Wish Sandi was here to see this as I used to say this now and then and it did annoy her.... lol
Monday, June 30, 2025
Gravetapping: Ed Gorman and Ed & Lorraine Warren
Gravetapping: Ed Gorman and Ed & Lorraine Warren: Ed Gorman and Ed & Lorraine Warren * * * The novelist Ed Gorman collaborated with d...
Beneath the Stains of Time: Visitors to the Isolated Island (2020) by Kie Houjou
Beneath the Stains of Time: Visitors to the Isolated Island (2020) by Kie Houjou: Last year, Kie Houjou became one of my favorite mystery writers on the strength of two novels, Jikuu ryokousha no sunadokei ( The Time Trav...
Bitter Tea and Mystery: Death by Accident: Bill Crider
Bitter Tea and Mystery: Death by Accident: Bill Crider: The Sheriff Dan Rhodes series by Bill Crider is set in a small town in Blacklin County, a fictional county in Texas. It is a cozy series; Sh...
Aubrey Nye Hamilton Reviews: The Elias Enigma by Simon Gervais
Simon Gervais is a former
federal agent with extensive experience in military operations and law
enforcement where he specialized in protective operations and counterterrorism.
He has used his deep knowledge of the intelligence community to write more than
a dozen popular espionage thrillers that have attracted a strong reader
following.
His newest book is The
Elias Enigma (Thomas & Mercer, 8 July 2025), the second book in his
series about retired assassin Caspian Anderson and his girlfriend, German spy
Liesl Bergmann, who has been temporarily assigned to support the Defense
Clandestine Service, a well-hidden department of the United States. Anderson is
being brought back into the organizational fold, which isn’t sitting all that
well with him because he likes to operate as a lone agent.
Anderson has been assigned to
follow small business and technology whiz Frank LaBelle, the founder of Scout
Orbital, to France where LaBelle is meeting with representatives of a large
organization that wants to acquire LaBelle’s latest invention. The United
States is concerned about the political allegiance of the associates of the
acquiring corporation and wants to keep the cutting-edge technology out of
adversarial hands. Another group aligned with the purchasing company is
determined to make sure the sale goes through. A third faction is shadowing
LaBelle for reasons unclear to Anderson. When all three crowds converge in a
hotel lobby at a business convention, things go boom.
In the meantime, Anderson’s
parents, who quietly run a medium-sized trucking company in Maine, are taken
into ATF custody for protection from gangsters who seem to have been using
their trucks to transport ill-gotten goods. The crates and boxes were sent
through two or three layers of intermediaries, and the Andersons had no way to
know the contents were not as described on the bills of lading. When they
accidentally found out, they reported the shipments to the authorities, putting
themselves in danger.
Original plots, breakneck
action, and authentic tradecraft make this title a winner. Fans of spy
thrillers such as the Gray Man, Orphan X, Terminal List, Victor the Assassin, and
Mitch Rapp series will want to add this new book to their reading lists.
The third book in the series
is scheduled for publication in July 2026.
·
Publisher:
Thomas & Mercer
·
Publication
date: July 8, 2025
·
Language:
English
·
Print
length: 348 pages
·
ISBN-10:
1662518552
·
ISBN-13:
978-1662518553
Amazon Associate Purchase
Link: https://amzn.to/3I1h8nI
Aubrey Nye Hamilton ©2025
Aubrey Hamilton is a former
librarian who works on Federal It projects by day and reads mysteries at night.
Sunday, June 29, 2025
Guest Post: “A Promise to Pete”: A Short Story of Firsts by James Patrick Focarile
Please welcome James Patrick Focarile as he
shares how his short story, A Promise to Pete, came to be in the new
anthology, Midnight Schemers & Daydream Believers: 22 Stories of Mystery
& Suspense. Published by Superior
Shores Press, the read is available at Amazon and
other vendors.
“A Promise to
Pete”: A Short Story of Firsts
Writing the short
story “A Promise to Pete,” published in the anthology Midnight Schemers
& Daydream Believers by Superior
Shores, was an enjoyable and interesting departure for me. The majority of my work
to date has been from the point of view (POV) of the criminal. A criminal with
everyman qualities and flaws. An anti-hero. But in “A Promise to Pete” I set
out to write my first detective story. And I wanted the main character to be a
homage to the classic detectives of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett,
while continuing to honor my active, minimalist writing style.
As with many of my
works, I chose the first-person POV, which pours out of me the easiest. I find
that in first-person, I can inhabit the character and lean on my years of
training and experiences as an actor to create dialogue and dramatic structure.
While several of my stories in the past have been “ripped from the headlines,”
the inspiration for this story was different and happened more organically on
one of my daily neighborhood walks. As I turned the corner, I found two small
white socks laying on a neighbor’s front walk. They were wet from the previous
night’s storm and my mind started to wander. Why were the baby’s socks there?
Why both of them? What happened to the kid? As I continued to walk and mull
over the lost socks, the idea for a story started to percolate. I’d write a
mystery involving a kidnapping (another first for me). A few weeks later, “A
Promise to Pete” was born.
Another first with
this story was having the pleasure of working with Judy Sheluk. A previous story
of mine had been shortlisted for one of her anthologies but, unfortunately, missed
the final cut. Thankfully, she provided me with some great feedback and, after
incorporating it, I found a home for that story.
This time around
though, I was happy to learn my story was selected. Again, Judy and her team
provided valuable feedback during the editorial process. Many of my previous
stories have been published “as is” or with minimal revisions. But with “A
Promise to Pete” Judy was more hands on, providing me with great ideas for
streamlining the story, as well as character embellishments. She even
encouraged me to explore other options for the title. All of her suggestions improved
the final product, making the story more compelling.
Writing can be a
solitary experience, but what I learned this time around is that it can also be
a collaborative one. Especially if you’re open to constructive feedback from
qualified readers and if everyone’s willing to compromise. It’s always tough to
cut your ‘darlings’, but sometimes you need someone not so close to your story
to ask the right questions so you can make it even better.
I’m coming off recently being a first-time Derringer Finalist for a story I wrote for Shotgun Honey so it’s an exciting time. A lot of my work is available for free on my website, but I hope readers take a chance on “A Promise to Pete” and the new Midnight Schemers & Daydream Believers anthology which includes twenty-two stories of mystery and suspense. It’s a great line-up of writers so you’re bound to enjoy it!
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/44vnrJF
James Patrick Focarile ©2025
James Patrick Focarile is an award-winning writer and Derringer Finalist who resides in the Northwest U.S.A. He holds an undergraduate degree from Rutgers University and an M.F.A. from Brooklyn College. His work has appeared in the following: Shotgun Honey, Mystery Tribune, Guilty Crime Story Magazine, Pulp Modern Flash, Close To The Bone, Thrill Ride Magazine, and more. For more info, visit: JamesPatrickFocarile.com
Saturday, June 28, 2025
KRL Update 6/28/2025
Up on KRL this week reviews and giveaways of 5 more cozy mysteries for your summer reading tbr-"The Spirit Moves" A Haunted Haven Mystery Book 4 by Carol J. Perry, "No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding" by Catherine Mack, "Doggone Bones" by Carolyn Haines, "An Amateur Sleuth’s Guide to Murders" A Bainbridge Island Mystery by Lynn Cahoon, and "Grave Words" Deadly Deadlines Mystery, Book Two by Gerri Lewis https://kingsriverlife.com/06/28/end-of-june-mystery-catch-up-for-your-summer-tbr/
As KRL continues to feature LGBTQ+ mystery authors for Pride month, up this week we have a review and ebook giveaway of "A Marvelous Murder" by David S Pederson and an interesting guest post by David https://kingsriverlife.com/06/28/a-marvelous-murder-by-david-s-pederson/
We also have a review and giveaway of "Night of the Living Bread" by Mary Lee Ashford along with an interesting interview with Mary https://kingsriverlife.com/06/28/night-of-the-living-bread-by-mary-lee-ashford/
And the latest Queer Mystery Coming Attractions from Matt Lubbers-Moore. This one includes an interview with mystery author Jack Dickson https://kingsriverlife.com/06/28/queer-mystery-coming-attractions-july-2025/
Up during the week, another special midweek guest post, this one by mystery author Mary Anna Evans, and she talks about spooky books and her new book "The Dark Library" https://kingsriverlife.com/06/25/ivory-towers-crumbling-mansions-and-books-lots-of-books/
And another special midweek guest post, this one by mystery author Anna Scotti about the influence of friends and family on the characters we write and about her new book "Its Not Even Past" https://kingsriverlife.com/06/25/friends-and-family-in-disguise/
Up on KRL News and Reviews this week a review, and ebook giveaway of "Murder On The Green" by Christine Knapp https://www.krlnews.com/2025/06/murder-on-green-by-christine-knapp.html
And a review and giveaway of "Cold Burn" by A.J. Landau https://www.krlnews.com/2025/06/cold-burn-by-j-landau-reviewgiveaway.html
Happy reading,
Lorie
Scott's Take: Marvel The Uncanny X-Men: Days of Future Fun by Jeffery Brown
Marvel The Uncanny X-Men: Days of
Future Fun
by Jeffery Brown, author and illustrator, is a fun read. This is a children’s
book that has Professor X trying to raise his young X-men as children in short
little comedy skit segments. A number of X-Men are featured such as Storm,
Cyclops, Wolverine, Nightcrawler, and more. This is a lighthearted book with no
real plot--- just humor.
The skits range from the X-Men playing
hide and seek to trying to steal the cookie jar from Professor X. There are
scenes where Magento is the substitute teacher for Professor X. Even the New
Mutants stop by briefly for a skit. The illustrations are colorful if a little
simple.
Apparently, there are several Marvel
books and Star Wars books by the same author. I had never heard of these books
before I saw this one on my local library website. This seems like a fun series
to read with your kids.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4kTgK8V
My reading copy came from the Martin
Luther King JR Branch of the Dallas Public Library System.
Scott A. Tipple ©2025
Friday, June 27, 2025
Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 72 Calls for Submissions in July 2025
Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 72 Calls for Submissions in July 2025: This July there are six dozen calls for submissions. All of these are paying markets, and none charge submission fees. As always, every genr...
Mystery Fanfare: MAIGRET: New TV series on PBS
Mystery Fanfare: MAIGRET: New TV series on PBS: MASTERPIECE on PBS has announced that Maigret , a contemporary series, will premiere on Sunday, October 5, 2025 at 9/8c on PBS . The fi...
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Lunar Love by Lauren Kung Jessen
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In Reference To Murder: Friday's "Forgotten" Books: The Moving Toyshop
In Reference To Murder: Friday's "Forgotten" Books: The Moving Toyshop
Barry Ergang's FFB Review: THE TWISTED ONES (1959) by Vin Packer
From the archive…
The Twisted Ones comprises three separate stories
about youths driven to extremes by personal and familial issues.
Sixteen-year-old Brock Brown, a
student at the high school in the town of Sykes, New York, is a handsome young
man who “dressed meticulously, with a rigid sense of style that he had
formulated over the years.” His mother Edith, whose maiden name was Brock,
whose family was among the town’s upper crust, and who never wanted children,
died when he was seven. His forty-two-year-old father remarried a woman named
Clara who is only twelve years older than Brock, and who tries to encourage her
loner stepson to participate in normal teenage activities: e.g., to ask Carrie
Bates, whom he frequently talks about, to the prom. Brock, who has never had a
date, vehemently refuses, contending that Carrie is “fast” and that being with
her “‘could get me in a whole big crazy pack of trouble if I didn’t know right
from wrong.’” One who thinks of and describes himself as “boy cat, all shook
up,” Brock’s rigidity extends beyond superficial style to an off-kilter sense
of what is right and wrong, legal and illegal, moral and immoral—with
catastrophic consequences.
Charles Berrey is eight years old and
has an I.Q. of 165. “The unexpected fruit of Howard and Evelyn Berry’s middle
age, [he is going to] make his third appearance on Cash-Answer, the most
popular quiz show on television.” Evelyn Berrey is a loving, doting mother.
Howard “Duke” Berrey is an ex-Marine who still works out regularly and who
sells sporting goods for a living. Conflicted about his son’s success, he
appreciates Charles’s ability to win huge sums of money while simultaneously
disliking the way people regard him as an aberration. A physically and verbally
abusive type, he constantly berates his son about his vocabulary and often
talks to him like a drill instructor to a Marine in training. He argues with,
and sometimes strikes, his wife. When he orders his son to “spoof” his boss,
Paul Carter, the president of the sporting goods company, he inadvertently
ignites a flame in Charles, who devours books on a multitude of subjects “like
a hungry tomcat devoured mice.” One of the myths he’s read about is a favorite
from Polynesia. It drives him to the commission of an act that forever changes
lives—his, his parents’, and the lives of some of the residents in his hometown
of Reddton, New Jersey.
Nineteen-year-old Reginald Whittier
lives in Auburn, Vermont with his mother above their antique shop, Whittier’s
Wheel, “as archaic and old-fangled in its appearance as the attitudes and
opinions of its proprietress, Miss Ella.” Impregnated by the husband who
subsequently abandoned her, she gave her son his father’s first name and her
own maiden surname. At her request the town jeweler, Mr. Danker, has become
something of a surrogate father to Reggie with regard to certain matters—e.g.,
the facts of life—although the young man feels uncomfortable around him. (It
becomes clear to the reader that Mr. Danker has designs on Reggie of his own.)
A stutterer, Reggie has always been shy around people his own age but is
nonetheless someone who finds it easier to talk to women than to men. When he
becomes involved with eighteen-year-old Laura Lee, who works as a maid at a
local junior college, his internal conflict about pleasing her, pleasing his
overly protective and possessive mother, and wanting a better life than he’s so
far had, results in drastic actions.
A short, absorbing, fast-moving novel,
its title and the publisher’s teaser suggest that The Twisted Ones are
only Brock Brown, Charles Berrey, and Reginald Whittier. In fact, their parents
and some other adult authority figures are equally deserving of that
description.
Although I’ve known of Vin Packer
(real name Marijane Meaker) for decades, this is the first of her books I’ve
read. I hope to read others, which is also a way of saying I highly recommend
this one.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4k3VjRC
Barry Ergang ©2016, 2025
Winner of the 2007 Derringer Award for the best flash fiction story of 2006, Barry Ergang’s fiction, poetry and non-fiction have appeared in numerous publications, print and electronic. His recent e-books, a story for children called The Boy Who Ate Rainbows and a science-fiction parody, The Vole Eater, are available at Amazon and Smashwords. Criminalities: Three Short Crime Stories and an Essay is available for free at Smashwords.
Thursday, June 26, 2025
Jungle Red Writers: Terry Shames--Deep Dive
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Review: River of Lies: A Novel by James L’Etoile
River
of Lies: A Novel
by James L'Etoile is the second book in the Detective Emily Hunter
Mystery series that began with Face of Greed. Like any
good police procedural series does, this read builds on previous events and
ongoing issues so I strongly recommend reading that book first before you get
to this one.
Detective
Emily Hunter of the Sacramento Police Department has had her date for the
evening with Brian Conner ruined as he got called into work suddenly. She is familiar
with the problem and understands that things happen. Still, she is a bit bummed
when she gets back home. She is barely inside the house when she gets her own
call from the Watch Commander.
Other
folks have had a far worse horrible evening than a cancelled date. The
disturbance that her date was called in to work for has turned into some sort
of mass casualty event at a local homeless camp. Fire swept through the camp
displacing many who were already having a very hard time. There are casualties
tonight at the third fire in a homeless camp in the last two weeks. Lieutenant
Terri Williams does not yet know if they have any homicides, but the Chief wants
her out there and working the case. She has a reputation and that is playing a
major role in this situation. She heads out the door and calls her partner, Javier
Madina, to arrange picking him up on the way to what is left of the homeless
camp.
When
they arrive at the still smoldering scene along the banks of the river, it is
clear that it is a bad deal. The number of ambulances makes it clear that many
folks were hurt. As they talk to witnesses and fire personnel, it is clear that
the fire was a deliberate act of arson intended to do a lot of damage and burn
everyone out of their shelters. If that wasn’t enough, various witness state
that there was also a person attacking folks with a baseball bat Not only that,
they have at least one body with a clear gun shot wound to the head.
While Detectives
Simmons and Taylor had been the primary on the first two fires, those incidents
and this new one are now all Hunter’s and Medina’s. The fires are obviously
linked and escalating. Even the media has figured that much out and the public pressure
is mounting by the hour. As things heat up in Sacramento, literally and figuratively,
it is up to Hunter and Medina to find the culprits responsible and put an end to
it.
This
second book in the Detective Emily Hunter Mystery Series is another solidly
good read. I am skipping a lot of things so as to not ruin the read for others,
but this book, and the series, has a lot of storytelling meat on the bones. Detectives
Hunter and Media are fully fleshed out human beings with their own personal lives
beyond the job. The same is true for many of the secondary characters. Interpersonal
relationships matter as these are not cookie cutter caricatures. Such details
add a richness to the read that does nothing to slow down the story in any way.
River
of Lies: A Novel
by James L'Etoile is well worth your time.
Amazon
Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/44kSq9u
I picked this up awhile back at Amazon using funds in my Amazon Associate account.
Kevin R.
Tipple ©2025
Wednesday, June 25, 2025
Gravetapping: Review: "Night on Fire" by Douglas Corleone
Gravetapping: Review: "Night on Fire" by Douglas Corleone: Night on Fire by Douglas Corleone Minotaur Books, 2011 Douglas Corleone’s second Kevin Corvelli mystery, ...
Mystery Fanfare: The Women Who Transformed the CIA: Agents of Change
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Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 44 Writing Contests in July 2025 - No entry fees
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Beneath the Stains of Time: Zombie Mail: "The Devil in the Summerhouse" by John Dickson Carr
Beneath the Stains of Time: Zombie Mail: "The Devil in the Summerhouse" (1942)...: Two months ago, John Norris, of Pretty Sinister Books , posted a review of Charles Ashton 's annoyingly obscure, long out-of-print Deat...
Bitter Tea and Mystery: Short Story Wednesday: "One Morning They'll Hang Him" by Margery Allingham
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Little Big Crimes: Ant Street, by Nora Luttmer
Little Big Crimes: Ant Street, by Nora Luttmer: "Ant Street," by Nora Luttmer, in Hamburg Noir, edited by Jan Karsten, Akashic Press, 2025. The publisher sent me a free copy o...
Short Story Wednesday Review: Renovated to Death by Michael Bracken and Sandra Murphy
My late wife was a big fan of home improvement and
renovation shows. I am pretty sure that the TV just started on HGTV everyday
and then waited for me to change the channel. Sandi was very much into the
programs. I was not. So not.
It did not take me long at all to realize that on
every single show, what was supposed to be a simple job, soon escalated into a
disaster that would cost thousands to fix. Not just on television either as we
knew more than a dozen couples that had gone through to hell and back over a
project. I knew that would happen to us. I also knew with our luck; we would
find a body in the walls.
It would be somebody we knew, had some sort of issue
with, and soon we would be the primary suspects. Not Sandi as soon the media
would love her just as much as I did. No, it would be her husband. A “known
weirdo” according to neighbors who would then go on about how he did not socialize much and kept to himself.
Sandi thought I was kidding as I explained what would happen, but I was not at all. I was also sure there
would be a body.
That is exactly what happened in the short story,
Renovated to Death, by Michael Bracken and Sandra Murphy. Instead of being in
the walls, the featured story in Black Cat Weekly #198, has the body is vertical
in the fireplace. The only good news is the body has not been there long.
Constance Harris inherited the house and is working
on remodeling it to put the place on the market. She has contractors for the
major stuff and to move furniture into the garage, but her and her friend,
Tilda Verzon, do demo and other things to save money.
As she keeps explaining to Detective Al Coskins and
others, she has no idea who the guy is because most of his body is up the
chimney. She came in to check on the progress of things, and found him. All she
could see was the back of his legs and his work boots. She has no idea who he
is or what he was trying to do in the fireplace. Detective Coskins is faced
with little information and a lot of suspects as almost every single person for
miles around has a key to the place.
What follows is a fun cozy style mystery. One I am pretty
sure my late wife would have very much enjoyed.
The rest of Black Cat Weekly #198 is good
too. I have had a subscription since almost the beginning where I was picking
up individual issues when it first came out. The only reason you don’t see more
about the publication here is because I am so behind on my reading. But, when I
saw what this story was about, I had to move it to the top of my reading stack.
I’m very sure if Sandi was still here, this house I
grew up in and inherited in January 2017 after Mom passed, would look very
different. Even those final weeks in the hospital before she was put into
hospice and sent home, Sandi was still fighting, and making plans with detailed
notes and sketches for the changes she wanted to see in the house. That didn’t
happen and won’t now as I am too sick and far too broke to do it. Other than a
few minor things like a new fridge and dishwasher, new toilets a few years
back, this is the same way it has always been. It is also the only house of the
nine on the street, built by Fox & Jacobs back in 1961, the same year I was
born, not to have been rehabbed at least once. Most have been fully rehabbed at
least twice and some have had it at least five times that I know about. In
short, I live in the past, literally and figuratively.
Not only do you now know far more than you ever
wanted to about me, you also know that the short story, Renovated to Death, by
Michael Bracken and Sandra Murphy is a good read. You can pick up the issue at
the publisher or at Amazon.
As noted, I got this material earlier this month
through my ongoing subscription.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2025
Tuesday, June 24, 2025
Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 34 Great Writing Conferences and Workshops in July 2025
Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 34 Great Writing Conferences and Workshops in July...: This July there are more than two dozen writing conferences and workshops. Some conferences and workshops will be held online, but most will...
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Review: King of Ashes: A Novel by S. A. Cosby
A frequent theme of S. A. Cosby’s work, beyond racism,
is the idea of a family haunted by a horrible tragic legacy. A legacy that goes
back decades and is once again brought to light, eventually, in the here and
now, by a massive triggering event. Suck is the case in the latest book, King
of Ashes: A Novel.
Roman Carruthers runs a wealth management firm in
Atlanta. His clients, rappers, and others, sometimes need creative accounting.
Sometimes they need a problem fixed and Roman turns those situations over to Khali.
Not only is a friend from way back, the man has skills, and has put them to use
in a variety of ways for various clients of the company, Carruthers and
Associates. Roman has some of the best people in the business and that is a good
thing because, as the novel begins, he has to go home to Virginia as his dad is
in the hospital and in a coma.
It doesn’t play to be in a car hit by a freight train.
He was and he may not survive. The Carruthers family is a legend in Jefferson
Run, Virginia. Part of that is the fact that his parents, built from the ground
up, a crematorium business that has been used for decades by families from
miles around. While that is very positive, the other part of the legend is that
after their mom vanished without a trace a number of years ago, quite a few
folks became convinced that their father killed their mom and burned up the
body and all the evidence.
For Roman, Neveah, and Dante, that disappearance and
resulting speculation has haunted them nearly their entire lives. They were
kids when it happened and their childhoods ended the day she vanished.
Roman, the oldest, eventually went on to college and
has a well-paying life down in Atlanta. Neveah stepped into their mom’s shoes
and took over taking care of dad and keeping the business going. The youngest,
Dante, is circling deeper and deeper in a pit of alcohol, drugs, and other
vices. The family, what is left of it, is a shell of what it was and rotting
from within.
Now their father, the possible murderer of their mom, and
the man known to all as the “King of Ashes” lies in a coma. From what Naveah
says, somebody might have tried to kill him. If so, it would be the latest in a
string of events that have happened in recent weeks. Naveah didn’t bother to
tell him as Roman was in Atlanta and hasn’t been home to help in years. Now he
is and he plans on digging into what happened.
What follows is a complicated and often violent crime
fiction read as Roman tries to save his family from the situation and their own
self-destructive impulses. He has those same impulses in his own way as well as
he tries to right wrongs and come to terms with a horrible and tragic family
legacy.
There is a lot going on via multiple levels as one
would expect from this talented author. I’m certainly not going to disrespect the
author or the work by revealing any more of the story or the themes in the
work. Certainly not a read for the squeamish as violence abounds, this is a
work that will linger in the mind long after the read is finished.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4ljBI0P
As expected, the publisher, Flatiron Books, totally
ignored my multi month request on NetGalley, so I had to wait for the Dallas
Public Library System to get it in. The digital version arrived first, via
Libby/Overdrive, ending the need for the print version that is just now arriving in the system.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2025
Monday, June 23, 2025
Gravetapping: Review: "Them Bones" by David Housewright
Gravetapping: Review: "Them Bones" by David Housewright: Them Bones by David Housewright Minotaur Books, 2025 David Housewright’s Them Bones —which is the twenty-second ...
SleuthSayers: How Grandma’s Old-Time Songs Inspired My New Mystery Series by Elaine Viets, Guest Blogger
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Bitter Tea and Mystery: Books Read in May 2025
Bitter Tea and Mystery: Books Read in May 2025: I read seven very good books in May. Six crime fiction books, including one spy fiction thriller, plus one science fiction novella. Lookin...
Aubrey Nye Hamilton Reviews: Red Water by Jurica Pavičić (Translator Matt Robinson)
Red Water (Bitter Lemon Press, June 24,
2025) starts out simply enough with the disappearance of Silva Vela on a late
September Saturday in 1989 after a beach party. She had dined with her parents
and twin brother as always; even when Silva was found to be missing Sunday
morning, everyone was sure she had stayed with a friend overnight. But she
didn’t return and the police were notified. No trace of her was found and her
family slowly disintegrated. The official investigation was derailed by the Croatian
War of Independence that officially began in 1991 with the secession of Croatia
from Yugoslavia but the political unrest with the resulting impacts on daily
life started well before then.
The book has four parts: the
first with chapters from the perspective of each of Silva’s parents and her
twin brother in 1989; the second with notes from her family, the police investigator,
and suspects in her disappearance, all during the war and its aftermath; the
last two parts with chapters from her family members and the original police
investigator in 2015 and 2016.
The multiple points of view
and the dramatic alteration in the country over the 25 years in question
provide a striking narrative. The reader never does hear from Silva directly,
so all we know is how other people saw her and how profoundly her disappearance
affected everyone around her.
The translation is beautifully
done, resulting in a story that flows smoothly despite the repeated changes in
speaker and time. The resolution is as unexpected as it is satisfying.
UK-born Matt Robinson moved to
Belgrade to join the pioneering independent radio station B92 as a news
presenter and editor. Between 2004 and 2018 he worked as a foreign
correspondent for Reuters News. He now lives in Ljubljana, Slovenia, working as
a freelance editor and literary translator.
London-based Bitter Lemon
Press, publisher of the English translation of Red Water, has been
shortlisted for the 2025 Crime Writers' Association Dagger for Best Crime &
Mystery Publisher. https://thecwa.co.uk/awards-and-competitions/the-daggers/publishers-dagger/
The Crime Fiction Lover
ezine conducted an interview with Pavičic
in May:
https://crimefictionlover.com/2025/05/interview-jurica-pavicic/
The English translation is
garnering one glowing review after another:
"This finely engineered,
haunting novel has been deservedly garlanded with awards.” ---Financial
Times
“A brilliant cocktail of
mystery and recent history, compellingly told."--Kirkus
“The best crime fiction of
2025 so far: In this outstanding novel, Jurica Pavicic uses the
unsolved disappearance of a teenage girl, Silva, to document the impact of the
Yugoslav civil war." --Times/Sunday Times
- Publisher:
Bitter Lemon Press
- Publication
date: June 24, 2025
- Language:
English
- Print
length: 402 pages
- ISBN-10:
1916725155
- ISBN-13: 978-1916725157
Amazon
Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/44fXuMd
Aubrey Nye Hamilton ©2025
Aubrey Hamilton is a former librarian who works on Federal It projects by day and reads mysteries at night.
Sunday, June 22, 2025
Guest Post: Midnight Schemers & Daydream Believers: First Lines by Judy Penz Sheluk
Please welcome back Editor Judy Penz Sheluk to the blog today as she shares the first lines of the various short stories in the new anthology, Midnight Schemers & Daydream Believers: 22 Stories of Mystery & Suspense. Published by Superior Shores Press, the read is available at Amazon and other vendors.
Midnight Schemers
& Daydream Believers: First Lines by Judy Penz Sheluk
I set up my publishing imprint, Superior Shores Press (SSP),
in February 2018. Since that time, I’ve learned a lot, not only as a publisher,
but as a writer and editor. Reading, you see, really is the best teacher, and
with close to 500 short story submissions for SSP’s five multi-author
anthologies, reading was definitely a huge part of the process. My biggest
takeaway? The opening line (or sometimes paragraph) has to grab my attention.
It has to stand out from the crowd, arms raised overhead, and shout, “Pick me,
pick me!” Every one of the first lines in Midnight Schemers & Daydream
Believers, the latest Superior Shores Anthology, spoke to me, some more
quietly than others, to be sure, but they spoke to me nonetheless, made me want
to keep on reading, to hope that the rest of the story would be as good, or
better. That the end would satisfy and surprise. Here’s a sneak peek of those
first lines, in order of appearance:
Secretly Keith by Charlie Kondek
“Big” John Warmer was not a big man, unless you counted his
stomach, a characteristic he not only failed to conceal but to which he drew
attention by wearing t-shirts a size too small.
A Talent for Fame by Susan Daly
“Wait...what? Kate stared at me, her glass of Northern
Spirit Rye paused halfway to her lips.
The Underground by Pam Barnsley
With only a slight tremor in his hands, Chaucer turned the
last card over.
Julia’s Garage by Rand Gaynor
A bumblebee, held down by a set of calipers, struggles
against having its stinger pulled out by a small pair of tweezers.
A Time to Tell by Amanda Capper
I started collecting secrets when I was six.
The Artist by Linda Bennett
Saturday afternoon and Nick tells Michael it’s time to take
the new guy out with the crew.
Maladaptives Anonymous by donalee Moulton
Marla Porter is a life coach. I don’t know what a life coach
is, but it clearly makes Marla happy.
Watch Your Step by Edward Lodi
Brandon Whitby eased the boredom of his days as the desk
clerk of a seedy motel by alternating between daydreaming of what it would be
like to be rich, never having to work again, and cooking up schemes to achieve
that goal—without, of course, actually having to put in any real effort.
Dinner at Angelo’s by Julie Hastrup
Charlie’s Buick crunched into Angelo’s gravel parking lot.
Evening Escapade by KM Rockwood
Timing was everything.
Quincy and Crow by Joseph S. Walker
When Helena Vasquez’s great-grandfather bought the lot at
the corner of Quincy and Crow, there was still farmland within walking
distance.
Front Desk Staff
by Bethany Maines
I was about to lose a hundred dollars to a douchebag named
after the blonde himbo from Saved by the Bell.
Checking Out at the Live Free or Die Motel By Debra
Bliss Saenger
Deputy Sheriff Connor Fisk was ending the graveyard shift
before being relieved by the daytime crew.
Hopscotch and Pop Tart by Clark Boyd
Hopper McTaggart, his formidable bulk crammed behind the
wheel of a pink Fiat 500, stared into the wall-eyed face of the rubber chicken
hovering outside the passenger window.
A Promise to Pete by James Patrick Focarile
Two small white socks were left on the front doorstep.
Ticket Out by Jim McDonalds
Fourteen months inside is a drag, except for my mopping
buddy Deuce, who teaches me how to crack the new digital Forte lock.
Ghost Wolves by Peggy Rothschild
We approached the house from the back, both dressed in dark
jeans, jackets, and beanies.
Friendship Never Dies by Beth Irish
How did I end up in this dilapidated joint?
Secrets Unleashed by Gina X. Grant
Casing the joint proved easy.
Try Hard by Michael Penncavage
Cliff was almost giddy with excitement.
Making Up for Lost Time by C.W. Blackwell
It wasn’t the first time someone told me I looked like Tag
Sandoval, the famed Silicon Valley tech CEO, but it carried an unbearable irony
now that I was living in a downtown shelter with two dozen men whose luck had
run completely dry.
A Foolproof Plan by Judy Penz Sheluk
I watch Mark’s black SUV turn out of our long, narrow
driveway and feel the tightness in my chest loosen, knowing my husband will be
gone for the next two days.
Readers: Which first line from Midnight Schemers &
Daydream Believers grabbed your attention, made you want to keep reading,
and why?
About the book: Desire or desperation, revenge or retribution—how
far would you go to realize a dream? The twenty-two authors in this collection
explore the possibilities, with predictably unpredictable results.
Featuring stories by Pam Barnsley, Linda Bennett, Clark
Boyd, C.W. Blackwell, Amanda Capper, Susan Daly, James Patrick Focarile, Rand
Gaynor, Gina X. Grant, Julie Hastrup, Beth Irish, Charlie Kondek, Edward Lodi,
Bethany Maines, Jim McDonald, donalee Moulton, Michael Penncavage, Judy Penz
Sheluk, KM Rockwood, Peggy Rothschild, Debra Bliss Saenger, and Joseph S.
Walker.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/44vnrJF
Judy Penz Sheluk ©2025
Judy Penz Sheluk is a former journalist and magazine editor
and the bestselling author of two mystery series, several short stories, and
two books on publishing. She is also the publisher and editor of five Superior
Shores Anthologies. Find out more at www.judypenzsheluk.com.
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