Friday, April 25, 2014

Crime Fiction Authors - Quail Ridge Books, Raleigh NC

Friday, April 25, 7:30
Stuart Woods, Carnal Curiosity

Wednesday, May 14, 7:30
Jeffrey Deaver, The Skin Collector

Friday, May 23, 7:30
David Downing, Jack of Spies

Wednesday, May 28, 7:30
Craig Johnson, Any Other Name

Sunday, June 22, 3:00
Ruth Moose, Doing It at the Dixie Dew

Sunday, August 3, 3:00
Howard Owen, Parker Field

Thursday, August 14, 7:30 & Tuesday, September 9, Lunchtime
Margaret Maron, Designated Daughters


Thursday, April 17, 2014

Gamache Reread Campaign

Minotaur Books is thrilled to announce the Gamache Reread Campaign, which starts April 21, 2014 with Louise Penny’s first novel, STILL LIFE!

This is a virtual, online club to re-read the Gamache series.  Each of the 9 books in the series will be discussed for two weeks, culminating in to the publication of Louise Penny’s latest novel, THE LONG WAY HOME, which is on sale August 26.


Saturday, April 12, 2014

Elaine Viets' CATNAPPED Trailer

I just got my review copy of  Catnapped! by Elaine Viets. She's got a really great book trailer that will make it hard to wait for the May 1 release date! Helen Hawthorne and husband/PI partner Phil Sagemont work together for great reading fun.

Tuesday, April 08, 2014

Agatha Award Nominees

Best Contemporary Novel
Pagan Spring, by G.M. Malliet
How the Light Gets In, by Louise Penny
Clammed Up, by Barbara Ross
The Wrong Girl, by Hank Phillippi Ryan
Through the Evil Days, by Julia Spencer-Fleming

Best Historical Novel
Heirs and Graces, by Rhys Bowen
Death in the Time of Ice, by Kaye George
A Friendly Game of Murder, by J.J. Murphy
Murder in Chelsea, by Victoria Thompson
A Question of Honor, by Charles Todd

Best First Novel
Death Al Dente, by Leslie Budewitz
You Cannoli Die Once, by Shelley Costa
Board Stiff, by Kendel Lynn
Kneading to Die, by Liz Mugavero
Front Page Fatality, by LynDee Walker

Best Nonfiction
Georgette Heyer, by Jennifer Kloester
Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes, by Maria Konnikova
Not Everyone’s Cup of Tea: An Interesting & Entertaining History of Malice Domestic's
First 25 Years, by Verena Rose and Rita Owen, Editors
The Hour of Peril: The Secret Plot to Murder Lincoln Before the Civil War,
by Daniel Stashower

Best Short Story
“Evil Little Girl”, by Barb Goffman, Don’t Get Mad, Get Even
“Nightmare”, by Barb Goffman, Don’t Get Mad, Get Even
“The Hindi Houdini”, by Gigi Pandian, Fish Nets
“Bread Baby”, by Barbara Ross, Best New England Crime Stories 2014: Stone Cold
“The Care and Feeding of House Plants”, by Art Taylor, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine
Note: All five short stories nominated for the Agatha can be read online.

Best Children’s/Young Adult Novel
The Testing, by Joelle Charbonneau
Traitor in the Shipyard: A Caroline Mystery, by Kathleen Ernst
Andi Unexpected, by Amanda Flower
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library, by Chris Grabenstein

Code Busters Club: Mystery of the Pirate’s Treasure, by Penny Warner

Tuesday, April 01, 2014

The Rainy Day Killer by Michael J. McCann (Plaid Raccoon Press)


In the fourth novel in the Donaghue and Stainer series, homicide detectives Hank Donaghue and Karen Stainer are hunting a serial killer who kidnaps, repeatedly rapes, murders, and mutilates his victims—in several states—he changes locations when the local cops get close.  After stalking his victims, he dresses like a gentleman and offers the protection of his umbrella on rainy days.  The press has named him the Rainy Day Killer (RDK).  

After his first victim in Glendale MD is found, RDK begins to communicate with Donaghue, the lead investigator, through phone calls, packages containing the victim’s body parts, and DVDs of the body.  So far, RDK has managed to clean his victims, removing all trace evidence, and dumping the bodies in public areas without his face being seen.  The FBI and a state task force are brought in to help with the investigation. To add to the political landscape, the position of captain for the homicide unit is up for grabs. A temporary captain has been assigned; she is inexperienced and out to make a name for herself by putting everyone else down.

As the killer gets bolder, friction within the homicide unit, FBI, and state task force collide. To further complicate things, Karen Stainer is finally marring her FBI boyfriend, Sandy Alexander, at Sandy’s ancestral home in Virginia. Karen’s blue-collar relatives and Sandy’s old Virginia society family make an interesting wedding party.  

I enjoyed this book very much. The characters were true to form, the suspense is real, and the murders are very dark. I will think twice about trusting a stranger, especially on a rainy day. 

—Helen Jones

FTC Disclaimer: This book was provided by the publisher





Left Coast Crime Award Winners

Thanks too Lucinda Surber and Stan Ulrich of the great mystery website Stop, You're Killing Me for
posting the winners at the recent Left Coast Crime Conference (which they chaired this year!). I use this site so very often. Take a look at it—you'll be totally impressed!

If you look on their book giveaway page, you can enter for a cool Calamari Crime book bag and a book. Hurry. The contest ends on April 8, 2014.

Happy reading!

Molly

2014 DILYS AWARD PRESENTED
The Independent Mystery Booksellers Association presented the 2014 Dilys Award on March 20th at the 2014 Left Coast Crime mystery convention in Monterey, California. Our congratulations to the winner (listed first) and all of the nominees.

  * Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger [review]
  ° Seven for a Secret by Lyndsay Faye
  ° The Black Country by Alex Grecian
  ° Spider Woman's Daughter by Anne Hillerman [review]
  ° Pagan Spring by G.M. Malliet
  ° The Land of Dreams by Vidar Sundstol

Previous Dilys Awards

2014 LEFT COAST CRIME AWARDS PRESENTED
The Left Coast Crime awards, voted on by the Left Coast Crime attendees, were presented on March 22, 2014, at the Portola Hotel & Spa in Monterey, California. As co-chairs of the Awards Committee, we were thrilled to present certificates to the nominees and awards to the winners. Our congratulations to the winners (listed first in each category) and to all of the nominees.
Lefty Award for Most Humorous Mystery
  *The Good Cop by Brad Parks [review]
  ° The Hen of the Baskervilles by Donna Andrews [review]
  ° The Fame Thief by Timothy Hallinan [review]
  ° The Last Word by Lisa Lutz
  ° Dying for a Daiquiri by Cindy Sample [review]

Bruce Alexander Memorial Mystery Award
(best historical mystery, covering events before 1960)
  *Dandy Gilver and a Bothersome Number of Corpses by Catriona McPherson
  ° Heirs and Graces by Rhys Bowen
  ° His Majesty's Hope by Susan Elia MacNeal
  ° Murder as a Fine Art by David Morrell
  ° Covenant with Hell by Priscilla Royal
  ° Leaving Everything Most Loved by Jacqueline Winspear

The Squid
(best mystery set within the United States)
  *Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger [review]
  ° W Is for Wasted by Sue Grafton
  ° Purgatory Key by Darrell James
  ° The Wrong Girl by Hank Phillippi Ryan [review]
  ° A Killing at Cotton Hill by Terry Shames [review]

The Calamari
(best mystery set anywhere else in the world)
  *How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny [review]
  ° Murder Below Montparnasse by Cara Black
  ° Hour of the Rat by Lisa Brackmann [review]
  ° As She Left It by Catriona McPherson
  ° Mykonos After Midnight by Jeffrey Siger