“Pretty Lies” is a debut dystopian novel by Jessica Scurlock set in a near- future United States, now called the Northern Unity, which, after a second civil war, has been drastically reordered into four semi-autonomous zones. The Enlightened Society, as the government is called, has brought about some positive changes, vast reductions in crime, for instance. The general message to … Read More
Review of This Never Happened by R. Tim Morris
“This Never Happened” is a psychological speculative fiction novel written by R. Tim Morris about a young misfit New Yorker named Cepik Small. In addition to more mundane life difficulties (a poor relationship with his father, an ex-love, a mundane job, few friends), Cepik has prosopagnosia (face blindness) and therefore must memorize someone’s appearance quirks (like the way they wear … Read More
Review of Thunder, AZ by Ari Loeb
“Thunder, AZ” is a debut apocalyptic horror novel by Ari Loeb based in the Western America and New York City. The book recently won gold for best horror novel per the Reader Views 2021-2022 annual contest. Mr. Loeb’s writing is tight and fast-paced, as is his action. The plot follows a young college student, Jimmy Johannsen, whose twin sister dies … Read More
Review of The Defect by Jeff Bailey
“The Defect” by Jeff Bailey is a nuclear energy thriller based somewhere in Southern California. The story unfolds through the point of view of a handful of powerplant workers—security staff, plant operators, managers—who, through their thoughts and interactions, allow us to understand from the bottom up how a nuclear power plant works, what the safeguards are, the good work that … Read More
Chapter One of 22 Dutch Road (10 of 10)
Though retired, Stan Rutmeyer still worked hard. He’d had three jobs before getting the gold watch, the longest and most enjoyable being his last, working as a handwriting analyst for the Secret Service, a position he took in the early seventies. It was a desk job reviewing whatever was brought to him, but there had been travel—a fair amount of … Read More
Chapter One of 22 Dutch Road (9 of 10)
Bates looked at him as if the last thing on Earth he’d do was touch a sweating human being. He regarded Stan briefly, then turned his back on him, muttering, “Make sure you cut the back,” before making his way toward the front doors. Stan took no umbrage being mistaken for a landscaper; it turned out to be the highlight … Read More
Chapter One of 22 Dutch Road (8 of 10)
Stan Rutmeyer let Mr. Peebles out for his afternoon potty. The dog bolted, hustling down the deck steps to inventory the backyard pee spots. Some dogs are one-spot dogs, but Peebles, an industrious dachshund, liked to spread it around, hitting previous marks before trying anywhere new. Stan stood between open back doors, watching the dog’s tail waggle as he went … Read More
Chapter One of 22 Dutch Road (7 of 10)
Then Sarah spoke what they both knew: “That Wendi woman did.” Sarah, who knew her son thought more of Wendi, her ex-husband’s last girlfriend, than she did, changed gears again. “So, you’re at the house. What’s it like?” “Like Van Gogh vomited.” “Whoever he is,” said Sarah. “Some of the furniture in those email pictures Bates sent looked, well, valuable. … Read More
Chapter One of 22 Dutch Road (6 of 10)
His father didn’t speak again, however, which was a tremendous relief: between the heat, the alarm, the unwanted banter, and of course, his killer headache, Billy’s brain simmered. The trip from Little Rock to Rock Hill had taken two days, including the overnight at Aunt Julie’s. Billy hadn’t minded; he liked driving. The journey had been pain-free until two hours … Read More
Chapter One of 22 Dutch Road (5 of 10)
A lopsided divorce agreement made for anemic alimony. Dick punished his ex-wife through late payments, enough to hurt but not enough to be sued over. His son? Richard paid lip service to his future, bragging to his sketchy gambling associates about the account he’d set up for Billy’s education—its accumulation, good for a semester’s worth of books and perhaps a … Read More