The Twelve Tribes of Hattie

Ayana Mathis
Twelve Tribes of Hattie, Ayana Mathis' first novel, is a stunner. It tells the story of Hattie Shepherd, a Georgia girl who moves north to Philadelphia with her mother and sisters during the Great Migration. She marries early and for the wrong reason, and ends up struggling to raise her children amidst instability and poverty. The children's stories,...

Review by Jill P. »

With Blood in Their Eyes

Thomas Cobb
A meticulously researched retelling of a bloody shootout at the turn of the century in Arizona history. With authentically rich dialogue and fascinating character development, Cobb not only reveals the exciting adventure and drama of attempting to elude the law, but through flashbacks, gives the background and moral fiber of a family trying to make...

Review by Larry F. »

Bitter Seeds

Ian Tregillis
Europe, 1939. British spy Raybould Marsh is determined to defeat the Nazis’ laboratory-created supermen at any price. With the help of Britain’s reclusive warlocks, demons are recruited to help end the war in the Allies’ favor. Tregillis’ debut novel in the Milkweed trilogy is wild historical fiction and dark horror; the author never wastes...

Review by Amy B. »

Survive

Alex Morel
Imagine waking up in the cold after surviving a plane crash. Bodies are strewn about. You and the snarky guy who was sitting next to you but now, still in his seat, is stuck in a tree hanging over a huge drop, are the only survivors. This is what happened to Jane. Only, she shouldn’t be alive. ...

Review by Linda S. »

Material Witness

Vannetta Chapman
Material witness is another solid entry in the Shipshewana Amish Mystery series by Vannetta Chapman. Someone believes Callie has a large amount of money that rightfully belongs to him and he will stop at nothing, including kidnapping and murder to get it. The problem is Callie has no idea what money she’s supposed to have. ...

Review by Katheryn C. »

Fall of Giants

Ken Follett
Fall of Giants is an epic tale with impeccable historic accuracy which presents itself as a daunting task for any reader at well over 1000 pages, but reads almost effortlessly. ...

Review by Brice B. »

Hunger

Jackie Morse Kessler
Hunger is a compelling problem story with well developed characters as well as an engaging fantasy. ...

Review by Linda S. »

John the Painter: Terrorist of the American Revolution

Jessica Warner
James Aitken, aka John the Painter, was a Scottish-born domestic terrorist who served the cause of the American Revolution by attempting to burn down the royal dockyards in Britain. He was 24 years old when he was tried and hanged for his crimes, and his body was gibbeted and hung on display near the Portsmouth harbor. ...

Review by Amy B. »

Lacemaker

Janine Montupet
Historical fiction at its best.The Lacemaker follows Gilonne Perdriel from her unusual birth through adulthood. ...

Review by Katheryn C. »

Bad Things Happen

Harry Dolan
Growing up in Ann Arbor immediately drew my attention to "Bad Things Happen" by Harry Dolan. The author lives in Ann Arbor and the city is the setting for his first mystery novel. ...

Review by Larry F. »