Sunday, April 30, 2023
Beneath the Stains of Time: A Study in Scarlet: Case Closed, vol. 85 by Gosho Aoyama
SleuthSayers: Don't Ever Get Old by R. T. Lawton
Guest Post: Where I’m From by Neil S. Plakcy
Please
welcome back prolific author Neil S. Plakcy today. His new book, Dog of
Thieves, comes out Tuesday from Samwise Books. This is the 16th
book in his Golden Retriever Mysteries which began with In Dog We Trust.
Where
I’m From by Neil S. Plakcy
Here’s
an easy way to confuse people who ask where you’re from. Tell them, as I do,
that you grew up in the suburbs of Trenton, New Jersey-- but in Pennsylvania.
Huh?
Unless you come from the Northeast, you probably don’t realize how close Pennsylvania
and New Jersey really are. But my parents and I crossed the Delaware for family
visits, Sunday and Hebrew School, even grocery shopping, and most of the kids I
knew were going back and forth across the Calhoun Street Bridge, too.
I
was born in St. Francis Hospital in the Chambersburg section of Trenton-- the
same neighborhood where Janet Evanovich has set her Stephanie Plum books. My
mother’s aunts lived on either side of Trenton High, and we continued to
patronize the same stores she did when she was growing up in the city. I know
the back streets of Trenton as well as I know those of the small town where my
parents and I lived.
Before
the riots came in 1967, there was a vibrant life in the inner city, and it was
exciting to a little kid from the suburbs. We bought Hungarian style stuffed
cabbage from a grocery across from the War Memorial and ate in the park surrounding
that obelisk. We went to the planetarium at the state capitol complex, to the
New Jersey State Museum, and shopping along State Street.
In
Pennsylvania, alcohol was only sold in the State Stores, with a limited
selection, so my parents traveled to La Casa Liquors in Chambersburg (owned by
the father of a classmate, who was also my great-uncle’s best friend) whenever
we had to stock up for an event. When I was a teenager, the drinking age was
eighteen in New Jersey and twenty-one in Pennsylvania, and all those bars in
Trenton were awfully easy to reach for a kid with a driver’s license with a plan
to party.
I
left Trenton, and its suburbs, when I went to college, and haven’t lived there
since. But when I wanted to set my golden retriever mysteries in a small town
where my hero was likely to run into old friends and classmates, I went back
myself to Bucks County. My protagonist, Steve Levitan, has the same
relationship to Trenton and to New Jersey that I had growing up.
Steve
has been across the river many times in the series—tracking down suspects, connecting
with family traditions, and so on. He’s been to the flea market in Lambertville
where my parents used to take me every Sunday, and to the site of the synagogue
where he and I both celebrated a bar mitzvah. It’s now a Baptist church.
My
father used Belgian blocks (brought over in colonial-era ships as ballast) to
build a retaining wall along our lakefront. There was a crumbling block wall
alongside an empty lot on the way to my grandmother’s house, and I can remember
my dad pulling up and hustling over to the wall to pick out loose blocks to
bring home with us. There’s a convenience store there now, with no sign of that
original wall.
That
memory has already been written into a previous book, so I couldn’t use it in Dog
of Thieves, the 16th book in the series, which debuts May 2. But
I’m sure the Garden State has more to offer me in the future. After all, when
there’s a whole state full of potential plots and murder victims right across
the river, how can a detective (or a mystery novelist) resist?
Neil S. Plakcy ©2023
Neil
S. Plakcy is the author of over fifty mystery and romance novels, including the
best-selling golden retriever mysteries and the highly acclaimed Mahu series, a
four-time finalist for the Lambda Literary Awards. A Lefty winner, his stories
have been featured in the Bouchercon anthology Florida Happens, Malice Domestic’s
Murder Most Conventional and the 2022 MWA anthology Crime Hits Home and others.
His website is www.mahubooks.com.
Saturday, April 29, 2023
KRL This Week Update for 4/29/2023
Up on KRL this morning a review and giveaway of "Hammocks, Handguns, & Hearsay" by Tonya Kappes https://kingsriverlife.com/04/29/hammocks-handguns-hearsay-by-tonya-kappes/
And a review of "The Dead End Tour" by Jen Pitts and a chance to win a copy of either this book or the first book in the series (your choice). We also have a fun interview with Jen https://kingsriverlife.com/04/29/the-dead-end-tour-by-jen-pitts/
And a review and ebook giveaway of "With a Twist" by Cathi Stoler https://kingsriverlife.com/04/29/with-a-twist-by-cathi-stoler/
We also have the latest mystery Coming Attractions from Sunny Frazier along with an ebook giveaway of "The Dying Five" by Jennifer Wright-Berryman https://kingsriverlife.com/04/29/may-coming-attraction-bring-on-those-flowers-edition/
And a review of the mystery TV show Will Trent based on the books by Karin Slaughter https://kingsriverlife.com/04/29/will-trent-mystery-tv-review/
Up during the week we posted another special midweek guest post, this one by romantic suspense author Karen Randau. This one is a bit different and is from the perspective of her main character in her latest book "From Chaos" https://kingsriverlife.com/04/26/from-chaos/
And another special midweek guest post this one by local author David Ajluni about how he went from writing for film to writing horror novels https://kingsriverlife.com/04/26/how-i-failed-my-way-into-writing-books/
Up on KRL News and Reviews this week a review and ebook giveaway of "Brackish Water" by Neil Plakcy https://www.krlnews.com/2023/04/brackish-water-angus-green-novel-by.html
And a review and ebook giveaway of "Marked for Murder" by Leslie Langtry https://www.krlnews.com/2023/04/marked-for-murder-by-leslie-langtry.html
And a review and giveaway of "Irene Deep in Texas Trouble" by Judy Alter https://www.krlnews.com/2023/04/irene-deep-in-texas-trouble-irene-in.html
Happy reading,
Lorie
SleuthSayers: Simultaneous Submissions by John Floyd
Scott's Take: Daredevil and Elektra Vol 1: The Red Fist Saga by Chip Zdarsky
Daredevil and Elektra Vol 1: The
Red Fist Saga
by Chip Zdarsky is the second in this Daredevil series. In this book, Daredevil
has agreed to co-lead with Electra the group known as “The Fist” in the battle against
“The Hand.” This means its ninjas vs ninjas in a war for the world. The new
leader of The Hand is the Punisher. That tale is being told in the Punisher
series by Jason Aaron and is also quite good. In this book, Daredevil and
Elektra Vol 1: The Red Fist Saga, Daredevil is preparing to leave New
York so he can take the fight to The Hand but a new villain has some
revelations for him first.
Daredevil spends a good portion of this first
volume recruiting for his new version of The Fist. There are also some pretty
cool action sequences which I can’t get into without spoilers. The art is
really good. I also highly enjoyed how Daredevil and Spider-man, who is a guest
star, are written and depicted.
I am highly looking forward to Daredevil
and Elektra Vol 2: The Red Fist Saga Part 2. I also recommend reading
the aforementioned Punisher series so you have the other half of the story.
Each series is connected, but could be read on their own, but I think you
should read both.
My reading copy came from the Preston Royal
Branch of the Dallas Public Library System.
Scott A. Tipple ©2023
Friday, April 28, 2023
Jerry's House of Everything: FORGOTTEN BOOK: DOWN THE MYSTERLY RIVER
Thursday, April 27, 2023
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Jeanne's Favorite Series: Hillerman, Christie, Peters, and so many more!
Review: Everybody Knows: A Novel by Jordan Harper
Mae Pruett lives
in Los Angeles and does “black-bag” publicity jobs for a crisis management firm
in Everybody Knows: A Novel by Jordan Harper. Her job is to keep bad news out
of the press at all costs or, at the very least, spin the event or incident
into more positive news coverage. Her firm shapes the news we see for
celebrities. The real facts of the situations, the dirt and what Hollywood does
to all involved, especially the kid stars, stays hidden from view.
That is until
her boss at Mitnick & Associates is killed in the street in front of the Beverly
Hills Hotel. Mae Pruett was supposed to be meeting him for a drink and to talk.
Lucky for her, she was running a few minutes late. So, she missed the shooting
in what is now being billed as an attempted carjacking gone wrong. Mae can read
between the lines and knows the media story being pushed hard is utter
nonsense. She knows because what to look for and who is reporting the stuff.
She also knows because Dan was being weird just before he was killed and had
some sort of plan to make him and her rich.
She owed Dan for
bringing her into the biggest PR firm in the city. She wonders why the machine
is working so hard to spin the story. She wonders what he was planning that got
him killed. What was he planning? What did he know? She has a couple of ideas
and begins to dig. What she finds is the kind of stuff that gives one a waking
nightmare if they are not murdered first.
A lot of people
will be as Mae uncovers secrets and desperately tries to stay alive.
Everybody Knows
is a darkly cynical read and a commentary on pop culture and the entertainment
industry. It is a complex and noir style mystery tale where evil almost always wins
out in the end simply because so many are employed to make sure that happens.
It is also one of those books that one wonders how many names have been changed
to protect the scumbags among us?
It is also one heck of a complicated read that is well worth your time. Everybody Knows: A Novel easily makes my top five book list of reads so far this year. It packs quite a punch from from beginning to end. It might also make you think twice the next time you see a story on a celebrity.
My reading copy
came from the Central or Downtown Branch of the Dallas Public Library System.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2023
Wednesday, April 26, 2023
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Nevermore: Read My Pins, Clay's Quilt, Once There Were Wolves, Beartown
Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 97 Calls for Submissions in May 2023 - Paying markets
Bitter Tea and Mystery: Short Story Wednesday: ''Citadel" by Stephen Hunter
Jerry's House of Everything: SHORT STORY WEDNESDAY: WOODROW WILSON'S NECKTIE
Short Story Wednesday Review: Dark Yonder: Issue 1
Dark Yonder:
Issue 1
opens with two introductions. The first is by Editor Eryk Pruitt in which he
pays homage to Thuglit. The second is by Editor Katy Munger where she
expresses her love for short stories, the idea of “neo noir,” and how it relates
to what they are going to publish. Then, after a drink recipe, it is on to the
stories.
Mike McHone
starts things off with “Perforation Of A Moment.” Birch Run, Michigan, is not a
favorite place for Josh Howard. He went back there to either finish his novel or
commit suicide. Which it will be is a tossup. It is late October and the 49-year-old
man is going through some things. He has not seen nothing yet.
In “The Twenty-One
Foot Rule” by Mick Mamatas, one is reminded that bringing a gun to a knife
fight is an interesting choice. Tracy and Robin are twins. They are in a
constant battle for supremacy, one way or another.
“Dorothy” by
Anna Elin Kristiansen is a tale of what happens after the slap. Her husband
never should have slapped her. He did. Things had not been that great lately,
but even he knows he should not have done that. Now he wants it all to blow
over and to be easily forgotten.
Beni is being
forced to be a child soldier in “Beni” by Greg Williard. His fate is grim, even
if he survives the training. That same training might give the skills he needs
to deal with those who killed his parents and changed his life forever.
Todd Pierce is
working the bar as “Verna Maxwell” by Dana King begins. She came into the bar,
started a tab, and likes Vodka Collins. Her walking into his bar is going to
start a string of events that will ultimately lead to violence. The only
question is what will happen and how bad it will be.
Reni knew
somebody was in the house, but Teddy refused to get up and look. She used to be
a cop, still has her K9 partner though he is up in years, and has the 1911 cold
Teddy’s father used in WWII. She also has home field advantage in “Home Game”
by Craig Faustus Buck.
“The Worst Game Of
Baseball Ever Played” by Adam Breckenridge features a world gone mad. The
unrest starts in the stands of a baseball stadium and soon spills over into the
surrounding neighborhood. Extreme violence with no sign of law enforcement. Is
our hero going mad? Is the world ending? Neither? Both? The answer is in the
mind of the reader as this one is very much open to interpretation.
An incident at
school means he is suspended and going home. Mom’s a bit worried about why he
did what he did in “A Harvest Of Malice” by Matt McHugh. The story within the
story is an ancient and powerful message-- if he listens.
It is 1965 and King
Booker has a plan in “The Entitled Life And Untimely Death Of King Booker” by
P. M. Raymond. New Orleans. Voodoo. Need I say more?
The final story
returns the reader to a more crime fiction noir style bent and without the paranormal
in Johnny Shaw’s “Or Not To Be.” A poker game in a bar goes wrong. At least it
did for the guy who got invited to the game, won big, and now has one heck of a
problem staying alive and keeping his winnings.
Dark Yonder:
Issue 1
is an interesting mixture of stories. All the tales are solidly good. Some are
more clearly crime fiction rooted noir type tales than others. Science fiction
and fantasy elements are present in three tales. More than anything or any label,
these are dark tales and not ones that make you feel very good about anyone
involved. As was the legendary Thuglit, this is not a read that makes
you feel all warm and gooey about humanity. The overall result here is an
interesting and enjoyable read as well as a new market to keep an eye on going
forward.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3uuKmFn
My eBook reading copy was a gift from a friend.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2023
Tuesday, April 25, 2023
Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 44 Writing Contests in May 2023 - No entry fees
SleuthSayers: It's Malice time! by Barb Goffman
Publication Day for Crimeucopia: Strictly Off The Record
Today is the publication day for the new anthology, Crimeucopia:
Strictly Off The Record. The new book includes my short story, Sweet Dreams
Are Made of This. Published by Murderous
Ink Press, the read is available in digital and print formats at Amazon
and other vendors.
Hope you pick up a copy. Big time thank you to editor and publisher John Connor for including my short story in the new book.
Publisher Description:
Strictly Off The Record
On the QT, and Very Hush Hush
Of course there are going to be those who will happily
point out that we’ve taken our subtitle this time around from James Elroy, and
his rightly famous L. A. Confidential. However, like most Hollywood gossip
columnists, “that’s not strictly true.”
Some of the earliest references come from the
1870s/Victorian England, and it is believed that the ‘QT’ in question is
shorthand for QuieT. Not that any of the authors contained within these pages
are particularly bothered, one way or the other – or quiet for that matter.
And with 16 vibrant authors, a wraparound cover, and
pages full of crime fiction in some of its many guises, what’s not to like?
So if you enjoy tales spun by
Anthony Diesso, Brandon Barrows, E. James Wilson,
James Roth, Jesse Aaron, Jim Guigli, John M. Floyd, Kevin R. Tipple, Maddi
Davidson, Michael Grimala, Robert Petyo, Shannon Hollinger, Tom Sheehan, Wil A.
Emerson, Peter Trelay, and Philip Pak - then you'd better get Crimeucopia -
Strictly Off The Record by the sound of it!
In the spirit of the Murderous Ink Press motto:
You never know what you like until you read it.
Paperback ISBN: 9781909498464 - eBook ISBN: 978190949847
Monday, April 24, 2023
Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 36 Marvelous Writing Workshops and Conferences in May 2023
Aubrey Nye Hamilton Reviews: Outback by Patricia Wolf
Patricia Wolf is a
journalist, a regular contributor to The Guardian, the Financial
Times, The Independent, The Telegraph, and other newspapers.
She grew up in a mining town called Mount Isa in far north-west Queensland and
left Australia after university to travel. She now lives in Berlin, Germany,
but she calls the outback home. Her debut novel introduces DI Lucas Walker of
the organized crime unit of the Australian Federal Police in Canberra.
In Outback
(Embla Book, 2022) Walker is on compassionate leave to visit his dying
grandmother in his home town of Caloodie in remote Queensland. His grandmother
raised him and her approaching death is hitting him hard. He’s grateful for the
distraction when his supervisor calls and asks him to help the local police in
their search for a pair of tourists from Germany who have disappeared. Rita
Guerra and Berndt Meyer were backpacking through Asia and Australia, taking
short-term jobs as they went. The owner of a tiny ranch near Caloodie reported
them missing when they did not show up to work as scheduled.
Careful not to
step on sensitive toes, Walker represents himself to the town constable as a
liaison for the Foreign Service and the families in Germany. They both know
that tourists often underestimate the heat in central Australia during the
summer and the distances between towns. They assume the two had car trouble and
begin tracing their driving routes. When that doesn’t pan out, Walker begins
searching for them in earnest.
Rita Guerra’s
older sister Barbara is a Detective Sergeant in the Berlin State Criminal
Police Office or Landeskriminalamt (LKA). She telephones Walker a few times and
recognizes the platitudes she herself has used in talking to worried families.
After a few days she flies to Australia to help with the search, which becomes
unexpectedly complicated when Walker learns a major drug dealer is hiding in
the region.
This is an outstanding read with a strong setting. The often-used theme of the illicit drug trade gets a fresh spin here. Walker and Guerra are rounded characters and the supporting cast are also realistic. The local innkeepers and the naïve tourists are especially good. Wolfe conveys the beauty and the danger of Queensland clearly and convincingly. The next book in the series is scheduled for publication in May 2023 and I am looking forward to it. Recommended.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3BaN1qJ
·
Publisher: Embla Books (November 8, 2022)
·
Language: English
·
Paperback: 320 pages
·
ISBN-10: 1471411702
·
ISBN-13: 978-1471411700
Aubrey Nye Hamilton ©2023
Aubrey Hamilton is a former librarian who works
on Federal It projects by day and reads mysteries at night.
Sunday, April 23, 2023
Saturday, April 22, 2023
The Reading Room: The Case of the Absent Heirs (WISE Enquiries Agency #6) by Cathy Ace: Reading Room Review
KRL this Week for 4/22/2023
Up on KRL this morning a review and giveaway of "Fiddling with Fate" by Diane Kelly along with a fun guest post from Diane about the music connection in her books https://kingsriverlife.com/04/22/fiddling-with-fate-by-diane-kelly/
And a review and giveaway of "Mystery at Windswept Farm" by Wendy Sand Eckel along with an interesting interview with Wendy. This seemed the perfect fit for Earth Day since it does have an environmental aspect to the story https://kingsriverlife.com/04/22/mystery-at-windswept-farm-by-wendy-san-eckel/
We also have a review and giveaway of "A Flicker of a Doubt" by Daryl Wood Gerber. A mystery with fairy gardens seemed like another perfect fit for Earth Day! https://kingsriverlife.com/04/22/a-flicker-of-a-doubt-by-daryl-wood-gerber/
And the latest Queer Mystery Coming Attractions from Matt Lubbers-Moore https://kingsriverlife.com/04/22/queer-mystery-coming-attractions-may-2023/
We also take a look back at 25 years of "Midsomer Murders" on Acorn TV https://kingsriverlife.com/04/22/acorntv-original-25-years-of-midsomer-murders/
For those who prefer to listen to Mysteryrat's Maze Podcast directly on KRL, here is the player for our latest episode which features the prologue and first chapter of "With a Twist" by Cathi Stoler read by local actors Ariel Linn and Sean Hopper https://kingsriverlife.com/04/22/mysteryrats-maze-podcast-featuring-with-a-twist/
Up on KRL during the week we posted another special midweek guest post, this one by mystery author Lynn Emery about setting her books in Louisiana and about her latest book "Blood Bayou" https://kingsriverlife.com/04/19/moonlight-magic-myths-of-louisiana/
Andanother special midweek guest post, this one by mystery author Joe Cosentino about his latest Nicky and Noah mystery"Drama Merry" https://kingsriverlife.com/04/19/drama-merry-the-16th-nicky-and-noah-mystery-novel-by-joe-cosentino/
In honor of Earth Day all of the giveaways over on KRL News and Reviews this week are ebooks. This week we have a review and ebook giveaway of "Champagne, Sunrise, and Dead Guys" by Jennifer Fischetto
https://www.krlnews.com/2023/04/champagne-sunrise-dead-guys-by-jennifer.html
And a review and ebook giveaway of the novella "That Dog Won't Hunt" by Aimee Gilchrist https://www.krlnews.com/2023/04/limited-edition-that-dog-wont-hunt.html
And a review and ebook giveaway of "Red Market" by Dharma Kelleher https://www.krlnews.com/2023/04/red-market-by-dharma-kelleher.html
Happy reading,
Lorie
Beneath the Stains of Time: Suspects—Nine (1939) by E.R. Punshon
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Must Read Well by Ellen Pall
SleuthSayers: How It's Done and Over Mastication by O'Neil De Noux
Scott's Take: Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty Vol 1: Revolution by Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing, and Tochi Onyebuchi
Captain America:
Sentinel of Liberty Vol 1: Revolution by Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing,
and Tochi Onyebuchi is a Captain America that features Steve Rodgers. Steve has
moved back to his childhood home in attempt to connect with regular people. He
is hanging out and using a ham radio to talk to several of his old buddies.
Late one night a number station starts reciting a new number. Which leads him
to information on a new terrorist attack and a new conspiracy involving secrets
from his past. Secrets unaware of at all. He also has to face secrets that
Bucky and others have kept from him. If that enough, Peggy Carter is back to
mess with him and not in a good reader. As readers know from the last run, she
has been alive this whole time while he thought she was dead.
While playing
with elements that have been used many times by other authors, this Captain
America title is a fun read. You have Steve trying to reconnect with regular
people, you have secrets being kept by his friends, and secrets from his past.
Bucky and Peggy playing their spy games with Steve in the middle trying to
figure out what is going on. The rich and powerful elite manipulating the
country for their own ends. I enjoyed this read.
A flaw I have
with the read is that no one is pointing out that while Steve is wanting to
make regular friends is understandable, him living in his old apartment is
painting a target on that block for the rest of the people living there.
Everyone knows he is Captain America so someone is going to take a shot at him
and people could get hurt. Trying to have a more “normal life” is
understandable, but his life is not normal. He should embrace that fact.
Instead, he is putting others in danger. Not very Steve like, but this is
probably going to be a plot point later in this series.
The action and art are really good. The writer clearly gets Steve. The events from issues 5 and 6 should have major ramifications for this title and leave Steve in an interesting place. One that should find him in an emotionally painful place if what has been foreshadowed comes to pass. The next volume is currently untitled and does not have a release date.
My reading copy
came from then Pleasant Grove Branch of the Dallas Public Library System.
Scott A. Tipple ©
2023
Friday, April 21, 2023
Happiness Is A Book: FRIDAY’S FORGOTTEN BOOK: MY FOE OUTSTRETCH’D BENEATH THE TREE BY V. C. CLINTON-BADDELEY
Happiness Is A Book: FRIDAY’S FORGOTTEN BOOK: MY FOE OUTSTRETCH’D BENEATH THE TREE BY V. C. CLINTON-BADDELEY
Thursday, April 20, 2023
Noir at the Bar Dallas Sunday Evening
The event has been cancelled today and will be rescheduled. Forecasted weather for Sunday evening as well as the fact that several of the scheduled readers are dealing with serious medical issues and will be unable to participate caused the cancellation.
Beneath the Stains of Time: Inspector De Klerck and a Fatal Compromise (2023) by P. Dieudonné
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Improbable Magic for Cynical Witches by Kate Scelsa
Jeanne Reviews: The Fool Dies Last by Carol Miller
Sisters Hope and Summer run a shop in Asheville, NC, where they specialize in New Age items. Summer is known for her teas and tinctures, while Hope reads palms and, until last February, Tarot cards. Their day is interrupted by a man who claims that Summer’s potions are dangerous and accuses her of trying to kill his patient.
It turns out that the doctor is one Dylan Henshaw, the son of
their grandmother’s beau, Morris. Their
day only goes downhill from there, with a shocking surprise for Summer, and the
sudden death of an elderly lady who appears to have been poisoned. To make
matters worse, the woman has a Tarot card—the Fool.
With their reputations at stake, the sisters have to try to
solve the murder.
This is the first in the Fortune
Telling Mysteries by Miller. I had
enjoyed her previous series, The
Moonshine Mysteries, and had high hopes for this one. I’m afraid I was underwhelmed with the
characters and actively dislikes Dylan, who is being proposed as the love
interest of one of the sisters despite being condescending and arrogant. There was a kernel of a good idea in the
mystery but I wasn’t quite sold on the solution.
The upside is that there is some interesting information on
the Tarot and—even better—a very promising plot thread about the shop itself.
The latter didn’t appear until near the end, but it did much toward redeeming
the story for me.
This is a first in series book, so allowances must be
made. There’s a lot to do in setting up
characters, relationships, and setting, so I’ll reserve judgment until I’ve read
at least one more.
The books to date are:
The Fool Dies Last’
Death Rides a Pony
The Moonshine Mysteries are:
Murder and Moonshine
A Nip of Murder
An Old Fashioned Murder
Wednesday, April 19, 2023
MAKE MINE MYSTERY: How To Drive Yourself Absolutely Mad by Janis Patterson
SleuthSayers: A Fine Trip to the Dump by Robert Lopresti
Beneath the Stains of Time: Reverse the Charges (1943) by Brian Flynn
Jerry's House of Everything: SHORT STORY WEDNESDAY: HAVE A NICE DEATH
Tuesday, April 18, 2023
Mystery Fanfare: UNFORGOTTEN NEWS: Series 5 and 6
Writers Who Kill: Celebrating the Agatha Nominees for Best Short Story and Best First Novel, Part Two by Paula Gail Benson
Monday, April 17, 2023
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai
In Reference To Murder: Media Murder for Monday for 4/17/2023
In Reference To Murder: Media Murder for Monday for 4/17/2023
Aubrey Nye Hamilton Reviews: Black Nab: Text M for Murder by Ely North
Detective
Chief Inspector Frank Finnegan features in three books (so far) by Ely North, set
in Whitby, a town in Yorkshire on the northeast coast of England. The first
title is Black Nab: Text M for Murder (Red Handed Print, 2022). Normally
the seaside town doesn’t have much of a crime rate. But in February an ordinary
middle-aged woman was killed on her way home from the pub one night and six
months later Finnegan still has not been able to identify a suspect or a motive
of any kind. Her husband has grieved into a shadow of himself and Finnegan is
deeply frustrated that he has not been able to close the case.
Now in August
a pair of hoodlums decide to rob all of the isolated petrol stations in the
region. Finnegan notes that the counties on the coast to the north of Yorkshire
have been reporting similar crimes. He assumes that the duo is working their
way across the country. While there have been no injuries so far, one of the
thugs waves a gun around during each robbery and Finnegan knows it could go off
any time. Then a frantic mother calls: her 13-year-old daughter and her friend
are missing. Lost children take precedence and the entire county mobilizes to
search for them.
This is a
good interpretation of the classic contemporary British detective story. A
realistic mix of cases and a convincing spin on local law enforcement staffing,
with a few truly dedicated coppers and a few just putting their time in.
Finnegan is the typical boss stuck in his ways. Finnegan’s wife is pressuring
him to retire, as his health is taking a hit from the sustained stress. The
addition of Detective Sergeant Prisha Kumar to his roster is a nice way to
diversify his personnel and she challenges him and makes him think. In
particular the newcomer Prisha loves the beauty of the region that Finnegan
stopped seeing a long time ago.
The one
drawback to this book, and it’s a big one, is the story lines are not all
wrapped up at the end. Like most readers, I have strong feelings about
cliffhangers and this one is significant. Prospective readers, beware.
·
Publisher: Red Handed Print (August 5, 2022)
·
Language: English
·
Paperback: 342 pages
·
ISBN-10: 0645290475
·
ISBN-13: 978-0645290479
Aubrey Nye Hamilton ©2023
Aubrey Hamilton is a former librarian who works on Federal It projects by day and reads mysteries at night.
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