Scott's Take: A Traitor’s Blade by Sebastien De Castell

A Traitor’s Blade by Sebastien De Castell is the first book in the Greatcoats Series. In the vein of The Three Musketeers, this dark tale starts a trio of heroes after their King was overthrown and killed by his own dukes. During the violent coup, his greatest warriors, the Greatcoats, did not fight for him. These traveling warriors, who also were judges that traveled the country dispensing justice, all stood down at the King’s order and did not try to stop the overthrow. The King had a plan that would trigger in the wake of his death. That plan activated with his death and then things went sideways. The populace turned on the Greatcoats and they scattered into hiding and the Dukes seized power over the country and its people.

The story is primarily told from the perspective of Falcio. He is a dark and troubled hero who mourns the past and has lost all hope in the future. He sees the world around him as broken beyond repair. His only goal is to die doing something good.

He is joined in this quest, if you will, by his trusted allies Kest and Brasti.  Kest is a man who has been a friend since childhood. A grim and bitter man who is an excellent swordsman and a worthy companion. Also there is the master archer, Brasti, who is a womanizer of epic proportions. As I explained, this is basically the three musketeers in a different format.

The story skips around chronologically split between stories from the past and the present. Even the more linear portions have a lot of twists and turns. A Traitor’s Blade by Sebastien De Castell is a grim tale not for everyone, but, I enjoyed it a lot. 

A Traitor’s Blade

Sebastien De Castell

https://decastell.com/

Joe Fletcher Books

Quercus

https://www.jofletcherbooks.com/landing-page/jo-fletcher-books/jo-fletcher-books-contact-us/

July 2014

ISBN# 9781623658090

Hardback (also available in audio, digital, and paperback formats)

384 Pages

Material was supplied by the Park Forest Branch of the Dallas Public Library System.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2020

Always and Forever

It was two years ago now that Sandi's long painful struggle against cancer finally ended. Her suffering was over as she escaped this mortal coil. The picture at right was taken back when the doctors were absolutely sure she had beaten it and she was in remission. One that lasted about three months before the damn two headed cancer snake came back to attack her again and again.


 I miss her so much.

Scott's Take: Fated: An Alex Verus Novel by Benedict Jacka

Fated: An Alex Verus Novel by Benedict Jacka. This series was on a list I found on the internet for books similar to the Harry Dresden series. In some ways, this first book is as it features a mage named Alex Verus who is a diviner. Such a person is a mage that can see the future. Multiple groups are using people he cares about to pressure Alex Verus to help them find an ancient mystic relic from a dead civilization. The person or group in possession of the relic could do almost anything they wanted and could change the world.

This novel is a part urban fantasy thriller and part mystery and is set in London in a time where magic is still very much possible and unseen by many. Alex Versus is outmatched by pretty much every enemy he faces. He has to use his wits, magic, and snarky attitude, to survive every situation. He has a few allies that help him deal with the multiple factions. One of the most important allies is Luna who is an aspiring mage who has a serious curse on her. Nobody in the factions can be trusted and even the good guys within the factions are willing to kill anyone who gets in the way of them getting the relic.

I enjoyed this book in the long running series a lot and according to the internet there are late last eight more books. I liked the character of Alex Verus a lot. He is intelligent, funny, and sarcastic, has little respect for authority, intelligent and is brave and honorable. A good guy, he knows when it is smarter to take off and hide from fights he can’t win. He knows when he is in over his head and retreats to plan a new strategy to overcome the problem.

I am very interested in seeing how this series goes and learning about his world and his backstory. Good book and I recommend reading Fated: An Alex Verus Novel by Benedict Jacka. Book two in the series is Cursed and I have it here in my library to be read pile.

Fated: An Alex Verus Novel

Benedict Jacka

http://benedictjacka.co.uk/

Ace Books (Penguin Books)

https://www.penguin.com/books/browse/1142/sci-fi-fantasy

February 2012

ISBN# 978-1-937007-29-4

Paperback (also available in audio and digital formats)

304 Pages

My paperback cop came from the Downtown Dallas Branch of the Dallas Public Library System.

Scott A. Tipple ©2019

Beneath the Stains of Time: Noose for a Lady (1952) by Gerald Verner

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He Does Not Listen Well At All

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Barry Ergang's New Story: The Audiophile Murder Case

The latest published read from Barry Ergang is a short story.  Originally published in 1982 in Stereophile Magazine, his short story, “The Audiophile Murder Case” is now available in digital format at Amazon and Smashwords. The tale is “a satire of the high-end audio business as a parody/pastiche of the Philo Vance mystery novels by S. S. Van Dine.” You can pick up a number of the S. S. Van Dine mystery  novels for free at the Freeditorial Publishing House website.

Review: Mystery Weekly Magazine: August 2019

Mystery Weekly Magazine: August 2019 issue begins with “El Chappie: The World’s Second Greatest Criminal” by T. L. Huchu. He might be the second greatest criminal, but, he clearly is the biggest talker. It can’t be referred to as an “interrogation” when the suspect is freely sharing all of the details of his life in crime.

Audrey finds herself in a bad situation in “Stranger in Paradise” by James Nolan. She knows where she is and she also knows nobody else has any idea of her location and situation. This was not how her visit to New Orleans was supposed to go at all. She is going to have to take charge of her own rescue.

So too will the primary character in the next story “The Mayfly” by David Bart. He faces a certain death as terminal cancer is waging a war on his body. He has one final thing to do for himself as well as his sister, Phoebe, to set things right.

Pressman has a very simple plan in “You Can’t Go Alone” by Andrew Welsh-Huggins. Pressman has a very simple plan. Kill the drug dealer that sold Pressman’s son, Billy, the drug that hooked him and eventually killed him. Orndorff deserves to die. Bargaining at the moment of truth will not earn him a temporary reprieve. Unless it does.

It appears that Bo Hendrickson is going to lead his followers to the Praying Hands sculpture and encourage the devoted to take the eight thousand drop leap of faith. It is not the first time there has been a cult-suicide and no doubt won’t be the last. Reporter Bell is being forced to cover the story by Editor Bill Thomas and does not like it all. As the boss bluntly pointed out, “You’re a reporter. So go report.” Bell does and that is the crux of the tale “Jumpers for Jesus” by Emily Devenport.

Weegee The Famous is known for his photographs. He takes pictures of various things including crime events. He sells those pictures to the tabloids and business was good. Thanks to the ongoing mob wars and carnage, the price for his photographic efforts is going down. He needs a new angle and may have found one in “The Dead Man In The Pearl Gray Hat” by Bruce W. Most.

Kyle Hogg had thought that if he made it safely home to his worn out Winnebago parked at the Sunny Acres trailer park in Tulsa he would be home safe. He was wrong in “Three Hogg’s Tale And One Hairy Ending” by Jeff Dosser.  Lawrence Talbot, also known to one and all as Harry Larry, was waiting and wants his product or the money.

“FanFarewell” by Laird Long is the selection for “A You-Solve-It” by Laird Long this month. The body was found in the pond just to the east of the old factory and Detective Hunter and Constable Mancini are on the case. Sam Trusco is the dead man. The pond was not the kill site. When and how he died are just two of several elements in this story that readers have to put together.

The answer to the July “A You-Solve-It” case titled “Shut And Open Case” brings this issue to a close.

As has been present in each issue from the start, Mystery Weekly Magazine: August 2019 issue continues the tradition of a solidly good mix of writing styles, characters, and interesting mysteries. Mystery is a wide canvass and such is the case here resulting in another higher entertaining issue.

Mystery Weekly Magazine: August 2019

http://www.mysteryweekly.com

July 30, 2019

ASIN: B07VV8R5GH

eBook (also available in print)

125 Pages

For quite some time now I have been gifted a subscription by the publisher with no expectation at all of a review. I read and review each issue as I can. To date, I have never submitted anything to this market and will not do so as long as I review the publication.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2019

Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 63 Writing Contests in December 2019 - No entry fe...

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Review: Bloody Genius: A Virgil Flowers Novel by John Sandford

It took a few days for the body of Dr. Quill to be found behind the locked door of a personal study carrel at the University Library. A subsequent two week investigation by the local police went nowhere. It was clear that he was murdered and that had been accomplished by two massive blows to his head with a heavy object of some sort. Who did it and why, the location of the murder weapon which might have been his very expensive computer, and a host of other questions have yet to be answered. Dr. Bathelemy Quill came from serious money and had connections despite his arrogance and other issues. His surviving sister has serious money and powerful connections so it is no problem at all for her to call the Minnesota Governor and express her dissatisfaction. Before long the request rolls downhill to land squarely on one BCA agent named Virgil Flowers.

Virgil Flowers is less than thrilled to be sent to the University of Minnesota to investigate the murder, but Minneapolis Homicide is not getting anywhere. As it is Thursday the Governor would like the whole deal wrapped up by the end of the weekend and has made that thought clear all down the chain of command. The Governor may be a weasel or worse as Flowers sees him, but he can’t be ignored either. The only good thing is he won’t have to go out of state or to the far corners of Minnesota as he has in the past. This time Flowers will be relatively close in case the very pregnant Frankie needs him or an issue happens out at their farm. He is going to have to go home, explain all and pack and get some sleep, and then go see Sergeant Margaret Trane of Minneapolis Homicide.

By noon the next day, he is Minneapolis City Hall meeting with Sergeant Trane and reviewing the case. Trane is justifiably enraged by the media coverage that has become increasingly negative towards her and the Department as well as being second guessed by the family and Governor to the point that Flowers is present to work the case. She is also more than a little frustrated and annoyed with herself and her own failure to solve the case.

It becomes clear to Flowers that the fact the case isn’t solved is not because of a lack of effort by Trane. The issue is a lack of clues and leads. The few leads they do have do not seem to have any merit at all and are next to worthless. The evidence found to this point is very limited and seems to have no merit. Despite all the hard work by Trane and support stuff, there does not seem to be anything to really go on, let alone a pattern or order to things, or a connection to the murder. The only idea Flowers has initially is to go to talk to everyone Trane has interviewed so that he can get a feel for them. He also needs to go walk the crime scene in the library.

Before long Flowers is doing his thing of talking to people and, metaphorically speaking, kicking over rocks. His doing so starts sending things into motion. Eever so gradually, sometimes directly and sometimes indirectly, progress begins to be made on this case and several other situations that may or may not be connected.

Regardless of which series it is, author John Sandford can always be counted on for complex reads with many moving pieces. Sometimes readers know from the get go who the bad guy or guys are. Other times, as in this case, readers don’t. One also knows that in his books, there will be plenty of adult language and fast moving actions, references to at least one latest book by a major author, and plenty of the everyday minutiae in the main series character’s life. All these elements and more make Bloody Genius: A Vergil Flowers Novel well worth reading. While it could be read by readers new to the series, there are several references to books in earlier in the series that could impact readers well as multiple references to running jokes that have been in place since the start.

For another take on the book, please read this September 2019 review by Lesa Holstine.

Bloody Genius: A Virgil Flowers Novel   

John Sandford

http://www.johnsandford.org/author.html

Random House Large Print

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/large-print-format-books/

October 2019

ISBN# 978-1-9848-8285-1

Large Print Paperback (also available in audio, digital, and hardback formats)

480 Pages 

My reading copy came from the Bachman Lake Branch of the Dallas Public Library System.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2019

In Reference To Murder: Media Murder for Monday for 11/25/19

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Unlawful Acts: Incident Report No. 82

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