Antonson (Of Russia) recounts his train travels with his father and brother over the course of 12 years—and to more than a dozen countries—in this interesting and amusing memoir. With vivid descriptions and arresting minutiae, he details the landscapes and cultures the trio experienced, alongside the personal transformations that took place during the astounding 15,000 miles they logged on long-haul trains—a journey that he started at age 27 and transported him to a slew of countries, from North Korea to Russia to Canada.

From his globetrotting childhood, where he remembers serving as a cute, five-year-old “diversionary tactic” for his parents’ travels through KGB-controlled Russia, to his parents’ eventual divorce, Antonson chronicles the role travel has played in cementing his familial ties. “We travelled with love and some misgivings,” he writes of the epic journey with his father and brother, while covering the major destinations they encountered through their travels—including notables like Moscow, Chicago, and Pyongyang, North Korea. Antonson adopts the role of a terminal outsider, more local than tourist, while incorporating history, personal memory, and each city’s impact on the trio in descriptions that unfold into a richly textured narrative.

Standout recollections include a 1994 Samsonite store opening in Estonia, despite the citizens having little need for luggage and minimum means to travel, and his summary of the rules for exploring North Korea (no one was allowed to leave the hotel without permission, and the first stop of the trip was a mandatory show of respect at Kim Il Sung’s statue). Throughout, Antonson paints travel as a catalyst for family bonding, though he doesn’t shy away from sharing the gritty particulars that come with circumnavigating the Northern Hemisphere in close quarters with family members. This is a touching tribute to both the people riding the railways and the railways themselves, which “[weave] folklore with history, countrysides with capitals, people with dreams.”

Takeaway: Touching tribute to the transformative power of railway travel.

Comparable Titles: Paul Theroux, Pico Iyer.

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

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This surprising, impassioned novel—the sixth volume of Wammack’s sweeping The Beginning of Civilization: Mythologies Told True series—stands as the culmination of a singular project. The series imagines and dramatizes the lives, hearts, and minds of the leaders, thinkers, rulers, and believers populating the ancient histories attributed to Plato, Hesiod, Moses, and a host of Egyptian priests. Wammack does this in crisp, inviting language, touched with poetry but stripped of ornamentation: “Baalat spread a blanket for them to sit on and drink wine. She was happy, confident, outgoing, and awash with the joy of living. The men—not so much.”

That passage suggests the tenor of the series, which traces the development of myth into systems of belief often wielded as power, while emphasizing the humanity of all involved—pious readers starting with this entry will quickly be jolted by Wammack’s matter-of-fact treatment of sex, virginity, and pleasure, an approach more in line with the Song of Solomon than later primness. The women here have welcome agency: Fatimah boldly pledges to Ishmael to please him “with desert-heated love”; Baalat urges Horus to add “Respect Women” to his teachings; and a scene of Sarai and Hagar joining forces and applying oils to inspire Abram to sire a son is strange and funny.)

Dialogue often drives the overlapping, intergenerational stories as this entry surveys nothing less than the dawning of the Abrahamic religions during the age of pharaohs and Phoenicians, plus the building of desert cities, the Ark of the Covenant, and many other wonders, ideas, and beliefs. The talk is direct and plainspoken, sometimes earthy, and—like the rest of this sui generis novel—brisk and unpredictable. “Well, I don’t think it’s proper!” Abram tells his wife, Keturah, when discussing the possibility of women “teaching about the nature of God.” He adds: “It makes women think they are as good as men!” Wammack’s reimagining of foundational stories stand out by never indulging in hero worship.

Takeaway: Surprising, earthy reimagining of the dawn of the Abrahamic religions

Comparable Titles: Charlotte Gordon’s The Woman Who Named God, Joseph Blenkinsopp’s Abraham: The Story of a Life.

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

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DiBianca (author of The Watch Mysteries) begins her Lady Pilot-in-Command series with an engaging hero and a twisty, entertaining plot. Cassie Deakin, a private pilot based in rural Nevada, is suddenly thrust into a criminal investigation when her beloved Uncle Charlie is nearly murdered. Cassie soon discovers that Charlie has been hiding a secret box for his old friend Sinclair—and his attackers have taken it. The knife-edge tension sharpens from there, launching Cassie into a fast-moving and complicated investigation that leaves even her own life hanging in the balance.

In true thriller fashion, Cassie doesn’t know whom she can trust, especially once she finds herself embroiled in a fraught partnership with deputy Frank White, a former DEA agent with whom she shares a complex past. The two are joined by a motley team of professional and amateur detectives who traipse through the Southwest, and their own pasts, to uncover a coldhearted murderer who has ties to Sinclair's tragic past and a long-missing runaway.

DiBianca’s plot is tightly woven, but her cast of quirky and lovable characters steals the spotlight. Cassie comes across as both tough and sensitive, while her tentative relationship with Frank is by turns amusing, tender, and always believable, as is her familial connection to Uncle Charlie. Especially well done is Pastor John, Sinclair's religious advisor and a de facto fellow sleuth, with religious insights that lend depth to character and theme without becoming preachy. A secondary romance involving Uncle Charlie—and Cassie's irritation—adds a welcome note of humor. Beyond the stellar characters, DiBianca has a good feel for the novel’s rural setting, dropping readers into small town scenes where unknown faces are rare and social circles are tight knit, before building up to an electric finale that will leave fans eager for Cassie’s next adventure.

Takeaway: An independent woman turns sleuth with the help of her quirky friends in rural Nevada.

Comparable Titles: Sue Grafton, J.A. Jance.

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

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“Abandoned, shabandoned.” Ibach’s inspiring debut recounts his adult search for his biological family while also contesting the conviction that adoptees naturally feel a sense of abandonment and even trauma simply by having been adopted. That conviction, especially as laid out in a book by a psychologist that Ibach read, has felt like a “punch in my gut,” to Ibach, who enjoyed a happy, healthy childhood that prepared him for life. Especially galling: his feeling that “if I argued with [that psychiatrist] about this interpretation, I was in denial of my suffering.” Ibach writes that he “was never haunted by not knowing” the identity of his birth parents, but in Already Home he recounts how, in 2017, in his fifties, he received a message from his sister informing him of the Wisconsin legislation that now allowed adoptees to learn about their deceased birth parents—and then he went to find them.

Ibach’s memoir is broadly divided into two themes: stories from his childhood and his journey to discover his birth family, plus his life and relationship with them. Ibach paints a moving picture of life as a “happy, pampered, privileged child” with his adoptive parents and three siblings in Milwaukee, roughhousing, exploring the ravines of Lake Michigan, and meeting Santa Claus during the holiday season. This deeply personal tale offers a window into 20th century America as Ibach reflects on the societal treatment of unwanted pregnancies before the landmark Roe vs. Wade decision, the perception of adoption and adoptees, and the experience of bisexuality in a culture that marginalized anyone not conforming to heteronormativity.

When Ibach meets his birth family in South Carolina he is welcomed into the clan with love, but this experience also reaffirms his love for his own family—the ones who “chose” him. His story touchingly challenges orthodoxies while celebrating love as it’s lived. Readers looking to cry happy tears will find solace in this emotionally charged memoir.

Takeaway: Touching story of adoption, love, and challenging orthodoxies.

Comparable Titles: Brad Livingood’s Surrounding Sparky, Nicole Chung’s All You Can Ever Know.

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

Click here for more about Already Home

This genre-crossing thriller with themes of family, romance, and duplicity, a spinoff of The Sam Barrett Ops that Biggerstaff wrote under the pseudonym Alex A. Jameson, centers on Air Force lieutenant Alexi “Lex” Rogov’s assignment to "get close" to C.I.A. agent Nikita Devin. The two are tasked with teaching allies how to be snipers and spotters in Poland, and within a year Rogov has gotten close enough to Devin to convince her to marry him, as he continues to discover her secrets. Rogov endures being taken as a prisoner of war, mental health troubles, and the complexities of his familial relationships, all while staying the course of his mission to unearth Devin's true allegiance.

Set against the backdrop of impending war between Russia and Ukraine, Lex's Story finds Rogov striving to fulfill his duty to his country and his struggles with the many relationships in his life, familial and romantic. Blending domestic drama, romance, and military action, Biggerstaff has written a fast paced and immersive story that jumps straight into the action, exploring how far Lex will go to fulfill his sworn duties as a military man—and what he's willing to sacrifice, including love and potentially his life. Rogov proves to be a strong and resolute soldier, one who will even continue his original assignment after he becomes convinced that Devin has turned him over to the enemies. Rogov must swallow his pain and trauma to succeed and possibly get revenge.

Biggerstaff creates a character that embodies the loyal soldier archetype, one that readers will sympathize with and root for. With crisp dialogue that drives the story and direct prose that wastes no time, Lex's Story will please readers who relish emotional stories of domestic espionage, loyalty, and cover-ups The twists shock, and the violence is more graphic than the romantic clinches, but Lex’s Story has lots of heart.

Takeaway: Emotional military thriller of domestic espionage and romance.

Comparable Titles: Sandie Jones’s The First Mistake, Jane Elizabeth Hughes’s The Spy’s Wife.

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

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On an icy night, Andi Eberhart is killed by a hit and run while biking home after curling practice. Andi's death soon is recognized for what her wife, Nishi, suspects: murder, deliberate and heartless. Hays’s detective duo Giuliana Linder and Renzo Donatelli of the Bern, Switzerland, police department (introduced in Pesticide) return in their third book, learning that Andi had been receiving horrifying letters for years and that Nisha's Tamil immigrant family oppose her lesbian relationship. Also on the suspect list: Andi's coworkers and clients, jealous curlers, and citizens who oppose same-sex marriage and found Andi's outspoken advocacy to be inflammatory. Further complicating matters is a mystery of life rather than death—the identity of the biological father of Andi and Nisha's daughter.

Swiss-American Hays paints a complex person in a complex world that has not been welcoming to Andi and the family of her choosing. Guiliana and Renzo remain compelling characters, too, fascinating and flawed people who love their work, love their families, but still feel a connection to each other that makes working together seamless and complicated all at once. Both experience the conflict of loving their partners and children while feeling drawn to the darkness of the work they do and the pull to another person who understands. The "will they or won't they" chemistry proves as potent as the central mystery itself, and although this entry stands on its own, procedural fans will likely be enticed enough to pick up the earlier books.

Outside of the "whodunnit," A Fondness for Truth feels fresh as it engages with societal conflicts that resonate: LGBTQ+ rights in love, acceptance, and legality; interracial and interfaith relationships; and relationship struggles when the spark of new is tamped down by everyday life and responsibilities. Hays offers insight into all of this and the feelings that this deeply human cast must manage. Hays’s empathetic, entertaining, smartly plotted mystery will keep readers guessing.

Takeaway: Stellar series procedural with compelling detectives and deep empathy.

Comparable Titles: Ann Cleeves, Deborah Crombie.

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

Click here for more about A Fondness for Truth

Rinehart debuts with an action-packed thriller bolstered by a touch of romance, following the efforts of geologist Thomas Jackson and disaster response expert Catherine Craft, along with an assembled military team, as they work together to stop a potential eruption in Yellowstone National Park that could lead to "the end of the United States if it goes off." When Thomas's mentor and long-time friend commits suicide during their investigation, he and the team learn that someone is behind the volatile shift in the Yellowstone caldera that’s contributing to its potential eruption, igniting their race against time to prevent the deaths of millions of people.

"Power is all that matters" in this zero hour thriller, as Thomas scrambles to puzzle out the science that will stop the eruption and Catherine sets out on her own mission—to find out who is funding the project that first set this natural disaster in motion. As Thomas and Catherine's love story develops, their sweet romance in the midst of chaos provides soft moments within the explosive, constantly moving plot, yet even as they grow closer, Catherine learns that Thomas is keeping secrets of his own. Rinehart masterfully weaves the suspense and romance together, as the couple must learn to rely on each other while they deal with government corruption, family drama, and the potential end of the world.

Beyond that budding relationship, the core of the novel delves into the destruction that comes with abuse of power and greed, filling the pages with scenes of betrayal and violence that create heart-pounding tension until the shocking conclusion. The ensemble of characters is immense, and with multiple subplots providing twists and turns throughout, it’s hard to tell who to trust. Fans of exhilarating thrillers with multiple storylines and intricate characterization will enjoy this wild ride that stays unpredictable until the very last page.

Takeaway: A roller coaster ride of romance, secrets, and government cover-ups.

Comparable Titles: Hillary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny’s State of Terror, Stacey Abram's While Justice Sleeps.

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

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Grossi’s rousing, beautifully illustrated debut introduces a brave young hero who has "tamed fiery dragons, sailed stormy seas, and napped on the moon." Achille embarks on a dangerous adventure to find his lost bear, Benji, his "bestest friend.” With the direction of his guardian angel, Claire, Achille treks up a mountain called Mount NeverEnd, "where all lost friends go,” facing dangers and terrible weather before plunging into a dark cave, encountering a fearsome green ogre, and experiencing the most frightening thing of all: the lights going out, both in his flashlight and in the sky itself. Blending traditional fantasy with surprising bits of contemporary life, like that flashlight, that teddy bear, and glimpses of a bedroom and a snoring boy, The NeverEnd Friend smartly links dream-time and story time as it recounts a heart-warming adventure about believing in yourself and letting go.

Inspired by her young son, Grossi weaves an engaging—and gently suspenseful—story about friendship, perseverance, and independence. Drawing on classic characters from Greek mythology and tales of cunning and triumph, such as Archimedes and his defeat of the Roman ships, Grossi conjures a fresh story with a timeless feel, one likely to capture young readers’ attention even as it imparts lessons. Adventure lovers will root for and be enthralled by Achille as Igor Kovyar’s illustrations emphasize the loneliness of the quest, the spooky depths of a cavern, or the deep chill of snowy forest nights. Grossi wisely trusts the power of the archetypal story, and of Kovyar’s art, to grip readers without wordiness or over explanation.

The revelation of where Benji has gone to is satisfying, surprising, and cute as can be, a welcome burst of warmth after the wintry trek. Also heartening: Achille’s understanding, under cold but brilliant stars, that it was love and friendship that gave him the heart to persevere. With stunning page spreads that reward attention, and a strong-willed, fiercely loyal young hero, The NeverEnd Friend is a touching story with strong themes of friendship, courage, and self-confidence.

Takeaway: Warm wintry adventure of friendship and perseverance, lovingly illustrated.

Comparable Titles: Christopher Denise’s Knight Owl, Jim LaMarche’s The Raft.

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

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In this assured epic space-fantasy debut, the start of Goodman’s Ignited Galaxy series, two brothers shaken by tragedy—Phaidros and Charon—seek to avenge their father and cement their status among the elite Order of The Ignited. Phaidros embarks on a perilous journey to follow in their father's footsteps as an Ignited, a fierce warrior who, after the “igniting” of their true potential, dedicate their gifts to the protection of the people of the Holy City of Dasos. Facing deadly training and bloody ape attacks in the jungle at the hands of his father's right hand, Zenovia, Phaidros has one month to lay to rest the “shaped” beast that bested his father and restore honor upon their family name. Charon, now marked as a Cindered, a wounded warrior, also takes on a bold venture that awakens a mysterious power that may help reverse their family's tragic downfall and save his determined, headstrong brother.

Told through prose that alternates between lyricism and crisp, clear action, Bonds explores the ties of family, the loyalty of brothers, and the courage of warriors in a vividly detailed universe that draws on sources familiar and surprising—expect guns, carnivorous foliage, bizarre rituals, death magic, and, in the presence of standout creations like the mighty Suneater, “the Unbroken Sage who Devours,” much creepy-cool regal pomp. The brothers’ quests are compelling, as they strive to be “the apex among the strong,” with Phaidros growing from runt to warrior, and Charon, who too often has felt “useless to his brother and the world,” tempted by the power of dark magic.

Featuring multi-dimensional heroes, inventive battles, painful losses, fantastical creatures, and scenes of rigorous training, Bonds will please readers whose bottom line is well-told, freshly imagined space-and-sorcery adventure in a traditional vein, focusing on themes of trust, bravery, loyalty, and the corrupting temptation of power, as two brothers with something to prove fight for their legacy.

Takeaway: Accomplished space fantasy of brothers fighting for their legacy.

Comparable Titles: Christopher Ruocchio’s Sun Eater series, Mark Lawrence’s Book of the Ancestor series.

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

Click here for more about Bonds

This brisk thriller, purportedly inspired by “true events,” follows Jacob Grey, a former Department of State contractor and security specialist, as he embarks on a “solo sub-rosa mission” of exfiltration in São Paulo. His goal: the liberation of women and girls kidnapped, trafficked, and forced into sex slavery. The Brazilian syndicate he’s targeting has operated so brazenly that Jacob has been able to fund this exfiltration—dubbed Operation: Crying Daughters—by alerting U.S. hotel companies to the prostitution rings operating in their Brazilian locations. Soon after landing, Jacob realizes that two men standing with his girlfriend, Alessandra, are up to no good, and the action starts there.

What follows is a heated inter-agency strike force thriller, tinged with hope and tragedy, that finds Jacob’s mission turning out not to be so solo after all, as friends and adversaries from the past get embroiled in complex international standoffs pitting the Departments of State and Justice against traffickers, rogue Brazilian Federal Police officers, and more. Quill’s first thriller, Crying Daughters demonstrates a zeal for operational accuracy, generating suspense and hurtling the story along through the chatter and logistics of agents and operators, and catching readers up on the fly about terminology through parenthetical asides. Later chapters involving task forces, SCIFs, and the complexities of international relations and weave into the narrative text from the Department of State’s 2018 Trafficking in Persons Report, and the narrative’s brief, un-sensational accounts of the horrors the kidnapped endure (including a young Alessandra) have power.

That documentary edge is at odds with the novel’s traditional men’s adventure action, as the “handsome, intelligent, and charming” hero downs villains and karate-kicks the glass from Bronco windows, while Alessandra, “exotic looking as ever,” feels a “strange sense of arousal.” A tendency to note how “suddenly” or “immediately” bits of action occur has the unintended effect of slowing things down. More effective is Jacob’s dedication to the cause, his camaraderie with an old friend, and Quill’s assured dramatization of skilled teams improvising in complex and deadly circumstances.

Takeaway: Fast, action-packed thriller of taking on human traffickers.

Comparable Titles: Timothy Jay Smith’s Cooper’s Paradise, Mark Greaney’s One Minute Out.

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

Click here for more about Crying Daughters

In Koreto's latest Historic Homes Mystery (after The Greenleaf Murders), an ancient mansion shapes its owners’ destinies across two centuries. Historical house architect Wren Fontaine embodies her guiding principle that "houses affect people," a conviction that is put to good use when her chef girlfriend, Hadley Vanderwerf, encounters the famous actor Nicky Tallon, the new owner of the centuries-old New York island mansion—and Wren's eventual client. Nicky’s house, previously belonging to sailor Captain Thomas Turnbull with his sister, wife, and two servants, harbors both an elegant facade and haunting secrets, casting an enigmatic shadow over its new owners.

Koreto adeptly crafts a framework where two murders, 200 years apart, intertwine in an unbelievable synchronicity. As Wren presents the Turnbull family's tragic history to Nicky and his co-actors during the house tour, a death occurs, seemingly linked to the mansion's grim past. Wren's architectural prowess transforms into detective skills as she relates that past to the present crime, and when the murder count starts to increase, her sleuthing efforts become ever more urgent. In contrast, Nicky remains passive and seemingly indifferent, while his young girlfriend Saffron exudes a captivating blend of naïveté and curious obsession with the mansion’s history. Amidst these distinctive characters, seasoned actor Veronica is a peculiar personality, with beguiling charisma and questionable authenticity, adding further mystery to the scene of the crimes.

While the plot occasionally teeters on predictability, and the characters' nonchalance in the face of danger can be unsettling, Koreto maintains suspense by skillfully subverting readers' expectations and inducing doubt, luring fans into a playful whodunnit where each revelation tantalizingly hints at the complex web linking past and present. The narrative's ability to keep readers engrossed in the Turnbull murders, juxtaposed against the contemporary horrors, showcases Koreto's storytelling finesse and makes this thriller a definite page-turner.

Takeaway: A chilling whodunnit of centuries-old murder linked to a sudden series of deaths.

Comparable Titles: John A. Miller Jr.'s The Victorian Mansion Murders, Michelle Birkby's The House at Baker Street.

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

Click here for more about The Turnbull Murders: A Historic Homes Mystery

Mindful Parenting podcast host Clarke-Fields follows up Raising Good Humans with this inviting compendium of 50 steps parents can take to raise communicative, happy, well-rounded children. "Parenting is much harder than we could have expected,” Clarke-Fields writes, with customary candor, noting that, despite sunny social-media posts, every parent struggles—and that “It’s okay for you to love your kids and not love parenting.” That inviting frankness and relatability powers the book, which Clarke-Fields packs with anecdotes, practical tips, and engaging exercises to make it all easier and more effective, targeted for parents who feel like they need to get better, are stuck in unhealthy patterns with their children, or have not learned to give themselves the grace to be "good humans" themselves.

Clarke-Fields acknowledges that parenting can be "an emotional minefield” and explores the truth that being a parent will never be without challenges. Parents have to reflect on their own childhood triggers, outside stressors, and their emotions to model healthy behaviors for their children, because "Kids are often not great at doing what we tell them to do, but they are wonderful imitators.” That insight, plus guidance in practicing mindfulness and meditation, is key to the book’s framework. With heavy focus on eliminating negative thoughts, regulating one's temper and emotions, and building the "present-moment muscle,” Clarke-Fields advocates for parents to practice positive behaviors like pausing in moments of stress and anger, using discipline as a method of teaching rather than punishment, and bringing intention to everything they do in front of their children, from decluttering toys, parent/child date nights, and more.

This flexible, illuminating resource offers clear and original advice, encouragement for slowing down and enjoying the moment, and continual reminders for parents to practice self-forgiveness when they don’t get it all exactly right. Parents and parents-to-be eager to improve communication and produce moments of bonding and happy memories will find support here.

Takeaway: Relatable, encouraging guide to mindful parenting and communication.

Comparable Titles: Shirley Pastiroff's The Mindful Parent, Kristen Race's Mindful Parenting.

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

Click here for more about Raising Good Humans Every Day

Bonn’s playful debut centers on life at Dave’s Diner, outside of time itself, where “it’s always just right now, right before whatever’s happening on the planet earth.” There, “Entropy Rules,” “Symmetry Drools,” and new arrivals from across time–whether Einstein the elephant, the “alien jelly roll creature” known as the PAST (for “Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates Triumvirate”), or a seemingly normal woman from twentieth century America –are expected to put on a nametag and order up some food. People come to the diner to discover their own "theory of everything" before returning to the chaos of their everyday lives. As Dave, the current proprietor, familiarizes newbie Jane with the rules of the establishment, she begins to make a connection with the place, its visitors, and life, the universe, and everything.

This compact but searching novel draws inspiration from Douglas Adams and other speculative, philosophical, humorous fiction. Incident and expansive colloquy abound, with implications both cosmic and deeply human. The strongest narrative thread involves Ouroboros, a vigilant traffic cop, endeavors to enforce the “Entropic Articles of Incorporation” on all customers. Dave grapples with the suspicion that Ouroboros possesses omnipotence—and the implications of what this might mean for the existence of free will in this part of the universe.

While quirky customers keep things lively, the diner’s outside-of-time quality extends to narrative momentum, as this is a story of ideas, characters, conversations, and a respite from the hurlyburly of life in the timestream. While the conversational approach limits tension, the revelation that Dave might be a quanti, someone capable of existing in two places simultaneously, comes as an intriguing shock, and Bonn blends insights, conceptual challenges, and welcome comedy throughout this homey visit. A conversation about the nature of a creator suggests there’s more to explore, here, and readers of heady, inviting SF with a hangout vibe will hunger for a second serving.

Takeaway: Chatty, searching SF comedy, over coffee and outside of time itself.

Comparable Titles: Douglas Adams, Charles Yu.

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

Click here for more about The Diner at the Dawn of the Universe

The second novel by Grinberg (author of Variations on the Beast) is a delightful story of a precocious nine-year-old growing up in the throes of the Second World War. Harry Glass, the Britain-born, accident prone, mischievous child of Jewish immigrants in London, often finds himself in trouble with the grownups. Though he resents the constant criticism of his parents, there are people he adores: his Aunt Lily and his music teacher Miss Levenstein. After the fall of France, Harry is sent to a farm in Wales as an evacuee. He loves his adopted family and his teacher but an unexpected turn of events has him back in London just before the Blitz.

Few authors succeed in portraying the mind and behavior of children with the insight and power that Grinberg demonstrates here. An adult Harry narrates the events of his childhood, but there is no emotional distance between the later perspective and the present of young Harry as readers are plunged into his world, with all of its perceived injustices, anxieties, heartaches, and triumphs. Though his parents’ criticism gets to him sometimes, and the war looms over everything, nothing deters Harry from being his normal curious self, and he is aware in his own fuzzy way of their love for him. Among many characters it’s a pleasure to meet, including the protagonist, Owen the Welsh nationalist, sassy Gwen, and Captain Ashbourne all linger in the mind.

Often hilarious and briskly paced, with never a dull moment, Wild About Harry deftly portrays the anxieties and tensions in an immigrant family’s life alongside the nuances and complexities of parent-child relationships. War-era London—with its wireless sets, candlestick telephones, and schoolmarms with stiff upper lips—comes alive in these pages. The author also effectively captures the enchanting Welsh countryside and life on a farm. Readers will find this brilliantly told story of WW II Britain from the perspective of an intelligent and sensitive child an absorbing, humorous, and poignant read.

Takeaway: Accomplished story of an imaginative child in Britain during WW II.

Comparable Titles: Michelle Magorian’s Good Night, Mr. Tom, Rachel Seiffert’s A Boy in Winter.

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

Click here for more about Wild About Harry

A plucky shih tzu braves the wilds of Kenya in Loria’s debut, the first of her Harvey Travels series, inspired by her own endearing dog. City pup Harvey spends his time cuddled up under his sky-rise window napping—and dreaming of the big, beautiful world that exists just beyond his asphalt jungle. When he spots a jet cloud trail that spells out “Kenya” one day, Harvey’s curiosity is sparked. After all, “East Africa holds lands of beautiful surprise,” and Harvey can’t wait to experience all it has to offer firsthand. His adventure is equal parts educational and adorable, as he meets the local animals and explores Kenya’s breathtaking scenery.

Harvey’s wanderlust will foster a love for travel in even the youngest readers. Through his inquisitive eyes, a host of indigenous species come to life, such as the fleet-footed ostrich racing across the grassy plains and the grazing wildebeests, portrayed with a quiet sense of rippling power as they forage the savanna. Harvey’s open-eyed wonder is ably rendered by Luzina’s warmly hued illustrations, showcasing his perky charm against the coastal plains, and the subtle entertaining touches added throughout won’t go unnoticed. Harvey’s safari hat and snorkel gear add a sense of fun to his animal encounters, as does his cute interaction with a giraffe calf, who gifts him with kisses during their play.

Loria shares a wealth of educational facts about Kenya as well, such as the country’s proximity to the equator and a short snippet about the Masai warriors who call it home. Endangered species are briefly touched on, giving adult readers the chance to explore conservation with kids, and Harvey’s use of the Swahili greeting “Jambo” to the hippos he meets adds authenticity. Though Harvey wonders in the end if this has as all just been a dream, younger readers will be enthralled with his imaginative escapades and ready for his next adventure.

Takeaway: A perky pup explores the wonders of Kenya.

Comparable Titles: Ozi Okaro’s My Africa Vacation, Shel Haber’s The Animals’ Vacation.

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

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Church continues her Wanee Mystery series with this second installment (after Unbecoming a Lady) as the proprietress of a post-Civil War boarding house tries to solve a murder in the midst of a drought and tainted water supply. In 1876 Wanee, Illinois, Cora Countryman continues running her family’s boarding house after her mother has fled town, leaving Cora saddled with her debts. When local newspaper owner Sebastian Kanady goes missing after notifying the undertaker about a murdered man he discovered in a stream, Cora finds him at the undertaker’s, near death, bringing him to the boarding house where she nurses him back to health. But drought and the town’s now-bad water supply bring trouble to her door, leaving Cora and her boarders guarding the house’s water. As tensions rise and disease spreads, Cora continues her distrust of a traveling rainmaker hired by the town’s head trustee, especially when the rainmaker seems complicit in turning residents against Sebastian.

Church instills this captivating story with the fascinating resentments of the post-Civil War Midwest, where former Confederates hide their identities, especially as many Wanee residents fought in the war themselves. The continued hatred is only heightened by the desperation for clean water and the public’s dark sentiment for residents of Railtown, a nearby shantytown. Cora braves upsetting this volatile mix in the interest of justice. Though Sebastian is implicated in the murder, Cora, a character it’s pleasurable to cheer for, resolutely defends him, while trying to solve the murder, regardless of the danger to herself.

Though the cast of characters is somewhat extensive and may lead to confusion, the author develops the primary characters sufficiently to allow readers to differentiate between them. And despite the fact that the setting for the mystery is almost 150 years in the past, Church’s depiction of mob mentality and American fractures remains resonant.

Takeaway: Captivating post-Civil War mystery in a small Midwest town.

Comparable Titles: Gina Danna’s The Key to the South, Monica Barrie’s Alana: An Epic Post Civil War American Historical Romance.

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

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