Lesa's Book Critiques: Mercy Knows No Color by Heather Graham

 Lesa's Book Critiques: Mercy Knows No Color by Heather Graham

Lesa's Book Critiques: The Dispatcher #1 by John Scalzi

 Lesa's Book Critiques: The Dispatcher #1 by John Scalzi

Review: Shades of the Job: A Stanley Melvin P.I. Story by Frank Zafiro

Shades of the Job: A Stanley Melvin P.I. Story by Frank Zafiro is the second book in the series that started with Hallmarks of the Job: A Stanley Melvin P.I. Story. I have yet to read that first book, so Shades of the Job was my intro into the world of private investigator Stanley Martin. This character reminds me a lot of the DS George Cross character and that is a very good thing.

 

Stanley Melvin lives in an upstairs apartment in a building that was converted from a house to apartments. He is climbing the stairs late one day with a grocery bag in hand when Violet Szade and her very young daughter, Lettie, come out of their ground floor apartment and get his attention.

 

The long and the short of it as Violet makes clear, is that she would like to hire him. Two weeks ago, her apartment was broken into and searched. Nothing was taken, but clearly, somebody went through looking at everything. She contacted the police and they came out, dusted for prints, filed a report, but have no clues as to who did it or why.

 

Then, yesterday, her ex-boyfriend, Geoff Grey, contacted her by text to say he wanted to meet Lettie and that he had changed. The same guy who, as soon as he realized he was going to be a dad, left her before the baby was born, now wants back into their lives. He has not done a thing to help as he had completely vanished. Now, he wants to see them.

 

If he really has changed, that is one thing. If he has not, that is a far different thing. And she is bothered a lot by the timing of events. She thinks the coincidence of the break in and his sudden contact is way too strange and suspicious. They agree that Stanley will investigate to ascertain what he has been up to while he has been gone from their lives, other background information, and to make sure that he is safe to be around Lettie.

 

A very detail orientated man who has strong routines and practices to control his anxiety, he begins an investigation that soon turns violent. In the course of his investigation, readers learn a lot about Grey, Melvin, and the other people who populate the building and the neighborhood.

 

A fast-moving read published by Code 4 Press, Shades of the Job: A Stanley Melvin P.I. Story, is a highly entertaining novella. Rich in character detail and atmosphere with flashes of humor, this is a solidly good read, and one well worth your time.

 

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

 

 

My digital ARC came direct from the author with no expectation of a review.

 

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2026 

Lesa's Book Critiques: Out Law: A Dresden File Novella by Jim Butcher

 Lesa's Book Critiques: Out Law: A Dresden File Novella by Jim Butcher

Short Story Wednesday Review: Blaze Orange: A Short Story by Paul Doiron

The latest novella, while billed on Amazon and elsewhere as part of the Mike Bowditch Mysteries, does not have a trace of him in the read. Blaze Orange: A Short Story by Paul Doiron is a prequel of sorts built around young Maine Game Warden Kathy Frost. With a year under her belt, the first and only woman in the Maine Warden Service has been transferred to a new district where she is still being ignored and treated like a rookie. Being the first woman in the service comes with a heavy burden and that is not the only thing she deals with on a daily basis.

 

Her new field training officer is Charley Stevens. Already a legend among all, he has quite a few years on her and, more importantly, an openness to her presence in the service. At attitude that is almost as rare as her status.

 

He shows up at her new home one Sunday morning seeking her company on a call. It is November and deer hunting season is well underway. Earlier today a man has been shot in the area of Wilton. He was shot and killed by a hunter.

 

The case should have been hers from the start, but nobody bothered to alert her. Instead, Charley Stevens has come by to collect her and take her to the scene. According to Charley, Douglas Ludwig is dead after being shot by Don Sands. Both the shooter and the victim await their arrival.

 

Charley Stevens takes her to the isolated scene being held down by a Maine State Trooper who is clearly less than thrilled to see the female game warned. The trooper has already decided it was clearly an accident.

 

Was it?

 

Or, was it murder?

 

That question is one that Charley Stevens and Kathy Frost work to answer as they investigate in this fast-moving read. During the course of this enjoyable novella, readers learn quite a lot about the background of Maine Game Warden Kathy Frost. The same figure that will play a large role in Mike Bowditch’s professional and personal life in the coming years.

 

Also included with the novella are the first three chapters of the upcoming book, Storm Tide. Having already read that book by way of the ARC by way of the publisher through NetGalley, I skipped the approximately 20 paged excerpt. My review of that book will appear here on the blog on the scheduled publication day of June 30^th.

 

As to this read, while I was very disappointed that Mike Bowditch was nowhere to be seen, I did enjoy the novella. Most of the background of the first female game warden  was already known to series readers, such as myself, so this tale just fleshed it out a little more. We also got to see Charley in action and that is always a treat. How successful this novella will be in attracting new readers to the series, since it does not have one whiff of the signature series character, I have no idea, but I did enjoy it.

  

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4nvqx7W

 

By the way, the image to the right is the only workable one I could find and it was posted to the author's Facebook account. Everywhere else, the image comes up as "webpage" and I have no idea how to make those work and only know how to use jpegs and card catalogs. My old Kindle does not look that good either. 

Because I thought the Dallas Public Library System was not getting it, I used a little bit of my funds in my Amazon Associate account to obtain this eBook. I should have waited as it is now listed in the Hoopla system through the library.

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2026

George Kelly: WEDNESDAY’S SHORT STORIES #265: MAKING HISTORY By K. J. Parker

 George Kelly: WEDNESDAY’S SHORT STORIES #265: MAKING HISTORY By K. J. Parker

Lesa's Book Critiques: Murder at Martingale Manor: A Short Story by Jodi Taylor

 Lesa's Book Critiques: Murder at Martingale Manor: A Short Story by Jodi Taylor

Scott's Take: The Flesh King: The Discreet Eliminators Series by Richard Kadrey

 

The Flesh King by Richard Kadrey is the second novella in The Discreet Eliminators series that began with The Pale House Devil. I had thought I had reviewed that one, but neither I nor dad can find any trace of it here on the blog.

 

The trio of hit people are now in New York City and living in a former police station. The local mob want them to go after a serial killer called the Flesh King. This killer is absorbing the flesh of people and leaving what’s left behind in a mess. Of course, this is getting the attention of the police who have no idea what they are actually dealing with. The local mob wants them to cap this freak and then they will talk about hiring them for actually paying work. So, the hunt begins.

 

This is a dark horror themed story with plenty of action and some humor. There is a good amount of character development in the short run time of this book. Overall, I enjoyed it. The ending sets up another book, but we will see if we get it.

 

 

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

 

 

My slim hardback reading copy came from the Central, aka Downtown, Branch of the Dallas Public Library System.

 

 

Scott A. Tipple ©2026

SleuthSayers: The Long Walk

SleuthSayers: The Long Walk:   I like Stephen King. I've read all his writings--novels, novellas, short stories, even the essays and other nonfiction--and I think I ...

Lesa's Book Critiques: New Year’s Nosferatu by Heather Graham

 Lesa's Book Critiques: New Year’s Nosferatu by Heather Graham

Lesa's Book Critiques: Spirit of Steamboat by Craig Johnson

 Lesa's Book Critiques: Spirit of Steamboat by Craig Johnson

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Christmas at the Women’s Hotel: A Biedermeier Story by Daniel M. Lavery

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Christmas at the Women’s Hotel: A Biedermeier Sto...:   Reviewed by Jeanne Manhattan, the early 1960s:   the Biedermeier Hotel is home to a number of women of various ages, from the young an...

Lesa's Book Critiques: An Election by John Scalzi

 Lesa's Book Critiques: An Election by John Scalzi

Lesa's Book Critiques: Constituent Service by John Scalzi

 Lesa's Book Critiques: Constituent Service by John Scalzi

Lesa's Book Critiques: A Christmas Witness by Charles Todd

 Lesa's Book Critiques: A Christmas Witness by Charles Todd

Lesa's Book Critiques: An Evil on All Hallows Eve by Heather Graham

 Lesa's Book Critiques: An Evil on All Hallows Eve by Heather Graham

The Hard Word: UNEARTHED ELMORE: ELMORE LEONARD'S PICKET LINE

 The Hard Word: UNEARTHED ELMORE: ELMORE LEONARD'S PICKET LINE

Lesa's Book Critiques: “The Lonely Man” by Ann Cleeves

 Lesa's Book Critiques: “The Lonely Man” by Ann Cleeves

Lesa's Book Critiques: Dark and Deadly Be the Whispers by Heather Graham

 Lesa's Book Critiques: Dark and Deadly Be the Whispers by Heather Graham

Jerry's House of Everything: SHORT STORY WEDNESDAY: IF I WERE A RICH MAN

Jerry's House of Everything: SHORT STORY WEDNESDAY: IF I WERE A RICH MAN:   Crown Vic 2:  If I were a Rich Man by Lee Goldberg  (from Eight Very Bad Nights:  a Collection of Hanakkah Noir  edited by Tod Goldberg, 2...