This white-knuckle whodunit from Ring (Arizona Kiss) chronicles the search for a killer from the perspectives of the victim’s identical twin sister and the Black man wrongly accused of the crime. Five years ago, white Montana State University cheerleader Nikki Fontaine was strangled to death in her apartment. Her boyfriend, football star Dawson Koloko, was convicted and sentenced to life in prison after Nikki’s twin, Rose, discovered him unconscious next to Nikki’s body with scratches on his face. Now, Dawson’s attorney has successfully argued that police mishandled DNA evidence and Dawson’s conviction has been overturned. Determined to track down Nikki’s killer, he forms a wobbly alliance with Rose, who’s now married to the local sheriff, and the two uncover evidence that a white supremacist group may have been involved in Nikki’s murder. Ring steadily ratchets up the suspense while developing a surprisingly potent emotional dynamic between his well-drawn leads. John Sandford fans should take a look. (Self-published)

Reviewed on 04/26/2024 | Details & Permalink

Breen’s clever second mystery featuring struggling musician-cum-investigator Seamus O’Neill (after Runner’s Path) hits all the right notes. In 2000, Seamus’s boss, Wisconsin P.I. John Ryder, is contacted by Mary Hoffman, who’s concerned about her web designer brother, Tom. Not only has Tom inexplicably quit his private sector job for a lower-paying position at the State of Wisconsin Investment Board, he’s suddenly obsessed with the works of William Shakespeare, despite never being much of a reader. What’s more, on a recent visit to Tom’s apartment, Mary discovered a shoebox filled with fake documents, cash, and a list of names. Ryder taps Seamus to help him investigate, and the puzzle gets more complex when someone close to the Wisconsin state government goes missing and his daughter reveals to the detectives that he, too, had developed a baffling new interest in the Bard. Breen peppers the investigation with plenty of well-tooled plot twists, and throws in some delightful Easter eggs for Shakespeare buffs along the way. Timothy Hallinan fans should check this out. (Self-published)

Reviewed on 04/26/2024 | Details & Permalink

A 30-year-old closeted gay architect struggles with self-acceptance in this snappy if overwrought family drama from Cone (The Counterfeiter). In 2011, Adam Stover finds love for the first time with French Canadian cellist Yves Montjour, who he meets by chance on a Manhattan street. A year later, Adam comes out to his family, most of whom are accepting, and introduces them to Yves. Adam also tells one of his coworkers about Yves, though for the most part he allows his colleagues to believe he’s straight out of fear of how they might react and of committing to an identity he’s still unsure of. The couple’s world is rocked when it turns out that Adam’s younger sister is dating Pietro, who once had an intense fling with Yves. Meanwhile, Adam’s older sister, who’s convinced he’s not actually gay, tries to set him up with her stunning Greek friend, Aphrodite. Still concerned about his boss’s potential reaction, Adam invites Aphrodite on a work retreat, causing a rift with Yves that drives him back toward Pietro. Adam’s continued questioning of his sexuality can be repetitive, and the timeline, which stretches to 2015, is a bit hard to follow. Still, Cone’s dialogue has the zip of a clever stage play. This has just enough sparkle to carry readers through to the finish line. (Self-published)

Reviewed on 04/26/2024 | Details & Permalink

A sentient house named Gigi, an interesting play on alien invasion, and a resourceful heroine who learns she has a special connection to all of it distinguish this creative debut from Lakhani. Sophomore Macy Steward, 15, who has reddish-brown hair and dark blue eyes, lives with her parents at the Greenmont Grith Retreat Center in Las Aves, Calif., where they host vacationing aliens who temporarily take over the bodies of compounders—humans with a bit of alien genetic makeup. When a strange, black-haired, hazel-eyed new senior, Nick Pendigon, arrives at Las Aves High with too many questions, Macy must determine what he knows and whether he is a threat to the five offworlders at the Center. While the visitors adjust to their borrowed bodies, Macy must come to terms with Gigi’s sudden revelation of communicative abilities—and simultaneously, Macy’s identity as the Center’s Safekeeper. An alien assassination team, a missing “unofficial ‘guard crow’ ” named Clio, and Nick’s mysterious background compound Macy’s problems. The book’s short length inhibits character development, but Lakhani’s worldbuilding and vivid cast bolster a fun series starter for those seeking a fresh speculative twist. Ages 12–up. (Self-published)

Reviewed on 04/09/2021 | Details & Permalink

Erica Jensen, the heroine of this sterling series launch from Mack (the Sam McRae series), survived her deployment to Afghanistan in 2011 as a member of a team of female Marines “who performed valuable back-up to the ground troops and intel-gathering duties.” But the concussion she received from an explosion left her addicted to painkillers, a condition that barred her from later getting a PI license in Maryland. Instead, Jensen takes on research assignments from clients with their own reasons for not going to someone with official credentials. Her latest such job comes from Stuart Blaine, an affluent real-estate developer with a drug-dealing conviction, whose college student daughter, Melissa, has been out of touch for four days. Blaine fears something bad has happened, and Jensen agrees to spend a little time tracking down Melissa. Her discovery of a murder victim connected with her employer raises the stakes. Mack never makes her lead’s work feel anything but realistic and captures the psyche of an addict’s struggles. Fans of flawed but empowered female detectives will be pleased with this exceptional mix of character study and detective work. (Self-published)

Reviewed on 04/09/2021 | Details & Permalink

DeBarrioz (the Dakota del Torro series) delivers a moving tale of personal empowerment. When Evangeline Everett’s husband, Jared Wassler, becomes physically abusive, Evangeline takes her savings and runs, heading to her childhood best friend’s ranch in Wyoming. But she’s not expecting hot young ranch hand Chase McCoy. Their attraction is immediate, but Chase is 20 to Evangeline’s 29, and the traumatized Evangeline uses their age difference as an excuse to avoid exploring their connection. As Evangeline rediscovers her love for horses and art, however, she and Chase grow closer. Evangeline’s marriage has taught her never to compromise who she is again, and she’s frank with the more conservative Chase about her views on abortion, gun control, and religion. Chase, in turn, opens up about his difficult childhood. There’s only so long flimsy excuses can keep these two apart—and DeBarrioz pushes it past the point of believability. Still, Evangeline’s humorous, folksy narration makes the meandering will-they-won’t-they work. It’s inevitable that Jared catches up with Evangeline just as her relationship with Chase takes off, but after the leisurely opening, the blazing finale—which features abductions, gunfights, and bear attacks—feels out of left field. Still, the scenic descriptions, steamy sex scenes, and gutsy heroine make this a solid pick for cowboy romance fans. (Self-published)

Reviewed on 04/09/2021 | Details & Permalink

Moran, former co-CEO of Chipotle, debuts with an inviting inventory of the tactics he used to transform Chipotle into a national brand. After being recruited from his position at a law firm to help lead the growing eatery chain in 2005, Moran focused on empowering the company's employees by restructuring the hiring process and visiting locations to interact one-on-one with as many team members as possible. Curiosity, respect, vulnerability, and honesty, he writes, are the cornerstones of his leadership style, and while Moran believes "one's capacity to be fully human is perhaps the greatest prerequisite to being an effective leader," he doesn't shy away from delivering tough messages: "Don't fall for the morale trap... the only way to create a culture not in need of morale-boosting actions is to build a culture of empowerment." While some will find Moran's perspective a bit rosy, his down-to-earth style will appeal to managers looking for ways to engage their workforce. (Self-published)

Reviewed on 04/09/2021 | Details & Permalink

Schaubert recounts a mischievous man's eight decades in Illinois's Little Egypt region in his rambling picaresque debut. In 1941, six-year-old Wilson "Remmy" Remus cuts the tension in his classroom following news of the attack on Pearl Harbor by peeing in a bucket, launching a life of constant schemes and pranks and a lifelong feud with classmate Jim Johnstone, whose notebook was splashed in the act. Told in snapshots, the narrative recounts stories of Remmy unleashing pigs in the high school, dumping cow manure for neighborhood kids to play in, and deploying devious punishments for his children, such as sending his 15-year-old daughter on a circuitous Greyhound ride after she complains during a family vacation. He starts a home-building company with an eye on building a Camelot for a band of friends, but his plans run afoul of the local oil drilling company Jim works for. After a storm fells a derrick on his land and pollutes the well water, his petty squabbles with Jim ramp up. The aftermath of a particularly foolhardy prank in 1977 involving some makeshift medieval weaponry proves consequential. While the hodgepodge of anecdotes doesn't offer much in the way of plot, the tone of this particular old man's reminiscences about his greatest hits has some appeal. At its best, this is a hoot. (Self-published)

Reviewed on 04/09/2021 | Details & Permalink