Suspense

2024 ThrillerFest Awards

Thriller writers bring us thrills and chills and keep us turning the pages long into the wee hours of the morning. We love those stay-awake reads! Check out the 2024 International Thriller Writer ThrillerFest Awards finalists. The winners will be announced in NYC on June 3rd. Congratulations to all!

BEST HARDCOVER NOVEL
S.A. Cosby – ALL THE SINNERS BLEED

Robert Dugoni – HER DEADLY GAME
J.T. Ellison – IT’S ONE OF US
Mick Herron – THE SECRET HOURS
Joe Ide – FIXIT
C.J. Tudor – THE DRIFT

BEST FIRST NOVEL
I.S. Berry – THE PEACOCK AND THE SPARROW

Amy Chua – THE GOLDEN GATE
Margot Douaihy – SCORCHED GRACE
Kerryn Mayne – LENNY MARKS GETS AWAY WITH MURDER
Steve Urszenyi – PERFECT SHOT: A THRILLER

BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL NOVEL
Tracy Clark – HIDE

Luke Dumas – THE PALEONTOLOGIST
Tess Gerritsen – THE SPY COAST
Lisa Gray – TO DIE FOR
Jonathan Maberry – CAVE 13: A JOE LEDGER AND ROGUE TEAM INTERNATIONAL NOVEL
J. Todd Scott – CALL THE DARK

BEST YOUNG ADULT NOVEL
Sorboni Banerjee, Dominique Richardson – RED AS BLOOD

Darcy Coates – WHERE HE CAN’T FIND YOU
Courtney Gould – WHERE ECHOES DIE
Andrea Hannah – WHERE DARKNESS BLOOMS
Elizabeth Wein – STATELESS

BEST E-BOOK ORIGINAL NOVEL
Jeff Buick – THE VULTURE FUND

Rona Halsall – THE BIGAMIST
Matt Phillips – A GOOD RUSH OF BLOOD
Lisa Regan – CLOSE HER EYES
Robert Swartwood – THE KILLING ROOM
Laura Wolfe – THE IN-LAWS

From the ITW site: “With more than 5,000 members in 49 countries, representing over 3.2 billion book sales, ITW is the world’s leading organization for thriller writers. ITW helps authors hone their craft, learn about the business aspects of publishing, and helps connect writers with readers.”

 

2024 ThrillerFest Awards Read More »

Irish Fiction and Mysteries – 2024 List

Bunratty Castle Farmhouse, Ireland

St. Patrick’s Day will be here soon! For those of you that focus your reading on holiday/cultural themed books, the list below features Irish writers, mysteries/suspense set in Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day murders, or titles with Irish characters central to the plot. Some are modern classics, some are newbies, but all are entertaining reads. You’re sure to find a story in the updated list of 50 Irish Fiction & Mysteries – 2024  that you will want to read again and again. (Links included for bold titles)

 

Lisa Alber: “Path into Darkness

Maeve Binchy:  “Chestnut Street
Furlong-Bollinger: “Paddy Whacked
Ellie Brannigan “Murder at an Irish Castle
Verity Bright “Murder in an Irish Castle
Declan Burke: “The Lost and the Blind


Steve Cavanagh: “Th1rt3en
Sheila Connolly: “Fatal Roots
Kathy Cranston: “Apple Seeds and Murderous Deeds

Sinead Crowley: “One Bad Turn


Kathi Daley: “Shamrock Shenanigans
Maddie Day: “Four Leaf Cleaver
Frank Delaney: “The Last Storyteller
Dicey Deere: “The Irish Village Murder

Nelson Demille: “Cathedral


Peggy Ehrhart: “Irish Knit Murder
Patricia Falvey: “The Yellow House
Tana French: “The Searcher
Alexia Gordon: “Murder in G Major
Jean Grainger: “For All the World”
Andrew Greeley: “The Bishop at the Lake


Jane Haddam: “A Great Day for the Deadly

Lyn Hamilton: “The Celtic Riddle
Lee Harris: “The St. Patrick’s Day Murder
Erin Hart: “The Book of Killowen

Jonathan Harrington: “A Great Day for Dying


Mary Anne Kelly: “Twillyweed

Amanda Lee: “The Long Stitch Good Night

Dan Mahoney: “Once in, Never Out
Caimh McDonnell: “A Man with One of Those Faces
Brian McGilloway: “The Last Crossing
Adrian McKinty: “The Chain
Ralph M. McInerny: “The Green Revolution

Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, Barbara Ross: “Irish Coffee Murder
Catie Murphy “Dead in Dublin


Stuart Neville: “So Say the Fallen
Carlene O’Connor: “Murder at an Irish Chipper
Susanne O’Leary: “The Lost Girls of Ireland
Sister Carol Anne O’Marie: “Death Takes Up a Collection”


Helen Page: “Equal of God”
Louise Phillips: “The Doll’s House
J.M. Poole “Case of the Shady Shamrock


Janet Elaine Smith: “In St. Patrick’s Custody
Jo Spain: “Beneath the Surface

Patrick Taylor: “An Irish Country Welcome
Charles Todd: “An Irish Hostage
Peter Tremayne: “Blood in Eden
Kathy Hogan Trochek: “Irish Eyes

Eliza Watson “How to Handle an Ancestry Scandal
Traci Wilton “Mrs. Morris and the Pot of Gold

 

If your favorite Irish Fiction & Mysteries titles are not on the list, let me know and I’ll add them! Happy choosing and reading!

 

Irish Fiction and Mysteries – 2024 List Read More »

2024 Barry Awards – Crime Fiction

Established in 1997, the Barry Awards are presented at the annual Bouchercon World Mystery Convention, to be held this year in Nashville. The winners will be announced at the Opening Ceremonies on August 29th. Voted on by readers of the Deadly Pleasures mystery magazine, the award was named in honor of Barry Gardner, an American critic and lover of great crime fiction. Congratulations to all the nominees!

Best Mystery or Crime Novel
Lou Berney, DARK RIDE
S. A. Cosby, ALL THE SINNERS BLEED
Eli Cranor, OZARK DOGS
Jordan Harper, EVERYBODY KNOWS
Dennis Lehane, SMALL MERCIES
Adrian McKinty, THE DETECTIVE UP LATE

Best First Mystery or Crime Novel
Michael Bennett, BETTER THE BLOOD
I.S. Berry, THE PEACOCK AND THE SPARROW
Bruce Borgos, THE BITTER PAST
Amy Chua, THE GOLDEN GATE
Deepti Kapoor, AGE OF VICE
Nina Simon, MOTHER-DAUGHTER MURDER NIGHT
Iris Yamashita, CITY UNDER ONE ROOF

Best Paperback Original
Mystery or Crime Novel
Mia P. Manansala, MURDER AND MAMON
Rick Mofina, EVERY THING SHE FEARED
Jake Needham, WHO THE HELL IS HARRY BLACK?
Jesse Sutanto, VERA WONG’S UNSOLICITED ADVICE FOR MURDERERS
Vanda Symon, EXPECTANT
Scott Von Doviak, LOWDOWN ROAD

Best Thriller
Mark Greaney, BURNER
Mick Herron, THE SECRET HOURS
John Lawton, MOSCOW EXILE
Anthony McCarten, GOING ZERO
T. J. Newman, DROWNING

2024 Barry Awards – Crime Fiction Read More »

2024 Edgar Awards

MWA (Mystery Writers of America) announced the nominees for the 2024 Edgar Allan Poe Awards, honoring the best in mystery fiction, nonfiction, and television published or produced in 2023. The 78th Annual Edgar® Awards will be given on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in New York City. Congratulations to all the nominees!

BEST NOVEL
Flags on the Bayou by James Lee Burke
All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby
The Madwomen of Paris by Jennifer Cody Epstein
Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll
An Honest Man by Michael Koryta
The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger
Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead

BEST FIRST NOVEL
The Peacock and the Sparrow by I.S. Berry
The Golden Gate by Amy Chua
Small Town Sins by Ken Jaworowski

The Last Russian Doll by Kristen Loesch
Murder by Degrees by Ritu Mukerji

BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
Boomtown by A.F. Carter
Hide by Tracy Clark
The Taken Ones by Jess Lourey
Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Lowdown Road by Scott Von Doviak

BEST FACT CRIME
In Light of All Darkness: Inside the Polly Klaas Kidnapping and the Search for America’s Child by Kim Cross
Number Go Up: Inside Crypto’s Wild Rise and Staggering Fall by Zeke Faux
Tangled Vines: Power, Privilege, and the Murdaugh Family Murders by John Glatt
Crooked: The Roaring ’20s Tale of a Corrupt Attorney General, a Crusading Senator, and the Birth of the American Political Scandal by Nathan Masters
I Know Who You Are: How an Amateur DNA Sleuth Unmasked the Golden State Killer and Changed Crime Fighting Forever by Barbara Rae-Venter
The Lost Sons of Omaha: Two Young Men in an American Tragedy by Joe Sexton

BEST YOUNG ADULT
Girl Forgotten by April Henry
Star Splitter by Matthew J. Kirby
The Sharp Edge of Silence by Cameron Kelly Rosenblum
My Flawless Life by Yvonne Woon
Just Do This One Thing for Me by Laura Zimmerman

BEST TELEVISION EPISODE SCREENPLAY
“Time of the Monkey”Poker Face, Written by Wyatt Cain & Charlie Peppers (Peacock)

“I’m a Pretty Observant Guy”Will Trent, Written by Liz Heldens (ABC)

“Dead Man’s Hand”Poker Face, Written by Rian Johnson (Peacock)

“Hózhó Náhásdlii (Beauty is Restore)”Dark Winds, Written by Graham Roland & John Wirth (AMC)

“Escape from Shit Mountain” Poker Face, Written by Nora Zuckerman & Lilla Zuckerman


The Lilian Jackon Braun Memorial Award

Glory Be by Danielle Arceneaux
Misfortune Cookie by Vivien Chien
Hot Pot Murder by Jennifer J. Chow
Murder of an Amish Bridegroom by Patricia Johns
The Body in the Back Garden by Mark Waddell


Additional Award Nominees (Best Juvenile, Best Critical/Biographical, Best Short Story, Mary Higgins Clark Award, Sue Grafton Memorial Award) can be found at  EdgarAwards.com

 

 

2024 Edgar Awards Read More »

2023 – Macavity Awards

The Macavity Awards are nominated by members and friends of Mystery Readers International, and subscribers to Mystery Readers JournalCongratulations to all the nominees and winners (indicated in red)!
Mystery Readers International, Mystery Readers Journal, and the Macavity Awards, were created by Anthony Award winner, Janet Rudolph.

Best Mystery Novel:
Laurie R. King: Back to the Garden 
Chris Pavone:
Two Nights in Lisbon 
Louise Penny: A World of Curiosities 
Ian Rankin:
A Heart Full of Headstones 
Deanna Raybourn:
Killers of a Certain Age 
Alex Segura:
Secret Identity

Best First Mystery:
Jacqueline Bublitz: Before You Knew My Name
A.J. Devlin: Five Moves of Doom
Ramona Emerson: Shutter
Rob Osler: Devil’s Chew Toy
Jane Pek: The Verifiers
Nita Prose: The Maid

Best Mystery Short Story:
Brendan DuBois: “The Landscaper’s Wife” (Mystery Tribune, Aug/Sep 2022)
Barb Goffman: “Beauty and the Beyotch” (Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine, Jan 2022)
Donna Moore: “First You Dream, Then You Die” (Black is the Night, Titan Books)
Anna Scotti: “Schrödinger, Cat” (Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Mar/Apr 2022)
Catherine Steadman: “Stockholm” (Amazon Original Stories)
Jess Walter: “The Angel of Rome” (in The Angel of Rome and Other Stories, Harper)
Melissa Yi: “My Two-Legs” (Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Sep/Oct 2022)

Sue Feder Memorial Award for Best Historical Mystery:
Mariah Fredericks: The Lindbergh Nanny
Catriona McPherson: In Place of Fear 
Wanda M. Morris: Anywhere You Run
Ann Parker: The Secret in the Wall
Gary Phillips: One-Shot Harry
Lev A.C. Rosen: Lavender House

 

2023 – Macavity Awards Read More »

Book List: Author C. Hope Clark

Award winning mystery writer, C. Hope Clark, is the author of three series based in the American South.

The Carolina Slade Mysteries introduced me to this always engaging author. You’ll enjoy reading about Carolina Slade, a special projects officer with the US Department of Agriculture, and the well-developed, conniving characters in the books. Set in steamy South Carolina, Clark captures the atmosphere and the landscape so perfectly that you’ll be spooked right along with Slade as she conducts some of her investigations in the deep groves and low country coastline. The relationship between Slade and her love interest, loosely based upon Ms. Clark’s own experiences, adds to the fun of the solid mystery series. Click on the links for the ‘buy’ information and/or to learn more about the books.

 

 

 

Book One: Read review here

Tidewater Murder”  (Book Two)

 

 


Book Three: Read review here

Newberry Sin”  (Book Four)

Salkehatchie Secret”  (Book Five)

 

The Edisto Island Mysteries take place for the most part on Edisto Island, a real geographical location in South Carolina. Law enforcement officer Callie Jean Morgan is the complex, lead protagonist who becomes the Police Chief of Edisto Beach, while battling inner demons related to her Boston ties.

Murder on Edisto”  (Book One)

Edisto Jinx”  (Book Two)

 

 

 

 

Book Three: Read review here

Edisto Stranger”  (Book Four)

 

 

 

Book Five: Read review here

 

Edisto Tidings”  (Book Six)

Reunion on Edisto” (Book Seven)

Edisto Heat”  (Book Eight)

Badge of Edisto”  (Book Nine)

Edisto Bullet” (Book Ten, just released)


Never one to rest on her successes, Clark launched a series featuring a new protagonist, Quinn Sterling, a private detective in the Carolina low country. The first three titles, “Murder in Craven,” “Burned in Craven,” and “Craven County Line,” are out now. Click on the titles for more information.

On occasion, Nightstand Book Reviews has a crossover post with Kerrian’s Notebook. Clark (in the personae of Quinn Sterling) was a Visiting Detective on KN. Please read “Murder in Craven County,” for more about this great new character/series.

In the meantime, please visit https://chopeclark.com/ for more information about Clark’s books and public events.

*Banner and head shot courtesy of C. Hope Clark.

 

Book List: Author C. Hope Clark Read More »

Book List: Fiona Quinn

 

Fiona Quinn writes “smart, sexy suspense with a psychic twist.” The series that started her path to becoming a USA Today bestselling author, the Lynx Series, is centered around a character that her readers love. Click on the titles in Fiona Quinn’s Book List to find out more about each of them.

In the Lynx Series, Lexi Sobado protects the greater good through her finely tuned psychic awareness and the expert operators charged with protecting her.

 

 

Weakest Lynx”  read my review here, one of the NBR ‘beach read’ choices that year.

Missing Lynx
Chain Lynx

 

 

 

Cuff Lynx”  read my review here.

Gulf Lynx
Hyper Lynx

Marriage Lynx

The FBI Joint Task Force Series Iniquus, the ex-special forces teams that Lexi works with, partners with an FBI Joint Task Force. Pulse pounding series.

Open Secret
Cold Red
Even Odds

Panther Forcefocuses on international action adventures. So much fun!

Wasp

 

 

 

 

 

“Relic”   read my review here.
Deadlock
Thorn

Strike Forcethe members of the Iniquus strike force are highlighted in each book. With psychic suspense, romance, murder, and mystery woven into each, Quinn’s fans have loved the guys tasked to discover the truth behind various operations.
In Too Deep
Jack Be Quick
Instigator

Delta Force Echo Series – The guys of Iniquus star in Action Adventure Romance.
Danger Signs
Danger Zone
Danger Close

Cerberus Tactical K9the K9s steal the show in the Iniquus K9 romantic suspense mystery thrillers.
Survival Instinct
Protective Instinct
Defender’s Instinct
Warrior’s Instinct’
Rescue Instinct”
Hero’s Instinct”
Guardian’s Instinct

The Kate Hamilton Novella SeriesA former science teacher from Boston goes to Virginia to hide out, but finds that danger follows her even to the small town where she grew up. Excellent novella series.  🙂

Mine
Yours
Ours” 

Fiona Quinn (as Lexi Sobado) has also been a Visiting Detective at Kerrian’s Notebook. Click on the links to take you to the individual posts.

Read “Visiting Detective Lexi Sobado

and “Everyday Carry (EDC) for Police,” one of KN’s most popular Visiting Detective pieces.

 

If you like intelligent women with unusual talent, a taste for danger, a bit of romance, and lots of action, check out Fiona Quinn’s always entertaining books.

 

 

 

Book List: Fiona Quinn Read More »

Scroll to Top