Ariel’s Island (Southern Fried Karma LLC, 2020) by Pat McKee is a wickedly intelligent, provocative, and creative novel which checks all the boxes of a riveting legal thriller. A “Best Legal Thriller” winner at the 14th annual National Indie Excellence Awards, Ariel’s Island stars six-year associate Paul McDaniel. He is a one-time poor boy whose […]
“The Way of the Saints” by Elizabeth Engelman
December 5, 2022 by Leave a Comment
Florida resident Elizabeth Engelman enters the ranks of praise-worthy novelists with more than a swirl of mysticism and a great deal of grace in her debut The Way of the Saints (Southeast Missouri State University, 2021). Her book is a compelling story of three generations of a Puerto Rican family struggling to survive cultural, historical, […]
The Official Southern Literary Review 2022 Holiday Gift Guide
November 23, 2022 by 1 Comment
Donna’s Picks For readers who liked Where the Crawdads Sing: In the Lonely Backwater by Val Niemen For fans of graphic novels: The third in a series by Robert Gipe, Pop For Tony Soprano fans and fans of dark financial world fiction: Coyote Loop by L. C. Fiore For Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil fans: The […]
“Hell of a Book” by Jason Mott
November 16, 2022 by Leave a Comment
You’d think it would be easy to write a hell of a book review for a book titled Hell of a Book (Dutton, 2021). It isn’t. Jason Mott pulls off a literary magic trick that’s hard to define. Mott manages to swirl humor, imagination and lyrical language through the grim story of a Black child […]
“Life Dust: A Novel” by Pam Webber
November 15, 2022 by Leave a Comment
The year is 1971 and the war in Vietnam has been fought by U.S. forces for seven years. Nettie is a caring, no-nonsense nurse in a Virginia hospital. Her life revolves around her work and her boyfriend Andy. Andy is stationed in Fort Benning, but is soon to be deployed to Vietnam. Nettie and Andy […]
“Feels Like Falling” by Kristy Woodson Harvey
November 15, 2022 by Leave a Comment
Best-selling women’s fiction author Kristy Woodson Harvey (Peachtree Bluff series, Slightly South of Simple) is known for her crystalline depictions of modern, genteel Southern life. Her female lead characters are imbued with a fiercely feminine strength that serves them well as they face life’s challenges and never fail to inspire fans to cheer them on. […]