Sunday, August 02, 2026
Saturday, August 01, 2026
SleuthSayers: A Roundup of Favorite Short-Story Writers
Beneath the Stains of Time: Locked Room Puzzles (1986) edited by Martin H. Greenberg & Bill Pronzini
Jerry's House of Everything: DELL FOUR COLOR #96: DICK TRACY (1946)
Scott's Take: The Last Ronin: A Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Novel by Erik Burnham
The Last Ronin: A Teenage Mutant
Ninja Turtles Novel by Erik Burnham
adapts The Last Ronin comic into a prose novel. In this novel set
in the far future, New York is a dystopia ruled by the Foot Clan led by the
Shredder’s grandson. The last surviving Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle has
returned to New York to climb the Foot Clan tower and kill him. He is on a
suicide mission out for revenge against the man who killed his family.
,
This is a violent novel full of death,
dismemberment and plenty of action. The story is told from three main
perspectives with some flashbacks to how the Turtles died and other flashbacks.
The deceased turtles are frequently around as ghosts to bug the Last Ronin.
I enjoyed the novel way more than I
enjoyed the comic book version. My two main complaints with the book are the
same ones I had regarding the comic book version. The main villain is too
generic and uninteresting. The Last Turtle is stripped of personality in order
to have the mystery of the identity of the turtle survivor. Once the identity is
revealed to the reader, the Last Turtle is still depicted as nothing more than
the generic revenge seeker.
Still, I would recommend this book. By
the way, there is a video game and a movie adaption being worked on for this
story. Hopefully, both will address these issues.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3SpJI7F
I read this through Hoopla by way of the
Dallas Public Library System.
Scott A. Tipple ©2026
Friday, July 31, 2026
In Reference to Murder: Friday's "Forgotten Books: Death of an Old Girl
Jerry's House of Everything: A FRIDAY REVIEW: MORE WEIGHT
In Reference to Murder: Mystery Melange
Review: Gold in Them Texas Hills: An Al Quinn Novel by Russ Hall
We close out July with one of my all-time
favorite authors. Readers of my reviews should already very much know that I
have long been a fan of the Al Quinn series set in the Texas Hill
Country. The latest, Gold in Them Texas Hills: An Al Quinn Novel
by Russ Hall is another solidly good read.
As the read opens, Al Quinn and family
are asleep. Things have been peaceful these last few months and that has been a
very good thing. But, on this night, something has woken up Al and their dog
Tanner. Tanner’s warning growl woke up Al’s wife, Fergie, and thoroughly
disturbing the quiet in their home on a shore of Lake Travis.
A look out the bedroom window reveals
somebody is in the woods with a flashlight just outside their home. Fergie and
Al get dressed and get their guns to see what is going on outside.
They live there with his brother, Maury,
his wife Bonnie, and their young baby, Little Al. Bonnie is a very good shot as
she grew up hunting and shooting. They also were awakened by whatever is going
on outside. While Maury has the baby, Bonnie is already out there with her gun.
Based on the noise, she isn’t planning on taking prisoners.
As the action moves to the nearby boat
dock, Al and Fergie arrive as a boat flees from the dock out into the lake. If Bonnie
wanted the people dead, they would be. Instead, she fired warning shots to send
the culprits fleeing. In their haste, as she shows Al and Fergie, they left a
metal detector behind.
While the others think that maybe they
were looking for gold, Al doubts it as Texas isn’t known for having gold. Not
like, say California was back in the day. Besides, any gold in the lands of Texas
would be way out west somewhere and not at Lake Travis. So, in Al’s mind, these
folks were on their land for some other reason. What? He has no idea. Good
thing he has connections with the local law enforcement.
Whatever it was they were hunting for,
the people are persistent. They want their metal detector back. Apparently,
they want more than that and aren’t going to stop. They escalate things
repeatedly in Gold in Them Texas Hills: An AL Quinn Novel.
Long time readers know these characters
like family they are after numerous books and short stories. The focus here is
on action and the read absolutely delivers from start to finish.
Highly recommended as is the entire
series.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4fnx5D9
Amazon Associate Purchase Link Entire
Series: https://amzn.to/4fpbRog
According to Amazon, I picked this up
back in March 2025 at time of publication. I probably did that by way of funds
in my Amazon Associate Account.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2026
Thursday, July 30, 2026
Thursday Treats: 7/30/2026
Some reading opportunities of interest this week.
SMFS
list member Armand Rosamilia
announced that his flash fiction short story, Coffee And A Glazed Donut, was
published online at The Yard: Crime Blog. You can read it for free here.
SMFS
list member Chuck
Brownman announced that his short story, Rendering
the Truth, was released as Episode 13 of Season 9 of the Mysteries to Die
For podcast anthology series. You can listen for free at https://m2d4podcast.com/. As is done at the close of the season each year, a book
will be generated of all the episodes and available at a variety of vendors.
Black
Cat Weekly #256 is out and includes short stories by SMFS
list member Michael Bracken (Satan’s Wings) and others. You can pick up the
latest issue here.
SMFS
list member James
W. Ziskin
latest novel, The Prank, is now out. “Set in Christmas
1968, a thirteen-year-old sociopath befriends his teacher, unaware she loved
the man his prank accidentally killed.” Published by Level
Best-Historia, the read is available in both digital
and print formats at Amazon and other
vendors.
Also
now out is the new 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. It is available at Amazon.
Speaking
of musical themed anthologies, In Too Deep: Crime Fiction Inspired by the
Songs of Genesis, is once again released into the world. Edited by Adam
Meyer, the new publisher is Audecyn
Books. The read contains short stories by Kathleen
Barber, Eric Beetner, Michael Bracken, Austin Camacho, Barb Goffman, Debra H.
Goldstein, James A. Hearn, Smita Harish Jain, Hugh Lessig, Adam Meyer, Tom
Milani, Alan Orloff, Josh Pachter, Rob D. Smith, Joseph S. Walker. You can get
it at Amazon or other vendors.
As Gigi
Pandian posted to the SMFS list recently and I quote: “We've got several SMFS
members in the anthology. Josh mentioned his story, "The Allegory of the
Five Senses," which is terrific. Tom Mead and I wrote "The Problem of
the Poison Garden" as a nod to our favorite author, John Dickson Carr. I
had no idea co-writing could be such fun!”
Until next time….
Kevin R. Tipple ©2026
Wednesday, July 29, 2026
Beneath the Stains of Time: The Flow of Time: Case Closed, vol. 98 by Gosho Aoyama
Jerry's House of Everything: SHORT STORY WEDNESDAY: THE LOCKED TOMB MYSTERY
Bitter Tea and Mystery: Short Story Wednesday: Feuille D'Album by Katherine Mansfield
Short Story Wednesday Review: Forget Me Not by Stephen Ford (Thriller Magazine: June 2026 issue)
The plan was complicated and yet simple. Sir
Alistair Pembroke was willing to pay in the short story, Forget Me Not, by
Stephen Ford (Thriller Magazine: June 2026 issue). Sir Pembroke claims
to have heard of Mr. Frost and the services he can provide clients by way of discreet word of mouth. What he wants is
simple on the face of it--“’Find Your Item. Steal it back. Leave a gift.’”
The item to be retrieved is a certain book. The item
to be left behind is some sort of flower petal.
Nobody said a word about the dead body in the target
location. But, that is exactly what awaits Mr. Frost and his team at the home
of Jarvis Stowe somewhere in England. And a caravan of police vehicles is
closing in rapidly.
What follows is a story of twists, turns, and deceit
that has the roots in what was once called “The Cold War.” It is also a mighty
good read in an issue I enjoyed.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4futRwr
My digital reading copy came by way of my ninety-day free Kindle Unlimited trial.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2026
Tuesday, July 28, 2026
Review: Wildwood: A Novel by Amy Pease
Wildwood: A Novel by Amy Pease is
the second book in the series that began with the very good Northwoods.
As the book begins, it is October in North Wisconsin and Eli North is in a far better
place mentally. He’s quit drinking, is in therapy for PTSD and other issues,
and is coping with everything better than he has been in some time. He’s still working for his mom, the
sheriff, who ordered him to take the day off. So, he started the day chopping
wood. Not only is it therapeutic for him, it is being proactive as winter is
coming.
His day off is soon out the window when
his mom calls him in. With only three members of the Sherman County Sherrif’s Department,
one of whom is the dispatcher, she did not really have a choice. Sheriff Marge
North might have dealt with the missing woman case on her own.
But, she got into the home, and judging
from the blood sprayed on the bedroom walls, probably Trinity Campanella is
dead. If so, they are looking for a body and a killer. There are other troubling
signs in the home as well.
So, she needs her son and fellow officer,
Eli North, and other outside resources. She had not reached out to the FBI and yet
they have shown up in form of FBI Agent Alyssa Mason. They dealt with her last
summer and now she is suddenly back in Shaky Lake, Wisconsin, and has arrived, unannounced,
at her crime scene. She has also brought an undercover DEA agent with her. For
good reasons too in an increasingly complicated case and a mighty good read.
While this could be read first, if one
so desired, I recommend reading the series in order to see how things are evolving
for the characters involved. Both books are very good and strongly recommended.
As I was with the first book, I am indebted
to a comment on Lesa Holstine’s What Are You Reading blog posts. I had no idea
this was even out until I saw the news there and requested the book via my
library. The read is also available by way of Kindle Unlimited (as is the
first) so I read it that way in a larger font than the hardback library book.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3TmDgyH
Amazon Associate Purchase Series Link: https://amzn.to/4pEdG4l
Kevin R. Tipple ©2026
Monday, July 27, 2026
In Reference to Murder: Media Murder for Monday
Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 40 Writing Contests in August 2026 - No entry fees!
Aubrey Nye Hamilton Reviews: The Amateur: A Novel by Chris Bohjalian
The Amateur
(Doubleday, 4 August 2026) is the latest crackerjack thriller from critically
acclaimed author Chris Bohjalian. Set in the 1970s in the posh suburb of Tallmadge
in Westchester County, New York, where everyone who is anyone is a member of
the country club, the story is a memoir told by Mira Winston in later life and
with the benefit of considerable hindsight.
Mira fell in
love with the game of golf as a tween and became notably proficient, practicing
relentlessly and working with a coach to the point she’s won a few regional
tournaments. Now upon graduation from high school she’s been promised a place
on the golf team at Yale, where she expects to begin classes in a month. On an
ordinary summer day she’s at the club, driving golf balls into the practice net
one after another. The net breaks with the force of her swing and the sphere
weighing an ounce and a half becomes a lethal weapon as it strikes the temple
of one of the high school students working as a caddy that day.
At first the
practice net seemed to be faulty, and the manufacturer was the focus of
attention, then upon closer investigation Mira took the brunt of the blame, as
a secret affair with a married man 30 years older was made public and some of
her impulsive acts from the past were spun as indicators of instability and viciousness.
The entire town turned against her; she eventually was charged with involuntary
manslaughter. While she waited for trial, she was targeted in every way
possible by acquaintances and neighbors. The stress of false accusations and
societal disapproval hit the heretofore privileged teenager like an anvil
falling from the sky.
A strikingly
good book, with complex characterizations, a carefully layered plot, and a
flawless duplication of the 1970s social code. Mira was subjected to societal
censure that from the vantage point of 2026 belonged somewhere else and it is
agonizing to read. Along with toxic social issues, the mechanics surrounding
the failure of the net was examined from all aspects. Considering the damages
likely to be awarded the dead boy’s family in a civil lawsuit, the manufacturer,
the country club, and Mira’s family all pointed at each other. The real cause
of failure was a last-minute surprise I should have seen coming but of course I
didn’t.
Starred
reviews from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, and Booklist. A
riveting read, highly recommended!
·
Publisher: Doubleday
·
Publication date: August 4, 2026
·
Language: English
·
Print length: 336 pages
·
ISBN-10: 0385551290
·
ISBN-13: 978-0385551298
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4bdgShj
Aubrey Nye Hamilton ©2026
Aubrey Hamilton is a former librarian who works on Federal It projects by day and reads mysteries at night.
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