KN Magazine: Reviews
The List by J.A. Konrath / Review by Jim Biggs
Book of the Day
All good thrillers have a murder, a mystery, and a conspiracy. The List by J.A. Konrath is no exception. The tale begins with a wonderfully gruesome murder, a curious tattoo, and a late-night phone call to a senator that must behind it all.
The decapitated and de-digited body of librarian Tom Jessup had been discovered (the woman living in the apartment below noticed blood seeping through her ceiling and called 911). Detectives Tom Mankowski and Roy Lewis are in charge at the murder scene. They find the head, note that it appears to have been removed in one fell swoop and that the stumps of the fingers are tourniquet-ed with twist ties. But the one discovery that brings this case home for Mankowski is a tattoo of the number 7 on the victims left heel. For Mankowski also has a tattoo on the heel of his left foot–the number 5. He has had it his whole life and has no idea where it came from or what it might mean. Meanwhile, in California, a film executive, Joan DeVilliers is shaken by a voice message from someone who has scheduled her tattoo removal for that evening. Joan does have a tattoo–the number 2 on the heel of her left foot. But she is sure no one knows about it (she doesn't even know where it came from) and she never scheduled its removal. But this is just the prelude to the horrific scene that awaits her at home.
Part mystery, part horror, part comedy, The List reads like a Lethal Weapon movie script written by Stephen King. It is fast paced and fun! Okay, maybe the premise is a little far-fetched, but that’s ok. There is a perfectly reasonable (albeit maybe not scientifically plausible) explanation for it all. It is like an extended late night "what if ..." debate with good friends over a few beers. The characters are well crafted and quickly feel like old friends. The villains are very creative and perfectly flawed so as to not garner even one iota of your sympathy. So, go exercise your suspended disbelief and hang on. It is well worth the ride. There are 12 more books in The Konrath Horror Collective and I can’t wait to read them all.
J.A. Konrath is a Guests of Honor at the 2018 Killer Nashville Writers’ Conference if you’d like to meet the man in person!
The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn / Review by Liz Gatterer
THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW
By A.J. Finn
William & Marrow
$26.99
ISBN 978-0062678416
Publication Date: January 2, 2018
Book of the Day
Unless you have been living under a literary rock, you have heard of A.J. Finn’s debut novel The Woman in the Window (William Marrow 2018). Hailed as a “love letter to classic Hitchcock”, it certainly delivers … I read this novel in one of my obsessive/compulsive reading sessions (employing the audible version for those moments when one cannot hold a book–driving, cooking, or showering) that often leave me physically exhausted the next day, which, indeed I was, but I also found myself a bit emotionally exhausted as well.
Dr. Anna Fox is an agoraphobic/alcoholic/addict that is living alone in a refurbished 4-story townhouse in New York. Formerly a successful child psychologist. She fills her days with old movies, wine, capturing her neighbors comings and goings with her digital camera, pills, chat rooms, wine, conversations with her estranged husband and daughter, pills, ogling her tenant, wine, interrupted only by the weekly visits from her psychotherapist, her physical therapist and the deliveries of groceries, medications, and wine. She is psychologist herself, but no longer practices. Obviously, none of this is good for her–but together they are a slow form of suicide. But which one will be her demise? What will tip the balance and push her over the edge? Ah… the delight of the psychological thriller. The tension that builds as you know, just KNOW that this train is going to crash. It is racing down the tracks, the impossibly tight curve is up ahead…and… BAM! It gets hit by a meteorite falling from space. As you are trying to recover from that shock– you realize there is another train is barreling up behind you.
Red herrings, MacGuffins, unreliable narrators… Finn knows the tricks of the trade and utilizes them to their fullest. He is not new to the business. He was a successful editor for over a decade with a major publishing house and his clients are some of the giants of fiction. In one of the interviews, I read he stated that he had not tried to write a novel before because the type of novel he wanted to write was not commercially viable at the time. But, with the success of the “Girl” novels, he decided the time was right. Apparently, he was correct.
There may be moments when you think you know what is going to happen (and you might be right) but it is still a great read. Everyone is talking about this book and it’s already being developed into a movie so even if this type of book isn't your normal read, you should read it anyway so that you don’t look like an idiot when people start referencing it in conversation. And they will.
Liz Gatterer is the Special Events Coordinator for Killer Nashville. She is blessed to be employed at a job that encourages her addiction to books and allows her to actually speak to her favorite authors.
Look for Me by Lisa Gardner / Review by Holly Chaille
LOOK FOR ME
By Lisa Gardner
Dutton
$27.00
ISBN 978-1524742058
Publication Date: February 6, 2018
Book of the Day
In Gardner’s latest book in the Sergeant D.D. Warren series, readers return to the Boston streets as Warren again teams with Flora Dane, a former victim of a violent crime (Find Her), to track down a killer. An entire family has been murdered except the oldest daughter, Roxy. She’s missing, as are the family’s two dogs. Warren naturally pings her as suspect number one and drives the police procedural side of the book in that direction. Dane, a vigilante who understands survival instincts, uses her skills to help other survivors get back to living. She believes Roxy’s hiding from the real killer and her first-person narrative takes us along as she tracks the girl.
Finding her will either mean a killer is caught, or the last living family member’s life is saved. With her familiar storytelling style Gardner tacks between Ward’s investigation into the life of her suspect, and Flora, whose dead set on finding Roxy alive and safe.
With Gardner’s hefty bibliography fans expect the twists and turn she routinely carves into her writing and Look for Me provides them in spades. Although some are predictable red herrings and dead ends, she doesn’t fail to pull the rug out from under readers and keep them guessing until the last possible moment.
In another of Gardner’s signature moves, Look for Me creates the opportunity for readers to find themselves in a moral dilemma as she zooms in on the over-crowded foster care system and the nightmares formed in a foster home packed with more than one troubled kid. Something bad is bound to happen. But could it have been prevented? And, who’s really at fault here?
Gardner’s characters are each carrying heavy baggage, and it’s their flawed natures, their need to rescue, to retaliate and to rectify that makes them dangerously unpredictable. Some characters linger with readers after the story is over. These characters haunt. Gardner’s fan base has come to expect each new book will have characters who are simultaneously victims and victimizers, and storylines that shine a light into the dark places of those characters.
The layering of subplot seamlessly stitches in hot-button topics like domestic violence and bullying, while deftly pulling back the camera before we start to suspect a sermon on morality is coming soon. Fans will recognize the strong female protagonists, the survivors, and the moral struggles, and they won’t be disappointed in this fast-paced and literally, right out of the headlines read.
Gardner’s respect for the suspense genre is evident throughout, and in particular in the continued unreliability of two of her ongoing character, D.D., and Flora. An author who consistently touches on topics close to her heart, Gardner’s knack for penning a taught thriller brings issues to the page that many readers can empathize with. The pacing and voice Gardner employs keep the story vibrating with excitement, and the change in POV guarantees the reader won’t get bored or mired in one perspective.
With a passion for research and her own experience volunteering with an agency serving at-risk and special needs kids, Gardner easily articulates the sad truths of our failing foster care system. But while social issues are ever-present she still keeps the reader turning page after page to get to the final answer.
Holly Chaille is a member of Sisters in Crime and the daughter of a librarian. Growing up in the stacks cultivated her lifelong love of suspense and thrillers, and she's currently querying her first mystery and developing her blog at HollyAChaille.com.
Beneath the Surface by Lynn H. Blackburn / Review by Lois Schmitt
BENEATH THE SURFACE
By Lynn H. Blackburn
Revell
$15.99
ISBN 978-0800729387
Publication Date: March 6, 2018
Book of the Day
Beneath the Surface is the first book a new series by award-winning author Lynn H. Blackburn. It features homicide investigator Ryan Parker and Leigh Weston, a nurse in the local hospital. Leigh has returned to her hometown of Carrington, NC after a terrifying incident with an obsessed patient. When someone tampers with her breaks she reaches out to her old high school friend, Ryan. The first few pages have a lot of backstory and information, but the action begins on page four with the discovery of a mutilated body in the lake. From that point on, the action, suspense, and romance create a thrill ride of a book.
The relationship development between Ryan and Leigh was my favorite part of the story. Both characters are extremely likable, and their blossoming romance adds as much to the suspense the novel as the murder and its investigation does. Lynn’s enviable talent of making the reader really care about the characters is not something to be taken lightly.
The story is full of tension and surprises. Several attempts at murder are unexpected and catch the reader off guard. The dialogue is realistic and moves the story along at a good pace with the romance and mystery intertwined. The identity of the killer is well hidden and keeps the reader guessing until the end.
The book is categorized as a Christian Mystery and there is no question that the “good guys” in this story believe in God and the Bible–and behave accordingly. It is not "preachy" in any way or overly dogmatic. The suspense, mystery, and romance are exciting but the reader will not have to worry about inappropriate content. In our tumultuous world, this reader found this to be a comforting aspect of the book.
This is the first book in the Dive Team Investigation series. Actual diving only occurs in the first chapter, so readers who would like more underwater activity will have to wait for book 2 in the series.
Beneath the Surface is a good read that keeps the reader wanting more. I am hoping for a sequel. I would rate this book 4½ stars. So, dive right in–the water is fine!
Night Moves by Jonathan Kellerman / Review by Danny Lindsey
NIGHT MOVES
By Jonathan Kellerman
Ballantine Books
$28.99
ISBN 978-0345541468
Publication Date: February 13, 2018
Book of the Day
Jonathan Kellerman has written more than 30 Alex Delaware thrillers. Night Moves, the latest in the series, (Random House, 2018) is vintage Delaware. With characters so familiar to readers that each has his own biography and fan base, Alex and Lieutenant Milo Sturgis are once again on the trail of an ephemeral murderer, one whose MO is shotgun and band saw. Identification is not easy, nor is the actual crime scene obvious. Add a completely dysfunctional family and no apparent motive, and Alex and Milo are left to concoct a series of scenarios, ranging from the ridiculous to the sublime, none of which appear to bring the perpetrator closer to justice.
A second murder does little to clarify matters. In fact, the waters are if anything, murkier than ever. Who is the target? What do the victims have in common besides the obvious? Serious detective work is called for, but never to the extent that they interfere with Milo’s gustatory habits.
Solid police work, nosy, reclusive and sometimes helpful neighbors finally develop enough information for Alex to begin to see a more clear picture and to develop a profile of the killer that he and Milo can pursue. Kellerman’s skill is such that no reader will solve the mystery before it’s time to reveal the killer and the motive. Like the real-life psychologist that he is, he brings the reader toward a conclusion slowly, bit by bit, emulating his fictional alter-ego.
Night Moves is an altogether enjoyable read, another in a long string of sure hits for Kellerman. Any review would be incomplete, however, without quoting a few of the more poetic lines he has penned into this one:
“A starless sky sagged like a rain-soaked tarp, a malnourished moon cast anemic light.”
“The flame turned into sprinkles of earthbound stars plummeting to the ground.” (tossing a lit match away)
“Tattoos ran up his neck, flirting with his carotid.”
Kellerman devotees may not be surprised with his use of imagery, but occasional readers will undoubtedly be.
Many thanks to Sharon Propson and Random House for providing Killer Nashville with the advance review copy.
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!
The Bad Daughter by Joy Fielding / Review by Sharon Marchisello
THE BAD DAUGHTER
By Joy Fielding
Ballantine Books
$27.00
ISBN 978-0399181535
Publication Date: February 27, 2018
Book of the Day
Joy Fielding's new psychological suspense novel, The Bad Daughter, explores complex familial relationships and chilling secrets. Robin Davis, the heroine, works as a therapist but suffers from panic attacks, a dysfunctional family background, and insecurity about her romantic future. Her fiancé, Blake, has been spending long hours at his law office, and Robin speculates he may be having an affair with his pretty new assistant.
Robin has a toxic rapport with her older sister, Melanie, who still lives in their hometown of Red Bluff, in Northern California, with her teenage autistic son, Landon. It has been five years since Robin last spoke to their father, who married her former best friend, Tara, just a few months after their mother died from cancer. Tara had been engaged to Robin's younger brother Alec, whom she jilted in favor of his wealthier father. Robin and Alec remain cordial, but since she lives in Los Angeles and Alec lives in San Francisco, their communication is infrequent.
In the opening chapter, Robin receives a call from Melanie, which she allows to go to voicemail while she struggles to focus on her patient during a therapy session. When she finally returns Melanie's call, she learns their father, Tara, and Cassidy, Tara's 12-year-old daughter from a previous marriage, have all been shot in an apparent home invasion. Tara is dead, and the prospects for survival of the others are grim.
Robin feels duty-bound to return to Red Bluff, despite her fear that leaving Blake alone in Los Angeles will hasten the end of their engagement. She wouldn't dream of imposing on his career aspirations by asking him to accompany her.
As Robin and Melanie work with the local sheriff to figure out who committed such a heinous crime, they uncover clues that suggest the assault was more personal than random. Greg Davis, their father, had business enemies, and rumors are circulating that both he and Tara were having affairs. But what kind of psychopath would try to kill a 12-year-old girl?
Also estranged from the family, Alec refuses to come home, despite the crisis. However, his car was spotted in Red Bluff on the night of the shooting, and he soon becomes a suspect. Landon won't speak about that night, but Robin notices him constantly rocking back and forth, staring out his bedroom window at his grandfather's house next door, and she wonders what he might have seen… or done.
Cassidy wakes up and is able to provide some answers, but how much of her story can be believed? She tells Robin she's the only one she can trust, and she wants to leave Red Bluff and live in Los Angeles with Robin and Blake if her stepfather does not survive.
Secrets, past and present, abound. Relationships are not as they appear. Long-lost relatives show up, smelling a pay-out. Robin pieces together a disturbing truth she never saw coming, even as it stares her in the face.
Joy Fielding is the New York Times bestselling author of Someone is Watching, Charley's Web, Heartstopper, See Jane Run, and other acclaimed novels—25 and counting. Before embracing a full-time writing career, she earned a BA in English Literature and dabbled in acting. She divides her time between Toronto and Palm Beach.
Many thanks to Cindy Murray and Random House for providing Killer Nashville with the advance review copy.
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. (It was not a New York Times bestseller.) 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, Georgia, 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/.
Force of Nature by Jane Harper / Review by Anna Oneonta
FORCE OF NATURE
By Jane Harper
Flat Iron Books
$25.99
ISBN 978-1250105639
Publication Date: February 6, 2017
Book of the Day
We spend 8 hours a day with our co-workers. In some cases, that’s more time than we spend with our families, at least while we are awake. We think we know a lot about them… but do we? Would you trust them with your life?
Force of Nature by Jane Harper is her latest psychological thriller featuring Federal Agent Aaron Falk, a tough but likable character. He and his partner, Agent Carmen Cooper are in the final stages of a money-laundering investigation. All they need are the documents from their informant, Alice Russell, an executive at the firm of BaileyTennets. But Alice is missing. She left a mysterious voicemail on his mobile at 4 am the morning of her disappearance. It was mostly static, but at the very end, barely audible are the words “hurt her”.
The employees of BaileyTennets are on an executive retreat in the Australian bush. The ten employees are split into two groups; the men’s group is comprised of five men and is led by the head of the firm, Daniel Bailey. The women’s group is led by his sister, Jill and included Alice Russell, Lauren Shaw, and twin sister, Bree and Beth McKenzie. They have three days to make their way through the mountains (unguided) to a rendezvous point on the other side. With only a map, compass and basic camping supplies and no way of contacting the outside world, the most inexperienced teams set out. Three days later, cold, tired, and hungry, the men make it to the rendezvous. But, the women are late. As the day goes on their irritation becomes worry and the retreat guide finally calls in the search crews. After nightfall, when the crews are packing it in for the day, Jill, Lauren, Beth, and Bree stumble out of the woods. They are injured, dehydrated, exhausted and Bree has a nasty snake bite. The women thought for sure Alice would have made it out first. She broke off from the group after the second night. Falk and Carmen are desperate to help find Alice and it is critical that they find her alive.
Jane Harper has created a very intense psychological thriller. But there is more to the story than just the mystery of the missing woman. The relationships between the women, their histories, and hang-ups, their children–it all plays a part in their survival both in the woods and in the office. And to add just a bit more tension, there is the shadow of a decades-old serial killer that might play a part… It is a great read, with plenty of twists and turns and an ending that is unexpected-but satisfying. Told in alternating points of view from the women as the events unfolded and from Falk and Carmen’s side trying to piece the bits together. This is the second book in the Agent Falk series, but it read well as a stand-alone. I have already started to read the first book, The Dry. I just love the characters and the setting. I sincerely hope there will be more from Ms. Harper.
Many thanks to Amelia Possanza and Flat Iron Books for providing Killer Nashville with the advance review copy.
This Is How it Ends by Eva Dolan / Review by Grace Miller
THIS IS HOW IT ENDS
By Eva Dolan
Bloomsbury
$27.00
ISBN 978-1635570526
Publication Date: March 13, 2018
Book of the Day
Eva Dolan’s This Is How It Ends(Bloomsbury) submerges its readers not only in the dark world of murder but also the dark side of gentrification. Though the novel is packed with tension and intrigue, it’s the characters who take center stage. Dolan’s masterful storytelling will have you guessing, second-guessing, even triple-guessing everything you think you know until the very end.
Ella Riordan’s community activism has made her a local celebrity as well as a victim of negative attention from everyone ranging from internet trolls to the police. That’s why when a dead body shows up in a condemned apartment building Ella’s trying to save, her friend and mentor Molly convinces her to forego calling the cops and hide the body instead. Molly doesn’t hesitate to believe Ella when she says she acted in self-defense—until another resident reveals he heard Ella arguing with the man the night he died. As the story hurtles toward the forceful ending the title promises, both Ella and Molly flip and flop between trusting and suspicious, honest and deceitful.
What makes this story far more than your average whodunit is the masterful way Dolan is constantly subverting her readers’ suspicions and beliefs. Told from the alternating perspectives of both Molly and Ella beginning the night of the deadly party, Ella’s story goes back in time while Molly’s storyline moves forward. Each chapter reveals another twist that reshapes the meaning and context of what came before it. These revelations, not just the actions, are what drive the story forward and escalate the stakes. Though this manipulation of time—similar to what Mary Kubica does in The Good Girl—is becoming common in crime fiction, Eva Dolan uses this manipulation to continuously keep readers on the edge of their seats, considering and reconsidering just who they are rooting for in the narrative.
By the time the ending comes, the stakes have risen astronomically. This Is How It Ends will stick with readers for days after they’ve finished the book, making readers wonder just how far is too far to go when accomplishing a worthy goal.
Many thanks to Tara Kennedy and Bloomsbury for providing Killer Nashville with the advance review copy.
The Innocents by David Putnam / Review by Britany Menken
THE INNOCENTS
By David Putnam
Oceanview Publishing
$26.95
ISBN 978-1608092574
Publication Date: February 6, 2018
Book of the Day
Bruno Johnson, high priority deputy and ladies’ man brings an intelligible vigor to David Putnam’s latest crime novel, The Innocents. Armed with a deep-seated understanding of the human condition, Deputy Johnson catches criminals by the book despite the temptation of vengeance. In addition to well-written characters chalk full of morality, Putnam’s police jargon puts the reader right smack dab in the midst of police station rigmarole. His true-blue dialogue pays heavy respect to Putnam’s actual time on the force. The Innocentsis just a taste of Bruno Johnson’s deputy days including a trilogy and four completed stand-alone novels. Putnam’s inspired life and imagination have created a character complex enough to continue his journey for many more books. In The Innocents, on the other hand, this coal colored Casanova will have more to worry about than drug cartels when a woman turns up with a screaming baby girl at his doorstep.
Regarded highly by his notable past, Deputy Johnson puts himself in compromising positions every day. The beginning of the book spares no exception as we find him tangled with a red-headed beauty in the shower. While neither were resisting arrest, a knock on the door put the steamy shower to a halt for that knock was the sound of Bruno Johnson’s new life as a father. A ghost from his past dubbed him with the responsibility of being a daddy to a screaming purple-faced baby girl. With the pressures of fatherhood and being a new member of the violent crimes team of Los Angeles, Bruno will have to pull more than just a rabbit out of his hat. Johnson quickly learns of his new assignment by the new head of command, Lieutenant Robby Wicks. As brass as his .45 Combat Commander, Wicks isn’t afraid to flaunt his decorated past while simultaneously ripping you a new one.
Assigned a solo undercover mission, Bruno is tasked with the inside job of arresting one of their own. The culprit? A small fry Mexican man named Blue. From first glance, Blue seems like your average trigger-happy cop who isn’t afraid to push beyond the limits that as the story progresses, the reader learns of his true intentions and lack of compassion for his fellow man. In one day Bruno hit the trifecta of problems from crooked cops to bouncing babies and special undercover assignments. What more could be added to his plate? Que a mysterious woman from another crime division. Is he weary of her enough to stay away or will her physical and mental attractiveness break through that tough manly exterior?
With enough drama to start a crime show, The Innocents is a fun, quick read with a little peek into the world of Bruno Johnson. With other successful crime books under his belt, David Putnam’s real feel take on the life of a deputy flow and moves like silk across the page. The stark and straightforward writing of Putnam coincides wonderfully with all the characters he’s created in the world of Deputy Johnson and his fellow team members. Putnam’s skill at making you hate and love the right characters is showcased in this fast-paced crime novel from the villainous Blue whose true intentions include thieving a hefty amount of cash to Deputy Johnson, who no matter how hard the crooked cops try to bring him down even by framing his father, stays true to the law and what’s just. I highly suggest picking up your copy of The Innocents which comes out February 6th. In the meantime, I strongly urge the reader to check out other Bruno Johnson crime novels. With enough police jargon, maybe you’ll be able to join the force as well.
Many thanks to David Abolafia and Oceanview Publishing for providing Killer Nashville with the advance review copy.
Britany Menken is a lover of the arts with a Creative Writing degree from Tusculum College. A firm advocate of reading and writing, Britany spends her days working on her own novels as well as helping others do the same. Born in Maryville TN, she also enjoys morning trips to the mountains for writing sessions and spending more time with her cat than humans.
Killer Nashville Interview with Alan Bradley
Alan Bradley is the New York Times bestselling author of the award-winning Flavia de Luce mystery series. His first novel, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie received the Crime Writers' Association Debut Dagger Award, the Agatha Award, the Barry Award, the Dilys Award, the Arthur Ellis Award, the Macavity Award and the Spotted Owl Award. Recently, Mr. Bradley took a bit of time out of his busy schedule to answer a few questions for Killer Nashville. The author discusses his protagonist and the unique choices made in creating her, his writing process, and offers advice to those who—like Bradley—began their writing careers a little later in the game. Thanks to Liz Gatterer for conducting this interview.
Enjoy!
A Killer Nashville Interview with
ALAN BRADLEY
KN: When I first looked at the press release for The Grave’s a Fine and Private Place and saw that the story was about a 12-year-old girl, I assumed this was a children’s book, or a middle-grade book and was intrigued that was not how it was categorized. Who do you write your books for?
I write my books for people who are interested in the same kind of things I’m interested in. I dote on curiosities and wonder, and I have been accused of possessing a magpie mind. Fortunately, there are vast numbers of readers of all ages who share my enthusiasms.I have heard of a four-year-old girl who insists upon having the books read aloud to her, then acting them out with herself as Flavia, her father as Dogger, and her mother as Mrs. Mullet.
KN: I must admit, I am a new Flavia fan. I enjoyed The Grave’s a Fine and Private Place so much I have now binge read/listened to the entire series from the beginning. By the way, the narrator, Jayne Entwistle is just fantastic! There is an incredible amount of information in each book. How long does it take to research one of your books? Do you squirrel away factoids for use “at some point” or is it a more focused practice?
Yes, Jayne is incredible. I recently had the opportunity of speaking to her “live” during an internet broadcast. I think we were both in tears of laughter and recognition!
Some of the facts in the Flavia books are titbits I’ve been saving up for years, while others come to light during research. Because I’m a great fan of ancient and outdated reference books, it’s often harder to decide what to leave out than what to put in. In general, it takes about nine months to a year to write each book, a substantial amount of which is research. It’s not always easy to find out, for instance, what the weather was like in England at a certain hour of a certain day in 1952, or whether the 10:32 from Waterloo ran on Sundays in November.
KN: I have read at first you thought this would be a six-book series, and then a ten-book series. Well, The Grave’s a Fine and Private Place is book 9… Is book 10 in the works? Will that be the end of the series? (Please say no) Are there any plans for your next series?
In spite of reports to the contrary, I’m presently working on a tenth book. Beyond that? I don’t know. I’m sure my lovely publishers would be happy to continue, but, as Sherlock once so wisely remarked, “It is a capital mistake to theorize in advance of the facts.”
KN: Although the character of Flavia de Luce has certainly developed over the series, she has not really aged. She was 11 in Book 1: The Sweetness at the Bottomof the Pie and now in Book 9: The Grave’s a Fine and Private Place she is 12. It has been quite a year for the young girl! Is Flavia destined to be a pre-adolescent forever?
Flavia at 18, for instance, would be a completely different person than she is now, and perhaps not half so interesting. At any rate, there’s still much to be told about her present circumstances, and I’ve never been one for rushing things.
KN: As an author that really began to write in earnest after retirement and who published an award-winning novel after 70, what advice or words of encouragement (or words of warning) would you give to others who are just beginning their writing later in the game?
First of all, my heartiest congratulations to anyone who manages to get published at 60 and beyond! At that age, it seems unlikely that you’ll be changed: your life will be, but you won’t.
My best advice would be, as has been said so many times before, never give up. I was once told that real success takes ten years, but in my case, it took fifteen. To summarize: apply bottom to chair, write, and keep writing.
As Philip Van Doren Stern (author of the book that inspired the film “It’s a Wonderful Life”) once said, “The only thing that’s important is the manuscript. All the rest is just bubbles on the horse-piss.
Many thanks to Alan Bradley for taking time to answer our questions and to Sharon Propson from Random House Publishing for facilitating this interview.
S.T.A.G.S. by M.A. Bennett / Review by Elise Reed
S.T.A.G.S.
By M.A. Bennett
Delacorte Press
$18.99
ISBN 978-0525578468
Publication Date: January 30, 2018
Book of the Day
S.T.A.G.S. by M.A. Bennett is a fantastic new YA novel. It has everything that a reader could want: An exclusive boarding school in England, the privileged class (the ones you really love to hate) and of course, the heroine–the poor scholarship student who really just wants to show everyone that she is just as good as they are. But, there is a twist to this tale, one that makes is so much more delicious...
Greer MacDonald is new to St. Aidan the Great boarding school, better known as just S.T.A.G.S. She is an outsider. She is not one of the snobby blue-bloods that boast multigenerational ties to S.T.A.G.S. And she doesn't' want to be... well, not really. But when she receives an invitation to spend the weekend at the country manor of Henry de Warlencourt for some with several of the most wealthy and popular students–she feels like she has made a breakthrough. But, it's not her social life that hangs in the balance at this get-a-way.
The is a really well-written book. The premise may not be completely unprecedented, but it is one of those stories that even if you have a good idea about where things may lead-it's the journey that makes it worthwhile. The world that the S.T.A.G.S. students inhabit is so far removed from the life of the average American teenager (even one that has attending boarding school) that it's like a fairytale. A very demented fairytale. Greer is well developed and could hold her own amongst most of the adolescent protagonist in the genre. She is a bit of Katniss and a bit of Bella. And Henry... he is every girl's dream and nightmare rolled into one. This is a great stand-alone book but could lead to a series.
End Game by David Baldacci / Review by Danny Lindsey
END GAME
By David Baldacci
Grand Central Publishing
$29.00
ISBN 978-1455586608
Publication Date: November 14, 2017
Book of the Day
David Baldacci’s latest, the 5th in the Will Robie series (End Game, Grand Central Publishing, 2018) is as fast-moving and lethal as his readers have come to expect. Robie is reunited with his sometime adversary, sometime partner, and sometime lover, fellow assassin Jessica Reel in this thriller, set in rural Colorado.
The Blue Man has gone missing. In addition to his position as their immediate supervisor, and the one who passes on assignments to them, he is a senior national asset, one that cannot be permitted to end up in the wrong hands. In spite of the fact that both Robie’s and Reel’s forte` is not in the realm of finding missing persons, they are dispatched to Colorado to find Roger Walton, aka Blue Man.
What they find is a haven for every sort of misfit imaginable. White Supremacists, prepper enclaves, and vanilla-flavored New Age communes dot the local landscape. It isn’t immediately evident that any of these splinter groups either were involved or have knowledge of Blue Man’s disappearance, but it is very evident that wars between and among the various groups could erupt at any moment.
Outsiders are not particularly welcome; insiders are not always either. Gunfire and murder are the order of the day, and Robie and Reel have no trouble finding their usual level of mayhem. Either Baldacci has thrown in a generous dose of social commentary, or the existence and prevalence of hate- and anti-government groups is understated and under-reported.
No Robie and Reel novel would be complete without the sexual tension between the two of them that readers of the four previous Robie novels are accustomed to. Add to that a second level of the same, and even an old flame of Blue Man’s from his early years and you have two of the components of vintage Baldacci – blood and sex. Who could ask for anything more?
A purist might argue about shallow plots, thin storylines, or not-quite believable characters. A fan of fast-paced adventure thrillers would reply “it’s the telling of the tale, man, don’t be so picky.” So would I.
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!
The Grave's a Fine and Private Place by Alan Bradley / Review by Liz Gatterer
THE GRAVE'S A FINE AND PRIVATE PLACE
By Alan Bradley
Delecorte Press
$26.00
ISBN 978-0345539991
Publication Date: January 30, 2018
Book of the Day
Flavia de Luce is the absolutely spellbinding, precocious, 12-year-old, British, sleuth that has stolen my heart. She may have even roosted Hermione Granger from the position of "the girl I most wish I could have been". I began to read The Grave's a Fine and Private Place by Alan Bradley, which is actually the ninth book in the series, and was hooked. I subsequently purchased the first 8 books and have binge read/listened my way through all of them in less than a week. These are not quick reads, mind you, but sometimes sleepless nights and take-out dinners for the family are the prices one must pay to satisfy an obsession (and possibly I needed something with a little more "sweetness" as I had just finished re-reading It by Stephen King). But, back to Flavia.
Flavia is the youngest daughter of the recently deceased Laurence de Luce. Having lost her mother as an infant and now in mourning for her beloved father, she has decided life is no longer worth living and has plans to end it all while on a boat trip with her loathsome older sisters and Dogger, the families' faithful factotum. But she is brought out of her malaise when she, literally, fishes a corpse out of the river. Absently trailing her fingers in the water she hooks her fingers into the mouth of the floating remains and in her absolutely practical and unflustered way, she simply informs Dogger that "we'd best make for the pier." With Dogger off to fetch the police and her sister evacuating the contents of her stomach, Flavia begins her examination of the body. Without the slightest qualm, she searches the body and collects what evidence she can, (obviously she cannot conduct a PROPER post-mortem on the river bank!) and then with her endless knowledge of poisons, she deduces the likely cause of death. The eyeballs smell of apples, so it must be cyanide, of course. And that is just the beginning...
What first intrigued me about the series was that it is not categorized as a children's book or Young Adult and yet the protagonist is a young girl living in 1950's England. What I discovered was a cleverly conceived character that is a combination of Hermione Granger, Sherlock Holmes, Temperance Brennen (the television version) and a bit of Elizabeth Bennet. Mr. Bradley's style of writing is quick-witted, fact-laden and extremely fun to read. Although a Canadian that had actually never stepped foot in England until after he had won the Crime Writer's Debut Dagger Award for the first Flavia de Luce novel, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, he perfectly captures what is, to me at least, that quintessentially British cadence that authors like Lewis Carrol or Terry Pratchett are known for. I can see why this isn't necessarily a "kid's" book, although it speaks to the kid in me. Overall it is a wonderful series for most ages.
The Firemaker by Peter May / Review by Danny Lindsey
The Firemaker
By Peter May
Quercus
$15.99
ISBN 978-1681440897
Publication Date: January 9, 2018
Book of the Day
The Firemakeris a lot of book packed into one story. Peter May uses the two protagonists’ backgrounds, tenets and cultural biases as point/counterpoint to demonstrate daily life in Beijing as China begins leapfrogging into the 21st century. With a setting which includes a visiting pathologist from the United States, on a 6-week lecture tour as a part of her recovery from a domestic disaster and a newly promoted police detective who has never considered questioning his superiors, the story revolves around a series of seemingly connected murders.
Almost immediately the murders take a back seat to the sexual tension between Dr. Margaret Campbell, the visiting forensic pathologist, and Li, newly appointed Deputy Section Chief. With the murder investigation as a backdrop, the hate/grudging professional admiration/like/love relationship between the two unfolds as the main story, always with the cultural differences presented as the primary row of hurdles.
Not content with a murder investigation nudging a growing personal relationship along in spite of the instincts of his main characters, May ups the game by introducing a high-level plot to derail progress on solving the crime. From antagonists to something more akin to an un-admitted item, Li and Campbell work ever more closely as danger both to themselves and others builds.
The Firemakeris a remarkably detailed picture of daily life in Beijing, with all of its Big Brother rules and rewarded propensity to report all activities which may fall out of the ordinary. It portrays a moment in transition from a totally closed and repressive society toward a more open approach. Where one sleeps is still noted and reported, but one’s ability to overcome the stigma of individual choice is becoming possible. May accurately describes the changes through the telling of his story.
If a look into Chinese culture is your quest, look no further. If you like a good romance, it’s right here. And if you can’t resist a whodunit, yes, the murders do get solved. It’s messy, it’s unexpected, and it’s all a part of an extremely well-written book.
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!
The Hapsburg Variation by Bill Rapp / Review by Jim Biggs
The Hapsburg Variation
By Bill Rapp
Coffetown Press
$15.95
ISBN 978-1603816434
Publication Date: December 1, 2017
Book of the Day
CIA agent, Karl Baier is stationed in Vienna with his wife in the spring of 1955. Austria is preparing to sign the State Treaty which will return Austria’s independence and end the post-war occupation–a situation not everyone wants to see ended. When a wealthy Austrian is found dead, Baier is called in to investigate. In an attempt to halt his investigation, Baier’s wife is kidnapped, but this only adds fuel to he fire.
The Hapsburg Variation the second book in the Cold War Series by Bill Rapp, a history professor turned diplomat. Growing up during the height of the Cold War, I find this type of book fascinating. It is spy vs. spy with plenty of twists and turns that it's no wonder Baier begins to feel as though he cannot trust anyone–even those back in the States. For a history buff, this is a wonderful book. There is a lot of information and it takes a certain reader to really appreciate it all. I highly recommend the whole series.
Anatomy of a Scandal by Sarah Vaughan / Review by M.J. Corner
Anatomy of a Scandal
By Sarah Vaughan
Atria
$26.00
ISBN 978-1501172168
Publication Date: January 23, 2018
Book of the Day
charming, and successful. She has two perfect children and the perfect house. Everything is perfect–until the evening her husband comes home and says the words that strike terror in the heart of any wife, "we have to talk".
Barrister Kate Woodcroft's life is not perfect. She is divorced with no children. She lives alone. And she has just lost another case. Everything is falling apart–unit the afternoon when her clerk walks into her office and says the words that make any attorney's pulse race, "I've got just the case you need".
Anatomy of a Scandal is the latest novel by Sarah Vaughan. With the world being rocked almost daily by the revelation of sexual assaults committed by powerful men, this is a most timely read. It is, on the surface, the story of a politician being accused of a heinous crime, an ambitious lawyer willing to do almost anything to win the case that will make her career and a wife desperate not to let anything destroy her family. But there is more. This novel is about trust and doubt, sex and power, entitlement and social structure.
Written from the alternating points of view of the main characters, each chapter adds a new layer to the drama. Vaughn's experience as a political correspondent shows in her understanding of the subtleties of British Parliment. She is a very talented writer. I found myself questioning my own position on this turbulent subject. I highly recommend this book to... just about everyone.
Strong to the Bone by Jon Land / Review by Samantha Traci
Strong to the Bone
By Jon Land
Forge Books
$26.99
ISBN 978-0765384645
Publication Date: December 5, 2017
Book of the Day
Caitlin Strong, much to her superiors’ chagrin, is like a boulder rolling downhill when she latches on to the scent of a new case. In Strong to the Bone, the indefatigable Texas Ranger is at it again; this time in a whirlwind set of events that stretch not only across the state of Texas, but from 1944 to present day in a maelstrom that includes Nazis, J. Edgar Hoover, weapons of mass destruction, and more.
The story begins in 1944, just post-World War II. We meet Texas Ranger Earl Strong, Caitlin’s grandfather, and see the beginning of his hunt for an escaped Nazi POW from a prison camp in Hearne, Texas. The story leapfrogs from there back and forth between 1944 and present day, between Earl Strong’s timeline and his granddaughter’s. The present-day timeline also includes storylines involving Caitlin’s boyfriend and his son’s run-in with modern-day white supremacists, a less-than-ethical pharmaceutical executive, and Caitlin’s personal fight with some long-repressed demons.
If it sounds like a plot that covers a lot of ground, it most definitely is; yet Land manages to weave his seemingly incongruous storylines together into a narrative that flows seamlessly and comes out at a frenetic pace. It’s worth noting that the quick pace often leaves little time for exposition or character backstory, but as this is the ninth in the Caitlin Strong series, one can reasonably assume the reader would get more details by reading this novel’s predecessors. Taken as a standalone book the plot is still easy to follow and ends with satisfying finality. The historical notes in the story add another layer of interest and are sure to send the reader off on more than one Google adventure to ferret out the truth at the heart of the fiction.
Land excels at writing characters with personalities that jump off the page. Perhaps that’s fitting for a novel set in Texas and featuring the larger-than-life Texas Rangers; all the characters - good, evil, and morally ambiguous - have distinct, memorable personalities that help the reader keep it all straight when people, places, and bullets are all flying past. At the outset of the novel, in a scene that involves Caitlin commandeering a firetruck and using its hose to blast rioters out of her way, the reader is introduced to Caitlin’s “ask forgiveness later,” reactionary personality. It’s a theme that follows throughout the story and provides a hint of the action to come. The writing is not quite hard-boiled, a thriller that provides enough action to satisfy. Fans of David Baldacci or Lee Child will be at home with Land’s style.
Caitlin Strong stands out, not as a stereotypical “strong” female character, but because she’s simply a strong character, period. Her gender is unremarkable, both to the plot itself and to the other characters she meets. She’s simply a tough, no-nonsense Texas Ranger who kicks some ass when necessary. Even though this novel spends half its time in the past, Strong to the Bone tackles topics and issues extremely relevant to present day while stacking some gritty action on top of a surprise twist of an ending.
Sam is the co-founder and editor of progressandtea.com, a labor of love and exercise for sanity in these politically charged times. Drawing from her background in journalism, she currently works in higher education publishing by day but is hard at work on her first novel by night. When not working with words, she can be found indulging her passion for burlesque, a hobby that provides plenty of colorful experiences for her writing!
The Undertaker's Daughter by Sara Blaedel / Review by Bree Goodchild
The Undertaker's Daughter
By Sara Blaedel
Grand Central Publishing
$26.00
ISBN 978-1455541119
Publish Date: February 2, 2018
Book of the Day
"She couldn't read his face, but it might have surprised him that the undertaker's daughter was a beanpole: six feet tall without a hint of feminine form."
The clearest memory that Ilka Nichols Jensen had of her father was when she was seven years old. At the race tracks, where she rode a horse for the first time. A young Ilka knew her father would be proud, but soon realized he'd left, to gamble...again. But he didn't come home this time. Instead, Ilka and her mother were left in Copenhagen, Denmark with a funeral home and a steady debt. Paul Jensen was a bonified gambler and absentee father. Everyone in town knew. Now, almost four decades after his disappearance, Ilka and her mother receive the news that he has passed away. Leaving in his will a funeral home in Racine, Wisconsin (a Danish community) as part of Ilka's inheritance.
Now a middle-aged woman, school photographer, and recently widowed Ilka, the novel's heroine, is in a vulnerable position. Her mother, Karin, believes her daughter will disappear into the fray of deceit, debt, and misery that rules the undertaker business. Regardless, Ilka is willing to take the risk; her chance at saving the last connection to the father she wrote to for years but never replied. Was this his answer?
Ilka Nichols Jensen, Artie Sorvino (makeup artist of the deceased and business partner to Paul Jensen), along with Sister Eileen, Officer Thomas, Karin Jensen and her partner Hanne, and Ilka's father Paul Jensen. All these characters create a world that takes the reader into the hidden crevices of the funeral business. Well researched and beautifully depicted the author brings the smells, tastes, and sounds of Racine, Wisconsin to life in this short mystery novel, The Undertaker's Daughter. Produced by Hachette Book Group, Sara Blaedel's new story focuses on people who take the part of a spectator rather than a detective. An offbeat storyline compared to Blaedel's usual crime-driven works, like Detective Louise Rick, recognized as an international bestseller series within the genre of Scandinavian crime fiction.
"The mood of the funeral service moved her deeply, and now she felt closer to her father...she realized it was too early for her to go home, with so many facts that didn't add up, so much left unsaid, so many things still a mystery to her."
Although the majority of the novel is well translated from its original Danish language, there are parts of dialogue and scene transitions that appear awkward. Such as moments when Ilka notices the people around her are mumbling, doing odd tasks, or when it's difficult to follow along with the heroine's train of thought between her past memories and present predicaments. Besides those few bumps, I was otherwise impressed with how I picked up the story one minute and all too soon found myself at the ending cliffhanger. Looking forward to where Blaedel will take me with her next installment of the Ilka Nichols Jensen mystery series!
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.
The Take by Christopher Reich / Review by Jim Biggs
THE TAKE
By Christopher Reich
Mulholland Books
$28.00
ISBN 978-0316342353
Publication Date: January 16, 2018
Book of the Day
Who better to catch a thief than another thief? Simon Riske has played both sides of the game and has the skills (as well as connections) to hunt down a former acquaintance who has stolen a large amount of cash from a Saudi Arabian princ–as well a letter that could turn that could upset the balance of power in the western world. I love a good spy vs. spy novel!
Christopher Reich's latest novel, The Take is a high-speed thriller with an all the bells and whistles.Well written, with characters that are unexpectedly novel yet still fit the bill. Yes, there is a sexy Russian assassin, but she is not Natasha Fatale (and for you youngsters that don't get the reference, Google it). I actually read this one through in one go and I hope there are more to come.
A Merciful Secret by Kendra Elliot / Review by Liz Gatterer
A Merciful Secret
By Kendra Elliot
Montlake Romance
$12.95
ISBN 978-81542047869
Publication Date: January 16, 2018
Book of the Day
FBI Special Agent Mercy Kilpatrick works hard to make sure she is prepared for whatever the future may bring, be it a natural disaster, terrorists, or the collapse of modern society. She has spent years squireling away supplies in her TEOTWAWKI cabin hidden deep in the woods of rural Oregon. But no one can be prepared when a 10-year-old girl, covered in blood, appears out of nowhere, desperate for help. Despite her unease about the possible exposure of her sanctuary, Mercy follows the girl to a hidden cabin where the girl's grandmother lies dying from brutal slashes covering her body. Despite Mercy's best efforts, in the end, the only aid Mercy can offer is a hand to hold as the woman succumbs to her injuries. Although this isn't an official FBI case (yet), Mercy is compelled to protect the girl, solve the murder and find out exactly where the mother is.
A Merciful Secret is the third book in the Mercy Kilpatrick series by Kendra Elliot. I really like this series, it is smart and well thought out. Elliot has created in Mercy a strong, smart, and independent female lead, that isn't the typical "cop" type character found in other Romantic Thrillers. She has rough edges and emotional baggage, but she carries it well. She is fiercely independent, with plenty of common sense as well as survival skills. The romance (which is tasteful–not overly done or explicit) between Mercy and Truman has finally broken through to the stage where they both can say "I love you" without it being awkward, but the future of their relationship may be in trouble. It is really hard for Mercy to let herself need someone. And she does need Truman... With good pacing, an interesting backstory and plenty of potential for more in the series, I think this book could appeal to fans outside of the Romantic Thriller genre. Mercy is a bit of Agent Clarice Starling mixed with aspects of Sheriff Walt Longmire.
The next book in the series will be out in June and the series is being developed for television as well–so it's a great time to get caught up!
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