Tag: Interior

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.


Daniel Smith – The Ardlamont Mystery | Review

Title: The Ardlamont Mystery

Author: Daniel Smith

Type: Non-Fiction

Page Count: 258

Rating: 3.5/5

This was a delightfully different kind of book, a non-fiction piece that looked into a real life mystery while showing how it led to the creation of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It’s a story that I was previously only vaguely aware of, and so it was a pleasure to read about what actually led to the creation of literature’s greatest detective.

What’s cool is that this is a beautiful little hardback with a stunning interior layout and a genuinely well-written non-fiction narrative. It’s basically true crime mixed with geeky stuff for Sherlock Holmes fans, and so if either of those things float your boat then you’re probably going to like it.

I’ve had this sitting around for a little while now and I’m not sure why it took me so long to get to it. When I finally picked it up, I got hooked, and I think it’s the non-fiction book that I’ve enjoyed the most since I got to Rebellious Spirits by Ruth Ball a year or so ago. But then I’m probably forgetting something.

So all in all, I’d definitely recommend this one if you’re into Sherlock Holmes or into true crime, because this has a lot of both. It’s also just a well-written non-fiction book in general. It’s the perfect subject matter and a great delivery and overall, just a good book. There’s a lot that I like here, so there’s that.

Learn more about The Ardlamont Mystery.