Category Archives: General Fiction

The Shining Girls, by Lauren Beukes (2013)

Posted on September 12, 2013 by tom

It’s 1931 Chicago, and like so many Americans during the Great Depression, Harper Curtis has it rough. Harper lives in one of the many “Hoovervilles,” small villages of tarpaper shacks and tents where those with nowhere else to go try … Continue reading →

Posted in Best Books of the Year, Books, General Fiction, Mysteries/Thrillers, Paranormal | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Never Go Back: A Jack Reacher Novel, by Lee Child (2013)

Posted on August 30, 2013 by tom

(nb: I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss) One of my favorite things about Jack Reacher is his combination of intelligence and toughness. He has wits, training, and experience—as former Commander of the … Continue reading →

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Raising Innocence (Rylee Adamson #3), by Shannon Mayer (2013)

Posted on August 14, 2013 by tom

Shannon Mayer’s Rylee Adamson series is like any other really good paranormal series in the same way that a Formula One car is like a Prius: they’re both good for what they are, but one is a hell of a … Continue reading →

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Tampa, by Alissa Nutting (2013)

Posted on August 9, 2013 by tom

If you have a fourteen-year-old son, you just might want to home-school him after reading Alissa Nutting’s chilling novel, “Tampa.” For it is upon fourteen-year-old boys that Celeste Price preys, and she’s quite good at it. Celeste is a middle-school … Continue reading →

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The Road to Her, by KE Payne (2013)

Posted on August 4, 2013 by tom

When Fiction Becomes Fact (nb: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley) Your name is Holly Croft. You’re a twenty-year-old actress on “Portobello Road,” a hugely popular evening soap opera. One day, the producers call … Continue reading →

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William Shakespeare’s Star Wars, by Ian Doescher (2013)

Posted on July 27, 2013 by tom

(nb: I received a review copy from the publisher via Edelweiss) Yes, “William Shakespeare’s Star Wars” is precisely what the title implies, and it is exquisite. Author Ian Doescher has taken the familiar story of the original “Star Wars,” and … Continue reading →

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Sweet, Decadent, and Fun: “Skinny Bitch in Love,” by Kim Barnouin (2013)

Posted on May 28, 2013 by tom

(nb: I received an advance review copy from the publisher via NetGalley) The “opposites attract” leitmotif is a standard in modern fiction. The straight cop ends up with the bumbling private investigator; the rich guy ends up with a streetwalker. … Continue reading →

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Screwed, by Laurie Plissner (2013)

Posted on May 11, 2013 by tom

(nb: via NetGalley,I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for my unbiased review) I wanted to like “Screwed.” Based on the description and the cover, I was intrigued: the “perfect” daughter of super-conservative abstinence-only championing parents has sex … Continue reading →

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Unpredictable, by Eileen Cook (2007)

Posted on April 22, 2013 by tom

In Eileen Cook’s “Unpredictable,” Sophie Kintock finds herself at a low point. Her boyfriend of six years, Doug, has moved out, and Sophie is having a difficult time letting go. This is why she finds herself in his new, chic … Continue reading →

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Immune: A Sexy Urban Fantasy Mystery (Rylee Adamson #2), by Shannon Mayer (2013)

Posted on April 4, 2013 by tom
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