Wednesday, January 31, 2018
Jungle Red Writers: Behind the scenes in the SPAM garden...
Jungle Red Writers: Behind the scenes in the SPAM garden...: HALLIE EPHRON: Each day, I go into Blogger (the software the brings you the Jungle Red Writers) and check the comments, looking for spam. S...
Author Terry Shames Hits The Road in Febraury
While this is her current list featuring places everywhere, I am most excited about her Dallas stop at INTERBANG BOOKS over on Preston Road. Brand new place that I have never been. So, hopefully, if things work out right, I will get to check the place out AND meet Terry on the nineth. By the way, this would also mean you too might experience Tipple After Dark.
FEBRUARY 2018 EVENTS
2.2 - Tucson, AZ @ Clues Unlimited || 5:30 PM
2.3 - Scottsdale, AZ @ Poisoned Pen Books || 2:00 pm - with Shannon Baker
2.4 - Austin, TX @ BookPeople (for Lone Star Lawless Anthology) || 5:00 PM
2.5 - Austin, TX @ BookPeople || 7PM - with James Ziskin and Laura Oles
2.8 - Houston, TX @ Murder by the Book with James Ziskin || 6:30 PM
2.9 - Dallas @ Interabang Books || 7:00 PM
2.16 - St. Petersburg, FL @ Books at Park Place || 6:00 PM
2.23 - Davis, CA @ Avid Reader Bookstore || 7:30 PM
2.3 - Scottsdale, AZ @ Poisoned Pen Books || 2:00 pm - with Shannon Baker
2.4 - Austin, TX @ BookPeople (for Lone Star Lawless Anthology) || 5:00 PM
2.5 - Austin, TX @ BookPeople || 7PM - with James Ziskin and Laura Oles
2.8 - Houston, TX @ Murder by the Book with James Ziskin || 6:30 PM
2.9 - Dallas @ Interabang Books || 7:00 PM
2.16 - St. Petersburg, FL @ Books at Park Place || 6:00 PM
2.23 - Davis, CA @ Avid Reader Bookstore || 7:30 PM
Only days left to win books by Barbara Ross, Clover Tate, EJ Copperman, Sandra Balzo & much more from KRL
Only days left to win a copy of "Live and Let Fly" a fun kite mystery by Clover Tate aka Angela M. Sanders, along with a fun kite related guest post by Clover http://kingsriverlife.com/01/27/live-and-let-fly-by-clover-tate/ And to win copies of 2 more fun mysteries for your winter reading-"Unnatural Causes" by Dawn Eastman & "Stowed Away" by Barbara Ross http://kingsriverlife.com/01/27/pair-winter-mystery-reading/ Also to win copies of 2 fun mysteries-one history related and the other cat related-"Historically Dead": A Stitch in Time Mystery by Greta McKennan & "The Trouble with Murder": A Gourmet Cat Mystery by Kathy Krevat http://kingsriverlife.com/01/27/history-cat-mysteries/ And to win a copy of "Curses, Boiled Again!" by Shari Randall when you check out the latest mystery Coming Attractions http://kingsriverlife.com/01/27/february-coming-attractions-the-candy-box-edition/ Also to win a copy of "Grand Lac" by Carl Brookins http://kingsriverlife.com/01/27/grand-lac-by-carl-brookins/ And on KRL News & Reviews only days left to win a copy of "The Hostess with the Ghostess" by E.j. Copperman http://www.krlnews.com/2018/01/the-hostess-with-ghostess-by-ej-copperman.html And to win an EBOOK copy of "The Importance of Being Urnest" by Sandra Balzo http://www.krlnews.com/2018/01/the-importance-of-being-urnest-by-sandra-balzo.html Happy reading! Lorie
Mystery Fanfare: Murder at the Super Bowl & Other Football Crime Fi...
Mystery Fanfare: Murder at the Super Bowl & Other Football Crime Fi...: Lots of real crime surrounding the Super Bowl : drugs, money, egos, etc. Fodder for the crime writer . So in 'honor' o...
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Nevermore: Ramp Hollow, Mary Coin, Blooding, New B...
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Nevermore: Ramp Hollow, Mary Coin, Blooding, New B...: Reported by Kristin Nevermore began with another look into the local region with Ramp Hollow: The Ordeal of Appalachia by S...
A Writer's Life....Caroline Clemmons: NEW RELEASE, NEW CONTEST!
A Writer's Life....Caroline Clemmons: NEW RELEASE, NEW CONTEST!: I’m excited to announce that DANIEL McCLINTOCK is now available for preorder and will be released on Valentine’s Day. Preorder your copy n...
Davy Crockett's Almanack of Mystery, Adventure and The Wild West: BILL CRIDER goes to BOUCHERCON Part 2 (1982-84)
Davy Crockett's Almanack of Mystery, Adventure and The Wild West: BILL CRIDER goes to BOUCHERCON Part 2 (1982-84): Photos by Art Scott, Emperor of the Universe, ret. 1982 - San Francisco with Cap'n Bob Napier with Steve Mertz with...
Tuesday, January 30, 2018
Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 53 Writing Contests in February 2018 - No entry fe...
Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 53 Writing Contests in February 2018 - No entry fe...: Pixabay - CC0 license For such a short month, February certainly delivers when it comes to writing contests. There are no fewer than 54...
Gravetapping: FALLOUT by Kevin J. Anderson and Doug Beason
Gravetapping: FALLOUT by Kevin J. Anderson and Doug Beason: Fallout (1997) is Kevin J. Anderson’s and Doug Beason’s second science fiction thriller, mixing the science of the 1990s and mystery, s...
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng: Reviewed by Kristin Secrets lie beneath the peaceful orderliness of Shaker Heights, Ohio, a planned community where there ...
Davy Crockett's Almanack of Mystery, Adventure and The Wild West: BILL CRIDER goes to BOUCHERCON Part 1 (1980-81)
Davy Crockett's Almanack of Mystery, Adventure and The Wild West: BILL CRIDER goes to BOUCHERCON Part 1 (1980-81): All pics thanx to Art Scott, Ace Photographer 1980 - Washington D.C. with Judy Crider with Walter Albert and Jo...
TEXAS BOOK LOVER: Monday Roundup: TEXAS LITERARY CALENDAR 1/29-2/4
TEXAS BOOK LOVER: Monday Roundup: TEXAS LITERARY CALENDAR 1/29-2/4: Bookish goings-on in Texas for the week of January 29-February 4, 2018: Special Events: FronteraFest 2018 , Austin, January 16-February 1...
The Short Mystery Fiction Society Blog: 2018 Derringer Awards Update - January 28
The Short Mystery Fiction Society Blog: 2018 Derringer Awards Update - January 28: Originally posted to Shortmystery January 28, 2018, 11:59 p.m. EST, by Derringer Awards Coordinator Jay Hartman: Hi, everyone! Below is...
Monday, January 29, 2018
Aubrey Hamilton Reviews: Tahoe Blowup by Todd Borg
Tahoe Blowup by Todd Borg (Thriller Press, 2001) is the second of his
series about private investigator Owen McKenna. The local fire department hires
Owen to find the arsonist who is setting fires in the tinder-dry forests around
Lake Tahoe. Anonymous letters are arriving that describe the scope and size of
each fire, claiming they are being set because of crimes against the
environment. The first one comes far too close to Owen’s cabin and he is
understandably taking a great deal of personal interest in finding the firebug.
He uses his huge harlequin Great Dane and a trained search-and-rescue dog to
look for traces of the person who set the fires. They find instead a body,
which may be the arsonist caught in his own fire. Identifying the victim took
some time, and in the meanwhile, more fires are set.
I am always intrigued with books that
teach me something along with giving me a good story to read. In this volume discussions
with the fire department chief and the Forest Service staff give Borg the opportunity
to trot out some facts about forest fires. I did not know that forest fires
travel up a mountain, not down. Crown fires that involve the tops of
trees are more dangerous than fires on the ground. The use of fire suppression
as opposed to controlled burns is a long-running point of contention among
environmentalists, the Fire Service, and others who have a vested interest in
forests. Both sides of the argument are thoroughly aired here.
I like this animal-loving private
investigator whom I discovered last year, when I read that Borg is this year’s toastmaster
at Left Coast Crime. I find authors who like a city or area so much they create
a fictional universe in it appealing. Think of Les Roberts and Cleveland,
Kathleen George and Pittsburgh, Philip R. Craig and Martha’s Vineyard. Borg
makes the mountains and the forests around Lake Tahoe sound immensely
attractive as a year-round residential site, not just a vacation resort.
It’s always good news to find another series, and it looks like there
are a dozen or so more in this one that I have yet to read. These books have won the Ben Franklin Award for Best
Mystery of the Year, made Library Journal's Top 5 Mysteries of the Year list,
and found their way onto Amazon's Mystery/Thriller and Private Investigator
Bestseller Lists multiple times. Strong recommendations!
· Paperback: 320 pages
· Publisher: Thriller Press (September 1, 2001)
· Language: English
· ISBN-10: 193129612X
· ISBN-13: 978-1931296120
Aubrey Hamilton © 2018
Aubrey Hamilton is a
former librarian who works on Federal IT projects by day and reads mysteries at
night.
Sunday, January 28, 2018
KRL This Week Update for 1/27/18
Up in KRL this morning a review & giveaway of "Live
and Let Fly" a fun kite mystery by Clover Tate aka Angela M. Sanders, along with a fun kite related
guest post by Clover http://kingsriverlife.com/01/27/live-and-let-fly-by-clover-tate/
Also reviews & giveaways of 2 more fun mysteries for
your winter reading-"Unnatural Causes" by Dawn
Eastman & "Stowed Away" by Barbara
Ross http://kingsriverlife.com/01/27/pair-winter-mystery-reading/
And we have reviews & EBOOK giveaways of 2 fun
mysteries-one history related and the other cat related-"Historically
Dead": A Stitch in Time Mystery by Greta
McKennan & "The Trouble with Murder": A Gourmet Cat
Mystery by Kathy Krevat http://kingsriverlife.com/01/27/history-cat-mysteries/
We also have the latest mystery Coming Attractions from Sunny
Frazier, along with the chance to win a copy of "Curses, Boiled
Again!" by Shari Randall
http://kingsriverlife.com/01/27/february-coming-attractions-the-candy-box-edition/
And a mystery short story by Guy Belleranti
http://kingsriverlife.com/01/27/the-killed-critic-mystery-short-story/
We also have a review & giveaway of "Grand
Lac" by Carl
Brookins http://kingsriverlife.com/01/27/grand-lac-by-carl-brookins/
And on KRL News & Reviews a review & giveaway of
"The Hostess with the Ghostess" by E.j.. Copperman
http://www.krlnews.com/2018/01/the-hostess-with-ghostess-by-ej-copperman.html
And a review & giveaway of "The Importance of Being
Urnest" by Sandra Balzo
http://www.krlnews.com/2018/01/the-importance-of-being-urnest-by-sandra-balzo.html
--
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, January 27, 2018
Review: A Reckoning In The Back Country: A Samuel Craddock Mystery by Terry Shames
As it approaches Thanksgiving in
Jarrett Creek, Texas located about 30 miles west of Bryan in South Texas, something
strange is going on. Dogs of various types are vanishing from the property of
various residents. What seemed to be an isolated event here and there seems to
be adding up to several cases. Police Chief Samuel Craddock assumed, as did
most folks at first, that the dogs had just run off. Now he thinks a person or
persons unknown might be taking the dogs. Whether they are being taken as bait
to train dogs for dog fighting, to be sold for medical experimentation, or some
other situation does not bode well for the missing dogs and Chief Craddock is looking
into the matter.
Though there is a far more pressing
issue that has to be dealt with first. Thanks to Loretta and her morning delivery
of cinnamon rolls, something that Craddock looks forward to though it does not
happen nearly as often as it used to, he knows that Doctor Lewis Wilkins is
missing. He and his wife, Margaret, live out on the far side of the lake. The
local grapevine reports, via Loretta, that his wife has been calling around to
various folks they know to see if they know where her husband is as he didn’t
make it home the previous night.
It is not long before the wife, Margaret
Wilkins, calls Chief Craddock who heads over to her home. Her house is over on
the west side of the lake. Craddock realizes on his arrival that the house has
a troubled history. So too do the Wilkins. It isn’t long before the reason he
never made it home becomes obvious and the talk of the town. H
A Reckoning In The Back Country by Terry Shames is the seventh book in
the series and another excellent read from start to finish. Author Terry Shames
brings the world of Jarret Creek alive in the reader’s imagination from the
first paragraph. Unlike many series, the characters major and minor, evolve
over time as hopefully those of us in the real world do. Theoretically at
least, here in the real world, one should learn from mistakes on the past. That
same concept is present in this series and makes the characters all the more
real to the reader.
Rich and varied dialogue, intriguing
and complicated characters, and multiple mysteries are always present in this
series and are again at work in A Reckoning In The Back Country.
While it would be best to read them in order starting with A Killing At Cotton Hill
one could start here. Or almost as easily start with the most recently
published book before this one, An Unsettling Crime For Samuel Craddock, as
it is a prequel to the series.
No matter where you start, this is an
excellent series well worth your time and highly recommended.
For another perspective on the book
make sure you check out Lesa Holstine’s review
from earlier this month.
The
series in order of publication and review:
A Killing at Cotton Hill: A Samuel Craddock Mystery (reviewed 1/11/14)
The Last Death
Of Jack Harbin: A Samuel Craddock Mystery (reviewed 1/25/14)
Dead Broke In
Jarret Creek: A Samuel Craddock Mystery (reviewed 4/9/15)
A Deadly Affair At Bobtail Ridge: A Samuel Cradock Mystery (reviewed 4/22/15)
The Necessary
Murder Of Nonie Blake: A Samuel Craddock Mystery (reviewed 4/19/16)
An
Unsettling Crime For Samuel Craddock: A Samuel Craddock Mystery Prequel (reviewed February 6, 2017)
A
Reckoning In The Back Country: A Samuel Craddock Mystery
Terry
Shames
Seventh
Street Books
January
2018
ISBN# 978-1-63388-367-3
Paperback
(also available in eBook format)
283
Pages
$15.95
Material supplied by the Dallas
Public Library System.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2018
Friday, January 26, 2018
Lesa's Latest Contest-- Giveaway - Mysteries set in Europe
This week, I'm giving away ARCs of a couple mysteries set in Europe - Lisa Alber's Path into Darkness (Ireland) and Ashley Weaver's A Most Novel Revenge (England). Details on my blog at http://www.lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com. Entries from the U.S. only, please.-- Lesa Holstine lesa.holstine@gmail.com http://www.lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time ...
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time ...: Reviewed by Jeanne Fifteen year old Christopher likes to go out walking at night when he can look up at the stars and pretend t...
Gravetapping: Down & Out: The Magazine, Vol 1, Iss 2
Gravetapping: Down & Out: The Magazine, Vol 1, Iss 2: 2017 was a pretty decent year for my fiction writing. I had two short novels published, Blaze! Red Rock Rampage (February) and Blaze! Spani...
A Writer's Life....Caroline Clemmons: THREE HISTORICAL ROMANCES TO TEMPT YOU!
A Writer's Life....Caroline Clemmons: THREE HISTORICAL ROMANCES TO TEMPT YOU!: River Queen Rose In Old California #1 by Shirley Kennedy The ramshackle River Queen Hotel is home to vagabonds, gamble...
FFB Review: THE CASE OF THE SLEEPWALKER’S NIECE (1936) by Erle Stanley Gardner (Reviewed by Barry Ergang)
After taking last week
off for obvious reasons and thank you for all your thoughts, prayers,
condolences, and messages, FFB returns today with another all new review from
Barry Ergang. This week he considers a piece of the Perry mason canon. After
you read Barry’s review, head over to Todd Mason's blog for
other reading suggestions.
THE CASE OF THE SLEEPWALKER’S NIECE (1936) by Erle
Stanley Gardner
Reviewed by Barry Ergang
Before I ever
read my first Perry Mason novel, I was familiar with the character from the TV
series and from advertisements for The Detective Book Club on the back covers
of some of the mystery magazines my father read.
There was
a neighborhood sundries store my father, brother and I would occasionally go to
after dinner a couple times a week if the weather were conducive, where we’d
buy ice cream and/or candy, and where my father would purchase a paperback or
two and I’d pick up some comic books. (I don’t recall what my brother bought.)
As I mentioned in my review of a modern Hardy Boys book, Secret of the Red Arrow, I had begun at age 11 to read
mystery fiction aimed at adults. So one evening at the aforementioned store, at
the age of 12, I noticed a paperback copy of Erle Stanley Gardner’s The Case of the Vagabond Virgin and
handed it to my father to pay for. Thus began my Perry Mason obsession, which
resulted in my reading another dozen titles one after the other. It was a good
lesson about the pitfalls of binge-reading a particular author and series,
because I became so oversaturated with Gardner’s style and approach in the
Mason novels that it was years before I could read another one.
Eventually
I read quite a few more--spreading them out over time. When I recently came
upon an electronic copy of The Case of
the Sleepwalker’s Niece, I realized that it had been at least 20 years,
probably more, since I’d read a Perry Mason mystery, so I decided to
reestablish my acquaintance.
The eighth
title in the series, it begins when Mason is hired by Edna Hammer to speed up
the divorce of her wealthy uncle, Peter Kent. His estranged wife Doris has
suddenly tried to demonstrate a kind of renewed affection for Kent, who wants
the divorce so he can marry Lucille Mays. Because Kent once picked up a butcher
knife while sleepwalking, Doris was certain he wanted to kill her.
Adding to
the story’s complications are the presences in the Kent mansion of, among
others, Kent’s shady business partner, Frank Maddox; Maddox’s pettifogging
lawyer, John Duncan; Philip Rease, Kent’s hypochondriacal half-brother; Gerald
Harris, Edna’s fiancé; and Helen Warrington, Kent’s secretary.
When
sometime around midnight--or was it later in the morning?--a figure is seen
walking across a patio toward another entrance to the house where people are
sleeping, and said figure appears to be holding a knife, and still later
someone is found dead in bed, having been stabbed to death, the most likely
suspect, and the party arrested, is Mason’s client. The questions confronting
the lawyer: was Kent actually sleepwalking, was he pretending somnambulism to
commit a murder, or was he framed by someone else? And if he was actually walking in his sleep, how to prove it.
Anyone
with even a passing familiarity with Perry Mason knows the answer to some of
those questions. I’m not going to answer them lest I spoil some of the book’s
surprises, of which there are several. Having said so, I must also admit I
found this one to be among the weaker entries in this classic series. Erle
Stanley Gardner’s style in the Mason novels relies on lean narrative and an
extensive use of dialogue to move the story along. But in The Case of the Sleepwalker’s Niece, there is too much talk and not
enough action. It isn’t until Mason finally gets into the courtroom that the
pace quickens a bit.
If you’re
a Mason fan and have missed this one, you might
want to read it for the sake of completeness. If you aren’t a completist, pass
on it in favor of better entries in the series.
© 2018 Barry Ergang
Thursday, January 25, 2018
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Nevermore: Six Wakes, Lady Bird, It's All Relative...
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Nevermore: Six Wakes, Lady Bird, It's All Relative...: Nevermore members read widely, and this week one reader read Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty , a science fiction murder mystery. The ...
Publishing... and Other Forms of Insanity Blog: 8 Writing Conferences in February 2018
8 Writing Conferences in February 2018: February is brutal little month punctuated by a groundhog, chocolates, and valentines. Winter is still with us, but by now the snow has lo...
A Writer's Life....Caroline Clemmons: SAVING MADELINE
A Writer's Life....Caroline Clemmons: SAVING MADELINE: Women’s Fiction Date Published: May 2017 On Sale for $1.99 for a Limited Time!! SAVING MADELIN...
Review: Mexico Fever: A Bill Travis Mystery by George Wier
It has been awhile since the events of Desperate Crimes and as Mexico Fever opens it is not long before the peace and quiet of Bill Travis’ world is broken. Walt Cannon is missing somewhere in Mexico. He’s a retired Texas Ranger and saved a few folks over the years including a Governor of Texas, Richard Sawyer, and our family man and reluctant hero, Bill Travis. While Sawyer has been out of his office for the last 4 years, he wants to see Bill Travis at his home down in River Oaks in Houston. When a Governor of Texas asks to see you, you go see him.
Governor Sawyer may be dying and a
shadow of his former self, but his mind is still sharp. He knows that their
mutual friend, Walt Cannon, is missing down in the state of Yucatan in Mexico.
He even knowns exactly where Cannon was conducting business before he vanished.
Governor Sawyer should know as he sent Cannon down there to track down and deal
with a former religious leader that these days is arming rebels and seeking to
overthrow the Mexican government. Some of his followers acting on his
behalf executed a family on the Texas side of the border near Eagle Pass and
Sawyer wanted Cannon to get him.
It was over two months ago that Cannon
went down there chasing the elusive figure known as “Sunlight” and he has not
been heard from since. Sawyer wants Travis to go down after Cannon and get him
back home where he belongs. The last personal request of a dying man who feels
responsible would be difficult to refuse as it is, but Travis also owes Cannon
so going is never the question. A debt
has come due.
Explaining it to Julie and leaving her
and the kids behind is going to be hard. Dealing with looking for Cannon, the
local politics, a guerrilla movement, and more in Mexico Fever is going to
be very hard.
Mexico Fever is the twelfth in the Bill Travis Mystery Series that
began many years ago in The Last Call. While the family
continues to grow and long running characters continue to evolve in the series,
the hallmarks of action and adventure are as strong as ever in this read. Also
present are the frequent and often humorous observations about Texas, Texans, the
weather, and the human race in general.
While the series began with The
Last Call and readers that have been onboard since the beginning
will get more out of this read, those folks new to the world of Bill Travis could
easily start here. There are references to several earlier events as we play
catch up with folks we have seen before, but those references would not destroy
earlier reads in the series. As always there is a hint of pulp adventure to the
read. Events and actions slide dangerously close to the edge and may push the
ability to suspend disbelief for some readers.
That same thing could be said about
almost of the books in this fun and engrossing series. Those readers who want
everything to be totally logical and realistic might find Mexico Fever a bit of a
challenge since the author does not play by those rules. This read is another
engrossing tale in a long rail of great reads by prolific author George
Weir.
Mexico Fever: A Bill Travis Mystery
George Wier
Flagstone
Books
May
2016
ASIN: B01FYEU48E
eBook
(paperback available)
160
Pages
$4.99
According to Amazon, I picked this up back
last August to read and review. I believe I did it by way of the Author’s free
read promotion.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2018
Wednesday, January 24, 2018
Nasty. Brutish. Short.: "Remembering Tally" by John M. Floyd
Nasty. Brutish. Short.: "Remembering Tally" by John M. Floyd: Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine , January-February 2009, p. 102–109 At what his campaign calls their "blue-collar" offic...
TEXAS BOOK LOVER: Review: INTO THE BLACK NOWHERE by Meg Gardiner
TEXAS BOOK LOVER: Review: INTO THE BLACK NOWHERE by Meg Gardiner: I reviewed Into the Black Nowhere: An UNSUB Novel (Dutton, Penguin Random House) by Austin's Meg Gardiner for Lone Star Literary Life...
FROM DUNDEE'S DESK: Noteworthy Reads: ANSWER DEATH (a Dan Spalding mys...
FROM DUNDEE'S DESK: Noteworthy Reads: ANSWER DEATH (a Dan Spalding mys...: I've written here many times about the work of Spur Award-winning author Richard Prosch. Most of that has been to herald his work in ...
Guest Post: Jeanne and Treadmill Books: The Clock Shop Mysteries by Julianne Holmes
Back
last May, Jeanne of the Bookblog
of the Bristol Library started something new with her Treadmill Books
Review. Proving that she is far more coordinated on a treadmill than I ever was
(very glad there are not videos of the spills I took back in the day), these
are books that she reads while on the treadmill. Such books have to fit her
criteria of “… A book has to be entertaining without being too demanding. If
I’d rather walk than read, that is not a good book. On the other hand, if the
book is so enjoyable that I end up walking extra steps just so I can read
another chapter, then that is a fine book indeed.” This week she considers
The
Clock Shop Mysteries by Julianne
Holmes.
Treadmill
Books: The Clock Shop Mysteries by
Julianne Holmes
Ruth Clagan’s world is in disarray. Her marriage has fallen apart. Her plans to
end the estrangement with her beloved grandfather are derailed when she learns
he has died unexpectedly, but he has left her his clock shop, The Cog and
Sprocket. Ruth is uncertain how her step-grandmother will take the news of the
bequest.
To make matters worse, it appears her grandfather’s
death might have been murder.
So begins Just Killing Time, the first in the
Clock Shop Mystery series. I have to say
the first book hooked me. I liked that
Ruth has a true passion for clocks that shines through the pages, and that she
is a well-rounded character with a mature outlook. She isn’t one of those weepy girls (and I do
mean girls, no matter what their alleged age) who wallows in self-pity while ogling
the amazingly numerous handsome men who populate such books, all of whom
inexplicably find Weepy Girl attractive. That alone put the book up a notch for
me. Most of the secondary characters were also well done, especially Caroline,
Ruth’s step-grandmother with whom Ruth begins to forge a tentative friendship.
The setting is another of those quaint New England
towns that seem to have supplanted the generic Southern town in popular
paperback mysteries. Orchard,
Massachusetts has an old clock tower built by Ruth’s great-great grandfather, a
collection of small shops, a close-knit community, and a city manager who is
anxious to turn the place into a strip mall filled with chain stores.
Definitions vary, but I would consider this series both
a cozy and a whodunit: no graphic
violence and the murderer is someone we’ve met.
There’s a bit of romance, some nifty information on clocks, and a cat
named Bezel. I did figure out a number
of things before the dénouement, but the clues weren’t so obvious as to make
the solution a no-brainer.
On the down side, there is the stock character who
is universally hated through all three books, a character who exists only to
antagonize the main character and her friends. In book two, my least favorite
there’s one of those (in)famous misunderstandings which could be, and eventually
is, cleared up when two characters take a moment to talk to one another. Such things are supposed to create tension
but I find them annoying.
For me, the
pluses much outweighed the minuses, and I have enjoyed the three books in the
series very much. They also make good
treadmill books, thank goodness, because with the cold weather I’ve had to do
more of my walking indoors. Ruth has
been very good company indeed. I don’t
know if there will be further books or not—a number of story lines were tied up
in a very satisfying manner—but should a fourth book come out, I’ll be at the
bookstore for my copy.
The books in the series are:
1. Just
Killing Time
2. Clock
and Dagger
3. Chime
and Punishment
Tuesday, January 23, 2018
The Short Mystery Fiction Society Blog: 2018 Derringer Awards Update - January 20
The Short Mystery Fiction Society Blog: 2018 Derringer Awards Update - January 20: Originally posted to Shortmystery January 21, 2018, 12:58 a.m. EST, by Derringer Awards Coordinator Jay Hartman: Here's the complete...
Neil Diamond
Neil Diamond was Sandi's absolute favorite musician. She loved him and the music. Even when she was at her sickest coming home from the hospital, one of his songs would briefly perk her up. Then there was the time several years ago when she was crocheting with music playing in her hospital room. Pretty soon all the nurses on the floor were in her room singing along with her to "Sweet, Caroline" as one changed her chemo bags.
Every couple of years when Neil Diamond would be in town for a concert, we talked about trying to work things out to see him in concert. Things never worked out financially. In the last year when news of the tour came and his stop here, we again talked about doing something as fincially we could have pulled it off. As the date came closer, it was clear that even if we had rented alimo to try and get her tehre as easily as possible, she was far too weak to go.
We never made it to his concert. Obviously, we never will now. News that Neil Diamond is having to retire from touring due to Parkinson's is very upsetting and another symbol of how things have changed.
Every couple of years when Neil Diamond would be in town for a concert, we talked about trying to work things out to see him in concert. Things never worked out financially. In the last year when news of the tour came and his stop here, we again talked about doing something as fincially we could have pulled it off. As the date came closer, it was clear that even if we had rented alimo to try and get her tehre as easily as possible, she was far too weak to go.
We never made it to his concert. Obviously, we never will now. News that Neil Diamond is having to retire from touring due to Parkinson's is very upsetting and another symbol of how things have changed.
Monday, January 22, 2018
Last Few Days Have Been Really Rough
Trying to handle things as best as I can, but the last few days have been very rough emotional wise. Been online very sporadically and for very short periods at a time. Escapist television has had limited effect. I'm reading some, but having a very hard time staying focused on what I am reading.
I am still having a very hard time sleeping and that does not help.Most nights I wake up several times an hour and thus sleep for only a few minutes at a time. I have always had insomnia issues, but nothing to this level with what I have been going through the last few weeks.
In short, this remains hell.
I am still having a very hard time sleeping and that does not help.Most nights I wake up several times an hour and thus sleep for only a few minutes at a time. I have always had insomnia issues, but nothing to this level with what I have been going through the last few weeks.
In short, this remains hell.
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Once Upon a Spine by Kate Carlisle
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Once Upon a Spine by Kate Carlisle: Reviewed by Jeanne Brooklyn Wainwright is a bibliophile and bookbinder in San Francisco, so it’s a good thing that she’s also i...
TEXAS BOOK LOVER: Monday Roundup: TEXAS LITERARY CALENDAR 1/22-28
TEXAS BOOK LOVER: Monday Roundup: TEXAS LITERARY CALENDAR 1/22-28: Bookish goings-on in Texas for the week of January 22-28, 2018: Special Events: FronteraFest 2018 , Austin, January 16-February 17 How ...
Aubrey Hamilton Reviews: The Funeral Boat by Kate Ellis
The Funeral Boat by Kate Ellis (Minotaur, 2002) is the fourth
book featuring Detective Sergeant Wesley
Peterson. This is an enduring series, with the 22nd title scheduled
for release in April 2018. Peterson left the turbulence of London for the quiet
life of a Devonshire policeman and finds that Devon police can sometimes be given
tough problems to solve too. Peterson has a degree in archaeology which is
useful in this region rich with ties to the past. Each story in the series
invariably has a contemporary whodunit with some kind of link to a misdeed from
long ago, resulting in a crime novel that is part historical mystery and part
police procedural and, at least in the case of this book, the best of both. Fans of Elly Griffiths’
books about Ruth Galloway are likely to enjoy this series, although it is
heavier on police procedure and lighter on romance than Griffiths’.
In this book home invasions
are occurring in the isolated farms outside Devon, with the burglars
threatening the families with shotguns to keep them at bay as the crooks
ransack the houses and make off with the farm vehicles. Wesley and his boss
Inspector Gerry Heffernan are called to the latest incident, where the farm
owner decided to challenge the thieves and is severely wounded for his trouble.
Then a resident finds a
skeleton while excavating his land for drainage. Wesley calls in his university
friend who is on an archaeological dig at a nearby church to confirm that it is
centuries old and not the body of the former owner who disappeared a few years
ago, as Heffernan believes. Back at the police station one of Wesley’s
colleagues takes a report from a local bed-and-breakfast owner whose Danish
lodger has not returned from her day out. The family of one of the police
constables becomes the next target of the home invading crew before Wesley can
make much headway on any of these cases. Suddenly the small police force is
stretched to the utmost trying to handle this quick crime wave.
Some of the crimes have
surprising connections to others. The author ties each thread up efficiently
and logically. The best bits of this book include the short excerpts from a
diary written by a medieval monk that precede each chapter. The diary documents
a raid on the Devon area by the plundering Danes around 1000 A.D., destroying
the monk’s church and most of the surrounding community, which sets the context
for the centuries-old skeleton.
This book reminded me of
another Ellis who based a mystery on the Danish invasions of England in 1144, The Summer of the Danes by Ellis
Peters, Brother Cadfael #19.
Hardcover: 240 pages
Publisher: Minotaur Books; 1st edition (July 15, 2002)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0312274548
ISBN-13: 978-0312274542
Aubrey Hamilton © 2018
Aubrey Hamilton is a former
librarian who works on Federal IT projects by day and reads mysteries at night.
Sunday, January 21, 2018
The Short Mystery Fiction Society Blog: Guest Post: A Quick Note About Ransom Notes by Pet...
The Short Mystery Fiction Society Blog: Guest Post: A Quick Note About Ransom Notes by Pet...: It has been awhile, but SMFS member Peter DiChellis is back today with some thoughts about ransom notes in this technological age….. ...
Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 3 Million Page Views ... and All I Got Was This Lo...
Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 3 Million Page Views ... and All I Got Was This Lo...: Six years ago (has it really been six years?), someone told me to start a blog. Apparently, I "needed" one. I had no idea why. B...
HuffPost Shuts Down Its Unpaid Contributors Network after 13 Years
HuffPost Shuts Down Its Unpaid Contributors Network after 13 Years: Aspiring writers, bloggers, citizen journalists and celebrities will now not be able to contribute unvetted stories on the popular news aggregator and blogging site.
2017 Preditors & Editors Poll Review Site Results
On behalf of myself, Barry, Aubrey, Jeanne, Earl and the many other contributors to this blog each year, thank you for your support.
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 Tim Baker in the Countdown hot seat. We’re on Twitter at: Crime Review: @CrimeReviewUK Linda Wilson: @CrimeReviewer Sharon Wheeler: @lartonmedia This week’s reviews are: AFTER THE FIRE by Henning Mankell, reviewed by Kati Barr-Taylor
Fredrik Welin was lucky to escape the fire in his home alive, but now he must rebuild his life, and find out who wanted him dead. SLEEP NO MORE by PD James, reviewed by John Cleal Six inventive, occasionally witty and convincing scenarios involving murder, its motives and the course of natural justice from one of crime fiction’s greatest writers. THE THIRST by Jo Nesbø, reviewed by Ewa Sherman
A woman is found dead after a Tinder date, and marks left on her body indicate that the killer used iron teeth to kill her, and then drink her blood. Oslo’s ex-detective Harry Hole reluctantly gets involved in a search for a vampirist. STATE SECRETS by Quintin Jardine, reviewed by Linda Wilson
Former Chief Constable Bob Skinner has been asked to the Palace of Westminster to talk about the possibility of him accepting a peerage, which puts him in the right place at the right time to investigate a crime that will shock the nation. DARK PINES by Will Dean, reviewed by John Cleal
Tuva Moodyson, a deaf local paper reporter, dreams of a story that could make her career. Two bodies, their eyes cut out, copies of three unsolved murders 20 years before, give her the chance – and plunge her into secrets and fear in the dark forests. THE RELUCTANT CONTACT by Stephen Burke, reviewed by Arnold Taylor It is 1977 and Yuri is returning from attending his brother’s funeral in Moscow to Pyramiden in the Svalbard Archipelago north of Norway. He is about to discover that the quiet life of which he is so fond is about to come to an end. SIRACUSA by Delia Ephron, reviewed by Sylvia Maughan Two American couples go on holiday together. Their friendship begins to disintegrate almost immediately and death is the result. THE BLACK SHEEP by Sophie McKenzie, reviewed by Kati Barr-Taylor Francesca believes her husband’s death was a senseless attack, but then a stranger’s words shakes her belief to the core.
THE HIT by Anna Smith, reviewed by John Cleal Reporter Rosie Gilmour, investigating the disappearance of an accountant and the killing of his wife’s lover, becomes involved in an international crime ring which steals and sells babies as well as trafficking people. MAIGRET AND THE MAN ON THE BENCH by Georges Simenon, reviewed by Arnold Taylor
Maigret receives a call from Inspector Neveu of the Troisième Arrondissement saying that a man has been stabbed to death on the Boulevard Saint-Martin, that the murder seems out of the ordinary and that he would be grateful for his help. THE ABSENCE OF GUILT by Mark Gimenez, reviewed by Chris Roberts District Judge Scott Fenney is asked to rule on the detention of suspected terrorists, and becomes involved with a plot to bring down the Dallas Cowboys’ stadium. THE PAINTED QUEEN by Elizabeth Peters and Joan Hess, reviewed by John Cleal Amelia Peabody and her archaeologist husband Radcliffe Emerson are again in danger as they search for a priceless, stolen bust of legendary Queen Nefertiti. FROM THE SHADOWS by Neil White, reviewed by Linda Wilson Robert Carter is accused of the murder of a 24-year-old woman. His defence is flimsy and he seems determined not to help himself. But young solicitor Dan Grant is determined to uncover the truth. ROOTED IN EVIL by Ann Granger, reviewed by John Cleal When a man’s body is found in a Cotswold wood, it looks like suicide, but DI Jess Campbell and Superintendent Ian Carter soon discover looks can be deceptive. LIGHTNING MEN by Thomas Mullen, reviewed by Chris Roberts In post-war Atlanta, police on both sides of the racial divide struggle to contain criminals exploiting the tension, especially when family and friends are involved. THE CHILD FINDER by Rene Denfield, reviewed by Linda Wilson Naomi is a private investigator who specialises in finding missing children. Her latest case is that of five-year-old Madison Culver, who went missing three years ago. THE DEAD by Mark Oldfield, reviewed by Chris Roberts Investigator Ana Maria Galindez seeks Leopoldo Guzman, who recently reappeared in Madrid after years of dirty work in a shadowy squad created by Franco – even now reluctant to surrender its powers. MODESTY BLAISE: THE KILLING GAME by Peter O’Donnell (illustrated by Enric Badia Romero), reviewed by Linda Wilson Modesty and Willie go up against another set of villains in three more iconic comic strip adventures. NEMESIS by Brendan Reichs, reviewed by Linda Wilson Every other year since Min turned eight, she’s been hunted and killed by a sinister man in black. Every time, she wakes up, alive and unhurt, but knowing the nightmare was real, and it isn’t ending any time soon. BEYOND THE WALL by Tanya Landman, reviewed by John Barnbrook Cassia is the slave of a wealthy Roman living in Roman Britain. She escapes the attention of her master and runs to Roman London and then on up beyond Hadrian’s Wall, saving her brother and meeting Marcus, who she is not sure she can trust. Best wishes Sharon
Saturday, January 20, 2018
Lesa's Latest Contest-- Mysteries featuring amateur sleuths
This week, I'm giving away two mysteries featuring amateur sleuths. One is
Katherine Hall Page's The Body in the Casket. The other is the first in a
new series, Nancy J. Parra's A Case of Syrah, Syrah. Details on my blog,
http://www.lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com. Entries from the U.S. only,
please.
Lesa Holstine
KRL This Week Update for 1/20/18
Up in KRL this morning a review & giveaway of "Comic Sans Murder" by Paige Shelton http://kingsriverlife.com/01/20/comic-sans-murder-by-paige-shelton/ And a review & giveaway of "Escape Claws" by Linda Reilly along with an interesting interview with Linda http://kingsriverlife.com/01/20/escape-claws-by-linda-reilly/ Also a review & giveaway of "Crust No One" by Winnie Archer along with an interesting guest post by Winnie that takes you behind the scenes of the book and the food in the book http://kingsriverlife.com/01/20/crust-no-one-by-winnie-archer/ We also have a review & giveaway of "Splintered Silence" by Susan Furlong http://kingsriverlife.com/01/20/splintered-silence-by-susan-furlong/ And a review & EBOOK giveaway of "And Death Goes to..." by Laura Bradford http://kingsriverlife.com/01/20/and-death-goes-to-by-laura-bradford/ And we have a look at and review of the new season of "Murdoch Mysteries" on Acorn TV http://kingsriverlife.com/01/20/murdoch-mysteries-season-eleven-streaming-on-acorn-tv/ And for those who also enjoy fantasy, a review & giveaway of "Through a Dark Glass" by Barb Hendee, and a giveaway of the next book in the series coming out soon http://kingsriverlife.com/01/20/through-a-dark-glass-barb-hendees-magical-medieval-fantasy/ And on KRL News & Reviews a review & giveaway of "Courage Lost" by R. Scott Mackey http://www.krlnews.com/2018/01/courage-lost-by-rscott-mackey.html
Happy reading,
Lorie
Chess, Comics, Crosswords, Books, Music, Cinema: Merrick by Ben Boulden, 2017
Chess, Comics, Crosswords, Books, Music, Cinema: Merrick by Ben Boulden, 2017: "Thief, gunman, killer. A hero you'll hate, but root for anyway." Every time I watch a movie about a heist or read a story...
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Artemis by Andy Weir
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Artemis by Andy Weir: Reviewed by Kristin Andy Weir dazzles with Artemis , which hit the bestseller charts instantly upon publication in November, deserv...
Friday, January 19, 2018
Thursday, January 18, 2018
Blood-Red Pencil: List of Writing Workshops Requiring Early Registra...
Blood-Red Pencil: List of Writing Workshops Requiring Early Registra...: Whether a one day session, one week conference, or a month-long workshop, writing related events are a good way of communing with other wr...
Review: Another Man’s Ground by Claire Booth
“’I know that ain’t what the Bible says,
but I do,’ she said. ‘He’s always got horrible music playing, he don’t got no
housekeepin’ skills, and he’s mean as a constipated goat.’” (Page 145, Another Man’s Ground)
While that
description fit more than a few of our neighbors at the old apartment complex
over the years, the same could also be said of several different characters in Another
Man’s Ground by Claire Booth. Second in the Sheriff Hank Worth Mystery
Series,
the events of The Branson Beauty are still on everyone’s mind. Those events
had a definite impact on the local community and could easily affect the
upcoming election for sheriff. Just doing the job isn’t good enough, especially
when you have a slick and well-funded opponent. An opponent who is going to take advantage of
everything that happens as a result of the current investigation.
Vern Miles is upset
as well as he should be because somebody is messing with his land and his
livelihood. A person or persons unknown has been coming onto his land and
stripping the bark off his trees. His particular type of elm tree has a
substance in the bark that get processed and sold in stores as a supplement to
treat various conditions. Not has somebody trespassed on his land and stolen
bark from trees in such large quantities that the trees will die, that damage
also destroys his income.
Unfortunately, those
damaged and dying trees are just the start of the problem in the woods for
Branson, Missouri Sheriff Hank Worth. There are undocumented workers running
around the woods as well. The same woods are also hiding a couple of bodies and
it least one potential murder suspect. All those problems in the woods, past
events, and a couple of other things, are messing with his chances of being elected
Sheriff in the upcoming election.
Dealing with it all
is going to be difficult to say the least.
The second in the
series that started with The
Branson Beauty is a very good read. Another Man’s Ground seamlessly
picks up the action after several months after the first book and keeps things
rolling right along to a very satisfying conclusion. All the characters are
back along with some new folks, a complex mystery, and the author’s clear
appreciation for the area. Another Man’s Ground is a very good read well worth your
time.
For a more detailed review of this very
good book, check out Lesa Holstine’s review.
Another Man’s Ground
Claire Booth
Minotaur Books (St. Martins Publishing
Group)
July 2017
ISBN# 978-1-250-08441-5
Hardback (eBook format available)
320 Pages
$25.99
Material supplied by the good folks of
the Dallas Texas Public Library System.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2018
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
