Saturday, October 31, 2026
KRL Update
Up on KRL this week a review and giveaway of "Miss Walcott's Ghost" by Louise Penny https://kingsriverlife.com/10/31/miss-wolcotts-ghost-by-louise-penny/
And a review and giveaway of "Bone Hash" by Skye Griffith https://kingsriverlife.com/10/31/bone-hash-by-skye-griffith/
For those who enjoy romantasy, this week we have a perfect book for Halloween season featuring a grim reaper, a review and giveaway of "Love You to Death" by Jenna Levine https://kingsriverlife.com/10/31/love-you-to-death-by-jenna-levine/
We also have an interesting article about The Legend of La Lechuza by Sarah Peterson-Camacho, perfect for your Halloween reading https://kingsriverlife.com/10/31/beware-the-witchs-owl-the-legend-of-la-lechuza/
And a Day of the Dead short story by Pamela Ebel https://kingsriverlife.com/10/31/day-of-the-dead-short-story-the-thrill-is-gone/
For those who prefer to listen to Mysteryrat's Maze Podcast directly on KRL, you can find the player for the latest episode here! It features the mystery short story "Pepper Reece and the Ghost of Arthur Goodwin" written by Leslie Budewitz and read by local actor Cady Mejias https://kingsriverlife.com/10/31/mysteryrats-maze-podcast-pepper-reece-and-the-ghost-of-arthur-goodwin/
Up during the week, we posted a spooky short story for Halloween written by Sharon Hunt https://kingsriverlife.com/10/27/a-halloween-ghost-short-story-the-woman-in-white/
And another spooky short story for Halloween, this one by author Debra Bliss Saenger https://kingsriverlife.com/10/28/halloween-short-story-knocking-on-a-heathens-door/
Up on KRL News and Reviews this week we have a review and giveaway of one more mystery involving Halloween before the season ends--a review and ebook giveaway of "Spirits of the Law" by Elle Jauffret https://www.krlnews.com/2026/10/spirits-of-law-by-elle-jauffret.html
And for those who enjoy fantasy and dragons, a review and giveaway of "The Dragon Within" by Marty Sommers https://www.krlnews.com/2026/10/the-dragon-within-by-marty-sommers.html
SleuthSayers: The Bouchercon Anthologies
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Hard Candy Christmas: A Talbot & Andrews Investigation by Susan M. Boyer
Jerry's House of Everything: SKELETON HAND in SECRETS OF THE SUPERNATURAL #1 (SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 1952)
Scott's Take: Scion by James Islington
Scion by James Islington is his first foray
into science fiction. It also appears to be his first published story told from
one character’s perspective.
Azure is
an assassin in some far-off future time on Earth. Humanity has found a way to
make some people live forever. Those people are “Lifers.” With limited
resources and most people struggling, society has decided that Lifers can
legally be murdered. Azure works for the Keres corporation who plays both sides
of the game. The assassination part and the protection part. Azure is forced by
his corporate masters to go protect a new client that has specifically hired him
for a protection detail. Of course, there is a lot more going on in.
This is
an action-packed thriller that is relatively on the short side. It does not
include a glossary of science fiction terms for its world so readers might be
confused. I also did not appreciate the ambiguous ending.
Despite
those flaws, I really enjoyed this read. This was a fun read that is very
different from his previously published work that is fantasy driven and also
good. In this case, I hope he does science fiction again as I enjoyed this a
lot.
Amazon
Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4xPNxC1
I read
this by way of the Libby/Overdrive app through the Dallas Public Library
System.
Scott A.
Tipple © 2026
Friday, October 30, 2026
In Reference to Murder: Friday's "Forgotten" Books - Morse's Greatest Mystery
Jerry's House of Everything: FORGOTTEN BOOK: THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY
Don't Need A Diagram: Barton Gellman, “Dark Mirror”
Beneath the Stains of Time: This Time Forever (1957) by John Glasby
In Reference to Murder: Mystery Melange - Halloween Edition
Publishing News: Santa Rage II: Another Killer Claus Compendium is available to PREORDER!!
With a current planned publishing date of
mid to late November, I am pleased to announce that Santa Rage II:
Another Killer Claus Compendium, edited by Kevin R. Tipple, is now
available to preorder at the publisher, Nazca Press of Misti Media.
https://www.mistimedia.com/product/santarage2/MM/32/
Thursday, October 29, 2026
Annual Cardiologist Appt
Was today with more than an hour trip each way. I am okay, per the doc, and relatively stable.
Leaving the house and going anywhere is getting harder and harder. Am very worn out and in a lot of pain.
Will try to resume normal operations tomorrow.
Thursday Treats: 10/29/2026
Some reading opportunities of interest this week.
Black Cat Weekly #269 is out and the
focus is primarily on Halloween through short stories and more. SMFS
list member Debra H. Goldstein’s short story, “Dating, Dining, and Dying” is
the featured tale. You can pick up the penultimate issue at the website.
SMFS list member Gary Phillips
announced that he was one of a several authors who were asked to “… adapt a
horror short story by Joe R. Lansdale for the comics medium in this tradepaper
collection from Vibrant Graphic Arts. My effort is called “Chompers.” You can
pick up Joe R. Lansdale’s Tales of the Razor here.
Out now is BAM! Stories With A Punch Magazine
Autumn 2026. Edited by Jeffrey R.
DeRego, the read contains short stories by several authors. You can pick it
up in print or digital formats at LuLu.
Janet Rudolph announced earlier this week
that Mystery Readers Journal: Cross-Genre Mysteries
is now available for purchase. SMFS list members Kaye George (My Ghost
Mystery) and donalee Moulton (Trials
and Tribulations of Researching Life -- and Death -- in 1734) publicly announced
on the list their presence in the read. Lots of other familiar names contributed
pieces to the read. Learn more at the website.
Released at Bouchercon, the new anthology,
The Lines We Cross: Stories of Crime and Mystery is now available
for purchase. SMFS list member John M.
Floyd’s short story, Garden Path, is included. When he publicly announced his
success on the list, he shared the fact that this is his seventh appearance in a
Bouchercon anthology. Published by Level
Best Books, the read of 23 stories which includes other SMFS list members who
did not announce their success on the list as well as other authors is available
at Amazon and other vendors.
Out tomorrow is the new anthology, The
Power of 13. Authored by members
of The Mesdames of Mayhem, a Canadian mystery writing collective, and published
by Carrick Publishing, the read of 21
stories celebrates their 13th anniversary. The SMFS list members that have
announced their presence in the read via the SMFS list are: J.E. (Jayne) Barnard (13 the Hard Way), M. H. Callway (Amdur's Mouse), Melodie Campbell (An Unlucky
Stiff), Therese Greenwood (A Hard Ticket), Madona Skaff (Lennie
and the 13), Hope Thompson (The
Anniversary), Sylvia Maultash Warsh
(Catalina and Mr. the King of the
Fishes), and Melissa "Yi"
Yuan-Innes (Flamingo Flamenco). It is available for preorder at Amazon and other vendors.
Coming on November 3rd from Murderous Ink Press is the anthology,
Crimeucopia - Objection! Overruled!! SMFS list members in the
read are John M. Floyd (Nothing but
the Truth), and Wil A. Emerson (Three
Strikes—You’re Out). The read is available for preorder at Amazon and other
vendors.
Now out, A Fatal
Affair: The Murder of Helen Grier by Amanda Capper and Judy Penz Sheluk, was released by Superior Shores
Press.
This is a true crime read on the case of the death of Helen Grier. Was it
murder or something else? You can get it in eBook and print formats at Amazon and other
vendors.
Author Maryann Miller announced on Twitter that her new book, Second Chances And Other Stories, is now available for preorder. Published by MCM Enterprises, the read is about characters experiencing life in many different ways. Scheduled to be published on November 24rth, when it will also be available on KindleUnlimited, the read can be purchased now on Amazon.
One more thing, Santa Rage II is coming
soon. I have seen the cover and it is so very cool. Once the preorder deal is up
and can be shared, I will have a lot more to say. I am very appreciative of Jay
Hartman for all he has done to make this project happen. I am also very
appreciative of the authors who entrusted me with their tales.
Until next time…
Kevin R.
Tipple ©2026
And a final plea to vote. I am not telling you whom to vote for. Though, if you follow me on social media, you have a very good idea how I feel about things. I am asking you to vote and not sit out this election. Voting matters. It is the only way to try and bring about a better world. Not only for ourselves, but for our kids and grandkids.
Wednesday, October 28, 2026
Mystery Fanfare: HALLOWEEN NON-FICTION
Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 73 Calls for Submissions in November 2026 - Paying Markets!
Jerry's House of Everything: SHORT STORY WEDNESDAY REDUX: RISEN FROM THE GRAVE
Bitter Tea and Mystery: Short Story Wednesday: "Summer Games" by L.C. Tyler
Short Story Wednesday Review: Wait for Signs: Twelve Longmire Stories by Craig Johnson
With the latest holiday short story
collection, Have Courage: Longmire Stories, coming out next Tuesday, I
thought I would I would remind you of Wait for Signs: Twelve Longmire
Stories. Also aimed at the holidays, this collection came out in 2014. So
did the below review in late November 2014.
As author Craig Johnson explains in
“acknowledgements” the stories in Wait for Signs: Twelve Longmire Stories
come from his annual holiday treat for his newsletter subscribers. Not only
were they previously published in that sense several were also previously
published in the small 2012 publication titled Christmas in Absaroka
County: Walt Longmire Christmas Stories. Some of the stories are
mysteries or have something a little mysterious going on and others are more
slice of life type stories featuring Sheriff Walt Longmire of Absaroka County,
Wyoming. A fact that is also noted in the introduction written by Lou Diamond
Phillips that follows.
Then it is on to the stories which begin with “Old
Indian Trick.” An award-winning tale that starts off with a routine trip for
Sheriff Walt Longmire and Lonnie Little Bird to Billings so that Lonnie Little
Bird can have his routine diabetes checkup at Deaconess Hospital. They stop for
food and a break at the Blue Cow Cafe on the Crow Reservation. Before long any
chance to go on up to Billings this day is out of the question.
Walt Longmire is also on the road as the next story
“Ministerial Aid” begins. It is just before dawn on January 1, 2000, and he is
headed to Powder Junction located about 45 minutes away from the county seat of
Durant, Wyoming. He is driving the 100 miles round trip to deliver deputy Turk
Connally his paycheck. While delivering the check at the empty station the
phone rings. Instead of letting the phone call roll over to Turk’s rented house
and waking him up on New Year’s Day, Longmire decides to answer the call and
give his deputy a holiday break. It is an impulse he will come to question
almost as much as his clothing choice of only wearing a robe.
A small part of the previous story is the fact that
it has been only a few months since Longmire’s wife, Martha, passed due to
cancer. That situation is a major part of the very powerful tale “Slick-Tongued
Devil.”
New Year’s Eve and Sheriff Walt Longmire are at the
Durant Home for Assisted Living. His old boss and occasional chess opponent,
Lucian Connally, apparently left a space heater to close to the curtains in his
room, causing some damage. Known for his cantankerous ways, Longmire is there
to help keep things calm and peaceful. That is not going to be easy since
Lucian hates having to sit in the communal area with everyone else. It
certainly does not help Lucian’s mood that he is afraid he is losing his mind
in “Fire Bird.”
Mental stability is part of several stories in the
book and aspect of the preceding one. It is also a factor in “Unbalanced” which
also uses Sheriff Walt Longmire on the road traveling to get things started.
Cady is on the way home for the holidays and is scheduled to arrive in Billings
just before midnight. Sheriff Walt Longmire is on the way to the airport with
his always present canine companion, Dog, at his side. He stops as at empty gas station where the
pumps will take a credit card after hours in Garryowen, Montana, to get gas.
Clearly, the young woman sitting on the bench needs help on this incredible
cold night. The question is whether or not she will take it.
The aftermath of a truck crash on the snowy
interstate in “Several Stations” could have been worse. The driver who rolled
the semi did so at slow speed and escaped unhurt though as a precaution he has
been taken to the hospital. The truck and its cargo of toys did not fare so
well on this Christmas Eve. As the snow continues to fall and a wrecker is at
least 45 minutes way, Walt Longmire is left alone to babysit a crash scene that
should remain quiet. One just knows it won’t.
Sometimes folks accidently drive off without paying
for gas. The department has a way of handling those situations in “High
Holidays.” They also have a way of dealing with things when they escalate.
Cady has just arrived for the holidays in “Toys for
Tots.” She wants to make a stop at the local mall in Billings before they head
home. Longmire made the mistake of telling her they could go shopping when she
came home for holidays and now, she is calling him on it.
Unlike many of these preceding stories which are set
around Christmas, “Divorce Horse” is set on the Memorial Day weekend. It has
been few months since Walt nearly died in the Bighorn Mountains chasing the
convicts ,Vic seems to be sticking around, and soon to be married Cady has a
few questions in mind. That is all going to have to take a back seat to trying
to figure out what happened to Tommy Jefferson’s horse.
It is Thanksgiving and Longmire and Dog are at Red
Pony with Bear who is cooking the traditional dinner. They are not going to be
alone for long in “Thankstaking.”
Henry, Dog, and Bear, are coming back from a fishing
trip with a cooler of trout in “Messenger.” They are going to need them to
rescue Ranger Chuck Coon and a civilian from a possible bear attack. Rescuing them will be the easy part.
The book closes with a new story, “Petunia, Bandit
Queen of the Big Horns.” Sheep are involved in this tale that has far more to
do with inner character of people than anything else.
The twelve tales of Wait for Signs: Twelve
Longmire Stories are all good ones. Mysterious in many cases, they all
show various small details of the Walt Longmire character and his motivations
regarding people, animals, and cultures. All of the short stories in the book
are good ones well worth your time as are the novels that began with The
Cold Dish. If you have not read the novels, Wait For Signs:
Twelve Longmire Stories is an excellent introduction to the character
that has garnered so many fans worldwide.
Late last October Lesa Holstine reviewed Wait For Signs: Twelve Longmire Stories and you can and should read her review here.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://link.amazon/B0f2xKe5C
Material supplied by the good folks of the Plano
Texas Public Library System.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2014, 2026
Tuesday, October 27, 2026
Lesa's Book Critiques: Kevin’s Corner Annex – Truth to Power by S.A. Cosby
Happiness Is A Book: What Should You Know of Dying? by Tobias Wells
Jerry's House of Everything: UNDERAPPRECIATED STINKER: CLASS OF NUKE 'EM HIGH (1986)
Mystery Fanfare: Mystery Readers Journal: Cross-Genre Mysteries
Mystery Fanfare: HALLOWEEN CRIME FICTION // HALLOWEEN MYSTERIES
Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 38 Writing Contests in November 2026 - No entry fees!
The First Two Pages: “Last Train to Clarksville” by Michel Lee Garrett
SleuthSayers: File Purging
Publication Day Review: The Hollow: A Bosch Novel by Michael Connelly
As The Hollow: A Bosch Novel
by Michael Connelly begins, retired LAPD Detective Harry Bosch is at a
cemetery. Having undergone a recent knee replacement, he can’t chase anyone,
and is using a cane for support. He doesn’t plan on chasing anyone today though
he is definitely going to confront Gregory Talbot.
He knows without a shadow of a doubt
that Talbot killed his wife years ago. It has been 25 years since he did it and
got away with it. Jenifer was found beaten to death in her apartment where she
had recently moved. The scene appeared to be of an intruder that had waited for
her to come home from work and then killed her. Bosch knows that the scene was
staged and that the husband did it.
Back in the day, Bosch was very close to
breaking Talbot. They verbally fenced in the interrogation room for a couple of
hours and then Talbot asked for a lawyer and that was that.
He still wants justice for Jennifer. Good
thing he has the help of LAPD Detective Renee Ballard and her volunteer cold
case team.
That isn’t the only long dormant case
Bosch is working and seeking justice. Decades ago, after the murder of his
mother, Bosch was in the foster system. He spent a lot of time MacLaren
Children’s Center (MacLaren Hall). Allegedly a safe place for youth in the
foster system in Los Angeles, it was a very bad place.
In a way, Bosch was one of the lucky ones.
He was only physically abused. He was never sexually assaulted. He survived the
horrible place. His friend, Charlie Edward Lamb, known to all as “Chops,” did
not.
Bosch is convinced that Chops was
murdered back in 1965. There was a place, under the stairs, that was referred
to as “the hollow.” Bosch is sure Chops was killed in that space. Now that the
lawsuit has been settled with the county, and finds will be released to the
survivors, the legal case is over. Now, through his lawyer brother, Mickey
Haller, Bosch can finally see all of the discovery materials related to the
case. That includes internal reports of what happened to Chops and other kids
at the facility.
Those records give him a thread to begin
digging into the past. That digging will also bring him into a world of
problems.
The result is a complicated and very enjoyable
read. We learn quite a bit more, through flashback scenes of his memories of his
time at MacLaren Children’s Center (MacLaren Hall), how Bosch came to be who he
is now. While it would be best to read this series in order, one could safely
read The Hollow: A Bosch Novel first as references to other reads
are fairly minimal.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4xEuMRQ
I received a digital ARC, at my request,
of the book from the publisher, Little, Brown and Company, through NetGalley,
with no expectation of a positive review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2026
Monday, October 26, 2026
Little Big Crimes: Louie the Mailman, by Jim Fusilli
Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 22 Notable Writing Conferences and Workshops in November 2026
In Reference to Murder: Media Murder for Monday
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Hidden Haunts: A Creepy Collection of Forgotten Ghostly Places by Conner Gossel, illustrations by Natalie Dean
Jerry's House of Everything: INCOMING...AND A POEM
Aubrey Nye Hamilton Reviews: Midnight in the House of Commons: A Charles Lenox Mystery by Charles Finch
I was lucky
enough to receive an early copy of the newest book in one of my favorite series
via NetGalley. Charles Finch writes a wonderful historical series set in
Victorian London, nicely balancing credible characters with a clear portrayal
of a transitional time in English history. Midnight in the House of Commons,
the 16th case of Charles Lenox, a member of the aristocracy turned
amateur sleuth who now owns a detective agency, is set for release by Minotaur
in a couple of weeks on 3 November 2026. I am happy to report it is up to the
standard of its predecessors, maybe even a little better.
Charles
juggles multiple cases, including a shocking murder in the House of Commons,
where a womanizing conservative MP is found poisoned. The death has
far-reaching political consequences, as a hard-fought bill for relief of the
poor is tied in the House. With the loss of the dead member’s vote, the bill
will pass. One of the members known to favor the bill could not confirm an
alibi and is charged with the murder, even though a number of people had cause
to object to the victim’s personal life.
In addition,
Sari, one of the new members of the Lenox household introduced in the last
book, has incurred a romantic disappointment. The man she hoped to marry has
older relatives who object to her dark skin and she is devastated. Angela, on
the other hand, Lenox’s cousin and ward, is blooming happily with an
appropriate engagement and her study of government economics. The visitor to
the Lenox menage in this book is a cousin on Jane’s side of the family, an odd
young man whom the Lenox daughters tease unmercifully. And Lenox is approached
by another young lady whose fiancé has disappeared with no explanation, and
Lenox searches for him while he tries to sort out Sari’s romance.
The English
social structure is examined closely here, how various placements on the
invisible ladder affect life in particular for women, most clearly demonstrated
by the two young ladies who were not considered good enough for their
prospective husbands. The hotly contested bill for poor relief is a window into
the wide gap between the wealthy and the destitute, highlighted by the novels
of Charles Dickens. Then there is Laura Runcible, a newly wed matron with great
social ambitions, anxious to capture the Lenox couple as guests in her home, as
their status would enhance her own.
All in all,
this is a lively story with multiple plot threads and a considerable number of
characters. Followers of the series will enjoy it immensely. Readers new to the
Lenox saga will find enough back story to understand the narrative but will
miss the finer detail that has built up over the course of 16 books. An
excellent addition to a reliably good mystery series.
·
Publisher: Minotaur Books
·
Publication date: November 3, 2026
·
Language: English
·
Print length: 272 pages
·
ISBN-10: 1250433940
·
ISBN-13: 978-1250433947
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://link.amazon/B0b6DFvyu
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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