Black Beacon Books: Submissions

Black Beacon Books: Submissions: Submissions open for The Black Beacon Book of Horror 2 Period: 1st of November to 31st of December Publication: October 2026 Submissions ope...

Bitter Tea and Mystery: Short Story Wednesday: "This Won't Kill You" by Rex Stout

Bitter Tea and Mystery: Short Story Wednesday: "This Won't Kill You" by Re...: "This Won't Kill You" is a 60-page Nero Wolfe mystery novelette by Rex Stout. It was first published in the September 1952 is...

Jerry's House of Everything: SHORT STORY WEDNESDAY: MONKEY EYES

Jerry's House of Everything: SHORT STORY WEDNESDAY: MONKEY EYES:  "Monkey Eyes" by Erle Stanley Gardner  (first published as a two-part novelette in Argosy Allstory Weekly , July 27-August 3, 192...

Short Story Wednesday Review: Redemption: A Noah Milano Novelette by Jochem Vandersteen

Howard Pratt would not stand out if you saw him on the street as he is just an average 36 year old guy. An average guy with hair a little too long and a scar at the corner of his mouth. An average guy who twenty some odd years ago killed another 16 year old boy after he tortured him. Pratt went to an adult facility, did his time, and since then has had a clean record.

Noah Milano, son of the most notorious crime boss in Los Angeles, is willing to consider being Pratt’s bodyguard while he is in town. That sort of thing is what Noah does these days as a security specialist. Pratt is supposed to meet with Brady’s parents in the office of psychologist Denny Sturgis. The meeting is supposed to help both sides heal at least somewhat, but Pratt knows many would like to see him dead including Brady’s parents, Martha and Frank Resnick. Milano agrees to be there as his bodyguard in in Redemption: A Noah Milano Novelette.

Also part of this e-book is an excerpt from Triage: A Thriller (Shell Series) as well as synopses for several other Noah Milano series books.

A good compact story, the novelette is very focused on the case with little of Milano’s personal life. While the results of the initial set up are predictable, the rest of the read is not as it blends action, detective work, and twists in a page turning story. Action and detective work at a fast pace was also present in The Death Business: A Noah Milano Novella though in that book readers do get a little more of the background of security specialist Noah Milano. Like that book this read is another good one for fans of hardboiled pulp style stories.

 

Material purchased to read and review by way of funds in my Amazon Associate account.

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2015, 2022

Short Story Wednesday Review: Shifting Is For The Goyim by Elizabeth Zelvin

From the massively magnificent archive…

 

It is worth noting that many of the reviews give away most, if not all, of the details behind the story. This review absolutely does not. This review, unlike many others out there at Amazon and elsewhere, is safe to read without ruining this very good novelette.

Far different in style and tone from the Bruce Kohler Series written by author Elizabeth Zelvin is Shifting Is For The Goyim recently released by Untreed Reads. Emerald Love is a singer and a good one. Thanks to Michael, her boyfriend and fellow musician, she has had several number one hits. Immensely popular she is now one of those one name artists such as Cher, Madonna, etc.  She’s come a long way from her home in Pumpkin Falls, New York.

With crowd leaving for their homes, she is now on the way to her family home for Passover. She’s missed the last five by way of being on tour, but there is no missing this one. For many reasons she will wish she had in this tale of the paranormal, death, faith, and family relationships.

This is a sometimes dark story of pain and loss for different from the often humorous Bruce Kohler Series. It is also incredibly good and features a complicated character, Emerald Love, who is very worthy of her own novel series. One hopes that such might be in the works based on this very complicated and very short mystery tale. 

Material supplied by the author in exchange for my objective review.

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2012, 2015, 2022

The Short Mystery Fiction Society Blog: Derringer Award Presentation 2019

The Short Mystery Fiction Society Blog: Derringer Award Presentation 2019: During Bouchercon 2019 held at the Hyatt Hotel in Dallas, SMFS President Kevin R. Tipple presented the Derringer Medals to the winners prese...

FROM DUNDEE'S DESK: Noteworthy Reads: THE QUESTIONER by Andrew Vachss

FROM DUNDEE'S DESK: Noteworthy Reads: THE QUESTIONER by Andrew Vachss: THE QUESTIONER is Andrew Vachss's first work of fiction in too long. But it turns out to be worth the wait. A novelette written i...

Gravetapping: "Brothers" by Ed Gorman and Richard Chizmar

Gravetapping: "Brothers" by Ed Gorman and Richard Chizmar: “Brothers”, a novelette written by Ed Gorman and Richard Chizmar, is a dark crime tale about brotherhood and loss. Chet ’ s and Michael ’...

FFB Review: "Shifting Is For The Goyim" by Elizabeth Zelvin

Friday means Friday’s Forgotten Books hosted by Patti Abbott. I first reviewed this back in 2012 and enjoyed it quite a lot. If you have not picked this one up already consider doing so. Also make sure you head over to Patti’s blog for the list of FFB reading suggestions today as December rolls on…..

It is worth noting that many of the reviews give away most, if not all, of the details behind the story.

This review absolutely does not. This review, unlike many others out there at Amazon and elsewhere, is safe to read without ruining this very good novelette.

Far different in style and tone from the Bruce Kohler Series written by author Elizabeth Zelvin is Shifting Is For The Goyim recently released by Untreed Reads. Emerald Love is a singer and a good one. Thanks to Michael, her boyfriend and fellow musician, she has had several number one hits. Immensely popular she is now one of those one name artists such as Cher, Madonna, etc.  She’s come a long way from her home in Pumpkin Falls, New York.

With crowd leaving for their homes she is now on the way to her family home for Passover. She’s missed the last five by way of being on tour, but there is no missing this one. For many reasons she will wish she had in this tale of the paranormal, death, faith, and family relationships.

This is a sometimes dark story of pain and loss for different from the often humorous Bruce Kohler Series. It is also incredibly good and features a complicated character, Emerald Love, who is very worthy of her own novel series. One hopes that such might be in the works based on this very complicated and very short mystery tale.

Shifting Is For The Goyim

Elizabeth Zelvin                                                                                 

http://www.elizabethzelvin.com

Untreed Reads Publishing

http://www.untreedreads.com

July 2012

E-Book Only

Estimated print length 33 pages

$2.99

Material supplied by the author in exchange for my objective review.



Kevin R. Tipple ©2012, 2015

Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: Miles to Lost Dog Creek -- Ron Scheer

Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: Miles to Lost Dog Creek -- Ron Scheer: "Miles to Lost Dog Creek' was the last work of fiction that Ron Scheer completed before his death.  It's a western novelette th...

FREE Book Alert-- "Redemption: A Noah Milano Novelette" by Jochem Vandersteen

Redemption: A Noah Milano Novelette by Jochem Vandersteen is currently a FREE book at Amazon.


My review from last February is here.

Via The Short Mystery Fiction Society Blog: 2015 Derringer Finalists

The Short Mystery Fiction Society Blog: 2015 Derringer Finalists: As posted to Shortmystery by Awards Coordinator Tony Rudzki, the finalists for our 2015 Derringer Awards: For Best Flash (Up to 1,000 wor...

Review: "Redemption: A Noah Milano Novelette" by Jochem Vandersteen

Howard Pratt would not stand out if you saw him on the street as he is just an average 36 year old guy. An average guy with hair a little too long and a scar at the corner of his mouth. An average guy who twenty some odd years ago killed another 16 year old boy after he tortured him. Pratt went to an adult facility, did his time, and since then has had a clean record.

Noah Milano, son of the most notorious crime boss in Los Angeles, is willing to consider being Pratt’s bodyguard while he is in town. That sort of thing is what Noah does these days as a security specialist. Pratt is supposed to meet with Brady’s parents in the office of psychologist Denny Sturgis. The meeting is supposed to help both sides heal at least somewhat, but Pratt knows many would like to see him dead including Brady’s parents, Martha and Frank Resnick. Milano agrees to be there as his bodyguard in in Redemption: A Noah Milano Novelette.

Also part of this e-book is an excerpt from Triage: A Thriller (Shell Series) as well as synopses for several other Noah Milano series books.

A good compact story, the novelette is very focused on the case with little of Milano’s personal life. While the results of the initial set up are predictable, the rest of the read is not as it blends action, detective work, and twists in a page turning story. Action and detective work at a fast pace was also present in The Death Business: A Noah Milano Novella though in that book readers do get a little more of the background of security specialist Noah Milano. Like that book this read is another good one for fans of hardboiled pulp style stories.

Redemption: A Noah Milano Novelette

Jochem Vandersteen

http://sonsofspade.blogspot.com/

Sons Of Spade Publishing

Self-Published

March 2012

ASIN: B007JFYFTG

E-Book

40 Pages

$0.99

Material purchased to read and review by way of funds in my Amazon Associate account.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2015

Derringer Award Winners Announced

Congratulations to the winners as well as all who were nominated for this award from the Short Mystery Fiction Society. The Derringer Award Winners are:

Best Flash Story:

The Cable Job - Randy DeWitt

Best Short Story:

Getting Out of the Box - Michael Bracken

Best Long Story:

When Duty Calls - Art Taylor

Best Novelette:

Wood-Smoke Boys - Doug Allyn 

Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Award Winner:  Loren Estleman

More about the Derringers and the SMFS can be found at the official blog site here.