This enjoyable mystery set in a historically accurate Chicago features a strong sense of time and place. In Frances McNamara’s "Death at Chinatown", an accusation of murder against a young woman exposes a much larger mystery within... Read More

Goldsborough excels in describing the excessive behavior of his characters and the intoxicating ambiance of Parisian life. Fictional characters interact seamlessly with actual people and events in James Oliver Goldsborough’s "The Paris... Read More

This unpredictable story is an entertaining fictional view of old Hollywood, full of public glamor and private scandal. The tale of the small-town boy or girl who heads to Hollywood to be “discovered” is classic Americana. So is the... Read More

A meticulously penned historical mystery, "Shall We Not Revenge" weaves complex characters into an intriguing plot. The sophomore novel from D. M. Pirrone is a gripping mystery that troubles the very notions of innocence and guilt.... Read More

Drew takes the reader on a harrowing but highly readable trip from a Russian shtetl to the Garment District in New York. "Red Mansions", by Cynthia Drew, is a historical novel about three generations of strong and determined women in New... Read More

Huang offers a subtly powerful portrait of a confused Chinese girl’s growth through tragedy and conflict into a strong young woman. A highly competitive university student and an elusive panda bear might seem to have little in common,... Read More

Death, resurrection, and change are woven into the narrative of Talkhoon’s personal experiences during her country’s upheaval. Farnoosh Moshiri’s latest novel is set during the 1979 Iranian revolution against its monarchy. "The... Read More

A fictionalized account of the Louisiana Purchase helps us visualize an interesting and complex time in history. The Louisiana Purchase of 1803 involved deft negotiations between the United States, France, and Spain and featured the... Read More