Lesa's Book Critiques: Something to Look Forward To by Fannie Flagg
Tuesday, April 28, 2026
Publication Day Review: The Lost Angels: A Thriller by Michele Domínguez Greene
The Lost Angels: A Thriller by Michele
Domínguez Greene is a direct sequel to the Hollywood Hitmen novel
of last year. Like that book, this read is not really a thriller though it is a
bit grittier. This read is more like an actual police procedural as well.
The plight of young children and teens
on the streets is a nationwide problem. It is also the main storyline of The
Lost Angels: A Thriller. Evie Peacock is one of those teens on the
streets of Los Angeles doing almost anything to survive. As the book opens on a
rainy night, she is seventeen, and very worried about her friend, Layla Waters.
The same friend, Layla Waters, who had called her a couple of days earlier, and
said the guy she had been living with was bad news after all. She had promised come
back to Evie and the others in their small group who all look out for each other.
She also wanted to show Evie something so they could figure out what to do and
who to tell about it.
That was not to be.
Soon, Officer Cassidy Clarke, just back
at work in the LAPD after a stress leave due to recent events, will be part of
the hunt for the missing Layla. So, too will her father, Bill Clarke, who is on
a better mental footing these days, thanks to the medication he is now on and
other things. It would be helpful if the killer languishing in prison would
stop calling for him.
Then there is Melinda Drake, director of
the Kidz Club house, who is just about at her wits end. She runs a resource center
and overnight shelter for homeless teens and runaways. Her place is a sanctuary
for those living on the streets. It is a
well-known refuge and sorely needed.
She flags down Cassidy and Officer Sean Riley
while they are on patrol. She wants to follow up on numerous phone calls she has
made regarding several missing kids. She knows of at least five kids who used
to be frequent guests and now have seemingly disappeared. She also knows of a
very low-level pimp, Aiden Howe, who used to be around all the time, and now is
not.
She’s called in repeatedly to report
these situations. She’s talked to Captain Dykstra of the Hollywood Station, who
promised somebody would come by and take a report. Nobody ever did, no matter
how many times she called. So, she flagged down Cassidy and Riley to ask,
again, that somebody listen and do something.
Using her data terminal in their patrol
car, Cassidy files a report for each of the missing kids so that the
investigative ball gets rolling. Cassidy isn’t about to just file the reports
and move on either. Neither will her former detective father, now retired and
working as a private investigator, as he never lets anything go. Both of them
and others will work the cases of the missing kids while also working other
cases and dealing with past and present events in various storylines.
While an incredibly depressing topic
when one thinks about the thousands and thousands of kids living on the streets
of this country, the topic is handled well in The Lost Angels: A Thriller
by Michele Domínguez Greene. Plenty of action and mystery are present in this
read that also concludes several over arching storylines from the first book.
The resulting read is far more of a police procedural than the cozy style first
book. That fact made it, for this reader, a far more entertaining and enjoyable
read.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/42vms9L
My digital ARC came from the publisher, Thomas & Mercer, through NetGalley, with no expectation of a positive review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2026
Monday, April 27, 2026
In Reference to Murder: Media Murder for Monday
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Aubrey Nye Hamilton Reviews: Two Kinds of Stranger: A Novel (Eddie Flynn Series) by Steve Cavanagh
While I read
the latest Eddie Flynn last year, courtesy of Waterstones and Royal Mail, when
it was published in the UK, I acquired a US edition a couple of weeks ago when
Steve Cavanagh stopped at a nearby bookstore on his tour to promote Two
Kinds of Stranger after its US release in March. So now I have two signed
copies!
Of course I
had to re-read it. It’s an enthralling story of Elly Parker, a naïve but generous
young woman who has quite a following on TikTok, posting videos that urge her
followers to perform an act of kindness every day. She has recently married the
man of her dreams and her posts overflow with happiness until a few weeks after
the wedding she walks into her apartment while filming and finds her new
husband and her best friend in bed. The post went viral and millions of people
watched Elly’s perfect life shatter.
One of the
viewers was a psychopath who decided to set Elly up for the murder of her
husband and best friend. He enjoys killing people and he considers the
possibilities of the situation too good to pass up. His plans don’t quite go as
expected but Elly did get arrested. She had enough presence of mind to call
Eddie Flynn, who by now is well known as the defense lawyer for dire cases.
The POV moves
between Eddie trying to find a viable defense strategy and the killer trying to
stay one step ahead. In a parallel thread Kevin, married to Eddie’s ex-wife,
has run into trouble with a young man who courts wealthy elderly women that
make wills in his favor and then die soon after. One of Kevin’s clients was a
victim but Kevin had the will overturned and is now being threatened in
retaliation. Eddie’s daughter asks him to step in, as Kevin is not at all equipped
to deal with thugs.
Eddy’s
attention is split between defending Elly and protecting his family.
Fortunately Eddie’s team has grown since his first book. He now has astute Kate
Brooks in partnership, his long-time friend Harry Ford the retired judge, two skilled
investigators in Bloch and Lake, and Denise the secretary who holds the office
together. Harry has become one of my favorite fictional sidekicks.
The
psychopath here is quite possibly the most ingeniously evil character to grace
the pages of crime fiction. (Steve Cavanagh seems so nice, how does he think of
people like this?) The killer’s thoroughness in establishing Elly’s guilt is
jaw-dropping, but Eddy’s expertise in countering him is no less. The final
twist in the book though is downright brilliant, a deliciously appropriate form
of retribution. Part legal thriller, part psychological thriller, and a thoroughly
good read. Recommended!
Starred
review from Publisher’s Weekly.
For the
record, this is the only piece of crime fiction I’ve read that involves that
scourge of gardeners and farmers, the Japanese lantern fly.
I am looking
forward to Eddy’s next case which will be published in the UK in August.
·
Publisher: Atria Books
·
Publication date: March 24, 2026
·
Language: English
·
Print length: 400 pages
·
ISBN-10: 1668093391
·
ISBN-13: 978-1668093399
Amazon
Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4tWY5Oa
Aubrey Nye
Hamilton ©2026
Aubrey Hamilton is a former librarian who works on Federal It projects by day and reads mysteries at night.
Sunday, April 26, 2026
Little Big Crimes: Lest We Forget, by Marilyn Todd
Little Big Crimes: Lest We Forget, by Marilyn Todd: "Lest We Forget," by Marilyn Todd, in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, March/April 2026. This is Marilyn Todd's third a...
Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 54 Writing Contests in May 2026 - No entry fees!
Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 54 Writing Contests in May 2026 - No entry fees!: This May there are more than four dozen free writing contests for short fiction, novels, poetry, CNF, nonfiction, and plays. Prizes range fr...
Beneath the Stains of Time: The Double Turn (1956) by Carol Carnac
Beneath the Stains of Time: The Double Turn (1956) by Carol Carnac: Last year, the British Library Crime Classics reprinted E.C.R. Lorac's Murder As a Fine Art (1953), published as by "Carol Carnac,...
Paula Messina Reviews: The Priest by Joseph Caruso
Please welcome back author Paula Messina to the blog today. By the way, when I was looking for cover images for the piece today, I cam across this regarding the author and the West End Museum.
The Priest
by Paula Messina
I write historical
fiction. One of my recurring characters and his family live in Boston’s North
End. He occasionally ventures into nearby Scollay Square and the West End.
Hoping to uncover some delectable morsel to use in my writing, I recently
visited the West End Museum.
The museum was
enjoyable, but I didn’t uncover anything I didn’t already know. That is until I
spotted a dark blue, thin volume in one of the display cases, Joseph Caruso’s The
Priest. Published in 1956, both novel and writer were new to me. I left the
museum hoping that The Priest would provide that tasty tidbit I’d been
searching for. I can’t say I found it. Instead, I discovered something far more
rewarding, a gripping novel.
The priest in
question is thirty-eight-year-old Father Octavio Scarpi, the eighth and
youngest surviving son of an Italian fisherman. ‘Tavio is huge, so huge he
cannot fasten his Roman collar. He is not Hollywood handsome, nor is he blessed
with a plain face. A former boxer, fisherman, and World War II soldier, the
priest has a “crooked, broken nose.” He’s an ugly giant whose exceptional
strength is his undoing.
Father Scarpi is
assigned to St. Dominic’s in the West End, where he grew up. He is haunted by
the death of his brother Onofrio and a war-time rape. A priest who hears
confessions and absolves others of their sins, he cannot forgive himself.
The novel begins
as a jury returns to the courtroom with its verdict. Joseph Shannan, a gangster
who unquestionably has earned a place behind bars, is found guilty of the
murder of Ellen Greer. When asked by the judge if he wishes to speak before
sentencing, Shannan tells the judge, “What’s there to say?...I been saying I
didn’t do it.”
Father Scarpi is
called to hear the confession of the dying Vincent Spinale. Grabbing the
priest’s wrist, Spinale begs for absolution after divulging, “I have sinned….I
killed a woman, father….Greer. I killed Ellen Greer. Save me, Father!”
Father Scarpi
grants Spinale absolution as the confessor lapses into a coma. Bound by the
seal of confession, the priest cannot reveal that Vincent Spinale is Ellen
Greer’s murderer. All hope of convincing Spinale to confess to the authorities
is doomed when he dies. Short of a miracle, the for-once-innocent Joseph
Shannan will die in the electric chair.
His lips might be
sealed, but that doesn’t keep Father Scarpi from attempting to right a wrong.
He visits Shannan, whose real name is Peppino Schianno, in prison. Shannan
recognizes ‘Tavio. Peppino and Onofrio were best friends. The meeting stirs
Father Scarpi’s memory of the first time he and Peppino met. An enraged Octavio
“poleaxed” his inebriated brother Onofrio. Their brothers Victor and Anthony as
well as Peppino restrained the massive Octavio as he lifted Onofrio “to hit him
again.”
The priest becomes
obsessed with Shannan and disobeys his superiors in a desperate effort to save
his dead brother’s friend. As he struggles to save Shannan from the electric
chair, Father Scarpi discovers Ellen Greer’s
murder hinged on rape. Ultimately, Octavio Scarpi, who cannot escape his guilt
in Onofrio’s death and the rape he committed during the war, cannot save
Shannan. Devastated by his failure, the priest decides to leave the priesthood.
Caruso doesn’t
sensationalize Father Scarpi’s dilemma. Instead, he depicts a very human,
deeply vulnerable man haunted by his violent past. Father Scarpi has lots of
company. St. Dominic’s other priests suffer from the same affliction as do
others, including Beneditto Scarpi, the priest’s father, who blames himself for
his wife’s early death. These Christians, who all believe God forgives sins,
cannot forgive themselves.
Beneditto tells
Octavio, “There is guilt in all of us, but at times the feeling of guilt is
more than the act that brought it on.”
Because of his
failure to save Shannan, ‘Tavio resoves his Roman collar and leaves the
priesthood. His brother John is unable to convince him to return to St.
Dominic. He tells the priest, “What I am doesn’t matter. It’s you that matters.
You are another man’s hope….Would you deprive your parishioners of their hopes
just for your own feelings of guilt?”
John sees what his
brother Octavio, blinded by guilt, cannot see. Father Scarpi is respected by
his parishioners, who seek and need his comfort and guidance. The priest, who
believes his physical strength is his greatest weakness, fails to recognize his
real strength, his faith.
The Priest
portrays a vibrant community of Sicilians, Southern Italian immigrants, and
their American children in the early 1950s. The men don’t attend Mass, but they
and their wives have a deep faith that guides their lives. The men are “calfoni:
fruit peddlers, laborers, fishermen.” In other words, they are uncivilized
and crude. They may have accents and lack polish, but they live their Old World
values, work hard to support their families, and trust in a God they pretend to
eschew.
There’s another
homicide that hovers unspoken over The Priest: the premeditated murder
in the first degree of the West End by the City of Boston. In the name of urban
renewal, Boston Mayor John Hynes targeted the destruction of the West End and
exiled the calfoni. According to the West End Museum, in 1958 and 1959,
more than 12,000 West Enders were evicted. Forty-six acres were leveled. Like
the Joni Mitchell’s song, “Big Yellow Taxi,” the city tore down a thriving
community to create a parking lot.
That gigantic
parking lot remained until 1965 when two towers with 477 apartments were
erected along with a gigantic sign that proclaims, “If you lived here, you’d be
home now.”
Only the families
that had occupied the land for decades could not go home. They couldn’t afford
the luxury apartments. To this day, former West Enders lament the destruction
of their homes.
Joseph Caruso
(1924-2008) was born in Sicily and immigrated to the West End when he was seven
years old. A writer, filmmaker, and painter who worked as an Art Director for
the Post Office, he received a Bronze Star for bravery during World War II.
Caruso was one of the founders of The Committee to Save the West End.
The families that
lived in the West End couldn’t stop the government, nor could they stop the
inevitable change already underway. The calfoni’s sons and daughters
assimilated and abandoned the Old World ways of their parents and ancestors.
Those who lived in the West End still mourn for the vibrant community that was taken from them. Little of Caruso’s West End remains. One exception is St. Joseph Parish, the novel’s St. Dominic. It is still an active church.
Paula Messina ©2026
Paula Messina writes the Donatello Laguardia stories, which
are set in Boston’s North End during the 1940s. They appeared in the Best
New England Crime Stories 2024 and 2025 and another Donatello Laguardia
short story is scheduled to appear in Black Cat Weekly. She lives near
America’s first public beach.
Saturday, April 25, 2026
KRL Update
Up on KRL this morning reviews and giveaways of 3 more fun cozies-"The Bush Tea Murder" A Caribbean Island Mystery by Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier, "Love a Comeback" A TV Detectives Mystery by Ruthie Knox and Annie Marie, and "A Crushing Walk in Cornwall" by Nicholas George https://kingsriverlife.com/04/25/end-of-april-mystery-catchup-2/
And a review and ebook giveaway of "Cashed Out Cold" by Anna St. John, along with an interesting interview with Anna https://kingsriverlife.com/04/25/cashed-out-cold-by-anna-st-john/
And a mystery short story by Kate Fellowes, https://kingsriverlife.com/04/25/mystery-short-story-the-last-secret/
We also have the latest Queer Mystery Coming Attractions from Matt Lubbers-Moore https://kingsriverlife.com/04/25/queer-mystery-coming-attractions-may-2026/
Up on KRL News and Reviews this week we have a review and ebook giveaway of "Here We Goat Again" by Janna Rollins https://www.krlnews.com/2026/04/here-we-goat-again-by-janna-rollins.html
And a review and ebook giveaway of "The Stuff of Malice" by Kathleen Marple Kalb https://www.krlnews.com/2026/04/the-stuff-of-malice-by-kathleen-marple.html
And for those who also enjoy fantasy, we have a review of "The Somewhat Wicked Witch of Brigindale" by CM Waggoner https://www.krlnews.com/2026/04/the-somewhat-wicked-witch-of-brigindale.html
Happy reading,
Lorie
Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 39 Marvelous Writing Conferences and Workshops in May 2026
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Scott's Take: Enemy of My Enemy: A Daredevil Marvel Crime Novel by Alex Segura
Enemy of My Enemy: A Daredevil
Marvel Crime Novel by Alex Segura is the second book in the Marvel
Crime series. The series began with Breaking the Dark: A Jessica Jones Marvel Crime
Novel that came out in the summer of 2024. The third book in the
series, Truth to Power: A Luke Cage Crime
Novel by S. A. Cosby, is scheduled to be released in September.
In this book, Daredevil agrees to
represent the Punisher who is on trial for the murder of Wilison Fisk, aka
Kingpin, and a cop. The death of Kingpin has started a gang war as various
people fight over control of the criminal underworld of New York. At the same
time, there is a deeper conspiracy at
work in the Punisher case. Can Daredevil stop this war while trying to uncover
the truth?
This is action packed legal drama with
various villains making appearances and a number of supporting characters.
There are also some small tie ins to the first book with Jessica Jones and
setup for the third book with Luke Cage. It is not necessary to have read the
previous Jessica Jones book at all. The author clearly knows a lot about
Daredevil and incorporates stuff from the comics as well as the various Netflix,
Disney, television series.
The only things that bugged me, at times,
was the overuse of animal sounds/metaphors/references. Also, the Punisher does
not play a big role in this. I thought he would be basically the second main
character and he is not. Unlike a Lincoln Lawyer type series
novel, in this case, we do not spend much time at all actually in a courtroom
at trial. Instead, the read is focused out of the courtroom while dealing with
numerous aspects of the case.
I enjoyed this book far more than the
Jessica Jones book and I highly recommend it. I am looking forward to the Luke
Cage book.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4c4JQ3F
I read this book through Hoopla by way
of the Dallas Public Library System.
Scott A. Tipple ©2026
Friday, April 24, 2026
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FFB Review: The Devil’s Bones by Larry D. Sweazy
Earlier this week, I saw author Larry D. Sweazy post this message on Facebook. “Stumbled across this radio interview for my first mystery novel, The Devil's Bones, in 2012. The Art of the Matter with Travis DiNicola and Sharon Gamble was an amazing radio show for local artists on WFYI, the Indianapolis PBS/NPR station. The Art of the Matter no longer exists and it and its fantastic hosts are sorely missed. .
https://www.wfyi.org/show/the-art-of-the-matter/2026-03-30/the-art-of-the-matter-march-2-2012
I think the interview and the book hold up, and the subject matter is still relevant, if not more so... I hope you'll give this interview with Travis a listen.”
While I have not had a chance to listen
to the interview yet, I was reminded how much I very much enjoyed this book.
So, I thought I would remind you today of that fact with my October 2013 review.
From the archive…
Late August of 2004 finds Deputy Jordan
McManus in the bed of a former girlfriend early one morning while drought grips
Dukaine, Indiana. Like the drought that grips the area, McManus is gripped by
the past. A past that includes the love of his life, Ginny, who has been
married for quite some time and has changed. Whatever they had once, years ago,
has been tarnished by time and the fact she has a child and is married to Ed
Kirsch. Not known for being mentally stable at the best of times, were he to
discover what McManus and Ginny have done the results could be disastrous.
Instead of spending time with Ginny,
McManus is supposed to be out patrolling the area. If he had been out doing his
job, he might have been out at Longer’s Pond with his boss, Marshal Holister
Coggins a little quicker. He might have had more time to secure the scene. He
might have been able to examine the small skeleton in the mud a little bit.
Maybe if he had been more focused on doing his job, he might have been able to
prevent the shooting that took down Holister and wounded him by somebody who
laughed like a maniac while doing it.
Moving back and forth from 1985 to late
August of 2004, author Larry D. Sweazy weaves a complicated tale of pain, loss,
racism, regret, and redemption in The Devil’s Bones. The read
shifts in point of view throughout the book as the pieces slowly come together
in various mysteries. Each secret has had a damaging ripple effect over the
years and has caused numerous events --many of which Deputy Jordan McManus has
little knowledge of despite being on the edge of many of them. Relying on his
brother nicknamed “Spider,” a tenuous decision at the best of times, McManus
works to clear his name and end the current carnage. The shooting of Holister
and himself is just the start of a wave of violence that will also uncover the
past and answer questions that have haunted the small town for years.
Reminiscent in style and tone of his
many westerns, The Devil’s Bones is a very complicated mystery
that pulls the reader in quickly and never lets go. Rich in details,
characters, and setting, nothing is simple in this read where drought finally
exposes all the secrets of the past.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3QgOFyy
ARC provided by the author way back in October 2011 for my use in an objective review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2013, 2026
Thursday, April 23, 2026
In Reference to Murder: Mystery Melange
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Beneath the Stains of Time: Locked and Loaded, Part 7: A Selection of Short Impossible Crime and Locked Room Mystery Stories
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Thursday Treats: 4/23/2026
The latest reading opportunities…
When I was a kid growing up here in
Texas, my parents got me a subscription to a magazine called The Ranger’s
Almanac. Put out by the Texas Park Service, it featured a lot of cool
stuff from Texas Game Wardens. My first thought when SMFS list member John M.
Floyd announced his latest short story publication in the inaugural edition of The
Ranger's Almanac was that the Texas Park Service had brought it back.
Nope. This is something completely
different. The Ranger's Almanac: Vol. 1 is compiled by “… two
Forest Rangers from Pennsylvania” per the Amazon listing. SMFS list member John
M. Floyd’s mystery short story, Lewis and Clark, alongside other SMFS list
members. Tom Gorham’s poem (A Walk in the Forest at Night) and Mia Dalia’s
short story (The Last Dance) are included. SMFS list member Ed Teja also announced
that his wife, Dagny Sellorin, has a pastel painting, City of Rocks, in the
publication available at Amazon. Per their website, this market reopens on
September 1st.
Speaking of John M. Floyd, his short story,
Creativity, appears on Curated by Costuic substack here.
SMFS list member Ashley-Ruth Bernier announced
that her novel, The Bush Tea Murder: A Caribbean Island Mystery, was
now out. Published by Crooked Lane Books in a variety of formats, the read is available
at Amazon and other vendors.
The latest issue of Black Cat Weekly also came out. SMFS list member N.M. Cedeño announced that her short story, The Case of the Dead Man's Daughter, appears in Black Cat Weekly #242. Her story is also the latest in a long line of SMFS list members being featured on the cover. You can pick up the latest issue here.
Until next time….
Kevin R. Tipple ©2026
Wednesday, April 22, 2026
Mystery Fanfare: Death in Paradise, Season 15, at last!
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Short Story Wednesday Review: Game Face by Mark Troy
From
the archive…
Texas
author Mark Troy brings together in this collection titled GAME FACE
eight short stories featuring his signature character Val Lyon. A tough talking
wise cracking private investigator that brooks no interference when there is a
case to be solved. This former military brat calls Hawaii home. Along with plenty of the sights, sounds, and
history of the islands, readers get strong well written stories featuring
complex cases and the always present search for justice.
After
a forward that explains some of the history behind the character, the book
opens with “Teed Off.” Glenn Floeck owns a line of golf shops under the name
“Teed Off.” He plans to expand his company to the islands. That means he and
his bodyguard, Frodo Baggins, need a car and a driver. Val Lyon can provide
both along with plenty of attitude and investigative skills. By working
undercover and getting close to him she can get the answers she needs. The
answers will come one way or another in this very good story.
Val
Lyon is an athlete so there is a sports angle to every story in some way. In
“Home Wreckers” star Julie Storm is dead and Coach Sherri Costello, head coach
of the Tropical Storm, wants her help.
The players of the women’s Professional Basketball League are not
supposed to be dead. But, Julie Storm is very dead and the team, as well as Val
Lyon, is in huge trouble.
Next
up is “Kill Leader” when Val Lyon has to protect Paula Evangelista from a
killer. Paula is something else when she is playing beach volleyball and
seemingly scoring at will. She scores off the beach too with a clothing line, a
generous sponsor, and work as a model. For somebody, all that is too much and
he or she wants her dead.
Val
Lyon is at Memorial Arena on the campus of U. C. Santa Christa and back on the
court she once played far too many games to count in “The Big Dance With
Death.” Head coach of the female
basketball team, Carol Onofrido, needs her help and Val is more than ready to
help. Even if it means the legendary Val
Lyon has to go undercover as an assistant coach to stop what appears at first
to be stalking while the team works to stay in the tournament.
“Wahine
O Ka Hoe” opens with a tragedy in the sea surrounding the island of Oahu.
Something went wrong aboard the canoe and now fellow teammate Nani is dead. The
medical examiner thinks it was an accident caused by a rogue wave. Was it? Did someone take advantage of the
chaos at sea to kill one of the “Women of The Paddle” or was it an accident?
Readers
go from the sea to the air in “Drop Dead Zone.” A constant need in Val Lyon’s
life is her need for adrenaline. Because of that, she is onboard a Cessna
airplane preparing to make a parachute jump as this story opens. All the hard
work of learning how to skydive is about to pay off as she and three others
leave the safety of the airplane and begin their fall to earth. Not everyone
lands via parachute. Was it an accident or was it murder?
Somebody
is swiping the sperm from award winning bulls and owner Doyle Gillispie wants
it stopped in “Horns.” He doesn’t know who is the stealing his championship
bull sperm, but he knows it is happening and makes it very clear he wants Val
Lyon to stop it. The last thing Val wants is this case or this client. But, you do what you have to do when you need
to make the car payment. The championship bulls Gillispie owns and his possible
suspect will be at the upcoming rodeo in Maui. So too will be private investigator
Val Lyon.
The
bites on the surf board Alana Nichols was using indicate a serious shark attack
in “Ripper.” There is blood on the remnants of the surf board, most likely
blood from Alana Nichols, but there is no body. Terry, Alana’s mother, is
convinced she is alive and not a victim of a shark attack. She has questions, such as what happened to
Alana’s computer, and wants Val’s help in finding her daughter.
After
eight very good stories, the book closes with Chapter One of the novel Pilikia
Is My Business. Pilikia means “trouble” in Hawaiian and public defender
Brian Magruder has quite the job for her. I have reviewed the novel before and
it is a good one without question.
Val
Lyon is an interesting character and one can see how she changes through the
years in these previously published stories. Now available as a collection of
the single short stories, GAME FACE, not only brings them
together, it also includes the cover art work from each single. A nice touch
that works well in the collection. Filled with plenty of action, interesting
cases, and difficult situations this book is a solidly good read. The book also
serves to what the reader appetite for the novel Pilikia Is My Business.
One
hopes there will be many more Val Lyon stories as well as a novel or two in the
future.
Amazon
Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4tW7SUA
Material supplied by the author in exchange for my objective review.
Kevin
R. Tipple © 2012, 2017, 2022, 2026
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