Book Review: Times Change by Gail Z. Martin & Larry Martin

 

Times Change 

Series: The Joe Mack Shadow Council Files #5

Paranormal/Urban Fantasy, Contemporary Dark Fantasy

Publisher: Falstaff Books

Release Date: July 23rd, 2025

Amazon Buy Link

Joe Mack has come into the present day and finds a past case that involved one of his long ago partners and Elliot Ness is back causing issues and deaths.

My Rating for Times Change: 4 Stars

Joe Mack has been around along time and when he was murdered long ago, an ancient Slavic God gave him abilities that help him reap justice, solve crimes and more through the centuries. A champion against dark entities, demons and more that haunt the human world in the shadows.

Now into the modern age, Joe Mack and his newest partners find themselves facing against an evil that smells of a demon that is back causing even more trouble. Joe Mack and his friends are going up against an evil that will do all it can to stay in our world, come hell or high-water. Get ready for Joe Mack and the gang is about to throw down with some allies that will either save the world yet again or cause it to fall.

My Review for Times Change:

TIMES CHANGE by Gail Z. Martin and Larry Martin is one fun time from start to finish. I love the Joe Mac Shadow Council Files as the first four books dealt from the 1920's to prohibition and now Joe Mack as stepped into the contemporary time that will see him facing more adversaries as well making allies and friends that will help him in his mission to wipe out the supernatural threats that are out there.The writing dup of Gail Z. Martin and Larry Martin deliver a fun ride with this new Joe Mack book that also has characters from some of Gail Z. Martin/Morgan Brice books that crossover so well in TIMES CHANGE. With each page, I was drawn into the world of Joe Mack again and seen through his eyes as he deals with past friends now gone, memories and paranormal baddies that just won't stay down for the count. The storyline is fast paced, with a few twists that kept me on the edge of my seat till the very end. I love the way the authors segway into the contemporary time with Joe Mack and how he is adjusting to it after being alive for so long. The characters are so well written that they just fly off the pages and into the living room to tell me their story themselves. I love how well-rounded they are and multifaceted. We see some new characters that bring a touch of fun and interest with Joe Mack that intrigue me and some characters from other series of the authors' that make me want to reread their books again. 

TIMES CHANGE is a perfect story filled with paranormal creatures trying to cause havoc or peace within the human world. I loved how fresh this book was even after having the setting moving from the past to the present time. The authors do an amazing job in creating a story that gives us depth to Joe Mack and introduces the readers to other characters that have me eager for more. If I had one complaint is that it wasn't long enough. I would love to see how Joe Mack lost his initial partners and friends as well seeing the world as it changed so many times from his point of view. 

Overall, TIMES CHANGE is a book that just wrapped me up and didn't let me leave till the last page was read. I am really hoping the authors continue this series as it's so much fun and gives you everything a reader wants in a story: compelling drama and tension, amazing characters and paranormal creatures and issues that are just fun to read. I highly recommend reading from the beginning with book 1, Cauldron and go from there. It's one of those quick reads that leave you wanting more.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement.

The Joe Mack Shadow Council Files Series:

Book 1: Cauldron

Book 2: Black Sun

Book 3: Chicagoland

Book 4: Spellbound

Amazon Series Page HERE