Reviewed by Paul Johnson for Readers' Favorite

If I Should Die is the story of war torn Africa when nations were determined to throw off the last vestiges of colonial rule for self-determination. It is a story of violence set against the breathtaking beauty of the fictitious nation of Nyanga. Students of history will know the real country and remember the terrible misery imposed on its population when savagery and extreme viciousness was so often inflicted upon scores of peaceful farmers and farm workers.

This is not a story just about blacks against whites, since both were killed with equal cruelty. It is more of resistance to change on one side, and the righting of past wrongs on the other. This is a story of a war men fight, knowing in the end they cannot win, but they fight anyway, because it's their job.

As the fight unfolds, it becomes personal for two combatants, the best each side has to offer, and even more so when Sergeant Wilson is severely wounded and taken away for interrogation. Desperate efforts to rescue the Sergeant are made, as a band of comrades attempt from one side, and his fiancé tries another way. But, will they be successful?

Set in a time of terrible strife, the author has put together a very thorough, but intense look at Africa and its struggles. The characterization is first rate as both sides are shown as history reports them to have been. The plot is set as a work of fiction, but the author has indicated it is partially based on a true story. I have no reason to doubt this. Some readers may find the graphic violence and excessive brutality to be excessive; however, as history tells, that was the way it really happened. Very nicely done.

Reviewed by Ruffina Oserio for Readers' Favorite

Red Clay, Yellow Grass: A Novel of the 1960s by Richard Barager is a fascinating story that combines romance with war to transport readers to an interesting setting in the sixties. Meet two people, orphan David Noble and Jackie Lundquist, college sweethearts whose relationship takes a dramatic turn for the worse when David decides to join the army and fight in the Vietnam War. Jackie takes this decision very negatively and for years, she refuses to answer David’s letters. After surviving a fierce siege in Khe Sanh, David returns home to meet Jackie, a woman who has morphed into a significant and highly regarded activist, and who now stands against everything David has fought for. She is a strong anti-war activist, while David looks at war as an act of honor; their beliefs separate them. But what is it that can get them to come together again as one?

This is an interesting story with a powerful conflict, a conflict of ideologies that is mirrored in the two protagonists. Richard Barager’s characters are phenomenal and it is interesting how David and Jackie personify two opposing cultural trends of their time. David’s background as an orphan sets him apart in many ways, and one notices a kind of tragic tendency in his attitude, the quest for honor that makes him very vulnerable — perhaps because he has nothing to lose? One of the things I look for in a novel is the strength of the conflict and this author knows how to use conflict to enhance and drive the plot forward. The writing is strong and the descriptions capture vivid images, bringing out deep emotions, and allowing readers a great feel for the characters and the setting. Red Clay, Yellow Grass: A Novel of the 1960s is skillfully plotted, fast-paced, and deftly handled. A very satisfying read!

Reviewed by Sarah Stuart for Readers' Favorite

Ghosts in Sunlight by Gretta Curran Browne is an epic story that spans forty-four years, the class divide between an aristocratic family and a young woman brought up in an orphanage, and the countries of France, America, England, Vietnam, and Sweden. It is a story of obsession – passionate love of people and power, greed and immorality, and implacable, unforgiving hatred. It opens in Paris, a beautiful city despoiled by conquering Nazis, with the sixteen-year-old daughter of a wealthy jeweler, Philippe Castineau. Jacqueline, dressed as a boy and pretending idiocy, joins the French Resistance and kills without mercy. Married, she lives for her son, Marc, whom she sees as a true Castineau. Marc lives on only in letters written to him in Vietnam by Marian – lover, mother, and widow – and the flashback memories of Nam veteran, Marc's friend, Jimmy Overman. Will Jacqueline meet her match in Marc and Marian’s son?

Steeped in literature as one might expect of writers and publishers, invaded by the music of each decade, and gloriously multicultural, Ghosts in Sunlight is the book out of countless thousands I have read that made me, like Phil, answer when asked how I wanted my coffee, say “in peace”. Time after time, I guessed what was coming, and sometimes I was right and sometimes shockingly wrong, but I had to know. The pace is unforgiving, every character strides through the pages alive, vivid, and believable, and the plot is flawless – a superbly written whole. This is an overpowering, sensual love story, a political testimony that argues against American involvement in Vietnam, and an intense thriller. For Gretta Curran Browne’s Ghosts in Sunlight, "the only word is wow”.

Reviewed by Rabia Tanveer for Readers' Favorite

This Second Chance by D.L. Finn is the story of a woman who finally got her second chance at love; however, there seem to be unseen forces that don't want her to be happy. This is the story of Rachael Battaglia, a woman who has seen the real hardships of a bad marriage. After years of living with an abusive husband, she runs away one night with her two kids and the one that was unborn at that time. She ran away and finally found the man whom she truly loves and who loves her back.

Now newly married, she is as happy as one could be. But her happiness is destroyed when she receives a snow globe as a wedding present. Although innocent, the snow globe reminds her of her ex-husband. Rattled, but determined, she pushes it out of her mind and starts preparing to go on her honeymoon in Hawaii. But should she do that? Is this a sign that something bad is going to happen? She has no idea that she has an Angel with her, but even that Angel cannot save her from the evil that is after her.

I loved it! I'm a fan of D.L. Finn and I especially love her children's books. This Second Chance is very different from what I have read from her and I really liked it. The story was intense, interesting and really well crafted. This is a fast paced novel that had me on the edge of my seat. I was rooting for Rachael and wanted for her to get her happy ending. This was really good and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Reviewed by Bobbie Grob for Readers' Favorite

When the Serpent Bites by Nesly Clerge tells a riches to rags story of a man, Frederick Starks, who has anything and everything the money from his successful business empire can buy. Along with that, he has a beautiful wife, three children, a loving family and friends, and well wishers as far as the eye can see. Life is about to get a whole lot less pretty for Starks, though, as one night of rage leads to a whole different reality. Starks' well-heeled life takes a turn for the worst, and he goes from being a hugely powerful man in the corporate world to the newest inmate in a maximum security prison in what seems to be the snap of a finger.

I've always enjoyed a good legal drama so I was glad to grab a copy of Nesly Clerge's When the Serpent Bites, although I wasn't expecting to be riveted to the pages. I was sucked right into Frederick Starks' life and drama, and I had more than one late night when I had to stay up and read far later than I would normally have. This does not read like an amateur novel. The characters have real depth - something I am big on - and the drama on the pages made me feel as though I was right there watching it. The book is fast paced and, in my opinion, downright amazing. You will get to the end of this book and want more, more, more! This is less a legal drama than the story of finding a way through a new life, but it is no less worth the read for that.

Reviewed by Viga Boland for Readers' Favorite

If I hadn’t checked Nesly Clerge’s bio, I might have concluded that When The Dragon Roars was written by someone with a degree in psychology and criminal studies, or that the author was at least a therapist of some kind. But the brilliant Nesly Clerge has emerged from a science-based background to continue following his lifelong passion of writing with this second book in a trilogy about one Frederick Starks in When the Dragon Roars.

In the first book, When the Serpent Bites, the lifestyle of the super-wealthy Starks comes to a crashing end when he is sentenced to prison for 15 years to face a world that is no longer his oyster. Six months after his incarceration, the Starks we meet in When the Dragon Roars has attempted suicide twice, been sliced mercilessly and beaten into a coma by other inmates. Now recovered, he shaves his head and tattoos his body with a dragon, an exterior symbol of new resolve to survive the next 14 1/2 years, using the smarts he acquired as a businessman. What he learns as When the Dragon Roars unfolds is that it will take a lot more than his business acumen to battle the challenges of dangerous cons with murder on their minds, guards whose protection must be purchased, and friends whose loyalties are never guaranteed. But the biggest challenge of all is the one he least wants to face: that of being honest with himself and admitting that he too is responsible for all that has happened to him. To his surprise, it is the con men themselves that best help him recognize his faults.

When the Dragon Roars is an absolutely riveting read, full of surprising twists and turns and brilliant writing. The chapters are short; the dialogue realistic; the characters believable and the plot gripping. But, for me, it’s Frederick Starks’ reflections on human nature that are the most engaging. As eager as I was to turn each page to see what happens next, I found myself lost in thought along with Starks. While Starks reflects and analyses what he is learning about himself, I found myself doing the same about myself. I couldn’t help but think how much Starks is like me and possibly everyone else out there. How hard is it for any of us to face the truth about ourselves? The answer is obvious.

The one thing that did disconcert me was the last few lines at the end of the book. I turned the page only to realize the book had ended! What? I must have missed something. I re-read that last page and smiled. Of course! When the Dragon Roars is book 2 of a trilogy. I’m going to have to read the third and final book to see what Starks ultimately decided to do. Clever, Nesly Clerge ... very clever. I hope you don’t keep this reader waiting too long for Book 3 of The Starks Trilogy.

Reviewed by Ray Simmons for Readers' Favorite

I just love new stories built around Greek mythology. Greek mythology gave me so many hours of pleasurable reading as a kid and I appreciate that. I have read a lot of Greek mythology. I mean the original tales from Greek history and religion. I have read even more stories that are based on Greek mythology or some of its characters. There are so many ways you can transmute these tales and these characters into something totally new and fresh. A lot of writers have done this. Some have done it really well and made a lot of money. I have read these stories and/or seen them on the big screen. I have never seen or read Greek mythology based fiction done better than Olympia by Kris Kramer, except for a book I read by Dan Simmons, a long time ago. Dan Simmons writes really well. Stephen King says so. I say Kris Kramer writes well too.

I was in when I read the title. I will stay in because Olympia is a great book. It is book one of a series called Olympus. I intend to follow this series. I know I will enjoy it. The story is interesting. The writing is good, and this world is intriguing. But most of all, I like Anthony Kensom. He is my kind of hero. He is young, but has been hardened by a rough life. This has made him strong and smart, but it has not made him bitter or callous. The story is great. The writing is great, and the hero is great. What more could you ask for?

Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

Cliff Walking is a contemporary literary fiction novel written by Stephen Russell Payne. Prominent Maine artist, Francis Monroe, had been keeping a daily vigil ever since his wife, Rachael, had disappeared a year earlier while windsurfing in Penobscot Bay. He would blow out the whaler's lamp he kept lit at night and head out into the bay to the spot where she had disappeared. As he watched the sun rise, he remembered his wife's love of the early morning, and the loving moments they shared. But this morning, as he rowed his skiff back to shore, he noticed a stranger on his property -- a young boy stood silently examining the picture he'd left on his easel. It bothered Francis that the kid was studying his rendering of his wife's body, particularly her breasts. Then, when he spoke, Francis felt he was in the presence, somehow, of a kindred spirit, an odd thing for him to feel after so long apart from the rest of the world, particularly children. The boy's name was Stringer, and he and his mother had fled the California coast and landed up here on the rocky shoreline of Maine in an attempt to finally free themselves of Leland, Stringer's violently abusive dad. Francis recognized Stringer's artistic gifts and began to mentor and guide him. Then he met Stringer's mom, Kate, and between the mother and her son, Francis began to live again.

Stephen Russell Payne's literary fiction novel, Cliff Walking, is one of those genre transcending works that will appeal to so many and on so many different levels. It's a marvelous character study of the grieving widower artist whose soul had been buried under the waves with his wife since her disappearance. Francis is apart from the world until he sees that image of the slightly chubby boy standing before his easel. Payne's also crafted a stunning coming of age novel that focuses on Stringer, who comes of age in both the most trying and exhilarating of times. Kate's tale is one of redemption and healing. The three of them are towering presences in this tale, joined later by the trial attorney who sees in his defense of Stringer a chance to make right his own son's untimely demise. Payne had me hooked into the world of Winter's Cove, an idyllic small town nestled among the rocky shores of coastal Maine, but then he totally astonished me by including in this most impressive tale one of the most exciting and moving legal thrillers I've read. I was unable to tear myself away from the dialog as the prosecution and the defense called forth their witnesses. When the jury announced that they had reached a verdict, I was holding my breath. Cliff Walking is a brilliant debut novel that left me satisfied, yet definitely hungering for more from this gifted writer. It's most highly recommended.

Reviewed by Sarah Rollins for Readers' Favorite

Angie Gallion’s Intoxic is an intoxicating coming of age story that will appeal to many! The main character, Alison, is sixteen years old, with all the challenges of that age group – love, family, peer groups, school and more. The thing is, most of us could understand these challenges, and it makes for a teen style story. However, this author takes the story further and, as a reader, I was completely engaged in the character herself - we feel her struggles with her home life and her mother, as well as her self esteem and confidence. That internal struggle of whether you are meant to live the same life as your parents or find a different path is one that many young kids or teens will identify with quickly.

Angie Gallion’s style is a definite page turner. Her characters are real and authentic, and her style of writing is easy and comfortable. Intoxic is written in Alison's world, and you find yourself trapped inside her head, and longing for a positive outcome for this troubled but smart and heartfelt young woman. This is the first book in a potentially strong series of novels, and the way the author ends the book is both satisfying, but also clever, leaving the reader seeking to know more about Alison’s plight and what she may confront as she faces the next stage in her life. Without a doubt, the author has found her niche with this character and this storyline, and I would recommend this book to any reader. I hope to read more in this series.

Reviewed by Ruffina Oserio for Readers' Favorite

If you are a fan of sci-fi, futuristic, or dystopian stories, or novels that echo the game of power like Divergent, then Age of Order by Julian North would be the perfect fit for you. Set against the backdrop of a futuristic, dystopian era, this novel explores the inner workings of power and how a select few would do anything to keep it to themselves. The story explores themes that include the misuse of power, the inequality of men and women, and intrigue at the highest level. It’s a story that begins with a gunshot in the night, progresses through high-scale conflict, and ends on a very high note, leaving the reader rattled and entertained beyond measure.

When Daniela Machado gets the coveted slot at the elite Tuck School, she is thrilled and delighted to be among the chosen few to escape the hardship that is characteristic of Bronx City, but she is just about to discover a new world, luxurious but flawed with avarice. She could just become a statistic that contributes to the greed of those in power and that would help them keep power to themselves. That is, if she doesn’t act fast. Will she take the chance to change things or will she be absorbed into the system and be contaminated by its darkness?

Age of Order is a story with beguiling characters, a fascinating plot, and a conflict that will keep readers awake until they witness the denouement. The writing is great and the action intense. Your pulse will rise as you follow Julian North’s characters. I couldn’t ask for more from a book; it was an exciting and really thrilling ride. And what is most astounding is that readers will relate to the story and the drama as it is being played out in the real politics of our time.