Reincarnation Blues by Michael Poore

Generally, the point of reincarnation is to achieve enlightenment, being reborn over and over to gain enlightenment. Milo, the oldest soul on the planet, has given up on pursuing perfection and instead spends his time between lives with Death, who prefers to be called Suzie. After Milo’s 9,995^th life, he learns he only has 5 more tries to live a perfect life and join the Oversoul or he will be cast into the nothingness. Poore expertly weaves Milo’s last five lives with flashbacks of past lives (including the time he was a cricket) and the complicated tale of his (after)life with Suzie. With all of his imperfections on display, Milo is a relatable everyman who shows us younger souls how hard it is to be truly perfect. Readers will laugh heartily and also be touched by the love Milo and Suzie fight so hard to hold onto.

Poore wins the reader over quickly with his witty yet poignant writing, and takes them on a ride they won't soon forget! This absolutely wonderful and inventive tale about love and death (aka Suzie) is reminiscent of the work of fellow oddballs Terry Pratchett and Tom Robbins but Poore tells it with a voice all his own.

- Portia

The Last Policeman by Ben H. Winters

Just 6 months until a giant asteroid (nicknamed Maia) is scheduled to destroy the Earth, Detective Hank Palace is assigned to investigate the death of Peter Zell. Most of the police force has given up on working too hard, and none of them think Palace should bother with what they believe is clearly a suicide. Something about the scene leads Palace to believe Zell has been murdered, and he is soon on a one man crusade for answers. As many people around the world are leaving their jobs, responsibilities, and even their families behind, Palace insists on working diligently to bring the killer to justice. As he pursues this case to the bitter end, his life is further complicated by his sister, Nico, and the shady characters with whom she has aligned herself.

Although there are myriad post-apocalyptic books to be read, few authors explore a pre-apocalyptic world. Here, the imminent destruction of the world is not just a backdrop, but an integral part of the mystery. People are no longer just living their lives day to day, they are desperate, unpredictable, and forced to make decisions they never thought they would have to face. This is the first book in an engrossing trilogy that will make you start to question what you would do with the knowledge that the whole world is going to end. Would you pursue your chosen career just as diligently as Palace does? Would you run off to New Orleans and party the time away? Or would you do everything you could to ensure your family survived until the last possible moment?

Winters has recently gained a lot of well-deserved praise for his new book Underground Airlines, a thriller set in an alternate current-day America where slavery still exists. Having loved that book, I was interested in reading this award-winning trilogy and was not disappointed. In this trilogy as well as his newest book, Winters uses the sometimes formulaic genre of mystery to take his readers on an existential roller coaster ride.

Posted by Portia Kapraun

Midnight Crossroad by Charlaine Harris

When psychic Manfred Bernardo moved to Midnight, Texas, he was expecting to be the eccentric in the sleepy, little town. Little did he know what Midnight had in store for him. Across the street, Fiji Cavanaugh owns a New Age shop and claims to be a witch. The minister has a wedding chapel and a pet cemetery, and the family that owns the convenience store are surely hiding something. Manfred’s landlord, Bobo, owns the local pawn shop (open 24/7) and looks to have secrets of his own. When the town holds a picnic near the river, they discover the body of Bobo’s missing girlfriend, Aubrey. As the investigation into her death begins, life in Midnight gets even weirder: dangerous looking strangers wander the streets, a private detective comes snooping around, and that’s just the beginning.

Charlaine Harris made her name with the Sookie Stackhouse novels, which became the TV show, True Blood. Midnight Crossroad is the first in a new series that looks to have all of the depth of her earlier books along with quite a bit of lighthearted humor. While the characters may seem outrageous, Harris writes them with such uniquely human qualities that it’s easy to see yourself or someone you know in each of them. This is a great book for readers who like a good dose of fun and fantasy along with their mysteries.

The second book in the series, Day Shift, comes out May 5.