Tuesday, September 29, 2026
Little Big Crimes: The Million Dollar Legs Matter, by Richard Helms
In Reference to Murder: Media Murder for Monday
Jerry's House of Everything: OVERLOOKED MONSTER FLICK: MONSTER FROM THE OCEAN FLOOR (1954)
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Book Lovers’ New England: A Guide to Literary Landmarks by Sheila Moeschen
Beneath the Stains of Time: The Hangman's Tree (1949) by Dorothy Cameron Disney
Monday, September 28, 2026
Aubrey Nye Hamilton Reviews: London Station: A Novel by David McCloskey
The fifth
book about CIA agent Artemis Aphrodite Procter, London Station (Norton,
September 2026) by David McCloskey is plainly inspired by recent events in the
United States. There’s a new president in the White House, who it was rumored
intended to lower the boom on the CIA. His pick for CIA director was an
unconventional one. Bobby Jerome started a home building company with three
employees and now it has more than 15,000 personnel. He has vowed to bring a
business perspective to the running of the agency, despite his complete lack of
knowledge or experience in the field, and reduce the budget which he considered
bloated. To do so, he brought several of the senior managers of his corporation
to fill the upper level slots, all as clueless as he is.
One of
Jerome’s first acts is to examine how much money the CIA is spending to support
its fellow agencies in other countries and sees the balance is heavily weighted
on the U.S. side. He unfortunately decides to withdraw support from the British
Secret Intelligence Service to better balance the relationship financially,
leaving some of their agents dead as a result. The SIS is in an uproar and, after
Jerome offends the chief of SIS in a meeting, he fires the CIA’s head of London
Station because he is too supportive of the British. In his place Jerome
appoints Artemis, despite her disinterest, and tells her she is in charge of
rebalancing the relationship.
Artemis is an
espionage agent to the core and she knows that all intelligence agencies work
together to assess threat and defend against it. After a few more demented
instructions from Jerome and his buddies, she decides she has to find a way to aggressively
protect the U.S.-British relationship and its agents while she protects
herself.
In the
meantime the abruptly terminated former head of London Station, whose pension
is being threatened by Jerome, has gone to work for a private intelligence
agency run by an eccentric billionaire for a purpose as yet unclear. The former
CIA chief of station still has an active Rolodex and he can draw on internal
sources to help him in his new work.
Artemis has
her work cut out for her in this galloping story of boots-on-the-ground
tradecraft and political maneuvers punctuated with wisecracks. One of Jerome’s
henchmen annoys her so severely she establishes a swear jar every time she’s
tempted to smack him. By the time the book ends, she’s graduated to a large
wastebasket that is overflowing with cash. McCloskey’s background in the agency
and his first-hand knowledge of the work show in every scene. A very good read.
Especially for fans of espionage thrillers.
·
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
·
Publication date: September 29, 2026
·
Language: English
·
Print length: 432 pages
·
ISBN-10: 1324123214
·
ISBN-13: 978-1324123217
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4iRyofB
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 27, 2026
Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 100 Calls for Submissions in October 2026 - Paying Markets
We Really Do Need Help
As I began the month, I am ending the month flat out
begging for help
Things are very brutal money wise. Not just with the
groceries, gasoline, and more, that is
hitting all of us. As occurred almost all summer, Scott did not work most of
August as there was not any work for him. The contractor neighbor has not used
Scott at all this month. There is no sign of that changing. No work means no
paycheck and no income.
He is applying for anything and everything and can’t
even get an interview. A lot of places are using AI chatbots, or AI as a
screening tool after the application is submitted, and he can’t get by them.
Even for entry level minimum wage jobs.
So, I am flat out 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 really need the help.
Please and thank you.
Saturday, September 26, 2026
KRL Update
Up on KRL this week reviews and giveaways of 4 mysteries featuring Halloween, fall, and the supernatural-"Murder at a Scottish Halloween" The Scottish Shire Mysteries by Traci Hall, "Death at a Scottish Halloween" The Scottish Isle Mysteries by Lucy Connelly, "Apple Pies and Poisoned Lies at the Cedar Falls Festival" Macki Smith Mysteries by Traci Hall, and "Any More Questions for the Corpse?" by J. J. Unthank https://kingsriverlife.com/09/26/halloween-spooky-fall-mysteries-for-your-october-tbr/
Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 51 Writing Contests in October 2026 - No entry fees!
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Taken at the Flood: A Hercule Poirot Novel by Agatha Christie
Scott's Take: Discount Dan: A LitRPG Adventure by James A. Hunter (Discount Dan’s Backroom Bargains series)
Discount Dan: A LitRPG Adventure by James A.
Hunter is the first book in his Discount
Dan’s Backroom Bargains series. James Hunter also has a series, Viridian Gate Online, that I tried
but could not get into. The Discount Dan’s Backroom Bargains series
is clearly inspired by the Dungeon Crawler Carl series, but has
its own unique elements.
Former Marine and current construction
worker Dan was at a party, got drunk, and passed out. When he woke up, he is in
the “Backrooms” located somewhere else in another part of reality. Thanks to
his drunken partying, he does not know how he got here or why he is wearing a
bathrobe, among other things.
Unfortunately for him, the monsters
waiting there are not going to let him get used to his strange new reality.
Shortly after arriving, he manages to anger one of the most powerful monsters
in the Backrooms, The Flayed Monarch, leader of the Skinless Court. So, he has
made a monster king angry. The same monster king who leads a court of humans, people
who are willing to skin themselves and others for their master…. Yep, they
sound like lovely people.
So, his goals are simple. Try to stay
alive, try to get somewhere safe, find food and water, get stronger and find some
allies.
This is an action-packed humorous
adventure with LitRPG elements and some entrepreneur spirit as Dan attempts to
set up a store in this hell hole. There
are some interesting characters such as Temperance, a furry wearing witch from
the Salem Witch trials armed with a machete, and Croc, a shape shifting polymorph
who befriends Dan and acts as a guide to this new reality. On the one hand he is a warm-hearted creature.
On the other hand, he also a ravenous monster at times. His diet consists of some
type of frozen yogurt and meat.
I read this through Kindle Unlimited
which has all three books that are out currently. The Second book in the series
is called Cul-De-Sac Carnage
where Dan is trying to set up a trading post with the Howlers a small eclectic
group of survivors who are trying to make it in the backrooms. To do this he
needs to clear out the 24th level which is a nice suburbia area filled with
feral Karens, Kannibal Kids, and the tyrannical HOA. Luckily, Dan has friends to
help.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4x6fODR
Scott A. Tipple ©2026
Friday, September 25, 2026
Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 49 Outstanding Writing Conferences and Workshops in October 2026
In Reference to Murder: Friday's Forgotten Books: The Hanging Doll Murder
Jerry's House of Everything: FORGOTTEN BOOK: STAR SURGEON
Review: Dead Drop: A Nathan Parker Detective Novel by James L'Etoile
Dead Drop: A Nathan Parker
Detective Novel by
James L'Etoile takes readers to south central
Arizona. As the book begins, Detective Nathan Parker works for the Maricopa
County Sheriff’s Office. Several years ago, his partner Detective Josh McMillan was killed. The murder was never solved and Parker has always felt he should
have died and that he should have made different choices that horrible night. Now
he is back in that same area to meet Billie Carson.
He knows Billie Carson and knows that
the reclusive woman doesn’t scare easily. She lives in an old trailer and
scavenges the surrounding dessert for things. It is a hard life. She has her reasons
for being out there and away from folks and he has never pried into her
business.
It was while she was out in the desert,
in a dry wash, she found the drum barrels. She thought they might be worth
something. She managed to get one open and found the body. She called Detective
Parker so he came out to meet her and see what she found.
What she found is the latest body drop.
Somebody is putting people in large drum barrels and dumping them out in the
desert. They are not doing a very good job of hiding the dump sites either, for
whatever reason. Chances are the bodies are of illegals coming across the
border and getting caught up in border violence. Though it could be something
more.
It does not take long before Detective
Parker realizes it is something way more. And he and Billie are very deep into
it with no help coming. They could easily be in barrels before anyone knows
they are missing.
A very good read that is also the first
book in an ongoing series. This title was released in 2022. The fifth and most
recent book, Darkness Falls: A Detective Nathan Parker Novel, was
released late last month.
Published by Level Best Books, Dead
Drop: A Nathan Parker Detective Novel is a mighty good read. There is
quite a lot going on here and I have only scratched the surface as to not cause
any spoilers. I can tell you though, as a warning, if you are claustrophobic as
I very much am, it might get you a bit in spots. Push through as the read is
well worth it.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4hoBxRU
My digital ARC reading copy came from the author a number of years ago with no expectation of a positive review. I was reminded that I had it in my massive TBR pile when he reached out about the new one in the series.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2026
Thursday, September 24, 2026
In Reference to Murder: Mystery Melange
Beneath the Stains of Time: Locked and Loaded, Part 8: A Selection of Short Impossible Crime and Locked Room Mystery Stories
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
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
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