Book Spotlight: The Old Clock Peddler by David Morabitoย 

Welcome to the TRB Lounge. Today, we are featuring author David Morabitoย for his latest release, The Old Clock Peddler.

Book: The Old Clock Peddler
Author: David Morabito
Publication Date: September 30, 2025
Genres: Dark Fantasy, Suspense, Romance, Science-Fiction
Page Count: 270
Formats Available: Kindle & Paperback
For Readers Who Loved Reading: Lord of the Rings (J. R. R. Tolkien), The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Frank Baum), Aliceโ€™s Adventures in Wonderland (Lewis Caroll), Crazy Hawk: A Post-Apocalyptic Thriller (R. J. Stewart)


About the Book

This novel continues where theย Night of the Fishermanย left off and is packed with suspense, fantasy, and romance as well as elements of science fiction with shrouded references to quantum physics. The characters are instantly transported between different realms in the cosmos using wormholes where the entry and exit ports are defined by clocks composed of mysterious substances. Each clock is the mirror image of the other, with each working backwards from the other.

We follow the exploits of the intriguing dark character known as the Old Clock Peddler, who sells paired clocks to unsuspecting consumers in different worlds causing interesting and unexpected interactions between diverse populations of beings. All the while, the Peddler has mysterious interactions with the characters caught up in his intergalactic web of intrigue, which include Lexicon, the principality of Yore and the land of the Druids.

Intrigue continues to follow two of the main characters fromย Night of the Fisherman, Fish (a.k.a. the Fisherman) and Kara in the 1950’s-1960’s suburban town of Lexicon. They along with other neighbors now have to contend with the power-hungry Surf, the surviving son of Poppa, who previously terrorized the local neighborhood and beyond. All the while, the character known as the dark Entity lurks about ready to do Surf’s bidding.

A secret society in Lexicon known as the City Fathers anoints Surf as their new Boss in their quest to amass more power and wealth, after the death of Poppa. A shady slimy lawyer named McAlister Bilge aids Surf in his quest for more power and wealth. Other neighbors such as little Elmo get caught up in the intrigue as well as the old man Mr. Ages, now reunited with his long lost son after several decades, Tommy, who once served as King of Yore under the name of Twede.

A host of new characters are introduced, including three college students, one of which believes he understands the physics of instantaneous intergalactic transport, while another desires Kara, the Fisherman’s girlfriend, to be his own. Frank Knightlite, a heroic figure in the small town of Lexicon, is known to shed light within the bowels of darkness. Aisling is a young Irish lass whose family got marooned in the strange world of mutated descendants of the Druids, courtesy of one of the Peddler’s wormholes. She gets rescued by the Fisherman and Frank Knightlite, who use a recently reestablished porthole to bring her back to Lexicon and eventually to that big green island across the sea to be united with her surviving relatives. Frank Knightlite has a clandestine encounter with Leena, the terrified and neglected young wife of Surf, in order to extract needed information from her.

In the Kingdom of Yore, an ensuing power struggle is in the works as Renigade a wayward Elder had escaped the palace dungeon and seeks to solidify a power sharing pact with Surf. The small gnomish person Georgos contributes to the drama as he again is put into service by his dethroned king Twede, now known as Tommy Ages. Twede reunites with his love Tarala when the porthole between Lexicon and Yore is reestablished by the Peddler.

It is later disclosed that Surf has an estranged brother who covets what Surf has and is determined to claim all that Surf inherited from Poppa as his birthright. Finally, the novel climaxes at the scene of the lake of fire, a huge cauldron-like depression in the planetary surface of Yore. Here, Surf plans to send his prisoners to their demise in the same way his Poppa attempted in theย Night of the Fisherman. However, Surf does not count on having to contend with his brother as they confront each other near the precipice of the fiery lake, as the prisoners look on while the drama unfolds in unexpected and suspenseful ways.

You can findย The Old Clock Peddler here:
Amazon | Goodreads


About The Author

David Morabito

David Morabito is a retired engineer who lives in the mountains and deserts of Southern California.

You can findย author Morabito here:
Website | Medium | Goodreads


If you are an author and wish to be featured as our guest or if you are a publicist and want to get your author featured on TRB, then please get in touch directly by e-mail at thereadingbud@gmail.com

ARC Review: A River of Blood by Adam Williams

Book Details:

Author: Adam Williams
Release Date: 1 November 2025
Series:
Genre: Historical Mystery, Suspense
Format:ย E-bookย 
Pages: 382 pages
Publisher: Earnshaw Books Ltd
Blurb:
Egypt 1099 CE, Qahira (Cairo)
Samuel, a Jewish doctor versed in alchemy, and Gregory, his English apprentice, are investigating a terrifying plague. The Nile has turned red with blood and fish are dying.
Near a small island, they wrangle a badly torn body from the jaws of a crocodile โ€” but was this beast the killer? Samuel suspects foul play yet the authorities block his efforts to find the truth at every step. Ignoring the warnings from people in high places, and with nothing more to guide him than his scientific method, Samuel is determined to persist in his quest, especially after a series of gruesome murders seem to confirm his early suspicion.

Little does he know that the secret he will stumble on could shake the empire.
Assassins are on the prowl. A child is being hunted. Who finds him first will change the course of history..

Review

Rating: 4 out of 5.

A River of Blood by Adam Williams is a richly textured historical mystery set in 1099 Egypt, where science, faith, and power collide. Set across Fustat and Qahira (old Cairo), the book opens in a world of scholarship, court intrigue, and gathering dread. Author Williams anchors the story in a striking image: the Nile โ€œturning to bloodโ€ and fish dying, a scientific mystery that echoes Exodus while refusing easy mysticism. Itโ€™s a hook that blends atmosphere, theology, and empiricism in one sweep, and it pulled me in immediately.

The characterisation is brilliant and the world-building is superb. Author Williams weaves theology and politics into the mystery, so the stakes are never just โ€œwhodunnit,โ€ but who gets to define truth: the scholar, the priest, or the state. The prose is clean and vivid; action beats snap, but what really stays with you are the moral compromises people make to survive the empire.

Without spoiling the turns, I will share that the volume closes on an earned pivot toward Jerusalem, with a neat blend of intimate vow and geopolitical fuse. Itโ€™s a satisfying end-point for Book 1. I turned the last page both satisfied and hungry for the continuation. A River of Blood is a learned and atmospheric historical crime mystery that mirrors Umberto Ecoโ€™s curiosity with Michael Jecksโ€™ momentum. For readers who like their mysteries braided with theology, politics, and human tenderness, this will be a perfect read.


You can also read this review at:

Goodreads


Amazon


Book Review: Catalyst by Sloane Mercer

Book Details:

Author: Sloane Mercer
Release Date: 2 October 2025
Series:
Genre: Psychological Thriller, Political Thriller, Terrorism/Espionage Thriller, Literary Suspense, International Intrigue
Format: E-book 
Pages: 193 pages
Publisher: AMEE Publishing
Blurb:
Everyone’s the hero in their story. Even the monsters.
Jake Rossi, a Capitol crewman trying to rebuild his life, isnโ€™t looking for meaning โ€” just a paycheck, a place to belong, maybe someone to talk to. Then he meets Emily, a reserved Belgian chocolatier with a scar on her collarbone and eyes that never blink. Her silence is magnetic. Her past, untouchable.

But the closer Jake gets, the more off-kilter things begin to feel. Curiosity twists into obsession. Obsession curdles into fear. Is Emily a survivor haunted by shadows, or the shadow itself? Every answer Jake uncovers only deepens the riddle, and every step closer drags him toward a truth too dangerous to name.
By the time the city gathers under banners and floodlights, it may already be too late.
For readers of dark, atmospheric, slow-burning psychological thrillers with flawed heroes and razor-wire tension, Catalyst will keep you turning pages deep into the night.

Review

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Catalyst by Sloane Mercer is the kind of slow-burning psychological thriller that creeps under your skin rather than rushing to shock you. Sloane Mercerโ€™s writing carries that rare balance of elegance and unease, drawing you in with the intimacy of character before you even realize youโ€™re standing at the edge of something dark.

The brilliance of this story lies in its tension, not the loud, cinematic kind, but the quiet, suffocating kind that makes you second-guess whatโ€™s real. As Jakeโ€™s fascination with Emily deepens, the novel turns into an exploration of obsession, perception, and the fragility of sanity. Mercerโ€™s prose is clean and deliberate, every sentence calibrated to tighten the thread of unease. You start to feel as though youโ€™re peering through a fog, seeing outlines of truth but never the whole picture. And thatโ€™s precisely what makes Catalyst addictive; itโ€™s less about solving a mystery and more about descending into it.

Jake is written with a refreshing honesty. He is flawed, lonely, and relatable. Heโ€™s not a classic hero; heโ€™s someone doing his best to survive the static of his own mind. Emily, on the other hand, is mesmerizing; part riddle, part mirror , and Mercer wisely resists defining her too soon. Through their fractured connection, the book asks a chilling question: what happens when our need to understand someone else exposes the darkness in ourselves? By the time the truth begins to surface, you realize Catalyst isnโ€™t just about the main character, but about the stories we tell to justify the monsters we become.

Catalyst is atmospheric, introspective, and razor-sharp. It’s a dark psychological thriller that trades jump scares for slow, emotional corrosion. It is perfect for readers who loved Gone Girl or You, and crave stories that linger long after the last page.


You can also read this review at:

Goodreads


Amazon


Book Review: Unearthed: The Lies We Carry & The Truths They Bury by Chanchal Garg

Book Details:

Author: Chanchal Garg
Release Date: 2nd June 2025
Series:
Genre: Autobiography
Format:ย E-bookย 
Pages: 282 pages
Publisher:
Blurb:
In this searing memoir, Chanchal Garg reveals the spiritual and sexual abuse that shattered her sense of self and forced her to question a life defined by duty and sacrifice. Raised as a devoted Indian daughter, she was taught never to question authority-until a transformative moment during a yoga class, while pregnant with her daughter, awakened a truth she could no longer ignore.
That realization set her on a solitary journey, as she lost her faith, community, and the life she had always known. Without the support she had once relied on, she had to learn to trust herself, reclaim her bicultural identity, and redefine what it meant to be both Indian and American-on her own terms

Unearthedย is a powerful call to every woman who has ever felt silenced-an invitation to trust your inner voice, reclaim your story, and return to yourself.

Review

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Unearthed by Chanchal Garg is a book that doesn not just tell a story but bares a soul. This beautiful memoir is raw and luminous in equal measure. It traces author Gargโ€™s painful yet empowering journey through spiritual and sexual abuse, her loss of faith, and the reclamation of her identity as both Indian and American. The bookโ€™s greatest strength lies in its honesty as Garg doesnโ€™t hide behind polished prose or distance herself from the pain. Instead, she invites the reader into her unraveling and rebuilding, offering a voice that feels courageous, vulnerable, and deeply relatable.

Gargโ€™s writing is tender but unflinching. Each chapter feels like a confession whispered into the dark. She shares moments of doubt, grief, awakening, and slow healing stitched together with lyrical precision. What moved me most was her ability to explore trauma without letting it consume the narrative. Unearthed isnโ€™t a story of victimhood; itโ€™s a story of reclamation. Through her awakening during a yoga class, while carrying new life within her, Garg begins to question the doctrines and power structures that once defined her, and in doing so, she creates space for other women to do the same. The narrative feels spiritual, but not in a religious sense, itโ€™s about returning to oneself, trusting that quiet inner knowing that so many of us are taught to suppress.

The memoir also shines in how it navigates bicultural identity. Gargโ€™s experience of being both Indian and American resonates profoundly. Her journey is personal, but her insights are universal. By the end, youโ€™re not just reading about her healing; youโ€™re reminded of your own capacity to listen inwardly and rebuild. Unearthed doesnโ€™t promise easy closure but offers something rarer: authenticity, compassion, and permission to begin again.

Unearthed is a beautifully written, soul-stirring memoir about pain, awakening, and self-trust. Perfect for readers who loved Educated by Tara Westover or When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill, and for anyone seeking a reminder that healing is not linear, but always possible.


You can also read this review at:

Goodreads


Amazon


Book Spotlight: Catalyst by Sloane Mercer

Welcome to the TRB Lounge. Today, we are featuring author Sloane Mercer for her latest release, Catalyst.

Book: Catalyst
Author: Sloane Mercer
Publication Date: October 2, 2025
Publisher: AMEE Publishing
Genres: Psychological Thriller, Political Thriller, Terrorism/Espionage Thriller, Literary Suspense, International Intrigue
Page Count: 193
Formats Available: Kindle & Paperback
For Readers Who Loved Reading: I Am Pilgrim (Terry Hayes), The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Stieg Larsson), American Assassin (Vince Flynn), The Night Manager (John leย Carrรฉ), and Our Kind of Traitor (John leย Carrรฉ)


About the Book

Everyone’s the hero in their story. Even the monsters.

Jake Rossi, a Capitol crewman trying to rebuild his life, isnโ€™t looking for meaning โ€” just a paycheck, a place to belong, maybe someone to talk to. Then he meets Emily, a reserved Belgian chocolatier with a scar on her collarbone and eyes that never blink. Her silence is magnetic. Her past, untouchable.

But the closer Jake gets, the more off-kilter things begin to feel. Curiosity twists into obsession. Obsession curdles into fear. Is Emily a survivor haunted by shadows, or the shadow itself? Every answer Jake uncovers only deepens the riddle, and every step closer drags him toward a truth too dangerous to name.

By the time the city gathers under banners and floodlights, it may already be too late.

For readers of dark, atmospheric, slow-burning psychological thrillers with flawed heroes and razor-wire tension, Catalyst will keep you turning pages deep into the night.

You can findย Catalyst here:
Amazon


About The Author

Sloane Mercer

Sloane Mercer is a storyteller of blurred lines, crafting fiction from fragments of truth. The portrait on this page is no different from the
story itself โ€“ part fact, part invention, and deliberately incomplete.
What matters is not who the author is, but the worlds they leave behind โ€“ the shadows you carry after closing the book, and the questions that follow you into the quiet.

You can findย author Nordmed here:
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If you are an author and wish to be featured as our guest or if you are a publicist and want to get your author featured on TRB, then please get in touch directly by e-mail at thereadingbud@gmail.com

Book Review: The Convergence: Broken Magic by Richard French

Book Details:

Author: Richard French
Release Date: 1 March 2025
Series: Convergence Series
Genre: Dystopian, Speculative Fiction
Format:ย E-bookย 
Pages: 184 pages
Publisher: Indie Pen Press
Blurb:
Federation Enforcer Samantha Reed has orders to kill Connor Blakeโ€”the one person whose soul was torn from hers when the Federation shattered magic itself.
Reality is fracturing across the galaxy as the Convergence approaches, a cosmic force trying to heal what was broken. The Federation claims Connor’s rebellion is causing the breakdown, but when Samantha confronts him, stolen memories surface: their connection isn’t coincidenceโ€”it’s the echo of a bond artificially severed centuries ago.

Their unified magic doesn’t combine separate powersโ€”it remembers what they were before the Federation broke everything apart. But every moment they spend reconnected awakens the truth the Federation desperately hides: the artificial separation is failing, and only their restored unity can stabilize reality’s collapse.
As the cosmos continues to unravel, the Federation’s leader plans to use the Convergence’s healing energy as a weapon to make the separation permanentโ€”even if it destroys existence in the process. The choice isn’t between order and chaos, but between artificial control and natural wholeness.
For readers who devoured Shadow and Bone and The Ten Thousand Doors of January, this is forbidden unity with the fate of reality hanging in the balance.
When remembering their true connection means choosing between Federation loyalty and cosmic healing, will Samantha embrace what was stolen from themโ€”or let the universe fracture forever to preserve a lie?
Get your copy now and discover why some bonds refuse to stay broken.

Review

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Every once in a while, I stumble on a sci-fantasy that feels both classic and new, and The Convergence: Broken Magic did exactly that for me. Richard French builds a world where magic has been split (politically, philosophically, and literally) and the cost of that fracture touches everything. What I loved most is how the book stays emotional even while juggling heady ideas; the opening teases the cosmic stakes with โ€œshadow and lightโ€ patterns that feel sentient, immediately hinting this isnโ€™t just good-vs-evil but a deeper question of how things were broken, and whether they can be made whole again.

The chapters (especially in the middle) blend brisk action with chewy ideas about power, control, and institutional memory without drowning you in exposition. I especially enjoyed how the story frames โ€œunifiedโ€ magic as something natural and healing, while forced control breaks people and worlds; a theme that gives the battles real emotional stakes.

Author Frenchโ€™s prose is clean and unfussy, letting the math-meets-myth logic of the magic system carry the wonder. The antagonistโ€™s motivation, born from trauma and fear, adds dimension to the conflict and avoids mustache-twirling; policy, paranoia, and grief entwine into a believable agenda that feels tragically real. This nuance makes the late-book confrontations land harder because the โ€œvillainโ€ isnโ€™t simply wrong; heโ€™s convincingly afraid of what ungoverned power can do.

The finale pays off the promise of the title, with sacrifice, restoration, and an earned sense of hope. Without spoiling anything: the book argues that wholeness requires consent and cost, not coercion, which is a beautiful take for a series opener. I closed the book feeling satisfied yet curious about where this universe goes next, which is always my favorite way to end the first in a series. If you like high-stakes magic systems grounded in character and consequence, this belongs on your TBR.


You can also read this review at:

Goodreads


Amazon


Book Review: The Supreme Pastor by Thomas C. Hosey DPM

Book Details:

Author: Thomas C. Hosey DPM
Release Date: 31 July 2025
Series:
Genre: Thriller, Psychological Thriller, Suspense
Format:ย E-bookย 
Pages: 260 pages
Publisher: Pegasus Publishers
Blurb:
Ian thought his quiet life was safe-until the night his uncle was brutally murdered. Narrowly escaping the same fate, Ian finds himself relentlessly pursued by a shadowy organization determined to silence him. Desperate and alone, he reconnects with Nicki, his former college love, a brilliant hacker, and someone with a knack for uncovering secrets.

Together, they dive into the dark web, unearthing a horrifying secret: a human trafficking cult known as the Church of Redemption, led by the ruthless Supreme Pastor Rick-the man responsible for Ian’s uncle’s death. As Ian and Nicki work to expose the cult, they uncover a web of corruption and terror that runs deeper than they imagined.
Packed with suspense, danger, and moral dilemmas, “The Supreme Pastor” is a high-stakes thriller that will keep you on the edge until the final explosive twist.

Review

Rating: 4 out of 5.

The Supreme Pastor by Thomas C. Hosey DPM is an intense, unsettling thriller that grabs you from the first page and doesnโ€™t let go. Thomas Hosey builds his story around a terrifying cult hidden deep in rural America, a community ruled by manipulation, fear, and blind devotion. What begins as a quiet introduction to a mysterious world quickly spirals into a gripping tale of control, violence, and survival. Author Hoseyโ€™s pacing is taut, his atmosphere charged with paranoia, and his storytelling filled with moments that make your pulse quicken.

What impressed me most was how emotional the story feels, even in its darkest moments. The novel explores the kind of psychological and emotional control that allows people to surrender their will, not just out of fear, but sometimes out of desperate faith. The titular Supreme Pastor is a chilling antagonist, both charismatic and monstrous, and the world he commands feels disturbingly real.

Yet, beneath all the tension and violence, thereโ€™s a thread of emotionality that grounds the book. The characters, those trapped inside the cult and those trying to save them, are not just pawns in a thriller plot; theyโ€™re flawed, hopeful, and painfully realistic. Their choices carry emotional weight, and the moments of courage, even the smallest ones, shine all the brighter against the darkness surrounding them.

The Supreme Pastor is not an easy read as itโ€™s raw, sometimes brutal, and emotionally charged, but itโ€™s also powerful and deeply thought-provoking. It exposes the danger of blind faith, the seduction of power, and the resilience of those who dare to resist. Author Hosey has written a thriller thatโ€™s not just about escaping a cult; itโ€™s about reclaiming oneโ€™s will and voice. It is perfect for fans of fast-paced thrillers with high-stakes action and thrills.


You can also read this review at:

Goodreads


Amazon


Book Review: Singing the Forge by G H Mosson

Book Details:

Author: G H Mossonย 
Release Date: 22 April 2025
Series:
Genre: Poetry
Format:ย E-bookย 
Pages: 90 pages
Publisher: David Robert Books
Blurb:
Singing the Forgeย explores the singing of what’s shaped us and what we’ve shaped for ourselves. Through poems at times personal, plus vignettes from men and women of the past two centuries in the book’s middle section, these poems offer mirrors of becomings. Readers encounter melodies from diverse lives. Across free verse, meter, and poems of organic form, you might just see yourself.

G. H. Mosson is the author of five prior books and chapbooks of poetry, includingย Questions of Fireย (Plain View Press),ย Season of Flowers and Dustย (Goose River Press), andย Family Snapshot as a Poem in Timeย (Finishing Line Press). Two of the chapbooks are collaborative,ย Heart X-raysย &ย Simultaneous Revolutionsย (PM Press). His poetry has appeared inย The Tampa Review,ย California Quarterly,ย The Hollins Critic,ย The Potomac Review,ย Smartish Pace,ย Lines & Stars,ย Free State Review,ย SurVisionย of Ireland, and across the U.S.

“Through a series of beautiful meditative lyrics, Mosson links childhood and adulthood, journey and reckoning, memory and wonder. A humane and earnest poet, Mosson is as much attuned to ‘songless streets of Baltimore’ as to ‘trees’ unnamed relation to the world.’ He captures this attunement with carefully measured language and impressive precision. Many poems are probing observations of places and people, rendered in verbal landscapes revealing his debt to visual artists. Hans Hofman, Philip Guston, Henry Moore are three invoked in this volume. The poems inย Singing the Forgeย create a philosophy of life centered around the idea of harmony with the universe – even if harmony’s always at the verge of disintegration. They should be paid attention to and cherished for this reason.”
-Piotr Gwiazda, Professor of English, Univ. of Pittsburgh

“Mosson’s poems are magical, memorable and meticulous, speaking to the powerful pull of locales and weathers and loves, yet get pinned to the memories of a reader with lines like these, spoken by a physician in his old age: ‘The nursing home is out there like a shark/ that has swallowed so many of my patients one by one.’ Give a copy to someone you love but be sure to keep one for yourself.”-Clarinda Harris, Professor Emeritus, Towson University
-Piotr Gwiazda, Professor of English, Univ. of Pittsburgh

Review

Rating: 4 out of 5.

G.H. Mossonโ€™s Singing the Forge is a contemplative and richly textured poetry collection that meditates on creation and the shaping forces of time, memory, and place. Itโ€™s a book that doesnโ€™t simply present poems; it invites readers into a dialogue about how we are formed by what we build, love, and lose. The collection moves fluidly between the personal and the historical, exploring the idea of โ€œforgingโ€ as an act of both endurance and transformation.

What I found most compelling about Mossonโ€™s work is his ability to weave lyrical introspection with a painterโ€™s eye for detail. Each poem feels sculpted, deliberate, and yet brimming with emotion. His imagery, whether drawn from the โ€œsongless streets of Baltimoreโ€ or from the elemental beauty of nature, transforms the ordinary into something almost sacred. Thereโ€™s a rhythm to his lines that mirrors the forge itself: heat, strike, cool, and shape again. Itโ€™s poetry that asks you to slow down and feel the subtle music of thought.

Throughout the book, Mosson balances philosophy and tenderness. The poems meditate on memory, childhood, work, and the constant tension between chaos and harmony. You sense an awareness that life itself is a form of art, ever unfinished, ever reshaped by our hands and hearts. This awareness gives the collection its emotional pulse, turning each piece into an intimate act of reckoning and renewal.

Singing the Forge is a beautifully crafted, powerful collection that rewards patience and reflection. Itโ€™s for readers who find comfort in language that hums with meaning and for those who believe poetry still has the power to make sense of our shared becoming.


You can also read this review at:

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Book Review: Love Without Borders by Ni Wencai

Book Details:

Author:ย Ni Wencai
Release Date: 29 July 2025
Series:
Genre: Memoir, Non-Fiction
Format:ย E-bookย 
Pages: 229 pages
Publisher: Earnshaw Books
Blurb:
For more than three decades into the early 21st Century, China’s effort to curb population growth through the “one-child policy” created a wave of abandoned Chinese infants, most of them girls. Around 160,000 of these Chinese children found homes abroad, with more than half of them joining American families.
International adoptions should be a beautiful story of familial love transcending national boundaries. However, when the unintended fallout from the one-child policy came to light, it captured Western media attention, making Chinaโ€™s international adoption program a controversial subject.

This book offers a unique blend of Chinese and Western perspectives. The author, a Chinese civil servant who also oversaw a local orphanage, is a scholar with an international outlook. The book explores human relationships: familial bonds that transcend biological links, the continuing connection of the adoptees and their families with their homeland in China, and the special relationship that developed between the author and families who adopted daughters from his jurisdiction.
In an era of unprecedented geopolitical tensions between the United States and China, this book highlights an overwhelmingly positive aspect of the relationship between citizens of these two great nations, offering much-needed inspiration and hope.,

Review

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Love Without Borders by Ni Wencai is a heartfelt and deeply moving story that explores the universal longing for connection across cultures, distances, and emotional boundaries. What begins as a seemingly simple narrative of two people brought together by chance gradually unfolds into something more profound; a meditation on love, identity, and the courage it takes to open oneself up to another person in an unfamiliar world. The author writes with tenderness and sincerity, allowing readers to feel the push and pull of emotion that defines cross-cultural relationships.

What I found particularly moving about this book is how grounded it is in real emotion. It doesnโ€™t romanticize difference or distance but instead portrays love as a complex, evolving force that is beautiful, frustrating, and transformative. The characters feel authentic, their flaws and hopes interwoven with the settings they inhabit. From moments of introspection to scenes of cultural discovery, every page captures the vulnerability of stepping beyond oneโ€™s comfort zone for the sake of connection.

The prose flows with warmth and restraint, striking a delicate balance between passion and reflection. The pacing allows readers to breathe, to feel the weight of each emotional beat, and to witness how love reshapes the individuals at its center. Thereโ€™s a sense of maturity in the storytelling that makes it stick with you after the story is over.

In essence, Love Without Borders is not just a story about romance; itโ€™s about empathy, transformation, and the shared emotional connection that transcends geography. Itโ€™s a reminder that while love may begin between two people, it ultimately bridges entire worlds.


You can also read this review at:

Goodreads


Amazon


Book Review: Mortal Zin by Diane Schaffer

Book Details:

Author: Diane Schafferย 
Release Date:
4 March 2025
Series: A Mortal Zin Mystery (Book #1)
Genre: Crime Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Humour
Format:ย E-bookย 
Pages: 408 pages
Publisher: Sibylline Press
Blurb:
A crusading attorneyโ€™s death. Sabotage at a family winery. Secrets buried in Californiaโ€™s pastโ€ฆWhen corporate attorney Noli Cooper visits her godparentsโ€™ Santa Cruz Mountain winery, sheโ€™s hoping for a few quiet days to consider her future. But the future will have to wait. The body of her childhood mentor, a crusading social justice lawyer and local hero, is discovered in a rocky ocean cove. The sheriff is quick to call it suicide. Noli knows heโ€™s wrong. Teaming up with PI Luz Alvarado, Noli dives into a world where nothing is as it seems.

As threats mount and the winery teeters on the brink of ruin, Noli and Luz must navigate a treacherous landscape of greed, revenge, and long-buried secrets. Their investigation weaves through the rich tapestry of Californiaโ€™s vineyard history, the mystery of zinfandel grapes, and the haunting legacy of the Vietnam War. With a murderer on the loose, predatory neighbors circling, and Noliโ€™s godfather framed for murder, the clock is ticking. Can two fearless women from different worlds unravel the truth before itโ€™s too late?

Review

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Mortal Zin is a lively, character-driven novel that blends crime, suspense, and a touch of dark humor into a story that feels gritty as well as entertaining. From the opening chapters, the book throws readers into a world of ambition, temptation, and danger, where choices are rarely clean and every action carries weight. Itโ€™s the kind of story that keeps you engaged with its mix of sharp dialogue, fast pacing, and a cast of flawed, unforgettable characters.

What stands out most is how the author builds atmosphere. The settings feel vivid as bars, back alleys, and quiet corners all carry an undercurrent of tension, making the reader feel like something is always about to happen. The tone shifts seamlessly between high-stakes tension and wry humor, offering moments of relief without ever letting go of the suspense. This balance gives the book an energy that pulls you along while still allowing space to appreciate its layered characters.

At its heart, Mortal Zin is a story about choices and consequences. It digs into how people justify their actions, whether driven by greed, survival, or loyalty, and what happens when those justifications unravel. The protagonistโ€™s arc is particularly compelling, as he is constantly walking the line between control and chaos, morality and survival.

Overall, Mortal Zin is a smart, engaging read for anyone who enjoys crime fiction with depth. It isnโ€™t just about the mechanics of the plot, but about the people who inhabit it, their flaws, ambitions, and the shadows they carry. Suspenseful, atmospheric, and at times darkly funny, itโ€™s a book that will resonate with fans of noir and contemporary thrillers alike.


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Book Review: High Desert (PEOPLE MAKING DANGER) by Adam Fike

Book Details:

Author: Adam Fike
Release Date:
19 March, 2021
Series: PEOPLE MAKING DANGER
Genre: Crime Fiction, Western Fiction
Format:ย E-bookย 
Pages: 69 pages
Publisher:
Blurb:
MUSCLE CAR WESTERN – Hanner only wants to tinker in his desert junk yard, fish for wrecks on the highway and forget his family legacy. A rotten Sheriff, fate and a vault full of organized crime loot have another idea.
Free samples at adamfike.com/books.
PEOPLE MAKING DANGER is a collection of quick, fun, three-act, feature-length stories, full of suspense, surprises and dark humor. All told in the present tense. Like reading a movie.

“What a HOOT… recommended to me by a friend… High Desert is a clean shot at life and crime in the mid-twentieth century… I haven’t laughed so much in years. I plan to start on The Quiet Ones and work my way through them all.”

– BookBub Reviewย 

Review

Rating: 4 out of 5.

High Desert by Adam Fike is a gritty, cinematic slice of crime fiction that perfectly captures the raw, unpredictable energy of the American West. Adam Fike doesnโ€™t just tell a story about a botched heist and the violent, eccentric characters surrounding it, he creates a living, breathing desert landscape where danger lurks behind every gas station, junkyard, and stretch of empty highway. The atmosphere is heavy with heat, dust, and tension, giving the story a visual quality that feels ready-made for the screen.

What makes this tale so compelling is the cast of flawed but unforgettable characters. From Hanner, the hardened junkyard owner with his own rules of survival, to small-time hustlers, con men, and corrupt lawmen, every interaction is laced with suspicion, wit, and the constant threat of betrayal. The dialogue is sharp and often darkly humorous, while the pacing keeps the narrative moving with the same relentlessness as a car engine roaring across desert roads.

Overall, High Desert is a meditation on survival, morality, and the blurred lines between law, outlaw, and everything in between. Itโ€™s grim, fast-paced, and at times unexpectedly funny, making it a standout entry in the People Making Danger collection.


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