Book List Archives - Page 6 of 8 -

2021 – Christmas Themed Mysteries and Romance

Leave a Comment / Bestselling Author, Book List, Cozy, Featured, Mystery, Short Stories/Collection

Christmas seems to be the most popular holiday theme for mysteries and fiction of all varieties. I discovered that there were hundreds from which to choose, with more written every year. Some writers focus entirely on Christmas in every book they publish.

If you are a fan of Christmas themed fiction, then this updated 2021 list of fifty-eight novels, novellas, and short stories is for you. The books were recommended by avid cozy booksellers and reviewers, as well as NBR and Kerrian’s Notebook subscribers. Click on the titles to find out more about the books, then snuggle up with a great Christmas read.

Susan Wittig Albert “The Darling Dahlias & the Poinsettia Puzzle”

Gretchen Archer “Double Deck the Halls”

Donna Andrews “The Twelve Jays of Christmas”

Mary Angela “Very Merry Murder”

Joy Avon “In Peppermint Peril”

Laurien Berenson “Here Comes Santa Paws”

Susan Bernhardt “Murder Under the Tree”

Brittany E. Brinegar “Holly Jolly Murder”

Leslie Budewitz “As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles”

Ellen Byron “A Cajun Christmas Killing”

Lynn Cahoon “Have a Holly Haunted Christmas”

Robyn Carr “A Virgin River Christmas”

Nancy Coco “Have Yourself a Fudgy Little Christmas”

Cate Conte “A Whisker of a Doubt”

Maya Corrigan “Gingerdead Man”

Kim Davis “Frosted Yuletide Murder”

Maddie Day “Candy Slain Murder”

Vicki Delany “Dying in a Winter Wonderland”

Maria DiRico “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder”

Leighann Dobbs “Grievance in Gingerbread Alley”

Barbara Early “Murder on the Toy Town Express”

Peggy Ehrhart “Silent Knit, Deadly Knit”

Morris Fenris “Christmas Angel Charity”

Beatrice Fishback “Winter Writerland”

Amanda Flower “Candy Cane Crime”

Joanne Fluke “Christmas Cupcake Murder”

Jacqueline Frost “Slashing Through the Snow”

Daryl Wood Gerber “Wreath between the Lines”

John Gray “Manchester Christmas”

Patrice Greenwood “As Red as Any Blood”

Carolyn Haines “A Garland of Bones”

Victoria Hamilton “Breaking the Mould”

Jo A Heistand “Shortbread and Dead”

Julie Hennrikus “A Christmas Peril”

Liz Ireland “Mrs. Claus and the Santaland Slayings”

CeeCee James “The Frosty Taste of Scandal”

Miranda James “Six Cats a Slayin”

Tina Kashian “Mistletoe, Moussaka, and Murder”

Andrea Kress “Christmas Recipe for Murder”

Laura Levine “Death of a Neighborhood Scrooge”

Debbie Macomber “Dear Santa”

VL McBeath “A Christmas Murder”

Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, Peggy Ehrhart “Christmas Card Murder ”

Ada Moncrieff “Murder Most Festive”

Nancy Naigle “Hope at Christmas”

Carlene O’Connor “Murder at an Irish Christmas”

Gail Oust: “The Twelve Dice of Christmas”

James Patterson, Maxine Paetro: “The 19th Christmas”

Anne Perry “A Christmas Legacy”

Amy M. Reade “The Worst Noel”

Heather Redmond “A Christmas Carol Murder”

Barbara Ross “Nogged Off”

Rosemarie Ross “Christmas Candy Corpse”

Karen Schaler “A Royal Christmas Fairy Tale”

Julie Seedorf “The Discombobulated Decipherers”

Jane Willan “Abide with Me”

Traci Wilton “Mrs. Morris and the Ghost of Christmas Past”

Sherryl Woods: “Christmas at White Pines”

Happy Choosing!

2021 – Christmas Themed Mysteries and Romance Read More »

Book List: Author Craig Johnson

2 Comments / Award Winner, Bestselling Author, Book List, Featured, Fiction, Mystery, Nominated for Award, Suspense, Western

Craig Allen Johnson’s writing career has centered around his iconic lead character, Walt Longmire, a modern American sheriff from Wyoming. What makes Sheriff Walt Longmire so immediately likable? Middle-aged, experienced at his job, widower of a woman he loved more than life itself, an attorney daughter of whom he is so very proud, and a Cheyenne best friend/sidekick whom he has known since childhood. Longmire mostly follows the rules, but when justice is in question, the rules are sometimes open to interpretation.

The stories are full of wonderful dialogue, intriguing mysteries, life and death situations, and a core set of characters with whom you’d like to spend as much time as possible. Johnson’s obvious love of the wide-open spaces of Wyoming spills onto the pages when the landscape becomes a character, as suddenly dangerous as any killer could be or as mesmerizing as a beautiful painting.

Read the first in the series, “The Cold Dish,” and you’ll want to follow this lawman throughout the rugged Wyoming hills. Here is the list of the Longmire books, in order of publication.

“The Cold Dish” review here

“Death Without Company”

“Kindness Goes Unpunished” review here

“Another Man’s Moccasins”

“The Dark Horse”

“Junkyard Dogs”

“Hell Is Empty”

“As the Crow Flies”

“A Serpent’s Tooth”

“Any Other Name”

“Dry Bones” review here

“An Obvious Fact”

“The Western Star”

“Depth of Winter”

“Land of Wolves”

“Next to Last Stand”

“Daughter of the Morning Star”

Please visit https://www.craigallenjohnson.com for the ‘buy’ links for each of the books and to see the list of novellas that fill the gaps between the novels. Discover what he is doing virtually and in a few months, in person. There is a goodies store on the site, as well as a portal for ordering the DVDs from the TV series. Enjoy!

*Photos of Craig Johnson taken at Quail Ridge Bookstore in Raleigh, NC, by Patti Phillips.

Book List: Author Craig Johnson Read More »

Ellen Byron’s “Cajun Kiss of Death,” and the Cajun Country Mystery Series

2 Comments / Award Winner, Book List, Cozy, Mystery, Reviews

Ellen Byron, the Agatha Award winning author of the Cajun Country Mysteries, recently launched the thoroughly entertaining seventh book in the series, “Cajun Kiss of Death.” There’s never a dull moment in Maggie Crozat’s family, and a triple wedding at the beginning pulls out all the stops.

Great food has always been a part of the series, and as a result, favorite regional dishes frequently simmer on the stove at the Crozat Plantation B&B. Happily, Byron shares a few of the featured special recipes. I have my eye on the calas recipe in “Cajun Kiss of Death.” It’s a rice ball that has been deep fried and rolled in sugar or syrup. It promises to be a yummy breakfast treat or afternoon snack with coffee or tea.

In “Cajun Kiss of Death,” oysters are selling at rock bottom prices at a new restaurant, forcing established local eateries to struggle to stay afloat. Maggie’s mother, Ninette, discovers that a celebrity chef re-created her signature recipe to sell in his own place. Say what? Are the two actions related? Neither piece of underhandedness wins any friends and the chef winds up deader than a week old crayfish. Nin is one of the suspects he betrayed, but with rival restaurateurs, disgruntled ex-wives, sou chefs, and flamboyant cooks in the mix, there’s no shortage of people to investigate.

Each of the series books has featured a believable and often topical theme. “Mardi Gras Murder” gave a nod to the real life area’s resiliency after Katrina and other crushing storms leveled surrounding New Orleans neighborhoods. Pelican is no ordinary town, but a tight-knit community steeped in tradition, a solid theme often repeated.

The series has engaged us with extensive local history through the well-developed plots and an eclectic cast from New Orleans culture. We have witnessed the grit needed to keep the family business going throughout hurricanes, cash flow challenges, less than honest outside influences, and even a pandemic. There is a special warmth and depth to the characters and we can’t help but recognize our own favorite relatives in Byron’s books.

Books in Order:
Click on the titles for the ‘buy’ links.

“Plantation Shudders”
“Body on the Bayou”
“Cajun Christmas Killing”

Check out the review for “Mardi Gras Murder” here.

“Fatal Cajun Festival”
“Murder in the Bayou Boneyard”
“Cajun Kiss of Death”

Wonderful series. Get them all.

Please visit www.ellenbyron.com for information about her other books in the series, as well as her new projects.

Ellen Byron’s “Cajun Kiss of Death,” and the Cajun Country Mystery Series Read More »

Book List: The Scot Harvath series by Brad Thor

Adventure, Bestselling Author, Book List, Fiction, Military, Thriller

The Scot Harvath series by Brad Thor, delivers action that never stops. The highly successful twenty-one novels feature counterterrorism as the central theme, more topical with each new title.

Back in 2013, when I reviewed “Takedown,” Thor arranged for an entire year of “Thrills, Threats, and Thor.” He invited his fans to read each of the books (one a month) in order, starting in January, 2013, with the first, “The Lions of Lucerne.” Thor’s website has videos and extras about each of the books and of course, an opportunity to buy them.

Scot Harvath is well written, with depth and a sense of humanity despite the gravity of his tasks. We experience moments of his deep commitment and never question his patriotism as the books unfold. “Takedown,” first published in 2006, dealt with post September 11^th terrorism action in New York City. See my review here.

If you’d like to try the Thor reading plan, here are the books in order. Click on the titles:

January’s Book: The Lions Of Lucerne
February’s Book: Path Of The Assassin
March’s Book: State Of The Union
April’s Book: Blowback
May’s Book: Takedown
June’s Book: The First Commandment
July’s Book: The Last Patriot
August’s Book: The Apostle
September’s Book: Foreign Influence
October’s Book: The Athena Project
November’s Book: Full Black
December’s Book: Black List

Additional books published since then are (in order):

Backlash read my review here

Near Dark

Black Ice

Rising Tiger – pre-order

Please visit www.bradthor.com to read about the current books in the Scot Harvath series, as well as Thor’s new release coming in July, 2022, “Rising Tiger,” the highly anticipated #22.

Book List: The Scot Harvath series by Brad Thor Read More »

Mari Barnes’ “Best of Books for Children Under 12”

Award Winner, Book List, Fiction, Nominated for Award, Readers Under 12, Reviews

Mari Barnes is our first guest author on Nightstand Book Reviews! I ‘met’ her on Facebook because of our mutual love of mystery shows, but realized as I followed her posts that she also has a shared avid interest in developing literacy for young people and their families. She is a member of our NBR community and the perfect person to ask for her ‘Best of’ book list for children under 12. Welcome, Mari. 🙂

I’m Mari Barnes and I’m a big fan of children’s books. I share them with my own family and the children who participate in the literacy programs I facilitate. The following books are only SOME of the many great books I’ve enjoyed with children under the age of twelve. They range from silly to sweet to serious. If I didn’t list a favorite of yours, I hope you’ll find time to sample one or two…or all ten!

Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel
The perfect first chapter book for new readers. These two characters show us what friendship looks like in five adorable short stories.

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willem
This reader favorite is about a bus driver who has to leave so he asks the reader to not allow the pigeon to drive the bus. A great read-aloud book!

8. The Composer Is Dead by Lemony Snicket
This book/CD is a clever and silly whodunnit about an orchestra. It’s fun for adults and kids won’t care that they’re learning about orchestras and classical music.

7. I Can’t Said the Ant by Polly Cameron A story told in rhyme that is about what happens to the denizens of a kitchen when an ant tries to help a fallen teapot.

6. Little Red Gliding Hood by Tara Lazar
There are laughs a plenty in this new spin on fairy tales. Little Red Riding Hood needs to find a partner to help her win a new pair of skates. But finding one isn’t easy.

Sweet T and the North Wind by Cat Michaels
Tara, or Sweet T as her grandmother calls her, finds out that there really is magic in the North Wind. This story is about the love of family told with charm and whimsy.

4. Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
For older or more developed readers. Set in the Depression and told in Bud’s own unique voice, we follow his humorous, scary, sad and uplifting travels to find the man who just might be his father.

I Don’t Want to Be a Frog by Dev Petty
Frog would rather be ANYTHING else. Until he finds out that being a frog is the best thing he could ever be. A great lesson is hidden in lots of laughs.

2. Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty
Kid scientist Ada has to use all of her science skills to find out why her house is filled with a terrible smell. But her experiments lead to even more trouble in the winning tale of imagination and determination.

1. Brimsby’s Hats by Andrew Prahin
A charming little fable about friendship and problem-solving, this is one of my all-time favorites. And it’s got a surprise twist. A terrific bedtime story.

Mari Lumpkin Barnes writes for children under the pen name of Mari Lumpkin and for adults as ML Barnes. Mari owns Flying Turtle Publishing and has spent many years working with experts in child development, creating and implementing children’s literacy programs. The latest is Adventures in Reading, literacy programming for Chicagoland and northwest Indiana families.

https://aireading.org

https://www.flyingturtlepublishing.com/

Many thanks to Mari Barnes for her photos and for sharing the wonderful list! 🙂

Enjoy!

Mari Barnes’ “Best of Books for Children Under 12” Read More »

Writer Mark Stevens, and His Books

2 Comments / Award Winner, Book List, Crime, Fiction, Mystery, Reviews

Mark Stevens at BoucherCon

Mark Stevens is an award-winning Colorado writer, former journalist, now PR and Communications Specialist, whose work caught my eye on Twitter a few years ago. He tweeted about the country’s environmental challenges, a subject near and dear to my heart, and I readily ‘followed’ him. He mentioned that his second book in the Allison Coil Mysteries, “Buried by the Roan,” had recently been published, so I picked it up. I was hooked by the topical storyline and the multi-faceted characters caught up in events tearing their beloved landscape apart.

The lead protagonist, Allison Coil, is a big game hunting guide in the Flat Top wilderness of Colorado. And lest you think that a woman might not really choose this as a career, Coil is based on a real-life guide that Stevens met while pondering the setting and the focus character for the series.

Each of his books could have been ripped from the headlines and in always absorbing writing, deal with hot-button topics, such as human trafficking, marijuana laws, undocumented workers, fracking, big game hunting, drought, and wilderness protection. But, in addition to these and other ‘big concept’ themes (and the murders) Stevens’ stories are grounded in real life, with his core characters facing the challenges of rebuilding a life in a new location, managing a small business, finding/trusting love after heartbreak.

Colorado’s majestic wilderness plays a major role and Stevens’ imageries put us right in the saddle as Allison rides through the Flat Tops. The big game hunts and plots unfold against a backdrop of rich country that everybody wants a piece of, but few acknowledge that through the very development they seek, the land as they know it will disappear.

“Antler Dust,” the book that started it all.

“Buried by the Roan” Review here.

“Trapline” Review here.

“Lake of Fire” Review here.

“The Melancholy Howl,” the fifth in the series, reveals more in the background of each of the central characters, some of it a bit edgier than before. There are glitches in the love lives of the two continuing couples and one major character has a whopper of a secret that tears at the core of his public persona. These are flesh and blood people, some with serious flaws and baggage, but all have each other’s backs in a crunch.

The ‘big concept’ in “The Melancholy Howl” deals with medical marijuana (legal in Colorado) and how its use and the industry has changed since the first stores opened. There is loads of money to be made, but as it turns out, there is a gap between the perceived need and the actual market, and not everyone is following the law. A plane crash, an ‘illegal’ grow, con- artists, tragedy, drought, and greed, all play a part in this gripping page-turner.

Mark Stevens also writes short stories, the most recent of which, “A Bitter Thing,” appeared in the May/June 2019 issue of Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine.

Please visit https://www.writermarkstevens.com/ for the latest news about his books and the fascinating podcasts he produces.

Writer Mark Stevens, and His Books Read More »

2020 Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction

2 Comments / Book List, Featured, Legal, Mystery, Nominated for Award

The Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction was established to commemorate the 50^th anniversary of “To Kill A Mockingbird,” written by former Alabama law student, Harper Lee. For the past several years, the University of Alabama School of Law and the ABA Journal have partnered to award the prize to a published work of fiction from the previous year that best demonstrates “the role of lawyers in society and their power to effect change.”

Congratulations to the finalists (chosen from a field of 21) for the 2020 Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction. The winner is indicated in red.

Sujata Massey: “The Satapur Moonstone”

Victor Methos: “The Hallows”

Chad Zunker: “An Equal Justice”

Previous winners:

2011 – John Grisham, “The Confession”

2012 – Michael Connelly, “The Fifth Witness”

2013 – Paul Goldstein, “Havana Requiem”

2014 – John Grisham, “Sycamore Row”

2015 – Deborah Johnson, “The Secret of Magic”

2016 – Attica Locke, “Pleasantville”

2017 – James Grippando, “Gone Again”

2018 – C.E. Tobisman, “Proof.”

2019 – Sharon Bala, “The Boat People”

2020 Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction Read More »