Aubrey Hamilton Reviews: Hawke’s Prey by Reavis Wortham

So here we are, at the height of vacation time, when we should be getting our annual sunburn on the beach or cracking our fillings on popcorn in a frigid movie theatre as we watch the forces of good battle those of evil against incredible odds. But 2020 had other plans for most of us. To make up for a bit of it, I offer for your consideration Hawke’s Prey (Pinnacle Books, 2017) by Reavis Wortham, which is the first appearance of Sonny Hawke, a Texas Ranger in the small town of Ballard in West Texas.

Everyone in Ballard and the surrounding area is watching the sky with concern as snow falls at a rapid clip and the wind speedily stacks it up in attractive but impassable drifts. Since blizzards are not generally seen in those parts, the residents scurry to town to lay in supplies and take care of other business that cannot wait. Sonny’s wife Kelly proceeds with her plan to take her teenaged students from high school on a tour of the county courthouse, knowing school will likely close around noon. Sonny follows her on Ranger business. After completing his tasks and visiting with a few folks, he goes to the very top floor in the courthouse to check out the weather. He lingers there, absorbed in the snowfall and its implications until he hears gunfire. A lot of it. A cautious peep over the balcony reveals a group of terrorists shooting their way into the courthouse, leaving a trail of bodies in their wake and shepherding everyone that is still alive into a courtroom at gunpoint.

Sonny quickly realizes that he’s the only person in the courthouse that the terrorists have not captured. He also recognizes they are being led by someone who knows his business. Most of the doors to the building are blocked and the terrorists are strategically deployed to ensure no one enters the remaining ones. He texts the sheriff with the information he can gather, using a cell phone with a fading battery.

The sheriff in his turn is reeling from a pre-emptive assault on his office. Phone calls to the state police, Homeland Security, and the FBI are no help, as the snow is rendering transport impossible. Even the media can’t get through to Ballard. He collects his remaining personnel, deputizes a few military veterans, and plans his own strike. To complicate an already bad situation, all of the parents of the children in the courthouse are demanding immediate action and threatening to mount a rescue on their own.

The action does not stop in this story. It could have been tightened effectively here and there, and characterization is not its strong suit, but if you liked the move Die Hard, you will like this book. A fine summer read.

·                     File Size: 1311 KB

·                     Print Length: 480 pages

·                     Publisher: Pinnacle Books (June 27, 2017)

·                     Publication Date: June 27, 2017

·                     ASIN: B01LYDQSBC

Aubrey Hamilton ©2020

Aubrey Hamilton is a former librarian who works on Federal It projects by day and reads mysteries at night.

Lesa's Book Critiques: Case Pending by Dell Shannon

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Jungle Red Writers: S.C. Perkins--Decoding My Fascination with World W...

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Patti Abbott: My Year Of Rewatching Movies

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Lesa's Book Critiques: Sandie Herron Reviews: Charles Todd's Watchers of Time

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Bitter Tea and Mystery Review: Triple Zeck, Books 2 and 3

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KRL This Week for 8/8/2020

Up in KRL this week a review and giveaway of "Of Mutts and Men" by Spencer Quinn 

https://kingsriverlife.com/08/08/of-mutts-and-men-by-spencer-quinn/

And a review and giveaway of "Flip Flops and Murder" by H.Y. Hanna

https://kingsriverlife.com/08/08/flip-flops-and-murder-by-h-y-hanna/

Also a review and giveaway of "House of Desire" by Margaret Lucke along with an interesting interview with Margaret

https://kingsriverlife.com/08/08/house-of-desire-by-margaret-lucke/

And a review and giveaway of "A Menacing Brew" by Kate Fellowes

https://kingsriverlife.com/08/08/a-menacing-brew-by-kate-fellowes/

And a review and ebook giveaway of "Macho Man Murder" by Leslie Langtry published by Gemma Halliday Publishing

https://kingsriverlife.com/08/08/macho-man-murder-by-leslie-langtry/

For those who prefer to listen to Mysteryrat's Maze Podcast directly on KRL you can find the player here for the new one which features the mystery short story "Nova, Capers, and a Schmear of Cream Cheese" written by Debra H. Goldstein and read by local actor Thomas Nance

https://kingsriverlife.com/08/08/new-mysteryrats-maze-podcast-featuring-nova-capers-and-a-schmear-of-cream-cheese-by-debra-h-goldstein/

Up during the week another special midweek guest post, this one by mystery author Jennifer J. Chow about some of the fun research she did for her pet mystery series. You can also enter to win a copy of her latest book "Mimi Gets A Clue"

 https://kingsriverlife.com/08/05/the-cuddly-joys-of-research/

And another special midweek guest post, this one by mystery author John Bishop MD about his series journey to publication. You can also enter to win a copy of his later book "Act of Deception"

https://kingsriverlife.com/08/05/act-of-deception-a-doc-brady-mystery/

This week KRL starts a brand new column, Top 5 Mysteries I've Read During the Pandemic. Many of us have extra time and are looking for suggestions. This week mystery authors Neil Plakcy and Merrilee Robson share theirs

https://kingsriverlife.com/08/05/top-5-mysteries-i-have-read-during-the-pandemic/

Up on KRL News and Reviews this week we have a review of "Handbook for Homicide" by Lorna Barrett along with a giveaway of a previous book in the series "A Killer Edition"

https://www.krlnews.com/2020/08/handbook-for-homicide-by-lorna-barrett.html

And a review and giveaway of "You Can Go Home Now" by Michael Elias

https://www.krlnews.com/2020/08/you-can-go-home-now-by-michael-elias.html

And a review of "Drama Runway" by Joe Cosentino along with a giveaway of an audio book version of the first book in the series

https://www.krlnews.com/2020/08/drama-runway-by-joe-cosentino.html

Happy reading,

Lorie

Buried Under Books Book Review: Jackpot by Nic Stone

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MysteryTribune: The Canyon Killer: Crime Flash Fiction By Curtis Ippolito

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Scott's Take: Nightwise by R.S. Belcher

Nightwise by R.S. Belcher is the first in a series of urban fantasy novels. It is set around Laytham Ballard who is, basically, a combination of Eric Carter, Sandman Slim, And John Constantine. This cynical and damaged wizard is chasing a dangerous man named Dusan Slorzack to fulfill his promise to a dying friend. Dusan Slorzack is an escaped Serbian war criminal who has done many horrible things and should answer for his many evil actions.

This book is quite disturbing and features lots of adult content including sex, BDSM, violent death, and more. There is action, magic, mystery, horror, and other elements. Flashbacks regarding the central character are frequently used through the novel and can be just as disturbing as what is happening in the here and now of the hunt. There are many aspects of the read that could cause certain readers to be uncomfortable. This is not a read for teens even if your normal policy as a parent is to let them read as they wish.

While I enjoyed the book a lot, certain small scenes seemed unnecessary to the plot and were added solely as a way to make the reader uncomfortable and to understand just how dark the world can be. Many readers already know firsthand such things from direct experience. Often those parts of the read somewhat clashed and contradicted with other parts of the read.

Nightwise by R.S. Belcher is a good book though it is certainly not for everyone. It is one of those books that folks will either love or hate. If you are a fan of the Eric Carter, Sandman Slim, or John Constantine, and are looking for a dark adult tale, this book is one for you. If you do not like or enjoy the darker elements of this series, then you will not enjoy this read.

My hardback reading copy came by way of the Skyline Branch of the Dallas Public Library System. I have a hold on the second book of the series. 

Scott A. Tipple ©2020

The Rap Sheet: Revue of Reviewers for 8/7/2020

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Lesa's Book Critiques: A Give Me an M Giveaway

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TP&WD: Game Warden Field Notes for 8/7/2020

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Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Little Girls in Pretty Boxes: The Making and Breaking of Elite Gymnasts and Figure Skaters by Joan Ryan

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FFB Review: SWAN DIVE (1988) by Jeremiah Healy

This week for FFB, Barry Ergang reminds you of Swan Drive by Jeremiah Healy. Also, make sure you check out the latest FFB review and other stuff over on Patti Abbott’s blog as well as at Happiness Is A Warm Book where Aubrey Hamilton will have her FFB selection this first Friday in August.

SWAN DIVE (1988) by Jeremiah Healy

Hardback

Roy Marsh is well-off, big, mean, and abusive. His wife Hanna, mother of their five-year-old daughter Vickie, is divorcing him. Her attorney is the not-very-well-to-do Chris Christides, P.I. John Cuddy’s college chum. Because Chris has been paid a menacing visit by Roy Marsh the day before he and Hanna have a meeting with Marsh and his attorney, he asks Cuddy to partcipate in a body-guarding role.

        Cuddy soon discerns that Chris, though a tough offensive guard on their college football team, isn’t a very tough negotiator. He’s much too willing to accept Marsh’s settlement offer, tendered by Felicia Arnold, an expensive lawyer who, Cuddy later learns, offers more than legal services to some of her clients. Hanna Marsh refuses the solely monetary offer—and a relatively meager one, at that—wanting as well the house her daughter has grown up in. The meeting ends with no resolution but lots of flaring tempers.

        Chris has another appointment, so Cuddy drives Hanna and Vickie to their shabby temporary residence. The little girl can’t wait to show Cuddy the pet cat on which she dotes—the cat that sets off her screams when she discovers it skinned, mewing pathetically and bleeding profusely. Cuddy is certain Roy Marsh is responsible.

        As events unfold further, Cuddy is mugged and his gun stolen. It later turns up in a seedy twelfth floor hotel room from which Marsh has plummeted to his death. A prostitute has been shot to death in the same room.

        The Boston police don’t believe Cuddy is innocent of the murders, but they don’t jail him, either. He’s soon confronted by J.J. Braxley, a Caribbean drug distributor, and his noxiously odoriferous bonebreaker Terdell. It seems that a quarter million dollars worth of J.J.’s cocaine is missing, cocaine Roy Marsh had in his possession before he died. J.J. demands that Cuddy recover and return it, or he’ll take out his revenge on the innocent Hanna and Vickie. Thus, Cuddy has to play footsie with the police, who have an agenda of their own, while trying to clear himself by solving two murders and preventing two more. How he finally does guarantees some surprises, perhaps even shocks, for the reader.

Audio

        Swan Dive is the first of his novels I’ve read, and Jeremiah Healy is a writer impressive in his economy. He tells a rapid-paced, strongly plotted story in prose free of pyrotechnical flourishes, providing descriptions of people and places spare enough to allow the reader to exercise his imagination but still get the picture. The story is long on dialogue (sometimes laden with raw language—a warning to the prudish) that individualizes characters, eliminating the need for narrational analyses of their psyches. Cuddy himself, while able to dish out and take batterings when he has to, is also fairly cerebral. He reaches the solution by examining the information he’s shared with the reader along the way.
   
        Some of the review blurbs on the Pocket Books paperback edition I have compare Healy with Robert B. Parker. This was probably inevitable because both Cuddy and Parker’s Spenser work out of Boston. As far as I’m concerned there is no comparison; Healy has it all over Parker. Then again, I have to concede a long-standing bias against Parker, whom I gave up on after reading the first dozen or so Spenser novels, the insulting-to-Raymond Chandler Poodle Springs, and the godawful Perchance to Dream. I’ve never understood why reviewers and critics, let alone readers, find him so appealing. Spenser is frequently childish. Parker is pretentious: he once told an interviewer that although he knew he couldn‘t write The Sound and the Fury, he could write The Big Sleep.

        I can’t be the only one to notice he never came close.

        Enough harangue. Whether or not Parker suits your tastes, if you like modern private eye fiction, you’re apt to enjoy Jeremiah Healy.




Barry Ergang ©2007, 2020

Among other works, Derringer Award-winner Barry Ergang's own impossible crime novelette, The Play of Light and Shadow, is available at Amazon and Smashwords as is his recently released book of poetry, Farrago, and other entertaining reads. For more on Barry’s books as well as his editing services, check out Barry’s website.

In Reference To Murder: Mystery Melange for 8/6/2020

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Beneath the Stains of Time: The House of the Red Slayer (1992) by Paul Doherty

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Barry Ergang’s Favorite Books of 2020 Thru July 31st

Between Lesa Holstine’s recent list of favorites through June, my list of last week that also runs through June, and this list from Barry today, you should be able to find at least one read, if not many more, that appeal. 

Barry Ergang’s Favorite Books of 2020 Thru July 31^st

Regular readers of Kevin Tipple’s blog have probably noticed a dearth of book reviews by yours truly this year. It’s primarily attributable to innate laziness on my part. I have been reading regularly, however, something Kevin has been aware of, and which prompted him to invite me to follow his lead and submit a list of the books I’ve read so far in 2020 that I’ve especially enjoyed.

The Case of the Solid Key by Anthony Boucher: Private detective Fergus O’Breen, posing as an actor in a theater group, encounters a locked-room death that might or might not be an accident. (This being a mystery novel, take a wild guess which it is.J) It’s a well-paced novel populated with well-delineated characters.

The Nine Wrong Answers by John Dickson Carr: The author was often accused of doing a poor job of characterization, but I can’t call this novel guilty on that score. It’s not one of his great impossible crime works, but it moves along nicely as a cat-and-mouse game between its hero and villain—and still manages a whodunit explanation at the end. It’s also one of the rare Carr works in which I correctly guessed who the culprit was—not that it required a long list of suspects, and in which I think I caught the author in an error regarding the solution.

Young Lonigan by James T. Farrell: This is the first novel in the classic Studs Lonigan trilogy. I’d heard of the books for years but nothing substantive about them. In this one, William “Studs” Lonigan is not quite 15 and trying to both determine and create for himself an identity on Chicago’s South Side in the early years of the 20^th Century. Interested readers must brace themselves for offensive ethnic and racial slurs. These are reflective of the attitudes of the novel's milieu, its era, and many of its characters. Unfortunately, these attitudes prevail among many in our own era, independent of locales.

Murder, My Tweet by Bruce Hale: When I first learned of the series for young readers starring Chet Gecko, 4^th grader and private eye at Emerson Hicky Elementary School, I read and reviewed The Malted Falcon. Including the one listed here, I’ve since read several more titles in this great series—you can knock them out in a couple or three hours—and enjoy more than a few chuckles or out-loud laughs along the way. You’ll probably agree that few, if any, young readers the series is aimed at will understand and appreciate the spoofing, stylistic and otherwise, unless and until they discover adult hardboiled private eye fiction precociously or later in life.

The Staked Goat by Jeremiah Healy: The fourth book I’ve read in this series about Boston private detective John Cuddy, I have yet to be disappointed and look forward to reading additional titles. In this one, Cuddy sets out to investigate and avenge the murder of an old Army buddy from their Vietnam years. Healy’s style is impressively lean, which keeps the narrative moving without sacrificing solid characterization, which is elicited skillfully through action and dialogue.

Bad Monkey by Carl Hiaasen: Another gem of a comic crime novel by an author who can and does frequently evoke laugh-out-loud moments. As always, it’s populated by a quirky cast of characters, and headed by an ex-cop who suspects the apparent accidental death of a wealthy man is anything but. If you think being assigned to “roach patrol” and having to otherwise deal with a horny voodoo witch are problematic issues, you don’t know what problematic means.

All Shot Up by Chester Himes: I’ve known of Himes’s work for many years, but this is the first of his novels featuring Harlem cops Coffin Ed Johnson and Gravedigger Jones that I’ve read. It’s fast, loaded with action, and often humorous.  

All But Impossible by Edward D. Hoch: Those who remember the TV series “Murder, She Wrote” are probably familiar with the joke in which people hurriedly leave town when they hear Jessica Fletcher is visiting because her presence guarantees someone will be murdered. A similar joke could be applied to small-town New England doctor Sam Hawthorne, who has a knack for solving seemingly impossible crimes that typically involve corpses. This is one of a number of stellar collections of stories from this series which originally appeared in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine.

Dumpty by John Lithgow: I first learned of this collection of satirical poems by the noted actor about Donald Trump’s investiture on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. If you’re a Trump fan, disregard it. If you aren’t, enjoy!

A Diamond Fell Into My Pocket by Morris Spurling: Years ago a cousin of mine on my mother’s side decided to investigate family history. Among the information he unearthed was the fact that we had a British cousin named Morris Spurling who’d written a (kind of) autobiography. When I was told a little about Morris’s life and “profession,” I had to read it. I mean, who doesn’t want to know about his cousin, the jewel thief? That said, I must admit this is not an absorbing read except, perhaps, for those like me who have familial connections. It’s an “as told to” and frequently reads that way, rarely dramatizing Spurling’s exploits in a suspenseful manner.

Sweet Thursday by John Steinbeck: This is the sequel to Cannery Row, which I immensely enjoyed when I first read it. This one is almost, but not quite, as good, but still worth the time for its insights to human nature, some wonderful characters, and its share of humor.

Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man by Mary L. Trump: To call the Trump family dysfunctional is like calling the Covid-19 pandemic a mild case of the sniffles. Mary Trump, Donald's niece, provides an insightful recounting of how Fred Trump, her sociopathic grandfather, destroyed his oldest son, Mary's father, and created the monster second son Donald has become, as well as depicting other family members. A clinical psychologist, Mary explains in a manner readily accessible to the lay reader how Fred's manipulation and his wife's indifference resulted in Donald's severely arrested development.

© 2020 Barry Ergang

Among other works, Derringer Award-winner Barry Ergang's own impossible crime novelette, The Play of Light and Shadow, is available at Amazon and Smashwords as is his recently released book of poetry, Farrago, and other entertaining reads. For more on Barry’s books as well as his editing services, check out Barry’s website.

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In Reference To Murder: Media Murder for Monday 8/3/2020

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Aubrey Hamilton Reviews: Dead Woman Walking by Sharon Bolton

Writing under the names Sharon Bolton and S. J. Bolton, Bolton has come to be known for tension-filled plots that have enough twists for a bag full of pretzels. Dead Woman Walking (Minotaur, 2017) was highly recommended to me by a couple of reviewers I respect. This book is indeed a propulsive, mesmerizing read. I galloped through it in one sitting. It is hard to say much about it without giving away one or more of the aforementioned plot twists.

It opens with a piece of fine descriptive prose, recounting the experience of floating above the Northumberland National Park in northern England in a hot air balloon. Jessica Lane and her sister Isabella are two of the thirteen passengers on board. The flight is a treat from Jessica to Isabella for Isabella’s fortieth birthday. The sensation of being absolutely alone above the picturesque wilderness is shattered as the passengers’ attention is called to the sight of a young woman running below and a man in pursuit who captures her and strikes her with a huge rock. Everyone frantically grabs their telephones to snap photos and tries to call for help. The killer in turn sees the balloon and cold-bloodedly shoots it down. All the passengers but one of the sisters die in the crash. She falls into the tightly enmeshed branches of a tree and lies there stunned while she listens to the killer search the bodies and take their phones to ensure that none of the photos of him remain for the authorities. He brings his confederates to help look for her; she understands from their overheard conversation the danger she is in. When they give up for the time being and leave, she goes on the run.

From there, multiple speakers take over telling their part of the story. The detective leading the investigation into the crash, the fleeing passenger, and the killer. Multiple flashbacks in the lives of all three narrators explain how they came to this particular point in time, creating in places a jerky chronicle instead of one that smoothly unfolds. Parts of the killer’s sections are grim and hard to read, yet they are integral to the overall story line.

Part police procedural, part thriller, part psychological suspense, the narrative threads all come together in a series of unexpected and tightly plotted events. I realized afterwards that clues are hidden in plain sight throughout. I like an author that plays fair! A complicated story and a good read with a somewhat ragged flow.

·         Hardcover: 368 pages

·         Publisher: Minotaur Books (September 5, 2017)

·         Language: English

·         ISBN-10: 1250103444

·         ISBN-13: 978-1250103444

Aubrey Hamilton ©2020

Aubrey Hamilton is a former librarian who works on Federal It projects by day and reads mysteries at night.

A Candidate To Believe In

Not In My TBR Pile

Lesa's Book Critiques: Shadows in Time by Julie McElwain

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Buried Under Books Book Review: The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths

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Crime Review Update

We feature new 20 reviews in each issue of Crime Review (www.crimereview.co.uk), together with a top industry interview. This time it’s author Lottie Moggach in the Countdown hot seat:

http://crimereview.co.uk/page.php/interview/8683

We’re on Twitter at:

Crime Review: @CrimeReviewUK

Linda Wilson: @CrimeReviewer

Sharon Wheeler: @lartonmedia

This week’s reviews are:

TROUBLE IS WHAT I DO by Walter Mosley, reviewed by Chris Roberts

New York-based PI Leonid McGill accepts a job delivering a document to a woman establishing her black ancestry, something her corrupt father is unwilling to accept.

MACHINES LIKE ME by Ian McEwan, reviewed by John Barnbrook

Charlie spends his large inheritance on Adam, a newly developed synthetic human, one of only 25 made. Adam integrates himself into the life of Charlie and his new girlfriend Miranda. But Miranda has secrets and Adam is limitlessly curious and well-equipped to solve problems.

JUST WATCH ME by Jeff Lindsay, reviewed by Linda Wilson

Master thief Riley Wolfe has his sights set on a prize beyond price, the centrepiece of the Iranian crown jewels, but FBI agent Frank Delgado is determined to stop him.

FIND THEM DEAD by Peter James, reviewed by Sharon Wheeler

A seemingly pillar of the community solicitor is up in court on a drug-dealing charge, but he will stop at nothing to ensure he’s found not guilty.

THE POWER GAME by Meg and Tom Keneally, reviewed by John Cleal

Ticket-of-leave gentleman convict Hugh Llewelyn Monsarrat and his fiery Irish housekeeper Hannah Mulrooney are sent to the penal colony of Maria Island to investigate the killing of the local boatman and blackmailer – and are offered a politically convenient suspect.

THE PERFECT WIFE by JP Delaney, reviewed by Viv Beeby

When Abbie Cullen disappears from her Californian beach house and is never seen again, her husband Tim is cleared of any involvement. But when, five years later, he brings her back to life in robotic form the old doubts soon resurface.

DEEP AS DEATH by Katja Ivar, reviewed by Ewa Sherman

Detective Hella Mauzer, fired from the police and trying to survive as a private investigator, searches for a serial killer who might have been responsible for several deaths, including those of local prostitutes.

BURIED by Lynda La Plante, reviewed by John Cleal

DC Jack Warr discovers the truth of his own birth through links between a charred body in a burnt Victorian cottage and a series of major historical crimes.

FORGET MY NAME by JS Monroe, reviewed by Kati Barr-Taylor

She has no name, no memory, just a train ticket to a Wiltshire village and a need to go home.

MAN AT THE WINDOW by Robert Jeffreys, reviewed by Chris Roberts

Detective Sergeant Cardilini is assigned the case when a schoolteacher is killed by a bullet. Everyone but Cardilini is sure that the shooting was an accident.

KILLING FLOOR by Lee Child, reviewed by Sylvia Maughan

Jack Reacher gets off a long-distance bus near to the small town of Margrave. His subsequent arrest is the beginning of a mystery that he needs to solve. Exactly who can he believe? This is a new Folio Society illustrated edition.

TIME FOR THE DEAD by Lin Anderson, reviewed by Linda Wilson

Forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod takes a much-needed break on Skye, but soon finds herself caught up in an unexpected investigation.

GRAVE'S END by William Shaw, reviewed by John Cleal

When an unidentified naked body is found in a freezer, the case is handed to DS Alexandra Cupidi. Then a second body turns up and the case gets even more complicated.

THIS IS GOMORRAH by Tom Chatfield, reviewed by Chris Roberts

Azi Bello spends his life in a shed with his computers, so a real-life plea for help is unexpected and calls for skills in unfamiliar areas.

CUT TO THE BONE by Roz Watkins, reviewed by Linda Wilson

Unlikely social media personality Violet Armstrong, famed for barbecuing in a bikini to extol the virtues of eating meat, has disappeared, and feelings are running high amongst a group of animal activists. DI Meg Dalton has the unenviable job of investigating the local abattoir where the missing woman worked.

THE BODY IN THE DUMB RIVER by George Bellairs, reviewed by John Cleal

The body of Jim Lane is found in a Cambridgeshire river with a knife wound in his back. Scotland Yard Superintendent Tom Littlejohn, in the area on another case, is asked to assist by local police and quickly discovers popular showman Lane is not who he seems to be.

CEMETERY ROAD by Greg Iles, reviewed by Chris Roberts

Journalist Marshall McEwan returns to Bienville, Mississippi, where he fights local corruption while revisiting the scenes of his youth which impelled him to move away.

SHED NO TEARS by Caz Frear, reviewed by Linda Wilson

When an old murder case is reopened, Cat Kinsella soon develops doubts about the key witness, but when she delves into the past, she’s unprepared for the hornets’ nest she’s just stirred up.

THE SCORCHED EARTH by Rachael Blok, reviewed by John Cleal

A body, possibly connected to a killing for which a man is already in prison for his brother’s murder, is found in a churchyard. DCI Maarten Jansen, head of St Albans CID, sets out to solve the mystery – and so does the imprisoned man’s girlfriend.

DARK BLUE RISING by Teri Terry, reviewed by Linda Wilson

When an unexpected accident brings Tabby to the attention of the authorities for the first time in her life, she loses everything she’s ever known and has to face the unwanted truth that her whole life has been built on a lie.

Best wishes

Sharon and Linda

www.crimereview.co.uk

'NATHAN BURGOINE: Short Stories 366:213 — “Ignition,” by John M. Floyd

'NATHAN BURGOINE: Short Stories 366:213 — “Ignition,” by John M. Floyd

Beneath the Stains of Time: The Sulu Sea Murders (1933) by Van Wyck Mason

Beneath the Stains of Time: The Sulu Sea Murders (1933) by Van Wyck Mason: The Fort Terror Murders (1931) served as my introduction to both the pulpy, spy-tinged crime fiction of Francis van Wyck Mason and an e...

Scott's Take: Batman and The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3 by James Tynion IV

Batman and The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3 by James Tynion IV and numerous artists is the concluding graphic novel of the series. After the tragic death of his parents, Bruce Wayne was taken in by Splinter and raised alongside his four brothers Michelangelo, Raphael, Leonardo, and Donatello. Bruce Wayne dons the guise of Batman to fight crime alongside his turtle brothers.

Wait … what? That is not how that works as it does not fit the canon or the revised canon. The space alien named Krang has merged the universes as he plans to take over the multiverse. If Batman and the Turtles do not undo the damage to the multiverse, this massive and horrible merger could become permanent. To stop it, Batman and the Ninja Turtles must fight alongside Shredder. They must first defeat the Smile Clan which is a ninja group led by the changed Joker.

This is the final of a three-installment series and this book is supposed to end this series. There is plenty of action, humor, and interesting things going on in this offshoot story. While Batman and The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3 is the weakest book in the trilogy, it is a still a good book. One should read the series in order.

My reading copy came from my home branch, Lochwood, of the Dallas Public Library System.

Scott A. Tipple ©2020