Wednesday, July 20, 2022
Beneath the Stains of Time: Affairs of Death (1967) by Nigel FitzGerald
Beneath the Stains of Time: Affairs of Death (1967) by Nigel FitzGerald: Nigel FitzGerald was a stage actor and former president of the Irish Actors' Equity Association who penned a dozen crime-and detective ...
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Nevermore: Sh*t My Dad Says, Daughter of the Moon...
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Nevermore: Sh*t My Dad Says, Daughter of the Moon...: Reported by Garry Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern is the funny collection of tidbits of strange and straight-up hilarious advice...
MAKE MINE MYSTERY: Inviolate Writing Schedules and Other Fictions
MAKE MINE MYSTERY: Inviolate Writing Schedules and Other Fictions: by Janis Patterson There are those who say that the success to writing lies only in following a strict schedule. So many words per day, ever...
Jerry's House of Everything: SHORT STORY WEDNESDAY: INDIAN SIGN
Jerry's House of Everything: SHORT STORY WEDNESDAY: INDIAN SIGN: "Indian Sign" by Robert Bloch (first published in West , January 1943; reprinted in Pulse Pounding Adventure Stories #2, Decemb...
Bitter Tea and Mystery: Short Story Wednesday: ""An Elderly Lady Takes a Trip to Africa" by Helen Tursten
Bitter Tea and Mystery: Short Story Wednesday: "An Elderly Lady Takes a Tr...: I started reading An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed in early March of 2022, and reported on the the first five stories in the book in lat...
Little Big Crimes Review: The Secret Sharer by W. Edward Blain
Little Big Crimes: The Secret Sharer, by W. Edward Blain: "The Secret Sharer," by W. Edward Blain, in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, July/August 2022. In the last two years many fi...
Short Story Wednesday Review: Thieves: Mystery, Crime, and Mayhem: Issue 2
After a short introduction by Publisher Lea R. Cutter where she expresses her love of stories of theft, the tales begin with “The Rehab Archipelago” by Michele Lang. The job went horribly wrong for Goldman. His stroke really messed up the plan. He survived, but there are several serious issues so he is now in a rehab facility. If that was not bad enough, he does not have the money, can’t get to it, and Vladimir will be coming.
“Bubba’s Blunder” by David H.
Hendrickson is next and is a prequel to the 2013 novel, Bubba Goes for
Broke. Bubba Winslow and Ralphie are on assignment for the boss. Bubba
is not the smartest person around as Ralphie keeps pointing out to him. All
they have to do is find the right kind of car and swipe it. Then, once they
find the car, all Bubba has to do is get the stolen wheels to the chop shop.
What could go wrong?
While a car was the item to be stolen in
the last job, the theft is far less tangible in “The Fabulous Feats of Billy”
by Kari Kilgore. Fabulous Feats, LLC, will either take off or be a total
disaster in so many ways for all involved. It is up to Billy Jones which way it
goes. He has a plan.
While some describe how food is placed
and presented to the diner is a form of art, in “Sushi à Volonté” by Melissa
Yi, a certain type of food is made into wearable art. The Montreal artist,
Miyuki Ando, takes sushi and creates necklaces, earrings, and more. She has a
thriving business. She isn’t about to let a thief ruin her business.
Washington State Patrol Trooper Captain
Kent Harper has a case. It isn’t exactly what he should be doing as boss of the
Spokane Special investigations unit, but rank does have privileges. In “Gone
Gold” by Dianna Deverell, Harper uses his rank and his long dormant
investigative skills to work a theft that is very important to the victim.
Thanks to Leti, he was able to lift the
cellphone from La Madrina without her knowing. Hopefully, it will have the
proof they need in “The Fall of La Madrina” by Cate Martin. If it does not and
she figures out what they have done, the consequences for them as well as many others
will be dire.
It had taken awhile, but Jacob has a
good job again with insurance benefits in “Tiny Dreams” by Leah R. Cutter. He
finally has put his past behind him and is on the straight and narrow. An
overnight theft at the warehouse could jeopardize everything and he is not
going to let that happen.
“Libby’s Millions” by Juliet Norden is
next and is the last read in the issue. As the title “Libby’s Millions” by Juliet
Nordeen indicates, the tale features Libby Ortiz and her millions. She has over
seven million reasons to keep going day after day. Unfortunately for her, the
money is not in her direct possession and she is unable to get to it either. The
thought of getting to where it is stashed is the motivation that keeps her
going now. The fact that a glitch could make her lose it all is terrifying.
Thieves and thefts of all types drive
the tales in Thieves: Mystery, Crime, and Mayhem: Issue 2. Much like the first
issue, Private
Eyes: Mystery, Crime, and Mayhem: Issue 1, the issue is
entertaining and runs the crime fiction gamut of a little violence to a lot. Complicated
tales along with complicated characters and situations make for another fun
issue and a read well worth your time.
Material picked up back in late May by way of funds in my Amazon Associate account in order to read and review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2022
Tuesday, July 19, 2022
Joan Leotta Reviews: Peppermint Barked: A Spice Shop Mystery by Leslie Budewitz
Paperback
: 236
pages, $17.95 on Amazon, Kindle, $9.9
ISBN-10:
1645060543
ISBN-13:
978-1645060543
Relief
from the heat of summer comes in the form of this Christmas mystery released in
July.
The best part of this early holiday gift is that we can vicariously enjoy a Dickens themed festival in the hallowed halls of Seattle’s Pike Place Market. Add to that the spice shop milieu of the series—mmm, if I didn’t know better I could have sworn that the book actually smells of cinnamon. Unfortunately the holiday spirit is slashed by a murder in the Market’s wine shop, in a pool of blood redder than the shop’s cabernet—a young girl, Beth Yardley, a relative newcomer to the area, but who protagonist Pepper Reece knows is the victim and Pepper is on the scene when the wine shop owner’s ex-wife discovers the body. While the ex-wife is screaming, Pepper calls 911, and so begins her involvement.
All of this murder and the relationship and other mayhem that follow (revealed secrets and more!) start on Black Friday, the busiest day of the year for in person shopping. Finding a dead body was not on Pepper’s to-do list. The Spice Shop has designated the day, “Black Pepper “ Friday and is offering specials on that spice—cute and fun. One of the aspects of this book is that Budewitz, while fulfilling expectations of the cozy genre does not rely on old standards. For instance, Pepper Reece’s boyfriend is not a cop. Ok, her first husband was, but they are still friends, not mortal enemies! The various family secrets come in a variety of flavors from harmless to not so much. The Market itself plays a role in helping Pepper solve the mystery and in hampering her. Budewitz lays down red herrings with the aplomb of a fisherman, quite apropos since the Fish market is one of the famous spots in the Pike Place Market. Family secrets of various folk come to light, motives abound. While Pepper navigates the twists and turns of the mystery, we are treated to a cookie loving detective, and later to the recipes for some of those treats.
This
novel is cozy all the way—great characters, fun complications in main character
lives, and food. I love the inclusion of recipes in a book—and can’t wait for
the next Pepper Reece mystery. In spite of the fact that this is the sixth in
the Spice Shop series, it was my first, but by page five, Pepper Reece seemed
like an old friend. Budewtiz skillfully weaves in “catch-up” material for her
very likeable main characters along with
the threads of the new story. (I even began to fret for Pepper’s meeting with
her fisherman boyfriend’s brother along with scratching my head along with
Pepper as to who committed the murder.),Her descriptions
of place and dialog are not only lovely, but they also advance the story at
every turn. I found the sayings at the beginning of each chapter to be fun and
on reflection , illuminating as well. It's easy to see why Budewitz wins so
many awards, Agatha (three fiction and one for non-fiction) and a slew of
others. Her work has also won or been nominated for Derringer, Anthony, and
Macavity awards. A past president of Sisters in Crime and a current board
member of Mystery Writers of America.
I plan to start reading the five I’ve missed to keep me busy while Leslie is at the computer with book number seven.
Note: I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher but with no expectation of the kind of review I would give.
Joan Leotta ©2022
Joan
Leotta plays with words on page and stage. Her poetry, essays, cnf, short
stories, and articles are widely published. Mysteries are favorite things to
read.. short and long.. and to write.
Monday, July 18, 2022
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: We Have Always Been Here by Lena Nguyen
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: We Have Always Been Here by Lena Nguyen: Reviewed by Christy Dr. Grace Park is a psychologist who prefers the company of artificial intelligence over humans. On ...
Aubrey Nye Hamilton Reviews: Bluetick Revenge by Mark Cohen
Mark Cohen
practices real estate law in Colorado. He also founded The Plain English
Institute, a nonprofit that advocates the use of plain English in legal and
other technical documents. In addition to years of private practice, he’s
served as an Air Force Judge Advocate, municipal judge, and Special Assistant
U. S. Attorney. Along the way he wrote two books of crime fiction, both about
former lawyer turned private investigator Pepper Keane. Keane oddly enough also
served as a JAG and also lives in Colorado. He loves dogs and readily accepts
the assignment that kicks off the second title Bluetick Revenge
(Mysterious Press, 2005).
Karlynn Slade has escaped from her violent
drug-dealing biker boyfriend and turned State’s evidence. She refuses to
testify without her dog, a champion bluetick hound named Prince. So her lawyer,
Keane’s former partner, hires Keane to liberate Prince. Keane is dismayed to
find this excellent dog chained outside with a frozen water dish and lost no
time in moving him to a safer location.
Keane’s next
assignment is to monitor Karlynn until the FBI can relocate her into the
Witness Protection Program. Karlynn eludes him after a few days, and Keane’s
search for her takes him into the Pacific Northwest. He encounters well-armed militant
skinheads while there and picks up evidence linking to a long-ago unsolved
murder. In the meantime the biker boyfriend has issued a bounty on the man who
kidnapped his dog. Between dodging the thugs looking to make fast money and the
skinheads who resent his intrusion into their wilderness enclave, Keane is a
busy guy.
This thriller
leans toward a caper with its wry humor and low-key mayhem in its beginning
chapters. The droll narrative and devotion to dogs remind me of the Andy
Carpenter mysteries. The story becomes quite serious toward the end as all of
the plot threads come together in a satisfying ending.
Keane and his friend Scott make a great team; think Spenser and Hawke or Elvis Cole and Joe Pike. Probably leading the charge to create more understandable legal documents is a better use of Cohen’s considerable writing talent but I am sorry there are only two books about Pepper Keane.
·
Publisher: Mysterious Press;
First Edition (July 20, 2005)
·
Language: English
·
Hardcover: 320 pages
·
ISBN-10: 0892968001
·
ISBN-13: 978-0892968008
Aubrey
Nye Hamilton ©2022
Aubrey
Hamilton is a former librarian who works on Federal It projects by day and
reads mysteries at night.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
