Lesa's Book Critiques: My Grandfather, the Master Detective by Masateru Konishi
Friday, April 17, 2026
Mystery Fanfare: Orchid Day: Orchids in Mysteries and More!
Mystery Fanfare: Orchid Day: Orchids in Mysteries and More!: If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you know I post a flower photo every day, usually with the subject line "Behind my Garden G...
FFB Review: Still River: A Lee Henry Oswald Mystery by Harry Hunsicker
For what seems like a month now, several
times a week, I have seen ads for the "Oswald Three Pack" which features this
great series by Harry Hunsicker. Constantly seeing those ads finally reminded me that it has been quite awhile since I reminded you of the very first book in the series, STILL RIVER: A Lee Henry Oswald
Mystery. This great series is the
real Dallas, warts and all. My review that first ran over twenty years ago...
Lee Henry “Hank” Oswald
is a private investigator who walks the mean streets of Dallas, Texas. It
begins as a favor for a former fellow high school classmate in the form of Vera
Drinkwater. Crying in his office, she tells Hank that her brother Charles (Charlie
to one and all) Wesson (two years behind both Vera and Hank in school) is
missing and has been for a little less than twenty-four hours. She knows
something is wrong. Hank knows at this point, Charlie hasn’t been gone long
enough to raise an eyebrow or anything else at the Dallas Police Department.
The fact that he is a former addict, allegedly clean and sober now, won’t speed
anyone to look for him as in all likelihood, he is off on a binge.
Charlie had been a
victim all through school both by bullies at school and a stepfather at home
determined to make a man out of him one way or another. Hank has memories of
those times as well as some guilt as he wasn’t in a position to really help but
witnessed enough to have some idea of what Charlie endured. Those memories
trigger his need to help and he agrees to make some calls and look for Charlie.
It should have been easy enough.
But, one thing life has
taught him with a name like his in Dallas, nothing is easy and this certainly
isn’t. Before long, it turns into a huge mess involving crooked real estate
developers, urban renewal in the form of yet another Trinity River project, the
Russian mafia, drugs, guns, and wayward relatives. Through it all, Hank keeps
going as he digs through the muck of Dallas whether they are rich and famous or
the nobodies on the wrong side of the river.
Author Harry Hunsicker’s portrayal of Dallas has absolutely nothing to do with
the chamber of commerce ads for the city. This is a hard-edged noirish style
Dallas that serves as a backdrop for all sorts of things that no doubt happen
on a routine basis and that no one ever talks about. While Still
River stumbles at first in terms of clichés, the book builds a
steady momentum and before long carries the reader violently along for a very
enjoyable read.
Amazon Associate
Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4twTe6F
Or go wild and get the
entire three book series. Three books at this price is almost like getting one
free. https://amzn.to/4szQnbu
Kevin R. Tipple © 2005, 2012, 2019, 2026
Thursday, April 16, 2026
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Nevermore: Dopesick, Naturalist, Murder in Constantinople
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Nevermore: Dopesick, Naturalist, Murder in Constan...: Reported by Rita Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America by Beth Macy Beth Macy takes us into the epicent...
Thursday Treats: 4/16/2026
The latest reading opportunities…
SMFS list member Joan Leotta announced that her three part flash fiction tale, “Observed, Overheard in the Hallway”, had been published online at Spillwords. You can read it for free here.
SMFS list member Alan Orloff announced that
his novel, The Family Biz, had been published by Level Best
Books. You can get it in eBook or paperback formats at Amazon.
Last month, fellow SMFS Member M. E. Proctor had a guest post here about how the soon to be released new book, Kansas City Breakdown, cowritten with Russell Thayer, came to be. Published by Cowboy Jamboree Press, their new book is a sequel to Bop City Swing of last year. The book is now out. You can pick it up at Amazon and elsewhere.
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Also now out is The Firefall: A Murder in Yosemite by Mark Thielman. Published by Severn River Publishing, this is the third read in The Johnson and Nance Mystery series. You can pick it up in a variety of formats at Amazon. You could also pick up the entire series, to date, as book four, scheduled to be out in January, is available too for preorder. By the way, Mr. Thielman is the current President of the Sisters in Crime North Dallas Chapter, of which I used to be a member, he is also currently nominated for a Derringer Award in the “Best Long Story” category for his short story, Masterpiece, which appeared in Black Cat Mystery Magazine #16.
He is also one heck of a nice guy and
tolerated my weird presence in public at two different book events we were both
panelists at months ago. Experiencing the Tipple, on back-to-back days, has
broken lessor beings.
Fellow SMFS list member Steve Liskow
reached out to tell me that his short story, One on One, appears in Teach.
Write.: A Literary Journal for Writing Teachers Spring/Summer 2026,
Edited by Katie Winkler. Mr. Liskow add, ed: “My story concerns a first-year
teacher who is caught between his rookie idealism and the reality of a student
living in an abusive home.” You can pick up a paperback copy on LuLu.
Back when I worked for a local school
district here in the Dallas area, I used to hear some real horror stories
regarding home life situations. What some kids go through is, literally, hell
on earth.
My good friend Barry Ergang has the
poem, Centerfold, in the latest edition of the online zine, Yellow Mama. SMFS
list members, Elizabeth Dearborn (Lived My Life Too Fast), Joan Leotta (Luck of
the Irish), and Bern Sy Moss (Bragging Rights) all have short stories in Yellow
Mama 115. You can read it for free here.
The latest issue of Black Cat
Weekly also came out. You can pick up Black Cat Weekly #241 here. You could also pick up a
monthly or annual subscription too.
This also means that Ellery Queen
Mystery Magazine: May/June 2026 is now out. SMFS list members DK Snyder
(Home), S.B. Watson (Closing the Case) have short stories in the issue. SMFS
list member Josh Pachter provided the translation of Herbert De Paepe’s short
story, The Defixio Murders (Passport to Crime). You can pick it up at the website or at
bookstores.
By the way, Art Taylor’s “The First Two
Pages” is currently running a feature highlighting several folks that are
featured in the Hot Shots anthology. Things started off with
“The
Touch of Death” by BV Lawson, followed by “Famous
Last Words” by Doug Allyn, with more stories highlighted in the weeks
ahead.
Also now out, if you like fantasy and
science fiction are the new issues of Analog and Asimov’s.
Until next time….
Kevin R. Tipple ©2026
Wednesday, April 15, 2026
News: ShortCon
Some folks claim they have teleported to a Waffle House. While that would be cool, I would rather teleport there and back. This would be a very cool thing to do. Below is a recent message about it from Michael Bracken. You can also follow along at their Facebook page.
ShortCon, the Premier Conference for Writers of Short Crime Fiction, takes place Saturday, June 6, in Alexandria, VA. A one-day conference concentrating exclusively on the craft and business of short crime fiction, is limited to 50 attendees, and there are still a few openings available.
This
year's presenters include Gary Philips, Michele Slung, and Art Taylor. Stacy
Woodson will lead the end-of-day panel discussion, and I'll be there as the
host.
Learn
more and register at https://www.eastcoastcrime.com/#/
We
hope to see you there.
Michael
--
Michael
Bracken
Copywriting
• Creative Writing • Editorial Services
Mystery Fanfare: TAX DAY MYSTERIES // TAX DAY CRIME FICTION // ACCOUNTING FOR MURDER
Mystery Fanfare: TAX DAY MYSTERIES // TAX DAY CRIME FICTION // ACCO...: The Tax Man Cometh! I've done several posts over the years about Tax Day Mysteries . Surprisingly there are many that deal with F...
Bitter Tea and Mystery: Short Story Wednesday: More Hercule Poirot Short Stories
Bitter Tea and Mystery: Short Story Wednesday: More Hercule Poirot Short S...: These stories came from Hercule Poirot: The Complete Short Stories ; the collection has 867 pages and was published in 1999. It consists o...
Jerry's House of Everything: SHORT STORY WEDNESDAY: UP IN SMOKE
Jerry's House of Everything: SHORT STORY WEDNESDAY: UP IN SMOKE: "Up in Smoke" by "Tigrina" (Edythe Eyde) (according to the copyright notice, this was apparently published in an unknow...
Short Story Wednesday Review: The Ehrengraf Fandango by Lawrence Block
From the archive….
The Ehrengraf Fandango is the twelfth short story
featuring the lawyer Martian H. Ehrengraf. He has a small room at his home
reserved for attorney-client meetings. The room is a bit reminiscent of such a
room at a police station as both the table and the chairs are bolted to the
floor. The surroundings lean towards the austere and Ehrengraf may or may not
be recording everything that goes on in the room. It is not exactly clear from
the start that he pushes the legal boundaries hard if not flat out obliterating
them. That talent comes in handy with his latest client, Cheryl Plumley, as the
story begins.
The
entire world knows she fired the gun that killed three people in a house on
Woodbridge Avenue. She has no memory of actually going into the home and
shooting Mary Beth and Richard Kuhldreyer as well as their neighbor, Patricia
Munk. While her only explanation other than sheer madness for the crime would
be satanic intervention, Ehrengraf has a much more down to earth explanation.
Not only does he know how he can help her with the case, he has a few other
ideas to help her and her future.
Along
with a touch here and there of subtle humor, The Ehrengraf Fandango by
Lawrence Block is a complicated multiple case mystery. The Plumley case is just
part of a much larger tale in this work. Martian H. Ehrengraf is a lawyer who
bends the law to suit himself and enjoys the fruit of his labors in the
process. He only defends innocent clients and he never loses a case. If you
need his services, it is always best to pay his free promptly and without
delay.
Also
present at the end of the book is the original introduction to the first
story, The Ehrengraf Defense, written by Edward D. Hoch for
the 1978 initial appearance in Ellery Queen’s mystery magazine. That is
followed by two different afterwards from the author, first in 1994 and then
2014. Those pieces by Hoch and author Lawrence Block provide intriguing details
about the dapper lawyer, the other eleven tales in the series, as well as
publishing in general.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4dGRDpM
Material
was picked up to read and review when the author made it free in January 2016.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2016, 2021, 2026
Tuesday, April 14, 2026
SleuthSayers: Another Round by Mark Thielman
SleuthSayers: Another Round: Today marks a milestone in my writing journey. It is Publication Day for The Firefall , the third book in my Johnson and Nance series. As ...
Bitter Tea and Mystery: A Wrinkle in Time: Madeleine L'Engle
Bitter Tea and Mystery: A Wrinkle in Time: Madeleine L'Engle: This is the story of Margaret Murry (called Meg) and her younger brother Charles Wallace Murry, and their friend, Calvin. Calvin just shows ...
Beneath the Stains of Time: The Darker the Night (1949) by Herbert Brean
Beneath the Stains of Time: The Darker the Night (1949) by Herbert Brean: There are a handful of dusty, timeworn tropes and cliches that make detective fans despair when they rear their ugly head in a mystery, nove...
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: How the Heather Looks: A Joyous Journey to the British Sources of Children’s Books by Joan Bodger
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: How the Heather Looks: A Joyous Journey to the Bri...: Reviewed by Jeanne Many, many years ago, a fellow librarian encouraged me to read How the Heather Looks if I had any interest in chil...
Bitter Tea and Mystery: A Wrinkle in Time: Madeleine L'Engle
Bitter Tea and Mystery: A Wrinkle in Time: Madeleine L'Engle: This is the story of Margaret Murry (called Meg) and her younger brother Charles Wallace Murry, and their friend, Calvin. Calvin just shows ...
Monday, April 13, 2026
Mystery Fanfare: Call for Articles: Mysteries set in France: Mystery Readers Journal (42:2)
Mystery Fanfare: Call for Articles: Mysteries set in France: Myster...: Call for Articles: Mystery Readers Journal : Mysteries set in France(42:2); Summer 2026 For our next issue, we are looking for articles, r...
Mystery Fanfare: NATIONAL BOOKMOBILE DAY: Bookmobile Mysteries
Mystery Fanfare: NATIONAL BOOKMOBILE DAY: Bookmobile Mysteries: Saturday was National Bookmobile Day ! What a great source of library outreach. I've posted several photos of Bookmobiles before, but ...
Little Big Crimes: Skeleton Crew, by V.G. Burke
Little Big Crimes: Skeleton Crew, by V.G. Burke: "Skeleton Crew," by V.G. Burke, in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, January/February 2026. First stories seldom make this l...
Aubrey Nye Hamilton Reviews: Left on Rancho: A Novel by Francesco Paola
I met Francesco Paola at Left
Coast Crime last month during the Author Speed Dating event. For those who have
not attended a mystery conference, author speed dating takes place in a large
room, where readers sit at tables and authors in pairs walk from table to table
and describe their latest book in two minutes. They generally give out
bookmarks and other swag. The room usually holds around 30 or 40 tables, and
the authors are talked out by the time they reach the last few groups. From the
reader’s perspective, it’s a great way to learn about new authors, which is the
point of the exercise.
Paola’s debut is Left on
Rancho (SparkPress, 2025), an original tale based on Paola’s short-lived
career in the California cannabis industry. Andrew Eastman spent 20 years in
the Silicon Valley tech world. When his last company collapsed in flames, he
was so bruised by the experience that he planned to live abroad for awhile. A
call from his childhood best friend Charlie changed his mind. Charlie’s legal
cannabis company Kannawerks is floundering. He needs Andrew to apply his
corporate management expertise and his knowledge of mergers and acquisitions to
shore it up until the company can be sold. Manufacturing is a different world
from IT but Andrew’s bond with Charlie ran deep, so he agreed.
The Kannawerks manufacturing
facility is on the edge of the Mojave Desert in a small town, with only a
for-profit prison that holds immigrants waiting to be deported. Andrew quickly
learns that the facility operations need rework, although the staff, many of
whom are enthusiastic users of the cannabis gummies they produce, are resistant
to structure and process.
The managers fill him in on
the legislative side of the business. While cannabis has been legalized in
California, the illegal sale of marijuana continues. Firms who have gone
through the licensing process to become legal producers and who are subject to
regulatory oversight are consistently undercut by their street competitors.
Marijuana and its products are still considered illegal federally, which means the
stores who buy merchandise from Kannawerks are generally an all-cash business,
subject to frequent robberies. (See Light It Up by Nick Petrie, the
third book in the Peter Ash series, for another look at this aspect of the
legal cannabis industry.)
Andrew recognizes the company
is in an impossible situation. He intends to help Charlie find a buyer and make
a quick exit until circumstances shift beyond his control.
While the narrative is mostly
fresh and unexpected, the theme of immigrant abuse is unfortunately nothing new
and downright depressing. Despite Andrew’s extensive experience in the tech
world, he is astonishingly naïve in this new setting, mostly due to his loyalty
to his childhood friend whom he comes to see he doesn’t really know.
I have mixed feelings about
the depth of industry information in the story, which covers the California
state legislative quagmire, the production process, the relationships with
retail sellers, and funding for start-ups. On one hand it all informs the plot,
on the other it approaches the level of a data dump.
I found the ending both
surprising and deeply satisfying. Not the usual thriller, readers who enjoy
financial crime fiction or who are looking for something new will want to look
at this one.
- Publisher:
SparkPress
- Publication
date: February 11, 2025
- Language:
English
- Print
length: 352 pages
- ISBN-10:
1684632927
- ISBN-13:
978-1684632923
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4tHLEWr
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 12, 2026
Beneath the Stains of Time: Inspector De Klerck and Tears for Valentine (2026) by P. Dieudonné
Beneath the Stains of Time: Inspector De Klerck and Tears for Valentine (2026)...: Recently, E-Pulp published the 14th title in P. Dieudonné 's Rotterdam Police series, Rechercheur De Klerck en tranen om Valentijn ( I...
The Short Mystery Fiction Society Blog: Announcing HOT SHOTS: CELEBRATING THIRTY YEARS OF CELEBRATING THIRTY YEARS OF THE SHORT MYSTERY FICTION SOCIETY
The Short Mystery Fiction Society Blog: Announcing HOT SHOTS: CELEBRATING THIRTY YEARS OF ...: This month marks the thirtieth anniversary of the founding of the Short Mystery Fiction Society, the free-to-join community of writers, read...
Publishing News from Barry Ergang
My friend Barry Ergang, has a new poem published in the latest issue of Yellow Mama Webzine. His poem, Centerfold, appears in Yellow Mama #115 and is free to read.
Saturday, April 11, 2026
Mystery Fanfare: GRANTCHESTER FINAL SEASON: PBS
Mystery Fanfare: GRANTCHESTER FINAL SEASON: PBS: Masterpiece (PBS) has confirmed the premiere date and released a trailer for the eleventh and final season of Grantchester . The Myste...
Mystery Fanfare: Mystery Readers Journal: Fairs, Fêtes, & Festivals in Mysteries (42:1)
Mystery Fanfare: Mystery Readers Journal: Fairs, Fêtes, & Festivals...: Mystery Readers Journal: Fairs, Fêtes, & Festivals in Mysteries (42:1) is now available. Buy this issue or subscribe to Mystery Readers...
KRL Update
Up on KRL this week reviews and giveaways of 3 fun cozies-"Booking for Trouble" by Jenn McKinlay, "If Books Could Kill" A Tea and Tomes Mystery by Karen Rose Smith, and "Murder at an Irish Session" An Irish Village Mystery by Carlene O'Connor https://kingsriverlife.com/04/11/three-bookish-matchmaking-cozies-for-spring-reading/
And the latest Mystery Coming Attractions from Victoria Fair https://kingsriverlife.com/04/11/mystery-current-coming-attractions-april-2026/
Up during the week, another special midweek guest post, this one by mystery author DS Lang about her historical mysteries involving golf https://kingsriverlife.com/04/08/mystery-mud-memories-and-masters-week/
We also have another special midweek guest post, this one an excerpt from "Two Truths and a Lie" by Mark Stevens https://kingsriverlife.com/04/08/excerpt-from-two-truths-and-a-lie-by-mark-stevens/
Up on KRL News and Reviews this week we have a review and ebook giveaway of "Diet of Death" by Ang Pompano, along with an interesting interview with Ang https://www.krlnews.com/2026/04/diet-of-death-by-ang-pompano.html
And a review of "The Delivery" by Andrew Welsh-Huggins https://www.krlnews.com/2026/04/the-delivery-by-andrew-welsh-huggins.html
And a review and ebook giveaway of "The Case of the Devious Daughter" by Cathy Ace https://www.krlnews.com/2026/04/the-case-of-devious-daughter-by-cathy.html
And a review and giveaway of "A Honeymoon of Havoc" by Victoria Tait https://www.krlnews.com/2026/04/a-honeymoon-of-havoc-by-victoria-tait.html
Happy reading,
Lorie
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: The Body in the Kelp by Katherine Hall Page
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: The Body in the Kelp by Katherine Hall Page: Reviewed by Jeanne Faith Fairchild, her minister husband Tom, and toddler Ben are spending the summer on Sanpere, an island in Maine. ...
Jerry's House of Everything: SLAM-BANG COMICS #7 (SEPTEMBER 1940)
Jerry's House of Everything: SLAM-BANG COMICS #7 (SEPTEMBER 1940): Slam-Bang Comics was a short-lived anthology comic book from Fawcett that lasted a mere seven issues, from March through September 1940. ...
Scott's Take: The Death of Captain America by Larry Hama
The Death of Captain America by Larry Hama
is a novel that adapts the same story arc in the comics from the Marvel
Universe. In this book, set after the events of the superhero Civil War, Captain
America is murdered through a conspiracy by the Red Skull. This novel explores
various characters attempting to uncover the truth and stop the Red Skull from
destroying the United States. But with Steve dead, who will pick up his legacy,
and stop the Red Skull?
This book is told from the point of view
of Bucky, Sharon Carter, The Falcon, Iron Man, Red Skull, and others. Steve is
in it for a bit, but this book deals mostly with how his life impacted others.
There is action, humor, Nazis, and sex. There is also a miscarriage which could
be triggering for some readers.
Overall, I enjoyed this adaption of the
comics books story arc.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4u4pIFJ
I read this through Hoopla, by way of
the Dallas Public Library System.
Scott A. Tipple ©2026
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