Wednesday, November 20, 2024
Jungle Red Writers: I Am Already Over AI
SleuthSayers: Double Event
Bitter Tea and Mystery: Short Story Wednesday: Deadly Anniversaries
Jerry's House of Everything: SHORT STORY WEDNESDAY: THE RIDDLE OF THE MARBLE BLADE
Short Story Wednesday Review: Resort to Murder: Thirteen More Tales by Minnesota's Premier Writers Compiled and Edited by the Minnesota Crime Wave
From
the archive…
Awhile
back, I had the pleasure of reading and reviewing the anthology The
Silence of the Loons. Put out by the "Minnesota Crime
Wave" (Ellen Hart, Carl Brookins and William Kent Krueger) the anthology
was a good one and I enjoyed it immensely. So, Carl Brookins sent me a review
copy of their latest anthology quite some time ago. I was thrilled and added it
to mount TBR which promptly surrounded it, burped in satisfaction, and
continued to grow. I'm officially over 300 books now at last count and woefully
behind in my reading. Fortunately, Texas is a long away from Minnesota, so I
should be relatively safe.
After
a brief introduction by Lorna Landvik on why Minnesota produces so many good
mystery writers, the book delves into the tales. There are 13 tales by 13
writers which include the three of the "Minnesota Crime Wave" and
many more authors. Each tale is set at a fictional resort in Minnesota and each
one is complex and enjoyable with no depictions of graphic violence, gore or
sex. Some of the tales can be described more fully than others simply because
to comment on some of them would blow the read. Having read many reviews that
told way too much, I always lean towards being very cautious in my reviews so
the tales will be explained as much as possible or not as the case may be.
William
Kent Krueger kicks off the killing in his "Hills Like White Rabbits."
“Cooper knew they planned to kill him. Exactly how was the part that was still
a mystery." (Page 2)
"The
Locked Fish–cleaning House Mystery" by Jess Lourey is next. While the
title may not be inspired, this tale about an elderly woman determined to party
and solve a murder at the same time is.
Followed
by "14-A" written by Ellen Hart that takes a look at the pain of love
and how relationships evolve or de-evolve over time. The little things begin to
burrow under the skin and an outside threat can make everything explode.
The
age old theme of cheating comes to light in the tale of "Miss
Behavin'" by David Housewright. A favorite author of mine whose most
recent novel is "Dead Boyfriends" creates here a story a story full
of misdirection and complications.
"Out
of the Jacuzzi, Into the Sauna" by Scott Pearson marks the author's first
published mystery story despite a long and impressive publishing history in
various areas. Kate and Bill, a married couple, have known things at Great
Lakes Lodges were wrong from the moment they called to confirm their check in.
They didn't know that while they could check in, they easily might never check
out.
Pat
Dennis follows with a tale titled "Mother's Day." Carl has had enough
of dear old mom and he has a plan.
If
you haven't read Carl Brookins before you have really missed out. "Bloody
Halls" was/is an excellent book as is the often laugh out loud "The
Case of the Greedy Lawyers" featuring private investigator Sean no middle
initial Sean always present in his red sneakers. Sean also makes an appearance
here in the tale titled "Fish Story." Sean isn't much happy to be in
a vacation resort in northern Minnesota. He had a more exotic climate in mind
for vacation and if that isn't enough, he certainly didn't want to be dragged
in to a local murder case.
While
many of the stories are told from the viewpoint of the guests, Joel Arnold took
a different angle. In "Leave No Wake" he weaves a tale told from the
view point of one of the elderly owners of a resort who soon has a dead body to
deal with along with a business to run. Along the way, Mr. Varney is reminded
just how quickly time passes under business pressure. This very good story does
feature a character with a penchant for graphic language that is out of tone
with the rest of the anthology.
"The
Moose Whisperer" by Deborah Woodworth features characters who aren't
sleeping as well as they should be or need to. Police Chief Jens Johansson is
one of the nocturnal wanderers and he saw something odd in the middle of the
night while on vacation at Glass Lake. Something that he will need to follow on
and something that is just a small piece of a bigger deal.
Barbara
DaCosta is next with her disturbing story "Cabin 6". This is her
first story and it is a good one. A story that really can't be explained at all
without ruining it for other readers. So, I won't.
Like
the "Bird of Prey" the human known as the "Falcon" goes
after his next kill. In this tale written by Michael Allan Mallory, some things
are obvious while many others are not.
"The
Body at Dust Bowl Lake" is exactly that and much more. History plays the
main role in this interesting tale written by Moira F. Harris.
Judith
Yates-Borger concludes the anthology well with her tale "Hunter's
Lodge." The past is a huge part of the tale as well and in this case the
past must be honored and it will be. Like others in this anthology, this also
marks her first foray into the field of mystery writing after an extensive and
award winning journalist career.
Unlike
many anthologies that place the interesting author biographical information at
the back of the book, this anthology does the right thing and places it at the
beginning of each tale. Also, pictures of the authors are included. Therefore,
the book is well designed and places the picture of the author and bio on the
left page with the tale written by the author on the right. By such format, one
gets a feel for the author before delving into the tale.
Like the anthology The Silence of the Loons, the tales in Resort to Murder: Thirteen More Tales by Minnesota's Premier Writers feature intriguing characters from a variety of viewpoints and walks of life. Some have seen this collection as darker in tone, but, I would not agree. Graphic descriptions are not present here with the focus being on the characters and the tales they tell. Each tale, well told, often is filled with misdirection while touching on some of the age old concepts of deceit, family honor, envy and others that ultimately lead to murder. Murder, well told, and another good read compiled and edited by the members of the "Minnesota Crime Wave."
Amazon
Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4hYZI90
As
noted in the review, author Carl Brookins sent it to me long ago when dragons
still flew overhead and magic ruled the land.
Kevin
R. Tipple © 2008, 2024
Tuesday, November 19, 2024
Monday, November 18, 2024
Mystery Fanfare: THANKSGIVING MYSTERIES // THANKSGIVING CRIME FICTION
Mystery Fanfare: CHRISTMAS SPECIAL & Season 3: The Chelsea Detective
Beneath the Stains of Time: And Then There Were Nyan (2024) by A.Z. Ruin
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules by Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg
Aubrey Nye Hamilton Reviews: Crimes Against Nature, Editor Robert Lopresti
With an
unprecedented hurricane in the Appalachian Mountains that no one could have expected
and wildfires in the West and rampant deforestation in many states, no one can
say that the environment and the damage caused by humans does not affect our
lives. Robert Lopresti has collected and edited a set of 15 short stories all
about human impact on nature. Sometimes thoughtless, sometimes deliberate, the impact
of the destruction is the same.
The authors in
Crimes Against Nature (Down & Out Books, 2024) are well known and
recognized for their skill in crime fiction, which shows to great advantage in
this assortment of mayhem. Instead of offenses against people, the misdeeds here
are against the earth. Michael Bracken, Susan Breen, Sarah M. Chen, Barb
Goffman, Karen Harrington, Janice Law, R.T. Lawton, Robert Lopresti, Jon
McGoran, Josh Pachter, Gary Phillips, S.J. Rozan, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Mark
Stevens, and David Heska Wanbli Weiden have each contributed a story. They also
have selected a conservation nonprofit to receive half of the royalties. Their
chosen charity is described at the end of each story; I was glad to learn about
a few groups unfamiliar to me.
The stories
are as varied as the charities that will benefit from them. Some of the
protagonists use their native guile to defend the environment, others are not
above committing a felony for the same reason. One protagonist continued to
battle for the earth’s welfare beyond the grave.
I am charmed
by the number of devious old ladies here. In Chin Yong-Yun Plants a Seed,
a grandmother saves her grandchildren’s school plot of carefully selected
native plants and arranges for a nearby factory to be brought to account for
its illegal emissions in one fell swoop. We have all had dreadful neighbors but
Emily Kitchener takes drastic steps to deal with those who destroy an
established native species garden in Heavenly Bamboo. Annabelle addresses
the problem of the marijuana-smoking neighbors who create a second-hand smoke
hazard for the nearby residents, including a cat, in Gone to Pot. A
committed recycler goes to great effort to see that her apartment complex
complies with the reprocessing sorting rules in The Trouble with Saving the
World.
Then there
are the destructive tourists who in their desire to see nature in its pristine
state destroy it as they explore. Eruptions discusses a tour group
scaling an active volcano in defiance of the police in beautiful Costa Rica,
where the fragile habitat is being wrecked by excessive tourism. A social media
darling, an influencer who films everything he does, is the subject of The
Gift. This particular influencer trespasses on private beaches and encourages
his followers to do the same, leaving a tsunami of trash as they go. A man bent
on revenge goes after several media influencers who damage delicate ecosystems
and invade protected reserves in Bad Influence.
Virgil
Wounded Horse of the acclaimed novel Winter Counts is still looking out
for the people on the Rose Bud reservation in Wind Spirits. When an
activist comes in, agitating for trouble over the wind turbines set up on the land,
Virgil steps in.
The Smart One focuses on
the worst possible consequences of careless disposal of toxic materials. Scrap
Heap is set in a metals recycling plant that ignored federal regulations
for decades; the protagonist here is the most original I have seen in a long
time. Illegal dumping of used oil is the environmental crime in Todd’s Fault,
Todd is a dog for anyone who needs a dog in their reading, and Stinkwater
Lake addresses the dangers of emptied oil wells left unremediated.
Firestorm describes an
enterprising felon’s creation of a storage unit to preserve artwork and other
valuables from the wildfires that are endemic in the West these days.
An earnest
do-gooder decides to single-handedly reduce the number of meth labs polluting
the groundwater, wells, and rivers in Lenny and the Lab. This is the
funniest entry in the book.
Body Parts
and Bathtub Rings
deals with the drought in the Southwest and the people who refuse to accept that
the need to conserve water is past urgent.
This is a
fascinating collection of stories with as diverse a set of protagonists and
plots as I can remember seeing. The annual major gift-giving season is upon us
and this book would be welcomed by any crime fiction reader who also champions
ecological causes. I found it informative and entertaining, and I expect they
would too. Recommended.
·
Publisher: Down & Out Books (October
6, 2024)
·
Language: English
·
Paperback: 294 pages
·
ISBN-10: 1643963805
·
ISBN-13: 978-1643963808
Amazon Associate
Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4i2Ud9g
Aubrey Nye Hamilton
©2024
Aubrey Hamilton is a former librarian who works on Federal It projects by day and reads mysteries at night.
Sunday, November 17, 2024
Little Big Crimes: Truth or Die, by Austin S. Camacho
Bitter Tea and Mystery: The Mayors of New York: S.J. Rozan
Saturday, November 16, 2024
KRL Update 11/16/2024
Up on KRL this week, a review and giveaway of Joanne Fluke's "Lake Eden Cookbook" along with a recipe from the book perfect for your Thanksgiving get together https://kingsriverlife.com/11/16/joanne-flukes-lake-eden-cookbook-hannah-swensons-recipes-from-the-cookie-jar/
And a review and giveaway of "The Grey Wolf" by Louise Penny https://kingsriverlife.com/11/16/the-grey-wolf-by-louise-penny/
And a review and ebook giveaway of "Beyond the Veil" by Lawrence Kelter along with an interesting interview with Lawrence https://kingsriverlife.com/11/16/beyond-the-veil-by-lawrence-kelter/
And a review and giveaway of "Zero Sum" by John Gilstrap https://kingsriverlife.com/11/16/zero-sum-by-john-gilstrap/
Up on KRL during the week we posted another special midweek guest post, this one about the new mystery anthology "Janie's Got a Gun" https://kingsriverlife.com/11/13/janies-got-a-gun-and-the-intersection-of-music-and-mystery/
And another special midweek guest post, this one by mystery author Kathleen Kaska where she talks about the Luther Hotel in her second Sydney Lockhart mystery which has been recently reissued https://kingsriverlife.com/11/13/its-more-than-just-the-hotel/
Up on KRL News and Reviews this week we have reviews and ebook giveaways of "Mingling with Murder" and "Mashed Potato Murder" (Thanksgiving mystery) by Leslie Langtry https://www.krlnews.com/2024/11/mingling-with-murder-mashed-potato.html
Happy reading,
Lorie
SleuthSayers: Going Golden, Committing Capers, and Getting Cozy
Scott's Take: Wesley Dodds: The Sandman by Robert Venditti, Illustrator Riley Rossmo
Wesley Dodds: The Sandman by Robert Venditti, illustrated by
Riley Rossmo, is a miniseries whose main character is the original Sandman
(there are several Sandman). This read is set back in the 1940s in the DC Universe.
The original Sandman is just starting out and has not joined the Justice
Society Of America. The JSA was one of the original super teams before the
Justice League. They protected their world until the red scare forced them to
disband. The United States government turned on them.
The original Sandman was a gas mask
wearing vigilante who used sleep gas to fight crime. He had the ability to see
the future in nightmares which showed him horrible fates awaiting people. He
would attempt to intervene. I am using the past tense since he is currently
dead in the DC Universe, but was alive during this miniseries flashback.
In this graphic novel, someone has
stolen his chemical formulas for chemicals weapons that he accidently created
in the process of creating his sleep gas. Thus, the hunt is on to find out who
plans to use them in WW2 which is currently raging outside the USA. While this
read also explores his origin, it also deals with his relationship with his
father. A man who was shaped by the horrors of WW1 and warped a young Wesley
Dodds by intimately discussing the horrors of war with him.
This is an action-packed mystery with
a character I am not very familiar with but found myself enjoying. The artist
is talented, but I found the cartoony art style not fitting for this tale. While
some really good splash pages were created, the use of bioweapons and the
horrors that arose from them, was diminished by the art choice. This is
an interesting miniseries with some twists and turns. Overall, I enjoyed this
hoopla read.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4fwpGi2
My reading copy came by way of the
Hoopla App through the Dallas Public Library System.
Scott A. Tipple ©2024
Friday, November 15, 2024
Mystery Fanfare: CALL FOR ARTICLES: Mystery Readers Journal: London: London; Extended Deadline Monday, November 18, 2024
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: We’ll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida, translated by E. Madison Shimoda
Jerry's House of Everything: FORGOTTEN BOOK: BEYOND THE POLE
Smart Girls Read Romance: NEW AUDIO RELEASE!
FFB Review: The Case Of The Greedy Lawyers by Carl Brookins
You may not have been aware of it, but
Minneapolis is the home of private detective Sean “No Middle Initial” Sean.
Yes, you read that right. His first name is his last, he has no middle name,
and maybe that is why he looks at everything just a little differently than
most would. He’s short at just five foot three, known for wearing his red Keds
even when wearing nothing at all, and is good at what he does no matter what
the might be. He also has a sense of humor except when one of his clients gets
murdered.
Except she really wasn’t his client. She
drifted into his office one day, hardly said a word, told him she would have to
give things some more thought and left. Sometime later she was found dead. For
Sean, after being asked to identify the body, he isn’t ready to let the police
take over. He begins to investigate with all trails leading back to a huge law
firm with a name that sounds like many publishing houses all put together. As
he digs, violence begins to erupt and it becomes clear that his wise talking PI
is being used as a pawn in someone’s power game.
This book is a very enjoyable read from
short to finish on two different levels. On one, it is a send up of all the
classic detective novels. With allusions to other books and characters and how
they would react, the read is often very funny. The author clearly has a knack
for puns and delights in naming so many things after various publishing houses.
Many of them seem to be villains in one form or another which increases the
amusement factor especially for those working in the writing profession.
On another level, the read is a typical
detective story with occasional violence, a beautiful woman in his life, and
all the rest including a complicated and intriguing case that slowly becomes
clear. The story line moves forward at a steady pace and features a character
that is unique and entertaining. The misdirections are many and what appears
obvious in the middle part of the novel is far from certain by the end.
The result is an entertaining roller
coaster of a ride and one very good novel. A fun fast read; one can only hope
that more adventures are planned for the detective with no middle initial.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3Z0bvfr
I have no idea now, all these years later, how I got the read. It could have been as a library book as the Plano library system always had a lot of Five Star reads. It could have also come direct from the author as, back then, he and many authors were sending my print copies every week. How I got it is lost to the mists of time.
Kevin R. Tipple © 2006, 2024
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