Sep 4, 2026 | book review, Book Reviews, City Under One Roof, Iris Yamashita, mystery
The first book in Iris Yamashita’s Cara Kennedy Series, City Under One Roof introduces readers to a cast of intriguing characters caught up in a murder mystery that unfolds in an Alaskan town contained within one building and wholly cut off from outside help…or escape.
No one really visits Point Mettier, Alaska in the off-season when the winter snows thicken and traveling becomes hazardous.
But all that changes when a couple of body parts wash ashore in a hidden cove and are found by Amy Lin, a local high school student.
She seems trustworthy, despite lying about exactly how she found a dead man’s foot.
Amy is one of the main characters, and as a curious, intelligent, and bored seventeen-year-old, she is the perfect entryway into the myriad quirks of the lonely town and its reclusive residents.
Like Lonnie, the local with a pet moose who is terrified of being sent back to a mental institution.
Such is the adeptness of Yamashita’s extremely realistic characters that Lonnie can provide an unreliable perspective that readers will sympathize with while they try to make sense of her highly-guarded thoughts and secrets.
Anchorage detective Cara Kennedy is the one who disturbs the status quo when she arrives via the one-way, one-lane car tunnel in a terribly anxious, yet determined state to follow-up on the severed body parts.
Otherwise, she would not dare to brave such a claustrophobic setting and risk a complete nervous breakdown.
As a protagonist, the brave, witty, and staunch detective is on a mission to uncover the truth, no matter the cost to herself.
She is such a fun, complex, and endearing character that has undergone tragic circumstances leading her on a nightmarish pursuit.
And Cara’s nightmare extends itself.
For aside from when it is safe to boat into and out of Point Mettier, which is usually not during the eight-months-long winter period, the tunnel is the lone escape route for motor vehicles…and it collapses during a storm-caused avalanche shortly after Cara arrives.
Cara finds herself stuck in the Dave-Co, a single condominium high-rise that acts as a motel, permanent residence, school, hospital, restaurant, and police station for the 205 town residents.
Besieged by the aftermath of the blizzard, in the epitome of isolation, the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the murder investigation in Point Mettier build the tension and magnify its effects on all of the people involved.
A potential love interest for Cara is the new Point Mettier cop on the scene, J.B., who is a good guy, though flawed and may be more honest than his boss, Chief Sipley, would like.
The magnitude of a City Under One Roof’s bio-dome-like circumstances, if that bio-dome was subject to vicious and deadly temperature drops amidst blizzard conditions, is immense and impactful, taking the reader on a thrill-ride, with laughs and fist-clenching suspense in good measure.
Readers will feel besieged themselves by the remoteness and the heavy snowfall presented.
I love a good story where the setting is so well crafted that it becomes another character of significance in the book and such is the case with City Under One Roof.
I recommend reading this one by the fire wrapped in a blanket…and after…start book two in Iris Yamashita’s Cara Kennedy Series, Village in the Dark.
“Iris Yamashita’s City Under One Roof: Tense, Riveting & Real” Was Written By R.J. Huneke.
Iris is the Academy Award-nominated screenwriter for the script “Letters From Iwo Jima” directed by Clint Eastwood. The film was nominated for 4 Oscars including “Best Picture” and “Best Original Screenplay.”
City Under One Roof is her debut mystery novel and the first in the Cara Kennedy series, set in a tiny Alaskan town where all the residents lives in a single high-rise building. The book was Crime Fiction Lover’s Editor’s Choice for Best Debut Crime Novel of the year and was named one of the Best Thrillers of the year by Washington Post as well as one of the Best Crime Fiction of the year by Library Journal and one of the Best Fiction Books of the year by Reader’s Digest.
Village in the Dark is her follow up novel to City Under One Roof. ~Goodreads.com
May 7, 2026 | Agatha Christie, book review, Book Reviews, Hercule Poirot, Spoiler-Free
Agatha Christie’s magnum opus is the fourth installment in the Hercule Poirot Series, and as this grisly murder investigation unfolds, the reader is given more insight into the now ‘retired’ eccentric Belgian sleuth than we have had to date.
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is one of the all time great crime-mystery novels and it forever deeply changed fiction.
Treasure a book that achieves brilliance while delving into wholly new territory.
For Agatha Christie’s innovation here radically added to what is possible for an author to do in a novel.
I cannot be more specific because I will not ruin it for you.
The following book review of Agatha Christie’s The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is Spoiler-Free**
Usually, I read the books of a series in numerical order – or at least the numerical order the author states they should be read in – but if you have not read much of Christie’s Poirot series, this rare gem is a great starting point.
The unique, comical, and ruthless genius of Hercule Poirot brought out of retirement in a quiet English neighborhood is fleshed out brilliantly as an unruly case unwinds.
In some of the Poirot books there could be so much more of the private detective.
This is not a bad thing as the reader yearns to know more about the short quizzical man with his glorious mustaches.
But with a locked room mystery centered around the murder of one Roger Ackroyd, Christie brings in so much humanity and personality in the entire cast of intriguing characters that I feel she had to bring Poirot around more often, and with more talk of his past, and with some of the most outstanding lines in literature (see below) to compete for the reader’s attention.
The sweaty tension, the gripping pacing, and the balancing act of a trove of interesting characters saying and doing things arbitrary or pivotal make for an intense and entertaining mystery.
Like the dagger, this story is a jewel, an all time classic and one of the greatest works of fiction.
Quotes from Agatha Christie’s The Murder of Roger Ackroyd:
- “Fortunately words, ingeniously used, will serve to mask the ugliness of naked facts.” -Poirot
- “It is completely unimportant,” said Poirot. “That is why it is so interesting,” he added softly.” -Poirot
- “Understand this, I mean to arrive at the truth. The truth, however ugly in itself, is always curious and beautiful to the seeker after it…Messieurs et mesdames, I tell you, I mean to know. And I shall know – in spite of you all.” – Poirot
- “Everyone had a hand in the elucidation of the mystery. It was rather like a jig-saw puzzle to which everyone contributed their own little piece of knowledge or discovery. But their task ended there. To Poirot alone belongs the renown of fitting those pieces into their correct place.” – Dr. Sheppard
- “My friend Hastings, he of whom I told you, used to say of me that I was a human oyster. But he was unjust. Of facts, I keep nothing to myself. But to everyone his own interpretations of them.” – Poirot
- “Oh! money! All the troubles in the world can be put down to money—or the lack of it.” – Poirot
- “Fortunately words, ingeniously used, will serve to mask the ugliness of naked facts.” – Poirot
“The Murder of Roger Ackroyd Mystery Confounds Hercule Poirot” Was Written By R.J. Huneke.
Apr 22, 2026 | book review, Book Reviews, Dan Brown, Spoiler-Free, The Secret of Secrets
Much as I love Dan Brown’s work, it was pure elation to read the thrilling new Robert Langdon novel and find it full of enough science and philosophy to evoke, dare I say, Michael Crichton.
I do not bring up Crichton lightly.
Fans of the legendary author of Jurassic Park will enjoy the components and overall feel of Brown’s most recent foray into science-fiction page-turners, albeit with a flair and subtlety befitting of Harvard’s most famous professor.
The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown takes risks that pay off as the author delves into exciting new territory.
I was happily surprised to be reveling in The Secret of Secrets the way I was when first reading The Da Vinci Code.
The Robert Langdon universe also grows immensely in the character-driven story department, in the best way possible, as a brilliant new character, Katherine Solomon, joins the center-stage.
Dan Brown’s The Secret of Secrets Robert Langdon Novel SPOILER-FREE Book Review
Much of the tale takes place in a magical setting of Prague.
It captures the look, feel, and nuances of the European city so well, history and the present come to form vivid pictures in the mind, as only Dan Brown can deliver.
Brown’s last Langdon book, Origin, made a derivative and uninspired AI chatbot a main character, which made me despise the story (I wrote on that here, I was so angry).
Full disclosure: Origin is the only Dan Brown novel I flat-out do not like.
Robert Langdon is such a fun character and his thirst for knowledge echoes the readers’ curiosity.
And so I have been enamored with the professor and symbologist sleuth.
But Langdon is rarely challenged meaningfully by any, except the diabolical antagonists.
That radically changes in The Secret of Secrets with the introduction of a strong female protagonist, every bit as brilliant, albeit in different areas, as Robert Langdon is.
Katherine Solomon is by far the most interesting person, and character, in this book.
And Langdon is smart enough to have gone head-over-heels for her.
The science of consciousness astounds enough to warrant murder.
Then there is her work as a scientist that has progressed on cutting edge discoveries into human consciousness.
Her upcoming book’s manuscript is literally driving someone to kill to prevent its upcoming publication.
At nearly 600 pages, The Secret of Secrets has even more twists and labyrinthine turns than you might expect from the mystery-thriller author.
And there is a lot of good, old-fashioned research into history, science, and geo-politics.
I think The Secret of Secrets may have the most depth of any of Brown’s books, and this is partly why was stuck by an exhilaration while reading I have not felt since the last time I read a Crichton book for the first time.
Bravo!
“Dan Brown Evolves Brilliantly In The Secret of Secrets” Was Written By R.J. Huneke.
Stark Beginnings With Style: A Fiction Workshop Hosted By R.J. Huneke
I also want to take this time to let you Fictioneers know that I am teaching again, in-person in Portugal and later that week live online.
For any writer of any level – brand new or well-published – I am working with the start of fictional works in an interactive forum.
In this hands-on workshop, novelist and journalist R.J. Huneke leads an in-depth exploration of how great fiction begins — and how to bring that same power to your own work.
Please read all about it and RSVP on DoubleEdgedPress.com, my new spec lit publishing imprint here.
Let’s combat the hurts of the world with great art! ~RJ
Mar 22, 2026 | book review, Book Reviews, fantasy, piranesi, speculative fiction, Spoiler-Free, susanna clarke
There is no way to prepare readers for walking into the dream that is the astounding, infinite labyrinthine halls of Piranesi’s house.
I will do my best, but any reminiscing about Susanna Clarke’s incredible book of fantasy can only prepare you for a deep mystery amidst a magical setting so innovative, realistic, and unnerving, that it will only touch on the surface of Piranesi.
There is a world built quickly around the young man, Piranesi, that seems to be lost in a flooded world, or a universe of worlds, that reside within one isolated coastal house or possibly…a gargantuan museum especially built to expand ever onward.
Piranesi reminds me of being blissfully lost in the suspenseful mystery and immersive world, an enigma, in China Mieville’s The City and the City.
The protagonist, Piranesi, is endearing, meticulous, intelligent, and is an adult with a tenacious thirst for exploration and learning and human conversation.
He is so very lonely and flawed.
There are so few left alive in the house’s seemingly endless maze for him to speak with, after all.
Through his handwritten recordings of discoveries and observations, and his mapping of rooms, corridors, star patterns, and statues – these, he worships like gods – there is a feeling that the more Piranesi grows and the more he finds out, the more his mind may be unraveling.
This is one of, if not, the best unreliable narrator I have ever read, because, you are never quite sure throughout the entirety of Clarke’s book if you can trust 99% of Piranesi’s account, or only 9% of it.
So in a memorable and powerful way, Clarke’s story becomes much more than a radically different fantasy novel, it becomes a thrilling page-turner.
The story is flawless – you could write classes to teach around the execution of this book’s brilliant arc, alone.
The prose in Piranesi is scintillating, visually resplendent, and moving enough to cast a spell on unsuspecting readers.
The characters are full of their own ticks and biases, some benign and some very much not, but all have their own goals and interests.
Susanna Clarke’s Piranesi could not be more original; and I could not give a higher compliment for this masterpiece.
“Piranesi by Susanna Clarke: New Mind-bending Magical Realism” Was Written By R.J. Huneke.
About the Author of Piranesi:
Susanna Clarke’s debut novel Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell was first published in more than 34 countries and was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize and shortlisted for the Whitbread First Novel Award and the Guardian First Book Award. It won British Book Awards Newcomer of the Year, the Hugo Award and the World Fantasy Award in 2005. The Ladies of Grace Adieu, a collection of short stories, some set in the world of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, was published by Bloomsbury in 2006. Piranesi was a New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller, and shortlisted for the Costa Novel of the Year Award, the RSL Encore Award and the Women’s Prize for Fiction. [bookshop.org]
Nov 28, 2025 | Best Books of 2025, book review, Book Reviews, Spoiler-Free
While you are in your Thanksgiving food coma, I thought I would get y’all reading my favorite books from 2025*.
This will also include a brief review of a fantasy-horror genre bender that I have yet to write on.
First, I want to wish you, dear readers, a Happy and Healthy Festivus.
And now a foreboding disclaimer:
*At TFF we review newly released books and also classic fiction books that have been released in prior years, so our ‘best of list’ contains what we found and loved this year, not necessarily what was published in 2025.
We have a new award this year!
But first…
The Inklings Award For Best Fantasy In Fiction Of The Year Award goes to John Wiswell for his debut novel Someone You Can Build a Nest In.
The dark humor, the fascinatingly perilous world, and the endearing prose and characters create a thrilling fantasy-horror-monster-queer romance of a tale that stays with you.
Coincidentally, Wiswell’s Nebula and Locus Award-winning, genre-bending smash hit book featured one of the most engaging, innovative, and moving openings of a book I have ever read, which has forced me to make up a new award on the spot.
Andddd…the ‘It was a pleasure to burn’ Best Start of Story Award goes to John Wiswell for Someone You Can Build a Nest In.
I cannot get over how crazy, how intense, how furious, and self-reflective the opening paragraphs are for Wiswell’s work, and the shapeshifting character of Shesheshen could not have been better delivered to the world than with this:
Read the opening pages here.
With parallels to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the monster here also refers far more to the humans than to the creature (or wyrm).
John Wiswell’s newest novel Wearing the Lion is out now and you can preorder next year’s release of The Dragon Has Some Complaints here.
The Agatha Christie Hercule Poirot’s Mustache Equals Best Mystery Award goes to the inimitable Agatha Christie, herself, for The ABC Murders.
I read this later Poirot adventure recently and was quite taken with just how much it varied from Christie’s other works.
The famous Belgian detective is every bit as good and in many ways references Sherlock Holmes throughout this story.
The mystery of the ABC Murderer not only baffles the reader but also the investigators, and it is only in Hercule Poirot’s tenacity for truth that the crimes are solved.
The Ray Bradbury Award Winner For Best Speculative Fiction Likely To Blow The Doors Off Your Mind Palace goes to Artificial Condition – Murderbot Diaries Book 2 by Martha Wells.
The entire Murderbot series is grand, but I have a soft spot for Murderbot’s new best friend, and fellow autonomous being, albeit in the body of a ship, ART.
The next Murderbot Diaries book Platform Decay is available for preorder here.
We reviewed Artificial Condition here.
The 1984: You Made Me Cry…Twice Award goes to Ady and Me by Richard and Rox Pink.
Check out our review here.
The Red Death Award For A Work Most Likely To Keep You Too Terrified To Sleep Award goes to Ai Jiang for Linghun.
This horror novella hits on ghosts and hauntings in a totally new light and is such a vivid and dark atmosphere; Linghun is compelling.
Her new novel A Palace Near the Wind is out now.
Check out our review here.
The Michael Crichton You Better Check Your Technology At The Door Sci-fi Award goes to Moebius’ & Jodorowsky for The Incal.
This graphic novel is mind-blowing, edgy, and awe-inspiring as one of the biggest influences in science-fiction for the past four decades!
Check out our review here.
The Da Vinci Ornithopter Award For Best Small Press Publication goes to none other than Century Press for their fine press edition of The Crocodile by Fyodor Dostoevsky.
This letterpress printed beauty is incredible! Save 30% on their books this week with Code: FALL30!
Check out our review here.
Best Books of 2025
- The Inklings Award For Best Fantasy In Fiction Of The Year Award
- WINNER: John Wiswell for his debut novel Someone You Can Build a Nest In
- The ‘It was a pleasure to burn’ Best Start of Story Award
- WINNER: John Wiswell for his debut novel Someone You Can Build a Nest In
- The Agatha Christie Hercule Poirot’s Mustache Equals Best Mystery Award
- WINNER: Agatha Christie, herself, for The ABC Murders
- The Ray Bradbury Award Winner For Best Speculative Fiction Likely To Blow The Doors Off Your Mind Palace
- WINNER: Artificial Condition – Murderbot Diaries Book 2 by Martha Wells
- The 1984: You Made Me Cry…Twice Award
- WINNERS: Ady and Me by Richard and Rox Pink
- The Red Death Award For A Work Most Likely To Keep You Too Terrified To Sleep Award
- WINNER: Ai Jiang for Linghun
- The Michael Crichton You Better Check Your Technology At The Door Sci-fi Award
- WINNERS: Moebius’ & Jodorowsky for The Incal
- The Da Vinci Ornithopter Award For Best Small Press Publication
Okay, rise up turkey-basted friends, buy books for gifts, and then read some of your own new books!
Happy Holidays!
~RJ
Nov 10, 2025 | Author Interview, book review, R.J. Huneke, Russ Colchamiro, sci-fi
Join TFF this week as renowned author of the Angela Hardwicke Series Russ Colchamiro Speaks To R.J. Huneke LIVE on Zoom [sign up free here] this Wednesday, November 12, 2025 at 7pm EST!
As RJ’s Ants Waking Book Tour continues readers of TheForgottenFiction.com are privy to an evening of discussion as the two authors talk writing, from mystery genres to sci-fi, and everything in between!
Russ Colchamiro is a fellow genre masher and is excited to come on and hit on his incredible mystery-science-fiction Angela Hardwicke series (we reviewed Book 1 here) – all 5 books in the series so far are on his site here – as well as an intriguing new Y/A horror espionage thriller titled Hyde & Seek: Fury of the White Mask.
Prepare your queries, as the two writers will talk shop and also answer some questions from readers and attendees!
Sign up To Attend the Event Free at Zoom here.
