gloriaoliver's reviews
519 reviews

Dead Of The Winter Sun: A British Ghost Story by Joe Talon

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Salt for the Devil's Eye: An Occult Mystery by Joe Talon

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

 

Salt for the Devil's Eye—Book 4 of the Lorne Turner series 

Lorne has had little choice but to start believing in the supernatural, even if he's been screaming and kicking against it all the way. When a twelve-year-old child is kidnapped, and Lorne is begged to help find him, he has no idea of the powder keg that's about to go off. His recent and ancient past now collide with his present. When even the spirit sharing his body wants to turn tail and run, what chance does Lorne have in being able to keep himself and those he holds dear alive and well? 

Multiple story threads that began in the previous books come into play as secrets are exposed and explanations are revealed. All Lorne has experienced in the last year culminates here. Loads of action, supernatural craziness, and more await in this fourth installment of the supernatural thriller series. 

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

 

 

Counting Crows: One For Murder by Joe Talon

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Great characters with depth, a wonderful sense of place, and dark supernatural shenanigans! 

In the Heart of the Fire by Dean Koontz

dark informative mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

 I ran into this by accident, but I totally loved it. This is 1 of 6 short stories (done as season 1) following the exploits of Nameless—a man seeking to reveal the truth and help killers get what's coming to them. He has no memory before two years ago and is sure he does not want to remember. A side effect of having his memory of before being put behind walls in his mind has given him the occasional clairvoyant episode that can be from the past, present, or possible future. Protagonist and antagonist POVs and each short building to toward a reveal at the sixth.

The tone of voice in the writing really grabbed me. 

Keeper of Enchanted Rooms by Charlie N. Holmberg

adventurous lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

 I enjoyed the characters and unique premise. Adding a few chapters from the POV of the bad guy helped give the book more depth. Fun read. 

Montezuma Strip by Alan Dean Foster

adventurous dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

Short stories and novelettes set in the future. We follow Sergeant Angel Cardenas and others as they live through the weird amalgamation of the strip. There are a lot of slang words, Spanish words, and Spanglish. There is no glossary, though some will be easy enough to figure out. Ninlocos = street punks, danspec = endangered species. 

The setup in the first story is touched on once more in the last one, but I wished it had been pursued further, as implied at the end of that first story. But definitely still worth a read!

Tea and Empathy by Shanna Swendson

adventurous emotional hopeful lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

5.0

The Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith

dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

In the Best Families by Rex Stout

adventurous informative mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Nero Wolfe has gone into hiding!

It's a battle of the fittest as Nero is forced to take steps to deal with Mr. X when their paths cross again. What started out as a simple investigation turned into Archie's worst nightmare when Nero Wolfe runs off in the middle of the night. Not only does Archie not have the faintest idea where Nero is hiding or what his plans are—no one will believe him! Not the police, not his friends, or even his closest allies.

A silent war that will decide who gets to survive is on!
Built up slowly over several books, we now get the face-off of the century between two grand intellects. A twisted and wonderful tale.

The Hanging City by Charlie N. Holmberg

dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

A lovely stand-alone novel. 

Great world-building with interesting characters. Some inconsistencies with character comparative sizing, but nothing that can't be overlooked. The lack of gratitude from the council at two different points was a little too convenient, but that's just my opinion. 

Overall, a well-worth read. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Racism, Bullying, and Child abuse