The Mortal and Immortal Life of the Girl from Milan by Domenico Starnone


The Mortal and Immortal Life of the Girl from Milan by Domenico Starnone
Publisher: Europa Editions
Genre: Mainstream Fiction
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Lavender

Children can be cruel, and children can love as passionately and obsessively as adults. These two observations combine, igniting the imagination of Italy’s greatest contemporary novelist and producing a seemingly candid novel that belies remarkable psychological depths and infinite degrees of enchantment.

Imagine a child, a daydreamer, one of those boys who is always gazing out windows. His adoring grandmother, busy in the kitchen, keeps an eye on him. The child stares at the building opposite, watching a black-haired girl as she dances recklessly on her balcony. He is in love. And a love like this can push a child to extremes. He can become an explorer or a cabin boy, a cowboy or castaway; he can fight duels to the death, or even master unfamiliar languages. His grandmother has told him about the entrance to the underworld, and he knows the story of Orpheus’s failed rescue mission. He could do better, he thinks; he wouldn’t fail to bring that dark-haired up from the underground if she were dead, and it only he had the chance.

In this short, memorable tale, Domenico Starnone brings readers into the mind of a young boy and his dreams. This child is passionate and creative and is inspired by a girl he sees dancing across the way. He cannot stop thinking about her, and this triggers wild imaginings on his part. Readers see deeply into his psychology, how he is pushed to dream great things.

Themes of friendship and love are intertwined with ponderings of death while the protagonist remembers and analyzes his past and considers his future. His grandparents’ influence contributes greatly to his thinking.

There are surprises along the way. For example, is the “Girl from Milan” who the protagonist thinks she is? Does the girl’s fate truly match what the boy thinks happened to her?

This novel expounds upon themes, sometimes in detail. It is a creative way to express the ideas that are sure to keep readers thinking about them for a long time.

Paradises Lost by Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt


Paradises Lost by Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt
Publisher: Europa Editions
Genre: Historical, Fiction
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Lavender

The first volume of what promises to be a singular literary adventure: to recount the whole of human history in the form of a single, long novel.

Noam is a young man when the Flood wreaks havoc on the world, destroying the peaceful lakeside village he called home, and turning his life upside down. Destined to live forever as an immortal, Noam travels through the centuries in search of the meaning of life, and the events which shaped who we have become today.

Paradises Lost is the first installment of Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt’s monumental project of recounting the history of humanity, the fruits of more than thirty years of research. The first in a series, and in the form of a stylish novel that blends the narrative nonfiction of Yuval Noah Harari with the adventure novels of Alexandre Dumas. Schmitt combines his scientific, religious and philosophical research to propel readers from one world to another, and from pre-history to today.

This story is the first in a grand series, covering human history. It starts at life before the big flood. Noam is the protagonist, an immortal who describes the world from his point-of-view. Noam lives in a village by a lake, the son of the chief, and the characters around him each have their own unique story.

Noam’s relationship with his family and friends is complex and layered. He and his father have an especially complicated connection. Noam does not know whether to admire or despise his father. There are women in Noam’s life, and he must tread carefully concerning his decisions around them.

When Noam leaves his village to live in the wild, he makes some interesting discoveries and meets people he could never forget. The adventure continues, and it is unpredictable.

There are themes of nature and the earth—caring for it—and family, love, friendship, the future, and many others interwoven throughout this epic tale. Readers also get a glimpse into Noam’s distant future.

Throughout the book, there are footnotes, describing Noam’s thoughts on life and universal topics. These insights are thought-provoking. He refers to different points of history.

Overall, this is a satisfying read, and the next installments are sure to just as engaging.

Eternal by Mychael Black


Eternal by Mychael Black
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Paranormal, LGBTQ
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Sam McIntosh knows he doesn’t need to be in the closet with his friends, but his family is another matter entirely. He keeps his sex life under wraps and never lets on to anyone that he enjoys any gender. So far, that’s worked just fine — until his father hires a new guy to work on the family farm.

Cole England has far more secrets than the average man, the least of which is his vampiric nature. He’s on the run from hunters sent by his father, and they are closing in on him. The last thing he needs is to fall for the son of the humans who hired him on their farm.

Between Sam’s bigoted family and Cole’s hunters, it’ll be a miracle if they can manage to explore the blazing attraction neither of them can deny.

Sam is in the closet to his family due to their bigoted ways. He’s out and proud with his friends, but his family – no way. This has worked just fine until his family hire Cole to work on their farm. The attraction is instant and Sam struggles to hide his growing desire. Cole has a bunch of his own problems – a vampire on the run from the hunters sent by his father, the last thing he wants is to drag the handsome Sam into his eternity and issues. Can the two men explore their blazing attraction without everything falling down around them?

I enjoyed this quick steamy read. Sam and Cole are well written and very realistic characters. It was quite easy for me to become attached to them both and they are quite relatable. I was pleased with both of their introductions and found their chemistry and instant attraction believable. This set me up very well for my enjoyment of this book, and for them to both have a mutual conflict with Sam’s bigoted parents and the hunters sent by Cole’s father helped solidify their working together as a team – even without the sexual tension and attraction between them.

It’s been quite some time since I’ve read a paranormal story and I found this one to be quite refreshing. There is some world-building which I enjoyed since I don’t recall reading anything similar from this author before. I also thought the slower pace of Sam learning about Cole and his heritage was a good way to ease readers into the various complexities of the authors paranormal world. I was pleased there wasn’t a massive info-dump and it was Sam and Cole chatting and getting to know each other where most of the vampire side of things was explored. I enjoyed this.

Readers who like a strongly paranormal but still steamy erotic story should find this short novel a good blend of the two. I thought it was a well written and fairly refreshing story and would be happy to try more books like this by the author.

Broken Pencils by J.R. Rice


Broken Pencils by J.R. Rice
Publisher: Tea With Coffee Media
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Jonah Tarver, a troubled Oakland teenager grappling with his parents’ troubled marriage, his own mental disorder, and the weight of his best friend’s death, embarks on a desperate quest to find meaning in life. On his eighteenth birthday, coinciding with his Senior prom, Jonah, along with his girlfriend Taniesha, his best friend Trevon, and a group of peers, spirals into a night of reckless indulgence in drugs and alcohol in the vibrant city of San Francisco. As tensions escalate and emotions run high, Jonah finds himself thrust into a gripping twelve-hour journey through the dark underbelly of San Francisco’s nightlife, forever altering his perception of the world. Will Jonah uncover the purpose he so desperately seeks, or will he discover that life, like broken pencils, may have no point?

Birthdays aren’t always happy days.

Jonah’s character development was well done. He had a lot on his plate and good reasons for the sometimes dangerous choices he made on prom night. I appreciated the way the author took the time to explain why Jonah was struggling so much and where his life became so complicated after the death of his best friend among several other stressors. Reading those passages gave me a lot of sympathy for this character and made me hope he’d live happily ever after in the end.

There were times when I struggled to follow the plot due to how often Jonah talked about things that had happened to him days, months, or even years ago. He jumped from past to present and back again so often that it was a distraction for this reader even though I liked other aspects of the book like the characters. I would have happily chosen a higher rating if the storyline had been more linear.

The ending had some fantastic twists that I didn’t see coming but that helped to clear up some of my confusion about what happened earlier. I especially enjoyed the way it illuminated what assumptions Jonah had made about his life that were accurate verses which ones were influenced by his mental state that other people in his life saw in completely different ways. Yes, I know I’m being vague here, but I want other readers to have the chance to be surprised just like I was. What a treat it was to reach those last few pages and learn more about his family and how those closest to Jonah saw him instead of what he assumed they thought about him.

Broken Pencils was a thought provoking read.

The Island by Brian Conte


The Island by Brian Conte
Publisher: Page Publishing
Genre: Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.), Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Paranormal, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

The Island is a coming-of-age story about the real-life adventure that the author’s son, Zeb, had. The story is about Zeb washing ashore as a castaway on a desert island and all the ways he must learn to survive and get off it.

Survival is the goal.

Some of the best scenes were the ones that described how Zeb figured out how to meet his basic needs on the island. He needed the basics like food, water, and shelter, of course, but he also had emotional needs to fulfill in order to remain hopeful that he was going to figure out a way to go home again. I cheered him on every time he made a new discovery that took care of one or more of these needs.

I was never entirely sure who this was written for, so clarity would have been helpful there. Some portions sounded like they were for adults who enjoy magical realism or blending fiction with fact while other ones felt more appealing to middle grade readers who like lighthearted castaway stories or teens who prefer a grittier and more realistic description of what it takes to survive by oneself on an island. Of course there can be more than one target audience, but when something is written for such a large range of ages and reading styles it can make it tricky for me as a reviewer to know who to recommend such a tale to. Some of the whimsical sections would probably fly over the heads of the average preteen while other scenes might feel too playful for anyone who knows how hard it is to catch your own food or keep a fire going on a damp, tropical island. Then again, there is something to be said for rereading an old favorite years later only to discover a deeper layer of meaning to it. This is a minor criticism of something I thought was otherwise engaging and well done.

It’s hard to talk about the magical realism and paranormal elements of the storyline without giving away spoilers, but it was such an important part of the plot that I must try. There’s something so emotionally satisfying about being allowed to make up one’s own mind about what was going on in the scenes that could be interpreted in multiple ways, including ones that are only possible in fiction. I have my own theories about how to interpret them, but there are equally valid explanations other readers might prefer about what the causes of these events were and if Zeb’s descriptions of them were what actually happened.

The Island kept me guessing until the final sentences.

Ruin Beach by Kate Rhodes


Ruin Beach by Kate Rhodes
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

DI Ben Kitto has become the Scilly Islands’ Deputy Chief of Police. As the island’s lazy summer takes hold, he finds himself missing the excitement of the murder squad in London. But when a body is found anchored to the rocks of a nearby cave, it appears he’s spoken too soon. The island of Tresco, and the deep and murky waters that surround it, hold a dark secret. One that someone seems desperate to uncover . . .

Ben Kitto is now the Scilly Isles’ Deputy Chief of Police. Life is a lot more slower paced on the tiny islands than in London, but before the summer can get too underway the body of a local diver is found, anchored to the rocks and drowned. It’s quickly established that the woman was murdered and the small community is in shock that one of their locals could have done something so horrendous. Ben needs all his skills to both uncover the murderer and keep the small community intact.

This is the second book in the Isles of Scilly mystery series and I am really enjoying it. I definitely feel this book can be read alone. There is an extremely small police team – Ben, Eric and the Chief – and as this is a different island to the previous books setting everything is fresh and stands very well on it’s own. Readers can definitely pick up this book without having read the first in this series.

I thoroughly enjoyed that this had the feel both of a British Police Procedural style of novel but also a very small, isolated community. There were only a certain number of people who could have performed this murder and as in any small group the emotions and ties and network between everyone is both complicated and encompasses everyone.

I thought the author had a really good pace to this story. Despite there being only a small cast of characters this felt very layered to me – where there is history and secrets lurking underneath the normality of everyone’s day to day existence. I enjoyed reading along and discovering all the ties that wove the various community members together and learning the bigger picture along with Ben. I thought this pacing and writing style was really good and readers who usually enjoy British based mysteries should find this equally enjoyable.

With a lovely costal themed, small town murder mystery this was an enjoyable book with a good pace and well balanced cast of characters. I really enjoyed this book.

The Mechanical Devil by Kate Ellis


The Mechanical Devil by Kate Ellis
Publisher: Piatkus Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Historical, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Secrets never stay buried for long . . .

When archaeologist Neil Watson unearths a long-buried mechanical figure in a Dartmoor field, he is determined to discover the truth behind the bizarre find.

Soon, however, the sleepy village becomes the focus of press attention for another reason when two people with no apparent connection to each other are found shot dead in nearby Manor Field, seemingly victims of an execution-style double murder.

DI Wesley Peterson is called in to investigate, but the two murders aren’t his only problem. The daughter of a local MP has gone missing and the pressure is on to find her, especially when it’s revealed that she has a connection to one of the murder victims. And Wesley’s own life is thrown into turmoil when a woman he helped on a previous investigation finds herself subjected to a campaign of terror . . .

Is there a link between the double murder and the accidental death of a young history student in Manor Field twenty years ago? And just what is the true identity of the Mechanical Devil?

Archaeologist Neil Watson unearths a strange, long buried mechanical figure. But soon the area is overrun with press attention for a very different reason – two locals with no apparent connection are both found murdered in what appears to be an execution. DI Wesley Peterson and his team are trying to uncover what has really gone on – but Wesley also is juggling the increasing demands of a previous victim he’s helped when she’s the new victim of a terror campaign. Can Wesley and Neil each solve their respective puzzles?

I found this to be a very interesting and well plotted murder mystery novel. While I thoroughly enjoyed the interweaving of the historical mystery along with the modern day murder investigation I found it really added a sense of tension and atmosphere to the whole book. I enjoyed trying to work out which pieces of the plot were red herrings and which pieces were connected.

I must admit, I was a little disappointed that Wesley took so long to catch on to what was really going on with the previous victim and her many phone calls. I connected those dots what felt like very early on – pretty much after the character’s first few mentions – so it really surprised me that a detective as seasoned and intelligent as Wesley didn’t even seem to wonder or question what popped into my head very early on. It made him appear fairly silly to me to have missed something this obvious and I feel that was a bit of a disservice to the character really.

That said I found the main two plot mysteries – that of the missing teenage girl and the two murdered locals in the field really was a far more interesting and well written plotline. I thought this was handled very well and I enjoyed these two plots as well as Neil and his historical puzzle. I definitely thought this whole book stood very well on it’s own – I don’t think readers really would have needed to read anything previously written by this author to thoroughly enjoy this novel and aside from the blind spot of Wesley with his previous victim I felt this was a very well encapsulated story that can definitely be enjoyed on it’s own merits.

Readers who enjoy a British Police procedural mystery with quite a bit of history interwoven into the plotline should find this an enjoyable read.

Not What She Seems by Yasmin Angoe


Not What She Seems by Yasmin Angoe
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Ginger

After years of self-exile, Jacinda “Jac” Brodie is back in Brook Haven, South Carolina. But the small cliffside town no longer feels like home. Jac hasn’t been there since the beloved chief of police fell to his death—and all the whispers said she was to blame.

That chief was Jac’s father.

Racked with guilt, Jac left town with no plans to return. But when her granddad lands in the hospital, she rushes back to her family, bracing herself to confront the past.

Brook Haven feels different now. Wealthy newcomer Faye Arden has transformed the notorious Moor Manor into a quaint country inn. Jac’s convinced something sinister lurks beneath Faye’s perfect exterior, yet the whole town fawns over their charismatic new benefactor. And when Jac discovers one of her granddad’s prized possessions in Faye’s office, she knows she has to be right.

But as Jac continues to dig, she stumbles upon dangerous truths that hit too close to home. With not only her life but also her family’s safety on the line, Jac discovers that maybe some secrets are better left buried.

Not What She Seems by Yasmin Angoe is a compelling mystery set in a small Southern town. The story follows Jacinda Brodie as she returns home after six years, haunted by a tragic incident involving her father, the police chief. Will the town have a change of heart or will Jac’s return open old wounds?

Told entirely from Jac’s perspective, the novel offers a limited viewpoint that can be both intriguing and frustrating. While the single narrator provides a deep dive into Jac’s thoughts and feelings, it can also limit the reader’s understanding of the broader community and the events surrounding her grandfather’s death.

The story begins with a strong premise, however, the introduction of multiple subplots was distracting, taking away from an already full storyline. Some of these subplots, such as the mysterious two cases her grandfather was working on solving, specifically what happened to the Colleton Girls, feel disconnected and raise more questions than they answer. When the truth came out about what happened to Jac’s dad I was confused she was there, how did she not know what happened? Was there an investigation into what happened to her father?

Jac’s grandfather’s killer is suspected early on, but the suspense of why they were the killer, along with the resolution to the other mysteries, kept me reading. While I appreciated the author’s writing style and her ability to create memorable characters, the storyline was lacking for me. It was long-winded and Jac was not a character that I admired. She seemed immature to be taking on murder cases, accusing people with little to no evidence, and then having a tantrum when the police did not take her seriously.

Despite its shortcomings, the author’s writing style is engaging enough to warrant exploring her future works. While the conclusion may not be entirely satisfying, the novel does provide closure. The book’s title and cover are fitting and effectively capture the theme of the book.

Ultimately, Not What She Seems is a mixed bag. While the central mystery is intriguing, the execution could have been fine-tuned.

Readers who enjoy character-driven mysteries may find this book worth exploring, but those seeking a fast-paced plot may be disappointed.

All I Know by Holly C. LaBarbera


All I Know by Holly C. LaBarbera
Publisher: Buckberg Mountain Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mainstream fiction
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Cholla

Despite childhood trauma and tragedy, Kai Martin has never given up, rising from devastation to rebuild her life over and over again, in this inspiring story of strength and resilience.

Kai sees her life as a series of concentric circles—her twin brother Kade occupying the center sphere with her, their parents surrounding them in the next, and the Tyler family in the outer loop, a connection Kai plans to make official by someday marrying Josh Tyler. The Martins and Tylers share memorable times together, but under the surface, they are two dysfunctional families struggling with alcoholism, depression, and abuse, all of which leads to a horrifying event that knocks Kai off her axis and makes her doubt everything she thought she knew.

Josh is there through it all, and Kai eventually gets the romance she dreamed of, embarking on a life of travel and adventure with the boy she always loved. Yet reality is more complicated than any childhood fantasy, and when painful family patterns are reenacted between them, Kai must decide how much of herself she is willing to sacrifice for Josh.

Ultimately, Kai must confront the heartbreaking truth that as much as we try to help the people we love, we can only truly save ourselves.

Kai’s life hasn’t ever been easy, but it has been consistent. The presence of her family and their friends, the Tyler’s, is the most constant thing in her life. Neither family is perfect, but they are always there for each other, in their own awkward, dysfunctional way. For Kai, Josh Tyler, her best friend’s older brother, is a light in the dark throughout it all.

Despite living through tragedy and a childhood full of dysfunction, addiction, and violence, Kai never let it deter her from living the life she dreamed. She really blossoms into her own person when she manages to leave home to attend college in California. Reacquainting herself with her childhood crush – Josh Tyler – is the final step in her transformation. However, her strong will and independence are often sapped whenever Josh is around.

Throughout the entire story, Kai is pushing for Josh’s love, wanting what she’d dreamed of having since she was six years old. At times, it blinds her to the truth, and at others, she’s able to see more clearly and accept things as they truly are. She follows a desperate track, one that drags her into a vicious cycle of happiness that turns sour and nearly ends in destruction. It’s heartbreaking to watch Kai struggle and succeed, only to fall back into old habits.

Told through Kai’s eyes, as well as through a series of letters, All I Know, is an engaging and heart wrenching story of growing up and moving beyond your past to find the true you. Sometimes that means making bad decisions and owning up to them, something that Kai becomes an expert at by the end of the novel. A fantastic, if often tough, read, All I Know touches on some rough topics, but in a very real way, one that doesn’t sugarcoat the harsh truths of life.

Death Message by Damien Boyd


Death Message by Damien Boyd
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer Publishers
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Graffiti is a dying art in this thriller from the bestselling DI Nick Dixon crime series.

A routine missing person enquiry takes a grisly turn when a young couple drag a box containing human remains out of a Somerset river. The victim was a surveillance expert investigating an exaggerated injury claim—a murder with an obvious motive, until a police officer is implicated and suspended.

Still brooding after his recent brush with police Professional Standards, Detective Chief Inspector Nick Dixon is on extended leave, helping his pregnant fiancée, Detective Sergeant Jane Winter, fight for her place on the major investigation team.

Convinced that the death of an art student is connected, Dixon returns to duty, and when graffiti depicting the murders starts to appear, the race is on to find the artist and the murderer. But, why the paintings? Could an infamous street artist be involved?

With colleagues questioning his every move, Dixon must stop a sadistic killer before another life is taken. Then a second art student is reported missing…

Detective Sergeant Jane Winter has no problem taking a new probational officer Sarah Loveday under her wing when the officer brings what at first appeared to be a routine missing persons report to Jane’s attention. As they begin to follow the usual procedure it soon becomes apparent that this missing person is anything except ordinary. And when parts of the person are found in a local river – dismembered and weighted down – it doesn’t take long for Jane’s fiancé, currently on leave DCI Nick Dixon to also find his curiosity roused. Can they uncover the various messages layered in this unusual case?

With DCI Dixon taking a slightly more back seat than usual in this novel I found I really enjoyed Jane’s time to step up and be fully one of the main characters in this novel. As Dixon’s fiancé and team member Jane has been a strong secondary for quite a few books now, but I really enjoyed seeing her both take a more active role, but also help train and lead what I feel might become the newest character in their team.

Readers should definitely feel able to pick up this book and read without any of the prior novels – this book stands very well by itself and certainly the plot is completed encapsulated here, with a clear beginning and a satisfying ending with the loose threads all cleared away. Readers who enjoy a solid and well plotted British police procedural should find this pacing and storyline definitely meets their expectations and readers who have enjoyed previous books in this series should be aware that there is a character death in this story. I personally felt the death was very well handled and sensitively treated.

Readers looking for something very high action or intense might not feel this book quite meets that criterion, but personally I’d much prefer a well plotted storyline with plenty of twists and turns as more of the mystery is slowly uncovered. There is some really good police work here and I definitely felt like this was an exceptional mystery. Readers who enjoy most British police procedural style books should feel this is a book well worth the time invested in it.