“Still Come Home” by Katey Schultz

In “Still Come Home,” Katey Schultz weaves together the stories of three struggling people: Nathan Miller, a National Guards officer finishing up his fourth tour in Afghanistan; Aaseya, a 17-year-old Afghan girl who wishes for more education and freedom, both denied to her after her family was killed; and Rahim, Aaseya’s 40-year-old husband, who has […]

“River of Shame” by Susan Clayton-Goldner

River of Shame: A Winston Radhauser Mystery: #4 Susan Clayton-Goldner “River of Shame” is the fourth book in the Winston Radhauser series, and it continues the themes of the first three: family life and human relations, thrown into high relief by violent crime. The story starts a few months after the end of book #3, […]

“Tormented” by Susan Clayton-Goldner

Tormented Susan Clayton-Goldner With the plot of a priest in love with a woman who dies right after he confesses his love to her, you might be forgiven for thinking that “Tormented” is some kind of lurid story about priestly misdeeds. But, while priestly misdeeds do take place, the book is not titillating trash but […]

“A River of Silence” by Susan Clayton-Goldner

A River of Silence Susan Clayton-Goldner In “A River of Silence,” the third Detective Radhouser book, Radhouser is called upon to investigate his least favorite kind of crime: one involving the death of a child. On the other side of the story, Caleb Bryce is racked with guilt over failing to prevent the death of […]

“Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance” by Ruth Emmie Lang

Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance Ruth Emmie Lang Oh goodness! you say. How could a book about a boy raised by wolves be anything other than cheesy? I mean, after “The Jungle Book” and “Julie of the Wolves,” it’s all kind of downhill, isn’t it? Well, I am pleased to say that “Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstances” […]

“Queen of Spades” by Michael Shou-Yung Shum

Queen of Spades Michael Shou-Yung Shum What a cracking tale! As soon as I saw the title, I knew I had to read it. Although “Queen of Spades” isn’t my favorite of Pushkin’s stories–that honor goes to his “Little Tragedies”–it’s certainly a classic for a reason. This version, set in a casino in Snoqualmie in […]

“China Girl: And Other Stories” by Ho Lin

China Girl: And Other Stories Ho Lin “She hates the David Bowie song…How could anyone think of that as a beautiful Chinese girl?” So thinks May Lee, the exotic dancer whose story is told in the eponymous opening story of the collection “China Girl,” whose characters move, often ambiguously, between East and West, belonging to […]

“Spoils” by Brian Van Reet

Spoils Brian Van Reet Specialist Cassandra Wigheard is a tough girl from Arkansas who joined the army looking for adventure. What she got was deployment to Iraq and lots of close proximity with aspiring rapists, first from her own comrades in arms, then from the mujahideen who capture her and want to use her as […]

“Flying By the Seat of My Knickers” by Eliza Watson

Flying By the Seat of My Knickers Eliza Watson “Flying By the Seat of my Knickers” is part of the burgeoning genre of…I don’t know exactly what to call it…stories about hapless young women who have to turn their lives around by having adventures and finding love. It’s chick lit of a very specific sort. […]

“When Time is a River” by Susan Clayton-Goldner

When Time is a River Susan Clayton-Goldner In “When Time Is A River,” teenager Brandy wants to be an actress more than anything. But her dream may have been dashed before it was even formed: she has a noticeable scar on her cheek from a childhood accident. Now she’s going through plastic surgeries and trying […]

E. P. Clark: Author, Book Reviewer, and All-Around Literary Handiwoman

American fiction