In Dawn of the Firebird, Sarah Mughal Rana delivers a sweeping high fantasy that burns with vengeance, magic, and the weight of history. At its heart is Khamilla Zahr-zad, the daughter of an overthrown emperor whose life has been shaped by war and loss. Gifted with the celestial power of nur, she infiltrates the enemy’s […]
In Aphrodite, Phoenicia Rogerson breathes new life into the goddess of love, war, and beauty—recasting her not as a passive icon, but as a fierce, complex force who shaped the ancient world with wit, desire, and unapologetic power. Rogerson’s storytelling is lush and lyrical, blending myth with emotional truth in a way that feels both […]
In The Dead Come to Stay, Brandy Schillace invites readers into a world where the past refuses to remain buried—and the dead are anything but silent. Main character Jo is an autistic American thrust into the English countryside when she inherits a decaying estate in The Framed Women of Ardemore House (Ardemore House #1). In […]
Stepping into the pages of Gu Byeong-mo’s Apartment Women is like entering a vibrant tapestry of everyday lives intricately woven with themes of community, resilience, and the quiet strength of women. This remarkable novel offers a window into the heart and soul of apartment living in modern South Korea, bringing to life a chorus of […]
It finally feels like winter here in Northern Illinois, so why not sit down with a book, a hot cup of tea, and a warm blanket? Today I have an excerpt from Emma Cook’s YOU CAN’T HURT ME. Featuring a neuroscientist who works in a laboratory studying pain in humans and a woman he falls […]
Happy weekend! I ended this week with a fantastic historical novel set in England during World War II, THE BOOKLOVER’S LIBRARY. Featuring a widow who’s entire life has been books just trying to get by with her daughter when World War II becomes a real threat to Nottingham. Here’s an excerpt and my review is […]
Let’s embark on a literary journey through the enchanting streets of Edinburgh with The Ghost Cat by Alex Howard. I have an excerpt for you today from this book following feline Grimalkin as he traverses 120 years, prowling unseen among the inhabitants of an Edinburgh tenement. His nine lives unfold, each one a chapter in the […]
For my next book on HTP Books’ Summer 2024 Blog Tours, I listened to Randy Wayne White’s ONE DEADLY EYE. This thriller is a masterful blend of suspense, action, and atmospheric writing, promising a thrilling ride through the heart of the storm. Here’s an excerpt and stick around to the end for my thoughts. 1 […]
Welcome to HTP Books’ Summer 2024 Blog Tours. I’m starting this season with a fascinating historical novel by Kuchenga Shenjé. THE LIBRARY THIEF is her debut novel set in the late 1800s. It features old books, mystery, intrigue, and scandals—what more could a reader ask for? The story starts with a scandal that I thought […]
Happy Weekend! This week, I really enjoyed listening to THE FRAMED WOMEN OF ARDEMORE HOUSE by Brandy Schillace. There are a lot of the things that I love in this book, like American transplants in England, a good mystery, a little bit of murder, and quirky locals that just make everything more real. Here’s an […]
Want a thriller or mystery to cozy up under a blanket with, to read the day away during the holidays? John Marrs’ THE VACATION will fit the bill. Here’s an excerpt and stick around at the end for my review. PROLOGUE Venice Beach, Los Angeles “That’s her,” the driver yelled to the three men waiting […]
I’m back today after a short break for a death in the family and a really badly timed sinus infection on my part to bring you an excerpt for Nadine Matheson’s latest thriller, THE BINDING ROOM. I often enjoy books like this that are written by attorneys since they have a unique perspective to the […]
I haven’t read a collection of short stories in a really long time. When the chance to read the nineteen-story anthology from Mystery Writers of America authors, When a Stranger Comes to Town, popped up, I eagerly downloaded the book from Netgalley. With many authors–both well-known and newer to the mystery genre–each contributing a story […]
