Wednesday, July 08, 2026
Mystery Fanfare: Macavity Award Nominations 2026
Mystery Fanfare: Macavity Award Nominations 2026: Macavity Award Nominations 2026 (for works published in 2025) The Macavity Award is named after Macavity: The Mystery Cat , in ...
The Short Mystery Fiction Society Blog: Make Mine Mystery: Great Recent Reads For Fans of ...
The Short Mystery Fiction Society Blog: Make Mine Mystery: Great Recent Reads For Fans of ...: Hard to believe we're halfway through 2026 already! As we round the bend into the second half of the year, the crime and mystery thrills...
Jerry's House of Everything: SHORT STORY WEDNESDAY: BLACK STUFF
Jerry's House of Everything: SHORT STORY WEDNESDAY: BLACK STUFF: "Black Stuff" by Ken Bruen (from Dublin Noir , edited by Ken Bruen, 2006) The world lost one of its greatest hardboiled and noi...
Tuesday, July 07, 2026
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Sex and Death on the Beach: A Florida Beach Mystery by Elaine Viets
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Sex and Death on the Beach: A Florida Beach Myster...: Reviewed by Jeanne The Florodora is a very exclusive apartment complex in Peerless Point, Florida. You can’t just buy your way in, or ...
Publication Day Review: River Deep: A Bitterfrost Thriller by Bryan Gruley
River Deep: A Bitterfrost
Thriller
by Bryan Gruley takes readers back to the town of Bitterfrost on the shore of
Lake Michigan. Like the first book of the series, Bitterfrost,
this new book is also marketed as a “thriller.” This reader would label it a “mystery.”
Regardless of label, this second book in the series lives up to the very good
first read in every aspect.
Before going further, I am being very careful
not to reveal background details here that tie into that first book. Like in his
other series, this second book should be read after reading the first book. Some
storylines continue, characters develop,
things have happened because of the first book, etc. Read in order.
There are repercussions and unfinished business
from the first book as River Deep begins. The glory of hockey is
back in this read as is another major trial. Devyn Payne has returned full
time, at least for now, to her roots. A former criminal defense lawyer, she has
her reasons for coming home, and going to work as a prosecutor. It was supposed
to make her life easier.
So much for that idea. Tragedy has again
struck. She is standing on a dark and cold riverbank watching late one night as
a crane pulls a SUV from the frigid river waters. The river, the Jako, leads
into Lake Michigan. It has taken two lives this night—twin boys that will not
see their first birthday.
That cold river water barely released
the parents back to dry ground. Catriona Delaney is on a medical helicopter
headed to Grand Rapids. The father, Sammy Hardt, fared better in the crash into
the river, and is in decent shape, all things considered. He apparently got
Catriona out. Unfortunately, he was unable to save the kids.
As the police begin the crash investigation,
the case is led by Detective Garth Klimmeck. A year older and that much closer
to retirement, he is eyeballing the increasing need for a hip replacement, and other
things. Local politics played a major role in the case last year. He is fully
aware that with the people involved, local
politics will definitely play a role in this situation, no matter what he
uncovers.
It certainly does, but politics and familial
history is not even half of it. Much is going on here. Before long, there is a full-scale
murder trial with twist after twist. Much like real life, this fictional world
is full of chaos, grief, and unpredictability.
As previously noted, the events of the
first book, Bitterfrost, play a significant role in this read. I
strongly recommend reading this very good series in order. The author continues
to develop a complicated world which gives this reader hope that the series
will continue. A mighty good read and very much well worth your time, as are
his other books.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4dRFnCw
My digital ARC reading copy came from
the publisher, Severn House, through NetGalley, with no expectation of a
positive review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2026
Monday, July 06, 2026
Doing the Unwelcome Eye Thing Again
It has happened again. Saw a flash, maybe three, in the corner of my right eye Saturday evening. We were outside doing the evening walk to the corner and back, so I did not think anything about it. Saw the massive floater yesterday and the tissue paper effect. Thought it had been this same eye before. Had a day of sheer panic that has stretched into today as my eye doc seems to be closed, at least for now, and the retina specialist place he told me call if anything ever happened will not see me without doctor notes.
So, they decided to send me to an eye doctor next door, and after some discussion with the very nice scheduler who wanted me to wait two plus weeks as a new patient, I go in early afternoon tomorrow for an exam.
Finally remembered I had blogged about this before. Read this and then figured out that it was the LEFT last time and now it is the RIGHT. SO NOT THE SAME FREAKING EYE, AFTER ALL.
Panic Level Alert dialed down to a 7 as it was diagnosed as a posterior vitreous detachment before and was told it would most likely happen again with the other eye. Once you do it in one, it is a virtual guarantee. As long as the retina has not also detached, I should be fine after an annoying few weeks of the giant floater with the tissue paper effect.
So, if you will, keep a good thought as I deal with this tomorrow. Please and thank you.
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 After a yea...
Little Big Crimes: Three Billy Goats Gruff, by Michael Bracken
Little Big Crimes: Three Billy Goats Gruff, by Michael Bracken: "Three Billy Goats Gruff," by Michael Bracken, in Wish Upon a Crime: Crime Fiction Inspired by Fairy Tales , edited by Michael Br...
Aubrey Nye Hamilton Reviews: The Haul: A Heist Novel by Gary Phillips
Los Angeles
native Gary Phillips has been called the hardest-working man in crime
fiction. He has written novels, comics, novellas, and short stories. He’s been
a contributing columnist to the Los Angeles Times, LA Watts Times,
Rap Pages, the San Francisco Examiner, CrimeReads, and Black
Scholar. He edited the Anthony-winning anthology The Obama Inheritance:
Fifteen Stories of Conspiracy Noir. Almost thirty years after its
publication, his debut, Violent Spring (West Coast Crime, 1994), his
first book about PI Ivan Monk set in the aftermath of the 1992 riots, was named
one of the essential crime novels of Los Angeles. He was also a writer and
co-producer on Snowfall, a show that streamed on Hulu for 60
episodes. Taking place mostly in the 1980s, it describes the first crack
epidemic in Los Angeles and its impact, particularly in South Central where Phillips
grew up.
Phillips
generally takes his readers to Los Angeles in mid to late 20th
century with its uncontrolled growth and social upheaval. I can always count on
seeing references to the LA music scene, some of the performers who made the
national stage I recognize but others are unknown to me because they remained
local gems. Some of the same places and events emerge often in his work, which
reminds me of the fiction of Rabbi Chaim Potok whose Depression-era childhood consistently
appears in his early novels.
In The
Haul (Soho, July 2026), the newest book from Phillips, O’Conner, the
professional thief who first appeared in The Warlord of Willow Ridge (Dafina
Books, 2012) is back, settled into a quiet middle-class life with Gwen who
knows his criminal past and doesn’t particularly object. He thinks he’s retired
and then someone asks him to plan the theft of several million dollars from an
unscrupulous tech bro who can spare it. In his methodical planning and
scheduling O’Conner reminded me of mercenary Cat Shannon as he prepared to take
over a third-world country in The Dogs of War (Hutchinson & Co., 1974)
by Frederick Forsyth.
With
flashbacks to O’Conner’s childhood on the streets of LA, it’s easy to see how
the adult O’Conner took shape. Of course plenty of mentions of LA night clubs
and jazz performers sprinkled throughout the pages. There’s even a quick, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it
reference to Harry Ingram from One-Shot Harry, Phillips’ historical
crime story published in 2022 and its sequel Ash Dark as Night, (Soho,
2024).
In the
afterword Phillips gives credit to Donald Westlake and Westlake’s professional
thief Parker for the inspiration for this suspense-filled takedown of an
apparently impenetrable facility with a sizable payday at the end. I always
loved the Parker books so of course I enjoyed this one.
A Los Angeles Times Best Summer Read and a
starred review from Publishers Weekly.
·
Publisher: Soho Crime
·
Publication date: July 14, 2026
·
Language: English
·
Print length: 304 pages
·
ISBN-10: 164129664X
·
ISBN-13: 978-1641296649
Amazon
Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4eIKzZJ
Aubrey Nye
Hamilton ©2026
Aubrey Hamilton is a former librarian who works on Federal It projects by day and reads mysteries at night.
Sunday, July 05, 2026
Review: Beach Blonde Betrayal: A Florida Beach Mystery by Elaine Viets
This book comes out this Tuesday….
Having previously read the first book of
this series, Sex and Death on the Beach, I happily requested Beach
Blonde Betrayal when it appeared on NetGalley. As the publisher, Severn
House, has had me preapproved for anything in their vast catalog for years now,
I was quickly able to download the book and start reading. There is less sex on
the beach, but a lot more murder in this installment of The Florida Beach
Mysteries.
Nora McCarthy, a native Floridian, owns
and operates, “The Florodora” in Peerless Point. The classic apartment building
sits on the beach approximately at the midpoint between Fort Lauderdale and
Miami, Florida. Her tenants, beyond her boyfriend Dean who has law enforcement experience
and is now in exile in Witness Protection for very good reason, are people who
honor the idea of the Florida Man/Woman you see in news reports. But, they do
it in good ways by being eccentric, colorful, trusting of others, and bastions
of the South Florida culture and style. They are all fun, eccentric, and play a
major role in keeping the building alive and vibrant.
Because of the way they are, they could
be a bit more susceptible to romance scams than the average person. It is also
way easier for the police, in a separate storyline, to suspect one of their own
as the culprit behind a string of murders of blonde women found dead on the
beach. Both are in play in this complicated mystery that also features a separate
murder just outside the four story Florodora apartment building as well.
Fortunately, Norah has a knack for investigation
and Dean is present to assist with his law enforcement investigative skills. As
they deal with new issues in their personal relationship and hurt feelings,
they unite to help their fellow friends in the building. A building where the
people think of themselves as family and have their own interrelationship
issues. Things get complicated and don’t always work out as planned, but like
life itself, this is how it plays out.
The result is an entertaining mystery full of a cast of characters and constant twists and turns. While it is always preferable to have read the first book of a series first, one could easily read Beach Blonde Betrayal: A Florida Beach Mystery first as spoilers for the previous book are minimal. It is also a solidly good cozy style mystery and a lot of fun.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4oveckC
As previously noted, my digital ARC came
from the publisher, Severn House, through NetGalley, with no expectation of a positive
review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2026
Saturday, July 04, 2026
SleuthSayers: Treasure Island
SleuthSayers: Treasure Island: A few days ago my fellow SleuthSayer Michael Bracken posted a column about two stories he'd recently had published that drew heavily...
Beneath the Stains of Time: Everyone in This Bank is a Thief (2026) by Benjamin Stevenson
Beneath the Stains of Time: Everyone in This Bank is a Thief (2026) by Benjami...: Last year, I tried the first of Benjamin Stevenson's Ernest Cunningham novels after some initial skepticism, but Everyone in My Family h...
KRL Update
Due to the holiday weekend we have a very small issue up on KRL this week and this mystery seemed perfect for the holiday-we have a review and giveaway of "Hot Wings and Homicide" by Carmela Dutra https://kingsriverlife.com/07/04/hot-wings-and-homicide-by-carmela-dutra/
We also have the latest Mystery Coming Attractions from Victoria Fair https://kingsriverlife.com/07/04/mystery-current-coming-attractions-july-2026/
And a review and giveaway of a dark supernatural mystery, "The Violently Departed" by Sarah J. Daley. And this one is a rare case of being open to the UK as well as the US. https://kingsriverlife.com/07/04/the-violently-departed-by-sarah-j-daley/
Up during the week we posted a perfect mystery short story for the holiday, a story inspired by the 4th of July-"The Secret Redcoat" by Cate Moyle https://kingsriverlife.com/07/01/mystery-short-story-the-secret-redcoat/
Up on KRL News and Reviews this week we have a review and giveaway of "A Maypole of Deceit" by Victoria Tait https://www.krlnews.com/2026/07/a-maypole-of-deceit-by-victoria-tait.html
Happy reading and Happy 4th!
Lorie
Jerry's House of Everything: HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY! SEEING WASHINGTON (1957)
Jerry's House of Everything: HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY! SEEING WASHINGTON (1957): I freely admit that I have a love affair with Washington, D.C. There is a sense of grandeur that I got sitting on the steps of the Lincoln ...
Scott's Take: The Bat-Man: Second Knight by Mike Perkins (Author/Illustrator)
The Bat-Man: Second Knight
by Mike Perkins is a follow up to The
Bat-Man First Knight and is set in the same universe. The plot
synopsis online for the trade is only somewhat accurate in my opinion. The car
crash does not involve Batman despite what is stated. There is no cult. I did
not realize the guy in purple was supposed to be the monk. I don’t think they
even call him that.
The actual book is about the Scarecrow and a guy in
purple killing people and spreading fear gas across Gotham. Set sometime when
Germany is marching across Europe at the beginning of World War II, Batman is
attempting to stop the killing. He is also with his very scared girlfriend who is
back in town to participate in the premier of her new movie.
Lois Lane and Clark Kent are also in town for the
premier. It is also not long before they are victimized by Scarecrow’s plan. In
the wake of that attack, Clark is quickly able to figure out Bruce has his own
secrets. Can they find a way to trust each other and work together to stop the
attacks?
There is action, horror elements, vivid art, and a
classic old school Superman. In this story, Superman is way weaker than he is
now. He can’t fly. He just jumps really high. Bruce is more of an average man
in this story. Jim Gordon is a veteran of World War 1 and has his own fears to
deal with as related to gas attacks. This book gave me a new appreciation for
how scary gas attacks are. There is a lot of historical elements drawn in to
each character’s backstory.
I enjoyed this period piece. I hope the series
continues, but there is no word at the time of writing this review in early May
if it will.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3R4bdTq
I read this by way of Hoopla through the Dallas
Public Library System.
Scott A. Tipple ©2026
Friday, July 03, 2026
SleuthSayers: On Rereading
SleuthSayers: On Rereading: My guest today is Tom Milani. He's been generously filling in for me while I've juggled several deadlines. I always enjoy his though...
Mystery Fanfare: FOURTH OF JULY MYSTERIES//JULY 4 CRIME FICTION
Mystery Fanfare: FOURTH OF JULY MYSTERIES//JULY 4 CRIME FICTION: The Fourth of July (Independence Day) used to be one of my favorite holidays , maybe because I was born in Philadelphia , the birt...
Jerry's House of Everything: FORGOTTEN BOOK: THE FURY AND THE TERROR
Jerry's House of Everything: FORGOTTEN BOOK: THE FURY AND THE TERROR: The Fury and the Terror by John Farris, 2001 This is the first sequel to the author's bestselling horror novel The Fury , which was pu...
Thursday, July 02, 2026
In Reference to Murder: Mystery Melange
In Reference to Murder: Mystery Melange: I missed this bit of award news back in March, but at the annual Krimimessen (Crime Fair) in Denmark, four crime honors were revealed, incl...
Thursday Treats: 7/2/2026
Some reading opportunities of interest this week. For a change of pace this week, we start in the world of books….
Boots, BBQ, and Bloodshed: Metroplex Mysteries Vol. V, is now out. Edited by SMFS list member Michael Bracken, published by Sisters in Crime North Dallas, the read has short stories by SMFS list members Karen Harrington (We Have Lost The Plot), M.E. Proctor (Five-Pointed Stars), Tiffany Seitz (The L-Knife Murder), and Shannon Taft. You can pick up the digital read at Amazon.
A reminder that SMFS list member and the force
behind Guilty
Crime Story Magazine,
Brandon Barrows, latest book, The Darker the Night, is
scheduled to be released on July 7th. The mystery, published by Rowan
Prose Publishing, is
available to preorder in multiple formats at Amazon and other
vendors.
Moving
on to short stories, and most of these are again this week, free reads…
Fellow
SMFS list member Stephen M. Pierce
announced that his short story, Six Shots for a Sharpshooter, was published
online at Close to the Bone Magazine. Read the tale for free here.
Fellow SMFS list member John A. Tures announced
that his short story, The Ultimate Sacrifice, was published online at Exquisite
Death. The story is free to read here.
I also remind you of his recent blog guest post appearance here.
Fellow
SMFS list member Andy Boyle announced
that his short story, Video 191, was published online at The Temz Review. You
can read it for free here.
SMFS
list member Abe
Margel announced the publication of his short story, Travis’ Benefit, at
The Yard: Crime Blog. You can read it for free here.
Today
is publication day for Rock and a Hard Place: Issue 16: Summer 2026. Features
11 crime fiction short stories including SMFS list member Christina Hoag’s “Last
Night on the Track.” You can pick it up on Amazon.
And
we close with an anthology ….
Finally,
Level Best Books—Level Short is scheduled to release the anthology, What
the World Needs Now: Mystery Stories Inspired by the Music of Burt Bacharach.
SMFS list members Joseph Goodrich (The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance) and Josh
Pachter (Me Japanese Boy) are included in the charity anthology edited by Martin
Edwards. Funds raised are for autism charities in the US and UK. The digital
version is up for preorder at Amazon.
Until next time….
Kevin R. Tipple ©2026
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