KN Magazine: Reviews

3/17/16 3/17/16

Baggage by S.G. Redling / Reviewed by Shelley Haley

Killer Nashville Book of the Day

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S.G. Redling

Baggage by S.G. Redling
Reviewed by Shelley Haley

We all have a past. It can be good or bad; nonetheless, it is there as sure as your shadow. The trick is to find a way to embrace the sun. Anna Ray, protagonist of S.G. Redling’s Baggage (Thomas & Mercer) has yet to embrace her sun—which she offsets by embracing wine or beer in large quantities. Nonetheless, she manages to maintain a semblance of normalcy as she starts a new life in a small town in southern West Virginia. Baggagepulls the unsuspecting reader into the storyline headfirst, causing them growing curiosity and concern.

The beautiful, snow-capped Allegheny Mountains become a soothing balm for Anna's aching heart, but memories of her youth, and of the recent dissolution of her marriage, continue to hold her captive. This bottomless pit of pain profoundly intensifies every February 17th, the anniversary of not one, but two horrific past life experiences. Anna’s cousin Jeannie Conroy anticipates her urgent need for companionship and comfort on this dreaded day, and arrives for a visit. The two decide to spend the night out on the town, riding out the darkness together with food, laughter and alcohol.

But on a day that should be dedicated to much-needed recovery, Anna walks into a crime scene upon her arrival to work. Art professor Ellis Trachtenberg—who just happened to be handsome and available—has been murdered and mutilated, creating a maelstrom of turmoil for the community as well as for Anna.

The brutality of the crime is unexpected in this quiet, snow-covered town, and the gossip and subsequent police inquisition brings with it a flood of tragic memories and reprises Anna’s disdain for the police. A well-kept secret has been unearthed, set free by a maniacal mind with a profound need for “justice”. With only her cousin Jeannie and “mother hen” boss Meredith alongside her, Anna tries to maintain her composure. An investigation is never pleasant, especially when one becomes a suspect…

We all carry some “baggage”. The question remains: how does one effectively unload it? It is difficult to carry the day-to-day weight of emotional burdens whilst never uttering a word to a soul. S.G. Redling’s Baggage offers a direct view into a struggling young woman’s life; so effectively that one desires to carry the baggage for her! A fascinating read with a dramatic conclusion, this compelling emotional roller coaster is not to be missed!

Shelley Haley is an eccentric artist, reader of novels, writer of chronicles fueled by an insatiable fascination with history and the lessons that lie therein, prone to wanderlust and born under the sign of Aquarius.

If you have a book you would like featured, send an ARC for consideration. The Killer Nashville Book of the Day Reviews are coordinated by Clay Stafford with the assistance of Emily Eytchison and credited guest reviewers.

For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com, www.KillerNashvilleBookCon, and www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com.

*Killer Nashville is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. If you purchase a book from the links on this page, Amazon will give Killer Nashville a small percentage of the total sale. Killer Nashville receives zero compensation (other than sometimes the book to review) from publishers who have been selected for the Book of the Day.

3/15/16 3/15/16

Hap and Leonard by Joe R. Lansdale / Reviewed by Britany Menken

Killer Nashville Book of the Day

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Joe R. Lansdale

Hap and Leonard by Joe R. Lansdale
Reviewed by Britany Menken

Joe R. Lansdale’s Hap and Leonard features a Texan crime-fighting duo, who throw around rich comedic one-liners while solving mysteries of proportions as huge as their home state. Through this collection of short stories, we meet a pair of close-knit friends: Leonard, who’s all bark and all bite, and Hap, who’s happy to bite but has a sensible way about it.

In stories like “Dead Aim”, the meat and potatoes of the book, we see well-developed, polished characters trying to protect a woman from a disgruntled future husband—or so it seems, at first glance. As the story continues, the two men find themselves in a predicament, which includes a dodgy lawyer and a mountain of debt owed to thugs.

Now a SundanceTV original series, the book draws the reader in by creating comedy and crime-related tension in every nook and cranny of each story. With all the mystery, humor, and sharp-shootin’ mixed in, you meet characters so easy to connect with, you forget you’re reading a book and feel like you’re simply just getting to know someone. Brothers by bond, Hap and Leonard’s different skin colors have never stopped them from solving cases together. Though Leonard is gay, he ignores the social norms that come with it, and isn’t afraid to shove a man’s head through a wall during a heated bar fight. Hap’s red headed darling Brett spices up the collection with her sassy southern charm.

As the stories progress, we learn of Hap and Leonard’s humble beginnings, and their struggle with prejudice against Leonard’s color and sexual preference of men. This everlasting friendship catapults into a fighting duo, with the help of Brett’s vanilla cookies and crisp Dr. Pepper. If you find yourself on the wrong side of Hap and Leonard, be cautious, because they are quicker than a rattlesnake, and their bite is just as bad. If you find yourself an innocent bystander looking for a great book to read, you’ve come to the right place.

Britany Menken graduated from Tusculum College in '14 with a degree in Creative Writing and a minor in British literature. Besides being an avid reader, she enjoys working for different book editing/reviewing outlets online. Other skills include making a mean pot of coffee and being a mom to a gray and orange tabby who occasionally helps her review books. (Said tabby is quite picky.)

For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com, www.KillerNashvilleBookCon, and www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com.

3/11/16 3/11/16

Annabel Lee by Mike Nappa / Reviewed by Sharon Marchisello

Killer Nashville Book of the Day

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Mike Nappa

Annabel Lee by Mike Nappa
Reviewed by Sharon Marchisello

Eleven-year-old Annabel Lee speaks English like a redneck but is actually well-educated and multi-lingual. She has no idea why her Uncle Truck, the mysterious man who raised her, has stashed her in a secret underground bunker with a man-killing German Shepherd who is a true soldier, fiercely loyal to his master. During her confinement, Annabel deciphers a journal written in German, which holds the key to why mad scientists and government agencies are sending soldiers and mercenaries to hunt her down and fight to the death to capture her.

Mike Nappa’s Annabel Lee (Revell) is a fast-paced thriller, alternating viewpoints between Annabel Lee, The Mute, and Trudi Coffey. The Mute is a former army sniper who owes his life to Annabel's Uncle Truck. His mission is to find the girl and keep her safe—especially out of the hands of the diabolical “Dr. Smith”, who has led the search for her.

Private detective Trudi Coffey becomes involved when an important clue to Annabel Lee's location is found in a book of the works of Edgar Allen Poe, a gift from her former husband and ex-business partner, Samuel Hill. Samuel Hill moonlights for the C.I.A., and once served in the army with Truck. Coffey and Hill are forced to pair up again to solve the riddle, rescue the girl, and stay alive in the process. Their sexual tension and past hurt feelings add interest and complexity to the story.

Annabel Lee is the first mystery in a new series featuring detectives Coffey and Hill, a pair that promises to entertain, solving crimes while bickering like Castle and Beckett. Author Mike Nappa, a former youth pastor, has had a successful career as an inspirational writer, but this is his first foray into the thriller genre. Annabel Lee contains a touch of a Christian theme (mainly portrayed through a character's faith), but is in no way preachy or off-putting for an audience who does not read that genre. Thriller readers will not be disappointed.

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.

For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com, www.KillerNashvilleBookCon, and www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com.

3/10/16 3/10/16

The Bursar's Wife by E. G. Rodford / Reviewed by Clay Snellgrove

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The Bursar's Wife by E. G. Rodford
Reviewed by Clay Snellgrove

The Bursar’s Wife(Titan Books) by E.G. Rodford (pseudonym) is the first detective novel by the award-winning author Mischa Hiller. Private detective George Kocharyan is scratching out a living chasing cheating spouses and insurance fraud perpetrators around Cambridge, England, when the story begins. When the beautiful Sylvia Booker, wife of the bursar at Morley College, hires Kocharyan to follow her daughter, whom she believes has fallen in with the wrong crowd, he suddenly finds himself immersed in a decades-long blackmail ordeal, triggered by sexual assault and ending in murder and suicide.

The detective’s moral compass points mostly straight and true throughout the novel, and his need to right wrongs fuels his search for the truth as much as his commitment to his client. Kocharyan’s ailing father is eventually connected to the mess, as is a recent client, making the detective a person of interest for the police.

Readers quickly find traits in Kocharyan akin to other popular sleuths to grace bedside tables and beach chairs worldwide: Cormoran Strike, Harry Bosch, Spenser, Robicheaux, Philip Marlow. But while Kocharyan can feel all too familiar, he is an easy hero to cheer for as he bumbles about. His wife has left him for a woman. His wardrobe is frumpy. He struggles with technology. He lives alone in his parents’ house that still displays decades-old décor. He leans heavily on his assistant and her college-age son, but with their help, Kocharyan slowly puts the pieces together.

The Bursar’s Wife benefits from the author’s mastery of craft in his previous novels (as Mischa Hiller), works described as ambitious and important. The story unfolds effortlessly and is as pleasing as any popular primetime TV cop drama. The book might not be singled out by readers but will be fondly remembered someday when it stands on the bookshelf next to the tenth Kocharyan mystery.

Clay Snellgrove is the author of The Ball Player. He's a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University. A former professional baseball player, Clay holds an MFA in creative writing from Converse College.

For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com, www.KillerNashvilleBookCon, and www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com.

3/8/16 3/8/16

Rain Dogs by Adrian McKinty / Reviewed by M. K. Sealy

Killer Nashville Book of the Day

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Adrian McKinty
Credit: Anna McGuire

Rain Dogs by Adrian McKinty
Reviewed by M. K. Sealy

Thanks to Rain Dogs(Seventh Street Books), Adrian McKinty’s latest installment of his Detective Sean Duffy novels, Northern Irish crime fiction has firmly established itself as one of my preferred genres. Fast-paced and riveting throughout the entire novel, Rain Dogs has elegant dialogue and descriptions that immediately pull readers into the many beautifully described locations. McKinty, with his knowledge and experience, was able to create an intimate, engaging world that had me feeling as though I had once visited Carrickfergus Castle in a dream.

Additionally, McKinty has crafted a believable detective with believable struggles—with Detective Sean Duffy, readers quickly come to realize that solving the crime is only half of the equation. Duffy has had to deal with several cases that he solved, but was unable to take to court. McKinty dabbles not in the realm of glamorized crime fiction; instead, he creates a gritty, true-to-life crime-solving atmosphere. The inclusion of realistic struggles in addition to the larger-than-life feeling of the plot creates a dynamism that had me turning the pages as quickly as possible, as I became more familiar with Detective Duffy and the difficulties he faces throughout the novel.

When is a suicide not a suicide? has been one of the most familiar themes of crime fiction, yet, with Detective Duffy, McKinty breathes new life into a tired plot device. When Detective Duffy becomes involved in an investigation into a crime that is not at all what it seems (as fictional crimes rarely are), readers are dragged quickly and deeply into McKinty’s world. With his settings, characters, and the motivation that sits on the breastbone of those characters, McKinty creates a world that is rooted in reality, but that is enveloping enough for readers to forget their own.

M. K. Sealy earned a Bachelor of Arts in English with an emphasis in literature from a Nashville university. She is a copyeditor for a Nashville-based publication, but also writes poetry, fiction, and is currently attempting a screenplay, all while working to obtain a Master of Education.

For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com, www.KillerNashvilleBookCon, and www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com.

3/4/16 3/4/16

Cracked by Barbra Leslie / Reviewed by G. Robert Frazier

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Barbra Leslie

Cracked by Barbra Leslie
Reviewed by G. Robert Frazier

If it weren’t for the unexpected death of her twin sister, Ginger, Danny Cleary—the heroine of Barbra Leslie’s new novel Cracked (Titan Books)—might still be holed up in her apartment mindlessly wasting away on crack cocaine. Sadly, her sister’s death is just the shot in the arm Danny needs to kick the habit—at least for a chapter or two—and seek vengeance on the person who killed her.

Hooked yet? Thought so.

Leslie has created an anti-hero to root for in the vein of Walt White from Breaking Bad: a tormented, down-on-herself woman who would much rather seek solace from the fumes of her crack pipe than deal with people face-to-face, or with life in general. (She doesn’t even have to go out to get her drugs; they are delivered straight to her apartment by courier just like a hot pizza.)

But when her sister’s own twin sons are kidnapped as well, Cleary abandons the relatively safe confines of her half-life to embark on a trippy, vigilante-styled quest for vengeance that takes her from the streets of LA to Toronto to a family cabin in the Maine wilderness.

Even as a desire for revenge becomes a new obsession for Cleary, though, old habits die hard. In between endless questions from nosy cops and increasingly violent confrontations with drug dealers and potential suspects in her sister’s death, Cleary all too readily indulges in her next fix. Readers, in turn, can’t help but wonder if she can stay straight long enough to get to the truth and, perhaps more importantly, turn her life around.

The first-person narrative allows readers to get deep inside Cleary’s thoughts and experience her feelings firsthand, including her sudden urges for a line of coke. While some might see Cleary’s more than occasional hits as an excuse for a pick-me-up, Leslie doesn’t downplay the effects the drug habit is having on Cleary’s mind and body. As Cleary points out early on, “for a crack addict, the coming down is so bad that you’d rather keep going until there is no going left.”

As if that wasn’t enough, Leslie piles on enough twists and turns and action-packed shoot-‘em-ups to keep readers turning pages late into the night.

Cracked marks Leslie’s second book—following her previously published novel, Nerve, and a screenplay for Straightedge Films—and is the first in a planned trilogy of adventures featuring Danny Cleary.

G. Robert Frazier is an author and screenwriter living in La Vergne, TN. Follow him on Twitter @grfrazier23 and visit his Adventures in Writing blog at https://grfrazier.wordpress.com for more reviews and stories about the writing life.

For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com, www.KillerNashvilleBookCon, and www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com.

3/3/16 3/3/16

The Unfortunate Englishman by John Lawton / Reviewed by Kelly Saderholm

Killer Nashville Book of the Day

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John Lawton
Credit: Nick Lockett

The Unfortunate Englishman by John Lawton
Reviewed by Kelly Saderholm

Although John Lawton’s newest book The Unfortunate Englishman(The Atlantic Monthly Press) is the second in his Joe Wilderness series, it works quite well as a standalone novel—though Lawton’s characters are so intriguing, they will undoubtedly send the reader looking for the first in the series, Then We Take Berlin. The Unfortunate Englishman is a spy novel in the best le Carré fashion: no whiz-bang James Bond flash and gadgetry, but rather the chillingly realistic mind-games, intrigue, and political maneuvering of the Cold War era.

The Unfortunate Englishman opens with the main character, Joe Wilderness, mistakenly shooting someone in what he thought was self-defense (nothing is ever what it seems), and landing in a West Berlin Prison in early 1963. His only chance for freedom is to sign a pact with the devil, or, in his case, his father-in-law Alec Burne-Jones, who happens to be a senior Agent at M16. Burne-Jones takes the wayward Wilderness back to London and plants him firmly behind a desk. But of course, Joe is again called into action, back to Berlin.

Lawton gives us the compelling back-story of two spies, both unfortunate Englishmen in their own ways, caught on opposite sides of the Iron Curtain. It is Joe’s mission to make what is seemingly a simple exchange. But Cold War intrigues are not simple, and when Joe further complicates things by trying to turn a profit on the side, the plan starts to unravel even as it begins.

Although the nonlinear narrative is initially a bit jarring, the stories of the two spies are beautifully done and well written. Lawton deftly picks up the loose ends of the story and weaves them into a captivating narrative that keeps the reader hooked. Along the way, he adds many historical details, providing the reader with an informative and entertaining read.

Kelly Saderholm has written, blogged, and lectured about aspects of the mystery novel. She has moderated panels and presented papers at literary conferences, on both the Mystery Novel and Urban Fantasy. She is currently shifting from writing about mystery fiction to writing actual mystery fiction, and is working on a novel, as well as a non-fiction book dealing with Folklore in the American South. She is a recipient of a Kentucky Foundation for Women grant. She lives in South Central Kentucky with her family and two feline office assistants.

For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com, www.KillerNashvilleBookCon, and www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com.

3/1/16 3/1/16

Pegasus Down by Philip Donlay / Reviewed by G. Robert Frazier

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Philip Donlay
Photo Credit: Pamela Sue Martin

Pegasus Down by Philip Donlay
Reviewed by G. Robert Frazier

Before you crack open Pegasus Down (Oceanview Publishing), the new novel by Philip Donlay, you better buckle up: You’re in for a hell of a ride. This action-thriller soars from start to finishwithpage-a-minute suspense and thrills to keep you riveted to your seat, just like an on-screen summer blockbuster.

Donlay drops readers, and one of his main characters, right into the fray in his opening chapter as a CIA-operated Learjet crashes behind enemy lines somewhere in Eastern Europe. On board are Special Agent Lauren McKenna, code name “Pegasus”, and a recently liberated American scientist who possesses technological plans for a new stealth jet capable of delivering a nuclear device. McKenna manages to swim free of the wreckage, and must immediately go on the run from foreign forces and a terrorist group that will stop at nothing to obtain the technology.

Half a world away, the CIA is reluctant to expose its presence and risk a political backlash between countries, but they don’t mind letting McKenna’s husband, billionaire Donovan Nash, in on events. Nash swiftly calls in a few favors and assembles a crack team of operatives to join him on a clandestine rescue operation. Once in Europe, he cashes in another chip to enlist the help of an old friend who would rather see him dead.

It’s clear from the outset that Donlay’s characters are no pushovers. Each is highly skilled, highly trained, and committed to the task at hand. Lauren in particular is no damsel in distress, and can hold her own in a fight, but the question quickly becomes one of how long she can outlast the hordes of troops searching for her.

The roller-coaster action reaches a thrilling aerial climax as the team pursues one of the scientist’s stealth jets before it can drop its payload on Russia and spark a world war. Donlay’s firsthand knowledge in the pilot’s seat—he learned to fly at age seventeen and has logged over six million miles since then—is evident as he details the aerial maneuvers in an easily relatable way for readers. He’s an accomplished writer, too, with five other critically acclaimed Donovan Nash books already under his belt.

G. Robert Frazier reads and writes in La Vergne, TN. Follow him on Twitter @grfrazier23 or visit his Adventures in Writing blog at https://grfrazier.wordpress.com.

For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com, www.KillerNashvilleBookCon, and www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com.

2/26/16 2/26/16

The Shut-Eye by Belinda Bauer / Reviewed by M. K. Sealy

Killer Nashville Book of the Day

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Belinda Bauer
© Johnny Ring

The Shut Eye by Belinda Bauer
Reviewed by M. K. Sealy

The Shut Eye(Grove Atlantic), the latest from CWA Gold Dagger winner Belinda Bauer, had me on the edge of my seat from page one. Not only does The Shut Eye have engaging characters and a plot that immediately reeled me in, but it also boasts well-written dialogue and description. I found myself becoming greedy for each chapter, stealing moments to read whenever I could. With some of the best descriptive work I have seen in a long time, each page breathes new life into the last, bringing the characters, settings, and plot to life and to the forefront of the reader's mind—you’ll still be thinking about The Shut Eye long after you've finished reading it.

Bauer’s newest novel follows the fascinating, albeit heartrending, desperate acts of a mother searching for her missing son. This novel explores the question, When all other options are gone, what can Anna Buck do to find out what happened to her son?, and offers an answer that most would consider unorthodox: consult a psychic. Though all logic points in the opposite direction, and though it would be easier to believe that the “shut eye” is a phony, Anna is forced to face uncomfortable and undeniable truths.

Belinda Bauer is a crime fiction force to be reckoned with. The Shut Eye, with its fast pace, well-developed characters, and amazingly crafted dialogue and description, offers readers an escape from reality, through a suspense-filled story that will have them soon devouring Bauer’s other works as well.

For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com, www.KillerNashvilleBookCon, and www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com.

2/25/16 2/25/16

Try Not to Breathe by Holly Seddon / Reviewed by Clay Snellgrove

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Holly Seddon

Try Not to Breathe by Holly Seddon
Reviewed by Clay Snellgrove

Debut novelist Holly Seddon gives readers a compelling mystery in Try Not to Breathe. Using fifteen-year old memories from the victim’s perspective, Seddon cleverly doles out disturbing tidbitsof the seedy seduction and brutal assault of an underage girl without identifying the culprit. Seddon leaves that discovery to her tortured protagonist Alex Dale.

Journalist Alex Dale, once a highly respected and well-paid columnist for the Times, is now chasing lowly freelance work in and around London. A barely functioning alcoholic, Alex has lived a life filled with scenes that belong in the Academy Award-winning film Leaving Las Vegas. Her daily battle with the demons of addiction is visceral and heartbreaking.

While interviewing a scientist who claims to be able to communicate with brain-dead patients, Alex finds herself at the bedside of comatose assault victim Amy Stevenson. The unsolved crime grabbed headlines fifteen years earlier, and Amy’s familiar face draws Alex’s interest, turning the profile piece into an investigative jaunt to discover whodunit.

Alex proves a competent investigator during her few sober hours each day. She coerces Amy Stevenson’s teenage sweetheart, the only person from Amy’s past who continues to visit her, to aid the investigative efforts. She rips open the deepest wounds of her alcoholic past to further her search for answers, contacting her ex-husband, a policeman with access to the old case files. While Alex ultimately puts together circumstantial evidence that points to the perpetrator, the prosecution hinges on new-age neuroscience techniques that can draw answers from unresponsive patients.

Try Not to Breathe is a tightly constructed mystery. Seddon demonstrates her literary chops without ever taking her foot off the accelerator. She creates suspense easily, and keeps stakes high without having to resort to over-the-top action or unbelievable behavior. Readers will be eagerly awaiting the author’s next effort.

For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com, www.KillerNashvilleBookCon, and www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com.

2/23/16 2/23/16

Death of a Nurse by M. C. Beaton / Reviewed by Lyn Farquhar

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M. C. Beaton

Death of a Nurse by M. C. Beaton
Reviewed by Lyn Farquhar

Death of a Nurse by M. C. Beaton is a delightful story. Set in Lochdubh, Scotland, the author does an exceptional job of bringing the reader to the culture, geography and lives of the characters in his books. We are immediately compelled by the character of Police Sergeant Hamish Macbeth, who keeps the peace for a large tract of the country. He brings a sensible and often amusing cachet to his job and makes it is responsibility to know all the citizens in the surrounds. He also badly wants a girlfriend.

When Gloria Dainty, a private duty nurse to James Harrison, an elderly handicapped curmudgeon, arrives in the area, she seems a likely candidate. Hamish meets Gloria carrying groceries out of the store and is immediately smitten with her perfect oval face and large grey eyes. When she bends over the “boot” of her car to put the groceries away and Hamish gets a gander at stockings held up by lacy garters, he’s a goner. He asks her out to dinner and she agrees. When Gloria is a no show for their date, however, Hamish is dismal. For the first time in his life, he wishes he had a “nice wee crime” to take his mind of things.

Several days later, after learning that Gloria left her employer’s home unexpectedly, Hamish finds a small tousle-haired child at the edge of the sea holding a dripping wet nurse’s cap. With beating heart, he picks his way among the rocks and finds the shattered body of Gloria Dainty. He immediately suspects that she was thrown over the cliff and his intuition is confirmed by the pathologist.

There are a hundred twists and turns in this story: clues, red herrings, and dead ends lead readers and Hamish astray before the perp is nailed. Death of a Nurse is a rollicking ride, and I got many a good chuckle. Poor Hamish: he only wanted a date and got a murder instead!

Lyn Farquhar is the co-author of the Mae DecemberMystery series, under the penname Lia Farrell.

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2/19/16 2/19/16

The Necessary Murder of Nonie Blake by Terry Shames / Reviewed by Lyn Farquhar

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Terry Shames

The Necessary Murder of Nonie Blake by Terry Shames
Reviewed by Lyn Farquhar

At the outset of The Necessary Murder of Nonie Blake (the intriguing 4th book in Terry Shames’ Samuel Craddock mystery series), Police Chief Samuel Craddock gets a call from Charlotte Blake saying her older sister, Nonie, has been pulled from the stock watering pond behind the house. She is dead, ostensibly drowned. Nonie was in a mental hospital for twenty years and until a few days ago, nobody in town knew she was back in Jarrett Creek, TX. The reason for Nonie’s commitment? She tried to hang Charlotte when Nonie was 14 and Charlotte was 8. That’s right, she tried to hang her kid sister!

Chief Craddock thinks the only possible suspects are the members of Nonie’s family. They’re an odd bunch anyway. Nobody in the family works, yet they seem to have plenty of money. Adding to the mystery surrounding the Blakes is the fact that Charlotte wanted her crazy older sister released. Their mother, Adelaide, seems less than thrilled to have her daughter back. The father, an old friend of Craddock’s, is entering the early stages of dementia. When Craddock finally peels him away from his omnipresent wife, Mr. Blake’s mental problems make the information he provides difficult to trust.

When Craddock checks the records at the mental hospital, he finds that Nonie was released ten years ago, not days earlier. Where has the woman been all this time? And why is there a bottle of prescription medicine for Susan Shelby among Nonie’s possessions? Tracking Susan Shelby down to a Wal-Mart in a neighboring town raises even more questions, including this one—if Nonie is somehow still alive, whose body did the Blakes pull out of their stock pond?

Solving this one out requires sorting through convoluted lies, multiple diagnoses for Nonie’s mental problems, and finally getting to the source of the family money. It isn’t an easy business, and takes all of Chief Samuel Craddock’s skills. Terry Shames is a Macavity Award winning writer and her expertise really shows in this latest installment in the Samuel Craddock Mystery series. This compelling story made me want to read all Shames’s earlier books.

Lyn Farquhar is the co-author of the Mae DecemberMystery series, under the penname Lia Farrell.

For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com, www.KillerNashvilleBookCon, and www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com.

2/18/16 2/18/16

A Better Goodbye by John Schulian / Reviewed by G. Robert Frazier

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John Schulian

A Better Goodbye by John Schulian
Reviewed by G. Robert Frazier

You know how they always say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover? In the case of A Better Goodbye (Tyrus Books), this is one instance in which you certainly could. The cover of John Schulian’s debut novel depicts a brilliant yellow and orange sunset over the dark and gritty cityscape of Los Angeles. It’s a perfectly fitting image, as it represents the murky lifestyle Schulian paints beneath the brilliant sparkle and glamour of the movie capital of the world.

It’s in this milieu, right on the fringes of tourist-friendly Hollywood, that we find Schulian’s unforgettable cast of down-and-out characters. There’s Nick Pafko, a former professional boxer haunted by a deadly confrontation in the ring; Jenny Yee, a Korean who sells sexual favors in a so-called massage parlor so she can pay her way through college; Scott Crandall, a washed-up B-movie actor and owner of said massage parlor, who is looking for one more chance to get to the top; and Onus Dupree, a sleazy, conniving “friend” of Scott’s who doesn’t care what it takes, or whom he hurts, to make a score.

Schulian gives each character their own needs and desires and flaws that humanize them. They’re not the sort of characters you’d want to associate with, but you can sympathize with their plight. And, at least in the case of Jenny and Nick, you can hope along with them that maybe, just maybe, their fortunes will change somehow for the better. When the two begin a romantic relationship, that hope pushes ever higher.

But this is a noir novel, above all else. It’s down and dirty,scathingly real and gritty as hell. Happy endings be damned. The lives of Schulian’s characters are irrevocably intertwined and destined to come crashing down in a bloody finale.

Schulian’s hard-edged storytelling gives an air of verisimilitude to his novel. A lifetime of reporting sports stories for publications like Sports Illustrated, The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and the Oxford American, along with stints on iconic crime dramas such as Miami Vice and Wiseguy, clearly arm Schulian’s imagination and prose.

G. Robert Frazier reads and writes in La Vergne, Tenn. Follow him on Twitter @grfrazier23 or visit his Adventures in Writing blog at https://grfrazier.wordpress.com.

For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com, www.KillerNashvilleBookCon, and www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com.

2/16/16 2/16/16

The Girl in the Ice by Lotte and Søren Hammer / Reviewed by Kelly Saderholm

Killer Nashville Book of the Day

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Søren and Lotte Hammer

The Girl in the Ice by Lotte and Søren Hammer
Reviewed by Kelly Saderholm

There is a Christmastime tradition in Iceland called the Jólabókaflóð, or “Christmas book flood”, in which people buy each other books, and on Christmas Eve, after eating a delicious dinner, Icelanders crawl into bed and read their new books. Absolutely my kind of holiday. Although The Girl in the Ice was written by the Danish (not Icelandic) sister and brother team of Lotte and Søren Hammer, it's an excellent candidate for an all-night read, because once you pick it up, it is difficult to put down.

The Girl in the Ice begins with the grim discovery of a body spotted on an ice cap in Greenland by a helicopter pilot. Detective Chief Superintendent Konrad Simonsen is flown in to investigate. He quickly realizes he has seen a similar scene, and deduces that this killer has struck before. The hunt for the killer takes us back to Denmark, and through many twists and turns in the story before the gripping conclusion.

Along the way, Simonsen and his team face not just the dangers of finding and apprehending the killer, but also past memories that the investigation dredges up, and internal conflicts that each member of the team has to work through. And it is not just the team that deals with the past. There are powerful people who don't want these secrets uncovered, and will go to great lengths to keep it that way.

The Girl in the Ice is the second in the Konrad Simonsen series, following the highly-acclaimed The Hanging. First published in Denmark in 2010, the English translation for The Girl in the Ice, translated by Paul Norlen, was published by Bloomsbury: New York, London, in November, 2015.

For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com, www.KillerNashvilleBookCon, and www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com.

2/11/16 2/11/16

He Will Be My Ruin by K. A. Tucker / Reviewed by Shelley Haley

Killer Nashville Book of the Day

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K. A. Tucker

He Will Be My Ruin by K. A. Tucker
Reviewed by Shelley Haley

Imagine the extraordinary, profound sadness you would feel if the one person in the world that you loved and trusted with all of your secrets, hopes, and dreams ended her life in suicide. The case is closed, and you find yourself sitting in her lower east side apartment, nestled among the remnants of her cherished life with a million unanswered questions.

What would you do? Well, you would do what every tried and true, pinky-swear best friend would do. You would incessantly search for answers like a madwoman—despite all obstacles and abrupt dismissals—because every solitary fiber of your being tells you that this is wrong, seriously wrong. In K.A. Tucker’s He Will Be My Ruin(Atria Books), Maggie Sparkes hunts for the truth behind her friend Celine Gonzalez’s apparent suicide; not only for her own closure, but also for Celine’s dying mother, Rosa.

Celine Gonzalez was a smart, beautiful, and ambitious young woman with a zest for life far too great to take her own. She had fought long and hard to make it this far. With an opportunity to study at the Hollingsworth Institute of Art, she was on a direct path to successfully realizing her dream to become a respected antiques appraiser. For Maggie, it just doesn’t add up. The question remains: Why?

During the dreaded task of sorting through Celine’s eclectic collection of garage sale treasures and thrift shop finds, Maggie finds a disturbing note and a shocking photograph. Her subsequent discovery of a multitude of diaries chronicling an unknown, unexpected side of Celine perplexes Maggie further, and fuels her appetite for the truth.

In this sea of confusion, Maggie finds solace in Grady—the scruffy, yet adorable, building super—as she struggles to piece together the clues in this evolving mystery. Maggie’s delightfully inquisitive new neighbor Ruby provides insight and shortbread cookies to sweeten the investigative process. A process that, in due time, places Maggie in the immediate line of danger…

Captivating from beginning to end, He Will Be My Ruin is a non-stop tour of New York City, as two young friends—one dead and one desperately searching—take you from the inner sanctum of a secret garden rooftop to Manhattan’s high-end world of movers and shakers. This novel will leave you breathless—I read it in a day, and it was certainly worth the ride!

Shelley Haley is an eccentric artist, reader of novels, and writer of chronicles fueled by an insatiable fascination with history and the lessons that lie therein; prone to wanderlust and born under the sign of Aquarius.

If you have a book you would like featured, send an ARC for consideration. The Killer Nashville Book Reviews are coordinated by Clay Stafford with the assistance of Emily Eytchison and credited guest reviewers.

For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com, www.KillerNashvilleBookCon, and www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com.

2/9/16 2/9/16

Betty Boo by Claudia Piñeiro / Reviewed by Tessa Bryant

Killer Nashville Book of the Day

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Claudia Piñeiro

Betty Boo by Claudia Piñeiro
Reviewed by Tessa Bryant

As someone who reads and watches quite a lot of suspense and mystery, my tendency is to immediately try to solve the puzzle myself. I usually spend the entire piece making wild predictions, attempting to stay ahead of the plot, and trying get to the end before the author does. Claudia Piñeiro absolutely derailed my every attempt to figure out the next step in this novel. She is a whip-smart author and spins a tight, thrilling story in her newest book, Betty Boo(Bitter Lemon Press).

Piñeiro pushes the reader directly into the action without warning, ignoring any potential for a brooding noir introduction to the story. Her clipped prose offers little chance for the mind to wander as the facts present themselves and the story unfolds. Her steady, confident narrative voice leads the reader’s imagination in a nearly cinematic way, constructing a full, breathing world almost imperceptibly. The plot itself leaves nothing further to be desired. Her characters are unique and rock-solid, her dialogue is fun and punchy, and she leaves no room for plot holes or confusing secondary stories. If you’re looking for a top-notch thriller, you’ve found it.

What’s truly delightful about this novel is not only the complex plot, strident narrative voice, or intrigue, but the genuine heart underneath it all. Piñeiro, while weaving a perfectly wonderful crime web, manages to fill the entire book with another layer of warmth and wit that leaves the reader walking away in total satisfaction.

After having read Betty Boo, I felt a pang of near-embarrassment at never having read any of Piñeiro’s other work, given that she is obviously a master crime author and skilled writer. Rest assured that at the end of this novel, you’ll want to read everything Piñeiro has ever written as soon as possible. Betty Boo is a wonderful addition to an already impressive body of work.

Tessa Bryant is a graduate of the Departments of Theatre and English at Lipscomb University. She is a writer, director, administrator, and researcher of the performing and fine arts, and works and guest lectures at Lipscomb University. She is currently pursuing an M.F.A. in Creative Writing.

For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com, www.KillerNashvilleBookCon, and www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com.

2/4/16 2/4/16

Missing Pieces by Heather Gudenkauf / Reviewed by M. K. Sealy

Killer Nashville Book of the Day

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Heather Gudenkauf

Missing Pieces by Heather Gudenkauf
Reviewed by M. K. Sealy

Though the Halloween season is little more than a memory, and the holiday scents of warm vanilla and Scotch tape are being replaced with heart-shaped chocolates and multicolored roses, a novel I read recently gave me as many chill bumps as any good trick-or-treat. Heather Gudenkauf’s newest novel Missing Piecesis a page-turner guaranteed to take your breath away.

Written with the same poignancy and intensity that landed Gudenkauf's The Weight of Silence a place on the New York Times bestseller list, Missing Pieces is the best of Criminal Minds meeting the best of Cold Case—it is an intense thriller that leaves you turning pages more quickly than you imagined possible, your heart pounding with each discovery.

Missing Pieces, written in third person but still eerily easy to sink into, chronicles the tale of Sarah and Jack Quinlan. Sarah, on whose perspective the reader leans, joins her husband when he returns home to his troubled, dark past, with which Sarah has only ever been vaguely familiar. However, horrific circumstances pull Jack back in (an accident involving his aunt), and Sarah finds herself waist-deep in the strange and upsetting history surrounding Jack and his family. Soon, she is making discoveries that she neither expected nor desired, putting both she and what she holds dear in a tenuous, and possibly life-threatening, position.

Missing Pieces is well-paced, and the characters feel authentic; when Sarah holds her breath, the reader does the same. Though this piece is not a typical, methodical thriller filled with the investigative rumination one often expects from novels of the genre, Missing Pieces, in its uniqueness, offers readers an excellent and easy read.

For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com, www.KillerNashvilleBookCon, and www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com.

2/2/16 2/2/16

Dark Homecoming by William Patterson / Reviewed by Kelly Saderholm

Killer Nashville Book of the Day

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Dark Homecoming by William Patterson
Reviewed by Kelly Saderholm

The opening premise of William Patterson’s new novel Dark Homecoming (Kensington Press) will sound familiar to readers and lovers of Gothic Fiction: a moody, secretive (and fabulously wealthy) man and a young naïve woman fall in love in a resort setting, suddenly marry after a whirlwind romance, and then return to the groom's enormous (and famous) home, which is run by a domineeringly grim housekeeper. After only a day or two together, the husband must go away on business, leaving the young bride to discover the dark secrets of not only the house, but also of the beautiful and sophisticated first wife who died so mysteriously in a storm at sea.

But while Dark Homecoming echoesRebecca, and maintains the same suspenseful mood, Patterson gives us an updated, American story that stands completely on its own. There are dark forces that roam Patterson’s Huntington House, more sinister than anything that might have lurked at Manderley. (For starters, there is a Haitian Chef who is cooking up more than just dinner.)

Patterson deftly adds supernatural elements, so the novel maintains its psychological thriller edge, but with a deliciously creepy overlay. The twists and turns will keep the reader turning pages until the exciting end, but if you read into the night, you'll want to make sure to keep the lights on. This reviewer enjoyed Dark Homecoming very much and looks forward to reading more of William Patterson's novels.

For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com, www.KillerNashvilleBookCon, and www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com.

1/28/16 1/28/16

The Ripper Gene by Michael Ransom / Reviewed by Mary Hankins

Killer Nashville Book of the Day

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Michael Ransom

The Ripper Gene by Michael Ransom
Reviewed by Mary Hankins

What makes a man? Is it his home, his upbringing? Or is it his biology, written from birth in his DNA? Do we really have a choice as to who we are, or is it boiled down to chemicals and synapses firing in our brain? Are we responsible for our own souls, or is there no such thing after all? In this sophisticated murder mystery, Michael Ransom gives air for these questions and more.

Here we meet special agent Lucas Madden, member of the FBI’s special BAU (Behavioral Analysis Unit). While studying to be a doctor, he discovered a link between violence and genetics, leading to what he called “the ripper gene”, which is involved in dopamine production in the brain. Now as a criminal profiler, he uses this discovery to help him predict criminal behavior. And he’ll need every lead he can get as he encounters a serial killer who stabs women and leaves them with an apple and bloody letters on their forehead.

But the genius of this book is that it takes a complicated scientific idea (protein manufacturing and mRNA coding) and explains it clearly, all without insulting the intelligence of the audience or making it too boring to read through. The result is a story that makes the reader feel smarter than when they started, without too much effort on their part.

But don’t despair, adventure seekers: this is no philosophical debate or some dry scientific report. There is enough action to keep the blood pumping, and a mystery that you won’t unravel until the final words on the last page. Chases, near-misses with a devious serial killer, and an ending that will have you on the edge of your seat make this book a smart, well-rounded mystery adventure.

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect about this book is the moral/religious questions that it holds. Once we begin down the path of identifying what DNA does to a person’s behavior, we are left with the question I posed before: “Are we responsible for our own souls?” As Agent Madden struggles to find the killer, he is faced with his own questions of faith as he uses his formula to predict the killer's behavior.

After all, if a person's behavior can be predicted based on their DNA, is anything they do really their own choice? Is free will just an illusion, something we have to believe in so that we can survive day to day? Because you can’t control what your DNA is, anymore than you can control whom you are related to. So how can we control ourselves if our DNA says that we are prone to certain dangerous behaviors?

Do we even have a choice? Ransom’s genius in handling this complex conflict is by not letting it take center stage the whole book, and not taking sides—not even Madden’s—as to who is “right” or “wrong”. Both sides are allowed to look good, and while the ending perhaps favors one side a bit, the reader is left feeling educated and able to make a reasonable choice for themselves. If you love arguing and Criminal Minds, The Ripper Gene (Tor/Forge) is definitely for you!

Mary Hankins is a recent graduate of Lipscomb University. She is putting her Bachelor's of Fine Arts degree to use in the Nashville community theatre scene. Loves God, her family and friends, and Phantom of the Opera—in that order.

For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com, www.KillerNashvilleBookCon, and www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com.

1/26/16 1/26/16

The Undoing by Averil Dean / Reviewed by Will Lasley

Killer Nashville Book of the Day

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Averil Dean

The Undoing by Averil Dean
Reviewed by Will Lasley

The book opens with a suicide.

I’m not even going to bother with a clever intro and lead-in; I’m just gonna go ahead and say it. The book opens with a suicide. From the victim’s point of view. That’s the type of story you’re in for with Averil Dean’s The Undoing. And frankly, that’s all you need to know. That, alone, will tell you whether or not you will like this book. I’d much rather let you learn the story as you go, as I did, which makes for a much better experience.

This story is very emotionally cold, even to a point where the reader can begin to feel physically chilly, and I really liked that about it. Dean has created a stingingly cynical environment that is befitting of such a dark story. Friendships unravel, sick sexual taboos are broken, trust is betrayed, and bodies add up. Anything could happen. And the Memento-style storytelling, in which we learn events in reverse order, sets up many opportunities for twists and turns. The Undoing is that rare thriller that gives the reader a truly uncomfortable experience, and I mean that in the best way possible.

MATURE CONTENT WARNING:This story does contain instances of emotionally charged violence and perverse sexual encounters.

Will “Savage” Lasley is a writer and self-described horror junkie who simply loves a good story. He’s also met Bruce Campbell, so there’s that.

For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com, www.KillerNashvilleBookCon, and www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com.

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KN Magazine: Reviews

Killer Nashville Book of the Day

Baggage by S.G. RedlingReviewed by Shelley Haley

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The Necessary Murder of Nonie Blake by Terry ShamesReviewed by Lyn Farquhar

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The Undoing by Averil DeanReviewed by Will Lasley

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Baggage by S.G. Redling
Reviewed by Shelley Haley

Hap and Leonard by Joe R. Lansdale
Reviewed by Britany Menken

Annabel Lee by Mike Nappa
Reviewed by Sharon Marchisello

The Bursar's Wife by E. G. Rodford
Reviewed by Clay Snellgrove

Rain Dogs by Adrian McKinty
Reviewed by M. K. Sealy

Cracked by Barbra Leslie
Reviewed by G. Robert Frazier

The Unfortunate Englishman by John Lawton
Reviewed by Kelly Saderholm

Pegasus Down by Philip Donlay
Reviewed by G. Robert Frazier

The Shut Eye by Belinda Bauer
Reviewed by M. K. Sealy

Try Not to Breathe by Holly Seddon
Reviewed by Clay Snellgrove

Death of a Nurse by M. C. Beaton
Reviewed by Lyn Farquhar

The Necessary Murder of Nonie Blake by Terry Shames
Reviewed by Lyn Farquhar

A Better Goodbye by John Schulian
Reviewed by G. Robert Frazier

The Girl in the Ice by Lotte and Søren Hammer
Reviewed by Kelly Saderholm

He Will Be My Ruin by K. A. Tucker
Reviewed by Shelley Haley

Betty Boo by Claudia Piñeiro
Reviewed by Tessa Bryant

Missing Pieces by Heather Gudenkauf
Reviewed by M. K. Sealy

Dark Homecoming by William Patterson
Reviewed by Kelly Saderholm

The Ripper Gene by Michael Ransom
Reviewed by Mary Hankins

The Undoing by Averil Dean
Reviewed by Will Lasley