The House Guests

The House Guests by Amber and Danielle Brown

Reviewed by Ephantus  Gold

“The House Guests: A Novel” by Amber and Danielle Brown was a book that did not ease me in gently but grabbed me by the collar right from the first page. It began with Iris as she remembered the most haunting thing in her life, being forced to watch her own mother take her life in front of her. The gun had been bought from a pawn shop with money her mother had stolen from the most unlikely person where she worked. That opening was shocking and honestly disturbing and it set the tone for what turned out to be a raw and unsettling journey.  Purchase Here.

Iris had already been scarred by years of neglect and abuse from her mother, and those wounds never healed. She kept having nightmares, she could not sleep without chemicals in her system, and the chaos in her head never seemed to stop. Even with all that, she still tried to hide her desperation from her boyfriend Eli, holding on quietly to the hope that he would not leave her. When I found them, they were on their way to a lonely lake, Eli’s idea of the cure for her constant torment, and maybe a way out of the heavy block of stone she had been buried under for over a year.

At the lake, Iris came across something that rattled me as much as it did her. A strange man was bent over the dirt, digging frantically like he wanted to hide something or someone. The image burned into her, and when Eli’s friends later joined her, she tried to tell them but none of them believed her. They mocked her, saying it was her bad eyesight, and when she mistook a doll for a severed arm, she was ridiculed even more. Eli himself did not defend her when he joined them but only grew colder, turning his attention toward another woman. The doubt took over, and I kept asking myself the same thing Iris did – Was she truly losing her mind, or was she the only one who saw the truth nobody else dared to face? That scene pushed the story into deeper dread and put doubts in me about who to trust.

The structure of the story felt like a slow spiral where every step down brought more uncertainty, moving from strange sightings, like when one of the friends claimed to see a skull, to Iris’ sleepless nights, trapped in her own fear. That layering of dread made the book heavy and claustrophobic. The prose itself worked like a trap, sharp and unsettling, even in quiet moments. All of it carried menace. So when betrayal came, it hit harder, especially because Eli never stood by her.

The characters were painfully real in how frustrating they were. Iris clung to Eli and his love, but he mocked her fragility and eventually discarded her like she was nothing. In the worst turn, he even handed her over to a friend, like she was a thing to be passed to the highest bidder. That made him more terrifying than any ghostly shadow or imagined figure in the story. Her friends were no better, brushing off her fears, mocking her mistakes, leaving her completely alone.

Trust, betrayal, and gaslighting ran through every page. I kept asking if Iris was imagining everything or if she was the only one who refused to be silenced. “The House Guests: A Novel” kept that question alive, not only about Iris but about the people around her. That was what made it devastating, and yet I could not look away.

The Murder at the World's End

The Murder at the World’s End by Ross Montgomery

Reviewed by Ephantus Gold

“The Murder at World’s End” by Ross Montgomery is a thrilling mystery that will leave the reader staring into the middle distance, replaying the clues in their mind, not with frustration but with a sense of awe at the author’s craftsmanship. It follows Stephen Pike, a young man overwhelmed with immense joy after arriving at his new job at Tithe Hall, where the Viscount of World’s End, Lord Stockingham, resides. This is his only chance at redemption following a successful rehabilitation after serving time, due to a situation in which he claims to have made an “unpardonable error of judgment.” At Tithe Hall, he learns that his job includes a special instruction from the Viscount’s cousin to Mr Stokes, the head butler at Tithe Hall for twenty years, that as a footman, he should be brought on with utmost discretion.  Purchase Here.

Pike comes in at a crucial historical moment, according to the Viscount, when all signs point to an inevitable apocalypse. He claims to have credible information regarding a comet that will pass very close to Earth, leaving behind fatal, poisonous cyanogen gases that will kill every living creature therein. Over the next few hours, the staff ensures every room is airtight, in a desperate bid to survive the annihilation. Pike’s duty, however, also involves “babysitting” a woman whom people speak about in the way dragons are described in fairy tales. However, his encounter with her leaves him speechless by the sheer knowledge and intelligence she exhibits, especially when she reveals her findings about the comet, and right after, she tells him why she hates Stockingham. The next day sets in motion an event that catapults the story into a relentlessly tense dive. The viscount is dead right in his sealed study, and suddenly all eyes are on the one person with a criminal record. His possible alibi? The woman he stayed with through the night – the same woman who had threatened to kill the Viscount.

This tale sets in motion an odd pairing of protagonists who are forced to look beyond their age difference (which is actually quite large) in a bold endeavor to investigate a crime in which they are key suspects. They bring to life an unlikely alliance between a disgraced young man and a sharp-tongued woman who has been written off by her society. Their story is built on a foundation of rich interconnected themes that elevate it from a simple mystery to a complex social and psychological thriller, one that explores the corruption of the upper class and the illusion of authority, holding a mirror to society’s twisted perception of persons that are too intelligent to be controlled or too flawed to be granted a second chance. Here, one gets the sense that the mere weight of human greed is way more dangerous than a “comet’s gases.” As I read, I found myself forced to weigh every character’s motive, not as a detached observer but as if I were in the room with each of them. The stakes remain perfectly pitched all through the read, and every new chapter exhibits tension that tightens like a vise around a circle of trust that is forced to shrink with every revelation.

“The Murder at World’s End” by Ross Montgomery stands out for its ability to hold the revelation of the culprit until the final, breathtaking pages. I, however, believe that its true genius lies not in the delay but in the flawless execution of its narrative architecture and character-driven misdirection. If you need a book that is a master class in suspense, and one in which the end of the world is the backdrop of an even more gripping crime scene, then this book is your perfect next read.

 

Tokyo Juku

Tokyo Juku by Michael Pronko

Reviewed by Timea Barabas

A teacher’s murder changes a young student’s life forever and threatens to rip through the social fabric of Japan. At first glance, Michael Pronko’s Tokyo Juku appears to be a suspenseful modern detective novel. However, it quickly becomes clear that the story offers much more. Beneath the tightly woven murder mystery lies a sharp critique of a uniquely demanding education system and its many ramifications, both on an individual and societal scale.  Purchase Here.

What truly brings the novel to life, though, are the characters; each vividly portrayed as their lives unfold between the lines. Michael Pronko’s characters simply exist, without ever needing to persuade. Their actions, interactions, words, and thoughts are so organic that they naturally inhabit the space within Tokyo Juku.

After failing her exams the previous year, Mana is enrolled in the juku system to train mind and spirit in preparation for another attempt at gaining admission to a top university. She is determined to turn failure into conquest, akin to a ronin. What was meant to be another sleepless night of intense study takes a dark turn when the deep stillness is shattered by unexpected noises. Hesitant, Mana goes to investigate, only to discover her mentor, the school’s most prominent professor, had been stabbed.

Detective Hiroshi Shimizu is assigned to lead the murder investigation. Stepping outside his usual comfort zone, forensic accounting, Hiroshi brings a unique perspective to this complex case. As he follows multiple leads, he uncovers the murdered professor’s polarizing presence in both professional and personal spheres.

Just as he begins to get a firm grip on a thread that could reveal the motive and the perpetrator, a new dimension to the case emerges. The numerous conflicting leads threaten to overwhelm the investigation (and the narrative itself), but Hiroshi, guided by Michael Pronko’s precise penmanship, expertly maintains control and delivers a neatly packaged resolution.

What gives this work of fiction its strong sense of authenticity is, in large part, the infusion of the author’s own experiences. Michael Pronko, an American-born literature professor who has been living in Japan for more than two decades, pulls back the curtain to reveal the inner workings of the Japanese education system.

In my view, the most distinctive quality of Tokyo Juku lies in its sense of in-betweenness. The author passionately explores the spaces in between identities, cultures, and states of being. His characters embody this tension: some come from multiethnic backgrounds, while others travel and immerse themselves in new cultures. While a few seamlessly integrate multitudes, others can’t seem to settle on stable ground. Yet the most striking liminal space is the period of preparation before the exams; a suspended moment for students who have previously failed, caught between past disappointment and future possibility.

While Tokyo Juku is the seventh book from The Detective Hiroshi Series, it also stands firm as an independent book. Michael Pronko’s welcoming narrative voice makes any reader feel at ease, no matter when they arrive.

The Day I Lost You

The Day I Lost You by Ruth Mancini

Reviewed by Ephantus Gold

“The Day I Lost You,” by Ruth Mancini opens in Lauren’s house in Mantilla de Mar, Spain, where she is being accused by the police of abducting a two-years five-months English boy who bears a similar name like her son. She informs them that the child in question is her biological son, and that she has all the necessary documents to prove it. Immediately after the police leave, Lauren’s decides she is not safe, which leads her to pack and leave with the help of her newly found friend, Gabe, who she has long suspected to have feelings for her that run deeper than friendship. They move to a remote, rustic cabin in the Pyrenees mountains that belonged to Gabe’s grandparents. While hiding, she makes contact with Anna, her best friend, who connects her with a criminal defense lawyer who advises her that the only way she can avoid a protracted extradition battle and potential months in a Spanish prison, with Sam going to foster care, is for her to return to the UK voluntarily. But what she doesn’t know is that the truth of what happened in the hospital where Sam was born will be even more shocking than anyone has dared to imagine and turning herself in will only force it into the light, destroying every version of her story.  Purchase Here.

This story is constructed from a series of tragic twists that force the reader to closely evaluate the previous chapters as well as any hidden motives in what the characters say. These twists mirror the reality and sometimes messy nature of life, where villains turn out to be the same people who portray themselves as saviors and safe havens. In this story, the twists create a persistent state of unease, giving a sense of a destabilization that can occur any time. This is sure to offer the reader a richer, more demanding and more memorable reading experience.

The characters in this novel are hewn from their respective traumas. Each one of them has had devastating events in life that become the raw material that shape their moves and decisions. The beauty of this is in how these trauma-defined edges clash and grate against each other and how this friction becomes the very engine of the plot. Another thing that makes this story unforgettable is the choice to incorporate a young child as the central character in the story. It is a brilliant choice that weaponizes emotions and beautifully transforms the novel into a gripping emotional ordeal.

“The Day I Lost You,” carries unsettling truths that will leave the reader actively haunted after the final choice is made, as well as forced into a deeply personal reckoning with the very definition of true love. It will also leave them with a sense of the catastrophes that can arise when we keep telling ourselves potentially dangerous lies, especially where survival is involved. This is one of the books out there with deeply flawed characters, which means that readers looking to follow a clear, morally righteous hero may find it easily frustrating. However, those who enjoy being their own detective, sifting through conflicting testimonies and timelines will love every bit of the plot.

 

Long Lost Midwife

Long Lost Midwife by Skye Smith

Reviewed by Timea Barabas

Skye Smith’s Long Lost Midwife offers a captivating exploration of life’s winding path. Set in the 1930s, the novel blends a journey of self-discovery with sharp societal critique. While it may be tempting to interpret the story through a modern perspective, it’s important to approach it within the context of its own time.  Purchase Here.

We first meet Franklin and Pamela Dorset just after their wedding, when they are settling into their much-admired home and enviable lifestyle. As they embark on their honeymoon across Europe, however, cracks begin to show in their new marriage. Both are learning who the other truly is, pushing against each other’s comfort zones in the process.

Their travels are shadowed not only by the strains of their relationship but also by the growing political unrest in Europe, a subject that weighs heavily on Franklin. He eagerly seeks conversation about world affairs, yet finds little engagement from his new wife, who is reluctant to enter such debates. Pamela also shows hesitation when it comes to physical intimacy, further testing the foundation of their young union.

After their return, Franklin and Pamela continue working on their relationship, which eventually bears fruit when Pamela becomes pregnant. While the entire family urges her to deliver in a hospital under the care of trained medical professionals, Pamela is haunted by a distant memory.

She recalls Miss Minnie, the woman who not only brought her and her sister into the world but also cared for them as small children. Instead of the cold, sterile atmosphere of a hospital, Pamela longs to give birth as she was born: at home, surrounded by warmth and compassion.

While Long Lost Midwife begins as a story about navigating the challenges of early married life (set against the backdrop of looming global political unrest), it quickly shifts its focus to a deeper, more complex exploration of racial segregation and evolving societal norms.

Pamela’s husband and family are firmly opposed to the idea of a home birth, especially one attended by a woman of color. Despite her wishes, Pamela finds she has little say in the decision. To her relatives, allowing two Black women to help with household duties is already considered an eccentric indulgence.

Yet Pamela cannot escape the tender pull of her memories with Miss Minnie. Compelled by a force she can hardly name, she makes repeated attempts to reach out to her. Once their paths finally cross, Pamela begins to unravel the deep ties binding their lives and the lasting consequences they carry.

As she learns more about this complex, enigmatic woman, long-buried family secrets come to light, secrets that will forever alter her understanding of herself and her world. Then, in an unexpected turn, the novel shifts into a gripping murder mystery.

Because of its mature themes, Long Lost Midwife is best suited for adult readers. It sparks meaningful conversations on a wide range of issues and, though set in the 1930s, its themes remain strikingly relevant today. Covering subjects such as sexuality, gender roles, racial dynamics, and societal taboos, the story offers something that will resonate with a broad and diverse audience.

View the Trailer for Long Lost Midwife

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.

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.