Wednesday, April 08, 2026
Jerry's House of Everything: SHORT STORY WEDNESDAY: BY MOONLIGHT
Short Story Wednesday Review: Beat On The Brat (And Other Stories) by Nigel Bird
The collection
opens with the signature story “Beat On The Brat” where Stevie Boyle makes
balloon animals for the kids. These days he is far from his days of playing for
the New York Yankees, but he can bring some joy to the neighborhood kids by
making anything they want with the balloons. But he can't change their reality
or his own. As the story shifts in point of view through various characters,
readers learn quite a lot about life and justice in this award-winning story.
Dr. Chrome has a
room in the basement in “Mind Your Step” and Jess is willing to go down there
and participate in whatever medical research he is conducting. The plan is for
Jess to shock an unseen person when the Dr. tells her to for as part of a
research project for the psychology department. As soon as they are done Dr.
Chrome intends to take her out to eat. Things don't go as planned…. or maybe
they did.
“Too Much Too
Young” comes next where a recently released man is home from prison just in
time to be there when his mom is buried. Johnny is not really welcome by what
is left of his family and certainly not by his neighbors. Nobody really wants
him around and considering his history they have very good reason.
A snowstorm made
getting to work difficult, but made for quite the snowball fight after the
visit to the bar. It escalates quickly into something for more in “Snow Angel.”
The fireworks his uncle has will work nicely in what he is planning.
Some kids are
not made of “Sugar And Spice,” and you know it as soon as they come out of the
womb. Tommy Atkins has always been one of those. So too was Bruce Robertson who
did the muscle work for Tommy. Killing Barnsey and his wife was pretty typical
of them. But, Bruce didn't kill their kid like he was supposed to and, instead,
let her live. Now, thanks to the fact that the young girl has identified both
of them, the police aren’t the only ones looking.
John Champion is
back in “Hoodwinked” and this time to legendary bs artist has company with him
in the form of a female film director. Supposedly a movie is planned based on
his novel and the locals are going to be in it. Plans are made and certain
expectations on and off set are created.
“Regret” is a
poem mixing history with reality where a crime was committed. A crime that will
have to be answered.
If you ever
watched that famous bounty hunter reality series of the last few years or any
of the numerous imitators, you may have noticed many episodes were devoted to
chasing the same person again and again as they move into and out of the
justice system. Such is the case here in “Dance With Me” told from the
perspective of the person being chased by bounty hunter Eddie Mailman. Willie
is very tired of being caught--especially by such a man as Eddie Mailman.
“Killer Haiku” comes next to close the book and is open to more than one interpretation.
This is an
interesting collection of mostly previously published works as well as three
pieces that appeared to have never been published before. The nine pieces share
a common theme of folks on the lower end of society looking to right wrongs.
They don't wait for the legal system to dispense justice. These are folks who
settle scores amongst themselves using whatever means and weapons are at hand.
That theme that runs throughout Beat On The Brat (And Other Stories)
is one of justice in this good read.
Amazon Associate
Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4cvWwkc
The author
supplied a PDF of the book a very long time ago in exchange for my objective
review.
Kevin R. Tipple
©2014, 2022, 2026
Tuesday, April 07, 2026
SleuthSayers: Oh, What a Tangled Web(site) We Weave
In Reference to Murder: Media Murder for Monday
Publication Day Review: Revenge Prey: A Lucas Davenport Novel by John Sandford
Revenge Prey: A Lucas Davenport
Novel
by John Sandford finds Lucas Davenport and Shelly White at a house on a
cul-de-sac in a rural area. It is February in Minnesota as a cold overcast day
is working steadily closer to what will be a brutally cold night. It is a safe
house and the two Deputy U. S. Marshals are awaiting the arrival of a defecting
Russian and his family under escort by Witness Protection Marshals and others.
The defector used to be a very high-ranking
person in the Russian spy agency. Now his name is Leonard Summers and he and
his family have spent the last eighteen months hidden in a CIA facility near
Washington. They worked on learning and perfecting English while the CIA and
others squeezed them for intelligence. The plan is for them to hide out in the
house for the next two weeks or so to see if everything is okay.
It isn’t.
Within minutes of their arrival, a
Russian kill team makes their presence known by firing shots into the house. A
chase and resulting gun battle is on and so is the hunt for the elusive kill
team.
What follows is an intense and fast
moving read as Lucas and others chase the assassins. Assassins who have to try
again or be executed by Putin’s regime.
The name of the game here is action and Revenge
Prey: A Lucas Davenport Novel by John Sandford delivers in every way
possible. It also has several laugh out loud dialog moments that may or may not
include Virgil Flowers.
A fast and fun read, Revenge Prey: A Lucas Davenport Novel, by John Sandford is very much worth your time.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4orOUls
I received this as a digital ARC from
the publisher, G.P. Putnam's Sons, through NetGalley, in late October 2025,
with no expectation of a positive review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2026
Monday, April 06, 2026
Beneath the Stains of Time: The Hit List: 10 More Non-English Detective Novels That Need to Be Translated
Aubrey Nye Hamilton Reviews: From the Dust: A Novel by David Swinson
I am a huge fan of David Swinson’s Frank Marr
trilogy about a former DC cop turned private investigator and drug addict.
Swinson himself is a retired police detective from the DC Metropolitan Police
Department and his writing speaks with an insider’s knowledge of police
operations.
In his newest book, released
by Mulholland Books at the end of March, Swinson leaves the big city for a
small town in rural upstate New York, south of the midpoint between Rochester
and Syracuse. Graham Sanderson’s father has died and Sanderson has come to stay
with his younger brother Tommy who has PTSD and severe agoraphobia, such that
he has not left his father’s house for years. Sanderson’s wife died three years
previously and he’s still grieving. The death of his father and his retirement
from his long-time job only heightens his general sense of loss.
Police chief Bill Finn had
been friends with the elder Mr. Sanderson and dropped in on the brothers a few
days after the funeral. In passing he mentioned a local homicide, a rarity in
the area, and his lack of trained personnel to investigate and dearth of staff
in general. Days later the second murder occurred and Finn asked Sanderson to
assist his newly hired detective. The victims both had the local dive and
druggie hangout in common but not much came from questioning the regulars at
the bar who were reluctant to rat on their buddies. By the time the third
murder occurred, both Finn and Sanderson realized they had a bona fide serial
killer at work in their tiny town.
This book is a significant
departure from Swinson’s earlier books, which were all set in large cities. In
a small town everyone knows everyone else and the killer almost inevitably is
part of the closed village social circle. Swinson shows Sanderson slowly shifting
into a new phase of his life as he adapts to the relaxed pace of life and the
rural environment as well as beginning to move past the loss of his wife and
his career. Fans of regional mysteries will enjoy the strong descriptions of
rural New York, an area that does not get nearly as much attention in crime
fiction as the metropolis in the southern part of the state.
For fans of regional mysteries and small-town police procedurals. Starred review from Publishers Weekly.
·
Publisher:
Mulholland Books
·
Publication
date: March 31, 2026
·
Language:
English
·
Print
length: 320 pages
·
ISBN-10:
031652865X
·
ISBN-13:
978-0316528658
Amazon Associate Purchase
Link: https://amzn.to/4ccY7vQ
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 05, 2026
Review: The Monk: A DS George Cross Thriller by Tim Sullivan
DS George Cross is rarely shocked. After
all, he has seen quite a lot over the years. The scene in the woodlands of
Goblin Combe though has been quite the surprise for the Detective Sargent of
the Avon and Somerset police. It has been quite a surprise to others on the Major
Crimes unit team as well.
It is a bad business.
The ditch in the rural area has a chair
sitting in it. When folks smelled the odor in the area, most folks would think
that it came from a dead animal. It would only be if one got closer, as a dog
walker did this morning, that one would see the contents of the dumped chair.
One would see the remains of a badly beaten man, industrial duct taped to the
chair, and very clearly dead as time and nature has long been at work breaking
down what was once a vibrant person.
A person who, based on how he is still dressed,
was once a monk. In all likelihood, what sits before them is the body of Dom
Dominic Augustus of St. Eustace’s Monastery. He was reported missing two days
ago by the father abbot. Dom Dominic Augustus clearly went through a literal
hell on earth in his last hours before he was dumped here where he was finally found.
For Cross, the central question of the case
is answering the why. Not necessarily, the who did it part first. Once the team
is able to fully answer why the Benedictine Monk was brutally beaten to death,
everything else will fall into place.
And it does, slowly and beautifully.
DS George Cross always gets the killer or
killers. The process is always a highly entertaining aspect of these reads. That
is very true here as this reader snickered several times as things were said
between Cross and others. Along with the investigative process and those
details, several secondary characters, as well as Cross, are further developed.
As part of this process, we learn more about Cross’s background, why his mom
left, and the ongoing emotional impact of her return all these years later.
The result is another complicated read
that pulls the reader into this world very fast and does not let go. An
entertaining series that must be read in order for the full effect, The
Monk: A DS George Cross Mystery by Tim Sullivan is another installment
well worth reading.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4bFZyT5
My reading copy came from Atlantic Crime,
an imprint of Grove Atlantic, through NetGalley, with no expectation of a
positive review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2026
Saturday, April 04, 2026
SleuthSayers: The Old Genre Switcheroo
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: New Fiction in April!
Scott's Take: Halo: Edge of Dawn: A Master Chief Story by Kelly Gay
Halo: Edge of Dawn: A Master
Chief Story
by Kelly Gay continues after the events of Halo Infinite (the video game). This
is a transition story primarily used a vehicle for setting up things for the
future. This novel does not really have a focus like the plot synopsis implies.
The Master Chief is on a mission to
unite the leftover forces of the UNSC while trying to keep the Banished scattered.
There is a new leader of the Banished. Jega, who briefly appeared in the game,
is their new leader. He is a cyborg
alien elite. The synopsis acts like he does much but he does not really. Mostly
he just rants abouts revenge.
The Master Chief, after more than a
third of the novel, finally gets to the part mentioned in the synopsis about
rescuing a combat medic. The rest of the novel is spent with the Master Chief
and his team trying to unlock the memories of the combat medic that the
Harbinger implanted into his head.
This novel is told from multiple points
of view including the Weapon (the new AI introduced in the game), pilot
Fernado, Master Chief, and others. This is, at times, a heavy action book interspersed
with long periods of character reflection and introspection. Everything in the
book is a setup for reads or video games. The just abruptly ends with no real
conclusion or ending. It just stops leaving the reader hanging though not a
full cliffhanger in the traditional sense.
There is also a scene that is not rape,
but could be triggering to some readers. The AI, who identifies as female, is
kicked out of a network and expresses that she felt fear as well as the fact
she had been overpowered and violated. The Master Chief only considers it a
fight, but it is clear that the AI thinks of it quite differently.
This book could be easily skipped since
a lot of this is just setup for the future. A future that may be totally ignored
by other creators in the Halo Universe. Halo has a lot of continuity issues
with so many books, games, comics, etc., that things do not fit together well.
Despite the fact that the synopsis was a
bait and switch, I did enjoy the 37th novel in the Halo Universe for what it
actually was. Halo: Edge of Dawn: A Master Chief Story by Kelly
Gay easily could have been more.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4sodiqN
My paperback reading copy came from
Grauwyler Park through the Dallas Public Library System.
Scott A. Tipple ©2026
Friday, April 03, 2026
Mystery Fanfare: EASTER CRIME FICTION/ EASTER MYSTERIES
Beneath the Stains of Time: The Snake of Luvercy (1926/27) by Maurice Renard
Jerry's House of Everything: FORGOTTEN BOOK: APACHE LAW: SHOWDOWN
Review: Two Truths and a Lie: A Thriller by Mark Stevens
Two Truths and a Lie: A Thriller by Mark Stevens
is the second book in the series that began with No
Lie Lasts Forever.
Billed as a sequel, it is in some senses. In others, it is more a continuation
of the first book as those events are predominant through the entirety of this
book. Therefore, while I am trying to minimize spoilers, some are present in
this review. Suffice it to say, if you continue reading about this very good
book, don’t blame the reviewer.
As the book begins, the trial of Harry
Kugel is underway. Harry Kugel was the man known locally as the “PDQ” killer.
He had killed several times decades earlier and then went dark for many years. His
ego brought him down as recent murders had been reminiscent of his work. He did
not like the fact that somebody was taking credit now off of his legacy. He
wanted the imposter gone. So, he reached out to TV Reporter Flynn Martin who is
a bit of a legend, for good and bad reasons, in Denver. Ultimately, she survived,
and the man who put her and others through hell was identified and exposed by
her reporting. A little over a year later, he has finally been convicted for
what he has done and was sentenced to three consecutive life terms.
Seconds before he is taken off to jail and
then to prison from the courtroom, he turns to her and promises that nothing is
over.
Several months later, long after she and
her son, Wyatt, moved to a more secure home high in a Denver tower, and just
when she finally feels like things are going back to a quasi-normal, the terror
of being stalked and a target begins again. It has been a long day in the field
with camera operator and good friend, Tamica Porter, as she sits and goes
through paperwork her teen son brought home from school. Amidst the normal
stuff is a sealed envelope that scares her at the sight of it. She’s moved and
taken drastic measures for privacy. All that seems to have been for naught as
she opens the envelope and finds a single white sheet of paper.
That single white sheet of paper is full
of cryptic sentences very reminiscent what PDQ used to send her. But, he is in
prison, so he can’t be terrorizing her again this way. Or could he? Does the
prison even look at anything he mails out? Or did he have an unknown accomplice?
Or is it one of his cult members drawn to act by the extensive media coverage
of the trial and her role in his capture? Or is it some whack job looking to
impress PDQ? These questions and others terrorize her as it is clear that
somebody got close enough to her son to send a message.
A message that scares her in every fiber
of her being, while at the same time, intrigues and pulls her into another very
high-profile story. A story that could easily get her and others killed. Which
could also be said about some of the other stories she is soon working on,
including the disappearance of a local family of four.
Two Truths and a Lie: A Thriller by Mark Stevens
again takes readers to Denver, the world of journalism, and the debate over
which stories and which victims get media coverage. Published by Thomas &
Mercer, this read is another good one in the series and a bit more intense than
No Lie Lasts Forever. This read builds on that book extensively
and keeps the momentum going as it very clearly sets up a third book in the
series.
Both books are strongly recommended as
is reading them in order. Not only are the stories in the reads strong, but one
is also given plenty to think about regarding actual journalism, the media, and
what goes on these days.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3NSRghi
By the way, The Poisoned Pen Bookstore
has a recent interview with author Mark
Stevens where he discusses the book. The program is on YouTube here.
My digital ARC reading copy came by way of the publisher, Thomas & Mercer, through NetGalley, with no expectation of a positive review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2026
Thursday, April 02, 2026
Thursday Treats: 4/2/2026
The latest reading opportunities…
SMFS list member Abe Margel announced
that his short story, Maddy on the Beach, was published online at Chewers by Masticadores.
You can read the story for free here.
SMFS list member Jeff Esterholm announced that his latest crime fiction short story, No Quarter, was published online at Literary Garage. You can read it for free here.
SMFS list member Margaret S. Hamilton’s
short story, A Pinch of Death, was published online at Kings River Life
Magazine. This Easter mystery tale can be read for free here.
Punk Noir has published, Find What You
Love and Let It Kill You #4 — a PUNK NOIR Magazine series. This series of short
stories are all free to read online at their website as are the
preceding three installments. The market call for the planned May series was
also announced here.
Author BJ Bourg has another
read out in his long running Clint Wolf Mystery Series. Published
by Death Shadow Press, LLC, But Not For
Cruelty: A Clint Wolf Novel came out last month. This 36th
book in the series is available in eBook format at Amazon.
Also now out is The Uganda
Protocol by Jeffrey James Higgins. Published by Severn River
Publishing
in a variety of formats, this is the fourth book in the Nathan Burke Thrillers series. Available at Amazon.
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SMFS members Michael Bracken (Death of
an April Fool) and Josh Pacheter (Turkish Muscle) have short stories in the
latest issue of Black Cat Weekly. You can pick up Black Cat Weekly
#239 here.
Finally, April 7th sees the release of the short story collection, Hot Shots: Celebrating Thirty Years of the Short Mystery Fiction Society. Editor Josh Pachter has culled through all of the Derringer winning stories over the decades to select one for each year to highlight. Published by Level Best Books - Level Short, the book is currently available to preorder in eBook format at Amazon. Editor Pachter has promised the membership that there the paperback version will be available, but the date is unknown at the time I post this column.
Until next time….
Kevin R. Tipple ©2026
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