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
Oct 8, 2025 | book review, Book Reviews, Horror, Nat Cassidy, sci-fi, Spoiler-Free, When the Wolf Comes Home
The Crocodile by Fyodor Dostoevsky: humorous satire astounds in its lethal wit and sharp criticisms of ‘the Old Guard’, elitist aristocracy, Westernization, greed, and the Russian government in the late 1800s.
I hope Kurt Vonnegut read and reveled in Dostoevsky’s The Crocodile!
As a bonus, I read this book in a scintillating limited edition fine edition crafted by Century Press; I will examine this closely further down the book review.
The premise is simple enough for this hundred page novella: a man is swallowed whole by a crocodile in an aristocratic carnival-like setting and he continues to live on, albeit literally in the belly of the beast.
Dostoevsky’s tale is often labeled absurdly surreal, and it is that.
But the laugh out loud humor can also bring tears (not crocodile tears, yuck, yuck), because of the stark criticisms on display.
This book could just have easily been written for the west in the 20th and 21st centuries, as the metaphor has ferocity in The Crocodile.
Dostoevsky’s swallowed character, Ivan, represents personal struggles amidst systemic corruption in government and society, as well political and social oppression in order to retain the status quo of suffering . . . this is our fun character the silent crocodile who is slowly digesting Ivan.
It is funny how Dostoevsky pinpoints, in particular, how the old elites feel ‘progressives’ and ‘education’ were always to blame for the people suffering, even as foreign companies bought up housing and tripled prices ‘to keep the peasants’ busy in their suffering and to keep them paying into the system.
This was late 1800s Russia.
Here is a short passage on the economy and housing according to a wealthy elitist:
The metaphor is strong in this one!
The satire is thick, the humor prevalent, and I really wonder if this work influenced Mark Twain or Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
Now this gorgoeous goatskin book is small but remarkable and letterpress printed for not much over a hundred Euro.
I am floored with this book – the letterpress printed linework art is incredible, the scales chapter pages superb in green and black, and the custom endpapers I was lucky to attain are tactile-wise so much fun and the visuals are one-of-a-kind amazing!
I will be keeping an eye on every book Century Press makes.
Limited to 250 copies, Century Press is proud to present a striking new edition of The Crocodile like it’s never been seen before.
A brand new translation of Dostoyevsky’s “Editorial Preface” that accompanied the original publication of The Crocodile in Dostoevsky’s journal, The Epoch. This preamble to the story will be published in English for the first time in our edition.
An annotated and revised version the English Garnett translation from Dr. Sarah J. Young, a professor of Russian literature at UCL in London, as well as comprehensive introduction of her own.
Illustrated for the first time with four pieces by UK-based illustrator Rohan Eason.
Printing and Bindery Specs
Fully bound in vegetable-tanned, cypress goatskin leather from the Hudson Valley
Two-colour letterpress printed on premium 100% cotton ‘Flurry’ paper with a 1956 Heidelberg ‘Windmill’ platen press, typeset in Academy
Italian, tight-weave, cotton ribbon bookmark
Original gold-stamped artwork on front cover, back cover, and spine by Oksana Tarasenko.
All pre-orders received a special edition of The Crocodile with handmade endsheets from master Canadian artist Susan Kristoferson.
Her stunning paste papers were exhibited by the Grolier Club earlier this year, and have been acquired by NYC’s Metropolitan Art Museum as part of their Paper Legacy Collection.
“The Crocodile by Fyodor Dostoevsky: humorous satire astounds” Was Written By R.J. Huneke.
R.J. Huneke was just interviewed on the Tilting at Windmills show to discuss his newest book of fiction ANTS WAKING coming Oct. 28th!
Watch it now here!
And yes, RJ’s newest book is almost out! What is the premise? I’m glad you asked:
Coming October 28, 2025 – For readers of fantasy, Ants Waking by R.J. Huneke is a thrilling, visceral magical realism tale about an autistic college freshman in the magical city of Cambridge racing against meddlesome gods for the means to thwart their friend’s premature death before a Dark storm consumes them.
The title novella is accompanied by Huneke’s illustrations plus bonus material: previously published and unpublished short stories and select poetry, all of which were newly revised by Huneke to provide an author’s preferred text.
STAY TUNED FOR UPDATES ON RJHUNEKE.COM TO TIMES, LINKS & DETAILS FOR R.J. HUNEKE’S ANTS WAKING BOOK TOUR 2025, INCLUDING AN EXCLUSIVE TFF AUTHOR INTERVIEW IN NOVEMBER WITH SCI-FI GREAT RUSS COLCHAMIRO!
Preorder ANTS WAKING here and get in on free signed remarqued bookplates here!
Aug 21, 2025 | book review, Book Reviews, Horror, Nat Cassidy, sci-fi, Spoiler-Free, When the Wolf Comes Home
When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy: a poignant thriller, this book is must-read weird fiction, and a fast-paced, genre-smashing classic.
Fans of great horror, fantasy, and literary fiction will not want to miss this one.
Dare I mention Ray Bradbury?
“As if the universe chose that moment to come alive for them and tell them there was nothing to worry about. As if it knew their names.”
― Nat Cassidy, When the Wolf Comes Home
Cassidy builds on accessible page-turning genre fiction and establishes endearing characters that you would give an eye to, just to see that they are okay (see what I did there?).
The boy becomes our adopted son and our endearing friend met during the hardest of times.
The following book review of When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy will be Spoiler-free.
I cannot understate how difficult it is to write a realistic five-year-old that you fall in love with, as if they were your own child in trouble.
And make no mistake, terrible trouble is following this runaway boy and leaves behind a slew of bloody wrecks that used to be bodies.
This is not a spoiler as it is touched on in the novel’s description: the boy can turn his every fear into reality.
This power is unnerving, terrifying, and awe-inspiring.
Two favorite trailblazing books of mine – two cornerstones of contemporary fiction – reverberate in my head while reading When the Wolf Comes Home: Cormac McCarthy’s The Road and Stephen King’s Firestarter.
This brilliant modern fairy tale soars to innovative heights while remaining grounded in two GREAT protagonists the reader cares deeply for: Jess and the boy.
The young woman, a failing actress with a heart of gold, and big time father issues, is also a brilliant, likable character you root for wholeheartedly.
This is one of the best books I have read this year.
If you love Ray Bradbury or Richard Matheson, do as the King says: “Sink your teeth into a classic.” —Stephen King
“The wolf lets out a tremendous, world-splitting roar. The stench is appalling: rot and decay and the promise of ruined flesh.”
― Nat Cassidy, When the Wolf Comes Home
We reviewed Nat Cassidy’s Mary too and it is also phenomenal.
“When the Wolf Comes Home By Nat Cassidy: A Poignant Thriller” Was Written By R.J. Huneke.
