KN Magazine: Reviews
Killer Nashville Noir: Cold-Blooded by Clay Stafford / Reviewed by Clay Snellgrove
Killer Nashville Noir: Cold Blooded
Edited by Clay Stafford
Diversion Publishing
$19.99
ISBN 978-1626818781
Published October 27, 2017
Book of the Day
Killer Nashville Noir: Cold-Blooded, the first annual anthology of short fiction inspired by the Killer Nashville Writing Conference and online magazine, is a treat for any fan of crime and mystery fiction. The twenty stories making up the collection bleed from the pens of established writers who boast impressive resumes. Editor Clay Stafford lays out this smorgasbord of quick, exciting reading, anchoring the roller coaster of suspense, intrigue, twists, and blood with his own story, “Savage Gulf.” This story more than holds its own with those that come before.
Every story in this collection puts forth some heat, admirably showcasing the writer’s specific flavor. Like tapas, most of these shorts will give readers a taste that will have them googling the authors’ novel length works, adding many to their “must-read” lists.
Like any appetizer menu, Cold-Blooded boasts a couple dishes that could stand alone, the prime cuts. International best-selling author Jeffery Deaver delivers with “Repressed”, a tight thirty-page piece revealing why college professor Sam Fogel should have never sought counseling for his mid-life malaise. Every bit as gripping as Stephen King’s best shorts, “Repressed” is well worth a second read even after its disturbing conclusion is known.
Robert Dugoni and Paula Gail Benson team up to write “A Matter of Honor”. Without the blood and guts that paint the pages of the rest of Cold-Blooded, this satisfying mystery featuring agent B.A. Azevedo has the feel of a much longer piece. Readers will want this to be the start of a series starring the South Carolina sleuth.
Beginning the anthology amidst the decomposing corpses on the Body Farm with “In Plain Sight” by the writing duo Jefferson Bass is a great move, setting the tone and making it clear that this collection was born in Tennessee. Blake Fontenay starts his intriguing historical mystery in front of President Andrew Johnson, and Jon Jefferson shows the readers every ounce of life-supporting fluid in the human body in his story “Giving Blood.”
The Killer Nashville-inspired short-story collection would not be complete without a country-western singer killing for a number-one song. Eyre Price’s “Sad Like a Country Song” takes what could be a hokey premise and crafts something cool. “Sad Like a Country Song” will make readers smile because it’s so darn good! Readers will be glad to know this anthology is set to be a yearly event.
Clay Snellgrove is the author of The Ball Player. He’s a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University. A former professional baseball player, Clay holds an MFA in creative writing from Converse College.
The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter / Review by Didi DeWitt
The Good Daughter
By Karin Slaughter
William Morrow
$27.99
ISBN 978-0062430243
Published August 8, 2017
Book of the Day
The Good Daughter is the latest thriller from Karin Slaughter. It is intense. Samantha and Charlotte are sisters living in a small town in northern Georgia. Sam is smart and fast while Charlie struggles to keep up. Witness to the brutal murder of their mother, Samantha, and Charlotte are forced into the woods where they expect to also be shot. At the mouth of what is to be their grave, Sam's only thought is to distract the killers long enough for Charlie to get away. The last thing her mother told her to do was to take care of Charlie. She is a good daughter. As a shot to her head sends her into the abyss - she just glimpses her sister running into the woods...
Twenty-eight years later... Charlie still lives in the same town. The perpetrators convicted and sent to prison. She has put the past behind her. Charlie and her father, Rusty work together as defense attorneys. But one poor decision puts her in the wrong place at the wrong time and she is witness to another shooting. A troubled girl has brought her father's gun to school and killed two people.
Slaughter tackles so many of today's headlines in this novel - home invasions, murder, school shootings, infidelity, conspiracy, police brutality, secret deals, extortion, transgenderism... and she does it very well. The story lines are clear and the conclusion is more than satisfying. The characters are like real people. They have faults and make really bad decisions but they can also work really hard to make amends. Even the worst people can have redeeming qualities.
The Genius Plague by David Walton / Review by David Neilsen
Book of the Day
The Genius Plague, by David Walton, is a very well-written thriller which delves into the question of what does it mean to be human, and is there a better way? Universal truths are put to the test as the action whips back and forth from the offices of the NSA to South America and back. There is code-breaking, betrayal, intrigue, a nasty fungus--in short everything you need for a tip-top end-of-the-world contagion catastrophe.
The stage is set on the very first page: an ominous passage that explains how a single, vast, ancient organism within the Amazon Rainforest has realized that humans exist. Knowing this, (a massive fungus over a gazillion-square-miles in size) sets to work defeating us. Yipes.
Neil Johns has always wanted to work for the NSA. His father, currently suffering from Alzheimer's, was a codebreaker and Neil wants to follow in his footsteps. On one of his first days on the job, he breaks an unbreakable code that seems to be coming from the middle of the Amazon Rainforest. Coincidentally, Neil’s brother, Paul Johns, spends a lot of time in the Amazon Rainforest. He’s a mycologist (someone who studies fungi) and begins the book in the midst of a trip down there to collect rare and unusual fungus samples. There is gunfire, bad guys, a hot girl, a swim, and a walk in the woods. That’s just the prologue.
What unfolds is a truly horrifying possibility of a fungal plague taking the world by storm. Making it even more frightening is the fact that those infected (such as Paul) get smarter, happier, and believe the plague is a good thing. So is it a terrifying plague threatening to devour the world? Or the next step in human evolution?
The characters spend the first half of the book trying to figure out what is going on, all while the fungus grows in strength, power, and verve. Eventually, Neil and his team figure everything out and spend the next 200 pages trying to figure out how to stop the fungus. There are thrilling and shocking discoveries throughout. Human nature being what it is, a very nasty twist arises upping the stakes tenfold that could make the fungus seem like the common cold. Walton never lets up, pumping action and discovery into the pages until they’re ready to explode. Which they do, more or less, during the exciting climax.
Leading up to the ending, I was excited to find out how Walton was going to tie up the loose ends and solve the various and multiple problems. He truly paints his characters, and the world, into a corner. His solution leaves the reader on pins and needles (and hoping for a sequel).
Front start to finish, The Genius Plagueis an exciting read that tantalizes the reader with the possibilities of a great story.
David Neilsen is the author of Dr. Fell and the Playground of Doom(winner of the 2017 Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award), and several other odd, weird, supernatural, and occasionally slightly disturbing books and stories. David is also a professionally trained actor who works as a professional storyteller up and down the Hudson River Valley and in New York City. His one-man performances based on the work of H.P. Lovecraft have sent many screaming into the hills in search of their sanity. Be sure to check out David's latest release, Beyond the Doors (Crown Books for Children, Aug 1, 2018)
Little Broken Things by Nicole Baart / Review by Laura Hartman
Little Broken Things
By Nicole Baart
Atria Books
$16.99
ISBN 978-1501133602
Publish Date: November 21, 2017
Book of the Day
Little Broken Things is the latest suspense novel from Nicole Baart. It is expertly crafted and full of all of the elements that make for a great read - a solid story with plenty of mystery and tension, characters that feel very real, good pacing, and a satisfying conclusion. Baart will surely be a new favorite for fans of Karin Slaughter, Gillian Flynn or Paula Hawkins.
Quinn Cruz's life is upended when her sister, Nora Sandford, with no explanation or information whatsoever, drops a little girl on her doorstep with the imperative that Quinn must keep her safe and let no one know the child is there. How do you keep a secret like this from coming out? Quinn lives with her husband and her mother lives just across the lake. Even in a family practiced in keeping secrets, it is not long before Lucy is discovered.
While seemingly placid, life on Key Lake has never been perfect. Much is hidden beneath the surface. Through the different viewpoints of Quinn, Nora, and their mother, the fractured pieces of the past are put into place to reveal the present dangers. The sharp edges of those pieces can still cut deeply - can they cut the bond between a mother and her child? Is blood thicker than water? How far would you go to help a friend? How far would you go to protect your family?
I really enjoyed Little Broken Things. It is smart, suspenseful, heartbreaking and written so well I was holding my breath praying for the safety of the little girl at the heart of the mystery. When an author can make me care that much for the characters she has created I know she will deeply touch the hearts of all of her readers. This is the first book I have read by Nicole Baart, but it will not be the last.
DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy for free from Netgalley, Killer Nashville and Atria Books in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Copyright © 2017 Laura Hartman
Laura Hartman is a short story author and book reviewer. She has work appearing in A Woman’s Touch: 11 Stories of Murder & Misdemeanors and The Killer Wore Cranberry, A Second Helping. She began reviewing books for GenReviews in 2011 and currently reviews for publicist Maryglenn McCombs, Penguin First to Read and NetGalley. She is a writer by day and a reader by night.
White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland / Review by Liz Gatterer
White Trash Zombie Unchained
By Diana Rowland
DAW
$7.99
ISBN 978-0756408244
Published September 5, 2017
Book of the Day
White Trash Zombie Unchained is the 6th book in the WTZ series by Diana Rowland—and it is so much fun! Angel Crawford is a wonderful character and I have enjoyed cheering her on since the beginning of My Life as A White Trash Zombie. She has a heart of gold, a spine of steel, the fight of an alligator, and the mouth of a sailor. Now—she has a brand new body she grew herself!
Zombie-ism, in this version of reality, is not a condition in which the affected is in a perpetual state of decomposition mindlessly searching for brains. Well, at least not most of the time. The mechanism by which one becomes a zombie is best explained as a symbiotic parasite that will keep the host alive as long as a supply of prions is available. Luckily, those prions do not need to be from a warm, fresh brain (although those are quite tasty). Brains can be harvested posthumously and be preserved (and served) in various ways. Working at the coroner’s office has conveniently provided Angel with enough brains to supply her needs.
Becoming a zombie saved Angel’s life—in more ways than one. In her mortal life, Angel was an unemployed, high school dropout and drug-addict. She lived with her alcoholic father in a ramshackle house with a driveway actually made from layers of crushed beer cans. But, through the benevolence of a local police officer—she was transformed into a zombie. The process automatically stopped her drug addiction by the simple fact that drugs and alcohol do not affect zombies. Over the course of the first five books, Angel remakes herself. She gets her GED, enrolls in college, becomes a valuable member of the zombie “tribe,” and a proficient morgue attendant. She even saves her father and buys him a new house with a real driveway. But, she is about to discover that old habits die hard. The reality is that the tendency toward addiction cannot be magically dispelled. Ending the physical addiction is one thing—but it will take real work to make the changes she must to become the person she wants to be. Angel is not at all sure she can do this and thinks that maybe she really is as worthless as people used to think she was.
For fans of paranormal fiction, urban fantasies, and police procedurals, this whole series is just wonderful. If you are familiar with Sookie Stackhouse, Cat Crawfield or Rachel Morgan—you will love Angel Crawford. Rowland’s characters are well developed, her plotlines are linear and there is enough reasonable-sounding science to make the acceptance of zombies plausible. Her real life is as fascinating as the world she has created for Angel. Rowland has been a bartender, a blackjack dealer, a pit boss, a street cop, a detective, a computer forensics specialist, a crime scene investigator, a morgue assistant—and, of course, an award-winning novelist. I imagine that her biography would be just as captivating as her novels.
White Trash Zombie Unchained is a great read—even if you haven’t read the previous books. I also have the audible version performed by Allison McLemore. Her performance is excellent. A Louisiana accent is distinctive and hard to affect if you aren’t a native, but McLemore has it down pat. I recommend fans of audible books give it a try.
The Ghosts of Galway by Ken Bruen / Review by Kevin Tipple
The Ghosts of Galways
By Ken Bruen
Mysterious Press
$24.27
ISBN 978-0802127334
Publish Date: November 7, 2017
Book of the Day
One does not read Ken Bruen to be uplifted and hopeful for humanity. One reads him for the stylistic beauty of his prose and his ability to capture powerful emotion in few words. That is especially true of his latest mystery, The Ghosts Of Galway: A Jack Taylor Novel. This is an intense read where the past and the toll this mortal coil takes on the living is the story from the first to the last page.
Jack Taylor has survived a suicide attempt as well as a botched medical diagnosis. Those two incidents have not changed Jack Taylor’s outlook on life. His new job has not improved his outlook either, but it keeps him away from people and that is good for everybody.
These days he is working as a security guard. While he works nights by himself and it is boring, at least he can read on the job and get paid to do so. The warehouse on the docks does not really need protecting, but with a phone and a flashlight, he does so each night. That is until his supervisor tells him the owner, Alexander Knox-Keaton, originally from somewhere in the Ukraine wants to see out at his mansion.
While the man’s name is clearly a fake, his money is not. Jack Taylor goes out to see Mr. Knox-Keaton and learns the man knows something about his work and background in getting things done. He wants to hire Taylor to find a book known as The Red Book. Believed to be the true first book of heresy, it decries the book of the gospels also known as The Book of Kells. According to Mr. Knox-Keaton, the book has been stolen from the Vatican by Father Frank Miller. The priest is now hiding out in Galway and has offered the book for sale. Mr. Knox-Keaton wants Jack Taylor to find the priest and negotiate the purchase of the book. He will pay very well for Mr. Taylor to do so and does not really care how he goes about getting the job done.
The last thing Jack wants is to deal with any priest for any reason. But, the money is too good to pass up. It does not help that Em, also known as Emily and a few other names, is soon back in his life and definitely involved in the hunt for the priest and The Red Book. She is also involved in a couple of other matters that could easily get Jack Taylor killed.
The Ghosts of Galway: A Jack Taylor Novel is both a remembrance of things past as well as a settling of a number of scores. The past is a living, breathing presence in books by Ken Bruen and that is especially true here. Blending pop culture references and a steady pace with the mystery, author Ken Bruen creates an intense and very emotional read. The Ghosts of Galway: A Jack Taylor Novel is a very good book and one you should read.
ARC was supplied by the publisher by way of Killer Nashville for my use in a review for Killer Nashville.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2017
Kevin Tipple When not offending someone in person or online due to his strange sense of humor, Kevin reads and reviews books, watches way too much television, and offers unsolicited opinions on anything. His short fiction has appeared in magazines such as "Lynx Eye," "Starblade," "Show and Tell," and "The Writer's Post Journal" among others and online at such places as "Mouth Full Of Bullets," "Crime And Suspense," "Mysterical-e" and others. The fact that most of those publications and sites no longer exist is not his fault. You can still read his short stories by purchasing a copy of Mind Slices: A Collection of New and Previously Published Stories at Amazon and elsewhere. For those sure that the author has no brain, an image of his documented MRI was used for the cover. Fully trained before marriage, Kevin can work all major appliances and, despite a love of nearly all sports, is able to clean up after himself.
Come Home by Patricia Gussin / Review by Linda Petrilli
Come Home
By Patricia Gussin
Oceanview Publishing
$26.95
ISBN 978-1608092598
Publish Date: November 7, 2017
Book of the Day
Come Home by Patricia Gussin is a two-pronged, culture mixed thriller. Twin Nicole Nelson and her husband Ahmed Musud have what appears to be a happy life. Fulfilling jobs as partners in a surgical practice and a son they both love. There is trouble in paradise when Ahmed starts having difficulties at work, and his family in Egypt starts pressuring him to return home and bring only his son, but not his American wife.
The story is told from two points of view. Nicole watching her once loving and easy-going husband drawing away from her and their son. Although he comes from a rich, influential family in Egypt he has never seemed to be interested in returning to that life. He has adapted American cultures, even allowing his son to be brought up in a non-Muslin church. Accepted by Nicole’s large and friendly family he appears mostly happy and is well liked. Nicole becomes increasingly worried about him as he seems to be withdrawing a little more from their life after every weekly call to his family in Egypt.
Ahmed loves living in America away from his domineering older brother and strict Muslim dictates. He enjoys his wife’s large and diverse family that has come to accept him. But the stress is getting to him. He has had some lawsuits against him and wonders if it is due to his ethnicity. He starts devolving into self-doubt and bows to pressure from his family to take control of his family and return to Egypt due to unrest in the political scene. He leaves his so American wife behind and returns to Egypt with his son to assume his place in the family textile business. When he gets there, he finds things are not as they seem and must try to save them both from the mess he’s in.
When Nicole discovers that her husband and son are gone, she turns to her family for help. With the help of her twin sister her husband, Nicole and a top line security team go after Alex.
The story hits on many current and cultural events. Spanning three continents and two very different cultures, Gussin connects with the very relatable feelings of love, devotion, greed, and arrogance. It has many twists and turns leading to an unexpected ending. Gussin keeps the tension up compelling the reader to continue on to the next chapter. Readers who enjoy strong family stories with a twist will find this a very interesting read.
Linda Petrilli Duncan, MSN, BSN, ADN, RN, has been a nurse too long to want to tell. Served as a Commissioned Officer as a trauma/triage nurse, been a Firefighter II/RN/EMT, red carded with the forestry service to fight forest fires, trained as a TEMS (tactical EMS) for SWAT and law enforcement. Trained as a pilot and flew rescue and DEA missions for the Civil Air Patrol. Trained in martial arts. Trained in most weapons of minor destruction including knifes and tomahawks. Been sent to Israel, Egypt, Turkey, and various parts of South America. According to her children, she is an adrenaline junkie and gets bored easily. Reads voraciously and writes as yet unpublished murder mysteries and thrillers. Belongs to MWA, SinC, RWA and has given internet classes on medical issues in writing, poisons and has been on various panels at KN. She lives in Kentucky with her Newfoundland Ace.
The Deep Dark Descending by Allen Eskens / Review by Danny Lindsey
The Deep Dark Descending
By Allen Eskens
Seventh Street Books
$15.95
ISBN 978-1633883550
Published October 3, 2017
Book of the Day
If you have somewhere to be or need to get 8 hours of sleep, don’t begin reading this book. Allen Eskens’ The Deep Dark Descending (Seventh Street Books, Amherst NY) starts out intense and never slows down. This is not one to read for a half hour before bedtime, not because of its content, but because of its pace. Finding a stopping place is difficult.
Max Rupert is a police detective who is haunted by his wife’s death, some 4-plus years earlier. That it was simply a hit-and-run accident has never set well with him, and her memory is still fresh and constant, even after a half-decade. When presented with proof in the form of a taped recording planning her murder he becomes single-minded, determined to find and deal with her murderer.
Set in the dead of winter in northern Minnesota, the chilling cold becomes as much a part of the plot as an additional character. Eskens toggles back and forth from present tense to the three days leading up to the final chapter in a skillful fashion, melding investigative work into the culmination. Told in the first person, that POV actually works in this scenario.
He also manages to weave a believable sub-plot into the narrative, which is used to enable his single-minded albeit short-term quest for justice. Throughout, the reader is left to guess whether the result will be vengeance or lawful justice. A reminder of who he is and should be is sprinkled throughout, courtesy of Nancy, the woman who raised him as her own. The phrase “vengeance is not justice” echoes in his mind, even as he wrestles with whether he is detective or avenger.
The pace, the style, and the ending will leave readers breathless, not really wanting more, but fully satisfied that the tale has been well told, and has ended appropriately. Eskens has a knack of engaging his audience immediately and holding them hostage until the end.
Danny Lindsey keeps trying to retire. After a 20-year Army career and a 25-year second one in the private sector, he’s finally settled down. His current gig is as the Veteran Employment Services Manager for a Huntsville, A.L. based non-profit, Still Serving Veterans. Both full careers were characterized by numerous writing assignments, from war plans to operating policies and procedures, then on to white papers, analyses of alternatives and competitive contract and grant proposals. Now his writing consists of blogs for the website www.ssv.org, podcasts for the local NPR affiliate, and a half dozen Pulitzer-worthy, albeit unpublished novels.
Update: Danny won the 2017 Killer Nashville Claymore Award with his manuscript Serial Justice – so he will not be unpublished for long!
Merlin at War by Mark Ellis / Review by E.J. Boyd
Merlin at War
By Mark Ellis
London Wall Publishing
$17.99
ISBN 978-0995566712
Published October 12, 2017
Book of the Day
Merlin at War is the 3rd installment in the Dci Frank Merlin series by Mark Ellis. It begins in the summer of 1941. Europe is at war against the Nazi's and Vichy France has fallen under Nazi rule. England has survived the Blitz and is holding on, but the future is very uncertain. The British Army has just withdrawn from Crete with significant casualties. But, life (and death) goes on in London. There, Inspector Merlin is set as lead investigator in the separate deaths of an unknown young woman from a botched abortion and the murder of a Jewish French National. He is also approached by an old friend seeking advice about the execution of a dying request made by his commander during the fallback from Crete.
Merlin is a depicted as a very relatable character. He stumbles a bit as he tries to balance his professional life and personal life. He is honorable and honest, but not afraid to take chances and willing to challenge traditional mores of the time. Cognizant of his own faults he is able to understand the motivations of others and uses that knowledge to sort out clues that might go otherwise unnoticed. Even when his personal and professional life does collide he is able to keep his head and do what needs to be done.
Ellis has written a wonderfully detailed and layered story – cleverly fitting together all of the pieces. Backstories and side stories are laced with historical facts, detailed descriptions of actual places and cameo appearances of several important real-life figures. It feels very real. One can almost smell the French cigarette smoke wafting through the air. There are so many fun, little, Easter Eggs hidden throughout the book I know I will need to read it again just to find them all.
This is the first Dci Frank Merlin book I have read. I certainly did not feel like I was jumping in mid-story. It can easily be read as a stand-alone novel. I also was able to swing between the Audible version and the Kindle version (I'm not one to stop reading just because I have to drive or walk the dog). The narrator, Matt Addis, was exceptional. He easily slipped in and out of a myriad of accents and maintained the cadence of the era. I will certainly be looking for the first two in this series, Princess Gate, and Stalin's Gold.
E.J. Boyd is a new to Killer Nashville. She lives in Upstate New York with her dog, Meggie. E.J. earned her Bachelors in English Literature from SUNY Oneonta.
The Lost Property Office by James R. Hannibal / Review by Elise Knapp
Book of the Day
The Lost Property Office is the first book of the fantastic Section 13 series by James R. Hannibal. It is the story of Jack Buckle, a thirteen-year-old American boy in the midst of a family crisis. His father has disappeared while working in England. His mother is on the verge of breaking down. Everything is out of his control. But Jack is about to discover that nothing is as it seems and he maybe the only one that can save his family.
The novel begins with Jack and his little sister, Sadie, who are left alone in a London hotel while their mother desperately searches for their missing father. Jack suspects the worst but doesn’t want to upset his sister with his suspicions or make things worse for his mother by asking questions. All he wants to do is put on his earphones and shut out the world. But when his sister runs out of the hotel babbling about seeing their father walk by he is forced to face the world.
Jack is hyper-aware of the world around him which allows him to follow minute clues and brief glimpses of Sadie as she runs through the crowded street of London and down into the complex subway system below. Reunited with his sister, the pair stumble upon The Lost Property Office. This office is not a simple lost and found. A bit like Alice going down the rabbit hole, Jack is led deeper and deeper into the endless sublevels of The Ministry of Trackers. His case is turned over to Gwen. Though she is only 12-years-old herself, Gwen is a well-trained and capable Assistant Clerk at the Lost Property Office. Like a young Robert Langdon and Sophie Noveau, Jack and Gwen follow a trail of clues through London—racing to try and save Jack’s father.
Although written for young readers, Hannibal’s cleverly crafted story is enjoyable for adults as well. While certainly fantastical, the story is wonderfully logical. Science is magic explained. Hannibal’s characters are well-developed and relatable. The conclusion is satisfying while still leaving plenty of room for more. Jake Buckles is a character on par with Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, or Jacob Portman. I am very eager for the next book in the series, The Fourth Ruby that will be released in October 2017.
I just pray that when the movie adaption happens they don’t muck it all up….
Fake by Twist Phelan / Review by Clay Snellgrove
Fake
By Twist Phelan
CreateSpace Independent Publishing
$9.99
ISBN 978-1533560599
Published May 31, 2016
Book of the Day
Author Twist Phelan introduces readers to corporate spy Finn Teller in her highly entertaining thriller Fake. The first in what looks to be a long series of mysteries featuring the savvy, capable spy is the perfect coming out party for Finn. Equal parts Jack Reacher, Stephanie Plum, and Jack Ryan, Finn Teller is not afraid to let her moral compass lead her into danger. While not always the best at taking orders, Finn has a bevy of other talents, some of which were surely honed while in the CIA. No longer in the government’s employ, Finn contracts for Strategic Information Associates (SIA), a job that takes her from the world of high fashion in Milan to the industrial landscape deep within war-torn Europe.
When a train derails in Croatia, a shipment of a much-needed vaccine headed for Africa is feared lost. Efforts to salvage the life-saving drug reveal the vials of medicine on the train to be counterfeit. Corporate titan and aspiring politician, Petar Moric needs to find out why his company’s train crashed and where the vaccine that his labs produced ended up. Fearing an inside job, Moric reaches out to SIA and requests the investigative services of Finn Teller. Having suffered her worst professional failure years before in the country, Finn is reluctant to return to Croatia. But using a deep cover, she ultimately takes the job.
Finn’s initial efforts to root out the truth behind the crash turn up a convenient tale of corporate espionage. Two patsies are arrested, and Petar Moric deems his business with SIA over. Sensing more to the story, Finn ignores orders to return home and perseveres. Armed only with her wits, her hands, and a single shot pen-gun, Finn will uncover a multi-national criminal enterprise whose nefarious activities threaten the lives of thousands around the globe. Finn must not only identify the ringleaders but escape alive to warn the world of the imminent danger.
Fake delivers thrills and suspense. With gritty detail and seamless action sequences, Twist Phelan makes it easy for readers to suspend disbelief. The writer’s totally cool, tough, ass-kicking heroine comes equipped with a sense of humor and sex-appeal. Finn Teller is a memorable character that feels capable of anchoring at least twenty more books. Her series of mysteries could not have gotten off to a better start.
Clay Snellgrove is the author of The Ball Player. He’s a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University. A former professional baseball player, Clay holds an MFA in creative writing from Converse College.
The Immortal Irishman by Timothy Egan / Review by Laura Stewart Schmidt
The Immortal Irishman
By Timothy Egan
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
$28.00
ISBN 978-0544272880
Published March 1, 2017
Book of the Day
The Immortal Irishman (Timothy Egan, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) is the story of Thomas Francis Meagher (pronounced Muh-HAHR), an important figure in Irish history and the man who designed the Irish flag as we know it. Even to the reader who doesn’t trace his or her roots back to Ireland, this fascinating book is well worth reading for the historical significance of a man who spent his life struggling on behalf of the poor and downtrodden. Meagher’s life is well documented, but his death under mysterious circumstances in 1867 was never adequately explained.
Meagher grew up in an Ireland suffocated by English rule and dismissed in an unconscionable manner when catastrophe struck. Potatoes were the major crop, and because they were easy to grow in their many varieties, often fed entire large families. The potato famine, brought about by a fungus believed to have arrived on a ship from the young country of America, devastated Ireland. The people basically had two choices—flee or die of hunger. Many couldn’t afford passage, and the ones who tried often died en route to another country, or arrived as indentured servants, owing more for their passage (and that of deceased family members) than they could hope to pay. The ones left behind were not a concern to the ruling English, whose treatment of the starving Irish was appalling. They promised “relief”—but only to those who could pay for it.
Young Thomas and his friends, incensed and tired of being second-class citizens, staged an uprising. Unfortunately, they were eventually caught, tried and sentenced to Tasmania at a time when England used its new colony of Australia as an Alcatraz of sorts. Meagher ultimately escaped and fled to America, which was on the verge of the Civil War. The blacks’ struggle for emancipation hit home with Meagher and he joined the Union army. Although many of his fellow Irish immigrants, finding themselves on the bottom rung of society in their new home, despised blacks and had no interest in fighting and dying for them, Meagher saw the Confederate States behavior as allegorical to the English treatment of his own people. He wasn’t fooled by politicians who spurred poor whites to hate blacks and immigrants, understanding better than most the destructive results of such divisionary tactics.
Following the war, Meagher found himself in Montana, acting as territorial governor. He helped to establish a “New Ireland” in his adopted home, but not without a further struggle. A gang of vigilantes terrorized the settlers, accusing and passing “sentence” on anyone they did not like. Meagher was wearying of serving as governor, an unpaid position when he was sent to pick up a cache of arms from a riverboat. Ultimately he ended up in the Missouri River, and his body was never recovered.
The leader of the vigilantes gave an account of Meagher’s actions, implying the governor had committed suicide. This is possible; however, when the story of a man’s last day is iterated by his worst enemy, it doesn’t quite pass the smell test. Egan examines the various possibilities (suicide, accident, murder) and offers a plausible theory as to what really happened to Thomas Meagher. The book reads like a novel with history lessons, both educating and entertaining readers. Among the fascinating tidbits are names of famous Irish emigrant families and the parentage of playwright and poet Oscar Wilde. Unfortunately, many of the accounts of ill-treatment of entire races and classes are not unfamiliar to modern readers. Perhaps we can learn from history and try to stop repeating it.
Laura Stewart Schmidt is a lifelong reader who was inspired by “good books for bad children” such as Harriet the Spy and Otis Spofford. She has a degree in Political Science with a minor in Criminal Justice from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Laura worked for several years as a community education coordinator, encouraging parents to read to their children and setting up reading clubs for middle-school students.
Laura spent two years as a family court advocate for at-risk youth and parents suffering from substance addiction. She also worked for several years at an agency offering one-on-one support for children and adults with developmental disabilities and their families.
Her current writing project is:
DON’T FEAR, MY DARLING, a suspense novel in the tradition of Hallie Ephron’s THERE WAS AN OLD WOMAN. Louisa is grieving her cherished grandfather’s death and stumbling through a series of demeaning jobs when she finds the perfect position–a live-in secretary to an elderly author, Marguerite Roberts. Louisa’s Native American heritage teaches respect of elders, and she is puzzled that Marguerite’s family members have nothing to do with her. But Louisa soon realizes there is much more to the job than she expected. Nothing in the family is what it appears to be, and Louisa begins to fear for Marguerite’s life–and her own.
Laura lives near St. Louis with her husband and two dogs. She is a member of Sisters in Crime http://www.sistersincrime.org/ and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) https://www.scbwi.org/.
The Marianated Nottingham and Other Abuses of the Language by Charley Pearson / Review by Laura Hartman
The Marianated Nottingham and Other Abuses of the Language
By Charley Pearson
Charles E. Pearson
$14.98
ISBN 978-0997299304
Published April 1, 2016
Book of the Day
2017 Silver Falchion Winner Best Anthology or Collection
The Marianated Nottingham (yes, I have spelled the title exactly as the author intended. Once you read it you will understand) is a fun YA compilation of screenplays, ballads, and a few short stories. At the beginning of the book is the foreword, do not skip these few pages. They are a glimpse into the thoughts of a very funny man who will delight and entertain you for the next few hundred pages.
A series of short screenplays are sprinkled throughout the book. They are based upon the same company; Microhard Software Company. It is not for the faint of heart, but definitely for the people who find hilarity in odd situations like I do.
The main screenplay, The Marianated Nottingham is the true story of Robin Hood as told by Pearson. It is a totally different Robin and band of Merry Men than you have read before. The characters are the same, but they play many different roles than in the previous telling of their tales. I love the crazy spin on a classic that Pearson takes. Reminiscent of fractured fairy tales for children, Pearson brings us the adult version. It is smart, witty and absolutely laugh-out-loud funny at times. I don’t want to add a spoiler here, so will suffice to say the recurring references to things that have not been invented yet were some of my favorite parts.
The author’s wit and humor makes this book a fast and fun read. He pulls you into his crazy version of Nottingham making it a totally believable place with the usual characters spun differently supporting the depth of the tale. At first, I was leery of the screenplay format. But honestly, Pearson was brilliant by not writing this in prose. The story flows swiftly and surely via conversations and stage directions. After a few pages I didn’t even notice the difference between a conventional novel verses screenplay other then it was a much easier, faster way to digest the action.
Pearson is a best-selling author just waiting to be discovered by the masses. If you are a fan of Christopher Moore, you will love The Marianated Nottingham. The minute I began this book it reminded me in spirit of the sharp, funny writing of Lamb and Fool by Moore. Now that Pearson is on my radar, I will be sure to seek out his other books as soon as they are available.
DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy for free from the publisher/author in connection with Killer Nashville in return for my review. Copyright © 2017 Laura Hartman
Laura Hartman is a short story author and book reviewer. She has work appearing in A Woman’s Touch: 11 Stories of Murder & Misdemeanors and The Killer Wore Cranberry, A Second Helping. She began reviewing books for GenReviews in 2011 and currently reviews for publicist Maryglenn McCombs, Penguin First to Read and NetGalley. She is a writer by day and a reader by night.
The Jealous Kind by James Lee Burke / Review by Laura Stewart Schmidt
The Jealous Kind
By James Lee Burke
Simon & Schuster
$27.99
ISBN 978-1501107207
Published August 30, 2016
Book of the Day
Anyone familiar with the music of alt-country artist Rodney Crowell knows that 1950s Houston had little in common with the 1950s of television sitcoms. In James Lee Burke’s The Jealous Kind (Simon and Schuster, 2016), seventeen-year-old Aaron Holland Broussard’s life bears no resemblance to TV’s Cunninghams or Cleavers. His gritty Houston is a darker West Side Story, with a skyline the color of “the glitter of thousands of razor blades.” There are violent teenage gangs everywhere, toting chains and switchblades, and no one dares to cross into the opponents’ part of town. Moreover, oil has created wealth, and wealth begets people to exploit it—the kind who “look like they’re glued together from other people’s body parts.” This is the world Aaron is cautiously navigating—until he dumps caution to the pavement and spits on it.
Aaron gets on the mob’s bad side when he interferes with Grady, a connected man’s son who is mistreating his girlfriend. Aaron instantly falls in love with the girl, Valerie, further enraging his new nemesis. Aaron’s best friend, Saber Bledsoe, is foolish without fear and finds ingenious ways to enrage their enemies. The bad guys strike back, framing Aaron and Saber for a nasty crime against a man the boys have good reason to hate.
Saber befriends two criminals in his short jail stay, and suddenly Grady’s expensive cars come up missing. Saber clearly has more moxie than brains, and Aaron reflects that a conversation with him is akin to “talking to the driver of a concrete mixer (backing through) a clock shop.” But Aaron refuses to turn his back on his friend, even when the organized criminals suspect him of wrongdoing and threaten to hurt Valerie, Aaron’s pets, and his parents. The mob doesn’t forgive and forget. Aaron must come up with another way out of the trouble he and Saber are in—as well as try to figure out who is responsible for a murder the police aren’t interested in solving.
It is obvious Aaron survives to tell us the tale. The reader isn’t sure if the same is true for Saber and Valerie, as there is a sense of escalating danger and impending doom for most of the story. Houston as a setting is so vividly drawn it is a character in itself. The sparkling image of the 1950s that post-Baby Boomers were raised on is clearly a whitewash this book corrects like a slap to the head. The Jealous Kind is a mystery, a love story, and a coming-of-age story, wrapped up in one excellent package. Open it and enjoy the gift.
Laura Stewart Schmidt is a lifelong reader who was inspired by “good books for bad children” such as Harriet the Spy and Otis Spofford. She has a degree in Political Science with a minor in Criminal Justice from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Laura worked for several years as a community education coordinator, encouraging parents to read to their children and setting up reading clubs for middle-school students.
Laura spent two years as a family court advocate for at-risk youth and parents suffering from substance addiction. She also worked for several years at an agency offering one-on-one support for children and adults with developmental disabilities and their families.
Her current writing project is:
DON’T FEAR, MY DARLING, a suspense novel in the tradition of Hallie Ephron’s THERE WAS AN OLD WOMAN. Louisa is grieving her cherished grandfather’s death and stumbling through a series of demeaning jobs when she finds the perfect position–a live-in secretary to an elderly author, Marguerite Roberts. Louisa’s Native American heritage teaches respect of elders, and she is puzzled that Marguerite’s family members have nothing to do with her. But Louisa soon realizes there is much more to the job than she expected. Nothing in the family is what it appears to be, and Louisa begins to fear for Marguerite’s life–and her own.
Laura lives near St. Louis with her husband and two dogs. She is a member of Sisters in Crime http://www.sistersincrime.org/ and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) https://www.scbwi.org/.
Seven Suspects by Renee James / Review by Danny Lindsey
Seven Suspects
By Renee James
Oceanview Publishing
$26.95
ISBN: 978-1608092550
Published: October 3, 2017
Book of the Day
Seven Suspects is the third and latest installment of The Bobbi Logan Detective Series. I'm not sure why I chose this book. After all, a deep South, straight, male, baby boomer, retired Army officer is hardly the intended audience. Add to that the fact that I am not accustomed to, and usually not appreciative of first-person present tense writing, particularly from the POV of a transsexual woman.
Bobbi Logan has seemingly made a successful transition from male to female. Her salon is successful, and her life (mostly) in balance. Sex appears to be confusing, as one who has not chosen her path might imagine. She is haunted by the memory and experience of being raped, and her freedom of movement is circumscribed by that. A stalker exacerbates the situation, and Bobbi decides to take the initiative. Her list of suspects, and their interactions with her form the bulk of the book. A former lover and police detective at various times supports her, assists her, and attempts to dissuade her from aggressively ferreting out her adversary, all the time adding to the tension. The ending and the denouement leave the reader surprised, satisfied, and prepared to follow Bobbi’s character into the next installment in the series.
I did not expect to like it. Funny thing is, I liked it. A lot. Quirky? Yes. Overly (to me) concerned about being assaulted? Yes. Unrealistic? Yes, again, to me. But I liked the flow, the story, the book, and would most certainly recommend it. I'm still not sure why. But I may re-read it, and will certainly look for Renee James' next work.
Danny Lindsey keeps trying to retire. After a 20-year Army career and a 25-year second one in the private sector, he’s finally settled down. His current gig is as the Veteran Employment Services Manager for a Huntsville, A.L. based non-profit, Still Serving Veterans. Both full careers were characterized by numerous writing assignments, from war plans to operating policies and procedures, then on to white papers, analyses of alternatives and competitive contract and grant proposals. Now his writing consists of blogs for the website www.ssv.org, podcasts for the local NPR affiliate, and a half dozen Pulitzer-worthy, albeit unpublished novels.
Update: Danny won the 2017 Killer Nashville Claymore Award with his manuscript Serial Justice - so he will not be unpublished for long!
The Right Side by Spencer Quinn / Review by Clay Stafford
The Right Side
By Spencer Quinn
Atria Books
$26.00
ISBN 978-1501118401
Published June 27, 2017
Book of the Day
The Right Side is a new novel by New York Times bestselling author Peter Abrahams writing under the pseudonym Spencer Quinn. The protagonist is a female soldier who comes home from Afghanistan after a horrific accident only to find the civilian world just as tough, if not tougher, than war itself.
LeAnne Hogan is a proud, independent woman who is now disabled. She does not take it well. At times, it is difficult to like her. She’s cutting, she’s rude, but she is hurting psychologically. She has witnessed the death of those close to her. She has guiltily lived and they have not. She feels betrayed. She feels it all her fault. And, saying all this, Spencer Quinn writes her in a way that the reader can’t help but root for her. You want her to do well. You want her to survive.
There are two things going on chronologically: we learn of the events leading up to the accident in Afghanistan, and we share the unfolding as LeAnne struggles to make her way in the civilian world. The mystery is what really happened in Afghanistan. She doesn’t want to believe it. Truthfully, neither does the reader. There are elements that made me physically angry. I credit Quinn for writing it to produce full-effect.
Part of the damage done to LeAnne is facial. She has lost an eye. I love the thematic symbol in this. Her depth perception is lost. She is blind on one side. It all plays into the storyline’s issue of trust and truth. In love, sometimes we are blind to what others can see; we see the relationship, but not its true depth.
The Right Side is not a thriller or even suspense. It is only remotely a mystery. It is a character study, and well-done at that. I do not want to give away more than I have to, but the ending satisfies. You need to read this novel. It will make you feel extremes along with LeAnne. It will make you want more. It will make you sad. And it will make you smile. Satisfaction will come on the last page. No need for a spoiler alert, just know: this is a book you’ll want to read.
Clay Stafford is an award-winning author, screenwriter, and filmmaker. He has sold over 1.5 million hardcover copies of his children’s adaptations and has seen his film work distributed internationally in over 14 languages. Four of his five staged murder mysteries have had Los Angeles premieres. He has reviewed books, plays, and films, writes near-daily book reviews for the Killer Nashville Book of the Day, has been quoted on book jackets, and has edited several PBS companion books associated with national series. Publishers Weekly has named Stafford one of the top 10 Nashville literary leaders playing “an essential role in defining which books become bestsellers” not only in middle-Tennessee, but also extending “beyond the city limits and into the nation’s book culture.” (PW 6/10/13). He is the founder of Killer Nashville (www.KillerNashville.com) and publisher of Killer Nashville Magazine (www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com). He has served on the board of numerous nonprofits. Clay has a B.A. and M.F.A. and has been a professor or lecturer to several major universities. His list of current projects includes the award-winning feature-length documentary “One Of The Miracles: The Inge Meyring Smith Story” (www.OneOfTheMiracles.com) and the music CD “XO” with fellow mystery writer Jeffery Deaver (www.JefferyDeaverXOmusic.com). Previously associated with Universal Studios and PBS, he is currently President / CEO of American Blackguard, Inc. (www.AmericanBlackguard.com), a publishing / film and television / music / entertainment company near Nashville, Tennessee. More information can be found at www.ClayStafford.com.
Murder at Venegoni's by Mr. Christopher M. Rutledge / Review by G. Robert Frazier
Murder at Venegoni’s
By Mr. Christopher M. Rutledge
CreateSpace
$13.99
ISBN 978-1537377957
Published 9/23/2016
Book of the Day
Alright, youse guys, listen up. There’s this book about mobsters, see… Murder at Venegoni’s. Written by some wiseguy screenwriter by the name of Christopher M. Rutledge. It’s like The Godfather--you know, that magnum opus of the Family Corleone by that Puzo guy. Now, it ain’t as long as Puzo’s book, so don’t get your panties in a wad. You can probably read Murder in one sitting, but it’s got just as much action as The Godfather, if not more. I mean, right from the start the bullets are flying and the bodies are dropping like flies. It’s like an endless slice of mob-on-mob violence. Dark and brutal. There’s even a couple of molls and a corrupt cop plotting double-crosses. Only thing missing is all that ruminatin’ that characters do. You know, the inner thinking and musing stuff. There’s some of it, yeah, but if that’s the kind of read you’re looking for, fuhgeddaboutit! Rutledge ain’t got time for that. There’s too many shootouts to get through to be wasting on a bunch of mushy character stuff. Anyways, it’s a book about these two mob families from the old country, see. The Venegoni's and the Graziano's. They’ve been warring since the early 1800s. Started with some dispute over a winery fire and the bad blood’s continued to this day, all the way to the Windy City. And after 200 years of feudin’, it’s all reached a boiling point. So’s the Graziano's put a hit on the Venegoni's and take out their don in a hail-o-bullets. That puts Joseph next in line to lead the Venegoni's. Along with his somewhat psycho brother, Michael, he vows revenge and the war is back on in a big way. And before you know it, one hit follows another and the bodies start piling up.
You get the idea. Salute!
When he’s not working on his own novel or screenplays, G. Robert Frazier writes about other writers and their works on his blog and other sites such as BookPage and US Review of Books. He is a script reader for both the Austin Film Festival and Nashville Film Festival screenwriting competitions and is a member of the Tennessee Screenwriting Association. He used to write and edit stories for several newspapers in the Nashville area until the industry caved in on itself and set him free. And he once won a flash fiction contest in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, so there’s that.
The 7th Canon by Robert Dugoni / Review by Kelly Saderholm
The 7th Canon
By Robert Dugoni
Thomas & Mercer
$15.95
ISBN 978-1503939424
Published 09/27/2016
Book of the Day
In Dugoni’s book, “the seventh canon” states that a lawyer shall represent his client zealously within the bounds of the law, which is great, but what if your client is a priest accused of killing a minor under his care? And what if the lawyer in question is a 28-year-old, still wet-behind-the-ears defense attorney who has only been practicing three years under the sharp eye of his uncle’s law firm?
Robert Dugoni’s The 7th Canon is a well written legal thriller that grapples with these and other legal quandaries, while also delivering a fast-paced thriller, which will keep the pages turning to the exciting end. The main character, 28-year-old Pete Donley, shows promise as a young attorney but doubts himself, and with good reason. He grew up with an abusive father, and that past still haunts Donely. He is also anxious about his future which includes his young wife and toddler son. Donley is considering taking a higher paying job at a more prestigious law firm when his uncle, Lou Giantelli is suddenly taken out of commission just as Lou’s longstanding client and friend, Father Thomas Martin, desperately needs an attorney. Donely accepts the case and discovers that what appears to be an open and shut case is anything but. He finds himself in way over his head as he struggles with City politics, rogue cops and the dangers of San Francisco's Tenderloin area of the late 1980’s.
Lovers of legal thrillers will enjoy this book, but honestly, it’s a great read for just about anyone. Although Dugoni is known for his series novels, this novel is a stand-alone and is a quick read. Set in 1980’s San Francisco, this novel does not get bogged down in arcane legal jargon but moves at a quick pace to an exciting ending which this reviewer found quite satisfying. The characters are well drawn. The opening scene, in which Donley calls a parrot to the witness stand, not only draws us into the book, and adds a touch of humor, but also gives the reader a look into Donley’s character and his readiness to go outside the box to defend his clients. His creative thinking will certainly be useful as the story unwinds.
Kelly Saderholm has written, blogged, and lectured about aspects of the mystery novel. She has moderated panels and presented papers at literary conferences, on both the Mystery Novel and Urban Fantasy. She is currently writing a non-fiction book dealing with Folklore in the American South. She is a recipient of a Kentucky Foundation for Women Writer’s grant. She lives in South Central Kentucky with her family and two feline office assistants.
A Brilliant Death by Robin Yocum / Review by Laura Stewart Schmidt
A Brilliant Death
By Robin Yocum
Seventh Street Books
$15.95
ISBN 978-1633881280
Published 04/05/2016
Book of the Day
A review should avoid gushing. But I have nothing bad and everything good to say about this gem of a book. A Brilliant Death by Robin Yocum (Seventh Street Books) is the story of Mitch and his best friend Travis, growing up in Ohio steel country in the early 1970s. Travis’ mother disappeared years ago, and it is presumed she drowned while absconding with a lover—at least, that’s what everyone thinks, and it’s the story Travis’ father, “Big Frank,” has always told his son.
But Travis doesn’t believe him. He has no reason to—Big Frank is a violent bully who terrorizes everyone around him. Travis is convinced his mother would never run away and leave him with Big Frank. Therefore, Travis reasons, she must have been murdered. But why has no one ever found her? With no other family around, and no one other than Mitch who cares about him, Travis wants to find his mother’s body and know once and for all what really happened to her.
Mitch signs on to “Project Amanda” out of love and loyalty for his friend, and immediately finds himself doing work more dangerous than he imagined. Project Amanda is a multi-year endeavor, requiring detective work worthy of the FBI. It’s an uphill battle because the townspeople are so afraid of Big Frank they won’t talk. The law enforcement officers who investigated the case are no help—they may be involved in the deaths of Amanda and her unknown companion, and one cop went to prison for tampering with evidence. As Mitch and Travis get closer to the truth, Big Frank gets more hostile and threatening, and no one will intercede for the boys.
Big Frank could have been perhaps more dimensional; he is so evil as to be almost a caricature. But everything else in the book is close to perfection. Mitch and Travis are sympathetic characters with compelling motivation, and the Vietnam-era Ohio River Valley comes to life through Mitch’s descriptions and experiences. Yocum is a master at creating and building suspense. The boys’ mission appears so treacherous the reader is almost afraid to keep reading for fear of what will happen to them and their occasional ally. But it is worth the roller-coaster ride to take Mitch and Travis’ journey, culminating in an ending which is redemptive without being unrealistic. Mr. Yocum has a new fan, and I can’t wait for his next book.
Laura Stewart Schmidt: A lifelong reader and writer, inspired as a child by Harriet the Spy and Emily of New Moon. She minored in criminal justice in the hope that it would make her a more effective and knowledgeable mystery writer. Her Young Adult novel, Sweeter Than Life, was published by Martin Sisters Publishing in 2015. She has spent several years working as a community education coordinator, encouraging parents to read to their preschoolers and starting reading clubs for middle-school students. She also worked as a family court advocate for at-risk youth and parents suffering from substance addiction. Laura is also a member of Sisters in Crime and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
In the Valley of the Sun by Andy Davidson / Review by Kelly Saderholm
In the Valley of the Sun
By Andy Davidson
Skyhorse Publishing
$24.99
ISBN 978-1510721104
Published 06/06/2017
Book of the Day
Andy Davidson’s debut novel gives us yet another reason to steer clear of run-down motels off the beaten path. His novel In the Valley of the Sun (Skyhorse Publishing) is a book that you will want to read at least twice. Once for the suspenseful can’t-turn-the-pages-fast-enough plot that builds to a gripping climax. Then you will want to read it again for the gorgeous prose that immerses the reader into the bleakly beautiful West Texas landscape and gives us multifaceted characters with authentic dialogue and complex but believable motivations. Davidson infuses a police-procedural plotline with a new twist on the vampire mythos, while simultaneously providing readers with fresh insights on the darker side of the human psyche.
Haunted by his past, Travis Stillwell is both the hunter and the hunted. Travis stalks women in a series of West Texas honky-tonks until one night he comes across more than he’s bargained for. He hooks up with the mysterious Rue, who leads him back to his cab-over camper. The next morning, Travis awakes to find himself bloodied and profoundly changed. Like a wounded animal, he drives off to lick his wounds and hide. He finds sanctuary in the parking lot of a decrepit motel run by the young widow Annabelle Gaskin. Tavis gradually forms a cautious relationship with Annabelle and her ten-year-old son, all the while fighting an unspeakable evil that feeds on Travis at night. Meanwhile, a Texas Ranger is on the move.
Davidson provides much more than just this plot, as exciting as it is. He deftly uses characters and setting to deepen the suspense and horror of this work. By providing the character’s backstories, which serve as interesting subplots of the story, as well as highlighting their motivations, he adds yet another layer of intrigue and suspense. The uncanny, omnipresent desert setting adds another dimension of unease and foreboding. At one point in the story, Reader, the Texas Ranger, says, “Monsters, the world’s just full of monsters.” Davidson shows us this is true, but what makes it so very terrifying is that his monsters lurk in the mundane places: a roadside honky-tonk, a cab-over camper. He gives us an abandoned swimming pool filled not only with junk but with a sense of dread. Even an ordinary turtle becomes a scary object. The sense of horror lingers well after the last page is read.
Kelly Saderholm has written, blogged, and lectured about aspects of the mystery novel. She has moderated panels and presented papers at literary conferences, on both the Mystery Novel and Urban Fantasy. She is currently writing a non-fiction book dealing with Folklore in the American South. She is a recipient of a Kentucky Foundation for Women Writer’s grant. She lives in South Central Kentucky with her family and two feline office assistants.
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