Showing posts with label March 2022. Show all posts
Showing posts with label March 2022. Show all posts
Friday, April 01, 2022
SHOTSMAG CONFIDENTIAL: Charlotte Duckworth on - Why I’m drawn to writing dark books
SHOTSMAG CONFIDENTIAL: Charlotte Duckworth on - Why I’m drawn to writing ...: Like most writers, when I started out I didn’t have a clear understanding of what genres were or how they worked. I didn’t have a clue what ...
Thursday, March 31, 2022
Review: No Accident: A Posadas County Mystery by Steven F. Havill
No Accident: A Posadas County Mystery
by Steven F. Havill opens with Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman dealing with
the aftermath of a brutal bar fight at the Broken Spur Saloon. Johnny Rabke is
drunk and bleeding heavily, a tourist family of four is traumatized, and the
unconscious combatant on the floor is Pablo Ramirez. He had pulled out a knife
after exchanging insults, Johnny Rabke had swung a pool cue at least once, and had
also ended the fight by throwing a billiard ball and nailing Ramirez in the
right side of his head.
That fight and the charges and everything around all
that becomes secondary as does life in Posadas when she gets a midnight call
from her son, Francisco. Her first thought is that something has happened to
her grandson but she can hear him in the background and so she knows he is
okay. Instead, the call is about her other son, Carlos, and his wife, Tasha.
Francisco explains that Carlos and Tasha were on
their tandem bike out in California and were run down. Both have suffered
series injuries and are in the Temerly Trauma Treatment Center in Briones,
California. Tasha is doing a little bit better than Carlos who is still in
surgery and in a very bad way. Francisco and his family are headed to the
airport in New York to board their private jet. They plan to fly to Posadas and
pick up mom and dad, Estelle and her husband, Dr. Francis Guzman, and go to California
to be there for Carlos and Tasha.
Before long the entire group is on the ground in
California. As it happens, Eddie Mitchell is a captain with the Briones Police
Department and supervising the investigation as it is clear that this was no
simple hit and run. This was definitely attempted murder. Not only were they
run over once, the driver backed up and hit them a second time. Not only does
he want Estelle and the family to be fully supported as they await to see if
Carlos survives his life-threatening injuries, Mitchell is determined to find
the guilty party or parties and get them off the street and in custody.
To do that, he is going to walk a tightrope as he
wants Estelle’s help, but she has no authority in California. He also knows how
she is and does not want her independently pursuing her own lines of inquiry or
doing anything that could give a defense lawyer ammunition at trial. Things get
more complicated quickly as a body is found that could be tied into the case.
What follows is a complicated read that shifts back
and forth from the hospital and the patients to the actual investigation of the
crime. While there are the occasional brief contacts with the folks back home,
the vast majority of the novel takes place out in California. Along the way, the
author spends considerable time on family dynamics, the predatory behavior of
some men towards women, and other issues as the investigation moves forward on
multiple fronts. It is not until the last chapter and the final eight pages
that the initial event that started the book is resolved.
Overall, while not the best read in this long
running series, No Accident: A Posadas County Mystery was
entertaining and enjoyable. Though the tale was interesting, this reader missed
the New Mexico setting which is often so effectively used a character in its own
right. This reader was also frequently reminded of the idea that it is good to
have friends, but having plenty of money to deal with emergencies helps too. So
too does having your own doctor in the family.
My print reading copy came by way of Aubrey Nye Hamilton to sent it to me after she had read it. Yet another way Aubrey does wonderful things for me and this blog. Thank you, Aubrey. As always.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2022
Wednesday, March 30, 2022
Beneath the Stains of Time: Reconstructive Nostalgia: Q.E.D. vol. 17-18 by Motohiro Katou
Beneath the Stains of Time: Reconstructive Nostalgia: Q.E.D. vol. 17-18 by Mot...: "Disaster of a Disastrous Man" is the first of two stories from Motohiro Katou's Q.E.D. vol. 17 and marks the return of the C...
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Nevermore: Chasing History, Absolutely Remarkable Thing, Melungeon Winter, The Poison Squad
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Nevermore: Chasing History, Absolutely Remarkable...: Reported by Ben Chasing History by Carl Bernstein: this book is the famous reporter's account of his personal journey a...
Bitter Tea and Mystery: Short Story Wednesday: An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed by Helene Tursten
Bitter Tea and Mystery: Short Story Wednesday: An Elderly Lady Must Not Be...: Two years ago I read and reviewed the first set of short stories featuring Maud, An Elderly Lady Is Up To No Good . I liked the stories very...
Little Big Crimes Review: Crime Scene by Joseph S. Walker
Little Big Crimes: Crime Scene, by Joseph S. Walker.: "Crime Scene," by Joseph S. Walker, in Malice in Dallas: Metroplex Mysteries Volume 1, edited by Barb Goffman, Sisters in Crime N...
Short Story Wednesday Review: To Serve, Protect, and Write: Cops Writing Crime Fiction Volume 1 Editor A. B. Patterson
To Serve, Protect, and
Write: Cops Writing Crime Fiction Volume 1 features
15 tales written by current or former members of law enforcement. While the preponderance
of the tales included here feature stories on the bob, many do not. This anthology
features an international assemblage of authors reflecting experience in law
enforcement around the globe as well as varied perspectives on crime fiction. The
result is an entertaining read.
After an introduction by Editor A. B. Patterson that
goes into considerable detail regarding the premise and the ground rules of the
anthology, it is on to the stories. The first one is a historical tale by
Christopher Allen titled, “All Good Things Must Begin.” Subtitled “The first
Frank DeGrae Case” the tale features an attempted theft, an officer involved
shooting, and possible police corruption.
The next tale is also a historical piece as the year
is 1936 and it is June in San Francisco. “Johnny Walker” by Thonie Hevron has Jack
and Captain Ronald Bertrand head out to a strangulation of a woman in the
Embarcadero area. Bertrand is not on the up and up and the fact that he is
actually leaving the office at the Kearney Street Hall of Justice means
something is going on more than this particular homicide.
“I Remember Who I Am” by Michael O’Keefe comes next where
our narrator is Robbie Meyer. A cop working in Dunson, Ohio. A cop whose faith,
family history, and legacy, will be tested on a call in the old north-east
section of town. How he handles that call as well as his actions afterwards are
part of the process of Robbie Meyer staying true to himself.
Readers go cross the pond to the Dublin
International airport as “Dublin to Liverpool” by Barry Lees begins. Detective
Constable Trevor Massingham has been on an undercover stakeout for four days
watching travelers. He has been sent from Liverpool to sit in the airport and
watch those who are passing through on their way elsewhere. The hope was that
he would be able to identify potential drug mules as they boarded aircraft. A
new batch of ecstasy has hit the streets of Liverpool in recent days and is
worse than the normal stuff.
Helen Mathews, literary agent, is sitting in front
of her fireplace in her farm house in Maine as “His First” by P. J. Bodnar
begins. As she rejects a submission, she tosses the pages into her fireplace,
making use of the hard work of others to heat her home. She is not alone.
Before long the police will be involved as life changes for several people this
night.
“Cold Comfort” by Desmond P. Ryan begins on a night
where a cold rain is falling. Despite the nastiness of the night, Detectives
Mike O’Shea and Ron Roberts had to go out and do something. Anything at all to
get out of the office for a little while. The plan was to go get a coffee. As
it happens, before they get there, they get a dispatch to go to their intended
coffeeshop to investigate a sudden death.
Deputy Rory Comeaux is dealing with all of the
complications of being a woman in full uniform and needing to use the restroom
as “The Ladysmith” by Pearson O’Meara begins. While she is dealing with the
lack of room for her and her gear in the bathroom stall, a killer lurks nearby.
A lot is change to happen in the next few minutes as well as the weeks to come
in this part of Southern Louisiana.
Corporal Seaton and his trainee, Officer Day, are
dispatched to the Bat Hovno Blazon Institution. While Corporal Seaton thought
the 911 call was possibly exaggerated in “Riot In The Mental Institution” by
Ryan Sayles, it is soon very clear the call was no exaggeration. There definitely
is a riot. It is going to be a very long call.
Since the arrest, Detective Bill Derbyshire has not
been feeling right. There is a reason for that as is slowly revealed in “The Snug”
by Keith Wright. His final shift as he takes retirement was the arrest of an
armed criminal. It is a good way to finish thirty years on the job.
It is a dark and nearly deserted road in Alabama
where she pulls over. An elderly woman, she thinks she saw something out of the
corner of her eye as she drove by the scene so she stops. Good thing she did in
“The Old Lady” by T. K. Thorne. Good thing also that she lives to talk about
what she saw that night.
“The Translator” by James Ellson features a family
on the run. They have to move yet again thanks to his job and security concerns.
There has been a breech, but nobody yet knows how damaging it is or if there is
a real security threat. Time will tell. In the meantime, the translator will do
his own investigation when he is not doing his assigned tasks.
Angel Castello is in town to do a job in the Saint
Louis Area. Darla has a deal going and needs to make an example of somebody
refusing to pay what is owed. Angelo is in the family business, but he does not
like it. He also has to make sure to get the job done right in “The Carpenter’s
Son” by Mark Atley. Unlike most of the tales in the book, law enforcement does
not have much presence in this solid crime fiction tale.
Our narrator has a lot to think about as she waits
to give court testimony in “Waiting” by Lisa Cutts. Especially in terms of Clive
and their last call on a recent shift.
Editor A. B. Patterson comes
next with “Rights and Wrongs” and reflects how law enforcement is changing. Harrington
has a new boss who clearly does not think much of him. The new boss has all the
touchy-feely tags on his resume that are trendy in policing, but nothing that
reflects actual police work. Thanks to a complaint being investigated by
internal affairs, the new boss is more than happy to confine Harrington to desk
duty. The Azalea Quinn case led to the complaint and is the subject of much of
this story.
Frank Zafiro takes a shot at predicting the future
of law enforcement in the short story that is the last one in the book. “The
Last Cop” is set a couple of decades in the future where officers no longer
carry guns, have to get court orders to talk to anyone, and banned words get a
person fined. Individual freedom has morphed into a strange new world where
cops use “compliance sticks” that give a mild shock and private security has
taken over law enforcement functions for those who can afford it. Officer Ramirez
is about to be shown the door under mandatory retirement and he just might be
the last officer with an actual gun. He will need it, no matter what the boss
thinks.
An acknowledgment section and extensive bios of the
authors involved in order of appearance bring the book to a close.
While this reviewer had his personal favorites, all of the authors involved weaved solidly good and complex tales. Most included a strong law enforcement presence in the tale. Not all of the cops are good guys and not all of the cops are bad guys. Instead, like real life, there is a lot of grey in To Serve, Protect, and Write: Cops Writing Crime Fiction Volume 1. Compiled, edited, and published by A. B. Patterson, the anthology is well worth your time.
I picked this up in eBook format back in early
February using funds in my Amazon Associate account.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2022
Tuesday, March 29, 2022
Criminal Minds: The Case of the New Criminal Mind by Stephen Mack Jones
Criminal Minds: The Case of the New Criminal Mind by Stephen Mac...: Welcome to our newest Mind! On behalf of all nine Minds, we're extending a virtual group hug of welcome to Stephen, who joins us today, ...
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