I was drawn to Sign Here and curious to see Claudia Lux’s version of hell. The story that unfolds is dark, humorous, well-paced tale that pulls the reader in as Peyote Trip works on a deal that will get him out of hell.

Sign Here
by Claudia Lux
Genres: Fantasy
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate

Rating:

A darkly humorous, surprisingly poignant, and utterly gripping debut novel about a guy who works in Hell (literally) and is on the cusp of a big promotion if only he can get one more member of the wealthy Harrison family to sell their soul.

Peyote Trip has a pretty good gig in the deals department on the fifth floor of Hell. Sure, none of the pens work, the coffee machine has been out of order for a century, and the only drink on offer is Jägermeister, but Pey has a plan—and all he needs is one last member of the Harrison family to sell their soul.

When the Harrisons retreat to the family lake house for the summer, with their daughter Mickey’s precocious new friend, Ruth, in tow, the opportunity Pey has waited a millennium for might finally be in his grasp. And with the help of his charismatic coworker Calamity, he sets a plan in motion.

But things aren’t always as they seem, on Earth or in Hell. And as old secrets and new dangers scrape away at the Harrisons’ shiny surface, revealing the darkness beneath, everyone must face the consequences of their choices.

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Sign Here takes us to an office building in hell, the fifth floor to be exact, where Petoye gets folks on earth to sell their soul. It’s a pretty good gig, all things considering. He needs one more Harrison to sell their soul, and he’s free. We deal with office meetings, quotas, pens that don’t work and his peers. After hours, he hits the bars which only serve Jägermeister before returning to his drab apartment.

We travel with him and some of his peers as they sign deals on earth, visit the sixth floor and backstab each other. It was fascinating and fresh.

Then on Earth, we meet the Harrisons’ and spend the summer with them at their family lake house. While the place holds many memories, it is a tragedy one that stands out. They may look like the perfect family, but all is not as it seems and the lake holds secrets. It was dark, poignant, and held my attention. The daughter brings a friend who stirs up questions about the past. The wife is having an affair, and the husband has dark, disturbing thoughts. For me, it was the stronger thread despite starting out weaker.

Revelations, loop holes and twists kept me enthralled as Lux wove the two stories together. Filled with dark humor, it was a clever tale. Secondary characters had depth with interesting stories. As you read, you’ll find you aren’t sure of everyone’s motives or pasts. All of which served to keep the reader engaged. At the ending….what!?!

Sign Here was an addictive read that I recommend to fans of suspenseful tales and supernatural elements.

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Sign Here by Claudia Lux was a dark, addictive tale with a twist of humor and a side twist. #NewRelease #SuspenseThriller #bookreview
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Original source: https://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/2022/10/sign-here-by-claudia-lux.html

Two-time Pulitzer prize-winning journalist Emery Merrick is about to end his life when he gets the offer to write the biography of well-known billionaire Thaddeus Drake in exchange for a mouth-watering payday. Merrick accepts what appears to be a lifetime opportunity and soon discovers a staggering truth: Drake is Cain from the Bible, the first murderer who God caused to roam the earth forever. Merrick’s gradual absorption into Drake’s life reveals the secret society of immortals, the billionaire heads, and his plan to fulfill a biblical prophecy concerning the end time. What is Drake’s plan for humanity, and what darkness lies at the other end of it?

A Portion of Malice by Lloyd Jeffries is a thriller that weaves a fascinating and somewhat controversial tale involving events and characters from the Bible and history. One of its biggest selling points is how different it is. It’s thought-provoking, and some might even call it startling. The book’s pace is riveting, and the alternation between present-day and historical events creates multiple layers of engagement.

Jeffries delivers his writing with a beautiful cadence that lets you slip into the story easily and follow every action or scene being described. His descriptions are vivid, giving life to the story. His detailed approach to articulating his characters’ experiences is immersive. It makes his writing robust, provocative, and soulful, like a good poem. I always admire a writer’s ability to encapsulate an entire body of art in an apparent mood without being too obvious about it. It’s the subtlety that thrills. And with Jeffries’ book, you can always sense an ominous shadow lurking at the edges of the story the entire time. All in all, I’d call this a great read. It’s fresh, bold, and entertaining.

A Portion of Malice is a captivating political and paranormal suspense thriller that will have readers on edge as the nefarious plot unravels to cause the end of humanity. The journey of a man into the apocalypse and a confrontation with God himself will leave readers stunned and waiting for book two of the series.

Pages: 379 | ASIN : B0BG8ZPY7D

Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/10/31/a-portion-of-malice/

DoGoodR by W.A. Pepper is a thriller prequel that follows a hacker named Tanto, who, along with a couple fellow hackers, has been hired by a woman claiming to be the sister of the hacker, DoGoodR, to destroy the evidence that had landed him behind bars. Tanto and his friends Squirrel_Lord and Mane-Eac go on a mission to free this young hacker, but as they get further into the job, things start feeling off to Tanto. Accelerated deadlines, their fellow companion’s incompetence, and sheer bad luck have the gang questioning their odds. Will they succeed in saving their young comrade, or is it all just a cleverly arranged trap as they fear?

This suspenseful book was riveting. It really drew me in. It hooks you from the beginning and has you on the edge of your seat till the end. It’s a nice little short read if you’re looking for something to fill a little time in your reading schedule. Despite its size, though, it doesn’t skimp on the thrills. I loved Mane-Eac. She was a strong female character who didn’t let her fellow male hackers push her around, and I appreciate that alpha woman’s presence. Actually, all the ladies were pretty strong, some scarily so.

I felt the book could use some editing with how the chapters are broken out. With a short novel, it can be hard to get all the information a reader needs at times. There are a lot of flashbacks in this story to make that happen. While they were necessary to give you the backstory, I felt saying the character was brought back to the present each time wasn’t necessary. Those things aside, the story moved quickly, and the characters gave readers all the information at just the right time to provide suspense from start to finish.

DoGoodR is a page-turning technothriller and prequel. It made me consider reading the others in this universe. If you love a good hacker thriller, I recommend this. The fast-paced action and great characters made this a great read.

Pages: 120 | ISBN: 1958011045

Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/10/31/dogoodr/

Set against the backdrop of the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, this emotional story follows the lives of Willie and Denny, two boys who live with their grandfather after the mysterious death of their parents. Their lives are separated when Denny heads off to college, and Willie’s friend tells him about “The man in the suit.” This sends them on a journey that will have them cross paths with a whole host of others, all trying to live, survive and figure out a world on the brink of collapse. And if they can’t do it alone, could they do it together?

Give Me Shelter by David B. Seaburn is a beautiful story about human connection and condition. It follows the story of Willie, a sixth-grade schoolboy. His life changes after his parents mysteriously die, and he and his brother are sent to live with his grandfather. Things change when his brother leaves for college and then change again when a mysterious character arouses the suspicion of his friend. Together, they embark on a journey to find answers to some very strange questions. They must rely on themselves and others to prevail.

I liked this story. It was a simple read but engaging. Seaburn’s character development was outstanding. I was able to relate to all the characters and form an attachment to each one’s story and plight. The settings were all described with enough detail I felt I was there with the characters but not overwhelmed with minute information. What I particularly liked about it was that it was such a humorous story told in such a turbulent time. The characters in this story could be obliterated by a nuclear warhead at any moment, but yet, there is still joy there. I think this is achieved through the use of good writing and clever character development. Each character stood out and added something to the story. There was no waste. A good book that will fill you with emotion throughout.

Give Me Shelter is a well-written coming-of-age story that will have readers of family life fiction turning the pages to see what happens to all the memorable characters. This is one of those books that will leave the reader thinking about the characters after the book is finished, remembering things they have done or said, just like an old friend.

Pages: 350 | ASIN : B0B99F72SD

Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/10/31/give-me-shelter/

Paper Roses on Stony Mountain by Diana Stevan is set in early World War II Canada, as Hitler comes to rise and the war begins. It follows Dunya, who falls in love with Peter, and both their Ukrainian families and their dynamics in the early 1940s. Dunya’s family are farmers in Canada. The story talks about their struggles. Peter’s brothers are in the military, where we learn about what it was like for them. Dunya is a very progressive woman who is constantly working and more in control of their money than Peter. It also addresses how immigrants were viewed and the differences in how people tried to cling to their traditions or hide them to better fit in.

Paper Roses on Stony Mountain is a little dry, and I wasn’t sure what direction the story was headed. I kept waiting for a plot twist, but it never happened. However, the writing was very clean and easy to read. I enjoyed the character dynamics. Especially Dunya and her mom or with her husband, Peter. I could feel how her being so progressive rubbed her mom the wrong way at times. As well as how it balanced out Peter’s lack of motivation. I also enjoyed the dialogue and struggles between her brothers. Mike was an alcoholic selling homebrew and gambling family money away, while Egnat was the responsible, hard-working brother who took over the father’s role. I could feel the tension and struggles.

Paper Roses on Stony Mountain is the third book in this family saga series. A work of historical biographical fiction based on the author’s grandmother, readers, will be shown what life was like for an immigrant in Canada during the second world war. It is a testimony to the struggles women faced in this fast-changing time of life, and the struggle to keep family together.

Pages: 363 | ASIN : B0B9RMKX2F

Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/10/31/paper-roses-on-stony-mountain/

You Can Have Your Cake and Grandparents Too! by C.L. Holliday-Firmin is truly a heartwarming story of a young boy that has a big misunderstanding. He thinks he must choose to invite only one of his six grandparents to his birthday party. How on earth could he possibly choose only one? Having to choose causes quite an upset for the young child because he has such a unique and special bond with each of them.

Those who are lucky enough to have had that special relationship with a grandparent can understand, if this was the case, the struggle this boy is going through. I connected with the story emotionally and felt, on a visceral level, the pain of having to make that difficult choice.

I feel this is such a great book for young readers to see the importance of family bonds. To show how the connections and relationships we build with our relatives are vital to our growth and overall happiness. This would be a great gift to a grandparent to show one’s love and affection and would undoubtedly leave a grandparent with a teary eye or two. The illustrations by Gull Zareen display the sweet nature of the moments the young child is reminiscing on about his grandparents. As the reader, I could feel the warmth of love radiating off each page and recalling my own cherished memories.

You Can Have Your Cake and Grandparents Too! is a creative picture book that shares a child’s fears and concerns and shows them working through things. It is a great lesson for children that many will be able to relate to.

Pages: 42 | ASIN : B0BB5L294C

Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/10/31/you-can-have-your-cake-and-grandparents-too/

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Historical fiction to read this fall

Original source: https://www.amazon.com/amazonbookreview/editorspicks.html?ref_=abr_widget_nav&theme=light

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Original source: https://www.amazon.com/amazonbookreview/celebritypicks.html?ref_=abr_widget_nav&theme=light

TV dinners: the sequel (more cookbooks inspired by hit TV shows and movies)

Original source: https://www.amazon.com/amazonbookreview/editorspicks.html?ref_=abr_widget_nav&theme=light