MysterEbook

P.J. Coldren's Review: CELL 8

2011-11-21T04:45:00.001-08:00

CELL 8
Anders Roslund & Borge Hellstrom
9781402787157 384 Pages
Sterling Publishing Company
January 3, 2012 $24.95
US available as e-book, price unknown
P.J. Coldren
Fans of Swedish crime fiction can add another author to their list of “must reads”, although in this case it is really two authors. Anders Roslund and Borge Hellstrom have written two novels featuring Detective Superintendent Ewert Grens; CELL 8 is the second.
Cell 8 is a cell on Death Row in Ohio, the cell in which John Meyer died before the state could kill him. Vernon Eriksen was a guard in the prison 16 years ago, when John Meyer was sent there to await his sentence. Eriksen is still there. Meyer is not.
Meyer is, apparently, in Sweden. He is found because he was arrested for kicking a man in the face, aggravated assault. His wife had no idea he wasn’t John Schwarz, that he was from the United States, that he had ever been in prison. She is stunned when his past comes into their lives.
Grens is investigating the aggravated assault charge. When he learns that John Schwarz is really John Meyer, the higher-ups get involved. This is not a situation that Grens enjoys. He believes that Schwarz/Meyer should stand trial for the assault; Sweden doesn’t execute prisoners any more, so there is no reason to send him back to the US to be killed.
The US believes otherwise, from the father of the murdered girl to the governor of Ohio to the State Department. They insist, and Sweden does an end-run around the highly unpopular option of returning John to the US. They send him instead back to Russia, where he entered Sweden. Russia, of course, sends him back to the US. He is again on Death Row in Ohio, with Vernon Eriksen there.
CELL 8 is all that anyone could want in a mystery novel. The situation, while highly unlikely today, is certainly within the realm of possibility sixteen or seventeen years ago. The characters are believable. The ethical considerations surrounding the death penalty haven’t really changed in that time; people almost always feel very strongly about it, no matter which side of the issue they take.
The authors, while they kept my attention and made it difficult to put down CELL 8, also made me crazy. John keeps insisting that he is innocent of the original rape and murder. The evidence against him is strong, and still nobody makes any real attempt to find out whether his statement is true or not. Why not? The last few chapters give the reader the answer, but I think it is a serious flaw in CELL 8 that the authors never address this question. There certainly would seem to be a way to bring it up, shoot it down, and go on with the story. Because they don’t, the question never goes away and draws the reader away from the story.

Review: He Died with His Eyes Open

2011-11-17T07:32:00.000-08:00

He Died with His Eyes Open
Derek Raymond
9781935554578 available on Kindle
304 Pages
Soho Press
September 2011
$9.99 Kindle price
P.J. Coldren

If British noir is your thing and you haven’t read Derek Raymond, you are missing some wonderful writing in the genre. His characters are people, not people anyone would want to know up close and personal, but very real. His setting is the part of London a tourist hopes never to see, especially after dark. The odds of finding a helpful soul are slim, at best.

EYES OPEN is a police procedural. The Detective Sergeant (DS) of the Unexplained Death division (A14) is currently working the case of Charles Sandiland, brutally murdered one nasty March afternoon by people who really wanted him to suffer. There are few leads, most of which go nowhere. This is realistic in and of itself. The one clue that untangles the whole mess is a box of cassette tapes recorded by the victim. As the DS listens to them, his understanding of the victim grows. There are leads on the tapes, leads which take the DS to parts of Sandiland’s past, ancient and recent. Ultimately, they result in the DS knowing who killed Sandiland.

Raymond had a background in illegal activities. His personal knowledge brings an air of authenticity to his work. His ability to generate atmosphere, ambience is very good. His plotting is superb. Truly, if you love noir and haven’t read Raymond, you have a treat in store for you.

Review: A Vine in the Blood

2011-11-15T03:47:00.000-08:00

A Vine in the Blood
Leighton Gage
9781616950040 available on Kindle
304 Pages
Soho Press
December 27, 2011
Kindle price not available at this time
P.J. Coldren

Kidnapping is almost routine in some South American countries, as one can tell from today’s headlines about a ballplayer from an American baseball team in Venezuela. Certainly Leighton Gage could not have foreseen this when he started writing VINE, but it couldn’t be a more timely book. Tito “The Artist” Santos is Brazil’s principal striker and the FIFA World Cup is three weeks away when his mother Juraci is kidnapped. If Tito’s off his game, Brazil’s reputation in the soccer world is almost certainly down the tubes.

Chief Inspector Mario Silva has more than enough suspects to weed through and eliminate. The Argentinean cabal maintains that there would be no pride whatsoever in winning the Cup if Tito wasn’t playing; sounds good but they might be bluffing. It’s a very strong rivalry. Tito’s girlfriend, a famous model known to care more about money than love, might have a motive but Tito refuses to believe that she isn’t as pure as the driven snow. Then there are the soccer rivals: the man who would be playing if Tito wasn’t, and the man whose leg Tito broke by accident in a game. Where to start?

Gage’s writing about Brazil, about the corruption that is rampant in every area of government, about investigating crimes in that kind of environment, is enthralling. VINE is not as dark as some of his previous works, which might incline one to think that the writing is not up to his usual standards. One would be wrong. VINE is very strongly written. The plotting is amazing; the finale will leave the reader a little stunned but the motivation is so true that it all makes sense. The author’s note at the end of VINE is interesting and informative, giving the reader some idea of where Gage gets his ideas.
Buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Vine-Blood-Chief-Inspector-Investigation/dp/1616950048/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1321357594&sr=1-1

CAPE COD NOIR Review

2011-07-29T03:41:00.000-07:00

CAPE COD NOIR
Edited by David L. Ulin
9781936070978
300 Pages
Akashic Books
June 1, 2011
$15.95 US
P.J. Coldren
July 25, 2011
Ibrahim Ahmad 718-643-9193 ibrahim@akashicbooks.com
Cape Cod, short stories, noir

Part of the award-winning series of original noir anthologies, this collection is set in Cape Cod.

For many people, Cape Cod brings to mind beaches, summers, the Kennedy clan and their peers, and fond memories built up over years of traditional family vacations. As anyone who has ever grown up or spent winters in a summer tourist area knows, there is a dark side to all that bliss. CAPE COD NOIR is thirteen stores about the dank, dark underside that tourists rarely, if ever, see.

Ten-Year Plan by William Hastings gives a behind-the-scenes look at a busy
restaurant, provided by an ex-con who is an outsider in more ways than the obvious.

Second Chance by Elyssa East takes reader a look to an unusual reform school with unusual precepts.

Ardent by Dana Cameron is a look at the role of women, and how a woman of
intelligence can change her life if given the chance.

Nineteen Snapshots of Dennisport by Paul Tremblay demonstrates that not all family albums capture good times.

Variations on a Fifty-Pound Bale by Adam Mansbach brings life, however improbably, to an urban legend.

Bad Night at Hyannisport by Seth Greenland takes readers into the world of the summer people, although in this case it's the world of a young summer construction worker, and he's been drinking a lot.

Spectacle Pond by Lizzie Skurnick is a story of betrayal and mourning.

La Jetee BY David L. Ulin is a story of déjà vu, one that does not end well at all.

The Occidental Tourist by Kaylie Jones is a tale of summer love, love that recurs for a while and then becomes memory.

The Exchange Student by Fred G. Leebron is told by a young man from Denmark; his experience as an exchange student is certainly not what he expected when he signed up.

Viva Regina by Ben Greenman plays out line by usually short line, tension building slowly and then fading.

When Death Shines Bright by Dave Zeltserman is ironic, yet comforting in that irony.

Twenty-Eight Scenes for Neglected Guests by Jedediah Berry takes place in and around a summer theater; the play in the story and the plot of the story are almost hallucinatorily intertwined.

Previous entries in the Noir anthology series have been, at least in my limited experience, good reads. Taken individually, the stories in CAPE COD NOIR are well written, good reading. Taken as a whole, I found it difficult to believe that the stories defined Cape Cod. They did not, to me, make me feel I had experienced Cape Cod in a way that was markedly different than my experience as a townie in another summer resort community. I've never been to Cape Cod; perhaps that would change my
mind.

Review: DEED TO DEATH

2011-07-12T03:18:00.000-07:00

Deed to Death
D. B. Henson
ISBN 978-0-375-89987-4 available on Kindle
288 Pages
Touchstone
July 5, 2011
$9.99 US Kindle price
P.J. Coldren

What do you do if the man you are going to marry in a few days commits suicide by jumping off the top floor of a building he is building? No note. No indication to you that he is having doubts about your wedding, problems with his business, that he is anything but what you know him as: a successful architect who is madly in love with you. If you are Toni Matthews, successful realtor in Nashville, you refuse to accept the decision of the police, or of Scott Chadwick’s friends and family (family you didn’t know all that well). Toni is convinced that Scott was murdered and she’s bound and determined to prove it. One of her associates is killed for looking too much like Toni and being someplace Toni was supposed to be. This only makes Toni more determined, not less.

Toni finds out a lot about Scott, a lot that she didn’t know. Was he really having an affair right under her nose? How bad was his business doing? Why is his brother Brian suing for the entire estate? Who can she trust? Was her entire relationship with Scott a sham?

DEED TO DEATH is a fairly good thriller. The plot is good, the pacing is excellent. The characters are reasonably believable. I do have a major problem with Toni. She is, by all measures, an intelligent woman. She didn’t inherit her money, she earned it. She’s a top performer as a realtor, which implies an ability both to read and to manipulate people. During her investigation, Toni does a lot of stupid things. She doesn’t check things out with some of the connections she has. She talks to people alone when she suspects they have killed Scott. She does this repeatedly. She can’t decide which of the two finalists the real killer is. She keeps giving each of them information they don’t need to have, information she should keep to herself. Yes, I know she’s upset by Scott’s death, but all sense of reason does not have to leave her body. If TSTL characters don’t faze you, read on. It’s a good thriller once you get past that. According to the jacket blurb, this is a bestselling self-published e-book; Henson did the work necessary to take this from self-published to a traditional publishing house.

Review: THE BLACK HEART CRYPT

2011-07-05T03:55:00.000-07:00

THE BLACK HEART CRYPT
Chris Grabenstein
ISBN for e-book: 978-0-375-89987-4
336 Pages
Random House
August 23, 2011
$16.99 US
P.J. Coldren

Zack Jennings is not an ordinary child. He can see ghosts. This is a trait probably inherited from his father, George Jennings. His aunts Virginia, Hannah, and Sophie have the skill to make that gift go away; they are herbologists. The three sisters are visiting the Jennings family over Halloween, when the veil between the worlds is at its thinnest. This will bring problems for Zack, especially after his friend Malik helps unleash the ghosts of the very unpleasant Ickleby family. The Ickleby family seeks revenge on the Jennings, seeing as how it was the Jennings sisters who sealed them up in that crypt for so long. Unpleasantness is bound to ensue.

Grabenstein has written three Zack Jennings stories; this is the third. Grabenstein’s grasp of what will keep a young (early middle school?) boy reading is quite good. There are non-ghostly bad guys for Zack and his friends to deal with - the usual middle-school bullies and jerks. Zack’s ability to cope with “real” life and the unreal world only he can see gets better as he gets older and more secure in himself. Grabenstein can also make a small New England town seem real. The plots are pretty straight-forward, although there is an occasional twist.
While these are obviously geared for male readers, female readers are more willing to read “guy” books than vice versa. Any girl with an interest in the supernatural would probably like this series

Review: The Killing Song

2011-05-02T03:59:00.000-07:00

THE KILLING SONG
P.J. Parrish
9781439189368
Pocket Books, available on Nook and almost certainly on Kindle
July 26, 2011
P.J. Coldren
April 24, 2011

Are you an older sibling? Do you remember the terror you felt when you were watching your kid sister and lost her? Even for a minute? Matt Owens is living that nightmare, and it gets as bad as it can get. Amanda is visiting Miami and he’s showing her the night life. He turns away for a moment and when he looks back, she’s gone. When she is found, she’s been brutally murdered.

Matt is a reporter, good enough to have been nominated for a Pulitzer. He HAS to find out who killed his sister, and he uses every investigative skill he has to do this. Following a musical clue left on Amanda’s I-Pod takes Matt to Paris. He joins forces with a French detective, Eve Bellamont. They chase over a significant portion of Europe following clues and murders. This killer has apparently been active for a very long time.

P.J. Parrish has done a stellar job with this book. The musical clues are bizarre but effective. The rapport that builds between Matt and Eve is believable without being overdone. The only minor flaw can easily be attributed to poetic license: the kinds of red tape and bureaucratic nightmares that would almost assuredly accompany this kind of investigation are relatively minor and easily circumvented. I can live with that. The pace is slow at the beginning and frantic at the end; Parrish handles that roller-coaster thriller ride handily.

Publicity info: melissa.gramstad@simonandschuster.com

Review: THE NIGHT SEASON

2011-04-25T04:36:00.000-07:00

THE NIGHT SEASON
Chelsea Cain
9780312619763
Minotaur Books, available on Nook and Kindle
March 1, 2011
P.J. Coldren
April 24, 2011

If you are looking for more Gretchen Lowell, pass on this one. If you are looking for a thriller with good characters, a great setting, and some very scary moments . . .grab A NIGHT SEASON.

It’s flood season in Portland but that doesn’t mean the serial killers have decided to evacuate with everyone else. One thinks that the flooding is precisely the setting he wants and needs. Portland’s infrastructure (who used this word four years ago??) is a mess, naturally. Communications are down, streets are impassable, emergency systems are overloaded. It’s the best possible time to be killing people!

Archie is doing his best under the god-awful conditions to find the guy. The murder weapon is one of the most unusual I’ve ever heard of, and under normal circumstances, this would make tracking down the killer much easier. Not now. Susan Ward, a reporter with some history with Archie and Gretchen, is trying to work with Archie in order to get another big story. Both of them have personal reasons for working this case as hard as they can.

Cain has shown herself in the past to be a great plotter. A NIGHT SEASON continues this trend. Her use of the storm and the flooding as another character is superb. If you think Gretchen and Archie are all Cain has to talk about, A NIGHT SEASON just might change your mind.

Publicity Info: Hector DeJean 646-307-5560 hector.dejean@stmartins.com
Sarah Melnyk 646-307-5662 sarah.melnyk@stmartins.com

How Does a Writer Get from "In My Head" to "In Writing"?

2011-04-05T03:17:00.000-07:00

Those of us who are published get the same question again and again. "I have an idea in my head," someone asks, "but how do I go about writing it?"
Honestly, ideas are the easy part. We've all been exposed to tons of them through our own reading/watching/living experiences, so ideas for our own stories form. It's writing them down that takes talent, work, persistence, and determination.
Everyone develops his or her own method of writing over time, but a good way to get started is to read what others have to say about the process. Today, we're providing some "food for thought" about writing. Ideally, one of these will inspire you to write that book that lives in your head or at least give you some help with the "hows" of writing.

Here are some of the best recent articles on writing:

7 Great Online Research Resources for Writers: 7
Great Online Research Resources for Writers via Daily Writing Tips

42 Fiction Writing Tips for Novelists:
42 Fiction Writing Tips for Novelists via Writing Forward

An Online Guide to Writing: An Online
Guide to Writing was recently featured on accounting degrees online

60 Tips to Improve Your Nonfiction Writing: 60
Tips to Improve Your Nonfiction Writing via Abundance Blog

The Dead Detective Agency-April 1, 2011

2011-04-04T05:53:00.000-07:00

Title: THE DEAD DETECTIVE AGENCY

Author: Peg Herring

Genre: Paranormal Mystery

Setting: Grand Rapids, Michigan, present day

Teaser: When Tori Van Camp wakes on a luxurious cruise ship with a clear memory of being murdered, she enlists the help of Seamus, an odd but capable detective, to find out who wanted her dead and why.
Characters' intro:
Tori: I never imagined anyone wanting me dead, but when someone did, I was determined to find out who and why. I didn’t have any idea where to start, but Seamus did. Although he’s kind of prickly, Seamus knew how to work with the detectives assigned to my case. He went through some things he won’t talk about, but I learned that he can be trusted, and after all, isn’t trust what it is all about?
Seamus: The kid was tougher than I thought she would be, and she did pretty good, for an amateur. Still, I don’t recommend a professional letting the client tag along. It just adds a lot more worry—and danger—to the job of finding out the truth.
Author Bio: Peg Herring writes, reads, loves mysteries. Her historical series, starring Elizabeth Tudor and Simon Maldon, began with HER HIGHNESS’ FIRST MURDER and continues in November, 2011 with POISON, YOUR GRACE. Peg lives in beautiful northern Lower Michigan with her husband of many years.

Publisher: LL-Publishing, http://www.ll-publications.com

Review:
“The Dead Detective Agency combines belief in the afterlife with the paradoxical uncertainty of survival in the present, and is full of wickedly dark humor combined with regular laugh-out-loud moments.
Ms. Herring’s story-telling ability to keep all the plates spinning effortlessly is genuinely impressive. Masterfully, she takes your conscious mind out of your own world and guides you into the atmospheric surrealism of The Dead Detective Agency, smoothly and expertly, with page-turning ease. The story and writing proceed at a furious, breathtaking pace, and when we finally come to the end of our voyage, it’s with deep regret, as if saying bon voyage to a dear friend we have known and loved for years.
Thankfully, Seamus will be back. The follow-up, Dead for the Money, will be harboring to a bookstore very soon. The Dead Detective Agency looks set to be with us for a very long time indeed. Roll on the sequel.”
Reviewer Sam Millar is a crime novelist and also the former owner of a chain of comic book stores, K.A.C. Comics, in New York City. His most recent novel is The Dark Place.
Available formats: paperback, electronic

Link to buy page: http://www.ll-publications.com/deaddetectiveagency.html

Price: paperback, $12.99; e-book (Kindle), $11.99

Author’s other e-books
HER HIGHNESS’ FIRST MURDER, Tudor historical, Five Star, 2010
GO HOME AND DIE, nostalgic Vietnam era P.I., Red Rose, 2010
Coming in June, 2011 SHAKESPEARE’S BLOOD, Contemporary suspense, MysterEbook

Link to author’s website: http://pegherring.com

Peg's Blog Crawl

2011-01-31T05:28:00.000-08:00

Today (Jan.31) starts my Blog Crawl (a pub crawl mixed with a blog tour). There are prizes to be had by commenting on the posts as I travel from blog to blog during the month of February. You can find the details at
itsamysterytomepegherring.blogspot.com

As you follow the crawl, you'll be entertained with uses and abuses of the English language. Each week some lucky reader will win a copy of my February release, THE DEAD DETECTIVE AGENCY
(either print or e-book format, your choice).

So get over there and get started!

MURDER @ WORK

2010-09-15T19:09:00.000-07:00

Title: Murder @ Work, #1 The Christine Chamberlain Mysteries

Author: Yvonne Walus

Genre: Murder Mystery

Setting: Post-Apartheid South Africa, 1996

Characters' intro: Christine Chamberlain doesn't want much from life: a steady job, a baby and a Fields Medal. Her boss, however, wants money and he is willing to do anything to get his way, even if it means getting Christine involved in a project that not only jeopardises her dreams, but might also put her in danger.

Teaser: Have you ever had a Boss From Hell? Not someone who's basically nice except on their off-peak days... we're talking about a Verbal Abuser who can't be sued or fired. Seduced by the heat of a South African summer, would you be tempted to tamper with his tea a little... just a little... ???

Author Bio: You won't believe this, but when I'm not a novelist I'm actually a Doctor of Mathematics. A wife and a mother. Most of all though - I am a writer (in Polish as well as in English) and I'm determined to make it to the NY Times Top Ten.

Publisher: Echelon Press

Reviews:
"A great read. Very witty. Very fresh."
"An insight into South Africa without being bogged down with facts."
"Excellent dialogue."
Alan Curtis: "Using her own natural flair for mathematics, Ms. Walus has given us a female protagonist who not only becomes the prime suspect but must race against time to prove her own innocence. In itself, not a new situation in murder mysteries, but it's the way Ms. Walus handles it that makes Murder at Work intriguing and hard to lay aside...."

Available formats: Amazon Kindle, Fictionwise

Link to buy page:
http://www.amazon.com/Murder-Work-ebook/dp/B003CT306W/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=A3QI763M62X7GQ&qid=1280450129&sr=1-1
http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/b41619/Murder--Work/Yvonne-Eve-Walus/?si=0

Author’s other e-books:
Murder @ Play (http://www.amazon.com/Murder-Play-ebook/dp/B003CT30GC/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1280450207&sr=1-1)
Witch Hunts on the Internet (http://www.amazon.com/Witch-Hunts-Internet-ebook/dp/B001L5U260/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1280450207&sr=1-4)
The Hanukkah Time Capsule (http://www.amazon.com/The-Hanukkah-Time-Capsule-ebook/dp/B0030GFCHC/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1280450207&sr=1-3)

Link to author’s website: http://yewalus.kiwiwebhost.net.nz/

EVERYTHING BUT THE SQUEAL

2010-09-14T18:55:00.000-07:00

Title: Everything But the Squeal

Author: Timothy Hallinan

Genre: Mystery/Los Angeles private-eye novel

Setting: Los Angeles

Characters' intro: Simeon Grist, a private eye with a useless string of high school degrees; Aimee Sorrell, a teenage runaway from Kansas City; her frantic parents; Al Hammond and Max Bruner, very different Los Angeles cops; Jessica Wilmington, Simeon's God-daughter, with a mouth that won't quit; Birdy, the dandy, waspish secretary of Marjorie Brussells, who heads the adorably named agency for child actors, Brussells Sprouts; Mountain, the waiter/manager/enforcer at the teenage runaways's unofficial gathering place, the Oki-Dog; Morris Gerstein, computer nerd; and a herd of pimps, low-lifes, knife-fighters and lost, lost children.

Teaser: When Simeon is hired to find a runaway teenage girl who left Kansas City to find stardom Over the Rainbow in Hollywood, he finds himself on the darkest of L.A.'s dark streets, teeming with predators, prey, cops who can't always be trusted, and the occasional, unexpected saint -- and his most valuable ally is his 16-year-old God-daughter.

Author Bio: Timothy Hallinan is the author of ten published novels, including the six Simeon Grist mysteries and four thrillers set in Bangkok featuring American expatriate travel writer Poke Rafferty. His newest book, the Poke Rafferty thriller THE QUEEN OF PATPONG, came out on August 17, 2010 and received starred reviews and raves in the consumer press. He lives in Los Angeles and Bangkok.

Publisher: Hallinan Consulting (I'm publishing the e-book edition myself, but the hardcover and paperback editions were published by NAL and Avon)

Reviews:
“Hallinan employs skillful pacing, L.A. color and Simeon's attractive persona to grip readers right through the gory climax and somewhat reassuring ending.” (Publishers Weekly)

“Hallinan once again supplies a riveting story, and Grist continues to be one of the most intriguing of the new private eyes.” (Booklist)

“Squeal combines high-octane action, baroque violence, humor, and pathos in a self-assured manner that marks Mr. Hallinan as a capable practitioner of the private eye tale. (Tom Nolan, The Wall Street Journal)

“. . . a grimly authentic portrait of L.A.'s sordid subculture.” (Robert Wade, The San Diego Union)

“. . . a chilling portrait of what life holds for kids who lose their innocence too soon, and we couldn't have gotten through it if the author weren't so damned talented.” (Tom and Enid Schantz, The Purloined Letter)

“Grist bears watching: He may turn out to be a modern successor to Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe.” (Kate Seago, Los Angeles Daily News)

"Simeon Grist made his debut in The Four Last Things, and it was a smashing debut, as I reported in this space last August. There is apparently no sophomore jinx in the private eye trade, because Everything But the Squeal is even better than the first one.” (Dick Kleiner, The Desert Sun)

“Get a copy of Everything But the Squeal, but be prepared to shut off the phone or fax machine; you won't want to brook any interruptions once you start it.” (Tom Hatten, KNX Radio, Los Angeles)

“Everything But the Squeal is a riveting page-turner . . . the Simeon Grist books are something special.” (Jim Huang, The Drood Review)

“. . . exciting and original . . . above all, a story with moral as well as mortal consequences. . . . They say that the second book in a suspense series is always the hardest to pull off, because a writer tends to use up all of his or her tricks bringing the characters to life. Hallinan, who seems to have a natural supply of imagination, is a remarkable exception.” (Dick Adler, Chicago Tribune)

Available formats: E-book, used hardcover and mass-market pb

Link to buy page: http://www.amazon.com/Everything-Squeal-Simeon-Mystery-ebook/dp/B003Y5HDGC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1284084647&sr=1-

Author’s other e-books:
The Four Last Things/ Mystery/1990/e-book/used paperback and hard-cover

A Nail Through the Heart (Poke Rafferty #1)/thriller/William Morrow/2007/e-book, trade paperback and hard cover

The Queen of Patpong (Poke Rafferty #4)/thriller/William Morrow/2010/e-book, hard cover

Link to author’s website www.timothyhallinan.com

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO TODAY

2010-09-13T18:26:00.000-07:00

Title: TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO TODAY

Author: Stacy Juba

Genre: Mystery/Romantic Suspense

Setting: New England

Characters' intro:
Kris Langley - I'm an obit writer, editorial assistant and
aspiring reporter for the Fremont Daily News and I'm determined to solve
the 25-year-old cold case of Diana Ferguson. My cousin Nicole was
murdered when we were kids as a result of my childish prank and I’ve
always blamed myself. If I can solve Diana’s murder, in some small way,
maybe it will make up for what I did to Nicole.

Eric Soares - I'm Diana's nephew and barely remember her as I was just a
toddler when she died. I know she cared about me, though, and didn't
deserve what happened to her. Still, I've been worried about Kris
snooping around and raising my grandmother's hopes. Her obsession with
this case got my guard up at first because I thought she was trying to
exploit my family. But now that I’m getting to know her…Kris is growing
on me. A lot.

Teaser: When rookie obit writer and newsroom
editorial assistant Kris Langley investigates the cold case of an
artistic young cocktail waitress who was obsessed with Greek and Roman
mythology, she must fight to stay off the obituary page herself.

Author Bio:
Stacy Juba is the author of Twenty-Five Years Ago Today, the upcoming mystery suspense novel Sink or
Swim, and the children's picture book The Flag Keeper. Her young adult
novel Face-Off was published under Stacy Drumtra. She is a freelance
writer and former daily newspaper reporter with more than a dozen writing
awards to her credit, including three New England Press Association
awards and the American Cancer Society New England Chapter’s Sword of
Hope Media Award. Stacy is a past recipient of the William F. Deeck –
Malice Domestic Grant.

Publisher: Mainly Murder Press published the trade paperback version. I published the e-book version.

Reviews:

“Twenty Five Years Ago Today is an intriguing mystery that should not be
overlooked.” Midwest Book Review

“With just the right blend of mystery, romance, and danger, Twenty Five
Years Ago Today will be thoroughly enjoyed by anyone who is smart enough
to pick up a copy of it. Ms. Juba takes control and leads her readers the
direction she wants them to move in and you won't be able to figure out
the ending until she is ready for you to. All in all, this is a wonderful
book. It was my first book by this author but I will be watching for more
of them in the future." Lynn Cunningham, Fresh Fiction

“Stacy Juba has written a page-turner! This has to be one of my favorite
mystery books that I've read this year. The characters are well written
and have so much depth that it feels like this has actually happened…
Book club groups will enjoy this book because there is so much that
happens between its pages.” Book Club Queen

“The story flows smoothly to its surprise ending, and only then does the
reader recognize the hidden clues that have been there all along…This is
Juba’s first adult novel, and I found it to be an impressive effort,
definitely an enjoyable read.” Marlene Pyle, TheGenReview.com

“The writing was top-notch, the plotting and pacing excellent, the
characters – especially the protagonist – carefully and wonderfully
drawn. I can’t imagine a reader who won’t cheer for Kris.” Diana
Vickery, Cozy Library

Available formats: on the retail sites for the Kindle, Sony Reader, iPad
and Nook, and available in multiple formats at Smashwords

Link to buy page: Amazon:http://www.amazon.com/Twenty-Five-Years-Ago-Today-ebook/dp/B003U4WVKA
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/17652?ref=stacyjuba

Author’s other e-books: Sink or Swim coming in early 2011

Link to author’s website http://www.stacyjuba.com

THE SECRET PORTRAIT

2010-09-08T21:03:00.000-07:00

Title: The Secret Portrait (Book one of the Jean Fairbairn/Alasdair Cameron
series)

Author: Lillian Stewart Carl

Genre/Sub-genres: Mystery; Paranormal, Romance

Setting: Scotland

Characters: Jean Fairbairn. I was a professor in British History at an
American university until I did the right thing -- and was fired. Now I'm
part-owner and full-time reporter for Great Scot, a travel and history
magazine. That I moved to Edinburgh in cold, wet, January goes to show the
quality of the choices I've been making lately. My favorite topic is the
delicate dance between history and legend. You'll always get me at "What
if?" The problem is, you'll always get Alasdair at "What is."

Alasdair Cameron. I'm a Detective Chief Inspector in the Scottish Northern
Constabulary. I was already at my wits' end when the call came in about the
murder -- finding the American woman involved may push them over the edge.
No matter that my first impression of her, and hers of me, looks to be dead
wrong. If we don't lay the killer by the heels, we may be dead, full stop.

Teaser: America's exile and Scotland's finest on the trail of all-too-living
legends.

Author Biography:

Lillian Stewart Carl writes contemporary novels blending mystery, romance,
and paranormal, and short mystery and fantasy stories. Her plots are based
on history and archaeology.

The Jean Fairbairn/Alasdair Cameron series begins with The Secret Portrait,
goes on through The Murder Hole, The Burning Glass, and The Charm Stone
(“Carl's well-crafted. . .mystery takes Jean, a journalist. . .and Alasdair,
a former detective, from Edinburgh to historic Williamsburg, Virginia.
Publishers Weekly), and culminates in The Blue Hackle.

Most of her short stories are collected in Along the Rim of Time and The
Muse and Other Stories of History, Mystery, and Myth, including three
stories reprinted in World’s Finest Mystery anthologies.

Publisher: Five Star/Cengage

Reviews:

Mystery, history and sexual tension blend with a taste of the wild beauty of
the Highlands: an enjoyable tale." Kirkus Reviews

In pursuit of information about Bonnie Prince Charlie's legendary lost gold,
reporter Jean Fairbairn discovers a new corpse instead. Before all is said
and done, she tangles with a nouveau-riche Stuart aficionado and Inspector
Cameron. An entertaining blend of policing and sleuthing. Library Journal

As always, Lillian Stewart Carl crafts an exceptionally well-written and
tightly plotted tale. Engaging, absorbing, rousingly good and finally --
highly recommended. Teri Smith, Crescent Blues Book Reviews

Atmospheric whodunit set in Lochaber as Jean Fairbairn, an American
journalist, sets out to authenticate a coin from Bonny Prince Charlie's
hoard. This quickly becomes a murder investigation with the local police
inspector. Murky discoveries lead back through WW2 commando training all the
way to Culloden. A haunted house and a bloodline subplot that could be out
of the Da Vinci Code make for an entertaining read. Scottish Readers.net

Available formats:

Amazon Kindle:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_4_4?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=lillian+stewart+carl&sprefix=LillBarnesandNoble:http://productsearch.barnesandnoble.com/search/results.aspx?store=EBOOK&WRD=Lillian+Stewart+CarlFictionwise:http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/b39924/The-Secret-Portrait-/Lillian-Stewart-Carl/?Author's other e-booksinclude:The Murder Hole (Fairbairn/Cameron Two); mystery; Five Star; 2006;Kindleand FictionwiseThe Burning Glass (Fairbairn/Cameron Three); mystery;Five Star; 2007;Kindleand FictionwiseTime Enough to Die (standalone);mystery; Wildside Press; 2002; Kindle,Fictionwise, and B&NAuthor's Website:http://www.lillianstewartcarl.com

DEATH BY FICTION

2010-08-31T18:57:00.000-07:00

Title: Death By Fiction

Author: Ashley R. Lister

Genre: Mystery/traditional British

Setting: present-day Manchester, England

Characters' intro:

Glen McKee - My one last hope of every becoming a published mystery author has just been destroyed. MR White sent me a rejection letter more cruel than anything I could have ever dreamed up to put on paper. When my mind goes to the hand gun hidden in my desk, all I can think of is one use for it.

Randall Wolf - Though I'm not a gormless piece of crap like Glenn McKee, MR White has used me badly. He seduced my woman right in front of my eyes and word has it, he threw my manuscript into the rubbish after having promised to read it himself. He's staying in my hotel, being waited upon by my staff. He doesn't know that I've murdered men with my bare hands for less than that.

Teaser:
Sex, lies and murder. The aspiring authors of the Manchester Mystery writers’ circle don’t just write about these vices. They commit them…

Author Bio:
Ashley Lister is the author of more than two dozen pseudonymously published novels, countless short stories and some poetry. When he's not writing he teaches creative writing in his home town of Blackpool, Lancashire, England.

Publisher: Kokoro Press

Available formats - PDF, MOBI, EPUB, LIT, LRF

Link to buy page - www.kokoropress.com

Author’s other e-books: Ashley Lister is published in print. This is his first e-book.

Link to author’s website http://www.ashleylister.co.uk/

MEMORIAL DAY

2010-08-30T19:18:00.000-07:00

Title: MEMORIAL DAY (A MICK CALLAHAN NOVEL) first in the series

Author: HARRY SHANNON

Genre and Sub-genre:
MYSTERY/NOIR

Setting:
DRY WELLS, NEVADA

Characters' intro:

Former Navy Seal washout Mick Callahan is a failed radio and television therapist, and now a sober alcoholic. The only comeback gig he can get is near his old home town of Dry Wells, Nevada over Memorial Day weekend. The murder of a caller to his show motivates him to investigate and uncover a lot of dirty secrets and many of his own painful childhood memories.

Teaser:

A country boy talk-show therapist and his road to redemption

Author Bio:

HARRY SHANNON

Harry Shannon has been an actor, an Emmy-nominated songwriter, a recording artist, a music publisher, VP Music at Carolco Pictures and a Music Supervisor on “Basic Instinct” and “Universal Soldier.” His novels include "Night of the Beast," “Night of the Werewolf," “Daemon," "Dead and Gone" (a Lionsgate movie) and "The Pressure of Darkness," as well as the Mick Callahan suspense novels “Memorial Day,” “Eye of the Burning Man,” and “One of the Wicked." His new collection "A Host of Shadows" is from Dark Region Press, as is his new novella "PAIN."

Shannon has won the Tombstone Award, the Black Quill, and has been nominated for the Stoker. Contact him at www.harryshannon.com or via Facebook.

Publisher:

Originally published by Five Star Mystery, reviewed in Mystery Scene, Crimespree, New Mystery, Booklist and Library Journal. Author owns ebook rights.

Reviews:

"...dark wit, excellent writing and action-packed pace. Harry Shannon, who's penned horror novels in the past (including Night of the Werewolf, 2003), has made an impressive debut in the noir mystery field. His return appearance seems as inevitable as it is welcome.”

----Cindy Chow, The Rap Sheet (January Magazine)

“Meet Mick Callahan, a former television talk-show psychiatrist foiled by his
own ego (and a penchant for liquid refreshment). Now he's earning an
undistinguished living as a radio host in Dry Wells, Nevada (a place for
which the phrase "small town" is too grandiose). But, several years after
his self-inflicted downfall, things are looking up: in a few days, he has an
interview for a job that will return him to television. The only roadblock
is the potential for scandal surrounding the murder of a young woman caller
to his show. Mick needs to find out whodunit before the case can foul up his
job opportunity. First-novelist Shannon gives the amateur-detective theme a
nice little twist by giving his hero a deadline--and a self-centered one at
that. The crisply detailed small-town desert setting adds to the novel's
sense of freshness. Callahan isn't the first psychiatrist-detective hero,
but he's certainly one of the more memorable. Let's hope he's around for a
long run. “

-- BOOKLIST

“Mick Callahan, once a famous pop psychologist, now a recovering alcoholic, retreats to his small-town roots in Dry Wells, NV. There, two sudden murders, probably connected, get his attention. One of the victims had asked him for help, just as a Beverly Hills woman had done three years earlier and met the same fate. So he sticks
around, jeopardizing a Hollywood audition, to question suspects, antagonize the richest family in town, help a computer-nerd friend, and solve the murders. Big-city problems in a little town tackled by a likable hero result in a most promising first mystery."

-- LIBRARY JOURNAL

“Memorial Day is one of the better noir novels I have read lately. It is the first novel of this type from Harry Shannon. The author creates genuine tension by keeping us interested in the characters so we want to know what will happen to them next. That is what makes Memorial Day such a page-turner. The dialogue is snappy and realistic without being too aware of itself—the people in the story actually seem to
be talking to each other rather than reading lines, if you see what I mean. Every author tries to achieve this effect, but they are not always successful. Harry Shannon’s noir debut is good read all the way around."

Recommended.

Wayne Edwards--CEMETERY DANCE MAGAZINE

Available formats: Amazon Kindle, Smashwords all formats

Link to buy page:

http://www.amazon.com/Memorial-Day-Callahan-Novel-ebook/dp/B003DKK1GM/ref=pd_sim_kinc_6?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2

Author’s other e-books:
DEAD AND GONE (2007 Lionsgate movie) ONE OF THE WICKED (A Mick Callahan Novel 2008), THE PRESSURE OF DARKNESS

(A thriller 2006) all Amazon Kindle and all Smashwords formats

Link to author’s website:

www.harryshannon.com

WORKING STIFFS

2010-08-29T19:04:00.000-07:00

TITLE: WORKING STIFFS

AUTHOR: Simon Wood

GENRE: Mystery/Hardboiled

SETTING: Contemporary California

CHARACTER’S INTROS:
Until now, Vincent’s father has kept one side of the business a secret from his son. Vincent is about to learn the family business.

On the most important day of his career, Sam’s world will unravel when he helps a woman in distress.

Todd has failed in every job he's undertaken, but that changes when he backs into a drug dealer's car. Now he’s in hock with organized crime and can only get himself out from under if he works for them to pay off his debt.

Kenneth Casper is ailing and so is his business empire. His shareholders circle like vultures. Casper pins all his hopes on a Peruvian shaman with a miracle cure.

TEASER: Some jobs are worth killing for.

SIMON'S BIO:
Simon Wood is an ex-racecar driver, a licensed pilot and an occasional private investigator. He's had over 150 stories and articles published. His short fiction has appeared in a variety of magazines and anthologies, such as Seattle Noir, Thriller 2 and Woman’s World. He's a frequent contributor to Writer's Digest. He's the Anthony Award winning author of Working Stiffs, Accidents Waiting to Happen, Paying the Piper and We All Fall Down. As Simon Janus, he's the author of The Scrubs and Road Rash. His latest thriller is Terminated.

PUBLISHER: Simon Wood (I'm publishing the e-book edition myself, but the paperback edition was published by Blue Cubicle Press).

REVIEWS:
“Consistently surprising and well-written, Working Stiffs proves Simon Wood is a criminal genius. We should all be glad he’s writing this stuff and not doing it.”
— Cemetery Dance

“For a lover of short stories, this collection was a full meal. Wood changes voices, demographics and plot lines like a teen changes clothes for a first date. Each story is a strong sampling of humans at their most human told with the finesse that comes from experience and a love of the genre.”
— Crime Spree

“The stories are quick and mean, edited down to the bone, like the best noir fiction. His characters are believable, work-a-day (pun definitely intended) types who find themselves facing shifts in their simple lives as violence intrudes. The prose is tight, clean, and gives that sense of balance that only damn good writing can provide. Wood's humor comes through in the most peculiar ways, in dialogue and descriptive passages akin to the Mathesons, Blochs, or Hunters of old. His style will seem effortless to the reader and turn every writer green with envy. Wood's years of writing tirelessly for the short story markets can be seen in this new collection.”

— Hellnotes

I'm not a big fan of short stories; most of the time, I find them unsatisfying because the plot and characters aren't sufficiently developed and the resolution is often flat. However, the collection of short stories in WORKING STIFFS turned my preconceived notions about this part of the genre on their ear. Wood excels at building a complete narrative in a condensed format. He is especially talented at creating an unexpected, yet satisfying, twist as the stories play out.

— Reviewing the Evidence

AVAILABLE FORMATS: Available for Kindle, Nook, Kobo, Sony & iPad

LINK TO BUY PAGE:
http://www.amazon.com/Working-Stiffs-ebook/dp/B002VWKG2C

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Working-Stiffs/Simon-Wood/e/2940000722558

http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Working-Stiffs/book-t9bAYBP3-kudqcTLIWD0Qg/page1.html http://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/simon-wood/working-stiffs/_/R-400000000000000254351

SIMON'S OTHER E-BOOKS:

ASKING FOR TROUBLE/mystery-hardboiled/Blue Cubicle/2010/eBook & paperback

THE SCRUBS/crime-supernatural/Cutting Block Press/2009/ eBook & paperback

ROAD RASH/crime-supernatural/Cutting Block Press/2009/ eBook & paperback

SIMON'S WEBSITE: www.simonwood.net

MURDER ON THE MIND

2010-08-26T06:12:00.001-07:00

MURDER ON THE MIND

Title: Murder On The Mind

Author: L.L. Bartlett

Genre: Mystery/Paranormal

Setting: Buffalo, NY

Characters' intro:
Jeff Resnick hardly knew his well-heeled half-brother. But after suffering a fractured skull in a vicious mugging, he reluctantly accepts the fact that he has a long and brutal recovery to face—and his closest of kin can provide him with the time and place to do it.
Now, Jeff is haunted by unexplained visions of a heinous crime—a banker, stalked, killed, and eviscerated like a ten-point buck. When Matt Sumner’s murder is discovered, a still-recovering Jeff realizes this was what he had seen. Jeff must not only convince himself of his new-found psychic ability, but also his skeptical brother Richard Alpert. Since Sumner was Richard’s banker, both brothers have a stake in finding out what happened. With Richard’s reluctant help, Jeff’s investigation leads him to Sumner’s belligerent family and hard-nosed business associates, none of whom want him snooping around.
When Jeff discovers a second victim, he knows he must relentlessly chase his quarry even if it means risking his brother’s life.

Teaser: Jeff Resnick's recurrent visions of a slaughtered buck take on terrible new meaning when a local banker is found in the same condition.

Author Bio:
L.L. Bartlett honed her characterization and plotting skills as a frequent writer for romance magazines. Her first novel, Murder On The Mind, was published in November 2005. Dead in Red followed in June 2008, and Cheated by Death debuted in June 2010.
Bartlett also writes the Agatha-nominated, New York Times bestselling Booktown Mysteries as Lorna Barrett, and the Victoria Square Mysteries to debut in February 2011.

Publisher: Originally published by Five Star/Cengage in hardcover; paperback edition by Harlequin's Worldwide Library; Out of print; now reissued by author on Kindle/Smashwords

Reviews:
Romantic Times (4 Stars)
http://www.rtbookreviews.com/book-review/murder-mind
The Book Bitch: http://www.bookbitch.com/Fiction%20M-N.htm
Books N Bites: http://www.booksnbytes.com/reviews/bartlett_murderonthemind.html
Midwest Book Review

Available formats: Kindle, Smashwords (Soon to be on Nook.), Audio: Books In Motion

Link to buy page: http://tinyurl.com/ydn7j3c

Author’s other e-books:
Murder Is Binding, cozy mystery, Berkley Prime Crime, 2008, MMPB, LP, Audio, Kindle, Nook, etc.
Bookmarked For Death, cozy mystery, Berkley Prime Crime, 2009, MMPB, LP, Audio, Kindle, Nook, etc.
Bookplate Special, cozy mystery, Berkley Prime Crime, 2009, MMPB, LP, Audio, Kindle, Nook, etc.

Link to author’s website: http://www.lorrainebartlett.com/lorraine/jeffresnick.html

TO CATCH A COP

2010-08-23T20:11:00.000-07:00

TITLE: TO CATCH A COP
AUTHOR: Elle Druskin
GENRE: Mystery/Romance
SETTING: Sydney, Australia

CHARACTERS’ INTRO:

Meet Lindy Kellerman. No money. No job security. No man in her life. A smart ass American mouth. A killer is on the loose at a Sydney university and Lindy is Suspect Numero Uno. Detective Fraser MacKinnon can’t decide whether to arrest Lindy or seduce her. Maybe both are options. There’s only one thing for Lindy to do. Solve the crime and clear her name. How tough could that be? Doesn’t reading Hamish MacBeth mysteries count as on the job training?

TEASER: One dead student with a shady past, one professor suspected of murder and one cop who doesn’t believe she did it, but if not, who did kill Sasha, and why?

ELLE’S BIO: An academic by profession, Elle Druskin has traveled the world and had a long career at universities. The Sydney setting of To Catch A Cop is set in that world, drawing on those years of experience.

PUBLISHER: Red Rose Publishing

REVIEW: Reviewed by Xeranthemum (Long and Short Reviews)

To Catch Series: Book 1

Forty-year-old single mother Lindy Kellerman needs a man, a secure job and an exercise program. What she gets is a dead student in her Sydney university nursing classroom.

Detective Fraser MacKinnon needs to meet a smart woman and can't decide whether to arrest Lindy or seduce her. With Lindy as chief suspect and threatened by the real killer, MacKinnon has his hands full.

Interrupted attempts at furthering their romance combine with Lindy's amateur sleuthing. Lindy's hunches and MacKinnon's skill leads them down a trail of false leads and university scandals with a murderer ready to strike again. Along the way Lindy and Fraser discover that love is definitely better the second time around.

This is a fun and intriguing story of a reader of hunky Scottish romances meeting her own modern day version of a Scottish warrior in a mostly unlikely way – via a murder.

Lindy is a harried single mom trying to hold down her position as a nursing teacher while balancing her budget, her kids and her lack of a love life. All that changes when one of her students winds up dead in her classroom. She goes through a lot of lemons in this book before she can finally make the sweetest ‘lemonade’. This mystery is told in first person POV for Lindy, the heroine, and third person POV for Fraser MacKinnon, the hero. The combination works quite well.

Lindy cracked me up with her internal dialogue and self-analysis. I personally found the author’s initial use of rambling introspection on Lindy’s part to be effective in depicting a woman who’s just had a most profound shock because at the same time it showcases her personality. She’s funny, determined, and a bit scatterbrained but a loving and nurturing woman as well. The author never lets a reader forget that she’s a mother. The kids aren’t props in this story; they are a part of what makes Lindy who she is. I enjoyed the slow build up of Lindy’s attraction to Fraser. At first it confounded her and as the story continued, she eventually realized why she got so flustered; and it grew from there. It was marvelous watching Lindy fall in love.

Fraser is completely adorable. I’m not sure if his actions are true to what detectives are like in Australia but I don’t really care. I loved how he had to balance courting her with his duties. I admired his protective stance of Lindy and how smart he really is. Fraser comes across as a mixture of Columbo mixed with the best traits of Starsky & Hutch – the original series. The whole scene where he surprises her at the victim’s apartment was like watching one of my favorite crime shows. It was a lot of fun. While investigating Lindy, Fraser finds her secret stash and his reaction had me giggling and breathless with anticipation. What was he going to do with this secret knowledge? I was grinning from ear to ear as I read where the book went from there. Another great thing about him is that he’s not one dimensional. The author brings out the personal side of Fraser through his own feelings about kids and families. His courting Lindy isn’t perfect and smooth and his imperfection made him the perfect man for her.

Another thing I enjoyed was their sexual frustration. Why would I say that? Simple, it’s funny. Here are these two people who are starting to feel the same sensual tug and when they get the time and the opportunity to do something, WHAM! Lovus interruptus. I couldn’t help but snicker every time.

I know I mention a lot about my laughing throughout the book and I did, but the sinister element is never far from the surface. One thing I want to point out is the scenes in italics. At first I wasn’t sure what was going on or why the author would even do that. Bear with it. It has a relevance to motive. I now wonder if I’d paid more attention would I have figured out the villain sooner. As it is, I never suspected. It was a very unique and fascinating choice for motive and I was quite impressed. In fact, in retrospect, Ms. Druskin did an excellent job of weaving the villain’s affect throughout the book.

The secondary characters enhanced or advanced the plot and story. The dialogue was brisk, informative, true to character and well paced. The entire scene with the poop was genius. There is actually much more I could say about this book because of its richness in character interaction and environment; it is that well written.

To Catch a Cop is a gripping read filled with a hero and heroine I could connect with and care for, an amazing concept for a criminal, and a romance that both tickled my funny bone and had me sighing with satisfaction. I loved reading this book and I definitely recommend it to readers of romantic mystery suspense. It delivers on all counts.

AVAILABLE FORMATS: RedRosePublishing pdf, Microsoft Reader. Coming soon to Kindle and Fictionwise.

LINK TO BUY PAGE: http://redrosepublishing.com/books/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=87&products_id=655

ELLE’S OTHER E-BOOKS: OUTBACK HERO Contemporary Romance due out in 2010, published by Red Rose Publishing in pdf,Microsoft Reader, Kindle, and Fictionwise.

Link to author’s website:
www.elledruskin.com

THE FOUR LAST THINGS (Simeon Grist #1)

2010-08-22T20:28:00.000-07:00

Title: THE FOUR LAST THINGS (Simeon Grist #1)
Author: Timothy Hallinan
Genre: LA private eye novel
Setting: Los Angeles
Characters' intro: Simeon Grist, a private eye with a useless string of high school degrees; Meredith Brooks, shiny, dubious lawyer; Dexter Smif, picker-upper of dead animals for LA County; The Church of the Eternal Moment, dodgy religion
Teaser: When the woman he's following is murdered, erudite private eye Simeon Grist is dragged into a thorny case revolving around a modern-day religion that takes the Biblical verse, "And a little child shall lead them to new and perilous extremes.
Author Bio: Timothy Hallinan is the author of ten published novels, including the six Simeon Grist mysteries and four thrillers set in Bangkok featuring American expatriate travel writer Poke Rafferty. His newest book, the Poke Rafferty thriller THE QUEEN OF PATPONG (August 17, 2010), just received starred reviews from Booklist and Kirkus, was named Mystery of the Month by BookPage, and is featured in the September BookSense. He lives in Los Angeles and Bangkok.
Publisher: Hallinan Consulting (I'm publishing the e-book edition myself, but the hardcover and paperback editions were published by NAL and Avon)
Reviews:
"Simeon Grist, former professor of English at UCLA and fledgling L.A. private eye, makes his debut in this clever mystery. To propel his plot, Hallinan adroitly depicts a new religion with avaricious leaders, New Age channeling and an overlay of California kookiness. . . Televangelism, brainwashing, research into the early 19th-century diaspora of new American religions and a most unusual ally lead Grist to the denouement of this very satisfying mystery." (Publisher's Weekly)
“Terrific, well-crafted, thoroughly satisfying . . . updates Raymond Chandler's vision of life in Los Angeles through Grist's sardonic, often hilarious observations . . . leaves one looking forward to Hallinan's future endeavors.” (Los Angeles Herald-Tribune)

“It's rare to find a first novel in the mystery genre that boasts a smoothly plotted story, crisp dialogue, and excellent characterizations . . . This exciting tale accomplishes all three . . . The book never falters, sustaining suspense and interest throughout . . . a sure winner.” (Booklist)

Hallinan has a genuine ability to write effective prose, engaging repartee, sharp and witty characterizations . . . this laudable first effort could become a notable series.” (The Washington Post Book World)

“Wonderful . . . you gotta love a novel that starts with the hard-drinking private eye sighing about the dame he's been following.” (West Coast Review of Books)

“Hallinan neatly maximizes his gift for offbear characters and clever pacing . . . Simeon Grist, the sleuth he created, is in a class by himself.” (Inside Books)
Available formats: E-book, used hardcover and mass-market pb
Link to buy page: http://www.amazon.com/Things-Simeon-Grist-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B003UHVTXW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1279582406&sr=1-1
Author’s other e-books:
A Nail Through the Heart/thriller/William Morrow/2007/e-book, trade pbused hard cover
The Fourth Watcher/thriller/William Morrow/2008/e-book, trade pb, used hard cover
Breathing Water/thriller/William Morrow/2009/e-book, trade pb, hard cover
Link to author’s website: www.timothyhallinan.com

Recommending Zoe Sharp

2010-08-20T04:47:00.000-07:00

This Is No Girly-Girl

Zoe Sharp's Charlie Fox is tough, smart, and determined. She's a bit of a cross between Jack Reacher and James Bond, but she can handle the job. And her job is bodyguard.
It's a surprise to find that only SECOND SHOT is out as a Kindle book, but there will be more, you can bet on it..
Sharp is English, but her books translate well :).

Recommending Lee Child

2010-08-18T19:53:00.000-07:00

You've Probably Heard of This Guy
Lee Child's Jack Reacher series focuses on a nonconformist who has been trained by the system but doesn't fit in it anymore. Reacher is a modern knight errant, a paladin who appeals to a lot of readers despite his over-the-top antics. He might be accused of being eccentric. For example, if he travels with a toothbrush, he feels totally prepared for the trip.
There will apparently be movies based on this series soon, and the big question is, "Who will play Reacher?"

BOOKS-There are a ton of them. Start with THE KILLING FLOOR and go from there.

Recommending Barry Eisler

2010-08-17T21:18:00.000-07:00

Another Series to Try-Barry Eisler's John Rain books.

If you've never met a hitman that you like, you might want to introduce yourself to
John Rain. He's conflicted and difficult, but then again, we understand that most assassins are. What's interesting is that the reader is able to like John, and he grows over the course of the series.
These are more thriller than mystery, more shoot 'em up than clever clues, but
for those who like that subgenre, Eisler is a treat.

HARD RAIN, RAIN STORM, THE LAST ASSASSIN, REQUIEM FOR AN ASSASSIN, KILLING RAIN, RAIN FALL

HEMLOCK LAKE

2010-08-16T19:56:00.000-07:00

Title: Hemlock Lake

Author: Carolyn J. Rose

Genre: Mainstream Mystery / Police Procedural

Setting: The small community of Hemlock Lake in New York ’s Catskill Mountains

Character Intro:

Dan Stone: After my wife died in its dark waters, I vowed I’d never return to Hemlock Lake . But I did. I came back to catch an arsonist turned killer and I made myself a target. Someone sabotaged my boat, put a rattler in my car, and fixed a tripwire to a shotgun to take me out of the hunt. I don’t know who to trust and I don’t know if I’ll live to close the case.

Teaser: Hemlock Lake deals with betrayal, revenge, love, loss, and redemption set against the search for an arsonist and killer in a Catskill Mountain community.

Author Bio: Carolyn J. Rose grew up in New York ’s Catskill Mountains, graduated from the University of Arizona , logged two years in Arkansas with Volunteers in Service to America and spent 25 years as a television news researcher, writer, producer, and assignment editor in Arkansas , New Mexico , Oregon , and Washington .

She has published a number of mysteries and lives in Vancouver , Washington, with her husband, Mike Nettleton.

Her hobbies are reading, gardening, and not cooking.

Publisher: Hardcover edition: Five Star-Gale-Cengage. I published the e-book.

Reviews:

Hemlock Lake is a page-turner that captures the fiercely independent spirit of small-town residents resistant to change. Distinct, richly drawn characters, ominous cliffhangers, and ever-ratcheting tension prove Rose has the storytelling chops to deliver a good mystery. MyShelf.com

“Let me start by saying that if someone doesn't make this into a movie, that will be a crime. Hemlock Lake is a seriously fast-paced novel that sucks you in. Book Suite Reviews

I recommend that you try this book—you’ll end up thoughtful about the human condition. You also may end up emotionally exhausted. But you’ll be entertained in the process. Book Pleasures

It was past two a.m. when I finally put Hemlock Lake down and though I had to get up for work in four hours, I felt the book warranted the lack of sleep. The GenReview

Available formats: Kindle

Link to buy page: http://www.amazon.com/Hemlock-Catskill-Mountains-Mystery-ebook/dp/B003XIJ048/ref=sr_1_1?

ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1281897893&sr=1-1

Author’s other e-books:

Cozy Mysteries

The Big Grabowski, Krill Press, 2009

Sometimes a Great Commotion, Krill Press, September, 2010

Available in paperback and Kindle

Author’s website: http://www.deadlyduomysteries.com/

MURDER BY ARTIFACT: THE MURDER QUILT

2010-08-15T19:58:00.000-07:00

Murder by Artifact: The Murder Quilt

Barbara Graham

Mystery/Cozy

East Tennessee

"Everyone says I'm lazy," says Sheriff Tony Abernathy. "I'm the sheriff of Park County, Tennessee and I may be lazy but my hatred of crime is even stronger. After months of peaceful living, suddenly it seems like there's a criminal behind every tree. My wife Theo owns a quilt shop, which I call 'gossip central'. She gleans all kinds of information we rarely hear about at the Law Enforcement Center."

In a sweltering heat wave, cold cases of murder begin heating up and are joined by new ones giving Tennessee Sheriff Tony Abernathy work he doesn't want.

Barbara Graham began making up stories in the third grade and immediately quit learning math. Her motto is "every book needs a dead body and every bed needs a quilt". She lives in Wyoming with her long suffering husband and two dogs.

Publisher--Five Star/Gale-Cengage

Received good reviews from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal

Available on Kindle

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_sc_0_13?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=murder+by

+artifact&sprefix=murder+by++ar&ih=11_0_1_1_0_0_0_0_0_1.32_358&fsc=11

Other ebook--Murder by Serpents: The Mystery Quilt--mystery-cozy/Five Star/2007/available on Kindle

http://www.bgmysteries.com

Recommending Craig Johnson

2010-08-12T19:30:00.000-07:00

This week I'm taking the prerogative of a blogger and recommending authors. I have NOT read all the books in the series listed here, but I like the ones I have read and think the characters who lead the books are worth reading about. So if a series sounds good to you, give one of them a try, and then if you do like the author's style, you'll have more to read.

Craig Johnson:

Contemporary

Along with lots of others, I fell in love with Walt Longmire at first read. I'm not sure why: he's past his prime, ornery, and a recovering drunk. But he tries so hard! I also love his friends, his daughter, and his town in the picturesque west.
Johnson captures the best of the modern world and an earlier time: the officer of the law who knows the ropes of criminology but relies on his instincts as well. Walt's strongest relationships are lifelong, and they provide impetus for many of the stories and backup the rest of the time.
Starting with A Cold Dish gives a reader a good introduction to Walt. A series I often recommend for men, even non-mystery readers.

A Cold Dish, Death Without Company, Kindness Goes Unpunished, Another Man's Moccasins, A Dark Horse, and Junkyard Dogs.

Recommending Jan Burke

2010-08-11T19:30:00.000-07:00

This week I'm taking the prerogative of a blogger and recommending authors. I have NOT read all the books in the series listed here, but I like the ones I have read and think the characters who lead the books are worth reading about. So if a series sounds good to you, give one of them a try, and then if you do like the author's style, you'll have more to read.

Jan Burke:

Contemporary

Irene Kelly is a newspaper reporter, which in fiction, at least, means she often gets involved in crime-solving. She does it with courage, intelligence, and no TDTL moments that I have found. (That's Too Dumb To Live, the bane of female investigators of fiction).
I have always enjoyed Burke's writing, which is edgy without falling over the edge into gratuitous violence. I find her characterization excellent and the plots well-concocted. Burke also manages to instruct the reader, in subtle manner, about investigatory procedures. Unhappy with the "CSI effect", the phenomemon in which jurors are often unrealistic about what police can/should do to prove a case due to watching certain TV shows, Jan works to education people on the expense and unavailability of equipment and tests that limit testing but should not obstruct justice.

Liar; Goodnight, Irene; Dear Irene; Sweet Dreams, Irene; Remember Me, Irene; Bloodlines; Kidnapped; and Bones

Recommending Steve Hamilton

2010-08-10T19:23:00.000-07:00

This week I'm taking the prerogative of a blogger and recommending authors. I have NOT read all the books in the series listed here, but I like the ones I have read and think the characters who lead the books are worth reading about. So if a series sounds good to you, give one of them a try, and then if you do like the author's style, you'll have more to read.

Steve Hamilton:

Contemporary

Steve's Alex McKnight lives in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, an area I'm very familiar with. While the often rugged outdoor setting adds to the stories, a reader need not know all about the U.P., just that it's a lot of wide-open country. McKnight is a former cop who can't keep his nose out of a mystery, and it gets him in a lot of trouble. He gets beat up a lot, much like Rockford, P.I. used to, but the books move along well and held my interest, and overall, I like Alex and his friends. Good series for men, too, even non-mystery readers.

A Cold Day in Paradise, Winter of the Wolf Moon, North of Nowhere, Hunting Wind, Blood Is the Sky, and Ice Run.

Recommending James R. Benn

2010-08-09T19:20:00.000-07:00

This week I'm taking the prerogative of a blogger and recommending authors. I have NOT read all the books in the series listed here, but I like the ones I have read and think the characters who lead the books are worth reading about. So if a series sounds good to you, give one of them a try, and then if you do like the author's style, you'll have more to read.

James R. Benn:

WWII-Jim Benn has a passion for the time of his father's generation, and he captures it well in this series, along with creating a likeable if somewhat reluctant hero.

Billy Boyle is an Irish cop who is not excited about joining the war effort. A family friend named Eisenhower takes an avuncular view of the young man and gets him assigned to the investigative corps. Billy moves from being a rather lazy young man to a determined investigator, and the surrounding cast and historical detail add to the reader's enjoyment as well. I don't think order matters, but reading Billy Boyle first will help the reader get acquainted with the protagonist's background.

Billy Boyle, The First Wave, Blood Alone, Evil for Evil, and Rag and Bone.

Recommending Ariana Franklin

2010-08-08T19:16:00.000-07:00

This week I'm taking the prerogative of a blogger and recommending authors. I have NOT read all the books in the series listed here, but I like the ones I have read and think the characters who lead the books are worth reading about. So if a series sounds good to you, give one of them a try, and then if you do like the author's
style, you'll have more to read.

Ariana Franklin:

Historical- Ariana Franklin presents a unique character surrounded with realistic detail, interesting plots, and lots of action.

Adelia Aguilar is trained in the ways of death, being a graduate of the prestigious medical school at Palermo. Unusual in many ways, she does not fit well into the society of her time, often does not like England much. However, she is subject to the whims of the king, Henry II, and he has no compunction about ordering her to use her skills as he sees fit. Adelia has so far had four adventures, and as the stories progress, she collects a family of sorts, each one interesting, each a misfit in some way, each valuable in his turn. Sense of period is very strong. Historical detail is very good. And best of all for me, the plots work. It would be best to read this series in order, since relationships between characters change.

Mistress of the Art of Death, A Serpent's Tale, Grave Goods, and A Murderous Procession.

HER HIGNESS' FIRST MURDER

2010-08-05T19:28:00.000-07:00

Title: HER HIGHNESS' FIRST MURDER

Author: Peg Herring

Setting: London, 1500s

Two Characters: Simon Maldon-"When I met Elizabeth Tudor, I never dreamed that together we would go on the hunt for a brutal killer. For someone like me, it was almost unimaginable."
Elizabeth Tudor: "One of my women was murdered in my own garden. Although determined to find the killer and stop him, I knew that my father would not approve of my involvement. What one's father does not know cannot stop her, but I needed Simon's help."

Blurb: When headless corpses of beautiful women are found on the streets of London, Simon Maldon joins with Princess Elizabeth and Hugh of the King's Guard to stop the killer. When the madman turns his attention on them, their concerns turn to simply remaining alive.

Review: Starred review in Publisher's Weekly, positive reviews in Library Journal, Booklist, and Kirkus Reviews.

Bio: Peg Herring is a mystery writer from Michigan who believes in "Strong Women, Great Stories."

Other e-books: Go Home and Die, Red Rose Publishing, 2010.

Available formats: Hardcover, Large Print, Kindle e-book

Link to buy page: http://tinyurl.com/36p3ozr

THRILLED TO DEATH

2010-08-04T19:25:00.000-07:00

Title: THRILLED TO DEATH

Author: L.J. Sellers

Genre: mystery Subgenre: suspense/police procedural

Setting: Eugene, Oregon

Characters:
Wade Jackson is a seasoned detective with the violent crimes unit of the
Eugene, Oregon Police Department. He takes on all the hard-to-solve cases
with his favorite taskforce team members, while trying to be a good
father to his young teenage daughter. In the first book, he meets nurse
Kera Kollmorgan and once he solves the Planned Parenthood murders,
they start dating. Kera becomes a prominent character again in the third
book, Thrilled to Death, when her daughter-in-law disappears.

Teaser: Two missing women with nothing in common, a dead body,
and a suspect who hasn't left his house in a year, Jackson's most
twisted case yet.

Author bio:
L.J. Sellers is an award-winning journalist and the author of the Detective
Jackson mystery/suspense series. The first three books The Sex Club,
Secrets to Die For, and Thrilled to Death have been highly praised by
Mystery Scene magazine. The fourth Jackson story, Passions of the Dead,
will be released in 2011. Sellers has also penned two standalone thrillers,
The Baby Thief and Fatal Flaw. When not plotting crimes, L.J. enjoys
performing standup comedy, cycling, social networking, attending mystery
conferences, and editing fiction manuscripts.

Publisher: Echelon Press
Release Date: August 2010

Reviews:
"Ms. Sellers has a delightfully twisted mind and the talent to take her
unsuspecting readers down trails that fork and bend and curve and twist
until the end. You are gonna love this one." BookBitch.com

The Detective Jackson mystery series delivers yet again in Thrilled to
Death, a truly chilling thriller with tricky plot twists and a surprising
endgame. Christine Sherk, RG book reviewer

"If you like fast-paced stories, believable characters and bizarre plot
twists, I suggest you give this series a try." Story Circle Book Reviews

"Sellers keeps the reader guessing as the investigations uncovers a business
that will commit any crime for money and a witness that won¹t leave the
house. This is the third book in the Detective Jackson series. Try all
three and get to know Sellers wonderful characters." BestSellersWorld.com

Available formats: e-book and trade paperback

Other e-books:
The Sex Club (Detective Jackson 1)
Secrets to Die For (Detective Jackson 2)
The Suicide Effect (standalone thriller)

Amazon buy page:
http://www.amazon.com/Thrilled-Death-L-J-Sellers/dp/1590807278/ref=sr_1_2?ie
=UTF8&s=books&qid=1278339656&sr=1-2

Author website:
http://ljsellers.com

JOURNEY TO DIE FOR

2010-08-03T19:20:00.000-07:00

Title: JOURNEY TO DIE FOR

Author: Radine Trees Nehring

Genre: Mystery/senior citizen detectives

Setting: The story opens on the (real) A&M Railroad historic excursion train operating between towns in Northwest Arkansas, unfolds in the 1809 Arkansas River town of Van Buren, moves to Kansas City, and then back to Van Buren. Though the book refers back to historic events, action time is present day.

Character's intro: Major characters are Henry King, a retired Kansas City Police Major who, unknown to most, is suffering from trauma related to police work in his past. Henry is divorced by the time he moves to Arkansas, fleeing troubles in Kansas City. One of his new neighbors is Carrie McCrite, a widow and retired librarian from Tulsa, Oklahoma, who moves to the Ozarks after her high-profile trial lawyer husband, Amos McCrite, is killed. Carrie is seeking independence and a new life. The two meet when a woman linking them is murdered. While helping find the killer, the two become cautious friends.
By the time JOURNEY TO DIE FOR (sixth book in the series) opens, Carrie and Henry are married, and have found part-time careers helping small-town police departments in Arkansas with research related to serious crimes. They are celebrating their eight-month anniversary by taking a day trip to Van Buren, Arkansas on the A&M Excursion Train.
Carrie is always eager to help people in trouble, but can be impulsive and headstrong when leaping into dangerous situations. Henry, more aware of potential problems, joins her in seeking crime solutions, sometimes reluctantly, and sometimes only so he can help protect her from harm.

Teaser: In this sixth of award-winning author Radine Trees Nehring's mysteries, active retirees Henry and Carrie King take a train ride day trip that turns into a nightmare. Corruption, greed, and murder mix with antiques and quaint shops to create a never-to-be forgotten holiday.

Author bio: For more than twenty years, Radine Trees Nehring's magazine features, essays, newspaper articles, and radio broadcasts have shared colorful stories about the people, places, events, and natural world near her Arkansas home. In 2002, Radine's first mystery novel was published and became a Macavity Award nominee. Since that time she has continued to enthrall her original fans and attract new ones with her signature blend of down-home Arkansas sightseeing and cozy amateur sleuthing by active retirees Henry King and Carrie McCrite King, gathering many "best mystery" awards along the way. Her work has earned the Arkansas Governor's Award for best writing about the state, and several other Arkansas book awards. JOURNEY TO DIE FOR won "Best Mystery Novel" from Oklahoma Writers Federation in 2009.

Publisher: Wolfmont Press

Reviews:
.
"A charming marriage of love and mystery." Nancy Pickard, author of THE SCENT OF RAIN AND LIGHTNING

"A delightfully clever novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. Radine's warm and believable characters are like good friends and I am happy to see them again. The Civil War history, train ride, antiques and diner food were icing on the cake!" Earlene Fowler, author of LOVE MERCY and STATE FAIR

"What a great mix for Carrie's latest adventure! She and Henry have their hands full with suspicious characters aboard an excursion train, switched identities, Civil War treasures, stolen jewelry, rifled rooms, and a "safe house" incident. Did I mention a dead body? Radine Trees Nehring has given us another 'I can't put it down' read." Joe David Rice, Arkansas Tourism Director and author.

"I loved the many twists and turns this book takes you on." Sandy Heptinstall, MIDWEST BOOK REVIEWS

"This newly-married couple, in their sixties, are like friends, and anyone would be happy to have them as neighbors. .... Nehring's stories always have a lot of local history and scenery of Arkansas, and she makes you want to visit her trails." Gay Toltl Kinman in CRIMESPREE MAGAZINE.

"Here's a good example, if readers still need one, of a crime novel that fits comfortably into the fine tradition of fiction that relies on good writing, a fine plot, odd and usual suspects and an interesting setting. The author relies on a good story rather than tortured or crass language, logical development rather than constant physical action. Carrie King, a neighborly, bright woman of late middling years,and her husband, Henry King, a retired cop from Kansas City, are making an exploration into Arkansas history with a trip on a restored train to a small historic community on the shores of the Arkansas river. At the halfway point passengers leave the train to enjoy a brief sojourn in the town of Van Buren. When Carrie and Henry reach the river and a large historic mural to study, the possibility of encountering a dead body is the farthest thing from their minds. But alas, there it is, and then there are the buttons.

"A charming and delightful mystery ensues. Nehring's unerring ear for dialog and her sense of what constitutes a well rounded character serve the reader well as the Kings travel between home, Van Buren, and Kansas City, where Henry had a solid career as a police officer. There have been allusions in the past to Henry's rather abrupt retirement and in a powerful emotional scene at the Van Buren police station, Carrie and readers will receive serious and deep insight into Henry's secret.

"In the fine tradition of traditional American mysteries, A JOURNEY TO DIE FOR is an excellent and satisfying entry in this author's "To Die For" series.

Carl Brookins, author of CASE OF THE GREEDY LAWYER, DEVILS ISLAND, BLOODY HALLS, reviewing for multiple locations in print and on the Internet.

This book is available for Kindle on Amazon.com, B&N.com, Digital-Bookshop.com; also at the Apple store at http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9781603640305 , and multiple other ebook sites

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO TODAY

2010-08-02T18:47:00.000-07:00

L.A. HEAT

2010-08-01T19:08:00.000-07:00

Title: L.A. HEAT

Author: P.A. Brown

Genre: Police Procedural w gay characters

Setting: Los Angeles

Characters' intro:
David Eric Laine: "It was my mother who wanted me to enter law. I did, for a year at one of the big New England prep schools, but I hated it. I hated the whole preppy experience, Harvard would have been a nightmare. I may have been born into it, but that kind of atmosphere never suited me. So, out of curiosity as
much as anything, I took a criminology course. I guess that's what sparked my interest in law enforcement. Then on a whim, when I was visiting L.A. for an extended visit, I took the L.A.P.D. entrance exam and passed."

Christopher Bellamere: "I never would have met David if that freak hadn't vandalized my Lexus. They actually thought I was the killer, until David realized it couldn't be. But by the time that mess was over we knew we'd been through too much to call it quits. But I gotta admit, it was one hell of a rough road we both traveled."

Teaser:
When cop and suspect meet, an immediate attraction complicates the case and LAPD homicide detective David Laine's very private life.

Author Bio:
Born in Canada, Pat Brown's approach to life was tempered in the forges of Los Angeles and after eight years in the City of Angels she was endowed with a fascination for the darker side of life and the professionals who patrol those mean streets. She considers those eight years a life time's worth of experience that she mines regularly in her novels. She is not afraid to explore the darker sides of her characters and the streets they inhabit, including the ones most people are afraid to walk down alone at night.

Publisher: MLR Press

Reviews:
Mysterical-E: This debut novel is filled with twists, turns, and suspense. It's gritty and lethal and set in LA's edgy East Side , where gangs and gays exist side by side, where people hear gunshots in the night, and where many a seeker of anonymity can live undetected. A gay cop like David Laine is one of those who craves
the nameless, faceless quality of life in East LA. But that all changes when Chris enters his life. A stalker victimizing LA's gay community draws Laine from his anonymous, closeted lair and forces him to take stock of his life. The pace is fast, even dizzying, the setting is exotic, and the characters are believable. There's
plenty of violence, sex, and mystery here. And a lot of good writing. With a new installment just out, readers won't have to wait long to see what happens to David and Chris after this adventure ends.

Available formats: Mobipocket, Epub, HTML, Adobe Acrobat, Kindle

Link to buy page: http://www.pabrown.ca/heat.htm

Author’s other e-books: L.A. BONEYARD & L.A. BYTES (ePub, HTML, PDF, PRC)

Link to author’s website: http://www.pabrown.com

FOLLOW THE FALCON

2010-07-29T18:55:00.000-07:00

TITLE: Follow The Falcon

AUTHOR: Steve Kendall

GENRE: mystery

SETTING: Boston suburbs, French Riviera, Cape Cod

CHARACTER INTROS: Brooke Lancaster -- Brooke Lancaster stood before a six-foot-long canvas and loaded up. It had been a tough night, and someone—or something—would have to pay.
She stuck her two-inch horsehair brush into the pot of cerulean blue oil paint, cocked her right arm and let the viscous goo fly.
Splaaaaat!
The paint hit just left of center, then spread in a bulbous, diagonal streak across the canvas and beyond, onto the plastic drop cloth. She felt better immediately. This would be easier than painting landscapes. And certainly easier than spending an evening with John DePristo.
Last night had been one of her most painful dates. DePristo was a jerk. From the moment he barked at the valet to “treat it like your mother,” Brooke was hard-pressed to smile, look fascinated and occasionally say something witty. Not that DePristo would have heard anything she slipped into his monologue. At one point she swore he prattled on for ninety minutes about his savvy investments. Without taking a breath.
Brooke looked at the canvas, pure white except for her first salvo, and got that feeling of possibility that always came over her when she began a painting. She loved giving birth.

Katrina and Shawn McCord -- It was clear who they were: They stood in front, the daughter’s full breasts and the son’s perfect nose reflected in the handsome woman next to them.
It was difficult to not look at the daughter. She had a presence, even here. Naturally blond, like her mother; strong chin, like her father; solid body, like Miss Fitness USA. She wasn’t classically beautiful. Her face was too chiseled and her body was too taut. But most of all, she was in control. Brooke guessed she was the kind of woman men want badly—and, perhaps, fear greatly.
The son, on the other hand, was easy to ignore. He was attractive, to be sure, even if his eyes were too close together. His father’s dark features, rugged face and broad shoulders probably served him well at singles’ bars. But even from sixty feet away, Brooke thought the son seemed ordinary. Perhaps he shouldn’t stand near his sister.

TEASER: The greatest art heist in history has gone unsolved for twelve years when a dying man whispers his final words to an almost-starving young artist, who then vies on two continents with thieves, Mafia goons and unscrupulous art aficionados for $350 million in masterpieces and a huge reward.

AUTHOR BIO: Steve Kendall was the president of an advertising and public relations agency, a newspaper journalist, and the editor of a professional journal. He is the author of numerous articles that have appeared in national magazines and professional journals, the leader of communication skills workshops, and a teacher of women and teens who are learning to operate their own businesses.

He lives with his wife in Harvard, Massachusetts.

Follow The Falcon is his debut novel.

PUBLISHER: Club Lighthouse Publishing

REVIEWS: www.cherylsbooknook.blogspot.com/2010/06/follow-falcon.html

AVAILABLE FORMATS: MS Word, HTML, .pdf (Adobe Acrobat), .pdf for iPhone, .pdb (Palm), .prc (MobiPocket), .lit, .rtf

LINK TO BUY PAGE: www.clublighthousepublishing.com

THE SHADOW OF REALITY

2010-07-28T18:58:00.000-07:00

Title: THE SHADOW OF REALITY, #1 The Elizabeth & Richard Mysteries

Author: Donna Fletcher Crow

Genre: Mystery/ Romantic Intrigue

Setting: Mystery Week at a resort high in the Rocky Mountains, 1990

Characters' intro: Dr. Elizabeth Allerton: "Yes, it is rather unusual for a woman as young as myself to become head of an English department. Of course, Rocky Mountain is a small college, but I credit my success to my creativity— like this new class on Golden Age Mystery Writers I'm introducing next fall— and to the fact that once I set a goal I stay with it until it's accomplished— like my determination to get Dr. Richard Spenser, my newest faculty member, to attend a mystery week with me.
"All my arguments about balancing his superb academic credentials with knowledge of more popular writers is absolutely valid. But beyond that is the fact that Richard really needs something. What the poor, dear, boring man thinks he needs is for me to marry him, but really, he just needs some fun. He needs to 'lighten up' as my students would say. I think something awful must have happened to him in the past because sometimes he looks so sad. It's almost enough to make me accept his proposal. But I could never marry someone so dull. I really could never marry someone who didn't measure up to Lord Peter Wimsey."

Teaser: All of Elizabeth's dreams are springing to life before her, but will she discover the narrow line between fantasy and reality in time to achieve her dreams?

Author Bio: Donna Fletcher Crow is the author of 35 books, mostly novels dealing with British history. She and her husband have 4 adult children and 10 grandchildren. She is an enthusiastic gardener and tea drinker.

Publisher: StoneHouse Ink

Reviews:
"In The Shadow of Reality, Donna Fletcher Crow engages the reader with a lively dialogue between the two protagonists, Elizabeth and Richard, as they participate in a murder mystery vacation week at a resort in the Rockies. When reality blurs with fiction, the reader is taken behind the scenes into a darker drama that Elizabeth is drawn into and compelled to solve at her own peril. The characters are well developed and the action flows at a rapid pace that makes it impossible to put the book down. It is a thoroughly satisfying read and an intriguing idea to mix the roles of actor and audience, a complex dance of relationships that keeps the reader wondering what is true and who is real."
--Gwyneth Bledsoe, Death Before Breakfast

Available formats Amazon Kindle, Smashwords

Link to buy page: Author Website: http://ning.it/bCi2iA; Kindle: http://ning.it/ap1QmL; Smashwords: http://ning.it/cl1hMJ

Author’s other e-books: Coming Soon: A MIDSUMMER EVE'S NIGHTMARE, Book 2, The Elizabeth & Richard Mysteries A VERY PRIVATE GRAVE, Book 1, The Monastery Murders; A MOST INCONVENIENT DEATH, #1 The Lord Danvers Mysteries

Link to author’s website http://www.donnafletchercrow.com

MURDER ON THE MIND

2010-07-27T18:57:00.000-07:00

Title: Murder On The Mind

Author: L.L. Bartlett

Genre: Mystery/Paranormal

Setting: Buffalo, NY

Characters' intro:
Jeff Resnick hardly knew his well-heeled half-brother. But after suffering a fractured skull in a vicious mugging, he reluctantly accepts the fact that he has a long and brutal recovery to face—and his closest of kin can provide him with the time and place to do it.
Now, Jeff is haunted by unexplained visions of a heinous crime—a banker, stalked, killed, and eviscerated like a ten-point buck. When Matt Sumner’s murder is discovered, a still-recovering Jeff realizes this was what he had seen. Jeff must not only convince himself of his new-found psychic ability, but also his skeptical brother Richard Alpert. Since Sumner was Richard’s banker, both brothers have a stake in finding out what happened. With Richard’s reluctant help, Jeff’s investigation leads him to Sumner’s belligerent family and hard-nosed business associates, none of whom want him snooping around.
When Jeff discovers a second victim, he knows he must relentlessly chase his quarry even if it means risking his brother’s life.

Teaser: Jeff Resnick's recurrent visions of a slaughtered buck take on terrible new meaning when a local banker is found in the same condition.

Author Bio:
L.L. Bartlett honed her characterization and plotting skills as a frequent writer for romance magazines. Her first novel, Murder On The Mind, was published in November 2005. Dead in Red followed in June 2008, and Cheated by Death debuted in June 2010.
Bartlett also writes the Agatha-nominated, New York Times bestselling Booktown Mysteries as Lorna Barrett, and the Victoria Square Mysteries to debut in February 2011.

Publisher: Originally published by Five Star/Cengage in hardcover; paperback edition by Harlequin's Worldwide Library; Out of print; now reissued by author on Kindle/Smashwords

Reviews:
Romantic Times (4 Stars)
http://www.rtbookreviews.com/book-review/murder-mind
The Book Bitch: http://www.bookbitch.com/Fiction%20M-N.htm
Books N Bites: http://www.booksnbytes.com/reviews/bartlett_murderonthemind.html
Midwest Book Review

Available formats: Kindle, Smashwords (Soon to be on Nook.), Audio: Books In Motion

Link to buy page: http://tinyurl.com/ydn7j3c

Author’s other e-books:
Murder Is Binding, cozy mystery, Berkley Prime Crime, 2008, MMPB, LP, Audio, Kindle, Nook, etc.
Bookmarked For Death, cozy mystery, Berkley Prime Crime, 2009, MMPB, LP, Audio, Kindle, Nook, etc.
Bookplate Special, cozy mystery, Berkley Prime Crime, 2009, MMPB, LP, Audio, Kindle, Nook, etc.

Link to author’s website: http://www.lorrainebartlett.com/lorraine/jeffresnick.html

2010-07-26T19:39:00.000-07:00

2010-07-25T19:04:00.001-07:00

Mystery E-book

2010-07-13T05:39:00.000-07:00

To submit an e-book, follow the template below and submit IN THE BODY OF an email to mysterebooks@yahoo.com
Cover Art (jpeg file)
Title
Author
Genre (must be mystery) and Sub-genre (e.g. Mystery/Paranormal)
Setting
Characters' intro (one or two characters introduce themselves, under 200 words.)
Teaser (1-sentence description)
Author Bio (no more that 100 words)
Publisher (no self-published/vanity. Must publish more than the author’s books and at least 12 books/year)
Reviews (Please use reputable sources and cite the review’s origin)
Available formats
Link to buy page
Author’s other e-books (3 maximum: title/genre/publisher/year of publication/available formats)
Link to author’s website

SAMPLE of completed template
TITLE: GO HOME AND DIE
AUTHOR: Peg Herring
GENRE: Mystery/romantic suspense
SETTING: Flint, Michigan, 1969
CHARACTERS' INTRO:
Carrie Walsh-"I hated my job, my looks, my life. When Jack came along and needed my help, I took a step I would never have imagined: together we started a detective agency. If I had known about his past, I would never have done it, but all I can do now is hope things work out."
Jack Porter-"I should have known when Carrie came into my life that it could never work out. She's a nice kid, but now we're both in over our heads. I should have sent her on her way that first day she came into the office. Now I've got to get her out of my life. For good."
Teaser: Prim Carrie Walsh wants a little more excitement in her life, but when she goes to work for recently returned Vietnam vet Jack Porter, she finds more than that: a disturbing attraction to her enigmatic partner and a strong chance that she won’t live much longer.
BIO: Peg Herring is a mystery writer from Michigan who believes in “Strong Women, Great Stories.”
PUBLISHER: Red Rose Publishing
REVIEW: "I enjoyed this book very much. Ms. Herring’s wonderful style of writing managed to send me on a delightful trip down memory lane. She did a great job of catching the essence of a time when things were far more innocent and uncomplicated, all the while keeping my interest with an intriguing story that proved indeed to be a page turner. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery." Rating: 4 sighs Patricia Pellicane http://ahistoryofromance.wordpress. com/reviews/ patricia- pellicane- reviews/go- home-and- die/
AVAILABLE FORMATS: Amazon Kindle, Red Rose Publishing, Mobipocket, Fictionwise, etc.
BUY LINKS: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003K154PC
PEG'S OTHER E-BOOKS: HER HIGHNESS’ FIRST MURDER/mystery/Five Star/2010
PEG'S WEBSITE: http://www.pegherring.com