Sunday, April 30, 2017

Grandbaby Visit!

Three month old Jacob Ryan came today for a visit. Sandi with the baby......



A brief non eating few moments with Grandpa....



The Short Mystery Fiction Society Blog: Society Members' News: April 2017

The Short Mystery Fiction Society Blog: Society Members' News: April 2017: The members below reported their publishing successes this month:  Karen Abrahamson, Death By Effigy , Guardbridge Books (April 2017)...

Saturday, April 29, 2017

KRL This Week Update for 4/29/17

Up in KRL this morning reviews & giveaways of several fun new April mysteries-"No Charm Intended": A Cora Crafts Mystery by Mollie Cox Bryan, "A Good Day to Buy": A Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mystery by Sherry Harris, "Occult and Battery": A Bay Island Psychic Mystery by Lena Gregory, and "Called to Justice": A Quaker Midwife Mystery by Edith Maxwell

We also have a review & giveaway of "Of Books and Bagpipes" by Paige Shelton http://kingsriverlife.com/04/29/of-books-and-bagpipes-by-paige-shelton/

And a review & giveaway of "The Decorator Who Knew Too Much" by Diane Vallere, along with a fun guest post by Diane http://kingsriverlife.com/04/29/the-decorator-who-knew-too-much-by-diane-vallere/

Also a review & giveaway of "Date with Death" by Julia Chapman, along with an interesting interview with Julia http://kingsriverlife.com/04/29/date-with-death-by-julia-chapman/

And we have a review of the mystery TV series" Jack Taylor", on Acorn TV http://kingsriverlife.com/04/29/jack-taylor-on-acorn-tv/

And the latest mystery Coming Attractions from Sunny Frazier http://kingsriverlife.com/04/29/may-coming-attractions-mothers-day-edition/

For those who also enjoy fantasy and superheroes,  a review & giveaway of "Dreadnought" by April Daniels, the first in a trilogy about a transgender superhero http://kingsriverlife.com/04/29/dreadnought-by-april-daniels/

And on KRL Lite a review & giveaway of "The Logan Triad" by Nathan Walpow

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/

Aubrey Hamilton Reviews: Death at Charity’s Point by William G. Tapply

After making her debut appearance last week with her review of Come Dark by Steven F. Havill last week, Aubrey Hamilton is back today with her review of Death at Charity’s Point by William G. Tapply.


Death at Charity’s Point by William G. Tapply is the first title in the Brady Coyne mystery series. Tapply released 28 mysteries featuring Coyne beginning in 1984. The last one was published in 2010 after Tapply’s death. Books 19, 22 and 26 were written jointly with Philip R. Craig, who wrote the Martha’s Vineyard mystery series featuring a retired Boston police detective Jefferson “J.W.” Jackson, eking out a living on Martha’s Vineyard.


Coyne is an attorney in Boston who loves to fish. He’s a sole practitioner with a small office because he is unable to fit into the large corporate legal mold. He’s developed a specialized practice among the wealthy residents of the Boston area. Like other contemporary fictional lawyers – Dismas Hardy, Jake Lassiter, Deborah Knott, Paul Madriani, Matthew Hope, and Antony Maitland and Perry Mason before them – Coyne finds that he can’t meet his client’s expectations or needs by sitting behind his desk. His client in this case is a wealthy elderly widow who lost one son in Vietnam and the remaining son has just walked off Charity’s Point, a cliff overlooking a rocky section of the Atlantic Ocean north of Boston.  She cannot accept the idea of her son George committing suicide and retains Coyne to find out what actually happened. As incentive she offers him a percentage of the insurance payout that will otherwise be denied if the suicide verdict stands.


Coyne begins by asking questions of the staff at the private school where George taught without learning much. His interview with the medical examiner describes the autopsy in graphic detail. A search of his apartment reveals a large library of historical reference and current research into the protest movements of the 1960s and 1970s, as well as a list of numbers with no explanation and receipts from a physician his mother didn’t know he was seeing. The murder of a student from the same school reawakens police interest in George’s death, and a near-fatal attack on Coyne follows quickly.


The story is well-written, the mystery is on the predictable side with red herrings that are no sooner presented than removed, and the characters make the book shine. The title was a finalist for the Crime Writers’ Association 1985 New Blood Dagger Award.




Aubrey Hamilton ©2017

Aubrey Hamilton is a former librarian who works on Federal IT projects by day and reads mysteries at night.

Friday, April 28, 2017

New issue of Crime Review

We feature new 20 reviews in each issue of Crime Review (
www.crimereview.co.uk), together with a top industry interview. This time
it’s author James Carol in the Countdown hot seat:



We’re on Twitter at:

Crime Review: @CrimeReviewUK

Linda Wilson: @CrimeReviewer

Sharon Wheeler: @lartonmedia



This week’s reviews are:

THE THIRD NERO by Lindsey Davis, reviewed by John Cleal

Flavia Albia must expose a plotter at the heart of Rome’s government who
could plunge the city and empire into civil war.



THE GIRL FROM VENICE by Martin Cruz Smith, reviewed by Arnold Taylor

One night, whilst fishing in the Venice lagoon, a young man, Cenzo, comes
across a girl’s body. It turns out that she is still alive but in great
trouble and he finds himself compelled to help her.



QUIETER THAN KILLING by Sarah Hilary, reviewed by Linda Wilson

While DI Marnie Rome and DS Noah Jake investigate a seemingly random series
of violent attacks in London, Marnie also has to come face to face with the
demons from her own past.



MURDER NEVER KNOCKS by Mickey Spillane and Max Allan Collins, reviewed by
John Cleal

Out-of-town killers seem to be lining up for a crack at tough PI Mike
Hammer as violence follows him and his beautiful partner Velda into the
poshest of all crime scenes.



LIVE BY NIGHT by Dennis Lehane, reviewed by Chris Roberts

When Joe Coughlin and the Bartolo brothers raid a back-room card game, they
are surprised to find a party of thugs working for one of the biggest
gangsters in town. Joe falls in love with the girl serving drinks.



DEAD WOMAN WALKING by Sharon Bolton, reviewed by Linda Wilson

The lone survivor of a hot air balloon crash has to go on the run to stay
ahead of the ruthless killer responsible for the disaster.



HIDDEN KILLERS by Lynda La Plante, reviewed by Kati Barr-Taylor

Jane Tennison, newly promoted to DC, is about to earn a reputation as
either a young, tenacious detective or a thorn in the Met’s side when she
digs her claws in to two seemingly open-and-shut cases.



THE BOOK OF LOST THINGS by John Connolly, reviewed by John Barnbrook

David desperately misses his dead mother, despises his new stepmother and
detests his new half-brother. These emotions attract the attention the
Crooked Man who draws David into a dark and disturbing land where he must
grow in strength and determination in order to survive. 
 
 
 
THE HOUSE OF FOUR by Barbara Nadel, reviewed by Chris Roberts

Inspector Cetin Ikmen investigates the death of four siblings, each living
on a separate floor of a single apartment building, stabbed by the same
hand.



MURDERBILIA by Craig Robertson, reviewed by Linda Wilson

The son of a prominent MSP is murdered and hung from a bridge in full view
of a train load of commuters. Despite being officially off the case and at
home on sick leave, DI Rachel Narey is determined to uncover the identity
of the killer.



CAST IRON by Peter May, reviewed by Kati Barr-Taylor

Forensic expert Enzo Macleod is reviewing the murder of a 20-year old girl,
another French cold case that stretches back half a lifetime.



THE ROYAL GHOST by Linda Stratmann, reviewed by John Cleal

A scandalous booklet attracts the attention of spiritualist Arthur Wallace
Hope – and also young Mina Scarletti, a writer of horror stories and
investigator of psychic phenomena, who suspects fraud.



THE DROWNING CHILD by Alex Barclay, reviewed by Chris Roberts

FBI Special Agent Ren Bryce is called to Tate, Portland, when 12-year-old
Caleb Veir is reported missing, but the locals are reluctant to spill their
secrets.



BURNED AND BROKEN by Mark Hardie, reviewed by John Cleal

A DI, the subject of an internal investigation, is found burned to death. A
vulnerable young woman, fresh from the care system, tries to discover the
truth about the death of her friend.



SOMETIMES I LIE by Alice Feeney, reviewed by Kati Barr-Taylor

She can hear every word. She knows she is in danger. There is nothing she
can do.



HAWKWOOD by Jack Ludlow, reviewed by John Cleal

After the two great battles of the 100 Years War, newly-knighted Sir John
Hawkwood, hoping to make his fortune, joins a mercenary band.



FIND ME by JS Monroe, reviewed by Jim Beaman

A young man is convinced that his girlfriend didn’t commit suicide and that
she is still alive and in danger.





A THOUSAND CUTS by Thomas Mogford, reviewed by Chris Roberts

Spike Sanguinetti acts for a man accused of assault and finds links to
wartime events which even now remain mysterious, with connections to people
he knows well.



THE TUNNEL by Carl-Johan Vallgren, reviewed by Ewa Sherman

Danny Katz searches for the killer of his former drug dealer Ramón. While
following the faint trail of Ramón’s missing girlfriend Jenny, Katz is
pulled into the darkest corners of Stockholm’s porn industry.



WITH MALICE by Eileen Cook, reviewed by Linda Wilson

Jill wakes up in hospital with the last six weeks of her life missing.
Something terrible has happened. She just wishes someone would tell her
what it is.



Best wishes


Sharon

Writers Who Kill: Indian Killer by Sherman Alexie: A Review by Warren Bull

Writers Who Kill: Indian Killer by Sherman Alexie: A Review by Warre...: Indian Killer by Sherman Alexie: A Review by Warren Bull Image from Precut dot com Alexie uses the form of a mystery/t...

A Writer's Life....Caroline Clemmons: MAYBE BABY FROM E. E. BURKE BEGINS THE TEXAS HARDT...

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Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Glow of Death by Jane K. Cleland

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Glow of Death by Jane K. Cleland: Reviewed by Jeanne Antiques appraiser Josie Prescott is called to the home of a wealthy couple to evaluate what may be a Tiff...

FFB Review: A Time For Hanging by Bill Crider

It is Friday and that means it is once again time for Friday’s Forgotten Books usually hosted by Patti Abbott. For this final Friday in April, I have a classic western tale for you from author Bill Crider. As I and many others have said, you simply can’t go wrong with a book by Bill Crider. After you read the review, go check out the list of reading suggestions over at Todd Mason's Sweet Freedom blog.


For Paco Morales it certainly was a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time as A Time For Hanging begins. All he had done was run an errand to Tomkins’ Store to get some sugar for his mom. He was supposed to go right back home, but he stopped to talk to Juanito Garcia. After that, night was falling so he took a short cut off the trail. That was when he found the dead woman.

He sort of knows her as she had been by their small shack a lot in recent weeks. What they would talk about he doesn’t know as his mother would always send him away to do something. His mom is a healer of sorts so the visits might have been related to that. One look at her on the ground and he knows she will never come to their shack again.

For Morales, finding the body is just the start of his nightmare as he is savagely beaten by a number of locals sure he killed the woman. If it weren’t for Deputy Jack Simkins, Morales would be already dead and swinging from the nearest tree.

For the Reverend Wayne Randall and his wife, Martha, the nightmare is also just beginning. They do not yet know Elizabeth is never coming home again. They just know she is late for dinner and has not been behaving as she should in recent weeks.

Deputy Jack Simkins managed to save Paco Morales from certain death at the hands of the mob that night. It is going to take a lot of work by Simkins as well as Ward Vincent, Sheriff of Dry Springs, Texas, to keep Morales alive while they investigate. For those who damn near beat the young man to death, it would be best for Morales to hang as soon as possible. If the young man was dead, he would never talk about what they did to him. It would also be best for the real killer as well.

Author Bill Crider has another very good western with A Time For Hanging.  Set in West Texas with an interesting cast of characters, a mystery, some romance, and a few more elements,  all combine in a tale where what you do and stand for truly matters. For nearly every character in this tale, guilt over the past plays a heavy role as does the consequence of current actions.

Originally published in January 1990 and released in digital format by Crossroad Press in 2010, A Time For Hanging is a classic western tale. Those readers that expect a tale along the lines of a book from the Sheriff Dan Rhodes Mystery Series might be surprised as this is a tale with plenty of violence and is far different from those books. It is also well worth your time.



A Time For Hanging
Bill Crider
Crossroad Press
July 2010
ASIN# B003WEAJ0M
eBook
175 Pages
$2.99


According to Amazon, I picked this up at the end of June 2015. I have no idea now if it was a free book, a reduced book, or any history regarding the download.


Kevin R. Tipple ©2017

Gravetapping: COPP ON ICE by Don Pendleton

Gravetapping: COPP ON ICE by Don Pendleton: The fifth in the Joe Copp series, Copp on Ice , is pure hardboiled fun. Joe Copp, the toughest most righteous P.I. in Southern California,...

Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: NASA makes their entire media library publicly acc...

Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: NASA makes their entire media library publicly acc...: DIY Photography : No matter if you enjoy taking or just watching images of space, NASA has a treat for you. They have made their entire coll...

CT Scan Scheduled

Sandi's CT Scan is now scheduled for early Tuesday morning at Texas Oncology at Medical City Dallas. Hopefully, all will go well.

From a weather perspective, always a worry this time of year, the forecast is for severe weather tomorrow and Saturday and then dry for the next six or seven days. That should mean the weather should not be a potential issue Tuesday.

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Nevermore: Sotomayor, Schlink, Mental Health, McC...

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Nevermore: Sotomayor, Schlink, Mental Health, McC...: Reported by Ambrea This week, Nevermore returned with another look at Sonia Sotomayor’s My Beloved World .  Published in 2014, My Bel...

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Market Call: The Space Unicorn Saw Its Shadow and Other Tales of Whimsy

OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS!
The Space Unicorn Saw Its Shadow and Other Tales of Whimsy
Edited by Pat Hauldren

Whimsical speculative fiction tales of dark or delight are welcome in this anthology. We’re looking for something unusual, special, with a twist or turn, or lead us down a crooked alley. Themed poetry will be considered.
MUST contain the word “space unicorn” in the story. 

OPEN FOR SUBS: May 1, 2017 / DEADLINE: November 1, 2017
PUBLISH DATE: 2018
PAYMENT: ’ with one copy
WORD COUNT: 5,000 max (if over, must be VERY VERY good)
SUBMIT TO: Pat Hauldren pathauldren@gmail.com with the word “UNICORN” in the subject line.
(if it’s not there, I might lose your submission. All submissions will be acknowledged in email as soon as possible.) 

*Author keeps all rights to story. Upon submission, author gives permission to editor to publish submitted story in one anthology, The Space Unicorn Saw Its Shadow and Other Tales of Whimsy, in any format in perpetuity. Author may buy unlimited “at cost” copies plus shipping. Author will be given one paperback copy as payment.

A Writer's Life....Caroline Clemmons: FALLING HARD BY STACY FINZ!

A Writer's Life....Caroline Clemmons: FALLING HARD BY STACY FINZ!: FALLING HARD by Stacy Finz Pub date: 4/11/2017 Genre: Contemporary Romance In the beautiful Sierra Nevada mountain...

WELCOME TO HELL ~ by Glenn Walker: Blog March 2017

WELCOME TO HELL ~ by Glenn Walker: Blog March 2017: From my dear friend Robin Renee 's blog , please join the blog march if you feel the same, and contact her at the email at the bott...

Review: The Last Second Chance: An Ed Earl Burch Novel by Jim Nesbitt

In the wreckage of the S&L crisis of the late 80s and early 90s, Ed Earl Burch works as a private detective. His office located near Mockingbird and Central in Dallas is in a shabby office park with a view of the time and temp sign over at the Dr. Pepper Plant. It features the noise of the traffic, an air conditioner that wheezes and does not cool, and a man with a serious thirst for alcohol. 


Ed Earl Burch is hanging on as best as he can. He has made a few bucks thanks to the scavengers that have come to feats on the remains of the S&L crash as well as former business partners looking for their partner or bank officers looking for the developer that just vanished. He has connections all over town and beyond dating back to his days with the Dallas PD. That fact, as well as his low overhead in an increasingly vacant building, has helped him survive.


About ten blocks away is a small Mexican joint on Ross. Owned by Arturo Garcia, the place known to everyone as “Café Garcia” is always open to Ed Earl Burch. Bringing home the pregnant teenage daughter of Arturo Garcia means there is always a plate of food and a beer for Burch. It has been that way for quite some time so it means it is one of several locations that Burch can be predictably found.


The woman with the gun who interrupts his late dinner has other plans. After dropping a name from the past, at gunpoint she escorts him out to her car. Before very long, they are north of Dallas, up in Grayson Country, and on the land of a man who has left the life of crime behind for the life as a gentlemen rancher. Appearances, if one ignored the gun toting guards scattered everywhere, could be deceiving.


Burch knows exactly what Norville Ross is and could have done without the jaunt down memory lane. But, Ross wanted him here and made sure he was brought in as safely and as quickly as possible. Coming himself was not an option. The woman’s name is Carla Sue. Ross sent her to bring back Burch so that he could discuss with him a business proposition that each could find mutually satisfactory. 


If any of them can say alive long enough to seal the deal.
The Last Second Chance: An Ed Earl Burch Novel  by Jim Nesbitt is a violent crime fiction ride across Texas. Written in a noir style it features a read where the language is coarse, the sexual situations are graphic, and bullets and blood are on nearly every page. Burch takes no prisoners and will unleash hell on those who come after him and those he cares about.


Along the way, there will be heavy toll in carnage and death with plenty of ghosts of the past to keep him company in quite moments.  Author Jim Nesbitt is building the bottom floor of a series with The Last Second Chance: An Ed Earl Burch Novel. A novel that packs quite the punch and is highly recommended. 


The Last Second Chance: An Ed Earl Burch Novel  
Jim Nesbitt
Self-Published
March 2016
ASIN: B01D0FAJ70
eBook (also available in paperback)
236 Pages
$4.99


According to Amazon, I picked this up in the middle of last November. I don’t know now if I took advantage of a free read promotion or used funds in my Amazon Associate account. Either way, I did it after a publicist contacted me about reviewing the second book in the series, The Right Wrong Number. A paperback copy of that read is in my TBR pile.


Kevin R. Tipple ©2017

One More Time

For what should be the final time this semester, I am now on the campus of UTD hanging out with Scott. He has one more class this afternoon and evening and then his first semester as a graduate student will be completed.


Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 32 Great Writing Conferences in May 2017

Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 32 Great Writing Conferences in May 2017: Conferences are not only the best way to meet agents, get tips from other writers, and learn about the publishing industry, they make you ...

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: The Book That Matters Most by Ann Hood

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Another day, Another doctor

Just got home from seeing Sandi's new Ear, Nose, and Throat guy. Doc did a camera thingy up her nose and was not happy about what he saw in there. Even after he shot some stuff up her nose to open her up, it didn't work very well. What could be seen did not look good. Even my medically untrained eyes saw things that looked to be problems.

Like Texas Oncology, he also wants a CT scan of her sinus cavities and surrounding areas.

If it is just what he thinks it is, he believes he can do an outpatient deal in the office and do some sort of surgical procedure to open her up and also install tubes in her ears.

But, and you knew there had to be a but, there is a more than decent chance that all of this could be caused by some sort of sinus tumor. In other words..... cancer. Exactly what I have worried about for the last two months and did not say a word about to anybody looking at her. Taking into account her history, there is a more than a decent chance she has a damn tumor up in there somewhere.I got the feeling he is pretty sure that is what we are dealing with and just did not want to say so.

We won't know until the CT Scan is done.

As usual, she is handling this way better than I am.

Do Some Damage: Spinetingler News

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TEXAS BOOK LOVER: Monday Roundup: TEXAS LITERARY CALENDAR 4/24-30

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Review: Two-Trick Pony: The Drifter Detective Series No. 8 by Garnett Elliott

The eighth book of The Drifter Detective Series is split into two parts. As Two-Trick Pony by Garnett Elliot opens, it is 1948 in the Texas panhandle. Jack Laramie has to listen to nonsense from some trucker as the miles of Route 66 pass by. The Desoto broke down on his way to Amarillo so he was forced to hitchhike and that resulted in his riding with the trucker who sees Commies everywhere. Jack Laramie saw far worse than Commies when he served during WWII and is well aware this guy is an idiot. Using the gun he has with him that was once carried by his legendary grandfather would be a bad idea and not just because to do so would disrespect the weapon.

Newly minted private detective Jack Laramie is on the way to Amarillo on behalf of his boss, Hobart Jones, an insurance investigator down in Dallas. All he knows is he is supposed to see a Mr. Adair about a horse. It isn’t a case Laramie is going to want either after he hears the man out, but he has been paid and the job has to be done.

Part Two picks up 11 years later in Dallas where Jack Laramie has given up the lure of the open road for a shabby office in the Wilson Building near Commerce Street. Despite what had happened with members of the local mob three years earlier, Laramie had come back and opened his office. At least the Montmartre Club is within walking distance.

He has become a regular. One of the entertainer’s tonight is new in town. She is also a woman he knew in another time and in another place. She was trouble then over in Longview. No doubt she is trouble now. He has unfinished business with her. He isn’t the only one.

The grandson of legendary US Marshal Cash Laramie first appeared in The Drifter Detective. He continues on here in Two-Trick Pony. Every installment gives readers a strong taste of noir style crime fiction and this two-part read is no exception. Drive by nightmares from his past, Jack Laramie is a loner looking for peace in a bottle and justice at the end of a gun. Whether he finally found it is open to interpretation. This reader hopes the search is not over.


The series: 
The Drifter Detective (Reviewed March 2013)
Hell Up In Houston (Reviewed September 2013)
The Girls Of Bunker Pines (Reviewed March 2014)
Wide Spot In The Road (Reviewed June 2014)
Dinero Del Mar (Reviewed August 2014)
Between Juarez and El Paso (Reviewed September 2015)
Torn And Frayed (Reviewed June 2016)




Two-Trick Pony: The Drifter Detective Series No. 8
Garnett Elliott
Beat To A Pulp
October 2016
ASIN: B01M8I5H4J
eBook (also available in paperback)
99 Pages
$1.99


According to Amazon, I purchased this back last December. While it does not say how I made the purchase, I took advantage of a free read promotion or I used funds in my Amazon Associate account.


Kevin R. Tipple ©2017


Sunday, April 23, 2017

RTE Update for 4/22/17

The April 22 2017  issue of RTE is out and includes fifteen new reviews as well as a new interview:
http://www.reviewingtheevidence.com                       

Paul Levine  in the 'Sixty seconds with . . .' interview hot seat:

http://www.reviewingtheevidence.com/interviews.html?id=238

REVIEWS THIS WEEK:

PRUSSIAN BLUE                Philip Kerr        Reviewed by Yvonne Klein

IF WE WERE VILLAINS                M.L. Rio            Reviewed by Sharon Mensing

LOLA                        Melissa Scrivner Love    Reviewed by Susan Hoover

AFTER YOU DIE                Eva Dolan        Reviewed by Yvonne Klein

THE COUTURIER OF MILAN           Ian Hamilton        Reviewed by Nicola Nixon

THE SATANIC MECHANIC             Sally Andrew         Reviewed by Meredith Frazier
    
THE BOY IN THE EARTH               Fuminori Nakamura     Reviewed by Susan Hoover

VICIOUS CIRCLE                C. J. Box         Reviewed by Sharon Mensing
        
CELINE                    Peter Heller        Reviewed by Sharon Mensing
       
TWO HEADS ARE DEADER THAN ONE     Elena Hartwell        Reviewed by Diana Borse

A DEATH BY ANY OTHER NAME         Tessa Arlen         Reviewed by Meredith Frazier

CHARCOAL JOE                Walter Mosley        Reviewed by Jim Napier

THE SECRETS OF GASLIGHT LANE     M.R.C. Kassasian     Reviewed by Cathy Downs

BAKER STREET
IRREGULARS    Michael A Ventrella and Jonathan Maberry, eds.,     Reviewed by Rebecca Nesvet


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

Bitter Tea and Mystery Review: The Blackhouse: Peter May

Bitter Tea and Mystery: The Blackhouse: Peter May: Description from the dust jacket of my edition: When a grisly murder occurs on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland's Outer Hebrides that bea...

KRL This Week Update For 4/22/17

Just up in KRL a review & giveaway of "Tightening the Threads" by Lea Wait http://kingsriverlife.com/04/22/tightening-the-threads-by-lea-wait/

And reviews & giveaways of some fun food mysteries from Penguin authors-Town in a Maple Madness": A Candy Holliday Mystery by B.B. Haywood, "A Frying Shame": A Deep Fried Mystery by Linda Reilly, and "Silence of the Jams": A Down South Café Mystery by Gayle Leeson

And a review of the Kenni Lowry Mystery series by Tonya Kappes & a giveaway of the latest book in the series "Southern Fried" http://kingsriverlife.com/04/22/kenni-lowry-mystery-series-by-tonya-kappes/

Also a review & giveaway of "Kangaroo Dreaming" by Sally J. Smith & Jean Steffens, & an interesting interview with Sally & Jean http://kingsriverlife.com/04/22/kangaroo-dreaming-by-sally-j-smith-jean-steffens/

And we have an article about the Kate Shackleton mysteries by Frances Brody http://kingsriverlife.com/04/22/frances-brodys-kate-shackleton-golden-age-mysteries-in-yorkshire/

And a review of the Oxford Tearoom Mysteries by H.Y. Hanna - Author & a giveaway of one of the books-winner's choice http://kingsriverlife.com/04/22/oxford-tearoom-mystery-series-by-h-y-hanna/

And a mystery short story by Kate Fellowes, Author http://kingsriverlife.com/04/22/arson-at-als-auto-parts-mystery-short-story/

And for those who enjoy fantasy with their mystery, a review & giveaway of "The Holver Alley Crew" by Marshall Ryan Maresca http://kingsriverlife.com/04/22/the-holver-alley-crew-by-marshall-ryan-maresca/
Happy reading,


--
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/

Saturday, April 22, 2017

On Conversations: #award-winning #author Caroline Clemmons ...

Conversations with Author and Screenwriter Lisa Mondello: On Conversations: #award-winning #author Caroline ...: Please join me in welcoming award-winning bestselling author Caroline Clemm o ns to Conversations today! Caroline is here to talk abou...

Writers Who Kill: World Book Day

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Aubrey Hamilton Reviews: Come Dark by Steven Havill

Please welcome Aubrey Hamilton to the blog today as she reviews the latest installment of one of my all time favorite series.....

Come Dark by Steven F. Havill (Poisoned Pen Press, 2016) is the 21st title in the Posadas County contemporary mystery series. Set in fictional Posadas County, New Mexico, a few miles from the Mexico border, this series began with Undersheriff Bill Gastner as the protagonist and shifted in the 10th title to Estelle Reyes-Guzman, originally a detective in the sheriff’s office who later moved up in rank. Books 16 and 18, according to the publication dates, feature Gastner again, as Havill decided to go back in time to expand on some of the characters’ history in those stories. Otherwise each book builds logically on the previous books.

Havill’s entry on Stop! You’re Killing Me sorts the books in chronological sequence according to the story line, not the publication date. Readers new to the series might find this list helpful. And yes, it is possible to read each book as a stand-alone. Havill is adept at sketching enough backstory for the reader to grasp context and characterization. However, these books are so good that it is not likely anyone will want to read just one.

In this latest entry, the huge astronomy park rancher Miles Waddell is building inches closer to completion, with the train that will convey visitors finished enough to allow journalists and local politicians to ride to the top of the mountain where the park is sited. However, the park’s massive satellite dish falls victim to the anonymous graffiti artist who has been decorating the schools and other buildings in town. In addition, one of the patrolling officers runs a routine check on a car with an out-of-state license plate to learn the plate is not on the vehicle it’s registered to and the people in the car don’t have a good explanation. On the same day the young wife of a banker walks into a big box store, leaving her baby and puppy in a hot car with the windows closed, and does not return. To spread the staff of the Sheriff’s Office even thinner, the high school custodian goes to the school Saturday to clean up after the big game the night before and finds the body of the coach in the showers. With multiple visible gunshot wounds, the cause of death is not in question. On the homefront Estelle’s mother is celebrating a milestone birthday and Francisco, Estelle’s musical genius of a son, arrives unexpectedly from the conservatory where he is studying to participate. Bill Gastner is still recovering from the hip fracture incurred in the previous book.

All of the usual characters are present, if a couple of them are only mentioned by the others. For instance, Estelle doesn’t want to bring Linda Real, the department photographer, to the crime scene because she is in the last stages of pregnancy and Estelle thinks there’s no need for her take chances. New officers and some temporary personnel bring a sense of realism to the department, which is perennially short-staffed and underfunded as any rural sheriff’s office is likely to be.

The plot lines unfold in a coherent manner; pacing is smooth and unrushed. My only quibble here is with the subplot involving Francisco, the musical prodigy, and it isn’t intrinsic to the story. Highly recommended, as is the entire series.




Series: Posadas County Mysteries (Book 21)
Hardcover: 308 pages
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press (April 5, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1464205256
ISBN-13: 978-1464205255

Aubrey Hamilton ©2017

Aubrey Hamilton is a former librarian who works on Federal IT projects by day and reads mysteries at night.

Friday, April 21, 2017

Lesa's Latest Contest: Cozy Mystery Giveaway

This week, I'm giving away copies of Christy Fifield's Murder Ties the Knot & Allison Kingsley's Extra Sensory Deception. Details on my blog at http://www.lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com. Entries from the U.S. only, please.

Lesa Holstine  

Mystery Fanfare: Environmental Mysteries: Earth Day 2017

Mystery Fanfare: Environmental Mysteries: Earth Day 2017: Earth Day 2017 This is an updated Earth Day/Environmental Mysteries list that is by no means complete. There are many more authors, a...

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel: Reviewed by Kristin Rosie Walsh didn’t expect to fall in love with Penn Adams.   Set up by a friend of a friend, Rosie was a first ...

FFB Review: The Outcast Dead: A Ruth Galloway Mystery by Elly Griffiths

After you read the review, go check out the list of reading suggestions over at Patti Abbott’s blog for the rest of the suggestions for today.  


42-year-old Dr. Ruth Galloway is acutely aware of the history, the blood, that has been spilled over the centuries. While resurrection is not possible, she believes in treating the dead with respect. As The Outcast Dead begins, it is early June and she is on the grounds of Norwich Castle. The vicar is leading the prayers for the outcast dead so that those who died forgotten, penniless, in unmarked graves, etc. are remembered. It is an annual event and one that Ruth feels is very important. 


It seems more important than ever to honor those who have passed as recently some bodies were discovered at the castle. The deceased were most likely prisoners considering how the bodies appeared when uncovered. Included among the bodies may be the legendary Jemima Green, aka Mother Hook. A child caregiver during Victorian times known for her hook instead of a hand and her lower arm, she was executed after being convicted for murdering one of the children in her care. At the time of her execution, it was thought she might have killed at least 20 more.

The find has drawn the interest of producers of a television show well known for sensualizing such cases. The head of department, Phil Trent, is thrilled with the interest, but Ruth wants no part of that. If she had her way, she would get off the dig as well, but Phil is never going to let her do that. Knowing Phil, it is likely she is going to have to play a role in the television show as well as the dig.

Thoughts about the Mother Hook case make Ruth more protective of Kate than ever before. After everything that has happened in recent years before and after Kate’s birth, she has good reason to wonder if it is time to move from the Saltmarsh she loves to be closer to civilization in some form. Isolation is wonderful, but with a small child in the home, it can also be a dangerous risk.

DCI Harry Nelson is also pondering risk though in a different form. He is the lead investigator on the case of 37-year-old Liv Donaldson. Her child has just passed. What might have been treated as a tragic natural death in the home gets a lot more scrutiny when it is the third child in the family to die. Nelson’s team thinks the whole deal is a horrible tragedy. Nelson isn’t so sure. He has a feeling she did something to cause the death, but other than his intuition, there isn’t any evidence to indicate foul play. Like Phil Trent, Nelson’s boss, Gerry Whitcliffe, loves the publicity and is thrilled to have the media coverage. Like Ruth, Nelson hates the media interest and wants no part of the coverage.

The two story times gradually come together while someone might be copying history thanks to the media attention. Child abduction and the death of children are certainly not easy topics to write about, but Elly Griffiths, makes them part of a far larger tale of mystery, greed, and obsession. The sixth book of the series that began with The Crossing Places is another top-notch mystery.

What really makes this series work, as noted before, are the relationships. Complicated and well-drawn characters that interact and evolve over time as they go about their daily lives drive the reads. Unlike many series where the characters never learn from the past or change in any way despite the experiences they have had, both and a lot more are present in the Ruth Galloway Mystery Series. These characters are about as real as it gets on the printed page.

History, archeology, mystery, and more make this book and series well worth reading. The Outcast Dead, like the others before it, is very good and highly recommended. 

The books, in order, and my reviews:

The Crossing Places (Reviewed 12/26/15)
The Janus Stone (Reviewed 11/18/2016)
The House at Sea’s End (Reviewed 12/2/2016)
A Room Full of Bones (Reviewed 12/30/2016)



The Outcast Dead: A Ruth Galloway Mystery
Elly Griffiths 
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
March 2014
ISBN# 978-0-547-79277-4
Hardback (also available in paperback, audio, and eBook formats)
384 Pages
$27.00


Material obtained via the Plano Public Library System to read and review.


Kevin R. Tipple ©2017