Sci-Fi

2023 Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Awards

The 2023 Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Awards honor the Best Books of 2022. Congratulations to the finalists and winners (indicated in red)!

BEST ACTION ADVENTURE
Victor Acquista / Revelation
A. M. Adair / Shadow War
Thomas A. Burns, Jr. / Sister! A Natalie McMasters Mystery
Angela Greenman / The Child Riddler
Eric S. Hoffman / The Ballad of Clay Moore
Timothy S. Johnston / The Shadow of War
J.B. Manning / Richter The Mighty
S. Lee Manning / Bloody Soil
Johan Rosenlind / Franco’s Lost Gold

BEST COMEDY 
SL Calder / A Dusty Demise
Mindy Carlson / Her Dying Day
A.J. Devlin / Five Moves of Doom
Lucy Lakestone / Jiggered by Gin
J. B. Manning / Richter the Mighty
Haris Orkin / Goldhammer
Cindy Sample / Birthdays are Murder
Lida Sideris / Gambling with Murder
Gabrielle St. George / How to Kill a Kingpin
Susan Wingate / Gag Me: A Friday Harbor Novel

BEST COZY 
M.K. Dean / The Dog Days of Murder
Debra H Goldstein / Five Belles Too Many
Sasscer Hill / Murder at the Willcotts Hotel
Polly Holmes / Black Magic Murder
Christine Knapp / Murder at the Wedding
Judy L Murray / Killer in the Kitchen – A Chesapeake Bay Mystery
Lori Robbins / Murder in Third Position
Peggy Rothschild / A Deadly Bone to Pick
Nancy Raven Smith / Bushwhacked in the Outback
C.B. Wilson / Doodled to Death

BEST HISTORICAL 
Joy Allyson / Whiskey Love
Carmen Amato / Murder at the Galliano Club
Mally Becker / The Counterfeit Wife
Katherine Cowley / The Lady’s Guide to Death and Deception
Michelle Cox / A Spying Eye
Richard Helms / A Kind and Savage Place
Joy Jordan-Lake / A Bend of Light
Laurie Loewenstein / Funeral Train
Kelly Oliver / Chaos at Carnegie Hall
Nina Wachsman / The Gallery of Beauties

BEST INVESTIGATOR 
J. L. Delozier / The Photo Thief
Mary Keliikoa / Hidden Pieces
Thomas Holland / Grind Slowly, Grind Small
Colin Holmes / Thunder Road
James L’Etoile / Dead Drop
Emilya Naymark / Behind the Lie
D.R. Ransdell / Party Wine
Saralyn Richard / Crystal Blue Murder
Drew Strickland / Abducted in Appalachia
Joyce Woollcott / A Nice Place To Die

BEST MAINSTREAM / COMMERCIAL 
Katherine Faulkner / Greenwich Park

S.E. Greco / A Patient Enemy
Vinnie Hansen / One Gun

BEST MYSTERY 
Hope Clark / Badge of Edisto
Trish Esden / The Art of the Decoy
Leonard Getz / Innocent Spouse
Kim Hays / Pesticide
K. L. Murphy / Her Sister’s Death
Ann Parker / The Secret in the Wall
Michael Stanley / A Deadly Covenant
Ruth Ware / The It Girl
Marla A. White / Cause for Elimination
Rich Zahradnik / The Bone Records

BEST SCI-FI / FANTASY
Esteban Corio / The Future of Humanity
David Cornish / 2003: The Time-Loop Device
Frank Gratton / Nula
Elle Hartford / Beauty and the Alchemist
Jeanne Hull Godfroy / Midgard
Bryan Johnston / Death Warrant
Madison Lawson / The Registration
Nola Nash / Traveler
Palmer Pickering / Heliotrope
Jordan Reed / The Wizard’s Brew: A Zane Vrexon Mystery
Janet Raye Stevens / It’s Been A Long, Long Time
Joss Walker and R.L. Perez / Master of Shadows

BEST SUSPENSE & BOOK OF THE YEAR
Traci Hunter Abramson and Sian Ann Bessey / The Danger with Diamonds
Georgina Cross / The Niece
Tracey Devlyn / Flash Point
Kathleen Donnelly / Chasing Justice
Kelly Irvin / Trust Me
Lynessa Layne / Target Acquired
Kiersten Modglin / The Dinner Guests
Kiersten Modglin / A Quiet Retreat
Carrie Stuart Parks / Fallout
Iain Reid / We Spread

BEST THRILLER 
Traci Hunter Abramson / Not Dead Yet
Yasmin Angoe / They Come At Knight
Terry Barnett / Foregone Revenge
Erica Ferencik / Girl in Ice
Erin Flanagan / Blackout
Angela Greenman / The Child Riddler
Kevin Kuhens / Terror’s Sword, A Kyle McEwan Novel
Jodé Millman / Hooker Avenue
Jeneva Rose / One of Us is Dead
Michael Stockham / Confessions of an Accidental Lawyer

Winners in each category and best overall winner were announced on August 19, 2023.

 

 

 

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Books of Note – April 2023

As many of you know, I’ve been side-lined quite a bit recently because of too much rain, pesky knees, and other boring stuff. Waiting rooms have frequently been places to catch up on that towering TBR pile, so here’s some of what I’ve enjoyed during April.

The Plea” by Steve Cavanagh – Excellent legal thriller with a ‘no way he can win this’ case. Smart writing, clever solution.

Apollo Murders” by Chris Hadfield- fantastic reimagining of Apollo space shuttle history. ‘What if?’ is explored in a page-turner from real life astronaut Hadfield with an entertaining look at the competition between Russia and the U.S. in the Space Race. Not sure if I could ever go into space after reading this one. Whew! 

Rum & Choke” by Sherry Harris – latest entry in Agatha nominated Seaglass Saloon series. Chloe Jackson, a librarian from Chicago, inherits part ownership of a bar in Florida. She’s an unexpected heroine who didn’t anticipate she would love the life at the beach, while solving a murder or two. She’s a runner, can sail, and has a soft spot for a hunky local. Great series.

Portrait of a Thief” by Grace D. Li – terrific art heist book dealing wonderfully with Chinese influences and national art crimes. Debut novel, nominated for multiple awards, also explores revealing character studies of the participants who seem to be in it only for the thrills.  

No Time for Murder” by Bruce W. Most – busy guy helps out a persistent politician neighbor (wife of a recently deceased friend) just so he can get her off his back and meet his writing deadline. This obsessive list-maker uncovers things he would never have guessed about the couple and exposes the chinks in his own marriage, while solving a suspicious death.

Muddled Through” by Barb Ross – book #9 in Award winning Maine Clambake Mysteries – Page turner featuring Julia Snowden that has me counting the weeks until book #10. Get the whole series!

Rising Tiger” by Brad Thor – American Scot Harvath adventure – based in India, revealing cultural and law enforcement differences between two countries. Harvath must work within those confines to discover who killed a valued friend and colleague.

More notes coming soon. Happy Reading!

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2022 Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Awards

From the Killer Nashville site:We believe all engaging stories have three elements: mystery, thriller, and suspense. Since 2008, the Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Awards have recognized the best stories from the previous year told through various media utilizing the elements of mystery, thriller, and/or suspense. Judges are professional writers, book reviewers, librarians, academics, and—in specialized cases—specific industry peers. Focus is on quality, not popularity.”

Congratulations to the finalists and winners (indicated in red)!

2022 Best Action Adventure Finalists
“Murder at Buckskin Joe” – J.v.L. Bell

“Killers!: A Natalie McMasters Mystery” – Thomas A. Burns, Jr.
“Castoffs of the Gods” / Sonja Dewing
“The Cornmarket Conspiracy” / Sharon Hoisager
“Fatal Depth” / Timothy S. Johnston
“Beneath a Wrathful Sun” / M. Elliot Lamb
“The Pilate Scroll” / M.B. Lewis
“Came A Horseman” / Paul McHugh
“Alaskan Christmas Escape” / Juno Rushdan
“The Last of Her” / Brent Spencer


2022 Best Cozy Finalists

Where the Light Shines Through” –  Kathleen Bailey

“Dead on My Feet”-  Patricia Broderick
“An Embarrassment of Itches” / M.K. Dean
“Time After Tyme” / Kay DiBianca
“The Evening’s Amethyst” / M. K. Graff
“Suitable for Framing” / Lori Roberts Herbst
“The Unkindness of Ravens” / M.E. Hilliard
“Muffins & Magic” / Polly Holmes
“Death By Chance” / Abigail Keam
“The Fog Ladies: In the Soup” / Susan McCormick
“Gone Missin’” / Peggy O’Neal Peden
“Death at the Salon” / Louise Rose-Innes
“Murder Worth a Thousand Words” / Becki Willis
“Stitch, Bake, Die!” / Lois Winston


2022 Best Historical Finalists

Heirs of Falcon Point” –  Traci Abramson

“Cry of the Innocent” / Julie Bates
“The Turncoat’s Widow” / Mally Becker
“After Alice Fell” / Kim Taylor Blakemore
“The Artist Colony” / Joanna FitzPatrick
“No One Must Know” / Susan Frances
“Murder Under A Full Moon: A 1930s Mona Moon Mystery” / Abigail Keam
“Murder Under A New Moon” / Abigail Keam
“The Promise of Deception” / Jessica Sly
“Zebra: Friends by Fate. Enemies by Destiny” / Jill Wallace


2022 Best Investigator Finalists

All That Fall” –  Kris Calvin

“The Blessed Bones” / Kathryn Casey
“Girl Missing” / Kate Gable
“Be Mine Forever” / D.K. Hood
“In the Name Of” / Candace Irving
“Now & Then” / Justin M. Kiska
“The Lost Dragon Murder” / Michael Allan Mallory
“The Disappearance of Trudy Solomon” / Marcy McCreary
“Striking Range: A Timber Creek K-9 Mystery” / Margaret Mizushima
“Hide in Place” / Emilya Naymark
“At First Light” / Barbara Nickless
“The Labyrinth” / Owen Parr
“The Winter Girls” / Roger Stelljes


2022 Best Mystery Finalists

An Ambush of Widows” – Jeff Abbot

“Red Rabbit On The Run” –  Jodi Bowersox
“Bluff” / John DeDakis
“A Killer’s Daughter” / Jenna Kernan
“When Silence Screams” / Mark Edward Langley
“The Dark Remains” / William McIlvanney & Ian Rankin
“Spirit: An Andrea Kelley Mystery (The Archivist Book 2)” / Elle Andrews Patt
“The Archivist” / Rex Pickett
“The Scorpion’s Tail” / Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
“Grave Reservations” / Cherie Priest
“The Ruthless” / David Putnam
“Hunted in the Holler” / Drew Strickland
“Death and Consequences, An Eastern Shore Mystery” / Cheril Thomas
“The First Day of Spring” / Nancy Tucker
“Bye, Buy Baby” / Becki Willis


2022 Best Sci-fi / Fantasy Finalists

Journey to the Past” –  Esteban Corio

“Schrodinger’s Cat” –  Ronald Crittenden
“Hall of Skulls” / Jamie Eubanks
“The Last Beekeeper” / Jared Gulian
“House of Bastiion” / K.L. Kolarich
“Beryl Blue, Time Cop” / Janet Raye Stevens
“Tomb of the Queen” / Joss Walker
“Consent, Vol. 1: Erdos” / Wilson Whitlow
“Missing on Orbital 4: A Jake Hemlock Adventure” / Cory Wilcox


2022 Best Suspense Finalists

“In Harm’s Way” – Traci Abramson

“Redemption” – Traci Abramson
“Nanny Needed” / Georgina Cross
“Waiting for the Night Song” / Julie Carrick Dalton
“Hostile Intent” / Lynette Eason
“Furious: Sailing into Terror” / Jeffrey James Higgins
“Rattlesnake Road” / Amanda McKinney
“Redemption Road” / Amanda McKinney
“The Reunion” / Kiersten Modglin
“Cottonmouth: A Jessica James Mystery” / Kelly Oliver
“Woman in Shadow” / Carrie Stuart Parks
“Her Ocean Grave” / Dana Perry
“The Next Wife” / Kaira Rouda
“What Comes After” / JoAnne Tompkins
“Beneath the Marigolds” / Emily C. Whitson


2022 Best Thriller Finalists

Her Name is Knight” – Yasmin Angoe

“The Ambulance Chaser” – Brian Cuban
“The Chaos Kind” / Barry Eisler
“Devil’s Ledger” / Lorraine Evanoff
“A Slow Fire Burning” / Paula Hawkins
“Furious: Sailing into Terror” / Jeffrey James Higgins
“56 Days” / Catherine Ryan Howard
“Blink of an Eye” / Iris Johansen
“The Missing Piece” / John Lescroart
“Stone the Dead Crows” / Carrie Magillen
“The Family Tree” / Steph Mullin and Nicole Mabry
“Point Option” / Ian O’Connor
“The Kingdoms” / Natahsa Pulley
“The Siren” / Katherine St. John
“Impostor Syndrome” / Kathy Wang


2022 Silver Falchion Best Books of 2021
“Girl Missing” / Kate Gable
“The Reunion” / Kiersten Modglin

 

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2021 Barnes & Noble Best Genre Books of the Year

I’ve been told that the B&N editorial staff reads a lot of books during the year in various genres, then chooses from among those books to select their favorites of the year. The official quote from Barnes & Noble defines the ‘best books’ lists as stories that stay with us long after we finish them, and the ones we re-read again and again and pass on to friends. I would definitely agree with that definition. See if you agree with their choices in a range of genres and let us know your thoughts in the comments below. Happy Reading!

 

Sci-Fi/Fantasy

“Child of Light” by Terry Brooks

“Leviathan Falls” by James S.A. Corey

“Under the Whispering Door” by T.J. Klune

“A Marvelous Light” by Freya Marske

“The Last Graduate” by Naomi Novik

“ExtraOrdinary” by V.E. Schwab

“Lore Olympus: Volume One”  by Rachel Smythe

“Lesser Evil – Star Wars Thrawn Ascendancy” by Timothy Zahn

 

Mystery/Thrillers

“While Justice Sleeps” by Stacey Abrams

“The Heron’s Cry” by Ann Cleeves

“Mrs. March” by Virginia Feito

“Clark and Division” by Naomi Hirahara

“The Guilt Trip” by Sandie Jones

“Silverview” by John Le Carre

“The Maidens” by Alex Michaelides

“The Man Who Died Twice” by Richard Osman

“The Madness of Crowds” by Louise Penny

“False Witness” by Karin Slaughter

 

Best YA

“Ace of Spades” by Faridah Abike-lyimide

“Realm Breaker” by Victoria Aveyard

“Firekeeper’s Daughter” by Angeline Boulley

“Lore” by Alexandra Bracken

“Blackout” by Dhonielle Clayton

“Small Favors” by Erin A. Craig

“Once Upon A Broken Heart” by Stephanie Garber

“Defy the Night” by Brigid Kemmerer

“The Lake” by Natasha Preston

“Aristotle and Dante Dive Into the Waters of the World” by Benjamin Alire Saenz

 

 Best Fiction

“Cloud Cuckoo Land” by Anthony Doerr

“The Sentence” by Louise Erdrich

“The Paper Palace” by Miranda Cowley Heller

“Greek Myths: A New Retelling” by Charlotte Higgins

“Fault Lines” by Emily Itami

“The Lost Apothecary” by Sarah Penner

“Bewilderment” by Richard Powers

“Beautiful World, Where Are You?” by Sally Rooney

“The Lincoln Highway” by Amor Towles

“Harlem Shuffle” by Colson Whitehead

 

Best Romance

“While We Were Dating” by Jasmine Guillory

“People We Meet on Vacation” by Emily Henry

“Fifty Shades Freed” by E. L. James

“The Soulmate Equation” by Christina Lauren

“It’s Better This Way” by Debbie Macomber

“One Last Stop” by Casey McQuiston

“The Lady Has A Past” by Amanda Quick

“Neon Gods” by Katee Robert

“Legacy” by Nora Roberts

“Lover Unveiled” by J.R. Ward

 

Best Cookbooks

“Death & Co: Welcome Home” by Alex Day

“Pizza Czar” by Anthony Falco

“Nadiya Bakes” by Nadiya Hussain

“Mother Grains” by Roxana Jullapat

“Maman: the Cookbook” by Elisa Marshall

“Burnt Toast and Other Disasters” by Cal Peternell

“Vegetable Simple” by Eric Ripert

“Rodney’s World of BBQ” by Rodney Scott

“Cook Real Hawai’I” by Sheldon Simeon

“The Japanese Art of the Cocktail” by Masahiro Urushido

 

2021 Barnes & Noble Best Genre Books of the Year Read More »

2021 Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Awards

From the Killer Nashville site:We believe all engaging stories have three elements: mystery, thriller, and suspense. Since 2008, the Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Awards have recognized the best stories from the previous year told through various media utilizing the elements of mystery, thriller, and/or suspense. Judges are professional writers, book reviewers, librarians, academics, and—in specialized cases—specific industry peers. Focus is on quality, not popularity.”

 

Congratulations to this year’s winners!

 

BEST ACTION ADVENTURE   The Crow’s Nest / Richard Meredith

BEST COMEDY   Con Me Once / J. L. Delozier

BEST COZY   Rose by Any Other Name / Becki Willis

BEST HISTORICAL   The Lost Wisdom of the Magi / Susie Helme

BEST INVESTIGATOR    Within Plain Sight / Bruce Robert Coffin

BEST JUVENILE / Y.A.   Irish Town / Matthew John Meagher

BEST MYSTERY   Code Gray / Benny Sims

BEST NONFICTION   Words Whispered in Water / Sandy Rosenthal

BEST SCI-FI / FANTASY   Odyssey Tale / Cody Schlegel

BEST SHORT STORY COLLECTION   Couch Detective Book 2 / James Glass

BEST SUPERNATURAL   Borrowed Memories / Christine Mager Wevik

BEST SUSPENSE   Ring of Conspiracy / J. Robert Kinney

BEST THRILLER   The Divine Devils / R. Weir

 

2021 Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Awards Read More »

2020 Barnes & Noble Best Sci-Fi and Fantasy List

 

The Barnes and Noble editors cull their ‘best of’ books from publications like the NYTimes, B&N customer feedback, and their own reading to create the “B&N Best of…” lists. Many of the Nightstand Book Reviews readers (including me) enjoy a Sci-Fi or Fantasy title in their own reading, so as requested, here’s the B&N 2020 list:

(Click on the book titles to learn more about the books.)

The Last Druid  by Terry Brooks

Piranesi  by Susanna Clarke

Ready Player Two   by Ernest Cline

The Once and Future Witches   by Alix E. Harrow

The City We Became  by N. K. Jemisin

House of Earth and Blood  by Sarah J. Maas

A Deadly Education  by Naomi Novik

To Sleep in a Sea of Stars…  by Christopher Paolini

Rhythm of War   by Brandon Sanderson

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab

Enjoy!

*Photo by Patti Phillips taken in Braga, Portugal

 

 

2020 Barnes & Noble Best Sci-Fi and Fantasy List Read More »

2020 Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Awards

From the Killer Nashville site: “We believe all engaging stories have three elements: mystery, thriller, and suspense. Since 2008, the Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Awards have recognized the best stories from the previous year told through various media utilizing the elements of mystery, thriller, and/or suspense. Judges are professional writers, book reviewers, librarians, academics, and—in specialized cases—specific industry peers. Focus is on quality, not popularity.”

 

Due to the Covid19 Pandemic, the conference was cancelled for this year, but voting was conducted with the registered expected attendees. The winners were announced on August 22 and are indicated in red.

 

Best Mystery
Connie Berry A Dream of Death

Carl & Jane Bock The White Heron
Iris Chacon The Mammoth Murders
Richard Conrath Blood Moon Rising
John DeDakis Fake
Jeanine Englert Lovely Digits
Henry Hack The Marsh Mallows
Karen McCarthy Murder at the Candlelight Vigil
Jane Suen Murder Creek
June Trop The Deadliest Thief

 

Best Thriller
Brian Andrews & Jeffrey Wilson Red Specter

Simeon Courtie All Hollow
Shirley B. Garrett Deadly Obsession
James R. Hannibal The Gryphon Heist
Sue Hinkin Low Country Blood
Thomas Kelso Hyperion’s Fracture
Leslie McCauley Rise
Caroline Mitchell The Secret Child
Dana Perry The Silent Victim
Dana J. Summers Downhill Fast

 

Best Suspense
Kathryn J. Bain Fade to the Edge

R.G. Belsky Below the Fold
K.P. Gresham Murder on the Third Try
Bradley Harper Queen’s Gambit
J.E. Irvin The Strange Disappearance of Rose Stone
Kathryn Lane Revenge in Barcelona
Dianne McCartney The Daughter of Death
Kelly Oliver VIPER, A Jessica James Mystery
Dana J. Summers Downhill Fast
Claudia Turner The Scions of Atlantis

 

Best Action or Adventure
Paul A. Barra Westfarrow Island

Toni Bird Jones The Measure of Ella
Jenna Kernan Dangerous Conditions
Jim Nesbitt The Best Lousy Choice
Tj Turner Angel in the Fog

 

Best Cozy
Debra H. Goldstein Two Bites Too Many

Gemma Halliday A Sip Before Dying
Linda Lovely Bad Pick
Susan McCormick The Fog Ladies
Bonita McCoy Twisted Plots

 

Best Procedural or P.I.
Carmen Amato Russian Mojito

Mark Bergin Apprehension
Peter W.J. Hayes The Things That Are Different
Richard Helms Paid in Spades
Jean Rabe The Dead of Summer

 

Best Juvenile or Y.A.
Susan K. Flach Daughter Undisclosed

Liana Gardner Speak No Evil
James R. Hannibal The Clockwork Dragon
Kelly Oliver Kassy O’Roarke, Cub Reporter
Lori Roberts This Dark and Bloody Ground

 

Best Science Fiction, Fantasy, or Horror
Tosca Lee The Line Between

Tosca Lee A Single Light
Valerie Nieman To the Bones
Palmer Pickering Moon Deeds
Maggie Toussaint Dreamed It

 

Book of the Year
Bradley Harper Queen’s Gambit

Congratulations to all the finalists and winners!

 

2020 Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Awards Read More »

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