Thursday, September 24, 2026
In Reference to Murder: Mystery Melange
In Reference to Murder: Mystery Melange: A debut author from Glasgow made history by becoming the first to win both the debut crime novel prize and the prestigious McIlvanney prize...
Beneath the Stains of Time: Locked and Loaded, Part 8: A Selection of Short Impossible Crime and Locked Room Mystery Stories
Beneath the Stains of Time: Locked and Loaded, Part 8: A Selection of Short Im...: Back in 2020, I posted the first "Locked and Loaded" blog-post reviewing five, or six, randomly picked, usually uncollected short ...
Thursday Treats: 9/24/2026
Some reading opportunities of interest this week.
Coming
at the end of the month in time for Bouchercon is the new publication, Short
Mystery Fiction Society Mystery Magazine: Volume 1 Number 1 - October 2026.
Published by Murderous Ink Press, this first issue of the new venture includes
short stories by SMFS list members, such as myself, and other features. You can
pre-order it on Amazon.
I’d never heard of this publication until several SMFS list members announced they had been published in the new third issue. Trifles : a Quarterly for Devotees of Sherlock Holmes Volume I Issue 3 was released last week. It includes short stories by SMFS list members John Aquino (Sherlock Holmes Tussles with Reel Life), Thomas Gorham (The Old Digs), and Edward Lodi (The Yorkshire Vicar). Published by Foolscap & Quill, you can pick it up at Amazon or other vendors.
Mr.
Barrows also announced the publication of his short story, The Note, at Shotgun
Honey. You can read the tale, for free, at their website.
SMFS
list member Tim Wright announced that his short story, Low Tide, was published
in the MacGuffin 41.3. Published by School Craft Books, you can
pick up a copy at their bookstore.
SMFS list member and occasional guest poster here on the blog, Tom Milani, announced on Facebook that his novel, Places That Are Gone, was now back in print. The new publisher, Open Road Media Mystery & Thriller, has released in digital and print versions. You can pick it up at Amazon and other vendors.
I
mentioned last week that this short story collection was coming. Big time thank
you to fellow SMFS list member Nikita Costiuc who brought a number of our fellow
members and their short stories to my attention. So, now with even more names
and their titles listed, I remind you that DEATH CAMAS: Best New England
Crime Stories 2026 is scheduled to be released in early October from Crime
Spell Books. Some of the SMFS list members in the read are: Bruce
Robert Coffin (Pump Number 2), C. Dan Castro (The Mass Murderer and a Little Disorder), Zakariah
Johnson (Dangerous Tastes in Literature) Nikki
Knight (Milk. Bread. Homicide.), Avram
Lavinsky (The Daughter of the King), Steve Liskow (A Deed without a Name), Edith Maxwell (Cough Lasagnas and Salty Memories), Ruth McCarty (I Hereby Bequeath), Ang
Pompano (The Angel of Sachem Creek), Susan Oleksiw (All’s Well That Ends . . .), Eugenia
Parrish (Stopping by the Woods), Stephen
D. Rogers (A Scene of Salt and Sea), Bonnar Spring (Safe?), and Leslie Wheeler
(The Wound Clinic). It can be preordered now at Amazon and elsewhere.
Also
coming in October is the latest book by Dallas area author Harry Hunsicker. I
have long been a fan over the decades and now doubt will enjoy the thriller, Mother
May I. You can learn more about the book, and where to preorder it, at
Mr. Hunsicker’s website. If you are
not already reading him, you should be and there is a lot of really good stuff
to read.
Black
Cat Weekly #264 is out and includes short stories by
SMFS list members. John M. Floyd has the cover story, Sweet Loretta Morgan. The
issue also contains Shari Held’s short story, The Secret of Echo Village. You
can pick up the latest issue here.
I
mentioned back in August that prolific author, D. V. Berkom, had the first two books in a new series out. The third book
in the series, Final Dawn: Mackenzie Reynolds Thriller Book 3, is
about to come out. Published by Duct Tape Press, it is up for preorder at Amazon.
Coming
in early October is the anthology, The Speculative Detective Agency: Case
Files of the Supernatural and Fantastic. Published by Diversion Books,
the read is available to preorder at Amazon and other
vendors.
The
third installment of the ongoing FAFO—A Punk Noir series is up. You can read
the new series of four stories here. This is free to read, as is the second group here and the first group here.
You
are reminded again that 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. September 29th is the planned release date.
Until next time….
Kevin R. Tipple ©2026
Wednesday, September 23, 2026
The Rap Sheet: Revue of Reviewers: 9-22-26
I don't think this has happened before. Myself, Aubrey, and Lesa all made the cut. My review of First Chance by Kasey Lansdale. Lesa's reviews of Hidden Currents by Claire Booth and The Shadow Friends by Tess Gerritsen. Aubrey with her reviews of The Ninth Circle: A Billy Boyle WWII Mystery by James R. Benn, Deception: A Joseph Gunner Thriller by Alan Parks, and Songs of Saigon by Ed Teja. Very cool!
Jerry's House of Everything: SHORT STORY WEDNESDAY: MUCKLE-MOUTHED MEG
Jerry's House of Everything: SHORT STORY WEDNESDAY: MUCKLE-MOUTHED MEG: "Muckle-Mouthed Meg" by Howard Pease (from Border Ghost Stories , 1919) 'Hang him, Provost!' cried the Town Clerk; ...
Short Story Wednesday Review: The Devil’s Jurisdiction by Michael Wegener (Thriller Magazine: August 2026 Issue)
Thriller Magazine: August 2026
contains six entertaining short stories. My favorite in the issue was the
opening short story, “The Devil’s Jurisdiction” by Michael Wegener.
It is past time to get out of Los Angeles for Gabriel
Cruz. The cops have his car at some impound lot. That means his car is not an
option as he can’t have the cops knowing where he at since they are part of the
problem. The last place he is going to go is to their impound lot.
The only solution is to swipe a new set of wheels.
Easily done.
But, he stole the wrong car, and that made
everything worse.
One heck of a story and a mighty good read.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4h0XE1H
My digital reading copy came by way of my ninety-day free Kindle Unlimited trial.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2026
Tuesday, September 22, 2026
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Secret Wonders of the World: 385 Extraordinary Places You Never Knew Existed
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Secret Wonders of the World: 385 Extraordinary Pl...: Reviewed by Jeanne I am kind of a sucker for these sorts of books: books about interesting places in general ( Atlas Obscura: An Explo...
Publication Day Review: The Mysterious Bookshop Presents the Best Mystery Stories of the Year 2026
After a forward by Series Editor Otto
Penzler and an introduction by Guest Editor Tess Gerritsen it is on to the nineteen
short stories in the Mysterious Bookshop Presents the Best mystery
stories of the Year 2026. Each of the stories selected begins with a
short bio of the author, the tale itself, followed by a short background
explanation from the author as to how the story came to be, a point they were
hoping to accomplish, the context of the tale, etc. With nineteen short stories
included, I am highlighting several that really struck a chord with this
reader. But to be clear, there is not a bad one in the bunch. I just liked some
more than others.
In order of appearance as I read straight
through from front to back…
Doug Allyn’s “Dead Man’s Mail” revolves
around escape, the legacy of what came before you in the place you now reside
in, and how isolationism can have severe consequences when others want what you
have right now.
Eli is on a mission in “The Lord God Bird”
by Andy Boyle. He’s doing it for Belle. Secrecy is important. The first thing
to do is to get Greg to actually honor their deal.
Amanda and Madeline are on their best
behavior at the elegant restaurant. They are in public and therefore, on stage,
as both are aware. Deceit, double cross, and revenge are all on the menu in
“The Luncheon” by Christopher Fowler.
Arthur Stancil is sure that Dougal
Canterbury must die. The question as “The Twenty-Fourth Canterbury” by Richard
Helms begins is how, exactly, to kill him. The fact that the potential murder
victim is the most decorated detective in Yorkshire presents a complication,
though not unsurmountable.
A murder case is at work in “Juror
Number Three” by Joel Nedecki. Told from the perspective of the juror who has a
lot going on, we follow a case that has plenty of twists and turns.
He just wanted a quiet walk in the woods
with his dog. That is not at all what he
got in “Murder by the Creek” by H.K. Slade. Now he is on the wrong side of the
cuffs and disrespected. Not cool at all.
After the reprinted short stories, there
is a listing of “The Best Mystery Stories 2026 Honor Roll.” This year, eleven
stories and their authors are featured. Each listing includes the publication
so that one can hunt down these good reads.
It should be noted that my digital ARC
review copy from NetGalley did not contain the bonus short story by Agatha
Christie. I have no idea if that was deliberate for the review copy or just an
accidental oversight.
The latest book in the series, The
Mysterious Bookshop Presents the Best Mystery Stories of the Year 2026,
is chockful of good reading. It is well
worth your time and recommended.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3TeDnfN
My digital ARC came from the publisher,
The Mysterious Press, through the NetGalley platform with no expectation of a
positive review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2026
Monday, September 21, 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 KiKi Layne ...
Aubrey Nye Hamilton Reviews: The Scholars by MacKenzie Common
The
Scholars (Headline, September 2026) by Canadian author MacKenzie Common is
a dark academic mystery set in Oxford. Unlike any other academic mystery I have
read, I don’t know quite what to think of it.
Every year
five outstanding candidates from Britain, the Commonwealth, and the United
States are selected to become the year’s Shepherd Scholars. The notable program
was endowed by a Victorian plantation owner who made his fortune in India. He
was a graduate of Frideswide College, one of the oldest colleges at Oxford, which
hosts the students during their stay. They each receive a full scholarship for
postgraduate study at Oxford, and they are expected to use their experience to
accomplish great things on the world stage, as their predecessors have done.
In 2024 the
five included a young woman with a large social media following and who is
constantly recording content, a young man who is developing an artificial
intelligence program to provide instantly available grief counseling, a young
woman who has established humanitarian projects in India, a Yale graduate
studying mass violence and its origins, and the son of the current Minister of
Higher Education who was working in Asian Studies.
All of their
backgrounds were impressive on paper but a little research showed none of them
were exactly who or what they claimed to be. The research unfortunately was not
conducted until after one of their number fell five stories from the Frideswide
College roof. The police and the university preferred to believe the death was
an accident but rumors quickly swirled around campus and on social media that the
victim had been pushed.
Told from the
perspectives of each of the five students, all of whom are unreliable
narrators, the story describes the anxiety of continuing to work under the load
of suspicion and outright anger from the university populace and the accusations
from social media. Their attempts to cope with the public revelations about
their pasts take them away from the work at hand and prove to be deeply
distracting. The credibility of these prestigious award programs is also
questioned.
Oxford is
omnipresent. Its authority, history, and architecture are gloriously portrayed.
The usefulness and the dangers of social media are also strongly shown. The
ending is unexpected and leaves a number of questions unanswered. Fans of noir
will enjoy this book. Academic mystery lovers may not like it as much.
·
Publisher: Headline
·
Publication date: September 24, 2026
·
Language: English
·
Print length: 352 pages
·
ISBN-13: 9781035426140
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: ???? as it is not listed at this time.
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 20, 2026
Lesa's Book Critiques: A Note between Reviews – Steven F. Havill, RIP
Such sad news.... This huts very hard.
Lesa's Book Critiques: A Note between Reviews – Steven F. Havill, RIP
Little Big Crimes: The Walkout, by Kevin Egan
Little Big Crimes: The Walkout, by Kevin Egan: "The Walkout," by Kevin Egan, in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, September/October 2026. Last year I mentioned being s...
Mystery Fanfare: BLOODY SCOTLAND AWARDS 2026
Mystery Fanfare: BLOODY SCOTLAND AWARDS 2026: Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival announced the winner of two crime fiction prizes Friday night. Yes, I said winner, no...
Beneath the Stains of Time: The Glass Tower Murders (2021) by Mikito Chinen
Beneath the Stains of Time: The Glass Tower Murders (2021) by Mikito Chinen: Last year, I came across the work of fan-lator Mitsuda Konno , formerly known as Mitsuda Madoy, who's translating first-rate Japanese de...
Bitter Tea and Mystery: Count Them One by One: Black Mississippians Fighting for the Right to Vote by Gordon A. Martin, Jr.
Bitter Tea and Mystery: Count Them One by One: Black Mississippians Fighti...: This description at Goodreads is excellent: Forrest County, Mississippi, became a focal point of the civil rights movement when, in 1961,...
Saturday, September 19, 2026
SleuthSayers: The Way I Do It
SleuthSayers: The Way I Do It: The other day, as I sat here wondering what to post for my SleuthSayers column, I received an emailed request from an editor for an interv...
A Writer's Life....Caroline Clemmons: Three Reasons to Start with Pearson Grove
A Writer's Life....Caroline Clemmons: Three Reasons to Start with Pearson Grove: If you are looking for a complete Western romance series with strong heroines, dangerous secrets, and a Texas frontier town worth visiting, ...
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Death at the Crossings by Jacquelyn Nowak
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Death at the Crossings by Jacquelyn Nowak: Reviewed by Jeanne Sergeant Mike Minor is called to the Art History building on a college campus after the decomposing body of...
Scott's Take: I’m Not The Hero: An Isekai LitRPG by Tommy Kerper, aka Sourpatchhero
I’m Not The Hero: An Isekai LitRPG
by Tommy Kerper, aka Sourpatchhero, is a series of webnovels that have done so
well they have been published into actual physical books. An Isekai is
something where the main character is transported into another world. A LitRPG
is something that is an RPG game in Literature form. Dungeon Crawler Carl was
my introduction to this genre. Hoopla put a selection of books that they
recommended under this genre as part of their monthly advertisement and I
selected it.
Daniel and Orrin are lifelong friends who are
basically brothers because of Orrin’s tragic backstory. Daniel is a natural
born hero. When both are simultaneously hit by a truck, they are transported to
a magical world where the AI that runs it decides that Daniel should be the
hero. The AI assigns Daniel a quest.
But what do with Orrin? Orrin is given a new class
(think power set) that is uncommon in this magical world and off they go. That
is basic gist of the initial premise. Things are way more interesting and
detailed than that, but the book blurb only tells you so much.
This tale is told from Orrin’s perspective who has
his own struggles and issues with his new powers and magic. Daniel and Orrin
are the leads of this series. Along the way they make new friends and enemies.
I think the author did a very good job of making both characters interesting
and powerful in their own right.
The second book in the series, also available on
Hoopla, is titled Secrets and Strife: An
Isekia LitRPG. Daniel and Orrin just are exploring a dungeon
(underground realm with monsters) and along the way are caught up in a war
between humans and elves. There are
currently five published novels four of which are on Hoopla. These reads are
also on Kindle Unlimited. There is a sixth novel that is being posted in installments
by the author online.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4zCBoT6
I read this by way of Hoopla through the Dallas
Public Library System.
Scott A. Tipple © 2026
Friday, September 18, 2026
Mystery Fanfare: SLOW HORSES, Season 6, release
Mystery Fanfare: SLOW HORSES, Season 6, release: Slow Horses, Season 6, released this week on AppleTV. It's a 6-episode season in which two Mick Herron novels, Joe Country and Slou...
In Reference to Murder: Friday's "Forgotten" Books: Ghost of a Chance
In Reference to Murder: Friday's "Forgotten" Books: Ghost of a Chance: William Roos (1911-1987) was born in Pennsylvania, eventually heading to Carnegie Tech in Pittsburgh to study drama, first as an actor, then...
Jerry's House of Everything: FORGOTTEN BOOK: X
Jerry's House of Everything: FORGOTTEN BOOK: X: X by Eunice Sudak, adapted from the 1963 Roger Corman film scripted by Robert Dillon and Ray Russell, 1963 (unconfirmed: this may have bee...
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