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Hessman’s Necklace
Nicholas Litchfield’s Hessman’s Necklace is a gritty and fast-paced noir thriller set in 1950s America. The novel follows Ray Stokes, a rakish fixer with a thirst for danger, who is sent on a mission by his powerful boss to retrieve a legendary, long-lost necklace. His target? A sultry secretary in Boston and her corrupt lover, a reverend with a taste for contraband and secrets. The story winds through back alleys, smoky bars, and seedy motel rooms, all drenched in bourbon, betrayal, and lust. At its heart, this is a story of greed and moral decay disguised as a treasure hunt, and it plays out like a vintage film noir flick brought to life in brutal, unflinching detail.
What struck me most was the prose. It’s bold, lush, and rich with attitude. Litchfield doesn’t hold back. His writing practically swaggers across the page. There’s an almost hypnotic rhythm to it. Some of it is gloriously over the top: the metaphors, the bravado, the sexual tension. At times, I laughted, not because it was funny, but because it was so brazenly confident. And it works. The characters are larger than life, especially Ray Stokes, who’s every bit the cocky anti-hero, full of flaws and swagger, but weirdly easy to root for even when he’s being a jerk. I didn’t always like him, but I always wanted to see what he’d do next.
This isn’t a quiet, introspective read. It’s brash. It leans hard into noir tropes: femmes fatales, crooked men of the cloth, cynical quips, and backroom deals. But somehow it doesn’t feel tired. There’s a knowing wink in the storytelling, as if the author is in on the joke, and that self-awareness kept things sharp and fresh. The mystery is tight and satisfying, but it’s the mood that really sells it. Litchfield paints the era vividly, full of cigarette smoke and greasy diners and nights that never quite end.
Hessman’s Necklace is a love letter to pulp fiction fans, noir junkies, and readers who like their stories hot-blooded and full of bite. If you want to step into a world of shadows and sin with a smirking guide at your side, this book delivers. I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys Raymond Chandler, James M. Cain, or even Tarantino at his most playful. It’s a wild, messy, full-throttle ride, and I had a good time reading it.
Pages: 160 | ASIN: B0DXDFQR4W
There Are No Stars Here
There Are No Stars Here is a speculative dystopian novel set in a near-future America torn apart by environmental collapse, authoritarian control, and ideological warfare. At its heart are the lives of Manuel and Solanis, two young adults navigating fractured families, corrupted systems, and the lingering shadow of a manufactured plague called Haze. Through split narratives, the book builds an urgent picture of a society breaking under its own weight, where AI companions, dome cities, and militant resistance movements exist side by side with old-fashioned grief, duty, and hope. It’s a story of survival, identity, and the terrifying beauty of personal rebellion.
What I liked about Thompson’s writing is the way he captures tension like it’s a living, breathing thing. There’s this pulse running under every page, whether it’s the quiet horror of a dying parent or the chaos of a city in flames. The prose doesn’t try to impress you with its vocabulary. It’s blunt, fast, and full of teeth. That style worked wonders for me. I never felt lost in the world-building, and that’s a real feat in a book with this many moving pieces. The pacing can be relentless, but when the emotional moments hit, they hit hard. Manuel’s grief, Solanis’s panic, it all feels lived-in and earned. There’s sincerity here, even in the most surreal scenes.
The ideas, artificial intelligence as surrogate parent, state surveillance morphing into salvation, climate catastrophe wrapped in corporate spin, are all big and worthy. But sometimes I felt they rushed past in favor of another twist. The emotional weight stays solid, and I found myself thinking about this world long after I finished it.
I’d recommend There Are No Stars Here to anyone who enjoys near-future sci-fi grounded in character and emotion. It’s not just for fans of dystopia or political thrillers; it’s for people who want to feel something, who want to sit with loss, hope, and rage, and watch characters claw their way toward meaning.
Pages: 470 | ASIN : B0FDZDYJ67
Monkey Flip
Monkey Flip is a quirky and heartfelt mystery about a has-been indie pro wrestler, a pair of precocious kids, and a reclusive talking chimpanzee detective drawn back into action to solve a murder. When Mitch Mayhem, an arrogant wrestling champion, is found dead, suspicion falls on his ring rival, Bonecrusher Brannigan, a part-time wrestler, full-time dad. His kids, Addie and Bennett, refuse to believe their father could be guilty, and they enlist the help of Sebastian Winthrop, a grumpy but brilliant chimp detective with a taste for banana cream cookies. What follows is an absurd, emotional, and surprisingly touching journey through wrestling locker rooms, family kitchens, and dusty detective tropes turned on their heads.
This book surprised me. At first, I thought it was just going to be another wacky comedy with talking animals and goofy dialogue. And sure, it is funny, very funny, but underneath the humor is a real story about self-worth, family, and redemption. The writing is sharp and packed with personality. I genuinely laughed out loud at some of the lines, especially the banter between Addie and her brother. Addie, in particular, is a standout. She’s pushy, stubborn, a little bit of a know-it-all, but she’s also fiercely loyal and has a heart big enough to carry the whole story. The author walks a fine line between parody and sincerity, and for the most part, it works. The world is weird, but the emotions feel true.
The story works best when it leans into the kids’ perspective, their scrappy determination, their silly arguments, the way they see the world in terms of good guys and bad guys. The wrestling backdrop is painted with affection and authenticity, which makes sense since it reads like it was written by someone who really loves (and understands) the theater of it all.
Monkey Flip is a delightful surprise. It’s weird in all the right ways and warm in ways I didn’t expect. If you love wrestling, kids who act like tiny adults, or detectives with a tail and a chip on their shoulder, this book is for you. It’s especially great for anyone who’s ever felt overlooked or underestimated, because sometimes the best heroes are the ones who’ve been counted out.
Pages: 193 | ASIN : B0D867KR4T
Never Believe a Lie Twice
Kathleen Troy’s Never Believe A Lie Twice follows the rough-and-tumble journey of Sage Christopher, a sharp-witted thirteen-year-old suddenly orphaned and thrust from a seedy life in Las Vegas into a sleepy Connecticut town with relatives he’s never met. Sage’s dad, Marty, a grifter with a knack for making terrible choices, dies in a drunk driving accident, leaving behind a duffel bag full of mysterious clues tied to a decades-old disappearance. As Sage tries to dodge the foster system, he gets shipped off to Evansville where he finds new family, old secrets, and the creeping sense that someone dangerous may still be watching. What unfolds is part mystery, part coming-of-age, all heart.
I went into this book expecting a fairly straightforward YA mystery, but Troy surprised me. Her writing is snappy and clean, with a rhythm that grabs you right from the first jail cell scene. Sage’s voice is pitch-perfect, equal parts street-smart and vulnerable. There’s a thread of dry humor running through the entire book that kept me chuckling even when things got dark. The pacing never lagged, and the scenes often flipped with just the right mix of tension and heart. Troy doesn’t dumb things down for young readers either; she lets Sage wrestle with real danger, real grief, and real moral dilemmas. That kind of honesty, especially from a young protagonist, was refreshing.
What I loved most, though, was the way Troy builds her characters. Sage isn’t just another scrappy orphan hero; he’s damaged, sometimes too clever for his own good, and constantly teetering between trust and survival. The supporting cast, especially Pops and Gram, are warm without being sappy. I found myself rooting for Sage to get his happy ending, but I also wanted him to stay a little rogue-ish. There were a few plot turns that felt slightly convenient, but I forgave them because the heart of the story was so strong.
Never Believe A Lie Twice is the kind of book that sneaks up on you. It has guts, charm, and a whole lot of soul. I’d recommend it to readers twelve and up who love mysteries with a bit of grit and a lot of warmth. Fans of Louis Sachar or Kate DiCamillo will feel right at home here. And honestly, adults could do worse than spending an evening with Sage Christopher. I did, and I loved every minute of it.
Pages: 288 | ASIN : B09RQS93KQ
Postmarked Castle Cove
Judy M. Kerr’s Postmarked Castle Cove continues the gripping journey of MC McCall, a tough yet vulnerable U.S. Postal Inspector, as she struggles to maintain her sobriety while diving headfirst into a complex investigation involving missing mail, small-town secrets, and suspicious church leaders. The story is layered with emotional nuance, balancing themes of grief, addiction recovery, and justice. At the heart of the book is MC’s return to duty after rehab, her rocky relationship with her young partner Jim Bob, and a chilling case that uncovers a tangle of corruption and abuse tied to a religious institution in a northern Minnesota town.
Kerr writes with such raw honesty that I found myself rooting for MC like she was an old friend, even when she messed up. The portrayal of addiction isn’t whitewashed. It’s messy and exhausting and human. I could feel MC’s twitchy restlessness, her craving for booze like it was right there in the room. And the friendships, especially with Meg and Dara, gave the story so much warmth. There were moments that wre deeply emotional, especially when MC leaned on her found family to keep herself afloat.
The plot itself isn’t just about solving a case, it’s about putting your own pieces back together while the world keeps spinning. And that makes this book stand out from your typical mystery fare. The mystery in Castle Cove has this slow-boil tension that builds toward something sinister. The creepy pastor, the secrets hidden under the guise of religion, and the vulnerability of children in the community all made my skin crawl. It’s clear Kerr has a lot to say about trust, power, and how people look the other way when things get uncomfortable. That part left a deep impression. I finished the book feeling a little shaken, in the best way.
Postmarked Castle Cove is a hard-hitting story that sticks with you. It’s not just for fans of crime fiction or police procedurals. This is for anyone who’s ever had to fight to get back up after life knocked them flat. If you like your mysteries with heart, grit, and a good dose of redemption, this one’s for you.
Pages: 252 | ASIN : B0F92CHXJK
Harbinger
Harbinger is the first installment in the Praetoria Chronicles by Niah Bach, a richly imagined fantasy tale set in a world ruled by a complex caste system. The story centers on Princess Keira, the only imperial daughter in an empire where the elite possess no special powers, yet rule above the magically gifted rooks and mystics. As Keira begins experiencing prophetic nightmares of a coming doom, she is drawn toward a forbidden connection with a powerful imperial rook. As political intrigue and supernatural forces threaten the empire, a deeper mystery unfolds, one that could upend not just Keira’s life but the future of Praetoria itself.
Bach’s world-building is nothing short of stunning. Praetoria is layered, vibrant, and detailed with care. The glossary and cultural backdrops are immense, and clearly the product of years of thought. The long descriptions and layered exposition occasionally slowed the pace. There’s a ton of lore, which is great for readers who want to be immersed in a world. When the plot did kick into gear, especially during the journal segments from Master Mage Cyrus, the writing became haunting, poignant, and strangely beautiful. The slow-burn mystery behind the empire’s fragile peace and the foreshadowing of darkness made me feel genuinely uneasy, in the best way.
What really resonated with me emotionally was Keira’s isolation. Her fear, her helplessness, her quiet resilience, they all rang painfully true. I cared about her. But I often wished her voice was stronger against the heavy world around her. Some characters, like Cyrus, leaped off the page with urgency and sorrow. The ambition of this novel is hard not to admire. It’s bold, long, and deeply invested in its own mythology.
Harbinger is for readers who want to lose themselves in a fantasy realm. If you love epic sagas with political drama, ancient magic, and a touch of forbidden romance, this might be your kind of book. It asks for your full attention, but it rewards that commitment with moments of real beauty and meaning.
Pages: 354 | ASIN : B0DL3QYLF5
Bloodbound: Reverberations
Bloodbound: Reverberations is an emotionally charged blend of supernatural intrigue and found-family drama. Set across both our world and a richly imagined “Other Realm,” the story follows Hunter Reeves, a vampire-investigator entangled in a deadly bureaucratic countdown to prove the innocence of Kai with Safe Harbor. With the help of his lovers Kai and Gibson, each complex in their own right, Hunter faces internal demons, literal monsters, and the tangled politics of a secretive organization known as The Order. At the heart of it all lies a powerful question: What makes us lose ourselves, and how far will we go to hold on?
I was genuinely pulled into this book’s rhythm. Chase McPherson’s writing is lush without being bloated, cinematic yet deeply personal. The dialogue sings. It’s sharp, fast, and carries real emotional weight. The characters feel lived-in, like old friends with bad habits. Hunter’s struggle with his siphonic nature, the way he feeds on energy, not just blood, mirrors so much of what it means to crave validation, success, and love. The relationship between Hunter, Kai, and Gibson is tender, prickly, and sometimes painfully raw. I bought into them completely. McPherson doesn’t shy away from messiness, and thank god for that.
The plot barrels ahead with twists and turns, alternate selves, ancient crimes, venom-fueled conspiracies, but I sometimes found myself missing the quiet. That said, when the book does pause, it delivers real gut punches: a whispered plea for comfort, a shared meal soaked in sunlight, a song born from longing. It’s those little beats that made me care deeply about these people and their strange, dangerous lives. And I have to say the flashbacks to 1901 were chilling. That sequence alone could’ve been a novella.
Bloodbound: Reverberations is a weird, wild, and heartfelt ride. It’s part supernatural thriller, part slow-burn romance, part rock-band fever dream, and somehow, it all works. If you like stories with found families, alternate realities, and just enough bite (pun intended), this one’s for you. Fans of The Umbrella Academy, Buffy, or queer speculative fiction will feel right at home.
Pages: 162 | ASIN: B0F4SNS9TK
LITERARY TITAN 