Jim Nesbitt Reviews: An Ink-Stained Killing: Greed, Betrayal, Murder And A New York Tabloid
Tuesday, November 10, 2026
SleuthSayers: BAMS BSP
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Jerry's House of Everything: OVERLOOKED FILM: THE UNEXPECTED MRS. POLLIFAX (1999)
Jerry's House of Everything: OVERLOOKED FILM: THE UNEXPECTED MRS. POLLIFAX (1999): Emily Pollifax, widow and senior citizen, decides to leave her comfortable and predictable life and joins the CIA. Through a misunderstand...
Publication Day Review: The Taken Ones: A J.P Beaumont Novel by J. A. Jance
The Taken Ones: A J.P Beaumont Novel by J.A. Jance features a large
cast of characters, a horrible multistate missing person case, and a slow-moving
tale of greed and deceit. One also wonders if this is the last one in the
series. If so, it ends well.
It
is late May 2025 as the book opens with J.P. Beaumont and his family in
Bellingham, Washington. His wife, Melissa Socmes, has just retired from being
chief of police for the city of Bellingham. His grandson, Kyle Cartwright, was
one of the rookies sworn in by the police chief yesterday shortly before her
duties ended. The public side of things is over. Today is for a private party
that is part family reunion and part retirement celebration. Everything is to
be kept from Mel and Kyle and J.P. might have pulled it off. After the party,
Mel and J.P. will head out to Calgary, Cananda, on a vacation trip.
At
the same time, a friend that J.P. met awhile back while working a case in
Alaska, has a lot going on in her life as well. Twinkle Winkleman is at home,
running her auto repair business, taking care of her grandson and more. A long-time
client, Art Holt, comes to see her.
He
does not need a mechanic; he needs an investigator and help. His granddaughter,
Regina, has gone missing. Everybody
calls her Gina. A brilliant student, she is in college, and went to Seattle
where she is supposed to have an internship. It’s been several days since she
allegedly arrived at the airport in Seattle and subsequently vanished. The
police have been zero help. Because of what Twinkle was able accomplish when
she went through something similar a few years back, Art Holt has come to see
her to seek her advice on what to do next.
She
has some ideas. After promising Art she will help before sending him on his
way, she reaches out to J.P. Beaumont, former detective and current private
investigator, and ask him to help.
He
does and reaches out for help through his contacts. Beaumont still has contacts
and through those contacts he is able to get the ball rolling on the case. What
gradually evolves is a tale of multiple brilliant young women being taken for
some unknown purpose. The cases are spaced out and occurring all over the
country. So local law enforcement has no idea that their solitary case is part
of a nationwide network of cases. Until J.P. and his wife, Mel, start putting
pieces together.
The Taken Ones: A J.P Beaumont Novel by J.A. Jance is a complicated
tale full of a large cast of characters, each with their own point of view.
Those points of view shift with each chapter as pieces of the tale are related
to the reader by the investigators, the captive women, and others. That and all
the exposition and backstory of several characters, makes for a very slow
moving read for nearly two thirds of this book. The last third is a rocket trip
to a finish and a satisfying conclusion.
While
not one of the best reads in this long running series, the overall read is enjoyable if you stick with it. It also ends
well and provides a nice cap to the series if this is the final book.
Amazon
Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4dVYACo
My
digital ARC was provided by the publisher, William Morrow, through NetGalley,
with no expectation of a positive review.
Kevin
R. Tipple ©2026
Monday, November 09, 2026
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 Oscar winne...
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Fetal Position by Carolyn Huynh (Advance Review)
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Bitter Tea and Mystery: My Books from the 2026 Book Sale
Bitter Tea and Mystery: My Books from the 2026 Book Sale: The Planned Parenthood Book Sale is held in September every year, and we have attended the sale for many years. The sale lasts ten days, a...
Jerry's House of Everything: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARY TRAVERS!
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Aubrey Nye Hamilton Reviews: The Taken Ones: A J.P. Beaumont Novel by J. A. Jance
The prolific
Judy Jance, who has four distinct crime fiction series to her credit, started
with a book about Seattle homicide detective J. P. Beaumont in 1985. The 27th
case of the retired detective turned private investigator is due to be released
on 10 November 2026.
In The
Taken Ones (Morrow, 2026) Beau’s network of former colleagues and
associates gets a workout in this story of disappearing women kidnapped from
various parts of the United States. The police do not take the missing persons
reports from their families seriously, since all of them are responsible adults
and there were no indications of violence. Beau is first contacted by a grandmother
who is also an excellent vehicle mechanic in Alaska who had helped Beau when he
was in the area on a missing person case years earlier. She had known Gina
Holt, the granddaughter of close friends, since she was a child. The news that
Gina had disappeared after traveling to Seattle for a summer internship at a
prestigious architectural engineering firm stunned her. Then she thought to
call Beau for help. On vacation in Calgary, Beau can still make a few phone
calls to Seattle to jumpstart a search and to find someone in law enforcement
to take the grandparents’ concerns seriously. He learns that the airport camera
footage showed the young woman in the terminal after landing. What happened
after that required more work to discover.
A
knowledgeable IT friend sorted the thousands of missing persons reports filed
across the nation, identifying all of the victims who were about Gina’s age.
More filtering winnowed out a group of young women who disappeared in much the
same way as Gina, giving Beau and his active law enforcement buddies the
distinct impression some sort of mass kidnapping or trafficking ring was at
work.
The revolving
changes in narrative perspective from Beau to the kidnapped young women to one
of the kidnappers to the Alaska vehicle mechanic who first alerted Beau and
back again is a little distracting but the various points of view help fill in
the background leading up to the kidnappings. A fast-moving story with a
satisfying ending. A good addition to the series.
·
Publisher: William Morrow
·
Publication date: November 10, 2026
·
Language: English
·
Print length: 368 pages
·
ISBN-10: 0063413124
·
ISBN-13: 978-0063413122
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://link.amazon/B08DcObvH
Aubrey Nye Hamilton ©2026
Aubrey Hamilton is a former librarian who works on Federal
It projects by day and reads mysteries at night.
Sunday, November 08, 2026
Little Big Crimes: How to Find a Lost Dog in the Woods, by Steve Hamilton
Little Big Crimes: How to Find a Lost Dog in the Woods, by Steve Hami...: "How to Find a Lost Dog in the Woods," by Steve Hamilton, in The Strand Magazine, Issue 77, 2026. The magazine says this is Issu...
The Short Mystery Fiction Society Blog: A Cornucopia of Great Reads from the Short Mystery Fiction Society
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Beneath the Stains of Time: The Double Death of Frédéric Belot (1932) by Claude Aveline
Beneath the Stains of Time: The Double Death of Frédéric Belot (1932) by Claud...: Evgen Avstine was a French editor, poet, publisher and writer born to Russian-Jewish parents who wrote everything from non-fiction, poetry, ...
Deadline Extension: Hookers and Handguns: Crime Fiction Solved by Strippers, Streetwalkers and Other People of the Night
After a thorough review of all submissions, the
submission period for Hookers and Handguns: Crime Fiction Solved by
Strippers, Streetwalkers and Other People of the Night has been
reopened. The new submission window deadline is 12/31/2026. The submission call
at the website link below will be updated as soon as possible to reflect the
new date. This is being done in order to, hopefully, be able to publish this
anthology next year. To do that, there must be enough submissions that meet
expectations.
Reminder….
Short stories should be between 3-5K though slightly
longer would be considered.
Short stories submitted must have a beginning, middle,
and end.
The sex worker(s) in the tale must be portrayed in a
positive light. As expressly noted in the guidelines: “No strung out meth
addicts, alcoholics, etc.”
There must be at least one sex worker in the tale and
his or her job must be a vital aspect of the short story.
Any sex act in the tale should not be described in
graphic detail. Erotica, within limits, is one thing, but X-Rated type stuff
will not be accepted for publication.
For the complete guidelines, please read the posting
at https://www.mistimedia.com/hah/
Saturday, November 07, 2026
KRL Update
Up on KRL this week reviews and giveaways of 3 more fun cozies for your fall tbr-"Murder at the Toy Soldier" A Cozy Capers Book Club Mystery by Maddie Day, "Death on the Books" A Blue Ridge Library Mystery by Victoria Gilbert, and "The Quilt Whisperer Investigates" by Peggy Ehrhart https://kingsriverlife.com/11/07/more-fun-cozies-for-your-fall-tbr/
And a review and giveaway of the latest Matthew Venn mystery novel from Ann Cleeves, "The Dying Light" https://kingsriverlife.com/11/07/the-dying-light-by-ann-cleeves/52
And a review and giveaway of "The Oxford Guide to Scandal and Lies" by Kate Westbury along with an interesting interview with Kate https://kingsriverlife.com/11/07/the-oxford-guide-to-scandal-and-lies-by-kate-westbury/
We also have the latest Mystery Coming Attractions from Victoria Fair https://kingsriverlife.com/11/07/mystery-current-coming-attractions-november-2026/
Up during the week we posted another special midweek guest post, this one by mystery author Kirill Khrestinin about writing their new book "Via Dolorosa" https://kingsriverlife.com/11/04/writing-redemption/
And another special midweek guest post. In this one mystery author Joe Cosentino interviews one of his main characters in his new book "Oh, Detective!" https://kingsriverlife.com/11/04/joe-cosentino-interviews-leading-character-detective-reese-franco-for-the-release-of-oh-detective/
Up on KRL News and Reviews this week we have a review and ebook giveaway of "No Bones About It" by Annie McEwen- https://www.krlnews.com/2026/11/no-bones-about-it-by-annie-mcewan.html
And a review and giveaway of "The Woman Who Wouldn't Die Quietly" by Katarina Bivald https://www.krlnews.com/2026/11/the-woman-who-wouldnt-die-quietly-by.html
And a review of "Twig's Traveling Tomes" by Gryffin Murphy. It's a fun a cozy fantasy with a touch of mystery and a little romance about a book witch with a traveling bookstore https://www.krlnews.com/2026/11/twigs-traveling-tomes-by-gryffin-murphy.html
Happy Reading,
Lorie
Mystery Fanfare: GUY FAWKES MYSTERIES
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SleuthSayers: YESes Are Like Buses
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Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Some People by Parini Shroff
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Jerry's House of Everything: GREEN HORNET COMICS #7 (JUNE 1942)
Jerry's House of Everything: GREEN HORNET COMICS #7 (JUNE 1942): If you are a certain age, you cannot listen to Rimsky-Korsakov's Flight of the Bumblebee without thinking of the Green Hornet. The Gree...
Scott's Take: Magik and Colossus: Bound by Blood by Ashley Allen, illustrated by German Peralta, Cover Design by David Nakayama
Magik and Colossus: Bound by
Blood
by Ashley Allen, illustrated by German Peralta, Cover Design by David Nakayama, collects the miniseries, Magik and Colossus. This is the latest
Magik series by Ashley Allen who has done several of the Magik series to date.
In this one, Colossus (Magik’s older
brother) is dealing with the fallout of being mind controlled for several
months. He was forced to kill his girlfriend, betray his friends, and pretty
much destroy everything he has ever loved. He has always been big on self-sacrifice
and seems to think death would be welcome at this point in his life. In this
deep depression, he decides to return to his home country of Russia.
Magik just happens to return to Russia
at the same time. The siblings reunite and soon stumble across monsters
terrorizing Russia. Old creatures, myths, and more have returned to Russia.
Instead of retreating to gather more X-Men (even though Magik is a teleporter
and could return with back up in minutes) they two decide to handle this
together. The estranged siblings are going to save Russia and, hopefully, deal
with their issues.
Colossus has never forgiven himself for
not saving Magik from being kidnapped by a demon. Because she was captured, she
spent a number of years pf her life in Hell. Magik is mad still at Colossus that
he has not accepted that she is part demon now whether they like it or not. She
is also tired of Colossus willingness to die.
This is action packed adventure with
Russian myths at the heart that also dives deep into both characters. Colossus
has found his import reduced since the Juggernaut has become a hero, thus most writers are picking the Juggernaut
over Colossus as a team member. Then there is the fact that Colossus’s
popularity, and relevance, has been eclipsed by his younger sister. So, this is
a much-needed spotlight for the character. Additionally, Magik has broken out
of her niche character status by becoming mainstream by playing prominent roles
in several video games and being a core character in a lot of modern X-Men
stories.
I really enjoyed this team up book and,
as a fan of both characters, I am glad they got to team up. They are parting
again, but hopefully future writers will continue their relationship. This miniseries was good.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4hubBEj
I read this through Marvel Unlimited
months ago. The trade was just released earlier this week.
Scott A. Tipple ©2026
Friday, November 06, 2026
SleuthSayers: James M. Cain
SleuthSayers: James M. Cain: James M. Cain was my gateway drug into crime fiction. Before Cain, I’d read Nelson Algren, whose novels, while often featuring criminals, wo...
In Reference to Murder: Friday's "Forgotten" Books - This Rough Magic
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Jerry's House of Everything: FORGOTTEN BOOK: THE COBRA
Jerry's House of Everything: FORGOTTEN BOOK: THE COBRA: The Cobra by "Maxwell Grant" (Walter B. Gibson) (from The Shadow Magazine , April 1934; reprinted in The Shadow #7: "The C...
In Reference to Murder: Mystery Melange
In Reference to Murder: Mystery Melange: There's still time to register for the New England Clam Bake conference this weekend, November 7-8, in Dedham, Massachussetts, outside ...
Review: Thunderbird Ranch by Laura Griffin
When
I realized that Laura Griffin, author of the very good Innocence
Road, had a new book coming out, I put my request in on NetGalley. I
would not have noticed if not for the awesome Lesa Holstine who brought it to my
attention. She did, I went and looked, and soon was approved. While I liked that
book more, this one is also a solidly good read.
Like
Innocence Road, Thunderbird Ranch has a strong
female detective being marginalized by her boss. The read also has a lot going
on and gets very complicated very fast.
As
Thunderbird Ranch opens, Lilian Lasko is going with her
boyfriend, Will, to meet the family. It is a Friday, deep in the searing heat
of a Texas summer, and the day before a birthday party for his widowed mom.
Faye’s birthday also will mark the one-year anniversary since her husband,
Will’s father, died. It has been a horrible year, the ranch has major issues
that some point on the old barn will not fix, and the drought that is searing
Texas is taking a toll everything. At least part of the place is still looking
good thanks to the reach of a spring fed creek.
Faye
Bowen McCann is a strong-willed woman and certainly does not seem to be
devasted by grief, no matter what Will said. Faye McCann is not impressed with
Lilian and has the resources to address that issue. She also has big plans for
the ranch. Plans that Will’s brother and sister do not like at all. They also
do not seem to care for Lilian at all.
Then
there is Sheriff’s Deputy Kate Graham. Late one day she has been out at Mason’s
Quarry chasing away beer drinking kids from an adjoining county. Dispatch calls
her on her cell phone to tell her that the sheriff wants her to get out to
Thunderbird Ranch immediately. He won’t say why, but did tell dispatch to tell her
to keep it off the radio.
Once
Deputy Graham gets out there and finds the sheriff, she realizes he said to keep
it off the radio for good reason. There has been a murder.
Before
long, Sheriff Bruce Hard has made her the lead detective of the case. A case
that gets more and more complicated as the pressure from the Sheriff as well as
the District Attorney demand it be solved. This is her first murder case, and
it easily could be her last, for more than one reason.
A
complicated read full of interesting characters, Thunderbird Ranch
is well worth your time.
Amazon
Associate Purchase Link: https://link.amazon/B0eWgiHxl
My
digital ARC came from the publisher, Berkley Publishing Group, through NetGalley,
with no expectation of a positive review.
Kevin
R. Tipple ©2026
Thursday, November 05, 2026
Thursday Treats 11/05/2026
Some reading opportunities of interest this week.
Black Cat Weekly #270 is out. This
final issue includes short stories by SMFS list members Michael Bracken (Zombie Girl’s
Temporary Agency and Spare Parts Emporium), Barb Goffman (Just One Twist) and Paula Messina (The Closer). The
cover story is by SMFS list member Robert Jeschonek (The Biggest
Grudge of All). You can pick up the final issue here.
Personal note: I am very sad to see this
end. John Bentacourt was great to work with and I wish I had submitted more to
him. My short story, A Plan Comes
Together,
appeared in BCW #254. You can pick up the issue here.
Speaking of stuff I have been involved
with, Santa Rage II: Another Killer Claus Compendium, is on the
way and available for preorder. I announced the TOC Sunday, but thought I would
mention it here as well. In alphabetical order,
John T. Aquino (The Bad Side of
Santa Claus), Madison Blackwell (The Contract), Ron Clyburn (Jingle Bell
Justice), Michael Ferreter (Get What You
Need), John M. Floyd (Up On The Roof),
Tom Haftmann (Christmas Week
at the North Pole), Geoff Holder (All l Want For
Christmas Is An Ass Tattoo), April Kelly (The Devil's In
The Details), Beverle Graves
Myers
(Slay Ride), Pat Remick (The Throuple
Claus(e)), Kevin R. Tipple (Second Contact), and Christine
Verstraete
with “Nick's Secrets.”
SMFS list member Pam Ebel announced that her
short story, The Thrill is Gone!, was published online at Kings River Life
Magazine. A Halloween related tale, you can read it for free here. While there, you
can also read fellow SMFS list member Debra
Bliss Saenger’s short story, Knocking on a Heathen’s Door, here.
Speaking of KRL, the most recent Mysteryrat's
Maze Podcast was Halloween themed and featured SMFS list member Leslie
Budewitz. The mystery short story, Pepper Reece and the Ghost of Arthur
Goodwin, runs a little over 12 minutes. You can listen, for free, here.
SMFS list member Abe Margel announced that his short
story, Weather Report, was published online at Mystery Tribune. You can read
it, for free, here.
Another free online read is Umbrea Magazine. SMFS list member John M. Floyd announced that his short story, Rainbow's End, had been published here. Fellow SMFS list member Martin Hill Ortiz also announced his short story, Eyetooth, had been published and was free to read here.
SMFS list member H.K. Slade announced that his short story, Dodging a Train, had been published by Close to the Bone Magazine. You can read the tale, for free, here. You can also read some background on the story at the author’s website.
SMFS list member James Patrick Focarile announced that his short story, Some Other Time, appeared at the substack, Rat Bag. You can read the 300 word story, for free, here.
Author J. R. Lindermuth announced on Facebook that his novel, A Favored Child: A Sheriff Syl Tilghman Book, was now out. This is the fifth read in the Sheriff Syl Tilghman series and is published by Sunbury Press. You can pick it up at Amazon , where it is also part of the Kinlde+ program or direct from the publisher.
A reminder that Mystery Fanfare:
Mystery Readers Journal: Cross-Genre Mysteries is now available for
purchase. SMFS list members Kaye George (My Ghost
Mystery) and donalee Moulton (Trials and
Tribulations of Researching Life -- and Death -- in 1734) publicly announced on
the list their presence in the read. Lots of other familiar names contributed
pieces to the read. Learn more at the website.
Also, Crimeucopia - Objection!
Overruled!! is now out from Murderous Ink Press. The anthology
includes short stories by Wil A. Emerson (Three
Strikes—You’re Out) and John M. Floyd (Nothing but
the Truth). The read is available at Amazon and other
vendors.
Until next time…
Kevin R. Tipple ©2026
Wednesday, November 04, 2026
Beneath the Stains of Time: The Mystery of Hunting's End (1930) by Mignon G. Eberhart
Beneath the Stains of Time: The Mystery of Hunting's End (1930) by Mignon G. E...: Last year, I reviewed Mignon G. Eberhart ' s From This Dark Stairway (1931), fourth in the Nurse Keath and Lance O'Leary series, wh...
SleuthSayers: What Are You Wearing?
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Jerry's House of Everything: SHORT STORY WEDNESDAY: PARLOUR TRICKS
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Short Story Wednesday Review: A Dark Place and Other Kate Burkholder Short Stories by Linda Castillo
A Dark Place and Other Kate
Burkholder Short Stories by Linda Castillo opens with every
parent’s nightmare. 12-year-old Aaron Kuhns and 11-year-old Kevin Dennison are
missing. As the night goes on and the weather gets worse, it is all hands-on
deck for the small police force in Painter’s Mill, Ohio, led by Kate
Burkholder. The kids have to be found.
A missing child is also in play in “Disappeared.” The youngest child
of Joseph and Emma Kline, a toddler, is missing. The child might have wandered
outside and could have easily gotten to the nearby Painters Creek. Or be lost
elsewhere on their Amish farm.
Merle Beachy was just trying to get home
in “Blood Moon.” The buggy is on the way home down backroads as the fog gets
thicker when everything goes wrong. The horse got spooked and bolted, the buggy
crashed, he got attacked, and now dispatch is waking up the chief with the call
for help out at the Levi Miller Farm.
Eddie Chupp is harvesting pumpkins as
“Hallowed Ground” begins. The harvest is a good one. He’s happy and enjoying
the day until his dog gets into something in the field. The dog won’t stop digging. Eddie goes to see
what the dog has found and thinks that it is a human bone.
And arsonist has done their work as
“Dark Storm Rising” begins. Just days later, Kate Burkholder and John Tomasetti,
BCI agent, are on the way to their honeymoon cabin somewhere close to Lake
Erie. Sugar Maple Cabins is owned and operated by Mr. and Mrs. Nisley. They are
also having some trouble as one of their cabins was burned down recently.
A derecho is a terrifying and
destructive weather event. Here in NE Dallas, we are blasted by one a few years
ago. The result was a multi-day power outage that made me sick from the heat
and widespread damage. They are far more common in the Midwest, places like
Ohio. One has hit “A Dark Path” and people are missing. It might not be just
the fault of the weather either.
I have long been a fan of the Kate
Burkholder series by Linda Castillo. I was onboard long before she was famous
and winning awards. Like the late Steven F. Havill, her books are set in a small
town, feature diverse and complicated characters, and build upon each other. The
primary characters become like family to the read as they go through their
lives. The series is fluid and the same can be said of her latest short story
collection.
If you are a new to this author, A
Dark Path and Other Kate Burkholder Short Stories is a very good start.
And if you are an old hand at the series, reading this is like coming home.
Truly a balm for the soul and what ails you.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://link.amazon/B04oKRVqN
After being denied by the publisher, Minotaur
Books last summer on NetGalley, Lesa
Holstine sent me her paperback review copy several months ago. I am grateful to
her for sending me her copy to read and review. You should read her review
as well.
Kevin R. Tipple © 2026
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