Jazz Bang Boom by Will Okati

September 7, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Jazz Bang Boom by Will Okati
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Erotic Romance, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Action/Adventure, Contemporary, Historical
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Riot’s attempt to teach his pretty lover to behave himself doesn’t… quite… go as planned.

Jazz loves pretty things and things that go BOOM. Tyger, AKA Riot, is a man on a mission, searching for the bits and pieces that’ll repair his damaged, bio-constructed DNA. It only makes sense for the happily mismatched lovers to turn airship pirates and sneak, snatch or con what they need, right?

Right. One problem. Occasionally Jazz gets a little too fond of explosives, and Tyger gets a tad too focused on his quest. When that happens, they need to vent a little steam. So to speak.

Adrenaline is a drug like no other.

Jazz and Tyger’s relationship was what made this tale gel together for me. Not only was their chemistry fantastic, their dialogue was playful and witty as well. I loved seeing these two characters and thought they made the perfect match both inside and outside of the bedroom to the extent that I briefly wondered if this was a series I’d accidentally jumped into the middle of. It’s nice as a reader when that happens as it can give the characters an additional layer of depth due to all of the effort that’s been put into exploring who they are as individuals.

The ending was something I do wish had been given a little more time to evolve. While the fast pacing worked well for these characters and the world they inhabited in general, it would have been nice to slow down just a tad in the last few paragraphs in order to explain how their time travel worked and why they always seemed to travel together.

One of the things I found most interesting about the mystery and science fiction storylines was how much the author trusted his audience to put the clues together. As much as I wanted to know more about their adventures, this was one of those cases when it wasn’t strictly necessary to have a lot of plot development in order for everything to make sense. A little bit of development went a long way.

Jazz Bang Boom was action packed from the first scene to the last one.

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

Movie Review: The Lost Children

September 7, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Title: The Lost Children
Director: Jorge Duran, Lali Houghton, and Orlando Von Einsiedel
Starring: Vanessa F. Garcia, Dan Garza, and Henry Guerrero
Publisher: Netflix
Genre: Non-Fiction, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars (6 Stars on IMDB)
Reviewed by Astilbe

Four Indigenous children are stranded in the Colombian Amazon after their plane crashes. Guided by ancestral knowledge, they’re able to survive while awaiting rescue amid the jungle’s challenges.

Cooperation is the key to survival.

Lesly, Soleiny, Tien, and Cristin Mucutuy were four young siblings who were the only survivors of a plane crash in Columbia in 2023. This documentary explores how they stayed alive in the Amazon rainforest and what the Colombian government as well as members of the indigenous community in that country did to try to find them in the 40 days after the crash. I was intrigued by how large and organized the rescue efforts were and how many people participated in the search. Yes, there were adults who were actively searching the jungle to discover what happened to these children, but there were far more folks working behind the scenes to narrow down places these kids might have gone, leaving messages for them, and so much more.

I did find myself wishing that more screen time had been spent describing the children’s experiences themselves. As admirable as the search efforts were, I thought that the much more important story here was how a wounded thirteen-year-old girl was able to keep her nine-year-old brother, four-year-old sister, and infant sister alive in an environment that could easily kill a healthy, able-bodied adult in a much shorter time frame. Her courage and resourcefulness were incredible, and I would have loved to have so many more details about how she fed and protected her siblings during these days if they could be shared without disturbing this family’s privacy.

It was interesting to see how indigenous and modern modes of searching were blended together in this rescue mission. This wasn’t something I was aware of when I first heard of this case, and I thought the filmmakers did a good job of respectfully exploring the religious beliefs of the indigenous searchers and showing how that aspect of their lives contributed to the cause. Nuance is always a nice thing to find in a documentary!

“The Lost Children” was thought provoking.

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

You Know Why by J.T. Ellison

September 4, 2026 By Leave a Comment


You Know Why by J.T. Ellison
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Contemporary
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Lavender

It’s the holidays, and photographer Brooklyn Locke is bound for Italy with her husband, Trey, and their two children. But when Trey vanishes from the airport, missing their connecting flight, their impromptu vacation—and life as she knows it—begins to unravel.

Desperate to find her husband, Brooklyn accepts help from a stranger on the same flight, Eden Barrow. But Eden soon makes a shocking claim. She is the sister of Trey’s first wife, and ten years ago he was the main suspect in her murder.

Struggling to comprehend these accusations, fate delivers one more blow: a violent accident that leaves Brooklyn fighting for her life. With nowhere else to turn, Brooklyn leans on Eden for support. But each kindness feels too rehearsed, feeding her doubts about Eden’s motives and Trey’s true past.

Brooklyn has her own dark history she’d rather forget and confronts an unsettling possibility. Her life is not what it seems, and the truth is a trap—laid by someone waiting for the perfect time to strike.

You Know Why by J.T. Ellison is a gripping psychological thriller filled with secrets, suspicion, and unexpected twists. The story follows photographer Brooklyn Locke, who travels to Italy with her husband, Trey, and their two children for the holidays. But when Trey mysteriously disappears at the airport, Brooklyn’s vacation quickly turns into a nightmare.

As Brooklyn searches for answers, she meets Eden Barrow, a stranger who makes a shocking claim: she is the sister of Trey’s first wife, whose murder ten years earlier left Trey as the main suspect. Brooklyn is forced to question everything she thought she knew about her husband. After a violent accident leaves her fighting for her life, she becomes even more dependent on Eden, but Eden’s kindness feels suspiciously calculated. At the same time, Brooklyn must face parts of her own past that she has tried to forget about.

One of the strongest aspects of this novel is Ellison’s writing. The story has a good flow and moves at a steady pace, making it easy to keep reading. The tension is maintained throughout the book, and there is always a feeling that something is about to happen. Just when you think you understand what is going on, another clue or revelation makes you question your assumptions.

The characters are also well written and complex. Brooklyn is especially interesting because she is not simply trying to uncover the truth about Trey—she is also forced to confront her own secrets and the possibility that her entire life may not be what she believed it was. Eden is intriguing because it is difficult to determine whether she genuinely wants to help Brooklyn or has another motive entirely. She seems sincere,

Another strength of You Know Why is the way Ellison places clues throughout the story. Readers are given pieces of information that can seem insignificant at first but may take on greater meaning as the story develops. These clues encourage you to form your own theories and keep guessing about who can be trusted.

Overall, You Know Why is an engaging and suspenseful thriller with well-developed characters, strong pacing, and plenty of mystery. The writing keeps the story moving, while the clues and twists maintain the tension from beginning to end. If you enjoy psychological thrillers that keep you questioning the characters and trying to figure out the truth before the final reveal, this is a book worth picking up.

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

Wandering Star and Other Stories by Sarena Ulibarri

September 3, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Wandering Star and Other Stories by Sarena Ulibarri
Publisher: World Weaver Press
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, LGBTQ, Historical, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Twelve stories of mythic fantasy that will transport you to the oceans and mountains of lands where water nymphs long for the touch of a mermaid, a mother’s tears of grief create a river in a desert village, and ancient songs can stop the moon from falling, make a flower bloom, or keep a dark power at bay. A quest to save a princess turns into a mission to escape a cult of giant snails. A selfish older sister seeks the favor of the last magical queen who grants wishes when the two moons align. A refugee journeys to find her lover while a comet hurtles toward their world.

A better world is possible.

“The Riverhead” was a beautiful fable about how a mother’s grief created a nearly endless supply of water for a desert village. I loved the descriptions of how various villagers reacted to her supernatural ability and what happened when the water levels rose so high that nobody knew what to do with them. Not only were they good storytelling, they explored the many faces of grief that not everyone feels comfortable showing in public.

As much as I enjoyed this collection in general, I did find myself wishing that some of the stories in it were given more time to develop. “The Ice Tree,” which followed Mirella as she attempted to kill every lizard in her community, was one such example of this. Her motivation for this and other disturbing changes she attempted to make to her environment was unclear. While I understood the point the author was trying to make, I think this would have been a stronger piece if Mirella had been given more opportunities to explain herself to the audience and convince us that her plan made more sense to her even if others disagreed with it.

I loved the world-building in “A Chorus of Shadows,” particularly as it applied to how a small group of professional singers were responsible for everything from how plants grew to what the future of humanity would look like. The descriptions of their musical abilities and the many years it took for them to perfect their skill made me wish this one could be a full-length novel. It was brimming with beauty and possibility.

The creativity shown in Wandering Star and Other Stories makes me want to read more from Ms. Ulibarri soon.

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

Private Party by Anne Kane

September 2, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Private Party by Anne Kane
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Erotic Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Newly divorced, Brandi’s in trouble. What she doesn’t need? Her past coming back to haunt her.

Reeling from her ex-husband’s infidelity and buried in the mountain of debts he left behind, Brandi needs to make money — a lot of money — fast, or she’ll lose her home. When she applies for a job as a hostess at an adult club, the last thing she expects is to come face to face with her high school flame.

Greg has grown up a lot since high school, but he’s never forgotten the woman who left him behind. No longer a quiet geek, the self-made multi-millionaire intends to win Brandi back, and his first step is to make her an offer she can’t refuse. He hires her as his escort for the evening at an adult party in his mansion. Now he has one night to convince her he’s matured into the masterful mate she needs.

Anything can happen after dark.

The chemistry between Brandi and Greg was smoking hot from beginning to end. Going into detail about their relationship back in high school was a good idea as it provided both characters with the motivation they needed to test the waters with each other once again about a decade later. I actually briefly wondered if this was a sequel to an earlier story given how detailed those passages were and how much they influenced the two main characters in the present day, so kudos to Ms. Kane for putting so much effort into them.

It would have been helpful to have more plot development in general. There were some plot holes that I found distracting, especially as they pertained to the adult party that Greg was throwing at his home and why he decided to host it. While I certainly wouldn’t expect pages of descriptions about this topic in something this short and erotic, a paragraph or two diving more deeply into it would have been enough for me to bump up the rating a star or two.

I liked the fact that both verbal and nonverbal consent were woven into the fabric of this tale. Greg’s party was a wild one at times, so it made perfect sense to let the audience know that everyone was enthusiastic about what was happening. If anything, it only made these scenes even better because I knew all of the characters were having a great time!

Private Party was memorable.

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

Our Ghost Harry by Peter De Geesewell

August 31, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Our Ghost Harry by Peter De Geesewell
Publisher: Rowanvale Books
Genre: Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Horror, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Contemporary, Historical
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

How would you react if one day you found a genuine ghost sitting in your living room – declaring that from now on he’s your new housemate?

Meet Sir Henry, the bitter, mischievous ghost of Urquhart Castle in Scotland. Cursed by his own son to haunt his castle until he saves a girl’s life, he finally decides to leave his dilapidated, abandoned home and ‘emigrate’ to Switzerland, where he transforms himself into the genial and funny guardian spirit of his newly adopted family.

Our Ghost Harry is a charming ghost story that is equal parts spooky, hilarious and moving, perfect for readers aged 10 to 100. Ideal for reading aloud or enjoying on your own, it will terrify and delight audiences of all ages.

Regret is good, but fixing things is even better.

Sir Henry was a funny, cranky ghost whose past contained a few dark secrets he’d been wrestling with for over seven hundred years. Sometimes I loved him for his sense of humor and dramatic habits, but in other scenes I was exasperated by how unsympathetic and stubborn he could be. There’s something to be said for a character whose flaws are deeply woven into their personality and who was as well-rounded and interesting as he was.

The other characters in this book, especially the older members of Henry’s chosen family, were not given this same chance to shine. While I wouldn’t expect the exact same amount of time to be spent on describing what their personalities were like, the fact that I would struggle to describe how they behaved or what their biggest weaknesses were was why I ended up choosing a four-star rating. As much as I enjoyed the main character and the plot, I simply had too many questions about what the people around Henry were like to pick a rating higher than that.

This included a wonderful mixture of genres that I don’t get to see used together as often as I’d like to, especially when it came to combining comedy with horror. Some of my favorite scenes were the ones that explored the cultural differences between life today and what Henry experienced in the 1300s. His expectations of how things should proceed, especially when it came to who should decide how what was now a historical site should be used, were obviously wildly out of touch with what someone born several decades ago has grown up knowing as the proper way to do things. I know this is a little vague, but there are later plot points related to how the law and social norms have changed over the centuries that fans of history or adult readers might especially like.

Our Ghost Harry made me wish for a sequel. This was such an exciting romp through both modern-day and medieval life.

Filed Under: Horror, Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Talking To the Dead by Harry Bingham

August 28, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Talking To the Dead by Harry Bingham
Publisher: Hachette UK (Orion)
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

A crime you’ll always remember, A detective you’ll never forget

A young prostitute lies dead in a Cardiff squat. Her six-year-old lies dead beside her. It looks like an ordinary murder scene . . . except that a millionaire’s platinum bank card lies among the debris. How did it come to be there? And is there more to this case than meets the eye?

Investigating the case is rookie Detective Constable Fiona Griffiths – a new recruit with a reputation for being deadly smart, more than ordinarily committed . . . and unsettlingly odd. As she starts to follow up the clue left by that platinum bank card, she finds the disturbing hints that suggest a truly appalling crime has been committed – and release the demons of her own dark past.

DC Fiona Griffiths is still fairly new to the CID office of the police force. When a mother and her six year old daughter are found dead in a Cardiff squat, Fiona doesn’t understand why the case draws her so forcibly in. Compelled despite herself, Fiona continues to dig into the case trying to find the truth – and explain why she feels so connected to it.

This is the first book in the series and one I quite enjoyed. This is only the second Welsh police procedural/murder mystery series I’ve read and I found myself really drawn to it. The atmosphere of the Welsh setting felt a lot grittier and somewhat harder than other mysteries. I also was equal parts confused and hooked by the seeming mystery surrounding Fiona. Suffice to say she’s not your usual police heroine and I personally found her a very different – but rather gripping – protagonist and voice.

Readers who like simple and clear cut mysteries might not find what they’re looking for here. I found a lot of Fiona’s past and even some of her present mindset quite mysterious and at times opaque. There is obviously quite a bit going on behind the scenes in this book and while I found myself eagerly turning the pages to discover more – quite a bit of the time while reading this story I felt strongly that I wasn’t grasping everything I should have been. This is an unusual feeling for me and as it was a little uncomfortable I’m not sure this book will resonate with everyone. That said I certainly feel it should appear to readers who like something a little different, or outside the box, or even people just looking for a non-standard police mystery or clear cut storyline. I greatly enjoyed this, but it was not standard or “normal” in many respects.

I enjoyed Fiona’s character and also found the larger police team she worked with very interesting. It said a lot to me that most of the others on the police were as unsure about Fiona as I was – and while she certainly got along with the team in many respects there was none of the usual camaraderie or deeper friendships and links that is usually present in these books. There were any number of different mysteries going on in this book and while it’s absolutely a different kind of read I thoroughly enjoyed it and have already ordered the next in the series.

An atmospheric and gripping mystery with an unusual and intriguing main character, this was a solid mystery book and a new-to-me author I shall absolutely be reading again in the near future. Recommended.

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

Vile Aliens – Weird Tales of Sci-Fi, Pulp and Humor by Keith Vile

August 27, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Vile Aliens – Weird Tales of Sci-Fi, Pulp and Humor by Keith Vile
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Horror, Holiday, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Mass-murdering UFOs and a psychedelic conspiracy. A Navy sub overrun by an alien kegger. A mom abducted by a UFO on her worst day ever. Santa Claus vs. Space Nazis.

In these four tales of cosmic weirdness, science fiction collides with mystery, horror, noir and comedy as ordinary lives are upended by extraterrestrial subversion:

Pencilnecks: A struggling single mom’s terrible day gets much worse when she’s abducted for a disturbing alien experiment. A modern pulp tale featuring cameos from famous hip-hop legends.
The Heavens Keep a Body Count: A violent investigator uncovers a conspiracy involving mass-murdering UFOs, hate groups and psychedelic excess in a grim sci-fi noir mystery.
American Sub Presents: Nuclear Kegger – Unrated Edition: Partying aliens infiltrate a nuclear submarine by exploiting its crew’s loneliness in a raunchy, American-Pie-inspired story that’s equal parts hilarious and horrifying.
Claus Encounters of the Fourth Reich: After Space Nazis attack the North Pole and murder Mrs. Claus, Santa and his elf army (and Easter Bunny) wage war in a heartwarmingly weird tale that reveals the origins of Christmas magic.

Perfect for readers who enjoy bizarre science fiction, pulp adventures, dark humor and cosmic horror with a literary flair.

Weirdness is a badge of honor.

The body horror in “Pencilnecks” made me shudder, but it fit the alien abduction motif well. Few things are more frightening to me than losing control of one’s body, particularly when it involves creatures that are not human and therefore either cannot or will not communicate their intentions. I did find myself wishing the ending had been explained better, though, as it could have been heartwarming or scarier than ever depending on how certain aspects of it were interpreted.

“The Heavens Keep a Body Count” assumed a gorier result of human meeting aliens for the first time. Alien tales aren’t always told from the perspective of law enforcement officers who have to try to figure out what actually occurred after much of the conflict has already taken place, so I appreciated this point of view. It put an interesting spin on what might really happen if the aliens who first introduced themselves to humanity didn’t necessarily have the best of intentions, and the plot twists involving what the aliens were truly here for that were introduced later on were top-notch.

There was so much going on in “American Sub Presents: Nuclear Kegger – Unrated Edition” that I needed to read some paragraphs of it over again a second time to keep my thoughts about it organized. While I loved the zany approach some of the characters took to the strange occurrences on their submarine, their reactions were so out of place for sailors that it pulled me out of the plot and made me wonder why their commanding officers didn’t have better control over the crew.

Santa Claus’s new origin story in “Claus Encounters of the Fourth Reich” was as creative as it was deeply rooted in the fantasy genre. I especially appreciated all of the connections the narrator made between Santa and other similar mythical figures. That isn’t something I generally see when the jolly man in the red suit pops up in fiction, so it made me quite curious to discover just how many other famous figures he knew about and what they all thought of each other. This was my favorite section!

Vile Aliens – Weird Tales of Sci-Fi, Pulp and Humor was a creative collection that made me want to read more from Mr. Vile.

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

That-Man and Rob N. Vs. the Hunter of Hunters – The Dynamic Duo of the Upper Midwest by Lee A. Eide

August 26, 2026 By Leave a Comment


That-Man and Rob N. Vs. the Hunter of Hunters – The Dynamic Duo of the Upper Midwest by Lee A. Eide
Publisher: KDP
Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Horror, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Two Batman fanboys morph into That-Man and Rob N. in order to save a herd of hunters abducted by a psychopathic, extremist conservationist. The arch villain shows snuff videos on YouTube in which a brown bear mauls the hunters while they’re trapped in a steel cage. The planet’s newest superhero and his foodie sidekick rush to unravel the mystery of where the hostages are being held so they can save the remaining victims.

Heroes come in all shapes and sizes.

The satirical tone made me chuckle. While being a fan of Batman isn’t a requirement for enjoying this novella, there were a few surprises, some of which were pretty funny, along the way for readers who already know about the original franchise. Humor is something I always love to see in darker and more serious genres like these ones, so I was thrilled to see it included here.

It would have been helpful to have more plot and character development in this piece, especially when it came to the descriptions of the characters and the things they experienced. I had trouble visualizing what was happening due to how little time was spent describing everything other than scariest moments. As much as I wanted to give this one a higher rating, I needed a greater depth of descriptions in order to do so.

Mystery and horror are two genres that blend together well in my opinion, and this was no exception to that rule. I enjoyed seeing how That-Man and Rob N. tackled the case of the missing hunters, especially considering how few clues they had to work with at first. Do note that there were some bloody scenes included, but nothing that would be considered out of place for horror fans in general. This is something I’m mentioning for the benefit of mystery lovers who might want to know in advance what to expect.

That-Man and Rob N. Vs. the Hunter of Hunters – The Dynamic Duo of the Upper Midwest was humorous and frightening.

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

The Last Draft by Agatha Frost

August 25, 2026 By Leave a Comment


The Last Draft by Agatha Frost
Publisher: Pink Tree Publishing
Genre: Cozy Mystery, Contemporary
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Snowdrop

Meet Ellie Swan… an introverted bookworm with a history degree stuck at a crossroads. After putting her degree to work in a TV studio’s historical continuity department for years, the studio merges with a giant streaming service and Ellie loses her dream job. She finds herself working in a coffee shop to make ends meet, and while waiting for the perfect opportunity to come along… she gets a phone call informing her that her dear Granny Maggie has broken her hip.

Leaving the city and her coffee shop job behind, Ellie returns to her quaint hometown of Meadowfield to care for her grandmother, but she finds more than just the family’s beloved bookshop, Meadowfield Books, in disarray. Granny Maggie’s hip was broken during a robbery gone wrong, and the thief—a relative of a deceased local author—is found dead. The item the thief stole? The local author’s final manuscript.

While juggling caring for her grandmother and running the failing bookshop, Ellie finds herself in a web of mystery and murder, as she encounters a cast of characters each with a motive for coveting the author’s final manuscript. Utilising her passion for history and her old community ties, Ellie untangles a series of clever clues and red herrings. From the financial desperation of the thief’s father to the secretive actions of a local historian and antique dealer, the plot thickens when another of the family is also found dead. With a knack for history and a heart for sleuthing, Ellie uncovers hidden truths, from coveted manuscripts to clandestine motives, but can Ellie’s keen insights and tenacity ensure justice is served? And will she find a renewed sense of purpose in her long-forgotten home?

To begin with, every true reader likes a book with a bookshop setting, especially a bookshop that really needs organizing and any other reason to touch every book. Top that off with a granny with a broken hip who needs help in said bookstore, and you have a cozy.

I liked this cozy’s characters and its setting. Granny, who has broken her hip, is the owner of the bookstore. She’s as feisty and cute as can be. Then you have Ellie, her granddaughter who has come to help Granny but has reasons of her own for coming back. Ellie is the amateur sleuth She’s the type that does what the cops ask her not to and forgets to tell them about things. Some of this type of storyline has gotten a little old to me. I’m never sure why an author thinks it’s necessary to create a storyline that has a sleuth who always thinks the cops are second-rate.

Nonetheless, it’s worth the read to see what continues to happen at Meadowfield Bookshop.

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