Tag: Religion

Agatha Christie Mallowan – Star Over Bethlehem | Review

Title: Star Over Bethlehem

Author: Agatha Christie Mallowan

Type: Fiction/Poetry

Page Count: 208

Rating: 3.5/5

Okay, so this book was essentially all about religion, and seeing as I’m not a Christian, that meant that I didn’t really care too much about the stories that were told here. The second half of the book is also literally just Poems, her poetry collection, and I’ve read that before.

Still, as a general rule, I’d still recommend this one to people who want to learn a little bit more about Agatha Christie, and I can also see why it’s published under her third surname (Christie was her second, but she later remarried).

So I’d probably recommend this one, even with the caveat that it’s definitely not for everyone. I think it’s mostly going to be of interest to her long-term fans, but I’m one of those so I enjoyed it.

Learn more about Star Over Bethlehem.


Edward Lorn – Life After Dane | Review

Title: Life After Dane

Author: Edward Lorn

Type: Fiction

Page Count: 268

Rating: 4.5/5

I’m probably quite biased here because this book was written by a BookTube friend and because my name’s in the title, so I guess it would almost be weird if I didn’t like it. I was also given a copy as a gift from someone who’d seen my wish list. But it also has a lot of the themes that I like, and the story line itself is cracking, a sort of paranormal thriller following the weird stuff that our narrator starts to experience after her son, the Truck Stop Dentist serial killer Dane Peters, is put to death by lethal injection.

This was very, very good for an indie book, although I don’t like the cover much. But covers don’t matter, and I was impressed by everything from the quality of the writing to the interior layout. I was also a big fan of the way that Lorn told the story using Dane’s mother as a mouthpiece. She’s perhaps the only person in the world who knows why he turned out like he did.

And then there are the religious themes, as well as the recurring motif of the hymn Amazing Grace. It’s funny because while I’m not religious myself, I’ve always found it interesting to read about religion in fiction. I’ve even dabbled with writing about it myself. The bottom line is that I’d recommend this if you’re interested in thrillers in general, but especially if you’re keen to support indie authors in a difficult marketplace.

Learn more about Life After Dane.