Inspired by the partisan rancor that reached fever pitch during the Trump administration, business executive Radwell’s epic debut examines the historical influences that have led to what he sees as the “collapse” of politics in the United States. Favoring historical analysis over polemics, Radwell makes the case that the current chasm between the American right and left can be traced back to the 18th century’s Age of Enlightenment and the development of the basic tenets of liberty, equality, and reason. It’s Radwell’s contention that the philosophical divide between Europe’s moderate and radical Enlightenment thinkers reached colonial shores and baked itself into the foundation of the fledgling republic, with lasting ramifications still felt today.

With extensive research and clear reasoning, Radwell demonstrates how these distinct groups can be viewed as forerunners of the “two Americas” we see today, linked by their understanding of government as a social contract but differing sharply on fundamentals such as who the contract applies to, what it should offer, and who should have the power to administer and enforce it. He introduces the third major element in the “crucible of the American landscape”—Counter-Enlightenment populist movements—persuasively connecting the currents of history to insightful discussions of the Trump phenomenon.

Radwell fervently believes that Americans must again embrace the Enlightenment’s legacies of rational thought, empirical facts, and reasoned debate to counter our social and political dysfunction and preserve our democracy, Still, he’s sensitive to alternative viewpoints, addressing postmodern and Marxist critiques of the Enlightenment’s significance and acknowledging its historical limitations around race, class, and gender. Radwell’s exhaustive thoroughness may overwhelm casual readers, but his clear organization and smooth, engaging prose make the complex and nuanced arguments approachable. Readers seeking a better understanding of the headwaters of U.S. politics will be fascinated and inspired by Radwell’s commitment to Enlightenment principles.

Takeaway: An impassioned analysis of the foundational forces that shaped American democracy and a call for protecting its future.

Great for fans of: Henry F. May’s The Enlightenment in American, Anne Applebaum’s Twilight of Democracy.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about American Schism

Drawing on his own intimate quest to discover the truth of his conception, entrepreneur Boni (author of the 2015 crisis-management book All Hands on Deck) surveys what he calls the “the long, secretive, and sometimes scandalous history” of artificial insemination. He opens with his own wrenching story. In 1995, over thirty years after his father’s death from suicide—years of fearing that his father’s depression might be an inheritable trait—the adult Boni learned that his father had in fact been sterile and that Boni was the product of artificial insemination in the years just after the second world war. That revelation kicks off Boni’s search for his true biological roots, a search that also reveals the surprisingly long and checkered history of artificial insemination itself.

Boni details these events and his discoveries in clear, crisp prose that refreshingly balances shoe-leather reporting, scientific history (from Henry IV to the 19th century “father of modern gynecology” to the “human-ape hybrid experiment of Red Frankenstein”!), and the emotions of his search and its impact on him and his family. He worries, understandably, “Was my parents’ fertility doctor a eugenics practitioner, or worse, a Klansman?” His mother reports that the doctor who handled the insemination demanded the family keep the procedure secret “for life”; Boni’s research, meanwhile, reveals that tens of thousands of children were conceived this way in the mid twentieth century, in an unregulated system in which doctors often ran no tests on sperm donors—and offered the children no avenue to discover their biological relatives in later life.

This is gripping, upsetting material, told with clarity and wit. Boni’s breakthroughs come in the 2000s, with DNA testing and the internet, and readers interested in issues of genealogy will tear through the pages. What he eventually discovers is truly jolting, compelling evidence for the necessity of a “Donor-Conceived Bill of Rights” for abolishing parental anonymity and limiting the number of offspring per donor.

Takeaway: An eye-opening and dramatic account of the history of artificial insemination and one man’s quest to discover his biological origins.

Great for fans of: Dani Shapiro’s Inheritance, Elizabeth Katkin’s Conceivability: What I Learned Exploring the Frontiers of Fertility.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Uprooted

The first installment in Cole’s three-part The Zodiac Revisited series sets the stage for a definitive exploration of one of the most infamous of true-crime obsessions. Amidst the bustling San Francisco Bay Area of the late 1960s and early 1970s, the so-called Zodiac Killer haunted parks and woodlands, preying upon couples and lone individuals, sending shock waves through the city, the nation, and the decades to come. Cole’s account follows the killings, the clues––including the riddling letters sent by the killer to area newspapers––and the crime scenes and the investigation team that found itself playing cat-and-mouse with an individual who, whether through cleverness or sheer luck, evaded justice for almost 50 years.

Cole examines the individual cases that have long been linked to the Zodiac Killer as well as the time that lapsed between killings and between the killer’s intermittent communication with the press and police. A chapter posits that previous unsolved murders and disappearances may have been the Zodiac’s work as well, suggesting that the Zodiac may have been active longer than is widely known. Also covered are controversies, dead-ends, accusations of forgery of the letters, and the fizzling of the official investigation as the 1970s ended and the killer faded from the public eye. Cole closes this first volume on a note of despair, arguing that “many had reached the point where they would be happy with the story of the Zodiac simply going away.” Future volumes will cover later developments and attempt to tie this sprawling case together.

Cole’s examination of the case is expansive in its references, with extensive footnotes offering the inquisitive reader more avenues to explore should their questions remain unsatisfied. Despite the frustrations of a cold case, high emotions power each chapter, and what might at first appear to be a textbook-like reference guide proves itself a legitimate page-turner sure to seize the attention of experts, amateurs, and true-crime readers.

Takeaway: True crime enthusiasts will devour the first installment of this examination of the unsolved case of the Zodiac killer.

Great for fans of: Robert Graysmith, Gary L. Stewart and Susan Mustafa’s The Most Dangerous Animal of All.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about The Zodiac Revisited, Volume 1

The kickoff to an ambitious new series, this epic debut layers a touch of science fiction into its challenging fantasy narrative, ideal for lovers of both those genres, complex world building, and stories that defy the established tropes. In Theia, a land where new technologies have been outlawed by a treaty dating back to a time when humanity nearly destroyed itself, Lumen Hadamard, an experimenter in new (or perhaps lost) technologies, develops forbidden weaponry even as he’s charged with enforcing the ban on such tech. Meanwhile, the Grey Clerk dispatches diplomat Vey Lancer, Hadamard’s “favored protégé,” on a mission to confront the vice-regent of Fort Abandon for his own violations of the possibly outdated and unenforceable Treaty of Nature. Looming over the intrigue, journeys, and negotiations is Hadamard’s conviction that Theia is in something of a downlow arms race with its enemies, a race he’s determined to win.

Sprague’s story sprawls out from there, tense and dense, crafted with a shrewd awareness of what dedicated genre readers expect–and of the pleasures of upending those expectations. Vey’s mission, of course, quickly becomes more complicated, becoming more about raw survival after she catches the attention of the scheming shaman Akrylla, a creepy and compelling update on the witch archetype whose powers of manipulation are captured with some effectively unconventional quirks of prose. The care Sprague takes with bringing different perspectives to life, and in putting earthy, convincing dialogue into the mouths of characters, brings convincing life to the conflicts and milieu.

This world may be richly developed (relish the “leviathan-bone gates of Jakka”), at times overwhelming in the manner of Steven Erickson’s Malazan series, but it feels lived in by real characters, like courageous Vey. It also feels worth caring about and keeping up with, as its surprising tech and magic (assemblers, projectionists, Hadamard’s strikers and battle simulations) and an expansive roster of characters (a knightsmaiden, a demoness) and crises both enrich and complicate the whole—of which this volume, of course, is just the first part.

Takeaway: This accomplished, ambitious epic fantasy swells with fresh ideas, memorable characters, and dense world building.

Great for fans of: Steven Erickson, R. Scott Bakker.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Out of the Grey

In this ambitious, bifurcated science-fiction debut, a London school teacher endures a series of bizarre dreams in which she relives the experiences of two people she’s never met—people drawn into the depths of a subterranean alien society hiding on Earth. Cicely Denfeld has no idea who Charles Ryder or Vivian Venables are, nor why she’s privy to their thoughts and memories as they, separately and together, decipher a secret document and stumble across an alien compound deep under the American Southwest desert. As the story unfolds within her dreams, she suspects she may have her own part to play. Meanwhile, Charles and Vivian navigate a blossoming relationship while being pulled ever deeper into an age-old conspiracy that originates in the stars and reaches into the heart of America’s government.

While much of this thoughtful tale is written with skill, building upon its mysteries and secrets while developing a gradual sense of foreboding, the flashback sequences used as a framing device sometimes prove more distracting than effective, often tearing away from the more intriguing conspiracy narrative at inopportune moments. Cicely’s own thread doesn’t achieve a full urgency, and her impact on the story proves negligible. Meanwhile, the hook of a coalition of alien merchant cultures that has secretly settled on Earth is intriguing, but an excess of unusual terminology and names proves rather unwieldy.

Valrand clearly brings large scale ideas and world building to the table, attentive to culture and architecture, plus strong and atmospheric description: “Then the creature appeared. It had four clawed feet and was shaped somewhat like a large dog, but it had no ears, and its bare grayish skin glistened.” Those virtues are undermined by stiff dialogue and lackluster characterization. At the same time, Valrand’s focus on the mysterious nature of Cicely’s dreams amidst Charles and Vivian’s assimilation into their captors’ society leaves the book feeling disjointed, not quite doing these momentous events justice.

Takeaway: This science fiction conspiracy thriller will appeal to readers looking for a slowly unfolding mystery involving aliens, fantastic tech, and plenty of twists.

Great for fans of: A.G. Riddle’s The Atlantis Gene, Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Lathe of Heaven.

Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: B+
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: B

Click here for more about The Site

A blue-scaled, happy-go-lucky dragon takes center stage in this confectionery delight. Isaac, a cheery dragon who lives with his mom in the teeming medieval town of Tudor (a note to readers points out it’s pronounced “Too+door”), thrives on sweets from his favorite bakery, the Soul’s Creamery. But his mood is dashed one sunny day when he rushes to purchase newly baked sticky buns–only to discover that the bakery has run out. Convinced that only sticky buns can “change his gloom,” Isaac dejectedly turns to leave–when he is stopped in his tracks by the owner, who promptly saves the day by producing two delectable sticky buns from her “magic pouch.”

Lucci’s charming art seems to burst off the pages, bringing vibrant life to Isaac’s seaside village and the mouthwatering lollipops, cakes, and doughnuts that are sure to capture readers’ hearts and appetites. Townsfolk are lively, illustrated in otherworldly forms with elfin ears and cyclops eyes, and Gary, the singing baker who takes Isaac on a detailed hunt for the missing sticky buns, proves charming in his attempts to save the day. Young readers will be spellbound by the town's marketplace—“truly a place no other could equal”—where kaleidoscopic scenery, magic tricks,and animal entertainers steal the show.

Parents, meanwhile, will appreciate how the story’s educational opportunities, like the measuring chart on Isaac’s wall, can spark learning discussions for younger audiences. Some readers will pause at some forced or repeated rhymes (store/Tudor appears two spreads in a row) and may wonder what the bigger message is behind Isaac’s quest for tasty delicacies, but the tale’s sheer gaiety wins out in the end. The author’s attention to emotions, namely Isaac’s crusade to preserve his tranquil mood, is a welcome and resonant theme. For those who crave frivolity and carefree indulgence, this upbeat story will hit the spot.

Takeaway: A delightful morsel of merrymaking, baking, and fantasy exploration.

Great for fans of: Anika Denise’s Baking Day at Grandma’s. Dee Leone’s Dough Knights and Dragons.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: B
Marketing copy: C

Click here for more about Isaac the Little Blue Dragon and the Stickiest Buns

“There is … no such thing as the flow of time,” Garner writes in a preface to this searching contemplation of our relationship to time in the wake of Einstein’s theory of relativity, which demonstrated that the linear experience of time—which Garner describes as “beating heart of existence”— that humanity perceives is far from the reality. Time is instead a matter of perspective, as Garner demonstrates through clear and inviting summations of the science, from time dilation to space-time to the brain-bending discoveries of quantum mechanics and, at last, to the question of how it all came to be.

“Somewhere in Spacetime, I am ‘right now’ living out the moment of my first kiss,” he notes. That playful spirit freshens Garner’s tour of science’s current understanding of existence. A lively guide suitable for an engaged lay reader but more resonant and philosophical than most science texts, The Infinite Tree & The Rivers of Time is duty bound, of course, to bring readers up to speed on conundrums like, as Garner wryly puts it, “things that had been thought of as fundamentally ‘wavey’ behaving like particles, and things that had been considered fundamentally solid behaving like waves.” The material can be heady, but helpful illustrations abound, easing readers through the explanations of superposition and the holographic principle.

But it’s in his consideration of the possibilities, though, that Garner’s work stands apart. His discussion of parallel worlds and timelines, for example, bloom into explorations of free will and ethics. Likewise, an exploration of the complexities of entanglement builds to a rousing proclamation of our humanity, even in an existence where multiple versions of each of us might co-exist: What links these “sequential states” of an individual named Bob together, Garner argues, is “the experience of being Bob.” Put another way, each of us is “the product of the differentials between the states of those things. We are the product of change. We are change.”

Takeaway: A head-spinning dive into relativity, quantum entanglement, the illusion of time, and how our humanity connects to it all.

Great for fans of:Carlo Rovelli’s The Order of Time, Rainer Dick’s Special and General Relativity.

Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about The Infinite Tree & The Rivers of Time

This inspiring picture book explores the process of following and honing natural interests and abilities to discover individual strengths, all with a superheroic twist. Young Deshaun Prime comes from a family of superheroes–his father is strong, his mother is fast, and his sister, Janet, can fly. Amidst all of these exceptional abilities, Deshaun feels left out: “What about Deshaun’s superpower? He hadn’t a clue. In a family of superheroes, he had nothing to do.” With his parents’ encouragement, Deshaun starts honing his own innate skills, such as mathematics and physics, and he ends up building a robot that can help his super family.

Deshaun’s story is told in pleasing, unforced rhyming verse, accompanied by clever and relatable illustrations appropriate to the superheroic milieu. Bowen Jiang’s drawings are sharp, colorful, and expressive, with the characters’ faces displaying clear emotions that enhance the impact of the text, particularly for children and young readers. When Deshaun is sulking in his room over his lack of superpowers, his mother gets down on his level and places her hand on his cheek while his father kneels behind her, his face concerned yet comforting. The skillful depiction of nuanced emotions, along with playful bursts of comic book-style action, make this appealing title stand out. There’s a lesson in it, of course, but young fans of superheroes will also find it fun.

The Colemans, a husband-and-wife writing team, have dedicated this book to their own daughter, and have crafted the story with the goal of inspiring children of color to explore concepts and careers in science, technology, engineering, art, and math. After reading, parents and children will want to discuss their own strengths–especially because just like Deshaun, their most important gift might not be what they first imagined. “I knew it all along,” Deshaun’s father tells him. “Your power is your mind” –and the ability to think deeply and create might be the most vital superpower of all.

Takeaway: This inspiring story of a superhero family’s son without (apparent) powers encourages heroes-to-be to hone their talents.

Great for fans of: Keith Negley’s Tough Guys Have Feelings Too, Aviaq Johnston’s What’s My Superpower?.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A+
Editing: A
Marketing copy: B+

Click here for more about What's My Superpower

Hanlon’s off-the-wall detective caper finds Bay Area private investigator and not-so-successful mystery novelist Mars Candiotti is hired by a farmer, Pappy, in rural California to solve his next case: who stole 1,783.78 gazebos from Pappy’s farm? Mars sets out to crack the case, and if that doesn’t work out to finish his novel and finally achieve literary glory. His best friend and inept sidekick, Pete, and endless nuisance Celeste, pile in to Mars’s Yugo to join the detective’s absurd quest. Relying on shoe leather clue-gathering and the guidance from their wise (and proudly strange) IHOP waitress, the team find love, international intrigue, and discover just what in the world a gazebo is.

With a singularly playful narrative style, part hardboiled detective and part stand-up act (“What's the difference between a golf ball and a Yugo? You can drive the golf ball 200 yards”) Hanlon delves into the chimerical mind of “super-sleuth” Mars. Mars works tirelessly to become the hero worthy of a detective novel, but, at the same time, he’s often entirely deluded. Mars breaks the fourth wall of the narrative to speak directly to readers about the novel’s progress, his confusion, and his woes while also explaining these same things to his characters. Though the reader knows that Mars’s perception of reality is questionable, some interactions and thoughts still prove mind-bending--and occasionally tough to follow, with moments where it’s unclear what’s literally happening and what’s in his head.

The plot is truly whimsical: Hanlon himself makes a cameo from writer’s prison, Steven Seagal films are literal bombs, and John Travolta is a champion snorkeler and air guitarist. Some metafictional conceits, in this case an actual book-within-a-book, might throw off some readers, but with persistence, those open to a dada mystery will find Mars’s friends, imagination, and world utterly hilarious. Hanlon’s humor shines bright and will leave fans of such madness wanting more.

Takeaway: This mind-bending detective comedy delves into playful metafiction as a sleuth investigates the case of the missing gazebos.

Great for fans of: John Swartzwelder, Kurt Vonnegut’s God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater, Douglas Adams’s Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency.

Production grades
Cover: C+
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: A
Editing: B+
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Zither!: A Crazy Mars Candiotti Mystery

Donnelly’s immersive second volume in the Kinderra Saga follows 16-year-old Mirana Pinal’s journey to protect her world of Kinderra from destruction. Mirana is a Trine—“One who possess all three powers of the Aspects”—and must save her people by finding her ancestor’s watchtower, built to defend Kinderra before it falls into the Dark Trine’s hands, while also learning about her own powers from the legendary Light Trine, Tetric Garis. Meanwhile, 16-year-old Teague Beltran, Mirana’s childhood friend and love, seeks the Dark Trine to avenge his parents’ deaths, using his skills as an herbsman to fight against the Dark Trine’s followers, the Ken’nar. But all is not as it seems, and Mirana struggles to learn who she can trust in her battle for survival.

Young adult readers will be drawn to Mirana as she fights to find her place in “war, the endless cycle of hate” threatening her people. Her journey to understand and believe in the source of her own power is painful at times, yet often moving, and she rebels against trusting herself, as in her own words—“using the Power from Without isn’t a selfless giving of one’s life force from within the Aspects, it is taking.” Also compelling is Teague’s conviction that “my anger and grief are all I have left” as well as his desperation to be able to physically fight his enemies.

Donnelly includes a glossary of relevant terminology that, while helpful, can also overwhelm, as it charts suffixes and linguistic matters. However, that dedication to invented languages, and the maps and appendices, invite readers to delve as deeper into Kinderra as they care to; fantasy fans especially will be pleased with the convincing world that Donnelly has taken such pains to build. Naturally, this vivid voyage into a well-established realm and its ongoing battle between Light and Dark builds to cliffhanger— and exemplifies its genre.

Takeaway: Young adult and fantasy readers will relish this world of magic and war, with characters facing grief and self-doubt.

Great for fans of: Cinda Williams Chima’s The Warrior Heir, Megan Bannen’s Soulswift.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: A-
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Trine Fallacy

Smith’s followup to Call Numbers again unveils “the not so quiet lives of librarians” in the 1990s as the staff of Manhattan’s 58th Street Branch Library, still reeling from the scandals and schisms and romances of the first book, now face the loss, pain, and revelations promised by the subtitle. Spralwing but hyper-localized, the approach is reminiscent of Adam Langer’s Chicago novel Crossing California or a Frederick Wiseman documentary, with Smith criss-crossing myriad subplots and characters into a vivid kaleidoscope of lives and longings, the whole of it studded with striking details of a long-gone New York City.

Book Endings picks up right where Call Numbers left off, and, despite building to a satisfying climax, leaves threads to be picked up in the next book. Smith includes a glossary of library terms, a detailed dramatis personae, and a “previously on. . .” summary, but new readers are advised to start with the first book, as the story begins in media res and then surges ahead, told in brisk, brief scenes from the perspectives of many of Smith’s diverse ensemble cast.

Smith’s sharply observed dialogue powers the story, though his characters often chattering for the reckless pleasure of it. Robin is nominally the protagonist, and his romance with Shinju, a woman he meets on the 6 train, is sweet and engaging, but Smith’s interest in all the people of his library set this series apart from other coming-of-age slices of life. Drama, passion, and wisecracks unite and divide the 58th’s staff, whose work and personal lives are captured in convincing particulars. Sometimes the novel’s riotous, as when a patron complains that her son checked out Madonna’s notorious Sex book, but even a scene like that considers the complexities of culture and the library’s mission. This series’ gush of stories and people be exhausting, but it bursts with life, capturing a workplace and a city with rare vigor.

Takeaway: This fleet, vivid novel finds winning drama in the lives of 1990s New York City library workers.

Great for fans of: Adam Langer’s Crossing California, William Ottens’s Librarian Tales.

Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: B+
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Book Endings - A Call Numbers novel: Loss, Pain, and Revelations

Morrissey’s immersive epic, an adventure set a thousand years in the future, presents the grandeur of a world at peace with nature amid the threat of violence. Three races mistrust each other and live in fear of war: the aggressive, urban dwelling Men; the dark-skinned communal Foresters, who live among the trees in harmony with nature; and the grunting Ants, identical blond people whom humans created long ago as a source of labor. Called Ants because they work in silent unison, with no noticeable form of speech, they now raid and kill Men and Foresters on sight, never leaving survivors.

During a recent attack on Men, the Ants unexpectedly left alive a wounded nine-year-old orphan girl named Anne. Deer, a Forester captain, finds her and reluctantly brings her home to heal. Eight years later, during an Ant attack, the Foresters capture one to study, and are shocked to find out that Anne can hear what the Ant is thinking, sparking their discovery that the Ants communicate telepathically. The Forester Master, Posthumous, gives Deer and Anne the mission of learning more about the Ants, discovering how to defeat them—and how to bring the volatile Men on board to finally deliver peace to the land.

Morrissey creates a gripping, character-driven story set in a lush world with some engaging fairy tale elements and emphasis on the rich culture, traditions, and languages of the peaceful Foresters’ way of life. When Deer confronts the irascible John Seaborn—the Men’s Scholar— to share what the Foresters know of the Ants, the culture shock threatens to derail an alliance. The story’s somewhat slow, with minimal action, but readers open to thoughtful fantasy will relish the emotional layers of the plot, the focus on family life, the tension created from the mystery of the Ants, and the message of hope and redemption.

Takeaway: Lovers of immersive fantasy will appreciate this novel’s lush world and intelligent characters working together to understand an adversary.

Great for fans of: Richard F. Weyand’s Arcadia, Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Antlands

Lewis’s debut, the kickoff to a new series, will intrigue mystery readers from the opening lines. Frazzled and feeling watched, a young business woman leaves her job in Chicago and doesn't resurface until she’s in the mountains of Colorado, set on living a new life, under a new name and identity. Kim Jackson intends to live quietly, far from corporate fraud—and the murder she was framed for while working as an accounting manager for a Fortune 500 company. Her plan for a simple, low-key lifestyle is upended when Jackson finds herself involved in yet another homicide investigation.

Fast-paced and diving right into the thick of the plot, A Mountain of Evidence weaves an intricate mystery sure to keep readers engaged and guessing until its satisfying conclusion. Protagonist Kim is smart and well-developed, a fully fleshed out character that readers will root for as Lewis does an excellent job of building up the tension and suspense while teasing out insight into her past and present lives. Kim seems to settle into the small town life quite easily, making friends and discussing literature at the Montrose Community Center, while remaining hyperaware of her surroundings, what she says, and who is watching her—which serves to keep the reader on edge as well. That’s especially true once Kim starts poking around in the apparent murder of a local girl.

Lewis writes with vivid detail, capturing her heroine’s psyche and milieu and fleshing out secondary characters, while the parallel story lines—Kim's backstory and the new homicide investigation—offer enough action to keep things moving. The murdered girl, too, has a singular voice, through her notebooks and poetry. With themes such as small-town murder, corporate backdoor dealings, and starting over this layered, plot-driven story is a strong beach read, building to a satisfying yet open-ended conclusion that will appeal to fans of stand-alones and series both.

Takeaway: A fast-paced, plot-driven, suspenseful mystery thriller offering both small-town murder and corporate intrigue.

Great for fans of: Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, Jess Lourey’s May Day.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about A Mountain of Evidence

This hard-rocking sequel to Goldberg’s Runaway Train sees the return of Nico Sullivan in another eventful chapter of her life in the 1990s. Not long after the death of her sister, Nico becomes part of a grunge band, Grenade Bouquets, created by her guitarist boyfriend, Evan. Their music eventually catches the ear of an agent from Grouch Records, and from that moment her life becomes a cycle of performances, booze, and recognition they never would have imagined. But the upper reaches of the music world demand a high price for admittance, especially for a young woman. Facing the challenges of keeping the band relevant and original while maintaining the peace with the other members, Nico and company must keep it together to prevent Grenade Bouquets from being just another shooting star.

Nico lives up to the previous book’s title; despite being on track, this runaway train’s speed is often destructive, especially with her other band members. One scene finds her conspiring to kick out the lead singer, Clarissa, who also happens to be her boyfriend’s ex. In Machiavellian style, Nico petitions their agent to oust Clarissa with the reasoning that she’s no longer good for the band; this comes back to haunt Nico down the road as her luck begins to run out.

Goldberg’s take on a young woman approaching stardom is appealing and hits the right notes (and chords)about the temptations and hardships of possible fame and fortune. Savvy about how the industry actually worked, and laced with shout-outs to the rock of the era (“Gavin Rossdale singing about an ending, a break-up. Is that where this is all headed for me too?”), Grenade Bouquets invites readers to live this fantasy, for a brief moment. Nico’s descent proves explosive while offering hope that maybe, despite her rise and fall, there is a new stage for her to explore that won’t leave her defeated.

Takeaway: YA music lovers will be fully onboard with this encore performance in Goldberg’s grunge-era novel series about a young rock star.

Great for fans of: Tara Kelly’s Amplified, Sarah Nicole Smetana’s The Midnights.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-

Click here for more about GREANDE BOUQUETS

In this taut historical drama set in the late 15th century, Gioconda offers an intriguing and gut-wrenching look at one of the Inquisition’s most infamous characters, the inquisitor Heinrich Institoris, the “Grand Inquisitor” who, as Gioconda puts it in an author’s note, stands as “perhaps the most prolific serial killer in human history.” Institoris summons the young novice Sebastian and dispatches him on a Church mission to research witchcraft and magic in all its forms. While Sebastian realizes that the women who practice the “witchcraft” that Institoris detests merely have a deep respect for nature, he still gets pulled into the hellish world of satanic worship. With the inquisitor’s presence and dark deeds looming over him, Sebastian finds himself torn between his beliefs and bringing the inquisitor to justice.

Sebastian’s characterization is one of the novel’s brightest spots. His desire to learn more about witchcraft and his admittedly anachronistic attitude toward women (he’s shocked to discover that Institoris’s book, The Malleus Maleficarum, is deeply sexist) will draw readers in to the grim milieu. Gioconda writes with a painterly sensibility, steeping readers in the milieu and its mysteries: “Eyeless generations of monks’ skulls gazed down at him,” he writes, of the inside of a crypt. With evocative prose and careful research, he captures the nuances of medieval Church politics and the frank realities of the prejudices of the time.

Gioconda’s use of modern expressions (a priest refers to a recently published book as “crazy”, and Institoris’s use of the term “field researcher”) and an emphasis on the alluring qualities of the bodies of the female characters are jarring additions that diminish the immersive intensity. An extensive bibliography and that letter from the author offer helpful context into the actual history behind Gioconda’s fictionalized account. For fans of the darker aspects of historical fiction, especially western religious history, The Pope’s Butcher will resonate.

Takeaway: A dark, well-researched story centered on the Inquisition’s most notorious killer.

Great for fans of: Theresa Breslin’s Prisoner of the Inquisition, Mitchell James Kaplan’s By Fire, By Water.

Production grades
Cover: B-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: B-

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This inspired paranormal romance, the first book in Holden’s Nightgarden Saga, introduces 17-year-old high school student Harper Ellory as she struggles with mysterious occurrences at her new home while coping with the recent loss of her twin sister, Tessa. Devastated by her sister’s death, Harper and her newly appointed legal guardian, Connor, purchase the Marigny mansion, a decayed Gothic-style estate along the Mississippi River. Connor secures a restoration grant in the hopes of building a home where they can be a family, a place they can always come back to. However, the mysterious Antoine Marigny, a descendant of the original landowners, stands in the way of their dream, along with a curse and the spirits of two vengeful vampires. To save her home and break the centuries-old curse, Harper teams up with Antoine—only to find herself enamored of the man who unsettles but fascinates her in equal measure.

Holden sets a fast pace, starting with a prologue that thrusts readers into Harper’s grief-stricken world. The momentum continues as mythical elements surrounding Harper’s new home are quickly introduced, and Holden establishes what’s at stake for Harper and Connor. As she hears voices and wonders about Antoine’s motives, Harper’s character proves wise beyond her teenage years, moving the story into new adult territory, as does the complex, distinctive relationship she and Antoine develop.

With a seeming effortlessness, Holden constructs a plot that weaves together elements of mystery with young adult romance and Southern Gothic fantasy. The heat level is mild at best, and while there is a significant age gap between Harper and Antoine, Holden cleverly keeps the steam appropriate yet intense. Although at times the romance takes a backseat to fantasy elements in the plot, fans of these genres will quickly become engrossed in this paranormal saga of ancient magic and generational curses.

Takeaway: This young adult romance combines paranormal and Southern Gothic elements into an intriguing, unconventional love story.

Great for fans of: Lauren Kate, L. J. Smith.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A+
Marketing copy: A

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