Fiction Addiction

The Shark Club by Ann Kidd Taylor

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The Shark Club by Ann Kidd Taylor
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Fans of Mary Alice Monroe will be delighted to discover the debut novel, The Shark Club by Ann Kidd Taylor. Even sharkaphobes like myself will find their attitudes toward sharks changing as they meet passionate marine biologist Maeve Donnelly, who fears she may love sharks more than people. I found The Shark Club to be a beautiful novel of love, forgiveness, family, and second chances.

The Shark Club by Ann Kidd Taylor, (List Price: $16, Penguin Books, 9780735221482, June 2018)

Reviewed by Jill Hendrix, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina

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The Poet’s Game by Paul Vidich

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The Poet's Game by Paul Vidich
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Paul Vidich’s The Poet’s Game masterfully captures the essence of a classic spy novel. Vidich weaves a compelling narrative filled with intrigue, suspense, and carefully crafted characters. Alex Matthews is a retired CIA station chief, now capitalizing on the new Russian economy. He learns the hard way that the Russians have a long memory, and he will need to risk everything to keep himself and his business alive. Vidich’s attention to detail and his deep understanding of the espionage genre make this book a must-read for fans of spy fiction.

The Poet’s Game by Paul Vidich, (List Price: $27.95, Pegasus Books, 9781639368853, May 2025)

Reviewed by Brent Bunnell, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina

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The Human Scale by Lawrence Wright

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The Human Scale by Lawrence Wright
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Tony Malik is a Palestinian American on leave from his position in the FBI due to a traumatic injury suffered when a terrorist bomb detonated while being defused. While on leave, he travels to Gaza to attend the wedding of his niece, whom he has never met. Shortly after his arrival, an Israeli police chief is brutally murdered, and Tony becomes a suspect in the crime. While working to prove his innocence, Tony forms an unlikely alliance with an anti-Arab hardline Israeli police officer who is investigating the murder. Both men are racing to discover the truth, which culminates on October 7th, 2023, in a way that neither could have foreseen. As a fiction thriller, this book stands by itself, but as a deftly written portrayal of real-world issues (with heroes and villains on both sides), it should be required reading for those seeking a deeper understanding of the history that drives the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It is truly a masterpiece.

The Human Scale by Lawrence Wright, (List Price: $30, Knopf, 9780593537831, March 2025)

Reviewed by Brent Bunnell, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina

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The Champagne Letters by Kate MacIntosh

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The Champagne Letters by Kate MacIntosh
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Natalie is trying to pick up the pieces after she is blindsided by a divorce, and Barbe-Nicole is trying to keep her family’s wine-making business afloat after her husband’s untimely death. Both women face challenges as they navigate new lives, but each one’s story takes place in a different time. Natalie takes off for Paris to heal and explore in today’s time, while Barbe-Nicole is the famed Madame Clicquot struggling to produce and sell champagne during the 1800s. Told in alternating time periods, this story will appeal to anyone who believes in second chances, the timeless power of choice, and the healing properties of a lovely glass of wine.

The Champagne Letters by Kate MacIntosh, (List Price: $28.99, Gallery Books, 9781668061886, December 2024)

Reviewed by Mary Jane Michels, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina

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Havoc by Christopher Bollen

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Havoc by Christopher Bollen
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Oh, my! I have no idea what I have just read. Definitely dark, often crazy, sometimes funny, and impossible to put down. A psychological thriller unlike anything I have ever read. A meddlesome 81-year-old woman who has an unstoppable urge to “help” people she thinks are troubled meets her match with an eight-year-old little boy who could be compared to Patty McCormick in The Bad Seed. Together, they wreak havoc upon each other and the guests and staff at the once opulent hotel in Luxor Egypt where they have gathered to escape Covid lockdowns in their home countries. You will not soon forget Maggie Burkhardt, or the ending!

Havoc by Christopher Bollen, (List Price: $30, Harper, 9780063378896, December 2024)

Reviewed by Nancy McFarlane, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina

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The Mistletoe Mystery by Nita Prose

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The Mistletoe Mystery by Nita Prose
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The Mistletoe Mystery is a sweet novella about Molly the maid, filled with lots of her Gran’s wonderful sayings. There are lots of Christmas festivities as Molly and Juan celebrate the days before Christmas. Molly is the only one who sees a mystery as you, the reader, will understand right away what is happening. But, then Molly never sees anything beyond what is right in front of her nose.

The Mistletoe Mystery by Nita Prose, (List Price: $22, Ballantine Books, 9780593875445, October 2024)

Reviewed by Nancy McFarlane, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina

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Please Be My Star: A Graphic Novel by Victoria Grace Elliott

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Please Be My Star: A Graphic Novel by Victoria Grace Elliott
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High school stands out in my mind as such a time for being awkward, self-critical, and overly romantic. This is the case for Erika, a new student who has a voice in her head that often makes her question herself and if she’s capable of making friends. Surely, something has to give! When her school opens up submissions for one-act plays, she writes one for her crush.. But she never expects him to agree to be her lead! Full of angst and obsession that only comes with a new crush.

Please Be My Star: A Graphic Novel by Victoria Grace Elliott, (List Price: $15.99, Graphix, 9781338840407, October 2024)

Reviewed by Arthur Acton, Fiction Addiction in Winston-Salem, South Carolina

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Tell It to Me Singing by Tita Ramirez

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Tell It to Me Singing by Tita Ramirez
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The Campo family has weathered all kinds of adversity, but nothing prepares them for the secrets that the matriarch, Mirta, has been keeping. Daughter Monica is facing her own trials with an unexpected pregnancy and questions about her future when her mother shares life-changing information about who her father really is. Add in that Mirta is dealing with heart surgery and memory-clouding aftereffects, a father who regularly disappears when he feels threatened, and two potential suitors for Monica and you have the tender and warm family story that Tita Ramirez has created. Cuban history is deftly woven into the making of the Campo family, adding an additional layer of interest and understanding of the choices that were made.

Tell It to Me Singing by Tita Ramirez, (List Price: $28.99, S&S/ Marysue Rucci Books, 9781982157319, July 2024)

Reviewed by Mary Jane Michels, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina

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The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins

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The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins
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The Blue Hour is a book about art – it is about the reclusive artist, the sculptures and paintings, the curator obsessed with her work, and the people who have come to be in possession of pieces of her art. The description of the art and its inception is fascinating. No wonder her work has been fought over. The Blue Hour is also a psychological drama about self-worth, loneliness, loss, and love. You will probably not like most of the characters. You will probably be surprised by the slow revelations that have led to the present circumstances. But you will definitely not soon forget this dark and chilling story of obsessive love.

The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins, (List Price: $30, Mariner Books, 9780063396524, October 2024)

Reviewed by Nancy McFarlane, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina

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Calico by Lee Goldberg

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Calico by Lee Goldberg
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Following a dramatic fall from grace with the LAPD, detective Beth McDade has landed in the lonely desert city of Barstow. Located between LA and Las Vegas, Barstow is, for the most part, a quiet town. That changes on Feb. 2nd when Beth is called to investigate the death of an apparently homeless man who ran into the path of an RV. Wearing raggedy clothes with no buttons or zippers and with only a couple of coins dated in the 1880s in his pockets, Beth can find no evidence of who this man is or was. What’s more, during an apparent electrical storm that same evening that resulted in two separate explosions on nearby military bases, another traveler heading back to LA from Las Vegas seems to simply disappear along with his SUV while in the same area. A few days later, when an old grave is encountered at a nearby construction site, Beth’s investigation takes a wild turn when the construction site body is determined to be that of the missing traveler, but the remains themselves appear to be over 100 years old. Beth continues to investigate the case when she is confronted by the military police and told in no uncertain terms to let it go at the risk of her career and possibly even her life. This one is a roller coaster ride with some incredible twists that will keep you turning pages until the end. A taut thriller that takes the imagination on a wild ride.

Calico by Lee Goldberg, (List Price: $16.99, Severn House, 9781448314560, September 2024)

Reviewed by Brent Bunnell, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina

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The Spy by James Phelan

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The Spy by James Phelan
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This book is the first in a new series featuring Jed Walker, a former deep cover CIA operative. On Jed’s last sanctioned mission, he learns that one of the primary goals of the mission includes making sure Jed Walker does NOT survive it. He escapes only by faking his own death and then strikes out on his own to track down the forces that are trying to remove him. That final mission was to infiltrate a mysterious group known as Zodiac, who are plotting a series of devastating terrorist attacks meant to destabilize the current world order. The first of these attacks is set to go off in a little less than 4 days, and Jed will need to use all of his skills and resources if he is able to stop it and at the same time identify those who are working to have him removed. Not knowing who he can and cannot trust, Jed has to rely on his wiles and the network he had developed in his previous life as a CIA operative. The question is, can he trust these resources or is he setting himself up for betrayal? This first in a new series is a blistering page-turner and I can’t wait to see what comes next!

The Spy by James Phelan, (List Price: $16.99, Blackstone Publishing, 9781094193205, August 2024)

Reviewed by Brent Bunnell, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina

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House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen

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House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen
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House of Glass is a terrifying story that you won’t be able to put down as Stella Hudson, a best interest lawyer for children during custody disputes, tries to learn as much as she can about nine-year-old Rose Barclay’s family and what really happened the day Rose’s nanny fell to her death from a third story window. The more she learns the more she questions the guilt or innocence of all of the family, including her 9-year-old client Rose. One thing is abundantly clear, Stella always has Rose’s best interest at heart and even if Rose has done something truly awful she, not her family, is the best chance for Rose to get meaningful help.

House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen, (List Price: $29, St. Martin’s Press, 9781250283993, August 2024)

Reviewed by Nancy McFarlane, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina

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Anna Bright Is Hiding Something by Susie Orman Schnall

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Anna Bright Is Hiding Something by Susie Orman Schnall
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This is a compelling book that will do absolutely nothing to affirm any faith in corporate America. Anna, not really best friend material, is hiding more than you can imagine. Perhaps inspired by actual events, the behind-the-scenes events are all too believable. The current AI landscape gives the plot even more relevance. Plan to be enthralled from the start at what happens when unbridled ambition and forward-looking science collide.

Anna Bright Is Hiding Something by Susie Orman Schnall, (List Price: $17.95, SparkPress, 9781684632527, June 2024)

Reviewed by Jackie Willey, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina

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Bright and Tender Dark by Joanna Pearson

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Bright and Tender Dark by Joanna Pearson
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Karlie was a beautiful and well-liked college student, so who would want to kill her? The book is set in two time frames, 1999, when the crime occurred, and 2019 when the case is reinvestigated by Karlie’s ex-roommate, Joy. Bright and Tender Dark leads the reader into the world of true crime and its ability to both explore and exploit cases for the benefit of its followers. Although a man has been convicted of the crime, Joy doggedly exhumes information that leads her in another direction and nearly upends her life. This is a multifaceted mystery with an array of compelling secondary characters, a college town setting, an evangelical student group, and the ghost of the victim. In other words, a thoroughly absorbing read that will both engage and intrigue you.

Bright and Tender Dark by Joanna Pearson, (List Price: $28.99, Bloomsbury Publishing, 9781639732890, June 2024)

Reviewed by Mary Jane Michels, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina

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Her Best Self by Mindy Friddle

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Her Best Self by Mindy Friddle
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Janelle Wolf’s life changed forever the night of her car accident. Left with a blank memory of the events of that night, Janelle turns to Lana, a self-proclaimed psychic healer, to help bring back exactly what happened. Mindy Friddle sets this story of family secrets and past mistakes in the small Southern town of Haven, South Carolina, that is both comforting and suffocating to residents. The untangling of the past and the future prospects of the Wolf family make this a compelling story ripe for discussion.

Her Best Self by Mindy Friddle, (List Price: $20.95, Regal House Publishing, 9781646034635, May 2024)

Reviewed by Mary Jane Michels, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina

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