Independent publisher of award-winning books by Kelly Brakenhoff
Dearest Gentle Reader, I must confess. Choosing a tale that boldly claims to be “Bridgerton meets historical mystery,” I half-expected The Missing Diamond to drown me in high society balls and tea-time gossip. Thankfully, Lynn Morrison and Anne Radcliffe had a different plan.
We live in interesting times. I hear that phrase quite often these days, and how apropos it is! Put bluntly, there’s a lot going on in the world that really, really sucks. Many people just want to make like an ostrich and bury their heads in the sand, and who could blame them?
Every once in a while, a book comes along that makes you think, “Wait, what?” and Parlez-Vous Murder? did exactly that for me. Picture this: American tourist Jules Hooker escapes to idyllic Southern France near the Riviera when a dirty bomb—an electromagnetic pulse (EMP), no less—throws Europe and America back to the technological stone age.
The first thing that struck me in Animal Climate Heroes was Jason Ford’s superhero-themed illustrations. They’re whimsical and fun, yet scientifically accurate, striking the perfect balance between entertainment and education.
Julie Mulhern’s Fields’ Guide to Abduction is a genre-bending adventure where cozy mystery humor meets action-packed escapades. Center stage in this whirlwind is Poppy Fields, a social media influencer whose seemingly shallow life is filled with perfectly curated Instagram posts.
As part of our five-year anniversary celebration, we are throwing it back to where everything started. The smart, sassy voice of Cassandra Sato, newly minted Vice-President for Student affairs at Morton College. If you are new to Cassandra and her friends, here’s a peek behind the scenes from her point of view. Welcome to the series!
Ever wondered what happens when you take a pinch of Hawaiian sunshine, mix it with Nebraska cornfields, and throw in a crime scene investigation just for fun? Well, you get Death by Dissertation, a concoction I brewed up during a month-long cram session known as National Novel Writing Month back in November 2014.
Diving into Be Strong by Darcy Pattison, you’re greeted with the remarkable journey of Nancy Schon, the 95-year-old Boston artist known for her “Make Way for Ducklings” sculpture in the Boston Garden. Inspired by Robert McCloskey’s classic, Schon’s work brings to life the joy of interacting with art outdoors, something Pattison captures with finesse.
If you, like me, are a fan of the crazy twists and turns of Only Murders in the Building, then Eryn Scott’s Body in 3B is about to become your next must read. From the moment I laid eyes on the cover, I knew I was in for a treat—a mystery that promises suspense and a hearty dose of eccentricity, much like the TV show on Hulu.
Penance on the Prairies by R.L. Syme is like nothing we’ve read before. Imagine this: Vangie, a part-time pastor with a bit of a mysterious past, gets exiled to this tiny Montana town as a sort of punishment from her church superiors.
