By Manuel A. Melendez

The backstory of Adrian, the killer, is just as gut wrenching as the rest of the story and its many characters. The reader can’t help but naturally gravitate to each character as the author has successfully made them all believable, convincing, and colorable. This especially holds true for the detectives who are fast on the trail of this exterminator who continuously outwits everyone. The many characters include nurses, doctors, neighbors, police officers, and special agents all woven intricately to make the story come to life – everyday people with everyday problems and difficulties. 

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By Robert J. Alvarado

Publisher: Sierra Press – Queen Creek Arizona

This is the second book in the saga of Rafael Ortega de Estada and the author has once again managed to spin a good plot. I started to read the story and immediately it grabbed me – just like the first novel. If this saga doesn’t eventually make it into the big screen one day it would be disappointing. It is that good.

The setting takes place during the expansion westward of the United States, which includes Texas and New Mexico. The author not only rolls history and excellent storytelling into a seamless story, but he created a world that I want to continue knowing. He makes the reader feel as if they were right in that timeline and this is a great testament to magnificent writing. Read more ›

By Claudia Meléndez Salinas

Publisher: Piñata Books – Arte Público Press (Houston, Texas)

This story is set in Salinas, California and captures the struggles of a teenage boy living in poverty yet with a dream to succeed. The author has not only done a great job of bringing this element of raw survival forth, but she has also woven intrigue, gang life, murder, and a love story into the plot. The author’s gift at writing is extremely notable in that she captured the essence of a male character perfectly. What an unexpected treat. Read more ›

By Felix Alexander

Publisher: Alex F. Chavez/Felix Alexander

This is a book that goes beyond the realm of the living and truly captures the essence of a true love story. It is a story about Hadriel Alighieri’s life and the love he has for one woman – Sophia.  It captures all the emotions and directions that Hadriel’s life takes in trying to obtain this woman’s love and yet she is always out of reach. The author does a fantastic job of taking you into the character’s head and he makes you feel the emotions and sadness, yet the adrenaline rush of a true love. Read more ›

By Linda Chávez Doyle

It is the spring of 2010. This is the story about mostly three women who work for the library and how their personal lives become intertwined with the corruption at the highest level of the city government. The main characters are Veronica, Marisela, and Pilar.

The author captures the various problems that each of the characters encounter as they go through their daily routines. There are family and financial problems at every level and these subplots make the book that much more interesting. There are secrets that the characters keep from each other and this further creates tension and suspense. Read more ›

By Patricia Santos Marcantonio

Publisher: Arte Público Press (University of Houston)

A “white” lawyer named Michael Shaw is assigned to represent Maria Sanchez Curry who is charged with killing her “white” husband. Ms. Curry is a United States citizen by marriage; however, she speaks mostly Spanish and requires a translator to get her through the trial. Read more ›

Author: Gabriel Fraire

Published by: Gabriel Fraire

The author has done a great job of giving the reader inside knowledge and also historical background into the giant steel mills set in Northwestern Indiana. It really gives you a sense as to how it may be like working in this industrial arena. Read more ›