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I am currently reading the urban fantasy novel, Veil of Shadows: Shunned Immortal—Book 1 , by Jake Skelton. Like many books in this genre, it follows the formula of a hardboiled detective story, with the main character, Gus, a 500-year-old ex-fae enforcer living in Boston who agrees to help a young woman steer clear of dangerous vampires. Hence the urban setting, hence the detective, hence the femme fatale. I look forward to the worldbuilding, a clue-laden plot, and, hopefull

Having finished reading this book, I have a better appreciation of the plight of the American pioneer of the 19th Century. Deadwood: Gold, Guns, and Greed in the American West , by Peter Cozzens, painted a picture of a wild, booming Western mining camp turned city that shone very brightly, but, in its legendary state, only lasted about four years (1876-1879). Old West icons like Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane made Deadwood their home during this era. But the most notewort

I am currently reading Deadwood: Gold, Guns, and Greed in the American West , by Peter Cozzens. It’s a nonfiction account of the rise and fall of this camp, including all of the major players. Deadwood , the HBO series, was a fine show with excellent episodes and even better performances. Peter Cozzens claims to dig deeper into the mining camp, into everything and everyone, in this book. Besides, I love Westerns, and I appreciate nonfiction accounts of historical events, even

I’m not sure I wholly enjoyed this piece. Not from what I expected from it, anyway. What I expected was a mystery, either a closed-room, British-style one, or a city-sprawling, hardboiled, American one. I got neither. What I got was more of a chase story, a crime-thriller (in its most basic sense), an account of two detectives pursuing and apprehending criminals. Although Senior King Brady figured out clues that were not plainly detected at times, there was no all-encompassin

Originally published as a nickel weekly—a story published every week in a magazine or periodical—back on January 27, 1899, The Black Band: or, The Two King Bradys Against a Hard Gang (Secret Service Book 1), by a New York Detective (how’s that for anonymity, huh?), was the first treat leading others every Friday thereafter. Two things are going for it, from where I’m standing: it’s a mystery, and it’s historical fiction; two genres I enjoy immensely. Perhaps the language and

I’ve always admired Jim Butcher as an author and as a worldbuilder because he artfully and deftly outdoes himself with each book of The Dresden Files Series. Twelve Months: The Dresden Files Book 18 is just such an example. Especially considering Battle Ground , the previous book, and the stakes, conflicts, and resolutions therein. Chicago was almost destroyed in that last book. How does an author come back from, and actually outdo, such an episode? Harry Dresden, narrator an

I was going to wait to read Twelve Months until after I’ve reread the entire Harry Dresden series (which I’ve done a few times before). But, after my To-Read List expanded to about 700 titles, and the Dresden Files series landed somewhere in the middle of the 300s, I decided to go ahead and read the 18th installment of The Dresden Files series. I look forward to enjoyment—rich characters, magical spectacles, and twisty plot elements. I’ll let you know what I think when I’m t

Before reading Murder Revisited: A Jack Mallory Mystery Book 1 , by William Coleman, I wondered if it would be a straight-on mystery or a police procedural. After finishing the book, I understood that it was the former. Using third-person limited narration throughout, Coleman tells the story primarily through the perspective of Jack Mallory, the main character and detective of the unnamed city in which this story is set. At times, when necessary, the t-pl narration switches p

I am currently reading Murder Revisited: A Jack Mallory Mystery Book 1 , by William Coleman. As the title suggests, it’s a mystery. But methinks it may also be a police procedural. What’s the difference between a mystery and a police procedural, you might ask? A mystery is a broad genre that typically features an amateur or private investigator and focuses on utilizing deduction to solve a conundrum (usually a murder). A police procedural is a kind of mystery that centers on

I’m beginning to truly appreciate this series, mostly for the worldbuilding it presents. Trawler Trash (Reassembly Book 2) , by P.D. James, offers action-packed plots, quirky characters, and, of course, existential questions that every noteworthy science fiction novel/series broaches but never resolves. Main character Geddy Starheart is the ultimate reluctant hero. In the last book, he had the captaincy of a trash trawling spaceship, For Sale Make Offer , or the FIZMO , thrus

My short story, "Follow The Mule—An Ectoverse Tale," will be published in the April 2026 installment, Issue No. 20, of Dirty Magick Magazine . https://dirtymagickmagazine.com/ A six-month subscription is $14.99, in EPUB or PDF formats. This story sets up the Ectoverse for readers to get a taste and, hopefully, get interested enough to read the series. A friend of mine told me that the story “Is a good introduction to the universe you created.” Granted, I introduce an entirely

There is a reason why Lawrence of Arabia (1962) is on my Top Ten Films Of All Time List. Hands down, it’s a masterpiece in filmmaking. The last time I viewed LOA was more than ten years ago, most likely when I purchased the DVD. T.E. Lawrence himself was an enigma of a person. Not soldier material at all, he joined the British Army because, according to Google, “(of) his profound knowledge of the Middle East, Arab culture, and Arabic language, gained from pre-war archaeolog

I am currently reading Trawler Trash : Reassembly #2 by C.P. James. I read the first installment, and I had a blast. It was fun, included quirky characters, and had plenty of action. I’m looking not for something that outdoes the first episode, but something just as satisfying (which is how all sequels should be approached). I’ll share my thoughts when I’m through.

There’s something to be said for nonfiction books that read like novels, despite half of the book spent on notes and a bibliography (Do you read these parts? Or just finish the meaty bits and call it a day?). That word to be said? Satisfactory, in the most complimentary sense of the word. Brothers of the Gun : Wyatt Earp , Doc Holliday , and a Reckoning in Tombstone , by Mark Lee Gardner, is a vivid, accessible account of the lives of two Western icons and the clima

I am currently reading, Brothers of the Gun: Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, and a Reckoning in Tombstone by Mark Lee Gardner. I love me a good western, and a gripping nonfiction book as well. I have high expectations for this book. Here’s to hoping they are met. As usual, I’ll share my thoughts when I’m through.

It was tough going at first. I thought the prose and the jokes were juvenile, and the worldbuilding took time to unfold. But after I got used to it, got into the rhythm, The Librarian of the Haunted Library , by Brian Yansky, turned out to be a somewhat enjoyable read. The novel definitely has the Hero’s Journey and fish-out-of-water vibes, and the main character, Kevin, mysteriously missing a last name, has charm that grows on you. There’s also a mystery at the core of this

I am currently reading The Librarian of the Haunted Library by Brian Yansky. It is marketed as a “fun, fast, fantastical read.” I expect to be entertained and to add a little grist to my worldbuilding mill. As usual, I’ll share my thoughts when I’m through reading.

Another mystery read—more kindling for the inspiration furnace. Black’s Beach Shuffle: A Rolly Waters Mystery by Corey Lynn Fayman takes a somewhat different approach to the hardboiled detective mystery genre. An urban setting? Check. An in-over-his-head private detective with redemption issues? Also check. A femme fatale? Check. Powerful people with secrets? You bet. However, BBS diverges in that the main character/hardboiled detective Rolly Waters is a full-time songwritin

I am currently reading Black’s Beach Shuffle: A Rolly Waters Mystery by Corey Lynn Fayman. This is a book I intend to relish, good or bad, especially since I’ve just finished a particularly difficult novel. I look forward to a Chandleresque gumshoe, relying solely on his wits, getting in way over his head, just at the right moment, to solve this mystery. I’ll share my thoughts when I’m through.

I feel like I’m back in high school, having to read further texts just to give me some sense of the text I have just read. Reading Vineland by Thomas Pynchon, for me, is like holding your breath for the entire narrative, only to exhale and wonder what the hell just went on. I am not knocking this novel, nor am I knocking this author, but reading Pynchon is definitely an experience, one I’m not too sure I want to replicate any time in the near future. His prose is dense, his