Book Reviews and More

Thursday, 22 October 2026

Top Ten Teas 2026

Top Ten Teas 2026

Back in 2010 I wrote a 13 part series on Tea, back then I was huge into loose-leaf teas and herbal blends. I had a large stash at the office and at home. And I tended to alternate coffee and tea all day long. Often making one of each and drinking the coffee and then the tea. My favourite tea’s back then were mostly from Teaopia a Canadian tea chain found in malls and storefronts across Canada. Within a few years Teaopia was purchased by Teavana in 2012 later that same year Starbuck’s purchased Teavana, and ended their long time partnership with Tazo Tea. When Teavana first purchased Teaopia they committed to carrying the Top 20 teas from Teaopia, once Starbuck’s purchased them those blends disappeared. And not long after Starbuck’s shuttered the stand alone Teavana stores. So I switched to David’s Tea, There were many blends from David’s I enjoyed. I could walk downtown at lunch from work, try a new tea, and pick up a tin if I enjoyed it. Or just stock up on ones that needed refilling. At the beginning of the pandemic almost my entire collection at home and work was David’s Tea’s. Unfortunately, during the pandemic, they closed most of their retail stores. And without that local presence I used up what I had and never got around to replacing them.

Also for the first three years of the pandemic I switched from alternating coffee and tea to drink almost exclusively coffee I was having 4-8 quad americanos a day from my home espresso machine. Which brings us to the here and now in 2024 I have gone the better part of a year with only a handful of coffee’s. In 2023 I created a Top Ten Tea List and updated in in 2024, Top Ten Teas 2024, but with having a mug on the go from the time I get up until the time I go to bed I have tried a number of new ones. Unfortunately a few of my favourites have been discontinued, and I am always open to trying something new, here is my list of Top Ten Teas 2026, My current favourite teas are:

1. Stash Christmas Eve (Seasonal)

Cinnamon, orange peel, spearmint, vanilla extract, orange oil, natural cinnamon flavor, natural clove flavor.

I fell in love with this tea, when the health food store had it on sale after Christmas I bought their whole stock. It won’t last me the year, but currently one of my favorite teas. I now buy up to a dozen boxes to get the through the year.

2. Twinings Irish Breakfast

Black tea.

I have been drinking this tea as long as I can remember. It was Gram’s favorite and I am not sure she ever drank anything else at home. Every time I sip this it is like sitting at nana’s and having fresh scones from the oven.

3. Stash Double Bergamot Earl Gray

Blended black teas, bergamot oil.

This one has been a long-time favorite, it and the Irish Breakfast are the only two I am still drinking from 10 years ago. It is Earl Grey with extra oomph.

4. Stash Moroccan Mint Tea

Green tea, spearmint, lemongrass, peppermint.

This is an excellent blend. I do not drink it as often as the 10 above. But I always have it on hand and it never disappoints. It is a perfect blend of the four ingredients.

5. Twinings Antioxidant+

Citrus & Ginger Green Tea: Smooth green tea is blended with lively citrus flavours and the warming character of ginger for a bright and refreshing cup.

With Vitamin C & Echinacea: Thoughtfully blended with vitamin C and Echinacea as part of the Twinings Superblends range.

A friend gave me a box of this and it has been in high rotation all year.

6. Stash Lemon Ginger

Ginger root, Lemongrass, Natural lemon flavor, Hibiscus, Citric acid, Safflower.

Described as “Like a walk in the sunshine. This vibrant blend of smooth lemongrass and bright lemon flavor refreshes your senses with a vitalizing boost of spicy ginger root, an ancient remedy used for centuries to support healthy digestion.” I switched from Twinings to Stash for this tea this year.

7. Twinings Orange Cinnamon Spice

Made with rooibos, Vietnamese cinnamon, natural orange flavour, orange flavour naturally fortified, and orange peel.

Like sitting in grandma’s kitchen eating cookies right from the over.

8. Stash Wild Raspberry Hibiscus

Hibiscus, rosehips, lemongrass, licorice root, natural raspberry flavor, orange peel.

This was a gift from my daughter at father’s day. She picked me up 4 new flavours and 2 old standbys. I absolutely loved this one.

9. Stash Cranberry Pomegranate (Seasonal)

Hibiscus, rooibos, natural cranberry flavour, natural pomegranate flavour.

A fall seasonal tea from Stash. I picked it up late last year on clearance at the local health food store and went back the next day and bought all the boxes they had. And now it is back out again so I can resupply.

10. Stash Sunny Orange Ginger

Orange peel, ginger root, hibiscus, liquorice root, safflower, orange oil, citric acid.

Lemon Ginger is always popular this is its kinder gentler little brother. It is softer with more subtle flavours, less in your face and more by your side. Great in the evening or while lounging with a book.

My taste in teas has changed a lot over the years. But I tend to prefer herbal blends, and teas with a bit of a kick. Once I drank almost all white or African red bush teas (Rooibos). And I love a good Monk’s Blend just have not found one to my taste now. For a little over a decade, I drank almost exclusively loose-leaf tea. But not I keep about 16 types of bagged tea. With the ones listed above in high rotation. I am currently drinking between 3 and 10, 16 ounce mugs a day.

I also used to drink a lot of tea from Republic of Tea but find tracking it down in Canada is too difficult. And I have heard amazing things about Adagio Tea but have only tried one or two cups at friends. Let me know what you think of my selections above and drop your favourite teas in the comments below.

Top Ten Teas of 2023

Top Ten Teas of 2024

Top Ten Teas of 2026

...

"Now we can travel with more books stored in our telephones than the ancient Egyptians kept in their vast library at Alexandria."

Mike Aquilina

“No tea cup is big enough nor book long enough for me to be satisfied.”

C.S. Lewis

"When I get a little money I buy books; and if any is left over I buy food and clothes!"

Erasmus

My desk pre-pandemic at the office with a collection of teas on the left side of the monitors.

Wednesday, 21 October 2026

15 Days of Prayer with Saint Teresa of Avila - Jean Abiven

15 Days of Prayer with Saint Teresa of Avila

Jean Abiven

Victoria Hébert (Translator)

Denis Sabourin (Translator)

New City Press

Focolare Media

ISBN 9781565483668

eISBN 9781565483996

ASIN B004GHN5QY

Liguori Publications Edition

ISBN 0764805738

15 Days of Prayer with Saint Teresa of Avila - Jean Abiven New City press Edition

Last year I stumbled upon a different volume in this series, 15 Days of Prayer with Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati by Père Charles Desjobert, OP, and really enjoyed it. I did some research on the series and this was the sixteenth volume I decided to work through. In my research to date there have been at least 40 volumes in this series. Many written in French and then translated, including this volume, this book was first published in English in 2000, the first French edition was 1996. Then in 2010 the series were rebranded, this is one of only a handful with digital copies currently available.

I believe as of the writing of this review there have been 40 volumes in the series in English; the earliest I found was from 1996 through to a volume which was published in 2025. Only about a dozen seem to be in print currently and of those only a handful appears to have eBooks. With my dual form of dyslexia this is disappointing. I greatly prefer eBooks so I can change the font, and the colour of font and page to make reading easier. I have added all the eBook editions I could find to my wish list. About the Series we are informed:

“15 Days of Prayer Series

On a journey, it’s good to have a guide. Even great saints took spiritual directors or confessors with them on their itineraries toward sanctity. Now you can be guided by the most influential spiritual figures of all time. The 15 Days of Prayer series introduces their deepest and most personal thoughts.

This popular series is perfect if you are looking for a gift, or if you want to be introduced to a particular guide and his or her spirituality. Each volume contains:

• A brief biography of the saint or spiritual leader

• A guide to creating a format for prayer or retreat

• Fifteen meditation sessions with reflection guides”

The description of this specific volume states:

“As spiritual guide and director, Teresa of Avila placed prayer at the center of the relationship between the human person and God. She is best known for her mysticism, but this volume presents the many other kinds of prayer that sustain us over the course of our lives. She places steadfast trust in God as the cornerstone of a holy life, but insists upon intellectual engagement and good judgment, objectives this 15-day journey will help readers achieve. Teresa of Avila is a faithful mentor for anyone seeking a spiritual education.

Saint Teresa of Avila, a 16th-century Carmelite nun and Doctor of the Church, withstood tremendous opposition to revive the primitive monastic rule and conditions of poverty, hardship and solitude for religious life. With Saint John of the Cross, Teresa became an influential spiritual director, leaving a legacy of classic writings that include The Way of Perfection and The Interior Castle, her most complete statement on prayer and contemplation.”

On the back of the physical book we are informed:

“Follow in the footsteps of Saint Teresa of Avila

Saint Teresa of Avila, a 16th-century Carmelite nun and Doctor of the Church, was a courageous reformer who withstood tremendous opposition to revive the primitive monastic rule and conditions of poverty, hardship, and solitude for religious. With Saint John of the Cross, Teresa became an influential spiritual director, and left for posterity a series of classic writings, including The Way of Perfection and The Interior Castle, her fullest statement on prayer and contemplation.

Pray without ceasing

Saint Teresa, as spiritual guide and director, places prayer at the center of our relationship with God. She recognizes the different kinds of prayer that may sustain us over the course of our lives, not only the mystical prayer for which she is best known. In addition to steadfast trust in God, Teresa insists upon intellectual engagement and good judgment as cornerstones of the holy life, objectives this 15-day journey will help you achieve. Saint Teresa of Avila will be a faithful mentor in your spiritual education.”

About the author we are informed:

“Jean Abiven was born in Brest and entered the Carmelite order in 1977. He is a devoted student of Carmelite spirituality, especially through courses at the Catholic Institute of Toulouse, and is particularly attached to the contributions of Saint Teresa of Avila.”

The chapters in this volume are:

How to Use This Book

A Brief Chronology of Saint Teresa’s Life

Abbreviations Used in This Book

Introduction

1. The Business of Friendship

2. I Am Yours

3. Thrown Into Hell

4. Devoted to the Glorious Mary Magdalene

6. After Seeing the Lord’s Great Beauty

7. Converse Not With Men, But With Angels

8. I Insist on Three Things

9. Resolute Determination

10. The Two Troughs

11. The Silkworm

12. Martha and Mary Magdalene

13. Harm Done to the Kingdom of France

14. The Lord Walks Among the Pots and Pans

15. My Soul Is Serene and at Peace

Bibliography

I highlighted a few of passages while reading this volume some of them are:

“She was a woman who would not only leave her mark in her native country, but also on the religious world by becoming the first woman to be raised to the level of Doctor of the Catholic Church.”

“You are going to spend fifteen days, dear reader friend, in the company of Teresa of Ávila; or, more precisely, you will spend fifteen days in the company of the Lord with Teresa’s help.”

“The titles for each day are borrowed from Teresa’s own writings. They could make up what we used to call a “spiritual banquet”: a sort of summary or prospectus to mull over during the passage of each day’s journey. The texts themselves are extracted from the saint’s writings, which are, at times, arranged into groupings made up of passages from different works.”

“The joy of friendship with God in prayer is the time spent in prayer with God. This can be quiet time (wordless contemplation), serious, heart-to-heart time, playful talking, or simply listening.”

“As one would have suspected, Teresa, admirably gifted to keep company or hold a conversation, does not imagine a relationship with God to be anything other than this.”

“Lord, in order to pray, there must be two of us. Since you are always there, all we have to do is establish ourselves in your presence and dwell there.”

“First, what is essential is to be there, to be there with God in friendship.”

“We must ask the Lord to teach us to allow ourselves to “establish ourselves in him, immobile and quiet, as if our soul is already in eternity.””

“This time given over to God initially may be an hour, a half-hour, or fifteen minutes. It is freely given with no expectation of return. It is given for no other reason than for the pleasure of being with you. Or better yet, it is given solely because the Lord takes great pleasure in seeing you there, in his presence.”

“Without a doubt, the time spent in prayer is a question of vocation and situation. The amount of time spent by a Carmelite, a parish priest, or a mother are not necessarily the same.”

“Therefore, we try to give ourselves completely to him, without reservation. It is in this manner of giving, that every part of a person experiences the delight of God’s presence.”

“What do you want of me? Why have I come to this world? What is my place? What am I to do?”

“Do I give every part of who I am to God? What areas of my life are kept separate from God? My working life? My leisure time? Relationships with certain people in my life?”

“Teresa’s vision of hell had an extraordinary impact on her life, as the following quotes of this saint will attest to. We may not experience such a harrowing vision ourselves, but we do get glimpses of the eternal loneliness and sadness that living without God promises. Those moments when we feel like God is far away from us are difficult—but ultimately beneficial to our friendship with God.”

“Am I aware of choices in my life—choices that bring me closer to God and choices that lead me away from him? How do these choices/ habits affect feelings of loneliness and alienation from God?”

“One day, upon entering the oratory, I saw a statue they had borrowed for a certain feast to be celebrated in the house. It showed the much wounded Christ and inspired so much devotion that the sight of it troubled me, for it so well represented what he had suffered for us. I felt so keenly aware of how poorly I had thanked him for those wounds that my heart broke. Beseeching him to strengthen me, once and for all, so that I might no longer offend him, I threw myself down before him in a torrent of tears.”

“Everything has its own time. And right to the end of our days, we will have weaknesses and imperfections caused by our miseries, fragility, and psychological wounds. The ideal of Christian perfection is not one of a statue without faults, but one of a human being, carried by love, who answers you, Lord, love for love.”

“If Jesus is truly our friend, then it only makes sense that we would want to spend as much time as possible in his presence.”

“How many times, stricken with fever, suffering in pain in all of her limbs, had she not found renewed vigor and dynamism through the simple thought that she was serving this good Master?”

“Do I perceive God as a friend? If not, how can I cultivate this friendship to the degree of joy which Saint Teresa knew as a friend of God? If I do perceive God as a friend, in what ways do I express my friendship to him? Do I seek to spend time with God as I do with my other friends? It is said that the friends we keep say very much about who we are and what we strive to become as people. In what ways does this hold true for my relationship with God?”

“Now, then, the first thing we must strive for is to rid ourselves of our love for our bodies, for some of us are by nature such lovers of comfort that there is a great deal of work to do in this area. And we are so fond of our health that it is amazing what a war our bodies cause, especially with religious and even with those who are not.”

“She is a realist about that which refers to friendship relationships. The idealistic portrait that she outlines about spiritual love is, in fact, an ideal. She knew how to recognize that a little passion and a search for self could be mixed in at the beginning.”

“However, some people find themselves becoming discouraged. As we said, Teresa is as radical as John of the Cross. The Kingdom of God calls resolved people.”

“In The Interior Castle, Teresa marks out the road for us that she has traveled. But she did it in such a way that each of us could find our own path. That fact is true, even if, in the highest rooms,”

“Lord, you only wait for a gesture from us of perseverance. If we know how to address you, the time will come when you will take matters into your own hands. That will be when you judge it to be right: whether it is in the first or the eleventh hour, it is your secret. But you will come.”

“Many people could give witness that, during the course of a retreat, for example, they had been filled with the joy of knowing that they are loved by God in spite of their misery. That consciousness has taken hold of them suddenly, without any apparent cause, and has left them appeased, confident, and feeling generous.”

“Others have known times of prayer during which they found themselves gently turned toward God, with no effort on their part, “eyes turned towards the interior guest, knowing about nothing except this presence.” Happy with this experience and naively confident, they have perhaps said to themselves that they finally know how to pray. This is a serious error!”

“As we are approaching the time when we must leave these two weeks of apprenticeship, it is good for us to turn our outlook toward our regular everyday lives. It is there that we will find the presence of the risen Christ. It is a presence in each and every moment of our days. At times, we have a tendency to think that this presence is reserved for our difficult times, for these moments of “Tabor,” as they are so numerous at times; in any event, these moments seem to be restricted to times when, in prayer for example, we become conscious of this presence.”

“There is no more precious grace than the one that “sticks” to the present moment—even if the present requires that we plan for next year! But it is a grace that needs flexibility and availability! For the present leaves a space in each moment for the future with its unexpected surprises. We must then face up to it with flexibility, as a horse obeys his jockey during the race with the least little indications being given it.”

“May nothing trouble you, May nothing frighten you. Everything passes, but God never changes. Everything comes through patience. To those who have God, nothing is lacking. God alone is enough.”

I hope those quotes give you a feel for this volume. Over the years I have read much about and by Saint Teresa of Avila and I really enjoyed working through these 15 days with the saint, her words, and her thoughts.

This is a great volume in an excellent series. Spending these 15 days with Saint Teresa of Avila was informative. The written reflections and the discussion questions were engaging. I just really wish all of the 40 volumes were available as eBooks, I would work through them all if so.

A great read in an excellent series!

15 Days of Prayer with Saint Teresa of Avila - Jean Abiven - Liguori Publications Edition

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2026 Catholic Reading Plan!

Books by or about Saint Teresa of Avila:

Let Nothing Disturb You: 30 Days with Teresa of Avila - John Kirvan - Great Spiritual Teachers Series

Teresa of Avila - Jennifer Moorcroft - CTS Great Saints

Saint Teresa of Avila: Joyful in the Lord - Susan Helen Wallace

15 days of Prayer with Saint Teresa of Avila - Jean Abiven

...

Books in the 15 Days of Prayer With Series:

Blessed Chiara Badano - Florence Gillet and Bill Hartnett

Blessed Frédéric Ozanam - Christian Verheyde

Brother Roger Of Taize - Sabine Laplane

Charles de Foucauld - Michael Lafon

Chiara Lubich - Florence Gillet and Bill Hartnett

Dietrich Bonhoeffer - Matthieu Arnold

Don Bosco - Robert Schiele

Dorothy Day - Michael Boover

Henri Nouwen - Robert Waldron

Jean-Claude Colin - Francois Drouilly

Johannes Tauler - Andre Pinet

Meister Eckhart - André Gozier

Peter Joseph Triest - Brother René Stockman

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin - André Dupleix

Saint Alphonsus Liguori - Jean-Marie Segalen

Saint Augustine - Jaime García

Saint Benedict - André Gozier

Saint Bernadette of Lourdes - François Vayne

Saint Bernard - Pierre Yves Emery

Saint Catherine of Siena - Chantal van der Plancke

Saint Clare of Assisi - Marie-France Becker

Saint Dominic - Alain Quilici

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton - Betty Ann McNeil

Saint Eugene de Mazenod - Bernard Dullier

Saint Faustina Kowalska - John Cleary

Saint Francis de Sales - Claude Morel

Saint Francis of Assisi - Thaddée Matura O.F.M.

Saint Jeanne Jugan - Michel Lafon

Saint John of the Cross - Constant Tonnelier

Saint Katharine Drexel - Leo Luke Marcello

Saint Louis De Montfort - Veronique Pinardon

Saint Martín de Porres: A Saint of the Americas - Brian J. Pierce

Saint Philip Neri - Jean-François Audrain

Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati - Charles Desjobert

Saint Teresa of Avila - Jean Abiven

Saint Therese of Lisieux - Victoria Hebert

Saint Thomas Aquinas - Suzanne Vrai and André Pinet

Saint Vincent de Paul - Jean-Pierre Renouard

The Curé of Ars - Pierre Blanc

Thomas Merton - Andre Gozier

…

15 Days of Prayer Series from New City Press

Tuesday, 20 October 2026

Order of the Blood - Page Zaplendam - The Unofficial Chronicles of John Grissom Book 1

Order of the Blood

The Unofficial Chronicles of John Grissom Book 1

Page Zaplendam

Quanta Publishing

ISBN 9781505925463

eISBN 9781311622525

ASIN B01516SYCS

Order of the Blood - Page Zaplendam - The Unofficial Chronicles of John Grissom Book 1

I have read a few anthologies that Page has contributed to. It was time to branch off into her novels. I picked up the first novel in each of her series and literally flipped a coin to determine which to read. This one came second, I read it after reading Privateer Hinterspace Book 1. This is a very different read, the story begins in London in 1809.

The description of this volume states:

“A Dark, Secret Society

A World At War

A Mad King

Bacteriologist John Grissom is determined to find a cure to the vampirism he suffers, but then his world goes sideways when he foolishly decides to pull a thread. Suddenly, he's left with the choice of ignoring a conspiracy that might destroy the land he loves or going up against one of the most powerful vampire lords in England.

Along the way, he comes to a precarious accord with the vampire hunter, Gerhard Van Helsing, and his life of solitude is enlightened with his enigmatic down-on-her-luck assistant, Henrietta Isherwood. The trio find themselves traveling from London to Brighton and back again, from a vampire-proof dungeon to a glittering masked assembly, risking life and limb to stay one step ahead of the vampire earl.”

About the author we are informed:

“Page Zaplendam is a Catholic Austen lover who believes in keeping the wonder in life. She pursues writing paranormal and dystopian fiction while juggling home, crafts, and a large family. Fans can keep up with her writing exploits at pagezaplendam.com or on her facebook page.”

This was another excellent story. It left me desperate for the second volume and a third that is already published. The characters are well written. The world building is excellent. I really appreciate how Zaplendam handles the vampire lore, and a vampire who wants to remain good. From reading this it is clear where some of the story might be going, but it should be a wild ride along the way. I cannot wait to read more stories in this universe!

I greatly appreciate that the story is clean fiction. That it has some Christian and Catholic undertones. The morality of our protagonist and his struggles to keep his humanity is refreshing. Gerhardt Van Helsing really intrigues me and I am looking forward to find out more of his story.

It reminds me of some of the fiction I read and watched 30 years ago. And even some more recently. It has some echoes of Declan’s Finn Love at First Bite series, particularly some of the short stories. And it also reminds me of The Order of Sanguines series by James Rollins and Rebecca Cantrell.

That all being said, this is an excellent read and one I can easily recommend. I have now added everything Zaplendam has written to my ‘to be read’ list. If you love great historical fiction or great fiction or even just great stories pick this up and give it a try!

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2026 Catholic Reading Plan!

Books by Page Zaplendam:

A Kingdom of Ash and Steam: The Ogress Son

Escape of the Calalloon

…

Hinterspace Series:

Privateer

The Quick and the Dead

…

The Unofficial Chronicles of John Grissom:

Order of the Blood

The Egyptian Elixir

The Hellhound of Derbyshire

…

A Treatise on the Curious Nature of Vampirism

…

Contributed to:

Hall of Heroes

Primus 2025: A Quanta Publishing 1st Chapter Compendium

…

Lemurverse Anthologies:

In the Midst of a River

Amelia Counterrevolution

…

Quanta Publishing Anthologies:

Stranded (2024)

Amazing Robots! (2025)

Noblesse Oblige Stellaris (2026)

Captured (2026)

…

Page Zaplendam - The Unofficial Chronicles of John Grissom

Monday, 19 October 2026

A Fistful of Relics - Declan Finn - Saint Tommy NYPD Omnibus, Vol. III

A Fistful of Relics

Saint Tommy NYPD Omnibus, Vol. III

Declan Finn

Tuscany Bay Books

eISBN 9781865243467

ASIN B0HFDTK2WS

A Fistful of Relics - Declan Finn - Saint Tommy NYPD Omnibus Vol. III

This is the third of the new Omnibus editions of this excellent series I have read. I must again state that Declan Finn is one of my favourite contemporary authors. I have read all the published books and short stories, and many contributions to anthologies. I had been planning to reread this series for a while now, especially as I await the republication of the Pius series. These new omnibus editions look amazing! My son and I both absolutely love these new editions. Without the words on the covers we would both do them as prints and put them up on our wall with Icons we have.

The description of this omnibus edition states:

“In the mean streets of New York—and beyond—evil has a scent. And one cop can smell it.

Detective Thomas “Tommy” Nolan is a good man: devoted husband and father, faithful Catholic, and an NYPD officer who shows mercy to the desperate while hunting the truly wicked. Then the gifts arrive—the charisms of the saints. He can smell evil. He can bilocate. He heals fast, levitates when needed, and stands as a living target for the legions of Hell.

From a demon-possessed serial killer tearing through Queens to death cults, warlocks in high office, Nazi vampires, sex-trafficking succubi, witches, zombies, Lovecraftian horrors, and worse, every force of darkness marks Tommy for destruction. They learn the hard way that “good” does not mean “harmless.” With prayer, fists, firearms, allies from the Vatican to the streets, and an unshakable faith, Tommy sends them all back to Hell—or dies trying.

This complete collection gathers every novel and short story in Declan Finn’s acclaimed Saint Tommy, NYPD series: the full arc of Tommy’s battles across New York, Europe, and the supernatural underworld, plus the connecting tales that fill the gaps between major cases. Experience the Catholic action-horror that readers call a streamlined, faith-fueled answer to urban fantasy classics—fast-paced, gun-and-grace-filled, and unapologetically on the side of the light.

One saint. One badge. An army of demons. The war against Evil starts here.

The third volume of the omnibus collection of the St. Tommy, NYPD series includes:

Coven: Nolan is back in New York, where an old-fashioned murder leads to an army ready to go to war.

Hussar: A supernatural terrorist opens a training camp in America, putting Nolan hot on his trail.

Destiny: When Heathen terrorists try to slaughter him and his family while on vacation in Rome, NYPD Lieutenant Thomas Nolan must call upon every trick he knows to send the terrorist leader back to Hell.

Succubus Blues: When the femme fatale is a succubus, only one cop can take that police report.

Saints and Monsters: When Nolan receives training in Rome, he and a fellow student have to survive Etruscan catacombs together. If they don’t kill each other, maybe the mummies will.”

About the author we are informed:

“As penance for his sins, Declan Finn spent over 40 years in New York City. He has since made his escape from New York to Texas. He is the author of books ranging from thrillers to urban fantasy to SciFi, including the Dragon Award Nominated Novel for Best horror in 2016, Honor at Stake, and the 2017 follow-up, Live and Let Bite. He was also nominated for "Best Apocalypse" novel at the Dragons in 2017. He also won the book of the year award with his novel Hell Spawn from CLFA.

Finn is known for being annoyingly Catholic, his action sequences, and writing faster than most readers can keep up with. In less than a decade, he has written over 30 novels, and is waiting for all of them to be published. He's been part of multiple anthologies, and will write for anyone.”

This is yet another incredible collection. I was even more impressed reading these stories the second time. And greatly enjoyed the new offering. Spiritual warfare and the war on crime collide. Officer Nolan thought he had his work cut out for him.

In Coven:

This story in some ways reminded me of Tom Clancy’s Clear and Present Danger, in that there are several different subplots that start out separately and come together in the end. Tommy and his partner Alex are investigating a murder of a military man. They son find out there is a link to the Triple D’s and a newly reactivated military base. We also have the CPS threatening to take Tommy’s kids, with both his precinct and the Church helping to hide his wife and children. An epic battle underground in the subway featuring vampires, werewolves, hell hound’s, people in body armour, ghouls, and “something that was one part crab (the legs), one part scorpion (the claws), and one part Abrams tank. Its head nearly scraped the tunnel wall, and its width took up over half the width of the passage. The head was misplaced on the body—that of a praying mantis.” And that is just some of the action.

In this story we find out more about Tommy’s time in Rome, and the training that he and his family received. But when we get to the climatic battle a mystic artefact is used against Tommy and he finds out his ring has even more power than he had expected.

The action in this story was nearly non-stop. It is part mystery, part action, and part thriller. It is an excellent read!

In Succubus Blues:

I read this in the original anthology it appeared it, and at the time it was like a visit with an old friend. A creature as the title indicates appears in the stations. Tommy decides to figure out if it is a try or real. And soon Tommy, the woman, and her man are fighting a demon. A great little story with some very interesting twists.

In Hussar:

Tommy and Bokor heading to Texas to tackle a human trafficking ring. There they encounter Texas Ranger, Lloyd Lerman, who joins them on a trip back to New York and then overseas as they follow the evidence trail. Tasking resources from an old friend in Europe, and performing a miracle or two always changes the landscape of these stories, but this time in a very different way. Tommy’s son, Jeremy, his ward Lena and their friend have been getting in on the action as well.

This story is action packed. From beginning to end the story races at a break neck from beginning to end, and I will be honest it leaves you wanting to jump into the next story right away. The story is fiction but deals with some very heavy themes. Themes not often talked about in mainstream media and often not even society. Finn does an excellent job of weaving current events into this Catholic Action Horror novel. The characters are masterfully written. Seeing Jeremy and Lena come into their own is fascinating, and leaves the reading wondering what they will be up to next.

In Destiny:

Tommy and Bokor end up teaming up again as partners,, the Boker working off his redemption. And this time they have Jeremy and Lena, XO, and others as back up. The battles this time include, a former Jesuit Doctor Roberto D’Almeida, a giant bronze statue, Vodyanoy, an armoured fire breathing bear, necrophage’s, bruxa and of course Bergolio!

This story is packed full of action. Sort of Like a Die Hard film with the whole family in on the action. From beginning to end the story races it leaves you wanting to jump into the next story right away. Finn again does an excellent job of weaving current events into this Catholic Action Horror novel. The characters are masterfully written. Wondering what will happen to them next leaves you hanging big time!

In Saints and Monsters:

We are informed at the beginning that this story is not official canon. But that being said, what a great story. This is a crossover with the Love at First Bite series. Or I should say specifically a reworking of part of the Honeymoon from Hell story called Cross Over. Specifically parts of middle chapters called Saint, Meet Monster to After Action. It is a really fun story of Tommy and Marco both being at the Vatican training, and as happens to both of them often, trouble just seems to find them. It is surprising how well they worked together! A great read.

This is another outstanding collection to read. Great stories in a series that are now available in 4 Omnibus editions and a collection of all the short stories. I highly recommend this series for mature readers. I have recommended these books to dozens of people and all have loved them. Therefore I recommend them to you. Pick this up and read this awesome series!

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2026 Catholic Reading Plan!

Books by Declan Finn:

Love At First Bite Series:

Short Stories:

Blood Stained Cliffs of Dover

Bad Date

Mad Dog Moon

…

Novels:

Honor at Stake

Demons Are Forever

(Murphy's Law of Vampires)