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The Flour Girl
The Flour Girl by Sean Esson is a supernatural mystery thriller that takes a clever crime-fiction premise and pushes it into the afterlife. Frankie Jones wakes up dead, stripped of his memories and unsure of who he was, only to learn that his ability to move on is tied to Amelia Fournier, a murdered baker who needs answers of her own. From there, the novel becomes an afterlife mystery, a paranormal crime thriller, and a detective story all at once. Frankie and Amelia can float through walls, spy on the living, and navigate a version of the city they can no longer truly inhabit, while Frankie discovers he has the unusual ability to possess living people. Those supernatural rules aren’t just window dressing. They become investigative tools, complications, and eventually sources of real danger.
The strongest part of the novel is Frankie himself, especially once the investigation begins uncovering uncomfortable truths about the life he can’t remember. Esson builds the mystery around a question that’s more interesting than simply identifying Amelia’s killer: how responsible are you for the person you used to be when you no longer recognize that person in yourself? Frankie develops from a sarcastic, confused spirit into someone increasingly invested in Amelia, Detective Royce Sheffield, Detective Jason Phillips, and the idea that doing something good still matters even when the moral ledger looks hopelessly unbalanced. Amelia gives that arc its emotional center. Their banter makes the darker stretches of the supernatural detective fiction surprisingly warm, and their growing attachment gives the investigation consequences that aren’t limited to solving a crime.
Esson also gives the thriller side of the story plenty of room. The South Side Cartel investigation unfolds through surveillance, police work, interrogations, possessions, gunfights, hidden evidence, shifting suspects, and several revelations that substantially change what both Frankie and the reader understand about the case. The action is unusually detailed, particularly when it comes to firearms, tactical movement, and police procedure, which gives this paranormal thriller a methodical, physical quality even though its protagonist is incorporeal. At the same time, the book regularly returns to death, grief, guilt, justice, forgiveness, and the uneasy difference between punishment and redemption. The pacing moves between extended investigative or reflective passages and sudden bursts of violence, allowing the crime plot and the metaphysical story to develop alongside each other.
What makes The Flour Girl memorable to me is the way its supernatural mystery becomes a story about identity and choice. Frankie can’t undo Franklin Jones’s life, and the book doesn’t treat redemption as a convenient eraser. Instead, it asks what someone does with the opportunity to choose differently now. By the conclusion, Amelia’s murder has been resolved, but Frankie’s larger question has only become more interesting, and the final turn expands the premise naturally into a broader supernatural detective series. The result is a paranormal crime thriller with a surprisingly tender center, a strong first-person voice, and an afterlife mythology built to support more than a single mystery. The Flour Girl works as a murder investigation, a metaphysical thriller, and a character-driven story about discovering that who you’ve been and who you choose to become don’t always have to be the same person.
Pages: 324 | ASIN : B0HBFV1V87
Mental Health Matters
Ancestor: The Hooded Hero #1 follows a firefighter-paramedic who gets what he thinks is a routine 911 call, only to discover that it quickly escalates into a chaotic, bloody night. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Any time Cody is on duty, if he responds to a 9-1-1 call, it is a call I’ve managed as a firefighter. Of course, they are modified for patient privacy laws. The call I used for the inciting incident was a call I responded to, and the most difficult call for me to handle psychologically in all my 21 years in the service. Cody has similar reactions to me (the echo of the father’s screams causing the taste of blood in his mouth, the callousness toward criminals, the smells of the scene, the woman’s face, etc).
I had to respond to that scene, pronounce the woman dead while her father watched, and assist the coroner’s office with the investigation. Then, when we cleared the scene, we were the only available ambulance to go to the prison and evaluate the prisoner who killed her. I could tell you how compassionate I was toward the prisoner, but you can just read the book.
This is daily life for a first responder, or a nurse, or a soldier. I wanted to highlight the things we have to see and do to keep you safe, and the impact it has on our lives and our own health. It’s important to spotlight these things, because often we take for granted that the police or firefighters just exist to serve us, but they’re people too. And they’re twisted significantly by what they see every day.
I found Cody to be an intriguing and well-developed character. What inspired you to create him and his backstory?
Cody is the quintessential fireman. He’s derived from a variety of responders, including myself, my long-time ambulance partner, and other coworkers. His own mental health and the calls he responds to reflect my own career and my own downward spiral when I had reached my darkest moment. But I’m not a special case by any means. I just wish I was built like him, haha. I wanted him to have a major presence, like gravity, whenever he entered a room. So I made him large like Jack Reacher but with the type of reputation that makes everyone notice him when he enters an area.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
First and foremost, I wanted to explore the world of mental health. It’s not normalized enough, despite our 21st-century efforts. This whole series will be an exploration of mental health through the lens of a superhero and a first responder. Sadie, Cody’s love interest, is there to ground people because she’s the ‘civilian’ but still very much entwined in the mental health struggle. Sadie is also supposed to be the calm to Cody’s chaos. She is intelligent, dedicated, goes to therapy, takes her medications, and strives toward self-improvement like no other. She’s the example of what we can all be if we manage our mental health well, and obviously the example of no matter how well we’re doing, nobody’s perfect. Cody is the opposite. He’s the example of what we could become by burying our feelings under alcohol and pressure.
Mental health aside, I’d been looking for a way to tell my “war stories” from the fire department, and I had been excited to come up with a superhero idea for a long time. This gave me the chance to do both. Hopefully people enjoy the ‘peek behind the curtain’ at first responders’ lives.
What will your next novel be about, and what will the whole series encompass?
The Hooded Hero series will explore the ups and downs of managing one’s mental health. Readers will find both allies and enemies who struggle with some mental health issue, and it’s my hope that they can relate to all of them. The next few books in the series get dark. So if you thought Ancestor was dark, buckle up.
I’ve collaborated with a horror author, Carl Bluesy, to create novellae with a more fantasy/horror theme which will fit chronologically in the series timeline and will follow Cody through supernatural challenges, which unlock new superpowers and teach him new lessons about life and what it means to be a hero.
Book 2, titled Burnout, and the first of the novellae, titled Inferno Mirage, are coming Q4 2025. Follow me on social media @authormattoz or join my newsletter to keep up with the latest news.
Author Website
Cody, a US Army veteran who now works as a firefighter, is one bad 911 call from a complete mental breakdown. Then life feeds him two bad calls, back to back.
He begins to hallucinate and hear voices. But they don’t just speak to him-they grant him abilities beyond his wildest imagination. And they have their own agenda.
Meanwhile, sinister forces wreak havoc on the city, tearing apart its infrastructure bit by bit. Will this firefighter-turned-superhero quell the burning city’s flames, or will he be the gust that spreads them?
Ancestor is a dark urban fantasy thriller which explores the daily lives of first responders and mental health topics through the lens of a superhero’s trials.
Inside you will find:Justice and vengeance dealt with a bloody, heavy hand.
Revenge. Beautiful, satisfying revenge.
An unforgettably unique romance subplot.
Insight into the daily lives of first responders, written by a first responder.
Seriously flawed, regular people. Because to be flawed is to be normal.
Jump straight into the depths of Jade City. Buy it now.
Ancestor: The Hooded Hero #1
Ancestor drops you headfirst into the life of Cody Chance, a firefighter-paramedic in the gritty near-future city of Jade. It starts with what feels like a standard emergency call, but quickly escalates into a chaotic, bloody night that leaves Cody haunted by both what he saw and something darker that seems to be following him. A comet burns across the sky like an omen, strange voices whisper from nowhere, and Cody’s grip on reality frays. Between violent calls, moral compromises, and an unshakable sense that something supernatural is at play, the book builds a tense blend of urban fantasy, first responder realism, and psychological suspense.
Ozanich writes with the eye of someone who’s lived it, pulling you into the banter, the gallows humor, and the ugly truths of emergency work. At the same time, the creeping horror threaded through the story kept me off balance. I loved that shift. It’s not just gore for the sake of it. The unease builds slowly, like a shadow you can’t quite catch. The voice of the narrator feels raw and honest, even when the things he’s thinking aren’t noble. That unvarnished humanity made it hit harder.
The violence is vivid and unflinching, and the pace sometimes lingers on procedure in a way that slows the momentum. I found myself caught between being absorbed in the detail and wanting the story to push forward. And Cody, well, he’s not always easy to like. He’s stubborn, sometimes reckless, and definitely flawed, but that’s what makes him real. There’s a claustrophobic quality to the way the night unfolds, which works brilliantly for tension.
I’d recommend Ancestor to readers who like their urban fantasy grounded in real-world grit, especially those who aren’t squeamish about violence or moral ambiguity. If you enjoy character-driven stories where the supernatural seeps in slowly, and you can handle the rough edges of first responder life, this one’s worth the ride. It’s a wild, unsettling, and strangely relatable trip.
Pages: 376 | ASIN : B0FHRQS1JW
Prisoners of Their Own Image
Runaway Fox follows a charming young stockbroker in a relationship who complicates things by entering into a love triangle. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
My stories are created quite spontaneously without any previously elaborated plan and concretely defined goal. I simply have the opening scene in my head and just start writing. For this reason, I cannot explicitly define what was my inspiration for this story. Perhaps it is the nature of emotional relationships and a kind of paradox that the more free people are in a relationship, the stronger and more permanent the bond between them is. When I say free, I don’t mean the liberal relationships where both have the freedom and permission from their partners to “goof around” on the side while being in a formal relationship at the same time. I am very conservative by nature and would not like to comment on what I think about such relationships. By the feeling of freedom in an emotional relationship, whether it’s romance or marriage, I mean that we feel extremely relaxed next to our partner, that we don’t have to pretend to be something else, that we don’t have to keep silent or agree, that we don’t we have to justify ourselves and over-explain why we are sad, happy, angry or euphoric. When we feel free to be completely ourselves next to our partner, then it is a real relationship that lasts and that will not be spent over time, but on the contrary will only get stronger. Charming young and successful stockbroker Goran Lisitsa should by all rules be very happy in his relationship with the also popular and fascinating sexy TV star Maritsa Stevanovich. However, instead of happiness, joy and satisfaction, he feels more and more anxious and constrained. When he accidentally met Mariya Milutinovich, he did not feel love at first sight, nor did he fall in love immediately. He felt an unexpected closeness and relaxation with a person whom he sees for the first time in his life and who belongs to a completely different “world”. That feeling that you’ve known someone forever even though you’ve just met them is a sign that you’ve probably just met your soulmate, and maybe even your other half. If you really experience such an encounter in your life, do not miss such an opportunity, because such a chance is not given to everyone, and many people never get such an opportunity.
Goran Lisitsa achieves the fame he has wanted but realizes he has no control over his fate. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
Most people claim that self image is the most important and significant thing in modern life. The way other people see you, that’s how they treat you and respect you. However, people usually build their image so that they seem much more successful and happy than they really are, so very quickly they become prisoners of their own image, because they constantly have to pretend that they are something else, and this becomes too burdensome, over time.
Goran Lisitsa acquired the image of a very successful stock market consultant, but not thanks to his ability, but to sheer luck and an accidental mistake he made at the “right moment”. Beneath that image, he is just an ordinary average modern handsome man, who does not know how to deal with his emotional partner Marica Stevanovich and who, like most men today, does not have the courage to be a real man in the moments when the woman next to him expects it the most.
Goran is the main character, but the story of Runaway Fox is actually led by four female characters:
Goran’s girlfriend Maritsa Stevanovich, an attractive, intelligent and very manipulative TV star, a born fighter who permanently fights exclusively for her goals in life and who perceives all relationships, even emotional and friendly ones, as a struggle. Due to her focus on achieving her goals, she does not notice the needs, feelings and desires of her boyfriend and her friends and partners as well.
Mariya Milutinovich, a modest and unspoiled country girl from the vicinity of Belgrade, who does not expect much from her life, but would certainly like to at least meet her “prince on a white horse”. She’s beautiful indeed, but rather invisible in an urban Serbian mileu full of attractive sexy dolls
Dragitsa, Mariya’s neighbor, who sees Mariya as her unborn daughter and who belongs to that type of old-fashioned women for whom the meaning and purpose of their life is complete dedication to their family. These kinds of women are always ready to make sacrifices and you can rely on them at any time of day and night. Unfortunately, such women are gradually “dying out” in modern Serbia.
Tatyana Lisitsa, Goran’s mother, a modern experienced woman, who knows very well how things work in both men’s and women’s worlds
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Although Runaway Fox is just a fairy tale like love story with the obligatory happy ending, it is enriched with additional universal themes, where some of which are pure embellishments to this story. These are topics related to science and religion, which are discussed in an extremely optional way in the dialogues between Goran and his friend, the scientist and monk Boyan Krstich, as well as in the sermons of the Orthodox priest Father Antoniye. I believe that many readers will be surprised and probably shocked by Boyan Krstich’s thoughts on religious and scientific topics, and liberal readers will be appalled by Father Antoniye’s sermons. Nevertheless, one of the universal themes underlying this story is fate, because the entire course of the story is determined by the chance encounters between Goran and Mariya Milutinovich. What is actually a destiny? A chronological journal of life or a screenplay, written in advance, according to which we all perform our roles in life? Are we really the masters and creators of our own destiny or is our life a river whose stream carries us along its course, while we only try to stay on the surface and not to be stranded on a sandbank or not to be broken against a rock before our time is over? Well, this story does not give the answers to any of these universal themes questions, it just asks proper questions.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
As I said before, my stories are created completely spontaneously. I only need to write the first few pages, to begin with only one character, and the story will continue to develop on its own. At the very beginning, I really have no idea in which direction my story will go, who will all participate in it and how it will end. It’s a very fun process for me and probably similar to creating an art painting on a canvas, because I’m not sure that after the first stroke of the brush, every artist knows in detail how their painting will look in the end. Right now I’m still expecting that kind of inspiration, but maybe this time it will be a political novel, given that we’re currently on the brink of a world war, which has probably already started. My impression is that Western civilization, lulled by long-term prosperity, is not at all ready for the tectonic changes that are happening in the world, and given the current ruling “religion” of conformity and individualism, I am not sure if it is even capable of mobilizing as a society for the fight which is surely waiting for them.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook
The two of them are the most beautiful, most successful and most popular celebrity couple “Lisitsa and Maritsa”, both in the country of Serbia and in the city of Belgrade, for these two only the sky is the limit. However, due to extremely unusual circumstances, Goran accidentally meets a modest and beautiful girl, Mariya Milutinovich, from Veliko Selo, near Belgrade. Like any real man, Goran unintentionally complicates his life with this acquaintance to the point that his further fate is no longer decided by him, but by the behind-the-scenes game of four women, with discreet help from the highest level.
Runaway Fox
Set against the vibrant backdrop of Belgrade, Serbia, Runaway Fox is a compelling slice of contemporary fiction that delves into the complexities of love and freedom. The protagonist, Goran Lisitsa, is a successful stock market consultant with a popular TV show, “Foxy Trade.” Despite his professional success and public acclaim, Goran grapples with personal dissatisfaction, primarily stemming from his controlling relationship with his girlfriend, Maritsa Stevanovich. As the story unfolds, Goran’s intertwined personal and professional lives with Maritsa make the thought of breaking away seem daunting. However, the entrance of Mariya Milutinovich, a stark contrast to Maritsa, introduces new possibilities. Mariya’s presence prompts Goran to reconsider the chains that bind him, both visible and invisible.
The novel effectively captures the essence of its setting, enriching the narrative with meticulous details about Belgrade’s culture and landscape. The addition of the translator’s notes further enhances the reader’s connection to the setting, offering insights that anchor the story’s authenticity. Character dynamics are pivotal in this narrative. Maritsa, portrayed with a manipulative streak, starkly contrasts with Goran’s more sympathetic traits. This contrast is instrumental in shaping reader perceptions, particularly as Goran navigates his emerging feelings for Mariya, who values him beyond his material worth. This relationship dynamic serves as the novel’s emotional core, exploring themes of self-worth and relational fulfillment.
While the narrative sometimes features repetitive phrasing and extra details that could be streamlined for clarity, these elements offer an in-depth look into the characters’ thoughts and surroundings. Additionally, some dialogues and narrative sections may feel less natural to native English speakers, likely a result of translation nuances. This brings a unique flavor to the text, providing an authentic feel of the original language’s texture and style. The novel bravely tackles complex themes such as infidelity and moral justifications through “signs from God,” which add depth and provoke thought, although they might challenge some readers’ perspectives. An early flashback that reveals the origins of Goran’s relationship with Maritsa provides crucial context, enriching his character arc by presenting his flaws and the complexities of his decisions, thereby enhancing the story’s realism and emotional engagement.
Runaway Fox offers a thoughtful exploration of personal liberation and the search for authentic connections framed by the rich tapestry of Serbian culture. The novel invites readers to reflect on the boundaries of relationships and the courage required to redefine them.
Pages: 445 | ASIN : B0CYXPXQ7J
The Watchers: The Blood Dagger: Volume 2
![The Watchers: The Blood Dagger Series by [Hayes, Misty]](https://i0.wp.com/images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51HXB0Tv5KL._SY346_.jpg?w=604&ssl=1)
Corinth is not the man he used to be, and Larna is certainly not the woman she once was. Together, the two lifelong friends make a pair of opposites like no other. When Corinth finds himself with the dagger that inexplicably seems to grant him Sight, Larna begins to notice changes in Corinth that she isn’t sure she understands or likes. Larna, a newly-turned vampire and her best friend, Corinth, a Watcher, both feel an overwhelming sense of foreboding that has nothing to do with their mission to find and destroy Gabriel, the most vile of vampires. As they make their way through one life-threatening situation after another, Corinth and Larna tiptoe around more than one unspoken question in their relationship.
There are plenty of readers who will pick up The Watchers: The Blood Dagger #2 by Misty Hayes and proclaim it, at first glance, to be nothing more than a take on the story told in the Twilight series. Do NOT be fooled. Misty Hayes has taken the age-old vampire tale to a whole new level! She goes far beyond the Twilight-type plot and leaves it in the dust helplessly spinning its wheels. Once upon a time, I thought that entire series was the be-all end-all of vampire tales, but Misty Hayes’s Blood Dagger series is quickly bumping it from the coveted spot.
I had the pleasure of reading The Outcasts: The Blood Dagger #1 and was enamored from the get-go. Hayes is a master at character development, and nowhere is that more apparent than in her descriptions of Corinth and Larna and their self-talk. The second guessing and self-examination the two do throughout the text allow readers a firsthand look at their fears and their apprehension as well as their own amazement at their growing powers. Reading The Outcasts prior to reading The Watchers is not a must, but it is most certainly a plus when examining the growth the two main characters exhibit. Hayes does a phenomenal job of making this a stand-alone novel that serves to fire up readers’ desire to hear the full backstory of Corinth, Larna, and the feared Gabriel.
Hayes’s books are filled with humor. For as breathtakingly full of action as they are, they are equally as humorous. Hayes peppers her work with quips and one-liners, giving a fantastic depth to each of her characters. Readers will fall in love with Corinth and Larna if for nothing else than their ability to find humor in the most dire of circumstances.
Not to be overshadowed by the light hearted and whimsical, the dark and brooding element is definitely present in Hayes’s characters. In The Watchers, Corinth undergoes quite the transformation and is in the midst of examining his lineage, both of which are giving him pause. As Larna struggles to understand her friend’s trials, she cannot fully delve into his issues due to her own intense physical training and the division she feels between her love interest, Alastair, and Corinth himself.
Hayes writes romantic scenarios in the most tasteful and thoughtful ways. The Watchers: The Blood Dagger #2, though billed more as young adult fiction, appeals to fans of vampire tales as well as fantasies. Hayes’s work fits neatly into a variety of age ranges and genres beginning, but certainly not limited to, young adult.
Hayes’s work is, hands down, some of the most striking to hit shelves in the last decade. There are no characters out there like Corinth and Larna, and Hayes’s style of writing in alternating perspectives helps give rise to the inevitable success of The Blood Dagger series. I’m waiting with bated breath for book 3!
Pages: 515 | ASIN: B07KRHLT26
Arlington Heights Book Trailer
Arlington Heights follows the course of a gifted and beautiful black woman who overcomes the stigmata of a youth of mistakes to become one of the more powerful forces in New York’s fashion and business scene. Arlington Cavanaugh has past her prime as a model and has committed her life to the building of the highly regarded fashion magazine, HEIGHTS. Through the novel she takes a journey that speaks not only to the incredible climb up the ladder of success, but also details all of the consequences of decisions made along the way by a woman so focused on escape from her past that she nearly loses her soul.
End it By the Gun
![End it By the Gun by [Obi, Kenechukwu]](https://i0.wp.com/images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51UoTqflisL.jpg?w=604&ssl=1)
Ken Obi’s latest novel End It By The Gun features charismatic and determined Beck, who’s eagerness to get a top book deal and offer for a screen play, ruins his life. The book delves into Beck’s past, his relationships with women and writing and his latest novel. It is full of dynamic relationships with both women and men, family ordeals and political strife. There’s even a spattering of nature. The novel cannot be simply put into one genre as it ventures into fantasy, political thriller and drama, so there’s bound to be a part that everyone can enjoy.
The book can be split into two parts – the first half is about Beck and his life, his dream to become a famous writer and his relationships. The second half is his eleventh novel which features Abdoullah, Farouk, and Murktar and their deadly pathogen V1B6F3.
The first half is characterized by tumultuous relationships, between Beck and his family and women. It has a fast-paced style with a masculine tone and lots of underlying energy in the short chapters. There are twists and turns constantly occurring in the chapters that jump around different time periods in Beck’s life. He experiences strange meetings, fame and kidnapping. This style of writing is inviting and leaves the reader wanting more.
However, I felt that some parts the book were awkwardly written – “I read that to mean that he must have thought I had given up on dashing away”, and I thought that it could be overly descriptive for a book that means to move quickly. I also felt that there was a lack of sympathy for women in the book – Beck’s wife is made out to be crazy with no explanation, and his agent has no name for most of the narrative.
The second part of the book begins in a way reminiscent of a zombie apocalypse. This is the book that makes Beck famous. It has a science versus nature theme which ultimately turns political, alongside this runs the age-old battle between good and evil. The nature aspect of it focuses on an area called Shonga, which is untouched by humans. This part is the gem of the book and where the writing style really works. The vivid descriptions of the forest and way of life offer a rich picture which makes the reader long to be in nature with the characters, away from their urban lifestyles.
The characters in the second half of the book are presented in a linear fashion which evokes a level of understanding which is not present in the first half of the text. The characters in this part are all from different walks of life, which goes to show how many people can influence an event.
I thought that the tone of the book is inviting, quick and full of energy and I think many people would enjoy the interesting characters and fresh perspectives.
Pages: 228 | ASIN: B07DHK1PHF
