Category Archives: A closer look

A Short Journey to Horror Fiction

Posted on February 2, 2022 by jfkaufmann

I rarely plunge into this genre, but I read and reviewed Priscilla Bettis’s debut work, “The Hay Bale”. First, my review: “The best way to describe this short horror story is that I took a deep breath in on page … Continue reading →

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She Who Comes Forth by Audrey Driscoll

Posted on February 26, 2021 by jfkaufmann

The first book I read this year left me frustrated. I was way more fortunate with my second read in 2021 – She Who Comes Forth by Audrey Driscoll. I really enjoyed this mystery novel set in the early 1960s … Continue reading →

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A Magnificent Farewell

Posted on February 7, 2019 by jfkaufmann

A five-star review of J. P. McLean’s Wings of Prey, the concluding book of The Gift Legacy.  I was reading the last book in The Gift Legacy with enjoyment mixed with that specific sadness we sometimes feel when the time … Continue reading →

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A Wedding and a White Christmas by Suzanne Stengl

Posted on November 25, 2018 by jfkaufmann

Among other things that I loved in A Wedding and a White Christmas are some that I normally don’t care for in romance fiction: stories set in Calgary, Christmas romances and impulsive Vegas weddings. In this sweet romance it was just the … Continue reading →

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Secret Sky by JP McLean

Posted on November 21, 2018 by jfkaufmann

Congratulations to my friend and fellow author JP McLean on launching Secret Sky, the first installment in her Gift Legacy. It’s available on Amazon (.com, .ca, .uk…) and other major e-book sellers for a promo price that is less than a … Continue reading →

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The Infamously Famous Story of O

Posted on June 29, 2018 by jfkaufmann

Story of O was so beautifully written that this alone should’ve been enough to give it literary credibility. I recently read the 1954 infamous, mysterious and controversial short novel by French author Pauline Réage. When it was published, the book … Continue reading →

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The Scarlet Mark by Shellley Kassian

Posted on April 22, 2018 by jfkaufmann

I’m posting a review I wrote more than two years ago… I’ve just realized I don’t have it on my website. January 2016 Intertwining her novel’s plot with several distinctive threads – Norse mythology, folk tales and early medieval Christianity … Continue reading →

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Running Home by Katie O’Connor

Posted on April 22, 2018 by jfkaufmann

A great romance, and much more. Running Home, the first novel in the Heart’s Haven series, is an enjoyable read, a lovely romance that will leave you happy and satisfied. It has likable and realistic characters and a solid story. … Continue reading →

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The Snowman, or, what happened to Jo Nesbø

Posted on January 24, 2018 by jfkaufmann

What is the magic ingredient for a bestseller? Must be luck, for a good story certainly isn’t. And I think I know what happened to Jo Nesbø, but you’ll need to read to the end of this blog to find out. … Continue reading →

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A closer look: One Woman’s Island by Susan M. Toy

Posted on July 20, 2017 by jfkaufmann

Like her Island in the Clouds, Susan Toy’s second Bequia Perspective novel, One Woman’s Island is a complex story. On the surface, it’s a crime novel. Mariana, a Canadian woman in her forties, arrives on the island of Bequia running … Continue reading →

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