Bella Wright

Bella Wright blogs about books, film and media.

Jackrabbit and the Beast, a Magical Mystery Novel by Bre Garcia

The Bottom Line:  A winning blend of mystery and magical realism. One of the most original PI novels in recent memory.  Set in Tucson, Jackrabbit and the Beast opens as private investigator Jernimo Velasquez is marking the one-month anniversary of the funeral of his girlfriend, Laura. Vel, as friends call him, is working through his grief by making out with Laura’s girlfriend’s best friend, Shoua. Vel and Shoua both […]

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The Well, an Exhilarating Spy Thriller by R. Chapman Wesley

The Bottom Line: An exhilarating spy thriller that successfully blends myth, science, espionage and magic.  Russian scientist Professor Anatoly Popov, described as a bit of a swashbuckler, has been on a quest for perfect health his entire life. He first encountered the legend of The Well while studying Kung Fu in a Taoist temple. What if a scientific breakthrough, based on a Chinese legend, could

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Shitamachi Scam, a Stunning Crime Thriller by Michael Pronko

The Bottom Line: A stunning crime thriller in which the brilliant, fussy Detective Hiroshi deftly unravels a truly masterful criminal enterprise.   Michael Pronko’s newest Detective Hiroshi novel finds the brilliant police investigator — who is typically more comfortable behind a desk – taking to the streets in a deadly undercover sting operation.  Hiroshi watches as the intended target, an elderly woman named Ueno, is accosted outside

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Far Out, a Hilarious Crime Caper by Khaled Talib

The Bottom Line: A pacey and hilarious crime caper that will thrill fans of David Wong and Janet Evanovich.   Hollywood movie star Goldie Saint Helen isn’t herself after an accident on the Pacific Coast Highway. Unable to remember her real identity, she believes she’s living in the 1960s as a hippie detective who must save a teenage girl from a wild CIA drug experiment (it’s

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The Brussels Connection, a Sophisticated Terrorism Thriller by Terence Hamilton

The Bottom Line: A character-rich terrorism thriller that awes with its sophisticated explorations of extremism, liberal values, foreign policy and martyrdom. Recommended for fans of Alex Berenson.  The Brussels Connection opens as Ibrahim, an Islamic State bomber of Moroccan heritage, rides the metro. He’s carrying ten liters of hydrogen peroxide in his backpack intended as part of the cocktail for an airport bombing. While on

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Holly, a Politically-Charged Horror Novel by Stephen King

The Bottom Line: Fans of King’s hugely successful Mr. Mercedes series may cheer Holly’s return to the King universe, but only if they’re ready to revisit the divisive political discourse of the COVID era. People are disappearing from a small New England town, and the bloodthirsty perpetrators are about the last people you’d expect. Named for the character at its core, Stephen King completed the

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When I Killed You, a Magical Blend of Mystery and Physics by Liam Fialkov

The Bottom Line: Fialkov’s best book yet is a truly magical blend of mystery and physics with two shocking twists.  Told from alternating points of view, When I Killed You is a captivating mystery about Helen Avery’s obsession with her daughter Alice’s disappearance 30 years earlier. In early chapters, we learn about a haunting childhood visit to a fortune teller, about her resentment toward her ex-husband –

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Breakage, an Instant Classic by David-Michael Harding

The Bottom Line: Breakage reads like an instant classic, delivering the crackling mobster bravado of Goodfellas with the emotional heft of A Beautiful Mind.  Donnie Chariot, the unparalleled genius of horse racing handicapping, dominates the betting lines nationwide. Known as “The Book,” his uncanny ability to decipher data – including past performances, weight, weather, track, bloodlines, jockey and much more – has earned him immense

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Bombmaker, a Smart Terrorism Thriller by Daniel J. Davies

The Bottom Line: One of the smartest terrorism thrillers in recent memory. Davies explores the psychology of extremism and delivers suspense, illumination as and a glimmer of hope.  Daniel J. Davies’ Bombmaker dares to understand the villain at the core of a riveting terrorism thriller. Former U.S. citizen Georges Subdallah – also known as Fadi – is rumored to be the world’s most-skilled bombmaker. He’s also a ghost,

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The Serpent’s Teeth, a Wildly Absorbing Murder Mystery by Stephen Kronwith, MD

The Bottom Line: This wildly absorbing, innovative murder mystery is a must-read for Agatha Christie fans.   As The Serpent’s Teeth opens, an enigmatic assassin embarks on a curiously easy mission. As he prepares to enter the opulent estate, he has no need to hack its security system – instead, he simply logs in with the credentials his employer provided. Once inside, he finds his target, 79-year-old

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