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Books of Note – July 2023

May and June brought more waiting rooms, surgery, and loads of sitting/lying around time. Here are a few of the books I’ve happily enjoyed instead of having to count the number of ceiling tiles.

“Burning Eden” by Sarah Bewley – Overworked and understaffed, Sheriff Jim Sheppard has three murders to solve while wildfires burn throughout the county.  A new doctor arrives in town and unwittingly becomes a factor in those murders. Bewley keeps us riveted in “Burning Eden” with a plot that delivers a surprise villain, a fabulous dog, and an annoying reporter as counterpoints to the wonderfully written, complex  lead characters. A ‘wow’ ending has me hooked and looking forward to a return to Eden County in “Frozen Eden.”  (Coming next year)

“Witch Hunt” by Cate Conte – First in the ‘spell-binding’ Full Moon Series, featuring Violet Mooney, crystal shop owner with mysterious, undeveloped powers she didn’t know she had. Murder, magical transport from spot to spot, reappearing relatives, unhappy townspeople, and other-worldly shenanigans, all play a role in this delightful series. “Witch Way Out,” book #3, is out now as well.

“The Midwife’s Touch” by Sue Harrison – Filled with wonderful descriptions of customs, food, and clothing of the period, this book combines the powerful stories of the prejudices people have against what they don’t understand, with the greed that overtakes their sanity. I turned the last page and was so disappointed that the book had ended. But, it is the first book in a trilogy, and to quote a line from the book, “We start from there.”

“Killers of a Certain Age” by Deanna Raybourn – nominated for multiple awards. 60 something,  lady assassins are betrayed and elect to get their revenge in the ways they do best. Wicked fun, clever twists. Never underestimate smart women. Ever.

“The New Girl” by Daniel Silva – #19 in the intense Gabriel Allon series. Throughout history, political leaders have made deals with the enemy in order to work on a common goal, each accepting that the other has special skills to achieve success. Now chief of the Israeli intelligence agency, Gabriel Allon is approached by a progressive leader in Saudi Arabia, a sworn enemy of Israel. They must work together behind the scenes to save the ‘new girl’ while preserving the stability of a more modern Middle East. Silva has created a riveting, complex plot, written in part because of the brutal killing of a real-life journalist as well as the deaths of more than 50 other journalists in one year.  Contains kidnapping, Middle East tensions, and the grim realities of negotiations with some not very nice people.

 

Happy Reading!

 

 

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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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2023 Edgar Awards

Mystery Writers of America announced the nominees for the 2023 Edgar Allan Poe Awards, honoring the best in mystery fiction, non-fiction and television published or produced in 2022. Awards were given in person on April 27, 2023, in New York City. The winners are indicated in red.

BEST NOVEL
Devil House by John Darnielle
Like a Sister by Kellye Garrett
Gangland by Chuck Hogan
The Devil Takes You Home by Gabino Iglesias
Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka
The Maid by Nita Prose

BEST FIRST NOVEL BY AN AMERICAN AUTHOR
Jackal by Erin E. Adams
Don’t Know Tough by Eli Cranor
Shutter by Ramona Emerson
More Than You’ll Ever Know by Katie Gutierrez
Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li

BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
Quarry’s Blood by Max Allan Collins
On a Quiet Street by Seraphina Nova Glass
Or Else by Joe Hart
Cleopatra’s Dagger by Carole Lawrence
A Familiar Stranger by A.R. Torre

BEST FACT CRIME
Slenderman: Online Obsession, Mental Illness, and the Violent Crime of Two Midwestern Girls by Kathleen Hale
Tell Me Everything: The Story of a Private Investigation by Erika Krouse
Trailed: One Woman’s Quest to Solve the Shenandoah Murders by Kathryn Miles
American Caliph: The True Story of a Muslim Mystic, a Hollywood Epic, and the 1977 Siege of Washington, D.C. by Shahan Mufti
American Demon: Eliot Ness and the Hunt for America’s Jack the Ripper by Daniel Stashower

BEST TELEVISION EPISODE TELEPLAY
“One Mighty and Strong” – Under the Banner of Heaven, Written by Brandon Boyce (Hulu)
“Episode 1” – Magpie Murders, Written by Anthony Horowitz (Masterpiece/PBS)
“Episode 1″ – Karen Pirie, Written by Emer Kenny (BritBox)
“When Harry Met Fergus” – Harry Wild, Written by David Logan (Acorn TV)
“The Reagan Way” – Blue Bloods, Written by Siobhan Byrne O’Connor (CBS)
“Eighteen Wheels A Predator” – Law & Order: SVU, Written by Brianna Yellen & Monet Hurst-Mendoza (NBC Universal)

THE SIMON & SCHUSTER MARY HIGGINS CLARK AWARD
Because I Could Not Stop for Death by Amanda Flower
The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill
The Disinvited Guest by Carol Goodman
A Dreadful Splendor by B.R. Myers
Never Name the Dead by D.M. Rowell

THE G.P. PUTNAM’S SONS SUE GRAFTON MEMORIAL AWARD
Secret Lives by Mark de Castrique
An Unforgiving Place by Claire Kells
Hideout by Louisa Luna
Behind the Lie by Emilya Naymark
Secrets Typed in Blood by Stephen Spotswood

THE LILIAN JACKSON BRAUN MEMORIAL AWARD
The Shadow of Memory by Connie Berry
Buried in a Good Book by Tamara Berry
Smile Beach Murder by Alicia Bessette
Desert Getaway by Michael Craft
The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood

 

Nominees for Best Juvenile, Best Critical/Biographical, Best Short Story can be found on the Edgar website: Edgarawards.com

 

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Barry Awards (Crime Fiction) – 2022

Established in 1997, the Barry Awards are presented at the annual Bouchercon World Mystery Convention, held this year in Minneapolis. The winners were announced at the Opening Ceremonies on September 8th. 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 and winners (indicated in red)!

 

Best Mystery/Crime Novel
THE DARK HOURS, Michael Connelly

RAZORBLADE TEARS, S. A. Cosby
LAST REDEMPTION, Matt Coyle
CLARK AND DIVISION, Naomi Hirahara
BILLY SUMMERS, Stephen King
WE BEGIN AT THE END, Chris Whitaker

 

Best First Mystery/Crime Novel
WHO IS MAUDE DIXON?, Alexandra Andrews

GIRL A, Abigail Dean
DOWN RANGE, Taylor Moore
FALLING, T. J. Newman
SLEEPING BEAR, Connor Sullivan
STEEL FEAR, Brandon Webb & John David Mann

 

Best Paperback Original
THE HUNTED, Gabriel Bergmoser

ARSENIC AND ADOBO, Mia P. Manansala
BLACK CORAL, Andrew Mayne
THE GOOD TURN, Dervla McTiernan
SEARCH FOR HER, Rick Mofina
BOUND, Vanda Symon

 

Best Thriller
THE DEVIL’S HAND, Jack Carr

THE NAMELESS ONES, John Connolly
DEAD BY DAWN, Paul Doiron
RELENTLESS, Mark Greaney
SLOUGH HOUSE, Mick Herron
FIVE DECEMBERS, James Kestrel

 

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2022 Anthony Awards – BoucherCon

Bouchercon is an annual conference named after Anthony Boucher, a mystery author and critic who helped found the Mystery Writers of America. This event honors various segments of the mystery and crime fiction community. Take a look at the nominees for the coveted Anthony Award. The winners (indicated in red) were announced during BoucherCon in September.

 

Best Novel

“Runner” by Tracy Clark

“Razorblade Tears” by SA Cosby

“The Collective” by Alison Gaylin

“Clark and Division” by Naomi Hirahara

“These Toxic Things” by Rachel Howzell Hall

 

Best First Novel

“Her Name is Knight” by Yasmin Angoe

“The Other Black Girl” by Zakiya Dalila Harris

“Walking Through Needles” by Heather Levy

“Arsenic and Adobo” by Mia Manansala

“All Her Little Secrets” by Wanda M Morris

 

Best Paperback/EBook/ AudioBook

“The Ninja Betrayed” by Tori Eldridge

“Warn Me When It’s Time” by Cheryl A Head

“Bury Me In Shadows” by Greg Herren

“The Mother Next Door” by Tara Laskowski

“Bloodline” by Jess Lourey

 

Best Childrens/YA

“Cold Blooded Myrtle” by Elizabeth Bunce

“Bury Me in Shadows” by Greg Herren

“The Forest of Stolen Girls” by June Hur

“I Play One on TV” by Alan Orloff

“Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche” by Nancy Springer

 

Congratulations to all the nominees and winners!

 

 

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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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Shamus Awards – 2022

The 2022 Shamus Award Winners, for private eye novels and short stories first published in the United States in 2021, have been announced. PWA’s (Private Eye Writers of America) definition of a Private Eye: a person paid to investigate crimes who is not employed by a government agency. Congratulations to all the nominees and winners (noted in red).

BEST PI HARDCOVER
RUNNER  by Tracy Clark
LAST REDEMPTION  by Matt Coyle
PAY OR PLAY  by Howard Michael Gould
FAMILY BUSINESS  by S. J. Rozan
HEAD CASE  by Michael Wiley

 

BEST ORIGINAL PI PAPERBACK
EVERY CITY IS EVERY OTHER CITY  by John McFetridge
THE BURDEN OF INNOCENCE  by John Nardizzi
ANGELS IN THE WIND  by Manuel Ramos
FROG IN A BUCKET  by Clive Rosengren
AN EMPTY GRAVE  by Andrew Welsh-Huggins

 
BEST FIRST PI NOVEL
PORNO VALLEY  by Philip Elliot
A DEAD MAN’S EYES  by Lori Duffy Foster
SUBURBAN DICKS  by Fabian Nicieza
THE ARRANGEMENT  by M. Ravenel
LOST LITTLE GIRL  by Gregory Stout

 
BEST  PI SHORT STORY
DISPOSABLE WOMEN  by Michael Bracken (ToughCrime.com)
SIXTEEN LIES  by Matt Goldman (EQMM September/October)
SWEEPS WEEK  by Richard Helms (EQMM July/August)
ORO DE TONTOS (FOOL’S GOLD)  by Tom Larsen (AHMM November/December)
THE HIDDEN PLACES  by Linda Stansberry (EQMM May/June)

 

 

 

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