Reviewed by Viga Boland for Readers' Favorite

Just put a word like “Ripper” into the title of a mystery book, and you’re bound to attract interest from Jack the Ripper fans. But Fanny Newcomb and the Irish Channel Ripper by Ana Brazil is not about that dreaded murderer. Nor is it set in the darkened alleyways of old England. No, this historical fiction is set in the Irish Channel section of New Orleans in the late 1800s. As you join Fanny Newcomb and her unlikely fellow sleuths, Dr. Olive Giddings and her sister, Sylvia, in solving the heinous death of a young woman at the hands of this other Ripper, you will find yourself not only enjoying the challenge but also learning a great deal about the attitudes of men toward women way back then. Moreover, if you’re a modern day woman who is big on equality issues, don’t be surprised if you come away just a bit incensed at the narrow-minded male thinking you’ll encounter. But that will make you admire Fanny and her intelligent, resourceful team even more as they do what the men couldn’t do: identify the killer! After the police arrest Karl, whom the ladies are positive is not the Ripper, and the bloodthirsty mob is ready to string him up, Fanny, a prominent lawyer’s daughter, is so relentless in her attempt to save Karl from the gallows that the more she digs, the deeper she puts herself in danger. Her list of suspects is short, and the reader, like Fanny, has plenty of reasons to suspect any one of them. And that’s half the fun of reading this novel: will the one you picked out early in the story be the right one?

Ana Brazil has gone to a great deal of trouble to research her information on the life and times in late 1800s New Orleans, rife with prostitution, poverty, religious and cultural conflicts. She has supplied an extensive bibliography, and that accounts for the very authentic settings and attitudes in this story. Further, in a rather personal approach in the Afterword, Brazil supplies facts on which her historical fiction is based, along with giving the reader insight into how the characters of Fanny, Olive and Sylvia were created. This section is as interesting as the story itself. Fanny Newcomb and the Irish Channel Ripper is an excellent first novel, and going by the ending paragraph, one suspects Ana Brazil is possibly planning a sequel. I can actually see this developing into a TV series like the award-winning Canadian series, The Murdoch Mysteries. Has Ana Brazil set the stage for a similar series with this book? Only time will tell.

Reviewed by Anne-Marie Reynolds for Readers' Favorite

The Lost Spy by Kate Moira Ryan is a Slim Moran Mystery story set in 1949 in Paris. Slim Moran is an American detective who has been hired to find a spy that is presumed to be dead. Slim and her Nazi hunter boyfriend run a detective agency called Pitchipol and business has been slow – until now. With Daniel off on the trail of another Nazi, Slim is left to deal with the case of Marie-Claire by herself and she soon finds herself embroiled in a mystery that is embedded in the last war. Now Slim is in a race against time – if she doesn’t find Marie-Claire, both of them could end up dead.

The Lost Spy (Slim Moran Mysteries) by Kate Moira Ryan is a thrilling tale set in post-war Europe. This story is full of historical facts and is written in a way that pulls you back in time. The story feels real, the characters are likable and well developed, and it’s a tale of mystery, spies, romance and lots of thrills along the way. There is plenty of action and many twists and turns, some that will have you on the edge of your seat. The historical side has been covered very well, adding substance to the story – it’s a story that most likely happened many times over after WWII. Shades of “Allo, Allo”, albeit a more serious than the TV show and a truly good read. I would say that if anyone is offended by lesbianism in any way, there are scenes set in a lesbian bar – nothing that I would consider offensive in any way though.

Reviewed by Eeva Lancaster for Readers' Favorite

The Empress Holds the Key begins in 1944 with the scene where two Jewish boys were taken and murdered by high-ranking Nazi officers. A picture of this gruesome event falls into the hands of Jack Rogan and this ignites a quest to identify and prosecute this war criminal... and something else... but nobody knows exactly what yet. Clue upon clue is uncovered as they go deeper into the mystery of the unknown officer in the picture, who carried a most strange violin. From Nazis to the Holocaust to Egypt, back to the legend of King Solomon and the Knights Templar, we are taken on this quest to find something that will not be clear until the last part of the story. A relic that could ruin Christianity and the Roman Catholic Church? Something the Templars protected and died for...

Gabriel Farago is a fine writer who can weave several story lines and make them come together in a satisfying conclusion. The history satisfied my fascination with forbidden and hidden knowledge. In The Empress Holds the Key, we are given clues and trivia galore, and you must not try to make sense of it all right away, but instead allow the author to take you on an adventure until all the answers are found. Characterization is wonderful. Jack Rogan does not dominate the story, and I thoroughly enjoyed Jana Gonski and the other supporting characters. Farago will take you inside the minds of terrorists and criminals and the mystery underlying everything will keep you turning pages to see where it's all leading. And you won't be disappointed. This is a well-written book that you can look forward to reading every time you put it down... if you can put it down. Highly recommended.

Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

The Hollows: A Midnight Gunn Novel is an historical mystery novel written by C.L. Monaghan. Detective Inspector Arthur Gredge had a serial assailant on his hands. The circumstances surrounding the latest victim, a Miss Emmeline Rowbotham, were particularly troublesome due to her being a member of a prominent family and to the fact that she had not survived the attack. The assailant’s other victims were from the lower classes of society and had been found alive, if barely so, and, while conscious, strangely devoid of volition. The case was bizarre and troubling enough that Gredge felt compelled to bring in Midnight Gunn, a paranormal investigator whose familiarity with the dark shadows made Gredge decidedly uncomfortable. But he was convinced that only Midnight would be able to resolve the situation.

C.L. Monaghan’s historical mystery novel, The Hollows: A Midnight Gunn Novel, had me hooked from the first page. Any Sherlock Holmes fan will delight in watching the two detectives look for clues in 1860s London and risk life and limb tracking down a diabolical miscreant. Midnight Gunn is one of the most exciting new detective characters to come around in some time. As I read this book, I began hoping that Monaghan comes up with any number of new and extraordinary cases to occupy the fine minds of Gunn and Dredge. This author makes her historical setting come alive, and watching as this finely plotted detective yarn unfolds is sheer joy. More Midnight Gunn adventures, please. The Hollows: A Midnight Gunn Novel is most highly recommended.

Reviewed by Lex Allen for Readers' Favorite

The Advocate’s Geocache by Teresa Burrell is the seventh novel in The Advocate Series. Sabre Brown, an attorney advocate for children in California, has a busy life that gets even busier when her newest hobby, geocaching, turns up an official death certificate dated ten days in the future. Sabre can’t resist the lure of this mystery and she enlists the aid of her current boyfriend, JP Torn, a private detective, and her best friend, fellow attorney Bob Clark, to track and solve the puzzle. Unable to stop the murder, the chase becomes a hunt for the killer and there are several suspects, not the least of whom could be one of her current court cases.

Jumping into the middle of a long running series is often difficult as there is no connection to the development of the characters and the author may assume the books will be read in order. The Advocate’s Geocache is a rare exception in that Burrell, a skilled and experienced author, deftly introduces each character with short, concise narrative that instantly captures the reader’s empathy, sympathy or dislike. Of particular delight for me was the efficiency with which the author weaves the ups and downs of everyday personal relationships into the main murder mystery plot, with effortless skill and realism. Last, but not least, the near inevitable series cliffhanger, often so steep you’re left wondering where the hell it came from, is totally absent in The Advocate’s Geocache. This tale ends conclusively and satisfactorily. As a new fan of Teresa Burrell, I suspect the same can be said for all of her books. I intend to find out.

Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

The Amazon Detective Agency: A Murder Novel is a sleuth murder mystery novel written by Patrick Oster. Mel McGinty had been working the overnight shift as part of the Supreme Court’s police force for eighteen months when she discovered Oliver Wendell Oglethorpe’s body in the building’s private gym and basketball court. Mel’s real love was her private detective agency, which she hoped one day to make a self-supporting enterprise, but until then the Supreme Court gig had worked quite well. The veteran military police officer and former beat cop with the Arlington P.D. instinctively knew the FBI was wrong in considering Oglethorpe’s death to be from natural causes. There were too many different variables. For one thing, the pending decision on the presidential election would have massive repercussions, and Oglethorpe was sure to vote in a way that conservative President Fett would not be pleased with. There were any number of persons and groups interested in seeing the conservative president remain in power, with the opportunity to appoint more right-wing Supreme Court justices. McGinty was determined to look further into what she saw was the mystery of Oglethorpe’s death, and she would do it, with or without the approval of her superior.

Patrick Oster’s years spent as a U.S. Supreme Court reporter and the editor-in-chief of the National Law Journal give The Amazon Detective Agency a sense of authenticity and immediacy that will attract the attention of anyone who’s wondered at the impact of elections on judicial appointments, and decried the disgraceful decision the Supreme Court reached in Bush v. Gore. Throughout the book, there’s the tension and detail one would expect to find in a political thriller, which makes this murder mystery even more enjoyable. Oster’s McGinty is a welcome look back at the hard-boiled detective; one who has no issues with working outside the system when necessary to get to the answers. The author gives McGinty and the reader plenty of red herrings to consider in solving the mystery, and getting to that solution is great fun indeed. This well-written and thoroughly engaging murder mystery is most highly recommended.

Reviewed by Rabia Tanveer for Readers' Favorite

The brilliant end to a brilliant story. The Brilliant Game by A. Gavazzoni is the third and last novel in the Hidden Motives series. I am a little sad to see that this is the last novel in the series, but at the same time I am very happy to see that A. Gavazzoni did an amazing job with wrapping up a very complex and interesting story. The story continues the life and struggles of Simone Bennet, a gifted psychiatrist who got caught in the world of lies, deceit and malicious intent when she decided to help a lawyer find the real killer of a woman named Lara.

After being kidnapped by a serial killer, Simone is back in her old life, trying to help some of her patients while still working with Cal who brought all this into her life. Her life is not stable, especially now that her daughter has been kidnapped and she, Edward (her boyfriend), the police and the FBI are trying to find her daughter. In the meantime, Simone is also trying to decode and decipher more of Lara’s story and find out what happened in the life of this enigmatic young woman. Simone’s conflicted feelings for Cal, her desire to find her daughter, and discover more about Lara is driving her mad. Is there any end to her story? Can she finally find out what happened to Lara? Can she find her daughter?

As always, A. Gavazzoni blew me away with her brilliant storytelling and her ability to take me on a journey with Simone. I was eagerly anticipating what she would bring in the third novel and how she would end Simone’s story. I enjoyed Simone’s journey, her development and how real she is. A. Gavazzoni’s characters are very real, they seem to breathe with every word and come to life on every page. I simply adore this author and the way she writes.

Reviewed by Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite

Death at the Midnight Dragonfly by Susan Boles is the third book in the Lily Gayle Lambert Mystery series, a wonderful blend of murder and mystery, set in the quaint neighborhood of Mercy, Mississippi, during the Christmas season. Lily Gayle’s childhood friend, Vlad Templeton, has returned to the city where he grew up to conduct his state-sponsored sleep study. When Vlad finds one of the participants in the study, the local bank manager, Tom Hammond, dead on his front porch, he knows this means trouble. Evidence makes Jack, the husband of one of Lily’s friends, one of the top suspects. Lily is out to help Dixie clear her husband’s name. As they get closer to unveiling the mystery, they suddenly become targets — this means they have to act fast or become the next victims.

A perfect read for fans of murder mystery and sleuth, the story is crafted in crisp prose and set against a cozy backdrop. Readers get a feel for life in the community and the cultural aspects of the setting, like Christmas activities, come out beautifully in the story. This author has a great sense of realism which she uses to give life to the setting and to create relationships between the characters and the world around them. You will love this novel if you are into stories that are suspenseful, and Susan Boles knows just what it takes to make readers eagerly anticipate what happens next in the story. She makes readers care about her characters so much that they begin to worry about them. Her skilful use of red herrings coupled with the sense of mystery make this book a page-turner. Death at the Midnight Dragonfly will keep you awake all night.

Reviewed by Kim Anisi for Readers' Favorite

The Last Suttee by Madhu Bazaz Wangu tells the story of Kumud who, at the age of only nine, had to witness the suttee of her aunt. A suttee happens when a wife follows her dead husband onto the pyre and is burned alive. It is believed that this will turn her into a saint and bring her family good luck for a few generations. And unfortunately, in some parts of India, a widow is still seen as worth nothing. A woman without a man is a burden on society. Kumud wants to change this and is working at an orphanage for girls. When she receives a phone call about a suttee that is supposed to happen in her old home town, Kumud knows one thing for sure: she cannot let it happen again. She leaves everything behind, but how will she change the old beliefs of people in a town that does not want to change?

When I picked up The Last Suttee by Madhu Bazaz Wangu, I wasn't quite sure whether I would like it or not. With cultural novels, there is always the danger that they might turn out to be boring, even though the idea itself is exciting. Fortunately, this wasn't the case here. The writing style made it easy to feel like you are right in the middle of the story. You get to know Kumud better and better with each chapter, and it's interesting to get an insight into her upbringing, her experiences, and why she ended up where we find her. Her story is revealed bit by bit, and not in one huge information dump. It's like getting to know a real person: you can know them for a long time, and still discover new things about them again and again.

Reading about Kumud always felt fresh and I definitely didn't get bored with her. She's an awesome character. Her journey is one full of courage, despair, hope, and resilience. I found the author a bit cruel at the end of the book. I can't give anything away, but you'll end up loving and hating her on a few pages because expected and unexpected, feared and hoped for events kind of mix themselves up in a way that plays havoc with your emotions a little. It definitely was a great reading experience as you couldn't be sure what would really happen until you arrived at the end!

Reviewed by Eeva Lancaster for Readers' Favorite

The Jericho Prophecy by Fiona Tarr is biblical fiction based on the fall of Jericho. It has been forty years since the Israelites wandered in the desert, and they arrive in the land of the Canaanites, ready to claim the Promised Land under the leadership of Joshua, and backed up by the powers of Yahweh, the Israelite god. Joshua sends spies to Jericho for information and there, Salmah, one of the spies, meets Rahab, a priestess of the goddess Asherah, protector of Jericho. In spite of their differing faiths, the two connect and conspire to save their people from the impending turmoil, brought about by the gods whose intentions they cannot comprehend. Under the command of Yahweh, Joshua seems determined to slaughter every man, woman, and child, but Salmah finds it hard to accept that the Israelites will gain the land of milk and honey this way. He starts to doubt if the intentions of Joshua are really the will of Yahweh. He and Rahab, along with the goddess Asherah, work together to find a more amicable solution. Asherah has motives of her own and she is determined that the line of Salmah and the royal family of Jericho be preserved to fulfill a prophecy.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Jericho Prophecy. The history and the characters are skillfully developed by Fiona Tarr. The plot was captivating, and the dialogue kept me engaged. I enjoy biblical fiction and this book made it easy for me to imagine that I was there in Jericho, amidst the chaos, making me empathize with the hopes and doubts of a people who witnessed firsthand the miracles and powers of the gods they worshiped. There's romance and intrigue and I easily got caught up in the machinations of both gods and mortals. I found myself rooting for the characters and sympathizing with the dilemma they found themselves in. Fiona Tarr is a highly entertaining writer with exceptional storytelling skills. I recommend The Jericho Prophecy to readers who like biblical myths and legends, reinvented to give us a deeper view of the people and events we often read about. There is a lot of meat in this book and it gave me hours of entertainment.