thing to accomplish, but it’s quite satisfying when it does happen because of how exciting it is to look back at those moments and realize their true significance to both the plot and the protagonists.

The final scene was what catapulted this to a five-star read for me. There were times earlier on in the storyline when I had questions about where the author was going with his characters or why he wrote certain moments the way that he did given that this was firmly rooted in the horror genre. Experiencing the big reveal not only answered those questions but coalesced all of them into something that made me wish this tale was twice as long so I could find out what happened to the characters next. Kudos to Mr. Kinsella for writing such a captivating piece! If he ever writes a sequel, I’d sure love to review it.

Kill It with Fire was deliciously scary.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , ,

The Baby Box by Linda Palmer

March 23, 2026 By Leave a Comment


The Baby Box by Linda Palmer
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Camryn Jacobs, direct descendant of witches persecuted at Salem, has a problem. Fireman Declan Walsh, a lycan, is standing on her front porch at two in the morning with an infant car seat hanging off his arm. Asleep inside it is a baby witch who was surrendered in accordance with the town’s “baby box” law, which states that infants may be left in a customized vault at the fire station—no questions, no blame, no repercussions—if the parent/s cannot care for it.

Declan isn’t about to hand over the baby to human foster parents, the reason he braved a winter storm to get to Camryn. He asks if she will consult her coven tomorrow and, until then, take in the baby. He even volunteers to stay over and help. Camryn can only agree that this magical baby can’t go to foster parents who aren’t preternatural. She also agrees to let Declan stay over, a happy surprise for him. He’s been careful not to confess the reason she popped into his head the moment he saw the baby–he’s had his eye on her for a while but wasn’t sure if she’d go for a witch-wolf relationship.

As the hours pass, they all get to know each other. A definite spark ignites between Camry and Declan, but the coven’s head witch has a shocking personal agenda that threatens not just their budding romance, but the baby and Camryn’s ancestral home, as well.

There’s a fine line between being busy and being overwhelmed.

Turning a baby box deposit into a mystery was what originally drew me to this title, and I thought this conflict was handled nicely. It’s difficult to go into much detail about why the baby was abandoned without giving away spoilers, but I enjoyed mulling over the possibilities as Camryn and Declan received a crash course in infant care and tried to figure out where that little one came from. I certainly wouldn’t know what to do if an infant showed up in my life, especially under such mysterious circumstances. This was a unique romantic mystery that relied on new life to keep the characters guessing instead of the usual homicide that I’d expect to find.

Due to how many different genres were included in this story, there were a few times when I felt as though that worked against the cohesiveness of the plot because of how much was going on simultaneously. Focusing on the romantic elements could have been a good way to tie everything together more securely. Love, both romantic and platonic, was what kept Camryn going when she was in a tight spot, so having a few additional scenes that explored her budding romance would have felt completely appropriate to me. With that being said, this was a minor criticism of something I thought was otherwise well done.

The strong world building here was a huge draw for this reader. There was never a good stopping point which meant that I was always eager to come back when I did need to take breaks. I especially enjoyed the scenes that explored the complicated historical relationships between witches like Camryn and lycans like Declan. It was something I could have kept reading about for dozens of pages due to how complex it was and how each community reacted to members who dated out.

The Baby Box was heartwarming.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Movie Review: Irish Wish

March 23, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Irish Wish
Writers: Kirsten Hansen
Director: Janeen Damian
Starring: Lindsay Lohan, Ed Speleers, Ayesha Curry, and Jane Seymour
Publisher: Netflix
Genre: Romance, Paranormal, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars (6 Stars on IMDB)
Reviewed by Astilbe

When the love of Maddie’s life gets engaged to her best friend, she puts her feelings aside to be a bridesmaid at their wedding in Ireland.

A wedding is the perfect place to fall in love.

I loved how charming and whimsical this film was. The paranormal themes were lightly and naturally interwoven into the plot, and I thought the relationships between the characters, especially when it came to Maddie’s interactions with James, the photographer who had been hired for the wedding, were funny and playful. A light touch was exactly what the storyline needed in order to come across as believable, so I was glad that everyone was on the same page there.

The dialogue felt stiff to me at times. It was particularly noticeable in the scenes that were supposed to be representing characters who were falling in love, and I wished that more attention had been paid to the nonverbal messages they sent to each other in those moments. There was so much else going for this film that it could have been much more relatable had the protagonists had a chance to find their groove together. I wish there had been a few more scenes showing how their feelings were evolving to better explore this aspect of the plot.

With that being said, I loved the Irish setting and thought it provided a wonderful backdrop for a tale that needed a little something extra to set the scene. This was such a beautiful part of the world that sometimes I wanted to pause the film just to drink in the famous cliffs Maddie visited, for example, or the quiet country roads where so many amusing things happened to the characters.

Irish Wish was gentle and romantic.

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Musings, Movie Review, Television Show Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Cat Came Back by Anne Kane

March 20, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Cat Came Back by Anne Kane
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Erotic Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Paranormal, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Cat’s come back to town. Jacob plans to keep her here.

When Catherine’s aunt dies in a suspicious accident, she comes back to her hometown to settle the estate. She expects it to be an easy job, but she doesn’t count on being chased by a pack of wild wolves, and an unknown enemy who sprays graffiti on the house and throws bricks through her windows. When the local police force proves less than helpful, it’s up to Cat to find out what’s going on with the help of her all too human lover, Jacob.

Known as the Mad Trapper, Jacob has been in love with Cat since high school. Now that she’s back in town he intends to show her that a human-shifter relationship can be just what a were-cat needs to keep her out of trouble.

Who says you can never go home again?

The chemistry between Cat and Jacob was smoking hot. Things escalated between them quickly in the beginning, so it was useful for me as a reader to know they had a previous history together and therefore knew they could trust one another. Given everything else that was going on in that scene, it made sense that she would seek out someone who had previously helped her when shifting into her feline form had lead to unexpected consequences.

It would have been helpful to have more plot development in general. This was something that I found most noticeable when it came to the mystery storyline that never quite had as much time to grow as I would have preferred to see. There was so much more that could have been done with these scenes and the crime they explored, and I would have happily gone with a higher rating if they’d been given more attention.

I was intrigued by the shifter world building in this book as well, especially when it came to the history of romantic relationships between shifters and humans and why so many folks were hesitant to date across that social barrier. These are details that are best left for other readers to discover for themselves but just know there were good reasons for these two characters to be a little wary of getting involved with each other despite their chemistry and previous interactions.

Cat Came Back was a wild ride.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

One Last Dance by Ernesto Patino

March 10, 2026 By Leave a Comment


One Last Dance by Ernesto Patino
Publisher: Paper Angel Press
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Devastated by the tragic death of his fiancée, Marco Anissi sets out to find the woman who received his beloved Susan’s heart.

Marco Anissi comes out of a coma, days after his car slams into a light pole-the same pole he had crashed into exactly ten years ago, killing his fiancée, Susan.

Convinced that her spirit has reached out to him in a way he would understand, Marco embarks on a search to find the woman who had received Susan’s heart. He finds her in Tucson where she works as a dance teacher. Her name is Julia. He signs up for lessons, hoping to develop a relationship. Now, Marco must make a decision: tell the truth about himself and risk losing Julia with whom he’s falling in love, or remain silent and enjoy his new life with her.

Can two hearts that beat as one in life be parted by death?

Love is limitless.

There aren’t enough romance novels out there about characters with serious chronic illnesses for my tastes, so this was something I was determined to read as soon as I finished the blurb. It was interesting to get to know Julia as she coped with the health complications that can come after an organ transplant and attempted to fulfill her dreams while also accepting that there were limitations to what she was physically able to do. Figuring out the balance between the two isn’t always easy, but it sure does make for some good storytelling.

I struggled with how different the ending of this book was when compared to the beginning or middle. It almost seemed to be something written in another genre entirely, especially when I considered how out of character certain individuals behaved when compared to their choices earlier on in the storyline. While it’s difficult to go into much detail here without sharing spoilers, I can say that one of the things that surprised me the most had to do with how slowly one of the characters responded to a life-threatening diagnosis. This didn’t seem to match up with what I’d learned about him earlier, and it led to consequences that could have been easily avoided. As much as I wished to give this title a higher rating, the plot holes and sudden shift in tone and themes at the end were an obstacle for me to do so.

The subplot about how an organ transplant can change a recipient’s personality, habits, and interests caught my attention. This was something I’d heard of before, but I wasn’t aware of the many different ways this medical procedure can alter someone’s life or that the reasons for it are still being investigated. Some of my favorite scenes were the ones that dove into not only how the patient can respond to these changes but how people who once knew and loved the donor might react as well. This was a unique twist on the romance genre that piqued my interest in the author’s past, present, and future work.

One Last Dance was a thought provoking read.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , ,

The Hematophages – Splatterings by Stephen Kozeniewski

February 27, 2026 By Leave a Comment


The Hematophages – Splatterings by Stephen Kozeniewski
Publisher: French Press Publishing
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Historical, LGBTQ
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

In a galaxy riven by paranoid greed, profane forces marshal to consume humanity…

– On an abandoned ice moon, broadcasts from a long-dead civilization warp both body and soul.

– On a bizarre medical asteroid, a deranged physician discovers a gruesome “cure” for parasitic infection.

– On a deep space derelict, time becomes utterly meaningless and suffering transcends infinity.

– And on Earth itself, a lake transforms into pure blood and becomes infested with the hate-filled, eel-like aberrations known as…

The Hematophages.

With this quartet of short stories, Splatterpunk Award winner Stephen Kozeniewski is delighted to welcome newcomers to the brutal universe Sci-Fi and Fantasy Reviewer calls “the gold standard for the Space Horror subgenre.”

Meanwhile, veteran ink surfers will find a treasure trove of new material to broaden their event horizons, including extensive background information from the author and a never-before-published tale of alien terror.

So, strap on your boom suit, ready your eye spoon, and try to prepare yourself for…

Splatterings.

They’re the same universes but with bigger problems this time.

The protagonist in “The Blood-Red Lake” was awoken from a nap by his daughter, Marina, after she noticed the lake near their home had changed in some alarming ways. I liked the nightmare-like qualities of this short story and thought it was spooky, but I also found myself wishing that there had been a stronger explanation for the strange things that were happening in and near the water.

“Derelictus” showed what happened in the distant future when some scavengers found an ancient spacecraft that was launched by the country formerly known as the United States but that didn’t appear in any of the formal records of previous space missions. The mystery elements of the plot were well done, and I would have happily dove even more deeply into them. I also liked the main character’s stubborn streak and how it influenced his decision to explore this vessel and report back on what he found there.

Anneka was desperate to get out of quarantine to see her wife and newborn twins in “Blackfish.” The reason why she was stuck in quarantine is best left for other readers to discover for themselves due to how important it was to the storyline later on, but as I slowly pieced together the clues I was intrigued by how my opinions of all of the characters had shifted. There is definitely something to be said for playing around with the reader’s expectations only to trust us to land on the best answer in the end. I would have happily read a full-length novel about Anneka if one were written.

Imagine building an old-fashioned castle in outer space. “Gerstein” explored a partially-completed version of this blueprint long after the original investors had run into problems. This was the goriest story in this collection, and I thought each plot twist that revealed another layer of horror only made the entire thing more frightening. Just like in “Blood-Red Lake,” I once again found myself wishing for a deeper explanation of what the antagonists were hoping to accomplish, although there was enough here for me to make some pretty educated guesses about their motives. These are minor criticisms of a collection I thought was otherwise well done and memorable, and I look forward to hopefully reading more of Mr. Kozeniewski’s work in the future.

The Hematophages – Splatterings was deliciously scary.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves by Author: Anonymous and Albert Seligman (Editor)

February 25, 2026 By 3 Comments


Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves by Author: Anonymous and Albert Seligman (Editor)
Publisher: Dulacebooks
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Historical
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

The story is about two brothers whose father died and left them little. Ali Baba married a poor woman and lived frugally, but Cassim married a woman who soon inherited a fortune and lived in luxury. One day while Ali Baba was in the forest cutting wood to sell he saw a great cloud of dust approaching and the sound of many riders. He feared for his life, so he hid his three donkeys and hid himself in a tree. The band of forty riders and their leader stopped in front of a cave. When the leader said “ Open Sesame” the door of the cave magically opened. The whole troop went inside while Ali Baba stayed hidden. When he was sure they had gone, he approached the cave door and said “ Open Sesame” himself as the cave door magically opened to his command. Inside the cave he saw vast riches and golden coins, which he liberally took for himself and returned home with his donkeys, remembering to properly close the cave door with the “Shut Sesame “ command.

His wife was astonished at all the gold coins he brought home and wanted to count them before Ali buried them in his yard. As there were too many to count, she borrowed a measuring cup from her sister-in-law. She was curious as to what they might have to measure something, so she cleverly put some suet on the bottom to see what would stick. After the cup was returned with a gold coin stuck to the bottom, she called her husband Cassim to tell him what happened.

Cassim went to Ali’s house and demanded to know how he got a gold coin, and Ali told him everything, including the magic password. Cassim was very greedy, so the next day he set out with many donkeys to find the cave and removed as much treasure for himself as possible. In his haste, he forgot the magic words to open the cave and was trapped inside when the robbers returned. They killed him and cut his body in pieces.

When Cassim didn’t return, Ali feared the worst and returned to the cave to find him. He found his brother’s body and returned to town. He knew the robbers would find out if anyone had been murdered in such a fashion, so they sewed Cassim’s body back together and pretended he died a natural death.

The robbers sent scouts to town to determine if anyone had died and discovered Ali Baba’s house. The captain of the robbers disguised himself as an oil merchant and hid his band in leather jars planning to murder all the household. When Morgiana, Ali Baba’s clever slave girl discovers the ruse, she murders all the robbers. The captain flees, but soon returns in another disguise to take his revenge. Again she discovers him, plunges a dagger into his heart and saves her master.

Moderation is the key to survival.

I once again loved the way this tale transported me to a time and place in the past that I would otherwise know very little about. This is part of the reason why I continue to give new instalments in this series such high ratings. It’s not always easy to make a reader feel immersed in what they’re reading, much less give them a taste of what life was like for some people in the far east over eleven hundred years ago, but Mr. Seligman had all sorts of intriguing ways to close that gap for his modern audience that new fans should discover for themselves.

Many old legends are sanitized for modern audiences, so I appreciated the fact that not every character remained safe from harm and that there were choices made here that are less common in modern adaptations. That is to say, this is something I’d particularly recommend to readers who enjoyed the older versions of fairy tales before The Brothers Grimm began collecting and softening up their sharp edges for younger audiences.

It’s not necessary to know anything about the plot in advance, but readers who do might notice some interesting twists that often seem to be left out of more recent translations of Ali Baba’s life. I thought I knew exactly what to expect going in, but I was still pleasantly surprised by a few things I didn’t realize were part of this universe in at least some retellings. The editor excels at this sort of thing which is yet another reason why I try to read as much of his work as I possibly can. There’s nothing like learning new facets of old favorites thanks to fairly recently uncovered versions of them.

This is part of a series that does not have to be read in any particular order.

Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves was a fantastic and beautifully illustrated adventure.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , ,

Ghost Town by Dr. James R. Gregory

February 23, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Ghost Town by Dr. James R. Gregory
Publisher: Morgan James Fiction
Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Romance, Historical
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

In the isolated coal mining town of Sulphur Creek in the late 1800s, young Sammy Murphy’s world is a blend of shadowy tunnels and unspoken secrets. Born into solitude and pushed into reclusion, Sammy’s quiet life starkly contrasts with the booming industry that surrounds him. But as he searches for connection in an era of ruthless expansion, he finds himself at odds with forces far greater than he imagined.

Enter Barry Bacon, an ambitious industrialist who fancies himself a peer to magnates like Andrew Carnegie. Driven by unbridled ambition, Bacon’s dreams stretch far beyond the soot-covered rooftops of Sulphur Creek. But as the weight of his empire bears down, his unchecked arrogance threatens to unravel everything he’s built.

As Sammy faces an unexpected awakening brought forth by a fleeting love, and Bacon’s empire teeters on the brink of collapse, both men must face truths that transcend time—true love extends beyond mere attraction and real power is more than forceful arrogance.

A little intrigue goes a long way.

The strong, steady pacing kept my interest levels high from beginning to end, and this was accomplished while including characters who tended to have quiet, reflective personalities and a preference for avoiding conflict when possible. These are the sorts of folks I love to read about and don’t get to meet in fiction nearly as often as I’d prefer to. I appreciated the fact that the plot, while sometimes rightfully given precedence over character development in the most dramatic moments, never overshadowed the gentle souls who inhabited this world. Having such a natural ebb and flow to what or who was being described worked alongside the pacing even if some scenes did temporarily veer a little further into one direction or the other. As someone who has been writing book reviews for many years, this doesn’t happen as often as I’d like to see, and it’s made me incredibly curious to see what the author writes next.

There were a few memorable plot twists that kept me wondering what might happen next. I especially appreciated the fact that not every aspect of the storyline was tied up neatly by the final scene. There was enough of a resolution to make me feel comfortable saying goodbye to these characters while still having a few things left to mull over that could make for a reasonable starting point for a sequel if the author ever chooses to write one. I have no way of knowing if that will occur, of course, but I enjoy having that possibility, however faint, dangled in front of me all the same.

Dr. Gregory did an excellent job of balancing the thriller, romance, and historical fiction themes here. It isn’t necessarily easy to write something that includes multiple genres, especially with a plot that already filled with so many different types of conflict, from quiet internal struggles for some characters to life-threatening events such as natural disasters in other scenes. They were all blended together so seamlessly that I’d need to pause for a moment before deciding which genre to mention first while describing this tale to someone else. It truly was a little of everything in the best sense of that term.

Ghost Town made me feel as if I’d stepped into a time machine to visit the past. What a ride!

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , ,
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