Sisters in Crime Reading Challenge

Barbara Fister, secretary of Sisters in Crime, has issued a reading challenge as part of the organizations' 25th anniversary. I've signed on and I hope many of you will join me. Check it out at the Sinc blog site. Let me know how you respond!

THE GILDED SHROUD by Elizabeth Bailey (Berkley Prime Crime)

The late Regency writer Georgette Heyer lives—and she's writing mysteries as Elizabeth Bailey! While delivering breakfast to her ladyship, a lady's maid finds the body of her mistress. Her screams awaken Lord Francis Fanshawe, who is shocked to realize that not only was milady brutally murdered, but that it was obvious she'd entertained a late-night visitor. Complicating the situation, the Marquis of Polbrook, Fanshawe's older brother, had left home, totally unexpectedly, before dawn.

Meanwhile, in the Dowager Lady Polbrook's home nearby, Otillia Draycott, a young widow of considerable intellect, is being interviewed for the temporary position of companion. When Fanshawe tells his mother the distressing news, Otillia's immediate questions and suggestions convince the dowager to include her in the subsequent investigation. The result of the collaboration is a well-drawn mystery set in Regency London.

I look forward to spending more time with Otillia and Fanshawe.

FTC Disclaimer - This book was provided by the publisher.

2011 Shamus Award Nominees

I never seem to learn anything first, but thankfully, I have friends who do. Thanks to Judy Bobalik for posting this list!

Best Hardcover P.I. Novel
• No Mercy, by Lori Armstrong (Touchstone)
• The First Rule, by Robert Crais (Putnam)
• Voyeur, by Daniel Judson (Minotaur)
• If the Dead Rise Not, by Philip Kerr (Putnam)
• Naked Moon, by Domenic Stansberry (Minotaur)

Best First P.I. Novel
• In Search of Mercy, by Michael Ayoob (Minotaur)
• One Man’s Paradise, by Douglas Corleone (Minotaur)
• Rogue Island, by Bruce DeSilva (Forge)
• Random Violence, by Jassy MacKenzie (Soho)
• City of Dragons, by Kelli Stanley (Minotaur)

Best Paperback Original P.I. Novel
• Hostage Zero, by John Gilstrap (Kensington)
• Nightshade, by Tom Henighan (Dundurn Press)
• Mister X, by John Lutz (Pinnacle)
• The Panic Zone, by Rick Mofina (Mira)
• Asia Hand, by Christopher G. Moore (Grove/Atlantic)
• The Little Death, by P.J. Parrish (Pocket Star)

Best P.I. Short Story
• “The God of Right and Wrong,” by Steven Gore (Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, January/February 2010)
• “The Lamb Was Sure to Go,” by Gar Anthony Haywood (Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, November 2010)
• “The Girl in the Golden Gown,” by Robert S. Levinson (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, March/April 2010)
• “Phelan’s First Case.” by Lisa Sandlin (Lone Star Noir, edited by Bobby Byrd and Johnny Byrd; Akashic Books)
• “A Long Time Dead,” by Mickey Spillane and Max Allan Collins (The Strand Magazine, June-Sept. 2010)

I'm glad I'm not on any of the committees to choose the winners—it's a great list! Congratulations to all.

THREE SECONDS by Anders Roslund & Borge Hellstrom (Sterling Publishing)

Some of the best Crime Fiction today is coming out of the Scandinavian countries! And this book is a very good example. It's a real page turner with action quickly switching back and forth among the leading characters. Piet Hoffmann is a little different than many protagonists—he's a small-time criminal with some special talents.

On his release from a Swedish prison, Piet established a security firm. Members of the Swedish intelligence service are aware of Piet and his criminal contacts throughout Eastern Europe and their own "Mafia" dealing mostly in illegal drugs. Intelligence agent Erik Wilson enlists Piet in an undercover sting which would place Piet back in a Swedish prison as a hardened criminal. His goal: ferreting out information that will allow the Swedish intelligence stop the Polish Mafia from invading Sweden. Before all the pieces can be put in play, Piet witnesses a murder which thoroughly complicate the situation.

Of course, anyone in prison who finds out he is a snitch will find a way to kill him!

--Steve Bank

--FTC Disclaimer - This book was provided by the publisher.

Blogging at Sisters in Crime

I'm writing today at the Sisters in Crime blog about my trip to the American Library Association summer conference in New Orleans. It was a great trip and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the long days. One of the added benefits was getting to know more of the wonderful folks who are members of SinC. I've come to realize more and more that folks who write mysteries have to be incredibly sharp people!

Everyone knows that all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, so Cathy Pickens, SinC president, arranged some great dinner meetings for us. She's on my right—just before we dined in style at the Palace Cafe.

TOMIE dePAOLA Wins Laura Ingalls Wilder Award

I've had the pleasure of escorting Tomie in North Carolina and have truly enjoyed getting to know this delightful children's author/ illustrator. I was delighted to see the announcement of this prestigious award in PW ShelfTalker.

World War II and more… from Carolyn Hart

I just got an email from Carolyn announcing the reprint of many of her out of print for many years early books on Kindle. I'm sure many of you will join me in downloading some of these titles. (Remember, the Kindle application can be downloaded free and used on smartphones, computers, and more.)

ESCAPE FROM PARIS -The story of two American sisters in Paris in 1940 and their race to save downed airmen from the Gestapo . . .

BRAVE HEARTS - A woman caught between duty and love after the fall of the Phillipines of the Japanese . . . .

A SETTLING OF ACCOUNTS - A woman's determination to unmask the man who betrayed her lover to the Nazis . . .

Out of print for many years, my early books are now available as ebooks from Kindlle. www.CarolynHart.com

The books include my first published juvenile mystery, The Secret of the Cellars, and my first adult suspense novel, Flee from the Past.

Newly released juvenile titles:
The Secret of the Cellars
Dangerous Summer

Newly released YA suspense novels:
No Easy Answers
Rendezvous in Veracruz
Danger, High Explosives!

Newly released WWII suspense novels:
Flee from the Past
A Settling of Accounts
Escape from Partis
Brave Hearts.

The ebook of Escape from Paris features the never before seen complete uncut ORIGINAL novel. The first publication was cut from 94,000 to 55,000 words.

Standalone mystery novels:
The Rich Die Young
Death by Surprise
Castle Rock
Skulduggery
The Devereaux Legacy.

Newly released short story collections:
Crime on her Mind
Secrets and Other Novels of Suspense (which includes A Settling of Accounts)

If you are a Kindle reader, I hope you will enjoy one or more of the early books.

Thank you - Carolyn Hart

FISH TALES Readings

The first Sisters in Crime Guppy short story anthology (Guppy refers to the "great unpublished), Fish Tales features 22 tales of murder and mayhem from the rising stars of mystery. Taking its theme from the Guppy name, all stories are water related and feature locked room puzzles, police procedurals, cozy characters, and hardboiled detectives.

Four of the Fish Tales writers will read in the Triangle on Friday, August 19.

2:00 - McIntyre's, Fearrington Village, Pittsboro
7:30 - Quail Ridge Books & Music, Raleigh

Come out and meet these new authors. It's a great way to brag later, "I knew them when"!

Free E-Books

Tyrus Books is giving away a free crime fiction ebook every week in a "Summer of Crime" promotion. Downloads are available through Barnes & Noble and Amazon. I just downloaded Dead Deceiver by Victoria Houston. That one's available through August 1.

Please let me know what you think. If you're interested in reviewing one of these books, please let me know when you post your comment. Happy reading!

The upcoming schedule follows:



Hello Kitty Must Die by Angela S. Choi (8/1 – 8/8)












Late Rain by Lynn Kostoff (8/8 - 8/15)












The Wind Knot by John Galligan (8/15 – 8/22)













Untouchable by Scott O'Connor (8/30 - 9/6)

LOUISE'S WAR by Sarah R. Shaber (Severn House)

It's been a long wait, but this first in a new series is well worth it! Young widow Louise Pearlie has landed a government job in World War II Washington. For the first time in her life she's not only making good money but she's doing something she considers worthwhile—she's a file clerk for the Office of Strategic Services, charged with handling "for eyes only" documents.

Louise is horrified to see the name of Rachel Bloch's husband on one of these documents. Rachel was not only Louise's college roommate and best friend; she is now living in Vichy France. Realizing Rachel and her family must be in peril, Louise takes the file to the only person she knows who can act on it. Before any action can be taken, the file disappears and someone dies.

While Louise is trying desperately to help her friend, Shaber is giving the reader an excellent lesson of war-time Washington—from the boarding house where Louise lives, to race relations, to paranoia, to rationing, and even to a glimpse of the ultra wealthy.

Now, after devouring this slim volume, I dread the wait for the next one!

CHIHUAHUA OF THE BASKERVILLES by Esri Allbritten (Minotaur)

I love it when an author makes me overcome a bias! Folks who know me know I'm too much a pragmatist to read paranormal mysteries. So, when I saw a halo above the white chihuahua on the cover of this one, I almost passed on it. Having just read a thriller, I was ready for something light and decided to give Chihuahua a chance while soaking in the tub. The bath proved to be longer than planned—I was hooked.

Tripping Magazine focuses its articles on vacation spots which feature paranormal activities. Just before the low-budget rag folds, the owner's wife gets a phone call from her cousin. Charlotte Baskerville owns a company that designs and sells high-end clothing for small dogs. She's convinced that her late dog, Petey, has been appearing (and calling) to her and she's willing to have Tripping's reporters document the appearances.

The Tripping team arrives in Manitou Spring, Colorado just before the annual Emma Crawford Coffin Race (just one of the paranormal events sure to delight their readers). Very soon they realize that encountering a ghost dog might be the most pleasant event during their stay.

Chihuahua is a great read for a hot summer—its not quite over-the top characters are well drawn, genuinely funny, and the puzzle is perfect. I look forward to more adventures with Angus, Michael, and Suki—the Tripping crew.

FTC Disclaimer - This book was provided by the publisher.

DEATH AT THE CHATEAU BREMONT: A VERLAQUE AND BONNET MYSTERY by M.L. Longworth (Penguin)

This delightful debut mystery was literally a lagniappe, tucked in with a book I had requested from the publisher. The setting, France's Aix-en-Provence, delivers mouth-watering descriptions of gourmet food and excellent wines.

The death of a nobleman—a fall from an attic window at his crumbling ancestral chateau, brings former lovers Antoine Verlaque (investigating magistrate) and Marine Bonnet (law professor and childhood friend of the deceased) together for a sparkling investigation. Although thoroughly contemporary, the story's telling is a throwback to the Golden Age. Characters are incredibly well developed, even those with minor roles. Readers are drawn into the everyday life of Verlaque and Bonnet, yet no detail fails to propel the story.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Chateau Bremont. What a relief for a hot summer day!

FTC Disclaimer - Book was provided by the publisher.

ADRENALINE - Winner!

Sorry I forgot to post this earlier. The winner is Stephen Bank of NC. Congratulations, Stephen!

KILLED AT THE WHIM OF A HAT by Colin Cotterill (Minotaur)

Jimm Juree, first-person narrator of this excellent mystery, is a crime reporter out of a job—not because of the economy nor that she's a poor writer. Her mother, who's showing signs of early onset dementia has sold the family home and business and relocated to southern, rural Thailand, where the local paper already has a crime reporter. Jimm's grandfather, a retired cop, rarely talks and her younger brother who wants to be a world-class body builder moved with the family; her older brother, a transgendered former beauty queen stayed behind in the city where s/he is in seclusion running a computer hacking business.

Jimm feels her life is over before she hardly got started on her career, but suddenly, things begin to happen in her new village. First, a Volkswagon van, complete with two skeletons, is discovered by a well-digger. Then, a visiting Buddist abbott is violently murdered shortly after Jimm meets a nun and a monk who become suspects in the case.

As Jimm works the case, hoping to break back into news, she finds allies in unexpected places.

The charm of Whim isn't the crime story. It's the characters, the whimsey, and the humor woven subtly through the novel that make it a cut above the rest. Of course, the chapter headings, quotes from President Malaprop, are well worth the read. Don't miss the beginning of this excellent new series!

NOTE: Many readers will remember Cotterill's wonderful series about Dr. Siri, a 70-something Laotian county coroner. I predict even more fans for Jimm!

FTC Discloser - This book was provided by the publisher.

Jeff Abbott Talks about ADRENALINE

International best-selling author Jeff Abbott's latest thriller, Adrenaline, became available to U.S. readers last week. Already garnering rave reviews (Starred Review in Publishers Weekly, a Good Morning America Summer Read an Entertainment Weekly Book of the Day, and an Amazon Best Books of July pick), Adrenaline is an absolute page-turner from beginning to end.

First in a new series, Adrenaline introduces CIA agent Sam Capra, a young man who has it all—great beginnings of a new career, a post in Paris, a beautiful wife, and a baby on the way. Suddenly, with just one phone call, he loses everything—everything except his life and the skills he will employ trying to find out what went wrong.

After spending hours on the edge of my seat with Sam in his horrific quest, I spoke with Jeff about Adrenaline, Sam, and Sam's future.

You've always written stand-alone thrillers. How did you decide to let Adrenaline be the beginning of a series? And why did it debut first in Britain?

Two years ago, I switched publishers. I've always wanted to write series and take what I learned about suspense and apply it to series characters. The new publisher didn't have a spot available in the U.S. last year. It came out in Britain in 2010.

Did you plan the arc for the series before beginning to write?

Before I wrote a word, I though about it a lot. I didn't want to write to a market. I wanted to differentiate this from other thrillers. Trust me, it serves readers bests if the author knows what a character is going to be like over different books. I sold the book on a one-page proposal: Sam would be young, ex-CIA, and I knew he would own bars.

Then, I had to decide how he could get this way. How could someone this young be so focused, so comfortable owning businesses. So, I gave him parents who'd worked at relief agencies around the world, a nomadic childhood where he picked up languages, friends, skills (he learned how to pick pockets in China because he was bored). His brother followed in their parents' footsteps, was kidnapped and killed.

I wanted Sam to have the connection, the comfort of having been a spy—but I wanted him not bound by bureaucracy. I wanted him to have baggage but be taken into a world where he would find his own quests. That's why I centered on finding his wife and child. He had a good life, but I had to strip that away.

Your characters are always so well defined readers don't have trouble knowing who is speaking. Do you have a special gift for this?

Anything I do is a result of work, not nature. Alternating first and third person narrators helped. And I tried to make every character very distinct. Because in future books, Sam will be based in different bars in different countries, there will be different characters in each book—but that will also allow me to bring back those characters who resound with readers.

Sam himself has two sides—and we'll see more of both sides as the series goes along. If you can describe a character in one sentence, it feels like you've struck gold when folks react, so it's interesting that some people are already referring to him as Jason Bourne meets Rick Blaine from Casablanca. He owns a bar where interesting things happen, yet he has to fight his way out of situations. Of course, the bars are the ticket to further adventures.

Sam's workouts take running to an extreme level. What exactly is parkour?

It's actually a popular sport in France, and there are runs in London. It's fascinating because you don't have to go to a special place. The city is the arena. The whole point is to make a run using the least amount of distance—not running around a building but through or over it to accomplish the goal. It's both graceful and dangerous. I wanted Sam involved in parkour because it's a good metaphor for going over seemingly impossible obstacles. He's young, green—just starting his life rather than being settled. He's still discovering the person he's going to be. I became interested in the sport when it was featured in Casino Royale and then I saw it live. It's now in programs in schools to help kids develop confidence.

You've chosen great cities as locations in Adrenaline. How familiar were you with them before writing?

I'd been to New York and London often over the years, but I'd never been to Amsterdam. I not only went for research, but my Dutch editor actually told me about some real dives after I asked "what's an awful bar?" I found places so gross I couldn't have made them up—and they still had karaoke!

Fortunately, I already knew what kind of action Sam would be involved in, so it was easy to recognize the place once I saw it.

How far do you think this series can go?

The Brits have already bought books three and four. Three is due in a month. I know what number five will be. Sam is a character who seems to be generating ideas for me. The settings and characters will change and give lots of openness. Ideas are simply frothing up with me. Hopefully I'll keep writing them as long as people want to read them. He's fun to write.

Judging from personal experience, I'd say it's even more to read about him!

I have a copy of Adrenaline for someone who convinces me s/he's interested in burning the midnight oil with this fantastic new thriller. Just email me at mysteryheel @ mac.com and tell me. I'll pick the lucky winner next Tuesday evening, July 12.

THE BODY IN THE GAZEBO by Katherine Hall Page (William Morrow)

Set in picturesque Aleford Massachusetts, Katherine Hall Page continues her Faith Fairchild mystery series featuring amateur sleuth and caterer Faith Fairchild and her minister husband Tom.

Pix Miller, Faith's best friend is reluctant to leave for South Carolina to meet her son's future in-laws. In her absence Faith has agreed  to watch over Pix's ailing octogenarian mother, Ursala. Knowing Faith's ability to solve mysteries, Ursala slowly reveals the story of an unsolved crime that occurred in the summer of 1929 on Nantucket Island. It is a story with a family secret Ursala does not yet want to reveal to Pix.

Meanwhile, church funds are missing from an account to which only Tom has access. Tom and Faith work together to clear his name before his reputation is ruined. When Faith's assistant Niki unburdens her secret, Faith is soon "sick with secrets." The reader is never lost as the author skillfully shifts between the two time periods and the voices of Faith and Ursala.



In all her books, Katherine Hall Page includes recipes for the mouth-watering meals Faith prepares. You can find more of these recipes in Page's Agatha-nominated cookbook, Have Faith in Your Kitchen. 


-- Karen Kiley

FTC Disclosure - This book was provided by the publisher.

I Knew Her When...

Just got an announcement that Diane Gilbert Madsen won an Honorable Mention Award in Fiction at the 2011 New York Book Festival for Hunting for Hemingway, the second in DD McGil Literati Mystery series. I met Diane when I judged the St. Martin Press/Malice Domestic Best First Mystery contest several years ago. Way to go, Diane!

SHAKEN, STORIES FOR JAPAN, Tim Hallinan, ed. (Kindle)

Here's an opportunity to read some great short stories by some outstanding authors and give a little to relief for the people of Japan. None of the authors included in the book will receive anything for their efforts—all profits will be given to the relief fund. I just downloaded my copy—and I hope you'll do the same. It's a steal at $3.99!

Edgar Winner Steve Hamilton in Triangle

Edgar winner Steve Hamilton will visit Quail Ridge Books & Music in Raleigh on Tuesday night, June 14, at 7:30. His great new book, just out, is Misery Bay.

Lilian Jackson Braun

I just noticed that "Cat Who" author Lilian Jackson Braun died recently at 97. Yum-Yum and Koko fans may want to read her obit.