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Book Review: A Death in Arcadia by Michael Papantonio

A Death in Arcadia by Michael Papantonio

Arcade Publishing, August 2026

ISBN: 9781648211706

Available: Hardcover, ebook edition

Buy: Bookshop.org | Amazon.com

 

Although Monster Librarian is primarily for horror books, we like to stretch ourselves on occasion. A Death In Arcadia is billed as a “legal thriller.”  As everyone knows, in this genre, there is John Grisham, and there is everyone else. How does this one stack up? In this case, for readers that like legal thrillers, this one will provide a reasonable stopgap of material to enjoy between waiting for Grisham releases.

 

The plot focuses on the abuse and murder of a fifteen year old boy by a guard at a troubled teen facility. Taking the case is the law firm of Nicholas “Deke” Deketonis. The book focuses on the crusading mass tort lawyers vs. Phoenix, the for-profit corporation that runs the detention centers.

 

Overall, it’s an enjoyable book, although it could have used a bit less legal, and a bit more thriller. The author has a nice touch for plot pacing: he keeps it moving the whole time, and it doesn’t really ever bog down. It is a bit heavy on the legalese, but the author keeps it understandable for those of us who don’t know much about the law. Papantonio has a knack for writing good dialogue, which makes up the majority of the book. One of the best characters, showing the author’s dialogue skill, was the on-the-take politician Bob Minds. I really enjoyed how the character didn’t try to mince words, and spent his time berating and trash-talking the very people signing his paychecks. It was nice to see a character not trying to whitewash what they were doing illegally; he just came out and said it.

 

As enjoyable as the book was, the characters were very black and white, either completely slimy or completely valorous. Some shades of gray would have made the characters more intriguing. It was also predictable. The bad guys always screwed up, and the good guys never made any mistakes. The lack of push-pull dynamic was a problem: you knew the good guys would always come out on top of whatever situation they were in.

 

It also felt unrealistic that almost no mention was ever made of the large fees that the lawyers stood to make through winning.  Readers are supposed to believe that trial lawyers are crusaders for good in an unfair world, working for free?  That’s one thing Grisham understands very well and makes clear in his novels. Some mention of money would have made the protagonists seem a lot more realistic: in this they came off as King Deke and the Lawyers of the Round Table. Yes, this is fiction, but that part was a bit much to swallow.

 

Bottom line? Readers of legal thrillers will probably enjoy this and learn a few things, while waiting for the next Grisham.

 

 

Reviewed by Murray Samuelson

Posted on October 30, 2026 by , Reply

Graphic Novel Review: Athanasia by Daniel Kraus, art by DaNi, colors by Brad Simpson, letters by Jim Campbell

cover art for Athanasia by Daniel Kraus

Athanasia by Daniel Kraus, art by DaNi, colors by Brad Simpson, letters by Jim Campbell

Vault Comics, 2025

ISBN-13: 9781638492818

Available: Paperback, Kindle edition1

Buy: Bookshop.org | Amazon.com

 

 

In Venture City, the Molson family has tended the grounds at Athanasia Cemetery, the burial grounds for fallen superheroes of the Dynamic Guild, for generations. Forrest Molson dropped out of high school a year ago. She maintains her sobriety, works with her father as an assistant groundskeeper, and is expected to take over when he is ready to retire. The problem is that she does not see the hero worship of the Dynamic Guild to be more than that, and questions her father and grandfather’s logic in continuing to work for them. Struggling with relationships, the death of her little sister, and the future in general, Forrest finds herself spiraling.

 

After an argument with her father, she lets herself into the cemetery after hours, using the monogram that allows only the Guild and their employees to enter. A strange green substance emerges from the ground at night. When she accidentally comes into contact with it, she is temporarily granted superpowers.

 

What starts out as Forrest’s quest for justice for the people left out of the Dynamic Guild’s orbit quickly spirals into extreme vigilante horror as she becomes addicted to the supergoo and loses control over herself. The Molson elders need to make some difficult choices if they want to help Forrest and survive the coming fight.

 

The horror emerges subtly and builds in Athanasia. It is more than an addiction story. Forrest sees the victims of what the Dynamic Guild deem as lower importance. She is verbally sexually harassed by middle aged men on the street. She witnesses an elderly woman being swindled by her landlord for more rent money. A purse snatcher runs past her after a victorious haul off the arm of a young woman. Then she walks in on one of her closest friends being sexually assaulted in the high school gym. Something in her breaks further.

 

Between experiencing and seeing everything going on around her, knowing the Guild is ignoring those living on the outskirts, and succumbing to her new addiction, Forrest craves more power, no matter the cost. Pushing the limits of her body and psyche, and the supergoo, is all she can think about. Learning more about the superheroes is intense, both in terms of their rise and what happens when they die.

 

Athanasia is a great book for readers of Kingdom Come, Watchmen, and other series that dig into the dark side of superhero culture. Highly recommended.

 

 

Reviewed by Lizzy Walker

Posted on October 20, 2026 by , Reply

Book Review: Tears of the Dragon (Kiranis #4) by Ronald A. Geobey

 

 

cover art for Tears of the Dragon by Ronald A. Geobey

Tears of the Dragon by Ronald A. Geobey

Temple Dark Publishing, 2026

ISBN: 9781068250743

Available: Hardcover, ebook edition

Buy: Bookshop.org | Amazon.com

 

The fourth volume in Ronald A. Geobey’s magnum space opus, Tears of the Dragon continues along the path established by the previous three volumes: multiple plotlines intertwined with many characters, all heading for various unknown outcomes. This is SERIOUSLY complex stuff, on the level with the most multi-faceted material Kim Stanley Robinson or Frank Herbert ever wrote. This saga is likely to have a very devoted following over time, but it’s for certain types of readers. In other words, the mass appeal may be a bit limited, but the fans of the series will love it.

 

I’ll admit I got somewhat left in the space-dust on where all of this is heading, and my comprehension of the plot is pretty limited. However, that did not detract from my enjoyment of the story. Here’s an analogy. I love the films The Departed and Interstellar, yet even after multiple viewings, I still can’t figure out all the plot points of either film. This series is much the same way. I can’t make head or tail of it at times, but it’s still a good read. I like seeing what the characters are doing, the action taking place, and all the twists to the plot. When this series finally reaches its conclusion, I fully expect that I may not even comprehend it, but so what? As the Grateful Dead famously said, “at least I’m enjoyin’ the ride.”

 

For all that, that doesn’t mean that the author has written an impenetrable story. This isn’t Finnegan’s Wake. I’ve always had trouble with stories that involve time travel and multiple dimensions, and this story has a lot of that. There’s also a lot to keep track of, and I forget things. I still enjoyed the story, though, especially the thread with Cassandra Messina as the Empress. I’m still not sure how she was cloned multiple times, with the original model appearing at the same time as a clone, years later, but again, no sense worrying about it. I found the story captivating, all the same. There was a discussion between two characters in the area of page 170 that I would like to see a bit more of in the series, almost a break to help explain part of the plot. More little sections like that would be helpful for readers like me, who struggle with hard sci-fi, and I would like to see a few more of those interspersed within each book.

 

Overall, this series is one that is likely to have individuals with very strong opinions about it, from both supporters and detractors. One thing is certain: the world-building and layering of plot threads is staggering. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it done on this scale before. Regardless of whether you love or hate this series, it’s a monumental achievement that is almost impossible to ignore. Recommended for fans of the series. For new readers who want to give it a shot, make sure to start with the first book: you CANNOT read this series out of order.

 

 

Reviewed by Murray Samuelson

 

Posted on October 18, 2026 by , Reply
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