Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Mystery Readers Journal Market Call--- Food Mysteries
The next issue of Mystery Readers Journal will focus on Murder on the Menu: Food Mysteries. I’m looking for author! author! essays. 500-1500 words, first person, unclose and personal, about yourself, your mysteries and the ‘food’ connection. Think of it as chatting with friends and other writers in the cafe or bar. Add a 2-3 sentence tagline/bio and title. Deadline: April 10. Please send me a note off-digest if you’d like to be included. Feel free to send this to writers you’d like included. Thanks, Janet Janet Rudolph, Editor, Mystery Readers Journal www.mysteryreaders.org www.mysteryfanfare.com www.dyingforchocolate.com
Review: "Li’l Tom and the Pussyfoot Detective Bureau: The Case of the Parrots Desaparecidos" by Angela Crider Neary
Li’l Tom is a kitten that is doing
pretty good for himself these days as he heads up the elite Pussyfoot Detective
Bureau of Telegraph Hill located in San Francisco. The hill is a great place to
have a business as well as his residence because there are so many places to
hide and do cat things. Because
the humans of the San Francisco Police
Department aren’t interested, the Pussyfoot Detective Bureau helps animals with
their problems such as missing rubber toys, catnip traffickers, and
more. For Li’l Tom dodging dogs and noisy dive bombing feral parrots is
hard enough, but there is M’Cavity who is definitely the bad cat of the
neighborhood.
Named for his very bad teeth, M’Cavity
likes to mess with Li’l Tom. Fortunately, M’Cavity missed out on eating the
latest client of the Pussyfoot Detective Bureau. The offices located in a lower
section of steps near the sub-basement storage area of the Malloch Building are
not exactly where any self-respecting parrot would go unless he had to do so. But,
according to the Lovely Lola, Li’l Tom’s assistant, the bird sitting outside in
the tree is waiting for him.
While the only reason to tolerate a
parrot is as a snack, Li’l Tom takes all clients. Promising not to eat
the parrot and getting the parrot to agree not to peck or claw him, Li’l Tom
and the parrot sit down for a meeting. The parrot, Guillermo, wants their help
to find his missing sister, Judit who has been gone three days. He is highly
agitated with worry and as a result much louder in his vocalizations which is
not a good thing since parrots are pretty loud naturally. Guillermo says somebody had to have taken her
from the cage she lives in with Alan, Jamie, and Guillermo. Their home is located
one of the houses up the hill. Apparently was taken during the night just a few
days ago.
While she is a pretty strait laced
bird, she did have some shady friends. She may be missing because she was
flying around with some blue-crowned birds that were a bad influence on her.
Those birds are trouble as they stay out late and sip up stale beer from
puddles outside nearby bars and even hang out with the notorious M’Cavity among
other things. But, they may not be at
fault as something or someone else could have caused her to vanish. Guillermo
want her found and is willing to pay in the way Lil Tom likes best – Tender
Vittles.
It is a case of mystery and deceit
that will lead Li’l Tom, Lola, and a couple of animal companions to Chinatown
and back in search of not just Judit as well as a number of other missing
parrots. This cute and very clever book spins a tale that appeals to children
as well as adults familiar with classic mysteries. That along with some humor
and observations about humans and animals make Li’l Tom and the Pussyfoot
Detective Bureau: The Case of the Parrots Desaparecidos a fun and
mighty good read from Angela Crider Neary.
Li’l Tom and the Pussyfoot Detective
Bureau: The Case of the Parrots Desaparecidos
Angela Crider Neary
Tornado Alley Publications (imprint
of Prairie Rose Publications)
February 2015
ISBN
# 978-0692355640
Print
(e-book available)
172
Pages
$9.99
PDF
review copy was supplied by the author in exchange for my objective review.
Kevin
R. Tipple ©2015
Monday, March 30, 2015
Sandi Update
Back home and her blood work was okay. She got her shot and nothing more as everything was still fairly stable. Next appointment is Thursday.
Monday With Kaye: "Catch Me" by Lisa Gardner (Reviewed by Kaye George)
This week
for “Monday With Kaye” the subject is CATCH
ME by Lisa Gardner. Please welcome back Kaye George……
“Catch Me” by Lisa Gardner
The prologue plunges the reader into the lives of two girls
coping admirably with their mentally unhinged mother. Then we’re whisked into
the future and the life of twenty-eight-year-old Charlie (Charlene Rosalind
Carter Grant), whose best friend was murdered two years ago on the 21st
of January. One year ago, on the same date, her other best friend was also
murdered. The three girls were inseparable as children, after Charlie was sent
to live with her Aunt Nancy as a young girl. Charlie figures that, since it’s
now the 17th, she’ll be murdered, too. She doesn’t know why, or how
to prevent it, but wants the serial killer to at least be caught and punished.
So she contacts the person she deems best suited to catch the killer, Boston
Sergeant Detective D.D. Warren.
D.D. is dealing with her new baby, Jack, who doesn’t sleep much,
and with moving into Alex’s tiny suburban ranch house. Alex, a crime scene
expert and the father of Jack, wants to marry D.D., but she’s not ready to make
that commitment. To add stress to her already precarious life, her parents are
coming for a visit in two days. She’s also trying to track down the killer of a
series of pedophiles.
Charlie, a 911 operator, leads us, holding our breath, through
some tense emergency calls. The police don’t discount her weird request, to
find her killer after she’s dead, since she’s on their team.
The author admits to terrifying herself as well as her reader,
but she lightens the sometimes-grim mood with flashes of brilliant humor. I was
terrified, breathless, and hanging on every word as I read this book.
Reviewed by Kaye George, Author
of Choke,
for Suspense Magazine
Sunday, March 29, 2015
March 28 Issue of RTE
The March 28 2015 issue of RTE is out and includes fifteen new reviews
as well as a new interview:
http://www.reviewingtheevidence.com
Plus
Michael Kahn in the 'Sixty seconds with . . .' interview hot seat:
http://www.reviewingtheevidence.com/interviews.html?id=199
Reviews this week:
THE STRANGER Harlan Coben Reviewed by Sharon Mensing
A stranger arrives to give away closely held secrets, and danger and murder follow.
HUSH HUSH Laura Lippman Reviewed by Barbara Fister
Tess Monaghan isn't so sure she wants the job her friend Tyner Gray is urging her to take: evaluating the security of a woman who killed her baby and has returned to Baltimore to reconnect with her surviving daughters
THE DEVIL YOU KNOW Elizabeth de Mariaffi Reviewed by Cathy Downs
A young female reporter investigates a series of murders of adolescent girls, beginning with the abduction of a girlhood friend.
THE WINTER FOUNDLINGS Kate Rhodes Reviewed by Sharon Mensing
Alice Quentin, psychologist, must face a criminally insane child killer to help save a young girl who has been kidnapped in North London.
THE WHITES Harry Brandt Reviewed by Barbara Fister
A group of police officers get together to remember their "whites," the ones that got away, the ones they can't stop trying to solve.
THE BEAT GOES ON Ian Rankin Reviewed by Jim Napier
A wide-ranging collection of tales spanning Rebus's career showcases both his strong character and the moody atmosphere of Edinburgh.
THE FRIENDSHIP OF CRIMINALS Robert Glinski Reviewed by Phyllis Onstad
A tale of criminal rivalry in Philadelphia when the Polish mob has to defend its territory after a leadership change within the Italian criminal underworld
INVISIBLE CITY Julia Dahl Reviewed by Yvonne Klein
A young reporter for a New York tabloid investigates the death of an ultra-Orthodox Jewish woman and finds out more than she had anticipated about her own past.
ASYLUM Jeannette de Beauvoir Reviewed by Nicole Leclerc
Four brutally murdered women are found to be connected to a dark secret dating back to the 1950s when children born out of wedlock were confined to orphanages and asylums and shockingly mistreated and even killed.
ARCHIE IN THE CROSSHAIRS Robert Goldsborough Reviewed by PJ Coldren
Somebody takes a shot at Archie Goodwin; he and Nero Wolfe are determined to find the person before Archie gets killed.
INSPECTOR OF THE DEAD David Morrell Reviewed by Meredith Frazier
Thomas de Quincey and his daughter Emily help Scotland Yard detectives solve a series of gruesome murders that reach through the upper echelons of Victorian England’s elite and threaten the queen herself.
ALPHABET HOUSE (Audio) Jussi Adler-Olsen Reviewed by Karla Jay
World War II British pilots James Teasdale and Bryan Young are shot down over Germany and decide to hide out in a ward for shell-shocked patients, only to discover that some of them are malingerers, or worse
GAME OF MIRRORS Andrea Camilleri Reviewed by Diana Borse
Two bombs explode next to empty warehouses, perhaps targeting a local drug lord, but as Inspector Montalbano tries to find and apprehend the criminals a beautiful woman sets her sights on seducing him and the more he learns the less things make any sense at all. Then the murders start
MONDAY'S LIE Jamie Mason Reviewed by Christine Zibas
The secrets and spycraft taught to a young girl by her mother lay the pathway to safety for a woman whose husband begins acting strangely.
We post more than 900 new reviews a year -- all of them are archived on the site -- as well as a new interview with a top author every issue.
Yvonne Klein
Editor: ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com
http://www.reviewingtheevidence.com
Plus
Michael Kahn in the 'Sixty seconds with . . .' interview hot seat:
http://www.reviewingtheevidence.com/interviews.html?id=199
Reviews this week:
THE STRANGER Harlan Coben Reviewed by Sharon Mensing
A stranger arrives to give away closely held secrets, and danger and murder follow.
HUSH HUSH Laura Lippman Reviewed by Barbara Fister
Tess Monaghan isn't so sure she wants the job her friend Tyner Gray is urging her to take: evaluating the security of a woman who killed her baby and has returned to Baltimore to reconnect with her surviving daughters
THE DEVIL YOU KNOW Elizabeth de Mariaffi Reviewed by Cathy Downs
A young female reporter investigates a series of murders of adolescent girls, beginning with the abduction of a girlhood friend.
THE WINTER FOUNDLINGS Kate Rhodes Reviewed by Sharon Mensing
Alice Quentin, psychologist, must face a criminally insane child killer to help save a young girl who has been kidnapped in North London.
THE WHITES Harry Brandt Reviewed by Barbara Fister
A group of police officers get together to remember their "whites," the ones that got away, the ones they can't stop trying to solve.
THE BEAT GOES ON Ian Rankin Reviewed by Jim Napier
A wide-ranging collection of tales spanning Rebus's career showcases both his strong character and the moody atmosphere of Edinburgh.
THE FRIENDSHIP OF CRIMINALS Robert Glinski Reviewed by Phyllis Onstad
A tale of criminal rivalry in Philadelphia when the Polish mob has to defend its territory after a leadership change within the Italian criminal underworld
INVISIBLE CITY Julia Dahl Reviewed by Yvonne Klein
A young reporter for a New York tabloid investigates the death of an ultra-Orthodox Jewish woman and finds out more than she had anticipated about her own past.
ASYLUM Jeannette de Beauvoir Reviewed by Nicole Leclerc
Four brutally murdered women are found to be connected to a dark secret dating back to the 1950s when children born out of wedlock were confined to orphanages and asylums and shockingly mistreated and even killed.
ARCHIE IN THE CROSSHAIRS Robert Goldsborough Reviewed by PJ Coldren
Somebody takes a shot at Archie Goodwin; he and Nero Wolfe are determined to find the person before Archie gets killed.
INSPECTOR OF THE DEAD David Morrell Reviewed by Meredith Frazier
Thomas de Quincey and his daughter Emily help Scotland Yard detectives solve a series of gruesome murders that reach through the upper echelons of Victorian England’s elite and threaten the queen herself.
ALPHABET HOUSE (Audio) Jussi Adler-Olsen Reviewed by Karla Jay
World War II British pilots James Teasdale and Bryan Young are shot down over Germany and decide to hide out in a ward for shell-shocked patients, only to discover that some of them are malingerers, or worse
GAME OF MIRRORS Andrea Camilleri Reviewed by Diana Borse
Two bombs explode next to empty warehouses, perhaps targeting a local drug lord, but as Inspector Montalbano tries to find and apprehend the criminals a beautiful woman sets her sights on seducing him and the more he learns the less things make any sense at all. Then the murders start
MONDAY'S LIE Jamie Mason Reviewed by Christine Zibas
The secrets and spycraft taught to a young girl by her mother lay the pathway to safety for a woman whose husband begins acting strangely.
We post more than 900 new reviews a year -- all of them are archived on the site -- as well as a new interview with a top author every issue.
Yvonne Klein
Editor: ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com
Saturday, March 28, 2015
KRL This Week Update
If you love mysteries and you love food, don't miss this
review & giveaway of "The Cozy Cookbook" up in Kings River Life
Magazine this morning http://kingsriverlife.com/03/28/the-cozy-cookbookmore-than-100-recipes-from-todays-bestselling-mystery-authors/
Also up, an Easter short story with a bit of a mystery
twist by Nancy Brewka-Clark
http://kingsriverlife.com/03/28/bubble-bubble-tulips-are-trouble-an-easter-mystery-short-story/
We also have a review & giveaway of "Horse of a
Different Killer" by Laura Morrigan, along with a fun animal related guest
post from Laura http://kingsriverlife.com/03/28/horse-of-a-different-killer-by-laura-morrigan/
And the latest mystery Coming Attractions from Sunny
Frazier, along with a chance to win books from Tracy Weber and Lucy Arlington
http://kingsriverlife.com/03/28/coming-attractions-no-april-showers-edition/
We also have reviews & giveaways of 4 more mysteries
from Penguin authors-"Suspendered Sentence" by Laura Bradford, "Ladle
to the Grave" by Connie Archer, "Murder She Wrote: Aloha Betrayed"
by Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain, and "Assault and Pepper": A
Spice Shop Mystery by Leslie Budewitz http://kingsriverlife.com/03/28/more-march-penguin-mysteries/
And we have a fun article by Terry Ambrose about Scottish
mystery writers, from Arthur Conan Doyle to Catriona McPherson along with a
fun video interview with Catriona http://kingsriverlife.com/03/28/scottish-mystery-writers/
For our fantasy readers we have a review & giveaway of
the new fantasy novel by Patricia Briggs, "Dead Heat" http://kingsriverlife.com/03/28/dead-heat-by-patricia-briggs/
--
KRL is now selling advertising & we have special discounts for
mystery authors & bookstores! Ask me about it!
Mystery section in Kings River Life http://KingsRiverLife.com
Check out my own blog at http://mysteryratscloset.blogspot.com/
mystery authors & bookstores! Ask me about it!
Mystery section in Kings River Life http://KingsRiverLife.com
Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: New Story at Beat to a Pulp
Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: New Story at Beat to a Pulp: LastExit : LAST EXIT Chris Leek
Lesa's Latest Contest--- Ghostly giveaways
This week, I'm giving away copies of Carolyn Hart's Ghost Wanted and Paige
Shelton's If Catfish Had Nine Lives. Details on my blog at
http://www.lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com. Entries from the U.S. only,
please.
Lesa
Lesa Holstine
Friday, March 27, 2015
Davy Crockett's Almanack of Mystery, Adventure and The Wild West: Forgotten Books: THE LINKS - and - THE RETURN OF T...
Davy Crockett's Almanack of Mystery, Adventure and The Wild West: Forgotten Books: THE LINKS - and - THE RETURN OF T...: The Continental Op (short for Continental operative) has done a lot of returning. After making his debut in the story "Arson Plus&qu...
Chemo--Round 4:Part 2 Done
Second day of chemo is in the books and Sandi had a very hard time with it. This was, without a doubt, her worst one ever since all this began in 2011. She is home, in bed, and sleeping.
FFB Review: "Murder In Four Parts: A Dan Rhodes Mystery" by Bill Crider
The
days go by and once again it is Friday. That means it is time for Friday’s
Forgotten Books hosted by Patti Abbott. This week Evan Lewis is collecting the links at his Davy Crockett's Almanack of Mystery where he also has an excerpt from his short story The Continental Opposite which can be found in the May edition of Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine (AHMM).
Patti might be doing it this week or might not. I never saw an update on her blog as to what was happening. Even if she isn’t she will have the link to the designated link gatherer and I will fix this late Friday after we get home from Sandi’s chemo.
Patti might be doing it this week or might not. I never saw an update on her blog as to what was happening. Even if she isn’t she will have the link to the designated link gatherer and I will fix this late Friday after we get home from Sandi’s chemo.
By
the way---- I don’t say it enough---thank you all for your thoughts and prayers
here on the blog, by e-mail, and elsewhere across cyberspace. Sandi is having a
very hard time with this chemotherapy and it really helps all of us to know so many
folks are keeping her in their thoughts. We really do appreciate it.
This
week I thought I would run one of my old ones from way back on a series that
you must read. Not only is Bill Crider a class act and a wonderful human being,
he is a mighty talented author. Murder in Four Parts: A Dan Rhodes Mystery
is one of many installments in the Sheriff Dan Rhodes series --as you no doubt
figured out from the title---and is well worth your time as are all the other
ones.
Like many of us, Sheriff Dan Rhodes knows he really
can't sing and doesn't need some guy on a certain TV show to tell him. As a
sheriff, Dan Rhodes is asked to join just about every group in Blacklin County.
Most of the invitations he declines and he has every intention of declining the
current invitation to join the barbershop chorus. Hack, the dispatcher,
counsels otherwise and points out that it would help come election time.
The next election is more than a year out so Rhodes isn't worried about that. Elections are a sore spot with Rhodes anyway and he is more than a little tired of folks threatening him with their vote if he doesn't do things the way they want. Something that happens soon enough in the latest in the series along with a death.
Maybe the director of the barbershop chorus, Lyold Berry, wasn't interested in Rhodes singing. Maybe Lloyd Berry was hoping that if Rhodes joined the chorus, Berry would have some protection. Certainly his floral shop wasn't safe as that was where he was found dead behind the counter with his head bashed in. Proably due to the heavy metal wrench next to the body. Solving the case requires Rhodes full attention, but the frequent sightings of a naked man outside the local attorney's office, the chicken eating alligator, and a host of other things will fight for attention as well. That, and the constant reminders, like the drumbeat of the approaching storm, of the fact that the next election is coming.
On one end of the spectrum, you have Joe Landsale and his vision of East Texas. A vision of a landscape frequently populated by human beings full of violence, guile and twisted character. In his work there is a sense of the gothic coupled with a living breathing evil that many graphically and willingly embrace.
At the other end, you have the Dan Rhodes series by Bill Crider. A vision of East Texas where most are hardworking honest folks trying to do the right thing. A vision where occasionally, somebody slips up and kills somebody, but they never really meant to do it. It just happened and usually the victim bears some responsibility for his or her demise. And Rhodes just keeps asking questions until he catches the killer in one lie too many.
While both visions of East Texas have a lot of truth in them, Crider is doing for East Texas what Philip Craig did for Martha's Vineyard and Steven F. Havill has done for Posadas County, New Mexico. Unlike Havill who changed his series several novels ago by making his signature sheriff Bill Gastner nothing more than a minor player, Crider has kept Rhodes front and center in a series that consistently delivers a good read. You can't ask for more than that.
Murder in Four Parts: A Dan Rhodes Mystery
Bill Crider
http://www.billcrider.com
Thomas Dunne Books/Minotaur (St. Martin's Publishing Group)
http://www.thomasdunnebooks.com
February 2009
ISBN# 0-312-38674-0
Hardback
279 Pages
This book was provided by the good folks of the Plano, Texas Library System. Please support your local library. They work to help keep people like me sane. Right now they and a lot of authors are working serious overtime.
The next election is more than a year out so Rhodes isn't worried about that. Elections are a sore spot with Rhodes anyway and he is more than a little tired of folks threatening him with their vote if he doesn't do things the way they want. Something that happens soon enough in the latest in the series along with a death.
Maybe the director of the barbershop chorus, Lyold Berry, wasn't interested in Rhodes singing. Maybe Lloyd Berry was hoping that if Rhodes joined the chorus, Berry would have some protection. Certainly his floral shop wasn't safe as that was where he was found dead behind the counter with his head bashed in. Proably due to the heavy metal wrench next to the body. Solving the case requires Rhodes full attention, but the frequent sightings of a naked man outside the local attorney's office, the chicken eating alligator, and a host of other things will fight for attention as well. That, and the constant reminders, like the drumbeat of the approaching storm, of the fact that the next election is coming.
On one end of the spectrum, you have Joe Landsale and his vision of East Texas. A vision of a landscape frequently populated by human beings full of violence, guile and twisted character. In his work there is a sense of the gothic coupled with a living breathing evil that many graphically and willingly embrace.
At the other end, you have the Dan Rhodes series by Bill Crider. A vision of East Texas where most are hardworking honest folks trying to do the right thing. A vision where occasionally, somebody slips up and kills somebody, but they never really meant to do it. It just happened and usually the victim bears some responsibility for his or her demise. And Rhodes just keeps asking questions until he catches the killer in one lie too many.
While both visions of East Texas have a lot of truth in them, Crider is doing for East Texas what Philip Craig did for Martha's Vineyard and Steven F. Havill has done for Posadas County, New Mexico. Unlike Havill who changed his series several novels ago by making his signature sheriff Bill Gastner nothing more than a minor player, Crider has kept Rhodes front and center in a series that consistently delivers a good read. You can't ask for more than that.
Murder in Four Parts: A Dan Rhodes Mystery
Bill Crider
http://www.billcrider.com
Thomas Dunne Books/Minotaur (St. Martin's Publishing Group)
http://www.thomasdunnebooks.com
February 2009
ISBN# 0-312-38674-0
Hardback
279 Pages
This book was provided by the good folks of the Plano, Texas Library System. Please support your local library. They work to help keep people like me sane. Right now they and a lot of authors are working serious overtime.
Kevin R. Tipple © 2009, 2015
BETWEEN THE LIVING AND THE DEAD: A DAN RHODES MYSTERY is scheduled to be released on August 11, 2015.
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Chemo--Round 4: Part One-- Done
Sandi's blood work was really good today so she was able to start this round of chemo. She will have the rest tomorrow.
Next Monday we go back for the blood work, doc visit, and shot routine.
Next Monday we go back for the blood work, doc visit, and shot routine.
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Only 99 Cents for THE DEPUTY by Victor Gischler AND LOTS MORE
I very much enjoyed THE DEPUTY by Victor Gischler way back in July 2010 when I reviewed it here. For today and I don't know how much longer a digital copy is only 99 cents if you use the code DHS25 at Tyrus Books.
UPDATE--- More info from Ben Leroy as posted on Facebook:
UPDATE--- More info from Ben Leroy as posted on Facebook:
Everything we've ever published by Reed Farrel Coleman
is being featured as part of our March Madness sale today. $.99 ebooks
when you use discount code "DHS25" The sale also includes Craig McDonald's EL GAVILAN and Victor Gischler's THE DEPUTY.
THIRTEEN books for you. If you wanted all of them, you could make that happen for less than $13. Who loves you? I love you.
http://www.adamsmediastore.com/tyrus-books
THIRTEEN books for you. If you wanted all of them, you could make that happen for less than $13. Who loves you? I love you.
http://www.adamsmediastore.com/tyrus-books
Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: It's Never Too Soon to Get Those Orders In
Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: It's Never Too Soon to Get Those Orders In: Between the Living and the Dead: A Dan Rhodes Mystery (Sheriff Dan Rhodes Mysteries): Bill Crider: 9781250039705: Amazon.com: Books
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Another Look: THE FASTEST GUN ALIVE (1956 Western, starring Glenn Ford)
Another Look: THE FASTEST GUN ALIVE (1956 Western, starring Glenn Ford)
The Southwest Armchair Traveler: Review: Buried Treasures of the American Southwest...
The Southwest Armchair Traveler: Review: Buried Treasures of the American Southwest...: Buried Treasures of the American Southwest : Legends of Lost Mines, Hidden Payrolls, and Spanish Gold W. C. Jameson Publisher: Au...
Chemo Cancelled
Sandi's blood work indicated that her platelet count was way too low for chemo. Everything that was planned for today and tomorrow has been cancelled and moved back to Thursday and Friday. So, we ran a couple of errands and are now home.
Disabled World: Cancer Drug Prices Skyrocket Since 1995
Disabled World: Cancer Drug Prices Skyrocket Since 1995
By the time you read this we will be at Texas Oncology at Medical City Dallas Hospital so Sandi can do blood work and see the doctor before she starts another round of chemo later this morning. I don't know about prices going back to 1995. I can tell you that since Sandi was diagnosed in November 2011 we have seen some of the prices of the drugs she has to have not just triple and quadruple as some of the drugs have while most have gone up by a factor of ten. Are her drugs the "leading drugs" cited in the study? I have no idea.
By the time you read this we will be at Texas Oncology at Medical City Dallas Hospital so Sandi can do blood work and see the doctor before she starts another round of chemo later this morning. I don't know about prices going back to 1995. I can tell you that since Sandi was diagnosed in November 2011 we have seen some of the prices of the drugs she has to have not just triple and quadruple as some of the drugs have while most have gone up by a factor of ten. Are her drugs the "leading drugs" cited in the study? I have no idea.
Monday, March 23, 2015
Wildcatter Exchange 2015 March 27 – 29, 2015 In the Historic South Main Village in Fort Worth
Via Graham Powell and big time thanks .....
"If you want to tip off your readers to an event, there's a festival in Fort Worth this weekend. Jesse Sublett will be at The Gallery at Landers Machine Company at 207 East Broadway, Fort Worth, at about 3:00 Saturday, and Joe Lansdale will be there at 4:30.
The web site for the festival is http://www.wildcatterexchange.org/
"If you want to tip off your readers to an event, there's a festival in Fort Worth this weekend. Jesse Sublett will be at The Gallery at Landers Machine Company at 207 East Broadway, Fort Worth, at about 3:00 Saturday, and Joe Lansdale will be there at 4:30.
The web site for the festival is http://www.wildcatterexchange.org/
Amazon Adds New Review Options Via Drop Down Menus
The traditional way mentioned in the article is not always available as I discovered over the weekend while posting new reviews. I hate the new menu options, but I also hate two sentence reviews. This change seems geared to encourage more of the two sentence review style of things there.
Mystery author --Randy Wayne White-- in the area on Wednesday
Randy Wayne
White, author of the "Doc
Ford" mystery series will be in the area on Wednesday. He'll discuss his
book, Cuba Straits" at the North Richland Hills Public Library at 1:00 PM
and at the Allen Public Library at 6:30 PM that evening. Call each library
for additional details if interested.
Monday With Kaye: "The Setup Man" by T. T. Monday (Review by Kaye George)
Kaye George returns for another “Monday With Kaye” segment
that has quickly become one of the more popular ones on the blog. This week she
considers The Setup Man by T. T. Monday…..
The Setup Man by T. T. Monday
Don’t shy away
from this mystery if you’re not a baseball fan. The industry is seamlessly
interwoven into the story and you’ll pick up all you need to know without any
effort. If you are a baseball fan,
dive in headfirst.
Johnny Adcock
is a setup man for the San José Bay Dogs baseball
team. A setup man, in modern baseball, is a pitcher who is called in for only a
few pitches and not in every game. And he hardly ever bats. He has plenty of
free time and gets paid more money than he knows what to do with. So he does
private investigating in his off time, a profession he fell into but now loves.
The team’s backup
catcher, a young, genuinely nice kid named Frankie Herrera approaches Adcock to
solve his problem: some porno films his wife made before they were married.
When Frankie is killed in a car accident soon after that, the whole mess
doesn’t smell right. Adcock swings into action, assembling his off-diamond
team, a rainbow mix of oddballs. He soon discovers that what he knows is the
tip of a very deep, very dirty iceberg. Toss in his ex-wife and
fourteen-year-old daughter, and you’re in for a good read.
This is the
author’s first thriller, but I hope it’s not his last.
Sunday, March 22, 2015
New Reviews on Euro Crime: Alaux & Balen, Bauer, Bilal, Fowler, Hannah, Judd, Shepherd, Todd, Whitney
Here are nine reviews which have been added to the Euro Crime website
today, four have appeared on the blog since last time, and five are
completely new.
Please welcome new reviewer Ewa Sherman who makes her debut today.
A reminder that FriendFeed is being withdrawn on 9 April, so our crime and mystery group has new home on Facebook - Petrona's Crime and Mystery Friends (https://www.facebook.com/groups/699834836792798/). It's a closed group but there are admins in all time zones so you won't have to wait long to be approved. Do join us - new members are very welcome!
NB. You can keep up to date with Euro Crime by following the blog and/or liking the Euro Crime Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/eurocrimewebsite).
New Reviews
Laura Root reviews Jean-Pierre Alaux & Noel Balen's 'Deadly Tasting' tr. Sally Pane the fourth in their cozy Winemaker series;
Michelle Peckham reviews Belinda Bauer's 'The Shut Eye';
Lynn Harvey reviews Parker Bilal's 'The Burning Gates', the fourth in his Makana series set in Egypt;
Mark Bailey reviews Christopher Fowler's 'Bryant & May - The Burning Man', the twelfth in this series which features London's Peculiar Crimes Unit;
Amanda Gillies reviews Mari Hannah's 'Killing for Keeps', the fifth in the Detective Chief Inspector Kate Daniels series;
Ewa Sherman reviews Alan Judd's 'Inside Enemy' which is the fourth in the Charles Thoroughgood series;
Terry Halligan reviews Lynn Shepherd's 'The Pierced Heart', the fourth in the Charles Maddox series;
Terry also reviews Charles Todd's 'A Fine Summer's Day' a prequel in the Inspector Rutledge series
and Susan White reviews Rebecca Whitney's debut, 'The Liar's Chair'.
http://www.eurocrime.co.uk/review_list.html or via the blog: http://eurocrime.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/reviews-alaux-balen-bauer-bilal-fowler.html.
Previous reviews can be found in the review archive (http://www.eurocrime.co.uk/review_list.html)
Forthcoming titles can be found by author or date or by category, here (http://eurocrime.co.uk/future_releases.html) along with releases by year.
best wishes,
Karen M
@eurocrime
Please welcome new reviewer Ewa Sherman who makes her debut today.
A reminder that FriendFeed is being withdrawn on 9 April, so our crime and mystery group has new home on Facebook - Petrona's Crime and Mystery Friends (https://www.facebook.com/groups/699834836792798/). It's a closed group but there are admins in all time zones so you won't have to wait long to be approved. Do join us - new members are very welcome!
NB. You can keep up to date with Euro Crime by following the blog and/or liking the Euro Crime Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/eurocrimewebsite).
New Reviews
Laura Root reviews Jean-Pierre Alaux & Noel Balen's 'Deadly Tasting' tr. Sally Pane the fourth in their cozy Winemaker series;
Michelle Peckham reviews Belinda Bauer's 'The Shut Eye';
Lynn Harvey reviews Parker Bilal's 'The Burning Gates', the fourth in his Makana series set in Egypt;
Mark Bailey reviews Christopher Fowler's 'Bryant & May - The Burning Man', the twelfth in this series which features London's Peculiar Crimes Unit;
Amanda Gillies reviews Mari Hannah's 'Killing for Keeps', the fifth in the Detective Chief Inspector Kate Daniels series;
Ewa Sherman reviews Alan Judd's 'Inside Enemy' which is the fourth in the Charles Thoroughgood series;
Terry Halligan reviews Lynn Shepherd's 'The Pierced Heart', the fourth in the Charles Maddox series;
Terry also reviews Charles Todd's 'A Fine Summer's Day' a prequel in the Inspector Rutledge series
and Susan White reviews Rebecca Whitney's debut, 'The Liar's Chair'.
http://www.eurocrime.co.uk/review_list.html or via the blog: http://eurocrime.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/reviews-alaux-balen-bauer-bilal-fowler.html.
Previous reviews can be found in the review archive (http://www.eurocrime.co.uk/review_list.html)
Forthcoming titles can be found by author or date or by category, here (http://eurocrime.co.uk/future_releases.html) along with releases by year.
best wishes,
Karen M
@eurocrime
KRL This Week Update
Up this morning in Kings River Life Magazine a review &
giveaway of "Dying For A Cupcake" by Denise Swanson http://kingsriverlife.com/03/21/dying-for-a-cupcake-a-devereauxs-dime-store-mystery-by-denise-swanson/
Also up, a review & giveaway of "Swan Dive" by
Kendell Lynn, published by Henery Press http://kingsriverlife.com/03/21/swan-dive-an-elliott-lisbon-mystery-by-kendel-lynn/
We also have a fun article about the many women who have
played Agatha Christie's Miss Marple through the years in movies and on TV http://kingsriverlife.com/03/21/whos-your-favorite-marple/
And we have a review & giveaway of "My Troubles",
a mystery short story anthology by Molly MacRae http://kingsriverlife.com/03/21/my-troubles-ten-cozy-tales-of-mystery-murder-by-molly-macrae/
We also have a review & giveaway of "Quicksand"
by Gigi Pandian http://kingsriverlife.com/03/21/quicksand-a-jaya-jones-treasure-hunt-mystery-by-gigi-pandian/
And we have a mystery short story by Guy Belleranti http://kingsriverlife.com/03/21/murder-on-the-menu-a-mystery-short-story/
We also have an article about Dorothy Gilman's Mrs. Pollifax
http://kingsriverlife.com/03/21/dorothy-gilmans-neglected-mrs-pollifax/
Lastly, for those who also like fantasy, a review &
giveaway of "Witch Upon A Star" by Jennifer Harlow http://kingsriverlife.com/03/21/witch-upon-a-star-by-jennifer-harlow/
--
KRL is now selling advertising & we have special discounts for
mystery authors & bookstores! Ask me about it!
Mystery section in Kings River Life http://KingsRiverLife.com
Check out my own blog at http://mysteryratscloset.blogspot.com/
mystery authors & bookstores! Ask me about it!
Mystery section in Kings River Life http://KingsRiverLife.com
Saturday, March 21, 2015
Lesa's Latest Contest-- English Mystery Giveaway
This week, I'm giving away copies of Charles Finch's The Laws of Murder &
Edgar nominee for Best First Novel Murder at Brightwell by Ashley Weaver.
Details on my blog at http://www.lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com. Entries
from the U.S. only, please.
Lesa Holstine
Davy Crockett's Almanack of Mystery, Adventure and The Wild West: Forgotten Books: THE CONTINENTAL OP (1974) by Dash...
Davy Crockett's Almanack of Mystery, Adventure and The Wild West: Forgotten Books: THE CONTINENTAL OP (1974) by Dash...: I'm in an Op mood this week because my story "The Continental Opposite" (bringing the old guy out of retirement) appears i...
Dallas MWASW-- Reminder - next meeting April 4, 2015
R. Vance Dell
JONESTOWN 1978:
A Round Trip to the Heart of Darkness
Currently a radiologist and breast-imaging
subspecialist at John Peter Smith Health Network, Vance Dell
received his aerospace training in the U.S. Air Force and served
as a Flight Surgeon while stationed at Osan Air Force Base,
Republic of Korea, and Charleston Air Force Base, South
Carolina.
While Chief of Aeromedical Services in
Charleston, Vance received the Air Force Humanitarian Service
Medal for leading the medical elements of the massive rescue
mission for survivors of the Jonestown Guyana cult-related mass
poisoning tragedy. He has graciously agreed to share that
stunning experience with us.
Location:
The Dallas MWASW group meets the first Saturday of each month at Texas Land & Cattle, 812 South Central Expressway, Richardson, TX 75080. Meeting time is 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. There is a $5.00 door fee, cash only. All who attend are invited to remain for lunch. Contact info: james@gaskin.com--
James E. Gaskin
http://www.gaskin.com
Writer / Consultant / Speaker
Latest book: Email From a Dead Friend (Kindle)
Friday, March 20, 2015
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Kittens Can Kill by Clea Simon
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Kittens Can Kill by Clea Simon: Reviewed by Jeanne When animal behaviorist Pru Marlowe makes a house call, she expects to take a new kitten for a wellness check a...
BookEnds Literary Agency: Bill Crider's Cozy Reading Corner
BookEnds Literary Agency: Bill Crider's Cozy Reading Corner: This rocking chair belonged to my grandmother, and you can see behind it a small portion of the reading material I’ve accumulated to read w...
Update
Finally home as the place was an absolute zoo today. Blood work--when it was finally done an hour late-- was okay so they eventually sent us on our way.
Chemo next Tuesday and Wednesday.
Chemo next Tuesday and Wednesday.
FFB Review: "Unfaithful Servant" by Timothy Harris-- Reviewed by Barry Ergang
Barry is back this Friday with his latest review. One
of many that will be mentioned on Patti Abbott’s blog so make sure you also check the
list.
UNFAITHFUL SERVANT (2004) by Timothy
Harris
Reviewed by Barry Ergang
I
might as well say this right at the beginning: Unfaithful Servant is one of the best hardboiled detective novels
I’ve read in a long time.
I
discovered Timothy
Harris’s work in the early 1980s
when I stumbled upon a paperback edition of Good
Night and Good-Bye. Cover copy hyped it as being “in the tradition of The Long Goodbye,” which automatically demanded
that I read it because The Long Goodbye is my favorite novel. Read it I did, and found some
similarities to Raymond Chandler’s masterwork, but was also pleased to see that,
unlike too many other authors who tried unconvincingly to imitate Chandler,
Harris chose to write in his own style, which is colorful and entertaining. As
a result of loving the book, which I later acquired in hardback, I bought a
copy of Kyd for Hire, Harris’s first
novel about Southern California private investigator Thomas Kyd, which I recall
thinking reminded in me ways of The Big
Sleep, and which I also quite enjoyed.
Then I
waited over thirty years for another Thomas Kyd novel. Fortunately, Unfaithful Servant—which description can
refer to Kyd as well as to others in the story—was eminently worth the wait.
When
Kyd is approached by fourteen-year-old Hugo Vine, who offers him a
fifteen-thousand-dollar Rolex to watch his parents, his refusal sets the boy
raging insults and obscenities at him. A few months later he encounters Hugo
yet again. Their conversation is brief because Kyd is on a case and hasn’t time
for a lengthy chat.
Hugo is
the son of Hollywood actress Sally Vine and her late producer husband Daniel
Vine, as Kyd learns when he’s contacted by Sally’s lawyer and summoned to the
Vine home, threatened with the charge of contributing to the delinquency of a
minor. In attendance at the meeting are the lawyer, Hugo’s therapist, a deputy
city attorney, and a Robbery-Homicide detective with an attitude. It isn’t
until the meeting ends that Kyd meets Raj LaSalle, Sally’s current husband, and
Sally herself. The actress transparently manipulates the reluctant Kyd into
accepting the job of keeping an eye on Hugo, who may or may not be using or
dealing drugs, to learn what he’s up to and to prevent him from getting into
trouble.
Doing
so results in a stormy relationship with a determined, possibly disturbed, and
ultimately endangered Hugo because it isn’t long before Kyd learns that the boy
is certain his father’s death was not a skiing accident but a deliberate
murder, and that he, Hugo, is not only sure he knows who the killer is, but also
knows someone who claims to have witnessed the crime. As Kyd probes further,
additional deaths occur, at least one of which he’s accused of, and he has to
contend with cops who are honest but suspicious as well as others who are corrupt and brutal; sycophants
with delusions of cinematic grandeur and their monied idols; tabloid
“journalists;” a lawyer friend whose eye is always on the big,
constantly-remunerative score; and those who would harm a savvy but justifiably
depressed fourteen-year-old kid.
A successful
screenwriter, Timothy Harris knows his turf, vividly evoking the Hollywood film
community and the southern California landscape, external and internal. Building steadily to an intense finish, this is an
excellently-paced novel in which the characters, major and minor alike, are
three-dimensionally configured and examined insightfully. Not the least of
these is Kyd himself. Unlike the heroes of most private eye series, about whom
we’re told mostly superficial things and shown only their quotidian routines,
Kyd reveals significant moments about his past, including boyhood and familial
circumstances and events that shaped the man he has become, that were the
geneses of some of the demons he must contend with now.
Unfaithful Servant was originally released in a hardcover edition from Five Star
Publishing, which sells mainly to libraries. From what I’ve seen at Internet
sites, booksellers are asking high prices for it both in hardcover and advanced
reading copy paperback editions. As far as I’m aware, it has never been
released in a trade or mass market paperback edition. I read it in reasonably-priced
Kindle edition from Endeavour Press, which came out in 2014, but have not been
able to find it in other electronic formats.
As
has become all too typical in both physical and electronic books nowadays, this
one has a few typos and some incorrect punctuation. Fortunately they’re
relatively few, and most readers will find them ignorable. Two errors that
stood out for me were venal, in
discussing sin, when venial was the
intended word; and Invisible Man model
when the old Visible Man plastic
model is what Harris meant. The other errors are not likely to disrupt a
reader’s flow.
Unfaithful Servant is a must-read for fans of hardboiled private eye novels—provided they aren’t squeamish about
street language and graphic violence. Although Harris doesn’t inundate the
reader with raunchy verbiage, he doesn’t shy away from it when it serves to
delineate someone’s manner of expressing himself and his feelings. Some of the
violence is very explicit, especially that in a climactic moment in which a
character gets his comeuppance. I found it satisfying; others may find it gross.
Timothy
Harris, in my estimation, is a top-tier writer who merits the same kind of accolades
and esteem accorded to masters of the genre Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler,
Ross Macdonald, and Lawrence Block, among others. I highly recommend the title
under consideration here and its two predecessors, which I should reread one of
these days. The big question is whether there will be another Thomas Kyd
novel—and when. I hope the answers are Yes
and Soon because I probably don’t
have another thirty years ahead of me.
© 2015 Barry Ergang
Derringer Award-winner Barry Ergang’s written work has
appeared in numerous publications, print and electronic. Some of it is
available at Amazon
and at Smashwords. His website is http://www.writetrack.yolasite.com/.
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Crime Review Update
In our new edition of Crime Review (www.crimereview.co.uk) this week we have 16 reviews, together with Peter May in the Countdown interview hot seat: Crime Review can be followed on Twitter: @CrimeReviewUK Linda Wilson can be followed on Twitter: @CrimeReviewer Sharon Wheeler can be followed on Twitter: @lartonmedia This week’s reviews are: THE SHUT EYE by Belinda Bauer, reviewed by Linda Wilson Anna Buck has fallen apart at the seams since her son Daniel went missing. She’s convinced she can still hear his voice and so when Anna hears of a psychic who might be able to help, she jumps at the chance. HEAD OF STATE by Andrew Marr, reviewed by John Cleal With Britain on the edge of a political precipice, two bodies discovered in London, one a young investigative reporter, the other – minus head and hands – arouse little interest. There appears no connection, but both are part of a shocking secret at the heart of government. THE BURNING GATES by Parker Bilal, reviewed by Chris Roberts Investigator Makana is hired by a Cairo art dealer to find an Iraqi war criminal said to have treasures looted from Kuwait, but soon finds that several parties have an interest. THE GREAT ZOO OF CHINA by Matthew Reilly, reviewed by Sharon Wheeler A party of American VIPs is invited to view a spectacular new zoo in China. But the unveiling doesn’t quite go as planned. THE DEAD IN THEIR VAULTED ARCHES by Alan Bradley, reviewed by Linda Wilson After being missing for over a decade, Flavia de Luce’s mother is finally coming home to Buckshaw, but the fact that she’s returning in a lead-lined coffin is enough to dampen anyone’s enthusiasm. OSTLAND by David Thomas, reviewed by Arnold Taylor An idealistic young German policeman joins the hunt for a serial killer operating on the Berlin S-Bahn railway. When the investigation comes to a close he is transferred and takes up a position in the German Eastern colonies. THE ABRUPT PHYSICS OF DYING by Paul E Hardisty, reviewed by Sharon Wheeler Oil worker Clay Straker is hijacked at gunpoint in Yemen and has to choose between saving his driver and finding out why villagers near the company’s processing plant are falling sick. What he finds puts a price on his head. BETRAYAL by Will Jordan, reviewed by Linda Wilson When a sniper ambushes a motorcade of Russian security force members, Ryan Drake has to decide how far he’ll go to protect Anya, the woman he once had to break out of a top security prison. BEHIND GOD’S BACK by Harri Nykanen, reviewed by Chris Roberts Ariel Kafka, one of only two Jewish detectives in Finland, investigates a shooting and unearths connections to international finance. THIS HOUSE IS HAUNTED by John Boyne, reviewed by John Cleal Eliza Caine arrives at a remote hall to take up a position as governess to two children. From her arrival she is subjected to a series of strange and terrifying events as she struggles to unlock the secrets of their home. MORTAL BONDS by Michael Sears, reviewed by Arnold Taylor Jason Stafford is recruited by the family of a hugely wealthy fraudster who has just died in prison. His accounts just don’t seem to make sense and his family is convinced that a vast amount of money has been hidden away. Jason’s task is to locate it. THE HUNTER by Tony Park, reviewed by Chris Roberts Safari guide Hudson Brand is asked by an insurance company to check the details of the death of a woman in Zimbabwe. What he finds embroils him in a story of multiple murder. SAVAGE MAGIC by Lloyd Shepherd, reviewed by John Cleal Constable Charles Horton and magistrate Aaron Graham must solve a string of horrific murders of depraved aristocrats in 19th century London. THE NEW ENEMY by Andy McNab, reviewed by Linda Wilson Liam Scott, a new recruit to the elite reconnaissance platoon, is on his way to Somalia on a mission to gather intelligence about terrorists active in the area. EXPOSURE by Kathy Reichs and Brendan Reichs, reviewed by Sylvia Wilson When two of the Virals’ schoolmates are kidnapped, the gang are determined to find them. They find blood in the basement of the missing students’ house, and the Virals realise that their help is urgently needed. THE ANATOMY OF MURDER by The Detection Club, reviewed by John Cleal A re-examination of some the world’s most notorious murder mysteries by seven of the greatest classic crime writers of their age. Best wishes Sharon
Comment Moderation Enabled Due To Obnoxious Spammers
In recent days there have been numerous garbage comments from spammers flooding the blog. This includes folks who are registered with blogger. So, I have had to engage comment moderation in full again.
I'm sorry about this. Hopefully, in a few weeks I can set things back to where they were before a few idiots ruined it for everyone.
I'm sorry about this. Hopefully, in a few weeks I can set things back to where they were before a few idiots ruined it for everyone.
Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: 12 Super Short Stories You Can Read In A Flash
Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: 12 Super Short Stories You Can Read In A Flash: 12 Super Short Stories You Can Read In A Flash
Review: "Noir Riot" Edited by Lou Boxer, Cullen Gallagher, and Mathew Louis
After a short introduction by Cullen Gallagher as to
how the anthology “Noir Riot” came into being it is on to the reads. There are
sixteen authors in the book representing twenty-three works of short stories
and poetry. The works are presented in alphabetic order of the authors led by
Ken Bruen.
“I almost had it together.
Man, I came as close to
having it sweet as it gets.
I’d like to blame
Texas, just lay it all on the home star, let me off the
hook, throw my hands
up, go
“Weren’t for this
goddamn state, I’d be in clover.” (Page 1)
Our narrator isn’t happy and that is despite the
fact he loves mysteries and is currently working through the C. J. Box cannon. He
has been in Houston for five days waiting for Ray to have a good score set up
for them. But, things are not working out right in a dark tale that, in just a
few short pages, manages to set the tone for everything to follow in the book. A
highlight of “Trophy Hunt” by Ken Bruen is the numerous references to various
figures in the mystery community.
James is back in town in “Workman’s Comp” by James
Campbell and barely hanging on. James is also is looking for a big score and
Kenny has a plan. If things go right the two could make a very nice payday in
this story set in 1962.
“A Visit to the One-Eyed Man” by Bill Crider comes
next. Ralph Merchant is well known as the “One-Eyed Man” and he does not care
that the narrator wants to finish his bowl of chili. When the man’s enforcers
show up you do as you are told.
Two poems “Dark Harvest” and “Homicide Duty Ain’t
For The Lonely” by Thomas A Crowell, Esq., followed by the poem “Frankford
Avenue” by Melanie Dante.
Then it is back to the stories with “Rothko’s
Daughter” by Richard Godwin. Two addicts find each other on a London street one
night in a tale of art, deceit, and more.
Deceit is also part of the imagery in the next piece
titled “The Other Man’s Wife” also by Richard Godwin.
Miceli’s is never crowded at lunch despite its
legendary status in “Let’s Do Lunch” by Joseph Goodrich. Larry Wynman likes to
work on scripts there white eating lunch. Normally he is left alone, but on
this day Rick Turnbull shows up to pitch an idea to he has for an upcoming
film.
The poems “Echo Park, 1949” and “The Curfew affair”
(for Ross MacDonald) by Joseph Goodrich are next.
It was just supposed to be a fun personal ad in
“Casual Encounter” by Jake Hinkson. It was a way to blow off steam. Yet it gave
the married man with a nearly dead marriage quite the adrenalin jolt to put the
ad out there. Then he got a response and the ad suddenly became very real.
While many tales in the book are set out in California,
like Ken Bruen, Paul Krueger set his tale in Texas. The notorious “last outlaw”
One-Step Grimes is just days away from his execution in “One-Step’s Last Meal.”
He wants beer and chili for his last meal which is easy enough. But, he wants
to go one step further and make the chili himself using the family’s secret
recipe.
BV Lawson contributes the poems “Hidden Dance” and
“Waiting.”
Natasha came back to David’s place in “Sometimes the
Devil” by Daniel Moses Luft. Entranced by her east European accent, long black
hair, and a few other things about her, David has had a very good time. The
bill is about to come due in a very big way.
Poetry returns in a big way for the rest of the
book. The cheap Saturday night special is the “Bad Fun” as author Suzanne Lummis
reminds readers before considering the idea of “Wonder Woman, Private Eye.”
Next is “Kept In the Dark” by Charles Rammelkamp who
also offers “The Silent Scream.”
It is a very short poem that Stephen D. Rogers
offers with “My Dolls Hate Chicken Nuggets” but by far the most disturbing.
The poems “On Furlough” by John Ryan and “A Definition
of Noir” by Gerald So are the final two pieces of the book.
A seven page section of short bios titled “Who’s Who”
regarding the authors, editors, and graphic designer brings the 165 page book
to a close.
According to
the introduction, the title is Noir Riot because,
“Noir is
the riot. It always has and always will be.” (Page VII)
It certainly is in this
case where all the tales feature chaos and bedlam, gunfire, and the smell and
sight of blood on the ground, streets, and floors of the homes of these characters.
The blood is warm, cold, and everything in between in tales where the characters
sometimes have an idea things are going to get nasty and at other times not a
clue.
This is not a read where you end up feeling good
about yourself and things are tied off in a nice neat and positive way. No,
this is a read where it is kill or be killed, we are all doomed, and what can
appear to be a lucky break is more likely a doorway to a personally made hell
on this mortal coil.
Noir
Riot
Edited
by Lou Boxer, Cullen Gallagher, and Mathew Louis
Cover
Graphic Designer Jeff Wong
Noir
Con/Out Of The Gutter Online
September
2014
ISBN#978-0-692-29660-8
Paperback
168
Pages
$12.95
Material
supplied by Lou Boxer and Cullen Gallagher in exchange for my objective review.
Kevin
R. Tipple ©2015