Missing Sister

Missing Sister by Joshilyn Jackson

Reviewed by Ephantus Gold

“Missing Sister” by Joshilyn Jackson is the kind of story that opens with more questions than answers – a body on the cold floor, a young, inexperienced cop haunted by the one person she couldn’t save, and a feeling that this time she’s too deep to walk away.  Purchase Here.

Penny never dreamed of becoming a cop as a child. Her tender heart often left her father wondering if the role was really right for her.  Her desire to protect and serve arose after the tragic death of her twin Nix Albright, who had wanted nothing but to make the world fair. In the present day, Penny is at her first crime scene, where a familiar-looking man has been brutally murdered. He is someone she wished to meet when he was dead and “sprawled like roadkill,” and well, here he was. A dark joy fills her as she realizes that two of the three people she hated most had died. However, their death timing, both in two months, has her questioning whether it was a pure coincidence. When she interviews the assailant, a woman covered in blood-drenched clothes gripping a box cutter, she finds herself caught up in a dilemma when the woman threatens her, before muttering out a word- “a bigger word than rules, or law or rightful,” leading Penny to do the unthinkable.

Penny’s gentle voice takes the reader back in time to the events leading to Nix’s death. Here, she shows how people blamed the girl for what befell her. In these lines, themes of social judgment, grief, and loss, as well as victim, arise. After her burial, Penny is shown wondering what she could have changed about the past, but she knows she can’t. That feeling of helplessness lingers on and later shapes how she carries her grief and what she later becomes. As a cop in training, Penny is later questioned by detectives. Here, her silence weighs heavily, challenging her sense of justice and forcing her to face the kind of officer she is becoming. Here, themes of identity and duty, as well as redemption and responsibility, surface. The sense of being watched after the interview adds to her unease, blurring the line between guilt and persecution, and reminding her that further silence may only lead to more entanglement.

Joshilyn has structured this tale with skill, layering the past and present in a way that constantly keeps the reader wondering what really happened to Nix. The shifting timelines don’t feel forced; rather, they make the story breathe and move like a memory itself. She has used short, sharp scenes that build tension without giving too much. The dialogue feels grounded, almost personal. You can tell Joshilyn understands grief and guilt and how they both can influence the choices people make. The suspense is steady, not loud or overdone, and the pacing pulls you along quietly, and before you know it, you are too deep to step back. Penny, as a young heroine, is one of the book’s best decisions. She is flawed and uncertain, which makes her believable and relatable. Through her, Joshilyn speaks to young readers who may be struggling with questions of justice and what it means to be good in a broken world.

“Missing Sister” doesn’t just entertain but also provokes thought. It’s meant for readers who enjoy character-driven stories featuring young heroines, as well as crime fiction that remains haunting and lingering lo

 

Second Place: A National Park Love Story by Chris Truxell and Jeff Crum

A National Park Love Story: 63 Parks, 15 Years, One Dream by Chris Truxell and Jeff Crum

Reviewed by Matthew McCarty

America’s national parks are full of breathtaking awe and wonder. The amazing views, natural scenery, and awesome experiences make national parks a great place to form friendships, meet new people, and even fall in love. Authors Chris Truxell and Jeff Crum use their commitment to visiting America’s national parks to strengthen their bond with each other.  A National Park Love Story: 63 Parks, 15 Years, One Dream (Self-published, 2025, 346 pages) is the chronicle of the authors’ desire to experience the world around them and each other through visits to the national parks. A National Park Love Story is an enjoyable read that reflects the authors’ desire to share their relationship and their world with the reader.  Purchase Here.

America’s national parks are a great place to rest, relax, reflect on, and contemplate the world of Mother Nature. Chris and Jeff decide to explore all 63 national parks to understand what their life together is about and how the struggles of emerging from two toxic marriages can sometimes overwhelm people simply looking to find someone to spend time with. A National Park Love Story underscores the importance of understanding just how complicated relationships can be. Their commitment to recovering from their pasts and to sharing that recovery with the reader is the foundational element that makes this a good story. Their nonjudgmental view of life and of the baggage of creating a new family from the broken parts of others helps carry A National Park Love Story to the finish line.

Books like A National Park Love Story tend not to pique this reviewer’s interest. These books are usually found to have too much detail that does not support the overall story. However, this story was different. A National Park Love Story was written to illustrate the idea that family and relationships are an ever-evolving work in progress. Relationships are not perfect and require the kind of effort that is almost superhuman to maintain. Chris and Jeff are open and honest about their struggles and how their life together is not viewed through rose-colored glasses.

A National Park Love Story is a well-written story that anyone who has been through trauma and the renewed energy of hope and relationships can sympathize with and identify with. The narrative flows easily and reads like a novel of hope and sacrifice. The language is simplistic and engaging. A reader looking for an engrossing nonfiction journey would do well to read A National Park Love Story. This reviewer enjoyed it immensely.

 

Assimilation

Assimilation by Lonnie Busch

Reviewed by Jacquelyn Tolksdorf

As the book introduces us to Kercy — a wheelchair-bound teen surrounded by her wealthy but dysfunctional parents in an isolated Canadian cottage it winds its way from in a ‘close encounter’ thriller that bends into a Sci-Fi epic of alien experiments and violation. Kercy is visited by subterranean amphibious creatures in her bedroom. When she wakes up the next day bleeding her mother just shrugs it off as menstruation. The next day her father disappears on the lake. Compounding a severe sexual trauma she must stow away in her psyche so she can process her father’s disappearance.  Purchase Here.

Ironically as Kercy grows stronger physically of her disability and mentally into academia – she pursues a PhD; in Anthropology seeking the understanding of how humans behave. And after way into her adulthood she returns to the cabin after her mother’s death with her boyfriend to have memories and revolutions “flood” back to her.

And as the title suggests, as more revelations come to Kercy – will she assimilate with the beings from her haunting past and join them in the bay by the cabin?

The conclusion of ASSIMILATION by Lonnie Busch is a haunting, ambiguous ending that merges the novel’s themes of transformation, identity, and connection between human…and alien life.  It suggests that assimilation is not conquest but evolution: a merging of species, consciousness, and identity, blurring the line between human and alien, science and myth, self and other.

In essence, ASSIMILATION closes on the idea that survival—and perhaps salvation—lies in surrendering the illusion of human dominance and embracing connection, however terrifying or unfamiliar it may be. The novel intertwines themes of alien contact, bodily transformation, parental betrayal, and identity. It reads as both a coming-of-age horror story and a meditation on what it means to be human—to evolve, assimilate, and survive when one’s very nature is in question.

Dying Cry

Dying Cry by Margaret Mizushima

Reviewed by Daniel Ryan Johnson

Dying Cry is a thrilling installment in Margaret Mizushima’s Timber Creek K-9 Mystery series. This series is centered around Deputy Mattie Walker of the Timber Creek County Sheriff’s Department and her K-9 partner Robo. The book opens with Mattie taking a long weekend with her family at a local resort. While snowshoeing one last trail before heading home, they hear a piercing scream. Mattie and Robo go to investigate and lend assistance if anyone is in trouble, while the rest of the family heads back to the resort for help.  Purchase Here.

After Robo leads Mattie to a body at the bottom of a cliff, the mystery kicks into action. It quickly becomes evident that the fall was the result of foul play, and the investigation becomes very personal once the identity of the deceased is revealed.

Mizushima masterfully shows how a murder investigation can become very complicated in a small community where law enforcement can’t easily distance themselves from the suspects and victims, as is common in a big city.

Dying Cry demonstrates the myriad ways a K-9 unit can benefit law enforcement, with these highly trained dogs possessing skills that humans cannot replicate. In addition to helping Mattie with her investigation, Robo also helps with her professional and personal relationships. Her work with the dog and the bond they have built has helped her break down some barriers that trauma built.

Mizushima’s characters are fully fleshed out, and their actions are believable. Even more minor characters who don’t receive a lot of time on the page feel real and like they serve a greater role than to simply benefit or deter our protagonist. The dialogue is natural and flows well. There are subtle nods to plot points from past books in the series that make a new reader interested in exploring other Timber Creek K-9 Mysteries without making them feel like they should abandon Dying Cry until they have caught up.

With tension that continues to build as the story goes along, you will have a hard time putting the book down. Instead, you will find yourself right there alongside Mattie and Robo, trying to solve the crime and find the killer before anyone else gets hurt.

First Place: Seventeen Missions to Save the World by Leyth Sharaf

Seventeen Missions to Save the World by Leyth Sharaf

Reviewed by Timea Barabas

Your life can change in unimaginable ways in the blink of an eye, whether during a college basketball game or while picking up Seventeen Missions to Save the World by Leyth Sharaf. While the book mainly targets a younger audience, it is a refreshing read for all ages. The author’s vivid narration makes the story cinematically unfold before the reader’s eyes.  Purchase Here.

This young adult novel blends humor, satire, and touches of surrealism to explore a grand theme: saving the world. Rather than treating this ambitious goal as an impossible challenge, the author breaks it into seventeen smaller, achievable missions.

It all begins with a teenager who simply wants to win a basketball game for his team. But in the middle of the match, a shimmering portal opens, and a mysterious being known as the Reminder steps through, bringing a warning of impending doom.

The future is collapsing, and only the protagonist, Leyth, holds the key to saving it. By a twist of fate, his teammate Ellie is drawn into the mission as well. Together, they journey through a magical portal that transcends time and space, witnessing possible futures across the world as they strive to set things right.

Our two heroes embark on seventeen missions to save the world as we know it. Each mission unfolds in two parts. First, Leyth and Ellie are given a glimpse into a dystopian future that magnifies a pressing global issue, such as poverty, gender inequality, or rampant overconsumption. These scenarios are depicted in vivid detail, infused with sharp satire, humor, and wit. Then, they are transported back to the present day, where they must confront and resolve the problem before it spirals beyond control.

Seventeen Missions to Save the World by Leyth Sharaf is a light-hearted and thought-provoking exercise on enacting positive change in the world around us. It shows over and over again how even the smallest good deeds can reverberate into causing global change.

If two teenagers can save the world seventeen times, surely, collectively, we should manage to be able to as well. Leyth Sharaf serves as our Reminder of how we continue to neglect our responsibilities to care for and protect one another and our home.

A Case Against Jasper

The Case Against Jasper by Clifton Wilcox

Reviewed by Lily Andrews

“The Case Against Jasper” by Clifton Wilcox takes us right into the Wildwoods Farm, where rumors are running wild and trust hangs by a thread, in one of the most chilling tales of deception vs. truth you’ll ever encounter. There, “A scream, a slip…” becomes the spark that sends little Jasper on a desperate journey for answers that no one dares to speak aloud.  Purchase Here.

Jasper and Jenny are enjoying their favorite game when the latter suddenly hits the ground with a thud that no creature can ever forget. In a short while, accusations fill the air that Jasper deliberately shoved her. “He could never compete with Jenny, and he loathed that…” they say. Invited by the elder of the farm, enters Ink, a clever ferret detective with a quick wit and a keen eye for details, and Fiona, “The Whisper,” whose reputation for her uncanny ability to pick up on cues and to overhear whispers and quiet conversations precedes her. Eager not to let the whispers write the ending, the duo sets out to untangle the rumors. But little do they know that the truth is darker and far closer than anyone dares to imagine.

What follows is a walk down a detective’s journey. Ink and Fiona are not just following what everyone is saying; instead, they are looking into what one can easily overlook, including non-verbal cues of their suspects —the pause before a name, a shaky voice, the nervous flick of a tail. At the farm, looking the other way is the path of least resistance that may keep them safe and liked. Their choice here becomes the story’s moral heartbeat and Wilcox’s belief that justice is not found in consensus but in courage.

In “The Case Against Jasper,” one senses early into the read that the animal characters are not simply personalities but moral instruments, with each of them embodying a distinct attitude towards fear, truth, and justice. Each of them represents a recognizable human tendency, including innocence, idealism, moral laziness, and reason and empathy. By giving them these human traits, Wilcox frees the story from direct human context, allowing the reader to examine moral failure in its purest form. He has also given them distinct behavioral language, which enables the reader to learn who they are by how they sound and react, not just by what they say. Of worthy note is how he allows the characters to change throuh understanding, a quality that elevates the book, distinct from a mere fable, and far less cynical than popular ‘Animal Farm’ stories.

Wilcox has written with a measured, lyrical precision that feels timeless. His sentences unfold with the rhythm of oral storytelling that is clear enough for young readers, yet layered enough to engage adults looking for reflection and allegory. His tone is morally charged, inviting contemplation rather than shock even in moments of tension. Fans of reflective mysteries as well as those who enjoy gentle yet profound storytelling will resonate most with his style. Whether approached as a fable, a mystery, or a mirror held up to our own worlds, “The Case Against Jasper” will leave its audience with a lasting sense of the foundations upon which justice stands.

 

Blood on the Icehouse Wall

Blood on the Icehouse Wall by Jessica Meats

Reviewed by Diana Coyle

Siblings, Mandy and Ben, are living in a foster house owned by Mrs. Bellows in “Blood on the Icehouse Wall” by Jessica Meats. These two are close with each other and try to help each other with life’s ups and downs as they arise. The oddest thing is that neither of them could ever prepare themselves for something they found out about Ben. One particular evening, he is very unsettled and feels that he needs to go outside because he is being pulled by an invisible source. As he’s out in the woods going for a jog, Ben sends a text to Mandy to come outside because he found something he needs to show her. When Mandy meets up with him, he’s acting odd, but shows her these cryptic ruin markers on a building that everyone refers to as the Icehouse. Things quickly start unfolding, and both are thrown into a supernatural world of witches and werewolves as they stumble upon a dead body in the woods and someone leaning over that body. Did this person kill the man lying on the ground? What are the cryptic ruin messages that are painted, in what seems to be blood, on the Icehouse? What do they find out about Ben?  Purchase Here.

Although this was a very creative storyline, I was disappointed that it seems to move way too slow for my taste. Considering there were a lot of things happening in the scenes, the plot just moved too slowly to take it to the next scene. Unfortunately, this made engaging with the characters and the storyline a bit of a task for me.

Also, there were quite a few characters throughout this book, and many introductions happened at the very beginning. It took a bit of deciphering to see who was an ally and who was the enemy. When the story finally started to reveal a main development for Ben, something didn’t fit for me in the behaviors he was displaying. This also made me still feel disconnected to him even though I wanted to connect with him and Mandy.

I read that Jessica Meats loves writing about strong female characters, and there were two females, Mandy and Elizabeth, who were both independently strong throughout the story. So much so, I felt they were in constant competition over who would succeed in ruling over the other female character. There was constant high energy and tension whenever these two were in a scene together.

Although it says this is book one of one of The Writings on the Well, at the end of the story it mentions that a conclusion book will follow in this series.

Jessica Meats works in the IT industry. She is a UK-based author of Science Fiction and Fantasy books. Since 2009, she has produced a variety of novels for both adults and young adults.

Overall, “Blood on the Icehouse Wall” by Jessica Meats is a Contemporary Fantasy novel geared for teens and young adults. It is heavily wrapped around a supernatural theme with intriguing concepts of the cryptic ruins that both Ben and Mandy stumbled upon. Readers who enjoyed this story can eagerly look forward to another installment to conclude this series.

 

The Third Estate

The Third Estate: Secrets of the Manor by D.R. Berlin

Reviewed by Ephantus Gold

“The Third Estate: Secrets of the Manor” by D. R. Berlin is a gripping tale that parallels two story lines that at first seem worlds apart, but then chillingly begin to converge, creating a psychological thriller wrapped in the moral ambiguity of espionage and family secrets.  Purchase Here.

The story begins with Kai Lovac, a cold, meticulous, and hyper-professional assassin, who finds himself on a mission that doesn’t make sense to him. He feels paralyzed with dread and indecision as he recalls the events of the day – complications, delays, and awkward interactions that plagued his every move. The thoughts paralyze him with doubt, unraveling years of trained detachment. Still, duty prevails, pushing him to the execution even as he gets haunted by the suspicion that he may have just pulled the trigger on someone who may not have been a stranger at all.

Twelve years later, the story introduces Cadet Sophie Allard, who has invested the last four grueling years in intensive studying, muscle-aching physical training, and mental conditioning to earn her position as a fighter pilot. Things, however, take a new turn when she is made aware of an explosion at the lab at Grand Lake Manor, where her father, Professor Anderson, works. Many believe that he was the only one working at the time of the explosion and thus may have been the only casualty. Sophie hates it when people refer to him as her father- he never wanted to be a father to her and had instructed her always to call him “the Professor.” “I was a nuisance to him, nothing more…” These bitter words set the stage for a story charged with emotional tension and hidden family truths.

This story takes a sharp twist with the entrance of a figure, not a stranger, but a ghost from the deepest corners of Sophie’s past. It brings with it memories of a scar-faced man who murdered her adoptive mother, secrets of organizations operating in the shadows of government, a life’s work so dangerous that they had to hide it, and of a threat that never truly left the family. At this point, Sophie finds herself thrust into a battle for survival and forced to use every ounce of her elite military training not in the skies, but in the very place she once called home.

This story deftly confronts the nature of truth and deception through its well-hewn characters whose flaws and decisions blur the line between loyalty and betrayal. Each holds a mirror of what truth really is, according to them, as well as how it can be weaponized or twisted into motive, shield, or trap. The novel employs a dual timeline structure, which builds momentum through contrast and cliffhangers that mimic the rhythm of a cinematic thriller. It also uses a cause-and-effect design as well as short declarative sentences that heighten tension and mirror the characters’ sense of control.

I appreciated how Berlin’s writing style adapts to capture the emotion of the moment. The short, sharp dialogue makes the scene feel urgent and real, while the quick, active words show the protagonist’s determination. You can really feel the tension between following orders and following her own conscience. Berlin’s short, clipped sentences, such as “Still behind schedule. Not acceptable,” and “No more delays. Still behind schedule. Not acceptable,” make the moments feel fast and intense. Her writing style matches the well-drawn antagonist’s strict and focused mindset, while the quick rhythm of her words makes you feel his pressure and drive, pulling you right into his world.

“The Third Estate: Secrets of the Manor” by D. R. Berlin is the right pick if you love stories that combine the technical detail of a military techno-thriller with the shadowy conspiracies of a political espionage novel and family drama. If you are fascinated by the question of “Who truly holds the power,” you will not want to miss it. It is a gripping and clever read that masterfully blends compelling elements, hooking the reader from start to finish without feeling forced or formulaic.

The Moaning Lisa

The Moaning Lisa: A Paco and Molly Mystery by Rosemary and Larry Mild

Reviewed by Lilly Andrews

“The Moaning Lisa: A Paco and Molly Mystery” by Rosemary and Larry Mild is a sweeping mystery that begins in 1998, and follows two love-birds, Paco, a retired Baltimore police detective and the former head of the Black Rain Corners police force who is now eighty-seven, and Molly, eighty-two, who must use their wits to unravel a sinister plot while tolerating the aches and pains of advanced age.  Purchase Here.

The opening scene places Paco outside a supermarket where he is writhing in pain from his third heart attack. This unexpected event sends him directly to the surgery where doctors get his heart’s rhythm back in control. Their love is visible even at this dark moment, and their affectionate banter becomes a lifeline and a defibrillator that constantly shocks their spirits back to joy. Six months later, the duo comes to a crucial decision – to sell their house due to the cumbersome stairs now turned into an insurmountable mountain, and the difficulty in taking care of their charming cottage. Moving to an assisted living facility is the last thing they would want, but with age catching up, little is left to procrastination.

Their first stop is at Gilded Gates, where, as soon as the tour of the premises is over, a gaunt-looking, stooped man with hollow eyes and a sharp chin approaches them in the corridor, warning them that the place is evil. This is quickly followed by a dream that haunts Molly, the whisper of the same man twisting into a chorus of moans that seem to echo from the very walls of their new suite. It doesn’t take long for Paco to realize that the place holds a labyrinth of chilling secrets during his pursuit of a sleepwalker through the facility’s darkened underbelly. He is shocked to discover a hidden network of passages as he attempts to locate the source of a chilling, unearthly moan, which he believes the night walker may have been following. The tension mounts with every creak and shadow, culminating not in an answer but in a terrifying question that eclipses all others: in choosing this place, did they secure a peaceful retirement, or did they willingly lock the door on their own grave?

This is a humorous mystery since it is a chilling exploration of covered secrets. The humor between Molly and Paco is one of the story’s defining charms. Molly unintentionally mixes up words, creating hilarious and often strangely insightful new ones that Paco has to correct or decipher what they mean. She says things like Paco’s “serially hurting” and has had “hearty attacks”, calls his defibrillator his “defibber” or “refriberator”, calls a “real estate agent” a “real mistake person,” says lookers can be “disbelieving,” and refers to residents as “inmates.”  Their humor isn’t just comic relief but a vital part of their characterization that ably highlights their deep affection, their resilience in the face of aging, and the quirky partnership that makes them such effective and endearing sleuths.

What’s most remarkable about this story is its themes, which include reclaiming power and purpose in an age often defined by loss, the enduring power of love and partnership, and turning perceived weaknesses into strengths. This beautifully elevates it from a simple mystery to one with resonance and depth. It excels in ending its chapters with unsettling revelations through characters that are well-carved with definition, depth, and a strong sense of authenticity.

While many mysteries often depict protagonists who are at their physical peak, “The Moaning Lisa: A Paco and Molly Mystery” by Rosemary and Larry Mild reveals a unique choice that unexpectedly pays off brilliantly. It is intensely suspenseful and entertaining, making you look at your granny and grandpa in a whole new light, wondering whether beneath those cozy sweaters lies the heart of a detective.

Paper Cut

Paper Cut by Rachel Taff

Reviewed by Ephantus Gold

“Paper Cut” by Rachel Taff starts quietly, maybe too quietly, like the calm before something breaks. You can feel the weight underneath it —a type of grief that won’t speak but stays there, waiting. The story doesn’t open with action but with a strong sense that someone’s truth is about to break through the surface. The main character, Lucy Golden, is not an easy character to figure out, and that is what intrigued me. She is a memoirist who wrote the popular memoir “Rattlesnake”, a book that not only made her famous but also extremely hated. She is held responsible for killing a person she loved, and whether or not it’s true, the rumor clings to her like a shadow. She’s thirty-five and has lived too many lives already. Her mother, who’s an artist and a photographer, can hardly bear to look at her, and when they talk, it’s not across space or machines – it’s eye to eye, hard and icy, like two people standing on the threshold of something they can’t cross through.  Purchase Here.

There’s Isaac Coleman, the documentary filmmaker who once solved the Buckhead Butcher case. He wishes to make his next documentary about Lucy and her life. He talks of bringing her back into the spotlight- more books purchased, more press, a re-release of “Rattlesnake”. He promises fresh evidence which will throw the case wide open. That word, “new,” sounded dangerous to me, like a trick wrapped as a gift. Lucy is intelligent enough not to take anyone in the media at their word, but she nevertheless goes along with Isaac’s request.

The story moves back and forth between her present and her past, through fragments of “Rattlesnake” and memories that feel too sharp to be fiction. We meet her father, Max, a man who built a place in the desert called the Oasis, where people go to “find themselves.” At first, it sounds like a retreat, but soon it feels like something else entirely- something dark and controlling, like a dream that turns into a cage. The book slowly reveals what goes on there: drowned voices, missing bodies, strange “purity” regulations. The more we know, the worse it seems that the truth has been buried under decades of dishonesty.

The prose is calm but cuts deep. Rachel Taff doesn’t decorate her sentences; instead, she pares them down until they sting. There’s a rhythm to her writing, sometimes quiet, sometimes jagged, that matches Lucy’s own state of mind. The dialogue is gritty, sometimes broken, as though people are trying to convey what they really mean but never quite manage to do so. The characters breathe and bruise in real time.  Lucy’s voice carries both strength and fragility, and even the side characters, like Isaac and Max, seem to be hiding entire novels behind their eyes. The word choice is simple, but there is tangible weight, depth, and tension between the sentences. You don’t read swiftly through this novel; instead, you feel your way through it. It isn’t flash writing; it’s real, and it hurts in the best possible way. Themes of manipulation, courage, and the strange ways that individuals survive the atrocities that would have killed them are meticulously built, and every chapter has you questioning what is real, who is lying, and whether redemption can occur after so much damage.

When I’d read “Paper Cut“, I felt undone and restless, as though I could still hear voices echoing in the desert. I adored how Rachel Taff writes with a quiet flame; she doesn’t push emotion but instead lets it simmer until it stings. This book is for readers who enjoy their stories complex, emotional, and uncomfortably human, as well as those who are not afraid to walk through the darker areas of memory to arrive at the truth. It’s not a story that ends cleanly, and maybe that’s what makes it so haunting.