GSMC Book Review Podcast

Sarah welcomes author Patrick Canning to discuss his satirical thriller For Your Benefit. Canning introduces listeners to Teddy Lint—perhaps the most empathetic private investigator ever to work a case—who, along with his brother Ralph, runs a quirky detective agency out of a strip mall in Los Angeles. When a man claiming to work for the CIA hires the brothers to track down a missing shipping cont...

Sarah chats with author J.W. Jarvis to talk about his pulse-pounding technothriller, Artificial Agent. Packed with high-stakes action, cutting-edge technology, and powerful human themes, Artificial Agent tells the story of Navy SEAL Michael Cooling, a loyal soldier betrayed on a mission and left for dead. After surviving a brutal ordeal and awakening to find himself paralyzed, Michael faces an unc...

Sarah speaks with author Sadie Hoagland about her haunting and timely novel, Circle of Animals . Blending literary fiction with emotional depth and cultural insight, Hoagland's latest work explores generational trauma, the legacy of silence, and the complex journey toward healing and self-discovery. Circle of Animals follows Sky Richard, a woman reeling from the trauma of a workplace assault just...

Sarah speaks with author Zeeva Bukai about her powerful debut novel, The Anatomy of Exile. A richly layered family saga, Bukai’s novel tells the story of the Abadis—a Jewish Arab family shattered by loss, identity conflict, and generational trauma. The novel begins in the aftermath of a tragedy during the 1967 Six Day War, when a secret love affair between a Palestinian poet and a Jewish woman end...

Sarah speaks with author Sophia Kouidou-Giles about her stunning new novel Circle of Peace , a powerful retelling of Greek mythology that centers the oft-overlooked goddess Perse—wife of Helios and mother of Circe. Through rich storytelling and emotional depth, Kouidou-Giles breathes new life into ancient myth, giving voice to a character long overshadowed by more well-known figures. Circle of Pea...

Sarah sits down with bestselling author Matthew FitzSimmons to talk about his latest political thriller, The Slate. FitzSimmons, known for his sharp storytelling and electrifying plots, takes listeners into the shadowy undercurrents of Washington, DC—where secrets are currency and loyalty is a dangerous game. The Slate introduces Agatha Cardiff, a once-powerful political fixer who walked away from...

Sarah sits down with Lisa Williamson Rosenberg to discuss her psychological thriller Mirror Me . This dark, compelling novel takes listeners on an unsettling journey into the mind of Eddie Asher, a man caught between the fear of losing himself and the terror of what he may have done. Eddie arrives at Hudson Valley Psychiatric Hospital, unsure if he’s responsible for the death of his brother’s fian...

In this thrilling episode of the GSMC Book Review Podcast, host Sarah sits down with acclaimed author Bryan Gruley to discuss his latest suspenseful masterpiece, Bitterfrost. Set in a small Michigan town where secrets lurk beneath the ice, this gripping novel follows former hockey star Jimmy Baker, who left the game behind after a violent incident—only to wake up years later covered in blood, with...

Sarah sits down with author Ann E. Lowry to discuss her compelling novel, The Blue Trunk. This captivating story follows Rachel Jackson, a woman whose seemingly perfect life is shaken when she finds another woman’s scarf in her husband’s computer bag. With her husband in the midst of an election campaign, Rachel knows that confronting him isn’t an option. But when her mother gifts her an old famil...

Sarah sits down with author Melissa Connelly to discuss her gripping novel, What Was Lost. This powerful story spans three decades, exploring the weight of trauma, the complexities of mother-daughter relationships, and the fight for justice in a time before the #MeToo movement. Marti, the novel’s protagonist, fled her small Vermont hometown thirty years ago, burying painful memories from her child...

Get ready for endless fun and laughter in this episode of the GSMC Book Review Podcast! Host Sarah sits down with Kimberly McLeod to chat about her book, The Ultimate Book of Would You Rather Questions: 1001 Family-Friendly Challenges for Kids, Teens, and Adults. Packed with hilarious, thought-provoking, and sometimes downright wacky scenarios, this book is perfect for bringing family and friends...

Sarah sits down with author Joanne Howard to discuss her compelling historical fiction novel, Sleeping in the Sun. Set in the final years of the British Raj, this gripping story explores colonial tensions, family dynamics, and the struggle for identity in a rapidly changing India. At the heart of the novel is Gene Hinton, a young American boy growing up in Midnapore, India. His family, American mi...

Get ready for an episode that’s A Bit Much—in the best way possible! On this installment of the GSMC Book Review Podcast, host Sarah sits down with Lyndsay Rush to discuss her hilarious, heartfelt, and refreshingly relatable poetry collection, A Bit Much. If you think you’re not a poetry person, think again—Lyndsay was in the same boat until an Instagram experiment as @MaryOliversDrunkCousin turne...

Sarah welcomes back historical fiction author Michael J. Cooper to discuss his latest novel, Crossroads of Empire. A gripping continuation of Wages of Empire, this novel transports readers to the battlefields of World War I and the shifting sands of Ottoman Palestine, where history, espionage, and personal discovery collide. Protagonist Evan Sinclair has already faced the horrors of war—surviving...

Sarah sits down with author Yasmin Angoe to discuss her latest thriller, Not What She Seems. This gripping novel follows Jacinda "Jac" Brodie, a woman forced to return to her South Carolina hometown years after being blamed for her father's tragic death. But Brook Haven isn’t the place she left behind. A mysterious newcomer, Faye Arden, has taken over the town’s infamous Moor Manor, winning over i...

Sarah welcomes author Victory Witherkeigh to the GSMC Book Review Podcast to discuss her dark and mesmerizing novel, The Demon. A gripping blend of mythology, horror, and psychological depth, The Demon follows a supernatural entity inhabiting a young woman’s body as she navigates life at Berkeley. But something is off—she doesn’t remember the deal she made, and her former master, Death, is far fro...

Join Sarah on the latest episode of the GSMC Book Review Podcast as she chats with C.H. Hooks about his gritty and evocative novel, Can’t Shake the Dust. Set against the backdrop of Southern backroads and dirt tracks, this story follows "Little" Bill Lemon, III, a man caught between the weight of his family’s shadowed past and the hope of a brighter future. From the Monkey Palace—his grandfather's...

Sarah chats with bestselling author Emily Bleeker about her captivating new novel, When We Were Enemies. This multigenerational story seamlessly intertwines love, ambition, and secrets against the backdrop of 1940s Hollywood and wartime America. Elise Branson, the shy descendant of two legendary actresses, struggles with her family’s legacy as her own wedding becomes entwined with a documentary ab...

In this episode of the GSMC Book Review Podcast, host Sarah sits down with Lauren Claudare to discuss her gripping psychological thriller, Cover Stories. Set against the high-stakes backdrop of a New York City cable news network in 2006, the novel introduces us to Annabelle Astley, an ambitious journalist on the brink of career success. But when she meets the enigmatic Ryan Wyatt, her life takes a...

In this episode of the GSMC Book Review Podcast, host Sarah sits down with bestselling author David Ellis to discuss his gripping legal thriller, The Best Lies. This pulse-pounding novel follows Leo Balanoff, a crusading attorney with a complicated past, as he faces his most dangerous challenge yet. Framed for a murder he didn’t commit, Leo must navigate the treacherous world of undercover work fo...

In this compelling episode of the GSMC Book Review Podcast, Sarah welcomes Jody Hobbs Hesler, author of the evocative novel Without You Here. Hesler's story explores the complex web of generational trauma, mental illness, and the bonds that both strengthen and strain family relationships. The novel follows Noreen, a young mother navigating the echoes of her aunt Nonie’s life and tragic death by su...

In this episode of the GSMC Book Review Podcast, Sarah interviews acclaimed author Evette Davis about The Others, the electrifying first installment in her Council Trilogy. Set in a dystopian San Francisco shrouded in mystery and fog, this urban paranormal fantasy brings together empaths, vampires, and political intrigue in a world teetering on the edge of chaos. Evette shares insights into her dy...

In this episode of the GSMC Book Review Podcast, host Sarah welcomes award-winning author Tracy Clark to discuss Echo, the gripping third installment in the Harriet Foster Crime Fiction series. Set against the chilling backdrop of Hardwicke House and Belverton College’s enigmatic Minotaur Society, Echo weaves a compelling tale of privilege, power, and the shadows of the past. Detective Harriet “Ha...

In this thrilling episode of the GSMC Book Review Podcast, Sarah sits down with Matty Dalrymple, author of Drawing Dead, the gripping fifth installment in the Lizzy Ballard thriller series. Lizzy’s dream of a normal life feels increasingly out of reach as her past catches up to her, and the powerful forces determined to exploit her deadly abilities close in. When Philip Castillo, the one person wh...

In this episode of the GSMC Book Review Podcast, host Sarah chats with Eloisa James about her captivating new historical romance, Viscount in Love, the first installment in her Accidental Brides series. A delightful blend of witty banter, heartfelt romance, and unexpected twists, the story introduces readers to Viscount Dominic Kelbourne, a grumpy aristocrat suddenly tasked with raising twin orpha...