The Leaning Tower

by Charles McNeill
Warren Publishing

book review by Kate Robinson

“In the past, he had wrongly assumed academics pursued the truth wherever it might lead.”

The relationships between instructors working in a dysfunctional sociology department at a fictional Florida university in the late 1980s are realistically explored in this novella by educator McNeill. While many workplaces, whether in government, the private for-profit sector, or even non-profit organizations, have these ego-driven, ideological clashes that create a hostile environment for some employees but provide unfair advantages to others, this story reveals the particular problems that arise in academic settings, and in this case, with dramatic, destructive results. The drama is also a cautionary tale determined by various departmental cliques that disregard the warning signs of trouble ahead for not only department faculty but for the entire university and the outside community as well.

The story is told through the point of view of Alistair Fairbairn, a professor who gave up his career in Scotland for a career at Ocala University in the United States. He and his friend Alex Katz, as the critical faction of their department, often muse together about department politics and the many weaknesses and conflicts that permeate their academic environment. “ [Alistair] stopped to consider the scene as a whole: always waiting to take the stage were the Insiders, Radicals, Arrogant, Manipulators, and the Obnoxious, to a lesser extent the Supporters and the Vulnerables making rare, if any, appearances or comments.” In this quotation about a departmental meeting, Alistair doesn’t mention the Mafia Network, Administrators, or the Graduate Students (nor he and Alex as the Critics), but these groups also contribute to the uneasy political stew of department dynamics.

The cast of characters is large (and it’s helpful that the author has provided a character list), but due to the short novella length of the tale, Alistair is by necessity the protagonist and carrier of almost all concerns about his co-workers’ hypocrisies and the department’s welfare. There are occasional supporting observations from Alex, a formal, articulate speaker. Alistair and Alex point out the dysfunctional and destructive practices in evaluation, promotion, and tenure decisions that McNeill describes as the most politicized aspects of the department but are typically ignored by the department factions with greater power. Alistair and Alex note in clear detail the various personality quirks and ego-driven responses of personnel in various states of employment that create undeserved havoc for newcomers and deserving employees who have done all the right things but are still denied promotion and tenure: “The two friends continued to analyze the toxic atmosphere, marveling at the degree to which academics lacked self-awareness or political skills to actually bring about effective social change.”

At once satirical yet realistic, the ongoing dysfunction related by McNeill in this fictional university department is possibly inspired by his personal experiences in academia. The reality factor is strong in this story, even though it is occasionally described by telling the story rather than showing it actively. The story moves quickly to a dramatic outcome that serves as one of the novella’s most powerful scenes. Readers, especially those who have experienced life in the ivory towers of academia themselves, will find the quiet, cerebral wit and the frustrating employment scenario in this tale intriguing and satisfying.

Sun Tzu’s Café

by Eric Bornstein
MindStir Media

book review by Mihir Shah

“This plan would allow the CPC to gain access to America’s upcoming best and brightest young minds.”

Transporting audiences into a riveting espionage thriller, Bornstein pushes the limits of science and technology to create a potentially cataclysmic outcome that is as plot-centric as it is character-driven. Loyalties are tested regularly, revealing the fortitude of the main characters and their determination to achieve their goals at all costs. Not your typical thriller, the narrative is tied to one’s roots, family, and being wronged in a way that can’t easily be forgiven.

The novel centers around Li Qiang, a budding chemistry graduate from Columbia University, who gets strong armed into assisting government intelligence in their covert operations. Deeper at the root of Bornstein’s work is an exploration of a pivotal moment in the fusion of history: the Sino-Japanese War and the subsequent, tragic demise of countless Chinese Americans due to President Arthur’s passing of the Chinese Exclusion Act. While assets are often inherited by future generations, Qiang inherited an unshakeable desire for revenge from his grandfather Ming, who experienced the immense and systematic loss of his family firsthand. Describing it as “smoldering resentment,” Qiang is playing the long game, a chess grandmaster of sorts who is setting up his enemy for a fatal blow.

Qiang is brought on board by US intelligence to infiltrate the Chinese national government through Project CHATTER. Similarly, Project JAVA-WAR utilizes the integration of hallucinogens and psychedelics, specifically the psychoactive cannabinoid mescaline, to give rise to the next level of chemical warfare with devastating results: schizophrenia and psychosis. Its premise is simple: use the Sun Tzu Cafe to target unsuspecting coffee shopgoers who just so happen to be graduate students and the brightest American minds. Unsurprisingly, they would then profile them and manipulate the information to fit their agenda.

Interestingly, the author uses the historical fiction platform to shed light on watershed moments in US espionage history, such as Project MKULTRA, allowing younger audiences to become privy to the magnitude of intelligence ploys on both sides of the competition. For example, Dr. Champlain and Dr. Asher Berenson use their research knowledge to counter what Qiang has planned, resulting in a frenetic who-blinks-first sequence of events that are simultaneously action-packed and contemplative.

While chemical and biological warfare isn’t necessarily a novel topic, the resolve of an individual determined to serve retribution to his former employers, to get justice for his grandfather and family members, and to respond to the endless threats against his own parents transform the narrative from a simple espionage saga to one that is intensely personal. Qiang’s determination transcends even time as he’s ready to continue the battle with future generations if he is not able to get the revenge he seeks.

From a narrative perspective, the work is a gem, spinning a seamless story that has audiences invested in Qiang. Much of the intrigue with his character stems from his timely references to quotes from Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. This is seen in quotes like this: “To fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting.” It is in these moments and passages when audiences fully buy in that this is not simply going to be resolved with brute force but rather an elongated, drawn-out mind game where the main player sees nothing but revenge and will stop short of nothing to exact that, even if that means finding a wife in his middle-age years to create spawn that he can train to continue the generational warfare.

Though there are many characters who play a central role, the core of the work revolves around the the concept of resilience and commitment to a cause, come hell or high water. It is this quality that undoubtedly will be endearing to audiences. When combined with an electric plot that is devoid of any dull moments, Bornstein’s work makes for an enriching read, a thought-provoking probe into the inner workings of central intelligence as a whole.

RECOMMENDED by the US Review

Men Who Walk in Dreams

by Marisa Labozzetta
Guernica Editions

book review by Michael Radon

“Dad smiled, a glimmer of hope tickling his mustache. He’s always wanted to believe there’s more between me and Marlene than a plate of cookies.”

Through the medium of the short story, characters are introduced in moments when their candles are burning the brightest. The reader is served a cross-section of these fictional lives in a manageable fraction that packs the most flavor and impression into the smallest number of bites. One might not expect these defining scenes to include the quitting of one’s job to discover one’s true calling in authentic mozzarella cheese, or a frustrated series of phone calls between two people whose love never really got to reach its potential even after decades, but life often happens before it can be prepared for. This compilation of evocative stories and scenes thrusts readers into the unexpected, only to be dazzled and captivated by raw emotion, personal insight, and the occasional water buffalo.

From the first page, the author’s meticulous and masterful choice of language makes its presence very clear and offers each scene as a window into the soul or just a perfect description of a dark, snowy day. Each story, for the most part, provides entirely new locales and lifestyles that are so stark that a description of a wallpaper pattern manages to land on equally thunderous footing as a revealed closed-door affair. There is a constant mystique of potential in each selection as if the characters are capable of any imagined outcome, and it makes for an addictive and entertaining read to see which possibility becomes final. Artistic, curious, and with an arsenal of emotional gut punches, this is a collection of short stories that belongs in the library of any thoughtful, off-center reader.

RECOMMENDED by the US Review

What Lies Buried

by Leslie Kain
Atmosphere Press

book review by Toby Berry

“Permission to feel. And now permission to be…”

Gavin DiMasi has a terrible childhood of being tormented by his twin brother and their father. But when his parents and brother die, DiMasi is the last man standing to deal with all of the family’s dirty laundry. Not only were his father and brother cruel, but they also left a mob mess to mop up. DiMasi’s wife tries to save him from his memories and the mob while simultaneously working to protect herself and their child from being sucked into his dark world. Readers learn from DiMasi and his wife’s dialogues with their counselor, Dr. Pederson, and are reminded of the slow road to recovery. Pederson says, “If Gavin’s life were fiction, his behavior would self-correct after one explanation. But words can’t rewire the neurological damage from his lifetime of traumatic assaults.”

The term PTSD is thrown about daily, casually even, but this book paints a vivid picture of the intensity and disabling horror of complex PTSD (CPTSD). The main character’s angst becomes the reader’s angst. To read this novel is to understand better post-traumatic stress disorder, clinically and emotionally, but also to be entertained through the interrelated mysterious mob story. The vivid descriptions of the main character’s CPTSD episodes help readers understand the disorder on a deeper level. The other noteworthy quality is the prose. Good writing is conversational but clever. A person should not need a dictionary to read a book, but a strong use of vocabulary, when no other words say it better, is what authors strive for. Kain nails it, “…plunging him into emotional catatonia unassuaged by the app on his phone the meditation guide gave him.” Despite the difficult subject matter, this book is artfully written, entertaining, and intriguing. Whether reading for pure entertainment or as therapy, this one is a must-read.

RECOMMENDED by the US Review

Storm Surge

by Stephen Reger

book review by Mari Carlson

“What happens to one of us… happens to all of us.”

In 1618-1619, as a civil war between Protestants and Catholics comes to a head across Europe, two formidable sisters, Vanessa and Sarlatova, and their entourage head to Vienna to report atrocities against Catholics that they’ve witnessed. Ferdinand, the archduke and their father, is the leader of Stormsong, a Catholic group defending the throne, but with the emperor dying, Ferdinand assumes control. However, not everyone makes the same assumption about his succession of power. Protestants and others contesting Ferdinand for one reason or another band together, in some cases outnumbering the Catholic stronghold. As the sisters learn more about their father and the political situation during their journey, their goals change. Meanwhile, Ferdinand sends various parties in search of his daughters. But is it for good or ill?

This second book of a trilogy opens with the disclaimer that the history as it has thus far been reported is wrong. Instead of correcting mistakes and, in fact, deliberately misdating and misnaming some historical events and characters for the sake of streamlining the story, the truth the book tells readers is that history is personal. History’s relevance is brought to the fore by setting sweeping social, religious, and military movements alongside a narrative of two sisters gaining knowledge about their past and their identities. Through vibrant, superlative, and contrasting personalities, the story brings history’s impact to life, not only for these protagonists but also for readers compelled by their struggles and triumphs.

The book’s conflict centers around the sisters’ magical powers. Setting aside whether magic is real or not, the book’s use of the supernatural is thrilling and intriguing. For her outspoken ability to cause storms with her song, Sarlatova is called a witch, among other put-downs. Vanessa’s powers, on the other hand, emerge over the course of the book. She becomes a heroine by overcoming that which keeps her from expressing her powers. She is a source of conflict and strife. She is frustratingly stubborn and used to getting her way as the heiress to an archduke but yet also generous and fair. Her immersive and mesmerizing, if not magical, combination of qualities keeps readers’ attention.

The two sisters’ bickering over their differences reflects the larger context in which they fight. The story, though, focuses on reconciliation. While most of the action takes place in descriptive passages, dialogue advances the novel’s philosophical underpinnings. With entertaining accents and idiosyncrasies, characters discuss forgiveness, moral obligations, and God-given (magical) gifts. Their jaunty conversations contemporize an ancient tale. Against the backdrop of factions planning and battling, the main plot remains focused on Vanessa’s change of heart about her abilities as she experiences forgiveness from her sister and the others in her traveling party.

Other storylines interlock with Vanessa’s. The parallel woes of a baker accused of witchcraft, a desperate rabbi, and abused siblings, among other mysterious personages, bring Vanessa closer to transformation in their relationships with her. At times, the number of interwoven subplots and bits of historical data about imperial troops, religious orders, and politics is dizzying. However, everything manages to be held together by Vanessa’s storyline. Toggling between threads in short chapters, this long book reads quickly. Clever segues weave the segments together. The tone is driving, with pictures of wanton brutality meted out by both warring sides met with equally strident expressions of love. Toward the end, the plots dovetail, and the writing becomes chantlike and rhythmic, with repeated phrases mirroring the forces marching toward the site of the archduke’s secret weapon. The novel ends on a precipitous note that works to bait readers toward the final book in the trilogy.

Mystic Prince

by M. A. Richter
Alexander Publishing

book review by Joyce Jacobo

“You made that choice of your own free will. I want you to flourish and fulfill your potential.”

Prince Khael Stratton is a mystic who seeks to deepen his knowledge of such arts to help those in need. Following a mission, he reports to the city of Cambridge—ruled over by his brother—and has a close encounter with a pickpocket who steals his signet ring. Alongside his bodyguard, Grant, the prince manages to track down the young woman, Vixen, who suffers from a foggy memory while demonstrating a great talent for skills associated with assassins. Prince Khael finds it an odd happenstance in a time when a terrorist group known as the Chelevkori are making active attempts to eliminate the royal family for a perceived wrongdoing by his grandfather, Loren, and it is further compounded by reports that tyrannical rule has seized the city of Skemmelsham over which he rules. Prince Khael forges a contract with Vixen, and with Grant, they go on a journey to liberate the city.

This novel features a lot of interesting worldbuilding, with distinctions made between the mystic arts and magic and a solid exploration of how the political tensions evolved between the groups involved. It is also very much a love story between Prince Khael and Vixen as they seek to uncover more about her past and deal with the complications of building a relationship amid their unique circumstances. In a fantasy world where most of the corrupt guards seem focused on carnal pleasures at the first opportunity, the ties between the prince and Vixen are notable for their being respectful and patient towards each other. The action scenes are also done well and flow along at a fast pace. One of the most powerful messages in the story, however, is in expressing the dangers of having history twisted to indoctrinate communities and manipulate people. It is very relatable in that respect and a decent start to what will clearly become a much larger fantasy series.

RECOMMENDED by the US Review

Creager: The War Paint Killer Saga

by L. Hanson

book review by Philip Zozzaro

“This is just the beginning; I can feel it in my bones.”

Bedford Township has seen its share of ups and downs as a community, from prosperity to near desertion. In 2012, the announcement of the construction of a new dam has led to rejuvenation. However, a new problem has arisen with new arrivals as crime has begun to skyrocket. Detective Ben Creager and his partner, Ritch, are experiencing this phenomenon firsthand with each new crime scene to explore. The crimes are becoming more brazen, from daylight shootouts between thieves and security guards to the string of murders that appear almost ritualistic in nature. Creager’s skills are put to the test, as is his mental health, since he has never fully recovered from a near-fatal car crash in his youth. As the 911 calls keep coming in, Bedford Township’s future may be in doubt.

Bedlam has begun to consume the suburban Bedford Township as the book begins, and the possibility of it reaching epic proportions provides much of the thrills. Although he is the primary character, Ben Creager is only one of many interesting characters who figure prominently throughout the book. For instance, his partner, Ritch, is developed as a solid supporting character who ably backs up the protagonist when not actively seeking out the next paramour in his life. Meanwhile, Creager’s friend Boggs works as a radio DJ and may aid in getting a serial killer to surface unless the killer gets to him first. As the protagonist’s friend, he serves as a plot device that not only raises the stakes for Creager to solve the case but also increases the overall suspense in the book. Ben’s support system is his wife, Sheri, a doctor with endless patience and the kindest of hearts. The author balances aspects of melancholy with humor, romance, and suspense. In short, the story proves entertaining in every conceivable way.

RECOMMENDED by the US Review

Murder in Concrete

by Arthur Coburn
The Wild Rose Press

book review by Kat Kennedy

“You students are like our concrete, strong enough to weather troubles that would undo most people.”

In his farewell speech to graduating seniors in the small town of Concrete, the principal describes the graduates as “strong enough to weather troubles that would undo most people.” Charlie can’t fathom how she will have to put that theory to the test. But that same day, her panicked father tells her to immediately leave Concrete without going home. Charlie soon discovers her mother has been murdered. Then, her father’s body is pulled from a nearby river. After her parents’ horrible deaths, she suffers from PTSD, which causes hallucinations and disorientation. She decides to attend university, but her unnerving hallucinations cause her to shy away from others. It also seems she is being followed, and she fears whoever killed her parents is after her. By chance, she discovers her father is alive. Charlie’s search for answers lands her on a movie set, which begins a rollicking adventure with colorful characters.

This is one of those novels that has the reader invested from the first. Losing both parents in a matter of hours, the protagonist sets off on a dangerous quest for truth. Coburn’s handling of Charlie’s psychological problems brought on by her parents’ deaths is spot-on, with Charlie slipping from the present to the past in a frightening, and sometimes public, reaction to her delusions. Though struggling with the results of trauma, Charlie remains a strong character determined to find the truth regardless of the danger. This leads to some nail-biting scenes and unexpected plot twists. The author does a wonderful job of building the plot into a surprising ending. Many interesting details are included in the narrative about the movie business. This novel delivers on characterization as well as plot. Appropriate for both young adult and older readers, this one is excellent from start to finish.

RECOMMENDED by the US Review

Water Music: A Cape Cod Story

by Marcia Peck
Sea Crow Press

book review by Kate Robinson

“Tides filled and emptied our small world and I tried to figure out who belonged to whom.”

In the summer of 1956, eleven-year-old (soon to be twelve) Lily Grainger describes her family’s annual summer vacation at their undeveloped property on the shore of a salt pond on Cape Cod. As this coming-of-age novel progresses, it mirrors the Beaufort scale of wind velocities that mark each chapter heading with increasing speeds and potential damages, an apt reminder of the increasing tension in Lily’s parents’ marriage and the marriage of her forceful Uncle George and delicate Aunt Fanny. Lily describes this crescendo of life-changing events in the prologue: “All summer the storm gathered and gathered, took its breath from every direction we thought we knew, and lashed us into spindrift.” Interestingly, the summer of 1956 is meaningful historically as the shipwreck of the Andrea Doria happened nearby on a July evening.

The story is gracefully measured by the author’s love of music. Peck is a cellist and is fascinated with musical connections to language. Lily’s growth throughout the tale is colored not only by her love of the picturesque, watery environments of Cape Cod and her adventures with her older sister Dodie and her cousin Nicole but also by her interest in learning to play classical cello. Lily and her mother, Lydia, observe the atmospheric stranding of pilot whales as it becomes ever apparent that their relationship is also stranded.

Lily’s resemblance to her father, Weston, and her mother’s unconscious preference for her older sister make life more complicated. Peck punctuates the family turmoil repeatedly with familiar forces—a competitive relationship between the adult brothers, insults from a stony grandmother, excuses from a codependent grandfather, and the unrelenting summer storm that leads to more than one unexpected tragedy. Lyrically rendered prose, unforgettable characters, and vividly wrought settings thrust this nuanced debut novel into the lofty realm of a masterpiece.

RECOMMENDED by the US Review

Mystic Prince

by M. A. Richter
Alexander Publishing

book review by Joyce Jacobo

“You made that choice of your own free will. I want you to flourish and fulfill your potential.”

Prince Khael Stratton is a mystic who seeks to deepen his knowledge of such arts to help those in need. Following a mission, he reports to the city of Cambridge—ruled over by his brother—and has a close encounter with a pickpocket who steals his signet ring. Alongside his bodyguard, Grant, the prince manages to track down the young woman, Vixen, who suffers from a foggy memory while demonstrating a great talent for skills associated with assassins. Prince Khael finds it an odd happenstance in a time when a terrorist group known as the Chelevkori are making active attempts to eliminate the royal family for a perceived wrongdoing by his grandfather, Loren, and it is further compounded by reports that tyrannical rule has seized the city of Skemmelsham over which he rules. Prince Khael forges a contract with Vixen, and with Grant, they go on a journey to liberate the city.

This novel features a lot of interesting worldbuilding, with distinctions made between the mystic arts and magic and a solid exploration of how the political tensions evolved between the groups involved. It is also very much a love story between Prince Khael and Vixen as they seek to uncover more about her past and deal with the complications of building a relationship amid their unique circumstances. In a fantasy world where most of the corrupt guards seem focused on carnal pleasures at the first opportunity, the ties between the prince and Vixen are notable for their being respectful and patient towards each other. The action scenes are also done well and flow along at a fast pace. One of the most powerful messages in the story, however, is in expressing the dangers of having history twisted to indoctrinate communities and manipulate people. It is very relatable in that respect and a decent start to what will clearly become a much larger fantasy series.

RECOMMENDED by the US Review