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The Pillar
T. E. MacArthur’s The Pillar (The Praetorius Agency Files: File No. Two) dives deep into the world of paranormal romantic mystery. The story unfolds in San Francisco, where Jack de Sombras, newly arrived in California, finds himself immediately thrust into intrigue. His partner at the Praetorius Security Agency, Tessa Wells-Lancing, has a case waiting: Darius Trădat, a tattoo artist with a penchant for antiquities, faces cryptic threats steeped in curses and old-world superstitions. But just as Jack and Tessa begin unraveling the mystery, they’re confronted with a grim crime. Was this crime the work of something supernatural or a cunning imitation meant to deceive? And how does this brutal act connect to the deaths of other members of his family?
Having enjoyed the first book in the series, I found this sequel equally compelling. MacArthur deftly balances the paranormal and the mundane, threading humor through Jack’s determined disbelief in all things supernatural. Jack’s contract with the agency, which hilariously bans vampires, werewolves, zombies, and aliens from being classified as valid subjects of investigation, adds a light touch. In contrast, Tessa’s ability to see ghosts and experience prophetic visions grounds the paranormal elements in genuine tension. Their opposing views create a dynamic interplay that adds depth and humor, especially as Jack stubbornly chases logical explanations for everything that goes bump in the night. Yet, he does permit haunted objects and spectral apparitions in his investigations, a concession that plays into the narrative’s eerie atmosphere.
MacArthur weaves a dual storyline at the outset: Jack and Tessa’s investigation into Darius’s threats and a separate case being worked by the San Francisco Police Department. Initially, these threads seem unrelated. However, the author expertly interlaces them, creating a satisfying convergence as events unfold. Watching these parallel mysteries interconnect was a highlight of the novel, as it provided both intrigue and a sense of narrative cohesion.
While I enjoyed this story and found it gripping overall, I felt some pivotal moments were glossed over. For instance, the transition from Jack’s arrival and initial conversation about the case to the chaos of the aftermath, Darius’s murder and Tessa’s injury, was missing an essential and vivid scene. I think this abrupt jump leaves a gap. The tension of Jack and Tessa discovering the murder firsthand, rather than the aftermath, I think, could have added a more visceral impact and deeper engagement with the stakes at play.
The Pillar still delivers a richly textured mystery filled with suspense, humor, and the supernatural. Jack and Tessa’s chemistry, alongside a plot brimming with twists, makes this book a gripping read that fans of paranormal mysteries won’t want to miss.
Pages: 309 | ASIN : B0DJDKTWYL
Trauma Shapes Us
TYE follows two brothers who were failed by a system meant to protect them from abuse and neglect and turn to a life of crime and working for a mafia family. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
TYE is a prequel to Clifford’s War: The Bluegrass Battleground. After I wrote that book, I was focused on a sequel but felt like I left a lot of unanswered questions about the TYE brothers and how they became who they were. There was so much more story left untold.
I needed to go back and tell their story so that the fans of the first book could better understand the brothers and their story.
-JDR
The first book in the series, Clifford’s War: The Bluegrass Battleground, started with the main character, Clifford Dee, in the middle of a situation that changes the trajectory of his life. The Tye Brothers were pivotal but treated as throw-away characters, initially. J. Denison Reed started to wonder out loud what made these men who they were? Why were brothers committing these atrocities? The conversation got our imagination going and we knew it had to be childhood trauma.
-EJE
What are some things that you find interesting about the human condition that you think make for great fiction?
I believe everything that happens to you, shapes you. Good or bad. We are faced with decisions every day, and there were options for the Tye brothers. This story is about compounding events, mistakes, and bad decisions that let the Tye brothers down their destructive path. It could happen to anyone if they let it. We are all impressionable based on our experiences and how we process them. That’s what makes it so tragic.
-JDR
I find that sometimes, it doesn’t matter if someone has a good heart, is intelligent, and/or simply knows right from wrong. If they aren’t loved or have a solid support system, they will do what they have to do to survive. Survival mode looks different for everyone.
-EJE
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
We needed to show how destructive the Tye brothers were, and could be. We also wanted to show that they were human, they could love, they could care, but also, they could hate and destroy without one. This is why their brotherly relationship was important. It’s all they had that was solid. Everything else around them crumbled.
-JDR
Trauma shapes us and when it happens in childhood without a healthy resolution, bad things happen and it will have a domino effect.
-EJE
What is the next book that you are working on and when can your fans expect it to be out?
I am working on the Third Sequel of Clifford’s War. If you are familiar with the last book, the protagonist, Clifford Dee, heads out of state on a solo mission. This one will be a doozy! I also have other stories outside the Clifford’s War universe planned, but for a later date. EJ is working on some side stories that are still inside the universe but will be their own stand-alone books.
-JDR
There are two books in the works, currently. One follows Sara and a case she encounters while visiting family and friends in Kentucky.
The other book has Clifford Dee leaving his team behind to help an old acquaintance in Colorado. They happen simultaneously and one feeds into the other.
-EJE
Author Links: GoodReads | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | Website | Waxpool Publishing House | Amazon
Darius and Marcus Tye, traumatized by their father, found it difficult to cope with the tragic loss of their mother at his hands Despite efforts to find solace in group homes and foster care, the brothers could not escape the shadows of their troubled past, which led them to a life of crime, employment from a sinister mafia family, and hunted by the authorities for the nefarious bloodshed they left in their wake.
** Advisory: Contains scenes of domestic violence, sexual assault, and extreme violence. **
Twists and Turns
Once Upon a Crime follows a veteran homicide detective who needs to find a vigilante serial killer before she kidnaps her daughter. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The inspiration for Once Upon A Crime came from my reading about the hunt for the Son of Sam. He’d sent a taunting message to an NYPD detective threatening the detective’s daughter.
Another part of the inspiration came from a criminal case I worked on when I was a police officer about the sexual assault of a young lady.
How did you come up with the idea for the antagonist in this story, and how did it change as you wrote?
In writing Once Upon A Crime, given that most sex crimes have women as victims, I wanted a female character hunting for sexual offenders to be the antagonist. At first, she was a disgruntled police officer whose back story was about her being dispatched to do a preliminary investigation of the brutal sexual assault of a young girl. A news item gave me the idea for a different antagonist: Penny Grimes.
When you first sat down to write this story, did you know where you were going, or did the twists come as you were writing?
When I started writing Once Upon A Crime, I had fairly good idea of where I was going with it. As the story took root, several ideas came to mind for the twists and turns used in it.
Can you tell us more about what’s in store for Detective Madison Chase and the direction of the next book?
At this time, I haven’t decided whether to write a sequel to Once Upon A Crime.
Author Links: Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook | Website | Amazon
In a twisted game of cat and mouse, Detective Madison Chase must outwit a serial killer targeting sex offenders—before her own daughter becomes the next victim.
October in Fort Worth takes on a sinister hue for Penny Grimes. She’s not just a vigilante; she’s a poetic executioner, leaving headless pedophiles as her gruesome calling cards. Each murder scene is adorned with a chilling rhyme, taunting the police and, in particular, haunting veteran homicide detective Madison Chase.
But Penny has a darker agenda. She’s set her sights on Chase’s daughter, Emily—a blonde, blue-eyed four-year-old, living image of the child Penny has always yearned for. Unbeknownst to Chase, while she’s hot on the trail of Fort Worth’s most elusive serial killer, Penny is plotting to kidnap Emily.
The Decision to Kill
When a crime is committed, numerous questions are asked. But if that crime rips apart the very core of a family, the only question to ask is why? When everything about who you are and who you love is torn apart, what have you got left to stand for? And would you overcome all the pain and sorrow to see justice prevail? Would you fight for your family? Is blood thicker than water? And in the end, could you say that you still love after so long of feeling nothing but hate?
The Decision to Kill: A True Crime Story of a Teenage Killer and the Mother Who Loved Him is brought to us by Leslie Ghiglieri. It is a memoir and true crime book that documents the investigation and murder trial of Dwayne Weir, a 16-year-old boy accused of murdering his father. The author shares all the gruesome details surrounding the case but does so in as respectful a manner as she can. The story is told from the perspective of his mother, Cherie. She talks us through the whole story, their lives, the events leading up to the murder, and what happens after.
The author has included real courtroom accounts and expert testimony on not just the actual murder but the mental state of Dwayne. What I really enjoyed about it was the use of actual letters written by Dwayne. This really gave an insight into his mental state and showed how far he retreated into the dark corners of his mind. But this tale is as much about his mother if anything. Her quest for the truth and her battle to understand is almost too hard to bare. Her struggle to move forward and reconcile her feelings for her son after what he did is heartwrenching. This is a story no mother ever wants to be a part of.
The Decision to Kill is an emotionally charged biography and true crime story. This gripping story will engage readers as they follow the tragedy and follow along as the family searches for the answer to why. A must-read for any fans of true crime.
Pages: 340 | ASIN : B09ZNKF28B
LITERARY TITAN 