< Back Chris Feistl and Dave Mitchell After Escobar: Taking Down the Notorious Cali Godfathers and the Biggest Drug Cartel in History Book blurb. .. By the early 1990s, Colombia's Cali cartel had become what the former head of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Thomas Constantine referred to as the 'biggest and most powerful crime syndicate in history.' Responsible for nearly 85 percent of the cocaine that reached US soil and 90 percent worldwide, they were untouchable, earning billions of dollars all while maintaining their reputation as 'The Godfathers of Cali.' They brazenly corrupted thousands of Colombian authorities and government officials, even 'buying' the outcome of the 1994 presidential election. That same year, the DEA sent young operatives Chris Feistl and Dave Mitchell to Colombia with one formidable task: help Colombian authorities take down the ruthless leaders of the brutal Cali cartel. Not an easy job for two men who looked more like California surfers than DEA agents. Standing well over six feet tall and only six years removed from the DEA Academy, they were the epitome of conspicuous in a city where most residents rarely, if ever, saw an American in person. Many of their colleagues feared for their safety, openly questioning their ability to blend in. Their almost three-year journey would lead them from the bureaucratic halls of the US Embassy to the violent streets of Cali and deep into its rural sugar cane fields, on high alert day and night as they dodged deadly cartel assassins and battled the unprecedented corruption within Colombia's security forces. Throughout their quest they formed loyal, long-term alliances, experienced shocking and devastating betrayals, participated in numerous dramatic arrests, and suffered constant setbacks. Over time, their relentless efforts began to slowly degrade the godfathers' defenses and weaken their infrastructure. After Escobar: Taking Down the Notorious Cali Godfathers and the Biggest Drug Cartel in History offers a unique, on-the-ground perspective that will be praised by true crime enthusiasts, history buffs, and Narcos fans alike. Part of Chris and Dave' s story was told in Season 3 of the acclaimed Netflix series Narcos: Rise of a New Empire. Now, they tell it for themselves. Purchase here

< Back Michael Shandler Karma and Kismet A spiritual quest across continents, cultures and consciousness. A Memoir of Adversity and Triumph One man’s journey of struggle, self-acceptance and success. Author Michael Shandler writes about his life growing up as ‘Gary Fuchs’, in South Africa, and his journey across the ocean to North America as a young man. Part one (‘Karma’) focuses on his early life in 1950’s Cape Town, where he lived in constant fear of his violent father. At age thirteen, he was sent away to an all-boys boarding school, where he was regularly bullied by other students. After leaving school at eighteen, he was drafted into the all-White South African army but struggled to find his place: “I’m not a proud South African. The country’s history is alien to me. I love the land and the sea, but I’m a Jew. An outsider. Bullied by Afrikaners and English alike”. After he is discharged from the army due to medical reasons, he joins a training program in Johannesburg, but he remains sad, lonely, and depressed. Part two (‘Seeking’) focuses on his early twenties, as he leaves South Africa in search of new opportunities. Following the outbreak of the Arab-Israel conflict in 1967, the twenty-one-year-old volunteers to work in a kibbutzim to support the war effort. When he receives cash from his uncle's in Canada, he decides to emigrate to Vancouver. He takes several jobs, and experiments with psychedelic drugs. He soon discovers a love of yoga, which he later teaches and develops a friendship with Ram Dass, a spiritual teacher and yoga guru. He is given the spiritual name Ravi Dass, and he joins an intensive ‘Arica’ enlightenment training program. He later marries Aparna, and they have a daughter named Manju. In the late 1970’s he writes a yoga journal and publishes his first book. In Part three (‘Kismet’) he publishes several other books with his wife, under the names Michael and Nina Shandler. Aparna gives birth to their second daughter, Sara, and Michael reconciles with his estranged father. Karma and Kismet A spiritual quest across continents, cultures and consciousness: A Memoir of Adversity and Triumph is an absorbing and heartfelt memoir by author Michael Shandler. Shandler shares his personal journey from Cape Town to Canada, chronicling key personal, social and political events during his life. Shandler escapes a violent and controlling father, and builds a new life in a new country, where he finds peace and a sense of purpose through yoga and spiritual practice. This is a deeply moving, honest, authentic and courageous memoir, exploring the complexity of the human experience and the basic need for love and belonging. It offers a beacon of hope and healing for anyone recovering from childhood trauma. Star rating: 5 Stars Summary: A deeply moving, honest, authentic and courageous memoir, exploring the complexity of the human experience and the basic need for love and belonging. Purchase here

< Back Paul Sanders Victim or the Crime - The Day Before Jerry Died: A Grateful Dead Thriller A successful author is forced to relive his childhood abuse in order to clear his name. Dan Wilcox wakes up one morning with a gash on his head, and his shirt slashed and splattered in blood. He cannot recall how he got into that state and realises he has lost four days of his memory. He changes out of his blood-stained clothes and decides to retrace his steps back to the last thing he can remember, a visit to his parents’ home in Marquette, Michigan . Dan had not spoken to his parents in fifteen years, and he had hoped to speak to them to help him deal with unresolved childhood trauma. He travels to his parent’s house and finds the house ransacked, and his mother dead on the kitchen floor, with a knife sticking out of her neck. Dan calls the police and then Diana, a p sychiatrist who as helping him process the neglect and abuse he suffered as a child, from his mother and father. Detective Robinson is assigned the case and Dan is suspected of killing his mother to inherit her wealth. Dan learns that his father has been dead for several years and his sister Louise has been missing for many years, also presumed dead. His brother, Mark, lives in California and has a solid alibi. Dan is confident he played no part in his mother’s murder and begs Diana to perform hypnosis. Diana refuses but she does review his case files and recorded therapy sessions. When Dan’s bloodied clothes are found by the police, he feels he has no choice but to run. He confides in Diana, and she agrees to flee with him, to try and help him solve the mystery of his mother’s death. As the fugitives travel across the country, they are pursued by Detective Robinson and the Michigan State Police. Dan has flashbacks to the scene of the murder, and he is forced to relive painful childhood memories. As the runaways attempt to track down Dan’s estranged relatives, they discover sordid details about his father’s meddling in a juvenile court case, and the truth about his sister’s disappearance. Victim or the Crime - The Day Before Jerry Died: A Grateful Dead Thriller is a tense and gripping psychological thriller by author Paul Sanders. The novel is a well written, authentic and believable work of crime fiction. Told partly through Dan’s flashbacks with graphic descriptions of childhood abuse, it is a harrowing and difficult read in places. I enjoyed the weaving of the Grateful Dead throughout this story, and the musical references. This is a lengthy novel (at 683 pages), but it flows at a good pace and is easy to read. The book will appeal to readers who enjoy detective stories, psychological thrillers, true crime and the Grateful Dead. Star rating: 5 Stars Summary: A tense and gripping psychological thriller about one man’s search for the truth. Purchase here

< Back Lance Jepsen THE LAST ORBIT: A Sci-Fi Thriller of Erased Lives and Corporate Control Book blurb... The Graveyard Orbit is a trillion-dollar junkyard—where lost ships drift and secrets don’t stay buried. Nicole Gordon is a salvage pilot working the edges of known space, pulling value from wreckage no one else will touch. Out here, the rules are simple: avoid corporate kill-zones, don’t ask questions, and never dig too deep. Then she finds something that shouldn’t exist. A drifting ark. No registry. No history. No explanation. The deeper Nicole goes, the more dangerous the truth becomes. Systems react. Records vanish. And the line between memory and manipulation begins to blur. Now she’s caught in a race through hostile space, hunted across a corporate-controlled network that doesn’t tolerate loose ends. Because in the Graveyard Orbit, nothing is truly lost. It’s erased. Purchase here

< Back Rachel Elwiss Joyce Lady of Lincoln Book blurb... A true story. A forgotten heroine. In a time when women were told to stay silent, could she become the saviour her people need? 12th-century England. Nicola de la Haye wants to do her duty. But though she’s taught a female cannot lead alone, the young noblewoman bristles at the marriage her father has arranged to secure her inheritance. And when an unexpected death leaves her unguided, the impetuous girl shuns the king’s blessing and weds a handsome-but-landless knight. Harshly fined by Henry II for her unsanctioned union, Nicola struggles to salvage her estates while dealing with devastating betrayals from her husband… and his choice to join rebels in a brewing civil war. Yet after averting a tragedy and gaining the castle garrison’s respect, she still must face the might of powerful men determined to crush her under their will. Can she survive love, threats, and violent ambition to prove she’s worthy of authority? In this carefully researched and vividly human series debut, Rachel Elwiss Joyce showcases the complex themes of honour, responsibility, and freedom in the story of a remarkable heroine who men tried to erase from history. And as readers dive into a world defined by violence and turmoil, they’ll be stunned by this courageous young woman’s journey toward greatness. Lady of Lincoln is the gritty first book in the Nicola de la Haye Series historical fiction saga. If you like richly textured female heroes, courtly drama, and fast-paced intrigue, then you’ll adore Rachel Elwiss Joyce’s gripping true-life tale. Purchase here

< Back Adrian J. Adams Esq Which god is God? Book blurb... Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Judaism, Christianity, and the New Age Movement have radically different views of God and the hereafter. This book presents a concise summary of each religion's core beliefs and, using the rules of evidence, establishes which religious claims are credible. It answers questions such as: Is God real or an illusion? Are there many gods or just one? Are we subject to reincarnation and karmic retribution? Can we communicate with spirit guides in other dimensions? In Which god Is God?, Adrian Adams provides an easy to understand guide for those who want to know if God exists and how to separate truth from speculation about our souls and eternity. Purchase here

< Back Erik D. Larson The Kikiloa Chronicles Book blurb... Kikiloa is Mitochondrial Eve, irrepressible mother of humanity and time-surfing teen trickster. Kiki was born an outcast 200,000 years ago, then enslaved. And now she’s a freckled fourteen-year-old bounding across a San Francisco park to meet her kind, grounded friend Hazel, who Kiki believes can cause even death to pass people by. Probably. Flickering across a trillion universes, Kiki is determined to discover an antidote to entropy before all meaning is lost. When a cliff collapses beneath them and Kiki vanishes mid-fall, Hazel is left alone with their attacker to begin her own coming-of-age, while Kiki’s hopes unravel back to the trauma of her bleak beginnings in a dying prehistoric world. But Kiki never lets up, whether lamenting a Hawaiian tsunami, alchemizing sniper attacks, weaving through highway pileups, going Jungian, or baking perfectly average cookies. And throughout, she spars with her infuriating, enigmatic mentor Paha, who believes surfing is elegy: all waves break, and fighting the end only creates suffering. The Kikiloa Chronicles is Erik D. Larson’s wild, tender, and philosophically ambitious debut, carried by Kiki’s unmistakable voice from the devastating loneliness of her first life to the hard wisdom of friendship. A literary speculative novel: Circe meets The Midnight Library by way of Ursula K. Le Guin. Purchase here

< Back Jeffrey Hallett Labyrinths of Radiance and Shadow While working on a technology project at Crystal Bay University, Dr Tricia Carling was involved in a freak accident. Following the accident, she acquired extraordinary strength and healing powers to become the world’s only functioning parahuman. Using the alias of Beacon, and donning a superhero costume, she has become a local crusader and celebrity, using her powers as a force for good to fight criminals. But, unbeknownst to Beacon, she is not the only person living in Crystal Bay with special abilities. A woman named Umbra was involved in the same accident as Tricia, although her abilities are significantly different. A year later, Beacon has caught the attention of Sorensen, the Director of the Institute for the Advancement of Human Potential. Sorensen has a secret mission to harness her powers and replicate them in others, creating an entire legion of parahumans. He persuades Umbra to work with him to recruit an army of people and give them the superpowers that will cure all society’s ills. But few people survive Sorensen’s rigorous experiments and Sorensen hopes that Beacon will provide all the answers he needs. Umbra is given her biggest mission to date, to recruit Beacon to the program. But when Beacon refuses to cooperate, Sorensen devises an elaborate plan to capture and incarcerate her. Stripped of her freedom and her powers, Beacon must decide whether to comply and survive, or fight back and risk everything. Labyrinths of Radiance and Shadow is the sequel to Paths Into Darkness And Light, by Jeffrey Hallett. The book picks up Tricia’s story around a year after her lab accident. With some familiar characters from the first book, Hallett introduces new characters including an evil entrepreneur who sees in Beacon a new breed of enhanced humans. Beacon is a compelling protagonist – fierce, vulnerable and deeply human, despite her special abilities. The dynamic between Beacon and Sorensen is particularly well-drawn, capturing the chilling dance between heroine and villain, captor and captive, creator and destroyer. This is an electrifying (and sometimes terrifying) read that will satisfy readers of science fiction, super-hero fiction, and psychological thrillers. Overall, a fast-paced, action-packed and emotionally charged sequel, with a fierce heroine, a terrifying villain, and a gripping, otherworldly plot. I would recommend reading the Paths Into Darkness And Light by Jeffrey Hallett first. Star rating: 5 Stars Summary : A dark, science fiction / super-hero fiction novel, with a fierce heroine, a terrifying villain, and a gripping, otherworldly, plot. Purchase here

< Back Steven Stewart To Kill a Public Crook Book blurb... A US senator and his mistress have been assassinated on the eleventh-floor balcony of their hotel room – no witnesses. Detective Scott Blade, LA Homicide is asked to head a fugitive task force to solve the crime. Blade enlists Detective Coraline Steele, Beverly Hills Homicide, his fiancée, to join the hunt for the assassin. Before they get geared up, a second senator from another State is assassinated in his boat while fishing alone –no immediate body. FBI agent Tomaso Girardi is sent by presidential assignment to meet with the detectives to gather pertinent information about the murders. Their investigation reveals a sinister plot inside the executive branch to overthrow the current president. Professor Stuart, a brilliant engineer/Astronomer calls LA Homicide describing a long-distance photo his students took, showing what clearly looks like a drone whizzing past the hotel at the time of the first senator’s death. Paralleling the murder investigation, another story begins to unfold – that of an ex-Army pilot that seems to have changed names and is the potential killer. Driven by mind-altering drugs and evil government manipulators, Curt Doyle, aka Viper, is on a mission to annihilate corrupt politicians. But will he stay true to his directives? He begins to wonder who is controlling him and why. As Doyle’s mind clears, he decides to defy his “orders” and use his drone one more time… The search begins for Viper and his drone. The ‘game is afoot’ for both parties. Purchase here

< Back Ragini Shah Constructed Movements: Extraction and Resistance in Mexican Migrant Communities Constructed Movements: Extraction and Resistance in Mexican Migrant Communities is a profound exploration of migration as a system of extraction by Ragini Shah. The book examines the structural forces driving migration from Mexico to the United States, addressing each phase of migration: dislocation, displacement, entrenchment, and resistance. Shah highlights how economic policies, racial capitalism, and neoliberal reforms in Mexico dislocate individuals from their home communities by divesting from small-scale agriculture, suppressing wages, and cutting social spending. This forces individuals to migrate, often into exploitative industries in the U.S., such as agriculture, food processing, and service work, where they face harsh working conditions, racism, and limited legal protections. Shah critiques the U.S. immigration enforcement regime, which criminalizes migrants while simultaneously facilitating their entry into exploitative labor markets. She highlights the resistance efforts of migrant communities, such as organizations like FIOB in Oaxaca and CAFAMI in Tlaxcala, which advocate for the "right not to migrate" by demanding state investment in education, health care, and sustainable employment. The book calls for radical policy changes in both Mexico and the U.S. Shah advocates for dismantling exploitative systems, redistributing resources to migrant communities, and enabling self-determined migration through mechanisms like migrant self-sponsorship. She emphasizes that migration should be a choice, not a necessity, and urges both nations to address the structural harms that perpetuate migration as extraction. The book combines rigorous analysis with the voices of affected communities, making it essential reading for scholars, students, policymakers any anyone interested in migration, racial justice and labor rights. It challenges readers to rethink migration not as a solution to inequality but as a mechanism that perpetuates systemic injustice. Shah’s call for abolitionist investments and reparations is a powerful reminder that reform without recompense cannot rectify the harm caused by decades of extraction. Star rating: 5 Stars Summary : A bold and paradigm-shifting analysis of migration as a racialized system of extraction. Purchase here

< Back Danny Holst Promised Land Author Danny Holst provides a moving insight into the experiences of African American men during the Great War Robert Johnson migrated from Maryland to Harlem in 1913, with his daughter Belinda, who was born blind. Robert falls in love with Mary, a teacher at Belinda’s school, and they start to plan a future together. But, following a violent incident at a peaceful, democratic protest, Robert and his friend Clifford are wrongfully arrested. They know they will face racial discrimination if the case goes to trial, and so they reluctantly agree to sign up for the army to avoid a lengthy prison sentence. Mary takes care of Belinda and Clifford’s six children, as the pair are sent to the South for military training. Robert and Clifford face racism and brutality throughout their training, and during their military combat in the Great War. Both are sadly lost in action, but receive posthumous bravery awards from the French government. Meanwhile, Belinda is hit by a car and spends fifty years in a coma. When she finally awakes in 1969, her whole family is gone, and she is left to fend for herself. The entire world around her has changed, but racism and discrimination are still present in Harlem. Belinda faces tremendous hardship as she tries to find her way, alone, homeless and on the streets. Promised Land is an inspirational story about an African American family and their experiences of growing up in Harlem in the early 1900s. The book provides a unique insight into the experiences of African American men during World War I, and how the racial injustices they experienced at home followed them overseas and into war. With vivid dialogue and graphic descriptions, the book provides a fascinating insight into Black American history and the social, racial, and political tensions during this period. A captivating read. Star Rating: 5 Stars Summary ‘A captivating and inspirational story about an African American family and their experiences of growing up in Harlem in the early 1900s. A FINALIST and highly recommended.’ Purchase here

< Back Peter Eliott A Dream of Shadows A notorious criminal joins a bunch of misfits, to take down a powerful villain. Vazeer the Lash is a notorious criminal, born and raised in the nefarious underworld capital of Hell’s Labyrinth. Having spent most of his life in the seedy underworld, he is keen to retire from a life of crime. When Vazeer’s contract broker offers him big money to join the Shadow Bidders, he sees it as an opportunity to walk away from his life of crime, and he hopes it will be his final contract. The Shadow Bidders are a group of misfit criminals and include a locksmith, an actress, an assassin, and a Line Man. Their mission is to hunt down and take out the Count Ulan Gueritus (the ‘Raving Blade’), one of Hell’s Labyrinth’s most powerful brokers. The evil Count has a reputation for torturing his victims and has blackmailed the Countess of Odel. His actions have sparked outrage and could result in war in the once peaceful city of Sullward. The Shadow Bidders have just forty-eight hours to hunt down the target and complete the task. Each member of the team must risk their lives to defeat the Count, by harnessing their own distinctive and unique talents. But, with their lives in imminent danger, the team soon discovers that nothing is quite as it seems in this strange case. Will the Shadow Bidders defeat the Count? Will they restore peace to the city of Sullward? Can Vazeer move on from his life of crime? And will this really be his final contract? A Dream of Shadows is a remarkable, fantasy novel by debut author Peter Eliott, about a career criminal desperate to escape his life of crime, who risks it all for one last shot at the big money. With beautiful prose, fantastic world building, and fascinating, well-developed, multi-layered characters, this is an immersive and gripping novel. Peter Eliott is a creative and masterful writer, and a talent to watch out for. This is an exceptional novel at every level, and highly recommended. Star rating: 5 Stars Summary: A brilliantly plotted fantasy fiction novel. I couldn't put this compelling debut book down. Purchase here