Sunday, April 06, 2025

Kathleen Marple Kalb's Blog: So You Wrote the Book, Now What?: Long and Short

 Kathleen Marple Kalb's Blog: So You Wrote the Book, Now What?: Long and Short 

Lesa's Book Critiques: Break

 Lesa's Book Critiques: Break

Beneath the Stains of Time: The Fifth Tumbler (1936) by Clyde B. Clason

Beneath the Stains of Time: The Fifth Tumbler (1936) by Clyde B. Clason: Clyde B. Clason was an American copywriter, trade magazine editor and author of ten once very popular, critically acclaimed Van Dinean det...

Jerry's House of Everything: MASK COMICS #1 (FEBRUARY-MARCH 1945)

Jerry's House of Everything: MASK COMICS #1 (FEBRUARY-MARCH 1945): I have no idea why this comic book is titled  Mask Comics , but it surely does have a unique cover.  It's a catch-all anthology title wi...

KRL This week 4/6/2025

Up on KRL this week we have a review of the latest Coffeehouse mystery by Cleo Coyle, "No Roast for the Weary", along with a great giveaway! https://kingsriverlife.com/04/05/no-roast-for-the-weary-by-cleo-coyle/

And a review and ebook giveaway of "Rebellious Grace" by Jeri Westerson https://kingsriverlife.com/04/05/rebellious-grace-by-jeri-westerson/

 

And a review and giveaway of "Murder on the Steel Pier" by Rosie Genova along with an interesting interview with Rosie https://kingsriverlife.com/04/05/murder-on-the-steel-pier-by-rosie-genova/

 

We also have the latest Mystery Coming Attractions from Victoria Fair https://kingsriverlife.com/04/05/mystery-coming-attractions-april-2025/

 

For those who prefer to listen to Mysteryrat's Maze Podcast directly on KRL, here is the player for the latest episode featuring the mystery short story "Pleasant Drive" written by Chelle Martin and read by local actor Sean Hopper https://kingsriverlife.com/04/05/new-mysteryrats-maze-podcast-featuring-pleasant-drive/

 

Up on KRL News and Reviews this week we have a review and giveaway of "Antiques and Adversity in the Azores" the first in a brand new series by Victoria Tait https://www.krlnews.com/2025/04/antiques-and-adversity-in-azores-by.html

 

And a review and giveaway of a signed copy of "Snuffling Up Bones" by DonnaRae Menard https://www.krlnews.com/2025/04/snuffling-up-bones-by-donnarae-menard.html

 

Up on KRL News and Reviews this morning a review of "Cat Got Your Killer" by Sofie Ryan https://www.krlnews.com/2025/04/cat-got-your-killer-by-sofie-ryan.html

 
Happy reading,
Lorie

Guest Post: It Don’t Come Easy by Tom Milani

 

Please welcome back author Tom Milani to the bog today…

 

It Don’t Come Easy

 

When Adam Meyer invited me to contribute to In Too Deep: Crime Stories Inspired by the Songs of Genesis, I was thrilled because (a) he’s a good friend and (b) he let me have the song “Misunderstanding.” The official video for that song is perfect noir: man waits by a payphone in the rain for his girlfriend to answer, eventually gives up and drives to her place, where he sees another guy emerging.

Seems like the story should write itself, right? Then how did Little Bijou enter the picture? More on that in a moment.

In my first draft, I had the woman be a high school crush of my protagonist’s, who’s back in town to solicit his help in getting rid of her husband. Never mind that this is well-trod territory (hello, James M. Cain), I pushed on. I had a couple of different endings, the only variations being who died (husband in one; protagonist and husband in the other). The murder was arranged to look like an accident. The protagonist sabotaged a stairway leading to his crush’s basement. Unfortunately, my wife (first reader with a degree in interior design) pointed out to me that stairways aren’t constructed the way I’d envisioned.

In my second draft, I decided to pursue a comic route. This time, my protagonist and the woman planned to kidnap the husband’s dog (Little Bijou), offering to trade the dog in exchange for the husband’s agreeing to walk away from their marriage. At some point, my protagonist changed his mind, deciding to keep the dog and leave the girl. Even I couldn’t stomach it.

Which led to the third draft. Here, everything changed. The high school crush became an ex-girlfriend. The protagonist had unresolved trauma of his own. I took the pain of his apparent betrayal (one misunderstanding) and his ex-girlfriend’s indifference (another misunderstanding) and increased the stakes for all the parties involved. My own misunderstanding of how easy the story would be to write led, finally, to something truer to the theme of the song, if far darker.


 Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/42htE9d

 

Tom Milani ©2025

Tom Milani (www.tommilani.com) has published short fiction in Groovy Gumshoes: Private Eyes in the Psychedelic Sixties, Illicit Motions, Janie’s Got a Gun: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of Aerosmith, and Mickey Finn: 21st Century Noir vol. 5, among other places. “Barracuda Backfire” was published in 2024 as Book 4 of Michael Bracken’s Chop Shop series of novellas. His first novel, Places That Are Gone, will be published on May 13, 2025, by Unnerving.

Saturday, April 05, 2025

Lesa's Book Critiques: Kevin’s Corner Annex – The Silence of the Dead

 Lesa's Book Critiques: Kevin’s Corner Annex – The Silence of the Dead

Dru's Book Musings: New Releases ~ Week of April 6, 2025

 Dru's Book Musings: New Releases ~ Week of April 6, 2025

Bitter Tea and Mystery: Six Degrees of Separation: From Knife to Valley of the Kings

Bitter Tea and Mystery: Six Degrees of Separation: From Knife to Valley of...:    The Six Degrees of Separation meme is hosted by Kate at booksaremyfavoriteandbest . The idea behind the meme is to start with a book and...

SleuthSayers: We Can't Bury Her THERE

SleuthSayers: We Can't Bury Her THERE:    I don't know about my fellow SleuthSayers, but the columns I write for this blog usually come to mind only a few days before they...

The Rap Sheet: The Book You Have to Read: “The Hotel Dick,” by Axel Brand

 The Rap Sheet: The Book You Have to Read: “The Hotel Dick,” by Axel Brand

Scott's Take: The Punisher: Born by Garth Ennis, Darick Robertson (Artist) and Wieslaw Walkuski (Cover Art)

 

The Punisher: Born by Garth Ennis, Darick Robertson (Artist) and Wieslaw Walkuski (Cover Art), tells the origin of the Punisher for the Punisher Max series. This read is set back in Vietnam during Frank Castle’s third tour. Castle claims he is sticking around to protect the men under his command, but that is not the only reason he is staying during the war’s last days. He has found that he likes the violence even though he knows he should not. Stationed at an undermanned, under supplied firebase on the front lines with a command structure that is failing to do anything to maintain discipline and several other problems, things do not look good. He is leading the last combat capable platoon in the area that is still running attacks against the enemy. A massive enemy offensive is building unfortunately for him and his men. Things are not going to go well.

 

This tale is told mostly through the eyes of one of the men in his command and who wants to go home unlike Frank. He knows Frank is his best chance of survival, but he also knows there is something broken in that man. Featuring violent content, some small supernatural elements, and frantic art, this is an interesting read.

 

Since it is a prequel to the main Punisher Max series obviously, he survives, but everyone else’s chances are up in the air. I enjoyed this more than the first six volumes I have read of the Punisher Max series since Garth Ennis is not as edgelordy here as he is in the main series.  Sometimes it seems that Ennis is going to a dark place just for shock value, but there is no shock value when you expect it. I recommend this for fans of the Punisher who want a glimpse into the early days of Castle’s life.



Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4hsA9eV

 

I read this through the Hoopla App and the Dallas Public Library System.

 

Scott A. Tipple ©2025

Friday, April 04, 2025

Lesa's Book Critiques: The Library of Lost Dollhouses by Elise Hooper

 Lesa's Book Critiques: The Library of Lost Dollhouses by Elise Hooper

Writer Beware: Generative AI and Copyrightability: Report From the US Copyright Office

 Writer Beware: Generative AI and Copyrightability: Report From the US Copyright Office

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Marple: Twelve New Mysteries

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Marple: Twelve New Mysteries:   Reviewed by Jeanne I am a long-time fan of Agatha Christie, especially of her stories featuring the elderly spinster Jane Marple.   Wi...

The Rap Sheet: Lauded in London

 The Rap Sheet: Lauded in London

Happiness Is A Book: Friday’s Forgotten Book: Miss Pinnegar Disappears by Anthony Gilbert

 Happiness Is A Book: Friday’s Forgotten Book: Miss Pinnegar Disappears by Anthony Gilbert

Patricia Abbott: FFB: TRIAL AND ERROR, Anthonyn Berkley (by Casual Debris from 2012)

 Patricia Abbott: FFB: TRIAL AND ERROR, Anthonyn Berkley (by Casual Debris from 2012)

Thursday, April 03, 2025

Lesa's Book Critiques: What Are You Reading?

 Lesa's Book Critiques: What Are You Reading?

In Reference To Murder: Mystery Melange 4/3/2025

 In Reference To Murder: Mystery Melange 4/3/2025

Beneath the Stains of Time: The Hit List: Top 10 Locked Room Mystery Novels That Need to Be Reprinted

Beneath the Stains of Time: The Hit List: Top 10 Locked Room Mystery Novels Th...: In 2022, I posted an addendum to Nick Fuller's " Detective Stories to Reprint " entitled " Curiosity is Killing the Cat:...

Jerry's House of Everything: DRAGNET: ERIC KELBY -- BODY BURIED IN NURSERY (SEPTEMBER 3, 1949)

Jerry's House of Everything: DRAGNET: ERIC KELBY -- BODY BURIED IN NURSERY (...: The story you about to hear is true. Only the names have been changed to protect then innocent... You're a detective sergeant.  You'...

Sweet Freedom: Wednesday's Short Stories: FANTASY MAGAZINE, March...

Sweet Freedom: Wednesday's Short Stories: FANTASY MAGAZINE, March...: from the FictionMags Index: Fantasy Magazine  [v1 #1, March 1953] (35¢, 160pp+, digest, cover by  Hannes Bok )  [] Given as February 1953 in...

Review: The Big Empty: An Elvis Cole and Joe Pike Novel by Robert Crais

 

The Big Empty: An Elvis Cole and Joe Pike Novel by Robert Crais is one of those books that slaps you upside your head. A very good read, but it is a tale full of pain, heartbreak, and rage, that changed so many lives then and now.

 

For Private Investigator Elvis Cole, the case starts when Tracie Beller hires him. Her mom, her uncle Phil, and her various other advisors wish her not to do it. But, her dad, Tommy Beller, disappeared ten years ago. Everybody believes he just walked away from his family. Tracie never believed that.

 

All these years later, she is a social media phenomenon as she bakes her way to stardom and riches. She has millions of followers and there are investors considering becoming part of her rapidly growing brand. While all of that does matter to her, what is far more important is finding out what happed to her father. She has the money to hire a private detective and she wants Elvis Cole.

 

He agrees to look into things. That means heading out of Los Angeles to the nearby community of Rancha where Mr. Beller was last seen working as he serviced various clients. He and Uncle Phil owned and ran a heating and air company. He was out there, in a company van, doing service calls when he vanished. So too did the repair van. The clients of that day are important, especially the last clients he saw which were Sadie Given and her daughter, Anya.

 

His presence and activities bring him to the attention of others who are determined to stop him, one way or another. As if anything short of being murdered would stop “The World’s Greatest Detective” and his running buddy, Joe Pike.

 

I am reminded yet again that we all need a Joe Pike in our lives.

 

I am also reminded that Robert Crais can seriously write. The Big Empty: An Elvis Cole and Joe Pike Novel is a complex multi layered read that hits you hard in the guts and then smacks you right between the eyes. The details of what happened and why are horrific and can’t be shared without blowing up the read. There is a reason why the jacket copy is so sparse and worded the way it is on the book.

 

Strongly Recommended.

 

 

Make sure you read Aubrey’s review from early January.

 

 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3XHlTb6 

 

 

My reading copy came from the White Rock Hills Branch of the Dallas Public Library System.

 

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2025

Wednesday, April 02, 2025

Lesa's Book Critiques: The Memory Library by Kate Storey

 Lesa's Book Critiques: The Memory Library by Kate Storey

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Bryant and May on the Loose by Christopher Fowler

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Bryant and May on the Loose by Christopher Fowler:   We do not have a Nevermore report for today, so we're digging into the archives for some old posts you may not have seen.  This one is...

Bitter Tea and Mystery: Short Story Wednesday: Two Books of Horror and Strange Stories

Bitter Tea and Mystery: Short Story Wednesday: Two Books of Horror and St...:    Today I am sharing two of my husband's short story books, which lean toward the strange and the weird. Normally these are not the sor...

George Kelly: WEDNESDAY’S SHORT STORIES #218: SPACE DREADOUGHTS Edited by David Drake with Charles G. Waugh and Martin Harry Greenberg

George Kelly: WEDNESDAY’S SHORT STORIES #218: SPACE DREADOUGHTS Edited by David Drake with Charles G. Waugh and Martin Harry Greenberg

Jerry's House of Everything: SHORT STORY WEDNESDAY: BLACK STUFF

Jerry's House of Everything: SHORT STORY WEDNESDAY: BLACK STUFF:  "Black Stuff" by Ken Bruen (from Bruen's anthology Dublin Noir , 2006) We lost one of the truly greats this last Saturday wit...

Patricia Abbott: Short Story Wednesday, THE WIND IN THE ROSEBUSH, Mary E. Wilkins Freeman

 Patricia Abbott: Short Story Wednesday, THE WIND IN THE ROSEBUSH, Mary E. Wilkins Freeman

Short Story Wednesday Review: Black Cat Mystery Magazine #15

 

It has been quite some time since I have been able to pick up an issue of Black Cat Mystery Magazine as the recent issues have been print only. But, the most recent issue, Black Cat MysteryMagazine #15, is available in print and digital formats so I was able to get the eBook version. Not only is that better for my shrinking finances as I pick up things via my Amazon Associate account, but I can adjust the typeface so that I can actually read it.

 

As always, Editor Michael Bracken leads things off with his piece, “From The Cat’s Perch.” The theme for this issue is praise for the Short Mystery Fiction Society. Like this reviewer, Mr. Bracken previously served terms as Vice President and President of the SMFS. A number of the authors featured in this issue are current SMFS list members as well.

 

Stacy Woodson’s short story, “Armadillo By Morning,” leads things off where Roy is looking forward to retirement. He has enjoyed being an Animal Control Officer for many decades, but his hip is telling him that enough is enough. So too is Millie Wendell who has constant complaints from her place just inside their rural jurisdiction. This time she is mad about an armadillo that keeps coming back and tearing up her garden.

 

The guy is dead in “After Their Convictions, Six Murders Reflect On How Killing Mr. Boddy Changed Their Lives” by Tara Laskowski and Art Taylor. The husband and wife, who each individually, have quite an authorship record, collaborate here with a complicated and amusing tale based of the legendary boardgame, CLUE. I’m certainly not going to ruin this short story by telling you more.

 

Author, and in this case, translator, Josh Pachter is up next with his translation of “Promises To Keep” by Gert-Jan van den Bemd. In a gut-wrenching story that hit way too close to home for this reader, Mrs. van Tilt is at the door wanting to make a certain purchase. The item in question that she wishes to buy from the elderly couple will change everything for all involved.

 

Prolific author John M. Floyd is up next with “A Cold Day In Helena.” The brothers, Ray and Will Hardy, are up against it. Their only option seems to be to rob the local bank. The First National Bank is a relatively easy target as far as banks go and they have a good plan. They just need the nerve to execute the job.

 

The large barrels arrive on the occasional truck at the isolated and derelict station in Arizona. The cartel has stuff that needs disposing of in those barrels and that is why he has the job. At least job he has the for now in “Human Waste” by Davin Ireland. The always taciturn Jorge is back with his truck on this Sunday and he is not happy. His presence, and his attitude, is not good news in many ways.

 

Life on the island was a bit limited and routine. Then, a week before his Peace Corps gig was supposed to be over, Janine’s body was found in a ravine nearby. In “Hiva-Oa” by J. W. Wood, Michael is naturally a suspect in the death of the married woman. Especially after several and very public events that led to rumors and gossip by nearly everyone on the island.

 

R. T. Lawton is next and takes readers to NYC in his tale titled, “Most Important Meal Of The Day.” Our narrator very much likes his free breakfast that Sarah, the cashier, gives him each day. Times are tough, he is unemployed, and winter is coming. Breakfast is important and often his only meal. He needs the free food and does not want to lose it. Leonard and Jules are probably going to ruin things.

 

She knows he is watching her in the bar. He thinks he is going to get lucky. He most definitely is, but not the way he thought in “Luxury Goods” by R. M. Lowery.

 


Talia Houghton barely survived the murders of her family. Our narrator, the public defender that had to defend the accused, Danny Houghton, remains haunted by her eyes and the horror of her case in “The Child” by Elizabeth Elwood. All these years later though there have been court actions, a prison sentence, and more, the case is not over. 

 

Marcelle Dubé’s short story, “Getting Back Into Heaven” comes next and takes readers to the Yukon. Growing up, Jonas’ mom always told him he was a special boy and that God had a special place for him right by his side waiting for him. He knew that space, and heaven itself, would never happen after he served in Afghanistan. These days, Jonas Bellechasse, is working with a group of geologists. His job is to keep them safe and the main threat has been wild bears. Jonas likes his job and finds the rugged forest peaceful and pleasant. A wildfire threatens everyone involved in this increasingly tense tale.

 

She was having fun playing at being a spy in ‘An Imp In Spy’s Clothing” by Robert Jeschonek. Then things got very serious. Now she is wearing what seems to be a suicide vest and she may not live long enough to enjoy her beloved Lisbon, Portugal, again.

 

Evelyn Wheatley and James Vaughn don’t agree on much of anything in “Let’s Settle This” by Jack Ritchie. At least, that is what they publicly say. Jimmy’s dad, owner of the law firm, thinks they should get married. The fact that her current guy, Eddie Conley, a classmate of Jimmy’s from law school and an adversary in the current legal case, makes things far more complicated in this story that ends the issue.

 

As always, this publication showcases a variety of mysteries in the spectrum with a variety of writing styles, locations, and more. Black Cat Mystery Magazine #15, not to be confused with the also very good Black Cat Weekly, is another solidly good edition and well worth your time.

 


 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4j8rIXl

 

My reading copy came by way of an Amazon Associate purchase using funds in my account.

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2025

Tuesday, April 01, 2025

Lesa's Book Critiques: May Treasures in My Closet

 Lesa's Book Critiques: May Treasures in My Closet

The Short Mystery Fiction Society Blog: March News from the Short Mystery Fiction Society

The Short Mystery Fiction Society Blog: March News from the Short Mystery Fiction Society:  March of 2025 was another exciting and productive month for the writers belonging to the Short Mystery Fiction Society!  Readers looking fo...

Criminal Minds: Not Where, but How

Criminal Minds: Not Where, but How:   Terry here with our question of the week: Not “where do you get your ideas, but HOW? Do they come to you as images? Memories? Overheard co...

The First Two Pages: “Not A Day Goes By” by J.A. Hennrikus

 The First Two Pages: “Not A Day Goes By” by J.A. Hennrikus

The Short Mystery Fiction Society Blog: SMFS Official Announcement: 2025 Derringer Award Finalists

The Short Mystery Fiction Society Blog: SMFS Official Announcement: 2025 Derringer Award F...: S ince 1998, the Short Mystery Fiction Society has awarded the annual Derringers—named after the popular pocket pistol—to outstanding publis...

Publication Day Review: Bitterfrost by Bryan Gruley

 

Have you ever woken up and not had a clue what happened? I don’t mean a few minutes of disassociation, but full on many minutes of having no clue what in the heck happened or why you are in the shape you are in? I’ve done it several times thanks to concussions.

 

The first, and probably the most traumatic and the probable source of some of my health and cognitive issues these days, was back in elementary school many years ago. My parents had always said that I should not play in the pickup football games before school. That I would get hurt. I did not listen. One morning, the last memory I have is running to intercept a bigger kid and make the tackle. I’m told that I got him and his buddy, in anger, drop kicked my head afterwards as I laid on the ground.

 

I lost over an hour and a half where I have no memory of what went on. It is incredibly scary to have no idea what in the heck happened.

 

Former hockey player Jimmy Baker finds himself in that situation as Bitterfrost by Bryan Gruley begins. He awakens to a pinging noise in his head and the smell of blood. He is on his kitchen floor just before four in the morning, missing a shoe, with torn up knuckles, and a host of other issues. He is still wearing his IceKings jacket, now with a very bloody sleeve. He knows he wore that jacket the night before, had it on when he left the arena, and while he had his one drink at the Lost Loon Tavern. He knows he spent some time there as it is his nightly ritual, after he puts the Zamboni away, to lock up the place and hang out at the Lost Loon Tavern. He has one drink and goes home after a while.

 

But, something clearly happened. Not only is he wearing evidence that something happened, there is even more evidence outside his home, and in his truck. Something really bad happened. He has no clue at all what. With his record, that makes everything so much worse.

 

Meanwhile, the state police get a call that there is an abandoned pickup truck nearby. Upon arrival, they find that somebody failed at trying to burn the truck. The same truck that has a lot of blood in it. The same truck that is dumped in close range of Jimmy Baker’s house.

 

The truck is just inside the jurisdictional boundary of city of Bitterfrost, Michigan, and that means Detective Garth Klimmek is on the case. A case that gains urgency as the son of a wealthy man has gone missing. Politics, media attention, and the finding of a body means the pressure is on to solve the case fast.

 

What follows is a highly entertaining read that this review only scratches the surface. Multiple storylines, personal agendas, family secrets going back decades, and more is at work in this read that one hopes is the start of a new series from this very talented author. If you have read Bryan Gruley before (Starvation Lake, Bleak Harbor, and others), you know that the complicated mystery will include a lot of references to hockey, wealthy families and their power, and old murder cases, are always the backbone of his books. Such is the case here as is a lot more besides. Much of which should not be discussed so as to not ruin the read.

 

In short, make sure you read Bitterfrost by Bryan Gruley. The read is very much worth your time and is strongly recommended.

 

Amazon Associates Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3RsDU9s

 

My reading copy came through NetGalley from the publisher, Severn House, with no expectation of a review. 

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2025

Monday, March 31, 2025

Lesa's Book Critiques: Not Dead Yet by Jeffrey Siger

 Lesa's Book Critiques: Not Dead Yet by Jeffrey Siger

The Rap Sheet: Revue of Reviewers: 3-31-25

 The Rap Sheet: Revue of Reviewers: 3-31-25

BookLover's Bench: Fifth Monday Guest Author Judy Penz Sheluk

 BookLover's Bench: Fifth Monday Guest Author Judy Penz Sheluk

In Reference To Murder: Media Murder for Monday 3/31/2025

 In Reference To Murder: Media Murder for Monday 3/31/2025

Beneath the Stains of Time: Logic Games: Q.E.D. vol. 42-43 by Motohiro Katou

Beneath the Stains of Time: Logic Games: Q.E.D. vol. 42-43 by Motohiro Katou: The first story from Motohiro Katou's Q.E.D. vol. 42, "Escher Hotel," brings Sou Touma and Kana Mizuhara to the titular hotel...

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: New Fiction In April!

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: New Fiction In April!: Arceneaux, Danielle Glory Daze (Glory Broussard)  Baldacci, David Strangers in Time: A World War II Novel  Barnes, S.A. Cold Eternity   B...

Aubrey Nye Hamilton Reviews: Heartwood by Amity Paige


Heartwood by Amity Paige (Simon & Schuster, 1 April 2025) is about the search for Valerie Gillis, a fortyish nurse who decides to hike the Appalachian Trail and disappears near the end in Maine, the most rugged part of the trail. Lieutenant Beverly Miller is the Maine game warden organizing the search and rescue teams, including volunteers and K-9s.

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

Kathleen Marple Kalb's Blog: So You Wrote the Book, Now What?: New for Spring

 Kathleen Marple Kalb's Blog: So You Wrote the Book, Now What?: New for Spring 

Lesa's Book Critiques: Easeful Death by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles

 Lesa's Book Critiques: Easeful Death by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles

Little Big Crimes: The Luncheon, by Christopher Fowler

Little Big Crimes: The Luncheon, by Christopher Fowler:   "The Luncheon," by Christopher Fowler, in Playing Dead, edited by Martin Edwards, Severn House, 2025. Something the English do ...

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

Lesa's Book Critiques: To Catch a Thief by David Dodge

 Lesa's Book Critiques: To Catch a Thief by David Dodge

Dru's Book Musings New Releases ~ Week of March 30, 2025

 Dru's Book Musings New Releases ~ Week of March 30, 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

 
Happy reading,
Lorie