Wednesday, October 28, 2026
Mystery Fanfare: HALLOWEEN NON-FICTION
Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 73 Calls for Submissions in November 2026 - Paying Markets!
Jerry's House of Everything: SHORT STORY WEDNESDAY REDUX: RISEN FROM THE GRAVE
Bitter Tea and Mystery: Short Story Wednesday: "Summer Games" by L.C. Tyler
Short Story Wednesday Review: Wait for Signs: Twelve Longmire Stories by Craig Johnson
With the latest holiday short story
collection, Have Courage: Longmire Stories, coming out next Tuesday, I
thought I would I would remind you of Wait for Signs: Twelve Longmire
Stories. Also aimed at the holidays, this collection came out in 2014. So
did the below review in late November 2014.
As author Craig Johnson explains in
“acknowledgements” the stories in Wait for Signs: Twelve Longmire Stories
come from his annual holiday treat for his newsletter subscribers. Not only
were they previously published in that sense several were also previously
published in the small 2012 publication titled Christmas in Absaroka
County: Walt Longmire Christmas Stories. Some of the stories are
mysteries or have something a little mysterious going on and others are more
slice of life type stories featuring Sheriff Walt Longmire of Absaroka County,
Wyoming. A fact that is also noted in the introduction written by Lou Diamond
Phillips that follows.
Then it is on to the stories which begin with “Old
Indian Trick.” An award-winning tale that starts off with a routine trip for
Sheriff Walt Longmire and Lonnie Little Bird to Billings so that Lonnie Little
Bird can have his routine diabetes checkup at Deaconess Hospital. They stop for
food and a break at the Blue Cow Cafe on the Crow Reservation. Before long any
chance to go on up to Billings this day is out of the question.
Walt Longmire is also on the road as the next story
“Ministerial Aid” begins. It is just before dawn on January 1, 2000, and he is
headed to Powder Junction located about 45 minutes away from the county seat of
Durant, Wyoming. He is driving the 100 miles round trip to deliver deputy Turk
Connally his paycheck. While delivering the check at the empty station the
phone rings. Instead of letting the phone call roll over to Turk’s rented house
and waking him up on New Year’s Day, Longmire decides to answer the call and
give his deputy a holiday break. It is an impulse he will come to question
almost as much as his clothing choice of only wearing a robe.
A small part of the previous story is the fact that
it has been only a few months since Longmire’s wife, Martha, passed due to
cancer. That situation is a major part of the very powerful tale “Slick-Tongued
Devil.”
New Year’s Eve and Sheriff Walt Longmire are at the
Durant Home for Assisted Living. His old boss and occasional chess opponent,
Lucian Connally, apparently left a space heater to close to the curtains in his
room, causing some damage. Known for his cantankerous ways, Longmire is there
to help keep things calm and peaceful. That is not going to be easy since
Lucian hates having to sit in the communal area with everyone else. It
certainly does not help Lucian’s mood that he is afraid he is losing his mind
in “Fire Bird.”
Mental stability is part of several stories in the
book and aspect of the preceding one. It is also a factor in “Unbalanced” which
also uses Sheriff Walt Longmire on the road traveling to get things started.
Cady is on the way home for the holidays and is scheduled to arrive in Billings
just before midnight. Sheriff Walt Longmire is on the way to the airport with
his always present canine companion, Dog, at his side. He stops as at empty gas station where the
pumps will take a credit card after hours in Garryowen, Montana, to get gas.
Clearly, the young woman sitting on the bench needs help on this incredible
cold night. The question is whether or not she will take it.
The aftermath of a truck crash on the snowy
interstate in “Several Stations” could have been worse. The driver who rolled
the semi did so at slow speed and escaped unhurt though as a precaution he has
been taken to the hospital. The truck and its cargo of toys did not fare so
well on this Christmas Eve. As the snow continues to fall and a wrecker is at
least 45 minutes way, Walt Longmire is left alone to babysit a crash scene that
should remain quiet. One just knows it won’t.
Sometimes folks accidently drive off without paying
for gas. The department has a way of handling those situations in “High
Holidays.” They also have a way of dealing with things when they escalate.
Cady has just arrived for the holidays in “Toys for
Tots.” She wants to make a stop at the local mall in Billings before they head
home. Longmire made the mistake of telling her they could go shopping when she
came home for holidays and now, she is calling him on it.
Unlike many of these preceding stories which are set
around Christmas, “Divorce Horse” is set on the Memorial Day weekend. It has
been few months since Walt nearly died in the Bighorn Mountains chasing the
convicts ,Vic seems to be sticking around, and soon to be married Cady has a
few questions in mind. That is all going to have to take a back seat to trying
to figure out what happened to Tommy Jefferson’s horse.
It is Thanksgiving and Longmire and Dog are at Red
Pony with Bear who is cooking the traditional dinner. They are not going to be
alone for long in “Thankstaking.”
Henry, Dog, and Bear, are coming back from a fishing
trip with a cooler of trout in “Messenger.” They are going to need them to
rescue Ranger Chuck Coon and a civilian from a possible bear attack. Rescuing them will be the easy part.
The book closes with a new story, “Petunia, Bandit
Queen of the Big Horns.” Sheep are involved in this tale that has far more to
do with inner character of people than anything else.
The twelve tales of Wait for Signs: Twelve
Longmire Stories are all good ones. Mysterious in many cases, they all
show various small details of the Walt Longmire character and his motivations
regarding people, animals, and cultures. All of the short stories in the book
are good ones well worth your time as are the novels that began with The
Cold Dish. If you have not read the novels, Wait For Signs:
Twelve Longmire Stories is an excellent introduction to the character
that has garnered so many fans worldwide.
Late last October Lesa Holstine reviewed Wait For Signs: Twelve Longmire Stories and you can and should read her review here.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://link.amazon/B0f2xKe5C
Material supplied by the good folks of the Plano
Texas Public Library System.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2014, 2026
Tuesday, October 27, 2026
Jerry's House of Everything: UNDERAPPRECIATED STINKER: CLASS OF NUKE 'EM HIGH (1986)
Mystery Fanfare: Mystery Readers Journal: Cross-Genre Mysteries
Mystery Fanfare: HALLOWEEN CRIME FICTION // HALLOWEEN MYSTERIES
Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 38 Writing Contests in November 2026 - No entry fees!
SleuthSayers: File Purging
Publication Day Review: The Hollow: A Bosch Novel by Michael Connelly
As The Hollow: A Bosch Novel
by Michael Connelly begins, retired LAPD Detective Harry Bosch is at a
cemetery. Having undergone a recent knee replacement, he can’t chase anyone,
and is using a cane for support. He doesn’t plan on chasing anyone today though
he is definitely going to confront Gregory Talbot.
He knows without a shadow of a doubt
that Talbot killed his wife years ago. It has been 25 years since he did it and
got away with it. Jenifer was found beaten to death in her apartment where she
had recently moved. The scene appeared to be of an intruder that had waited for
her to come home from work and then killed her. Bosch knows that the scene was
staged and that the husband did it.
Back in the day, Bosch was very close to
breaking Talbot. They verbally fenced in the interrogation room for a couple of
hours and then Talbot asked for a lawyer and that was that.
He still wants justice for Jennifer. Good
thing he has the help of LAPD Detective Renee Ballard and her volunteer cold
case team.
That isn’t the only long dormant case
Bosch is working and seeking justice. Decades ago, after the murder of his
mother, Bosch was in the foster system. He spent a lot of time MacLaren
Children’s Center (MacLaren Hall). Allegedly a safe place for youth in the
foster system in Los Angeles, it was a very bad place.
In a way, Bosch was one of the lucky ones.
He was only physically abused. He was never sexually assaulted. He survived the
horrible place. His friend, Charlie Edward Lamb, known to all as “Chops,” did
not.
Bosch is convinced that Chops was
murdered back in 1965. There was a place, under the stairs, that was referred
to as “the hollow.” Bosch is sure Chops was killed in that space. Now that the
lawsuit has been settled with the county, and finds will be released to the
survivors, the legal case is over. Now, through his lawyer brother, Mickey
Haller, Bosch can finally see all of the discovery materials related to the
case. That includes internal reports of what happened to Chops and other kids
at the facility.
Those records give him a thread to begin
digging into the past. That digging will also bring him into a world of
problems.
The result is a complicated and very enjoyable
read. We learn quite a bit more, through flashback scenes of his memories of his
time at MacLaren Children’s Center (MacLaren Hall), how Bosch came to be who he
is now. While it would be best to read this series in order, one could safely
read The Hollow: A Bosch Novel first as references to other reads
are fairly minimal.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4xEuMRQ
I received a digital ARC, at my request,
of the book from the publisher, Little, Brown and Company, through NetGalley,
with no expectation of a positive review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2026
Monday, October 26, 2026
Little Big Crimes: Louie the Mailman, by Jim Fusilli
Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 22 Notable Writing Conferences and Workshops in November 2026
In Reference to Murder: Media Murder for Monday
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Hidden Haunts: A Creepy Collection of Forgotten Ghostly Places by Conner Gossel, illustrations by Natalie Dean
Jerry's House of Everything: INCOMING...AND A POEM
Aubrey Nye Hamilton Reviews: Midnight in the House of Commons: A Charles Lenox Mystery by Charles Finch
I was lucky
enough to receive an early copy of the newest book in one of my favorite series
via NetGalley. Charles Finch writes a wonderful historical series set in
Victorian London, nicely balancing credible characters with a clear portrayal
of a transitional time in English history. Midnight in the House of Commons,
the 16th case of Charles Lenox, a member of the aristocracy turned
amateur sleuth who now owns a detective agency, is set for release by Minotaur
in a couple of weeks on 3 November 2026. I am happy to report it is up to the
standard of its predecessors, maybe even a little better.
Charles
juggles multiple cases, including a shocking murder in the House of Commons,
where a womanizing conservative MP is found poisoned. The death has
far-reaching political consequences, as a hard-fought bill for relief of the
poor is tied in the House. With the loss of the dead member’s vote, the bill
will pass. One of the members known to favor the bill could not confirm an
alibi and is charged with the murder, even though a number of people had cause
to object to the victim’s personal life.
In addition,
Sari, one of the new members of the Lenox household introduced in the last
book, has incurred a romantic disappointment. The man she hoped to marry has
older relatives who object to her dark skin and she is devastated. Angela, on
the other hand, Lenox’s cousin and ward, is blooming happily with an
appropriate engagement and her study of government economics. The visitor to
the Lenox menage in this book is a cousin on Jane’s side of the family, an odd
young man whom the Lenox daughters tease unmercifully. And Lenox is approached
by another young lady whose fiancé has disappeared with no explanation, and
Lenox searches for him while he tries to sort out Sari’s romance.
The English
social structure is examined closely here, how various placements on the
invisible ladder affect life in particular for women, most clearly demonstrated
by the two young ladies who were not considered good enough for their
prospective husbands. The hotly contested bill for poor relief is a window into
the wide gap between the wealthy and the destitute, highlighted by the novels
of Charles Dickens. Then there is Laura Runcible, a newly wed matron with great
social ambitions, anxious to capture the Lenox couple as guests in her home, as
their status would enhance her own.
All in all,
this is a lively story with multiple plot threads and a considerable number of
characters. Followers of the series will enjoy it immensely. Readers new to the
Lenox saga will find enough back story to understand the narrative but will
miss the finer detail that has built up over the course of 16 books. An
excellent addition to a reliably good mystery series.
·
Publisher: Minotaur Books
·
Publication date: November 3, 2026
·
Language: English
·
Print length: 272 pages
·
ISBN-10: 1250433940
·
ISBN-13: 978-1250433947
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://link.amazon/B0b6DFvyu
Aubrey Nye Hamilton ©2026
Aubrey Hamilton is a former librarian who works on Federal It projects by day and reads mysteries at night.
Sunday, October 25, 2026
SleuthSayers: Publishing Malpractice
Beneath the Stains of Time: Crime in May (1946) by Marten van Alland
Saturday, October 24, 2026
KRL Update
Up on KRL this week perfect for Halloween season, a review of "The Ghost and the Dead Librarian" by Cleo Coyle, along with an amazing giveaway and a fun guest post from Cleo about ghosts. Note for this giveaway you can only enter via comment not email https://kingsriverlife.com/10/24/the-ghost-and-the-dead-librarian-by-cleo-coyle/
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Seasonal Favorites: King, Kingfisher, Bradbury, Schwartz
Jerry's House of Everything: FANTASTIC FOUR #1 (NOVEMBER 1961)
Scott's Take: Time to Play by Erin Ampersand (Book 1 of the Apocalypse Parenting series)
Time to Play by Erin
Ampersand is the first book in the Apocalypse Parenting series. Meghan and her three kids are enjoying a
typical day when aliens use some sort of technology to render most electronics
and combustible materials useless. So, no cars, no internet, no cell phones, no
firearms, etc. The aliens declare that all surviving humans will be forced to
fight for their lives against monsters for alien entertainment. The kids will
be forced to fight as well.
To accomplish this each person is given
an ability is given a power. The youngest, Cassie, accidently turns her stuffed
turtle into an alien AI. The boys go with magical powers. Meghan is going to be forced to solo parent
this apocalypse until her husband can make it back from Colorado. He was away
on business when the aliens launched their take over. So, its mom and kids vs
monsters while trying to rebuild the community of survivors and while hoping
dad is alive and coming home.
This is action packed family drama is a
LITRpg is recommend by the author who writes Dungeon Crawler Carl series.
According to the acknowledgement pages, he played some role in getting this
book published. This read was humorous while being darker than I expected.
There are deaths of children, seniors, and more. This is a violent and
dangerous apocalypse
Additionally, one of the support
characters is named Scott. He is a guy training dogs to identify hostile mimics
in the environment. Mimics are shapeshifters that can disguise themselves. So,
points for naming a character Scott.
Apparently, there are five books in the
series all of which are available through Kindle Unlimited. I got my copy in eBook
form from the library system. There is a spinoff, Engineer's Odyssey: An LitRPG Adventure in the
Apocalypse Parenting Universe, which is about the dad trying to get
home to his family. The spinoff is available through Hoopla. The spin off takes
place sometime from book one until book four or so of the main series.
The second book in the main series is titled
Making Friends. Meghan is
continuing to try to survive while taking care of her kids. One son is now a wizard, one son has turned
himself into a monkey, and the daughter keeps getting new magical alien friends.
Sounds like Mom has her work cut out for her.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4xGAD9i
I read this book through the Libby/Overdrive
app by way of the Dallas Public Library System.
Scott A. Tipple ©2026
Friday, October 23, 2026
Mystery Fanfare: 2026 Barry Award Winners: Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine
In Reference to Murder: Friday's "Forgotten" Books - Bouchercon Revisited Edition
Jerry's House of Everything: FORGOTTEN BOOK: THE ICE-COLD NUDE
In Reference to Murder: Mystery Melange
Thursday, October 22, 2026
Jerry's House of Everything: DUFFY'S TAVERN: ARCHIE PROPOSES TO MARIE "THE BODY" McDONALD (APRIL 6, 1945)
Thursday Treats: 10/22/2026
Some reading opportunities of interest this week.
Personal Note: My understanding is that
when it becomes Black Cat Mysteries next month and relaunches as a monthly release, a subscription will
be $60 bucks a year. As folks are well aware, as I have made no secret of it,
things are very bad here so I will not be a subscriber. I hope the new venture
works, but this reader has been priced out. And that should not be taken as a
criticism of what they are doing. If anything, it is yet another indictment of
my failure in life.
Author Maryann Miller announced on Twitter
that her new book, Second Chances And Other Stories, is now available
for preorder. Published by MCM Enterprises, the read is about characters experiencing
life in many different ways. Scheduled to be published on November 24rth, when
it will also be available on KindleUnlimited, the read can be purchased now on Amazon.
Released last week is the new anthology, Songs
to Woody. Published by Cowboy Jamboree
Press,
the read includes short stories by SMFS list members Zakariah Johnson (Oklahoma
Hills) and Stephen M. Pierce (This Machine Kills Itself). You can pick it up at
Amazon.
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Speaking of SMFS, The Short Mystery
Fiction Society, I remind you of other reads by our members as recently compiled
and posted by SMFS President Joseph S. Walker. In his October 7th
post titled, A Plethora of Pulse-Pounding Pages as the Short Mystery Fiction
Society Enters a New Age!, Mr. Walker details numerous reads and includes the
launch of the first issue of the new SMFS Mystery Magazine. All the
details are in his post
on the SMFS blog.
Coming in November from Murderous Ink Press is the anthology,
Crimeucopia - Objection! Overruled!! SMFS list members in the
read are John M. Floyd (Nothing but the Truth), and Wil A. Emerson (Three
Strikes—You’re Out). The read is available for preorder at Amazon and other
vendors.
A reminder that Tollund Man: Stories
by SMFS list member Jeff Esterholm is now out. Published
by Cornerstone Press, you can get it at Amazon.
Finally, at the end of the month, A
Fatal Affair: The Murder of Helen Grier by Amanda Capper and Judy Penz Sheluk will be released
by Superior Shores
Press.
This is a true crime read on the case of the death of Helen Grier. Was it
murder or something else? You can get it in eBook and print formats at Amazon and other
vendors.
Until next time….
Kevin R.
Tipple ©2026
Picture taken earlier this week. Vote. It matters.
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