Thursday, October 24, 2013


Reading right now:

            Marisha Pessl’s latest is “Night Film.” You may have read her first fantastic novel, “Special Topics in Calamity Physics.” This new book centers on Ashley Cordova’s suicide which journalist Scott McGrath believes is murder. McGrath’s investigation takes him into the dark and mysterious world of Ashley’s father, cult-horror film director Stanislas Cordova.

               Regarding Pessl’s “Night Film” the Austin Chronicle writes, “If spiders and mayonnaise aren’t enough to strike fear in your heart this Halloween, pick up a copy of Marisha Pessl’s new interactive thriller novel, Night Film.”        

On hold right now:

Charlotte Hinger’s “Hidden Heritage” comes out in November. This is the third in the Lottie Albright series. Western Kansas historian and Undersheriff Lottie Albright’s latest investigation revolves around a gruesome killing at the Carlton County, Kansas, livestock feedyard.

Other Mysterious things:

Kirk Russell’s latest is out November 1. “Die-Off” is the fifth in his John Marquez series. Marquez works for the California Fish & Game’s Special Operations Unit trying to shut down animal traffickers.

Father Brennan Burke and public defender Monty Collins team up again for the seventh book in Anne Emery’s mystery series. “Blood on a Saint” comes out in November.

S. J. Gazan’s “The Dinosaur Feather” will be available in the U.S. in November. This is the first novel by Scandinavian writer Gazan.

Sunday, October 6, 2013


Read a Paranormal Mystery for Halloween:

            Hannah Jayne’s Underworld Detective Agency Chronicles starts with “Under Wraps” and continues through five novels to the latest “Under a Spell.” The books center around Sophie Lawson who is employed by the Underworld Detective Agency because she is immune to magic which allows her to handle many problems that others are overwhelmed by. “Under Wraps” finds Sophie dealing with a rash of gruesome murders and a handsome human detective.

            Victoria Laurie’s Ghost Hunter series starts with “What’s a Ghoul to Do?” There are currently seven books in this series and number eight is coming out in 2014. M.J. Holliday and her partner Gilly get rid of problem ghosts and demons around the world.

            Soon to come out with her sixth book in the Charley Davidson series, Darynda Jones writes award winning books in which Charley is the grim reaper. Unfortunately, she’s found that it isn’t always easy to get people to go into the light some of them have issues that need to be resolved first.

            Casey Daniels has nine fantastic Pepper Martin mysteries ready for your reading pleasure. In the first novel, “Don of the Dead,” Pepper finds that she can see a dead Mafia don who is demanding that she hunt down his killer. This is the start of Pepper’s new job of being a P.I. to the dead.

Ghost a la Mode (A Ghost of...
A Hard Day's Knight (Nightside, #11)            Other authors to take a look at is the terrific Jim Butcher with his Harry Dresden series, Shirley Damsgaard’s Ophelia & Abby mysteries, Simon R. Green’s Nightside series, Sue Ann Jaffarian’s Ghost of Granny Apples mysteries, Madelyn Alt’s Bewitching mysteries, and on it goes. Read one and get hooked! You may find they are really fun to read.

 

 

Wednesday, October 2, 2013


Reading right now:

            Jeff Lindsay’s “Dexter’s Final Cut.” This is the seventh book in the Dexter series. If you watched the TV series finale, you might already miss Dexter and want to hit the books. I haven’t always agreed with the direction that the books have gone, but the character is original and interesting. In the latest book, Dexter is tempted by fame in Hollywood.      

On hold right now:

            The Lincoln Lawyer is back in “The Gods of Guilt.” This is Michael Connelly’s fifth book in the Mickey Haller series and I can’t wait. While you’re waiting for this to come out in December, you should watch the movie again!

Other Mysterious things:

A new season of “Homeland” started. It is so great—don’t miss it.

2013 SHAMUS AWARDS: For works published in 2012: The winner was announced at the Private Eye Writers of America banquet in Albany, New York, in late September.

BEST HARDCOVER P.I. NOVEL


BEST FIRST P.I. NOVEL

  • Black Fridays by Michael Sears (Jason Stafford) (winner in this category)
  • Hush Money by Chuck Greaves (Jack MacTaggart)
  • Murder Unscripted by Clive Rosengren (Eddie Collins)
  • Racing the Devil by Jaden Terrell (Jared McKean)
  • The Twenty-Year Death by Ariel S. Winter (Dennis Foster)

BEST ORIGINAL PAPERBACK PI NOVEL


BEST INDIE P.I. NOVEL

  • White Heat by Paul Marks (Duke Rogers) (winner in this category)
  • Stranger in Town by Cheryl Bradshaw (Sloane Monroe)
  • Enamored by O'Neil De Noux (Lucien Caye)
  • One-Eyed Jack by Christopher J. Lynch (John Sharp)
  • Devil May Care by James Mullaney (Crag Banyon)