BookTrib’s Bites: Four Irresistible Winter Reads

(NewsUSA) - Russian Nonsensical by Edward D. Webster

This book weaves a spellbinding embroidery of mystery and intrigue, with threads of betrayal, exotic thefts, international adventure, and the looming specter of war in Ukraine.

Pastor Clem Dudas is a man of exquisite contradictions: a charismatic preacher who features rattlesnakes in his worship, a businessman developing fake AI "political exposés," and a schemer with clandestine Russian connections. Bud Randolpf shares Clem's politics, a quirky disposition of his own, and a far different link to Russia: Bud travels there seeking love.

When Clem’s wife and two favorite snakes go missing, Bud and his detective team take the case. They solve one mystery, only to uncover another far more deadly. Bud’s Russian romance heats up, just as Russia attacks Ukraine. In the end, Russian deceptions, American deep fakes, unorthodox ideas and the gentle love of a good woman turn Bud’s world upside down. Purchase at https://amzn.to/47hABcv.

The Recess Coat by Susan Wyant

The recess coat is big, green, long and puffy. It symbolizes the favorite teacher that wore it.

The Recess Coat, a children’s book for ages 6-9, is a tale about a beloved educator and her endearing qualities of warmth, kindness, sharing, inclusion and many more positive traits.

She sees potential in every child and helps them realize it. Her carefully crafted lesson plans offer knowledge and inspire the love of learning. Be there for her final lesson.

The book captures hearts of children and educates through its storytelling and glossary by introducing new vocabulary. It stands as a tribute to dedicated teachers everywhere while clearly leaving a legacy on a generation of students. Purchase at https://bit.ly/4fy8ZTf.

Villiansac by John Warwick

A supernatural mystery set in a small village in Southwest France, revolving around a 13th-century chateau with a haunting history. Constructed by Count Alphonse de Poitiers, the chateau imprisoned his illegitimate, unstable son, Charles, until his mysterious disappearance. In 1868, another occupant, John Henry Forbes, vanished under similar eerie circumstances.

In 2006, London banker John Mortimer purchases the chateau, but a hidden decree demanding pension payments to local villagers stirs trouble. Mortimer stumbles upon a pub and, inexplicably, time-travels back to 1868, becoming entangled in strange occurrences, hauntings, and deadly secrets.

A group of villagers and a persistent tax officer die in their quest for the truth about the pension payments, while Mortimer is confronted by supernatural forces, including a sinister figure named Charles Snoopchut Sfenalono. The novel weaves together elements of time travel, ghostly phenomena, and suspense in a tale of mystery and intrigue. Purchase at https://bit.ly/4dSes6U.

Temporal Destiny by Robert Schulman

In this thrilling conclusion of Robert Schulman’s science fiction trilogy, readers embark on an adventure reminiscent of Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, and Larry Niven. The story follows paleontologist Jack and his astrophysicist girlfriend Jen, who, alongside their crew, navigate a future Earth ravaged by a pandemic.

After discovering an alien artifact in Wyoming, they learn they were chosen by future inhabitants to solve humanity's crises. Their journey reveals the Balocks, an advanced alien race that has abandoned their domain, leaving behind destructive inorganic beings.

Set a decade after their arrival, the crew faces challenges that ignite a galaxy-wide conflict. As they attempt to save one race while aiding another, they discover the harsh realities of time travel—the universe always collects a toll for disrupting the Temporal Order. Purchase at https://bit.ly/4fH6Vsj.