REVIEW: BOOM TOWN by Nic Stone

 

Debut adult thriller from young adult and middle grade author Nic Stone. Boom Town is her first adult novel. 

Boom Town is a fast pace intense urban thriller set in one of Atlant's infamous gentlemens club. We find two employees, Charm a newbie and Lucky, a seasoned [former] headliner have gone missing without a trace. The only person that notices this and how similar the two disappearances are is Lucky's former partner and co- headliner, Lyriq. 

Lyriq is on a mission to find out what happened and where these women are. This thriller is a mix of Player’s Club and P-Valley. It is gritty, raw, sharp, suspenseful and thought provoking. The latter is evident in the novel's social commentary on power, abuse, race, class, misogyny and the lack of attention and resources dedicated to finding missing women and girls.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #SimonSchuster, the author Nic Stone for a digital copy of #BoomTown exchange for my honest opinion. Boom Town will be published tomorrow October 14, 2025.

REVIEW: Pineville Trace by Wes Blake

 

Frank Russet, is a former southern revival preacher and confidence man who escapes from a minimum-security prison in eastern Kentucky. With only a cat named Buffalo by his side and a desire to leave his past behind, Frank embarks on a journey to or on the fringes of society. Pineville Trace is a flash-fiction novella or a  novella-in-flash by Wes Blake follows Frank as he navigates a shadowy world, encounters remnants of his former life that forces  him to confront his deepest regrets and desires. The prose is not only haunting but introspective and atmospheric at the same time. It vividly captures Frank's struggle for survival and his quest for redemption in short snippets, inviting readers to explore the fine line between salvation and damnation.

Thank you to #NetGalley, the author Wes Blake and Mindbuck Media Audio for an audio copy of #PinevilleTrace in exchange for my honest opinion. This novella actually comes out tomorrow September 3, 2024, so be on the lookout!!