Operation Medusa – a high stakes geopolitical suspense novel by Jake Greco. Photo: Amazon
Book Spotlight: Operation Medusa (Book 1)
By Jake Greco
Synopsis
History’s wounds never fully heal — and in the wrong hands, they can start a war.
From the creator of the Specters of Athena universe comes a gripping new military thriller saga that blends real-world history, relentless action, and the razor’s edge of modern geopolitics. (Amazon, 2026)
When Greece and Turkey collide in a dangerous dance of brinkmanship, the conflict is fought not only in contested waters and borderlands, but also in intelligence rooms, diplomatic corridors, and the shadows where truth is the first casualty.
At the heart of the series is Nikolas “Strix” Andros — a battle-tested Greek operative whose past in black operations and NATO counterterrorism leaves him uniquely suited for the high-stakes games being played in the Aegean. Alongside Command Sergeant Major Yakovos Rousso, Strix faces provocations by air, land, and sea, each one threatening to ignite a wider war neither side can fully control.
Told through multiple perspectives — Greek, Turkish, and NATO — Operation Medusa combines the adrenaline of modern special operations with the deep resonance of generational history. Inspired in part by the author’s own Greek heritage and the stories of family members who lived through siege, hunger, and occupation, the series honors the resilience of a people while delivering page-turning suspense.
If you crave military thrillers with authentic action, layered political stakes, and characters forged in the crucible of history, Operation Medusa will keep you reading deep into the night.
Jake Greco grew up in Arizona and is a desert rat at heart. His father, a WWII veteran, taught him to shoot at a young age and fueled his lifelong passion for firearms and adventure. These early life experiences have molded him into a versatile storyteller whose works span the full spectrum of thriller and suspense genres.
A lifelong admirer of the Southwest’s rugged beauty, Jake weaves the stark landscapes and complex characters of the region into his novels. His stories often feature heroes and antiheroes grappling with morality, loyalty, and the unpredictable twists of fate. From shadowy desert hideouts to the tense corridors of power, his tales explore the human condition under extraordinary pressure, reflecting both the fragility and resilience of the human spirit.
‘Famous Men’ is the new literary fiction novel by Julie Buntin. Photo: Penguin Random House.
Book Review: Famous Men by Julie Buntin
From the acclaimed author of Marlena comes a “magnificent” (The New York Times) novel about a young woman looking for a father and finding herself. (Penguin Random House, 2026)
“The right book at the right time can change your life.”
Quick Details
Title:Famous Men
Author: Julie Buntin
Genre: Literary Fiction / Coming-of-Age
Themes: Ambition, Identity, Power Dynamics, Mentorship
Synopsis
Will Miles is trapped in the suffocatingly tiny town of Greening, Michigan, having never known who her father is. Haunted by a toxic rumor that turned her into a social exile, the teenage Will yearns for escape. At fourteen, she discovers the poetry of literary giant Nathaniel Fellow, a man four decades her senior who shares her hometown. A passing comment from her mother only adds to Will’s fascination: Is Nathaniel the father she’s never known? She becomes convinced that he may hold the answers to her literary aspirations and her family history.
Her obsession drives her to New York City, drawing her into Nathaniel’s orbit and sparking a deeply complex, years-long entanglement that offers a seductive doorway to intellectual life, mentorship, and security, at a devastatingly ambiguous cost. When information about his past threatens not just her life with Nathaniel, but the story she tells herself about him, Will is faced with a choice that will change everything.
Review
Famous Menis an emotionally rich novel that explores identity, ambition, and the complicated power dynamics between young women and influential men.
Buntin challenges typical coming-of-age narratives, refusing easy moral clarity or simplified stories of victimhood. Will’s journey from small-town outsider to New York’s literary circles is both inspiring and unsettling, revealing how easily dreams can become entangled with manipulation and self-deception. Her relationship with Nathaniel begins as admiration, but eventually evolves into a complicated bond that forces her to question the true cost of chasing success and validation.
Through a first-person narrative, Buntin captures:
The desperate craving to be seen by our idols.
The quiet concessions women make to build a life.
The painful reckoning when the truth about a mentor finally surfaces.
Buntin writes with empathy and passion, making Will’s search for belonging feel authentic and deeply relatable. The beautiful, razor-precise prose draws readers directly into Will’s complicated life:
“Watery sunlight fell across the spines, landing in a warmish puddle on the floor where I sat, cross-legged, to begin at the beginning.”
Ultimately, Julie Buntin delivers a beautifully written novel filled with emotionally layered characters, sharp observations about fame and influence, and an honest exploration of how women often bear the consequences of men’s mistakes. The story balances literary depth with emotional tension, making it difficult to put down.
Final Thoughts
Famous Men is a compelling exploration of ambition and the intoxicating danger of artistic idolatry.
Recommended for:
Readers who enjoy character-driven literary fiction and stories of self-discovery.
Fans of introspective fiction, literary intrigue, and emotionally complex relationships.
“New York wasn’t an island of skyscrapers, tethered by bridges, its heart the gentle hills of Central Park-it was a million tiny rooms and the people inside, their desire mixing with the wishes of everyone who had once passed through. I could have stood there with my head outside the window forever, just watching.”
Julie Buntin‘s debut novel, Marlena, was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle’s John Leonard Prize, released in ten territories worldwide, and named a best book of the year by over a dozen outlets, including The Washington Post, NPR, and Kirkus Reviews.
She is the co-editor of Notes to New Mothers, a collection of dispatches from postpartum life by sixty writers and artists. Previously, Buntin was an editor and director of writing programs at Catapult. Now, she writes and teaches in Ann Arbor, where she is an assistant professor at the University of Michigan.
**Thank you to Sarah Jean Grimm and Broadside PR for my gifted ARC for review consideration. I haven’t been compensated for this review and all views and opinions expressed are my own.
The best-selling novel is now a limited series on Peacock. Photo: Barnes & Noble
Book to Series: Elin Hilderbrand’s “The Five-Star Weekend” Hits Peacock
Elin Hilderbrand’s beloved summer read is officially jumping from the page to the screen, The highly anticipated adaptation of The Five-Star Weekend has officially arrived as an eight-episode limited series on Peacock.
Whether you are a longtime resident of Hilderbrand’s fictionalized Nantucket or a newcomer looking for your next dramatic binge-watch, here is everything you need to know about the book’s premise and the star-studded new series.
📖The Book Synopsis
Hollis Shaw’s life seems picture-perfect. She’s the creator of the popular food blog Hungry with Hollis and is married to Matthew, a dreamy heart surgeon. But after she and Matthew get into a heated argument one snowy morning, he leaves for the airport and is tragically killed in a car accident. (Barnes & Noble, 2026)
In the wake of the tragedy, the cracks in Hollis’s perfect life—including a strained marriage and a complicated relationship with her daughter, Caroline—grow deeper.
Seeking comfort and a fresh start, Hollis decides to host her own “Five-Star Weekend” on Nantucket. The concept? One woman organizes a trip inviting one best friend from each distinct phase of her life: her teenage years, her twenties, her thirties, and midlife.
But this getaway doesn’t turn out to be a joyful, breezy Hallmark movie…
🎬Meet the Cast & Characters
The Peacock adaptation features a powerhouse ensemble cast to bring Hollis’s inner circle to life. Here is who is playing who in the eight-episode series:
Character
Phase of Life
Played By
The Drama They Bring
Hollis Shaw
The Host
Jennifer Garner(also Executive Producer)
A grieving food influencer trying to piece her life back together six months after her husband’s death.
Tatum
Teenage Years
Chloë Sevigny
Hollis’s childhood best friend. Her husband stirs the pot by inviting Hollis’s first love, Jack Finigan, to the island.
Dru-Ann
The Twenties
Regina Hall
Hollis’s UNC Chapel Hill college roommate. Now a prominent Chicago sports agent, her career is on the line after a major social media misunderstanding.
Brooke
The Thirties
D’Arcy Carden
Hollis’s adulthood pal who has just discovered her husband is having yet another inappropriate workplace relationship.
Gigi
Midlife / Present
Gemma Chan
A mysterious internet stranger who connected with Hollis through her blog. She embodies unusual grace but harbors major secrets.
📺From Page to Screen
The Five-Star Weekend is a surprising and captivating story about friendship, love, and self-discovery. It promises to be a weekend like no other.
Fans of the book can expect plenty of beautiful Nantucket backdrops, delicious food blog aesthetics, and juicy, decades-spanning secrets.
Book Review: I Know a Place: Rest Stop and Other Dark Detours
By: Nat Cassidy
Featuring an Introduction by: Stephen King
The first collection from author Nat Cassidy features his unique blend of gleefully terrifying short fiction, including the hit novella Rest Stop.
“These stories are f*cking great. They rule. So read them.” — Stephen King, from his introduction
Synopsis
There are locations in this world where the light doesn’t seem to reach. Where, no matter how illuminated the place might be, shadows creep in too strongly to fight back.
These locations and more are your destination, and bestselling author Nat Cassidy will be your guide. Featuring the Bram Stoker Award-nominated, critically acclaimed novella Rest Stop (one of Esquire’s Best Horror Books of 2024), along with a number of other original short stories—some of which have never been published before—I Know A Place: Rest Stop and Other Dark Detours is a travelogue down twisting side streets and through alleyways where the darkness has eyes and teeth.
Let’s hope you make it home in one piece.
The Table of Contents (Stories):
Rest Stop
Meet-Cute #1: The Unluckiest Girl
Generation
Nice
The Art of What You Want
The Lunar Eclipse
Laughlines
Run for Your Life
Jubilee
Juncture
Come Into the Life of Things
Meet-Cute #2: The Scariest Thing
A Fruiting Body
My Review: Creeping Dread in Everyday Places
Nat Cassidy is a Stephen King fan, and his influence absolutely shows. King has a keen gift for turning ordinary situations into absolute nightmares, and this collection proves that Cassidy has that exact same superpower.
I Know a Place: Rest Stop and Other Dark Detours is a chilling collection that proves horror doesn’t need haunted castles or isolated mansions to unsettle readers. Instead, Cassidy transforms the mundane—a lonely highway rest stop, a doctor’s office, a cramped apartment, even a modern kitchen—into landscapes of creeping dread where something always feels just a little wrong.
Anchored by Rest Stop, which absolutely lives up to its award-nominated reputation, the book delivers relentless tension and a growing sense of unease. Throughout the collection, Cassidy expertly blends psychological horror, supernatural terror, and deep human emotion. His characters feel completely authentic, making their encounters with the bizarre all the more impactful.
Standout Highlights
Rest Stop – Abe is in a band that has a gig coming up, but for now, he’s on the road in the middle of the night to visit his grandmother in the hospital. He has a complicated relationship with her, but she’s the only grandparent he has ever known. When he sees a sign for a gas station, he takes the next exit for a much-needed break. What could possibly go wrong? Next time you stop at an isolated gas station in the middle of the night, try not to think about this story.
Nice – Mitchell is a six-year-old boy obsessed with Santa, much to his parents’ chagrin. When Twinklebottom the Elf visits him in the middle of the night to ask for his help in easing the elves’ workload by not being too nice, he’s unprepared for how far Mitchell will go.
The Lunar Eclipse – A woman waiting for an eclipse looks back at her life and the man she met when they were six years old. They eventually became romantically involved but have since moved on. He has passed away, but she can’t help but remember the promise they made 50 years ago while witnessing another eclipse: no matter what happened, they’d be together for the next one. No matter what…
The Verdict
Each story explores different shades of fear, from grief and guilt to obsession and isolation, while maintaining a distinctive voice that is equal parts unsettling and compassionate. Cassidy’s vivid prose creates immersive settings where darkness seems to seep through every crack.
“This parking lot has gotten too dark and it feels like that van, with its impenetrable windows, is swelling in size, blotting out what little light there is.”
He takes places we all instinctively distrust, like an empty midnight gas station littered with googly eyes, and injects them with a creeping, visceral malice. The atmosphere throughout the anthology is thick and heavy; no matter how well-lit these venues claim to be, the shadows always fight back with teeth.
Cassidy’s writing is remarkably adaptable. He bounces effortlessly between psychological unease and sharp, bloody terror, ensuring that each detour feels uniquely dangerous. It’s a sharp, terrifying read that reminds us exactly why we look over our shoulders in empty rooms.
For those brave enough to step off the main highway, I Know a Place is a brilliant, dark journey that’s well worth taking. Just be prepared for the nightmares that may follow. Perfect for fans of atmospheric horror and unsettling short fiction, this exceptional collection showcases Nat Cassidy’s remarkable imagination and storytelling skill.
“It was a joke, more or less. He had to have known that.”
According to Deadline, Gary Dauberman’s Coin Operated has secured the rights to Rest Stop for a future feature film. Cassidy will adapt the screenplay with Dauberman and Mia Maniscalco as producers.
** Thank you to Eve Bailey and Flo Communications for my gifted copy for review consideration. I haven’t been compensated for this review and all views and opinions expressed are my own.
‘Voyagers’ is Meg Charlton’s debut novel. Photo: Barnes & Noble
Book Review: Voyagers by Meg Charlton
The Story
Years ago, when Alex and Ana were six years old, they vanished for thirty-six hours during a sleepover while on vacation near Palm Springs. When they returned, dazed but unharmed, their account had all the traits of an alien abduction. The media frenzy that followed made them famous, and the long months of child stardom—of talk shows and sitcom cameos—created a seemingly unbreakable bond between them, until the mystery behind their disappearance began to tear them apart.
In the present, “the Signal,” a mysterious transmission pulsing from the edge of the solar system, arrives, changing the world overnight. Planes are grounded, satellites fail, and speculation abounds. While humanity holds its breath for first contact, the Signal feels deeply personal to Alex, now a thirtysomething lawyer who has spent years distancing himself from the unexplainable. It is the opening of an old wound.
With the world on edge and the Signal growing stronger, Alex is drawn back to the one person who might have answers. Ana, now a professional advocate for experiencers of extraterrestrial contact, is leading a retreat near Palm Springs, close to the site of their childhood disappearance. As the former best friends tentatively reunite, what starts as a quest to confront the reality of their original experience becomes a larger reckoning with friendship, faith, family, and truth itself.
Review
Voyagers by Meg Charlton reframes a popular sci-fi premise—a world-altering cosmic transmission—into a profoundly intimate character study. While humanity holds its breath over potential first contact, Alex is forced to confront a childhood trauma he spent decades burying.
Charlton beautifully balances global intrigue with deep character development. The mystery surrounding Alex and Ana’s disappearance keeps the pages turning, while their complicated reunion adds emotional weight to the unfolding narrative. As the tension of the global phenomenon grows, it perfectly mirrors the internal reckoning between the two protagonists. Rather than relying solely on extraterrestrial speculation, the novel uses the themes of memory, belief, and the stories people construct to make sense of their lives.
The pacing is steady, with suspense building naturally as the Signal grows stronger and long-buried questions demand answers. The writing is thoughtful and atmospheric, creating a sense of wonder without sacrificing emotional authenticity. Written in a non-linear narrative, the story unfolds beautifully through Alex’s first-person perspective:
“I saw all my younger selves stretched out like skeins of geese across the sky, crisscrossing in the air, the six-year-old Alex still flying away from California, the adult flying back toward it.”
Key Themes & Concepts
Most Intriguing Concept: Is Allen just Alex and Ana’s imaginary friend, or is he a real memory?
Core Themes: Family, Friendship, and Identity.
Genre: Blend of literary fiction and science fiction.
Final Thoughts
Voyagers is thought-provoking and beautifully written. A suspenseful exploration of friendship and family dynamics, it’s rich with science fiction, mystery, and emotional drama. It uses an extraterrestrial backdrop to dissect the fragility of human memory and poses the question: is discovering the truth always worth the cost? Most importantly, it explores the psychological aftermath of early stardom, public scrutiny, and shared childhood trauma.
Highly recommended for readers who enjoy intelligent speculative fiction with strong, character-driven arcs.
“It is very painful to be called out for believing something that isn’t so. The instinct is not to cut one’s losses and confess to being wrong but to double down, to stay committed to your foolishness for so long that it takes on a kind of power.”
Meg Charlton was born and raised in New York City. She holds an MFA in fiction from Brooklyn College, and Voyagers is her brilliant debut novel.
** Thank you to Sarah Jean Grimm and Broadside PR for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) for review consideration. I haven’t been compensated for this review and all views and opinions expressed are my own.
Imperfect Women the series is streaming on Apple TV. Photo: Barnes & Noble
Book to Screen: Imperfect Women by Araminta Hall
The transition from page to screen can be complicated, but when the source material is as haunting as Araminta Hall’s Imperfect Women, the results are bound to be electric. Now adapted into an eight-episode limited series on Apple TV+, this psychological thriller is a must-watch for fans of complex female leads and dark, domestic secrets.
Book Overview
When Nancy Hennessy is murdered, she leaves behind a shattered life and a trail of questions. From the outside, Nancy had it all: she was gorgeous, wealthy, and cherished by her husband and daughter. But she also took the identity of a secret lover to her grave.
As the investigation into her death flounders, her two best friends, Eleanor and Mary, find themselves drowning in grief and the realization that they might not have known Nancy, or each other, at all.
The Hook: A gripping exploration of impossible expectations and the lethal nature of long-held secrets.
The Structure: The story unfolds through the perspectives of three fascinating women, forcing the reader to untangle their complex friendship to answer the ultimate question: Who killed Nancy?
The Vibe: Wickedly sharp and suspenseful, drawing comparisons to the likes of Patricia Highsmith and Paula Hawkins.
Imperfect Women explores guilt and retribution, love and betrayal, and the compromises we make that alter our lives irrevocably. (Barnes & Noble, 2026)
From Page to Screen: The Series
The Apple TV+ adaptation brings the “wickedly sharp” insights of the novel to life in a high-stakes limited series. The show dives deep into the decades-long friendship at the heart of the crime, peeling back the layers of a murder investigation that exposes the dark underbelly of a “perfect” life.
The Star-Studded Cast
The series boasts an incredible lineup of heavy hitters:
Actor
Character
Kerry Washington
Eleanor
Elisabeth Moss
Mary
Kate Mara
Nancy
Joel Kinnaman
Robert
Corey Stoll
Howard (Mary’s husband)
Photo: IMDb
About the Author
Araminta Hallis no stranger to the dark side of fiction. She holds an MA in creative writing and authorship from the University of Sussex and currently teaches creative writing at New Writing South in Brighton.
Hall is also the acclaimed author of Our Kind of Cruelty, which was named a best book of 2018 by CrimeReads and Real Simple. She lives in Brighton with her husband and three children.
Are you planning to read the book first, or will you be diving straight into the Apple TV+ series?
The movie adaptation of ‘Reminders of Him’ is now in theaters. Photo: Barnes & Noble
Book to Movie Spotlight: Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover
Colleen Hoover has solidified her status as a titan of contemporary fiction. Driven by massive sales, #BookTok buzz, and a string of successful film adaptations, Hoover’s appeal lies in her emotionally intense storytelling. She blends romance with heavy themes like trauma and complex relationships, using an accessible writing style that creates a deep emotional bond with her audience.
Now Playing: The highly anticipated movie adaptation of Reminders of Him is currently in theaters everywhere.
The Book: A Journey of Redemption
A troubled young mother yearns for a shot at redemption.
After serving five years in prison for a tragic mistake, Kenna Rowan returns to the town where it all went wrong. Her goal is simple but daunting: reunite with her four-year-old daughter. However, the bridges Kenna burned are proving impossible to rebuild. Everyone in her daughter’s life is determined to shut her out, regardless of how hard she works to prove she has changed.
The only person who hasn’t closed the door completely is Ledger Ward, a local bar owner and one of the few remaining links to Kenna’s daughter. As a connection forms between them, the stakes grow higher. If their relationship is discovered, both risk losing the trust of the people they love most. Kenna must find a way to absolve the mistakes of her past to build a future defined by hope and healing.
The Movie: At a Glance
After prison, a woman attempts to reconnect with her young daughter but faces resistance from everyone except a bar owner with ties to her child. As they grow closer, she must confront her past mistakes to build a hopeful future.
Production Credits & Details
Category
Details
Director
Vanessa Caswill
Writers
Colleen Hoover, Lauren Levine
Stars
Maika Monroe, Tyriq Withers, Zoe Kosovic
Genre
Romance / Drama
Run Time
1h 55m
Rating
PG-13
Why We’re Watching
Whether you are a longtime member of the “CoHo” fandom or a newcomer to her stories, Reminders of Him promises to be a tear-jerker. Seeing Kenna’s journey from isolation to hope on the big screen adds a new layer of depth to an already powerful story.
Have you read the book yet, or are you heading straight to the theater?
From the acclaimed author of Confessions of the Fox comes a novel that feels like an unauthorized memoir dictated in a fever dream. Set in a cluttered, rent-controlled Manhattan apartment, Barbara Rosenberg is terminally ill, high on opioids, and utterly unrepentant. Night Night Fawn will be released on Tuesday March 3, 2026 and available for pre-order. (Broadside PR, 2026)
As she writes the story of her life, she spares no one, least of all herself. Her narrative skips between memories of a smutty late husband, a career with a disreputable plastic surgeon, and her “glory days” of jazzercise, all while she grapples with unhinged thoughts on gender, Karl Marx, and Zionism.
At the heart of her delirium are two haunting disappointments:
An estranged trans son.
A long-lost best friend whose betrayal still lingers.
Review: A Reckoning in Real-Time
Written in a sharp first-person POV, Night Night Fawn forces readers to confront the jagged edges of intergenerational conflict. Barbara’s voice pivots effortlessly between gutter humor and piercing self-awareness. Rosenberg provides an unfiltered portrait of a mother who cannot love cleanly, apologize easily, or die quietly. Themes explored include identity, colonialism, sexuality, and gender.
The prose is vivid and descriptive, turning even the mundane into something cinematic:
“In my daughter’s bedroom the traffic along Second Avenue cast stripes of light through the blinds; they floated across the ceiling like empty frames of film reel ticking off after a show.”
The narrative structure is nonlinear, mirroring Barbara’s descent into illness. It’s a bold exploration of the stories we tell ourselves when time is running out. While the novel is provocative and often uncomfortable, it remains a fiercely intelligent reminder of our shared, messy humanity.
Recommended for: Fans of family life fiction and unconventional memoirs who appreciate raw, “unfiltered” storytelling.
Key Quotes
“As I started down the ramp of sleep, I could feel my mind begin to unravel, like a piece of knitting being pulled out to correct a slipped stitch.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
About the Author
Jordy Rosenberg is the author of Confessions of the Fox, a New York Times Editors’ Choice selection and finalist for numerous prestigious awards, including the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize and the Lambda Literary Award.
A recipient of support from the MacDowell and Lannan Foundations, Rosenberg currently serves as a professor in the Department of English and MFA Faculty at UMass-Amherst.
*Thank you to Broadspire PR/NetGalley for the gifted ARC for review consideration. I haven’t been compensated for this review and all views and opinions expressed are my own.
‘I Know a Place’ is the new short story collection by Nat Cassidy. Photo: Shortwave Publishing.
The King of Horror Joins Forces with Nat Cassidy for New Collection
PORTLAND, OR – In a massive win for horror fans, Shortwave Publishing has announced that the legendary Stephen King will write the introduction to bestselling author Nat Cassidy’s upcoming short story collection, I Know A Place. (Shortwave Publishing, 2026)
King, who rarely lends his pen to contemporary introductions, has previously written forewords for literary staples such as Lord of the Flies and The Haunting of Hill House. This collaboration marks a significant milestone for Cassidy, placing him among a select few living authors to receive such an endorsement from the “King of Horror.”
A Record-Breaking Release
The buzz surrounding I Know A Place is growing. Since its announcement, the collection has:
Peaked in the Top Ten Most Requested Books on NetGalley.
Remained the #1 Most Requested title in the Horror category.
This follows the massive success of Cassidy’s most recent novel, When The Wolf Comes Home, which was both a USA Today bestseller and a Goodreads Choice Award nominee.
About the Collection
I Know A Place: Rest Stop and Other Dark Detours
There are locations in this world where the light doesn’t seem to reach. Where, no matter how illuminated the place might be, shadows creep in too strongly to fight back.
From a suspiciously empty gas station littered with googly eyes to a tech millionaire’s haunted kitchen, Cassidy takes readers on a travelogue through the macabre. The collection features:
“Rest Stop”: The Bram Stoker Award-nominated novella named one of Esquire’s Best Horror Books of 2024.
New Material: A number of original short stories, including several never-before-published pieces.
“I Know A Place is a travelogue down twisting side streets and through alleyways where the darkness has eyes… and teeth. Let’s hope you make it home in one piece.”
Meet the Author: Nat Cassidy
Nat Cassidy is a multi-talented force in the horror genre, writing for the page, stage, and screen.
The Novelist: Named one of the “writers shaping horror’s next golden age” by Esquire, NPR, Harper’s Bazaar, and the NY Public Library have featured his work.
The Playwright: A winner of multiple NY Innovative Theatre Awards, Cassidy has written everything from one-man shows about H.P. Lovecraft to commissions for the Washington National Opera.
The Actor: You may recognize him as a “Bad Guy of the Week” on shows like Law & Order: SVU, Blue Bloods, and Quantico.
Mark Your Calendars
I Know A Place: Rest Stop and Other Dark Detours officially drops on May 5.
Ready to secure your copy? The collection is available for pre-order now at Shortwave Publishing and wherever books are sold.
‘Akikos’ Quiet Happiness’ is a moving new Japan trilogy novel. Photo: Other Press
Akiko’s Quiet Happiness
The Japan Trilogy, Vol. 1 by Jan-Philipp Sendker Translated by Daniel Bowles
The first book in a new series by the beloved author of The Art of Hearing Heartbeats trilogy is now out. Jan-Philipp Sendkerreturns withAkiko’s Quiet Happiness, the opening novel in The Japan Trilogy, a tender, introspective story about grief, identity, and the courage it takes to love. (Other Press, 2025)
About the Novel
Still grieving the death of her mother, 29-year-old Akiko lives alone in Tokyo, withdrawn and emotionally isolated. Her quiet, carefully contained life is interrupted one evening when she unexpectedly runs into Kento, her first love from school.
Kento now lives as a hikikomori, leading a reclusive life and only venturing outside at night. As the two former classmates reconnect, their fragile bond begins to open doors neither of them expected.
At the same time, Akiko uncovers unsettling evidence that her mother had been lying to her about their family. The discovery shakes her sense of self and forces her to confront a painful truth: she doesn’t really know who she is.
With Kento’s support, Akiko embarks on a journey into her own past, one that leads her in surprising directions and toward questions she has never dared to ask before:
How do I want to live?
And do I have the courage to love?
Perfect for fans of Satoshi Yagisawa’s Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, Akiko’s Quiet Happiness is a poignant story of family, identity, and belonging.
About the Author
Jan-Philipp Sendker, born in Hamburg in 1960, was the American correspondent for Stern from 1990 to 1995 and its Asian correspondent from 1995 to 1999. In 2000, he published Cracks in the Wall, a nonfiction book about China.
His first novel, The Art of Hearing Heartbeats, became an international bestseller. Sendker now lives in Potsdam with his family.
About the Translator
Daniel Bowles is Associate Professor of German Studies at Boston College. His translation of Imperium won the Goethe-Institut’s Helen & Kurt Wolff Translator’s Prize in 2016.
SA Examiner 