Patricia Abbott: Short Story Wednesday: Deal-Breaker, Allegra Goodman, From the New Yorker
Wednesday, January 07, 2026
Tuesday, January 06, 2026
SleuthSayers: Two Great New Series
SleuthSayers: Two Great New Series: The first week in January is the perfect time to talk about reading from the prior year. So I'm going to take this opportunity to share ...
Beneath the Stains of Time: Above Suspicion (1922/23) by Robert Orr Chipperfield
Beneath the Stains of Time: Above Suspicion (1922/23) by Robert Orr Chipperfield: Several years ago, I reviewed the "Otto Penzler's Locked Room Library" reprint edition of The Clue in the Air (1917) by Isabe...
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies and No O...
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies and No O...: Reviewed by Kristin Eleanor Dash has made quite a name for herself by simply telling the truth. Well, a version of the truth anyway. S...
Publication Day Review: Illusion of Truth: A Novel by James L’Etoile
The third book of the police procedural series that
began with The Face of Greed delivers in every possible way for
the reader. Illusion of Truth: A Novel begins a few months after River of Lies and starts with a bang.
The call out to a local church was a ploy to get
police officers to respond. Allegedly, according to the caller to dispatch, there
was some sort of disturbance involving a large crowd looting a church in North Sacramento.
The church is located on the edge of the territory held by a certain gang
though the church itself is supposed to be neutral territory and safe from all
the gangs. For the several officers that responded to the scene, the place was
anything but safe. Within minutes of their arrival, two separate improvised
explosive devices are detonated.
Several officers are seriously injured in the
blasts. That includes Sergent Brian Connor who recently asked Homicide
Detective Emily Hunter to move in with him. She said she wasn’t ready. With his
injuries now, she may never have the chance to change her mind.
Homicide Detective Emily Hunter is very used to
getting the middle of the night call to go to a crime scene. This time the call
is from a lieutenant who tells her to respond instead at the hospital. It was
supposed to be his night off. Instead, Brian Connor is fighting for his life in
the trauma unit.
Detective Hunter wants in on the investigation. One
that is being led by her partner, Javier Medina. Not that he is not a good
detective. He certainly is. But, she can’t just sit by. She is going to be
involved, no matter what. Since that will happen anyway, her Lieutenant gives
her the go ahead to work the case, but she has to follow Medina’s lead to the
letter or she is benched. She agrees. Before long the case leads them in ways
they never saw coming.
This third book in the police procedural series
published by Oceanview Publishing is a good one. A read that could stand on its
own if you are new to the series. But, those who choose to read the series in
order will get far more out of the book.
One aspect of this series is the developing
relationship between Hunter and Connor. So too is the evolving political scene
as well as the fallout from earlier cases Hunter has worked. There are other aspects
as well that continue to be developed and evolve. Those aspects are why this is
a series that should be read in order.
Bottom Line---A very good read and strongly
recommended.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3YynS1j
My digital ARC came from the author with no expectation
of a read or a review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2026
Monday, January 05, 2026
Mystery Fanfare: 2026 Left Coast Crime “Lefty” Award Nominations
Mystery Fanfare: 2026 Left Coast Crime “Lefty” Award Nominations: Left Coast Crime 2026 will be presenting four Lefty Awards at our 36th annual convention, to be held this February in San Francisco: Humo...
In Reference to Murder: Media Murder for Monday
In Reference to Murder: Media Murder for Monday: It's the start of a new week and that means it's time for a brand-new roundup of crime drama news: THE BIG SCREEN/MOVIES The Nationa...
The Stiletto Gang: A Fatal Affair: The Murder of Helen Grier [Part I]
The Stiletto Gang: A Fatal Affair: The Murder of Helen Grier [Part I]
Aubrey Nye Hamilton Reviews: Illusion of Truth by James L’Etoile
James L’Etoile has
nearly 30 years of experience within the criminal justice system as associate
warden in a maximum-security prison, hostage negotiator, facility captain, and
director of California' s state parole system. His writing is laden with the authoritative
detail only someone with that kind of background can supply. His series
characters include Detective Nathan Parker of the Maricopa County, Arizona,
Sheriff Department; Detective John Penley of the Sacramento, California, Police
Department; and Detective Emily Hunter of the Sacramento, California, Police
Department.
The third book about
Detective Hunter will be released on 6 January by Oceanview, a publishing house
I’ve come to rely on for good crime fiction.
Illusion of Truth (Oceanview, January
2026) finds Detective Emily Hunter at
a crossroads in her relationship with Detective Brian Conner. He wants to share
living arrangements and she isn’t ready. With that on his mind, Conner and his
partner respond to a call about a crowd and an active burglary near a church in
a rough section of the city. Several units respond, only to find no crowds and
no evidence of criminal activity. They are dispersing when a bomb explodes
under one police unit and another goes off in the church doorway where Conner
and his partner are standing. Both are injured, Conner severely.
The residents of the
area are among those demanding a reduction of police funding and accusing the
force of overzealous monitoring. A councilman named Davis speaks up whenever possible,
accusing the police of brutality and improper behavior. The bombings are seen
by some as the natural outcome of abusive law enforcement.
Emily and her partner Javier Medina dive headfirst into the investigation, despite her
supervisor’s urging to let others lead. However, I can’t credibly believe she
would be allowed anywhere near a case in which she had such a personal
investment. Yes, I know this is fiction.
The councilman’s
involvement is questioned when Emily and her colleagues learn that the
components for the bombs were purchased from the electronics store that the
councilman owns. Some good detail throughout about mobile explosive devices,
their construction, and the ways they can be deployed.
An original story with a
realistic scenario. The push to defund police departments in some areas is
quite real and its inclusion here as a major plot point is timely. The links
between street gangs and unethical police are known, if not always acknowledged,
sometimes with adverse public safety impact. The changing misdirection,
especially in regards to the retired captain, is nicely handled. Emily’s mother
continued deterioration is a sad situation that many readers will recognize
from first-hand experience.
Emily herself is
intelligent, quick-thinking, and a natural for the detective role. Her
willingness to take risks, though, sometimes borders on the foolhardy.
For fans of contemporary
police procedurals. No need to read the earlier books in the series, this one
is fine as a stand-alone. Starred
review from Kirkus.
·
Publisher:
Oceanview Publishing
·
Publication
date: January 6, 2026
·
Language:
English
·
Print
length: 366 pages
·
ISBN-10:
1608096491
·
ISBN-13:
978-1608096497
Amazon Associate Purchase
Link: https://amzn.to/45uiD6D
Aubrey Nye Hamilton ©2026
Aubrey Hamilton is a former librarian who works on Federal It projects by day and reads mysteries at night.
Sunday, January 04, 2026
Mystery Fanfare: Mystery Readers Journal: Northern California Mysteries II (41:4)
Mystery Fanfare: Mystery Readers Journal: Northern California Myste...: Mystery Readers Journal: Northern California II (41:4) is now available. You'll also want to order the companion issue, too: Mystery ...
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: New Books in January!
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: New Books in January!: New in January! Alexander, Ellie A Very Novel Murder (Novel Detectives) Bailey, Tessa Catch Her If You Can (Big Shot) Balogh, Mary...
Little Big Crimes: The Canadian: Death by the Barrel, by J.F. Benedetto
Little Big Crimes: The Canadian: Death by the Barrel, by J.F. Benedetto: "The Canadian: Death by the Barrel," by J.F. Benedetto, in Black Cat Weekly, #226, 2025. This is the second story in this seri...
Favorite Books of 2025
Back
in June, I gave you my favorite books of the year so far. I had 12 for you on
my list. Last week I gave you my list
of favorite reads for the back half of the year. That was 13 more favorite
reads. That meant, between the two lists, there were 25 of my favorite reads
for the year.
The stated
plan was to whittle both lists down to a master list of 10-12 favorite books. I
have thought about it a lot and there is simply no way for me to shrink the
lists. Like playing quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, it can’t be done.
So, all
I can do now is to tell you that every book selected on the two lists are
mighty good reads. Like I said before, there are 25 of them. That means, if you
do one a week, you should be ready when it is 105 plus here in the shade,
again, this summer and I tell you what I liked in the first half of the year.
Not to mention that while a few are series starters, others are installments in series. That means you also have those books to read. That is even more reading to do.
See, I’m
not a quitter. Both lists are so good they can’t be cut. I chose great reads. You
just have to understand that I am doing you a favor. I’m keeping you occupied
while the world goes to hell.
I’m a
helper! 
Kevin R. Tipple ©2026
Saturday, January 03, 2026
Mystery Fanfare: SHETLAND: Season 10
Mystery Fanfare: SHETLAND: Season 10: Shetland, Season 10, episode 1, is now available on BritBox in the U.S. There will be 6 episodes. If you have Britbox Premiere, you can wa...
SleuthSayers: 2025--The JF Year in Review
SleuthSayers: 2025--The JF Year in Review: Well, it's that time again. Actually it's a couple of days past that time, but I post on the first, third, and fifth Saturdays, and ...
Scott's Take: Cyberpunk 2077: Psycho Squad by Dan Watters, Kieran McKeown (Illustrator), and Giada Marchisio (Illustrator)
Cyberpunk 2077: Psycho Squad by Dan Watters,
Kieran McKeown (Illustrator), and Giada Marchisio (Illustrator) is a short four
issue series set in the Cyberpunk 2077 world. In this dystopia,
humanity is ruled by corporations and people have become increasingly
cybernetic. Sometimes people cut too much of their organics off and replace
them with robot parts and end up losing their minds. When that happens, they
tend to go on murder sprees as they are super powered invincible super soldiers
that slaughter civilians and cops alike.
To stop these rampages, Maxtac (cyborg
cops themselves) are sent in to stop them. Unfortunately, Maxtacs tend to be
just as violent and crazy as the psychos they allegedly are supposed to stop.
This book is basically a series of
missions for one of those squad members as they attempt to function under the
leadership of a new leader. The overarching problem is that their new leader is
just as nuts as the enhanced people they are supposed to stop. Of course,
things go badly for everyone involved.
This is a violent, dark book with
mediocre art, and an ambiguines ending that is pretty abrupt. Overall, this is
a good read if you are familiar with the Cyberpunk 2077 universe
and can follow all the slang they use.
If one is familiar with the Cyberpunk 2077 universe than
you already know going in that things are not going to go well for the
characters involved and you are just here for the car crash. I think if you are
not familiar with this universe, you will not enjoy the book as much since they
do not do a good job of explaining things to new readers. I think only fans of
this universe will like this read. If you are familiar, I think this read is
worth your time despite the caveats.
I read this through Hoopla, by way of
the Dallas Public Library System, so I did not have to spend my eddies (the
term cyberpunk uses for money).
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4pg4GQW
Scott A. Tipple ©2026
Friday, January 02, 2026
Mystery Fanfare: A Crime Novelist Steps Back into the Real World: Guest Post by Keith Raffel
Mystery Fanfare: A Crime Novelist Steps Back into the Real World: G...: Over two decades ago, I turned to writing crime fiction as a way to escape the world as it is. I loved my family and my friends and sometime...
The Short Mystery Fiction Society Blog: SMFS Spotlight: Josh Pachter
The Short Mystery Fiction Society Blog: SMFS Spotlight: Josh Pachter: Elena Smith kicks off 2026 in style with her third interview of and SMFS member, and she's got a real all-star this time out. Josh Pach...
Beneath the Stains of Time: Murder of a Matriarch (1936) by Hugh Austin
Beneath the Stains of Time: Murder of a Matriarch (1936) by Hugh Austin: Hugh Austin, a true enigma, was a mystery writer about whom very little, or anything, is known and what's known doesn't always appea...
In Reference to Murder: Friday's "Forgotten" Books: First Come, First Kill
In Reference to Murder: Friday's "Forgotten" Books: First Come, First Kill: Richard Lockridge was born in Missouri in 1898 and became a journalist and drama critic for the New York Sun . In 1922, he married his wif...
Jerry's House of Everything: BOOKS READ -- 2025 REPORT
Jerry's House of Everything: BOOKS READ -- 2025 REPORT: I am not the best at keeping records, but it appears that I have read at least 264 books in 2025. The true number is higher because I know...
Thursday, January 01, 2026
Barry Ergang: Books I read in 2025
Albom, Mitch--Twice
Alpert, Hollis-The Life and Times of Porgy and Bess
Ayatsuji, Yukito—The Labyrinth House Murders
Beer, Edith Hahn with Susan Dworkin—The Nazi Officer’s Wife: How One Jewish Woman Survived the Holocaust
Bloch, Robert—Cold Chills
Bloch, Robert—The Will to Kill
Blochman, Lawrence G.—Clues for Dr. Coffee (Second Casebook)
Bourg, BJ—Bullet Drop
Burke, James Lee—Burning Angel
Carr, John Dickson—The Kindling Spark: Early Tales of Mystery, Horror, and Adventure
Conrad, Hy—Mr. Monk Is Open For Business
Crider, Bill—Too Late to Die
Crispin, Edmund—The Glimpses of the Moon
Curtis, Christopher Paul—The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963
Deaver, Jeffery—The Never Game
Dixon, Franklin W.—While the Clock Ticked
Friedman, Kinky—Elvis, Jesus & Coca-Cola
Gervais, Simon & Ryan Steck—The Second Son
Goldman, William—Boys and Girls Together
Hale, Bruce—The Mystery of Mr. Nice
Hall, Rachel Howzell—Fog and Fury
Halter, Paul—The Crimson Fog
Hammett, Dashiell—The Maltese Falcon (original version from Black Mask)
Hayter, Sparkle—The Last Manly Man
Healy, Jeremiah—Rescue
Hess, Joan—Maggody in Manhattan
Hiaasen, Carl—Star Island
Hyams, Joe—Bogart & Bacall
Junger, Sebastian—In My Time of Dying
King, C. Daly—The Complete Curious Mr. Tarrant1
Levine, Paul—Bum Rap
Levine, Paul—The Deep Blue Alibi
MacDonald, John D.—The Executioners (aka Cape Fear)
Margolis, Steve—The Toaster Oven Mocks Me: Living with Synesthesia
Marlowe, Stephen—Manhunt Is My Mission
Maslen, Andy—The Lying Man
Mayne, Andrew—Mr. Whisper
McBain, Ed—The Frumious Bandersnatch
Miller, Kirsten—Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books
Nebel, Frederick—The Crimes of Richmond City
Penzler, Otto, ed.—Golden Age Locked Room Mysteries
Peters, Elizabeth—The Locked Tomb Mystery and Other Stories
Prather, Richard S.—Dance With the Dead (2nd reading)
Resnick, Mike--Purgatory
Rich, Simon—Ant Farm and Other Desperate Situations
Scheer, Ron—Miles to Lost Dog Creek
Slaughter, Karin—Triptych
Swanson, Peter—Nine Lives
Twain, Mark—A Double-Barreled Detective Story (novella)
Wentworth, Patricia—Grey Mask
Yousafzai, Malala—Finding My Way
1I read the Dover edition, which contains 8 stories, years ago. This edition adds 4 more, which I read this year
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Nevermore: Twice, Frederick Fife, Heartwood
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Nevermore: Twice, Frederick Fife, Heartwood: Reported by Rita Twice by Mitch Albom What if you got to do everything in your life -twice? The heart of Mitch Albom's newest n...
In Reference to Murder: Mystery Melange - New Year's Edition
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