KN Magazine: Reviews
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.
Wrecked by Joe Ide/Review by Brad Harper
BOOK OF THE DAY
Killer Nashville 2019 Silver Falchion Nominee
Joe Ide's modern take on Sherlock Holmes in the East LA character of Isiah Quintabe (IQ), and his on-again off-again partner, Dodson, is a roller coaster of a ride from start to finish. This time IQ's client gets him in a no-holds-barred fight with an international "Security" agency with questionable clients, and even more questionable methods.
Ide has the ability to put you on the edge of your seat, and keep you there. I twice had to put the book down and take a break because I was so worried for the heroes. I read the first IQ novel, and was deeply impressed, so was curious to see how they wore with time. His characters do not fade with familiarity, but deepen in personality and insight. I believe this series will have legs for years to come.
No spoilers here, but although the world this modern "Consulting Detective" and his clients inhabit is far from the 221 B Baker Street of Victorian London, the stories are imbued with an intelligence and sense of justice Sir Arthur would recognize right away.
This is the best book I've read this year, and my hat is off to Joe Ide for his fresh take on the fabled detective and his search for justice in an unjust world.
Jinx by Ernest Lancaster/Review by Danny Lindsey
BOOK OF THE DAY
Killer Nashville 2019 Silver Falchion Nominee
Ernest Lancaster’s debut novel The Jinx (Fiery Seas Publishing, 2017) is more than just the plot and the characters. It reminds us that there is always more going on with our co-workers, our friends, and even our enemies than we can be aware of. Lancaster peels back more than one layer, character by character, and reveals what each one is, what they are perceived as, and what they want others to think them to be. He gets much closer to portraying our collective nature than most, unusual in a first work.
Memphis is a gritty, little big town. It’s not complicated; blues and barbeque, law and order, pimps and whores coexist there as in any city. Policeman Rick Munro, a fifteen-year-veteran, is a member of the elite TACT, the division made up of snipers and specialists in any type of situation that needs overwhelming force delivered. But Rick has a monkey on his back. Each time he is placed in a new situation, bad things happen – a crash that killed his partner on his first callout, a round that penetrated his targeted victim, passed through a wall and killed a child on another. His personal jinx seemingly won’t be denied.
Lancaster blends Munro’s story with other policemen and -women, both good and bad cops, with politicians, and with pimps and their “merchandise.” He takes us to the limit with all, from whores seeking to leave the life, to cops plotting their own crimes, and to careerists who are willing to further their lot at the expense of peers. He does it by weaving several plot lines into a cohesive story while keeping focused on Munro’s jinx throughout.
Internal strife, the pressure of everyone’s daily lives, and the camaraderie that persists and enables a group to succeed are all explored in a professional manner. Hats off to Ernest Lancaster for the first in what could be good reading for a while.
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's 2017 Claymore Award winning manuscript Serial Justice is now available on Amazon!
The Golden Tresses of the Dead by Alan Bradley / Review by Liz Gatterer
THE GOLDEN TRESSES OF THE DEAD
By Alan Bradley
Delecorte Press
$26.00
ISBN 978-0345540027
Publication Date: January 22,20189
Book of the Day
Flavia De Luce is back and cleaver as always. This is the 10th installment by Alan Bradley featuring the precocious prepubescent private investigator, Flavia De Luce. Flavia and her father’s faithful friend (ok – valet, but that didn’t fit the alliteration pattern…) have begun their own professional investigation firm. Case number one: who stuck their finger in Feely’s wedding cake? Or rather, who stuck a severed finger in Feely’s wedding cake?
As ever, this little girl is too smart for her own good. But it is good fun! Bradley’s creation echoes back to Sherlock Holmes without being a tired recreation. If you haven’t read the early novels, you really should. But no worries if you haven’t -each book can stand on its own. Alan Bradley published his first Flavia De Luce novel (which won the Crime Writer’s Dagger Award) as a septuagenarian. Which gives me hope that I still have time to write my great novel.
The Bishops Pawn by Steve Berry/Review by Danny Lindsey
BOOK OF THE DAY
Steve Berry’s latest in the Cotton Malone series (The Bishops Pawn, Minotaur Books, 2018) is a departure from the thirteen previous ones. This is his first foray in first-person and juxtaposes present-day, eighteen years ago, and the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., some 50 years past. The eighteen years harkens to Malone’s first case, which began as an assignment with a shadowy organization, a hazy mission, and an altogether improbable explanation for the existence of the newly formed organization and for the necessity of the mission itself.
A rare gold coin, a satchel of documents purported to be from Hoover’s FBI files, and a deserted island form the basis for Malone’s assignment, with the stated objective of recovering the coin and returning it to the Treasury, and a secondary mission of retrieving the documents. Although aware that something is missing from his new superior Stephanie Nelle’s explanation, Malone jumps at the chance to become anything other than a Navy attorney, his current assignment.
With Berry’s usual mixture of a little James Bond, some MacGyver, and a touch of Houdini, Malone is vaulted back to the events leading up to King’s assassination. Hoover’s shadow still hovers over a small group of rogue FBI agents, although what they are hiding is not immediately obvious. His investigation leads him to King’s most trusted associate, still alive and also concealing something after a half-century, and leaves him in possession of information which becomes a conundrum—reveal it or leave it buried.
Berry breaks new ground in this offering, but his penchant for thorough research remains intact. His locations and their descriptions are the results of his having been there, walked the streets and visited the establishments, and his treatment of fictional characters are obviously based on real people, not named. Some of the internal FBI documents quoted are authentic; some are fictional. Readers have to get to the author’s notes at the end to separate historical fact from fiction.
This one is better than good, and is more believable than it probably should be.
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's 2017 Claymore Award winning manuscript Serial Justice is now available on Amazon!
The Fallen by David Baldacci /Review by Danny Lindsey
The Fallen
By David Baldacci
Grand Central Station
$29.00
ISBN 978-1538761397
Publication Date: April 2018
BOOK OF THE DAY
There are two immutable facts in David Baldacci’s latest in his Memory Man series (The Fallen, Grand Central Publishing, 2018). Amos Decker can’t forget anything. And he can’t catch a break. Even when he takes a week off and travels with his partner to visit her sister and celebrate her niece’s birthday, he manages to find dead bodies. They aren’t the first recent murders in the dying coal town, and predictably, they won’t be the last.
Baronville is typical of rust belt towns. Built a century ago to take advantage of a booming mining and millwork industry, the economy eventually went bust and with it the good jobs. What is left behind are empty storefronts, high unemployment, and a soaring opioid addiction problem. Decker’s partner Alex Jamison’s sister moved to Baronville when her husband was relocated to the new fulfillment center, an Amazon-like monstrosity that promised to bring employment if not prosperity to the town.
But there is a pall hovering over Baronville. The gruesome scene Decker discovers only a few hours into his vacation are murders five and six in a town where murders usually occur only on television. He and Jamison are drawn into the investigation of seemingly unrelated killings of unrelated victims. With no suspects and few clues, even Decker is stymied.
The next victim is close to home, and Decker and Jamison are targeted as well. He becomes convinced that something bigger than Baronville is behind the killings, and the presence of a DEA operations team cements his suspicion. Whatever or whoever is pulling the strings has roots outside the town, but local talent at their disposal.
Decker’s infallible memory may be his only advantage, and at times he discerns a crack there, as well. Baldacci never fails to entertain, and with The Fallen, he has come through again. His Memory Man is cursed with a gift most think would be a blessing.
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's 2017 Claymore Award winning manuscript Serial Justice is now available on Amazon!
Pandemic by Robin Cook/Review by Denise
Pandemic
By Robin Cook
G.P. Putnam's Sons
$27.00
ISBN 978-0525535331
Publication Date: December 11 2018
BOOK OF THE DAY
This is not science fiction. A biologically active chimeric molecule -- CRISPR/CAS9 -- can modify the genetic makeup of living cells. The potential for use and misuse of this mechanism is quite promising on one hand and quite scary on the other. This story featuring forensic pathologist Jack Stapleton of the New York City Office of Medical Examiners focuses on the use of CRISPR/CAS9 in transplantation.
A young woman who had a recent heart transplant collapses and dies on the New York subway. Jack Stapleton performs the autopsy and is initially convinced that she succumbed to a particularly virulent strain of influenza. Worried about the potential for an epidemic, and because the woman has no ID on her, Jack begins an intense investigation involving testing of body fluids and specimens by specialists and goes into the field to attempt to isolate the virus that caused this death. There are no immediate new cases and that increases his confusion -- until the next woman dies. It is obvious to him that this particular virulent organism is something completely new and it proves difficult to identify. Can Jack figure out the origin and stop the spread of illness before more people die? NO SPOILERS.
If you like science and medicine, this is a medical thriller that will keep you absorbed. I couldn't put it down and read it over the course of a couple of hours. I loved the details about the chimera and all of the forensic pathology and epidemiological investigation. It's just as well that I could focus on the science because I can tell you that I can't stand Jack. His personality is so annoying and fortunately, I was able to ignore him most of the time while reading. Considering what benefits to medicine and health that could be achieved with CRISPR/CAS9 is mind-boggling. Alleviating organ shortage is just one possible positive use but there are many other indications. But using it will come with a cost and it would be easy for ethical boundaries to fall making it dangerous in the wrong hands. How to control something so revolutionary that almost makes the user a god-like creator. And because of the way the world is now, it's quite worrisome. This particular book may be fiction, but the science of gene-editing is and will be, at the forefront of huge changes affecting everyone on the planet.
I've read all of Cook's novels despite not liking anything about his main protagonist, Jack Stapleton. Medical thrillers are my favorite genre and I can highly recommend this to like-minded readers.
Watching You by Lisa Jewell/Review by Melissa
BOOK OF THE DAY
A clever play on perspective, taking things out of context and assumptions—something most of us are quick to make—collide in this compulsively readable watchable storyline.
The central theme of being watched or being the watcher is what elevates this novel from what I consider typical suspense to something much creepier in feel. There’s a host of participants running rampant throughout, the mystery found in deciphering which of the watchers/watched are in fact driven by dark motives.
Is it the headmaster, Tom Fitzwilliam, a man that garners way too much attention?
Or maybe it’s his young newlywed neighbor, a woman with a crush who tends to put herself in precarious situations.
Is there some modicum of truth to the nonsense the crazy mother of one of Mr. Fitzwilliam’s students is constantly spewing outside of the painted houses of Melville Heights?
And what about Freddie, Mr. Fitzwilliam’s teenage son—is it possible he’s guilty of more than just watching all of his neighbors and chronicling their every move?
One thing I’ve come to expect from Lisa Jewell, an oddball cast; my thoughts and feelings for said characters typically running the gamut. This time, not so much. Instead, I wallowed in neutral territory where this nosey bunch was concerned—not particularly enamored or filled with disdain—finding them just interesting enough to keep me engaged.
Naturally, as the majority of suspense novels tend to, Watching You starts off with a dead body. A woman's lifeless corpse strewn across a kitchen floor, accompanied by one piece of pivotal evidence lying in a pool of blood. Something not easily explained away by the owner, yet in hindsight, maybe too obvious?
For those readers that fancy themselves part-time literary sleuths, this is one sure to keep you guessing. Lisa Jewell—and just about the entire cast—put in quite a bit of work, the goal being to throw readers off the scent. Unfortunately, I figured things out earlier than I would have hoped to. Don't worry, the answer is not blatantly obvious and in no way did figuring things out hinder my experience. In fact, of the four Jewell novels I’ve read to-date, this is the one I struggled the most to set down for any length of time. Meaning, I had to force myself to put it aside to play pretend at being a functioning adult.
Oh, and did I mention the short chapters? Creepy vibe + murder plot + short chapters = reading frenzy.
*Thanks to Atria for providing a review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Verses for the Dead by Preston & Child/Review by Liz Gatterer
Verses for the Dead
By Preston & Child
Grand Central Publising
$28.00
ISBN 978-1538747209
Publication Date: December 31, 2018
New Release
BOOK OF THE DAY
Verses for the Dead is Preston and Child’s 18th thriller featuring FBI agent Aloysius Pendergast. There is a “new sheriff in town” so-to-speak; Special Agent Coldmoon has been assigned by the new New York City FBI field office assistant director to partner with Pendergast in an attempt to bring the rogue agent to heel. The two investigators head to Miami Beach, where a human heart has been left on the grave of decade-old suicide victim alongside a note from a mysterious Mister Brokenhearts. Of course, there is much more to the story, including all of the supernatural elements that must be part of any Pendergast novel, but there are are some interesting twists that should please even the most jaded reader. Needless to say, Agent Coldmoon is not the controlling influence on Pendergast that the Assistant Director Picket was hoping for.
One of the biggest challenges in writing a series that has 18 (and hopefully more) installments, is keeping the story fresh while still including all the familiar parts of the characters that fans expect. Preston and Child are masters of writing contemporary tales that feel familiar. Even if you start at this point in the series, you will enjoy the ride.
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).
The Burglar by Thomas Perry /Review by Danny Lindsey
The Burglar
By Thomas Perry
Mysterious Press
$26.00
ISBN 978-0802129000
Publication Date: January 8, 2019
BOOK OF THE DAY
Elle Stowell 20s, diminutive, attractive
Describe for yourself the perfect burglar. Think for a minute. How about small enough to wriggle through a pet door? Shinny up a drainpipe? What about appearance? Maybe female, young (20ish), attractive and in good shape? Able to fit in as a co-ed home from college back east somewhere?
Thomas Perry may have invented the perfect thief in Elle Stowell. She fits right into all those categories, and she is a professional. Adept at spotting the tell-tale signs that a house is empty, she can be found running through upscale neighborhoods early and late, sporting expensive running shoes and college sweatshirts. No one gives her a second look as she blends into the scenery, just another fitness nut pursuing her passion.
What Elle is really doing is pursuing her livelihood, and she is very, very good at it. But things go off the rails suddenly when she opens the door to the master suite in the home of an art gallery owner and finds three bodies, shot while enjoying a three-way. The only thing Elle takes from that house is a camera, still running, which may or may not have captured her image as she entered the room.
The action accelerates as Elle becomes the quarry of – who? Someone is stalking her. Someone obviously had other cameras running in the house, and it quickly becomes apparent to Elle that she must solve the murders to prevent becoming the next victim.
The pace is fast and the plot, while seemingly “out there,” is believable. Elle could be the next jogger coming down the sidewalk. The Burglar could be the first in a good series.
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's 2017 Claymore Award winning manuscript Serial Justice is now available on Amazon!
In a House of Lies by Ian Rankin/Review by Jerry Ridger
In a House of Lies
By Ian Rankin
Little, Brown and Company
$27.00
ISBN 978-0316479202
Publication Date: December 31, 2018
BOOK OF THE DAY
Isn’t it wonderful when an old friend comes back into your life? That’s is how I felt after reading Ian Rankin’s last DI John Rebus novel, In a House of Lies. It was time well spent and I have hope that it won't be the last we hear of him.
To catch those new to the series up… would be a waste of time. The quick version is that retirement is just as boring Rebus thought it would be. Getting older, giving up your bad habits (and dealing with the effects of those habits) is not going to work for him.
So, when he hears of the discovery of a car in the woods with a body in the boot of a man that went missing over a decade before he reaches out to his old friend, Siobhan Clarke to help solve this cold case file. Never mind that Rebus has been retired for several years, in his heart he’ll always be a copper. It’s in his blood. And he still has plenty of scores to settle.
I love that all of the old gang is still around - Malcolm Fox, Big Ger Cafferty, and even his dog Brillo. It is incredible how Rankin can get all of the stories were woven in together so tightly, with no loose threads. He is a master of his art.
Of Blood and Bone by Nora Roberts/Review by Annie Oneonta
Of Blood and Bone
By Nora Roberts
St. Martin's Press
$28.99
ISBN 978-1250122995
Publication Date: December 4, 2018
BOOK OF THE DAY
There are so many ways the society might come crashing down around us... and so many more that can be imagined. Thirteen-year-old Fallon Swift is part of the generation that came after The Doom sickness. After everything fell apart. She has only known this world. Where she is hunted for being special. But, the time is coming where she will no longer be able to hide.
This is a world of witches, fairies, and magic. It is wonderful. As the sequel to Year One, we are once again part of Katie and Fred and all of what the wonderful characters from book one. But, we also get to meet some new and not so nice characters. If you haven't read Year One, stop. Go to your local bookstore and start there. But certainly, pick up Of Blood and Bone while you are there because you will want to read it right away.
This is a really great series. Plenty of supernatural creepiness - and not a blindfold in sight.
The Darkest Time of Night by Jeremy Finley/Review by Liz Gatterer
The Darkest Time of Night
By Jeremy Finley
St. Martin's Press
$26.99
ISBN 978-1250147301
Publication Date: June 2018
BOOK OF THE DAY
The Darkest Time of Night by Jeremy Finley is one of the scariest books I have read in quite a while (and I am a big fan of both the sci-fi and horror genres). I am sure that because it is set right here in Nashville, amongst places quite familiar to me, and centered around the abduction of a 7-year-old boy (I am also the mother of a 7-year-old boy) had a lot to do with upping the personal unease I felt while reading it. Still, I am sure that others will enjoy all of the spine-tingling chills that Finley has in store for them
Lynn Roseworth is the wife to the U.S. Senator from Tennessee, mother to three grown daughters and purveyor of a small flower shop on the edge of the woods. The woods where as a child she was forbidden to go; the woods where the mysterious gravestone of a young girl has stood for nearly a century; the woods where her grandson William has just disappeared from (into?). But with the help of her dear friend, a man from her past, and a few new friends – Lynn just might be the only person who can find him.
Finley put his real-life background as an investigative journalist to work in this exciting, scary and very entertaining story. The characters are exceptionally well developed and true to Nashville. Having lived in the area for the past 20 years, I think I may have actually met “Lynn” and her side-kick, “Roxy” (who is probably my favorite character in this novel). The storyline, likewise, is well thought-out, logical and feels like a real investigation. I think it is that these are real people and real places that makes the more science fictional elements seem believable. For fans of The X Files, this is your book. I usually have trouble buying into the amateur sleuth idea, but Finley fixes this by giving the main character a very credible back story.
I truly enjoyed reading this book, but I will be just a little bit worried when I see those darn ladybugs gathering...
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).
Trust Me by Phillippi Ryan/Review by Sharon Marchisello
BOOK OF THE DAY
Trust Me (Forge 2018) is Hank Phillippi Ryan's first standalone novel, and it stretches her talents to the next level.
Mercer Hennessey, the protagonist, has been paralyzed by grief since her husband and three-year-old daughter were killed in a car accident on a rainy night over a year ago. Her grief is so overpowering that every morning, she tracks the number of days since their deaths by drawing the figure in the condensation left on the mirror from her shower.
When the story opens, Mercer's editor friend Katherine offers her an opportunity to heal by diving back into her profession as a journalist to cover the sensational trial of Ashlyn Bryant, a young woman accused of killing her three-year-old daughter and dumping the body into Boston Harbor. The plan is to turn the story into an instant bestseller.
What kind of monster would kill her own child? Ashlyn's despicable act resonates particularly hard with Mercer as she reflects on her own anguish at the tragic loss of her daughter. The evidence seems to point overwhelmingly to Ashlyn's guilt, yet the jury acquits her.
And just like that, the book project takes a new direction.
Katherine arranges for Ashlyn to give Mercer an exclusive to the "real" story. To facilitate progress on the book and keep Ashlyn safe from the derisive public eye, Ashlyn moves into Mercer's home.
As a reader, I found myself as frustrated with Ashlyn as Mercer surely was. Every day Ashlyn makes up a new lie or conspiracy theory, contradicting herself and changing her story at every turn. She manipulates Mercer's grief and survivor's guilt. Although Mercer keeps trying to coax and trick Ashlyn into revealing the truth, Ashlyn makes Mercer question everything she thought she knew about her own life.
The author did a great job delving into the protagonist's emotions and illustrating how many versions of truth can exist for the same set of circumstances.
Hank Phillippi Ryan still works as an investigative reporter, a career that has won her 34 Emmys and 14 Edward R. Murrow Awards. She writes the award-winning series starring investigative reporter Jane Ryland, as well as the Charlotte McNally series, also featuring a female journalist.
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 Fitness https://sharonmarchisello.blogspot.com/.
Every Wicked Man by Steven James/Review by G. Robert Frazier
Every Wicked Man
By Steven James
Berkley
$9.99
ISBN 978-1101991596
Publication Date: September 2018
BOOK OF THE DAY
There’s so much going on in Steven James’s new Patrick Bowers thriller, Every Wicked Man, you may need a cheat sheet to keep track. From the mysterious, live-streamed suicide of a senator’s son to the threat of a new designer drug on the market to a twisted novelist-turned-serial killer, James’s novel is loaded with intrigue and suspense.
Bowers is initially presented with looking into the suicide of a senator’s son, which takes an unexpected turn when the shadow of a person is seen on video tape observing the suicide. Evidence that the victim may have used a possible new designer drug opens a deeper investigation into the distribution of the drug. And when a longtime criminal rival’s henchman is spotted at the scene of the victim’s suicide, the investigation takes another unexpected turn.
Even as all of these plot threads unravel and, ultimately, intersect, Bowers struggles to connect to his new stepdaughter, who has a knack for getting into trouble (she’s a fan of our aforementioned serial killer novelist), and wife, who has secretly learned that she has cancer.
James has explained in a recent interview how he approaches his characters from three avenues: the external, internal, and interpersonal. The external issue revolves around solving the crime at hand, the internal focuses on how he’ll get to that solution and what he’ll do to get there, and the interpersonal keys in on the relationships in his life while everything else is happening. The result is a richly layered, character-oriented novel full of emotional highs and lows to keep readers fully engrossed.
Touted as his final Patrick Bowers novel, Every Wicked Man is actually the third in the 11-book series from a chronological standpoint. It’s not necessary to read the others in the series, but after reading Every Wicked Man you may find yourself hunting them down.
Robert Frazier is a freelance writer and former reporter and editor at several Middle Tennessee newspapers. He also reviews books for BookPage and BloggingforBooks and has served as a script reader for both the Austin Film Festival and Nashville Film Festival screenwriting competitions.
Dark Tide Rising by Anne Perry/Review by Sharon Marchisello
Dark Tide Rising
By Anne Perry
Ballentine
$28.00
ISBN 978-0399179914
Publication Date: September 2018
BOOK OF THE DAY
This was the first time I'd read one of Anne Perry's novels, and I was excited to find this book so soon after hearing her speak at last summer's Killer Nashville conference.
I was a little concerned I might be late to the party, with Dark Tide Rising being #24 in the series, but the author provided enough background information about the characters and their relationships so I didn't really need to have read the previous books to follow the story.
Her writing is splendid, and she did a good job of evoking Victorian London. I could feel that cold winter wind blowing off the Thames.
The story opens when William Monk, commander of the Thames River Police, is called to facilitate a ransom payment for a kidnapping. Wealthy businessman Harry Exeter asks for assistance from the river police to deliver payment in exchange for the release of his wife, Kate. But the mission goes terribly wrong; Exeter and the police are ambushed, the ransom money is collected, and Kate is tragically killed. Exeter appears devastated, and Monk blames himself.
Worse, the only explanation is that one of Monk's men betrayed their position. A good bit of the story is spent agonizing over who might be the traitor, and what dark secrets each man might harbor that would cause him to sell out his colleagues. Some of the agonizing is repetitious, which slows the plot down in places.
Every time they get a lead in the case, someone else gets killed. There are some good twists toward the end, which picked up the pace and made this a satisfying read.
British historical novelist Anne Perry is the author of two long-running, critically-acclaimed detective series. One features Victorian policeman Thomas Pitt and his wife Charlotte; the other, of which Dark Tide Rising is the most recent, stars Detective William Monk and his clever wife Hester, a Crimean War nurse. In addition, Anne Perry has published numerous short stories, a World War I series, and over a dozen Christmas novellas.
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 Fitness https://sharonmarchisello.blogspot.com/.
The Witch Elm/Review by Tana French/Review by Clay Stafford
BOOK OF THE DAY
Clay's Pick
Toby Hennessey is not much different from you or me. He’s just an average guy going through his life. He’s a resilient sort, lucky one would say, and barely escapes losing his job at work when he is caught in a little discrepancy. But matters are about to get worse. Toby’s apartment is robbed and he is beaten to human pulp. As happens, his brain and memories are not what they used to be. He can’t work and to pass his time while he is healing, Toby’s mother suggests that he temporarily stay with his dying uncle at the old family home, the Ivy House. The two can keep each other company. The therapy seems to work and is going along swell until a skeleton is literally found in the backyard. At that point, it becomes a question of how did it get there and, without memories to help him remember, Toby is at a loss for how to deal with it.
“The Witch Elm” is a detailed character study. I was drawn immediately into the character and point of view of Toby. It’s a longish book (over 500 pages), but one that kept me engaged throughout. French is a writer whose sense of place and character are unmatched. An international bestseller with her Dublin Murder Squad series, this is a standalone that does not disappoint. Because you’ll be so involved, you’ll want to read it quickly, but you’ll also find you’ll want to slow down just to savor the language and nuances of the story. It is not often a story can be told as much with dialogue, more so than even with description. Tana French writes a tale that makes you want to read it again immediately after the first time through.
Tana French is the author of six New York Times bestselling books (this one will make seven) and is the winner of the Edgar, Anthony, Macavity, and Barry Awards. She lives in Dublin, Ireland with her family.
Clay Stafford is an award-winning author, screenwriter, and filmmaker. He has sold over 1.5 million hardcover copies of his children’s adaptations and has seen his film work distributed internationally in over 14 languages. Four of his five staged murder mysteries have had Los Angeles premieres. He has reviewed books, plays, and films, writes near-daily book reviews for the Killer Nashville Book of the Day, has been quoted on book jackets, and has edited several PBS companion books associated with national series. Publishers Weekly has named Stafford one of the top 10 Nashville literary leaders playing “an essential role in defining which books become bestsellers” not only in middle-Tennessee, but also extending “beyond the city limits and into the nation’s book culture.” (PW 6/10/13). He is the founder of Killer Nashville (www.KillerNashville.com) and publisher of Killer Nashville Magazine (www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com). He has served on the board of numerous nonprofits. Clay has a B.A. and M.F.A. and has been a professor or lecturer to several major universities. His list of current projects includes the award-winning feature-length documentary “One Of The Miracles: The Inge Meyring Smith Story” (www.OneOfTheMiracles.com) and the music CD “XO” with fellow mystery writer Jeffery Deaver (www.JefferyDeaverXOmusic.com). Previously associated with Universal Studios and PBS, he is currently President / CEO of American Blackguard, Inc. (www.AmericanBlackguard.com), a publishing/film and television/ music/entertainment company near Nashville, Tennessee. More information can be found at www.ClayStafford.com.
You Were Always Mine by Nicole Baart/Review by Mandy Dugan
You Were Always Mine
By Nicole Baart
Atria Books
$28.00
ISBN 978-1982108113
Publication Date: October 16, 2018
BOOK OF THE DAY
Currently separated from her husband, Jessica Chamberlain is barely holding things together for herself and her two boys. 13-year old Max has been uncharacteristically acting out, an agreement to clean up his graffiti on the middle school wall hanging over his head. Gabe, sunny and six, greets his mother with a smile every day but struggles to deal with loud noises and navigate friendships. Although we see her as a teacher, a daughter, and a friend as well, Jessica sees herself first and foremost as a mother, and the idea that she might be failing at that haunts her from the very beginning of this story.
When her estranged husband, Evan, turns up inexplicably dead from an apparent shooting accident, Jessica’s nerve slips further, and the foundations of her carefully constructed life seem to fall apart. Baart artfully weaves in recollections of the Chamberlains life together as Jessica grieves. And though Jessica initially attempts to, like the duck, keep paddling frantically under the surface while maintaining a serene appearance, the weight of circumstances and her grief is simply too much, and the careful scaffolding she has constructed to support her fragile life begins to crack and fall down.
Amazingly, into the rubble slip moments of grace. Jessica learns that she can confront things she could never look at straight on, but only glance at out of the corner of her eyes: her suspicions of her husband’s infidelity, the way her relationship with her father has changed since her mother died, and most devastatingly for Jessica, the identity of Gabe’s birth mother and an understanding of his need for connection to her. Gabe’s mother lies at the heart of the mystery of Evan’s death, and what he was doing in the dark and cold three hours from home on the night he died. But Jessica has never been able to even acknowledge her existence.
Jessica’s struggle to reconcile her memories of her husband with the emerging picture of his death is poignant and real. So too, is the way she stubbornly refuses help in the face of incredible need. That desperation to be everything that her children need has to be painfully crushed before she learns that letting go is sometimes the only way forward and that other people (her father and step-mother, her friend, her son, even her rival) sometimes hold the key to life and freedom.
You Were Always Mine charts the mysteries of a mother’s heart and a father’s search for justice. It shows just how much we all need each other, and how the assumptions that we make can hamstring our happiness and that of others. By pushing through the darkness and acknowledging the pain, by trusting others and forgiving ourselves, things can come right in the end.
Mandy Dugan lives in Brentwood, TN with her husband and three children (and a dog, a gecko, and three fish). She loves words and projects, and still has a great deal to learn from life and the people (and animals) around her. Find her at mandy@duganeditorial.com.
Killer Nashville Interview with Alan Bradley
Alan Bradley is the New York Times bestselling author of the award-winning Flavia de Luce mystery series. His first novel, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie received the Crime Writers' Association Debut Dagger Award, the Agatha Award, the Barry Award, the Dilys Award, the Arthur Ellis Award, the Macavity Award and the Spotted Owl Award. Recently, Mr. Bradley took a bit of time out of his busy schedule to answer a few questions for Killer Nashville. The author discusses his protagonist and the unique choices made in creating her, his writing process, and offers advice to those who—like Bradley—began their writing careers a little later in the game. Thanks to Liz Gatterer for conducting this interview.
Enjoy!
A Killer Nashville Interview with
ALAN BRADLEY
KN: When I first looked at the press release for The Grave’s a Fine and Private Place and saw that the story was about a 12-year-old girl, I assumed this was a children’s book, or a middle-grade book and was intrigued that was not how it was categorized. Who do you write your books for?
I write my books for people who are interested in the same kind of things I’m interested in. I dote on curiosities and wonder, and I have been accused of possessing a magpie mind. Fortunately, there are vast numbers of readers of all ages who share my enthusiasms.I have heard of a four-year-old girl who insists upon having the books read aloud to her, then acting them out with herself as Flavia, her father as Dogger, and her mother as Mrs. Mullet.
KN: I must admit, I am a new Flavia fan. I enjoyed The Grave’s a Fine and Private Place so much I have now binge read/listened to the entire series from the beginning. By the way, the narrator, Jayne Entwistle is just fantastic! There is an incredible amount of information in each book. How long does it take to research one of your books? Do you squirrel away factoids for use “at some point” or is it a more focused practice?
Yes, Jayne is incredible. I recently had the opportunity of speaking to her “live” during an internet broadcast. I think we were both in tears of laughter and recognition!
Some of the facts in the Flavia books are titbits I’ve been saving up for years, while others come to light during research. Because I’m a great fan of ancient and outdated reference books, it’s often harder to decide what to leave out than what to put in. In general, it takes about nine months to a year to write each book, a substantial amount of which is research. It’s not always easy to find out, for instance, what the weather was like in England at a certain hour of a certain day in 1952, or whether the 10:32 from Waterloo ran on Sundays in November.
KN: I have read at first you thought this would be a six-book series, and then a ten-book series. Well, The Grave’s a Fine and Private Place is book 9… Is book 10 in the works? Will that be the end of the series? (Please say no) Are there any plans for your next series?
In spite of reports to the contrary, I’m presently working on a tenth book. Beyond that? I don’t know. I’m sure my lovely publishers would be happy to continue, but, as Sherlock once so wisely remarked, “It is a capital mistake to theorize in advance of the facts.”
KN: Although the character of Flavia de Luce has certainly developed over the series, she has not really aged. She was 11 in Book 1: The Sweetness at the Bottomof the Pie and now in Book 9: The Grave’s a Fine and Private Place she is 12. It has been quite a year for the young girl! Is Flavia destined to be a pre-adolescent forever?
Flavia at 18, for instance, would be a completely different person than she is now, and perhaps not half so interesting. At any rate, there’s still much to be told about her present circumstances, and I’ve never been one for rushing things.
KN: As an author that really began to write in earnest after retirement and who published an award-winning novel after 70, what advice or words of encouragement (or words of warning) would you give to others who are just beginning their writing later in the game?
First of all, my heartiest congratulations to anyone who manages to get published at 60 and beyond! At that age, it seems unlikely that you’ll be changed: your life will be, but you won’t.
My best advice would be, as has been said so many times before, never give up. I was once told that real success takes ten years, but in my case, it took fifteen. To summarize: apply bottom to chair, write, and keep writing.
As Philip Van Doren Stern (author of the book that inspired the film “It’s a Wonderful Life”) once said, “The only thing that’s important is the manuscript. All the rest is just bubbles on the horse-piss.
Many thanks to Alan Bradley for taking time to answer our questions and to Sharon Propson from Random House Publishing for facilitating this interview.
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