Kevin's Corner: May 2015

Sunday, May 31, 2015

Sandi Home

Sandi is home and has done fairly well this afternoon and evening. So far so good and feel free to knock on wood.

As it stands right now she see the doc and does stuff Tuesday morning.

FROM DUNDEE'S DESK: Noteworthy Reads: NO TORRENT LIKE GREED by C.J. He...

FROM DUNDEE'S DESK: Noteworthy Reads: NO TORRENT LIKE GREED by C.J. He...: Late last week, I had the rare experience of receiving a nice surprise—make that two very nice surprises—in the mail. For starters...

Euro Crime Update

Here are six reviews which have been added to the Euro Crime website today, two have appeared on the blog since last time, and four are completely new.

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

Craig Sisterson reviews Mark Billingham's 'Rush of Blood', a stand-alone from a couple of years ago;

Terry Halligan reviews 'Winter Siege', begun by Ariana Franklin and completed by her daughter Samantha Norman, which is now out in paperback;

Michelle Peckham reviews Mari Jungstedt's 'The Dangerous Game' tr. Tiina Nunnally;

Amanda Gillies reviews 'The Crime Writer's Guide to Police Practice and Procedure, Second Edition' by Michael O'Byrne;

Rich Westwood reviews 'I Nearly Died' by Charles Spencer

and Susan White reviews Kerry Wilkinson's 'Scarred for Life', the latest in the Jessica Daniel series.

http://www.eurocrime.co.uk/review_list.html or via the blog: http://eurocrime.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/new-reviews-billingham-franklin-norman.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

Book Reviews: High Country Nocturne by Jon Talton (Buried Under Books Blog)

Authors Guild Dumps Author Solutions (And Pretends It Was All A Bad Dream)

13 Struggles All Tall People Have to Deal With

Review: "Gathering Prey: A Novel" by John Sandford

The latest in a long series from author John Sandford, Gathering Prey opens with Skye and Henry befriending Letty, the adopted daughter of Lucas and Weather Davenport. Letty knows very quickly that Skye and Henry are part of a group known as “Travelers” and spends some time with them learning about how they move around the country. Their lifestyle is far away from Letty’s life as a student at Stanford.

During the course of a fast food meal Henry and Skye tell her about someone they know as “Pilot” and his band of disciples. As Skye explains it becomes clear that Pilot is basically head of a small cult whose members will do anything for him. The man they know as Pilot preaches his own brand of end

of the world of end of the world fanaticism known as “The Fall.” Skye believes he and his people will kill and have done so though Henry just thinks the dude is cool as well as a bit odd. The man has movie connections and Henry very much would like to be in the movies.

Weeks pass into summer, Letty is back home in Minnesota, and Henry disappears. Skye is alone, scared, and calls Letty for help. Letty arranges for Skye to get to Minnesota. She also talks to her dad, Lucas Davenport, about the situation. Lucas works for the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and is very good at his job when left alone to do his job. The politics of the job is increasingly interfering with his primary job of catching killers. Lucas believes the bosses are supposed to deal with the media and the flack of the cases when necessary while leaving him free to do his job of getting the bad folks off the streets. Increasingly it is becoming apparent to Lucas that containing costs and covering one’s backside is taking over in favor of getting the job done. He has enough going on without Letty bringing him something that most likely is nothing more than Letty being played by scammers for money.

Though he should be working a couple of other things, he agrees to meet Skye and listen to what she has to say. That meeting changes everything because there is enough there to get him interested enough to make a couple of calls. Those calls lead to other nuggets of information worth pursuing. That daisy chain of connections gets strong and stronger and before long, Lucas is far from home and Minnesota as he chases a crazed idiot and his followers bent on escaping at all costs.

The latest in the long running series is a good one though not nearly at the level of earlier books in the series. Family has been a major theme in many of these novels and such is the case here in Gathering Prey where Letty takes a major role. A role that could be further expanded depending on how the author decides to take things as a result of the turning point ending of the book.

At the same time, the book is predictable in that from the first few pages readers once again know who the bad guys are. That is quickly confirmed as the point of view switches to follow them again and again throughout the book as they do the bad things you would expect from deranged whack jobs. As they escalate their violence and the manhunt comes closer to them, it becomes more and more clear that this is a thriller style novel featuring shallow deranged whack job characters, plenty of action, and not the mystery we used to see in this series. The read quickly becomes all about the case with the good guys in hot pursuit all across the countryside of the upper Midwest and bad guys doing very bad things. Everyone has guns as do the numerous civilians who become heavily involved towards the end of the book.

This is not to say that Gathering Prey is not a good book. It is. One just has to read it for what it is and not what one wants it to be as expressed in many of the negative reviews. One has to understand that this series, especially over the last several books, has changed to a thriller series. Gone are the complex mysteries of the earlier books in the series. Gathering Prey is billed as the 25^th book of the series and things have changed over time. Expecting the exact same kind of book the reader got in book five, book ten, etc. is foolhardy and shows a lack of understanding regarding how series change over time.

Those who can’t get enough of Virgil Flowers will also be thrilled to know he has a presence in this book.

Gathering Prey, while certainly not the best in the series, is one that is good.

Gathering Prey: A Novel

John Sandford

http://www.johnsandford.org

Thorndike Press (Gale Cengage)

http://www.gale.cengage.com/thorndike

May 2015

ISBN# 978-1-4104-7725-5

Large Print Hardback (also available in hardback, audio, and e-book)

533 Pages

$35.99

Material was picked up at the Haggard Branch of the Plano Public Library System to read and review.

The previous book in this series is Field of Prey and the review is here.

Saturday, May 30, 2015

Ed Gorman's blog: Harry Shannon:THE DEVIL IN THE CLOCK: MICK CALLAHAN RETURNS

Sandi's Status

Sandi Today--Picture by Scott

Sandi is doing okay all things considered. For the most part the chemo has done okay so far and not made her too nauseous. She is able to eat, but nothing tastes any good to her and she has very little appetite. The chemo has steroids in it and that is messing up her ability to sleep.

One of the chemo drugs has a strong potential side effect of dry eyes. So, they put drops in her eyes to prevent that. The drops triggered a massive and severe allergic reaction within minutes as her eye lids swelled and began to itch, her eyes went very blood shot, and then the swelling started extending away from the eyes. They were able to stop the spread fairly quickly and then they were able to reverse it and clear most of it up. Her eyes still are bothering her some, but nothing like they were.

They are running tremendous amounts of saline and other liquids through her by IV to try and keep her kidneys function. So far they seem to be handling the chemo beating okay which was a major concern going into all this.

She will get another chemo drug late this evening into the overnight hours. Assuming all continues to go okay, they plan on releasing her sometime tomorrow afternoon.

Our next doctor/blood work/ shot visit is scheduled for Tuesday.

My Ongoing Mental State Explained Simply

A non-writing writer

KRL This Week Update

Up this morning in KRL a review & giveaway of 2 books by Elaine Viets--her newest one Checked Out and the one before that Catnapped, along with a very interesting interview with Elaine http://kingsriverlife.com/05/30/checked-out-catnapped-by-elaine-viets/

We also have another fun group of mysteries from Penguin-Hiss and Tell by Claire Donally Ming Tea Murder by Laura Childs, The Book Stops Here by Kate Carlisle, and One Foot in the Grape: A Cypress Cove Mystery By Carlene O’Neil.

http://kingsriverlife.com/05/30/more-fun-may-penguin-mysteries/

And the latest mystery Coming Attractions from Sunny Frazier http://kingsriverlife.com/05/30/june-coming-attractions-its-summer/

And we also have a never before published mystery short story by CL Shore http://kingsriverlife.com/05/30/sleeping-dogs-a-mystery-short-story-2/

We also have a review & giveaway of Antiques Swap by Barbara Allan http://kingsriverlife.com/05/30/antiques-swap-by-barbara-allan/

And a mystery poem by Patricia Morin http://kingsriverlife.com/05/30/cold-pizza-hot-beer-a-mystery-poem/

As we continue to celebrate our anniversary we have another KRL staff profile--this one on of our mystery reviewers Cynthia Chow http://kingsriverlife.com/05/30/krl-staff-profile-cynthia-chow/

And lastly for our fantasy readers, a review & giveaway of Witches With the Enemy by Barb Hendee http://kingsriverlife.com/05/30/witches-with-the-enemy-by-barb-hendee/

Happy reading,

Lorie

--

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/

Daredevil on Netflix

I was not going to fool with this as it just did not look very good to me and streaming is such a hassle. But, my son Scott thought it was pretty awesome. Then, Barry Ergang talked it up and Glenn Walker

said it was good. I figured I would take a look and didn't expect much.

Despite streaming glitches over several days I managed to watch the entire first season and thoroughly enjoyed it. It is violent, chaotic, and complicated and well worth your time.

I don't do movie or television reviews well so I point you again to Glenn Walker's review of the first episode here. By the way, if you are on Twitter you should follow him.

SleuthSayers: Rooting for the Bad Guy (John M. Floyd)

SleuthSayers: Rooting for the Bad Guy: by John M. Floyd A few days ago I found myself in an unusual situation. I was between books (I'd just finished reading one and hadn&#3...

Friday, May 29, 2015

FREE BOOK ALERT--- ALIVE INTO HELL by BJ Bourg

ALIVE INTO HELL by BJ Bourg is currently FREE to all at Amazon. My review from last September is here.

Friday's Forgotten Books--The List

25 hot books for summer (USA Today)

Prizes Aplenty in Canada and Maine

Review of The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl (Bookblog of the Bristol Library)

FFB Review: "MR. MONK AND THE DIRTY COP" (2009) by Lee Goldberg

Barry has been shouldering the majority of the load each Friday recently and does so again this week as he reviews MR. MONK AND THE DIRTY COP by Lee Goldberg. For the complete list of all the suggestions this week make sure you head over to Patti Abbott’s blog.

MR. MONK AND THE DIRTY COP (2009) by Lee Goldberg

Reviewed by Barry Ergang

Obsessive-compulsive and phobic since childhood, Adrian Monk was a San Francisco Police Department homicide detective with an enviable arrest record until he had a complete breakdown after his wife was murdered. After his recovery, which took several years, his obsessive-compulsive disorder and phobias intensified by his loss, he applied for reinstatement into the SFPD but was turned down. His good friend Captain Leland Stottlemeyer put him on his department’s budget as a consultant and has used him ever since whenever a particularly difficult murder case presents itself.

In the novel under consideration, substantial budget cuts have compelled Stottlemeyer reluctantly to eliminate Monk’s consultancy, so that he and, by extension, his assistant (and the story’s narrator) Natalie Teeger, are out of work.

Somewhat more episodic than most of its predecessors in the series, the novel has Monk casually solving a multitude of murders throughout because he simply can’t help not doing so and, eventually, because he and Natalie are hired by Intertect, an elite private investigative agency run by former cop Nicholas Slade. One of the meatiest cases he’s assigned concerns the murders of several judges. The client is one Salvatore Lucarelli, a big-time mobster currently in jail and awaiting trial. The novel’s other major case, which Monk looks into independent of the agency, to Slade’s great exasperation, concerns the killing of Paul Braddock, former SFPD detective now working in the desert town of Banning, who is an old colleague/enemy of Captain Stottlemeyer’s. Braddock is the titular dirty cop who has recently had both verbal and physical altercations with Stottlemeyer. The evidence in his death points overwhelmingly to the captain, but Monk knows Stottlemeyer is no murderer. Out of loyalty to the man who has always been unswervingly loyal to him, he sets out to prove it by tracking down Braddock’s actual slayer.

Author Lee Goldberg has conveyed in this outing Monk’s idiosyncrasies to great effect, as usual, inducing a lot of smiles and occasional out-loud laughter. (Monk’s embrace of a device called the Diaper Genie^* that he sees as one of mankind’s salvations is in itself worth the price of admission.) A predominant aspect of this particular entry in the series is Natalie’s identity crisis. It’s well handled without becoming cloying, marks a rite of passage for Monk’s oft-harried assistant, and adds depth to her character.

Mr. Monk and the Dirty Cop is easy to recommend.

^*I had no idea if this item was real or fictional, so I looked it up on-line. It’s real.

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, May 28, 2015

The New Chemo Plan

After spending several hours at Texas Oncology having blood work, a doctor visit, and some chemo Sandi was finally admitted to the Medical City Dallas Hospital late this afternoon for further chemo. As we understand things now, they are trying a different drug combo of four or five drugs that relate to what was successful back when this nightmare started.

Obviously, the hope is that her body will respond to these drug variations. It damn well better.

She will be getting chemo around the clock the next four days. Depending on how things go she might be out Sunday, but more likely Monday.

Review: "Adventures Of Cash Laramie and Gideon Miles Volume II" by Edward A. Grainger (David Cranmer)

U.S. Marshal Cash Laramie is a man of two worlds. Born of white heritage and raised by the Arapaho, he lives these days with one foot in the white man’s world and a foot--- maybe even his soul--- in the world of the Arapaho. Along the way he dispenses justice as he sees fit earning the moniker of being the “Outlaw Marshall.”

After a forward by Alec Cizak, that origin of Cash Laramie is detailed in the novella “Origin of White Deer” with Chuck Tyrell. Orphaned at the battle of Fall Creek, he was raised by the Arapaho. He came of age at twelve earning the name “White Deer,” but it would be until the following year when everything changed. It was time for him to return to the white man’s world. As it did at the battle of Fall Creek all those years ago his entire world is about to change in a tremendous way.

Banker Jacob Whitney isn’t happy about his daughter and her behavior in “Maggie’s Promise.” Cash Laramie has found her and is pretty disgusted by the banker in so many ways.

Marshal Gideon Miles and his prisoner Jarvis Kincaid are headed towards Gavelin, Wyoming in “Miles In Between.” It is about the final five miles of the trip and then the Marshal can finally turn over this man accused of murdering a local woman to the authorities. Jarvis Kincaid claims he didn’t kill anyone and has a pretty good idea who did it. His argument makes some sense to the Marshal who begins to consider what he is being asked to do. What if Jarvis did not kill the town’s most prominent resident, Mrs. Peterson? Miles could be taking the man to a hanging for a crime he did not commit.

Cash Laramie is back in the next western tale “Cash Laramie and the Painted Ladies.” Cash has stormed into the bordello as the story begins to talk to Vanessa Lynn. She runs the place and Marshal Laramie wants to know where Johnny Dice is as well as the missing ten thousand dollars in bank money. Despite his best efforts, Tobias Sabin is dead and the Marshal is in no mood to put up with any interference by anyone.

Chuck Tyrell also contributes with the next story titled “Gun Justice.” Cash is in Macyville to avenge the murder of a friend. Cash wants very badly to kill the cocky young man. Just maybe Brant Macy will oblige him.

As “Cash Laramie And The Masked Devil” begins Marshal Robert Boland and Deputies Hayes and Reed are to escort money to the bank. That is until they are attacked, Bolan is killed, and the money is stolen all in front of the citizens of the small town of Pleasance. Not only was it not a pleasant evening it all done by one person dressed up as the Devil. While some claim that the figure was the spirt of a dead Arapaho leader, Cash Laramie does not believe that for one second. 85,000 thousand dollars is missing with the murderer still at large. Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Devon Penn wants the money recovered and the person responsible for this murder. A person who has struck before and will continue to do so unless he is stopped. The boss is sending Cash as well as his friend and fellow Marshal Gideon Miles to work the case.

Cash Laramie is really trying one on in “Reflections In A Glass of Maryland Rye.” Cash has good reason to get as drunk as possible as it is an anniversary of sorts. One that he could well do without.

Edward A Grainger, also known to many as David Cranmer, has created a series of Westerns that feature complex characters, a mystery or two, and plenty of action. The tales often touch on issues of the day that have just as much relevance now in our supposedly modern and civilized world. Adventures Of Cash Laramie and Gideon Miles Volume II is a mighty good read that can also be read as the first book in a mighty good series.

Adventures Of Cash Laramie and Gideon Miles Volume II

Edward A. Grainger (David Cranmer)

Beat To A Pulp

http://www.beattoapulp.com

October 2011

ASIN# B005RTV86E

E-Book

109 Pages (Estimated)

$1.49

This is one of those cases where I am not sure if the author sent it to me or I bought it using funds in my Amazon associate account. Either is possible, but I suspect the author sent in my way for my use in an objective review. According to Amazon I have had this book in my library since December 29, 2011.

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

BookEnds Literary Agency: New Ways to Annoy Agents

BookEnds Literary Agency: New Ways to Annoy Agents: Maybe I was just in a bad mood, but I recently received a request that set my teeth on edge. I mean this really irritated me. Not too long...

Not just agents. I get about twenty of these as week. Why somebody thinks I will do this sort of thing I have no idea.

Second worst offender is LinkedIn where folks want to link with me and then spam me about their book. Often they have done zero research about what I read/review and therefore their spam is even more worthless. I have never once accepted a book for review purposes through LinkedIn.

Taking a Shine to Summer Crime

Pierce’s Picks

Review: "The Julius Katz Collection" by Dave Zeltserman

After a forward by author Ed Gorman comparing and contrasting the differences between Julius Katz and Nero Wolf as well as considering how these short stories relate to Dave Zeltserman’s body of crime novels, it is on to the stories in The Julius Katz Collection. If you have never read some of these tales courtesy of his many appearances in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine you are in for a real treat. Even if you have read them before it is always very enjoyable to read them again as well as the new tale just for this collection.

In the award winning novelette “Julius Katz” the latest client for Boston’s most famous and eccentric detective Julius Katz is the 53 year old Norma Brewer. Accompanied by her slightly younger sister, Helen Arden, she wishes to discuss a family matter. A family matter she refused to tell Archie, Julius’ artificial intelligence sidekick, about over the phone thus preventing any real planning by Julius prior to their meeting.

The issue involves their 83 year old mother, Emma, who is suffering from the beginnings of Alzheimer’s. While provisions were made for various things by their father six years ago before he died from cancer, their brother Lawrence has taken over all of the legal aspects of their mother’s situation. Julius does not like family disputes and wants no part of this situation. However, like many a detective before him, he does need the money and Norma Brewer is willing to pay. He takes the case with some stipulations including meeting their mother so that he and Archie can assess her condition. While very reluctant at first, soon Julius is hard at work in a case that quickly takes a dark and sinister turn.

Next up is another award winning story with “Archie’s Been Framed.” As this one opens Julius has plenty of cash in the bank. That means he is not going to be inclined to take a new case for several months. What Archie sees as being lazy, Julius sees as enjoying the finer things of life. Work is not the priority for Julius, but for Archie work helps him refine his neural network. Improving his ability to analyze is a constant theme for Archie, a two inch long piece of advanced technology that appears to be an ordinary tie clip.

With his current love interest Lily Rosten out of town visiting her parents in upstate New York. Julius is in a bit of a funk. A funk that a case would help lift. There is no sign of that until Archie discovers that Denise Penny, a 27 year old woman Archie has been in contact with, has been murdered. Unfortunately, Archie quickly becomes a suspect in her murder. Though he can easily be cleared if the true nature of his existence were revealed, it can’t be disclosed. Julius does not have a choice – he has to investigate and clear Archie.

Even Boston’s most brilliant and eccentric detective Julius Katz has to serve jury duty. In “One Angry Julius and Eleven Befuddled Jurors” he has had enough with the trial and the state’s case. Any one paying attention should have come to the same conclusion and realized the state is going after the wrong person. Fortunately, Katz and his artificial intelligence side kick, Archie, can fix things if---allowed.

“Archie Solves The Case” is the title of the next story. It also happens to be an award winner. Boston’s brilliant investigator Julius Katz does not work unless he absolutely has to make some money. For his artificial intelligence sidekick, Archie, this is a frustration. As much as he can feel or recognize frustration, because Archie uses their cases to build on his neural network. Archie does not expect Julius Katz to meet with this latest potential client, Henri Chervil, but Julius surprises him and easily agrees to a meeting.

Julius soon figures out why the legendary detective agreed to meet Chervil as well as why Chervil wants him. Since Chervil was arrested by Cambridge Police for assaulting a fellow chief by the name of Jasper Quayle it seems pretty obvious what he wants. What Julius wants seems obvious as well to Archie. However, as Archie soon learns, not everything is in the files and databases and real people are often far more complex than their fictional counterparts.

Charles Rosten swears he did not do it in “Julius Katz And A Tangled Webb.” Sitting in the Monro County Jail in Rochester, New York he faces murder charges in the death of his business partner, George Webb. The evidence is so stacked against him that Archie has calculated the odds of a not guilty verdict as being zero. The fact that he is the father of Lily Rosten who Julius has been dating for six months now means there is a more personal stake in the case than is often the case.

“Julius Accused” opens with Archie informing Julius that 39 year old Linds Harnsworth is publicly trashing Julius again. This time he is doing it via reporter for Channel Four News. In one of several interviews he gives to local media he claims that Julius threatened him the night before. Archie can’t prove Julius didn’t since Julius went out for the evening and left Archie at home.

While Julius seems unconcerned about the public media bashing and refuses to discuss the matter, Archie thinks something has to be done and begins investigating on his own. Archie knows that Linus Harnsworth is, at best, a liar. Proving it as well as a few other things is going to take some time.

Wine and food are frequent items in these stories as Julius does love the finer things of life. In the novella “Julius Katz And The Case Of A Sliced Ham” both are very much present as is a murder. The murder of Arthur Trewitt when someone stuck a twelve inch chef’s knife into his chest has rocked the local theater world. It has been three weeks since the murder and things have reached a crisis point for those involved in a play that the actor was to appear in any day now. The man in charge of putting on the play, Theodore Dreckle, is desperate for Julius Katz to take the case and identify the murderer.

Archie knows that Julius is not eccentric though he might very well be brilliant. He also knows that Julius hates working and with his bank account doing just fine right now he has zero motivation to take the case. Soon, Julius has his reason and before long he and Archie are hard at work trying to figure out who did it among a cast of folks that have considerable acting skills. They might be better off trying to herd stray cats.

As Ed Gorman noted in the forward, the tales in The Julius Katz Collection often hint at the darkness that is far more prevalent in the author’s crime novels such as Pariah, Small Crimes and Bad Thoughts among others. These tales also often feature humor which is in short supply in those books. Both are often depicted through the interplay between Julius Katz and Archie. Like many with are artistic temperament, Julius is often a bit prickly at times, but he gets the job done in always enjoyable ways.

That coupled with intriguing cases featuring complex mysteries, plenty of multi-dimensional characters and an artificial intelligence becoming more and more human like make these stories a lot of fun. The Julius Katz Collection features a lot of good reading and is well worth your time.

The Julius Katz Collection

Dave Zeltserman

http://www.hardluckstories.com

Top Suspense Books

http://topsuspense.blogspot.com/

November 2014

ASIN: B00P8EDITI

E-Book (also available in paperback)

352 Pages

$4.99

The author provided me a e-book review copy quite some time ago in exchange for my objective review.

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Business Musings: Writing by Committee (Kristine Kathryn Rusch)

10 rules for making it as a writer, by Dennis Lehane (The Telegraph)

2015 Harper Lee Prize Finalists for Legal Mysteries (Mystery Fanfare)

The Last Coloring Book List You'll Ever Need (Part 3 - Single Books)---A Bookseller Recommends Blog

The Last Coloring Book List You'll Ever Need (Part 3 - Single Books)---A Bookseller Recommends Blog

Earlier books in the series:

The Last Coloring Book List You'll Ever Need (Part 2 - Mandalas)-- A Bookseller Recommends Blog

The Last Coloring Book List You'll Ever Need (Part 1 - So Many Choices...)

5 Rules For Getting Your Query Read (BookEnds Literary Agency)

Review of The Courthouses of Central Texas at Lone Star Literary Life

Turnabout is Fair Play (SleuthSayers Blog)

Overlooked Audio: A NEW Adventure of THE SHADOW (Sweet Freedom Blog)

The Tithing Herd (Lindy's Lair)

Review: "Blood Sweep: The Posadas County Mysteries" by Steven F. Havill

Sheriff Robert Torrez likes his privacy and is meticulous about what he does. That includes his off duty hours. Some are spent hunting. With permission of the landowner, Miles Waddell, (builder of Nightzone) the good sheriff has been using a portion of his off time to track a herd of antelope. In this case there is not the thrill of the hunt as it is more a scientific operation for him. A chance to cull the herd and manage wild game that also serves as a means to an end for stocking his freezer.

Unfortunately he was also being stocked on this August morning and he had no idea. That was until his rifle scope shattered seconds after he had fired bringing down the chosen antelope. Torrez was wounded in the attack, but not downed like the spasmodically twitching buck. He managed to pursue the possible shooter only to see a pick up drive away with no idea if the driver is the one who took a shot at him.

At about the same time, Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman learns that somebody has been contacting her elderly adopted mother, Teresa Reyes, and requesting money while claiming to be family. Not an uncommon scam that is played upon the elderly and one the President of Posadas State Bank is well aware of. A cashier’s check in the amount of eight thousand dollars is an unusual request by almost any one in Posadas County, New Mexico, and certainly very unusual by Teresa Reyes. Estelle digs into the situation and soon discovers a very real threat coming from her home village of Tres Santos, Mexico. Her and her family is in danger, especially her son Francisco and his friend Mateo who are currently in Mazatlán, Mexico along with other members of the music conservatory.

With former Sherriff Gastner seriously injured and forced to be a very minor player as events and cases on both side of the border heat up, the repercussions for all involved as well as many others could be deadly. It isn’t the first time blood has been spilled into the desert sands of both sides of the border and it won’t be the last.

The latest in The Posada County Mystery Series written by Steven F. Havill, Blood Sweep is another excellent read. A read that finally answers many of the questions regarding Undersheriff Estelle Reyes- Guzman’s past while blending in multiple mysteries in the here and now. A fast and highly entertaining read from Poison Pen Press one could begin here in the 20^th book in the series though it would be far better to read them in order starting with Heartshot.

Along with the author’s love of the New Mexico landscape, these books feature characters that have become family. Family that can annoy as well as entertain as the pages fly by. An ongoing storyline has been Estelle’s love of family and coping with the demands of her job as well as her very talented sons. That is at play here as well as the fears of many of us have who have aging parents who insist on going it alone as they seek to maintain their independence. These books feature characters that have evolved and grown over time as, just like in the real world, they experience joys and sorrows that forever change them. Those characters that are in police work are not dumb and willing to work with outside agencies as the need arises unlike the way things are depicted in many other series.

Blood Sweep as well as the series as a whole is highly recommended.

Blood Sweep: The Posadas County Mysteries

Steven F. Havill

Poisoned Pen Press

http://www.poisonedpenpress

2015

ISBN# 978-1-4642-0387-9

Hardback (also available in e-book and paperback)

307 Pages

$24.95

Many, many thanks to reviewer and friend Lesa Holstine who provided me a review copy to read, review, and enjoy. Unlike many of the books I receive that wind up at Texas Oncology at Medical City Dallas Hospital (our second home these days) this one will now journey to my Mom’s home as she is also a fan of the series.

Monday, May 25, 2015

Where to Submit Short Stories: 25 Magazines and Websites That Want Your Work

Where to Submit Short Stories: 25 Magazines and Websites That Want Your Work

Also, quite possibly, the 25 most submitted to and therefore most competitive

Crime Review Update

In our new edition of Crime Review (www.crimereview.co.uk) this week we
have 16 reviews, together with Danielle Ramsay 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 SLAUGHTER MAN by Tony Parsons, reviewed by Sharon Wheeler
Maverick cop Max Wolfe investigates the murder of a wealthy family who were
butchered with a cattle stun gun – and finds a link to another killing from
30 years previously.

DEATH IN THE RAINY SEASON by Anna Jacquiery, reviewed by Chris Roberts
Commandant Morel is sent to Phnom Penh to investigate the murder of the
nephew of the French Minister of the Interior.

PUTTING THE BOOT IN by Dan Kavanagh, reviewed by Linda Wilson
Someone is trying to put third division team Athletic out of business.
Private investigator Duffy is hired to find out why.

THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ADELE BEDEAU by Graeme Macrae Burnet, reviewed by
Arnold Taylor
Manfred Baumann is a loner and a misfit whose sole source of pleasure is
watching a seductive waitress in the bistro where he is a regular patron.
One day she simply disappears in circumstances that lead to his coming
under suspicion.

GUN STREET GIRL by Adrian McKinty, reviewed by Chris Roberts
Inspector Sean Duffy, one of few Catholic officers in the Royal Ulster
Constabulary, is called to a double murder, tagged a family dispute but
with several indications of a professional hit.

A LINE OF BLOOD by Ben McPherson, reviewed by Linda Wilson
When Alex Mercer finds his neighbour dead in the bath, he’s caught up in a
train of events that threaten everything he holds dear.

BLOOD WHISPERS by John Gordon Sinclair, reviewed by John Cleal
Rising criminal lawyer Keira Lynch can break a vicious Eastern European
prostitution ring – if she can keep her client alive long enough to give
evidence. But those behind the whoremasters will kill to protect their
secret.

TELL TALE by Mark Sennen, reviewed by Sharon Wheeler
DI Charlotte Savage has vowed revenge on the man who killed her daughter in
a hit-and-run accident. Meanwhile, she is also faced with a dead body on
the moors and trying to track down the murdered girl’s housemate.

THE TOWER by Alessandro Gallenzi, reviewed by John Cleal
A giant tower in the desert will hold digitalized versions of all the
world’s publications – including unpublished texts by the 16th century
philosopher and genius Giordano Bruno. When those texts go missing,
investigator Peter Sims and literary scholar, Giulia Ripetti are called in
to find them. But someone is determined to stop them at any cost.

MURDER ON HIGH HOLBORN by Susanna Gregory, reviewed by Sylvia Maughan
An important ship explodes and sinks as it glides serenely up the Thames,
and a member of the Court of Charles II is found murdered. Thomas Chaloner,
intelligencer to the Lord Chancellor, the Earl of Clarendon, is dismissed
by him in order to infiltrate a group thought to be planning an uprising.

GONE FOR GOOD by David Bell, reviewed by John Cleal
When Elizabeth’s mother is murdered and her Down’s Syndrome brother
accused, her bid to clear his name uncovers dark family secrets.

THE GLASS CELL by Patricia Highsmith, reviewed by Chris Roberts
Philip Carter is wrongly imprisoned and brutalised in jail. When he
emerges, how will he cope with the realisation that his wife has been
unfaithful?

QUARRY’S CHOICE by Max Allen Collins, reviewed by John Cleal
Ex-marine sniper Quarry has to infiltrate a crime syndicate in 1970s
Mississippi.

URBAN LEGENDS by Helen Grant, reviewed by Linda Wilson
Veerle De Keyser is being hunted and she knows it. But how can a man who’s
meant to have died first in prison and then in a fire at a ruined castle be
in a position to threaten her now?

THE EDGE OF THE WATER by Elizabeth George, reviewed by Sylvia Wilson
A marine biologist comes to the remote Whitbey Island to investigate a
black seal known as Nera, which returns to the island at the same time each
year. A mysterious mute girl is found wandering on the island and none of
the locals want anyone to go near the seal.

A DARK INHERITANCE (audiobook) by Chris D’Lacey, reviewed by Linda Wilson
Rescuing a dog from almost certain death on a clifftop sets in train a
series of events that turns teenager Michael Malone’s life upside down and
promises to bring him closer to the truth behind the mysterious
disappearance of his father three years ago.

Best wishes

Sharon

New Reviews on Euro Crime

Here are nine reviews which have been added to the Euro Crime website today, six have appeared on the blog since last time, and four are completely new.

Plus, in case you missed them, here are a few recent links that might be of interest:

The winner of the 2015 Petrona Award (for Best Scandinavian Crime Fiction Novel of the Year) & the announcement in pictures
http://eurocrime.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/petrona-award-2015-winner-announced.html & http://eurocrime.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/the-petrona-award-2015-announcement-in.html

Lee Child interviews Maj Sjowall
http://eurocrime.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/crimefest-2015-lee-child-interviews-maj.html

CrimeFest panel writeups: Euro Noir (http://eurocrime.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/crimefest-2015-euro-noir.html) & Nordic Noir (http://eurocrime.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/crimefest-2015-nordic-noir-borders.html)

The International Dagger 2015 shortlist (http://eurocrime.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/international-dagger-2015-shortlist.html)

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

A collection of mini reviews (by me) of 'recent Scandi-crime novels';

Mark Bailey reviews Simon Brett's 'Mrs Pargeter's Principle', the eponymous lady returns after a 17 year gap;

Susan White reviews Ruth Dugdall's 'Humber Boy B';

Terry Halligan reviews Anna Jaquiery's 'Death in the Rainy Season', set in Cambodia;

Michelle Peckham reviews Emma Kavanagh's 'Hidden', which revolves around a shooting in a hospital;

Lynn Harvey reviews Karim Miske's 'Arab Jazz' tr. Sam Gordon, which has been shortlisted for the International Dagger;

Amanda Gillies reviews 'Nothing Sacred' by David Thorne, which is the second in the Essex-based Daniel Connell series;

I also review Carl-Johan Vallgren's 'The Boy in the Shadows' tr. Rachel Willson-Broyles

and Terry also reviews the reissue of 'The Mystery of Tunnel 51' by Alexander Wilson.

http://www.eurocrime.co.uk/review_list.html or via the blog: http://eurocrime.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/new-reviews-brett-dugdall-jaquiery.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

Sandi's GoFundMe Page

Sandi updated things a little bit yesterday at her GoFundMe page.

While she did not change the picture to show how she looks now, she did explain what has been going on from her perspective. Please understand the cancer and the chemo have seriously impacted her writing ability and other things such as her mood and memory.

The bottom line is we need your help. Any donation helps tremendously as we are hanging on by a thread. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers as the battle continues.

Monday Markets for Writers: No Fees. Paying Gigs.

Bookish events in Texas for the week of May 25 - 31, 2015

Bookish events in Texas for the week of May 25 - 31, 2015

Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: It's Memorial Day!

Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: It's Memorial Day!: Memorial Day : Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in service of the United Stat...

Monday With Kaye: "Aunt Dimity and the Summer King" by Nancy Atherton (Reviewed by Kaye George)

In addition to today being Memorial Day it is also time for another Monday With Kaye. This week Kaye reviews Aunt Dimity and the Summer King by Nancy Atherton. I’d never heard of this book which came out a month ago and is the 20^th in the series. For that matter, I had never heard of this series either which began with Aunt Dimity's Death back in November 1993.

Aunt Dimity and the Summer King by Nancy Atherton

Another hit in the long line of Aunt Dimity books. Plenty of mystery in this cozy book, but no murders.

Lori Shepherd and her husband Bill are Americans, but they’ve settled into the small English village of Finch so comfortably that they truly care about the town and its future. Bill’s father, William Willis Sr., has even moved up the lane from them, and lives at the rather grand Fairworth House. Now Amelia Thistle, accomplished watercolorist, has agreed to marry Willis, Sr. This would be a joyous occasion, except that Bill’s Boston aunts, better known as The Harpies, are coming to the wedding. If you have relatives you dislike, I dare you to put them up against Honoria and Charlotte—very nasty women. Lori lives in dread of their arrival.

With Amelia moving out of her cottage, Lori is worried about the future of Finch. It will now have four empty cottages. Many people are looking, but no one is moving in. Lori sets out to determine why. But first, Lori’s friend, Emma, has been mapping the village and its surrounds, so Lori decides to take her baby, Bess, on a walk along a path Emma has discovered. Distracted by the sight of kites flying above the neighbor’s wall, she steers the pram into a pothole. She’s startled to see an odd man perched on the wall. His clothes are casual and rumpled, but he wears a crown of dried grapevines and buttercups on his gray hair. He’s the Summer King, he tells her.

Aunt Dimity, if you haven’t met her, is an unusual ghost. She communicates with Lori by writing in a special book. She lives in the house with Lori, Bill, the twin boys, Will and Rob, and baby Bess. Mysteries abound, piled on top of each other and interwoven as Lori seeks help from her to figure out what’s happening to the village and who is responsible. And also seeks help getting through the nuptials with The Harpies.

Reviewed by Kaye George, Author of Eine Kleine Murder for Suspense Magazine

Sunday, May 24, 2015

The Amazon Associate Thing

I have noticed folks have continued to shop at Amazon via the Amazon Associate links here on the blog. This helps funnel a few pennies on every sale back to me as I am an Amazon Associate. I mainly use the monies to buy medical supplies for Sandi at lower cost than what I can get for her locally. I also occasionally indulge in a book or two for myself.

We are right on the edge money wise in so many ways and every little bit helps us a lot. Thank you!

Great summer reads (Portland Press Herald)

Great summer reads (Portland Press Herald)

Annoying and stupid pop up alert--- plugging their pay service access deal

Mystery Fanfare: Barbecue Mysteries for Memorial Day!

Mystery Fanfare: Barbecue Mysteries for Memorial Day!: Hope you're having a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend. I posted my updated Memorial Day Crime Fiction list the other day , so I thou...

BSP Sample Sunday: "BURNING QUESTIONS" in "Mind Slices" collection

A lot of my stuff crosses genres. I never set out to do that and certainly didn't in this case. I just had this idea that was part science fiction --- at least it still is right now --- and part mystery. This piece was to appear in a couple of different anthologies that never got going as a reprint after it won an "Honorable Mention" in Mysterical-E’s “Skeletons in the Closet” contest in the fall of 2007. That led to it being published online at the site in the summer of 2008.

I am still very proud of that win. I thought today I would give you a small sample of the story and hope that it will entice you to buy the book.

BURNING QUESTIONS

“So, what do you think, Marcus?”

Detective Marcus Freeman shot his cuffs for the fourth time in five minutes and fellow Detective Steve Washburn knew it was just a matter of time before he could make another mark on his pad. In the last hour Freeman had shot his cuffs nineteen times. Some might see such activities as a reflection that the clothes did not fit the man. Steve knew that it was just another sign of Freeman’s nauseating vanity. Unlike the Vampire legend, Freeman was able to check his image in every reflective surface.

“It’s a slam dunk,” Freeman said confidently.

Steve didn’t think much of the comment or his complex analysis of the case. Actually, Steve didn’t think much of Marcus Freeman at all and just barely tolerated the sycophant. But, with the new Division Commander sitting there grading everything as his beady little eyes watched them both above his hawkish nose, Steve had to ask. Playing politics wasn’t his thing and Steve hated every second of it. Freeman should have been in sales because all he cared about was his personal image and what he could do by hook or crook to get ahead.

Detectives were supposed to speak for the dead and Detective Marcus Freeman couldn’t be bothered. The dead and their families weren’t people to him but just numbers and stats he used to justify his naked ambition. He wasn’t a real detective in the true sense of the concept but more like a celluloid Hollywood image of a snappy cop leading some task force. He didn’t look the real life part with his expensive clothes, his silver Porsche, and gold Rolex watch. Steve found himself doodling dollar signs in a cross-hair target and stopped himself as he shifted in his uncomfortable institutional chair trying to pay attention. He wanted to-- he needed to--be out working cases. Instead he was wasting his time in meetings.

“It’s a slam dunk. Open and shut case without a doubt and we can take it off the books today in favor of the good guys.” Freeman touched his lapel pin and went on, his confident voice grating on Steve’s already raw nerves. “We know he did it and he is going to the injection chamber. Six, seven months if they don’t fill the backorder fast enough and he is done.”

“Maybe.”

Steve hadn’t realized he had spoken aloud until he looked up in the silence to see both men staring at him.

“Maybe, Detective?”

“Maybe, Commander. I’ve seen enough cases go wrong that I don’t believe in the media myth of slam dunks.”

Freeman rolled his eyes and Steve looked away in irritation. Steve knew he should have not said a word but lately his irritation with all the nonsense and stupidity seemed to be getting worse.

He glanced down and realized he had drawn a small ferret with the Division Commander’s face on top of it. The face was very visible and remarkably life like despite being much bigger than the animal’s body. This sudden urge to doodle had to stop. He quickly turned the pad away and doodled over the top of the drawing trying to hide it. It only seemed to get worse and draw more attention to it as both men flicked their eyes down at the pad and then at each other. Freeman glanced back at Steve, snorted, and then his normal condescending tone got worse as he performed for the Division Commander.

“Sir, we have his DNA from the scene, we have the weapon, we have the ballistics match, we have the body and of course, we have the MindTell™ recording.”

Steve shook his head and Freeman raised his eyebrows.

“Assuming the court lets us use the MindTell™. If they don’t, all we have is the body, a weapon, and a suspect. The residue test came back inconclusive and of course, after working there for years, his friggin DNA was at the scene.”

Steve looked back and forth between the two men and clearly neither one grasped the scope of the problem. Steve’s voice rose slightly as he tried to make the apparently elusive point one more time.

“If you swabbed and scanned the whole building, you would find it everywhere. Besides that, we don’t know why he did it!”

If you liked the above sample, there are 15 more short stories in Mind Slices: A Collection of New and Previously Published Stories. With ten four and five star reviews the book is a mix of fantasy, science fiction, and mystery with many stories containing elements of more than one genre. $2.99 it is available online at:

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009OIV346

Smashwords http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/243655

Barnes and Noble’s NOOK http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mind-slices-kevin-tipple/1113576100?ean=2940044983076

If you have not yet read the book, I hope you take a chance on it. If you have read it and have yet to review it, please do. Positive, negative, or something in between is fine with me.