In the Foursquare Pentecostal Church in the 1960s, Kelly J. Beard’s mother saw demons, though those demons ended up being nothing like Beard’s childhood self imagined: “Instead, they will appear in fires and floods, in her... Read More

Mother Simorq—equal parts witness, healer, and wise woman—offers a visionary alternative for women who transcend painful histories. Azadeh Azad’s "Thus Speaks Mother Simorq" gives voice to a mythological Persian bird woman. In... Read More

A retiree-cum-international-spy finds himself zipping around the world in this wish-fulfillment thriller. David Halfpenny’s spy novel "48 Hours" crisscrosses the globe from England to continental Europe and Afghanistan. The narrative... Read More

Rocket Malone is not thrilled with the direction her life is taking. Her mom has just remarried, and they are moving from their hip cottage in Venice Beach to her stepfather’s home in Hollywood. Her best friend, Gillian, has a new... Read More

Kearns skillfully walks the tightrope between feminist polemic and literary experiment. "Kingdom of Women" turns the tables on patriarchy, creating an alternate world where bands of vigilante women strike back at transgressors. Rosalie... Read More

Winsome protagonists return in this novel that pays tribute to the classic, closed-society English mystery. Donna Fletcher Crow’s affable, problem-solving duo returns in "A Most Singular Venture", the fifth volume in a literary... Read More

A Prospect for Murder is a contemplative and slow-paced mystery with fantastic scenery and lovely characterization. Jeanne Burrows-Johnson’s "Prospect for Murder" is a unique mystery set against the lush backdrop of Hawaii. A haunting... Read More

Realistic depictions of Ozark life and surviving memories of war make this novel compelling. Sara Rhodes and Bob Smith’s "Iniquities of Gulch Fork" is the believable story of vulnerable people falling prey to a con man, addiction, and... Read More