Returning from a trip abroad, the Van Burnam family enters their New York mansion to find a dead woman on the dining room floor. A curio cabinet has fallen on top of her, crushing her face, and law officers suspect that the victim is the wife of one of the Van Burnam sons. However, the son insists that he does not recognize the victim. How did this woman get into this locked house? Whose are those strange garments she is wearing? What is her hat doing in the closet and a strange, gaudy hat crushed underneath her? Why did the coroner insist that the woman was dead when the curio fell?

Oroonoko is the story of an enslaved African prince. Our narrator recounts the events from Oroonoko’s coming into princedom, his enslavement, and his struggle for love. It took a while to get started but soon I found that I was intrigued, much occurs in this short novel. There are commentaries about slavery and race, social class, gender, colonialism, and religion. The actions and imagery of our hero are reminiscent of Greek mythology.

Alaskan Healing is the latest publication from our new author program. This engaging novel offers a liberal dose of conflict mitigated by the actions of some truly decent and hard working, if flawed, human beings. If you are a strong believer in the philosophy that even some of the worst things happen for a reason, this book will reinforce that viewpoint. Set aside several sizable blocks of time for reading, because this novel is a difficult one to put down.