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Welcome to Tales of Fascination

My name is Jim Doran, and I’m a writer of genre fiction. This website is composed of short stories, reflections on writing, and shameless plugs for my novels and short stories.

Cover for novel DEED
Cover Forlorn Harbor

Purchase my new novel, Forlorn Harbor : Purchase link

Forlorn Harbor is a YA horror novel about seven teenagers trapped in a movie theater. While searching for an exit, the projector starts and shows an old anthology movie entitled Forlorn Harbor. One by one, they are pulled into the movie. To survive the night, they need to live to the end of their episode, but Forlorn Harbor doesn’t play fair. Great for fans of The Twilight Zone and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.

Published by Rowan Prose Publishing, read more about Forlorn Harbor

Cover for novel DEED
Cover for DEED

Purchase DEED: Purchase Link.

DEED stands for the The Department of Extraordinary Emigration and Delivery. Mythical creatures run this department, deploying their secret agents around the world. Rebecca Eidelweiss is a member of DEED and a centaur. She protects her kind from harm and hides their identity. When a young charge under her care is kidnapped, Rebecca must sacrifice what she holds most dear to get her back. DEED is a clean, action/adeventure. Read more about DEED here!

In March 2027, Rowan Prose Publishing will publish my latest offering, Games People Play. Edwin Glasse is a washed-up baseball player who accepts an invitation to playtest board games on an island in Lake Michigan. When the games turn sinister and people start disappearing, Ed must confront his own demons to survive. Games People Play is an adult mystery / thriller, intended for mature audiences. (I’ll put up a pre-order link when it’s available.)

I’ve also written several fairytale / urban fantasy novels and short stories. My fantasy series is known as the Kingdom Fantasy. In it, several famous and not-so-famous fairytale characters encounter villains and situations often found in a fantasy world, and our world, too. The main characters, Harold and Sondra, travel to the world of Kingdom to assist with the threatening presence, and usually they learn something along the way. Though adult books, the mostly clean novels have a lighter tone as they explore an idyllic culture and what that means.

Kingdom Come Image

I’ve also been included in several anthologies of all genres. The latest anthology I’ve been published in is Up the Down Beanstalk by Ye Olde Dragon books. It starts with the tale of Jack and the Beanstalk but then branches out into thirteen, very different takes on that oft-told tale. Several talented authors contributed to this anthology, and I’m proud to have a story in it. Order it here: Up the Down Beanstalk

The easiest way to find all my novels is to go to my author site on Amazon: Jim Doran on Amazon. There you will find:

Below is my gallery for my novels and anthologies. Scroll to see the covers

  • Cover Forlorn Harbor
  • Cover for novel DEED
    Cover for the novel DEED
  • Cover Daniel Johnson
  • Cover by Daniel Johnson
  • Cover Daniel Johnson
  • Cover Daniel Johnson
  • Cover for Kiingdom's Advent
    Cover – Daniel Johnson
  • A Wolfman. Anthology
  • Published in Who’s the Monster?
  • Invisible Man, Anthology
  • Short Fiction, Anthology
  • Short Fiction, Anthology
  • R Riding Hood, Anthology
  • Screenshot

Contact me at: jim.doran.author@gmail.com, @jdoran711 (twitter), @jimdoranauthor (Instagram).

I’ve published over twenty-five short stories in various online publications, including Havok and Every Day Fiction.

Learn more about Kingdom, read more stories, and enjoy art inspired by the world by visiting Kingdom Fantasy.

Read more about Kingdom Come here: What type of novel is Kingdom Come?

Special pages for my published novels:

Forlorn Harbor – A YA Horror Novel (coming May 26, 2026)

Games People Play – An adult thriller (coming in 2027)

DEED – – Novel. An clean urban fantasy of a spy who protects mythological creatures

Kingdom Come – First Kingdom Fantasy Novel

On Earth As It Is – Second Kingdom Fantasy Novel

Deliver Us – Third Kingdom Fantasy Novel

Will Be Done – Fourth Kingdom Fantasy Novel

Kingdom’s Advent – First book of short stories set in Kingdom

Kingdom’s Ascension – Second book of short stories set in Kingdom

I have a section of free short stories in case you want to “read before you buy.” I also break down the stories I’ve published elsewhere. Select Sample Story Overview for free stories, or Published Stories to read about my tales that superstar publishers have published in anthologies or online.

Or scroll down to enjoy the latest blog posts.

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Review of Oenone

Cover of Oenone

Leah Rochelle’s Oenone describes the adventure of a sculpture of Oenone (of Greek mythology fame) that Aphrodite brings to life in the modern world. Oenone is searching for a reincarnation of her husband, Paris. This summary may have The Mummy vibes, but this book is not a horror offering. Instead, it’s a supernatural romance between an ancient wood nymph and a modern man who helps her navigate this new world.

The plot plays out in ways you may have expected. Aphrodite (who is very much living and very much a goddess) brings to life Oenone’s statue and informs her to seek her true love. She also says a reincarnated Paris is somewhere close. Oenone wreaks havoc in her St. Louis museum, but a friendly guard helps her get acclimated to the United States in modern times. With a little vision and some Googling, Oenone finds Paris in Chicago. From there, it’s off to be reunited with her husband, but will he recognize and accept her?

The fish-out-of-water first part of the book works extremely well, and we grow to like Oenone who is represented here as a loyal wife with an adventurous spirit. The second part of the book concerns Paris, Oenone’s life in Chicago, and her choice of what life to choose. The book’s entertaining beginning really captures the tone. A world that is still ruled by the Greek gods—though people don’t know it—is a delightful difference from most books. It’s also a delight to view the world from Oenone’s perspective and watch her grow and expand—she has an arc worth reading. Lastly, the ending sticks the landing, and Oenone emerges as a character to treasure.

The turning point is a bit overdone as the reader knows full well how much of a creep a certain side character is. I would have preferred Oenone to judge said character earlier and dismiss them without the final betrayal. The theme of independence struggles with other themes in the book as this is both woman’s literature and a romance novel, always a tricky balance.

Oenone is Leah Rochelle’s debut novel, and it’s a winner. The supernatural, the ancient woman in modern times first part, and the romance comes together in a pleasing way. If you enjoy these three themes, you’re certain to like this novel.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FNY6JRJG

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Review of Mexican Gothic

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Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia tops a lot of reader’s “best horror lists.” It not only figures on many “best” lists for its year, but it also lands on many best of the 2020s decade.

In the 1950s, Noemí Taboada travels to an old English estate, High Place, in Mexico. She’s there on request from her father to rescue her cousin, a relative who is as close as a sister. Her cousin, Catalina, had written a frantic note that the family is poisoning her and that she’s seeing things.

Noemí meets the inhospital Doyle family: lecherous father, cruel son, bitter aunt, and indifferent cousin. At first, her visits to Catalina and her excursions to the nearest town seem fairly normal, though she’s clearly not welcome at High Place. As Noemí discovers more about the Doyles and their history, she becomes more determined to save her cousin. That is, until she finds she may be the one that needs saving.

This novel is strange. On a positive note, the book lives up to its creepy horror reputation. That said, it’s overhyped. Enjoy it for what it is, not for its numerous entries on reader’s lists. Reviewers mention the slow pacing in the first half of the novel. I didn’t find it slow. I thought it builds suspense in a traditional Gothic manner. Gothics generally aren’t exciting Indiana Jones adventures.

I enjoyed the vivid and creative imagery of Noemí’s dreams and later encounters. The author channeled cosmic horror without going over the thousand-eyes-and-tentacles top. Instead of remaining obtuse, Mexican Gothic explains what is going on, points for that, too. I thought the idea was absurd, but absurdly fun, and I appreciate a fresh take on the tired tropes of Lovecraftian horror.

Still, I found a few plot inconsistencies. Yes, Noemí possesses something she doesn’t use to her advantage at all. And yes, Noemí should’ve heeded the warnings and escaped while she could. Our main character has some serious lapses of logic, but these are minor points. More major is the dramatic shift from classic language and style to a more modern tone as the situation grows dire. Suddenly, people who were using language appropriate for the 1950s are swearing like 2020s characters and engaging in activities reserved more for this decade. This shift took me out of the atmosphere the book created in the beginning.

Nonetheless, Mexican Gothic is a worthwhile read. Fun, scary, and creative are the highest praise I can give it. Do yourself a favor and follow Noemí up to High Place for a gothically good time.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YK1K1YK

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Review of Brother Wolf

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Eleanor Bourg Nicholson’s novel, Brother Wolf, is the second in a series I’m dubbing “The Father Edmund Collection.” Fr. Edmund Thomas Gilroy, though a secondary character in both novels, plays a pivotal part in instructing and combating the forces of evil threatening the Church and the world. In A Bloody Habit, he and others fought off vampires. In this offering, he’s central in the battle against werewolves.


Athene Howard is an adult assistant to her scholarly father, Charles. On the trip from America to France, she overhears an unnerving conversation and repeats it to her indifferent padre. It’s only when Athene accidentally stabs her father that her paternal parent becomes interested in the adventures of Sister Agatha, Sir Simon Gwynne, and a mysterious novice nun named Isabel. Athene isn’t sure of the reason, but she and her father join this excursion to reunite Isabel with her brother, Jean-Claude. When they arrive at a deserted town with only a troubadour, the monsters start appearing.


A strength of this novel interleaves Catholic doctrine, mythology, and superstition into a believable narrative. Yes, Catholic monks are werewolves. While the premise is absurd, the reasoning behind it grounds the novel and makes it frightening. Without spoiling it too much, werewolves are only the start of what our band of heroes must fight.


This is a creepy novel with a no-holds-barred approach to horror. Brother Wolf has a Catholic publisher, but the writer and staff are dedicated to giving the reader a worthwhile supernatural horror offering. The plot can become violent, certain scenes are disturbing, and the threat is real. The lead character fighting the opposition is Father Thomas Edmund Gilroy, who doesn’t appear for the first ten chapters. He embraces the principles of Christianity (particularly the Catholic faith) to fight against the darkness. He’s a delightful character that can only be described as a cross between Chesterton’s Fr. Brown and television’s Carl Kolchak.


The novel clips along at a good pace and the world-building is exquisite. The language Nicholson uses fits the period nicely. Have a dictionary ready. Athene herself was a bit of a puzzle for me. She’s a non-traditional heroine (points for that) but also somewhat obtuse. Characters kept saying she was important and placing her in critical roles, but it was hard to understand why. She plays a key part in the penultimate climax, which is a highlight of the book, but less of a part in the actual climax.


Brother Wolf is a solid second in the series even if it doesn’t reach the highs of the first novel. It is a captivating read for werewolf fans who don’t want their lycanthropes in love triangles. These werewolves are brutal and vicious but not irredeemable.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1941720560

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Analysis of Sinister Mystery (Athena Club 3)

The Sinister Mystery of the Mesmerized Girl’s last book of the The Athena Club trilogy is a puzzle to me. I don’t understand why certain choices were made. There are major spoilers ahead, so this is for only those fans who have read the third book.

First, the theme of men being useless or evil continues. All the people who are sacrificed midway through the book are men. Later, some of the women heroes comment that it’s good that those men died. Yeesh. The only “good” men are useless men. Dr. Watson is an imbecile who ignores the advice of the wise characters and listens to boys, attacks a house, and is wounded and out of the action. Sherlock Holmes is incapacitated. When he starts to recover, I don’t recognize the character he is so bland. And in his final moment of heroism he is shot by Mary? He is a device for Mary Jekyll, not a character. Only hedonistic Dorian Gray comes off as any male of any worth, and Goss champions the character because of author, Oscar Wilde. Has she read the story of Dorian Gray? I don’t understand her support of males who tortured women in their novels: Dracula and Dorian Gray.

At the end of the novel, the Egyptian queen is mesmerizing everyone’s worst nightmares. The entire Athena Club except Diana and Laura are under its spell. In effect, the Athena Club (except Diana) are useless. In Mary’s case, she shoots Sherlock. True, there’s an earlier scene where Mary, Cat, and Justine come together and nearly save the day. That scene felt earned. This final scene makes the Athena Club look like the Keystone Kops. Meanwhile, Diana and Laura kill the main villain. Laura is such a one-note character, I’m not sure why she was in the novel at all. She travels across Europe with Lucinda to show up to save the day? Disappointing. Furthermore, Laura should have done the dirty work she assigned to Diana. There’s no reason, other than Diana is a main character and Laura is not, that Diana couldn’t have used the gun.

The final good-byes to the members of the club was also a letdown. Mary’s is fine, Diana doesn’t really get one, and Cat’s payoff every reader knew since the first novel. She’s been hawking her side line of novels every fifty pages. The worst of all endings belong to Beatrice and Justine. Beatrice accepts her fate in life as a poisonous woman, never to find human comfort. Wait a minute. Beatrice is a scientist. Scientists solve problems. No scientist worth their salt would ever give up. Why does Beatrice passively succumb to her condition?

And then Justine. Dear God, what a turnaround. She is the principled member of the Athena Club. She’s the team’s balanced conscience in books one and most of two. In this novel, she ends up with Dorian Gray. Opposites attract, but usually not at a moral level, unless she wasn’t that moral to begin with. A compromised Justine is the impression I’m left with at the end of the novel. She’s changed to become worldly and embraced her Dorian side: self-indulgent, inward focused, and a cad. Perhaps not what the author intended, but with so little character development of Dorian Gray, how could the reader not assume this is what happened to her?

The beginning of the series, The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter, started off as clever and entertaining. Flipping the gender of some (Jekyll / Hyde) and following the story lines of others (Beatrice / Catherine) was inspired. Even Frankenstein using Justine’s body as the bride was a fantastic idea. The true villain of the first novel was a great revelation, but it portended things to come. People forget the villainy of the monster of Frankenstein, unlike its movie counterpart, and Strange Case leans into it. Unfortunately, flipping other heroic characters as villains (Van Helsing) or non-entities (Harker) in the following two novels doesn’t work as it did the first one. Flipping villains (Dracula, Dorian Gray) also doesn’t work. There’s no point to it. And still, existing villains (Moriarity) remain evil. Why?

There was great promise at the end of Strange Case. I wish the author had continued on its path.

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Review of The Sinister Mystery of the Mesmerized Girl

(The Athena Club Book 3)

Cover of The Sinister Mystery of the Mesmerized Girl

The Athena Club is comprised of Mary Jekyll and Diana Hyde (daughters of the infamous Henry Jekyll), Catherine Moreau (a puma made human by Dr. Moreau), Beatrice Rappaccini (a poisonous lady from a Nathaniel Hawthorne short story), Justine Frankenstein (the created bride of the monster), and Mina Harker (of Dracula lore). Theodora Goss’ third book in her trilogy series, The Sinister Mystery of the Mesmerized Girl, recounts how the parlor maid of the Athena Club is kidnapped and forced to use her mesmeric powers for evil purposes.

In Sinister, a group of men want to take over the British empire and plan to use mesmeric powers to do so. Three women—an Egyptologist named Margaret, Alice’s mother, and a subjugated Alice—are key to their plans. They have captured their largest nemesis, Sherlock Holmes, and have him drugged and sequestered. The Athena Group must race to the rescue.

This third novel feels like the author was contracted for three novels in this series and had only had ideas for two and a half novels. This may not be true, but the narrative fails to capture the zeitgeist of the first novel or the wonder of the second. The Athena Club books make the mistake of advertising themselves as a series, but they follow the conventions of a trilogy. In a series, novels don’t assume you’ve read the prior, even if you have. In contrast, a connected trilogy is meant to be read together. The first section of Sinister includes so many names and events of the prior two novels, this reviewer found it hard to follow.

In addition, Sinister plods along from sequence to sequence with a twist mid-novel that isn’t engaging. One Athenian member is absent for most of the book, and side characters like Inspector Hastings are mostly a distraction. I enjoyed the characters breaking the fourth wall in books one and two, but here it feels superfluous and gimmicky. The ending, in my opinion, doesn’t come together (see another post for major spoilers – Athena Club 3). The trilogy is completed. I’m happy to have finished it, but I wouldn’t read a fourth.

I recommend the first book and wish its spirit had continued to the next two. The second book is worth a read only if you were thrilled with the first one. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend the third.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07P5GCZ6Z

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Review of The Midnight Library

Cover The Midnight Library

Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library is on many must-read lists and deservedly so. The Midnight Library’s Nora Seed isn’t having a great day when she travels to the Midnight Library, a library filled with books of her alternate lives. Nora is allowed to inhabit a different life, spawned from seeing how the other path of a decision played out. In her “root life,” she’s an unemployed piano teacher with few options. In other lives, she reconnects with a former lover, lives out her former career choices, and goes out for coffee with a friend she declined the first time.

This is an entertaining book to read. The idea of a library where all the books detail multiple versions of your life is fascinating. The different threads could have descended into boring choices, but they never do. Nora is both herself and a completely different person in each one. Her body changes as she inhabits every different life choice, one of the little extras that works so well here. This book is never a slog to read.

The idea of a library where you can travel to other versions of your life sounds more middle-grade or young adult, but Haig keeps us squarely in adult territory. Yes, the plot repeats enough times you anticipate the rhythm of each life choice. Nora quantum leaps into a new life, learns something, and then goes back to the library. Though this pattern could tire out quickly, it doesn’t. The experiences themselves are vastly different. She, and the reader, enter her life to find out what her choices have wrought. The narrative never explains how Nora’s choices caused the resulting situations, leaving the readers to fill in the details—a wise choice. It uplifts the book and makes for an interesting narrative.

The Midnight Library, at times, doles out a lot of exposition. It details to the reader a string theory sort of explanation or a psychological supposition. A little tightening of those scenes would have been appreciated. However, the ending, without shouting its theme at us, perfectly adheres to what The Midnight Library has been telling us throughout its narrative. Without giving too much away, it could’ve pandered to our desire to leave Nora in better circumstances, but that is a different genre of fantasy—the fairy tale. No, this fantasy illuminates how we live our lives on this complex planet, and it’s a better book for it.

The Midnight Library is part “what if” narrative and part self-help guide. All parts leave the reader with a wondrous feeling.  For certain, it’s a book that belongs in your library.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B085BVSXS9

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If Writing is like a Romance, is Publishing like a Marriage?

I am an author of five independently published novels and one traditionally published novel with a second on the way. I learn lessons the hard way but the best way—through experience. One unexpected outcome of my traditional publishing journey was how closely writing feels like romance and publishing like marriage.

Let me explain.

For fiction writers who love what they do, writing is a thrill. The creativity that pours out onto the page, the world-building, the dynamic characters who spring to life. Writing is as much as getting lost in a world as reading. In early drafts, grammar and technique be damned. The writer is in charge. At times, the creative flow dries up, and when that happens, the writer has the right to stop.

Yes, writing isn’t exactly romance, but it provides a similar rush of endorphins and loss of time when you’re in the moment. The writer is in that early stage of infatuation. The more the writer works on their manuscript, the more the vision of the book becomes a reality. It goes from sneaking glances and blushes in an early relationship to full-on dating.

Before I discuss publishing, though, a word on marriage.

Marriage gets a bad rap. Most of the romance is gone, true, but replaced with a life partner, a better-than friend. In a marriage, one of the partners shouldn’t intend to walk away at the start. Marriage is a commitment, a special bond, between people.

With traditional publishing, publishing works like a marriage. Now, grammar and technique make a huge difference. The writer has signed away some of their rights to the work. Their story is now a product that must be sold. The author is no longer in charge. Sure, the writer can still walk away but not as cleanly. Similar to marriage, if a writer walks away from an upstanding publisher, it will follow them across the industry.

Independent and traditional publishing both involve work, much like a marriage. It’s different types of work.

Independent publishing is putting everything together, presenting a package to the world, and promoting that package—all on your own. No, there’s not two people, but two sides of the same person: the writer and the publisher. The one person with two halves must work together to be successful.

Traditional publishing is less packaging, but no less promoting. The writer is still heavily involved in the publishing aspect—editing, conferring with others, and upholding deadlines on contractual commitments. If a writer thinks after they’ve signed a contract they can sit back and relax (even with the big publishers), they’re mistaken.

In writing, the writer is mostly doing it for themselves. Can I write this book? Where will this novel take me? Will I be satisfied when I finish? Notice the pronoun. Sure, at this stage, the question of “Will you read it?” or “I hope they will read it” will come up, but to construct it, you must please yourself to do your best work.

In publishing you’re working for the reader. You’ve finished a book, the narrative journey is over, you are satisfied (you must be if you’re trying to publish it). Now the questions are different. Will most readers understand what is being conveyed? Will readers like this character? Will readers buy or read it?

Both writing and publishing are forms of love. A writer may not love one or the other, but they are two halves of every author’s world.

An aside: The potential writer may ask how could you not like writing if it’s like romancing? Let me tell you. If the writer is contractually obligated to write a series of books and they’re out of ideas before the end, writing is torture. “Just get this @#$ing book to publication!”

A writer may also live in both worlds and often does. The author is usually writing during the publishing phase. This is where the analogy falls to pieces. Writing while you’re publishing is not cheating on your partner. If your publisher thinks your work is good, it’s encouraged!

Enjoy your writing, and your publishing, journey.

Everything Else

Review Unlikely Animals

Cover of Unlikely Animals

Describing Unlikely Animals is like describing a color—it’s not easy. A prodigal daughter, Emma Starling, returns home to a small town in New Hampshire. Her father is ill, and her presence may extend her padre’s life. Emma has a secret she knows she must confess to her family. However, her family isn’t telling Emma everything either, especially about her best friend. Meanwhile, the ghost of a naturalist is encouraging one of the living to adopt a wild animal, a fifth grade class is coping with the death of one of their friends from leukemia, and Emma crosses paths with an old crush. Oh, and last but not least, dead people in the cemetery provide commentary through the entire book.

Unlikely Animals by Annie Hartnett is both bizarre and grounded, funny and melancholic, absurd and relatable. Emma is a likable enough main character. The novel demands more and more from her as it unfolds, and she continues to rise to the occasion. Her family is not entirely screwy, except one member, but he has a good reason. The entire plot is a hodge-podge of scenes, difficult to determine where the novel is headed.

A strength of Unlike Animal’s plot is its unpredictability. One moment, everything looks dire, and the next, re-assuring. The narrative is unique, and its writing is the strength that holds it together. The other constant is the dead narrators who are hilarious. Their little pieces of advice or reflections often end scenes with a smile. The cemetery commentary was an inspired inclusion.

The book appears to have no modern agenda. It contains serious themes, but I never had the sense the author was preaching, the fault of most modern novels. Instead, Unlikely Animals is a tale of family, responsibility, and support. The lack of a sermon gives it a timeless appeal, as in, if a reader revisits it in twenty years, it will work the same way.

This is a multiple point-of-view novel, and it occasionally veers off when it jumps into another character. The ending, too, comes together a little too easily. But in this unlikely story, it makes sense. I wasn’t disappointed but surprised at how it ended.

Unlikely Animals deserved a place on many Best Books of Year. Warm and heartfelt, but also absurd and zany, this timeless novel reminds us of the lessons we learn in life…and the afterlife.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/059316024X

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Review of Murder at the Agency

Cover of Murder at the Agency

Murder at the Agency is a debut novel by Kylie Forsythe, a cozy mystery about a new employee at an advertising agency who finds one of her coworkers dead.

Cassie Blayne is unemployed and looking for work. While pitching her ideas to a friend, an owner of an advertising agency overhears her. He offers to interview her for a position at his company, Turner and Nash. Cassie nails the interview, starts her new job, and makes a few friends and enemies. Within Cassie’s initial weeks of employment, someone is murdered in the agency, and she becomes the lead suspect.

Murder at the Agency has that cozy mystery vibe so important in a book in a series. It has charming characters, minimal off-page violence, and a good dose of small town charm. The Brighton Lake setting is a spot-on replica of a northern Midwest town, especially vibrant in the autumn and early winter. A cozy offering always benefits from a small level of threat, and Murder at the Agency has this as well. The increasing level of danger Cassie finds herself in is a strong point of the novel.

Despite a few minor technical issues, the book has a solid mystery structure. The characters are lined up, the murder happens, the wrong person is accursed, and amateur sleuthing occurs. Suspects are listed, investigated, and crossed off. Cassie makes the usual mistakes of an amateur investigator, and the police caution her about “getting involved.” A few subplots introduce a bit of romance into the novel, always welcome in a cozy. This novel was an entertaining, breezy read, never lagging. Overall, a well-designed debut book in what I hope will be a series.

Murder at the Agency has all the elements a cozy mystery reader is looking for in a novel: a charming main character, an engaging setting, and suspenseful passages. This series is off to a good start, and I hope we’ll see more mysteries in Brighton Lake.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1961967944

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Review of Reborn

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H. L. Burke’s third book in her Superhero Rehabilitation series is Reborn. In this sequence of books, superheroes (called sables) fight supervillains as expected, but the novel treats its heroic characters as adults in adult situations. The sables work for a larger organization called DOSA, which sponsors a program to rehabilitate supervillains into superheroes. Indeed, Reborn has plenty of action, but a healthy dose of drama as well.

In this novel, a trio of supervillains are attacking various DOSA facilities. One has a mind power that can put people to sleep. This particular power was exclusively exhibited by a sable who died a few years back. Is this person truly dead? And if he isn’t, what does this mean to one of our main characters, Prism, who knew him well?

Reborn has realistic, morally gray characters. Even the characters who should be squeaky clean make some dubious ethical choices. A few heroes earlier in this series turn out to do some terrible things in the course of this adventure. To me, this elevates the novel higher than a typical comic book or a graphic novel. A graphic novel still has so many panes to fit in, and when it tries for morally gray, I’ve found it shortchanges the depth. This book has the breathing space to do it right.

A minor spoiler is Prism is pregnant at the beginning of this book, and it makes for an enjoyable read to see her conflicted between being a nurturing mother and a superhero. I think the book handles this better than The Fantastic Four: Next Steps movie. Also, Reborn includes a new character, Wildfyre. His subplot is especially welcome. I enjoyed his inner struggle and thought it was resolved well.

Reborn does fall back on a superhero trope that I can’t reveal as it’s a major spoiler. Unfortunately for the novel, it’s one of my pet peeves. It lessens a particular outcome from book one. Though, the trope raises questions of an afterlife. This topic could have been easy to ignore, but the book explores what happens to people after they die.

All in all, Reborn is an entertaining novel. The narrative has some important ramifications for the future, and it deals with marital openness, parenthood, and the afterlife in significant ways. If you’re looking for a solid superhero series, you’ll “marvel” at H. L. Burke’s Rehabilitation series.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KP28CND