After a devastating breakup, TV producer Kate Zoe Thomas moves to Wynter Island on Canada’s Gulf Coast to take on the role of station manager at the derelict CWYN television station. Determined to escape New England and past traumatic events, Kate does her best to become acclimated to the small island and its colorful inhabitants. However, everything changes when her ex-boyfriend Daniel Apollinar, a reporter with the Associated Press, is found dead on the island. As the prime suspect, Kate is thrust into the center of a murder investigation. Still new to this isolated place, and unsure of whom she can trust, Kate sets off in search of the truth in the hopes of “finding whoever killed Daniel and making sure they pay for it” in Shapiro’s mystery debut, the polished first entry in a series.

Shapiro keeps the story moving at a fast pace with short, almost episodic chapters. Although Kate is a recent transplant, she has some local enemies and unknown connections to the island that don’t become apparent until the end, which Shapiro somehow manages to weave into a pleasantly surprising whodunit that will keep readers guessing until the last pages. Shapiro takes the story places you wouldn’t expect: Chinese triads, IEDs, international drug trading, post-traumatic stress, and the deserts of Afghanistan. This all makes for action-packed, emotional scenes that move the story forward while adding layers of uncertainty about what’s truly going on.

The milieu is fascinating and established with striking detail, like paying for local eggs with twoonie coins, or the powerfully evoked sense of loss—“Loss of resources, loss of culture, loss of identity”—Kate feels visiting the land of the T’sawout First Nation. A hint of romance is welcome, too, though readers should keep on their toes when it comes to the mystery: following the plot’s many twists and turns as Kate sets off on her journey for truth and justice demands attentive reading. Still, readers who enjoy skewed, twisty plots will appreciate the threads of quirky characters and doubt Shapiro has carefully woven together. Fans of small-town cozy mysteries will enjoy this action-packed yet character-driven story.

Takeaway: Fans of small-town mysteries will enjoy this story and action-packed whodunit.

Comparable Titles: Pat Nichols’s The Trouble in Willow Falls, Allen Eskens’s The Shadows We Hide.

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

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This historical time-travel epic from Maidman (Theseus: Vincent Desiderio on Art) immediately upends genre expectations. Yes, when student Claire, attempting a thesis project, somehow emerges from a golden palanquin in the past, in the midst of a Bronze Age battle between the armies of Florence and Genova, she quickly encounters a handsome, street-smart warrior, Marcus Irenaeus, who dedicates himself to her protection. But Claire, unlike many fictional time travelers, immediately understands her situation—and her power. “Sons of Florence and sons of Genova, send for your kings,” she declares. Soon, she’s ushered in an uneasy peace, while Marcus Irenaeus and his Thousand—the soldiers loyal to him—vow to return her to her distant home, Zanzibar. First, though, she must winter in Florence, where King Ambrosius, her apparent ally, faces political unrest.

Maidman ties Claire’s uncertain fate—“Do well, and Ambrosius may get you home. Fail, and he most likely dies”—to the fortunes of Ambrosius’s reign, and the bulk of the novel concerns the politics of Florence, as Claire faces the city’s brutal ways, factionalism, and a brace of memorable adversaries with complex motives. These include a high priest who sees her arrival as “an invasion by a foreign god”; Cleon and Barbarossa Constantine, disgusted at the ascent of “alley rat” Marcus; and most memorably Lady Vara, of the marvelously barbed tongue.

Maidman steeps readers in the era with thrilling oratorical dialogue, rich historical detail, finely tuned prose, and a commitment to the textures of ancient life. The story bursts with scheming, sieges, debates, and portents, all vividly evoked, but the pacing’s more thoughtful than potboiler. The book’s long, demanding commitment, and the choice to keep much of Claire’s backstory a mystery—her plans and feelings about her plight feel distant —may test that resolve for many readers. Still, the twists and surprises (including much ado over Claire’s menstrual cycles) will reward patient readers of serious historical fiction with a touch of the fantastic.

Takeaway: An immersive time-travel epic of politics in Bronze Age Florence.

Comparable Titles: Conn Iggulden, Mary Renault.

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

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This shrewdly plotted thriller from Thomas (author of the Detective Rachel Storme series, among others) grips with cliffhangers, thrills, and smart suspense until the final pages, with a Secrets bind them together: In 2019, Pamela Carter is interning for the Fortune 500 company, Clifford Investments, a dream she’s had since she was a young girl moving to California—but not simply to build up her resume. A few decades earlier, in 1993, Elizabeth Westlake is working as a waitress in a Harlem strip club and believes she’s hit the jackpot when she meets Andrew Clifford III, bachelor and future founder, CEO, and billionaire, who tells her she’s “a good hugger” and promises to read her short stories and help get her a publishing deal.

Shoes will drop, of course, and Thomas paces them beautifully. The twin timelines, both written in crisp first-person perspectives, feed each other with tension, hints, and ultimately revelations. In the present, Pamela has quickly become the now older Andrew’s star intern at the company. Yet soon after she starts, stocks start to plummet, and Andrew sees his company falling apart. He runs away—from the company, his dark past, all of it. Secrets from a haunted night with Elizabeth in 1993 come to light, and Thomas ties it all together with a welcome interest in these women’s surprising connection as the time-crossed plots and characters come together in a thrilling ending.

A ticking time bomb, this novel keeps reader interest in both past and present, teasing out mysteries and schemes that jolt but are firmly rooted in character and a convincingly detailed corporate milieu. The suspense is potent, and the stakes grow more dire with each chapter, as Thomas deftly stokes conflict, both verbal and physical, and crises that will keep readers guessing—and turning the pages. This will be a hit with readers who relish twisty suspense, reckonings with the past, and strong female characters who dare to make a difference.

Takeaway: Tense, twin-timeline thriller about two women’s involvement with a CEO billionaire.

Comparable Titles: Sarah A. Denzil’s Silent Child, Willow Rose’s You Better Run.

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

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The second installment of the Imperfect poetry anthologies edited by author and poet Tabatha Yeatts is a thought-provoking, accessible collection for middle-schoolers that features poems from around 50 different authors, including Paul Laurence Dunbar, François Villon, and Carl Sandburg. What unites these disparate selections is the concept of perspective, which Yeatts represents with an image of Da Vinci’s perspectograph. Da Vinci created this singular tool to help artists more accurately represent reality in paintings. The anthology itself acts as a perspectograph for its young readers, offering a window into reality and its complexities through poetry, offering inviting verse connected to relatable quandaries: “When what you want/ leaves you high and dry/ what you DO have/ will just have to satisfy,” writes Mary Lee Hahn in the striking, direct “What You Want.”

Imperfect II, though, offers readers satisfaction and surprise that they may not yet know they want. Most of the featured poems are simple and lyrical, focusing primarily on the perception of self and the self’s perception of the outside world, with a particular emphasis on identity, as in Linda Kulp Trout’s “Questions,” where the speaker struggles with adults asking them what they want to be when they grow up: “How can I know/ what/ I want to be–/ I’m still trying/ to figure out/ ME!” Rochelle Burgess and Laura Mucha’s “Dropping the Ball" delves into issues related to racism and empathy among two students on a basketball team.

No two readers are alike, and Yeatts has the diversity of her readership in mind, offering selections with traditional structures, like Robert Schechter’s “Compared to What?”, but also some uncommon forms, like Alana Devito’s concrete poem “The Art Teacher Said,” which features her words in the shape of a lizard. Middle-schoolers looking for an introduction to the possibilities of poetry and adults seeking an inclusive, empowering collection for young ones will find this an inspired addition to their libraries.

Takeaway: Poems for young readers delving into perception, identity, and confidence.

Comparable Titles: Naomi Shihab Nye’s Honeybee, John Grandits’s Technically, It’s Not My Fault: Concrete Poems.

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

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This cross-genre debut mixes elements of thriller, horror, and Christian fiction into an emotionally charged story about a young girl literally facing her inner demons. Beauty, as everyone calls her, has heard voices from a young age. Manifesting like split personalities, the eight "beings" inside of Beauty take over her body at the most inopportune times and wreak havoc in her life. After the tragic loss of a child, her mother experiences a loss in her faith, putting a stop to Beauty attending church with her father—one of the few places she feels at peace when hearing about “the Jesus man.” Throughout her life, Beauty is in a constant struggle to maintain control of her life—and her sanity— while battling these eight "oppressors.”

Hieb shines with memorable character development, crisp prose, and fast-paced storytelling. Slowly pulling back the layers and the personalities of each "voice" allows readers not to be overwhelmed by the multiple "characters" inside Beauty. As she fights to remain the dominant presence in her own mind and body, this struggle has a spiraling effect on her life, getting worse the longer she deals with these "demons" on her own. But after a tragic loss, Beauty learns more about her past, shedding light on why she is experiencing the "voices" yet terrifying her of what it all means and will reveal.

Christian faith and themes of belief are woven with care within Beauty's story—the moments of peace and quiet she finds in prayer, and the slow realization that the "voices" do not like God or Jesus, all aid in foreshadowing how Beauty ultimately will face her persistent internal struggle. A sweeping coming of age story of grappling with self-identity and faith, They Call Me Beauty is haunting and affecting, a story of mystery, loss, and redemption that will resonate with and intrigue fans of tales of spirit possession and the redemptive power of Christian faith.

Takeaway: A haunting story of spirit possession and the redemptive power of faith.

Comparable Titles: Rene Gutteridge, Katie Lowe’s Possession.

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

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The first book in Ball’s Blood River series quite literally starts off with a bang, with a jolting confrontation. Then, many years later, Buck Lawson (familiar from Ball’s Raine Stockton Dog Mystery books) is coming down to Mercy, Georgia, to take over as chief of police, feeling like he doesn’t belong—and immediately encountering a robbery in progress at the Stop & Go. As Ball paints vivid local color, Buck quickly comes to discover that small crimes like that are the least of his problems. His predecessor, who convinced him to head up Mercy PD, didn’t die of natural causes—he was murdered. Buck is determined to unravel a cover-up that has resulted in a man being wrongfully charged, but nothing about this job is going to be easy.

Ball does a great job of building suspense and weaving different elements of mystery together in a story that oozes Southern gothic and atmospheric setting. As Buck settles in, the depth of corruption he’s facing becomes increasingly apparent: he discovers racketeering in his department, encouraged by the mayor, and several young women have gone missing. “Half my men are corrupt, the other half incompetent, and they’re all lying to me,” he says, in Ball’s characteristically sharp dialogue. As Ball mines Buck’s uncertainty for suspense, the new chief will also have to deal with conflict with his significant other, Jolene, who’s unenthusiastic about his new job and harbors deep concerns about Mercy’s crime history.

The timelines, which split between the present and occasional chapters about Jolene’s experiences some months earlier, at times slow down the narrative’s momentum, as do Buck’s dream sequences with the deceased Billy. But the interlocking challenges Buck faces will entice lovers of small-town crime stories, and Ball excels at weaving together murder, cronyism, and compelling surprises strong enough to serve as the strong foundation of a series.

Takeaway: A police chief new to the Deep South faces compelling corruption.

Comparable Titles: George Dawes Green’s The Kingdoms of Savannah, John Hart’s Down River .

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

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Sehnal painstakingly traces the career of guitarist/producer Lindsey Buckingham and his decades-long influence on the multi-platinum band Fleetwood Mac. He examines the band's start as a straight-ahead electric blues and rock act centered around bassist John McVie and drummer Mick Fleetwood, until the arrival of Buckingham and then-girlfriend Stevie Nicks in the mid-1970s. With a dramatic style that feeds off of the real-life turmoil within the band, Sehnal crafts a coherent narrative around Fleetwood Mac's success and creativity but also their romantic entanglements and substance abuse. Sehnal keeps the momentum crisp so that even casual fans of the band will find this extended extolling of Buckingham's genius absorbing as a story.

For all of Sehnal's carefully researched assertions of Buckingham as the driving creative genius behind the band’s biggest success, this is far from a hagiography. Sehnal, using a wide variety of sources, paints a picture of Buckingham as abrasive, obsessive, and controlling, a perfectionist with a drug problem. At the same time, he also details (partly through their classic "The Chain") how the band managed to put aside conflicts and use the combustible energy between them to create enormously popular and immaculately crafted hits.

Sehnal jumps back and forth in time a bit to create tension, but this is a mostly straightforward chronology that spends much of its time on the details of Fleetwood Mac's albums as well as Buckingham's solo work. Sehnal credits Buckingham's unique guitar-picking style and willingness to experiment as driving factors in the band's success but also details how Buckingham was sometimes a team player who knew how to make everyone else look good. Buckingham's personal ups and downs are here as well. Some transitions are repetitive or awkward, but for the most part Sehnal gives both the casual reader and most ardent fans a well-researched and passionately argued perspective on music that continues to win new fans.

Takeaway: A deep dive into the art of a Fleetwood Mac mastermind.

Comparable Titles: Ken Caillat and Steve Stiefel’s Marking Rumours, Sean Egan’s Fleetwood Mac on Fleetwood Mac.

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

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The moon is a busy place in Wilkerson’s debut, an expansive young adult sci-fi adventure that opens the Avalon series with Earth on the verge of collapse due to frequent devastating earthquakes. At only 17, overachiever Tamar Linsky is interning on Lunar Base One as a botanist for her graduate degree, growing trees for oxygen so she can make a name for herself in the scientific community. She works with mechanic friend Ginger, flirtatious prankster and welder Ringo, and narcissistic rich-boy and geologist River. Tamar suffers from survivor’s guilt from the death of her baby sister in one of Earth’s many earthquakes, as well as Low-G Syndrome sickness

In this well-crafted and convincing world with fresh, relatable characters, the young scientists’ work is disrupted when Dr. Michael Duncan and Professor Scott McClellan join the secret government Project Avalon investigating the discovery beneath the Lunar surface of a mysterious metal beam manufactured on Earth but carved with symbols that could be from an earlier unknown settlement or be extraterrestrial. Time is running out for humanity when a series of earthquakes demolish Earth, the lunar base suffers a rash of deadly mental breakdowns, and the scientists must decide whether to stay on the moon or search for survivors on Earth.

This young adult sci-fi adventure rewards readers with young love, mysteries, little reveals, a diverse cast, and a welcome sense of humanity. Wilkerson uses the sci-fi setting to compassionately explore young adult issues like young love, growing up, facing your past, and being ready to achieve great things in the future, along with adult concerns of survival and cataclysmic planetary events. Eager readers will appreciate Tamar’s sassy, take-charge attitude and will enjoy the drama, romance, team-work, thrills, and suspense as the story builds to a surprising ending that answers some (but not all) questions.

Takeaway: Well-crafted YA SF adventure romance on the moon.

Comparable Titles: Natasha Preston’s The Island, Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Children of Time.

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

Click here for more about Resonate

This action-oriented guide from Newman (author of Do It! Speaking) emphasizes finding a sales technique that is specific to the seller. "Where can you zig where everyone else zags?" Newman asks, making the case that becoming a top seller demands standing out from the crowd and mastering a selling keyed to individual personality, interests, and strengths. The advice is straightforward—”Focus only on lead-generating strategies you find easy, effortless, and enjoyable”—but also practical and highly directed, as he identifies prospecting mistakes, demonstrates the power of saying “Oh,” and urges readers to stop wasting time and laser in on the “MMA” (“Money Making Activity”). Sellers and sellers-to-be will find here the tools to craft a personalized selling technique.

Newman promises in the opening pages to avoid the “same-o, lame-o” advice familiar from countless sales books. To his credit, he backs that claim up as he offers fresh approaches, advice, and insights to take the "mystery" out of sales. From the incorporation of social media to networking with big and small business, Newman lays out a clear, original foundation while offering hard-won tips of the trade (“The sooner in the sales conversation you get THEM talking, the more sales you will close”). Each section is broken down into bite-size, easy to comprehend advice that will elevate one's selling potential. Touching on areas such as self-confidence and how to convert the idea of selling into an "invitation" to potential buyers, Newman makes clear that it’s all in the way you approach a potential sale that ultimately yields successful results, even in cases of “cold” selling.

Do It! Selling is an engaging and persuasive guide for those looking to sharpen up their success rate at closing the deal. Newman offers incisive pointers on everything from how high to set your goals to how to use "emotional payoff language" to reel in potential clients, all written in brisk, non-nonsense language and laid out for ease of use. This is an easy-to-read, aestheticaly appealing guide that can be revisited time and time again.

Takeaway: A fresh, incisive resource for anyone in the business of selling.

Comparable Titles: Grant Cardone’s Sell or Be Sold, Tom Hopkins’s How to Master the Art of Selling.

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

Click here for more about Do It! Selling

Prolific clean romance author Johnson (The Grumpy Cowboy Collection) begins a new travel series with an optimistic friends-to-lovers vacation romance. Ever since Logan “Murph” Murphy stepped in as a last-minute companion for Sloane Sanders’ planned honeymoon after her fiancé abandoned her at the altar five years ago, they’ve been long distance best friends and have arranged a yearly vacation week together. But this year in Belize, everything is different: though Sloane’s been indulging in cuddly romantic fantasies about Murph, when he admits he’d like to date her, she’s afraid of ruining the friendship—and of being hurt like she was before.

Romance readers who know exactly what they like — cozy romances with beachy kisses and people learning to trust offers of happiness — will enjoy this execution of a classic formula. Logan and Sloane are likable leads; Johnson depicts them as well-suited to one another, and gives each of their concerns equal weight in the text. Their connection may be a slow burn, though the arc of their emotional progression doesn’t change much: both are interested from the start, as most of the tension comes from skittishness. The aspects of the story that center on becoming comfortable in honest feelings hit solidly. Though beach lovers will sympathize with Sloane’s swimwear decision woes, lovers of travel romances may find details on Belize lacking as the setting remains largely a generic resort.

The dramatic climax follows classic tropes but strains credulity, with the accidental revelation of a surprise from Logan that would have taken serious effort for him to have kept concealed for so long, and then Logan fighting to win her back by engaging in behavior that’s presented as sweet but in real life would set alarm bells ringing. But the sparkling final pages, complete with loop-around closure to the next year’s vacation, is exactly what the story requires.

Takeaway: Lovers of cozy, slow-burn clean romances will enjoy this beach story.

Comparable Titles: Emma St. Claire's Sandover Island series, Francesca Lane’s Grace’s Fake Groom.

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

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Bizarre deaths haunt a rural New England community that's undergoing economic and political changes in this debut novel. Someone is swiftly assembling stone towers in dangerous places, leading to accidents. There are no obvious suspects or even motives, and the town of North Meadows is facing other problems, too: arguments over development plans, a native reservation with its own priorities and a divisive election. Much of the investigation centers on the Reynolds' farm, which is being sold to developers. Abbott, the local state trooper, and Detective Sergeant Nelson and his team wade into a murky crime scene: "There would not be any model to follow for this investigation."

Dayton, a journalist and small-town resident herself, has a perfect eye and ear for what makes towns like North Meadows unique. She does a fine job outlining the different factions in town, sometimes competing, sometimes aligning, as with conservation: for example, one group backs the idea of cutting trees near power lines for safety, while another wants to see trees preserved. The subtle but important class distinctions among the residents come across, as when we learn the descendants of the original settlers have special "members only" meetings. Occasionally, town life crowds out the central mystery, but there's no doubt we get a deep view of North Meadows.

Dayton singles out a few members of the large cast for in-depth development. We get local politician Shelby, who views his elected service to the town "as an indication of social stature, rather than as public service." His journey through the book hovers between pathos and comedy. And investigator Abbott is an interesting cipher, with such close ties to the community we're left wondering if he's too close to uncover the killers. In the end, though, Dayton gives us a resolution for the mystery— and the town, and if it's not what every character wants, it's at least something they can all accept.

Takeaway: Mysterious and deadly stone towers in a vividly realized small town.

Comparable Titles: Tom Bouman’s Fateful Mornings, Louise Penny.

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

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Schmidt (King’s Warrior) launches the young adult Turrim Archive series with this jubilant steampunk adventure with genuine characters in a vividly realized world. Young orchard farmer Grayden Ormond is proud to have received a scholarship to attend the Academy that trains the nation’s future soldiers. On the evening of a town festival held in his and fellow student Wynn Drexel’s honor, the boys dare each other to climb a mysterious tower on the edge of town. Inside, Grayden discovers an old man, Dalmir, who guards a mysterious glowing glass orb. Dalmir claims the orb encapsulates a dangerous prisoner who may escape, because the normally blue orb is now cracked with blazing orange and red. He needs to journey with the young men to the Academy to consult its Library. Traveling by airship, the three are attacked by the pirate Captain Marik and his ragtag crew aboard the airship Valduen Hawk.

Schmidt excels at developing atmospheric situations, and fashioning a vast history and politics of this volatile world on the brink of war. Fresh off a heist stealing fuel cells for airships, Marik is devastated that one of his crew turns traitor, working for the Western nation’s evil warlord Ar’Molon Uun. Ar’Molon Uun’s dastardly plan involves kidnapping Wynn and fellow student Beren, the son of a Council member and the military leader, with an eye toward assassination and war. In a shocking move, Dalmir commandeers Marik’s airship with his powerful magic staff and demands Marik rescue the boys and deliver them all to the Academy.

Schmidt offers an action-packed caravan robbery and spectacular airship battles but still takes time developing the characters’ personalities and essential elements like the anxiety of leaving home for the first time, camaraderie between impromptu new friends, and the impact of revelations of hurtful secrets and memories from their past. Young readers will enjoy the simple text and leisurely pace because the journey is often as important as the destination.

Takeaway: Dazzling steampunk adventures with a practical wizard and an evil warlord.

Comparable Titles: Maria Dahvana Headley’s Magonia series, Kenneth Oppel.

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

Click here for more about The Orb and the Airship

This heartening short novel from Jensen (the Three Brothers Trilogy) follows the journey of a uniquely gifted ten-year-old, Sabine, through her first year at a magical academy. All the students have magical gifts, but most are in relation to elemental magic, such as fire or water. Sabine’s, though, is shapeshifting, a skill sufficiently rare that not only is she the only student with it, but other students (and even a teacher) are threatened by it. Their fear quickly manifests as bullying, and Sabine must trust in her other teachers, her two new friends, and her loving family, especially her grandfather “Wolfie,” to help put an end to the bullying while staying true to herself.

While young readers are captivated by interesting teachers with different abilities, the daily life of living at the academy, and challenges like creating balls of magic, Jensen also weaves in valuable lessons about the best ways to handle bullying—and a reminder that it’s normal to feel hurt when faced with it. Sabine develops supportive new friends she can talk to, but also goes to several adults that make sure she feels heard, with the story reminding readers that it’s best to resolve such issues quickly, and that it’s okay to defend herself if she’s in danger. She also has a family that’s there immediately when needed and gives her healthy advice rather than making things worse or using their powerful family name to be bullies themselves.

Each chapter opens with an attention-grabbing illustration, created by Melissa Stevens, that hints engagingly at what’s to come, giving away just enough to drive readers to keep turning pages. Jensen creates a unique environment of a story that middle-grade readers will be drawn into and not want to put down, while parents and teachers will be equally thrilled about the important lessons they’re learning.

Takeaway: A perfect blend of magic-school adventure and lessons about bullying.

Comparable Titles: Dhonielle Clayton’s The Marvellers, Tamora Pierce’s Sandry’s Book.

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

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With full-bellied sail, Kramer’s second book about Captain Zale “the Gale” Murdoch and the crew of the good ship Queenie charts its course for first-rate epic fantasy adventure. The emphasis this time is on the epic, as this sequel—the second in a series—offers more, more, more, doubling the original’s length and bursting with quests, escapes, ancient cities, cock-eyed crew banter, and era-crossing surprises, all without diminishing the original’s breezy charm. The action picks up right where Murdoch’s Choice ended, with Zale having chosen his own unexpected course when faced with an evergreen dilemma for fantasy heroes: what to do with the impossibly powerful artifact many interested parties would kill for? His choice—chuck it into the sea—leads to devastating fallout, as a mysterious “darkfrost” now corrupts Warvonia and its harbor, with many blaming Zale, including much of his own crew.

You don’t have to be a diehard fantasy hound to guess at the solutions to Zale’s troubles: a quest, of course—partially to undo his own act. Again setting Kramer’s appealing series apart is an infectious love of genre expectations and the skill with which he dances around them, at times gently tweaking them. “One does not simply dispose of the Grimstone,” a character says, of the MacGuffin. But Kramer’s spirited sense of fun never undercuts the stakes or the characters, as Zale’s story is always earnest and exciting, even the familiar elements, like the villains’ zeal to bring back an age of shadow.

Kramer imbues that shadow’s rise with evocative, even sumptuous detail, mining fresh possibility from light versus darkness. Zale and his crew—including strong new additions, like the grimkin warrior Enshuzu—again carry the story with buoyant spirit, the occasional chanty, and a welcome vibe of regular folks just doing what needs done, even as elements of destiny and lineages become increasingly prominent. Zale’s daughter Starlina displays exciting new growth, and the monsters, villains, and weird magic thrill.

Takeaway: Buoyant epic fantasy that enlivens the familiar and dares to surprise.

Comparable Titles: Michael J. Sullivan, Sam Sykes.

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

Click here for more about Heroes of Time Legends: Murdoch's Shadow

Chapman’s second in the Hunter and Tate Mystery series, which follows 2022’s Blind Date, wows with well-crafted tension and original characters. In a genteel Ottawa neighborhood, Ginger McGowan steps away from her three-year-old son Charlie for only five minutes. When she returns, he’s disappeared. Days pass without his body recovered or a ransom call, leaving Detective Liam Hunter and crime reporter Ella Tate at a loss. But Charlie’s father, David McGowan, and David’s awkward teen daughter, Sara McGowan, have secrets that tie Charlie’s disappearance to that of a Chinese exchange student eight months before. When Sara finally talks, scandalous truths tumble out until a taut climax leaves the reader breathless.

This installment stands on its own, seamlessly introducing characters old and new. Chapman elegantly handles a sizable cast of nuanced suspects and good guys, which boosts readers’ interest in the whodunnit puzzle up another level. Intrepid, empathetic journalist and podcaster Ella blasts the stereotype of a tailored newspaper woman—her friends tease about her uncontrollable hair and austere apartment—while the inscrutable yet deep-hearted Hunter is a refreshingly three-dimensional cop who can’t decide whether he’s attracted to Ella and her green eyes. Another engaging character, Sara, David’s daughter with an ex-wife he cheated on, almost steals the show with her Harriet-the-Spy habits and lonely personality that endears her to Ella.

Chapman never wallows in depressing predictions about the missing child. Instead, the tone honors parents’ fear without straying into the morose or punishing. “Liam… [tried] to keep the heaviness from overpowering the slim thread of hope” reflects the extent of depicted worry. Literary sleight-of-hand comes naturally to Chapman, and the culprit could be one of many poker-faced or temperamental suspects as in any worthy mystery-thriller. A tryst with an escort, a traumatizing roofie, a naive vigilante, and plenty of delectable surprises make When Last Seen a treat for mystery readers.

Takeaway: Procedural and mystery lovers will enjoy the puzzle and appealing cast.

Comparable Titles: Kathy Reichs, D.S. Butler.

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

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In her heartbreaking literary debut, a tour-de-force of emotions, Staggs crafts a moving tale of a loving husband and wife dealing with the stress of chronic illness. Litigator Casey O’Connell Scott has dealt with her worsening epilepsy for years, but medication has kept it at bay—until the day she has a severe seizure in court. Her doctor informs Casey and her husband Jonah that Casey is at high risk of SUDEP, Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy and recommends a world-class program in Cleveland, nearly 3,000 miles from their Portland, Oregon, home. Casey and her bestie, Holly, head to Ohio to see if the team there can offer a cure, leaving Jonah to hold down the fort.

In a story told alternately by Casey and Jonah, Staggs deftly demonstrates the family stresses that ensue when a spouse has a life-changing illness—compounded by unsympathetic bosses. Jonah, Casey’s advertising executive husband, watches Casey’s worsening condition with a mixture of fear, dread, and avoidance, eventually turning to a borderline-emotional affair. Casey and Jonah’s young children, Sam and Sadie, are too young to fully understand how serious their mother’s condition is, putting extra pressure on Jonah to pretend all is well. Staggs is pitch-perfect in portraying the poisonous cocktail of fear, anger, and underlying love that ensues.

Staggs’ experience as a lawyer shines through in courtroom scenes that are believable and lively, and her expert knowledge of epilepsy and its ramifications comes from her own experience with the condition. Readers will be drawn in from Staggs’ first page, powered by a strong and flawed heroine and her devoted and also flawed husband—a reminder that no human ever has the perfect reaction when faced with a life-changing diagnosis. The finale is real, raw, and ultimately heart-warming. Staggs’ touching and well-written debut is not to be missed.

Takeaway: This marvelously written debut explores a marriage in the face of a dire diagnosis.

Comparable Titles: Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Maybe in Another Life Jessica Francis Kane’s Rules for Visiting.

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

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