Saturday, May 30, 2020

Lesa's Book Critiques: Meet Your Baker by Ellie Alexander

Lesa's Book Critiques: Meet Your Baker by Ellie Alexander

Unlawful Acts: Banjos, Art Theft, and Ulysses S. Grant – Small Crimes: Weekend Edition for 5/30/2020

Unlawful Acts: Banjos, Art Theft, and Ulysses S. Grant – Small Crimes: Weekend Edition for 5/30/2020

Beneath the Stains of Time: Dead Weight (1946) by Addison Simmons

Beneath the Stains of Time: Dead Weight (1946) by Addison Simmons: Addison Simmons was an American writers described by our resident genre-historian, Curt Evans , as " a prolific professional writer ...

Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 45 Calls for Submissions in June 2020 - Paying markets

Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 45 Calls for Submissions in June 2020 - Paying mar...: Needpix T here are nearly four dozen calls for submissions in June. All of these are paying markets, and none charge submission fees. As...

KRL Update: KRL This Week for 5/30/2020

Up in KRL this morning a review and giveaway of "Murder in the Storybook Cottage" by Ellery Adams, along with an added special giveaway. We also have a fun guest post by Ellery about Fairy Tales, Tea, and Murder


And reviews and giveaways of 3 pet mysteries-"Gone With The Whisker": A Bookmobile Cat Mystery by Laurie Cass, "Murder Can Confuse Your Chihuahua": A Haunted Craft Fair Mystery by Rose Pressey, and "The Girl with the Kitten Tattoo": A Cat Lady Mystery by Linda Reilly


We also have we have a review of "Secrets of the Treasure King" by Terry Ambrose along with a giveaway of a $5 Amazon gift card. We also have an interesting interview with Terry 


And another mystery podcast interview, this one with mystery author Eric Beetner about his podcast WriterTypes 


For those who prefer to listen to Mysteryrat's Maze Podcast directly on KRL, here is the player for the latest one featuring an excerpt from "The Wrong Girl" by Donis Casey, read by local actors Maxwell Debbas and Brianne Vogt Debbas 


Up during this week we had another special guest post, this one by mystery author C.L. Bauer about writing and her latest book "The Sweet Pea Secret" 


And one by mystery author Kathy Manos Penn sharing about the inspiration for the dog in her books, Dickens. You can also enter to win an ebook copy of her book "Bells, Tails, and Murder" 


Up in KRL News and Reviews this week we have a review and giveaway of "A Mew Beginning" by Kathi Daley 


Happy reading,

Lorie

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Sanditon by Jane Austen and Another Lady

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Sanditon by Jane Austen and Another Lady: Reviewed by Jeanne With the recent PBS airing of ”Sanditon” and a Book Bingo square I needed to fill, I decided to give Sanditon a ...

Scott's Take: Spider-Man: Kraven’s Last Hunt by Neil Kleid


Spider-Man: Kraven’s Last Hunt by Neil Kleid is an adaption in novel form of the comic of the same title. This novelization adapts the famous comic, keeping most of the plot, while attempting to update it for modern times. Kraven the Hunter (a longtime Spider-Man foe) has decided to launch a hunt of Spider-man for the last time. He will do whatever it takes to kill Spider-Man. This book takes place from multiple perspectives including two different villains and Spider-Man.  

Featuring sex, violence, lots of death, and plenty of humor this is an adult novel. This novel deals with concepts such as death, survivor’s guilt, honor, child abuse, dark secrets, and more. There is a huge horror element in this book as it depicts classic scenes found in the comic. This novel is not for children. This book would probably give them nightmares.

I highly recommend Spider-Man: Kraven’s Last Hunt by Neil Kleid for adult Spider-Man fans that are looking for a new spin on the classic tale.



My reading copy came from Central, aka Downtown Branch, of the Dallas Public Library System back before the libraries closed their doors in the middle of March due to the ongoing pandemic.

Scott A. Tipple © 2020

Friday, May 29, 2020

Writer Beware®: The Blog: Evaluating Publishing Contracts: Six Ways You May ...

Writer Beware®: The Blog: Evaluating Publishing Contracts: Six Ways You May ...: Posted by Victoria Strauss for Writer Beware® (A version of this post was originally published in 2014.) Several years ago, a now...

Lesa Holstine: The Blues Don't Care by Paul D. Marks

Lesa Holstine: The Blues Don't Care by Paul D. Marks

Bitter Tea and Mystery Review: Fearless Jones by Walter Mosley

Bitter Tea and Mystery: Fearless Jones: Walter Mosley: The star of this book (and the narrator) is Paris Minton, but there would not be much of a story without his friend Fearless Jones. They are...

Unlawful Acts: Otto Penzler, George Simenon, and Roxy Music – Small Crimes: Friday Reads for 5/29/2020

Unlawful Acts: Otto Penzler, George Simenon, and Roxy Music – Small Crimes: Friday Reads for 5/29/2020

Review: Evergreen: A Willie Black Mystery by Howard Owen


It is New Year’s Day in 2018 as Evergreen: A Willie Black Mystery by Howard Owen begins in a way that is very familiar to many of us of a certain age. Between his bladder and the cat sitting on his chest, sleeping much past eight in the morning is proving impossible. While hosting a party at your own place solves the transportation issue, there is one heck of a mess to clean up on the morning after. Cleaning up and thinking about having to go work at the paper later gets pushed aside when Richard Slade calls.

Richard Slade and Willie Black have a complicated history familiar to readers of the series. In the here and now, his mother, Philomena Slade, is in the hospital and is not doing so well. According to Richard Slade, she wants to tell him something important about Artie Lee.

Artie Lee was Willie Lee Black’s father and he died a little over a year after Willie was born.  Peggy never talks about him and Wille knows next to nothing except that he was African American. Back in 1960, African Americans and Caucasians could not legally marry. The simple act of dating was frowned upon by a significant portion of society. That belief that the races should not mingle extended to the child of such a union. That reality has been a major part of Willie Black’s entire life.

As it turns out, Philomena Slade has been quietly maintaining Artie’s grave in a local cemetery that has been nearly forgotten in the mists of time. All she wants is for Willie to maintain the grave site after she passes. A simple request that is far more complicated than it first appears. Now that he has been told of the grave site, something he has never known until now, all Willie wants is to learn all he can about his father and what happened that fateful night decades ago. That night and his death changed everything for everyone.

Willie Black digs into the past in a quest to find out what happened long ago. His mother, Peggy, refuses to talk about it so he has to talk to others who were around at the time and know what happened. Getting folks to talk is not easy and it soon becomes clear that what he thought he knew all these years was not true. History and race relations have always been a subtext if not a main theme of this series and such is the case here as Willie unearths hard truths that some would much prefer left buried in the past.

Evergreen: A Willie Black Mystery by Howard Owen is the latest published installment of a complex and very good series that began with Oregon Hill. This is not a static series. Characters age, people die by the hand of man or natural causes, and relationships evolve and change, so it is strongly recommended that readers start at the beginning and work their way forward. Additionally, this read contains frequent references to past events and are detailed enough to be considered spoilers. 


My review copy came by way of the Bachman Branch of the Dallas Public Library System shortly before the shutdown in mid-March due to the pandemic. Next in the series is Belle Isle which I have here in my print TBR pile after my ongoing reviews of this series came to the attention of the publisher.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2020

Thursday, May 28, 2020

The Rap Sheet: Revue of Reviewers for 5/28/2020

The Rap Sheet: Revue of Reviewers for 5/28/2020

Unlawful Acts: Horror, the Blues, and Laird Barron – Small Crimes: Thursday Reads for 5/28/2020

Unlawful Acts: Horror, the Blues, and Laird Barron – Small Crimes: Thursday Reads for 5/28/2020

Beneath the Stains of Time: The Scythe of Time: Case Closed, vol. 73 by Gosho ...

Beneath the Stains of Time: The Scythe of Time: Case Closed, vol. 73 by Gosho ...: The 73rd volume of Gosho Aoyama's long-running Case Closed series, published in Japan and elsewhere as Detective Conan , begins with...

In Reference To Murder: Mystery Melange for 5/28/2020

In Reference To Murder: Mystery Melange for 5/28/2020

Review: The Case of the Nameless Diablo, Cowboy Crooner: A Nameless, Texas Mystery introducing Rory Rogers, P. I. by Bobbi A. Chukran


The Case of the Nameless Diablo, Cowboy Crooner: A Nameless, Texas Mystery introducing Rory Rogers, P. I. by Bobbi A. Chukran has a lot going on in this short story that is also a very good cozy style read.

Aurora “Rory” Rogers is in her 50s, widowed, and is the only private investigator for miles around Nameless, Texas. Hurricane Harvey has just stomped through kicking the heck out of the Texas coast and the effects are also felt 175 miles in land in Nameless where the normal heat and humidity of summer has been made worse by the massive rains. Rory is working in her office in a building that also houses her small apartment. Her place is across the street from the Sheriff’s Office and a block up from the train station and freight yard. She has a Mexican restaurant next door and a BBQ place nearby by.

For once she has some money in the bank, lunch was good, and she a new book to read. It should be a quiet relaxing afternoon with nothing on the agenda. That is until a man exits from his old pickup and comes into her office. Rory does not much care for walk-ins and for good reason.

He is a prospective client and comes by way of an attorney that she has worked for before. “Darlene” has been stolen from his truck. Darlene is a guitar that his grandfather made back in the 50s. It has been through some things in the decades since and generates a sound that can’t be duplicated. While it may not be worth a lot money wise, it means everything to him, and he wants Darlene back.

The theft may or may not have anything to do with a recent situation. All he knows is that he has a show coming up and he needs Darlene. Without getting his name, Rory takes the case and the hunt is on for the missing guitar.

A lot is going on in The Case of the Nameless Diablo, Cowboy Crooner: A Nameless, Texas Mystery introducing Rory Rogers, P. I. by Bobbi A. Chukran. A lot of backstory regarding Rory is weaved into the highly entertaining tale as the author avoids info dumping as well as slowing the pace of the read. A fun and fast paced mystery short story well worth your time.



I picked this up to read and possible review after the author announced its publication on the Short Mystery Fiction Society list. At that time in late April it was a free read.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2020

Wednesday, May 27, 2020

The Exquisite Corpse Volume 2 – Part 8: The Mistress of Death (Conclusion)

The Exquisite Corpse Volume 2 – Part 8: The Mistress of Death (Conclusion)

The Exquisite Corpse Volume 2 – Part 7: The Taste of Blood

The Exquisite Corpse Volume 2 – Part 7: The Taste of Blood

Unlawful Acts: Metaphors, Isolation, and Rob Pierce – Small Crimes: Wednesday Reads for 5/27/2020

Unlawful Acts: Metaphors, Isolation, and Rob Pierce – Small Crimes: Wednesday Reads for 5/27/2020

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Nevermore: Man & Horse, Cry of the Kalahari, Lee ...

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Nevermore: Man & Horse, Cry of the Kalahari, Lee ...: Reported by Kristin Nevermore has evolved temporarily to meet the demands of social distancing, meeting online via Zoom. Our first m...

Lesa's Book Critiques: Have You Heard? - William Kent Krueger's Blood Hollow

Lesa's Book Critiques: Have You Heard? - William Kent Krueger's Blood Hollow

Jungle Red Writers: Our Favorite Nasty Women: A guest post by Kelli Stanley

Jungle Red Writers: Our Favorite Nasty Women: A guest post by Kelli St...: RHYS BOWEN: Today I'm happy to welcome one of my favorite people on the planet, Kelli Stanley.I've known Kelli for years, really e...

Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 48 Writing Contests in June 2020 - No entry fees

Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 48 Writing Contests in June 2020 - No entry fees: Pxhere This June there are four dozen writing contests calling for every genre and form, from poetry, to creative nonfiction, to complet...

Review: Mystery Weekly Magazine: February 2020


“Kenny Orslow Shows Up On Time” by Susan Oleksiw Is the lead story for Mystery Weekly Magazine: February 2020. It is a Monday morning, the fifth of June, and he is supposed to get on a certain bus outside the County Courthouse and go Lanark. He has a six-month sentence to serve. It is his day and time to report to the bus for transport. At least, that was the plan.

It is the fall of 1899 and a man who goes by the name of George Armadale has arrived in town. A former police detective, he wants ten dollars a day to identify a killer and bring him to justice. It will take a week. Considering the expense as well as the fact that the murder happened just three hours before the former Sacramento detective showed up, it is a good thing he arrived. The local sheriff and his deputies have not solved he case yet in “We Suffered Such A Man As This” by Anthony Lowe.

She clearly was a bit naive though nobody should ever accuse her of being stupid in “The Sizzle” by Jill Hand. Fresh out of high school with limited options her only real option if working for Uncle Everett. He will give her a job in his business. He has a lot of satisfied clients who never complain.

Mr. Deshaw is a legend in the neighborhood. He is a bit stand offish, yet he does care in ways that are not always apparent to others. He travels a lot and based on what he brought back to put in his yard, he does like artwork. That very public display of art and the effect it has on his neighbors is the subject of “Mr. Deshaw’s Sculpture” by Jeff H.

If he had brought the library book over to Mom earlier things might have been different. Marcus mentally plays the “what if” game a lot in “Left Out” by Michael Wells. That and a couple of other things tend to distract him from law school.

The meeting with the producer who possibly wants to option one of his early crime fiction novels had gone really well. He knew the topic of murder and who to kill had come up during the meeting in the coffee shop. He knew that their conversation about having the power of life and death over folks could have been misconstrued by others who did not realize they were talking about writing and creating central characters. The arrival of the two detective who look like they just came from central casting instead of the police station isn’t surprising. The fact they have questions isn’t a surprise either  in “The Russian Triple Agent” by Arthur Davis.

Each month there is a “You-Solve-It” puzzle where the clues are provided and the reader either solves or does not solve the case. This month the puzzle is titled “Where There’s Smoke” by Eric. B. Ruark. The place is burned down and destroyed as Deputy Sheriff Tracy Leigh Myers picks her way through the rubble. Was it an accident or not?

The issue concludes with the answer to the January case, “Bare Billfold” by Laird Long.

Another quality issue with interesting characters, complex mysteries, and lots going on. Each issue is solidly good and Mystery Weekly Magazine: February 2020 keeps the good reads coming.


For quite some time now I have been gifted a subscription by the publisher with no expectation at all of a review. I read and review each issue as I can. To date, I have never submitted anything to this market and will not do so as long as I review the publication.


Kevin R. Tipple ©2020

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

WGA West: When Your Only Weapon Is Inaction by Dennis Palumbo

WGA West: When Your Only Weapon Is Inaction by Dennis Palumbo

In the piece, Dennis Palumbo talks about how the pandemic is a background hum in all of our lives. Since 2017, grief has been the background roar of my life. Losing my Mom in January was bad and meant I was parentless though it was not unexpected at her age and with her medical issues.I had known her time was limited. I also knew by that fall that another horrible event was on my immediate horizon.  Losing Sandi that December after a six year plus fight against the god damn cancer was not unexpected.  I thought I was ready. I was so very wrong. Grief has been a background roar in my life ever since. The pandemic hum is not helping that as my primary way of coping, escaping to the library and bookstores, has not been an option. I am not a therapist and certainly do not play one on tv, but, as he points out in his piece, turning the television off does help. The piece resonated with me and I suspect it will for many of you as well. 

Lesa's Book Critiques: The Sunday Potluck Club by Melissa Storm

Lesa's Book Critiques: The Sunday Potluck Club by Melissa Storm

Unlawful Acts: PIs, Trains, and Malcolm McLaren – Small Crimes: Tuesday Reads for 5/26/2020

Unlawful Acts: PIs, Trains, and Malcolm McLaren – Small Crimes: Tuesday Reads for 5/26/2020

CJR: A reminder to editors: Be kind to your writers by Sarah Gilman

CJR: A reminder to editors: Be kind to your writers by Sarah Gilman

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: The Majesties by Tiffany Tsao

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: The Majesties by Tiffany Tsao: Reviewed by Christy             Estella and Gwendolyn are part of a very large and very rich Chinese-Indonesian family. The tw...

Review: Flash Bang Mysteries: Spring 2020 Issue 19


Recently Flash Bang Mysteries: Spring 2020 Issue 19 was released by the father and son team of BJ Bourg and Brandon Bourg. The issue contains four interesting short stories.

Selected as the cover story, “The Fourth Amendment” by John Bowers has Chief Carpenter appearing in the chambers of Judge Martin as he wants a warrant.  In fact, he needs that warrant. Chief Carpenter has to convince the judge to see things his way in the pursuit of justice.

Sunday is the one day a week that Pearl and Henry eat out at local pub and take a walk to the nearby museum at the castle. Henry bought as annual pass, believing it a wise investment, and made sure Pearl did the same. Education is important and yet Henry does not know everything in “A Fitting Sendoff” by Madeleine McDonald.

Taking photographs correctly is always important. It is even more so when one is taking pictures of the deceased. As Lacy has found over the years, change the light source, change the angle, and the pictures reveal evidence. The latest victim clearly has some evidence on her and Lacy is working hard to document it all in “Shadows” by Jemi Fraser.

The editor’s choice of the issue is “Sweet Spot” by Bruce Harris. Steve “Stoney” Stevens has a bakery in downtown Denver. An interview on the very popular news show is going to skyrocket his success if he handles himself just right.

The four short stories here are all quick reads and all four are good ones. With a submission cap of 700 words, each author quickly sets the scene and moves the action along to conclusion. A lot of stuff is at work in each tale as are a couple of surprises. Flash Bang Mysteries: Spring 2020 Issue 19 is another quick and fun read. You can read the current issue as back issues for free online here.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2020

Monday, May 25, 2020

The Exquisite Corpse Volume 2 – Part 6: The Art of Violence

The Exquisite Corpse Volume 2 – Part 6: The Art of Violence

The Exquisite Corpse Volume 2 – Part 5: Nothing But Darkness

The Exquisite Corpse Volume 2 – Part 5: Nothing But Darkness

The Exquisite Corpse Volume 2 – Part 4: What The Bones Said

The Exquisite Corpse Volume 2 – Part 4: What The Bones Said

Crime Review Update: New Issue of Crime Review for 5/25/2020

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 Paul Charles in the Countdown hot seat:



We’re on Twitter at:

Crime Review: @CrimeReviewUK

Linda Wilson: @CrimeReviewer

Sharon Wheeler: @lartonmedia


This week’s reviews are:


BIG SKY by Kate Atkinson, reviewed by Viv Beeby

PI Jackson Brodie stumbles upon some dark and dangerous deeds in the picturesque seaside town he now calls home.


THE NEVER GAME by Jeffery Deaver, reviewed by Linda Wilson

Three victims, each stuck in a deadly locked room scenario. Only one man can help them – Colton Shaw, a man who earns his money from finding missing people, dead or alive.


THE STALKER by Alex Gray, reviewed by John Cleal

Superintendent William Lorimer and his Major Incident Team track a serial killer – but Lorimer’s own wife is in danger from a madman who targets a particular type of woman.


MAN ON EDGE by Humphrey Hawksley, reviewed by Chris Roberts

A rogue Russian colonel plans the assassination of the US and Russian presidents at a summit meeting. Rake Ozenna stands in his way.


THE REGRET by Dan Malakin, reviewed by Kati Barr-Taylor

Someone is stalking Rachel again, but no one seems to care.


HIGH FIRE by Eoin Colfer, reviewed by Linda Wilson

A teenager, a dragon and a crooked cop. Life in the Louisiana swamp will never be the same for Squib Moreau when he meets Vern, the last dragon.


I WILL MISS YOU TOMORROW by Heine Bakkeid, reviewed by Ewa Sherman

A damaged ex-Chief Inspector Thorkild Aske has just left prison, his life in tatters. He is asked to find a young man, Rasmus, who has disappeared off the North Norwegian coast. Rasmus is the cousin of Frei, the woman that Thorkild still loves but whom he has accidently killed.


THE DEAD LINE by Holly Watt, reviewed by John Cleal

Journalist Casey Benedict, alerted to the possibility of a horrific trade in babies, embarks on a dangerous investigation.

BURNT ISLAND by Kate Rhodes, reviewed by Linda Wilson

When a man is horrifically murdered on a remote island in the Scillies, DI Ben Kitto’s boss wants results fast, but even with a relatively small pool of suspects to draw on, the case isn’t an easy one to crack.


BLOOD IN THE WATER by Jack Flynn, reviewed by John Cleal

Gang war erupts on the Boston waterfront and Diamond, daughter of union boss Cormack McConnell, is caught in the middle.


DARKNESS FOR LIGHT by Emma Viskic, reviewed by Chris Roberts

Deaf Melbourne-based PI Caleb Zelic goes to meet a new client but finds him dead, and is drawn into a dispute he only vaguely understands but with participants prepared to kill wherever necessary.


THE KILLER YOU KNOW by SR Masters, reviewed by Kati Barr-Taylor

They thought Will’s teenage vow to kill three people was a joke. Now Adeline and her friends are not so sure.


A STRANGER IN MY GRAVE by Margaret Millar, reviewed by John Cleal

Daisy Harker has everything: a beautiful home and a wealthy businessman husband who loves her. She also has a recurring nightmare – she sees her own grave and a date that means she has been dead for four years! On the edge of a breakdown, she hires an investigator.


NO FIXED ABODE by Dana Stabenow, reviewed by Chris Roberts

The crash of a light aircraft in a remote Alaskan town has significant implications for PI Kate Shugak and her friends.


TO KEEP YOU SAFE by Kate Bradley, reviewed by Linda Wilson

Former soldier-turned-teacher Jenni Wales has to decide how far she will go to save one of her pupils when no one else appears to care that the girl is terrified and at risk of abduction.


THE FAMILY by Louise Jensen, reviewed by Kati Barr-Taylor

Oak Leaf Farm may not provide the sanctuary Laura hoped for. It may be the place she cannot escape.



DEEP STATE by Chris Hauty, reviewed by John Cleal

Former small-town girl, ex-army boxer and now White House intern Haley Chill stumbles across a plot to assassinate the American president.


DEGREES OF GUILT by HS Chandler, reviewed by Chris Roberts

Maria Bloxham calls the police to report she has killed her husband, and soon finds herself on trial. The jury are invited to consider whether her husband’s behaviour constitutes a defence.


SOFA SURFER by Malcolm Duffy, reviewed by Linda Wilson

When 15-year-old Tyler meets a girl at the local lido, he’s only looking to make some money from giving her swimming lessons, but an unlikely friendship grows between them that threatens Tyler’s relationship with his own family.


THE KINGDOM by Jess Rothenberg, reviewed by John Barnbrook

The Kingdom is a fantasy theme park, home to hybrids, living creatures, some extinct, some rare and some human. The Fantasists are beautiful hybrid women, designed as perfect hosts but are they capable of murder?



Best wishes



Linda and Sharon


Beneath the Stains of Time: The Worm Tunnel (1999) by Michael Dahl

Beneath the Stains of Time: The Worm Tunnel (1999) by Michael Dahl: I began this month with a review of the fourth title in Michael Dahl's five-book Finnegan "Finn" Zwake series, The Viking C...

Unlawful Acts: Crime, Lockdown, and Margo Price – Small Crimes: Monday Reads for 5/25/2020

Unlawful Acts: Crime, Lockdown, and Margo Price – Small Crimes: Monday Reads for 5/25/2020

In Reference To Murder: Media Murder for Monday 5/25/2020

In Reference To Murder: Media Murder for Monday 5/25/2020

Mystery Fanfare: BARBECUE MYSTERIES for Memorial Day

Mystery Fanfare: BARBECUE MYSTERIES for Memorial Day: Not sure if this statistic will be accurate for the Shelter-in-Place situation, but in the past 53% of Americans barbecue on Memorial...

Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 25 Writing Conferences in June 2020

Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 25 Writing Conferences in June 2020: Needpix Summertime is for writing conferences. In spite of the pandemic, quite a few are still being held live, while others have moved ...

Markets & Jobs for Writers for 5/25/2020

Markets & Jobs for Writers for 5/25/2020

Aubrey Hamilton Reviews: Tropical Heat by John Lutz


John Lutz has been a byword in the world of crime fiction for years. He is the author of more than forty novels and over 200 short stories and articles. He is a past president of both Mystery Writers of America and Private Eye Writers of America. Among his awards are the MWA Edgar, the PWA Shamus, the PWA Life Achievement Award, and the Short Mystery Fiction Society's Golden Derringer Lifetime Achievement Award. He is the author of two private eye series, the Nudger series, set in St. Louis, Missouri, and the Carver series, set in Florida, as well as stand-alone books. 

In the first of a 10-book series, Tropical Heat (Henry Holt, 1986), Fred Carver is introduced as a former policeman injured on the job and forced to take early retirement. He acquired a private investigator’s license and hung out his shingle in Del Moray, Florida, where he is still recovering from his wounds. His former lieutenant sends Edwina Talbot, a hotshot realtor who is searching for her lover, to him. All the evidence suggests that Willis Davis committed suicide by leaping from a cliff into the ocean. Edwina does not believe that he would leave her and, since his body has not been recovered, prefers to think he disappeared because of money problems.

Carver is reluctant to take the case – if the police think it’s suicide, it probably is -- but he needs the money and he needs to be busy. He learns that the Davis was skimming cash from client deposits at the realtor firm where he was working. Then he finds forged ID in multiple names in his apartment. Suspicions justifiably aroused, Carver doubles down on talking to Davis’s coworkers and associates, which attracts the attention of some knife-toting, drug-dealing Cubanos who expend considerable effort to discourage Carver’s research. Federal law enforcement representatives who happen to be watching the Cubanos aren’t happy to have Carver in their way. Violence begins to trail Carver wherever he goes, and Carver finds he’s in better shape to deal with it than he thought.

Well written and plotted even if the outcome is predictable. A solid start to a fine series.




·         Hardcover: 246 pages
·         Publisher: Henry Holt & Co; 1st edition (July 1, 1986)
·         Language: English
·         ISBN-10: 0030069580
·         ISBN-13: 978-0030069581




Aubrey Hamilton ©2020

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

Sunday, May 24, 2020

Mail Call

Came yesterday by way of the author and reading started today....




Unlawful Acts: Incident Report No. 88 for 5/24/2020

Unlawful Acts: Incident Report No. 88 for 5/24/2020

Lesa's Book Critiques: A Call for Kelp by Bree Baker

Lesa's Book Critiques: A Call for Kelp by Bree Baker

Mystery Fanfare: MEMORIAL DAY MYSTERIES // MEMORIAL DAY CRIME FICTI...

Mystery Fanfare: MEMORIAL DAY MYSTERIES // MEMORIAL DAY CRIME FICTI...: Memorial Day aka Decoration Day is a day of remembrance of those men and women who who fell protecting us, of those who didn't co...

Saturday, May 23, 2020

Unlawful Acts: Dead Bodies, Samurais, and Emily Ratajkowski – Small Crimes: Weekend Edition for 5/23/2020

Unlawful Acts: Dead Bodies, Samurais, and Emily Ratajkowski – Small Crimes: Weekend Edition for 5/23/2020

The Rap Sheet: A Stumble, Rather Than a Fall

The Rap Sheet: A Stumble, Rather Than a Fall

The Exquisite Corpse Volume 2 – Part 3: Richer Than God

The Exquisite Corpse Volume 2 – Part 3: Richer Than God

KRL Update: Kings River Life Magazine for 5/23/2020

Up in KRL this morning a review and giveaway of "Tents, Trials & Turmoil" by Tonya Kappes


And a review of season 10 of "Vera" on BritBoxTV


Also a review and giveaway of "Trowel and Error" by H.Y. Hanna - Author


And a review and giveaway of "Pulp Friction" by Julie Anne Lindsey along with an interesting interview with Julie


And a review and giveaway of "Blood Family" by Jacqueline Seewald along with a guest post by Jacqueline about keeping a series fresh and interesting


We also have a mystery short story by John Floyd


During the week we also had another special guest post this one from Victoria Thompson talking about writing her latest book "Murder on Pleasant Avenue." You can also enter to win a copy of the book


And another fun special guest post, this one by mystery author Dp Lyle. He talks about PI characters in mysteries, and about his new mystery "Rigged"


Up on KRL News and Reviews this week we have a review and giveaway of "Fields' Guide to Pharaohs" by Julie Mulhern


Happy reading,
Lorie