Lesa's Book Critiques: The Oxford Guide to Scandal and Lies by Kate Westbury
Friday, September 11, 2026
In Reference to Murder: Friday's "Forgotten" Books: The Dancing Man
In Reference to Murder: Friday's "Forgotten" Books: The Dancing Man: Philip Maitland Hubbard, better known as P.M. Hubbard (1910-1980) studied at Oxford where he won the Newdigate Prize for English verse in 19...
Mystery Fanfare: 2026 McIlvanney Prize Shortlist
Mystery Fanfare: 2026 McIlvanney Prize Shortlist: Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival announced the shortlist of nominees for the 2026 McIlvanney Prize. The winner will be ...
In Reference to Murder: Mystery Melange
In Reference to Murder: Mystery Melange: Bloody Scotland revealed the shortlist for the 2026 McIlvanney Prize. The finalist titles will be promoted in bookshops throughout Scotland...
Thursday, September 10, 2026
Thursday Treats: 9/10/2026
Some reading opportunities of interest this week.
SMFS
list member Norman Birnbach announced
that his short story, Bad Drivers & Careless People, was published online
at Bull magazine. Billed as a “… noir
retelling of The Great Gatsby…” you can read it, for free, here.
SMFS
list member Edith Maxwell’s short
story, Labor’s Peril, appears online in the latest installment of Kings River
Life Magazine. You can read it online, for free, here.
Black
Cat Weekly #262 is out and includes the short story, Sugar
and Spice and a Spoonful of Vice, by Ashley-Ruth
M. Bernier of the SMFS. You can pick up the latest issue here.
SMFS
list member Elizabeth Zelvin announced that her latest short story collection, Rifts
& Reprisals: Collected Stories II, is now available in digital form
at Amazon. The fifteen tales were previously published between 2017
and 2025 in EQMM, AHMM, Black Cat Mystery Magazine, and online
at Yellow Mama. This book joins her previously published short story
collection, Breaches
& Betrayals: Collected Stories,
released in 2016 and also available on Kindle Unlimited.
Punk
Noir Press announced on Twitter that FAFO—A
Punk Noir series had started. The first group of four stories are online, and
free to read here. Had 138
submissions. Word count limit of 300 words. The results should be highly
entertaining.
A reminder that quite a few SMFS list members are in the new anthology, Hooked on Urban Legends—and Murder! The members are Editor Barb Goffman (Into the Woods), Shari Held (The House of Blue Lights Revisited), Kathryn Holland (A Knocking at Fairweather Hall), Smita Harrish Jain (Poison Maidens), Jane Limprecht ( Alan Orloff (Face to Face), Pat Remick (Screaming Jenny), KM Rockwood (They Lurk In The Lake), Daphne Silver (A Curse to Remember), Shannon Taft (The Cave Man), and Joseph S. Walker (The Things We Remember). Published by Wildside Press, the read is available in digital and prints formats at Amazon.
SMFS
list member, and editor, Michelle Kubitz
announced that Shotgun Honey Books will be releasing the new anthology, Daydream
Believer: Crime Stories Inspired by the Songs of the Monkees!. The book
includes a short story by fellow SMFS list member Alan
S. Orloff as well as tales by numerus other
folks. Proceeds go to American Library Association. You can preorder the book
now at the publisher
or at Amazon.
I
have been a fan of author Frank Zafiro
for quite a few decades now. His latest read in his River City police
procedural series, The Quick of the Night, is coming out on September 15th.
Published by Code
4 Press, the read is available now for
preorder at Amazon and will be part of the Kindle Unlimited program at time of
publication.
Also
out on September 15th is the latest read from author C. W.
Blackwell. The Cold Dark Forever: A Novel, published by Shotgun Honey Books,
is a crime fiction read set in 1942. The read is now available for preorder at Amazon.
Also
out on the 15th is the young adult read, It Should Have Been
You: A Novel by Lynn Slaughter. Now published by Picarones Press, an
imprint of Misti
Media Publishing, the book is available for preorder at
the White City Press.
Back
last June, professor and author John
A. Tures did a guest post
here on the blog about his book, Branded, published by Huntsville Independent
Press. His next book, Independent Thought, is now up for preorder at the same
publisher. This sequel deals with the possibility of a third-party presidential
candidate and more.
Until next time….
Kevin R. Tipple ©2026
Wednesday, September 09, 2026
Mystery Fanfare: 2026 Golden Poppy Book Awards Finalists: California Indie Booksellers Alliance
Mystery Fanfare: 2026 Golden Poppy Book Awards Finalists: Californi...: The California Independent Booksellers Alliance (CALIBA) announced the 2026 Golden Poppy Awards in recognition of the most distinguished bo...
The Short Mystery Fiction Society Blog: Fall into Great Reading with the Short Mystery Fiction Society!
The Short Mystery Fiction Society Blog: Fall into Great Reading with the Short Mystery Fic...: Absurdly unseasonal heat waves notwithstanding, summer is winding down and autumn is hurtling in. Whether you're sheltering in the AC or...
Jerry's House of Everything: SHORT STORY WEDNESDAY: KUDZU
Jerry's House of Everything: SHORT STORY WEDNESDAY: KUDZU: "Kudzu" by Ace Atkins (from Birds of Prey , edited by Harlan Coben & C. J. Box, 2026; also available in Kindle) Mook and Juani...
Tuesday, September 08, 2026
Mystery Fanfare: Mysteries set during the Days of Awe: Rosh Hashana through Yom Kippur
Mystery Fanfare: Mysteries set during the Days of Awe: Rosh Hashana...: According to Jewish religion, the Days of Awe are the days between the beginning of the New Year (Rosh Hashana) and Yom Kippur. There are ...
Little Big Crimes: No Property in a Witness, by Mat Coward
Little Big Crimes: No Property in a Witness, by Mat Coward: "No Property in a Witness," by Mat Coward, in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, September/October 2026. This is the eleve...
Beneath the Stains of Time: The Argentinean Butterfly Mystery: C.M.B. vol. 13-14 by Motohiro Katou
Beneath the Stains of Time: The Argentinean Butterfly Mystery: C.M.B. vol. 13-...: Motohiro Katou's C.M.B. vol. 13 comprises of four, one-chapter stories starting with one of those human, heart-shaped puzzles, "Th...
Jerry's House of Everything: OVERLOOKED JUVENILE DELINQUENTS: THE VIOLENT YEARS (1956)
Jerry's House of Everything: OVERLOOKED JUVENILE DELINQUENTS: THE VIOLENT YEAR...: It didn't start with The Amboy Dukes but that 1947 novel helped lead the way. America was soon realizing that its teenagers were disaf...
Publication Day Review: Fury in Death by J. D. Robb
It is September 2061 as Fury in Death
by J.D. Robb begins, and Eve Dallas, a Lieutenant in the Homicide Division of
NYSPD, has seen a lot of death over the years. Just today in fact as this is
her second time standing over a body. While the previous situation was an
accident, this one certainly was not.
The crime scene she is at is striking. The
broken and mangled body of Lawrence Chu is something unique. Somebody beat him
to death and then kept going. Whomever it was, they kept going long after he was
dead. The killing is clearly a rage killing as the victim was tossed around
like a rag doll.
He was later found by his wife, Rachel
Chu, when she got home. She knows next to nothing about his job as director of
bioengineering science for Banner-Wyst. She has no idea who wanted him dead to
the point that they moped the walls and floor with him.
Dallas knows the killer had to be hyped
up on something to inflict the damage that was done. It was also very personal.
The main questions are of who and why, as they always are. It is up to Dallas,
Peabody, and the team to identify and stop the killer. A killer who has an
agenda and is showing no signs of stopping.
The latest in the long running series is
another good read. All the familiar characters are back with much going on in
the background of the murder investigation. The result is a fun and fast read
where readers know from the earliest stage who is killing and why and the focus
is on the chase. While not one of the best books in the series, Fury in
Death by J. D. Robb is solidly good and well worth your time.
For a more detailed look at the book, make sure to read Lesa Holstine's review.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/45wqRes
My digital ARC reading copy came from
the publisher, St. Martin's Press, through Edelweiss, with no expectation of a
positive review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2026
Monday, September 07, 2026
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 Michael Kea...
Aubrey Nye Hamilton Reviews: Songs of Saigon by Ed Teja
Ed Teja is a
versatile guy. In his own words, he has been a magazine writer and editor in
several countries. He lived for years as a Caribbean boat bum and blues
musician. He is a member of The Short Mystery Fiction Society, was a finalist
for the Shamus Award for short PI fiction in 2025, and his stories appear
frequently in magazines and anthologies.
His newest
book is an appealing historical crime thriller with an unusual setting. Most
World War II thrillers focus on the European front although the very good Secret
War of Julia Child by Diana Chambers (2024) looks at Child’s work for the
OSS in China, India, and Ceylon. Teja sets his story in 1943 Vietnam, where the
collaborationist Vichy French government co-managed with Japan, which had
overrun Southeast Asia by spring 1942.
Cole Miller joined
the small OSS office in Saigon about a year ago. Their assignment is to
destabilize Japan’s hold on the region wherever and however they can while
going through the motions of a shipping business. Miller is delivering arms to
a group of Vietnamese insurgents in the jungle when the book opens. The
Japanese ambushed them, killing a number of the rebels and leaving Miller to
wonder who had betrayed them. When he returns to Saigon, his boss Major Fred
Olson tells him via a note left at his hotel to meet him at their usual café.
When Miller reports as scheduled, a group of snipers sprays the cafe with
bullets and Olson’s body is found among the victims. It’s clear to
investigators that Olson was dead before the café shooting. A local member of
the Vichy France government who dislikes Miller pushes the police to arrest
him. Miller has two jobs, to find who actually did kill Olson and to identify
the traitor who is feeding information about OSS activities to the Japanese.
While the
plot is straightforward enough, the setting is anything but. Vietnam with its
significant natural resources was a valuable asset to both sides of the war,
creating a complex political tug-of-war over a small nation about the size of
New Mexico. Vietnam was a French colony before the war and the French intended
to maintain its control after the war ended. In the meantime Japan had asserted
dominion over the entire region. The Free French were also present, trying to
dislodge the Vichy collaborationists. The Allies had established a presence via
U.S. and Great Britain intelligence groups, working to undermine the Japanese.
Behind the scenes Ho Chi Minh had established the Communist party in Vietnam,
tapping into the great desire of the Vietnamese people for freedom from
external rule. In short the country was seething with political tensions and
barely contained hostility, creating a powder keg with a very short fuse.
I found the
time and the place as described fascinating. The Vietnamese people were
hard-working, resourceful, and far more intelligent than invading forces
believed. It is easy to see why and how the armed conflict in the country
during the 1950s and 1960s broke out. Miller is a credible character with
series potential; it will be interesting to see if Teja brings him back.
Readers who
enjoy modern historical crime fiction, especially World War II and espionage
fans, will want to add this book to their TBR stacks. Recommended.
·
Publisher: Float Street Press
·
Publication date: September 1, 2026
·
Language: English
·
Print length: 318 pages
·
ISBN-13: 979-8994688823
Amazon
Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4ctfqrH
Aubrey Nye Hamilton ©2026
Aubrey Hamilton is a former librarian who works on Federal It projects by day and reads mysteries at night
Sunday, September 06, 2026
Flat Out Begging For Help
I am flat out begging for help and hate myself.
Things
are very brutal money wise. Not just with the groceries, gasoline, and more, that is hitting all of us. Continuing the situation that was in place all summer, Scott did not work
most of August as there was not any work for him. He hasn’t worked at all this
month and there is no sign of that changing. No work means no paycheck and no
income.
So,
I am begging for help. If you like what we do at Kevin's Corner, please
consider making a donation through the PayPal widget on the left side of the
blog. We could really use the help.
Please
and thank you.
Saturday, September 05, 2026
Update on Santa Rage 2
Submissions closed last Monday night. I received
nearly three dozen submissions for twelve slots. All the stories have been read
once.
My plan is to let things sit and then read everything
a second time, starting early next week. Once that is completed, hopefully by
the middle of the week, I will start reaching out to folks to make absolutely
sure their stories are still available as well as letting other folks know
their status.
If you submitted, and wish to now withdraw for
whatever reason, please let me know so I can remove your story from
consideration.
Please and thank you.
KRL Update
Up on KRL this week reviews and giveaways of 3 more fun cozy foo mysteries-"Murder at First Slice" A Baker Street Mystery by Valerie Burns, "Savvy Summers and the Po’boy Perils" Savvy Summers by Sandra Jackson-Opoku, and "Killer Donuts" A Deputy Donut Mystery by Ginger Bolton https://kingsriverlife.com/09/05/delicious-fun-food-cozy-mysteries-for-your-september-tbr/
We also have the latest Mystery Coming Attractions from Victoria Fair https://kingsriverlife.com/09/05/mystery-current-coming-attractions-september-2026/
And a review and ebook giveaway of "A Golden Opportunity" by Rebecca Saltzer, along with an interesting interview with Rebecca https://kingsriverlife.com/09/05/a-golden-opportunity-for-murder-by-rebecca-saltzer/
And a review of the latest season of "The Chelsea Detective" on Acorn TV https://kingsriverlife.com/09/05/the-chelsea-detective-season-4-on-acorn-tv/
During the week, in honor of Labor Day weekend, we posted a labor-related mystery short story by Edith Maxwell https://kingsriverlife.com/09/02/mystery-short-story-labors-peril/
Up on KRL News and Reviews this week, we have a review and giveaway of "Trapped" by D.E. Beckler https://www.krlnews.com/2026/09/trapped-by-d-e-beckler-reviewgiveaway.html
Happy reading,
Lorie
SleuthSayers: The Old Man and the Sand and Sea
SleuthSayers: The Old Man and the Sand and Sea: Ever met anybody famous? I suspect you have. Most of us, I think, have experienced--or know folks who have experienced--unique contacts with...
Jerry's House of Everything: SHOWCASE #19: ADAM STRANGE (MARCH-APRIL 1959)
Jerry's House of Everything: SHOWCASE #19: ADAM STRANGE (MARCH-APRIL 1959): Adam Strange was created by DC comics editor Julius Schwartz in 1957 when the powers that be determined they needed a science fiction hero. ...
Scott's Take: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds- The Seeds of Salvation by Robbie Thompson and artists Travis Mercer and Serg Acuña
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds- The Seeds
of Salvation by Robbie Thompson and artists Travis
Mercer and Serg Acuña and more is set, apparently, sometime before season 4 of
the television show, but the story is not clear on the timeline. The author,
Richie Thompson, is one of the writers for season 4 which started airing in
late July 2026. I read this collected five issue comic book through Hoopla.
In this story, Chapel (one of the medical team) is
bored after a series of uneventful missions and decides to visit an old friend
at an arctic research lab on some planet. She convinces Captain Pike to take
the Enterprise there and send her down with an away team.
In this Lovecraftian horror story, the Enterprise away
team arrives at the facility and discovered everyone missing. That is except
for a lone robot that states that all
the staff of the research station has gone into the dark waters below. Part of
the group went down in a mini sub and all contact was soon lost. So, the rest
of the station personnel went down in the second mini sub and contact was lost.
There remains a third mini sub available for use so
the usual suspects on the away team will use that to go hunt for the station personnel.
Led by the XO with Chapel, Spock, and others, they go down while Captain Pike
aboard the Enterprise monitors their efforts. Of course, there are things down
below that are more than willing to greet the crew of the Enterprise…
The read is advertised as focusing on Chapel and
Spock, but that’s not really true. The read is mostly focused on Chapel. Spock
does get some of the spotlight, but he is not a focus. The characterization of
everyone is really good and it feels like an episode of the show in the short
five issues of this miniseries.
The art is good, but has one main problem the
characters don’t look exactly like themselves. While the Enterprise is right,
every person on the crew is just a little off. I get who they are supposed to
be but the art style does not help. Pike and Scottie especially suffer from
this. I think it’s just the style of art is the problem, but it is good art.
This is action themed and horror episode with an optimistic
ending that kind of feels unrealistic. Overall, I enjoyed Star Trek:
Strange New Worlds- The Seeds of Salvation even with these minor flaws.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4fudD6o
My reading copy came by way of Hoopla through the
Dallas Public Library System.
Scott A. Tipple ©2026
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
