KN Magazine: Reviews
The Black Painting by Neil Olson / Review by E.J. Boyd
The Black Painting
By Neil Olson
Hanover Square Press
$24.99
ISBN 978-1335953810
Publication Date: January 9, 2018
Book of the Day
The Morse family has skeletons in their closet and ghosts on their wall. Well, they HAD a ghost on their wall. The Black Painting by Neil Olson is the devilishly clever tale of the theft of an original Francisco Goya–specifically, one of the paintings that belonged to the collection known as the Black Paintings, believed to be haunted by demons. The theft occurred over a decade before and marked the beginning of years of tragedy and family discord. Following the death of the grandfather (and original owner of the painting), the family is brought back together. Certain that the thief is among them, a private investigator is secretly hired to solve the mystery.
Neil Olson has created a classic “whodunit” with all of the bells and whistles. A wealthy family plagued with problems, the theft of a priceless work of art and a wisecracking private eye to put all the pieces together. By incorporating the historically infamous collection of haunted artwork by Goya, he introduces a credible supernatural element that is already part of the collective conscious. For those familiar with the Goya legend, this is an irresistible lure.
Fast-paced and completely mesmerizing, The Black Painting is sure to be a favorite with fans of the psychological thriller genre. It is like blending Agatha Christie, Dan Brown and a bit of Stephen King all together. It has been over a decade since Olson’s last novel, The Icon, but it has been well worth the wait.
The Other Side of Everything by Lauren Doyle Owens / Review by Joe Hero
The Other Side of Everything
By Lauren Doyle Owens
Touchstone
$25.00
ISBN 978-1501167799
Publication Date: January 23, 2018
Book of the Day
Here is some excellent work. Crotchety Bernard has been a hermit since his wife's passing. Amy is an artist whose marriage is on the rocks after her second bout with cancer. And Maddie is a fifteen-year-old girl who copes with her mother's leaving her family by cutting herself. What do they have in common other than living in the same Florida neighborhood? The elderly woman next door is murdered, spiraling them all into their own unique drama that Lauren Doyle Owens ultimately intersects in The Other Side of Everything. A second and then a third woman are victimized. Bernard emerges from his hermit's life to reunite with his former friends from the Baby Boomer generation. We begin to understand that out of his seemingly uninteresting past, the malice leading to the current murders may have been spawned. Amy paints pictures to cope with her own physical and emotional losses, but soon their impossible realism lands her under scrutiny from the authorities. And Maddie's new enigmatic boyfriend's demeanor draws suspicions, as well as a homeless Charlie, who may be just a bum down on his luck. Consider the genre, and this one delivers on all expectations. Literary without belabored prose, I wanted to keep reading to find out more about the well-developed characters. Mary Higgins Clark has gained a peer. A great comparison that comes to mind would be Moonlight Becomes You. The punch slightly lacked in originality, but still did not detract from the experience. The Other Side of Everything will be a sound addition to your suspense collection. Who murdered these women and why? Is this suspense-filled drama really Bernard's fault? Why is Amy drawn to paint series about the murders? How can a girl two generations removed from Bernard play a pivotal role? These questions had me eagerly devouring the rich and descriptive story all the way to the end. No lulls in this sound literary suspense. If you're a Mary Higgins Clark fan, you'll want The Other Side of Everything. A serial killing spree intertwining three generations, and done tightly with literary flare besides? I normally tend toward graphic thrillers, and I was absolutely fascinated and intrigued by the characters. You'll enjoy this.Joe served a dozen years in the US Navy as a nuclear reactor operator, worked pharma nanotechnology, and currently works taconite mining in heavy equipment operation. Having dedicated his career path toward writing fiction, he has spent the last four years writing over a dozen novels ranging in genre from military sci-fi, international action thriller, historical fiction/steampunk, and dark Americanized British comedy/drama, to dark suspense and psychological thriller/horror and is currently seeking agent representation.
Yesterday's News by R.G. Belsky / Review by Sharon Marchisello
2019 Silver Falchion Candidate
BOOK OF THE DAY
The manuscript that became Yesterday's News (Oceanview Publishing) was the 2016 winner of Killer Nashville's Claymore Award. It is the first in a new series by R.G. Belsky featuring Clare Carlson, the driven, middle-aged news director for Channel 10.
Clare's career catapulted to stardom when, as a young newspaper reporter, she broke a story about the disappearance of eleven-year-old Lucy Devlin, a poster child who vanished on her way to school one day. Clare's heart-wrenching coverage of the family's tragedy captivated New Yorkers and won her a Pulitzer Prize.
Now, fifteen years later, with the mystery of Lucy's fate still unsolved, Anne Devlin, the grieving mother, thinks she has a new lead about the case, and she requests Clare's help to bring the story back to the front burner. Clare agrees.
Anne has received a puzzling email describing a girl who looked a lot like Lucy on the back of a motorcycle at a biker's convention in New Hampshire around the time of her disappearance. Clare learns that Patrick Devlin, Lucy's father (now estranged from Anne), once had ties with a motorcycle gang that attended the gathering. Claire also learns the bodies of six missing children were unearthed near that location a few years later when ground was broken for a shopping center.
The law enforcement official who supervised the investigation of the children's murders and identified the victims was Elliott Grayson, whose career took off after that event. He is now running for the U.S. Senate and both he and his opponent are willing to do almost anything to win. When Clare interviews Elliott about the case, he dodges her questions and romantic sparks fly.
The more Clare digs, the more lies she uncovers, and the more suspicions gnaw at her. No one is who they seem. And then the reader finds out Clare has a much closer connection to the Lucy Devlin case than she has ever revealed.
R.G. Belsky has an extensive journalism background, and his experience is evident in this fast-paced crime novel. Most recently, he was Managing Editor at NBC News. He resides in New York City and is the author of the award-winning Gil Malloy mystery series, including Blonde Ice, The Kennedy Connection, and Shooting for the Stars.
Sharon Marchisello (sharonmarchisello.com) is the author of Going Home, (Sunbury Press, 2014) a murder mystery inspired by her mother's battle with Alzheimer's. She earned a Masters in Professional Writing from the University of Southern California and is a member of the Atlanta Chapter of Sisters in Crime. She lives in Peachtree City, GA, with her husband and cat, does volunteer work for the Fayette Humane Society, and writes a blog about personal finance, Countdown to Financial Fitness https://sharonmarchisello.blogspot.com/.ns.
Need to Know by Karen Cleveland / Review by P.A. De Voe
Need to Know
By Karen Cleveland
Ballantine Books
$26.00
ISBN 978-1524797027
Publication Date: January 23, 2018
Book of the Day
Need to Know, Karen Cleveland’s debut novel, deals with the elemental question of choices a “good” person might make when there are conflicting loyalties: loyalty to one’s family and their perceived needs versus one’s country and its citizens’ safety and security.
In Need to Know, Vivian is a highly stressed woman trying to balance her life’s most critical pieces: love for her husband, the demands of her four young children, and her full-time job as a CIA analyst. Her hectic life is chaotic even before she discovers a secret that threatens to spiral her world out of control. Vivian attempts to manage the situation with a series of patchwork measures—each of which takes her further into a morass of betrayal and danger to everything and everyone she loves.
This is a well-constructed, fast-paced suspense novel. While a reader might question the decisions Vivian, as the protagonist, makes, Karen Cleveland’s ability to build memorable characters and to have them behave consistently throughout her story gives a level of credence to her over-all plotline. Although I must add, the CIA's apparent handling of Russian spies did leave me wondering about that part of the novel. I won’t say more on this latter point, however, so as not to give the story away.
Need to Know is an easy read with a brisk pace and enough twists and turns to satisfy any suspense aficionado.
P.A. De Voe is an anthropologist and Asian specialist who writes historical mysteries and crime stories immersed in the life and times of Imperial China (Hidden, Warned, and Trapped). She’s also published short stories, From Judge Lu’s Ming Dynasty Case Files, in anthologies and online.
Beignets and Broomsticks by J.R. Ripley / Review by Sheila Sobel
BEIGNETS AND BROOMSTICKS
A Maggie Miller Mystery -Book 3
By J.R. Ripley
Severn House Publishers
$28.99
ISBN 978-0727887610
Publication Date: March 1, 2018
Book of the Day
In the third book of the Maggie Miller Mystery series, Beignets and Broomsticks, J.R. Ripley does it again with a Cozy perfect for a relaxing afternoon of guilty pleasure. Murder, mayhem, a surplus of suspects and a cursed espresso machine make for a read as delightful and airy as a plate of fresh beignets.
Halloween, a time for costumes, candy, revelry, and murder? While delivering a warm batch of beignets to the apartment of a regular customer, Nancy, a secretive writer, Maggie stumbles upon her cold, dead body, slumped in a chair, with a cashmere scarf wound tightly around her neck.
Once again Maggie Miller is caught in the middle of murder. Maggie kicks it into high gear as only Maggie can, with an unwanted yoga class, bonding with her nemesis Veronica Vargas, a visit to the Sacred Church of Witchkraft and an exorcism. When Maggie discovers the body of the local treasure hunter, she is like a dog after a dropped beignet, determined to find the truth behind the killings.
And for a little extra flavor, add in the handsome Detective Mark Highsmith and attractive reporter Brad Smith to achieve that special blend of romantic conflict et voilà, you have a satisfying blend of mystery, humor and excitement with a dash of sweetness and light.
Sheila Sobel’s debut novelColor Blindwas the winner of the 2017 Killer Nashville Reader's Choice Award for Best Tween/YA Fiction and Finalist for the 2017 Silver Falchion Award for Best YA Fiction. She was also nominated for the 2016 Allegra Johnson Prize in Novel Writing through the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program.
As a Senior Auditor for Warner Bros., Sheila oversaw production costs for films including “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” the “Matrix” trilogy, “The Dark Knight” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” After working on 70+ Independent and Studio movies, Sheila stepped away from the film business to complete her first YA novel.
Sheila is a member of International Thriller Writers (ITW), Sisters in Crime (SinC), Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), Children’s Book Writers-LA (CBW-LA) and Women in Film (WIF). She lives in Southern California with her husband, two rescue dogs and one rescue cat.
The Burial Society by Nina Sadowsky / Review by E.J. Boyd
The Burial Society
By Nina Sadowsky
Ballantine Books
$26.00
ISBN 978-0425284377
Publication Date: January 30, 2018
Book of the Day
People disappear. Sometimes, they need help to disappear. That is where The Burial Society comes in, a sort of private, international, Witness Protection Plan. Based in Paris, Catherine, (no last name is given, but that may be a story for another time), helps women trapped in abusive relationships find new lives–for a fee. Her current client, Elena, a former Russian supermodel, is desperate to flee her husband, a Russian illegal arms dealer that has literally left his mark on her. Catherine is happy to help and plans to utterly destroy the sadistic bastard to boot–but Elena has one of the most recognizable faces in the world and she may be more difficult to hide than Catherine and her crew had anticipated. To complicate matters, the family of a former client (her one botched mission in America that left the client missing and presumed dead) have turned up in Paris.
Brian Burrows and his children, Natalie and Jake, are trying to make a new start following the disappearance of his wife 3 years ago. But it is not going well. Natalie is an obsessive-compulsive teen with serious impulse control issues. She returns from a fling in Amsterdam to discover the dead body of her father. Jake, who had also been out of town, returns to find his distraught sister and struggles to hold things together until their Uncle Frank (Brian's brother) can make it across the Atlantic to take over. But, Uncle Frank may not be the stabilizing force he was when their mother disappeared. He has his own troubles and with so much going wrong at once–it would be a wonder if anyone could stabilize this family.
The Burial Society by Nina Sadowsky is a non-stop, run-away train, oh-dear-god-what-else-could-go-wrong, kind of thriller that speeds by faster than those wee hours between "I'll just read a few chapters before I go to sleep" and "damn! Is that my alarm going off?" This really is a fun read. Sadowsky's characters are, for the most part, wonderfully tragic, self-centered and self-destructive, yet they each want to so desperately to help each other. They are extreme examples of most anyone going through a crisis, acutely aware of their own pain and tired of feeling helpless, they become obsessed with solving the mystery at the heart of it all–what happened to Mallory Burrows?
The Midnight Line by Lee Child / Review by Clay Stafford
The Midnight Line
By Lee Child
Jack Reacher Series 22
Delacorte Press
$28.99
ISBN 978-0399593482
Publication Date: November 7, 2017
Book of the Day
Character Jack Reacher catches a bus going anywhere and ends up in a little town with a pawnshop. Inside the pawnshop window, he sees a class ring: West Point 2005. The bus leaves town without Reacher.
The ring is small, more than likely formerly belonging to a woman. Being a West Point graduate himself, he feels it his duty/ honor/guilt (we see this throughout the novel) to return the ring to its rightful owner who must have fallen on hard times (to pawn the ring) or been robbed (someone stole the ring). Returning the ring leads Reacher on a suspense-filled adventure in which, we learn, the ring plays an insignificant role in what becomes a full-blown suspense story involving drug trafficking, government corruption, and human dignity.
The Midnight Line is incredibly smooth and easy to read. You’ll sit down and before you know it, you and Reacher are twenty pages down the road. I read those pages while standing, absorbed, in the kitchen, even after the water stopped boiling.
The Midnight Line, which concerns itself with the plight of some ill-fallen veterans and the nationwide opioid crisis, weaves fact brilliantly into fiction. We’ve all heard the shortcomings of the VA hospitals of late, as well as the impact of opioids, which cost $80 billion per year in lost productivity of abusers and kill 100 Americans daily. That’s daily. The Midnight Line is about bringing dignity back to those who have served. I was hooked.
Lee Child is the author of twenty-one New York Times bestsellers, twelve of which have occupied the #1 spot, and two that have been turned into movies (Jack Reacher [2012] and Jack Reacher: Never Go Back [2016]), both starring Tom Cruise.
I highly recommend, not only The Midnight Line, but the entire series. It’s a wonderful example of an anti-hero.
Clay Stafford is an award-winning author, screenwriter, and filmmaker. He has sold over 1.5 million hardcover copies of his children’s adaptations and has seen his film work distributed internationally in over 14 languages. Four of his five staged murder mysteries have had Los Angeles premieres. He has reviewed books, plays, and films, writes near-daily book reviews for the Killer Nashville Book of the Day, has been quoted on book jackets, and has edited several PBS companion books associated with national series. Publishers Weekly has named Stafford one of the top 10 Nashville literary leaders playing “an essential role in defining which books become bestsellers” not only in middle-Tennessee, but also extending “beyond the city limits and into the nation’s book culture.” (PW 6/10/13). He is the founder of Killer Nashville (www.KillerNashville.com) and publisher of Killer Nashville Magazine (www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com). He has served on the board of numerous nonprofits. Clay has a B.A. and M.F.A. and has been a professor or lecturer to several major universities. His list of current projects includes the award-winning feature-length documentary “One Of The Miracles: The Inge Meyring Smith Story” (www.OneOfTheMiracles.com) and the music CD “XO” with fellow mystery writer Jeffery Deaver (www.JefferyDeaverXOmusic.com). Previously associated with Universal Studios and PBS, he is currently President / CEO of American Blackguard, Inc. (www.AmericanBlackguard.com), a publishing/film and television/ music/entertainment company near Nashville, Tennessee. More information can be found at www.ClayStafford.com.
Don't Look for Me by Mason Cross / Review by Amy Nygaard
Don't Look for Me
By Mason Cross
Carter Blake Book 4
Pegasus Books
$25.95
ISBN 978-1681776286
Publication Date: January 2, 2018
Book of the Day
Don’t Look For Me opens with an unknown woman hiding in a safe house, where we find her restless and angry with the man who sent her there. Deciding not to remain, she leaves behind only a note: “Don’t look for me.”
Six years later, some-time government agent Carter Blake’s warm, sunny getaway is interrupted by an e-mail from his vanished girlfriend’s address. The woman behind the keyboard isn’t his missing woman, however, and he travels to Las Vegas to unravel the reasons precipitating the message.
Amicably divorced journalist & author Sarah Blackwell was Rebecca Smith’s neighbor and friend. When Rebecca’s husband, Dom, shows up suddenly to retrieve her from a neighborhood baby shower, Sarah is troubled. Troubled segues into alarm when Dom and Rebecca’s house is empty the next morning. After witnessing a break-in to the Smith’s deserted home, Sarah is unhappy with the police’s brush-off response and enters the house herself with a spare key. She discovers a strange journal, with a list of multiple names, and an odd page directing the reader to use a particular e-mail address in case of emergency. The day after Sarah sends her hesitant e-mail, Carter Blake arrives on her doorstep.
Between the two of them, they discover that “Rebecca Smith” is really Carter’s long-gone girlfriend, Carol Langford, and a hit man is on her tail. Finally disregarding her terse command of “Don’t look for me,” Carter and Sarah catch up to Carol/Rebecca, and her husband, crossing paths with not only the hitman but the group who hired him.
A jewel heist, a dirty cop, Vegas mob, and more lead the reader with Carter to the underbelly of Las Vegas, abandoned Arizona ghost towns, and rabbit trails in between. I’d not encountered Mason Cross or his Carter Blake series previously, but I’ll be checking out the earlier books for Carter’s backstory.
Amy Nygaard - I am a lifelong lover of words, and reading has been my passion since childhood. After years of editing work and teaching grammar and writing, I fell in love with writing myself. I have several adult suspense manuscripts completed, a middle-grade boy's mystery first-of-series, and the framework of a separate middle-grade mystery/adventure series. I've attended multiple writing conferences around the country, pitching agents, making new friends, and learning all I can about the world of writing and publishing.
Mad Hatters and March Hares by Ellen Datlow / Review by Bree Goodchild
Mad Hatters and March Hares:
All New Stories from the Word of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland
Edited by Ellen Datlow
Tor
$15.99
ISBN 978-0765391070
Publication Date: December 12, 2017
Book of the Day
"Disagreements, it seems, are like boats. Once you are in one, it is impossible to get out again without falling into deep waters." ("My Own Invention," Sherman)
A red knight traveling the Wabe, accompanied by an Alice that transitions between female and male appearances (Not Alice/Not Josh); Two sisters, Lilly-White and Ruby-Red, are on a case to solve the disappearances of local Chesire animals; a seemingly gentle, yet intelligent orangutan sneaks out into the night, leaving behind the rowdy Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dum and fellow circus kin for a peaceful zoo to call home. A smooth plan, until the great ape is lured into recruitment for the Red Queen as her champion - now he must defeat the formidable Jabberwocky, or die in the trying.
This is but a glimpse into editor Ellen Datlow's new anthology, based on Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures In Wonderland series. Beautifully stitched together, it's a storybook of strangeness, of oddities and weird concoctions, and I'm confident critics and fans of the original Alice books will fall in love with it. New adventures await readers in Datlow's project, as well as new art (book cover included) created by Dave McKean.
I would highly recommend this anthology to any reader passionate about Carroll's literature. Filled with dark psychological thrillers, hallucinogenic imagery and landscapes, and satirical undertones on the worst of societies habits–Datlow's book includes stories by eighteen of today's renowned sci-fi and fantasy authors. Below includes a blurb from some of the author's fantastical tales about Alice and the Wonderland that awaits you, dear reader:
"My Own Invention" by Delia Sherman: A clumsy red knight and his companion Alice who takes both male and female identities (Not Alice/Not Josh) find themselves on an adventure towards reinvention.
"Lilly-White & the Thief of Lesser Night" by C.S.E. Cooney: Sisters Lilly-White and Ruby-Red must put I-owe-you's aside and join together to catch a mysterious thief, one who collects Cheshire animals teeth.
"Conjoined" by Jane Yolen: The narrator, a gentle and intelligent orangutan, who tries to escape the craziness of circus life one quiet night ends up, by strange circumstance and with the help of a Cheshire cat, fighting the terrible Jabberwocky on behalf of Wonderlands Red Queen.
"Mercury" by Priya Sharma: Alice and her father are stuck in a debtor's prison. Her father slowly falling into madness from years of infusing furs with mercury to create top quality hats. How much is Alice willing to sacrifice to save her father's business while striving to keep her own sanity?
"The Flame After the Candle" by Catherynne M. Valente: The author blends the classic tale by J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan, with Carroll's characters. A young Alice Hargreaves meets shy Peter Llewelyn Davies in one story while the reader simultaneously follows the adventures of Olive, a strange but brilliant child caught up in her own Wonderland. Practically a novella, the ending will surprise readers who dare take on this challenge of a read.
"Moon, and Memory, and Muchness" by Katherine Vaz: A modern take on Alice and her journey. I recommend caution while reading this chapter, which includes topics on eating disorders, thoughts of suicide, and personal loss.
Saving the best for last, let's not forget "Run, Rabbit, Run," a poem by Jane Yolen to conclude this maddening journey of Carroll's trilogy and Datlow's brilliant collaboration. Stories in this anthology also include authors Richard Bowes, Stephen Graham Jones, Jeffrey Ford, Angela Slatter, Matthew Kressel, Seanan McGuire, Andy Duncan, Ysabeau S. Wilce, and Genevieve Valentine.
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.
City of Endless Night by Douglas Lincoln & Preston Child / Review by Liz Gatterer
City of Endless Night
By Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
Grand Central Publishing
$28.00
ISBN 978-1455536948
Publication Date: January 16, 2018
Book of the Day
City of Endless Night by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child is the 17th in the Agent A.X.L. Pendergast Series-and my new favorite. Preston & Child are master craftsmen and their novels are always a thrill to read.
F.B.I. Agent Pendergast is sort of in trouble... you can read the previous novel, The Obsidian Chamber if you need to learn why, but for now let it suffice that his standing within the department is not what it once was. As punishment for his transgressions, he is sent to investigate the gruesome murder of a young woman-an assignment he feels doesn't merit his involvement. NYPD Detective Lieutenant Vincent D'Agosta is also working the case, and not happy about either. Had the call come in just 20 minutes later it would have gone to someone else. But the two have teamed up before and work well together which makes the assignment a bit easier to bear. But this is going to be a doozy of a case. The body was found without a head, a massive GSW to the heart, and wearing Louboutin sneakers. This is going to be a feeding frenzy for the press. When a second decapitated murder victim is discovered and then a third, albeit with different MO's and seemingly unconnected, Pendergast and D'Agosta race to find the killer or killers as the case may be.
Preston & Child have done it again. Their wordsmithing abilities are enviable. It is rare to find such a combination of imaginative storylines and flawless technique that repeatedly produces such wonderful work–I suppose it helps if one of the writers is a world class editor and the other a creative genius... They truly are a marvelous team. I find their details, like for example, the fact that the first victim is wearing Louboutin sneakers or that the second victim owns a 17th century Stradivarius so intriguing. Curiosity often gets the better of me and I find myself having to stop reading to look up what they are talking about (yes, Louboutin actually does make $1500 sneakers) or sometimes it is an unfamiliar word that my pride will not let me continue in ignorance of that turns out to be the perfect word for the situation. I am certainly never bored reading one of their novels and always feel like my time has been well spent when I have finished reading it (usually in one very intense, sleepless night).
For fans of the Pendergast series, City of Endless Night has moments of near heart-stopping fear for the beloved Agent, as well as a few wonderful moments that are very satisfying. The authors have given us a new Pendergast novel, on average, every 12.5 months for the past 15 years - is it too selfish to hope that they can speed that up? I'm not sure I can wait until NEXT January for the next book.
The Plot is Murder by V.M. Burns / Review by Lynda Palmer
The Plot is Murder
By V.M. Burns
Kensington
$15.00
ISBN 978-1496711816
Publication Date: November 28, 2017
Book of the Day
Reading is contentment. Reading a book that allows you to vicariously check off two things on your bucket list is a luxury not to be missed. In The Plot is Murder, V.M. Burns' main character, Samantha (Sam) Washington, quits a job she loves to open a mystery bookstore and completes her first mystery novel. The catalyst for this change was the death of her husband, but with the help of her family, she settles into her new home and life. All is going well until the body of her hateful Real Estate agent is discovered in her backyard.
The case is handed over to Detective Brad Pitt, not that Brad Pitt but rather a judgmental and incompetent detective. When no progress is made in the case, Sam enlists the help of Nana Jo and her three cohorts to solve this mess. Sam describes Nana as "Rose on Golden Girls" and her friends are smart, devious, and humorous. The antics of Sam and the four senior sleuths will keep you reading through the night.
Interspersed throughout the book is Sam's own novel–as she gets time to return to it. This story is set in a Country home in England in 1938. This story is full of love, murder, plots to win the hand of the fair maiden and lives of the Lords and Ladies of the manor and their friends. By using this technique, Burns actually gives the reader two stories in one book!
This book is sure to please cozy mystery readers. It is full of characters, two murders to solve, colorful characters and interesting settings.
Got a bucket list? See how a high school teacher checks off two of her goals just by doing it.
NightSun by Dan Vining / Review by Danny Lindsey
NightSun
By Dan Vining
Rare Bird Books
$24.95
ISBN 978-1945572647
Publication Date: Janauary 16, 2017
Book of the Day
Dan Vining’s dystopian novel, NightSun (Rare Bird Books, 2018) imagines a terrifying, but plausible future for America. Set in Los Angeles sometime after 2025, the landscape is at once familiar and as foreign as the soccer fields on Mars. It didn’t take a war, earthquake or tsunami to radically alter California life, just a few seemingly small events. When Mexico discovered vast oil reserves making it the new OPEC, all Latinos suddenly went home to good jobs, leaving huge gaps in menial and blue-collar workers in the United States. When China dumped tens of millions of ultra-cheap electric vehicles into California, all of a sudden everyone had wheels, and the freeways were completely stalled 24/7. Not that anyone cared; they just turned up the music and enjoyed the experience.
Policemen no longer ran on surface streets, having gravitated to two-seater helicopters. One seat (the driver) was for policemen, the other for their personal gunner, whose only duty was to keep the policeman alive. Gunners did not interfere on the behalf of citizens or victims. Crime scenes were flown to by techs, EMTs, and coroners. And crime scenes proliferated. Gang warfare was one of the remnants of today that changed little over time, either in ferocity or intensity.
The competing gangs no longer bothered with racketeering or prostitution, however. The big money was in smuggling US citizens from all across the New Dust Bowl into Mexico, where work was plentiful, a complete reversal of illegal immigrant migration of the early 21st century. The return trip was equally remunerative, as drugs were often the prevailing currency. Some things do not change with the passing of a couple of decades.
With a subplot featuring a private investigator who sports a catsuit, hired to find a beautiful girl, a modern version of the missing girl’s pimp and a third party professing undying love and paying the PI for her quest, Night Sun is an entertaining read.
Did I mention old-fashioned good guys vs bad guys chase scene? No? I guess I forgot to include it. Darn. Expect scenes reminiscent of Airwolf, or maybe Blue Thunder.
I’d read it again.
Danny Lindsey keeps trying to retire. After a 20-year Army career and a 25-year second one in the private sector, he’s finally settled down. His current gig is as the Veteran Employment Services Manager for a Huntsville, A.L. based non-profit, Still Serving Veterans. Both full careers were characterized by numerous writing assignments, from war plans to operating policies and procedures, then on to white papers, analyses of alternatives and competitive contract and grant proposals. Now his writing consists of blogs for the website www.ssv.org, podcasts for the local NPR affiliate, and a half dozen Pulitzer-worthy, albeit unpublished novels.
Update: Danny won the 2017 Killer Nashville Claymore Award with his manuscript Serial Justice – so he will not be unpublished for long!
Operator Down by Brad Taylor / Review by G. Robert Frazier
Operator Down (Pike Logan Book 12)
By Brad Taylor
Dutton
$27.00
ISBN 978-1101984819
Publication Date: January 9, 2018
An American arms dealer trying to move nuclear weapons components and a planned coup in a small South African country intersect in Brad Taylor’s newest thriller, Operator Down. But it’s the kidnapping of former Israeli agent Aaron Bergman that really ups the ante for Taskforce member Pike Logan and company.
Logan, as usual, is calm, cool, and calculating regardless of the circumstances and the odds against him. He takes great care in planning each action and subsequent reaction. What he can’t plan for, however, is the desperate, and at times reckless, actions of Aaron’s partner, Shoshana, who is hell-bent to rescue him, consequences be damned.
If Logan can’t control her temper, the whole mission and Aaron’s life itself could be at risk.
Taylor, who is a retired Special Forces operative, draws on his wealth of firsthand U.S. Army experience to weave another fast-paced, action-packed entry in the Pike Logan series. The author loads up the reader on plenty of Army jargon, technical know-how, and intelligence agency acronyms, but always manages to keep the plot moving. Aaron’s plight and Shoshana’s desperation add an emotional weight to the novel like few other books in the series.
Of course, there’s never any doubt about the outcome – we know Logan’s team will prevent the nuclear sale, we figure they’ll settle the coup one way or another, and we expect him to save Aaron, who has become one of the series’ most popular characters. But it’s fun getting there all the same.
That’s a credit to Taylor’s ability to craft an entertaining page-turner to keep you up at night -- though it wouldn’t hurt to throw in a few serious setbacks once in a while. Oh, well, maybe next time.
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 BloggingforBooks. He has served as a script reader for both the Austin Film Festival and Nashville Film Festival screenwriting competitions and is a member of the Tennessee Screenwriting Association. He used to write and edit stories for several newspapers in the Nashville area and he once won a flash fiction contest in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, so there’s that.
A Murder for the Books by Victoria Gilbert / Review by Laura Hartman
A Murder for the Books
By Victoria Gilbert
Crooked Lane Books
$26.99
ISBN 978-1683314394
Publication Date: December 12, 2017
Book of the Day
Nursing a broken heart and a bruised ego, Amy Webber flees to a small town in Virginia. Leaving a prestigious university job to become the director at the Taylorsville Public Library wasn’t part of her life plan, but it just might be what she needs at this point in her life. She is enjoying the slower pace of life. Living with Aunt Lydia, whom she has adored since childhood, has been good for both of them.
Amy’s tranquility is upended when the tiny town is shattered by a murder. Not only is the body found in the library, but there may be a connection to one of Lydia and Amy’s long dead relatives. The mystery is too much for Amy to ignore. She begins to dig into the past with the help of her handsome new neighbor, Richard.
There is just enough romance to lighten up the tension of the mystery that must be solved. Richard is not only a partner in the investigation; he is also clearly smitten with Amy. How long does her heart have to heal before she can trust anyone?
Against her better judgment, Amy impulsively jumps into the investigation. The closer she gets to the truth; she realizes that many of the people she loves may be in danger. Will she find the answers she seeks before the killer strikes again?
Murder for the Books is the first book in Victoria Gilbert’s new series. It is the perfect cozy mystery. The characters are interesting and can easily be seen as people you might know. The town sounds delightfully quirky with the beautiful setting of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the background.
I can’t wait to read the next book in the series, Shelved Under Murder, slated for publication July 2018.
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.
Cold Water by Samuel Parker / Review by Jim Biggs
Coldwater
By Samuel Parker
Revell
$14.99
ISBN 978-0800727345
Publication Date: January 2, 2018
Coldwater by Samuel Parker is not a book for the faint of heart. The last time I was so engrossed in the storyline from the very start was when I read John Grisham’s A Time to Kill. My heart was racing and I couldn’t read the pages fast enough. With such an intense beginning I wondered if Parker was going to keep the pressure on—and wondered if I could bear it if he did. I certainly don’t want to reveal too much but suffice it to say that he does and I did (but it was close).
This is the story of Michael, a man newly released from the penal system that has returned to the town he grew up in and the vacant house he had inherited from his parents. But the town’s people do not want Michael living there any more than Michael wants to be there. But we all have our cross to bear.
There is a fair amount of violence in the book—and a few scenes are pretty disturbing, but there isn’t any foul language or intimate scenes. It is, after all, published by a company that usually only publishes books with an overtly Christian message. I did not find this to be the case with Coldwater. There were some supernatural aspects to the story, but certainly, nothing that I would consider to be “preachy”.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I think that Parker has an exceptional talent for drawing out the suspense. His writing is very detailed but written so well that I never felt I was being overwhelmed with superfluous information. Best of all, the ending was spot on. Often times I find that books that begin with so much action tend to fizzle at the end. But that is not the case with this story. I will be reading it again as well as Parker’s other novel, PurgatoryRoad.
Vindication by H. Terrell Griffin / Review by Amy Nygaard
Vindication
By H. Terrell Griffin
Oceanview Publishing
$26.95
ISBN 978-1608092765
Publication Date: January 2, 2018
Book of the Day
Vindication is the 11th installment in the Matt Royal Mystery series by H. Terrell Griffin. Retired defense attorney Matt Royal is jolted from his idyllic south Florida life when his police detective girlfriend’s aunt is arrested for murder. A new best-selling author has been been killed in a sprawling Florida retirement community, and Aunt Esther is the accused in need of Matt’s legal knowledge and prowess.
Esther swears she had nothing to do with the murder, despite a perfect motive: the victim stole Esther’s manuscript and had it published as her own work. The sheriff in charge of the investigation was humiliated in court by Matt Royal several years earlier, and Matt is unsure how that will affect his defense. With the help of his girlfriend, J.D., in an undercover role in the retirement community, he uncovers layers of decades-old crime all leading to the improbable homicide Esther stands accused of. The entire story package is wrapped up with a bow on top when Matt reveals his findings during Esther’s trial, she is acquitted and released, and the real culprits are arrested.
Matt Royal is a likable protagonist, and capable in his profession. The story itself has a decent plot, with the kinds of twists I'd expect in a legal thriller, and I tip my figurative hat to the author on that note.
Amy Nygaard - I am a lifelong lover of words, and reading has been my passion since childhood. After years of editing work and teaching grammar and writing, I fell in love with writing myself. I have several adult suspense manuscripts completed, a middle-grade boy's mystery first-of-series, and the framework of a separate middle-grade mystery/adventure series. I've attended multiple writing conferences around the country, pitching agents, making new friends, and learning all I can about the world of writing and publishing.
Murder in July by Barbara Hambly / Review by Liz Gatterer
Murder in July
By Barbara Hambly
Severn House Publishers
$28.17
ISBN 978-0727887405
Publication Date: Dec. 1, 2017
Book of the Day
Murder in July by Barbara Hambly is the first of the Benjamin January books that I have read, but I was so engrossed by the story that I have already acquired a copy of the first in the series, A Free Man of Color and plan to spend the next few months (maybe weeks if I can keep up the pace I ripped through Murder in July with) reading the entire series.
Benjamin January is a Free Man of Color living in New Orleans in 1839 with his wife Rose. They are expecting a child and plan to open a school for the education of free girls of color. Although Benjamin was trained as a surgeon, he is unable to find work as such due to his dark skin and the ignorance of the times. He earns his living as a musician. He is offered $100 by a British officer to find the murderer of his friend, but Benjamin refuses—at first. It isn’t until he discovers that the murder weapon was also used in a different murder that happened in Paris 9 years ago
The story itself is wonderful. It is a classic mystery with all the intrigue and suspense a reader could desire. But, even more fascinating, are Hambly’s descriptions of New Orleans in 1839 and the lives of those that live there. I lived in New Orleans many years ago, but I was able to recognize many of the locations and the remnants of the attitudes from that era that shaped New Orleans unique culture. Hambly certainly did her research and she is remarkably talented at relating all of that information into a rich and emotionally engaging story.
Tango Down by Chris Knopf / Review by Jim Biggs
Tango Down
(Sam Acquillo Hamptons Mysteries 7)
By Chris Knopf
Permanent Press
$16.99
ISBN 978-1579625016|
Publication Date: December 31, 2017
Book of the Day
What can I say? I'm a big fan of Sam Acquillo. A cottage in the Hamptons, his gorgeous girl living next door, a workshop in his basement and good dog by his side - this is the life I dream of. Ok, so there is always something happening and Sam always ends up in the middle of it - but, that's what keeps his life so damn interesting! The first Chris Knopf book I read was Short Squeeze, which is the first in his Jackie Swaitkoski book series but I found myself really identifying with the Sam Acquillo character. I then binge read the entire series over a few weeks. I was pretty happy when I found out about this latest installment, Tango Down and jumped at the opportunity to review it. I can honestly say, it just may be my favorite Sam Acquillo yet.
Tango Down begins with the murder one of Sam's custom cabinetry clients, Victor Billingsly. Bludgeoned to death by a golf club that he lent to another contractor working on his house, Ernesto Mazzotti, who happened to also be Sam's close friend. Obviously, Sam is not about to let his friend face the rap for this alone. Before the police are even aware that Mazzotti had the means (but no motive) to kill Billingsly, Sam enlisted the help of defense attorney, Jackie Swaitkoski. See how this all comes around full circle?
Knopf has become on of my favorite authors. His writing is witty and intelligent without sounding arrogant or patronizing. His characters are likable, but flawed, with just the right balance of good and bad traits that make them work together well. I seem to find myself humming "I get by with a little help from my friends" whenever I finish one of his novels and longing for an Adirondack chair with a view of the ocean...
Close to Me by Amanda Reynolds / Review by Anna Oneonta
Close to Me
By Amanda Reynolds
Quercus
$26.99
ISBN 978-978-1681440316
Publication Date: December 5, 2017
Book of the Day
Close to Me is the first novel by Amanda Reynolds. Although this is her first published work, it is well written and polished. I promise, no spoilers! I love books that I just can't put down-if dawn is breaking while I'm reading the last few pages-it has been a good book. And if I can't sleep the next night because I am still wrapped up in the characters lives, it is a really good book.
Jo thought she had the perfect family. She had a loving husband, two grown children, and could fill her time volunteering. But nothing is a perfect as is seems. Jo actually can't remember anything that happened last year. She knows she had a bad fall... but can't quite remember the details. And the perfect family isn't helping her recover the memories.
The story is told from Jo's POV and there is a bit of jumping backward and forward through time. It gave me the feeling of having missed a step, or falling in a dream and waking with a start not quite sure of what just happened.
That feeling of unease just never lets up. If you enjoy intense, suspenseful, and wholly unsettling psychological thrillers, this is a fantastic book. You may even question how well you know your own family.
The Truth Beneath the Lies by Amanda Searcy / Review by Hazel Reed
The Truth Beneath the Lies
By Amanda Searcy
Delacorte Press
$17.99
ISBN 978-1524700898
Publication Date: December 12, 2017
The Book of the Day
Debut author, Amanda Searcy, has truly written something special with The Truth Beneath the Lies. From the very beginning, I was completely hooked. I read the book from cover to cover in one sleepless night. A decision I do not regret. The ending is completely satisfying.
The story follows the lives of two teenage girls, Kayla and Betsy. Each girl telling her story in alternating chapters. Kayla has a rough life. She lives with her mother (an addict currently in recovery) in governmental housing. Living just a few doors down from them is her mother's former boyfriend and drug dealer. It is not a healthy situation for anyone. If she can just keep it together for a little while longer she will graduate from high school and finally be able to get away - far away.
Betsy is a bit more of an unknown. Although she has more of a stable family life (maybe), she certainly has her own set of problems. Searcy portions out Betsy's story in small bits and pieces - and it is not always easy to identify the truth from the lies (and half-truths). I personally found this to be very intriguing - like putting together the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle where the pieces can fit in more that one place.
The challenge in writing a YA Mystery/Thriller is finding the balance between too juvenile and too adult. Searcy certainly accomplished this feat. The tension builds page by page and even when I had an inkling of how this was going turn out - I still couldn't get through the pages fast enough. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and my own teenage daughter love it as well. That is truly a first and a testament to Searcy's skill as an author. I look forward to more from her in the future.
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