Tuesday, February 03, 2026
Mystery Fanfare: FATHER BROWN Season 13 News
Little Big Crimes: El Artista Fugitivo, by Tom Larsen
SleuthSayers: One in Six
Publication Day Review: Stolen in Death by J. D. Robb
It is September 2061 and Eve Dallas and Roarke
are attending a gala event to benefit a charity that assists victims of
domestic abuse. While Dallas thinks their mission is great and very worthwhile,
she isn’t a fan of getting all gussied up and trying to make small talk. But,
the night has gone well and she has had a lot of fun with friends and Roarke.
The night has not gone so well elsewhere
in the city that never sleeps. As a result, her night out gets cut short as there
has been a murder. Dispatch sends her to the legendary Barrister House. Until late
last year when the wealthy shipping magnate, Harry J. Barrister died, the home
had not seen a death. Now it has seen another death just a few months later.
The son who inherited the house and a lot more, Nathan Barrister, CEO of Zip Global,
is very much dead on the floor of his office.
The blood on the floor, as well as on
his head and in his hair, make it abundantly clear that this was no accident.
He was struck over the head very hard by some object. Probably the decorative
amethyst rock that the victim had on his desk. The same rock that still has his
blood and other material on it.
The murder might have something to do
with the vault that still hangs open for all to see inside. The vault that is still full of artwork, jewelry, and other fantastic treasures. Treasures that were
stolen at one point or another, according to Roarke, and they found their way
to this vault in NYC.
Of course, Roarke knows a thing or three
about liberating treasures from others. Some items, according to the meticulous
inventory, are missing from this vault. That includes a treasure Roarke lifted
long ago when he was a mere lad.
Once again, Roarke’s past is both a hinderance and a major help in solving the current case. Lieutenant Dallas is again dealing with the two headed coin of being involved with Roarke. On one side---solve, find, and arrest those responsible. That mission never changes. The flip side of the coin is to try and protect the man she loves from the long arm of the law should his past deeds come to light. There remain many in law enforcement that would like to take Roarke down.
Stolen in Death by J. D. Robb
is the latest in the long running series and another solidly good read. This
book, as well as the series as a whole, is primarily a police procedural with a
hint of romance. Family, the one you have by blood, as well as the one you make
by way of good friends that care, plays a role once again here in this fast-moving
read. The chase is on for a killer and the read is a good one well worth your
time.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4mTNDTM
My ARC digital reading copy came from
the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, by way of NetGalley.
Monday, February 02, 2026
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: New February Fiction!
The Short Mystery Fiction Society Blog: Derringer Award Announcement: 2026 Best Anthology Finalists
Aubrey Nye Hamilton Reviews: The Flack by Brad Parks
The Flack (Oceanview, February 3, 2026) by
Brad Parks is another stand-alone thriller from the author of the Carter Ross
investigative reporter series.
Curt Hinton and Angel Reddish
meet as college freshmen and form an enduring bond that lasts through college, career
ups and downs, and marriage. Eventually Angel’s degree in business and his
strong career drive sent him across the country to California to serve as chief
operating officer in a large logistics company that specialized in transporting
electronic components used by the tech firms in Silicon Valley. Curt on the
other hand became a journalist, committed to researching and reporting the news
factually and completely. He found his livelihood growing increasingly
constrained by the shrinking newspaper industry. When Angel contrived to offer
him the position of public relations officer at his logistics corporation, he
felt compelled to accept it.
It was an enormous upheaval for
the Hintons to move from one coast to the other, but it was a golden
opportunity. The people at the company are warm and welcoming, and Curt feels
sure he will learn to fit in quickly. On his first day in the office, though,
Angel is killed and Curt is too distraught to let the police handle the
investigation. Angel was an essential part of Curt’s life and he felt he owed
it to Angel to find out what happened and why.
Thus begins a cracking
page-turner that gallops through a hair-raising story. Parks’ strong feelings
about the compelling role journalists play in society is evident. The
dedication to the book is to his colleagues at The Washington Post and The
Star-Ledger and to all the newspaper people who have had to do something
else with their lives. Early in the story he draws a clear line between the
journalist and the public relations specialist: Journalists existed to
search for and tell the truth. PR people existed to manipulate and obfuscate
it. They were paid mouthpieces, spin masters, shills. Old school reporters
referred to them as flacks.
Parks is a master at pulling
in the reader from the beginning and keeping them engaged. More than once I doubted
the likelihood of an action or event, such as how an established journalist
could walk into a senior PR role, but setting all questions of credibility aside--it
is fiction, after all--the book is a walloping good read.
·
Publisher:
Oceanview Publishing
·
Publication
date: February 3, 2026
·
Language:
English
·
Print
length: 384 pages
·
ISBN-10:
1608096475
·
ISBN-13:
978-1608096473
Amazon
Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4t38Gax
Aubrey Nye Hamilton ©2026
Aubrey Hamilton is a former librarian who works on Federal
It projects by day and reads mysteries at night.
Sunday, February 01, 2026
Beneath the Stains of Time: Mind-boggling Mysteries of a Missionary (2010) by Bertil Falk
Review: The Patient: A DS George Cross Thriller by Tim Sullivan
Third in the police procedural series that began
with The Dentist, DS George Cross is outside the Major Crime Unit
in Bristol as The Patient: A DS George Cross Thriller by Tim
Sullivan begins. He is about to ride home on his bicycle when he sees a woman
who has been inside the station each day for the last several days. She is
soaked from the falling rain and eating a sandwich in the bike shelter. After a
little back and forth, she tells DS Cross that her name is Sandra Wilson and
her daughter was murdered.
He takes her inside, has Alice Mackenzie get the
soaked woman a towel, and looks at the paperwork Sandra Wilson brought with
her. Her daughter, Felicity, known to all as Flick, had a very long history of
drug use. The police that handled the case decided the death was an accidental
overdose, maybe even a suicide, and closed the case. Mom is very sure that her
daughter did no such thing. She is sure that it was murder. After going through
the file repeatedly and question the woman, DS George Cross spots an inconsistency
in the case that makes no sense at all.
That is what he does. He spots the smallest of
details because he is on the Autism Spectrum. The inconstancy he spotted was
ignored by those who worked the case. The system has failed the mother of the victim,
the victim herself, and the very young daughter of the victim. He starts
working the closed case as if it were his own regardless of who is annoyed that
he is doing so.
This includes his boss, DCI Carson, who would very
much prefer he not waste his time on a closed case. Especially when Cross could
focus on the current open case of a body being found in the river. Undeterred,
Cross does what he wants because he is a very good detective.
It isn’t like they are going to fire him as he is
very good. Much to the annoyance of others, including a fellow detective, who
should be focused on doing their own jobs better. Including a fellow detective
who is now bringing charges internally against him in order for the Force to
take disciplinary action against DS Cross.
This third book in the series now being published in
the United States by Grove Atlantic is a very good read. As is the police
procedural series to date. Best to read in order as Cross, Ottey, Mackenzie,
and other characters are fast becoming family for this reader.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3Y9MXPY
I received a digital ARC from the publisher, Atlantic
Crime, imprint of Grove Atlantic, through NetGalley, with no expectation of a
positive review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2026
Saturday, January 31, 2026
Mystery Fanfare: WESTMINSTER KENNEL CLUB DOG SHOW: Dog Show Mysteries
KRL Update
SleuthSayers: Simsubs: Yes or No?
Scott's Take: Resurrection by Derek Landy
Resurrection by Derek Landy
is the tenth book in the Skulduggery Pleasant series, but it is a
relaunch point, so it is supposed to be a fresh start. I read this book through
the Hoopla App by way of the Dallas Public Library System.
In this book, Valkyrie Cain and
Skulduggery reunite several years after the ninth book. Valkyrie Cain is
suffering from PTSD, but has finally returned to Ireland alongside her dog
Xena. Skulduggery convinces her to return to duty for just 24 hours to help him
stop the resurrection of an ancient evil. They also need someone to go
undercover and infiltrate the group that is recruiting at the local magical
high school.
In a satire of Harry Potter,
they recruit Omen Darkly, the Chosen’s One’s brother. Often overlooked and used
to being forgotten, he is the perfect spy since no one notices him or cares
about him besides his brother, some of the teachers, and his best friend,
Never.
There are plenty of new characters since
most of the previous cast of the nine previous books are benched. A satire of
Donald Trump is also introduced, but I found it too accurate to the real deal
to really find it funny at all. There is plenty of action, humor, and character
development.
Skulduggery Pleasant’s past is explored
more and secrets he has kept are revealed. I liked the relationship between
Auger (the Chosen One) and Omen his brother. I do wish the event’s involving
Auger, who is clearly a hero doing heroic things, were better fleshed out and
filled. Even if it is funny that characters will run across him while he is
fighting monsters with his friends.
The 11th book in the series is currently in my TBR pile through Hoopla, Midnight picks up after Resurrection. According to the Hoopla’s plot synopsis paraphrased-- A serial killer has abducted Alice (Valkyrie Cain’s sister) and it’s up to Valkyrie and friends to save her. Valkyrie has not been in touch with Alice that much after what she had to do in the ninth book to save the world. Valkyrie will have to confront her past if they stand a chance on saving Alice.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/49vwif0
I read this book through the Hoopla App
by way of the Dallas Public Library System.
Scott A. Tipple ©2026
Friday, January 30, 2026
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Cryptid Sea Monsters: A Field Guide by Kelly Milner Halls, Illus. by Rick Spears
In Reference to Murder: Friday's "Forgotten" Books: The Hand in the Glove
Thursday, January 29, 2026
In Reference to Murder: Mystery Melange
Beneath the Stains of Time: The Stars Spell Murder: "Handbook for Homicide" (1943) by Fredric Brown
Jerry's House of Everything: THE CISCO KID: DISAPPEARING BULLET (JULY 22, 1952)
Bitter Tea and Mystery: Old Filth: Jane Gardam
Thursday Treats
Welcome back to “Thursday Treats.” The first column last week proved to be incredibly popular. More than I had thought possible. Thank you to those who commented here and elsewhere, shared the post, and made it clear that it was a hit. Thank you. The bar has been set high so I hope I can keep meeting it.
Cameron Trost recently
announced on Facebook that Dead on the Dolmen, the first Oscar
Tremont, Investigator of the Strange and Inexplicable novel, will be released
on the 30th of January. https://mybook.to/deadonthedolmen. I took
advantage of the pre order deal and used funds in my Amazon Associate account
to snag the eBook copy.
Authors Barb Goffman, Dave Zeltserman,
and many others appear in Black Cat Weekly
#230.
BCW is a weekly publication featuring short stories and novellas in multiple
genres. You can buy individual issues or one of the far better subscription
deals at blackcatweekly.com.
Craig Johnson announced on Facebook that The Brothers McKay: A Longmire Mystery is coming out in late May. Amazon has the listing for it. Based on the synopsis there, it seems like Walt is closer to home this time. Been a big fan of this series, so I am hoping I get a shot at it on NetGalley or through the Dallas Library System. NetGalley has added it, so I put in my request. Viking is the publisher. I do not have a good track record with them in being granted the approval to read stuff.
Michael Connelly also announced
on Facebook that Ironwood is coming out in mid-May. Amazon has
the listing for it. This is
the second book in the police procedural series that started with Nightshade. I very much
enjoyed that book so I am very much looking forward to this. No sign of it,
yet, at either NetGalley or the Dallas Public Library System.
I am a big fan of the works of Steven F.
Havill. His Posadas County Mystery series has gone on for many years,
and it is mighty good. I told you about the most recent one, If It Isn’t One
Thing… A Posadas County Mystery, last March. Knowing he does very
little social media, I have been checking Amazon for the new one. They now have
it listed. Reverse: A
Posadas County Mystery comes out in May. NetGalley got it listed yesterday and I grabbed it. I got it right away as it is with Severn House who has me
preapproved on NetGalley for everything they do.
By the way, if you don’t already know,
Lesa Holstine does a blog post every Thursday where folks, including yours
truly, share what we are reading. Make sure you check it out at Lesa’s Book Critiques. It will,
guaranteed, make your TBR pile grow.
Which in one way is not helpful at all
as my long standing order for the READ FASTER, DAMN IT! brain implant is still
on backorder at Amazon. Apparently, there are supply chain issues. 😉
Kevin R. Tipple ©2026
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