Mystery Reading Magazine by BooksGoSocial

mystery reading magazine

Executive Editor/Editor-in-Chief - Laurence O’Bryan Associate Editor - Tanja Slijepčević Production Mananger - Hannah Jenkins Assistant Editor - Elisabeth Schaffalitzky Assistant Editor - Natashia Thewes Graphic Designer - Mirna Gilman

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Table of contents

04 Editor’s Letter 06 Book recommendations 08 10 Best Classic Mystery Novels of All Time 16 Research Shouldn’t Be A Dirty Word by Nick Rippington 20 Book recommendations 24 Book or Movie? Have You Read These Summer Delicacies? 27 You Are Inside Of A Mystery Novel. What Do You Do? 30 An Interview with John Pearce, Author of Eddie Grant Series 33 Book Recommendations 36 An Interview with Darren Darker, Author of Redemption 38 Book recommendations 40 Cindy Stone’s Review of The Devil’s Lieutenant by Shervin Jamali 42 Book recommendations

Editor’s letter Hi, Are you looking for a criminally good book to read this summer? Look no further - we’ve got you covered! Summer is a wonderful time for reading and discovering new authors. What better way to find new books to read than in a magazine that features exciting mystery & thriller book offers. And if you look around inside our magazine you’ll find a link to my new thriller The Cairo Puzzle, which you can download and read on your Kindle or other reading device straight away. I hope you enjoy it!

There are pages or reviews, articles and details on lots of amazing Mystery reads inside too - from classics, to new exciting mystery authors who are waiting to be discovered. Take a look at our interview with John Pearce, historical mystery author with residency in Paris. See what you would do if you find yourself inside a mystery novel. Check out which books you need to read before they make it to the big screen. I know I spend a lot of time reading in the Summer, and finding new titles can be a chore. I hope your search for the next great mystery will be made easier by our new magazine. And if you have any ideas for articles or things you would like to see covered in our magazines, let me know. Who doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t love a good mystery. Enjoy! Laurence Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Bryan Editor in Chief Mystery Reading Magazine

The China Formula: Crisis in the Party, by Ray Simmons Nancy Guo is a Heroine for all cultures, Master Spy, Dutiful Daughter and Loyal Lover. She is torn between Her Duty and Her Love for Leonidas Lambros, an Economic Genius who holds the key to China’s Ascension or its fall into Mayhem and Communist Brutality. Simmons brings us the beginning Chapter to a story with consequences for the entire world. The China Formula is a behind the scenes look at the culture and politics of the enigma we call China. Why was Neil Heywood Murdered? How did Bo Xilai fall from grace?

Review:

A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written (novella) international thriller book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/ turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great international adventure movie, or better yet a mini TV series. To be continued. There is no doubt in my mind this is a very easy rating of 5 stars.

Buy Now!

Shattering Time, by KJ Walters #1 thriller Stealing Time continues its breathtakingly original journey. Hurricane Frances is barreling towards Florida and her best friend Steph shields her from the storm but can’t save her from traveling back in time to one of America’s first mysteries. A stunning conclusion brings Ronnie face to face with a dangerous ally who may hold the key to her past while offering salvation for her future.

Reviews:

Shattering Time is a masterpiece, one of the most riveting books I have ever read! It combines the excitement of deadly hurricanes, time travel, romance, betrayal, and mystery. I loved this story. For readers of science fiction, I would put this on your must-read list - in its infancy, it’s absolutely one of the best science fiction series our there! 6 Buy here!

PINNACLE BOOK ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Â WINNER 'A fast-paced suspense thriller that kept me on edge until the end'.

authorbillpowers.com 7

The 10 Best Classic Mystery Novels of All Time Who doesn’t love a good mystery. Whether you love the thrill of the chase, the grisly crimes, or the inevitable suspense of solving the puzzle, mystery novels will never go out of style. From the authors who helped to invent a new genre, to the aspiring novelist writing tirelessly, there are an infinite number of new mysteries to be solved; each one with their own unique twist. While in this day and age great mystery authors abound, there are none so beloved as Stephen King. Multiple generations have enjoyed his novels, and will continue to do so for quite some time. Though still writing to this very day, King’s most popular novel was The Shining (1977). It was so well received that it even sparked a highly successful film. Unsurprisingly, The Shining is only one of several of his novels to be made into a film. In fact, King has produced so many amazing novels that he will inevitably go down in history as one of the greats. Who knows, when this list is made again in fifty to a hundred years from now, he may even make the top ten classics list. In the meantime, and in no particular order, here are the current top ten classics that have withstood the test of time, and will always have us on the edge of our seats……...no matter how many times we read them.

1. Tales of Mystery and Imagination by Edgar Allan Poe This collection of Poe’s work contains some of the most exciting and haunting stories ever written, not to mention the origins of the modern detective novel. Buy It On Amazon Here

2. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins Determined to learn about the mysterious woman in white, Walter Hartright and his pupils soon find themselves drawn into a chilling vortex of crime, poison, kidnapping, and international intrigue. Buy It On Amazon Here

3. The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Conan Doyleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s incomparable tales bring to life a Victorian England of horse-drawn carriages, fog, and the infamous lodgings at 221B Baker Street, where for more than forty years Sherlock Holmes earned his undisputed reputation as the greatest fictional detective of all time. Buy It On Amazon Here

4. The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett A treasure worth killing for, a slightly shopworn private eye, a perfumed grafter, a man name Gutman, and a beautiful but treacherous woman; these are the ingredients of Dashiel Hammettâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s iconic, influential, and beloved The Maltese Falcon. Buy It On Amazon Here

5. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie Just after midnight on the famous Orient Express, a man is stabbed a dozen times, but his door locked from the inside. Can detective Hercule Poirot find the killer among a dozen of the dead manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s enemies, before the murderer decides to strike again?

Buy It On Amazon Here

6. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier With a husband she barely knows, a young bride arrives at an immense estate, only to be inexorably drawn into the life of the first Mrs. de Winter, the beautiful Rebecca â&#x20AC;&#x201C;dead but never forgotten. As an eerie presentiment of evil tightens around her heart, the second Mrs. de Winter begins her search for the real fate of Rebecca...for the secrets of Manderley. Buy It On Amazon Here

7. The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler A dying millionaire hires private eye Philip Marlowe to handle the blackmailer of one of his two troublesome daughters, but Marlowe finds himself involved with more than extortion --kidnapping, pornography, seduction, and murder are just the beginning. Buy It On Amazon Here

8. Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith You kill mine and I’ll kill yours…they will never be able to prove it he said…from this moment, almost against his conscious will, Guy Haines is trapped in a nightmare of shared guilt and an insidious merging of personalities. Buy It On Amazon Here

9. The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey An ancient painting and a face that doesn’t belong… after four hundred years, can a bedridden policeman uncover the truth about the murder of the Princess in the Tower? Buy It On Amazon Here

10. The Spy Who Came in From the Cold by John Le Carré In the shadow of the newly erected Berlin Wall, Alec Leamas is all set to trap Mundt, the deputy director of the East German Intelligence Service—with himself as the bait. But in the background, George Smiley is ready to make the game play out just as Control wants. Buy It On Amazon Here

If you enjoyed any of the above novels, you may also enjoy these modern mysteries. Click on each title to find out more. Night Watcher: Dundee Crime Series (Volume 1) by Chris Longmuir

Evil walks the streets of Dundee…Two Stalkers: Julie – a woman with revenge on her mind. The Night Watcher – a psychopathic killer with a mission…One Target: Nicole – an unfaithful woman with a weakness for other women’s husbands…DS Bill Murphy must find the killer before he/she strikes again.

Behind Closed Doors by Michael Donovan

PI Eddie Flynn is having a bad day. When some snot-nosed kid barges in with a story about a missing girl, it doesn’t get any better – especially since Rebecca Slater’s parents say nothing’s wrong. Down among the rats Rebecca’s not the only girl who’s missing – and in a game where there’s no such thing as coincidence, how long will it be before Flynn disappears too?

Remorseless: A British Crime Thriller by Will Patching Criminal profiler Doc Powers tries to unravel the truth about a psychopathic potential parolee in time to prevent him wreaking bloody revenge on those he blames for his incarceration – including Doc himself…

The North Country Confessional by Craig C. Charles

As heinous crimes peppered with riddles begin to plague the North Country, Darby’s reappearance back home sparks an old rivalry between two families, releasing an evil to wreck vengeance upon everything around them.

The Nuremberg Puzzle by Laurence O’Bryan Sean Ryan discovers a terrifying conspiracy to rid Germany of its refugees. After flying to Nuremberg, he sees blood on its streets, and anger boiling over. Can Sean stop a new genocide, or will he too become a victim?

Treasure of Saint-Lazare: A Novel of Paris by John Pearce

Ten years have passed since Eddie Grant’s wife, son and father were murdered. He has almost recovered, is almost happy. But the old wounds open once again when a former lover arrives to tell him that her father is dead, too, at the hands of the same evil conspiracy that lay dormant for a decade. The lure of revenge is far more than he can resist.

Field of Glass by Bobbie Barker

Marcus Cusack is about to be released and has some business to take care of on the outside. He is a psychotic, dangerous man with an obsession; Jessie Harris. Jessie escaped her tormented life as a prostitute. But when her husband is killed and her son goes missing, Jessie is propelled back to her past; a place where Marcus Cusack is waiting…

Killer’s Countdown (DI Shona McKenzie Mysteries Book 1) by Wendy H. Jones

Dead Women. A Ruthless Killer. A Detective with something to prove. Newly promoted Detective Inspector Shona McKenzie struggles to cope with her new job, the respect of her colleagues, and the need to solve the hardest case of her life. Will she succeed? 13

Silent Messages by John Albion

An elusive killer is brutally murdering young women and leaving a puzzling trail of clues at the crime scenes that only one man can decipher and he has to do it with a skill he didn’t ask for, can’t control, and doesn’t understand. Paired with two seasoned detectives, can he help them stop the escalating spree before it becomes personal or is it already?

Puzzle of Death by D.B. Silvis

After his death, Dr. Frederick Rhineman sets in motion a complex plot involving his twelve most hated people. They are pitted against each other to collect a prize of ten million dollars and a newly developed chemical formula. The person who collects Rhineman’s twelve hand-cut puzzle pieces with written clues attached is the winner. Or are they?

RESEARCH SHOULDN’T BE A DIRTY WORD... By Nick Rippington, author of Spark Out Spark Out was meant to be a novella – 20,000 words at the most: Bish, bash, bosh. It was intended to colour in some of the background from my first self-published release Crossing The Whitewash. I thought it would help to build my author platform if I wrote a prequel then made it a digital freebie. I could give it away to those who joined my book club in order to build up my mailing list. When I finally wrote ‘The End’ two months ago after all the research, rewrites, edits and proofreading, however, it ended up at 112,000 words! And the reason is this. With the novel based in the early 1980s, once I started researching that period I had flashbacks to a time that was incredibly significant in the history of the UK. Margaret Thatcher was flexing her muscles as the first woman Prime Minister, the IRA were launching terror attacks on Central London, the England football team were playing in their first World Cup finals in 12 years alongside Northern Ireland and Scotland in the heat of a Spanish summer... and above all there was the small matter of a war brewing 8,000 miles from home. As a young man trying to establish myself as a sports journalist, the significance of the era was lost on me to a certain extent. It is only now with the benefit of hindsight that I can appreciate fully what happened. In 1982, I was living in this pokey bedsit three floors up in Stoke-on-Trent and had just survived my first northern winter. To do this I had to throw down a mattress in front of the gas fire in the living room because it was too cold to retreat to the bedroom at the back of the flat, which had no radiator. Once warm I would turn the fire off, then on rising in the morning I would get out a car scraper to remove the ice from the inside of my flat windows. 16

Fortunately, it was starting to warm up a bit when the Falklands War broke. Many at the time didn’t even know where the Islands were – believing they might be off the Scottish coast and wondering what claim Argentina could have on lands so far away. We soon learned otherwise when PM Thatcher announced in the House of Commons that she was sending a taskforce 8,000 miles to win them back. Because of time differences, most of the proper action took place overnight – which meant you either stayed up late to watch the news bulletins or caught them the next morning before you left for work. Many of these events were related to us by a Home Office mandarin with thick-rimmed NHS spectacles called Ian McDonald. He was described by one journalist as a man with the charisma and personality of a “speak-your-weight machine”, spouting out figures and facts without giving you any idea of the seriousness of the situation. Strangely though, when the image-conscious Americans mocked his delivery and questioned why he was being pressed into service, the British public sprang to his defence, demanding he carried on. Apparently he even built up a posse of female admirers! McDonald talked us through the sinking of the Argentine ship the Belgrano – an act The Sun newspaper famously announced with the headline “Gotcha!” – the sinking of the British ship HMS Sheffield in retaliation, then the horrific incident at Bluff Cove where Welsh Guards were sitting ducks on board the Sir Galahad and Sir Tristram when Argentine Sky Hawk fighters attacked. Now, 35 years later, I went to the library, ordered books online and set about learning all I could about this war, which lasted 74 days but made such an impact on the lives of those who fought there. 17

And the more I read – from personal accounts, historians and others – the more I realised there was a much bigger novel to be written here. First, though, I needed someone “on the ground”, someone who could live the war and through whose eyes the readers could see it. That’s where Clive came in. I gave my main protagonist, wannabe big-time bank robber and allround bad boy Maurice ‘Big Mo’ Dolan, a younger brother Clive who, desperate to get away from his life on a supermarket check-out counter in Dagenham, signs up for the Scots Guards. He anticipates a life of ceremonial duties, parading around Buckingham Palace at the Changing of the Guard, little realising that a few months later he will be required to fight a war. A few months later though he travels on the luxury cruise liner the QE2 to the other end of the world, before suffering all manner of hardships. It all culminates in one of the bloodiest battles of the entire war on Mount Tumbledown. The entire war took 74 days but the impact it made on many who fought lasted far longer –if, indeed, they came home at all. I was stunned by some of the things I learned – how those same Scots Guards almost lost their lives in a friendly fire incident because communications had been so shoddy, and how they staged one of the last ever bayonet charges by British troops that, if it hadn’t been successful, might have prolonged the war for much longer. Of course, while looking at what happened on the ground, I also had to put it in context. There were plenty of people at home – like Big Mo – who thought winning was a walk in the park. After all, the previous two wars had lasted four years each! Having said all that, I wouldn’t classify Spark Out as a war book. There is plenty more going on. It is essentially a gangland thriller like Crossing The Whitewash, but I believe it is important when writing to show that people don’t live purely in a vacuum. Mo’s criminal ways, his interaction with his wife and children – and his connection with his brother – are all vital threads, I think, in drawing the story together. I believe one thing, though. Spark Out is a much better novel thanks to all the hours of research I put in.

Spark Out is available on eBook from Amazon and paperback from most on-line retailers

About the Author NICK RIPPINGTON is one of the victims of the News of the World phone-hacking scandal you never hear about. Having proudly taken his dream job as the newspaper’s Welsh Sports Editor, he was made redundant with two days notice when Rupert Murdoch closed down Europe’s biggest-selling tabloid six years ago. On holiday at the time, Nick was never allowed back into the building, investigators seizing his computer to learn the secrets of his Fantasy Football teams. Handed the contents of his desk in a black bin bag in a Wapping car park, Nick was at a crossroads – married just two years earlier and with a wife and 9-month-old baby to support. After a lifetime in journalism, Nick’s option were limited, but one thing he had been eager to do since leaving school was publish a novel. With rejection slips piled high from traditional publishers and agents in the spare room, he decided it was time to be serious about his ambition. Luckily it was at a time when self-publishing was booming and companies like Amazon were making becoming an author much more attainable. Having hit on an idea for a UK gangland thriller taking place against the backdrop of the Rugby World Cup, four years later he produced Crossing The Whitewash. The book was praised by many, and received five-star reviews on both sides of the pond, and though he has found his way back into journalism, he now has the writing bug. Almost two years after Crossing The Whitewash, he has now produced the second in the Boxer Boys series, a prequel called Spark Out, which was released in paperback on July 1 and for Kindle on July 10. Married to Liz, Nick has two children – Jemma, 35, and Olivia, 7. A Bristolian at heart, he lives near Ilford, Essex. Facebook page: /buckrippers Twitter: @nickripp Amazon Author Page

The Child on the Terrace, by Virginia Winters

Dr. Anne McPhail rents a house in Setenil, Spain, hoping to reconcile what she learned about herself and Thomas after the gunfire in a dark room on Bermuda. But she sees a child on the terrace of a café who doesn’t seem to belong to her minders and then Ari, the Mossad agent who saved her life, wants her help to rescue the child. Should she trust him? Three days later, she is on the run with Ari and the little girl, with killers on their trail. How far will Anne go to save Naomi?

Review:

Dr. McPhail’s great maternal instincts recognize a child in an unnatural setting and compel her to take action. Ms. Winters crafts a believable story with an unpredictable plot. The story is slow to build up tension in the first chapters. However, once the plot moves in gear, I was wondering what was going to happen next. The villains are formidable. The dialogue is snappy. My favorite interchange: “The Israeli shot me before he died. I want you to take it out.” “I’m not a surgeon.” “The you’ll die not being a surgeon.” - William B, Amazon Buy Now

Nighthawks, by John Harbour

It’s the eighties and Groom Lake is full of secrets. Outside of the public view and working in the dark, the Special Access Projects of Area 51 become the go-to solutions for some of our nation’s most sensitive problems. With North Korea increasing their tactical nuclear capability and the President demanding information, General Mitchell goes once again to his Top-Secret arsenal to get results. When the mission goes awry, there is only one team secret enough to set things right -- the Nighthawks.

Reviews:

“Nighthawks takes the reader on a wild ride from the strategic to tactical level of war and back again. If you’re a techno-thriller and action junkie, breakout novelist and Air Force veteran John Harbour has your next fix.”- Brian L. Braden, Underground Book Reviews “Classic military black ops book, would recommend if you like Matthew Reilly.” Five Stars Buy Now

Hardin Farm, by Jean Kipfer On an isolated Wisconsin farm, the father suddenly disappears, the daughter falls into a sleep from which she refuses to wake and her brother personality changes drastically. It remains for the practitioner of the new science of psychiatry to solve the problem. Buy here

Tears of Glass, by David Lake ‘A wonderful, scintillating package’ - BBC TV. A conspiracy thriller with links to music from a Bafta winning Composer. The book with the soundtrack. This is an exciting Roller-Coaster Thriller which you just can’t put down. Full of drama, pathos, love and conspiracy at the highest levels. The darkness of the underlying message is wrapped in a ripping yarn and delicious moments of dark humor. ‘I want to make this Movie!’ Irvin Kershner, Director – Empire Strikes Back Buy here

Murder at Mother’s by Maighread MacKay

A Suitable Epitaph, by Roxana Nastase

Leah, a Canadian detective with empathetic skills, and her team engage in a tedious race to find the culprit. Leah can read people’s minds and sense their feelings and she makes good use of these skills. However, when she encounters Axel, her abilities are blocked and she doesn’t know if she found her killer or merely a witness to the murder.

A killer lurks at the Bancroft estate and the Matriarch, Martha Bancroft is murdered. Royally pissed, she hangs around to see what happened. When she doesn’t go immediately to the light, a member of her soul group, shows up from the other side. Gladys is adamant Martha needs to come with her, but Martha has no intention of going anywhere until she helps Detective Ian “Mac” MacKellar and Coroner Dr. Cecilia “Cissy” Walsh find the murderer.

Buy here

Klavdiya dreamed of money and love. Her dreams died with her under a merciless rain.

Murder in the Heart of It All, by Michael Prelee

Crimson Gold, by Donna Kolling Lear

A small town is plagued by vicious, anonymous letters. The notes land in mailboxes with devastating effect because the sender knows the people who live there. Reporter Tim Abernathy is assigned to the story and assigned to find out who is sending the letters and why. The letter writer doesn’t want to be found and will kill to keep their secret. Can Tim discover who is terrorizing the town before becoming a victim?

1939. Territory of Alaska - Dutch Hills Three people have been found brutally murdered. A fourth person has been found with what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. The authorities are convinced that this is a simple murder/suicide case until the investigation takes a chilling turn. Crimson Gold is a mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end. A fiction based on a true family story.

Buy here

Chosen Child, by Linda Huber

The Trial: Dark Urban Scottish Crime Story, by John Mayer Glasgow man Brogan McLane is now a QC in Edinburgh’s Parliament House. The establishment however is not what he expected. Charged with the murder of an old adversary he enlists the help of his trusted Glasgow blood brothers to clear his name. Low Life in High Places in the Old Town. Book 1 in The Parliament House Books series. Buy here

A disappearance. A death. A betrayal. Ella longs for a child to love, but a grisly find during an adoption deepens the cracks in

her marriage. When Amanda’s husband vanishes, she is tortured by loss – yet nothing prepares her for the shocking conclusion to the police investigation. And in the middle of it all, a little girl is looking for a home... Buy here

Book or movie? Have you read this summer delicacies? Read this bestsellers before their hit theatres or to see if you like the movie better My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier If you liked The Birds or Rebecca, this is the right movie for you! There have been a few adaptation of this chilling mystery, could this be a new horror classic? If you still haven’t seen it buy the book now or dare to check if it’s playing in your local theaters.

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie One of the classics among the genre is being adapted for the big screen. This time starring Kenneth Branagh as the famous Hercule Poirot. Judging by the official trailer there might be big changes in this book adaptation, so be sure to read this masterwork before the movie hits the theatres in the 10th of November.

It by Stephen King Instead of turning up in birthday parties, after reading this novel, a clown will be turning up in your nightmares. For book/movie fans and all those who haven’t yet seen the adaptation, here is your chance now on the 8th of September. 24

The Dark Tower by Stephen King This summer you will get a chance to freshen up with not one but two books-turned-into-movies by Stephen King. And we can’t wait for this one! If you still don’t know what this this trilogy about hurry up and get them now before the movie comes on the 4th of August.

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver Can you imagine reliving your last day over and over again? Before I Fall is another summer treat for you and just one click on Netflix away. Not a Netflix member? Read this book now!

Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer Mysterious adventures and expeditions? World of nature where laws of physics don’t aplly? Sign us up to see this adaptaion coming in January. Just enough time to get a copy of the book and read it over and over again.

First One Down: A Paul Sutton Novel, by RJ Belle

Cold Case Detective Paul Sutton has dedicated his life to evil. Finding it. Ending it. Bringing justice to the dead and answers to the living. His life is spent straddling the line between the light of truth and the darkness of man’s blackest sins

Reviews:

Gripping and elegantly executed. The author clearly did her due diligence with research, character development and plot structure. She takes you inside the minds of the characters in a very plausible and satisfying way. R.J. Belle definitely put some genuine blood, sweat and tears into the emotional roller coaster that is first one down. Evil Magnet. A very powerful psychological murder mystery. Belle writes a fast moving multi layered story of just how vulnerable we humans are. The crusty old detective adds the grounding the plot needed. A real page turner.

Buy Now

Chuck Wilson Is Dead, by David Layne

Bob Ellinger is a sometimes successful lawyer whose personal life is a mess. He drinks too much and cares too little. Life and people just aren’t important to him so he never anticipated getting dragged into the heart of a political scandal. But that’s exactly what happens when Chuck Wilson—the governor’s confidant and his sister’s boss—is found dead, after plummeting from the fourth floor of the capitol building. Is it suicide? Or murder?

Reviews:

A political thriller layered with conspiracies and deceptions. The protagonist, Bob Ellinger, an alcoholic lawyer, is badly flawed, but mostly ethical and a man of his word. In the end, with his divided loyalties, between alcohol and his sister’s well-being, he manages to deliver the truth. The ending is a bit of a surprise, but the clues are all there. Nice summer read. This novel has all the right players with key events happening exactly when you need them to or least expect them. Very engaging read with quick moving storyline. Thumbs up! 26 Buy

Now

You just became a character in your favorite mystery novel. What is your fate? Will your character be a survivor, get killed off, or are you the killer?

Click on this link to find out.

Blood, Fire and Ice by C Edgar North “Big Oil” interests resort to murder and bribery to try to stop an international team of scientists developing a new fuel source. Scandal threatens a government. Action scenes leap from Canada and USA to Russia and Japan. Buy here

Astoria Nights, by Paul A. Barra Seamus Muldoon can knock the fillings out of a man’s teeth with either hand, but he can’t prevent his jockey girlfriend from being murdered at Belmont. Read how this teacher-boxer redeems himself while also facing his toughest fight ever. Buy here

Past is Prologue, by M Karpin Nightmares and Murder. A woman is dead. Or is she? One father, three brothers, and one sister comprise the members of the Carter family of California, visiting New York. While Rose, the third daughter of the Duke of Sutherland slips into New York City incognito. Can James Nathaniel Walker - shell shocked veteran of the Great War - sort it all out while dealing with his own issues? Past is Prologue - a picture of ladies and gentlemen and murder set in the Jazz Age of the 1920’s. Buy Here

Oink: A Food for Thought Mystery, by J.L Newton Pigs, poisoned cornbread, a feminist network, a university tainted by corporate values. One of the 17 funniest books this spring. MediaBookBub.Com. “A brilliant satire that reinvents the campus novel and has recipes.” Emma Rees, Director of the Gender Studies Institute, Chester, England. Buy here

An Interview with John Pearce, author of The Eddie Grant Series

1) How did you get into writing?

My first career was as a journalist in Washington then later in Germany. That period re-introduced me to novels, which I’d loved as a boy. I lived three years in Frankfurt, where my wife Jan and I were German-speaking correspondents in economics, business and finance for the International Herald Tribune, which has since become the International New York Times. By the time we left Germany and returned to Washington, I was convinced I could be the next John Le Carré, but reading my first efforts convinced me that wouldn’t happen. So I put writing books aside until I retired, but I never lost my taste for Europe and Paris, where my first two novels are set, as is the one to come.

2) What are your top 3 books of all time?

The Winds of War, by Herman Wouk, one of the great, sweeping wartime stories; Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, by John Le Carré, a brilliant analysis of the deception and deceit that we now assume is normal in the spy business; and Moonglow, Michael Chabon’s tour de force history of the twentieth century, the war, and assimilation. Elizabeth Gilbert’s The Signature of All Things has stuck with me since I read it three years ago, so it has to go on the list.

3) Where did you get the inspiration for Treasure of Saint-Lazare and Last Stop: Paris? The name of my blog is “Part-Time Parisian,” which may give you a partial answer. We live in Paris for part of each year, and I spend my time there writing in the beautiful Bibliothèque Mazarine, a seventeenth-century library across the Seine from the Louvre. I also spend hours walking the city, looking for good places to set scenes and taking hundreds of pictures.

4) Do you ever base any of your characters on people you know? Not consciously, although I wouldn’t be surprised if a few friends see a bit of themselves. The books are fiction, and I try to keep them that way.

5) How long did it take you to write the books? The first book, Treasure of Saint-Lazare, took three years from conception to publication. The second, Last Stop: Paris, took two years, and it appears that the third one in the Eddie Grant Series will take two years as well. They shouldn’t take that long, but I do a lot of research and a lot of editing, and I have another life.

6) When did you first consider yourself a writer? That’s a hard one. In honesty, I think it takes at least three or four books to be well established—that is, to know you’re not just a one-book wonder and have the staying power to create a body of work that you are pleased to present to the public. So maybe within the next year or so I’ll feel like a writer. But if you want to call me one now, I’ll accept it as a compliment.

7) Tell us a bit about your writing process, have you got any writing rituals? I’m not a rituals guy, but there are certain habits I’ve developed. One of them, which I trace to the time I worked on morning newspapers, is to write in the afternoon. I reserve the mornings for my daily four-mile walk and the several newspapers I read, in English and French, and the evenings for my own reading.

8) How important is marketing and social media for you? Of course I’d be happy if I didn’t have to do any of that stuff, but then I wouldn’t sell any books. Any author has to do whatever is possible and ethical to find a public. Discovery is the key. BooksGoSocial and Laurence O’Bryan have been a big help.

9) Do you read your book reviews? Sure, and I’ve picked up some ideas from them. It’s pretty easy to tell which are serious and written in good faith, or which reviewer even finished the book. I ignore the jackals.

10) What advice would you have for other writers? Write. Start something. Finish it. Butt in chair.

11) What are you reading now? In fiction, I’m reading through Donna Leon’s Guido Brunetti series of detective stories set in Venice, which after Paris is one of my favorite places. In politics and foreign affairs I’m reading A World in Disarray by Richard Haass, and I have a couple of writing books on the list. I recently read Commonwealth, by Ann Patchett. I’ve recently gone back to C.P. Snow, and am now re-reading his “Two Cultures” essay from the 1950s, after hearing a great Malcolm Gladwell podcast that featured it.

12) What next for you as a writer? I’m pressing to get my third novel finished and out to the editor and cover designer, for publication in the fall. The first two are selling well now (they normally rank in the 10,000-20,000 range among Amazon books) so I want to take advantage of that boomlet to promote the next one. As soon as No. 3 goes to the editor I’ll start the fourth Eddie Grant novel, which will be set in Paris (of course) and New York, and is already mostly outlined. After that I hope to write the story of Eddie’s father Artie, an American military spy behind German lines in France during World War II. It will be a genuine WWII book, I hope.

Av a i l a b l e at

AMAZON and other

ONLINE STORES

A LEGAL THRILLER SERIES “God she thought you can’t make this stuff up”…. sums up my reaction to a novel written with such professional knowledge and obvious experience, with the uncommon additional flair of an artist of storytelling. The author’s womanly wit and wisdom set a cracking pace, bringing the characters vividly to life.The author… ‘takes charge” and “nails it.” My favorite line, “the fleeting image of a nattily dressed little dung beetle happily stuffing its face with so much poop that some of it was squirting out.” –Amazon 5-star review | H H H H H —————— “Wonderful book. A real page-turner. Extremely exciting; could not put it down. Excellent, clear writing. Buy it and read it!” –Amazon 5-star review | H H H H H

“This book was a real page turner! I couldn’t put it down. Victoria was a great character and well developed. There was a good mix of heroines and protagonists. I highly recommend it!” –Amazon 5-star review | H H H H H —————— “LOVE this book. I so rarely get to read a book these days, but I couldn’t put this one down once I started. It’s an easy read and the plot lines and character development are so rich! I can’t wait for book #2 of this series. I also love the foreshadowing of key points early on which is so subtle yet there. Well done Katherine Smith Dedrick….” –Amazon 5-star review | H H H H H

k a t h e r i n e s m i t h d e d r i c k . c o m

NightHawk Crossing, by C. Edgar North In the Pacific Northwest, largescale smuggling is controlled by a motorcycle gang led by Joseph Branson, an ex-Navy SEAL and Chief of an Indian band. When Joseph ambushes and kills two Border Patrol agents using a highly classified weapon which also turns up in the hands of the Taliban and Al Qaida, the FBI and CIA team up to identify the source - which turns out to be a factory the Chief has set up with a Russian arms dealer.

One Night in Tehran: A Titus Ray Thriller, by Luana Ehrlich CIA officer Titus Ray—on the run from the secret police—finds shelter with a group of Christians before being smuggled out of Iran to freedom in Turkey. Back in the States, he discovers he’s been targeted by a Hezbollah assassin. Now, he must decide if the Iranian couple he meets in Norman, Oklahoma has ties to the man who’s trying to kill him. Buy here

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Gravity Games, by John Matsui

The 9th Hour, by Claire Stibbe

Top chef and sleuth extraordinaire Nathan Sherlock debuts in Gravity Games, a dark & delicious blend of a foodie mystery and sci-fi thriller.

Everyone has secrets. Some more deadly than others. When the ninth girl falls into the clutches of a serial killer, detective David Temeke faces a race against time to save her life. Buy here

Five-star reviews: ‘Delightfully different’ — Midwest Book Review; ‘ An outstanding thriller’ — ReadersFavorite. com; ‘ A plot of finely-crafted gears’ — Goodreads. com Buy Here

An Interview with Darren Darker, Author of Redemption Tell us something unexpected about yourself! I used to be a volunteer fireman and then a Coxswain on a rescue boat for several years as part of the Civil Defense. During my time there I was given 2 special awards by the Minister for Defense for my service. How did you get into writing? Like most writers, it started out with a love for reading. Growing up I enjoyed both the escapism and the ability to travel to exotic places on amazing adventures without leaving my home. However, over the years I have read some poor-quality novels and thought that I can do better than that! After I while I challenged myself to write something better or shut up and that’s how it really started! What are your top 3 books of all time? That’s an incredibly hard question - I could give you my top 30 maybe? I can’t decide on individual books but the novelists that I find myself returning to over and over again would include Agatha Christie, Sven Hassell, Lee Child and John Connolly. Where did you get the inspiration for your current book? My uncle had a mobile home in a mobile home park in Wicklow that was owned by an Ex Luftwaffe pilot. As I had two uncles in WWII, I always had an interest in that period of history so I knew that I had to have a link to the war - or The Emergency as we called it. I deliberately made

made my hero - John Morgan - an everyman as I didn’t want him to. His character has a very strong sense of right and wrong and I wanted him to act accordingly but to make mistakes and to have to use his ingenuity and cunning to overcome the challenges he faces. How long did it take you to write this book? 2 years on and off. However, I finished it a few years ago and went on to write several more John Morgan novels before returning to it and editing it for publishing. Have you got any writing rituals? No, I just try and write as often as possible. I usually sit down around 9.30pm to work. Unfortunately, I’m not the fastest writer on the planet but I try and grind out the words. My writing has been described as quite visual and its always been my dream that I will see it at one point on the little screen! How important is marketing and social media for you? Incredibly important. The better the marketing and my social media presence, the more people will read about John Morgan, his adventures and the rebuilding that his personal life needs. Do you read your book reviews? I pretend not to but I do! I am always open to constructive criticism. What advice would you have for other writers? Keep writing and edit, edit, edit. Get someone who can give you an honest appraisal of both your story and the quality of your writing. We all like positive feedback but honest feedback is far more important. What are you reading now? Neil Gaiman - American Gods. I have an enormous ‘to be read’ pile to work through but I keep buying new books!! What’s your next step? Working with Liz and Laurence on marketing ‘Redemption’ while working on the edits for the next novel! Redemption is out now!

Pretty Corpse, by Linda Berry

Officer Lauren Starkley contends with a dangerous job, a rebellious daughter, a partner with family issues, and a crush on her handsome boss. When she stumbles on a strange sex crime in her own neighborhood, she pursues the rapist off duty. A dangerous cat and mouse game ensues. The hunter becomes the hunted. Can Lauren bring him in before she, or her daughter, become his next victim?

Review:

Pretty Corpse is an atmospheric, fast-paced, well-plotted thriller—a police procedural with a solid sense of place, well developed characters, excellent dialogue, and action sequences so gripping you’ll swear you hear Lauren’s ragged breathing in her action scenes. Highly recommended.

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FYI: An Unintended Consequence, by Patricia E.Gitt

Fake news terrorizes Taryn Cooper Walsh, managing partner of 4G Investments. Each mysterious mailing contains increasingly viscous lies all suggesting that Taryn is running a highly unethical firm. Supported by her husband, business partners, and friends, Taryn searches for the source of these fallacious clippings before they are leaked and destroy her reputation along with the trust of investors in her firm.

Review:

As I read the latest novel by Patricia E. Gitt, I couldn’t help thinking about what I would do if I were faced with the dilemma that Taryn Cooper Walsh faced when a series of shocking salacious letters sent to Taryn threatens the success of their hedge fund. About to restructure their business into a Venture Capital firm, the women are blindsided by the thought of possibly losing everything they’ve worked so hard for. Searching for the culprit, Taryn works her way into the solution that paves the way to keep the business on track while mending fences she didn’t know she had damaged. I found “FYI - An Unexpected Consequence” a very engrossing tale that leaves one wondering about the many twists and turns we take that can make or break our lives. Ms. Gitt is to be commended for creating a suspenseful story that leaves you holding your breath till the very end - By Elinor Ruskin

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Cindy Stone’s Review of The Devil’s Lieutenant by Shervin Jamali From the very first sentence of The Devil’s Lieutenant, I felt I was in the hands of a skilled writer, and I was fully captivated. Shervin Jamali did not disappoint me for even a moment. His opening bid is steeped in the dark, lamp-lit, foggy nights of a Raymond Chandler mystery and you can practically taste the whiskey-soaked breath of the narrator, Michael. Jamali swiftly moves you from the moment Michael’s life is irrevocably changed on to his deepening demise. When Michael meets the enigmatic, Lucifer, the dialogue sparkles with electricity and wit. From there the story takes flight. Imagine for a moment what it takes for a writer to tackle a tale about the battle for an embittered soul of a damaged man; a gruff cop who has lost his purpose and meaning in life. Jamali’s characters are well-drawn, psychologically complex and deeply human. By rights, we might despise Michael’s descent into indecency, but instead we care about him and the losses that fuel his quest for redemption; even if it is not his own. Who can resist a tough cop, who has lived amongst the underbelly of society, yet loves his son and wife with all the innocence and intensity of a teenager’s first love. Jamali expertly crafts a tight story here, with every layer critically thought out.

Though in one passage he may stretch the limits of believability when Michael drags a corpse through miles of ocean to reach shore, but I was so enchanted with the story I easily flowed back into the rhythms of his words. Jamali choreographs a tightly woven dance between Michael and Lucifer with a shoulder tap from a God, to break up the two-step. I won’t give away what happens. The relationship between Michael and Lucifer is the most compelling part of the novel for me. Their exchanges are clever, highlighting the unwavering cold intelligence of Lucifer and the angry, petulance of Michael, who never fails to reach for another drink to dull the pain of his intolerable life. The novella comes with a warning that there is profanity and violence, but it emerges organically from the story; never drawing attention to itself for its own sake. I didn’t know about Shervin Jamali before I picked up this book, but I’ve become a fan and I’m looking forward to what is next from him. You can visit Shervin Jamali at his website here: shervjamali. com and purchase his book here: amazon.com/Devils-Lieutenant-Shervin-Jamali-ebook/dp/B01FZGQEV2/ref=sr_ Cindy Stone is an author, registered psychotherapist/hypnotherapist, internal martial artist. Her new novel, Scorpion from The Myriad Series, is an epic adventure about the empowerment of a young woman who learns internal martial arts from the man who saves her when she is pushed into an oncoming subway train from a crowded platform. Http://www.cindystoneauthor.com @cindystonewrite on Twitter. You can find Cindy’s book here: http://amzn.to/2ksXf8S

Decoding Michaela, by Lyn Horner Michaela Peterson is a mind reader but can she tell good from evil? A Guardian sworn to protect one of seven prophetic scrolls, she’s stunned to learn of the High Guardian’s murder by “Hellhounds” who want the scrolls. She’s attracted to the handsome messenger, but is he out to steal the scrollshe guards? Dev Medina recognizes Michaela as the golden girl from his dreams. He believes she is meant for him, but can he win her trust and unlock her heart before the Hellhounds capture her?

Reviews: “Once again, Lyn Horner showcases her unique style, infusing intrigue and the psychic call of one heart to another, creating another tale that begs to be savored cover to cover. Spiced with humor,great dialogue and character personalities that cross the line of ‘make believe’ to become living and breathing people...” Tome Tender Book Blog “This is an easy read and has sex, love, secrets, and suspense. I hungrily look forward to the next book.” - Paranormal Romance Guild

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Spark Out, by Nick Rippington Family worries are the source of Big Mo Dolan’s headaches. His son is too soft, his wife too lenient, his dad disrespectful and his brother Clive is off to join the army. It’s the early 80s though and with Maggie Thatcher the new prime minister Mo has decided to take her at her word and show initiative... by branching out into armed robbery. He believes things can only get better but with war approaching, they are about to become a whole lot worse

Reviews: ‘There is hardly a lull in the action or the intrigue. Rippington is one hell of a good story teller in this suspense thriller genre.’ ‘If you love good characters, if you love Martina Cole, you must read a Rippington’

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Kismet, by Chris Calder Member of Parliament Edmund Lafitte is visited by a frightened Muslim businessman. Hours later the man is murdered; decapitated in an act of medieval savagery. The body has been stripped of all identification but the politician’s card bearing a bloody thumbprint is found in the jacket. A bomber attacks a crowd of fans leaving a football match. Edmund is outraged. He makes an impassioned speech in Parliament, demanding the eradication of Islamic State. A suicide bomber makes an attempt on Lafitte’s life. It fails, but he is now a target. And there is a price on his head, giving every loose cannon jihadist a reason to hunt him down.

Review: Great plot. Suspense in England as MP Lafitte is drawn into a dangerous terrorist plot. Twists, turns, and danger as the well-drawn characters navigate deceptions. And the last deception...well, you’ll have to read it to find out – Zara Altair

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My Bermuda Namesakes, by Maggie Fogarty Josie James is in the paradise island of Bermuda for medical treatment following a road accident. It is not long before she finds herself in the middle of a nightmare, accused of a crime she didn’t commit. Yet all the forensic evidence, including CCTV, says she’s guilty. They say the camera never lies. Or does it? Buy here

The Golden Hour: A Nora Tierney English Mystery, by M.K. Graff From the award-winning author of the Nora Tierney English Mysteries comes the most chilling novel to date. Nora can’t shake the feeling she has a stalker while house hunting in Oxford. Her partner, DI Declan Barnes, untangles the murder or an art conservator. When these two situations collide, Nora find herself fighting to save her child and their future. Buy here

Partho, the Unconventional Investigator, by Rajib Mukherjee Some sinister secret lay buried in the heart of the graveyard. Partho’s quirky personality and cache of newfangled gadgets make him a force to be reckoned in the crime solving world. A seemingly innocuous newspaper ad is the impetus for what will be his most unusual case to date. Will Partho’s unconventional methods help or hinder the case? Find out in this adrenaline-pumping suspense thriller! Buy here

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