Monday, March 31, 2025
Beneath the Stains of Time: Logic Games: Q.E.D. vol. 42-43 by Motohiro Katou
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: New Fiction In April!
Aubrey Nye Hamilton Reviews: Heartwood by Amity Paige
Told from multiple points of
view, the story is hard to follow sometimes, as the connection between some of
the narrators is not clear. While waiting to be found, Valerie writes a journal
about her experience, directing her notes to her mother and reflecting upon
their relationship. Beverly has the greater part of the narration as she
describes the daily search plans and the attempts to gain more information
about Valerie to try to understand where and how she might have gotten off the
trail. Then a 76-year-old wheelchair-bound nature enthusiast named Lena
Kucharski in an assisted living facility in Connecticut writes about her failed
relationship with her daughter and her uneasiness living among so many people.
Her online friendship with a survivalist is her primary distraction, which
turns out to be unexpectedly helpful. She has no apparent link to either
Beverly or Valerie.
The hiker who walked with Valerie
most of the way, Ruben Serrano, gets almost as much space as Lena does, and
transcripts of interviews with family and friends form chapters. Notes from
other hikers who met Valerie along the trail and from the public saying the
caller knows where Valerie is or that they saw her yesterday, no doubt similar
to those received during a real-life search, break up the longer sections.
I cannot easily categorize
this book. It shows up on NetGalley in the Mystery and Thriller section.
I suppose it can be called a low-key thriller, perhaps suspense is a better
term. It can also be categorized as women’s fiction, since the three main
characters are women at turning points in their lives.
The gradual increase in
tension in the action is restrained but noticeable. I found the book
propulsive, despite its disorderly flow, and insightful in its examination of individual
relationships with people and with nature and how well an individual balances
those needs with their own needs.
Readers who like nature-focused
mysteries or search and rescue stories or find the Appalachian Trail
fascinating should consider this book. In some ways it reminds me of The
Left-Handed Twin by Thomas Perry, in which its protagonist is pursued
through the wilderness of Maine.
Starred review from Booklist.
·
Publisher:
Simon & Schuster (April 1,
2025)
·
Language:
English
·
Hardcover:
320 pages
·
ISBN-10:
1668063603
·
ISBN-13:
978-1668063606
Amazon Associate Purchase
Link: https://amzn.to/4hTmg9N
Aubrey Nye Hamilton ©2025
Aubrey Hamilton is a former librarian who works on Federal It projects by day and reads mysteries at night.
Sunday, March 30, 2025
Little Big Crimes: The Luncheon, by Christopher Fowler
Paula Messina Reviews: Our Jubilee is Death: A Carolus Deane Mystery by Leo Bruce
Please welcome back Paula Messina to
the blog today…
Our Jubilee Is Death
By
Paula Messina
When a woman revels in her
nastiness, her death is a jubilee for everyone in her world.
There
are myriad reasons for the characters in Leo Bruce’s Our Jubilee Is Death to
contemplate shortening mystery writer Lillianne Bomberger’s time on earth. It’s the reader’s delight that Bruce
decided to kill off Bromberger in this
hilarious book.
Leo
Bruce is Rupert Croft-Cooke’s
pseudonym. A prolific English writer who died in 1979, Croft-Cooke wrote
numerous non-fiction books as well as plays, literary novels, and short
stories. He is most remembered for his two mystery series, the amateur sleuth
Carolus Deene and the decidedly unconventional Sergeant Beef. Bruce reveled in
sending up his fellow mystery writers and making his readers laugh out loud. At
least this reader could not suppress her laughter while reading Jubilee.
Carolus
is not your typical private eye. He’s
not a misanthropic Nero Wolfe nor a superior know-it-all Sherlock Holmes. A
history master at Queen’s School, Carolus is standoffish and blunt. The closest
thing Carolus has to an Archie Goodwin or Dr. Watson is one of his students,
the annoying Rupert Priggley, who insinuates himself into the investigation.
It’s conveniently the end of term when
Carolus receives a letter from his cousin Fay, who had a frightful experience
with the detestable Bromberger. Fay stumbled over Bomberger’s head in the sand
at Blessington-on-Sea. What else would a master facing a boring vacation do?
His cousin needs him. Carolus heads straight for Blessington to investigate
Bomberger’s demise.
When
asked by a police officer if she touched the body, Fay says, “Touch her? I always said I wouldn’t
touch Lillianne Bomberger with a barge-pole when she was alive. I certainly
don’t want to touch her dead. Not even my dogs wanted that. A sniff was quite
enough for them.”
Bomberger
was a hack who bullied her way into publication and to the top of the best
seller lists. She constantly berated her nieces who lived with her, made
unreasonable demands on her nephew and his wife, belittled her secretary, and
habitually battled with her publisher. In short, there wasn’t a single person in her life spared
her venom.
Her
publisher said about her. “She
was a bitch, Mr. Deene. The bitch of all times, if you want it straight. An
egotist on a scale you can scarcely believe. Folie de grandeur, and with a morbid selfishness and
pettiness which were quite terrifying to see. The only surprising thing about
her murder is that it did not happen years ago.”
Given
Bomberger’s personality, it’s
no wonder Carolus doesn’t lack for suspects. Everyone’s got a crackerjack
reason for wanting her dead. Carolus’s investigation is stymied because there
are more lies than motives. As all mystery readers know, the police and private
eyes expect lies. Usually one person is telling the truth. Not in Jubilee.
Everyone lies. Everyone tells the same lies.
Bruce
enjoys poking fun at his fellow mystery writers. Bomberger “wrote the same book over and over
again to the end,” her publisher says. “We’ve had her for twenty-three years,
and it’s been like a prison sentence. She was the most insufferable human being
of this century. Or any other,…”
By
the end of the book, Carolus Deene knows who the murderer is, but he has no
proof. He tells everyone he is leaving Blessington-on-Sea. The police will have
to solve the case without him.
Of
course, departing won’t
do. Carolus is talked into telling what he knows. A meeting is arranged. After
all, that’s how most mysteries end, even ones not written by hacks. The
revelation is a surprise. Bruce plays fair with his readers. The clues were
there all along.
It’s fun to dip into the works of authors who are largely forgotten. There’s no explaining why some writers have longevity and others fade into the background. Leo Bruce should be in the first category.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/41XIqmJ
Paula Messina ©2025
Paula Messina is a native New
Englander who writes contemporary, historical, and humorous fiction as well as
essays. Her work has appeared in such publications as Black Cat Weekly,
Devil’s Snare, Wolfsbane, Ovunque Siamo, and THEMA. She does not own
a cat.
Saturday, March 29, 2025
KRL Update 3/29/2025
Up on KRL this week reviews and giveaways of 3 more fun cozy mysteries-"Killing Me Souffle" by Ellie Alexander, "Murder, She Wrote: Snowy with a Chance of Murder" by Jessica Fletcher & Barbara Early, and "A Cold Dose of Murder" A Cannabis Café Mystery by Emily George https://kingsriverlife.com/03/29/end-of-march-mystery-fun/
We also have an article from mystery author Robyn Gigl about Transgender Day of Visibility which is on Monday, and about her books https://kingsriverlife.com/03/29/transgender-day-of-visibility/
And a review and ebook giveaway of "No. 10 Doyers Street" by Radha Vatsal, along with an interesting interview with Radha https://kingsriverlife.com/03/29/no-10-doyers-street-by-radha-vatsal/
A wonderful group of crime writers have gotten together to put on an auction to benefit the Transgender Law Center in this time of great need and just in time for Trans Day of Visibility. Learn more in this KRL article and please consider taking part. Not only will you be helping, but there are some awesome things to bid on. The auction continues through April 1 https://kingsriverlife.com/03/25/crime-writers-for-trans-rights-auction/
Up on KRL News and Reviews this week we have a review and ebook giveaway of "The Coral Conspiracy" by Rosalie Spielman https://www.krlnews.com/2025/03/the-coral-conspiracy-by-rosalie.html
And a review and giveaway of "Invisible Helix" by Keigo Higashino https://www.krlnews.com/2025/03/invisible-helix-by-keigo-higashino.html
And a review of the Korean fantasy novel "The Rainfall Market" by You Yeong-Gwang https://www.krlnews.com/2025/03/the-rainfall-market-by-you-yeong-gwang.html
SleuthSayers: Inspired by Barry and Stephen
Scott's Take: The Boy Wonder by Juni Ba
The Boy Wonder by Juni Ba is an Elseworld’s
tale with a unique art style focused on the youngest Robin Damian Wayne as he
once again deals with his family issues. Told as part fairytale and part real
time story with the two story halves being described on the same page, this is
a complex read. There is a demon abducting people across the city of Gotham.
Damian Wayne attempts to stop it. Along the way interacts with various members
of his family and tries to work on his issues.
I read this through the DC Infinite app as each of the
five issues were released on the app. The art is very different than I am used
to. I liked it for the most part, but I could see why someone would not. It is
a good tale despite the fact that a lot of this was retreading stuff covered by
other writers. It could have been more original. Overall, I recommend it for
fans of Robin.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4iGB10s
As noted, my reading copy through the DC Infinite App.
Scott A. Tipple ©2025
Friday, March 28, 2025
Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 67 Calls for Submissions in April 2025 - Paying markets
A Writer's Life....Caroline Clemmons: GREAT NEW SERIES -- GUNS FOR HIRE
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Death Writes: An Inishowen Mystery by Andrea Carter
Jerry's House of Everything: FORGOTTEN BOOK: DRUG OF CHOICE
Thursday, March 27, 2025
Beneath the Stains of Time: Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone (2022) by Benjamin Stevenson
Things Are Not Good
So, if you know of something job related, please pass it on. He has a Masters in Criminology, and is looking primarily for some sort of customer service oriented job. Though, he is pretty much open to anything and everything. He just wants to work.
After Sandi passed, I never thought I would still be here now. I figured I had a year or two, tops, between the grief and my own health and that would be it. I fully expected my own cancer diagnosis, as not only does cancer run hard in my family, but I saw many spouses go through the death of their loved one only to fight their own terminal cancer diagnosis. So, I fully expected to be dead long before facing the possibility of being homeless.
Surprise!
Seven plus years later, I'm not there yet, but I can see it from my porch. So, if you want to help out, and can afford to do so, please use the PayPal widget over on the left side of the blog.
Any amount truly helps.
Thank you.
Wednesday, March 26, 2025
Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 62 Writing Contests in April 2025 - No entry fees
Bitter Tea and Mystery: Short Story Wednesday: Three Witnesses by Rex Stout
Jerry's House of Everything: SHORT STORY WEDNESDAY: A MAN CALLED HORSE
Tuesday, March 25, 2025
Mystery Fanfare: THE CHELSEA DETECTIVE, SEASON 3
SleuthSayers: Literary Relationships
Publication Day Review: Lethal Prey: A Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers Novel by John Sandford
Back in 2003, Doris Grandfelt was brutally murdered and her
body was dumped in a park. Law enforcement did what they could, but were unable
to solve the case. That included the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension
based in St. Paul and two young investigators, new to the organization, Jenkins
and Shrake. Because they were new and the body was a young white woman, they
were regulated to the periphery and not really able to work the case. They had
some ideas on investigative leads that were not taken seriously by their bosses
and slowly the case fizzled to a halt.
In the here and now of Lethal Prey: A Lucas Davenport
and Virgil Flowers Novel set more than two decades later, Lucas
Davenport is seeing 60 coming at him fast and is a bit depressed and bored. It
has been a few months since the events in Toxic
Prey and he misses having a smart killer or killers worth chasing.
Both Letty and Weather think he needs a hobby. What he needs is a case worth
doing as his current assignment, which has been marginally interesting, is
about to be over in a few hours.
Soon he gets a call from Senator Elmer Henderson. While
Davenport is a US Marshall, Henderson is pretty much his boss and likes to put
him on projects that are very important and need results. At roughly the same
time Davenport got his call, BCA Agent Virgil Flowers got his phone call from
his boss telling him that he was assigned to work with Lucas and to attend a
meeting with Lucas and numerous other folks the next day.
Davenport and Flowers go to the meeting at the house of
Laura Grandfelt along with Senator Henderson and several other power brokers.
Grandfelt has money and pollical connections and is tired of waiting for the wheels
of justice to get her sister’s killer. It has been over twenty years and she
wants the killer caught and dealt with by the justice system. She wants Lucas
Davenport and Virgil Flowers to lead the new investigation as they had no role
at all in the original investigation. She is also aware that they both have a reputation
of getting killers. She is putting up a five-million-dollar reward for
information that identifies the killer or killers and will go public with the
offer later in the day.
She knows that announcing her offer on numerous True Crime
websites will cause a huge media interest and bring out the crazies. She doesn’t
care and won’t take no for an answer. Neither will their bosses who are present
to pressure Flowers and Davenport to take the case. Not that any pressure is really
needed as they are interested. They both realize that a storm is about to be
unleashed and the best they can do is ride it out and work the case.
What follows is a complicated and fast-moving read. As often
happens in this series now, readers know from the opening pages the identity of
the killer. What is left is the chase and it is a good one.
Lethal Prey: A Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers
Novel by John Sandford is another good read. Much of the backstory of Davenport
and Flowers is repeated here so readers new to the series can jump in here. Us
old hands at this series are reminded how much has gone on over all these
years. A mighty good read and one that is well worth your time.
Strongly Recommended.
Amazon Associate Purchase link: https://amzn.to/42EBuM2
My digital reading copy was an ARC from the publisher, G. P.
Putnam’s Sons, by way of NetGalley with no expectation of a review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2025
Monday, March 24, 2025
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: A.K.A. Lucy: The Dynamic and Determined Life of Lucille Ball by Sarah Royal
Aubrey Nye Hamilton Reviews: The Best Enemy by Sergio Olguin
Sergio Olguin is an Argentine
journalist and fiction writer. His work has been translated into German,
French, and Italian. His books about investigative journalist Veronica
Rosenthal are his first pieces to be translated into English. The fourth book
in the series The Best Enemy was translated by Miranda France. It was
originally published in Spanish as La Mejor Enemiga by Alfaguara
(Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial Argentina) in 2021. The English
translation is being released in March 2025 by Bitter Lemon Press in the UK.
For an informative interview with Olguin, see the Crime Fiction Lover
article here: https://crimefictionlover.com/2025/02/interview-sergio-olguin/
Veronica works for Nuestro
Tiempo, a news magazine, and lives with her long-time lover Federico
Cordova, who is a senior manager at the law firm owned by Veronica’s father.
Veronica is feeling a bit bored with life as the book opens. Then she learns
she is pregnant and that respected journalist freelancer Andres Goicochea has
been killed and his partner Patricia Beltrán injured.
The authorities categorize the
shootings as a robbery attempt but Veronica and her journalist friends are
suspicious. They learn that Goicochea had been looking into questionable
business dealings by the owners of a wealthy media empire. Apparently quite dubious
because the journalists became the target of thugs trying to retrieve whatever
information the journalists had acquired. Kidnapping, shooting, blackmail, and stabbing
ensued.
Interspersed with the gangs
chasing the journalists are multiple subplots: Veronica analyzes her feelings
about her pregnancy and Federico. Rosenthal Law’s part in a contentious divorce
is surprisingly complicated. There are long flashbacks about Veronica’s childhood
and family, especially her grandfather, which incorporate a sweeping review of
Argentine socio-politics.
The readability of a foreign
book depends on the quality of the translation; Miranda France did outstanding
work with this novel. An author herself as well as a journalist, foreign
correspondent, and Spanish literature teacher, the narrative reads as if it
were originally written in English. Really well done.
So little South American crime
fiction is available in translation that devoted followers of the genre owe it
to themselves to look up this series just to get a sense of the style. While
there is substantial text extraneous to the crime story, I found the extensive
background useful to my understanding of the history of the nation and its
society. This book is not a quick read, though, and the cast of characters can
be hard to track.
Review from Kirkus: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/sergio-olguin/the-best-enemy/
Review
from Crime Fiction Lover: https://crimefictionlover.com/2025/02/the-best-enemy-by-sergio-olguin/
Review
from Shots Crime & Thriller Ezine: http://www.shotsmag.co.uk/book_reviews_view.aspx?BOOK_REVIEW_ID=2874
·
Publisher:
Bitter Lemon Press (March 25,
2025)
·
Language:
English
·
Paperback:
352 pages
·
ISBN-10:
1916725090
· ISBN-13: 978-1916725096
Amazon Associate Purchase
Link: https://amzn.to/4kKfoy9
Aubrey Nye Hamilton ©2025
Aubrey Hamilton is a former librarian who works on Federal It projects by day and reads mysteries at night.
Sunday, March 23, 2025
Little Big Crimes: Come Forth and Be Glad in the Sun, by Mat Coward
Beneath the Stains of Time: Murder at the Open Air Museum (1954) by Ine van Etten
SleuthSayers: The Future Ain't What It Used To Be
Guest Post: TIMES TWO: When the Publishing Gods Smile – and Slap by Kathleen Marple Kalb
Please
welcome Kathleen back to the blog today. She is in a bit of an odd position as
she has not just one, but two books coming out this Tuesday. Two reads in two
series.
TIMES
TWO:
When
the Publishing Gods Smile – and Slap
It’s either every
writer’s dream – or nightmare: having two traditionally published books
released in one day. And it’s my March 25th.
You can either
lead the parade or let it run over you.
And I’ve never
been a fan of getting run over.
So here we go.
First, neither I,
nor anyone else involved in this hot mess planned it.
Two years ago,
March 25th was just another day on my calendar. Originally, the
Nikki Knight book, Hound of the
Bonnevilles, the second Grace the Hit Mom mystery, was due last
July. Shortly after I turned in the manuscript, though, the original publisher,
a small and very good startup, Charade Media, was bought by Turner Publishing.
The sale ended up being great news for everyone – Turner’s Keylight Books
imprint has done very well by me. But the pub date had to slide. Not really a
surprise.
As for the book
under my own name, The Stuff of Mayhem, the second Old Stuff
Mystery, was supposed to come out in November from Level Best Books. Some
production glitches and delays – neither my fault nor theirs – delayed it six
months.
Welcome to March
25th.
Two books, two
publishers, two pen names…one day.
Two-Fer Day.
Where I can, I’ve
been promoting them together. Where I can’t – I’ve tried to be strategic.
Careful not to be too greedy with friends who blurb and give me guest post
spaces.
And honestly,
sometimes just sitting here staring at my computer reminding myself that this
is the best kind of problem to have. A once-in-a-career moment –and I’d better
enjoy it!
The books? Nikki
Knight’s Hound of the Bonnevilles stars Grace the Hit Mom is a
part-time lawyer, full-time parent…and secret assassin. This time, she’s
defending a woman accused of killing her second husband, Nicky the Used Car
Czar, and Grace is pretty sure she killed Nicky because Grace killed husband
#1. Of course, with that title, there’s a hound, and a Bonneville, plus plenty
of holiday-season craziness.
In The Stuff of
Mayhem, historian Christian Shaw uses her knowledge of old things to catch
the killer after her town’s Independence Day cannon firing ends in a fatal
explosion. Christian, her “two dads,” and her young son, who has a photographic
memory and Type-1 Diabetes – not to mention hot Assistant State’s Attorney Joe
Poli – end up uncovering a nefarious plot that unravels at a 90-something
lady’s bat mitzvah.
Both available March 25th, otherwise known as Two-Fer Day, wherever you get your books!
Excerpts from both books…..
The Stuff ofMayhem:
3/25/25, Level Best Books
The 90-something
Bat Mitzvah girl catches a killer:
Our suspect poured
champagne into the four glasses on the tray and started by taking a quick sip
from one.
Clever. She would
know how to do a good misdirect.
Ed, Garrett, and
Joe exchanged glances. They got it too.
I kept moving, now
near the open French door as I worked closer.
Henry, with all
the seriousness of an eight-year-old who suddenly understands his photographic
memory matters, studied the glasses.
Our suspect had no
idea what she was up against.
She carefully
handed a flute to Amy, who took it with a sunshiny elderly-lady smile that
would have fooled almost anyone.
Henry studied the
glass. I had to stare for a moment to realize it was slightly different in
color and not as bubbly as the other champagne flutes. Not Henry. He recognized
the difference immediately and nodded to me.
I met Amy’s gaze.
She raised the
glass to the killer. Smiled. “GOTCHA!”
Hound of the Bonnevilles: 3/25/25,
Keylight Books/Turner Publishing
Defense attorney
and secret assassin Grace Adair has a problem with her new client:
“You can handle it
better than I can.”
Always a dangerous
comment from your partner. But it doesn’t usually mean you’re about to be
dragged into a murder case, and it certainly doesn’t mean your own life could
be on the line.
Since my husband,
Michael Adair, is the lawyer you call when you’re really in trouble in New
Haven County, Connecticut, and I recently offered to second-chair (or
guest-star) when he needed me, the murder case wasn’t such a big surprise.
The issue was the
defendant and what she might have done—or had done—before the charges brought
her to Michael…
…the problem
wasn’t Sherri’s second husband.
It was her first.
I was reasonably
certain she’d had him killed.
Because I’d killed
him.
Kathleen Marple Kalb ©2025
Kathleen Marple Kalb, aka Nikki Knight, describes herself as an Author/Anchor/Mom…not in that order. An award-winning weekend anchor at New York’s 1010 WINS Radio, she writes short stories and novels including A Fatal Reception and the Old Stuff series, both from Level Best Books. As Nikki Knight, she writes the Grace the Hit Mom and Vermont Radio mysteries. Her stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Black Cat Weekly, and others, and been short-listed for Derringer and Black Orchid Novella Awards. She’s currently the Vice President of the Short Mystery Fiction Society and a co-VP of the New York/Tri-State Chapter of Sisters in Crime. She, her husband, and son live in a Connecticut house owned by their cat. Website: https://kathleenmarplekalb.com/
Saturday, March 22, 2025
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Displeasure Island by Alice Bell
Scott's Take: Ultimate Spider-Man by Jonathan Hickman Vol 2: The Paper by Jonthan Hickman, Illustrator Marco Checchetto, Illustrator David Messina
Ultimate Spider-Man
by Jonathan Hickman Vol 2: The Paper by Jonthan Hickman, Illustrator Marco
Checchetto and Illustrator David Messina, is the second volume in the hit
series. Like the first volume, Ultimate
Spider-Man by Jonathan Hickman Vol. 1: Married With Children, I
read this through the Marvel
Unlimited app.
This is a hard
one to talk about since a good portion of the plot is set up for the future.
This read is about introducing the Sinister Six (the bad guys) and establishing
who they are. You have Wilson Fisk, Mysterio, Kraven, Mole Man and more. The
Green Goblin and Spider-Man learning to trust each other and meeting Iron Man
for the first time. The volume ends with a Christmas special with a cliff
hanger ending to setup the next volume.
The art remains excellent and the character work is still as good as the first one. It’s nice to have a well written MJ and Peter again. I really enjoyed each issue, but the cliff hanger ending annoyed me. I also knew the twist from spoilers leaked online so I don’t know if that ruined it a little bit for me. Volume 3 is currently untitled and not listed yet.
Amazon Associate
Purchase App: https://amzn.to/4ilmjwd
As noted, my reading
copy came from the Marvel Unlimited App.
Scott A. Tipple ©2025
Posts
