Fiction Addict

Genre: Spy Thriller, Political Thriller

Publisher: Putnam Adult

Publication Date: February 2011

Reviewed by Josh Olds

John Wells isn’t sure whether he follows trouble or trouble follows him. He’s no longer a part of the CIA, true, but international espionage is like a high-speed car wreck—you can’t just walk away from it. When you’re one of the best, people keep dragging you back into the fray and this time it’s someone no less than King Abdullah, the aged leader of Saudi Arabia.

Abdullah is old and talks of who will succeed him as king are rampant. The king fears that if the wrong man—someone like his brother Saeed—takes the throne, it would be the end of the House of Saud’s reign and the rise of radical Islam. The king is a devout Muslim, yes, but terrorism is not the way of Allah.

With treachery coming from inside his own family, the king cannot rely on anybody—anybody except Wells, who finds himself thrown into a delicate and dangerous political situation. As events unfold and Wells seeks to unravel the ever-deepening mystery, he discovers a plot that goes way beyond the confines of political rumblings in the oil-rich nation all the way towards sparking the final battle between America and radical Islam.

There are literally thousands of novels on terrorism and you think you’ve read one you’ve read them all. Bad guys, Allahu Akbar, bombs, and kick-butt spies and Delta Force teams to save the day. But Berenson works hard to make his novel stand out and achieves it with great success. Read the rest of this entry »

Genre: Steam Punk, YA

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Publication Date: May 2011

Reviewed by P.J. Coldren

Finley Jayne knows she is different, but not how she got that way or what the extent of her differences might be.  When she is in the grip of strong emotions, a dark side to her nature is released and she can do a lot of damage.  Felix August-Rayne is the son of her employer, and he puts the moves on her with disastrous results for both of them.  Maids are not supposed to argue with any member of their employer’s family and they are supposed to be chaste and pure.  Felix relies on the first to ensure that the second is not possible.  Either way, Finley knows she will be out of a job.  And she is, but not until she beats the crap out of Felix.

As she flees the house in the middle of the night, she literally runs into Griffin, Duke of Greythorne, on his velocycle.  Neither she nor the velocycle should have been able to move as fast as they both were which leads to a certain level of injury.  Griff takes her back to Greythorne House and his own personal band of misfits.  They are working on a series of unusual crimes, crimes in which robots have turned on humans and caused injury.  Finley seems like she’ll fit right in, once she sorts out all the relationships and crosscurrents.

Cross held my interest from page one.  Steampunk is a fairly new sub-genre in young adult fiction.  It is to the Victorians/Industrial Revolution/Steam Age what the Society for Creative Anachronisms is to the Middle Ages/Medieval Era.  Read the rest of this entry »

Genre: Children’s

Publisher: Sandpiper/Houghton Mifflin

Publication Date: November 2008

Reviewed by Jaci Miller

Korean for “mixed up rice,” Bee-bim Bop! by Newbery Medal winner Linda Sue Park celebrates cultural heritage with a snappy rhyming picture book, featuring this cherished dish.

From shopping to eating, a young girl follows her mother through the steps of making Bee-bim Bop and even assists a bit. Bouncy rhymes and cheerful rhythms convey the child’s exuberance over a beloved meal, as well as her impatient hunger for dinner. The dish’s name itself is a joy to speak and children will want to chant “Bee-bim bop” over and over. Park’s text beguiles the ear.

The watercolor illustrations are painted from a child-level point-of-view with loveable expressions and include multi-generational characters.

Adults will appreciate the girl’s relationship with her heritage, while young readers will find a connection with those from other cultures. Everyone has their favorite foods. Thus this book opens the opportunity to talk with children about their favorite dishes and what children in other cultures enjoy. The included note and recipe with child-friendly instructions allows families to experience Bee-bim Bop together in the kitchen and at the table.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Genre: Children’s

Publisher: Clarion

Publication Date: September 2006

Reviewed by Jaci Miller

While playing on the beach, a curious young man encounters an old waterproof camera. He develops the film and upon inspection of the photos, discovers a magical world of mechanical fish, octopus living rooms and seashell villages hiding beneath the waves. The final photo shows a girl holding a print of a boy who is holding a print of someone else, and so on. As the main character looks at the photo through his magnifying glass and microscope, he sees a timeline of children progressing back through history. The young man takes his own photograph while holding the print and throws the camera back into the sea for the next young adventurer to find.

A wordless book told through its illustrations, the Caldecott-winning Flotsam employs panoramic spreads, detailed close-ups and comic-book-style boxes to develop a page-turner. Author/illustrator David Wiesner achieves a soft vibrancy executed in watercolors that brings this eccentric and imaginative creation to life.

The book offers children the chance to tell their own stories using the pictures and to imagine what else could happen in Wiesner’s underwater world. An adventurous “read” that captures the wonders of the sea.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Genre: Children’s

Publisher: Clarion

Publication Date: October 2010

Reviewed by Jaci Miller

The frolicsome lizard, Max, itches to paint, so much so that he disturbs his friend Arthur, who is creating serious art. When Max gets a little carried away (as most exuberant youngsters do with paintbrush in hand), he “ruins” the rigid Art and eventually “undoes” him. Max must reassemble his friend.

There is no question that three-time Caldecott winner David Wiesner can illustrate his socks off. The strength of Art and Max, Wiesner’s latest book, lies in its stunning artwork. Acrylic, pastel, watercolor and ink illustrations vividly explode all over the mottled green, tan and wide open blues of the desert backdrops. The lines, forms and colors are art in and of themselves.

Definitely a great book for adults and older kids, the commentary on art and the creativity will be lost on young children. The dialogue-only text relies heavily on the illustrations to convey the action, making it more difficult for young children to grasp fully what’s happening. Much of this action would need to be explained with narrative asides or questions posed by the adult reader (though, not necessarily a bad thing, this communicating with one’s children). Older children, however, can grasp the abstract concepts of the story and younger ones may still enjoy the book for its illustrations alone.

A good book for discussion with children (“What do you think happened here?”), and a cheerful reminder for adults about enjoying the artistic process and product.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Genre: Science Fiction

Publisher: SplashDown Books

Publication Date: September 2010

Reviewed by Tim George

Brett Denton is a man in his 40s who seems to have failed in one way or another most of his life, at least in his own mind. Hopes of becoming an astronaut evaporated with a football injury while playing for the Air Force Academy. Dreams of becoming a success in business were dashed by downsizing and competition. And now, he finds himself in the middle of what probably is his last chance at doing anything meaningful with his life.

In truth, he did something else that mattered. He married the love of his life and fathered two wonderful children. Then, determined to be the main provider he struck out across country and lost it all. Now here he is with no one but his own guilt ridden life once again shooting for the stars – literally.

In Alpha Redemption, P.A. Baines, does a masterful job of telling the story of what would drive a man to accept a mission to be a human guinea pig on man’s first light speed space ship to the stars. Though having undergone a rigorous selection process and months of training, Brett is little more than a passenger in a ship piloted by a computer that must serve as his protector, confidant, friend and ultimately much more. To say anything else about how that plot plays out would be a disservice to the writer and reader.

There is much to love about Alpha Redemption. For a debut novel, the author shows a great deal of writing maturity in the way he immerses the reader into Brett Denton’s life and journey from page one. Here is a man who doesn’t believe in God or himself. A man who thinks he would be happiest if left completely alone. Yet when faced with the very real possibility of just that, he cries in the darkness for a light and a friend. He wallows in his failures trying to convince himself there is no need for redemption because there is no redeemer. As I have mentioned elsewhere there are four great themes in all worthy stories: Isolation – Love – Failure – Redemption. And, P.A. Baines explores all in a most inventive and thought provoking way. Read the rest of this entry »

Genre: Romance/Historical Fiction

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication Date: June 2011

Reviewed by Elizabeth Olmedo

The world holds hope and promise for young Esther. As a Jew, she may be considered inferior to her Persian counterparts, but she has a freedom they can only dream of. That is, until she is presented as a candidate for the king. Suddenly, Esther is not only a prisoner to the Persian regulations, but to protocol too. The difference between her and the other girls in the harem is that she doesn’t want to be chosen queen.

King Ahasuerus is tired of the same flighty women and their power grasping families. Then he meets Esther. For the first time, he has met someone who eases his loneliness. Esther sees him for who he is, and not what he is. She is too good to be true.

That is what tortures Esther the most. She isn’t true. Not only has she concealed her Jewishness from her husband, but also the fact that she was sent to the palace in hopes of having a Jewish advocate in the king’s ear. When Haman, the king’s right hand and best friend, issues a decree that calls for the annihilation of the Jewish people, it is up to Esther to speak. If she does, Esther could lose the husband she has come to love. If she doesn’t, thousands of innocent people — her people — will die.

A Reluctant Queen by Joan Wolf is the story of Esther as never told before. And I mean, as never told before. This novel left me with very conflicting emotions. On the one hand it’s a great story that maintains a comfortable pace and keeps the reader’s interest from cover to cover. Wolf creates likeable and convincing characters that will attract the readers. That said, it is not historically or Biblically accurate. While I still would have read it, I wish I’d known this beforehand. If I had been prepared for all the liberties the author took with the story of Esther I don’t think I would have felt so let down. I understand that in historical fiction, an author has to fill a lot of gaps with just that…fiction. But when the writer starts changing actual facts that are known, then I have a problem. Read the rest of this entry »

Genre: Mystery/Children’s Fiction

Publisher: Open Road

Publication Date: March 2011

Reviewed by Elizabeth Olmedo

When a new recycling center comes to Greenfield, more than just reusable trash shows up at the gate. Trouble arrives. Strange things happen and it’s up to Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny to solve the mystery and uncover who is breaking into the “Use it Again Recycling Center.” Along the way, the four children will encounter all sorts of interesting characters — some of which will try to make their task harder.

Veteran mystery solvers Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny Alden are back in the Boxcar Children series latest book, The Clue in the Recycling Bin. Growing up, I couldn’t get enough of the boxcar children. They gave me my first taste of mystery (a genre I’ve been hooked to ever since). When I saw this newest installment, I just had to read it. I wanted to see if they were as good as I remembered. They are better! Granted the mysteries are easier for me to solve now, but I notice so much more than I did. For example, its values. Through the Aldens, young readers are taught respect, hard work, responsibility, and much more.

The valuable lessons in the series are as ageless as its four main characters — that somehow haven’t aged a bit from that first book that came out long before I was even born! The Clue in the Recycling Bin maintains that legacy. This novel explores the importance of recycling and protecting the environment by using fewer natural resources.

Even as an adult, I am still a big fan of this series. Parents can comfortably give these books to their children and know they are in good hands. I strongly recommend The Clue in the Recycling Bin to all young (or young at heart) mystery readers out there. Happy reading!

Review copy provided by publisher.

Genre: Mystery

Publisher: Obsidian

Publication Date: July 2011

Reviewed by P.J. Coldren

Finding a murderer is a dirty job.  Beth Kennedy remembers that from the last time, which goes a long way toward explaining why she doesn’t really want to do it again.  Her best friend Marina thinks she can do a better job than the police can.  Most of the customers at her bookstore (Children’s Bookshelf) already think she is investigating.  However, the last time, her kids wound up in danger; Beth just doesn’t want to go there again.  Still, who in the world would want to kill Sam Helmstetter, a guy truly beloved by the entire town of Rynwood, Wisconsin.  Well, there is obviously one major exception, since Sam was strangled with his own scarf in his pickup truck.  But nobody owns up to that little fact.

Beth’s hand is forced when the town finds out that her new hire Yvonne, was convicted of killing a man in almost exactly the same way.  It matters not to most people that she was later exonerated and pardoned.  All they see is that she was convicted.  The business at the Children’s Bookshelf falls off due to this and to the picketing.  Beth knows that she has to do something to convince people that Yvonne did not kill Sam.  It’s Thanksgiving season and her business depends on the sales from now until Christmas.  Beth and Marina start making lists, checking them twice, crossing off suspects one by one.  Of course, the local police are enthusiastic about Beth’s interest.  It was bad enough the last time.  Having her beat them to the killer twice is so bad for the department!

FOUL PLAY is Alden’s second book in the PTA series.  One is sometimes afraid to read the second book, especially if the first one was as good as MURDER AT THE PTA was.  Fear not.  Alden is good.  This book proves that MURDER wasn’t a fluke.  Beth and the ensemble characters around her are people anyone might know, with the faults and good points one expects.  The motive is as old as time.  Alden captures the politics, public and private, of a small town very well.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Genre: Suspense

Publisher: Zondervan

Publication Date: May 2011

Reviewed by Tim George

A church cannot be as big and influential as Diamond Point … and not harbor some ugly secrets. Immorality? Manipulation? Fraud? Abuse of its tax-exempt status? Hypocritical pastors cashing in on the gullible flock? He was looking for a new investigative project … something Pulitzer worthy. As painful as this thing … was, it couldn’t come at a better time.

The Ambition is a story about just one thing – unbridled ambition. And, the best way to introduce it is through its cast of characters and the one ambition that drives each of them.

Tom Ryan O’Sullivan – second rate attorney son of a first rate Chicago legal legend whose one ambition has come to be paying off a gambling debt to people you don’t want to be in debt to.

Gary Strider – investigative journalist whose one ambition is to get that Pulitzer that he has come so close to in the past.

Eric Snow – one time head of a software empire and now CEO of an enterprise of a different sort, Diamond Point Fellowship. Though head of a mega church, his ambition is to do have a bigger stage for his vision of the Gospel.

While The Ambition is Les Strobel’s first novel, he is certainly no newcomer to the world of writing. And his credentials for writing this kind of story are beyond comparison. Strobel was legal journalist for the flagship paper, The Chicago Tribune, of a city known for strong arm politics. He was an atheist turned staff pastor in two of the cutting edge mega churches in America, Willow Creek and Saddle Back. And he has written numerous defenses of the faith seeking to answer some of the deepest questions of the human experience. Read the rest of this entry »

Genre: Suspense, Thriler

Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime Hardcover

Publication Date: May 2011

Chrystal Dorsey’s Review:

The Edgar Award winner and author of the Gideon Oliver mystery series, Aaron Elkins, is back with The Worst Thing, an exciting new stand-alone novel of mystery and suspense that illustrates how quickly everything can go wrong when you ask—what’s the worst that can happen?

In this novel the author ventures deep into the mind of Bryan Bennett, a designer of hostage negotiation programs, and chronic sufferer of some serious panic attacks. Bryan recalls in detail about being abducted at the age of five and imprisoned in a Turkish dungeon – this resulted in Bryan harboring an unbearable fear of being kidnapped. Although it’s been over thirty years since the kidnapping, Bryan still can’t seem to deal with kidnappers in hostage situations – one would think he’d opt for a different career in a totally different field.  Instead he allows his fear of enclosed spaces to control him and refuses to travel outside the safe confines of Redmond, a once relatively sleepy little town outside of Seattle.

But with the help of a therapist, his wife’s overwhelming desire to travel – beyond the radius of their own residence, and armed with a life-time supply of Xanax, Bryan agrees to teach a corporate kidnapping seminar in the unusual setting of Iceland.

As the story takes place primary in Iceland the author allows the reader to share in the adventure of a different culture through his descriptive prose, somewhat like a visiting tourist. Learning about Icelandic delicacies – minke whale, smoked puffin, and Icelandic lamb; Getting lost on the Icelandic streets Bolstaoarhio, Braedraborgarstigur and places like Kópavegur; or stumbling over all these names – who but an Icelander could pronounce, including those of some of the characters, e.g., Stig Trygvasson and Dagnyár Eyjólfsdóttir.

The novel is fast-paced and well-plotted as the story moves to a twist-filled ending and the protagonist does confront what he imagines as “the worst thing” when a group of radical soldiers actually take him hostage – and it isn’t until nearly the bitter end, that Bryan realizes he just might be his own worst enemy.  The Worst Case is an interesting an enjoyable read that has appeal for intermediate and adult readers, alike.

P.J. Coldren‘s Review:

Bryan Bennett is a designer of hostage negotiation programs and security systems.  He comes to this profession in an unusual way: he was kidnapped as a child in Turkey, held for ransom, and tortured.  This experience left him with chronic panic attacks as well as a major jones against dealing directly with kidnappers in hostage situations.  His track record in that department is 50%; he’s unwilling to risk making it worse.

He is offered a job right up his alley.  The downside is it’s in Iceland and Bryan won’t fly.  He decides, on the advice of his therapist, to go anyway.  She tells him the best way to make the panic attacks go away is to confront them, embrace them.  The job is easy enough, once he and his wife Lori get there.  It’s a corporate kidnapping seminar; Bryan can do these in his sleep.

There is a kidnapping, a murder, and conspiracies gone wrong.  Elkins takes Bryan into his worst nightmare, and the reader gets to go along for the ride.  Bryan confronts not only his fears, but also someone from his past, someone with a grudge.  Elkins is writing at least in part what he knows here: he suffered from panic attacks for a decade.  Elkins can write a thriller with the best of them, and he has.  The real kicker is the last chapter, when Bryan is home again.

Warning: Some language issues and violence.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Genre: Short Stories

Publisher: Akashic Books

Publication Date: May 2011

Reviewed by P.J. Coldren

BARCELONA NOIR is a collection of short, sometimes very dark, stories set in various districts of Barcelona.  Barcelona is a city with a past, once known as the world capital of anarchy and as the city of bombs.  It isn’t all wonderful architecture, tapas, and two different versions of the Spanish language.   It has a seamier side, just as any major city does.  Fourteen writers give you their view of this wonderful yet very imperfect city.  Some stories take place in the past, some in the flexible present.  There are stories of love and of revenge.  Some stories are straight-forward and there are some that will challenge the average reader.  There is probably a story to suit almost any reader, although some are more work than others.

Akashic Books has done NOIR series about many cities, from Baltimore to LA, from Moscow to Trinidad, and dozens in between.  If you enjoy this book, there is probably a book about a city you know and love.  Don’t hesitate to track it down.  This press has great editors, for BARCELONA NOIR and all the other embodiments of NOIR around the world.

Warning: Some language issues, violence, sex.  This IS a book for adults, adults with a feel for the dark side.

Review Copy provided by publisher.

Jake Chism chats with Randy Singer about the re-release of False Witness and how readers can help support the Dalit Christians who are being persecuted in India.

Read our review of False Witness here.

More about Randy Singer:

Randy believes it’s important to simultaneously hold a number of different jobs so that if he gets fired by two employers the same day, he can still avoid the unemployment line. He splits his time and divides his personality between Randy Singer, critically acclaimed author, Randy Singer, veteran trial lawyer, and Randy Singer, ministry leader and preacher. When he grows up, he will decide what he really wants to do.

This interview can be downloaded from iTunes or streamed below:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Genre: Legal Thriller

Publisher: Tyndale

Publication Date: May 2011

Reviewed by Jake Chism

Law student Jaime Brock dreams of becoming a prosecutor so she can take down criminals and dole out justice. Part of her training includes volunteering for a local legal aid clinic under the supervision of one of her professors. Little does she know that her newest client, David Hoffman, will change her life in ways she never imagined.

David and Stacie Hoffman are on the run and the stakes couldn’t be higher. In their former lives they testified against the Chinese mafia in return for new lives in the Witness Protection program. The government promised to protect them at all costs, but when the Chinese mafia tracks them down again, the Hoffman’s smell foul play. In their possession is an algorithm that holds the key to unlock every Internet security measure that exists. Both the Chinese mafia and the government will go to great lengths to get their hands on the algorithm, and David and Stacie no longer know who to trust. Their only hope lies in the hands of Jaime Brock and her friends.

Randy Singer never disappoints and this retelling of his 2007 release is further proof. Read the rest of this entry »

Join in the fun as Jake Chism, Lori Twichell, Josh Olds, and James Andrew Wilson discuss Gravestone, the second book in Travis Thrasher’s Solitary Tales series. Spoilers abound for both Solitary and Gravestone, so if you haven’t read the books consider yourself warned!!

Don’t miss our print review of Gravestone here.

This podcast can be downloaded from iTunes or streamed below:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Genre: YA, Mystery, Suspense

Publisher: David C. Cook

Publication Date: June 2011

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

If you’re reading Gravestone, it’s likely that you will have read the book that comes before it, Solitary. If not, stop now, go the library or your closest store and get a copy. Gravestone is not the book with which you want to start. Now that said, there be spoilers for Solitary in this review, so if you haven’t read that one yet, you might want to wait on this review as well.

Now that all of the housekeeping is out of the way, let me start by saying this. Chris Buckley is in trouble. If he didn’t realize it before, he knows it now. Everyone in the town believes that his girlfriend, Jocelyn, broke up with him and moved away. They’ve even gotten emails to prove that she’s there and she wants nothing to do with him. But Chris knows different. Jocelyn was killed by a group of people right in front of his eyes. He watched her die. But no one believes him and now, he’s on their radar.

So as Chris tries to keep his head down at the same time that he tries to figure out how to get himself and his mother out of this mess. Oh and speaking of his mother, she’s in the mess too. She’s been having nightmares at night about a man coming into her room. Or are they nightmares? And what’s up with that creepy pastor of that weird church with the upside down crosses?? Why’s he suddenly hanging around so much?

As Travis Thrasher’s Solitary series presses on toward what we can only imagine is a cataclysmic battle of good and evil, this second installment to the series leaves no thrills or chills behind. Unfolding like an old fashioned Hitchcockian adventure, this book is guaranteed to leave you with goose bumps and perhaps, a desire to check all the cabinetry in your home to be sure it’s really what it’s supposed to be. Read the rest of this entry »

Genre: Suspense

Publisher: Waterbrook Press

Publication Date: June 2011

Reviewed by Tim George

Crocket Grey is a school teacher, a divorced weekend dad and a man on a collision course with his own inner demons. His story begins with his annual drunken binge held in honor of a daughter whose death a few years earlier left Crocket missing a piece of himself. But on this night before the Scotch Whiskey has had a chance to completely dull his pain or senses, he sees the ghost of his lost daughter at the window. What follows will change everything about the way Crocket Grey perceives the world and life.

In the Canary List, Sigmund Brouwer, immerses the reader in the story of a man forced to rethink everything about his life and reality. The image at his window is not a ghost but rather, Jamie, a 12 year foster child from his school class. Jamie’s request to spend one night in peace can’t be refused. And even though Crocket has the sense to have his elderly neighbor keep the girl for the night, the die is cast for his world to be turned inside out.

Jamie feels Evil. Not evil in some generic form but rather Evil personified in certain people she comes into contact with.  As a result she has come under the guidance of a psychiatrist seeking to help her and a representative from the Vatican who has answered the doctor’s call for help. Before Crocket knows what is happening he is ensnared in a web of deception, cover-up and an incredible plot that threatens to either save or destroy the Catholic Church.

What makes this story work is its ambiguity. Crocket doesn’t believe in God, the supernatural and certainly not demons. The reader can’t miss the irony of a man who memorializes his dead daughter and failed marriage by drinking himself into oblivion but dismisses the possibility of demons without a thought. When he becomes a captive of a plot within the Vatican to “fix” the selection of the next Pope, he meets Cardinals just as conflicted, including an official exorcist who doesn’t believe any more than Crocket Grey.

If you are beginning to think this is a horror tale with little girls’ heads twisting in the wind, forget it. The Canary List is not that kind of a story. Instead, it is a story of intrigue that will leave you guessing to the very last page what really happened. Read the rest of this entry »

Genre: Mystery, Historical

Publisher: Harper Collins

Publication Date: August 2010

Reviewed by P.J. Coldren

Bess Crawford is on her way back to England having survived the sinking of the Britannic with only a broken arm.  She is on a mission.  One of the patients she nursed until he died has asked her to deliver a very specific message to a very specific family member, with the obvious intention of righting an old wrong.  She is rather surprised that the family does not intend to do anything in response to her message.

Due to some circumstances that don’t seem unlikely, given the time period, Bess begins to have some idea of what that wrong might have been.  Based on her upbringing and her career, she feels an obligation to pursue an investigation that nobody else wants pursued.  All the while, she is trying to keep her father from finding out what she is doing; he would almost certainly not approve.  She is further driven by a feeling that she failed another patient (not related to the family in question) and succeeding in righting this wrong will go a long way toward assuaging the guilt she feels about her perceived failure. Read the rest of this entry »

Genre: Drama

Publisher: Twelve – Hachette Book Group / Grand Central Publishing

Publication Date: February 2011

Reviewed by Chrystal Dorsey

Benjamin Hale’s award-winning first novel, The Evolution of Bruno Littlemore, is a relentlessly inventive coming-of-age narrative told from the point of view of Bruno. Bruno is powerfully complex, Bruno had a sexual relationship with his caregiver, Lydia Littlemore, a university primatologist, Bruno murdered someone, Bruno is imprisoned for a murder he can’t bring himself to regret   Bruno himself and the outrageous arrogance in which he narrates this, his memoir, is comparable to that of, Humbert Humbert -the vain and vile protagonist, in Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita.  There is however, a notable difference, …

Bruno happens to be the world’s first talking chimpanzee, a highly intelligent and articulate species, with an ever-expanding vocabulary. This stunning debut novel chronicles the extraordinary events that lead to his imprisonment for murdering a man… The subject matter is serious in nature yet it includes humor, violence, heartbreak and perversion. Bruno’s fictional memoir stands apart for its brilliant and striking expression of what it feels like to be human – and finding one’s own voice. Read the rest of this entry »

Genre: Mystery, Horror, Psychological Thriller

Publisher: Kensington

Publication Date:  February 2011

Reviewed by Jennifer S. Roman

This book has been sitting on my pile of books to review for a while, and since I have already read Funaro’s The Sculptor, I was getting antsy to get to The Impaler.  It was definitely worth the wait.  It’s not written in the typical murder mystery style; rather, there are three parts to the story.  In the first part, Detective Markham and the reader are introduced to the gruesome murders that start appearing in rural North Carolina.  People are impaled with large stakes through their rectums and out through their upper torsos.  At first glance, all the victims appear to be gang members, but some sleuthing turns up another connection.  In part two, the reader is introduced to The General, who is the Impaler.  He refers to himself as the General because he is the leader of the army meant to take out certain people in order to reconnect with loved ones on “the other side.”  Obviously, this person has severe mental issues and a lack of connection to reality.  This portion focuses on his history and how he became the General/Impaler.  Finally, in the third part, the reader is treated to the General’s final plans and Markham’s tracking down of this killer.  Where a usual murder mystery would leave the reader guessing until the end to find out who the killer is, Funaro uses a different tactic and decides to let the reader know by the second part.  A great deal of story is written from the General/Impaler’s perspective, which really lends a shot of creepiness to the whole thing.

I have been a fan of some other psychological thriller writers for some time, but they have become old hat compared to Gregory Funaro.  They may sometimes put some more surprises out there, but Funaro manages to get into the sickness, the madness, of what is going on in these killers’ heads.  Read the rest of this entry »

Genre: Satire

Publisher: Touchstone

Publication Date:  April 2011

Reviewed by Jennifer S. Roman

Based on the hilarious yet unbelievably reprehensible actions of today’s athlete parents, Parents Behaving Badly chronicles not only the children who want to play Little League baseball, but also their fanatic and misguided parents who encourage them.

Ben Holden and his family just moved back to his small hometown in California from New York to care for his wife’s ailing mother.  At the beginning of the story, Ben’s emotionally distant father, a beloved high school baseball coach, dies.  Ben cannot quite understand the community’s almost cult-like outpouring of love and worship of his father.  While he was a great coach, he never really had a warm and loving relationship with his sons.  Inspired by their grandfather, Ben’s sons decide to sign up for Little League, and Ben gets cajoled into being a coach.  Intertwined with Ben’s growing realization of what made his father the way he was are stories of parents who just go too far in supporting their children and their teams.  Draft Day is more like a strategic military operation instead of just choosing teams.  The team party is just an excuse for parents to bribe the coaches to see how far their kids can advance.  Even being a parent cheering in the stands is not enough; Ben and his wife, as well as the other parents, are expected to take turns manning the snack bar, cleaning the dugout, and other chores.  Throughout the story, parents display appalling manners and behaviors that seem to be too outrageous to be real, but sadly, they are.  Gummer manages to make these behaviors entertaining for a novel but at the same time points out just how deplorable they are. Read the rest of this entry »