Wednesday, November 04, 2026
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
Tuesday, November 03, 2026
Publication Day Review: Have Courage: Longmire Stories by Craig Johnson
Have
Courage: Longmire Stories
by Craig Johnson collects a number of the holiday stories that he wrote over
recent years and g away as free reads in his newsletter. The second of such
books, following in the tradition of Wait for Signs: Twelve Longmire
Stories, (a great read if you have not read it) includes the all-new
short story, “Angel Shot with a Twist.”
After
the introduction by A. Martinez, Jacob Nighthorse, the book opens with “Warms
You Twice.” Set on Christmas Eve of December 1972, Walt Longmire is a new and
relatively untested Deputy. Sheriff Lucian Connelly decides it is time for Deputy
Longmire and he to go out on their first call out together and warns him not to
do anything stupid. The cantankerous Sheriff is taking him to see Willis Dietz who has troubles of his own.
Also
set in 1972 and a few months earlier, “The Perfect A,” comes next. Walt
Longmire was hired days earlier and is pretty much alone when the call comes in
at the Absaroka County Sheriff’s Department. Doctor Bloomfield wants to go
check on one of his patients, Salvatore Ibarra, up at his mountain camp. He’d
been in town earlier and that visit concerned the good doctor. So much so he
wants somebody to go check on Mr. Ibarra, a sheep herder, at his camp in the
mountains. Doctor Bloomfield wants to go too and to do it now during an ice
storm.
Sheriff
Longmire always heads out alone, for a day or two around Christmas. He doesn’t
explain himself. In “Known Associate” we find out why he does what he does. Of
course, he does it for good reason and it is nobody’s business at the office
but his.
One
never wants a hostage situation. Especially at Christmas. It’s Christmas Eve in
“Land Of The Blind” and that is what is happening out at the Congregational
Baptist Church out at the edge of the county. The deputy known as “Double Tough”
and Sheriff Longmire head over in an attempt to end things peacefully. Easier
said than done.
What
got Eddie in jail and a lot more is explained in “Elven/Twenty-Nine.” It is
also a tale of grace and redemption as are many of the stories in this read.
The
Sheriff of Campbell County, Sandy Sandburg, and Sheriff Walt Longmire are on
the hunt for a murder suspect, Mike Embersoll. That hunt has led them to the Crow
Butte Mine. “The Percentages” takes readers on the hunt for Mike Embersoll who is
a heavy equipment operator at that mine. Going to a working mine is dangerous
enough before you throw in a possible murder suspect that can operate heavy
equipment.
For
the third year in a row, somebody has stolen the baby Jesus from the church
nativity scene. Deputy Santiago Saizarbitoria has been working the case from
the start. He is taking the latest theft very hard in “Away, In A Manger.”
Soon, Sheriff Longmire arrives at Saint Matthias to assist with the latest
investigation.
It
is Christmas Day in Powder Junction, Wyoming, and there is quite the commotion
at the unofficial local trailer park. The Kropky brothers are all large men.
They are all currently in mutual and destructive combat with household goods
sailing out into the yard around the trailers. In “Who’s your Daddy” familial history has suddenly come to light
and the news has not been universally well received.
Barrett
Long is the part-time dispatcher. He wants to tag along as Longmire and his dog
head out on Christmas Day for a domestic dispute. The call is to the Murdochs’ place
and one the good Sheriff have visited many times before. So, after they talk a
bit, Longmire decides to let his future deputy come along. In so doing, he
gives the man a glimpse of the job in
“Musical Chairs.”
It
has happened again at the “Durant Home for Assisted Living” and it needs to
stop. In “Recidivism” the former Sheriff and current resident, Lucian Connelly,
is of little help. Can not really tell you more without blowing up the tale, so
I won’t.
“Starter’s
End” is next where Ruby, the dispatcher, has entrusted Longmire with a jar of sourdough
starter. The stuff dates back over 150 years has come down through Ruby’s
family. In the here and now of the story, Ruby, as a member of the Methodist
Ladies Baking League was supposed to hand it out to various ladies of the
league. But, she has to go out of town and has turned it over to Sheriff Walt
Longmire for feeding and monitoring. He, in turn, has to deliver the jar of
stuff to Barbara Graff, at a precise time. He is on a schedule with the stuff
while he is also supposed to doing his duties as Absaroka County Sheriff with
nearly everybody in the department gone. Boy, howdy.
Barbara
Graff makes a repeat appearance in the next story, “Scents Of The Season.” She
was hosting a Christmas Eve holiday party and everything was fine. That was until
a skunk got inside her place and all the guests fled outside. With it being a holiday
resources are limited, so Longmire and Undersheriff Victoria Moretti have to
deal with it and more.
“Angel
Shot with a Twist” is the all-new tale that concludes this short story
collection. Bernadette Ochoa needs help this New Year’s Eve. She’s been well
known to local law enforcement for many decades now. She has been drinking at
the only bar for miles around that will let her in their establishment, the Chicken
Shack Bar. Now the seventy-two-year-old woman is a hostage and needs help.
Have Courage: Longmire Stories by Craig Johnson is a highly entertaining short story collection. Filled with many historical nuggets and true facts, characters that are like family, and the idea that in the end things work out, the read is a good one. Well worth your time, Have Courage: Longmire Stories by Craig Johnson is perfect for this and all holiday seasons.
Amazon
Associate Purchase Link: https://link.amazon/B0aElo6si
My
digital ARC came from the publisher, Viking, through NetGalley with no
expectation of a positive review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2026
Monday, November 02, 2026
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: New in November!
In Reference to Murder: Media Murder for Monday
Mystery Fanfare: DAY OF THE DEAD CRIME FICTION
Aubrey Nye Hamilton Reviews: So Anyway, I Replied to the Nigerian Prince by Mark Dowling
So Anyway,
I Replied to the Nigerian Prince (Independently published, 2026) by Irish
author Mark Dowling is a light-hearted thriller with a serious streak set in
Dublin. I am not sure how it came my way but I am delighted that it did.
Liam
O’Sullivan is desperate. He lost his job with an internet supplier and can’t
find another one. He’s out of cash and behind on his rent. Even tiny rundown apartments
above a kebab shop require a regular cash outlay. Then there’s the debt he owes
the local moneylender Fingers, who is losing patience. So when the email from
Prince Amokachi of the Royal House of Benin arrives, offering him 10 million
pounds for his assistance, Liam responds by saying he only needs 10 thousand
pounds and the prince can give the rest to someone else. He resists adding a
couple of sarcastic emojis and hits the Send key.
Almost two
weeks later an invitation to meet the prince at the best hotel in Dublin arrives.
His similarly down-and-out friends Kevin, Spud, Darren, and Gerry insist on
accompanying him to serve as protection. Prince Amokachi appears in person and explains
that his late father left the bulk of his money in a London account that is
being contested by a cousin. His father’s will requires the signature of a
third party, completely unbiased, to release the funds to the older son, and
the prince is asking Liam to serve as that independent signatory.
The transfer
will take place in London, and the transaction has a deadline. If the prince
does not meet the deadline, he forfeits the money. The cousin has a vested
interest in seeing that the prince does not appear in court at the appointed
time and his thugs are actively searching for the prince. Liam and his friends
undertake to hide the prince until they can fly to London.
An original
and funny premise with some spot-on characterization. The lack of employment
and career options for those without the means or interest to attend university
comes through clearly. Dowling plainly shows there is no future for these folks
without a Nigerian prince or a fairy godmother. Dowling unfortunately did not
maximize the suspense potential of the plot but he has a great eye for the
ridiculous and knows how these characters think. Possibly the happiest book I
have read all year.
- ASIN: B0H3KHB7K9
- Publisher: Independently published
- Publication date: May 31, 2026
- Language: English
- Print length: 149 pages
- ISBN-13: 979-8255367627
Amazon
Associate Purchase Link: https://link.amazon/B05xnflJ4
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 01, 2026
Little Big Crimes: The Grammar Dick, by Randy Eggert
Beneath the Stains of Time: The Ghost Walks: Case Closed, vol. 99 by Gosho Aoyama
Publishing News: Table of Contents for Santa Rage II: Another Killer Claus Compendium
It seemed a good idea to announce the
authors and their titles for the upcoming anthology, Santa Rage II: Another
Killer Claus Compendium. In alphabetical order they are:
John T. Aquino with “The Bad Side of Santa Claus.”
Madison Blackwell with “The Contract.”
Ron Clyburn with “Jingle Bell Justice.”
Michael Ferreter with “Get What You Need.”
John M. Floyd with “Up On The Roof.”
Tom Haftmann with “Christmas Week at the North Pole.”
Geoff Holder with “All I Want For Christmas Is An
Ass Tattoo.”
April Kelly with “The Devil's In The Details.”
Beverle Graves Myers with “Slay Ride.”
Pat Remick with “The Throuple Claus(e).”
Kevin R. Tipple with “Second Contact.”
Christine Verstraete with “Nick's Secrets.”
The read is up now at the Misti Media Bookstore for pre order with
a planned release date of later this month. It will be up soon at other vendors,
at a higher cost, so the publisher bookstore is the way to go is the way to go.
I hope you will check it out. Makes for a great stocking stuffer IF the recipient
is okay with violence strong language, twisted humor, etc.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2026
Saturday, October 31, 2026
KRL Update
Up on KRL this week a review and giveaway of "Miss Walcott's Ghost" by Louise Penny https://kingsriverlife.com/10/31/miss-wolcotts-ghost-by-louise-penny/
And a review and giveaway of "Bone Hash" by Skye Griffith https://kingsriverlife.com/10/31/bone-hash-by-skye-griffith/
For those who enjoy romantasy, this week we have a perfect book for Halloween season featuring a grim reaper, a review and giveaway of "Love You to Death" by Jenna Levine https://kingsriverlife.com/10/31/love-you-to-death-by-jenna-levine/
We also have an interesting article about The Legend of La Lechuza by Sarah Peterson-Camacho, perfect for your Halloween reading https://kingsriverlife.com/10/31/beware-the-witchs-owl-the-legend-of-la-lechuza/
And a Day of the Dead short story by Pamela Ebel https://kingsriverlife.com/10/31/day-of-the-dead-short-story-the-thrill-is-gone/
For those who prefer to listen to Mysteryrat's Maze Podcast directly on KRL, you can find the player for the latest episode here! It features the mystery short story "Pepper Reece and the Ghost of Arthur Goodwin" written by Leslie Budewitz and read by local actor Cady Mejias https://kingsriverlife.com/10/31/mysteryrats-maze-podcast-pepper-reece-and-the-ghost-of-arthur-goodwin/
Up during the week, we posted a spooky short story for Halloween written by Sharon Hunt https://kingsriverlife.com/10/27/a-halloween-ghost-short-story-the-woman-in-white/
And another spooky short story for Halloween, this one by author Debra Bliss Saenger https://kingsriverlife.com/10/28/halloween-short-story-knocking-on-a-heathens-door/
Up on KRL News and Reviews this week we have a review and giveaway of one more mystery involving Halloween before the season ends--a review and ebook giveaway of "Spirits of the Law" by Elle Jauffret https://www.krlnews.com/2026/10/spirits-of-law-by-elle-jauffret.html
And for those who enjoy fantasy and dragons, a review and giveaway of "The Dragon Within" by Marty Sommers https://www.krlnews.com/2026/10/the-dragon-within-by-marty-sommers.html
SleuthSayers: The Bouchercon Anthologies
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Hard Candy Christmas: A Talbot & Andrews Investigation by Susan M. Boyer
Jerry's House of Everything: SKELETON HAND in SECRETS OF THE SUPERNATURAL #1 (SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 1952)
Scott's Take: Scion by James Islington
Scion by James Islington is his first foray
into science fiction. It also appears to be his first published story told from
one character’s perspective.
Azure is
an assassin in some far-off future time on Earth. Humanity has found a way to
make some people live forever. Those people are “Lifers.” With limited
resources and most people struggling, society has decided that Lifers can
legally be murdered. Azure works for the Keres corporation who plays both sides
of the game. The assassination part and the protection part. Azure is forced by
his corporate masters to go protect a new client that has specifically hired him
for a protection detail. Of course, there is a lot more going on in.
This is
an action-packed thriller that is relatively on the short side. It does not
include a glossary of science fiction terms for its world so readers might be
confused. I also did not appreciate the ambiguous ending.
Despite
those flaws, I really enjoyed this read. This was a fun read that is very
different from his previously published work that is fantasy driven and also
good. In this case, I hope he does science fiction again as I enjoyed this a
lot.
Amazon
Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4xPNxC1
I read
this by way of the Libby/Overdrive app through the Dallas Public Library
System.
Scott A.
Tipple © 2026
Friday, October 30, 2026
In Reference to Murder: Friday's "Forgotten" Books - Morse's Greatest Mystery
Jerry's House of Everything: FORGOTTEN BOOK: THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY
Beneath the Stains of Time: This Time Forever (1957) by John Glasby
In Reference to Murder: Mystery Melange - Halloween Edition
Publishing News: Santa Rage II: Another Killer Claus Compendium is available to PREORDER!!
With a current planned publishing date of
mid to late November, I am pleased to announce that Santa Rage II:
Another Killer Claus Compendium, edited by Kevin R. Tipple, is now
available to preorder at the publisher, Nazca Press of Misti Media.
https://www.mistimedia.com/product/santarage2/MM/32/
Thursday, October 29, 2026
Annual Cardiologist Appt
Was today with more than an hour trip each way. I am okay, per the doc, and relatively stable.
Leaving the house and going anywhere is getting harder and harder. Am very worn out and in a lot of pain.
Will try to resume normal operations tomorrow.
Thursday Treats: 10/29/2026
Some reading opportunities of interest this week.
Black Cat Weekly #269 is out and the
focus is primarily on Halloween through short stories and more. SMFS
list member Debra H. Goldstein’s short story, “Dating, Dining, and Dying” is
the featured tale. You can pick up the penultimate issue at the website.
SMFS list member Gary Phillips
announced that he was one of a several authors who were asked to “… adapt a
horror short story by Joe R. Lansdale for the comics medium in this tradepaper
collection from Vibrant Graphic Arts. My effort is called “Chompers.” You can
pick up Joe R. Lansdale’s Tales of the Razor here.
Out now is BAM! Stories With A Punch Magazine -Autumn 2026. Edited by Jeffrey R.
DeRego, the read contains short stories by several authors. You can pick it
up in print or digital formats at LuLu.
Janet Rudolph announced earlier this week
that 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.
Released at Bouchercon, the new anthology,
The Lines We Cross: Stories of Crime and Mystery is now available
for purchase. SMFS list member John M.
Floyd’s short story, Garden Path, is included. When he publicly announced his
success on the list, he shared the fact that this is his seventh appearance in a
Bouchercon anthology. Published by Level
Best Books, the read of 23 stories which includes other SMFS list members who
did not announce their success on the list as well as other authors is available
at Amazon and other vendors.
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Out tomorrow is the new anthology, The
Power of 13. Authored by members
of The Mesdames of Mayhem, a Canadian mystery writing collective, and published
by Carrick Publishing, the read of 21
stories celebrates their 13th anniversary. The SMFS list members that have
announced their presence in the read via the SMFS list are: J.E. (Jayne) Barnard (13 the Hard Way), M. H. Callway (Amdur's Mouse), Melodie Campbell (An Unlucky
Stiff), Therese Greenwood (A Hard Ticket), Madona Skaff (Lennie
and the 13), Hope Thompson (The
Anniversary), Sylvia Maultash Warsh
(Catalina and Mr. the King of the
Fishes), and Melissa "Yi"
Yuan-Innes (Flamingo Flamenco). It is available for preorder at Amazon and other vendors.
Coming on November 3rd 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.
Now out, A Fatal
Affair: The Murder of Helen Grier by Amanda Capper and Judy Penz Sheluk, was 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.
One more thing, Santa Rage II is coming
soon. I have seen the cover and it is so very cool. Once the preorder deal is up
and can be shared, I will have a lot more to say. I am very appreciative of Jay
Hartman for all he has done to make this project happen. I am also very
appreciative of the authors who entrusted me with their tales.
Until next time…
Kevin R.
Tipple ©2026
And a final plea to vote. I am not telling you whom to vote for. Though, if you follow me on social media, you have a very good idea how I feel about things. I am asking you to vote and not sit out this election. Voting matters. It is the only way to try and bring about a better world. Not only for ourselves, but for our kids and grandkids.
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