Sunday, December 22, 2019

Lesa's Book Critiques: Checked Out by Elizabeth Spann Craig

Lesa's Book Critiques: Checked Out by Elizabeth Spann Craig

John Pavlovitz: Blue Christmas (What To Do When The Holidays Hurt)

Sandi loved Christmas and all that it entailed. For me, without her, it is hell. This is the third holiday season without her and every year is just gets worse. I find myself crying at stupid commercials as well as a ton of other stuff. Lesa Holstine shared this on Facebook this morning and it hit home. I share it here for those of us, and no doubt there are many, that are in grief, in deep pain, and not finding any reason to be merry.

 John Pavlovitz: Blue Christmas (What To Do When The Holidays Hurt)

Review: Robert B. Parker’s Angel Eyes: A Spenser Novel


Robert B. Parker’s Angel Eyes: A Spenser Novel by Ace Atkins takes readers to sunny California where things are decidedly not sunny in so many ways. Not only is the weather often cold and rainy, the trail has gone very cold. 24 years ago old Gabrielle Leggett is a part time actress and full time social media influencer. “Gabby” is very much missing and her mom wants her found and back in contact with her family in Boston.

Mom hired Spenser to come to Los Angeles and find her daughter. Spenser is trying to do so and has sought help from his friend, Zebulon SixKill, who these days is also a private investigator thanks to the efforts of Spenser and Hawk, among others and his own hard work. Sixkill has cultivated his own network of contacts in the few years since he came out west and those contacts are going to be needed if Spenser is going to be at all successful.

It is easy enough to see her apartment and meet with Eric Collinson who used to be her boyfriend and then moved on to be her agent. It is also relatively easy to find her acting teacher and her classmates from the acting class she was taking before she vanished. What isn’t easy is to actually find her with so many folks being massively unhelpful as they claim she was the best and claim to know nothing. Then there are those who are hostile to finding her such as the creepy movie producer, members of the Armenian Mob, and a woman’s empowerment group that maybe is nothing more than a pyramid scheme wrapped up in a cult. They know things and when Spenser and Sixkill push a bit, the bullets start flying their way with much more promised. Good thing Spenser and SixKill can cash in some favors.

Robert B. Parker’s Angel Eyes: A Spenser Novel is an entertaining read. Unlike the Jesse Stone series that continued under Reed Farrell Coleman and had Jesse evolving as he grew older, this Spenser is the classic Spenser unchanged. He still cooks in detail all manner of dishes, flirts with Susan Sliverman, turns down the advances of beautiful and willing women, and still manages to survive wicked gun battles, all while doing the frequent sarcastic quip and taking the occasional long run to think. This Spenser has not changed a bit.

An entertaining read that never pushes any boundaries, Robert B. Parker’s Angel Eyes: A Spenser Novel is a fun light weight diversion that entertains and moves along at a fairly brisk pace. It is also a read that those new to the series can easily enjoy as there are very few references to the past. Those references that do popup are small references that are typical of the series and therefore do not impact reading enjoyment of the other books. 



My reading copy came from the Prairie Creek Branch of the Dallas Public Library System.

Kevin R. Tipple © 2019

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Still An Amazon Associate


Been awhile since I mentioned this, but I am still an Amazon Associate. So, every time you click through one of my links and buy something, I get a few cents added to my account. Those pennies that cost you nothing add up for me on this end. I use the small fund to buy some medical stuff I need and the occasional book.

By buying through one of my links, it does not cost you one cent extra. I just get a few cents my way as a referral fee. So, if you are inclined, please keep doing what you have been doing and buy through my links. It was and still is very much appreciated.

Thank you.

Lesa's Book Critiques: Cosy: The British Art of Comfort by Laura Weir

Lesa's Book Critiques: Cosy: The British Art of Comfort by Laura Weir

KRL Update: KRL This Week for 12/21/19

Up in KRL this morning a review of "Brewed Awakening" the latest Coffeehouse Mystery by Cleo Coyle, along with a fun guest post and recipe from Cleo and an amazing giveaway!


And a review and giveaway of "Fan Mail" by Daryl Wood Gerber


Also a review and ebook giveaway of "Ginger Snapped to Death" by Catherine Bruns


And a review and giveaway of "Dying for a Double" by Cindy Sample


We also have a review and giveaway of "Murder Can Mess Up Your Masterpiece" by Rose Pressey, along with an interesting interview with Rose


For those who prefer to listen to Mysteryrat's Maze Podcast directly on KRL, you can find the player here for our latest episode the Christmas mystery, "Crime Dog On the Road" by Neil Plakcy, read by Thomas Nance


Up on KRL News and Reviews this week, we have a review and giveaway of "A Murder of Crows" an anthology edited by Sandra Murphy


And we have a Christmas Kathi Daley double header-we have a review and ebook giveaway of "Note in the Nutcracker" and "Celtic Christmas" by Kathi Daley


And a review and giveaway of "Murder at the Million Dollar Pier" by Gwen Mayo and Sarah E Glenn


And for those who like a bit of steampunk and fantasy with their mystery, we have a review and giveaway of "The Daemon Device" by Jeri Westerson


Happy reading and happy holidays!

Lorie

Mystery Fanfare: WINTER SOLSTICE CRIME FICTION

Mystery Fanfare: WINTER SOLSTICE CRIME FICTION: I love the Winter Solstice. I love light, so I'm glad the days will now begin to lengthen. I put together a huge list of Christm...

Writer Beware®: The Blog: How Predatory Companies Are Trying to Hijack Your ...

Writer Beware®: The Blog: How Predatory Companies Are Trying to Hijack Your ...: Posted by Victoria Strauss for Writer Beware® In my first post about the ways that predatory companies attempt to ensnare unwary writ...

Scott's Take: Batman: The Court Of Owls by Greg Cox


Batman: The Court Of Owls by Greg Cox is a recently released original novel that acts as quasi-sequel to the Court of Owls debut comics by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo. Those comics are highly recommended and started off an acclaimed Batman run by that team during the New 52 which ran for several years as well as numerous other tie-in books. While I recommend the Court of Owls comic series, the first two volumes are the best. However, one does not have to have ever read those volumes since the Court Of Owls and Batman’s history with them is explained in the first few chapters of Batman: The Court Of Owls.  

The Court Of Owls and their fearsome servants, The Talons, are some of the best villains to make their debut in recent years. They are a great addition to Batman’s rogue gallery. For those who do not know, a “rogue’s gallery” is the term used to describe the collection of villains, antagonists, and ne’er-do-wells that work against the superhero. 

The Court of Owls is an evil society of rich people that have controlled Gotham from the shadows since the founding of Gotham. They are the power and force behind everything that happens and they seek to maintain their control of everything in the age of Superheroes and Supervillains. Serving them are their fearsome assassins called Talon’s. These are children that have been trained and brainwashed and raised to do the bidding of the Court of Owls. These now adults have also been augmented with a significant healing factor that allows them to, despite the severity of injury that would kill a normal person within minutes, regenerate what is needed to live and fight again.

The Court has a long history with Gotham and with the Wayne family and therefore things are very personal between the two groups. They pose a serious threat to Batman as well as Bruce Wayne. They know that Bruce Wayne is Batman. They have the numbers, the soldiers, the tech, the resources, and more to match Batman and his team of heroes pound for pound.

In this novel Batman investigates the torture and murder of a college professor by one of the Talons. Why would a fearsome society of evil kill a college professor? What information were they trying to extract from him? What happened and why are just some of the questions in this novel. The professor’s death was also very unusual even for Gotham. He apparently died as a result of being burned from the inside out. It appears that either just after or during torture, he spontaneously combusted. How is that possible? Each answer Batman uncovers raises more questions.

Batman: The Court Of Owls also raises fundamental questions such as is Gotham Batman’s city or the Courts? If the bad guys have controlled Gotham since the founding, can Batman really ever save the city? Will Gotham always belong to the Court of Owls? Can Batman, Alfred, and Nightwing ignore the family history with the Court and focus on how best to deal with the Court of Owls. If members of their families fell to the Court, what chance do they have against the descendants of the Court? This fight is not just about the city, but it is about the legacy of their families and the history of Gotham.

Batman: The Court Of Owls by Greg Cox is a novel that is equal parts action and detective work. A lot of Batman stories ignore the detective aspects of Batman. This novel does not do that and is filled with multiple mysteries at work. The read features Jim Gordon, Alfred, Batgirl, and Nightwing and those characters are also extremely well done. The novel is also filled with less important details that are fun for Batman nerds who enjoy the lesser known parts of Gotham’s history.

I also enjoyed the fact that Batgirl and Nightwing were capable heroes in their own right throughout the novel. In a lot of Batman novels I have read, there is tendency to make the younger heroes appear incompetent or a burden to Batman. This author understands that if they were either then Batman would never have trained them in the first place.

I also enjoyed how Batman cares about the people he saves and how he watches over them throughout their life. This mystery read is a really good book featuring a newer villain that many outside of the comic reading public are not aware exists. Batman: The Court Of Owls by Greg Cox is a great Batman novel and well worth your time.


Batman: The Court Of Owls
Greg Cox
Titan Books
February 2019
ISBN# 9781785658167
Hardback (also available in digital and paperback formats)
Pages 336 Pages

Material supplied by the Bachman Lake Branch of the Dallas Public Library System.

Scott A. Tipple ©2019

Friday, December 20, 2019

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: A Kiss for Midwinter by Courtney Milan

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: A Kiss for Midwinter by Courtney Milan: Reviewed by Christy             In this Victorian Christmas novella, Dr. Jonas Grantham is in love with Lydia Charingford and ...

Gravetapping: THE POKER CLUB by Ed Gorman

Gravetapping: THE POKER CLUB by Ed Gorman: The Poker Club , by Ed Gorman, originally published as a limited and signed edition hardcover by Cemetery Dance in 1999, is an expansion...

Mystery Fanfare: CHRISTMAS CRIME: Short Stories, Novellas, & Anthol...

Mystery Fanfare: CHRISTMAS CRIME: Short Stories, Novellas, & Anthol...: Here's my Christmas Mystery Short Stories, Novellas, and Anthologies from the Christmas Mystery Novel lists . There may be some over...

PJ Nunn Has Passed Away

I was just alerted to the fact on her Facebook page that it has been announced that PJ Nunn last night. I am just stunned and devastated. I had no idea this was coming. Not only was she my friend and made sure that I came to her Cozy Cats and Hardboiled Heroes conferences back in the day, she quickly became friends with Sandi and never ran away when the cancers hit. Many others did, but she hung in there with us and that meant a lot.

Words fail me. Such a loss.

FFB Review: By The Chimney With Care: A Holiday Crime Anthology Editor By Tony Burton

In the spirit of the holiday season, I decided to go ahead and do an FFB entry this week even if it is a repeat review. My review of BY THE CHIMNEY WITH CARE: A HOLIDAY CRIME ANTHOLOGY first appeared in October 2006. For the rest of the reading suggestions for this week, head over to Todd Mason’s Sweet Freedom blog.


As noted on the back of this very enjoyable book recently released by Wolfmont Publishing, “Tis the season to watch out for thieves, cutthroats, liars, rogues and con artists!” That it is as the holidays are nearly on us and it is also the season to help others. Not that help should not go out year around, but this is the time of year when more media attention is focused and it could be argued that needs are the highest.  With all profits from this book going to support the “Toys for Tots” program the twenty authors and publisher should be very proud of what they have created.

In alphabetical order the authors are, Nick Andreychuk, Guy Belleranti, Tony Burton, Carol A. Cole, Herschel Cozine, Margaret Fenton, Suzanne Flaig, John M. Floyd, John L. French, Gary R. Hoffman, Joseph Ketner, Jean Lauzier, Jeffrey Marks, Debra Gray De Noux, O’Neil De Noux, Neil Plakcy, Rob Rosen, Mike Wiecek, John J. Wilson and Frank Zafiro. The result of their entertaining efforts, compiled and edited by Tony Burton and released through his publishing company, Wolfmont Publishing, take the reader on an emotional ride from hysterically funny to incredibly moving and all stops in between. While not all stories can be covered due to the obvious number and space limitations, there simply isn’t a bad one in the bunch.

Starting off the anthology on a humorous note is the short piece penned by Herschel Cozine titled, “The Plight Before Christmas.” Little can be said without ruining the funny read and it is good to know that Ellery Queen is on the case.

Also funny is the short story written by Rob Rosen tiled “Murder In Toddler Town.” The hill is steep, the grass is wet, and clearly the victim fell on his way from fetching a pail of water. Detective Dock isn’t convinced it was all an accident and knows this isn’t the first time such a thing has happened.

John L. French also uses humor well in his story tiled “Surprise Package.” When an elf is dead, the crime scene is at the North Pole or thereabouts, of course Santa would come in a red Jeep looking for P. I. Matthew Grace. After all, he has a body, a crime may have been committed and there are lots of suspects and Santa doesn’t know nearly as much as we were always led to believe.

At the other end of the emotion scale is the incredibly powerful tale titled “Popcorn for Christmas” written by Debra Gray De Noux and O’Neil De Noux. Set in a morgue on Christmas Eve, it is a tale of what could have been. If this one does not get you in the heart, you simply aren’t human.

Somewhere in the vast middle between those two extremes are tales such as the one written by John M. Floyd titled “Christmas Gifts.” Dennis Bates has it all and is used to being in power as well as whom to help for his own reasons.

Carol A. Cole’s story “The Bells of Christmas” also revolves around helping others in a way. Criminals are stopping cars and helping themselves to the victim’s cell phones and Christmas packages before escaping by use of a City Cab.

While those detectives are dealing with a mortal problem, the paranormal makes another appearance in this anthology through Gray R. Hoffman’s tale, “In the Chimney With Love.” A few presents are missing from the Wallen’s tree but there really is a logical explanation and heartfelt explanation.

Those familiar with Frank Zafiro’s novel “Under A Raging Moon” as well as his numerous interconnected short stories also set in “River City” won’t be disappointed in his story titled, “Three Days of Christmas.” The thief stealing Christmas presents is going to be stopped in the officers involved have their way.

Also putting a hard stop to crime is the theme behind the story “Secret Santa” by Jean Lauzier. Sometimes the best gifts are those that we do not know where they come from and never know who to thank.

The above gives you a small sampling of this excellent anthology as well as glimpse into some personal favorites. Your choices may and most likely will vary.  However, you certainly won’t be disappointed in this book as each and every story in it is a good one whether a new tale or a favorite reprint. The result is an excellent anthology dedicated to a worthy cause and a book well worth owning.


BY THE CHIMNEY WITH CARE: A HOLIDAY CRIME ANTHOLOGY
Edited By Tony Burton
Wolfmont Publishing
September 2006
ISBN 0-9778-4023-9
Large Trade Paperback
208 Pages


Kevin R. Tipple © 2006, 2019

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Crime Review Update: New Issue of Crime Review

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 Attica Locke in the Countdown hot seat:


We’re on Twitter at:

Crime Review: @CrimeReviewUK

Linda Wilson: @CrimeReviewer

Sharon Wheeler: @lartonmedia


This week’s reviews are:


WHATEVER IT TAKES by Andy McNab, reviewed by Linda Wilson

When James Mercer’s latest heist doesn’t go according to plan, he’s presented with an ultimatum – pull off a seemingly impossible job or suffer the consequences.


MAIGRET’S PICKPOCKET by Georges Simenon, reviewed by Arnold Taylor

Maigret’s wallet is stolen but then returned to him, with nothing missing. The detective is intrigued when a mysterious man admits to the theft.


THE SECRET OF COLD HILL by Peter James, reviewed by Sharon Wheeler

Artist Jason Danes and his wife Emily think they’ve found their forever home. But then they start to feel they’re not alone – and discover that no one has ever lived beyond 40 in Cold Hill House.


THE DARKER ARTS by Oscar de Muriel, reviewed by John Cleal

Paranormal investigators Inspectors Frey and McGray face a race to save McGray’s trusted clairvoyant Madame Katerina when she is condemned to hang after being the only survivor of a séance involving three of Edinburgh’s wealthiest families.


WOLVES AT THE DOOR by Gunnar Staalesen, reviewed by Ewa Sherman

Bergen’s social-worker-turned-private investigator Varg Veum, who’s been scarred by earlier accusations of sexual abuse, decides to reopen his earlier case after he is nearly killed by a speeding car.


A SHADOW INTELLIGENCE by Oliver Harris, reviewed by Chris Roberts

MI6 agent Elliot Kane is brought home in a hurry when an operation is abruptly terminated. He seems to be under suspicion – and then he receives a message from a friend pointing him to a video of himself, a very clever fake.


THE SLEEPWALKER by Joseph Knox, reviewed by Kati Barr-Taylor

Aidan hears the mass murderer’s final words. But they are not the long-awaited location of his final victim. Far from it.


DROWNED LIVES by Stephen Booth, reviewed by Linda Wilson

When Chris Buckley is approached by an old man who wants his help untangling an old family rift, he’s not keen, and it shows. But when the man is killed in a hit and run accident, things take a more sinister turn.


THE BEAR PIT by SJ MacLean, reviewed by John Cleal

Captain Damian Seeker, Cromwell’s counterintelligence ‘enforcer’, faces another assassination plot against the Lord Protector and must also solve the riddle of a murder by bear!


PLAYBOY by Joe Thomas, reviewed by Chris Roberts

Detective Mario Lame is given a tip which means he is standing over a body when the military police arrive to investigate. He needs to find out what is going on before he ends up on the hook for the killing.


TO LOVE AND BE WISE by Josephine Tey, reviewed by John Barnbrook

The impossibly good-looking Leslie Searle inveigles his way into the life of a wealthy and artistic family, and then he goes missing. DI Alan Grant is called in to determine if he has been murdered and by whom.


THE CHRISTMAS EGG by Mary Kelly, reviewed by Viv Beeby

In a seedy Islington bedsit the body of Princess Olga Karukhin lies as if in state. Her secret trunk has been wrenched open and its precious contents gone …


THE HUNTING PARTY by Lucy Foley, reviewed by Kati Barr-Taylor

In the next three days, a group of Oxford friends will find out just how dangerous winter in the Scottish Highlands can be.


DEATH IN A DESERT LAND by Andrew Wilson, reviewed by John Cleal

Agatha Christie is asked by British intelligence to investigate doubts surrounding the death of explorer Gertrude Bell, and plunges into a snake pit of passions, deception and poisonous plots in the blistering heat of the Iraqi desert.


A SAVAGE GENERATION by David Tallerman, reviewed by Linda Wilson

With the civilised world on the brink of collapse, a former prison seems like a good place to hole up, but appearances can be very deceptive.


DEATH RUN by Harry Dunn, reviewed by Chris Roberts

Private detective Jack Barclay is asked to investigate when a man falls from the top of a block of flats, and crushes and kills a woman in a car below.


GHOSTS OF THE PAST by Tony Park, reviewed by John Cleal

What links the cold-blooded execution of a former Australian soldier in 1906 to a modern hunt for a fortune in buried gold? Sydney journalist Nick Eatwell digs deep into his family’s past – and finds his own life is in danger.


THE LIES WE TELL by Niki Mackay, reviewed by Kati Barr-Talor

Miriam’s daughter has disappeared, but she can’t tell her husband. Not if she is to keep her marriage from shattering into a hundred pieces.


NOT PLAYING FAIR by David Atkinson, reviewed by John Cleal

When seven professional footballers are killed in seven days, DCI Charlie Miskin and his team face a seemingly unsolvable problem.


THE BOXER by Nikesh Shukla, reviewed by Linda Wilson

Seventeen-year-old Sunny turns to amateur boxing after a vicious racial assault and finds himself pitted against a former friend in his first competition.


Best wishes to everyone for a pleasant festive season - and thanks for your support in 2019.


Sharon


The Rap Sheet: Bullet Points: Impeachment Edition for 12/19/2019

The Rap Sheet: Bullet Points: Impeachment Edition for 12/19/2019

Beneath the Stains of Time: The Kindaichi Case Files: The Santa Slayings by Yo...

Beneath the Stains of Time: The Kindaichi Case Files: The Santa Slayings by Yo...: The Santa Slayings is the 7th volume in the original series of The Kindaichi Case Files , written by Yozaburo Kanari and illustrated by ...

It Is Official: Scott Has Graduated


Way back in May 1993 when I was graduating with my double major Bachelors, Sandi was pregnant with Scott. Now, here in December 2019, the grades have finally come in and Scott has graduated with his Masters in Criminology. His cumulative GPA for seven years at UTD is 3.385. The kid did good.

Review: Mystery Weekly Magazine: September 2019


Mystery Weekly Magazine: September 2019 issue opens with “Mutatis Mutandis” by Donald J. Bingle. Uncle Tremont finally found something very valuable in the mountains out of Colorado. He is dying and intends to take the secrets of his mine to the grave. His nephew, Exter Devonfield, is fine with his uncle dying and the sooner the better as the uncle was a mean old buzzard. He just wants his uncle to tell him where the damn mine is first as there is money to be had and the nephew wants it all.

While the preceding tale was more of an adventure story that required some digging to uncover things as there is a mystery at its core, the next one is primarily a mystery tale that also seeks to uncover things. Dirt is also a major aspect of the tale as this time it is a photographer who takes pictures of celebs and others in compromising positions and circumstances and sells those pictures to make money. In “The Dirtman” by Tony Deans, the lead of the Amori crime family, Lorenzo Amori, has a job for the photographer. He wants photographic proof of certain activities committed by a problem person. He wants pictures in no later than seven days and will pay double the normal fee. One does not tell Lorenzo Amori no.

“The Case Of The Jagged Edge” by Benjamin Mark inspired the cover art for this issue. It features the interesting intellectual musings of Bartholomew Blunt and Samuel Sharpe. Friends since childhood, they pass their days by imaging the possibilities. On this day they imagine the possibilities in a murder case that fits men of their prestigious talents.

As was part of the theme of the first story, inheritance and everything that goes with that is a major part of “Within An Heir’s Breath Of Death” by C. L. Cobb. Uncle Harry is dying through a bit too slowly for some. Maggie, our narrator has been through hell and back. Her sisters, Alice and Constance, are going to do everything they can to grab it all.

Fred Hurst is the newly appointed police man for the local village. His first case in the summer of 1927 is to investigate the apparent murder of the previous village policeman, George Mahoney. In “Stumped” by Gary Pettigrew, Fred Hurst has his hands full.

It took far longer for the fire department to put out the car fire in “Burn” by Mike McHone than it took firefighters to realize they had a body in the car. The Nissan Sentra, or what is left of it, sits in the parking lot of the closed and abandoned Union Camp paper plant. Detectives Molly Fetterly and Jim Baggins have the case. Within minutes of their arrival, they know they have more than one serious issue on their hands.

The story starts off with a run in “Foot Chase” by H. K. Slade. Joshua “Country” Tumblewhite is trying to chase down a driver who fled a traffic stop. It is very important that the cops get this guy as becomes clear in the story.

“A-You-Solve-It” by Laird Long titled “Retirement Bash” is up next. Claire Botterill is finally retiring and the party is dragging on for nearly as long as her thirty years of service to the company. If that was not bad enough, Max Mann, office manager, has a problem as somebody has destroyed the parting gift for Claire. Who bashed the gift?

The solution to the August puzzle, “Fanfarewell” by Laird Long brings the issue to a close.

Each issue of Mystery Weekly Magazine runs the wide gamut of the mystery genre. Filled with mysteries (obviously), plenty of interesting characters, and fast moving situations, each read is a lot of fun without a bad story in the bunch.  Such is the case with the Mystery Weekly Magazine, September 2019 issue and is well worth your time.


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