Reviewed by Tina Stanciu for Readers' Favorite

The Tale of a Lost Romantic in Seoul by Steve Justice is a novel as remarkable as its title that tells the story of a middle-aged English professor and his struggles to come to terms with his normal and nice but unhappy life. Trapped in a marriage that was never his desire, enslaved by a job that only brings routine and disillusion, living in a country with no excitement, he decides to abandon his perfectly fine life and move to South Korea with the hope of a new and stimulating life. Unfortunately, his new life will only bring the same meaningless routine and the same feelings of discontent; in fact, all that changed was the landscape. His life only begins to find its meaning when he encounters a younger woman, and realizes that could be the intellectual match he has been looking for all along. Intelligence and youth are powerful aphrodisiacs and the professor would soon find out how much darkness and hurt can be caused by an oppressed and tortured soul.

To say that The Tale of a Lost Romantic in Seoul is a beautifully written psychological thriller with an unforeseen outcome is an understatement. Resembling Nabokov’s Lolita, Steve Justice’s novel has a way of making you get into the protagonist’s mind, and even if there may be time when you guess the outcome, the professor comes along and pushes you back into his world of disillusion and false hope. The slow pace of the story complements the psychological profiles of the characters and keeps readers from anticipating the ending. Even if in the beginning you would find it hard to empathize with the professor, by the time you read more than half way you find yourself so deep into his head that you would not have it any other way.

The professor sees himself as a lost romantic, a hero on a mission to find the one he loves and to offer her eternal happiness; all that gets in the way is a string of obstacles that he has to overcome in order to have his happy-ever-after, no matter who he ends up hurting in the process. This book was a pleasure from cover to cover, and even though it is not a story with a happy ending, it offers everything a good psychological thriller should.

Reviewed by Lit Amri for Readers' Favorite

“From the flames of Cerraco five will arise, Saplings of Aegis, the bearers of light...” In S.S. Segran’s Aegis Rising, sixteen-year-old Tegan Ryder was enjoying a smooth flight in northern Canada with her four best friends; Mariah Ashton, Jag Sanchez, Aari Barnes, and Kody Tyler. A freak storm caught them by surprise, and one of their engines was struck by lightning. They survived the plane crash and found themselves in Dema-Ki, a hidden valley inhabited by mysterious people. The Elders of the people believe that the teenagers are the saviors as foretold in their prophecy. Hesitant at first, the five youths accept their fate, but are they ready to face both the dangers in and outside the valley?

This first book in the Aegis League series is well-written and gave me an interesting set of premises to read. S.S. Segran has managed to weave together threads of youth leadership, love, loss, intrigue, excitement, and action in just the right amount without the scenes becoming too artificial. The relationships between characters in the book are deftly depicted and easily convinced me about the depth of their feelings. The story flows along well, with twists placed perfectly in the plot, and I absolutely love the part when the teenagers undergo their training. Due to Segran’s great skill at building the teenagers’ relationships among themselves and with other characters, every scene affects my emotions, ranging from intrigue, hilarity, excitement to anger. I recommend this book to any YA fans that enjoy well-paced, immersive sci-fi/fantasy series worth following.

Reviewed by Lit Amri for Readers' Favorite

Written by Kathryn Guare, Deceptive Cadence: The Virtuosic Spy Book One, is about Conor McBride, who is recruited by MI6 to go on a mission to India and capture his own brother, Thomas McBride. Unwillingly going deeper into the world of secret espionage, Conor discovers, as an absolute amateur operative, that there is more to the mission than meets the eye.

Being a fan of spy and conspiracy stories, I was immediately drawn to Deceptive Cadence by, what else, the words The Virtuosic Spy in the title. Another deal-clincher was the word “virtuosic.” If there is any anti-hero of the genre that deserves any kind of happiness that can be squeezed out of a miserable situation, it is Conor McBride. He was once a promising violinist, but was, unfortunately, wronged by his own brother.

Kathryn Guare definitely gives a lot of heart to the story. Humor is there as well which delighted me very much. It is very readable from start to finish, with no glitches whatsoever in the plot and writing. Characters are easily believable - Conor, his Ma, Phillip, and even the dodgy Frank. The level of suspense is well-maintained and kept my interest. This book is truly a fun spy thriller and I enjoyed it very much. Overall, this is a brilliantly written piece of storytelling, and should appeal not just to fans of spy stories, but everyone as well. I look forward to reading the second book of the series.

Reviewed by Anne Boling for Readers' Favorite

The Romanian Connection by Richard Roche is a work of fiction that reads like non-fiction. I had to check more than once to make sure the author had correctly listed this book. The prologue hints at the intrigue that lies ahead. The setting is 1995; Jack Hollingsworth had questions and was determined to find the answers. His wife was found dead with a blood alcohol level of 0.24, three times the legal limit. Cynthia would drink a glass of wine on holidays but that was all. She was found in five feet of extremely cold water; that alone was enough to kill her. The more he searched for answers the more questions he found. Who was the extremely ugly man she was seen with right before the accident? Jack discovered she had written a manuscript that exposed corruption in the Romanian government.

Jack had spent many years in Romania and he suspected his wife’s death was connected to Romania. The CIA has a problem; one of their operatives spotted what he thought was a nuclear warhead and five long range missiles. They felt Jack was the best man to send to Romania to investigate; this could be the opening Jack needed to find out the truth behind his wife’s death.

I was quickly drawn into this tale. I walked alongside Jack Hollingsworth as he searched for information concerning his wife’s death. His search led to extreme danger and the death of his daughter, keeping me on the edge of my seat. The Romanian Connection is a stunning work filled with intrigue, romance, and danger. There are twists and turns to keep readers turning the pages. The plot has great potential; however this book needs more editing.

Reviewed by Maria Beltran for Readers' Favorite

"Secrets in a Time of Peace" opens slowly on a beautiful sunny morning in Islamabad, Pakistan, in the garden of General Masharif, who is a suspected supporter of a jihad movement of Islam. He is having breakfast with his guests that include retired General Igor Belinsky of Russia, Prince Ali Hussein Al Saudi and Samiel Bin Laden of Saudi Arabia, and Abdul Qadeer Khan of Pakistan. What follows is a fascinating story that is set after the collapse of the Soviet Union, which effectively ended the Cold War. It has been discovered that plutonium bombs from Russia's arsenal are missing and it is feared that the wrong countries or terrorist groups will get hold of these weapons of mass destruction. The United States of America, Russia, China and Israel go into a concerted effort to trace these bombs that are so portable that they can fit in a suitcase. As terrorism grips the world, the mission is considered as top secret to prevent the general population from going into panic. Will they be able to find these nuclear bombs and prevent the horrors that will certainly happen if they fall into the the wrong hands?

Robert Shaines is a practicing lawyer who was also a contractor for the Defense Nuclear Agency in the US. He also worked in Russia on the Cooperative Threat Reduction Treaty from 1993 to 1996. This is why his book "Secrets in a Time of Peace" is a historical fiction that might have actually happened. As an insider, the author is well versed in his subject but it is his writing style that makes the story more vivid and real. The plot builds up slowly and the characters are well-developed. There seems to be a rhythm that goes with the narrative. Like a Mozart concerto, the reader is taken on a roller coaster ride that is sometimes slow and sometimes frantic. As the book traces the efforts of four countries, United States, Russia, China and Israel, to find the missing nuclear bombs and keep them out of terrorist hands, the reader is faced with the real terror and the urgency of the situation. This is because Shaines is a master story teller who knows exactly what he is talking about so that after reading the book, I am convinced that this scenario might just as well be happening right now. All the elements of a blockbuster historical fiction is here: a gripping plot, compelling characters and a master story teller.

Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

"Surly Bonds" by Michael Byars Lewis is the story of Jason Conrad and his fellow Lieutenants Matt, Vince and Lenny as they train to become fighter pilots. The story takes place at the Vance Air Force Base in Enid, Oklahoma. Jason seems to be struggling to keep up with the studies and flight tests. He also has some romantic entanglements that serve as unwanted distractions. His ex-wife is pestering him and reopening the wounds caused by her infidelities, and an attractive local woman, Kathy, seems like the real deal.

Lewis has crafted an intriguing and suspenseful thriller that also gives the reader a birds-eye view of life as a pilot-in-training. I particularly enjoyed the vicarious experience of walking around the plane with Jason under the eagle eye of his instructor and going for the flight sessions. There are two plots in it: after we get to know Jason and his classmates, a second story starts to form on the other side of the world in Russia, and Lewis deftly moves the action along in both plots. Jason is a compelling character. He works hard for his grades and has a strong sense of loyalty to his friends, even the ones who seem to have a much easier time with their coursework than he does. It is interesting to see how he copes with problems and critical situations and gets stronger as he goes along. This is a suspenseful and well-crafted thriller that delivers, and I enjoyed every minute spent reading it.

Reviewed by Ellen Hogan for Readers' Favorite

Susan Williams receives a call from her friend Mari. Mari says she needs to see Susan because she thinks someone is trying to kill her. Susan asks her friend Casey Shenk to go with her. Also at the deli that morning is police officer Paul Giordano and his pregnant wife Emily. There is an explosion outside the deli. Paul's wife in injured and they lose their unborn son. Mari is also injured and dies in the hospital. Both Paul and Casey are astounded when the attack takes place. That and the attacks at the same time on St. Patrick's Cathedral and a Jewish Synagogue are said to have been carried out by Middle Eastern terrorists. Both Paul and Casey saw the bomber of the deli and he was an American. They decide there is some kind of cover up going on and set out to find who exactly ordered the death of Mari and the bombings. When Casey writes a post on his blog titled "The Complicity Doctrine", he is warned off the story by his boss and Paul is asked to back off as the the police have their answer. Neither one can and as the story develops Casey believes both of their lives are in danger.

This book grips us from the beginning and does not let us go till the end. Though some parts are pretty easy to predict, the author keeps surprises on the horizon with unexpected twists and turns. The story flows well throughout the book. There were no slow parts at all and it is full of high energy. All of the main characters are very well rounded and strong in their own right. They are supported by superb minor characters like Casey's boss Jim, and fellow co-worker Andie. There is a glimpse into the workings of a political campaign thrown in too. This book is an excellent read and I would highly recommend it.

Reviewed by Janet Jensen for Readers' Favorite

Patrick M. Garry poses a powerful ethical dilemma in "The Price of Guilt". At age 13, Thomas Walsh plays a small role in a prank that goes horribly wrong, leaving a classmate blinded and orphaned. Now, with his daughter away at college and his marriage crumbling, he attends his 25th high school reunion. After dinner, the senior class president reads a letter from Donavon Killerman, in which Donavan says he is sorry he couldn’t be there, as his blindness limits travel and his business is in trouble, but he wishes all of his fellow classmates well. This is enough to rekindle the guilt Thomas has always felt. Under an assumed name, Thomas checks in to Donavon’s run-down fishing resort and soon becomes tangled in the legal affairs of Donavon and two of his employees. As an attorney, Thomas can help each of them, and finds great satisfaction as he plays savior. Soon, with the best of intentions, he becomes an actor in a plot that turns criminal, and he is caught within its complex web.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is a turn-pager. Though not action-packed and fast-paced, as most legal thrillers tend to be, this book is psychologically intriguing. The reader is methodically pulled into the moral questions posed in the story, just as Thomas is, and we wonder who really is the blind man.

The plot is methodically revealed and the action moves seamlessly from the present to the past and back. The deceptively simple story slowly leads the reader to its conclusion, but we have known that since the first chapter. It is the “how did it happen?” internal question that keeps the reader intrigued. Layer after layer, Garry seduces the reader, building the story with great skill. I will definitely read more books by Patrick Garry.

Reviewed by Anne Boling for Readers' Favorite

"Patchwork of Me" by Gregory G. Allen begins with Sara’s odd dream, in which she was married to Carol and they had a child that died from a shark attack. The recurring dream caused her to question her sexuality although she was very sexually active. An inner voice frequently spoke to her. Her therapist hypnotized her taking her back into her childhood. Each session would take her a wee bit deeper into her past. Unpleasant bits and pieces of Sara’s childhood come bursting forth during therapy. Knowing she must find the truth, she begins a journey to discover her past with two very good friends tagging along with her. Her past was very disturbing but the future offers hope.

Gregory G. Allen offers readers a beautiful story of redemption. I can’t say enough good about this book. The dialogue is well done and very realistic. The plot is well developed. This book has 326 pages but it is a fast, easy read. Allen combined humor, romance and suspense all in one book. I wasn’t sure I liked Sara at the beginning of the book. However, it soon became evident she was a product of what her parents did to her but she didn’t continue on that path. Sara found the forgiveness, grace and redemption that she needed. The name of this book is very astute for we are all a patchwork quilt of our experiences. Allen’s choice of characters just proves that we live in a diverse world and that God loves us all. I was unfamiliar with this author until recently. I will be looking for more books by Gregory G. Allen in the future.

Reviewed by Brenda Ballard for Readers' Favorite

Five women, each with their own tribulation, walk through life with their dreams that mean everything to them. The Visitor comes to make changes, to provide each a gem that, if things go well, will be the pivotal point that they yearn for.

The plot twists and the enticement of what the next page may unfold will leave the reader with chores still to be done and dinner uncooked. It is that impossible to put the book down! I loved the uniqueness of the plot; I have never read a story like this before. The author is very skilled at pulling the reader in and does not disappoint. She is a descriptive writer who manages to make the lucky reader feel as though they are right there in the story. Being the mom of four, it is clear that Karen Mc Dermott surely has a lot of opportunity to utilize her fantastic imagination but she doesn't stop at the family: she shares her gift with the world. I went back and re-read a couple of parts just because I enjoyed them so much. I cannot say that I do that often (if at all) normally. The author's name is one that I will look for now and then, just to see what else she has written. While I am really not the groupie type, I will definitely follow this woman's work! I highly recommend "The Visitor" to readers who enjoy this genre. It is that great!