Everyday life in the American Southwest makes for an apt landscape for this coming-of-age novel of family secrets and maturing love. In Sophie’s House of Cards, teenage Sophie’s loud-mouthed whimsy and fragile attempts at sincerity... Read More

Shifts in time and from character to character parallel the motif of the swinging trapeze to reveal the circus-like perils of family relations. "Failing the Trapeze", by Susan V. Meyers, is an artfully crafted family drama. As the title... Read More

Both heart-pounding and intelligent, this dystopian thriller has the best of both worlds. Darin Bradley’s science fiction novel, "Chimpanzee", ties together philosophical theories of the self with a commentary on education and the... Read More

A tale of scientific experiments and research conducted by unique, compelling characters provokes philosophical thought. In "Enigma in Blue", Klaus Bytzek creates a cast of eccentric characters who posit questions about the nature of our... Read More

Unembellished prose details the bleak nature of PTSD in this character-driven novel. Pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps is the American way. But what if you can’t? What if those straps fall too short, or fall off completely?... Read More

Through both a love story and an exotic adventure in Thailand, Silver ramps up the suspense and keeps it high until the very last page. Anyone who wishes swashbuckling and seafaring romances weren’t confined to the days of yore will... Read More

Burnett takes the midlife crisis to a new, comedic level with the navel-gazing Malcolm Poe. Self-delusional, snarky, and narcissistic, Malcom Poe dreams of escape from his wife, his cushy editing job, and multimillion-dollar real estate.... Read More

Rock-bottom self-esteem, along with a desire to please, reaches a treacherous psychological cliff in Lurie’s frighteningly realistic novella. Art and pornography vie for prominence in this ultrasophisticated yet sordid take on fashion... Read More