KN Magazine: Reviews
Love You to Death by Caroline Mitchell / Review by Laura Stewart Schmidt
Love You to Death
By Caroline Mitchell
Bookouture
$10.99
ISBN 978-1786810854
Published 11/13/2016
Book of the Day
The past refuses to stay buried for DI Ruby Preston as her latest case threatens to expose her darkest secret. Love You to Death by Caroline Mitchell (Bookouture) is the story of a serial killer whose victims share a common experience—each gave up a child for adoption years before. The killer pretends to be seeking a fairy-tale relationship with the mother who relinquished her, but clearly, she wants revenge for what she perceives as abandonment.
Opening with a prologue that introduces us to a victim in danger seems contrived, but there’s a purpose beyond engaging the reader’s curiosity, and Mitchell doesn’t dwell in the scene. She soon switches us to meet our heroine, Ruby, and her staff of law enforcement officers, as they process the mangled body of the prologue victim’s husband. They realize that the serial killer, “Lucy,” is not only kidnapping and torturing possible “mothers,” but destroying the women’s existing families to eliminate the competition.
The reader learns Ruby and her childhood sweetheart, Nathan, the son of a famous crime family, had a daughter named Lucy twenty years ago and gave her up for adoption. Ruby has kept this detail of her life private, fearing not only the loss of her job but retribution from Nathan’s vicious brother and mother. She suspects the serial killer is her daughter and thus feels responsible for the carnage. “Surely it could not be the Lucy she knew. Not after all these years. Or could it?”
As the narrative goes to Lucy’s viewpoint, we see her victims inexplicably opening their homes to a stranger who arrives on the doorstep claiming to be the daughter they relinquished twenty years earlier. This naïve trustfulness may stretch the suspension of disbelief. However, it’s an emotional situation, and most readers will understand that a gut response from the “mother” in this case might be different from ordinary or expected behavior. The victims pay dearly for their innocence. As each “mother” fails to pass Lucy’s test, stakes rise for Ruby and her staff.
The author has put together a tricky and intriguing mystery populated by interesting characters. Ruby and Nathan are both likable—together more so than apart. The book contains a dearth of plausible suspects, and the author drops enough red herrings to make the reader dismiss each. There is enough guessing to fool most readers, and even if you deduce part of the outcome, you probably won’t figure out every step. Love You to Death is reminiscent of Minette Walters’ dark thrillers, but with the promise that we might see more of Ruby and Nathan in future novels. As for their daughter…who knows?
Laura Stewart Schmidt: A lifelong reader and writer, inspired as a child by Harriet the Spy and Emily of New Moon. She minored in criminal justice in the hope that it would make her a more effective and knowledgeable mystery writer. Her Young Adult novel, Sweeter Than Life, was published by Martin Sisters Publishing in 2015. She has spent several years working as a community education coordinator, encouraging parents to read to their preschoolers and starting reading clubs for middle-school students. She also worked as a family court advocate for at-risk youth and parents suffering from substance addiction. Laura is also a member of Sisters in Crime and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
Clouds Over Bishop Hill by Mary Davidsaver / Review by Sharon Marchisello
Clouds Over Bishop Hill
By Mary Davidsaver
Midwest Writing Center Press
$14.95
ISBN 978-0990619031
Published 08/26/2016
Book of the Day
Shelley Anderson is just passing through her hometown of Bishop Hill, a historic site where most of the population is of Swedish descent, and half of them are named Anderson. En route from finishing her Bachelor's degree in art history to getting accepted into a good Master's program as far away from Bishop Hill as possible, Shelley plans to take a summer job at the local art museum and pay a farewell visit to her adoptive parents.
But then Shelley is run off the road by centenarian Pearl Anderson (no relation), which forces her to stop at the nearby Varnishtree Antique Market, where together, she and Pearl find the murdered body of craftsman Herb Anderson (no relation to either of them). Later, Pearl confides in Shelley about a vision she has been having: a memory from her childhood of a 1915 painting being done by Olof Krans, a famous local artist, right before his death. Pearl begs Shelley to locate it.
When Shelley starts her job the next week at the Nikkerbo, the new art museum opened by Founding-Father descendant, Curt Hemcourt V, a famous Olof Krans painting of a Hemcourt ancestor is unveiled. The 1897 masterpiece was thought to have been lost in a fire in Chicago years ago. Upon closer inspection, Shelley discovers the painting is a forgery. But before she can say anything, the painting disappears, and Shelley is accused of stealing it.
Numerous characters with varying motives undertake the search for both missing Olof Krans paintings. Danger and double-crossing abound before the mystery is unraveled and Herb's murder is solved.
Clouds over Bishop Hill is a bit of an art caper/cozy mystery set against a rich Midwestern background, peppered with interesting historic details. The author has even planted the seed of a potential love interest that could be developed in subsequent books, should this become a series. Readers might root for Shelley's now-softened grade-school nemesis, Michael J. Anderson (also no relation) or perhaps, handsome Swedish aristocrat Lars Trollenberg (not his real last name).
Mary Davidsaver is from Iowa, but she spent time working as a silversmith and journalist in Bishop Hill, an Illinois state historic site and national historic landmark, which provides the setting for this book. Clouds over Bishop Hill is her first novel and a Silver Falchion nominee.
Sharon Marchisello is the author of Going Home, a murder mystery inspired by her mother's battle with Alzheimer's. She has 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, and does volunteer work for the Fayette Humane Society.
The Spartan Dagger by Nicholas Guild / Jonathan Thurston Howl
The Spartan Dagger
By Nicolas Guild
Forge Books
$29.99
ISBN 978-0765376510
Published 12/27/2016
Book of the Day
From bestselling novelist Nicholas Guild, of The Assyrian, The President’s Man, and Blood Ties, comes a historic adventure that is sure to grip anyone’s interest, The Spartan Dagger.
In an act of revenge against the bloody rituals of Sparta, the young boy, Protos becomes a one-man army against the very people who murdered his parents. And Guild is determined to tell this story of vengeance with all its blood-stained glory.
However, this tale is far more than your simple revenge plot. What starts as a young man avenging his parents becomes a champion in a quest to liberate his own people. He finds himself questioning the values of vengeance, morality, freedom, family, and even what true power is.
If Quentin Tarantino has a way of making brutality aesthetic, Nicholas Guild has a way of making the fine details of history brutalistic. It is rare to see someone so craftily meld genuine historic research with a thrilling and gripping suspense, and, from the beginning, readers will be standing behind Protos with spears of our own, just as eager for Spartan blood.
Through this acute acumen for historic detail, Guild manages to paint a world that is not only vivid--thrusting the reader into its culture immediately--but also creates one that is realistic and informative, giving us a taste of Spartan life that leaves a coppery taste in our mouths.
If dark, edgy historic epics are in your interests--or even just a good story!--then The Spartan Dagger is a perfect read for you. Get the book, turn the page, and bury the dagger. And see how long before it gets you hilt-deep.
Jonathan Thurston Howl
Thurston Howl Publications
Editor-in-Chief
Vanderbilt University, BA in English
Middle Tennessee State University, MA in English
The Delphi Effect by Rysa Walker / Review by Danny Lindsey
Book of the Day
The Delphi Effect by Rysa Walker is the first installment in a new trilogy detailing the life of Anna Morgan. Anna is a seventeen-year-old girl with a gift. At least some would consider it a gift. But when she inadvertently “picks up hitchhikers” from touching piano keys, a No. 2 pencil, or from sitting on a porch swing, the gift becomes a burden. Personalities of people long dead hitch a ride inside her consciousness, each with the sole purpose of finding their specific form of closure. This can range from the mundane (finishing a crossword) to telling family members or beloved pets goodbye. This type of possession is referred to in Hebrew as ibbur, a positive transmigration form of the soul.
Anna’s latest inhabitant is Molly, a young girl who was kidnapped, tortured, and murdered. Anna’s attempts to satisfy and quiet this spirit lead her into a dangerous, high-level conspiracy. She meets others who possess paranormal abilities, albeit their gifts differ from her own. Unsure of whom to trust, or which actions to take, Anna seeks to escape the nightmare her gift has become.
This book is best begun with plenty of time for once started, you will not want to be interrupted. With fast paced action and plenty of suspense, The Delphi Effect is a spellbinding stand-alone novel. Knowing that it is but the first in a trilogy will leave the reader impatient for Book 2 - The Delphi Resistance (October 2017) and Book 3 - The Delphi Revolution(October 2018). There will be waiting lists at the library for those that have burned through volume one.
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.
Love You Dead by Peter James / Reviewed by Connie Jones
Book of the Day
Love You Dead by Peter James is the 12th installment in the Roy Grace series. Grace is Detective Superintendent in Brighton, England, currently fit for duty again after recovering from a bullet wound. He has a new home with his wife, a new baby, a loved dog and goldfish. He also has a horrible boss whose life he once saved, is tying up the end of a case involving a serial murderer, and is dealing with changes in office location and the lack of spoons in the break room.
Jodie Bentley is lovely but twisted Black Widow—just getting started! The bodies begin to pile up and a hit man is tracking her down. There are twists, turns, and disconnected pieces. Will Grace and his team manage to put the whole puzzle together?
The characters are well written, complex, and engaging. The action takes place around the globe, and it all converges into a very satisfying ending. There is some dark humor, tension, as well as a bit of horror along the way. To help with understanding the area in which it takes place, the author has provided maps of Brighton and surrounding area at the front of the book, and a helpful glossary of British police terminology at the end.
What a joy to find a likable crime novel character and learn that there is a whole series to go back and read as well as a new book coming out next week! Need You Dead (Roy Grace 13) will be released June 6th.
Connie Jones By trade a CPA/MBA, and most of her professional writing has been technical papers. She gained some editing experience being the first reader for her award-winning late husband’s playwriting endeavors. Her joy, though, is reading mysteries.
Crime and Poetry by Amanda Flower / Reviewed by Sharon Marchisello
Book of the Day
Fans of cozy mysteries with a hint of the paranormal and a romantic triangle to boot will enjoy Crime and Poetry, the first in a new series by Amanda Flower and a Killer Nashville Silver Falchion nominee.
The story opens when graduate student Violet Waverly is called home to Cascade Springs, a quaint village near Niagara Falls, under the pretense that Daisy, her grandmother, and only living relative, has fallen ill. Except we quickly learn that Daisy's "illness" was a ploy. Violet left Cascade Springs 12 years earlier after she was accused of causing her best friend's death, and everyone she loved and trusted turned against her. Daisy knew Violet would never come back of her own volition, but she needs Violet to assume her legacy and take over management of the magical family business, Charming Books.
Violet is livid about being duped, but before she can hightail it back to her college life in Chicago, Daisy's boyfriend, a debonair carriage driver named Benedict, is murdered. Strangled with Daisy's scarf, in her driveway. Daisy is a prime suspect, and Violet must stay in town to clear her grandmother's name.
Violet also bonds with Benedict's adorable tuxedo cat, Emerson, who had been a gift from Daisy. Emerson follows Violet around the bookstore and rides in the basket of Violet's bicycle when she runs errands.
Snooping around town to find other suspects, Violet clashes with the local police chief, sensitive Native American YA-writer-wannabe David Rainwater, who looks at Violet with haunting amber-colored eyes. He repeatedly warns her to let the authorities handle the investigation, for her own safety. (Of course, she doesn't listen.) She also keeps bumping into her former boyfriend, Nathan Morton, now mayor of Cascade Springs, as well as his competitive younger brother, Grant, an executive at the local water company, which is trying to take control of the village's healing natural springs. Make that a romantic quadrangle.
In addition, Violet learns her family's bookstore is enchanted. She already knew about the talking crow named Faulkner, who roosts in a birch tree growing through the building. Then volumes of Emily Dickinson's poetry fly off the shelves and land at Violet's feet, opening to poems with cryptic messages that might provide clues to solving the murder mystery.
Although the plot is somewhat predictable, suspects abound, and the tension is consistent. Cozy readers will find the ending satisfying and look forward to future adventures for Violet in Cascade Springs.
Amanda Flower is the bestselling author of several mystery book series, including The Amish Quilt Shop mysteries, written under the pen name, Isabella Alan. Her YA mystery, Andi Unstoppable, won an Agatha award. Book Two of the magical bookshop series, Prose and Cons, has already been released.
Sharon Marchisello is the author of Going Home, a murder mystery inspired by her mother's battle with Alzheimer's. She has 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, and does volunteer work for the Fayette Humane Society.
Fighting For Anna by Pamela Fagan Hutchins / Reviewed by Robert Selby
Fighting For Anna
By Pamela Fagan Hutchins
SkipJack Publishing
$12.99
ISBN 978-1939889391
Published 11/04/2017
Book of the Day
In this, the eighth installment of the What Doesn’t Kill You series, Fighting For Anna, author Pamela Fagan Hutchins, leads the reader on a wild beast chase from the opening paragraph. The beast, in this case, is an adorable mutt that has led our Michele Lopez Hanson and her kids to the scene of the murder of her elderly neighbor, Gidget. Who, coincidently, had recently hired Michele to write her biography. In this small Texas town, it appears there are as many folks who want to see Gidget’s story told as there are those want to keep it secret.
Hutchins weaves a tale that elicits a feeling of immense awe in the reader. With powerful and intriguing prose, she pulls the reader through each twist and turn of the novel’s ever-evolving plot. There’s always another clue to be uncovered—some blatant that unfold over the course of a few pages. Other clues—often those most key to the story—float by in a line or two.
Hutchins proves herself to be as good as any writer in her ability to create well-rounded characters, all of them imbued with distinct traits that make each respective character unique from the other. From the potential love interest with glowing black skin and dreadlocks to his waist to the brilliant—yet clumsy and bumbling—attorney who is supposed to be representing our protagonist (though whether his intentions are honorable becomes increasingly dubious as the story progresses), each character will astound readers. Hutchins' ability to give her characters such depth makes for a compelling narrative. Her cultivation of so many varied characters makes it near-impossible for even the savviest sleuth to determine who-done-it.
Fighting for Anna is riddled with surprises and compelling dramatic twists. Mystery, murder, and mayhem are around every corner. Hutchins’s ability to bring her characters to life in such a way that makes nearly each of them memorable is worth the read in and of itself. Anyone who enjoys a well-written suspense that will defy expectations until the last page should pick up this book.
And, really, what story isn’t remarkable that includes Andy Warhol as a love interest?
Robert Selby is a screenplay writer, book reviewer, and volunteer at Killer Nashville
Her Darkest Nightmare by Brenda Novak / Review by Danny Lindsey
Her Darkest Nightmare
By Brenda Novak
St. Martin's Press
$7.99
ISBN 978-1250076564
Published 08/30/2016
Book of the Day
Brenda Novak’s latest work, Her Darkest Nightmare is as unpredictable as the winter storms that blast throughout the Alaskan landscape which forms the setting for her story.
At 16, Evelyn Talbot’s first love betrayed, raped, tortured and left her for dead after murdering three of her friends in front of her. After 20 years, psychiatrist Dr. Evelyn Talbot has dedicated her practice to delving into the minds of the nation’s worst pathological personalities. She has arranged for them to be transferred to a newly constructed maximum security prison located in Hilltop, Alaska. The townsfolk have mixed emotions—jobs are scarce, but prisons are scary. When body parts begin to show up, the prison is the first place peoples’ thoughts turn.
Amarok, the lone state trooper assigned to Hilltop, is young and an inexperienced investigator of crimes more serious than the occasional drunk or poacher. But, he is certain that none of the Hilltop residents are capable of murder. Dr. Talbot sees three possibilities—either her teenage torturer has found her again, one of her subjects found a way to come and go from his maximum-security cell, or a member of her staff has begun to emulate the pathology of the inmates. It is not until the second murder that it becomes obvious the true target is Dr. Talbot. She and Amarok agree to join forces to track down the killer, but find themselves embroiled in an escalating relationship which at times threatens to derail the investigation.
Just as one storm after another pushes through Hilltop, one plot twist after another leaves the reader wondering whether it will take until the spring thaw to separate the good, the bad, the ugly, and the horrible. The novel is full of twists, turns, false starts, and red herrings that leave the reader breathless, and heart pounding. Readers will recognize elements of such thrillers as Silence of the Lambs and Fatal Attraction as Novak cements her standing with such names as Dugoni, Rule, and Gerritson as a leader in the genre.
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.
The Apothecary's Curse by Barbara Barnett / Reviewed by Bree Goodchild
Book of the Day
When you blend history with mythology and science you get a cocktail of Victorian mystery and alchemic fantasy. This decadent brew awaits within the text of Barbara Barnett’s novel The Apothecary’s Curse; a story of immortality and its consequences.
The story begins in the loft of Gaelen Erceldounes’s apothecary shop. Set in the early 19th century amongst the “vile zoology” of London. Simon Bell is a physician desperate to find a cure for his beloved wife, Sophie’s illness. Gaelen, who has recently lost both his wife and infant son, reluctantly agrees to help.
Following an ancient text bestowed upon his ancestors by the Goddess Airimid and the Tuatha dé Danann, Gaelen concocts a potion he hopes will cure Sophie—instead, it ends her life. A grief-stricken Bell takes the last few drops to join her in death only to wake up very much alive and seemingly, immortal. After years of suicide attempts, Bell discovers that Gaelen, now dubbed the “Miracle Man”, cannot die either. The ancient text has vanished without a trace, leaving Bell and Gaelen doomed to eternal life trying to escape torture and experimentation at the hands of the nefarious Dr. Handley.
Barnett’s careful use of language, shifting timelines, and abrupt plot twists seamlessly melds with the well-researched mythology. She invites the reader to become witness to the chaos and curse that is immortality. Fans of Anne Rice, Sherlock Holmes, and Celtic Mythology will appreciate this fantastic blend of chemistry, alchemy, and creativity.
Bree Goodchild is a recent graduate of Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville with a BA in English and Theatre Arts. She currently lives in Washington state with her beagle mix, Molly. A fan of a wide genre of books and authors, most recently Temple Grandin, Ira Glass, Terry Moore, Sebastian Barry, and Zora Neale Hurston.
Cast the First Stone by James W. Ziskin / Reviewed by Lia Farrell
Cast the First Stone
By James W. Ziskin
Seventh Street Books
$15.95
ISBN 978-1633882812
Available 06/06/2017
Book of the Day
It’s 1962 and Ellie Stone—girl reporter for the local paper in the small town of New Holland, N.Y.—gets a big break when she’s sent to Los Angeles to interview hometown hero, Tony Eberle. Tony has landed a big role in a real Hollywood movie, a fact which has generated a swell of pride throughout the town.
Undaunted, Ellie gets the actor’s address and sets out to conduct her interview. But Tony isn’t home when Ellie arrives. After a series of missed connections, Ellie is forced to give up the hunt and try again in the morning. She soon learns that her simple interview is anything but when a well-known movie producer—Bertram Wallis—turns up dead. The producer is believed to have fallen victim to foul play, and the missing Tony Eberle is the primary person-of-interest
Interestingly, both the movie’s director and his “fixer” are also searching for Tony. Their motivation is unclear, but Ellie suspects it might involve some missing photographs last seen in Wallis’ home or possibly a missing movie script. In her search for Tony, Ellie is propositioned by a woman and men, continually lied to, and even evicted from a bar.
Cast the First Stone contains more twists and turns than the hairpin curves on North Canyon Road, the treacherous path near the late producer’s home. Wallis’ well-publicized parties were more orgy than cocktail party and included underage boys. These facts alone are horrifying to sheltered young Ellie, but she’s not dissuaded from continuing her search for Tony. Ellie is motivated by her zeal to find the actor and, if possible, to get his job back for him.
In this treacherous world of Hollywood wannabes, panderers, and pornographers, Ellie carries on—unearthing secrets no one wants revealed. Will she find Tony? And, if she does, what truth will she uncover? These and other mysteries carry Ziskin’s story to a satisfying conclusion borne along on his clever and incisive writing.
Cast the First Stone is the fifth book in the Ellie Stone Mystery series.
Lia Farrell is the author of the Mae December mystery series.
The Secret Life of Souls by Jack Ketchum / Reviewed by G. Robert Frazier
The Secret Life of Souls
By Jack Ketchum and Lucky McKee
Pegasus Books
$24.95
ISBN 978-1681772349
Published 11/08/2016
Book of the Day
If you’re a fan of author Jack Ketchum, you probably expect cannibals and sadistic backwoods tribes to cause trouble for hapless victims in isolated situations. He built his reputation on such novels with the likes of The Girl Next Door, Off Season, and The Offspring. His newest book, however, shirks his tendency for over-the-top brutality for more subtle, psychological shocks.
Co-written by Lucky McKee, The Secret Life of Lost Souls follows the life of eleven-year-old child star Delia Cross and her dog, Caity. Delia’s natural ability to wow both producers and directors on set, coupled with her young age, make her the perfect target of her parents, who take advantage of her and milk her earnings for their own personal gain.
A playful prank gone awry by Delia’s twin brother, Robbie, quickly changes everything. Horribly disfigured and lucky to be alive, Delia’s career appears to be over before it’s really begun. Her parents, though, see opportunity and devise new ways to exploit the tragedy that has befallen their daughter to their benefit. Things snowball from there resulting in a horrifying finale reminiscent of Stephen King’s Cujo.
Ketchum and McKee—who teamed on two previous novels—do an admirable job of developing each character’s mindset, their inner feelings, hopes and fears. You come to care for Delia and, oddly, more for her dog as the story progresses, while secretly yearning for the chapter where her parents get their comeuppance.
At just over 200 pages it is a swift read. Unfortunately, Delia’s obsessive and callous parents don’t come across as all that shocking -- not when the nightly TV news is chockfull of such true-to-life stories already. You almost wish something more would happen, like an attack by cannibals or zombies.
When he’s not working on his own novel or screenplays, G. Robert Frazier writes about other writers and their works on his blog and other sites such as BookPage and US Review of Books. He is a script reader for both the Austin Film Festival and Nashville Film Festival screenwriting competitions and is a member of the Tennessee Screenwriting Association. He used to write and edit stories for several newspapers in the Nashville area until the industry caved in on itself and set him free. And he once won a flash fiction contest in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, so there’s that.
The Spyglass File by Nathan Dylan Goodwin / Reviewed by Jeanie Stewart
The Spyglass File
By Nathan Dylan Goodwin
CreateSpace
$15.95
ISBN 978-1537228532
Published August 30, 2016
Book of the Day
For readers who like history with their mystery, The Spyglass File by Nathan Dylan Goodwin will be a treat. It is the fourth installment in The Forensic Genealogist series. The protagonist, Morton Farrier is — you guessed it — a forensic genealogist. While researching his own biological father, he is hired by a woman to find out about her biological mother, Elsie Finch, who gave her up for adoption during WWII.
Morton moves through red tape like a real genealogist. Quickly uncovering the facts of Elsie’s life. She was a young bride in 1940 Britain, whose husband went missing and was presumed dead at The Battle of Dunkirk. Rather than sit at home knitting, Elsie joins the Woman’s Auxiliary Air Force and moves into a dreary room in her mother-in-law’s house. She quickly moves up the ranks in the WAAF as part of the Y-service, where she translates and decodes the chatter of German pilots to figure out where they will bomb next. But, her personal life doesn’t go as smoothly. Her husband’s strange family seems to hate her, people come and go from her life, and when she becomes pregnant the complications become serious.
Who is the baby’s father? What happened to him? What happened to Elsie after the baby’s birth? Every answer seems to hinge on the mysterious document called the Spyglass File; and someone does not want Morton to find it. Who? Why? Morton is lied to. His computer files are wiped out. He is physically attacked by and warned to stop the search. But Morton keeps digging.
The plot is well-paced. The WWII settings are detailed without reading like a text book. The characters are varied and well drawn. Goodwin is able to move the story back and forth from the present to WWII seamlessly — all the while giving plenty of action in both time periods. The Spyglass File is both a historical mystery and a frame story similar to Fanny Flagg’s The All Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion. This book will appeal to readers who like genealogy, mystery, history, and even romance.
Jeanie Stewart has been a mother, grandmother, speaker, freelance editor, teacher, and library director, but before, during, and after these, she was a writer. Her first novel was published in 1997. Eight books followed in Bantam’s SVU series, including thrillers: Don’t Answer the Phone and Deadly Terror. She has published 9 children’s books for Steck-Vaughn and Rigby. Ten Book Summer won the Missouri Writer’s Guild 2002 award for Best Juvenile book. New Coach Blues won the same award in 2004. Shifting Ground won MWG’s award for best book about Missouri. She has also published numerous short stories and articles for children and adults.
Exhume by Danielle Girard / Reviewed by Garret C. Crowell
Exhume
By Danielle Girard
Thomas and Mercer
$15.95
ISBN 978-1503939301
Published October 1, 2016
Book of the Day
Exhume by Danielle Girard – the first book in a series that follows San Francisco Medical Examiner Annabelle Schwartzman – is a fast-paced read that surprises the reader with each turn of the page.
Dr. Schwartzman is our protagonist, and her relationship with her historically abusive ex-husband is rooted firmly in the realm of books like Gone Girl, or Girl on the Train. The similarities end there, though, because our good doctor is already well into her fresh start when we meet her, having begun a new life on the opposite coast from where her troubles began. Our introduction to the ex-husband is unconventional in that it follows the format of the best horror and thriller works. That is to say, the author doesn’t show us the monster right away; she makes us wait for the payoff. That revelation's a long time coming, but the influence of the dreaded Spencer (the ex from Annabelle’s past) is felt long before the reader meets him.
Exhume is perfectly paced and keeps the reader intrigued from start to finish. Girard’s love of books really shines through to the text (books factor into the plot, mood, and backgrounds). There's enough of the procedural protocols evident within the story to placate those of us who like our cops bagging and tagging and running down leads, but enough dark development to delight those who enjoy Denise Mina’s Garnethill books or Iris Johanson’s Eve series. I was further pleased with the strong-but-scarred good doctor, who is not plagued with the maladies that seems to afflict a lot of heroines in books at present. She feels like a real person, which is a refreshing change.
The book begins in San Francisco but ranges wide in terms of locale, so people who like a little bit of epic scope to their stories should feel satisfied with this. The story contains a big cast of characters that, despite multiple locations and identity questions, never becomes unwieldy or hard to follow.
Exhume is an exciting and memorable introduction to Girard’s series. Read it and be entertained. I was.
Note: You won't have long to wait for book 2 in this series. Excise will be available August 22, 2017!
Garrett C. Crowell is a Nashville native, Murfreesboro Librarian, husband, and father of two. He reads more than 100 books a year and likes some of them.
Sidney Chambers and the Persistence of Love by James Runcie / Reviewed by Bree Goodchild
Sidney Chambers and the Persistence of Love
By James Runcie
Bloomsbury
$28.00
ISBN 978-1632867940
Available 5/23/2017
Book of the Day Review
Booze, smokes, family, hot jazz, community, religion, PTSD: all pieces that fit together to create the puzzle that is Sidney Chambers. A Reverend Canon and amateur detective, this decorated WWII soldier-turned-priest continues to struggle between morality and the trauma of his past in Sidney Chambers and the Persistence of Love by James Runcie.
Concluding The Grantchester Mysteries series, Runcie–whose father was a decorated WWII soldier and former 101st Archbishop of Canterbury, and whom the character of Chambers is based on, delivers a story of intrigue, warmth, and perseverance that leaves you at the edge of your armchair asking, “Well, Chambers, whodunit?!”
The story begins as Sidney Chambers is enjoying a morning walk through Bluebell Wood with his young daughter and their dog. It’s 1971 in Grantchester, England. The morning dew glistens as the rising sun reveals the promise of a new day. But, the trio’s peaceful morning is interrupted when Chambers discovers a corpse along their path. Beside the body is a basket filled with various poisonous plants. It will take the skills of both Chambers and his friend, Inspector Georgie Keating, to solve the case that could rattle the lives of all the good folks of Cambridgeshire.
Runcie’s details of the culture of Grantchester, and the charming characters he creates are reminiscent of Agatha Christie. He fills the chapters with clever plot twists, complex love triangles, and witty dialogue. But, it is the underlying themes of forgiveness and love that truly sets this story apart from others in the genre.
Whether you have followed the series through from the start or started at the end and worked your way backwards, the life of Sidney Chambers is an enjoyable read at any point within his story.
Bree Goodchild is a recent graduate of Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville with a BA in English and Theatre Arts. She currently lives in Washington state with her beagle mix, Molly. A fan of a wide genre of books and authors, most recently Temple Grandin, Ira Glass, Terry Moore, Sebastian Barry, and Zora Neale Hurston.
Blood Wedding by Pierre LeMaitre / Reviewed by Laura Hartman
Blood Wedding
By Pierre LeMaitre
MacLehose Press
$26.99
ISBN 978-0997211702
Published September 6, 2016
Book of the Day Review
Blood Wedding, by Pierre LeMairtre, is the story of Sophie Duguet, a woman in conflict. At the very least she is mentally unstable, but she is quite possibly a murderer. Somehow, she goes from being a happily married career woman to a fugitive in the blink of an eye, and she cannot understand how the whole thing happened to her.
It starts with little things: missing items, forgetting to do small errands, lost birthday gifts that turn up months later. These blips in memory lead up to horrible mistakes at work. Soon, Sophie begins to lose more than everyday items; she is missing parts of her day. She finds herself in places and situations, but she does not have a clue as to how or why she is there. Her husband is losing his patience, and she is sure that she has lost her mind.
Each slip of memory chips a sliver of Sophie’s psyche away until she does not know who she is anymore. It is not hard for her to disappear and reinvent herself when it becomes necessary; she does what she has to do. What is hard is finding a new husband whose name she can take to solidify her new persona. She has always known that somewhere, inside of her there is a strong, smart, woman. But, is there enough of that woman left to save her?
Enter Frantz, the shy, military man Sophie meets through a dating service. Frantz wants to help Sophie and she is relieved to find someone she can trust to take care of her. Even though she does not really love him—she needs him. He just might be her ticket out of the craziness her life has become—or is she jumping from the frying pan into the fire and making a pact with the Devil himself?
Unbeknownst to Sophie, a seemingly remote catalyst sets off a series of life changing events. Sophie pulls the reader along her descent into madness all the while hoping she will be able to claw her way back from to become the person she once was. All of this could happen to anyone if they are in the wrong place at the right time. It is terrifying to realize how easily Sophie’s life turned upside down and out of control.
If you look up a list of suspenseful thrillers—Blood Wedding should be at the top of the list. I could not turn the pages fast enough to see what would happen next. The plot is so solid that I could not find an unanswered question. The supporting characters are relevant and memorable without overshadowing the story line. Their interactions with the main characters enhance and help to advance the plot. The main characters are fully developed, multi-dimensional, and demand the reader’s attention.
Nothing and no one is what or who they seem to be as the plot swirls around Sophie and Frantz. LeMaitre expertly grabs the reader and drags them into the depths of Sophie’s despair and the plotting mind of Frantz. He then takes the reader on a roller coaster ride through a house of mirrors at breakneck speed. The reader will question the ideas they had when they first met Sophie and Frantz. This adventure is one that readers live for. No one will be disappointed.
From the first page to the last, the suspense never stops. I love this book. The lightning fast pace, perfect plot, and characters that are unerringly realistic are reminiscent of a Hitchcock movie. Each page helps to build the tension until the story explodes in the final chapters. The ending is satisfying—leaving no loose ends begging for explanation—which is perfection.
Pierre LeMaitre is an acclaimed, award winning author and screenwriter. His books are originally written in French, but many have been translated to English. Blood Wedding is the first novel I have read by LeMaitre, but it will not be the last.
DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy for free from the publisher/author in connection with Killer Nashville in return for my review. Copyright © 2017 Laura Hartman
Laura Hartman is a short story author and book reviewer. She has work appearing in A Woman’s Touch: 11 Stories of Murder & Misdemeanors and The Killer Wore Cranberry, A Second Helping. She began reviewing books for GenReviews in 2011 and currently reviews for publicist Maryglenn McCombs, Penguin First to Read and NetGalley. She is a writer by day and a reader by night.
DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy for free from the publisher/author in connection with Killer Nashville in return for my review. Copyright © 2017 Laura Hartman
Grace by Howard Owen / Reviewed by Robert Selby
Book of the Day Review
Grace, by Howard Owens, grabs you from the opening paragraph and refuses to let go. The main character, Willie Black, is a blue collar, crass and colorful reporter following a murder in the neighborhood. The first several “graphs” report a newspaper employee holding the editor hostage with an unloaded gun, and propel the story line toward the killer of his brother. The murder of a young and aspiring black teenager turns quickly into the investigating a couple of decades of similar young boys that have disappeared; and Willie is following that thread.
The most captivating aspect of this book is the development of the main character, and his story may be more compelling than the story he’s following and trying to unravel. In fact, unraveling is apparently something that Willie is most talented at achieving. He does so with an ever-mounting sense of protectiveness that grows in the reader, trying to ‘will’ him not to head off the deep end. He is at times throughout the story line more detective than reporter, but his hunches and ability to put together the clues far outclass the local law enforcement.
More often than not, the local police chief has about had it with Willie and comes close several times to 86’ing the reporter from any interaction with himself or his officers. Ultimately, this hardscrabble reporter stays a step or two in front of the investigating officers and becomes the guy that puts the defiant police chief in his place by solving 20 years’ worth of unsolved murders. Owens has created a reoccurring character who is similar to Sam Spade—especially in regard to his penchant for colorful— and use of— challenging language, particularly when he’s been over served. He picks up on clues that elude others as often as he picks arguments that others would avoid.
At the climax of the story line, a celebrity and local philanthropist is gruesomely murdered in his estate and Willie recognizes that this can’t be coincidental. As he continuously puts himself in danger with nearly every other character in the story in some fashion or another, it becomes a large part of the suspense for the reader as to whether Willie can solve the puzzle before he implodes upon himself. There seems to be more impetus for Willie Black to destroy himself than there is to be the hero of the tale. Those that enjoy a great wordsmith and a unforgettable character in a classic whodunit style will enjoy this next reporter’s tale.
Robert Selby is a screenplay writer, book reviewer, and volunteer at Killer Nashville
Poisoned Justice by Jeffrey Lockwood / Review by Jeanie Stewart
Poisoned Justice
By Jeffery Alan Lockwood
Pen-L Publishing
$14.99
ISBN 978-1683130086
Published October 11, 2016
Book of the Day Review
Cross a hard-drinking, hard-nosed, hard-boiled 70’s PI with a guy who likes bugs and classical music and you get C. V. Riley. Riley, the hero of Poisoned Justice by Jeffrey Lockwood, copes with the vermin of 1970’s San Francisco with neither regrets nor excuses.
When an ecology professor is found dead in his Los Angeles hotel room, his death is chalked up to natural causes—but his widow thinks otherwise. And after examining insects from the room, so does Riley. Promised a princely sum for his favorite charity, Riley, an ex-cop turned pest exterminator, agrees to help the widow find the truth. His investigations lead him from the conference attendees in LA, to the professor’s friends and enemies in Berkley, and even to the drug trade in San Francisco. He has run-ins with professors, pot-growers, drug-dealers, radical ecology-activists, and sexy teaching assistants. The list of suspects grows when he learns the dead professor had plans to bomb a chemical plant. Could the politically connected bigwigs in the chemical business have put a hit out on the professor?
Riley’s backstory, carefully woven into the fast-paced action, reveals his motivation to rid San Francisco of vermin—both the 6-legged and the 2-legged kind. But how will he do it? Will he go the legal route or take care of business in his own way?
Lockwood’s book fits well into the tough PI genre with seedy bars, fist-fights, and even the practice of giving suspects the third degree. The characters, though a bit insensitive, are true to the attitudes and turmoil of California in the late ‘60’s. Fans of the fictional characters of Raymond Chandler or Robert Parker will enjoy this tough but sensitive lover of booze, bugs, and Beethoven.
Jeanie Stewart has been a mother, grandmother, speaker, freelance editor, teacher, and library director, but before, during, and after these, she was a writer. Her first novel was published in 1997. Eight books followed in Bantam’s SVU series, including thrillers: Don’t Answer the Phone and Deadly Terror. She has published 9 children’s books for Steck-Vaughn and Rigby. Ten Book Summer won the Missouri Writer’s Guild 2002 award for Best Juvenile book. New Coach Blues won the same award in 2004. Shifting Ground won MWG’s award for best book about Missouri. She has also published numerous short stories and articles for children and adults
Another Day Another Dali by Sandra Orchard / Review by Kathleen Cosgrove
Another Day Another Dali
By Sandra Orchard
Revell
$14.99
ISBN 978-0800726690
Published October 18, 2016
Book of the Day Review
Another Day Another Dali by Sandra Orchard, is the fun and fast-paced sequel to A Fool and His Monet. The story’s hero, Serena Jones, is an art fraud investigator with the FBI. When she takes on the case of a forged Salvador Dali painting at the request of her grandmother, she sets in motion a chain of twisting events that does not stop until you reach the last page. It is chock-full of interesting characters, including an aunt who keeps turning up in unexpected places, and a nice little love triangle that doesn’t resolve in the end, giving the reader hope for more in this series.
Orchard introduces the action right away and paces the novel in such a way that the reader wants to keep turning the page. But she does not allow the action of the story to bog down the plot or exhaust the reader. Her detailed research gives the reader a behind-the-scenes look into the world of art forgery and fraud. There is plenty of humor and lightness to balance the dire undercurrent of villainy and perhaps even corrupt police officers.
All in all, this is an clever mystery with a smart, believable and—above-all—an immensely likable hero that will give the reader a fascinating look into the world of art and the people who love it, steal it, or forge it—sometimes all at once
Center Stage by Denise Grover Swank / Reviewed by Jeanie Stewart
Book of the Day Review
Center Stage is aptly named. Denise Grover Swank’s main character, Magnolia (Maggie) Steele, is always center stage—not only in her career, but in her life. Maggie attracts drama the way a magnet attracts iron. At times it flies at her hard and fast, and the impact is beyond her control. When an on-stage blow-up with a cheating understudy sends her Broadway career crashing like the scenery around her, she’s left with nothing.
With no money, no job, and no place to live, Maggie is forced to go back home to Franklin, Tennessee. Her mama takes her in, but there is no sweet reunion. Maggie had fled Franklin ten years earlier in disgrace, and even she doesn’t remember the details of the awful night that still gives her nightmares.
Before Maggie can get her bags unpacked, Mama, insists she help out at the party she’s catering for a country music star. There, while serving crab puffs to the Nashville movers and shakers, Maggie stumbles across the body of a sleazy agent she’d once sent to the hospital and had recently threatened. She immediately becomes a person of interest to the Franklin police.
The only way to prove her innocence is to find out who really killed the sleaze. The deeper she digs, the worse things get. She starts getting threatening emails. Her brother hates her. People from her past are angry about the way she ran out on them years ago. She meets new people but doesn’t know who to trust. And then there’s a second murder.
The author’s fast-paced writing and weaving of the past and present keeps the story moving. CenterStage is the first of four books in the Magnolia Steele Mystery series. Act Two and Call Back are available now and the final book, Curtain Call, will be published this fall.
Readers who like strong heroines will root for Maggie. Who wants to harm her? Will she stay in Franklin or go back to New York City? And how will she cope when she finally remembers the horror of the night she left her past behind?
Jeanie Stewart has been a mother, grandmother, speaker, freelance editor, teacher, and library director, but before, during, and after these, she was a writer. Her first novel was published in 1997. Eight books followed in Bantam’s SVU series, including thrillers: Don’t Answer the Phone and Deadly Terror. She has published 9 children’s books for Steck-Vaughn and Rigby. Ten Book Summer won the Missouri Writer’s Guild 2002 award for Best Juvenile book. New Coach Blues won the same award in 2004. Shifting Ground won MWG’s award for best book about Missouri. She has also published numerous short stories and articles for children and adults
The Widower's Wife by Cate Holahan
The Widower's Wife
By Cate Holahan
Crooked Lane Books
$25.99
ISBN 978-1629537658
Published August 9, 2016
Book of the Day
The Widowers Wife, a thriller by Cate Holahan features an interesting blend of third person/first person viewpoint. The events leading up to Ana Bacon’s death are related in first person as they occur. The subsequent insurance investigation trails her death by some 4 months, and is written in third person. The book features an intricate plot that leaves the reader wondering which thread will unravel, and what it might disclose.
When does an accidental drowning arouse suspicion? In this thriller, when the insurance investigator is a former policeman turned private eye. Ryan Monahan just can’t put his finger on it, but with millions of dollars at stake, he follows his hunches. Monahan is a private eye straight out of the Peter Falk as Columbo mode, complete with the obligatory “just one more question” as he interviews witnesses.
All signs point to an accidental death, but something still bothers him. Was it depression that drove the young wife and mother to jump? Or was the husband shopping around for a newer model? Was she having an affair with her boss, or was he a would-be lover, blackmailed by her? And was her husband, an unemployed and disgraced Wall Street trader, the manipulator behind her death?
The plot is filled with twist and turns, each seemingly the right path only to cross another, equally plausible answer. As the two viewpoints come closer to the same time and place, even more surprises await the reader. It’s difficult to put down – don’t begin it late at night or the next day will be rough.
While Holahan’s mixing of person is unique, buried nuggets can be found throughout the volume. An example is “For someone like her, the stares of men had to be like sunrays: something that happened in daylight and not worth noticing unless overly hot or oppressive.” The reader will come across them, and cannot help but pause and read them over, adding to the overall enjoyment.
Danny Lindsey keeps trying to retire. After a 20-year Army career and a 25-year private sector career, he’s (maybe) finally settling down. His current gig is as the Veteran Employment Services manager for a Huntsville, AL 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.
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