Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award Finalists Saturday, Jul 5 2025 

Conferences and great read and writers , , , , , , , , , , , , , Auntie M Writes Crime 7:31 pm


Founder Clay Stafford of the Killer Nashville International Writers’ Conference is pleased to announce this year’s Silver Falchion Award Finalists. The Silver Falchion Award is given for the Best Book in each category for the previous year (2024). Winners in each category will be announced at the annual Killer Nashville Awards Dinner taking place on August 23rd at the Embassy Suites Nashville South/Cool Springs Hotel in Franklin, TN.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the conference which hosts aspiring and established writers from all over the world to network and develop their writing skills in fiction and nonfiction that incorporate elements of mystery, thriller and suspense.

And here is the complete listing of all of the Finalists. Congratulations to the nominees:

2025 KILLER NASHVILLE SILVER FALCHION AWARD FINALISTS

(for best books of 2024)

Best Action Adventure 

JERICHO BURNING 

T.G. Brown

THE GENERAL’S GOLD

Bruce Robert Coffin and LynDee Walker

DESPERATE MEASURES

Ley Esses

WHERE LOVE MEANS NOTHING

Howard Gimple 

THE NORTH LINE 

Matt Riordan 

Best Comedy (includes comedic P.I. and crime caper)

THE PRINCESS SHOPPE 

Kerry Blaisdell

SWIPED

L.M. Chilton

GET GRIBNITZ

Howard Gimple 

MODEL GHOST 

TK Sheffield 

SORRY, KNOT SORRY

Lois Winston 

Best Cozy

BEESWAX BEWITCHMENT 

S.E. Babin 

ELIZABETH SAILS

Kristin Owens 

STUDY GUIDE FOR MURDER

Lori Robbins 

FRAMED FOR MURDER 

Marla White 

WHEELING AND DEALING 

Becki Willis 

Best Historical 

EMPOWERED BY THE DREAM: A JOURNEY OF RESILIENCE

Gladys A. Barrio 

THE PARIS MISTRESS

Mally Becker 

A KILLING ON THE HILL 

Robert Dugoni 

FIND YOUR WAY TO MY GRAVE

Chris Keefer 

WHAT ONCE WAS PROMISED 

Louis Trubiano 

Best Investigator (includes procedural, serious P.I., detective, and noir)

THE THINGS THAT CANNOT BE FORGOTTEN 

Peter W.J. Hayes

LAST DOG OUT 

Candace Irving 

BLACK & WHITE 

Justin M. Kiska 

TIGER CLAW

Michael Allan Mallory 

MURDER OUTSIDE THE BOX

Saralyn Richard 

Best Juvenile / Y.A.

BEYOND THE CEMETERY GATE: THE SECRET KEEPER’S DAUGHTER

Valerie Biel 

DEAD GIRL 

Kerrie Faye 

STEALING TIME 

Norman Birnbach and Tilia Klebenov Jacobs 

SNOWED

Twist Phelan 

STAR BROTHER 

Maxine Rose Schur 

Best Literary 

SHE RUINED OUR LIVES

Chris Chan 

AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY 

Dan Flanigan 

Best Mainstream / Commercial

THOSE THAT DID NOT DIE 

Penny Fletcher 

ON THE MAD RIVER 

Lucrecia Guerrero 

PEOPLE WILL TALK 

Kieran Scott 

BETWEEN LIES AND REVENGE 

Hannah Sharpe 

BLINDSPOT

Maggie Smith 

Best Mystery 

DROP DEAD SISTERS 

Amelia Diane Coombs 

OBEY ALL LAWS

Cindy Goyette 

AT FIRST I WAS AFRAID 

Marty Ludlum 

A WORLD OF HURT 

Mindy Mejia 

SCORCHED: BURN ME ONCE…

Cam Torrens 

Best Nonfiction 

THERE IS NO ETHAN 

Anna Akbari 

LOVERS IN AUSCHWITZ: A TRUE STORY

Keren Blankfeld 

ASK NOT: THE KENNEDYS AND THE WOMEN THEY DESTROYED 

Maureen Callahan 

TILGHMAN: THE LEGENDARY LAWMAN AND THE WOMAN WHO INSPIRED HIM

Chris Enss

SEEDS OF LEADERSHIP 

Wilson Lukang 

Best Sci-Fi / Fantasy

OCEAN’S GODORI 

Elaine Cho 

THE CANOPY KEEPERS 

Veronica G. Henry 

MASTER VERSION 1.1

Antanas Marcelionis 

HOUSE OF FIRE & MAGIC 

Sherrilyn McQueen 

THE BUILDING THAT WASN’T 

Abigail Miles 

Best Short Story Collection / Anthology

NEVER TELL COLLECTION

Kjersti Egerdahl, ed.

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD / Andrea Bartz (author)

EVERYWHERE WE LOOK / Liv Constantine (author)

SCORPIONS / Rachel Howzell Hall (author)

THE BAD FRIEND / Caroline Kepnes (author)

JACKRABBIT SKIN / Ivy Pochoda (author)

THE GHOST WRITER / Loreth Anne White (author)

DAY

Patrick Kitson (author)

DEEDS OF DARKNESS

William Burton McCormick (author)

6-LANE HIGHWAY

Sean Mitchell (author)

LARCENY & LAST CHANCES: 22 STORIES OF MYSTERY & SUSPENSE

Judy Penz Sheluk, ed.

HIT-AND-RUN / Christina Boufis (Author)

WHEEL OF FORTUNE / John Bukowski (Author)

THE POOL / Brenda Chapman (Author)

HAIL MARY BLUES / Susan Daly (Author)

INCIDENTS AND INTENTIONS / Wil A. Emerson (Author)

THE CRIMSON SALAMANDER / Tracy Falenwolfe (Author)

NO GOOD DEEDS / Kate Fellowes (Author)

NOT THIS TIME / Molly Wills Fraser (Author)

THE CASE OF THE PILFERED PARKA / Gina X. Grant (Author)

A PROMISE KEPT / Karen Grose (Author)

RED INK / Wendy Harrison (Author)

SKEETER’S BAR AND GRILL / Julie Hastrup (Author)

A TIGHT SQUEEZE / Lary M. Keeton (Author)

UNCLE RANDY’S MONEY / Charlie Kondek (Author)

THE PURLOINED PARCHMENT / Edward Lodi (Author)

THE RAGE CAGE / Bethany Maines (Author)

ONCE A THIEF / Gregory Meece (Author)

ROBBERY AT THE BIRDCAGE / Cate Moyle (Author)

THE CONSTELLATION NECKLACE / KM Rockwood (Author)

THE LAST CHANCE COALITION / Judy Penz Sheluk (Author)

THE HOSPITAL BOOMERANG / Kevin R. Tipple (Author)

ARTIFACT / Robert Weibezahl (Author)

Best Southern Gothic

POCKET FULL OF TEETH 

Aimee Hardy

KENTUCKY BLOOD (BOOK I OF THE KENTUCKY BLOOD SERIES)

Ashley Thomas Sheikh

Best Supernatural

NOT BORN OF WOMAN 

Teel Glenn

A PLACE FOR GOOD AND EVIL 

Stacey Horan

CITY OF INNOCENT MONSTERS 

Stacey Horan

DERVLA ALARMS THE NANAS 

DR Ransdell

COLD SNAP 

Lindy Ryan

Best Suspense

A FRIEND IN THE DARK 

Samantha M. Bailey

IF YOU TELL A LIE

Lucinda Berry

THE NEXT MRS. PARRISH 

Liv Constantine

LOST TO DUNE ROAD 

Kara Thomas

THE LAST PARTY 

AR Torre

Best Thriller

RICH JUSTICE 

Robert Bailey

THE DREDGE 

Brendan Flaherty

THE MECHANICS OF MEMORY 

Audrey Lee

A FORGOTTEN KILL 

Isabella Maldonado

THE ASCENT 

Adam Plantinga

Best Western

KNIFE RIVER 

Baron Birtcher

SARITA

Natalie Musgrave Dossett

THE BROKEN BLOOD 

Dwight Holing

 

Season of Death by Will Thomas Tuesday, Apr 22 2025 

Award winning novelist and Continued series winner and historical saga and Private detective and Series not to be missed , , Auntie M Writes Crime 11:44 am

Auntie M has long been a fan of this well-researched Victorian-era series, and of the two main characters: Private enquiry agent Cyrus Barker, a traveled man with an interesting past and deep connections in London and the world; and his young partner, Thomas Llewelyn, whose Welsh roots rear their head from time to time in his pithy thoughts.

As SEASON OF DEATH opens, Thomas is dealing with lack of sleep from his teething infant daughter, whose mother Rebecca has figured prominently in several episodes and is a recurring character. Several other recurring characters have become part of the fabric of this intelligent and highly readable series. It’s intriguing how issues like communication, when there were no cell phones, and information, with no computers yet, are handled.

The Dawn Gang has reared its ugly head, only to be properly dispatched by Barker and Llewelyn in spectacular fashion as they threatened a poor beggar who dragged her leg, known as Dutch, and is brought to a mission to be bathed and treated.

Then the influential MP Lord Danvers and his wife visit and ask the enquiry agents help in finding Lady Danvers missing sister, who is thought to have tried to elope to Rome. But before they get started in their search for the missing woman, an enormous sinkhole opens in an area called Calcutta. Built over old railway tunnels, the devastation is enormous in terms of loss of life. It was also the known meeting place for the criminal underworld, and it is assumed and soon proven that a massive bomb caused the sinkhole, with buildings atop it falling into the crater to kill not only those families living above it but the criminals meeting behind it.

The race is one to find out who caused the explosion, where Lady Danvers sister, May, is living, and what has become of Dutch, who disappeared from the mission. With the leaders of local gangs dead, who will take over the criminal land? And where is May hiding and why?

What is an added pleasure amidst the complicated cases and action is Thomas’s commentary on the social classes and political issues of the day. A delightful read all around~

 

DEAD MAN’S SHOES by Marion Todd Friday, Jan 24 2025 

complex mystery and Continued series winner and mystery to die for and Series not to be missed , , , , , , , Auntie M Writes Crime 8:49 pm

The 9th DI Clare Mackay is a tightly-plotted winner, chockfull of Todd’s twists and page-turning events.

Intelligence indicates a serial killer known as the Choker, who targets gay men, is heading for Clare’s corner of Scotland, St. Andrews. Clare’s team swings into action, with covert actions, undercover work, and long surveillances.

Then a young man is murdered near a nightclub with all the hallmarks of this serial killer. Could Theo Glancy’s murder be connected to the nightclub as his family run it, or is this the newest case of the Choker?

Even worse than catching a new murder case, Clare finds the nightclub is attached to her nemesis, Val Docherty, who has shrugged off previous charges like a duck sheds water. Will this be the time Clare finally gets to see Val behind bars, and if so, at what cost?

This is a tight police procedural, with Clare’s team functioning well under her lead. Her personal life is on smooth sailing, too, until her sister brings her attention to her aging father’s issues. It’s time for Clare to have a few moments of personal reflection, all while searching to stop a serial killer before he strikes again.

Auntie M is a huge fan of Todd’s atmospheric series, gobbling up each installment. If you haven’t found this series yet, reach for it now. Better yet, start with the first, See Them Run, to follow Clare’s personal life. And now I have to wait for the next one…

 

Fiona Barton: Talking to Strangers Thursday, Sep 19 2024 

complex mystery and great read and mystery to die for and police procedural , , , , , , Auntie M Writes Crime 3:54 pm

Fiona Barton introduced DI Elise King in LOCAL GONE MISSING, when the detective is recuperating after a mastectomy and called into a case sooner than expected.

At the time I was struck by how this idea of a woman detective recovering from something so many of us will face (I am a breast cancer survivor myself) hadn’t been tackled before; and of how well Barton gave us a picture of a woman reeling after being left by her long-time partner to face this alone, with all of the concurrent things that medically and emotionally are attached to it.

In TALKING TO STRANGERS, Elise is back at work with her chemo hair growing out but still affected by ‘chemo brain’ she hopes her team don’t notice. Her second-in-command and friend, DS Caro Brennan, is aware of the missing memory synapses and helps cover for her as she heals. It’s not a good feeling to think she’s not operating on all of her cylinders, especially when a new case arrives the day after Valentine’s Day.

A body found in Knapton Woods by walkers is soon identified by Elise herself, recognizing local hairdresser Karen Simmons from the small seaside town of Ebbing where she now lives. As the investigation heats up, links to a dating site emerge and the suspects are too numerous to be easily eliminated.

The death resonates strongly with another character, Annie Curtis, former nurse now a part-time medical receptionist, as her young son was found dead in that same woods fifteen years before. But this new killing brings the horror of that time and all of its agony to the forefront of Annie’s mind, and she finds herself drawn back to the woods and to the mother of the young man accused of her son’s murder.

How Barton brings these two threads together will take your breath away. She has a gift for strong characterizations that allow the reader to feel their emotions, whether it’s Elise’s lack of confidence or Annie’s deep searing pain that bind them to the reader.

And in her usual fashion, Barton also manages to create a whopper of an ending–which she then turns of its head. Brilliant and not to be missed.

 

Deborah Crombie: A Killing of Innocents Sunday, Mar 5 2023 

complex mystery and Continued series winner and great read and mystery to die for and police procedural and Series not to be missed , , , Auntie M Writes Crime 5:13 pm

Killing Innocents

Crombie’s 19th Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James was worth waiting for, with The Killing of Innocents the new case that starts in a Bloomsbury pub.

Sitting with his DS, Doug Cullen, Duncan notices a young woman wearing scrubs, obviously waiting for someone who never arrives. She leaves, and he is shocked to be called shortly after to a murder scene. The victim is the young trainee doctor he’s just seen, stabbed to death in Russell Square.

With Gemma working on a task force on rising knife crimes, she and her DS, Melody Talbot, aid their investigation, Soon all the familiar characters are in force, and the case takes an unlikely turn with relationships to people Duncan and Gemma know.

At first glance, Sasha Johnson looks like an unlikely victim: career-driven, single, without any history that would connect her to crime. Digging deeper reveals her secrets, but did they lead to her murder?

Then a colleague of Sasha’s is found dead, and the teams scramble to find a connection other than their work site. Could they have a serial killer on their hands? It’s all hands on deck as the pieces are gathered to form a picture of a murderer working in plain sight.

One of the many delights of Crombie’s novels is the way she investigates her setting and brings it to life for readers. Another is her inclusion of the family travails of two working detectives. It all adds to the realistic atmosphere of everyday stresses that must be handled even while investigating a murder.

At its heart, this is a very fine mystery, peppered with human-like characters you’ll want to return to, set within a complex plot that will have readers scratching their heads along with the detectives until the stunning climax.

 

Kate Rhodes: The Locked-Island Mysteries Sunday, Jan 22 2023 

complex mystery and Continued series winner and police procedural and Series not to be missed , , Auntie M Writes Crime 1:38 pm

Kate Rhodes has been a favorite author of Auntie M’s, starting with her compelling Alice Quentin series. Now that’s she’s branched out to her Locked-Island Mysteries, set in the Scilly Isles, Auntie M caught up with the series that features local detective DI Ben Kitto, with the 5th and 6th in this compelling series.

Devil’s Table centers on the island of St. Martin’s, where young Jade and her twin brother, Ethan, are attacked after leaving their shared bedroom at night. Ethan escapes but Jade is nowhere to be seen, and an island-wide search starts with residents and police battling the incessant fog that permeates the island.

Then a body is found in a dramatic, posed fashion, and Ben and his small team scramble to redouble their efforts to find the missing girl, while at the same time searching for a killer amidst the seemingly innocent narcissi harvest. The juxtaposition between the fields of fragrant bulbs, to be picked and flown to the mainland for Christmas and New Years clashes with the tiny community burdened by suspicion. 

Having grown up on nearby Bryher, Ben knows most of the people on St. Martin’s, who suddenly become suspects in this baffling murder of a man who is seen differently by people. Grudges held from long ago surface, and he must question everyone, regardless of his history with them.

A tense and gripping plot combine with an atmospheric mystery that make this an instant classic.

The Brutal Tide has Ben looking for clues to a set of old bones found during the excavation for a new outdoor activities center on Bryher, spearheaded by two locals who married and have returned home to complete this project.

Not everyone is a fan of the new center, and as Ben tries to find the identity of these bones, they suddenly disappear, and one of the  loudest critics of the project is found dead.

At the same time, a young woman whose father has been a crime kingpin sets up a plot to take out the officers whose information sent her father to prison. Now dying, Craig Travis has constructed this plan for his daughter Ruby with a devious way to take his revenge on those he hates, all from his prison hospital bed.

Ben Kitto, whose undercover past has returned to haunt him with a vengeance, must search for a killer on his home island while he avoids being Ruby’s last victim—all while his partner reaches the end of her difficult pregnancy.

A taut, clever mystery, with a very real protagonist at the heart of this series, makes this a tense and beautifully written mystery. 

Rhodes abilities as a poet surface in her lyrical prose and beautifully constructed descriptions and prose; her talents at creating tension have Elly Griffiths calling her “An absolute master of pace.”

Do yourself a favor if you haven’t already discovered the wildly talented Kate Rhodes, and immerse yourself in her wonderful sense of place and character, wrapped in stunningly good crime stories.

 

Ausma Zehanat Khan: BLACKWATER FALLS Tuesday, Nov 1 2022 

Award winning novelist and complex mystery and debut and great read and new series and police thriller and Series not to be missed , , Auntie M Writes Crime 3:45 pm

Khan’s first in a dynamic new series, BLACKWATER FALLS, is set in Colorado and introduces readers to a fresh new protagonist, Detective Inaya Rahman, and her lieutenant, Waqas Seif.

Young girls from immigrant communities in the area have disappeared over the past months, but the sheriff seems disinterested in pursuing any real exploration of the situation. Then the body of a good student and Syrian refugee is found outside a mosque, hanging in a horrific crucifixion-like manner.

A right-wing evangelical biker group called The Disciples displays open hostility to any newcomer with their threatening attitudes, yet when Inaya and her team try to investigate, their efforts seem thwarted by the sheriff.

When their investigation uncovers links to the other missing girls, Inaya feels that Seif is obstructing their own case. It becomes difficult for her to understand his motives when she’s drawn to him, but she keeps her distance, instead gathering strength and help from her female colleagues. It’s a delicate balance when she doesn’t understand his true motives, which are revealed to the reader as the detectives race against time before another young girl is killed.

There will be connections to art, a layering of different interpretations of justice, with moments of terror balanced by poignancy. It’s a tour-de-force of timely fiction that teaches and educates, as it reflects how easily fears can escalate.

Khan gives us a clear picture of Inaya’s home life, and brings readers a deep perspective to cultural conflicts. She explores different expressions of faith contrasted with prejudices, all wrapped up in a strong and complex mystery.

With a PhD in international human rights law, Khan is the author of the Khattak/Getty series and also the Khorasan Archives fantasies. She has a clear talent for bringing a nuanced sensitivity to complex issues, including racial tension and police corruption.

Readers will be glued to the action and surprising twists, with deep characterizations that add to the tension. This reader is already waiting for the next in this evocative and insightful series. Highly recommended.

 

The Evening’s Amethyst: Nora Tierney #5 Monday, Oct 4 2021 

Uncategorized , , , , , , , Auntie M Writes Crime 3:32 pm

Auntie M is very pleased to announce that the fifth Nora Tierney English Mystery, THE EVENING’S AMETHYST, has made it through the Covid delays and the paperback is now available. Kindle and Audible version will follows in the next few weeks, but she’s excited to have the book on offer.

This time the majority of the story takes place in Oxford, where Nora is settling into her new home with her fiancé, DI Declan Barnes, her young son, Sean, and their puppy, Typo.

Who is Verity? That soon becomes the central question for Nora and Declan, after his new case at Exeter College coincides with a frantic call from Nora’s stepsister, Claire Scott: a fellow graduate student has died in a fall, and Claire begs Nora to help her prove Bea Jones would never commit suicide.

The sisters start their own snooping, while Declan and his team juggle this death investigation with a cold case that will prove to have a startling resolution. Over twenty years ago, toddler Donnie Walsh was kidnapped from his dirty playpen outside a Cumbrian pub. His body was never found. Now in the midst of Declan’s new case, a young man walks into St. Aldate’s Police Station claiming to be Donnie Walsh.

A mix of amateur sleuth and police procedural, The Evening’s Amethyst has garnered wonderful early reviews, including this one from Nicola Upson, author of the Josephine Tey series: “A fine addition to a wonderful series, Graff delivers her trademark blend of compelling mystery, vivid setting, and engaging characters—and in Nora Tierney she has created a sleuth whose humanity and insight are the stars of the show. I loved it.”

Available now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Evenings-Amethyst-Tierney-English-Mystery/dp/0990828735/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+evening%27s+amethyst+by+m+graff&qid=1633376773&sr=8-1 OR

for signed copies contact the author at: bluevirgin.graff@gmail.com.

 

Susan Van Kirk: The Endurance Mysteries Thursday, Nov 17 2016 

Uncategorized , , , , Auntie M Writes Crime 12:59 am

marryinhastefront

Please welcome Susan Van Kirk, to introduce her Endurance Mysteries, and don’t miss her giveaway mentioned at the end for her newest in the series, Marry in Haste:

The Endurance Mystery Series

If you are looking for a new mystery series, please check out my Endurance Mysteries. Five Star Publishing/Cengage has published the first two books in the series, and I published a novella as an e-book only on Amazon.

Let me clue you in on some “insider information.” Each of the novels has a title that come from Ben Franklin’s Poor Richard’s Almanac. The last word in each of the novels is “Endurance.” Finally, my three children gave me a word to use in each of these books, hoping to stump me. Hasn’t happened yet. Even “helicopter” fits in.

Endurance is a small town with a history going back to the 1830s, when settlers came to downstate Illinois to found towns and colleges on the edge of the prairie. In our time, the town has a population of 15,000 and places with such names as Patsy’s Pub, the Coffee Bean, the Penny Saved Shoe Store, Shady Meadows Cemetery, and the Homestretch Funeral Home (my personal favorite.) It’s a nice town, you know what I mean … as long as you don’t mind a murder or two.

The main character is Grace Kimball, widow and mother of three adult children. She is 57 and has just retired from teaching at Endurance High School. This means she sees former students all the time, and the reader gets to hear the crazy antics she remembers about their high school years.

Grace has a circle of female friends, but her best friend is Detective TJ Sweeney. Some might say theirs is an improbable friendship, since Grace grew up in a white bread Indianapolis home, and TJ is an intelligent biracial woman who is the product of a broken home. Grace taught TJ and mentored her through high school and college. They are loyal to the end and have each other’s backs, which is a good thing. Grace gets herself into all kinds of trouble because of her curiosity.
threemaykeepasecretfront
Into this relationship comes a mystery man, the 62-year-old Jeff Maitlin, who was a big deal in the NYC journalism community. He has decided to end his career by working part-time with a small-town newspaper, the Endurance Register. Maitlin is a mystery man because no one knows why he came to such a small place or what his past has been.

In the first book, Three May Keep a Secret, we meet Grace and discover she is haunted by a tragedy in her past that she has never been able to put behind her. When shoddy journalist, Brenda Norris, is murdered in a suspicious fire, Grace is hired by the newspaper editor, Jeff Maitlin, to fill in for Brenda, researching the town’s history for a big centennial. Unfortunately, that past hides dark secrets.

When yet a second murder occurs, Grace’s friend, TJ Sweeney, homicide detective, races against time to find a killer. Even Grace’s life will be threatened by her worse nightmare. Against the backdrop of the town’s 175th founder’s celebration, Grace and Jeff find an undeniable attraction for each other. But can she trust this mystery man?
locket_final_cmykhighres

I was told by my publisher that it would be a loooong two-year break between the first and second books. So, I self-published a novella about my complicated police detective, TJ Sweeney, called The Locket: From the Casebook of TJ Sweeney. It is an e-book and takes us back to the 1940s. A body is discovered when workers are digging the foundation for a new building. TJ Sweeney must identify the victim and figure out what happened to her.

Obviously, we had no DNA in the 1940s, so this will be difficult. We also learn about Sweeney’s past and her complicated feelings about her Caucasian father, who left when she was little. Her mother, a proud African American woman, tells TJ about what it was like to be in a mixed marriage in the 1940s. The victim was last seen at a big band venue called The Roof Garden, and TJ has an amazing conversation with an elderly woman who explains what it was like back then when she danced at The Roof Garden in the 30s. Dead ends, difficulties, and amazing finds … and then, for TJ Sweeney, this case becomes personal.

The second novel, Marry in Haste, is the story of two women, a century apart, living in the small town of Endurance, and both ignoring Ben Franklin’s “Marry in Haste, Repent at Leisure.” A huge Victorian house is the setting for much of this novel, and in the house Grace finds a hidden diary from 1893.

It reveals the bittersweet story of Olivia Havelock, who came to Endurance and married a powerful, but abusive, judge. In the present day, Grace’s former student, Emily Folger, is accused of murdering her philandering, abusive husband. Grace sets out to prove Emily’s innocence, working with TJ Sweeney. Can the lessons from the diary help her save Emily Folger? This second full-length novel just came out November 16.

The third book will be out next year, and it is called Death Takes No Bribes. Grace goes back to her old high school, where she taught for almost three decades, when the principal is murdered in a horrific way. It’s a sentimental journey for Grace, who retired a year ago, and now she walks among her old colleagues wondering if one of them could be capable of murder.

Each mystery has a universal theme, and at the heart of the series is the resilience of women and how they support each other. They celebrate family, loyalty, and, often, social issues. History and romance twine their way through each book. So, I hope you’ll consider trying my Endurance Mysteries. Right now, I have a giveaway going on GoodReads for Marry in Haste that lasts until midnight on November 21.

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Susan Van Kirk grew up in Galesburg, Illinois, and received degrees from Knox College and the University of Illinois. She taught high school English for thirty-four years, then spent an additional ten years teaching at Monmouth College.

Her first Endurance mystery novel, Three May Keep a Secret, was published in 2014 by Five Star Publishing/Cengage. In April, 2016, she published an Endurance e-book novella titled The Locket: From the Casebook of TJ Sweeney. Her third Endurance novel, Death Takes No Bribes, will follow Marry in Haste.

Social Media:

Website and blog: http://www.susanvankirk.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SusanVanKirkAuthor/

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/susan_vankirk

GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/586.Susan_VanKirk

 

Barry Maitland: Ash Island Wednesday, Nov 9 2016 

Uncategorized , , Auntie M Writes Crime 12:16 am

ashisland

Barry Maitland’s Brock and Kolla series, set in England, has been one of Auntie M’s mainstays for years. Then last year he brought out a second series, featuring DS Harry Belltree and set in his current home of Australia. The second in the new series, Ash Island, finds Harry just back to work after his near death in Crucifixion Creek and is a strong sequel.

Harry’s posting away from Sydney and the horror of the past case suit him fine. He and his wife, Jenny, are expecting their first child together, and living in a cottage in Newcastle with Jenny’s new guide dog.

Harry’s case revolves around a body found in the marsh vegetation of Ash Island, showing obvious signs of torture. He’s convinced this is a dumping ground for bodies, and he’s proven right, but not without consequences.

Newcastle was the area of the accident that robbed him of his parents and Jenny of her sight. Harry knows it wasn’t an accident: his father was a well respected Aboriginal judge, and he’s always understood that his father’s position led to his death.

How these deaths are connected to the bodies buried in the marsh provide some of the strongest action scenes in the book, as Harry not only tries to find out what’s at the bottom of the accident, and those buried bodies, but whom he can trust.

The area comes alive under Maitland’s assured descriptions.
There will be a double surprise at the end, and the resolution Harry seeks will come at a steep price. An accomplished and fast-moving plot will keep readers flipping pages as the past reaches it fingers into the present.

 

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