SUPERCHARGING SUSTAINABILITY
Genre: Business
IR Verdict: Bjarni Herrera’s SUPERCHARGING SUSTAINABILITY is a valuable manual for anybody looking to navigate the often overwhelming area of ESG financial frameworks. With clear prose and meticulous references, Herrera shows how profitability need not be at the expense of environmental and ethical responsibility.
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THE WAR MACHINE
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
IR Verdict: Barry W. Levy’s THE WAR MACHINE comprises a mixture of Vietnam War story and Jack Reacher-esque prose in pursuit of the little-known story of Canada’s part in the Vietnam War.
WATER LUST
Genre: Memoir
IR Verdict: WATER LUST by Gerhard Pohle is a lively and engaging autobiography that includes humor, tragedy, loneliness, love, catastrophe, and triumph. It is a rich reminiscence of a childhood that takes place over an equally expansive geographical range.
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THE PASSIONATE WORKFORCE
Genres: Business
IR Verdict: In THE PASSIONATE WORKFORCE: How to Create and Maintain Maximum Employee Engagement, author Nicholas Capman’s 15 pillars for creating a passionate workforce seem self-evident, and his recommendations for company policies are well-argued.
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MYSTERIES OF THE SOUTHERN GOTHIC
Genres: Mystery/Thriller
IR Verdict: Simmering with slow-boil suspense and dark secrets, Jessica Carrasquillo’s MYSTERIES OF THE SOUTHERN GOTHIC proves a twisty, steamy thriller that impresses and beguiles. The author brings Southern atmosphere and emotional intensity to a grim tale of innocence defiled and the steep cost of reconciling with sins of the past.
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NINTH LIFE
Genre: Popular Fiction
IR Verdict: Jane Teresa Anderson’s NINTH LIFE fully commits to a quirky premise with a surprisingly rich payoff.
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83 ODYSSEY
Genre: Travel
IR Verdict: 83 ODYSSEY: An Adventure Down the Spine of America on U.S. Highway 83 shines with author Charles Roamer’s affection for the Great Plains’ landscape and people.
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TO DO JUSTICE
Genre: Historical Fiction
IR Verdict: A brilliantly evocative story of mid-1960s Chicago, Frank S. Joseph’s TO DO JUSTICE brims with interest for readers of all types.
THE RESTLESS LAKE
Genre: Women’s Fiction
IR Verdict: Teri Fink’s THE RESTLESS LAKE, a story of love and redemption, offers humor, adventure, and insights about humanity’s capabilities to both destroy and heal. The gorgeous setting and engaging characters top off a compelling read.
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V-LIFE
Genre: Paranormal
IR Verdict: Honey Parker’s V-LIFE is a vampire tale that somehow manages to be cute, endearing, and even funny without glossing over too much of the pain, darkness, and loss involved. While it’s complete enough in its own right to stand alone, it reads more as a promising beginning to a series or trilogy.
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INHERITANCE
Genre: Science Fiction
IR Verdict: Lou Iovino’s INHERITANCE is a gripping read, a moving portrayal of labor, and a promising start to the Rare Earth Trilogy.
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BROKEN MIRROR
Genre: Science Fiction
IR Verdict: Crisply and actively told, Cody Sisco’s BROKEN MIRROR expresses powerful empathy for those suffering from the stigma of mental illness in our own society today.
REM’S CHANCE
Genre: Literary Fiction
IR Verdict: REM’S CHANCE, by Dave J. Andrae, is a fun, weird meditation on life and death for older millennials.
ROMULUS: CITY OF ANGELS
Genre: Action/Adventure
IR Verdict: C.E. Gideon’s ROMULUS: CITY OF ANGELS is an ambitious urban fantasy debut that deftly blends romance, adventure, and Lovecraftian horror. Gideon’s vivid prose and dark imagination make this a promising start to a series.
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ADDITIONAL ATTENDEE
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
IR Verdict: Farce and introspection combine seamlessly in Josh Harper’s fanciful send-up of the classic detective murder-mystery, ADDITIONAL ATTENDEE. More than a comic caper, it is also a study in self-delusion and loss.
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THE EINSTEIN EDICT
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
IR Verdict: Affecting and compelling, E.W. Johnson’s THE EINSTEIN EDICT: A Dr. Sean Nolan Mystery is both a tight small-town thriller and a spotlight on some of the national crises affecting everyday people in 21st-century America.
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THE SENTINEL’S DAUGHTER
Genre: Dystopian
IR Verdict: Maria Ereni Dampman’s THE SENTINEL’S DAUGHTER is well-written and well-paced. However, its political bluntness means it will likely only resonate with those who agree with its message, potentially coming on too strong to win any new hearts or minds.
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UTCAN’S TALISMAN
Genre: Science Fiction
IR Verdict: Though it may be inaccessible to readers unfamiliar with previous installments in the series, Stella Atrium’s UTCAN’S TALISMAN is complex and sensuous enough to please anyone willing to sink into its deep layers of storytelling.
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POPPY & PA
Genre: Children’s (Early to intermediate readers)
IR Verdict: Kristyn Jewell’s POPPY & PA is a love letter to childhood summers with fluid prose, sparkling illustrations by Chelsea Peters, and plain-hearted affection for family and nature.
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THE VELVET HAMMER
Genre: True Crime
IR Verdict: Part true-crime case study, part long-odds memoir, Judge Belvin Perry, Jr. and Amy Mitchell’s THE VELVET HAMMER: Judge Belvin Perry, Jr.’s Capital Murder Cases and Memoir offers readers a gripping and insightful window into the world of capital murder trials, challenging them to grapple with the complexities of justice in the face of unspeakable crimes.
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DEADLY RIVALRIES
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
IR Verdict: Florence during the Italian Renaissance is at the heart of Ken Tentarelli’s engaging murder mystery, DEADLY RIVALRIES. Well-sketched depictions of the behaviors, objects, and people of this opulent period join a creative and surprising murder-mystery storyline in this satisfying read.
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