Sabrina Tells Maddie the Truth About Her Past by George Bachman

October 7, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Sabrina Tells Maddie the Truth About Her Past by George Bachman
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, LGBTQ, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Drawn back to the ruins of the house she nearly burned down a year ago to escape her imprisonment and torture at the hands of a madwoman, Sabrina watches the apocalypse approach. Beings of immense power are trying to force their way into our world to devour it, and her mysterious destiny tasks her with stopping them here. Her companion, Maddie, interrogates her incessantly as she performs ancient magic to keep them back.

Sabrina recounts how escape led her to St. Andrew’s Academy for immortals, and she discovered her true nature as a being with special powers that make her the target of eldritch forces beyond comprehension and others who would possess her at all costs.

When Maddie’s questions gradually reveal she may have secrets as terrifying as Sabrina’s, Sabrina faces a choice whether to remain in the dark world of immortals as our protector or pursue the normal life she cherishes and risk leaving humanity to its fate.

Being irresistible isn’t always a positive thing.

I loved the fact that this was written mostly from the perspective of a couple texting each other about the very odd things that were currently going on in their lives. It was a creative way for the characters to tell their story after the fact and for the investigators looking into their disappearances to have access to all sorts of information that would not normally be available when all of the witnesses are gone. Kudos to Mr. Bachman for experimenting with the horror and fantasy genres in this manner as it was definitely out of the ordinary in a good way.

The plot was sometimes difficult to follow due to how seldomly Sabrina and Maddie explained what was going on. Obviously, they were pressed for time and couldn’t tell readers everything, but I would have happily chosen a higher rating if at least some of the unfamiliar words and phrases they used to describe various supernatural beings were given more context clues so that fans could make educated guesses about what they were referring to.

Knowing when and how often to share gory details can be a tricky thing, but the author made it seem easy. Yes, this was firmly and bloodily rooted in the horror genre, but the scariest scenes were paced out nicely and always had intelligent reasons for their inclusion. That’s exactly what I prefer to find in this genre, and it kept me reading no matter what else was happening in the story or in my real life. There’s definitely something to be said for being so absorbed by a plot!

Sabrina Tells Maddie the Truth About Her Past made me shudder.

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

Do No Evil by MS Morris

October 3, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Do No Evil by MS Morris
Publisher: Landmark Media
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Old friendships. Dark secrets. Deadly lies.

When Detective Inspector Bridget Hart returns to her old Oxford college for a reunion dinner, she’s hoping for a fun weekend catching up with old friends. But the reunion takes a macabre turn when body parts are served up at the college feast, and one of her friends is found murdered.

With Bridget’s arch rival Inspector Baxter leading the murder enquiry, and herself a potential suspect, Bridget is forbidden from taking part in the investigation. But that doesn’t stop her from carrying out her own private enquiries.

Bridget soon realises that the murderer is someone known to her. And as the weekend continues and more bodies are found, it becomes clear that they will stop at nothing to get what they want. Can Bridget uncover the dark secrets of the past in time to halt the killing, or will she be next on the murderer’s list?

Set amongst the dreaming spires of Oxford University, the Bridget Hart series is perfect for fans of Elly Griffiths, JR Ellis, Faith Martin and classic British murder mysteries.

DI Bridget Hart has returned to her old college for a reunion dinner. Having lost touch with even her closest friends from those much younger and happier days, Bridget is equal parts excited and dreading the reconnection to her past. Before the night can really get under way though – body parts are served in the soup bowl laid before the head of the table at the college feast. Even though she can’t officially investigate, Bridget finds she has more at stake with this case than any previous one she has come across.

This is the third book in this series, and I am quite enjoying it. While it’s a very solidly plotted British police procedural murder mystery set it Oxford, I was pleased that this book really stands quite well on its own. As this book is still quite early in the series there isn’t a huge amount of baggage – or history – between the team members, and I actually quite enjoyed having a very different character leading the investigation and knocking heads with Bridget.

There is a sort-of blossoming romance between two of Bridget’s team which I also found added a bit of interest to the story and these things along with the solid mystery plot really helped the book feel well rounded to me and multi-dimensional.

Readers who are used to faster paced novels – or more action orientated books might not find the pace of this story suits their tastes. And British mysteries often have a bit of a different tone or voice to them – so I can understand if this book isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. With a number of different characters circling around, a well written and layered plot and even a bit of “closed room” mystery aspect to it this book really ticked a lot of good boxes for me and I look forward to the next one in the series.

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

Shhh! A Flash Fiction Library by Matthew Roy Davey

October 2, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Shhh! A Flash Fiction Library by Matthew Roy Davey
Publisher: Chapeltown Books
Genre: Romance, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Contemporary, Historical
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Welcome to the flash fiction library where the shelves are groaning with bitesize fiction.

Libraries are quiet places, ordered places, places of intellect, culture and civilization. But hiding inside are words that can explode like bombs, words to anger and appall, to titillate and tease, words to amuse and entertain. Which will you choose to read first?

Matthew Roy Davey offers us a wealth of bijou tales in his perfectly formed Shhh!

If one can’t decide what to read, why not read a little of everything?

One of my favorite tales in this collection was “A Tent on a Hill.” It showed what happened to a student named Henry who kept staring at a tent on a nearby hill instead of listening to his teacher. He had good reasons for his attention difficulties that were revealed later on, but what I really enjoyed about his days at school was how curious he was about the world around him. What a sweet and imaginative kid he seemed to be!

Some of these pieces were so short and sparse that I struggled to connect with them. This is something I’m saying as a reader who enjoys flash fiction in general, but I do need something vivid or unusual for my mind to latch onto for stories that are only a few paragraphs long. “All That I’ve Done” was one example of this. It was written from the perspective of a serial killer who had an unusual regret in life. If only he or she had more time to explain to the reader why this was so important to them!

“Ball Bag Stew,” which followed a group of scientists who had just received a message from extraterrestrials living on a faraway planet in another solar system, was another good read. I was intrigued by how these characters reacted to the news that other intelligent beings exist in our universe as well as by what they decided to do with this information. This could have easily been a much longer piece, but I was satisfied by what was shared.

Shhh! A Flash Fiction Library was an interesting mixture of genres.

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

The Last Throw by Rhys Dylan

October 1, 2025 By Leave a Comment


The Last Throw by Rhys Dylan
Publisher: Wyrmwood Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

This time, it’s more than personal.

Within the tranquil confines of a west Wales village, peace gives way to pandemonium as a trivial theft transforms into a devastating tragedy.

DCI Evan Warlow confronts what initially appears to be a straightforward case, only to find himself ensnared in a web of deceit. And when a routine press assignment also exposes a team member to a malevolent scheme, chaos begins to spiral.

From idyllic coastlines to rugged peaks, Warlow races across diverse landscapes in pursuit of answers and to foil a deadly adversary. In an electrifying narrative of suspense and sacrifice, he must forge unconventional alliances to tilt the scales in his favour before it’s too late.

DCI Warlow and his team are called in when a robbery at a remote convenience store appears to end in the car park in a murder. Before the team can really grapple with the conflicting evidence one of their own falls into mortal peril and the team need to divide their time between their fresh murder case – and a situation that is anything but routine.

I have been greatly enjoying this series and the more personal case in this story has been brewing for the last few books. In that sense it was a relief to finally have both some momentum on this case but many of the threads for this have now been tied up. This author has a tendency to frequently leave some items of various plotlines weave through multiple books so I was really happy to see a few of these finally resolved, though do admit there are clearly a few items still remaining for the next few books.

I also really loved how Rhys finally got to really spear-head his own case here. As one of the junior members of the team I was impressed and quite happy to see how far he’s grown and come in this series and while there was of course still some oversight from the senior members I had a lot of pride and emotional investment in Rhys and his flourishing in his career so that was wonderful to read.

While I do think this book can be read independently there is still a fair bit of cross over now between previous books. I feel the plots and team members can be enjoyed just with this story – but for a richer and more emotional connection I do feel at least some of the previous books should be read for a deeper understanding. This is a series worth the investment.

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

Lani’s Adoption Day by Susan Coryell

September 30, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Lani’s Adoption Day by Susan Coryell
Publisher: Golden Bridges Publishing/Little Sister Books
Genre: Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.), Contemporary
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Five-year-old Lani, adopted in infancy from Japan, lives with her Hawaii mixed-race family. Though festive, her adoption day celebration brings Lani’s focus to an ongoing concern: Has my mother in Japan forgotten me? Lani seeks reassurance that her birth mom remembers-both her and her special day. Realizing the depth of Lani’s perturbation, knowing it can affect their relationship both now and in the future, her family finds ways to put to rest her worries, while emphasizing Lani’s importance to their family. Using a book she has received as an adoption-day gift, Mommy, Daddy and sister Vivi help Lani learn about her Japanese heritage, pointing out that her adoptive Hawaiian family is mixed-race, a positive example of modern-day diversity. With her worries soothed, Lani dreams that night of the meeting/melding of Japanese and Hawaiian-American cultures.

Adoption has many faces.

Lani’s curiosity about her past as she grew old enough to ask some deeper questions about her birth mother was completely understandable. I loved the compassionate and open-hearted way her adoptive parents responded to her and tried to keep her connected to her culture through food, books, language lessons, and more. It made me wonder what other tools they’d use as she grew older to encourage her to spend even more time learning about Japan.

One of the things I appreciated the most about this picture book was how open-ended it was. Not every family knows all of the details about why their child or children were placed for adoption or how the birth family is currently doing for a wide variety of reasons. Living in that grey area whether temporarily or permanently isn’t always easy, but it is a reality that many kids grow up in. There was plenty of space here to imagine a variety of possibilities for her life which makes this a good read for anyone who is in a similar situation.

The sibling relationship between the main character and Vivi was also delightful. They had a warm and close relationship that showed up in all sorts of subtle and wonderful ways as they enjoyed Lani’s beach party to celebrate the anniversary of her adoption. It made me wish I could read a sequel that followed them as they grew a little older and were able to have more complex conversations about their relationship. I always enjoy seeing siblings get along well in picture books.

Lani’s Adoption Day was heartwarming.

Filed Under: Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Chaos That Is Me – My Journey Through A Lifetime of Trauma, Abuse, and Depression by Shawna K. Whaley

September 29, 2025 By Leave a Comment


The Chaos That Is Me – My Journey Through A Lifetime of Trauma, Abuse, and Depression by Shawna K. Whaley
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Non-Fiction, Contemporary, Historical
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

The Chaos That Is Me: My Journey Through A Lifetime of Trauma, Abuse, and Depression is a memoir by Shawna K. Whaley, born in 1979, in Southeast Ohio. Her life story is a powerful testament to survival and resilience amidst relentless adversity. Shawna’s childhood was marred by abuse, neglect, and homelessness, compounded by addiction and violence. Despite severe back issues and depression, she remained determined to create a better life for herself and her daughters; although she knows she hasn’t succeeded, she hasn’t given up yet.

The memoir details Shawna’s life in an abusive childhood to an abusive marriage, to finally living on her own, and her strength in rebuilding her life. With raw honesty, she shares the defining moments of her journey, offering a narrative that resonates deeply with anyone who has faced life’s darkest challenges.

Freedom can be found in telling the truth.

One of the things I liked about this book was how deeply it dove into the multitude of ways that abuse still affects people years or even decades later. If someone is taught that certain behaviors are normal, it can be difficult to unlearn those ideas later on in life or to notice some of the early red flags of an abusive person in future relationships. This is not to say that victims should ever be blamed for their abuse, of course, only that they can be at higher risk of being harmed again and should be given special consideration so they can learn what healthier relationships look, sound, and feel like.

I had trouble keeping track of all of the people in Ms. Whaley’s life. There were quite a few friends, relatives, coworkers, and acquaintances to remember, and not everyone was described in enough detail for me to immediately recall how she knew them. It would have been helpful to either have a reference list of who everyone was or for more time to be spent on talking about what they were like and how they were connected to the author.

The ending was realistic and made me wish for a sequel. Unlike how things often unfold in fiction, healing in real life doesn’t have a clearcut beginning or ending. The author’s recovery from her abusive childhood and marriage is ongoing, but I saw some promising changes in her life as a single adult. I wanted to give her a hug or a kind word as I read about the challenges she is still going through. It felt like I’d gotten to know her well as I read her memoir, and I’d love to read a sequel someday that shows how she managed in life and maybe even found a way to thrive from 2025 onwards.

The Chaos That Is Me – My Journey Through A Lifetime of Trauma, Abuse, and Depression was memorable.

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce

September 29, 2025 By Leave a Comment


The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
Publisher: Random House
Genre: Contemporary, Literature
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Snowdrop

Meet Harold Fry, recently retired. He lives in a small English village with his wife, Maureen, who seems irritated by almost everything he does. Little differentiates one day from the next. Then one morning a letter arrives, addressed to Harold in a shaky scrawl, from a woman he hasn’t heard from in twenty years. Queenie Hennessy is in hospice and is writing to say goodbye. But before Harold mails off a quick reply, a chance encounter convinces him that he absolutely must deliver his message to Queenie in person. In his yachting shoes and light coat, Harold Fry embarks on an urgent quest. Determined to walk six hundred miles to the hospice, Harold believes that as long as he walks, Queenie will live. A novel of charm, humor, and profound insight into the thoughts and feelings we all bury deep within our hearts, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry introduces Rachel Joyce as a wise—and utterly irresistible—storyteller.

Sometimes when our lives become a little too predictable, we need a purpose to sort of shake things up. It may seem like a small thing, a long-term thing, or even a little nutty thing. Nonetheless, it becomes important to us. That’s what happened to Harold Fry. Maybe he got a little carried away, but his focus became one of the most important goals in his life.

Moving toward our purpose sometimes makes us look backward; we get a picture of what could have been or what was. That puts a whole new perspective on the initial task we set out for ourselves. That too is what this book is about…self-reflection. The feelings or emotions might not sound so unusual to some of us. We might not have taken on such a strenuous task as Harold did, but many of us might recognize ourselves somewhat in this story.

The author’s writing contains some serious inner thinking and some humor too. I enjoyed it, but I wouldn’t read it again. Nor would I recommend it to someone unless they were at a point in their life where they needed a read about good people and happy endings. I am not going to say it was my favorite book. It is a sweet, well-written book but was rather bland to me. Maybe it was my mood rather than the author’s plotline.

Nevertheless, it is a good read. As you can see from any review platform, many people enjoyed it. This is a moving and sweet book. Either term is a good description in my mind.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

The Resilient Soul: Meditations on Inner Strength, Growth, and Balance by Tay Robinson

September 26, 2025 By Leave a Comment


The Resilient Soul: Meditations on Inner Strength, Growth, and Balance by Tay Robinson
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Non-Fiction, Inspirational (Buddhism/Stoicism), Contemporary, Historical
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

In a world filled with distractions, uncertainty, and relentless pressure, “The Resilient Soul” offers a sanctuary for those seeking clarity, wisdom, and personal growth. Blending the timeless philosophy of Stoicism, the disciplined path of martial arts, and modern reflections on life’s challenges, this collection of essays serves as both a meditation on inner strength and a guide to finding balance in the midst of chaos.

Through deeply introspective reflections, the author explores themes of resilience, mindfulness, and the pursuit of personal mastery, all while acknowledging the inevitability of suffering and the beauty of life’s transience. Each essay invites readers to confront the struggles they face—not with fear or avoidance, but with acceptance, grace, and a deeper understanding of what it means to truly live.

From stories that touch on the dangers of rushing through life in search of peace, to reflections on the ultimate confrontation with death, this book challenges you to rethink your relationship with pain, success, and time. Through the author’s unique lens as a martial artist and philosopher, you’ll find a blueprint for cultivating the inner fortitude needed to navigate life’s inevitable highs and lows.

Perfection isn’t possible, but progress is.

Some of the most memorable sections were the ones that explored the meaning of suffering and why it is such an important part of the human experience. This can be a difficult subject to think about, but the author’s sensitive and methodical approach to his ideas made a great deal of sense to me. I also liked the fact that he included so many stories in this book to help illustrate his points, including one about what happens when a character wishes they would never suffer again. That’s a thoughtful way to get one’s point across and to help the audience understand why pain isn’t necessarily something to run away from.

It would have been helpful to expand on many of the points that were made in this book as some of the sections were as short as a single paragraph. There were moments when I wished for more details and examples of the points that were being made as some of them could be vague at times. If these sections had been longer, I would have happily chosen a higher rating as the advice itself was wise.

I appreciated Mr. Robinson’s concerns about the ways in which social media and celebrity culture can distort our understanding of how the world actually works. If most people are trying to show their lives in the best possible light, this leaves too much space for the difficult stuff to be downplayed or ignored entirely and for everyone to begin to wonder if they’re the only one who is privately struggling with something. There were other layers to his argument that are too lengthy to include in my review, but I nodded along as I read his thoughts about how these diversions aren’t always as harmless as some people might assume they are. This wasn’t a polemic, simply conversational sections that talked about why beautiful photos or well-produced videos shouldn’t always be taken at face value when thinking about how to live.

The Resilient Soul was thought provoking.

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Murder In The Family by Faith Martin

September 25, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Murder In The Family by Faith Martin
Publisher: Joffe Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Fern

15–year-old Billy Davies is found dead in his father’s shed. A pair of gardening shears thrust brutally into his chest.

DI Hillary Greene tries to get to the bottom of this baffling crime.

How had Billy come into contact with such a vicious killer? Who wanted him dead and why? The investigation reveals that the teenager was not such an innocent young man.

Meanwhile, Hillary’s having a tough time at work. She’s been passed over for promotion, and her reliable constable Tommy Lynch is to be transferred out. But Hillary won’t let distractions get in the way of solving crimes.

To catch this killer, Hillary will need to dig deep into the dark secrets of a small community.

DI Hillary Greene and her team are called onto the murder of a 15 year old teenage boy. Found stabbed in his father’s shed, there doesn’t appear to be an easy explanation as to who – or why – anyone would want his young man dead. As Hillary and her team investigate, they only really turn up more questions and no real motive for such a vicious killing. Can they work out what happened before anything else happens?

I’ve been really enjoying this series with a strong, single and forty-something female lead character. While in many ways a standard British Police Procedural story I find the characters – and Hillary’s in particular – refreshing and different enough to really capture and retain my attention. I also enjoyed the fact that this wasn’t an easy plotline and while the victim had been up to a number of shenanigans nothing initially seemed to warrant murder and in particular it took a bit of digging for the characters to really get a feel for what might have been going on in the background.

With a number of solid secondary characters – and the definite wind of change appearing to come through the series on a personal note for a number of these supporting team members – this story felt fresh, and the overall arc of the series seemed like there was no chance of things getting stale. Finally, I did enjoy that it appears Hillary might also be getting a bit of a personal sub-plot in the coming few books with a few interesting character twists as well.

I found this to be a well-rounded series with interesting characters, a well written and paced plotline and a good dollop of British police procedural murder-mystery. Readers who enjoy this genre should give this book a try – or even go back to the start of the series and enjoy them all. It’s worth the trip.

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

Kai’vier Roars Into Preschool by Desiree Dusablon

September 24, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Kai’vier Roars Into Preschool by Desiree Dusablon
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.), Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Kai’vier’s tummy is doing flips. It’s his first day of preschool—and he’s not so sure he’s ready.
What if no one wants to play? What if he misses home too much?

But with his favorite stuffed lion by his side, Kai’vier learns something powerful:
Bravery doesn’t mean you’re not scared. It means you try anyway.

From tearful goodbyes to roaring new hellos, Kai’vier Roars into Preschool turns first-day fears into fearless fun. Packed with imagination, heart, and gentle encouragement, this joyful story helps children walk into school feeling seen, supported, and strong.

Growing up isn’t as easy as it sounds sometimes, but there are good things to look forward to with every change.

This picture book included some fantastic descriptions of what anxiety physically and emotionally feels like for preschoolers. They might not always know what that word means at first, but worrying about whether the other kids will want to play with you or having a nervous stomach can be very relatable. It was nice to have multiple examples of what anxiety can be like as well as some ideas for coping for it.

I would have liked to see a scene included that showed more information about how Kai’vier’s mom said goodbye to him when she dropped him off at preschool. This can be a scary transition for little ones, so I was surprised by the fact that he was suddenly meeting his teacher and classmates without his mom saying goodbye or telling him when she’d be back.

It was fun to see the wide variety of activities the main character and his new friends did on the first day of preschool. It covered everything from playing outside to sitting in a circle to hear a story. Not every kid will necessarily be a big fan of every option, of course, but when there are so many different ways to learn and have fun there’s bound to be something for everyone eventually. That’s an important idea to share with little ones who wonder what they’ll do all day and if their favorite hobby might be on the schedule.

Kai’vier Roars Into Preschool was a cute read.

Filed Under: Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , ,
« Previous Page
Next Page »