Tag Archives: Debut Novel

Barker House, by David Moloney

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Barker House is a fictional work of interconnected short stories that follow the lives of nine Corrections Officers in New Hampshire. These are not short stories about a Corrections Unit; each story is about a moment in the life of a Corrections Officer.

All of the nine characters tell a solemn story; their unifying trait deriving from their job as a corrections officer. The reader is invited to briefly observe the officers and their day from a distance, since the stories are short and only go so far. Though each character works as an officer at Barker House, not all stories take place there. For example, one story takes place at a strip club.

This was an okay read. Most of the stories I thought were okay, though a few of them I thought were good. Overall, I felt like the novel was missing something that would bring it home.

Barker House is David Moloney’s debut novel. Visit his website.

Read BookPage’s review or Publisher Weekly’s review for Barker House.

Visit the publishers page for Barker House.

You can read an excerpt of Barker House near the bottom of this MVmag article.

https://youtu.be/VBV6GQcjVqY

Other writing by David Moloney includes fiction Dzole, Our Champion.

Follow David Moloney on Twitter.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy. Opinions are my own.

|Purchase on Amazon| Goodreads Review|

The German Heiress, by Anika Scott

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“She would have to be careful. But surely no one would recognize her now?”

Clara hides in post-WWII Germany under a different name until someone recognizes her and unveils her true identity. Is that all she is? Her whole life comes down to the years during the war when she made poor choices. The focus of this novel illuminates morality through the eyes of a female war criminal.

Clara’s circumstances put the reader in tight spot, and it is hard to trust her sometimes. As soon as I leaned one way, the next chapter would sway my feelings towards the opposite direction. I wanted hope, but I wanted justice.

Other characters thrown into the mix went well with the progress and principles of the story. One character particularly, who I don’t want to say because it would spoil it, had a really sad story regarding the influence that the war had on him even after it is over. Secrets, betrayal, and deception are buried deep within Clara’s family. Expect a twist or two!

Chapters are told in third person. While there are small flashbacks here and there, the bulk of the novel takes place after the war in 1946. There is one brief animal abuse scene near the beginning of the story.

The German Heiress is Anika Scott’s debut novel. Visit her website to learn more.

Read Publisher Weekly’s review for The German Heiress.

The German Heiress is also titled Finding Clara in the UK. Click here to learn more about the two titles.

Library Love Fest welcomes Anika Scott.

Seven things author Anika Scott wants her readers to know about her.

Follow Anika Scott on Facebook or Twitter.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy. Opinions are my own.

|Purchase on Amazon| Goodreads Review|