Reviews in Brief

The Boy With The Witch’s Nails by Shannon Shim is a wildly creative work of middle grade fantasy set in the stunning Tuscan countryside, teeming with myths and legends about witches, and inventing new myths along the way. Lucio, the son of a winemaker in Montalcino, finds a witch’s remains in the infamous Witch’s Forest near the village and steals her all-powerful nails. Will the magic nails be enough to keep him safe from the witch’s wrath, and has he unearthed something foreboding for the people of the village? Compulsively readable and impressive in its imaginative scope, this fantasy book will delight young readers in search of an adventure steeped in old stories, alá Harry Potter – matching that series’ ambition with a darker twist.

A young girl’s life spins into mystery and self-discovery after she is given a magical book in The Spectacular Life of Benito Martin del Canto, an impressively multilayered work of YA fiction by David Towner. Interwoven with the surreal 16th-century memoir, ostensibly written by Miguel Cervantes, is Taryn’s own adventurous life, and this mirroring of heroic tales is done artfully by the author – just like young Benito, Taryn is precocious, rebellious, and independent-minded. While the book within a book approach can be challenging for an author to make each half equally engaging, Towner pulls off the execution exceptionally well and keeps both storylines engrossing in their own right. The dialogue is overly spare, and suspension of disbelief is essential, but Towner’s pared-down style certainly works for YA fiction. All told, this is a charming, thought-provoking, and inspiring read for young readers, with crossover appeal for adults.

A middle grade adventure with an original twist and a cast of endearing young heroes, Time for PsyQ by Marti Ward is a phenomenally fun read. Certain schoolchildren who live near the Large Hadron Collider develop psionic abilities, leading to some very clever mystery-solving, in a kind of mash-up of Scooby Doo and Harry Potter. Like other young fellowship series, the key is the strong relationship dynamics, which are especially strong here, specifically between Airlie and her parents, as well as Yan and Kate, two of her eccentric powered-up pals. The story is marred somewhat by formatting mistakes, grammatical errors, misused words, and other linguistic details, but the heart of the story is strong, and the premise is enchanting from the start.

A romance-fueled family drama that spirals quickly into the realm of international thriller, Cobra Pose by Susan Rogers and John Roosen is a relentlessly entertaining installment of the Yoga Mat Mysteries series. Ric and Elaina investigate a scheme to destabilize and defraud some of the most powerful forces in Australia, while navigating their fresh and irresistible connection to each other. Using cutting-edge spy tech and a laundry list of specialist skills, not to mention razor-sharp wit, this odd couple is quite an addictive pair to front a thriller series. Some flat descriptions undercut the suspense, but the technical details are immersive, the story is fast-paced, and the two inimitable lead characters are a captivating duo at the center of this wholly original thriller.

A personality-shifting masterwork from Mark Spivak, Forger is a thrilling mystery of psychological divides, reuniting identities, cold-blooded murder, and the flexible notion of innocence. A fearless psychologist with a fresh practice becomes entangled in the complex life of Lester Gordon, unless he is Monsieur Betancourt, the eccentric French painter, or a kindly Jesuit priest, or perhaps a frightened child of only seven. Navigating the unpredictable chasms of a troubled, fractured mind, the good doctor is in for a wild and high-stakes journey with her remarkable patient. Though some of the plot points are overly convenient, and certain sensitivity towards mental illness could be improved, this art-centered thriller has an undeniable appeal for art connoisseurs and mystery fans alike.

Adding another jet-setting and thrill-heavy installment to his geopolitical saga, author Martin Smith drops an exotic bomb with Minion or Master III. Escaping a wild year on the other side of the world, George Howden finds himself on new business in Hong Kong in the tumultuous aftermath of Mao’s Cultural Revolution, where strike-free negotiations will be hard to come by. Not only that, but Mercator Tinopolis is still homicidally furious over a “stolen” shipping contract, Leonora has a mysterious target on her back in London, and the long reach of organized crime is muddying the waters for Howden’s ambitions – and morality. As with other books in the series, the prose has a tendency to get sluggish with procedural details, but the story is paced well overall with finely tuned moments of suspense, and a new cast of well-crafted characters, for a strong installment of this innovative collection of international thrillers.