Review Tales
Trusted Reviews and Author Features Since 2016
The Gravedigger by William Baer (Book Review #1937)
*The Gravedigger* by William Baer is a novel that skillfully intertwines the mystical with the mundane, set against the hauntingly beautiful backdrop of the Isle of Skye. The story centers on Polly Kinnell, a distinguished chocolate taster with an enviable career working for some of the world’s most prestigious chocolatiers, including Ghirardelli, Godiva, and Hershey.
Read MoreNARROW ESCAPES: A Memoir by Louise Nayer (Book Review 1937)
*NARROW ESCAPES* by Louise Nayer is a powerful and deeply moving memoir that delves into the author’s life with raw honesty and poignant detail. Published by Spuyten Duyvil in 2023, this memoir takes readers on an emotional journey through Nayer’s life, beginning with a harrowing childhood experience and continuing through years of searching for peace amid relentless pain.
Read MoreThe Adventures of Pee Wee and Tinfoil by Corey Manning (Book Review #1936)
The Adventures of Pee Wee and Tinfoil by Corey Manning is a heartwarming tale that gently explores themes of loneliness, friendship, and empathy, making it a valuable read for both children and parents. The story introduces readers to Pee Wee, a lonely worm, and Tinfoil, a yellow finch, who meet one spring morning and form an unlikely bond.
Read MoreEntwined Desires ” A Love’s Redemption” By Anna Marteen (Book Review #1934)
Entwined Desires: A Love’s Redemption by Anna Marteen is a compelling tale of passion, love, and self-discovery that explores the complex interplay between desire and emotional intimacy. The story follows Adriana, a daring 25-year-old voyager, who is no stranger to the seductive dance of fleeting encounters and the shadows of addiction. Her life is a symphony of moonlit passions and a constant struggle to maintain her carefully cultivated detachment from deeper emotions.
Read MoreThe Reincarnation of Marie by Jim Woodman (Book Review #1933)
The Reincarnation of Marieby Jim Woodman is a hauntingly beautiful novel that weaves together the threads of history, love, and the supernatural in the vibrant streets of 1950s Paris. The story follows Yann Roussel, a young French Army officer, whose life takes an unexpected turn when he stumbles upon the diary of Marie Bashkirtseff, a 19th-century French-Russian aristocrat, beside the Seine.
Read MoreInterviewing ALAIN ROLLAND
What is Six Years of Absence about? It is a historical fiction about a French soldier’s journey through World War II inspired by true events. Alexandre leaves his wife and 3-month-old baby to join his engineer regiment and fights the first battles against the German army on the Eastern front. He is then stationed near the Belgian border and, on his way to Norway, he has to retreat to Dunkirk. After missing the last boat for England, as a prisoner of war, he transits through two camps in Pomerania and ends up working as a forced laborer. After many adventures during five long years of captivity, the Red Army liberates him, and he experiences new ones with the Russian soldiers before returning home.
Read MoreInterviewing Simon Jones
Tell us a little about where you grew up. What was it like there?
Unlike me, my past is unremarkable, but I will not get ahead of myself. You may have noticed I speak well. That is because for a long time I lived in a well-to-do area of Austrshir City, but I was born in a family of riversiders. You don’t know what that means? We lived next to the Ophidian River. A beautiful body of water rich in life, winding its way through the Arid Lands. It enters the east side of the city, where people built their homes next to its banks, hence the name ‘riversiders’. By the time the river flows through the city’s centre and out of the west quadrant, where grime meets beauty, all that remains in its currents is death.
For a boy of my talents, the city was a wondrous place.
Read MoreFade to Black: Noir Stories of Grifters, Drifters, and Unlovable Losers by Robert White (Book Review #1932)
Robert White’s Fade to Black is a masterful collection of 22 noir tales that plunges deep into the dark corners of human nature, where greed, lust, and revenge reign supreme. With a deft hand, White weaves stories that are as gritty as they are compelling, exploring the motivations behind the actions of society’s most desperate and depraved characters.
Read MoreAbout my book by Marc Rosenberg
I think authors are often asked where they get their ideas. It’s a good question. KYD’S GAME is an espionage thriller dealing with Russia’s complicity in a chemical attack in Syria (2017). I had seen a news video of a man and his young son who were hopelessly struggling to outrun the effects. It had a strong emotional impact on me. Evidence that the Russians were complicit is documented. I later read Bill Browder’s book “Red Notice”, which clearly illustrates the corruption and cruelty of Putin’s regime. Putting these influences together with my love of le Carre’s books pushed me forward.
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