KN Magazine: Reviews
Murderabilia by Carl Vonderau / Review by Sheila Sobel
Murderabilia
By Carl Vonderau
Midnight Ink
$16.99
ISBN 978-0738761305
Publication Date: July 8, 2019
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Book of the Day
2020 Silver Falchion Nominee
How far will one man go to protect his family? To Hell and back if that’s what it takes.
Since childhood, William McNary worked to erase his past and craft a new future. One without the terror his father—serial killer Harvey Dean Kogan—created when he murdered, dismembered, posed and photographed thirteen innocent women. It wasn’t long before Kogan’s “Preying Hands” photographs of artfully staged severed body parts launched a macabre market for his father’s “Murderabilia.” William had no choice but to reinvent himself.
After overcoming years of challenges, his horrific history is finally behind him. Or so William thinks. He has a new life—a loving wife, two adorable children, and a supportive, also re-invented, sister. He’s happily employed as a private banker and living a peaceful, if not humdrum, life in the burbs. For him, life is perfect. Until he gets the call that shatters his perfect world. From someone claiming to be his brother.
When the dismembered body of his wife’s friend and colleague is found, and with nearly irrefutable evidence against him, William McNary is arrested for her gruesome murder. His once perfect life is unraveling at warp speed. When bail is granted after new evidence is presented, William is released. He leaves jail determined to find Harvey Dean Kogan’s copycat killer. Even if it means reconnecting with the brutal murderer he used to call “Dad.”
Murderabilia is a dark tale that touches a deep-seated fear held by all—the loss of everything we hold dear. Carl Vonderau’s debut novel will keep the reader’s heart racing from page one to the end.
Carl and his wife live in San Diego. When not writing terrifying thrillers, Carl spends his time as a partner at San Diego Social Venture Partners, an organization that mentors other non-profits.
To learn more about Carl Vonderau: http://carlvonderau.com/
Sheila Sobel’s debut novel Color Blind won the 2017 Killer Nashville Reader's Choice Award for Best Fiction YA and Finalist for the 2017 Silver Falchion Award for Best Fiction YA. Sheila is a member of ITW, MWA, SinC, SCBWI, and Women in Film. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, two dogs, and a cat.
To learn more about Sheila Sobel: https://www.sheilasobel.com/
Beyond the Truth by Bruce Robert Coffin/Review by Jim Biggs
Beyond the Truth
By Bruce Robert Coffin
Witness Impulse
$11.99
ISBN 978-0062569530
Publication Date: October 2018
2019 Silver Falchion Winner
Best Procedural
Bruce Robert Coffin's third installment in the Detective Byron Mysteries series, Beyond the Truth is an excellent read. It is a realistic and well researched example of a police procedural. I've not worn a badge myself, but I know plenty that have and believe that this series is about as authentic as it gets.
Detective John Byron of the Portland, Maine police department is called out to investigate a "police-involved shooting". Officer Sean Haggerty, a School Resource Officer for Portland High School was picking up an overtime shift when the call came in about an armed robbery at a local laundromat that was close to his location. He responded, observed two figures running away from the area and pursed them. One of the individuals got away, the other shot at Haggerty who returned fire. Haggerty was unharmed, but the assailant was dead. There was no gun found at the scene, nor bullet casing. It seemed that Haggerty had shot an unarmed man. A man that turned out to be the local high schools top basket star and only 17 years old. But there is much more to the story than what the initial facts reveal.
It's not easy tackling such a tough subject as this, but Coffin did - and did it well. His characters are not perfect people - not the officers, the investigators, the perpetrators, or their parents and Coffin portrays them as they are - warts and all. He doesn't let any of his characters off easy and I admire him for that. His writing style is as detailed and honest as he portrays Detective Byron to be. The subplots are interesting and provide a little relief from the gravity of the main story while not slowing down the pace of the novel. All in all, this is a fine example of what a police procedural should be and I enjoyed it enough to go back and get the first and second novels.
I commend Coffin's willingness to tackle such a timely and divisive topic as this and to write it in such a way that is fair to both sides of the political issue.
Silent Rage by D.E. Funk / Review by Gary Frazier
Silent Rage
By D.E. Funk
Independently Published
$9.99
ISBN 978-1728758923
Publication Date: November 2018
2019 Silver Falchion Winner
Best Suspense
There’s a silent rage brewing inside young Russell Thomas. Bullied, abused, and neglected, both at home and at school, Russell increasingly desires to escape his sorrowful life the only way he knows how: by lashing out at his tormentors. The only question is, can anyone stop his rage before it’s too late?
Libby Teach, herself a survivor of an attempted killer as a young child, is seemingly the only one to recognize the signs in Russell, due in part to her studies in psychology and criminology. But will anyone listen? Will anyone help?
Author D.E. Funk lays out the moral dilemma for her main characters in convincing fashion in her new novel, Silent Rage, won the Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award for Suspense.
Funk, who has graduate degrees in criminal justice and social studies, puts both areas of expertise to good use in Silent Rage, as she capably crafts Russell’s home life: His mother was raped by a serial killer, she’s addicted to drugs, sells herself for sex to help make ends meet, and lives with an abusive boyfriend, Wayne Jetsoe, in a dilapidated, drug-infested trailer park. With odds like those, is it any wonder Russell is so ostracized by his childhood peers and so full of pent-up anger?
Libby’s efforts to intervene on his behalf – both through her police officer boyfriend and in her capacity as his teacher – largely fall on deaf ears. Despite her best efforts, it isn’t long before the killing starts.
While Funk allows her story to fall into some rabbit holes, her realistic portrayal of hardships and circumstances beyond the control of her characters keeps the overall novel grounded. Silent Rage is gripping, bleak, depressing, and, above all, an unforgettable read.
Robert Frazier is a former newspaper reporter and editor. He reviews books for Killer Nashville, BookPage, and his blog. He has served as a script reader for both the Austin Film Festival and Nashville Film Festival screenwriting competitions and is a member of the Tennessee Screenwriting Association.
The Bad Break by Jill Orr / Review by Sharon Woods Hopkins
The Bad Break
By Jill Orr
Prospect Park Books
$16.00
ISBN 978-1945551208
Publication Date: April 2018
2019 Silver Falchion Candidate
BOOK OF THE DAY
Riley Ellison, an obit-writing, wannabe-full-time-journalist, sleuth solving protagonist, manages to talk her editor into writing Tuttle Corner, Virginia’s biggest crime story, the murder of Doctor Davenport. While detecting and stumbling after leads, Riley tries to untangle herself from an online self-improvement app and the results are both humorous and surprisingly meaningful.
Meanwhile, the mystery of who killed Dr. Davenport moves along with Riley both helping and hindering and getting help from her ex-boyfriend’s pregnant ex-girlfriend, who has moved in next door to Riley. Riley wants to hate her but finds herself captivated by her instead. Her own love life isn’t going so well, and many bumps produce an ending which, as a reader, I hope isn’t the ending. The Bad Break is a great read, a darn good mystery with plenty of humor.
Sharon Woods Hopkins' mystery series featuring mortgage banker Rhetta McCarter and her '79 Camaro hits close to home. Sharon is a former branch manager for a mortgage office of a Missouri bank. She also owns the original Cami, a restored '79 Camaro like Rhetta's. Sharon's hobbies include painting, fishing, photography, flower gardening, and restoring muscle cars with her son, Jeff. She is a member of the Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Guppies, Thriller Writers of America, the Southeast Missouri Writers' Guild, Heartland Writers, and the Missouri Writers' Guild.
Deepest Grave by Jeri Westerson / Review by Sharon Marchisello
The Deepest Grave
By Jeri Westerson
Severn House Publishers
$28.99
ISBN 978-0727887948
Publication Date: August 1, 2018
2019 Silver Falchion Candidate
BOOK OF THE DAY
The Deepest Grave, the 11th installment of the Crispin Guest medieval noir mystery series by Jeri Westerson (Severn House) has been nominated for a Silver Falchion award.
Degraded knight Crispin Guest has been banished from the royal court to live with commoners as a tracker, the medieval version of a private investigator. He has an apprentice, Jack Tucker, a reformed cut-purse; Jack and his pregnant wife Isabel live with Crispin.
When the story opens, a local priest, Father Bulthius Braydon of St. Modwen's Church, hires Crispin to investigate terrifying sightings of corpses rising from the graveyard and becoming bloodsuckers. Skeptical, Crispin figures there has to be a logical explanation for the phenomena, but his and Jack's late-night observation trip to the churchyard proves chilling.
The next day, Crispin gets another request for service, from Philippa Walcote, a former lover for whom he still carries a torch. She's married to another man so is totally off-limits. Philippa's seven-year-old son has been accused of murdering a neighbor and stealing the family reliquary, and he risks hanging for the alleged crimes. Philippa implores Crispin to investigate and find evidence of her son's innocence. When he goes to interview Philippa's son, it's like looking in a mirror, and, doing some calculations, Crispin realizes that Philippa's child is also his.
There's a rich back story and history between the characters, but the author skillfully brings a new reader up to speed. The author also does a great job of evoking 14th century London. She provided a glossary at the beginning of the book to explain unusual terminology, but I seldom had to refer to it, as I was usually able to decipher unfamiliar words from their context.
The mystery is cleverly done and the two cases are interwoven. I got the impression that Crispin's character has been somewhat hardened, but in this story, his heart begins opening up.
Jeri Westerson is a native of Los Angeles. In addition to her award-winning medieval noir mysteries, she writes a paranormal romance series. She is active in the Southern California Chapter of Mystery Writers of America as well as Sisters in Crime.
Sharon Marchisello (sharonmarchisello.com) is the author of Going Home, (Sunbury Press, 2014) a murder mystery inspired by her mother's battle with Alzheimer's disease, and a nonfiction book about personal finance, Live Well, Grow Wealth. One of her short stories was published in an anthology, Shhhh… Murder! (Darkhouse Books, 2018). She earned a Masters in Professional Writing from the University of Southern California and is a member of the Atlanta chapter of Sisters in Crime. Residing in Peachtree City, GA, Sharon does volunteer work for the Fayette Humane Society and the Fayette County Master Gardeners, and she also writes a blog about personal finance, Countdown to Financial Fitness https://sharonmarchisello.blogspot.com/.
Game Piece by Alan Brenham/Review by Jerry Ridger
Game Piece
By Alan Brenham
Black Opal Books
$26.33
ISBN 978-1644370070
Publication Date: October 6, 2018
2019 Silver Falchion Candidate
BOOK OF THE DAY
For many of us, finding a balance between work and home can be difficult. For those in law enforcement seems to be even more difficult and the scale often times tips more toward work. This is true for Detective Barry Marshall of the Temple Police Department in Texas. Marshal is always the last to leave the office. He is driven, conscientious, proud that what he does makes a difference in the world. His wife Erin and their daughter Cailey often take a back seat to “the job” and Erin wants him to make a career change. Just about to head home for the weekend, when the phone rings…
The caller says he has an important lead, and against his better judgment, Marshall sets up a meeting. When he arrives at the proposed meeting place the informant is nowhere to be found – but there are two bodies with their throats cut! And thus, begins a thriller cat-and-mouse chase with the mysterious killer always one step ahead of Marshall. It becomes obvious that this killer knows Marshall and that the goal is to destroy Marshall professionally, personally, and maybe even physically. It is a race to stop this killer and save his family.
Alan Brenham is a former Texas law enforcement officer, a criminal prosecutor, and criminal defense attorney. His real-life experiences are obviously what gives Game Piece its griping level of detail and authenticity. For some authors, making the transition from writing police reports or legal brief to writing engaging fiction can be difficult. But Brenham is a top-notch writer and I truly enjoyed this novel.
Book of the Just by Dana Chamblee Carpenter / Review by Liz Gatterer
Book of the Just
By Dana Chamblee Carpenter
Pegasus Books
$25.95
ISBN 978-1681778587
Publication Date: October 2018
BOOK OF THE DAY
Killer Nashville 2019 Silver Falchion Nominee
Book of the Just by Dana Chamblee Carpenter is the final book in the Bohemia Trilogy—and it is a wonderful read!
Big news—Mouse has a new baby brother! Unlike most older siblings, Mouse hopes that her father will be so focused on the new addition that he will forget all about her. But, when your father is the Devil you never get what you hope for.
Mouse and Angelo have been hiding with the Martu deep in the Great Sandy Desert of Western Australia. Shut off from the world they have eluded both her father and Angelo’s “father”, the Bishop Sebastian and his Novus Rishi. They have enjoyed being a family and part of a community. The spiritual leader of the Martu, Ngara, knows that Mouse is special. She leads Mouse through a dream that reveals many things, but especially, the location of a “gift” from the Seven Sisters that is waiting for Mouse to find. Angelo pushes Mouse to find the gift. He knows he is Mouse’s greatest weakness. He can see the battle coming and knows that Mouse must learn to control her powers and use every bit of advantage she can find. But Mouse would rather just stay with the Martu and pretend that the outside world just doesn’t exist, her powers don’t exist, and that she and Angelo can just be a happy. But, Heaven and Hell both know that with the right bait every mouse will venture from the safety its hole. Can Mouse escape the traps that are set to snare her this time?
Carpenter has once again woven a wonderful story from the threads of history, mythology, art, fact and fantasy all laced together with emotion—love, hate, faith, betrayal, fear and fortitude. Her ability to create characters that are at once flawed and perfect is a delight to experience. I found myself at times cheering out loud the characters or desperately trying to will not to make the choices that will lead to their downfall. I have cherished each volume in the Bohemian Trilogy and look forward to what Ms. Carpenter will write next.
Liz Gatterer attended Tulane University while living in New Orleans. It was there that she first began working with authors in the printing industry. Originally from Upstate New York, she moved to Nashville with her husband to pursue their careers (his being music). Three (absolutely fabulous) children later, she has returned to the working world in the industry she loves. She currently lives in Spring Hill with said husband and children, dogs, cats, and various other creatures. The necessity of multitasking has led her to an addiction to audio books – but, when able to, she still prefers to curl up with a good book (and a child in her lap).
Bar None by Cathi Stoler/ Review by Joy Gorence
Bar None
By Cathi Stoler
Clay Stafford Books
$16.99
ISBN 978-0978842727
Publication Date: October 16, 2018
BOOK OF THE DAY
Killer Nashville 2019 Silver Falchion Nominee
Events beyond Jude Dillane’s control begin to unfold when Sully, her landlord, asks her to give his key to his fellow worker from the Food Coop. Soon, Jude, a single woman and the part-owner of the Corner Lounge on the Lower East Side, finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation. With an evenly-paced narrative, the reader becomes engrossed in the unsettling events that follow. Although the character development leaves some unanswered questions, the setting helps to enhance the mystery that evolves.
Clearly from the opening line, “Somebody had to do it and that somebody was me,” Jude is the narrator and protagonist. In her normal routine of cutting fruit for the drinks that will be needed later, the reader follows Jude as she prepares for the “five to seven Corner Lounge Social Hour.” Her helper and landlord, Sully, arrives late from his volunteer job at the Big City Food Coop. This ex-marine seems to have a special spot in Jude’s life, but the reader never discovers the reason for their closeness. Stoler also never provides the background for Jude’s other relationships beyond cursory descriptions, yet this does not hinder the pacing of the novel or the emotional bond that the reader develops with Jude.
Stoler’s effective use of dialogue moves the plot along from one day to the next. There never seems to be a gap in the setting of the novel. Seamlessly, the background for the mystery is revealed in the conversations between characters as Jude begins to uncover the mystery and get closer to revealing the identity of the murderer. As a true heroine and modern-day woman, Jude seems to be able to balance work, play, and investigation—even if, at a point, she thinks, “Fatigue swooped over me like an eagle zooming in on an unsuspecting field mouse.”
Throughout the novel, Stoler masterfully keeps the reader on the edge of discovery. It is not until the end, however, the reader learns the identity of the murderer—but will it be too late?
In addition to creating a compelling mystery, Stoler has crafted a novel full of good food and drink. She reveals the recipes for some of the menu items offered at the Corner Lounge. A satisfying ending for all.
Joy Gorence is new to Killer Nashville. She is an author, world-traveler, English professor (ret.), and avid reader. Originally from Long Island, NY she now lives in South Florida with her husband, Bill and their two pampered kitties.
When Death Imitates Art by P.D. Halt/ Review by Sheila Sobel
When Death Imitates Art
By P.D. Halt
Black Opal Books
$13.49
ISBN 978-1626948877
Publication Date: March 2018
BOOK OF THE DAY
Killer Nashville 2019 Silver Falchion Nominee
Amanda Lee is not having an easy time of it. After giving up her life in the United States for romance and a new life in Germany, everything begins to unravel. When Amanda’s fiancé dumps her, and with her New York life behind her, she forges ahead and creates a new life for herself by partnering with wealthy divorcée, Marlene Eichler, in opening a new art gallery. Just when Amanda is happy again and believes her new life to be firmly established, she is viciously attacked, her gallery partner is brutally murdered and again, her life begins to unravel, only this time, the consequences could be deadly. Not only is Amanda the prime suspect in Marlene’s murder, but she also discovers that she too, is a target. Set in the art world of 1980’s West Germany, P. D. Halt’s debut thriller, When Death Imitates Art, is a fast-paced novel of art, power, murder, and intrigue. P.D. Halt, a native Virginian, and veteran of the advertising world lives in New York and is a member of Mystery Writers of America and International Thriller Writers.
After thirty-three years and seventy films (including Harry Potter, The Matrix trilogy and Batman, The Dark Knight), Sheila stepped away from the film business to complete her Young Adult novel. Her debut novel Color Blindwon the 2017 Killer Nashville Reader's Choice Award for Best Fiction YA and was a Finalist for the 2017 Silver Falchion Award for Best Fiction YA. Sheila was also nominated for the 2016 Allegra Johnson Prize in Novel Writing through UCLA Extension Writers’ Program.
Sheila is a member of International Thriller Writers, Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and Women in Film. She lives in Beverly Hills with her husband, two dogs and a cat. www.sheilasobel.com
A Knife's Edge by Eliot Parker/Review by Jim Reed
A Knife's Edge
By Eliot Parker
Headline Books
$19.95
ISBN 978-1946664426
Publication Date: October 2018
Silver Falchion
BOOK OF THE DAY
A Knife’s Edge by Eliot Parker is a twisted bit of fiction. The sequel to Fragile Brilliance (Roundfire Books 2015), this is not a mystery for the faint of heart – and you will not guess the ending. The Clay Center was twenty years in the making. Completion was only made possible with the generous donation by the BTech company, the savior apparent of economically depressed Charleston, West Virginia. Charleston has been in a downward spiral for a while. The streets are run by gangs and the residents have turned to the absolutely devastating drug Krokodil (Krok). But tonight marks the beginning of a new era – maybe. The drama begins when Sargent Ronan McCullough of the Charleston police department crashes the celebration dinner and reception of a new cancer center at the Clay Center. But he’s not the only one. A car barrels though the windows into the crowded ballroom and chaos ensues. Interestingly, the driver of the van is dead – and was dead before the van crashed the party. In the trunk of the vehicle is the brutally murdered body of Sarah Gilmore, former nurse and current employee at BTech. There is a lot happening in Charleston.
Eliot Parker is a magician at the thriller genre. This is a completely engrossing, high-speed page turner of a book. I truly enjoyed the ride. But, there is more to it than that. Parker has a way of slipping in details quietly that lodge in your subconscious until they assemble into a vivid revelation. He never tells you what is happening. He shows you. Paints the scene and you are right there with the characters experiencing it. That is not an easy trick.
I have not read the first book in the Ronan McCullough series – but it is next on my “to read” list.
City of Grudges by Rick Outzen/Review by Gary Frazier
City of Grudges
By Rick Outzen
Select Books
$16.99
ISBN 978-1590794432
Publication Date: March 2018
Silver Falchion Candidate
BOOK OF THE DAY
You’ve got to have a thick skin if you’re going to be a reporter. Just look at the abuse real-life journalists take daily from a certain individual in the White House who has an affinity for calling them the “enemy of the people” and declaring their stories as being “fake news.”
Fictional journalists, like Walker Holmes, the hero of Rick Outzen’s new novel, City of Grudges, aren’t immune to such treatment either.
Holmes is the main investigative reporter/editor/publisher of his weekly paper, the Pensacola Insider. His quest for the truth gets him into trouble with his readers, sources, and subjects of his stories. He’s constantly confronted with advertising and readership boycotts, warrants for his arrest, defamation lawsuits, looming financial ruin, and even death threats because of his stories.
Holmes quickly learns that everyone has a grudge to settle.
Only his commitment to exposing falsehoods, corruption, and illegal acts see him through. When we meet Holmes, he’s already facing an angry backlash from philanthropist Bo Hines and Hines’ supporters after an article revealing potential embezzlement and fraud from the Arts Council that Hines heads up. An audit sparked as a result of his articles reveals $200,000 missing from the nonprofit and indictments against Hines.
Throw in the apparent suicide of Hines’ wife, the death of the sheriff’s brother, a missing persons case from 1973 involving Hines and local developer Jace Wittman, a bust involving a national porn ring, and the complications for Holmes quickly stack up.
Yet, through it all, Holmes maintains: “There’s nothing personal about any of this. It’s about the truth.”
Clocking in at just 256 pages, Outzen packs a lot into City ofGrudges’ pages and keeps the twists and turns coming at a fast and furious pace.
Robert Frazieris a former newspaper reporter and editor. He reviews books for Killer Nashville, BookPage, and his blog site. He has served as a script reader for both the Austin Film Festival and Nashville Film Festival screenwriting competitions and is a member of the Tennessee Screenwriting Association.
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens/Review by Sharon Marchisello
Where the Crawdads Sing
By Delia Owens
G.P. Putnam's Sons
$26.00
ISBN 978-0735219090
Publication Date: August 2018
BOOK OF THE DAY
Delia Owens hit the New York Times bestseller list with her haunting debut novel, Where the Crawdads Sing. It features a murder, a mystery, and courtroom drama, but more importantly, it's the story of a young woman forsaken by society, left to raise herself in a North Carolina coastal marsh.
The narrative alternates between 1969, when the body is discovered, and flashbacks starting in 1952, to the early life of the woman accused of killing the victim.
Catherine Clark, a.k.a., Kya, the Marsh Girl, didn't realize her family was poor; life in a shack without electricity on reclaimed marshland is all she's known. Then her mother leaves. Despite having five children who need her, Ma can no longer tolerate life with an abusive, alcoholic husband. One by one, Kya's three oldest siblings leave. Kya can't even remember their names, or what they look like. Then Jodie, the brother closest to her, who taught her many secrets of the marsh, decides he can no longer live in the same house with Pa. For a while, Kya is able to coexist with her father, to learn from him when he's sober, and hide from him when he's intoxicated. Eventually, he abandons her too, but at least he leaves his boat behind, after teaching Kya to operate it.
A truant officer visits the shack and persuades Kya to go into town to attend school. She lasts only one day, when she is so humiliated by the other students, she vows never to return. Despite more visits from truant officers, she eludes them by hiding in the marsh whenever they come looking for her.
Then Kya meets Tate, a friend of her brother Jodie, who shares her fascination with and keen observation of nature. He teaches her to read and write. He's her first love. But then he, too, leaves her behind when he's accepted into college.
Lonely, Kya takes up with Chase Andrews, a popular town boy who's bewitched by Kya's mystique. Although he promises her marriage and a normal life in society, he really wants to compartmentalize their relationship. Kya finds out by reading the newspaper that Chase is engaged to someone else.
Years go by. Tate returns and, impressed with Kya's collecting and detailed documenting of marsh specimens, encourages her to write guide books about the natural world she knows so thoroughly. Although she won't let him back into her life, she does accept his help in finding a publisher for her work. As a result, life becomes easier for her financially.
The highlight of the story is the suspicious death of Chase Andrews, who tumbles from a fire tower in the marsh. Kya is the prime suspect, and her trial emphasizes the isolation from the community that has been imposed on her during her entire life.
Like Kya, Delia Owens is a wildlife scientist, and her appreciation for nature is apparent in this beautifully written novel. Delia and her husband Mark spent many years researching endangered species and working on conservation projects in Africa. Before delving into fiction, she published three internationally bestselling nonfiction books that resulted from their studies. She currently lives in Idaho.
Sharon Marchisello (sharonmarchisello.com) is the author of Going Home, (Sunbury Press, 2014) a murder mystery inspired by her mother's battle with Alzheimer's disease, and a nonfiction book about personal finance, Live Well, Grow Wealth. One of her short stories was recently published in an anthology, Shhhh… Murder! (Darkhouse Books, 2018). She earned a Masters in Professional Writing from the University of Southern California and is a member of the Atlanta chapter of Sisters in Crime.
One Taste Too Many by Debra H. Goldstein/Review by Sharon Marchisello
One Taste Too Many
By Debra H. Goldstein
Kensington
$7.99
ISBN 978-1496719478
Publication Date: December 2018
BOOK OF THE DAY
One Taste Too Many, by Deborah H. Goldstein, is the first in a new three-book series from Kensington. True to the cozy mystery genre, it contains recipes, family drama, misplaced trust, and a cat.
The protagonist, divorcée Sarah Blair, struggles to make ends meet as a receptionist for a law firm in Wheaton, Alabama. She has little to show from her ten-year marriage to ruthless real estate mogul Bill Blair except for RahRah, the Siamese cat she inherited from Bill's deceased mother. When the story opens, Sarah gets a call from her twin sister Emily (a talented chef who is Sarah's opposite) stating that Bill is dead, possibly poisoned by Emily's award-winning rhubarb crisp.
Sarah enlists Harlan, her boss, to represent Emily during questioning by Peter Mueller, the Wheaton police chief whom she's known since high school. Harlan would do anything for Sarah, including keeping her on the payroll despite her mediocre office skills because he's a little enamored of her. As is Peter.
While Emily, out on bail, prepares for an important culinary competition, Sarah pretends to help her at the venue in order to do a little amateur sleuthing. Then a fellow chef is murdered, and Emily is again found hovering over the victim.
Another complication arises when Jane, rival chef to Emily and fiancée/beneficiary of Bill, claims she is the rightful owner of RahRah and demands that Sarah hand over her beloved pet. Apparently, Bill's mother left him a sizable animal trust and carriage house to go with it, for the use of RahRah's caretaker. Something Bill neglected to tell Sarah about when he gave her the cat. Despite Harlan's efforts to find a legal loophole, Sarah is obligated to relinquish RahRah to Jane, even though the woman obviously only wants the cat for the money associated with him.
Sarah's sleuthing takes her beyond the kitchen as she follows the money to unravel Bill's complex real estate dealings. Suspicion shifts among the characters; just when I thought I'd figured out the killer, new twists appeared. The author keeps the reader guessing until the stunning conclusion.
Deborah H. Goldstein, a frequent panelist at Killer Nashville, is the author of Maze in Blue and Should Have Played Poker, a Silver Falchion nominee. Her short story, “The Night They Burned Ms. Dixie’s Place,” was published by Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine (May/June 2017) and was later named an Anthony and Agatha Award Finalist. A former litigator and judge, Deborah now lives with her husband in Birmingham. She is active in Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and the Guppies.
Sharon Marchisello (sharonmarchisello.com) is the author of Going Home, (Sunbury Press, 2014) a murder mystery inspired by her mother's battle with Alzheimer's disease, and a nonfiction book about personal finance, Live Well, Grow Wealth. She earned a Masters in Professional Writing from the University of Southern California and is a member of the Atlanta chapter of Sisters in Crime. She lives in Peachtree City, GA, with her husband and cat, does volunteer work for the Fayette Humane Society, and writes a blog about personal finance, Countdown to Financial Fitness https://sharonmarchisello.blogspot.com/.
Serial Justice by Danny Ray / Review by G.Robert Frazier
Serial Justice
By Danny Ray
Danny Lindsey
$26.95
ISBN 978-1732744103
Publication Date: October 2018
BOOK OF THE DAY
Perhaps the most surprising thing about Serial Justice, the new novel from Danny Ray, is its bad guys. They are, after all, supposed to be the good guys.
And before you worry about spoilers, don’t. The novel makes no secret about who is pulling the trigger in each murder or who is calling the shots behind the scenes. Heck, the book blurb itself spells it all out for you.
What Serial Justice does is turn the crime novel on its head by making vigilantes out of characters who should otherwise be sworn officers of law and order.
The two culprits in a rash of killings involving convicted sex offenders are, in fact, retired law enforcement operatives. Both are following the secret directives of the head of the FBI’s Sex Crimes Division, Cliff Nolan, a 40-year veteran who is dying of cancer, and later his two successors who he lets in on the plan. The plan, by the way, is simple: exact final judgment on sex offenders released from prison after serving minimum sentences.
The novel follows cops-turned-killers George and Penny as they crisscross the country in their RV seeking out their targeted parolees and plan their demise. Their expert skills and tactics enable them to carry out each execution with cold-blooded efficiency, leaving nary a clue nor witness behind that can identify them to local authorities. The pair even review their murderous exploits with detailed “After Action” reports to help make sure they left nothing behind that can be traced to them.
Of course, the trail of bodies eventually garners the notice of a pair of honest investigators in the FBI, Jim Dawkins, and Joan Kesterling. As they race from murder to murder in search of clues, Nolan and his partners quietly monitor them in case they get close. It’s not until the pair enlists the help of a group of computer analysts at the FBI that the pieces to the puzzle begin to take shape.
Lindsey, who won the Killer Nashville Claymore Award, has crafted a fascinating police procedural that will leave you questioning which side you should be on–justice or vengeance?
Don't Let Go by Michel Bussi / Review by Sharon Woods Hopkins
Don’t Let Go
By Michel Bussi
Weidenfeld & Nicolson
$16.21
ISBN 978-1474601788
Publication Date: 2017
2019 Silver Falchion Candidate
BOOK OF THE DAY
“Don’t Let Go” is a thriller set in Réunion, a tropical island in the Indian Ocean, under French control. The plot, although interesting was convoluted at times, with points of view changing frequently. It was at times, hard to tell whose story it was. Each main character tells his/her story in a time-stamp-like narrative, and always under the watchful eye of the omniscient voice. It’s not a style which I’ve seen very often. However, the plot was compelling enough that I kept reading.
Liane, her husband, Martial and spoiled young daughter Sopha, are on holiday on this beautiful island far away from their home country of France. One day, Liane leaves the pool to go up to her hotel room. Later, Martial asks a nearby couple to look after Sopha while he checks on his wife who is gone longer than he thought she should be. Finding the hotel door locked, and himself without his key, he asks the hotel staff to open it. Upon entering there is no Liane, but the room is a mess, all her things have gone and there is blood. He calls the police, but then the timeline puts Martial solidly in first place as a suspect. As the police spread out a net, Martial takes his daughter to run away, then finds a message written in the dust on his rental car—a message which drives the two of them to go inland, in search of Liane, while the police are hunting Martial as a murderer.
The ending was a bit overdone, but still satisfying.
I kept wishing I could get to know the characters a bit better, especially since so many of them had a point of view, such as Martial, Aja, the female police captain, Christos, her older male partner, his girlfriend, Imelda, his daughter Sopha and several staff at the resort.
And finally, I was a bit confused as to why Martial chose to even go to the island, in light of the history he had there when he lived there before, which we, the readers learn about as the story and chase progresses.
The foreign language phrases that were explained with footnotes kept me flipping pages and pulling me out of the story. I would have preferred to have seen the phrases translated on the go, as to have to search the end of each chapter for the footnotes.
Sharon Woods Hopkins' mystery series featuring mortgage banker Rhetta McCarter and her '79 Camaro hits close to home. Sharon is a former branch manager for a mortgage office of a Missouri bank. She also owns the original Cami, a restored '79 Camaro like Rhetta's. Sharon's hobbies include painting, fishing, photography, flower gardening, and restoring muscle cars with her son, Jeff. She is a member of the Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Guppies, Thriller Writers of America, the Southeast Missouri Writers' Guild, Heartland Writers, and the Missouri Writers' Guild.
The Warriors by Paul Batista / Review by Henry Hack
BOOK OF THE DAY
Slide over John Grisham and Scott Turow and make room on your narrow bench for Paul Batista to join you as a fellow top legal thriller author. The Warriors contains everything necessary to keep you turning pages, anticipating the next surprise plot twist until sleep finally overcomes you.
The story is immediately relevant when a female senator from New York State, whose husband was a former president, must stand trial on charges of foreign campaign contributions and misuse of those funds. The comparison to recent events surrounding the last presidential campaign is obvious, but not at all trite as the story takes us into unchartered territory far beyond mere political corruption. Powerful and deadly drug lords, two strong, intelligent, beautiful women locked in a life and death struggle, and an assortment of crooked cops, businessmen, jurors, and politicians combine for a terrific ride in the City of New York and its environs. The killer known as The Blade of theHamptons may inhabit your dreams long after this book has been devoured.
Author Paul Batista brings thirty years of legal experience to his fifth novel, and that experience and his intimate factual knowledge of Manhattan streets, enable him to create well-drawn characters who perfectly fit within their environs.
As a writer, and reader, I ask myself two questions after reading a book by an author new to me: Was I satisfied that the author knew his material and conveyed an exciting story? And, Would I buy another book written by that author? In Mr. Batista’s case, my answers are a resounding, Yes and Yes! Pick up a copy of The Warriors and I’m certain you will agree.
Henry Hack is a lifelong New Yorker who served in the Nassau County, NY Police Department for twenty-two years, including fourteen years in the Detective Division. He commanded the Scientific Investigation Bureau and was qualified as an expert witness in several forensic fields including blood, narcotics and trace evidence. He also commanded the Eighth Precinct, Uniform Force, and resides in North Carolina with his wife, Lorraine.
After attending public schools in Queens and Brooklyn, Henry received a Bachelor’s degree from Adelphi University and a Master’s in Criminal Justice from Long Island University. In addition to his public service on the police force, Henry served as Vice President in charge of Security at Cablevision. Now an empty-nester with seven children and step-children scattered around the country, Henry devotes his time to writing fiction.
His novels Danny Boy, Cases Closed, Mommy, Mommy and Forever Young feature homicide Detective Danny Boyland. Cassidy's Corner, The Last Crusade,The Romen Society andElection Day feature Police Officer Harry Cassidy.
Portraits inBlue is a collection of fourteen stories.
Last Seen Leaving by Catherine Lea / Review by Danny Lindsey
Last Seen Leaving
By Catherine Lea
Brakelight Press
$11.99
ISBN 978-0473449773
Publication Date: August, 2018
BOOK OF THE DAY
NEW FROM CLAY STAFFORD BOOKS
Catherine Lea has become a master storyteller. In Last Seen Leaving (Brakelight Press, 2018) she tackles a unique and very difficult protagonist, and succeeds nicely. Syd Schaeffer, former assistant District Attorney, has been blinded by a rogue virus. Her promising career has become little more than a subsistence practice, fed the occasional case from Walt Vander, a police detective. Syd suspects that even the cases he refers are from a sense of pity.
All that changes when her former fiancé disappears in New Zealand. He’s been caught up in an international tug of war over plans to retrofit the targeting software on an A4 Skyhawk, and apparently kidnapped. Syd is determined to not only solve the case, but to travel alone to New Zealand and solve it in person, over the objections of both her assistant and Walt Vander.
Lea describes the hurdles encountered by Syd at each step as though she has personal knowledge of the constant obstacles visually impaired persons must overcome routinely. She makes the reader aware of just how difficult every move can be.
If the telling is done well, the plot is even better. Without becoming so convoluted that the reader needs a program to tell the good guys from bad, Lea weaves an intricate thread, all the while giving Syd the correct doses of pluck and luck to move the storyline along at a good pace.
U.S. readers will find a few words here and there (e.g., lorry) that are not in use in America, but none that need be looked up. In fact, their use often blends right in with the location. All in all, this is a good one. Catherine Lea has once again stepped up her game.
Danny Lindsey keeps trying to retire. After a 20-year Army career and a 25-year second one in the private sector, he’s finally settled down. His current gig is as the Veteran Employment Services Manager for a Huntsville, A.L. based non-profit, Still Serving Veterans. Both full careers were characterized by numerous writing assignments, from war plans to operating policies and procedures, then on to white papers, analyses of alternatives and competitive contract and grant proposals. Now his writing consists of blogs for the website www.ssv.org, podcasts for the local NPR affiliate, and a half dozen Pulitzer-worthy, albeit unpublished novels.
Update: Danny won the 2017 Killer Nashville Claymore Award with his manuscript Serial Justice – so he will not be unpublished for long!
Into the Water by Paula Hawkins/ Review by Sharon Marchisello
INTO THE WATER
By Paula Hawkins
Riverhead Books
$11,85
ISBN 978-0735211209
Publication Date: May, 2017
BOOK OF THE DAY
Killer Nashville 2018 Silver Falchion Nominee
Into the Water, the latest novel by Paula Hawkins, author of the international bestseller The Girl on the Train, was nominated for a Silver Falchion award.
For more than three centuries, the Beckford Drowning Pool has seen the demise of "troublesome" women. From Libby Seeton, accused of witchcraft in 1679, to Katie Whitaker, a popular, well-adjusted 15-year-old high school student who unexpectedly commits suicide, the river has swallowed inconvenient women and their secrets along with them.
Nel Abbott was always fascinated with the river's power and the women who met their ends in its quiet bend beneath a cliff. She begins researching the questionable suicides and compiling their stories into a book with the help of psychic Nickie Sage. But then Nel herself becomes a victim of the water.
When Into the Water opens, Nel's estranged sister Jules returns to Beckford to settle the estate and look after Nel's hostile 15-year-old daughter Lena. While packing up Nel's things and perusing her writings, Jules finds the missing pieces to their broken relationship and is able to unravel some of Beckford's mysteries.
Master of "the unreliable narrator," Hawkins tells the story through the eyes of 10 different characters, all looking at events from different angles, alternating between first, second, and third person. Woven through the narrative are excerpts from Nel's unfinished manuscript. Just like the characters, sometimes the reader doesn't know whom to trust. The pace is steady through to the twist at the end.
Into the Water is the second novel by Paula Hawkins, whose debut psychological thriller, The Girl on the Train, was published in 50 countries, sold 20 million copies worldwide, and was made into a major motion picture. She currently resides in London.
Sharon Marchisello (sharonmarchisello.com) is the author of Going Home, (Sunbury Press, 2014) a murder mystery inspired by her mother's battle with Alzheimer's disease. She earned a Masters in Professional Writing from the University of Southern California and is a member of the Atlanta chapter of Sisters in Crime. She lives in Peachtree City, GA, with her husband and cat, does volunteer work for the Fayette Humane Society, and writes a blog about personal finance, Countdown to Financial Fitnesshttps://sharonmarchisello.blogspot.com/.
PAULA HAWKINS worked as a journalist for fifteen years before turning her hand to fiction. She is the author of two #1 New York Times bestselling novels, Into The Water and The Girl on The Train. An international #1 bestseller, The Girl on the Train has sold almost 20 million copies worldwide and has been adapted into a major motion picture. Hawkins was born in Zimbabwe and now lives in London.
Tripleye by John Hegenberger / Review by Frank Reed
TRIPLEYE
By John Hegenberger
Black Opal Books
$12.97
ISBN 978-1626946835
Publication Date: June, 2017
BOOK OF THE DAY
Killer Nashville 2018 Silver Falchion Nominee
Tripleye (Black Opal Books, 2017) has at least triple layers of intrigue. John Hegenberger has co-mingled bits and pieces of Bond, Bourne, and the occasional smidgen of other familiar “tagonists,” both pro- and an- in his sci-fi fantasy. Murder, theft of military weapons, double agent Manchurians (or New New Yorkians?), they’re all present and sometimes accounted for. He nails it—duplicity, greed, and ego have no boundaries. The final frontier is just as wild and dangerous as the Old West back on Earth three centuries ago.
The Weave Corp, headed by Van Loon, is set on taking over the entire extra-terrestrial enterprise, complete with geo-therm stations, sand mines, and a thriving population. The Corp has also managed to infiltrate Tripleye, the government’s private investigation entity, which enables them to interfere with Tripleye’s ace in the hole, a mind meld technology called the Link.
Throughout, it is apparent that regardless of location, time, technology, or other advancements, certain basic attributes continue to drive humans. Love, hate, anger, fear, jealousy still are prime motivators. Most anything can be purchased (for credits, the new cash), no one can be taken at face value, and the coin of the realm still rules behavior.
Did I mention that there is evidence of intelligent life on Mars? Did I forget to say that much of the conflict centers around the theft of “Snot,” the acronym for the tangible life form? Did I get so caught up in the action that I omitted that little tidbit? Oh, well.
But perhaps the best nugget, though easy to miss, is the fare on the thirteen hour shuttle from Ceres to Mars. The featured menu item? Microwaved hegenbergers, of course.
Born and raised in the heart of the heartland, Columbus, Ohio, John Hegenberger is the author of upcoming Stan Wade LAPI series from Black Opal Books, father of three, tennis enthusiast, collector of silent films and OTR, hiker, Francophile, B.A. Comparative Lit., Pop culture author, crime-fighter, comedian, ex-lead in the senior class play, ex-Navy, ex-comic book dealer, ex-marketing exec at Exxon, AT&T, and IBM, happily married for 45 years.
Active Member of SFWA, PWA and ITW.
The Bricklayer of Albany Park by Terry John Malik / Review by Sharon Wood Hopkins
THE BRICK LAYER OF ALBANY PARK
By Terry John Malik
Blank Slate Press
$16.95
ISBN 978-1943075348
Publication Date: August 22, 2017
BOOK OF THE DAY
Killer Nashville 2018 Silver Falchion Nominee
The Bricklayer of Albany Park is a name the Chicago area police give to a serial killer. It is Detective Francis Vincenti’s job to apprehend him. Frank is totally consumed with finding the killer, that, as his marriage and sanity are at risk, he turns to his mentor, retired detective Thomas Foster for help. Will Frank find the killer before he loses everything?
This gripping debut thriller is told in fast-moving alternating chapters between Frank and the killer. Their paths must cross, but the suspense builds trying to figure out when.
The plot snags you from the start, so do not overlook any sentence, any nuance, because there are clues everywhere in this masterfully crafted psychological thriller.
Hold on to your seat as the story skids to a surprising conclusion. It will leave you breathless.
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