So You Want To Be a Marine Biologist

So You Want To Be A Marine Biologist by Linda Soules

Reviewed by Diana Coyle

In this illustrated nonfiction children’s career guide, “So You Want To Be A Marine Biologist” by Linda Soules, readers are taken on an amazing adventure learning the intricacies of what it’s like to become a marine biologist. Children and adults alike will learn many interesting facts, not only about the marine environment, but also exactly what it takes to become a marine biologist.  Purchase Here.

The first thing that truly stuck out to me was how Linda Soules jam-packed this children’s book with so many interesting facts that readers of any age will walk away with knowledge they didn’t have before reading it. As an adult, I learned that the ocean covers more than seventy percent of our planet. That percentage made me stop for a moment to take it in. I truly never put this kind of intense thought into such a dynamic piece of information. Plus, another truly interesting fact I learned is that the ocean environment produces more than half the oxygen we breathe. If these two pieces of information don’t intrigue you, how about another fact that eighty percent of the ocean hasn’t even been explored yet? Those facts would make any reader in awe of just how significant our ocean is in our day-to-day environment.

Another thing I never put much thought to was how involved a marine biologist’s job truly is. They don’t just study the ocean and its inhabitants; they must devote their lives to learning about and supporting such an integral living environment for generations to come. Soules provided detailed information that will allow children to truly see just how involved the life of a marine biologist is in sustaining not only every human being, but also all the ocean’s inhabitants that we depend on for our lives. This informative book will delight readers of all ages because there is so much information for every reader to learn from.

The illustrations were AI-generated by Soules, and she fully disclosed that she worked diligently on trying to make these generated images as unique and specific as possible to help guide her readers along a marine biologist’s journey. The colors and detailed illustrations were treasures provided throughout this nonfiction guide.

Linda Soules is an award-winning author of the So You Want To Be…series, which is a children’s nonfiction series of career-exploring books. This series is continually growing to help inform children of various careers that will be available to them as they get older. This series has won many awards and continues to grow in popularity as each new book is added.

Overall, “So You Want To Be A Marine Biologist” by Linda Soules is one nonfiction career book that will entertain readers of various ages. The information is intriguing to learn, the illustrations are spot-on to the data being offered throughout, and the additional bonuses of Fun Facts, Glossary of Terms, and the Want To Learn More sections perfectly complement the entire guide offered. It comes highly recommended!

 

Our Marriage is Murder

Our Marriage is Murder by Carol Goodman

Reviewed by Ephantus Gold

“Our Marriage Is Murder” by Carol Goodman is a gripping mystery that positions itself in a world where fiction and reality are blurred by a very thin line, one that, if crossed, carries devastating consequences. The book follows award-winning novelists Fred and Thea Morgan-Lane, who have been married for twenty years. They are flying to Italy for this year’s MurderCon, where they have been nominated for the prestigious Poirot Prize for Best Mystery Series. Morgan-Lane, the narrator, reveals that Fred sees her as a pushover, whereas she is the one who has always greased the wheels behind the scenes to get what they need from their publishing company. She also discloses that they are still together, not because they are in love, but because their brand as a writing couple has been quite profitable.  Purchase Here.

Morgan-Lane is exhausted and wants out, not just from the hollow shell of her marriage but from the series the two have written. She has spent months planning her exit, and has a termination clause that prevents Fred from continuing the series without her approval. But what she doesn’t know is that someone close to her has been planning a betrayal of their own. You sense early that she is headed towards a devastating twist, one that could end her life, in a world where any ally could be the enemy, and for that matter, an enemy who might ensure that the series is not hers at all to end.

Morgan-Lane is a charming character who wins the reader’s heart, especially after she finally resolves to reclaim her life from a marriage she claims she betrayed long ago, when she turned it into a business rather than prioritizing love. It’s undeniable that she has been running from herself all along. But it’s not her “victim-hood” that really makes her compelling; rather, it’s her complicity. She is self-aware, which makes her all the more compelling. Yet the most interesting part of her story is a game she invented with her husband that later serves as the mechanism for a real murder. The game was their private joke and a shared language. Here, you realize that the killer might then be someone who has been watching them long enough to know their secrets.

Morgan‑Lane’s story isn’t a quick happening. It feels more like watching two people drift apart because they stopped saying the things that mattered. You start noticing the little things that were not taken care of. After a while, their marriage comes across like something they’re doing as a routine rather than actually living. As the connection between her and Fred thins out, you can still feel her trying to hang on. It makes you wonder whether Fred is really the problem, or if she’s been avoiding the truth that’s been sitting right in front of her. The reader will soon start to feel her confusion and her hope, and you stay with her as she finally stops dodging what she’s known deep down all along.

Three Reasons for Revenge

Three Reasons for Revenge by Dervla McTiernan

Reviewed by Ephantus Gold

“Three Reasons for Revenge” by Dervla McTiernan begins at Melbourne West Police Station, where Detective Sergeant Judith Lee has received a complaint from a psychologist, one Robert Walker, who claims to have been sexually assaulted. On hearing his name, Lee freezes. The complaint is soon followed by a video of him assaulting a patient, which gets sent to his wife, Vanessa Walker, the host of ‘Let’s Talk, Australia.’ She fears that, although it looks like a deepfake to her, an online leak could end her career. As you read on, you learn that Robert resents her and her success, which makes her next move critical.  Purchase Here.

Lee finds her bike destroyed- its leather seat and tires slashed, brake lines and wire harness cut in multiple places. More talk follows about other women who might have fallen victim to Walker. But then, Walker gets murdered. With no one left to investigate or prosecute, Lee is left with only one deep conviction- that she might be missing something. The case is not finished; rather, it has been interrupted.

“Three Reasons for Revenge” by Dervla McTiernan begins at Melbourne West Police Station, where Detective Sergeant Judith Lee has received a complaint from a psychologist, one Robert Walker, who claims to have been sexually assaulted. On hearing his name, Lee freezes. The complaint is soon followed by a video of him assaulting a patient, which gets sent to his wife, Vanessa Walker, the host of ‘Let’s Talk, Australia.’ She fears that, although it looks like a deepfake to her, an online leak could end her career. As you read on, you learn that Robert resents her and her success, which makes her next move critical.

Lee finds her bike destroyed- its leather seat and tires slashed, brake lines and wire harness cut in multiple places. More talk follows about other women who might have fallen victim to Walker. But then, Walker gets murdered. With no one left to investigate or prosecute, Lee is left with only one deep conviction- that she might be missing something. The case is not finished; rather, it has been interrupted.

I loved how this story’s tension deepens, especially through a protagonist whose greatest strength was not only in solving but in doubting. I could feel her isolation right in my bones, especially when she was dealing with a complainant who wasn’t fully honest, yet remained desperate for quick action and justice. The author didn’t underline every betrayal or motive; instead, it was up to me to decode the characters’ silences, avoidance of eye contact, and heightened emotions when questioned. For me, this was unique, as were the retaliations, which felt like a minefield of words I couldn’t say.

“Three Reasons for Revenge” is a story that seems to understand what happens to disturbed individuals who seek help but end up getting taken advantage of. McTiernan doesn’t exploit their situation for shock value but to demonstrate how a predator operates. She also understands that employing twists and threatening constant action is the perfect way to build tension. One moment, she brings you a victim, and just as you start growing sympathy towards them, you see their other side. Her pace moves like a master chess player, and her characters breathe through contradictions, leaving the reader with the feeling of being alive beyond the pages. You will notice that she grants them weight instead of long back stories, a weight that makes the choices they make, as well as those they fail to make, land with a punch. This is a greatly rewarding story for fans who prefer deeply layered mysteries and character-driven tension over cheap thrills.

 

 

 

Icefall

Icefall: The Rise of the Nine by Michael Newman & Jon Land

Reviewed by Lorena Padureanu

This book definitely deserves a screen adaptation. The detailed, vivid descriptions of every scene, landscape, and interaction quickly build an entire reality in the reader’s mind. From the frozen Alaskan wilderness to hidden underground facilities and alien worlds, the novel constantly creates a cinematic atmosphere. I could easily visualize every chapter unfolding like an episode, and the suspense kept me on the edge the entire time.  Purchase Here.

The opening immediately immerses you in the heart of the story. Rather than easing readers in, the book begins with one of its most disturbing sequences: the Nine, extraordinary beings convicted of treason, are forced to witness the execution of their own families before having their identities erased and their memories stripped away. It’s a brutal prologue, but it gives the Nine emotional depth rather than presenting them as simple heroes or warriors.

The narrative then shifts to present-day Alaska, where state troopers Sakari Muhtuk and Tom Dennehy investigate what appears to be a routine call involving a stranded Amazon delivery driver. Their natural banter provides a welcome contrast to the darkness of the opening while gradually building tension as they uncover an abandoned town and a mystery that becomes increasingly unsettling. From there, the novel expands into something much larger: a story about alien civilizations, forgotten history, ancient technology, and humanity’s struggle for survival.

The action never loses momentum. The scenes kept me in a constant wave of chills and goosebumps from beginning to end while horrific alien creatures consumed people within seconds, and the characters desperately fought for survival across the frozen wilderness, as well as inside sterile, high-tech facilities. The pacing rarely lets up, yet it never feels exhausting because every action sequence pushes the story forward.

One of the book’s greatest strengths is its cast. In the middle of the novel’s most intense scenes, I found myself genuinely invested in every character. Each of them has a distinct personality that makes them easy to care about without the authors forcing emotional moments. They feel like real people rather than archetypes, and their relationships provide an emotional foundation that keeps the story grounded.

I appreciated how naturally the novel weaves together ideas that don’t initially seem compatible. Science, spirituality, love, human connection, and the supernatural all become parts of the same larger narrative. During the quieter moments between terrifying discoveries and battles, Sakari Muhtuk—an Inuit state trooper whose family has preserved strong shamanic traditions—shares stories passed down through generations about mysterious beings that once threatened her ancestors. Those stories constantly invite comparisons between Indigenous legends and the terrifying creatures the characters encounter. Later, when the Nine discover evidence in the Titan Base vault that extraterrestrial civilizations visited Earth long before recorded history, it’s difficult not to wonder whether many of humanity’s ancient myths were inspired by real encounters with alien beings that early civilizations simply had no way of understanding. What later generations remembered as evil spirits or monsters may have been something far more literal.

The book’s explanation for humanity’s origins is equally compelling, leaving you wondering whether there might be a kernel of truth behind its fictional premise. This revelation provides an intriguing framework that could explain many of our Earth’s long-standing mysteries.

Gaia, the representation of Mother Nature, appears in a way that is far more mysterious and powerful than expected. Rather than a symbolic force, Gaia becomes an almost godlike presence working through a young boy willing to sacrifice himself for the sake of humans. This extraordinary force rekindles hope, feeling like a divine intervention at humanity’s darkest moment.

The book blends science fiction, horror, mystery, mythology, and action without allowing any one element to overwhelm the others. Every revelation raises the stakes while naturally expanding the story’s scope.

Such a surprise was the conflict between the novel’s two artificial intelligences. Rather than treating AI as a simple tool, the story presents two machine intelligences with opposing philosophies and objectives, turning their confrontation into both a strategic battle and an ideological one. It complements one of the novel’s central themes: intelligence alone isn’t enough.

Ultimately, Icefall is a reminder that technology, robots, artificial intelligence, and even extraordinary abilities are not enough on their own. While AI and nanotechnology may possess immense power, humans are the heart that AI lacks and desperately needs for clarity and guidance. AI, as powerful as it may be, can lead to failure and destruction in the absence of emotional intelligence. In the end, humanity’s greatest strength isn’t its technology but the compassion, resilience, and emotional intelligence that no machine can replicate.

 

Fire Breathes Stone and Storm

Fire Breathes Stone and Storm: Book 1 of the Shell-Born Series by Teresa Hakaraia

Reviewed by Timea Barabas

Fire Breathes Stone and Storm is a gripping fantasy romance that captivates from the very first page. Teresa Hakaraia’s rich world-building and immersive storytelling create a cinematic reading experience that lingers long after the final chapter.  Purchase Here.

At the heart of the novel is a found family unlike any other. Sekya, Riva, Khala, and Lio are four misfits whose shared childhood in an orphanage forged an unbreakable bond. As they came of age, each eventually moved to the Silk House to earn a living. Their loyalty to one another gives the story its emotional core.

Sekya has spent her life learning how to go unnoticed, hiding behind the anonymity of the Silk House despite her striking appearance and quiet mystique. But one night, everything changes.   As she stands on a balcony with her found family, Queen Savara soars overhead in her Taniva form with Prince Kairon on her back. Then, time suddenly stops, Kairon and Sekya lock eyes, the space between them ablaze.

Following that encounter, something dormant within Sekya awakens. She begins experiencing mystical visions of the Shell and Prince Kairon; visions that are mysteriously shared. When an unexplained anomaly leaves the prince gravely injured beyond the healers’ abilities, Queen Savara becomes determined to find the enigmatic girl from his dreams. Driven by a mother’s desperation, she is willing to pursue any possibility that might save her son’s life.

When Sekya and her family are summoned to court, the queen discovers that each of the four possesses extraordinary abilities with the potential to either save or destroy Eretari. As they undergo rigorous testing and training, they are drawn into the service of the crown just as war darkens the horizon.

The first novel of the Shell-Born series weaves a smoldering tapestry of desire, myth, and power. Fire Breathes Stone and Storm is an immersive elemental fantasy for adult readers, blending rich world-building, compelling characters, and simmering romance. Teresa Hakaraia delivers a powerful series opener that promises even higher stakes in the books to come.

 

 

Buried in a Book

Buried in a Book by T. C. LoTempio

Reviewed by Teri Takle

One book is all it takes to bring out the worst in some people. Who could imagine that one simple ninety-two-page book would be the cause of robbery and murder?   Purchase Here.

So, what’s special about this book? The Compendium of Poe, Complete Works Plus Stories Adapted for the Screen, by Gil Sullivan, had a print run of fewer than 100 copies. However, this particular edition had one special feature: the actual autographs of horror movie stars, Vincent Price and Boris Karloff.

Charlotte (Charlie) James is a bookstore owner in Austin, Pennsylvania. She shares a building and a home with her best friend who owns the business next door, Zany’s Sweet Treats. She also has a hidden secret. While previously living in New York, she wrote mystery books under the pseudonym C. J. Barrett. It makes life interesting when customers ask for the newest book from their favorite author, and only you know the truth: you seem to have writer’s block and have not yet managed to continue the series.

As a bookstore owner, Charlie is delighted when a tour bus stops so its riders can make purchases. Strangely, though, a woman who doesn’t fit into the group also appears in the store, carrying a bag. She asks to use the restroom and disappears.

Later, after the commotion, Charlie’s black cat, Poe, is extremely interested in an area of her store. Charlie looks to see what has caught Poe’s attention and is surprised to find a shopping bag containing this rare book.

After doing a little detective work, Charlie discovers that the woman is spending the night at a local inn. She wants to return the book while also being extremely curious as to why anyone would hide anything in her store. Charlie has the misfortune to discover the dead body of the woman.

Buried in a Book by T. C. LoTempio is a delightful cozy mystery with a touch of romance and, most wonderfully, an unpredictable conclusion. The pacing is perfect: during the reading/listening process, the book kept drawing me back into the story. The characters are realistic and usually likable.

There is also the handsome detective who constantly reprimands Charlie while appreciating her investigative skills and obviously feeling a natural attraction.

The author Toni (T.C.) LoTempio has already published many cat-themed books in three different series: Nick and Nora Mysteries, A Cozy Bookshop Mystery (Buried in a Book is the second in this series), and Tiffany Austin Food Blogger Mysteries.

I received this book as an audiobook, which Christa Lewis magnificently narrated. She brilliantly became Charlie with the energy and perseverance of her character.

 

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The Matriarch Mission

The Matriarch Mission: A Mythic Historical Novel of Love, Sacrifice, and the Divine Feminine (Mystery of the Matriarchs Book 1) by Maxime Trencavel

Reviewed by Diana Coyle

Thirteen-year-old Oksana Mangupli is a Krymchak girl who has been taught that Duty, Honor, and Obedience mean everything to her family and their reputation in “The Matriarch Mission” by Maxime Trencavel. She is told that at her age, she should marry and carry on the responsibilities as all others have done before her. Unfortunately, Oksana has not conformed to what her family has told her and taught her to the present, which has caused her to be rejected by eight prospective husbands. Now being eighteen and unmarried, her family has dismissed her from their family because she is nothing but a disgrace to them. Until an officer arrives at their home, leading the family to fear she’s being reported for causing more trouble and bringing further disgrace upon them. Instead, it is a formal invitation to be an honored guest of Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich. What happens when she meets the Grand Duke? Does her life change for the better or for the worse after the meeting?  Purchase Here.

Maxime Trencavel has penned another intense novel in The Mystery of the Matriarchs series. In this book, we meet Oksana Mangupli, who is thirteen years old and who must carry the weight of her family’s reputation on her shoulders. She has grown up knowing she was never the “chosen one” like her older sister, Kamila, was, so she now feels like she’s been thrown to the wolves, so to speak, to carry out the strict upbringing of Duty, Honor, and Obedience to her family at all times. Each page allows readers to see layer upon layer of Oksana’s development over the years and how, during that time, she has disgraced her family by losing eight prospective husbands. You see her age a few years, you see her question her fate in life, and her true calling of who she is meant to be as the next “chosen one.”

Although Oksana is the main focus character in “The Matriarch Mission,” the supporting characters play such a vital role in not only Oksana’s development as a character, but also the intricate development of this entertaining storyline. Each character has their place in the storyline, which unfolds perfectly for readers to enjoy. You cheer Oksana on at times and equally feel disappointed when fate takes unexpected turns for her throughout the years.

The author writes with such detailed authenticity, not only in this book, but in the other books in the series. He presents rich descriptions of the characters and the places mentioned in the stories, and even maps out intricate storylines centered on historical moments. It is apparent that his deep love of history shines throughout the pages of each book in the series, and in doing so, he transports the readers to a time and place they never thought they would travel to before opening his books.

I loved Oksana because I felt her vulnerability throughout the story at different stages of her life. She was so believable; I felt she was a real person I was getting to know. Trencavel crafted her in such a unique fashion that I found myself enjoying the streak of rebellion that she displayed so easily throughout the pages. He even threw in dark humor, from time to time, that I enjoyed and didn’t expect.

Overall, The Matriarch Mission by Maxime Trencavel is a wonderful prequel to The Mystery of the Matriarchs series. It’s the perfect entry point if you’re just discovering these books—but if you’re like me and reading it after the main story, that works beautifully too.

This installment gives you a deeper understanding of the “chosen ones,” setting the stage for everything that follows. Each book builds naturally on the last, letting you savor the stories individually while also appreciating how they connect as a whole.

It’s an engaging, well‑crafted read, and I highly recommend it.

 

 

 

Devil's Tango

The Third Estate: Devil’s Tango by D.R. Berlin

Reviewed by Ephantus Gold

Early in The Third Estate: Devil’s Tango, there’s a blunt line — “Men like Manning die after they open the wrong door.” It tells you immediately what kind of world you’re walking into: dangerous, rigid, and unforgiving. The scene that follows is quiet but tense as two Guild members go over Manning’s funeral and what they suspect about his killer.  Vale, a Guild operative, thinks Manning agreed to investigate something he should have declined. Meanwhile, Shorty, his colleague, believes that this might have led to Manning’s death. Their conversation is quickly followed by the arrival of Lovac, a Guild assassin who not only has a legendary reputation but also a long-standing contract on his head. He is seeking information concerning why the Assassin’s Guild broke its most sacred rule – never to assassinate any of their members. But at the altar, Manning’s wife reveals something to him that drastically transforms his vague hunt for truth into a targeted, urgent mission.  Purchase Here.

The novel simultaneously focuses on Sophie Allard, a former fighter pilot reassigned to a medical school after disobeying a direct order during a rescue operation. She now works as a medical student at a Level I Trauma center. It is not business as usual the day when a seventy-year-old male, a John Doe 109, is brought into the ER with a gunshot to the abdomen, accompanied by a woman who is “dry-eyed and still.” As the team prepares to treat him, he opens his eyes, grabs the front of Sophie’s protective yellow gown, dragging her closer, and whispers something into her ear before falling back stiff on the bed. Sophie stands frozen, her mind racing, totally unaware that by listening to his dying words, she has just stepped into a deep web of conspiracy. She has also become a key to a secret that very powerful people will do anything to protect.

As a fan of mystery fiction, I appreciated how Berlin, a U.S. Army veteran and General Surgeon, drew me in with intrigue and tension by initially hiding the identity of the main character. On the first line, she asks if “he’ll have the nerve to show,” which made me wonder who “he” was and why he wouldn’t show.  She adds another layer of suspense by using the metaphor of a “ledger written in secrets and blood.” The metaphor sets the tone — turning the world into one where people feel like participants in a dangerous game or future entries in that ledger. Throughout the book, she revealed the characters through their actions, letting their behavior speak for them, which made them feel real and layered — like when Lovac tightened his jaw at the funeral, showing that behind the cold assassin was a man who could feel grief and whose quest for the truth. was deeply personal.  Also, through Sophie’s failure to pull away from her patient, instead choosing to lean in and listen, Berlin allowed me to see how compassionate she was, a quality that would throughout the plot drive her character arc.

This book’s characters were not one-dimensional; instead, they had conflicting loyalties, hidden motives, and emotional depth. Because of her approach, Berlin presented characters whose flaws made me hesitate, even as I kept rooting for them.  Her concise writing made me feel the weight of every word, as was the case in Vale’s case of “posture easy, eyes not,” a few words that told me everything about his character without much exposition.  The plot made it clear I was in for something breathless, unsettling, and utterly gripping — and it lived up to that promise.

 

A Neighbor's Guide to Murder

A Neigbor’s Guide to Murder by Louise Candlish

Reviewed by Ephantus Gold

In “In A Neighbor’s Guide to Murder”, Louise Candlish delivers a tense, quietly unnerving psychological thriller set inside the exclusive Colombia Mansions in London. The story is filtered through the sharp, suspicious gaze of Gwen Healy, an older resident who notices everything that happens in the building. When a new subletter—a young woman named Pixie—moves into her neighbor Alec’s flat, Gwen is immediately intrigued. Pixie comes across as warm and friendly, but something about her doesn’t sit quite right, and Gwen’s curiosity nudges her into striking up a friendship and asking a few discreet questions. It doesn’t take long before her attention shifts to Alec himself, the leaseholder who brought Pixie in under the government’s Lease a Room Scheme. Gwen eventually discovers that Alec secured Pixie as a tenant only after misleading another prospective lodger, telling them at the last minute that the room was needed for his niece instead.

Soon enough, Gwen notices something odd through Alec’s apartment door, which he leaves open when attending to a delivery. Pixie is right there, barely dressed, lifting her arms high over her head in a long stretch.  The sight makes Gwen’s blood run cold at the thought that the two might be involved, especially since Pixie is young enough to be his daughter. Gwen has always seen herself as a defender for underdogs and victims, someone who will step in if she suspects mistreatment, and this suspicion triggers that instinct in her. Before long, she learns again that Pixie’s agreement with Alec is nothing close to what she had imagined it would be. She also gathers that Pixie, like many others out there who don’t have parents with spare rooms, had no other options. At this point, Gwen decides to do the unthinkable: call Alec out directly. But when that doesn’t work, after he tries blackmailing her with secrets from her own past, she decides to become a sleuth determined to uncover just how far dark he may have become. But little does she know that by doing this, she will stop being a defender and slip into something worse.

This novel covers significant themes that resonate far beyond the walls of Columbia Mansions. Among them is mental health, which weaves through the chapters in a quiet way, showing how vulnerability leaves people exposed to those who purport to help them, and fraud, which appears not just as a financial crime but as a deeper betrayal of trust, a violation that leaves victims questioning their own judgment. The novel also explores a darker kind of manipulation; one directed at people who have nowhere else to go. Through Pixie, readers see how holding onto a dream can make a person view such exploitation as just another bump on the road, something that will clear soon, but instead accumulates into something far worse. And underneath it all lies the thread of secret spying, another violation that reflects real struggles happening in cities everywhere, where the vulnerable have no voice but tears, and are too often left to fend for themselves. Here, a question arises, one I could not shake long after finishing the book- is it still a dream if it demands everything you and gives nothing back?

As a thriller fan, I really loved how this book’s pacing kept the tension humming. Surprisingly, there’s room for dark humor in unexpected places, such as using a newly replaced knee to carry out a certain kind of justice. This book delivers what its title promises- the secrets we keep from our neighbors and the dangers lurking behind closed doors. It is a reminder that evil does not always announce itself and that the chains that bind us are not always made of metal. Readers who prefer thrillers that break their hearts a little before putting them back together will definitely want to pick up “A Neighbor’s Guide to Murder.”

 

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The Kings of Vegas

The Kings of Vegas by Karen Mack and Jennifer Kaufman

Reviewed by Ephantus Gold

In “The Kings of Vegas” by Karen Mack and Jennifer Kaufman, Josie King is summoned home after her father’s death for the family reading of the will. Her father, Roy King, is among the few men who came into town with nothing, before rising from a mere idea straight into the American Dream. Upon reaching her father’s ranch, where everyone else is gathering, Josie learns that her father requires any sibling who is not a Nevada resident to become one, and anyone living outside of Las Vegas to move back. Also, he needs them to work together for three years at his famous casino, the Jackpot. Anyone who contests the will gets nothing under the attached “in terrorem” clause.  Purchase Here.

The book brings the reader into the Jackpot, a setting that feels like a character in its own right. It is where the character’s emotions, predicament, and worries take a name. Most outstanding is Josie, whose instincts, trained from a young age, tell us that all is not well beneath the forced smiles of family reunion and the veneer of wealth and success that her father spent a lifetime building. The story involves a union crisis that threatens to tear the establishment apart, a lover who turns out to be next-door competition, and an FBI agent who plants early doubts in Josie about her brother, who runs the business. A lot is thrown at the reader, leaving them to wonder whom to trust and who is telling the truth as various factors arise, threatening an already cracked household.

The story incorporates vivid imagery like “Red-tailed hawks circling their prey screeching like a coven of witches,” as well as gambling language- “a hot hand,” “blowing on dice,” when not referring to the game itself, making the conversations feel like a bet and a high-stakes gamble. Each chapter drops either a new revelation or another rumor, and every one of them leaves a mark the Las Vegas sun can’t quite bleach out. As the story progresses, the tension tightens into a web of suspicion, with small doubts slipping in until everyone ends up caught in it. Instead of offering easy answers, it keeps handing you more uncertainty, until the truth starts to feel like just another lie waiting to surface.

And so, “The Kings of Vegas” by Karen Mack and Jennifer Kaufman will resonate with any reader who enjoys questioning every character’s motives and piecing together a puzzle whose pieces keep changing shape. It is a great slow-burn mystery with morally-complex characters and a family drama that refuses to tie itself up in a neat bow.

 

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