The novel Anti-Social Media, by first-time author Kate Beth Heywood, describes itself as "savagely funny." In its own unique way, that statement is entirely true. But let's get to that later. First, what is this novel about? Constance Anderson is a young woman living out her dreams in the UK. In other words, she is an aspiring screenwriter with no screenplay... Continue Reading →
The last thing golf needs is more excitement. Right? If you've been watching the Masters this week at Augusta National Golf Club, you know what we're talking about. Between the internet cats hiding in Rae's Creek...: And the sand alligators: And the beautiful hole 12 in Amen Corner, aptly named "Venus Fly Trap": ...we think the Masters... Continue Reading →
Readers of MojoFiction know how I feel about books in a series (see Jack Reacher and the Case of the Plug-and-Play Plot). John Lescroart hits a few of those marks. On the other hand, it's a pretty fun mystery, and isn't that why we read these things? Smoke and Mirrors Hal Chase works as a... Continue Reading →
Astoria, by Peter Stark. Subtitle: Astor and Jefferson's Lost Pacific Empire - A Tale of Ambition and Survival on the Early America Frontier. If there's anything a lengthy subtitle teaches us, it's that the book is probably non-fiction. Astoria is no exception. But I like history, and in this age of every American politician claiming to know... Continue Reading →
We here at MojoFiction have been off the grid for several months now, and while we may or may not ever explain why, we knew we needed to come up for air when we saw this on the internet: Ah, corporate branding. Is there nowhere it can’t reach? Nothing it can’t do? These images above... Continue Reading →
The relationship between Metra passengers and conductors here in Chicagoland has never been pretty. We've seen some serious arguments and we've seen passengers thrown off the train (not while it was moving...). During the holidays, people tend to be better behaved. Today, the hard-working staff at MojoFiction traveled by train to the city and everything... Continue Reading →
This all started yesterday. Thanks to the miracle of hard water deposits, MojoFiction's top-secret headquarters needed a new water heater. We knew we needed a new water heater because the old one told us so by emptying its contents onto the floor in a slow, but deliberate fashion. Like how a dog lets you know... Continue Reading →
A good location is like another character. An author that successfully brings that location to life, with the nuances and layers they would afford the human players in their story, can hook you in before you realize it. Set in the village of Stollerton, in the forested Gatineau Hills area of rural Quebec, Canada, The... Continue Reading →
"I won’t leave you." Therein lies the emotional thread running through the Robert Crais novel, Suspect, a story about an LAPD officer trying to recover from the traumatic loss of his partner and finding an unexpected source of healing in his new position in the department’s K-9 unit. I recently railed on thrillers that have... Continue Reading →
The only part I’m hazy about is the year. I think it was 1995. The location was the town of Warrensburg, Missouri, where I attended what is now called the University of Central Missouri. The town is not near Ferguson and the recent issues they've been having there, but at that time it was only... Continue Reading →
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