Reviewed by Hayley K. for Readers' Favorite

"Impure Thoughts" by Duke Ryan is about two brothers, Weller and Larry, in four short stories, who cope with painful change, senseless crime, and thwarted love. In `The Arsonists` - A high-school loner plunges into a series of pointless felonies and forces a terrified younger schoolmate to become an accomplice. Weller, a volunteer cop, must fight his own chief before he can stop it all. In 'The Stunt' - Weller, an ex-Navy pilot, helps a young protegee learn to fly. But he should have known more about his new friend first. The result is spectacular, but disastrous. In 'The Last of the Visigoths' -Vivid daydreams help Larry, 18, escape painful realities. Sometimes he’s a handsome cavalier, sometimes a fearless Roman soldier. But his dreams become real when he meets an older, married woman, and his troubles vanish—until the crash. In 'God’s Phone Booth' -Larry, 12, has a serious problem; it is religion, but he thinks it’s sex.

I thought "Impure Thoughts" was a good quick read over the weekend. The stories flow really well, and, before you know it, you have finished the book! This is definitely “man reading” but, as a female, I enjoyed it as well. The characters are men we all know and have met at some point in our lives. Their stories are stories we have lived ourselves, or can easily relate to. I would love to read more by Duke Ryan! Good writing!