Sunday, May 31, 2026
SleuthSayers: Twenty-Two and Counting
SleuthSayers: Twenty-Two and Counting: More than a few people have asked me why the cover image of CRIME SCENES , my recently published collection of stories from Level Best Books...
Beneath the Stains of Time: The Argosy Library: Four Corners, vol. 2 (2020) by Theodore Roscoe
Beneath the Stains of Time: The Argosy Library: Four Corners, vol. 2 (2020) by...: Theodore Roscoe was an American biographer, historian and one of the finest pulp writers of the day, known for his gripping tales of exotic...
Want To Be A Guest?
As we stare in the face of summer when
the flaming Sky God tries to kill us all, I thought I would remind you that I
welcome guest posts here. If you have read this kind of post before, and have
an interest, please read this updated post today as I have added a couple of
things.
Guests are more than welcome and very
much appreciated. Unlike some folks and their places, I don’t have a lot of
forms to fill out or hoops to jump through as I have made the process as easy
as possible. Most questions you are already answered here so please read the
post before reaching out.
First and foremost, No AI
for anything. Period.
With that out of the way…. Depending
on my reviews—Open days are currently Tuesdays and Sundays. Sometimes other
says are as well as I don’t read that fast anymore. I usually run excerpts from
published or about to be published works on Sundays as excerpts seem to work
best on those days.
Topic--pretty much anything goes.
While my blog is mainly aimed towards items of interest for readers and writers
of mystery and crime fiction, I am open to pretty much anything. I do ask that
folks avoid the topics of religion and politics unless either or both directly
relate to the work being discussed or promoted.
Please Note --- I am not going to run
anything that advocates big pharma is hiding the cure for cancer. Folks that
come up with that stuff deserve a special place in hell.
Before contacting me, please have an
actual idea in mind. I absolutely do not assign topics. That means I am NOT
going to tell you what to write about. This is your opportunity to write what
you want to write about. You know your books, your expertise in topics, etc. I
do not. Your idea does not have to be set in stone. It does need to have some
detail. Have something to say beyond the fact that you have a new book coming
out and you want to talk about it in a guest post. Have at least a
couple of things that you know you want to have in your piece and tell me that
in your pitch.
And, yes, book reviews are very
popular here. Several folks regularly contribute book reviews. I would love to
have more book reviews from guests.
Word Count: Totally up to you. I do
not set a maximum or a minimum word count.
When your piece is ready, you send it
to me by email and include a 100 words or fewer bio. Also send any pics that
you think should be included in the piece. While some guest posts are super
heavy in pictures, I think it works best to have two or so. While I can and do
lift author photos and book covers from Amazon and author websites, it is
easier if you just send it from the start as well as any other pics you believe
should be included.
Exclusivity: The period should be
original to my blog. I request that you allow me to be the exclusive home for
the piece for 90 days. This allows me to make multiple posts about your guest
post on social media and still bring in readers.
I have had folks write for me one
weekend and, within two weeks, ignore the exclusivity period, and run the exact
same piece elsewhere. Rather kills the point of my efforts to bring attention
to your post.
This is, as always, a nonpaying
opportunity. Yes, I absolutely value your work. I also have no income other
than SSD (and that is just a few hundred each month) and am supporting myself,
my adult son, and this old house on what little I inherited when my Mom passed.
The bank account is steadily shrinking and I am doing the best I can to hang in
here. Scott has been without work since mid April and that has made things
massively worse. Things are going downhill, rapidly, but as long as I can keep
this place going, I will.
While I have no funds to pay you, I
can promise to promote the heck out of your appearance. You will be seen. I
can’t promise a certain number of sales, but most guests do see a spike in
their sales. Guests who are on the blog on a semi regular basis do far better
than one off appearances, but everyone does see an impact.
Questions/ pitches should be sent to me at Kevinrtipple AT Verizon.net
I hope you choose to be a part of
things here. Looking forward to hearing from you.
Kevin R. Tipple © 2026
Saturday, May 30, 2026
KRL Update:
Up on KRL this week reviews and giveaways of 4 fun food and drink related cozies-"Some Like it Fudgy" A Candy-Coated Mystery by Nancy Coco, "A Poisonous Pour" A Cece Barton Mystery by Maddie Day, "Death by Chocolate Ladyfingers" Death by Chocolate Mystery by Sarah Graves, and "Confessions of an Amateur Sleuth" A Bainbridge Island Mystery by Lynn Cahoon https://kingsriverlife.com/05/30/may-food-mystery-catchup/
And the latest Queer Mystery Coming Attractions from Matt Lubbers-Moore https://kingsriverlife.com/05/30/queer-mystery-coming-attractions-pride-month-2026/
And a review and ebook giveaway of "The Family Bix" by Alan Orloff, along with an interesting interview with Alan https://kingsriverlife.com/05/30/the-family-biz-by-alan-orloff/
And a review of "The Inklings Detective Agency" by John R Kelly https://kingsriverlife.com/05/30/the-inklings-detective-agency-by-john-r-kelly/
Up on KRL during the week another special midweek guest post, this one by mystery author Victoria Hamilton where she talks about tea with the Queen, and her new book "Masher of Ceremonies" https://kingsriverlife.com/05/27/tea-with-the-queen/
Up on KRL News and Reviews this week we have a review and ebook giveaway of "Murder Under a Bitter Moon" by Abigail Keam https://www.krlnews.com/2026/05/murder-under-bitter-moon-by-abigail.html
And a review and ebook giveaway of "Homicide on the Range" by Rosalie Spielman https://www.krlnews.com/2026/05/homicide-on-range-by-rosalie-spielman.html
And a review and giveaway of "Guilt" by Keigo Higashino https://www.krlnews.com/2026/05/guilt-by-keigo-higashino-reviewgiveaway.html
Happy reading,
Lorie
SleuthSayers: Re-Tell Me a Story
SleuthSayers: Re-Tell Me a Story: It seems that I get a lot of my ideas for SleuthSayers posts from what I see on my TV--and that's what happened with today's colum...
Jerry's House of Everything: DELL FOUR COLOR (1939 SERIES) #6: DICK TRACY
Jerry's House of Everything: DELL FOUR COLOR (1939 SERIES) #6: DICK TRACY: This issue collects 64 Sunday strips featuring Chester Gould's famous detective. It starts when Tracy arrests a gang of female perfume t...
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: The Subtle Art of Folding Space by John Chu
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: The Subtle Art of Folding Space by John Chu: Reviewed by Kristin An infinite number of universes. Humans have coded and manufactured “skunkworks” to manipulate and manage physics of t...
Scott's Take: The Butcher's Masquerade: Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman (Dungeon Crawler Carl series)
The Butcher's Masquerade: Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman is the fifth book in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series. I read this by way of an eBook so I did not have access to the bonus short story for this novel.
The publisher’s plot synopsis for this one
is pretty vague. That presents a problem as the book is hard to describe as it
is without spoilers. Basically, there is a giant jungle region where the
hunters are now part of the game and are hunting the crawlers. There are
roaming dinosaurs, Vrah, one of the Mantis, is hunting Carl. If that was not
vague enough, the book ends with a cliffhanger.
The audible book might be worth listening
to instead of reading this one as there is at least one song only included only
in the audible version. However, that song is also available on YouTube.
Princess Donut becomes a bard in this novel so there are songs now.
I enjoyed this book, but the final third
act is way different than what I expected as I was reading. It also drags a
bit. If you like the humor and the action of the series than you should enjoy
this one. But, you are also warned that things get pretty weird.
I am looking forward to reading The Eye of the Bedlam Bride which is
the sixth book in the series.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4u4TRUH
My digital reading copy came by way of the
Dallas Public Library System.
Scott A. Tipple ©2026
Friday, May 29, 2026
In Reference to Murder: Friday's "Forgotten" Books - Blood Lines
In Reference to Murder: Friday's "Forgotten" Books - Blood Lines: Ruth Rendell (1930-2015) is an author who needs very little introduction, having created the popular Chief Inspector Reginald "Reg...
Jerry's House of Everything: FORGOTTEN BOOK: THE LOST CITY
Jerry's House of Everything: FORGOTTEN BOOK: THE LOST CITY: The Lost City by "John Blaine" (Harold L. Goodwin & Peter J. Harkins) (1947) Book Two in a series of twenty-four, with the...
Thursday, May 28, 2026
Something Is Going To Happen: Response to a Guy I Argued With in a Pub (by S. B. Watson)
Something Is Going To Happen: Response to a Guy I Argued With in a Pub (by S. B. Watson)
In Reference to Murder: Mystery Melange
In Reference to Murder: Mystery Melange: The typewriter of celebrated murder mystery author Dame Agatha Christie will be featured in a new exhibition celebrating her life later thi...
Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 86 Calls for Submissions in June 2026 - Paying markets
Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 86 Calls for Submissions in June 2026 - Paying mar...: This June there are more than seven dozen calls for submissions. All of these are paying markets, and none charge submission fees. As always...
Thursday Treats: 5/28/2026
The latest reading opportunities…
Punk Noir has published, Champagne For My
Real Friends, Real Pain For My Sham Friends — Issue 3.This series of
short stories are all free to read online at their website. You can also read
the first issue for free here as well as the
second here.
A few weeks back, fellow SMFS member Judy Sheluk announced that her short story, The Last Detail, was published
online at Brown Hound Press. She also said this was a great publication to work
with and was very enthusiastic about the market for other writers. Fellow SMFS
list member Shelly Jones was equally
enthusiastic when she announced that her short story, Bloom, was published by
Brown Hound Press. You can read the tale, for free, here. A reminder for
fellow writers, this is a paying market.
Fellow SMFS list member Nick Guthrie announced that his WWII mystery short
story, In the Ruins, was published online at Cold Caller. You can read the tale
for free here.
Fellow SMFS list member Christina Hoag announced that
her non fiction book, I Am the Famous Carlos: The Story of the Jackal,
the World's First Celebrity Terrorist, was released earlier this month.
Published by Three Jandals Press, the read is available at Amazon and other
vendors.
According to Amazon, Scenic &
Sinister: An Indiana Landmarks Anthology was released back in April. It
was only this past week when two fellow SMFS list members announced it was out
and that they had stories in it. Michael Dabney (Death—In 9
Innings) and Shari Held (Send in the
Clowns) reported their presence in the anthology published by Speed City Press
(publishing imprint of the Indiana chapter of Sisters in Crime). You can get
the book at Amazon or other
vendors.
Finally, fellow SMFS list member, Michael Bracken, announced that the anthology, Wish Upon
A Crime: Crime Fiction Inspired by Fairy Tales was now up on Amazon for
preorder ahead of the June 2nd release. Coedited with Stacy Woodson also of the SMFS,
the book features short stories from Donna Andrews, Michael Bracken (editor),
David Dean, John M. Floyd, Barb Goffman, Debra H. Goldstein, James A. Hearn,
Adam Meyer, Tom Milani, Laura Oles, Josh Pachter, Joseph S. Walker, Andrew
Welsh-Huggins, and Stacy Woodson (editor). Published by Level Short (an imprint of Level Best Books), the anthology is available in
both print and digital book versions at Amazon.
Until next time….
Kevin R. Tipple ©2026
Wednesday, May 27, 2026
Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 57 Writing Contests in June 2026 - No entry fees!
Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 57 Writing Contests in June 2026 - No entry fees!: This June there are more than four dozen free writing contests for short fiction, novels, poetry, CNF, nonfiction, and plays. Prizes range f...
Bitter Tea and Mystery: Short Story Wednesday: "A Touch of Petulance" by Ray Bradbury
Bitter Tea and Mystery: Short Story Wednesday: "A Touch of Petulance" by ...: The story I am featuring comes from the collection Killer Come Back to Me: The Crime Stories of Ray Bradbury . It was published by Hard Ca...
Jerry's House of Everything: SHORT STORY WEDNESDAY: DRY SEPTEMBER
Jerry's House of Everything: SHORT STORY WEDNESDAY: DRY SEPTEMBER: "Dry September" by William Faulkner (first published in Scribner's Magazine , January 1931; reprinted in Faulkner's collec...
Tuesday, May 26, 2026
Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 47 Glorious Writing Conferences and Workshops in June 2026
Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 47 Glorious Writing Conferences and Workshops in J...: This June there are nearly four dozen writing conferences and workshops. Some conferences and workshops will be held online, but most will b...
Little Big Crimes: Pandora's Bounty, by Gilbert M. Stack
Little Big Crimes: Pandora's Bounty, by Gilbert M. Stack: "Pandora's Bounty," by Gilbert M. Stack, in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, May/June 2026. I was surprised that th...
Beneath the Stains of Time: The First Television Murder (1940) by Val Gielgud and Eric Maschwitz
Beneath the Stains of Time: The First Television Murder (1940) by Val Gielgud ...: Val Gielgud , an actor, director and broadcaster, was a pioneer of radio-and television drama at the BBC and served as head for both their d...
Publication Day Review: Murder by Design: A Thriller by Lee Goldberg
Lee Goldberg’s Murder by Design: A Thriller
is the first read in the new Edison Bixby series. It is also a
bit weird and takes some time getting used to as the story unfolds. This is not
your regular book from the author. Those who choose to stay with it will find a
lot to like about the read.
Start with the basic idea of Sherlock Holmes and
Watson. Now, make it contemporary. Now, replace Sherlock with the brilliant and
often very rude, Edison Bixby. Bixby was a living legend in the LAPD. He solved
murders and did it while being wealthy, eccentric, and a ton of style. He saw
the world very differently. He saw a world where every crime, every human
interaction, every behavior, could be traced back to the design around the
person. That design of the building or whatever played a key role in whatever
happened.
Then he took a bullet to the head. He survived the
traumatic brain injury mostly intact. He still sees everything and everyone
being influenced by the design of everything around them. That bullet did not
take that from him. It did take his job with the LAPD and any mental filters he
had. It also left him with a need for a driver and somebody to try and smooth over
the ruffled feathers of others that Bixby encounters. Watson, if you will.
These days he solves crimes for Triax Global
Insurance. He needs a driver, gopher, communicator, and everything else. He
needs all that and more bundled up in his Watson.
Triax may have found his Watson in an actor that
looking for his break in Hollywood. The guy gets auditions, even gets cast in commercials
for various drugs, and then brings in his idea of the character he is playing
in his role. He creates elaborate backstories and storylines for the minute or
so he is on screen in a commercial. He overthinks each one to an incredible
degree as he sees the world around him full of characters playing their respective
roles. His elaborations tend to annoy directors and others and that results in
being fired a lot. He refuses to change his behavior as he believes he is
building hos craft.
Bixby sees the world as driven by design in very way
possible. Some designs make crime easier and, in a way, encourage it. Our
narrator, the actor, sees the world as a stage, literally, where everyone is at
all times a player in a role. They make quite the duo and before long are
working increasingly complex cases.
Such as the main case of the book where a person
died at the mall. In theory, it is a simple slip and fall where a woman died
because she became impaled on exposed rebar. Bixby is sure that it is far more
than a slip and fall. He sees it as an ingenious murder and intends to solve
the case.
Murder by Design: A Thriller
is a complicated tale and far different in style, tone, and in any other way
than the normal mystery read. Humor is frequently present as are descriptive
explanations of how our everyday world is designed to influence our behavior in
various ways. Several cases are worked in the read and there are numerous
complications. It is also a read that will get you looking at your everyday
world far differently. Especially if you drive by a mall.
Recommended.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4boFMLC
My digital ARC came from Thomas & Mercer, by way
of NetGalley, with no expectation of a positive review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2026
Monday, May 25, 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 Digit...
Beneath the Stains of Time: That Thing Upstairs: "The Doctor Sees a Ghost" (1933) by Florence Ryerson and Colin Clements
Beneath the Stains of Time: That Thing Upstairs: "The Doctor Sees a Ghost" (19...: I recently reviewed Fear of Fear (1931) and Blind Man's Buff (1933) by Florence Ryerson and Colin Clements, a husband-and-wife writing...
Aubrey Nye Hamilton Reviews: Storm Warning: A Dez Limerick Thriller by James Byrne
Storm
Warning (Minotaur, May 2026) by James Byrne is the latest in the very fine
thriller series about Desmond Aloysius Limerick (Dez to his mates), a military
veteran with unusual skills, a smart mouth, and an irresistible ability to make
friends wherever he goes. He’s in New York when this book opens, learning how
to cook in a high-end restaurant and enjoying life when the FBI asks him to
accompany a Department of State executive, her security guard, and a hostage
rescue team to a scientific research center in an isolated part of coastal Newfoundland.
It seems all communications with the town and the research center have been
lost and the assumption is the group is being held hostage, possibly for the sensitive
information held by the multinational scientists working there. Dez’s skills as
a gatekeeper are expected to be needed to enter the facility.
The night
before the rescue team leaves, Dez is approached by a group of thugs who offer
him cash not to go on what was supposed to be a highly secret rescue mission. He
declines but worries about this open indication that someone has a vested
interest in keeping the research center sequestered and has learned about their
plans.
A pair of
competing blizzards with the Canadian east coast as their target complicate the
flight to the remote village where the center and the scientists are. The plane
with the hostage rescue team falls behind and only a small group of diplomats
and security guards reach their destination. Once they land, the action never
stops. As with all of the books in this series, Dez is relentless in his focus
and endlessly creative in achieving his goals.
He's
particularly challenged here as people are not always who they seem to be,
right up to the end of the book. I found my belief of who were the good guys
and which ones were the bad guys was constantly undergoing revision.
Dez does have
a tendency to think he knows what’s best for everyone around him. I was amused
to see his arrangements for one character were politely but firmly declined,
setting him back on his heels for a bit. It was no doubt a salutary experience
for him.
Highly
recommended! This book can be read as a stand-alone but since Dez tends to
acquire friends in each adventure and take them with him from one story to the
next, the reader who wants to fully understand the back story of every title
should probably read the books in order.
Starred
review from Publishers Weekly.
·
Publisher: Minotaur Books
·
Publication date: May 26, 2026
·
Language: English
·
Print length: 400 pages
·
ISBN-10: 1250319811
·
ISBN-13: 978-1250319814
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4e1byiA
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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