Tag: mysteries

I’ll Buy Anything They Write

Last week I shared with you 10 of my favorite fictional characters. 

Today, I thought I’d share with you 13 of my favorite fictioneers. Contemporary writers who I find so very satisfying I’ll buy anything they write.

So here’s a shoutout to my Dazzling (Baker’s) Dozen.

Crispian Thurlborn

This guy can write. Weird. Fantasy. He can do so with dark wry humor. He can slowburn his way to your fear button. He can lead you down a strange and dreamy road to terror. He’s just plain good. One of my top 5 favs.

Find him on Amazon.

Richard Schwindt

Schwindt writes hilarious satire; occult detective stories laced with dark humor; poignant, introspective whodunits; humorous paranormal adventures; and fabulous literary quality short stories.

He will make you think, laugh, and cry. And that’s a pretty doggone good combo.

Find him on Amazon.

Caleb Pirtle III

Pirtle writes non-fiction by the bucket load. I’m not a non-fic guy, but I can tell you, from what I’ve read, he can spin a good yarn even writing non-fic. Doesn’t matter if he’s writing a biography of a person or a town, it will be an interesting story.

But it’s in his fiction where I think he shines. Pirtle makes the past (his favorite place to be) or the present come alive. And the people you meet in the pages of his books are just as real as your next door neighbor.

Pirtle will make you feel the heat and humidity. He’ll make you feel the hope and the despair. He will make you stop and ponder a bit of wisdom one of his people just said. He’ll make you laugh. And he’ll make you cry. He’s a magician with the written word.

I’d probably buy his grocery list. They don’t come any better than Caleb Pirtle.

Catch him on Amazon.

Joe Congel

I like well-drawn, realistic characters, who move through a realistic story. I appreciate a story that is told well. And Joe Congel does this with panache.

He writes contemporary PI novels with a hardboiled feel. And he peoples his realistic tales with well-drawn, realistic characters. 

Introduce yourself to Joe Congel. You’re in for a treat.

Check him out on Amazon.

Matthew Cormack

Cormack creates some of the best characters to ever step out of the pages of a book. They are totally lifelike.

He is the epitome of Bradbury’s dictum: create your characters, let them do their thing, and there’s your story. And what stories they are.

His books are, quite simply, a cut above.

And you can find them on Amazon.

James Vincett

Magnificent worldbuilding. Brilliant imagination. Fabulous characters. Incredible stories. These are the hallmarks of the science fiction of James Vincett.

His work is fabulous and I’m first in line to get his next book. I hope it drops soon.

Get his books on Amazon.

Andy Graham

Graham writes some of the best slowburn horror that you can buy. The suspense is oppressive. There are times I have to put the book down in order to catch my breath and get my pulse down.

Graham’s writing is simply top drawer, and you can get his books on Amazon.

Brian Fatah Steele

Steele writes incredibly imaginative modern cosmic horror. A worthy successor to old HPL himself.

I find his imagination unparalleled. He will show you dimensions you can’t even dream of.

His story “Bleak Mathematics”, IMO, is a modern classic.

Find him on Amazon.

John F Leonard

I love Leonard’s imagination. He can range from the cosmic to what’s in your pocket. Stuff you just can’t imagine comes out on the page to terrify you, or just plain scare the crap out of you.

He just might be one of the best writers you’ve never heard of. So make your acquaintance. Pronto. On Amazon.

Ray Zacek

Zacek is good. Plain and simple. Whether it’s biting satire, or terrifying horror, or spooky macabre — Zacek delivers.

His imagination will take you to places you may not in the end want to go. But you know you have to. This guy is one of the best.

Get his books on Amazon.

Garrett Dennis

Dennis’s Storm Ketchum is a truly enjoyable character. Sad to say, though, it looks like the Storm Ketchum series is complete. I hope not. Because Storm is the amateur sleuth par excellence and the supporting cast of characters is amazing.

The stories are as laid back as is Outer Banks island life, which is where the stories take place. Yet, don’t be fooled. Because when excitement is called for, Dennis delivers and you’ll find yourself on the edge of your chair.

I truly hope Mr. Dennis writes more stories of Storm and the Outer Banks. I’m standing in line waiting. On Amazon.

Terry Newman

I love Terry Newman’s Nicely Strongoak — dwarf PI. The mysteries are fun, intriguing, and suspense-filled whodunits. All set in a fantasy world that is not a whole lot different from our own. Great reading you don’t want to miss.

On Amazon.

Jack Tyler

I think Tyler can write anything. He’s that versatile. Steampunk. Epic fantasy. Occult detective. Humor. Police procedurals. Horror. It’s all there and it’s all good.

Whatever’s next on his list to publish, I’m there to buy it.

Tyler is one of the best writers you probably never heard of. And now you have. Go forth and support this guy.

On Amazon.

On Kindle Vella.

There’s my baker’s dozen of writers whose work I will buy sight unseen and will even wait in line to get.

Check them out. You won’t be sorry.

Comments are always welcome! And until next time, happy reading!

 

CW Hawes is a playwright; award-winning poet; and a fictioneer, with a bestselling novel. He’s also an armchair philosopher, political theorist, social commentator, and traveler. He loves a good cup of tea and agrees that everything’s better with pizza.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider buying me a cup of tea. Thanks! PayPal.me/CWHawes 

 

Justinia Wright Private Investigator Mysteries on Amazon!

Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles on Amazon!

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Father Frank to the Rescue

I love the clerical sleuth genre, which is actually a sub-genre of the amateur detective genre.

There’s something about a man or woman of faith matching wits with a murderer. That combination elevates the moral nature of the story.

Philip Grosset of the Clerical Detective website has identified 376 clerical detectives. That’s an awful lot of men and women of the cloth bringing criminals to justice. A clear case of faith in action.

Father Frank first appeared in the book Cleansed by Fire, published in 2012.

You Won’t Know How… Or When, Book 4 in the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles, is also the latest Father Frank mystery. And it’s a good one.

Father Frank has never been to the Texas Hill Country and hasn’t had a vacation in 4 years. His friend from seminary, Father Lee, is the priest at Christ the King Catholic Church in Magnolia Bluff, that idyllic little town on the shore of Burnet Reservoir. So Father Frank decides to pay his friend a visit and do a little sight seeing.

When Father Frank arrives, Father Lee has to attend to an emergency and Father Frank volunteers to do confession for him. And that’s when the fun begins.

Confessions are sacred. Their content cannot be divulged. So what do you do when someone tells you they’re going to kill you? You won’t know how, or when. But they are going to get you.

Then it hits you — the “confession” wasn’t meant for you, but for your friend. And you can’t tell him he’s a marked man. You can’t break the seal of the confessional.

That is Father Frank’s dilemma. And it’s a very difficult one. It turns his holiday into a hunt for a man determined to kill his friend.

In the course of his investigation, he befriends Rev. Ember Cole, the pastor of the Methodist Church, and Harry Thurgood, owner of the Really Good Wood-Fired Coffee Shop, and takes a special interest in their relationship, offering Ember some “fatherly” advice. That gave the story a tender and personal touch.

The book’s storyline is fairly straight-forward. What I enjoyed most was seeing Father Frank working out his faith to achieve tangible and rewarding good works.

Callan doesn’t wield a heavy club when it comes to his faith. His approach is rather matter of fact. An approach that works well for me. An approach that makes the Christian faith accessible and desirable.

You Won’t Know How… Or When is another fabulous entry in the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles series, as well as a worthy addition to the Father Frank series. Two birds with one stone.

Do you like puzzles? Or Wordle? Or just figuring out the instructions on how to put together the table you just bought?

If you do, pick up a copy of this suspense-filled whodunit and see if you can figure out how it will all end. It’s on pre-order at Amazon.

Comments are always welcome. And until next time, happy reading!

 

CW Hawes is a playwright, award-winning poet, and a fictioneer, with a bestselling novel. He’s also an armchair philosopher, political theorist, social commentator, and traveler. He loves a good cup of tea and agrees that everything’s better with pizza.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider buying me a cup of tea. Thanks! PayPal.me/CWHawes

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Peanut Butter and a Heartbreaker

The Great Peanut Butter Conspiracy

Yesterday Cindy Davis’s The Great Peanut Butter Conspiracy dropped. It’s Book 3 in the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles series, and it’s a winner. Pick up your copy today on Amazon.

The People of Magnolia Bluff

Magnolia Bluff, like any town, is filled with people; each one involved in his or her own drama, which may or may not touch the larger drama of the town itself.

Today, with the kind permission of Caleb Pirtle III, we’re going to look at the heartbreaker of Magnolia Bluff.

Rebecca’s one of my favorite characters. You can read Caleb’s original post here.

Meet the Heartbreaker of Magnolia Bluff

I’m not sure my heart made the trip back from Afghanistan when I did. I’d at least appreciate Rebecca looking for it. —Graham Huston

The writer sees the story vividly in his or her own mind. It plays like a movie. Maybe it’s more like an old-fashioned newsreel.

The writer sees it so clearly. That’s not enough. Now the writer has to transform the story and the characters into the heads of readers.

The writer becomes the camera.

That is always my personal concern.

Can I make sure the readers see my characters as clearly as I do? If not, all I have given them are stick figures.

And that’s the death knell of any book.

*

In my newest mystery, Eulogy in Black and White, my hero, Graham Huston, is stricken by the lovely Rebecca Wilson. I describe her this way:

She’s tall. She’s a brunette. She could have walked in from the cover of some magazine, wearing a deep blue dress that looks like silk or satin. Rebecca was probably a cheerleader and quite possibly the Homecoming Queen a few years back. She was definitely a heartbreaker but stayed around while most of her classmates left town for college or better-paying jobs, and then she looked up one morning and realized there were no hearts left in Magnolia Bluff to break. I’d be willing to let her break mine, but I’m not sure my heart made the trip back from Afghanistan when I did. I’d at least appreciate Rebecca looking for it, but what would either one of us do if she found it? She wouldn’t want it, and I’d just throw it away again.

Rebecca is the receptionist, the society editor, and the head of advertising sales. Want your daughter’s wedding picture on the front page? Buy an ad. Want a photograph of your grandchild’s graduation tucked prominently in the newspaper and above the fold? Buy an ad. Want Rebecca to throw away the cell phone shots of you dancing naked at a biker’s bar in Austin? Buy an ad. Rebecca Wilson is a top-of-the-line saleslady. She makes more money than the publisher and deserves every cent she can stuff into the bank. She knows who’s having a shotgun wedding, who’s getting divorced, who’s involved in which extracurricular activity at the high school, which preacher has given up booze for smack, who’s pregnant, and who the real father is.

Rebecca winks, and her smile can light up a dismal room. She’s not flirting. It’s her way of saying hello without breaking the cold, deadly, morning silence of a newspaper office that has all the personality of a funeral parlor.

*

She’s broken more than one heart.

Will Graham Huston’s heart be next?

Pick up a copy of Eulogy in Black and White on Amazon to find out.

You’ll be glad you did.

Now you’ve met Rebecca. You can meet more fascinating people who call Magnolia Bluff home, right here.

Comments are always welcome. And until next time, happy reading!

CW Hawes is a playwright, award-winning poet, and a fictioneer, with a bestselling novel. He’s also an armchair philosopher, political theorist, social commentator, and traveler. He loves a good cup of tea and agrees that everything’s better with pizza.

 

If you enjoyed this post, please consider buying me a cup of tea. Thanks! PayPal.me/CWHawes

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Beyond the Sea — Part 3

Last week, I took a look at 4 stories in Beyond the Sea: Stories from the Underground. Today, I’m taking a look at the final 4 tales that make up this marvelous collection of short fiction. So let’s begin!

The Perfect Future — Cindy Davis

Every story has a back story. Every person has a back story. Cindy Davis tells us of an episode in the lives of two brothers. The episode is an important contribution to her Zipacna series, a metaphysical journey of adventure and discovery.

“The Perfect Future” reminds me of the saying by the Stoic philosopher and Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius: Life is what you make it.

Moonlight Swim — Kelly Marshall

Have you ever felt insulted to the point where you wished someone dead? I suppose we’ve all been there at some point in our lives.

But what if you could get your wish? Would you actually make it? Do some people deserve to die?

An interesting question that. And Ms. Marshall provides us with an equally interesting answer.

The Girl in the Turquoise Bikini — Linda Pirtle

Writer’s block. One thing all writers fear. For most of us it’s temporary, if it shows up at all. For a few of us it’s permanent.

Each writer has his or her own way of dealing with writer’s block. I write through it. Usually by working on a different story than the one on which I’m blocked.

For Jeb McGrierson, it took a girl showing up on his private beach wearing a turquoise bikini, along with a missing boat.

The lengths some writers will go to to start writing again!

Making Waves — CJ Peterson

Sometimes a family has something of value, usually more sentimental than monetary, that gets passed down through the generations.

Darren and his dad build a boat. Little did either one realize the role that boat would play in their family’s subsequent history. In fact, if it weren’t for the boat perhaps there wouldn’t have been a family history at all.

A touching saga of love, facilitated by a boat.

 

I’m proud to be a part of the Underground Authors. We value high quality fiction. Because we like reading. It is the best form of entertainment.

Pick up a copy of Beyond the Sea today and give yourself the gift of superb entertainment, and help Team Rubicon help others when disaster hits.

Comments are always welcome. And until next time, happy reading!

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Beyond the Sea — Part 2

Beyond the Sea: Stories from the Underground is a project of the Underground Authors. We are a group of writers who place a high value on quality fiction. We seek to write it and promote it.

Beyond the Sea was an exercise in creativity. Take one picture and see what stories a dozen writers could find in it. And we found a dozen gems.

Three weeks ago, I blogged about my own contribution, and the three stories that impressed me the most.

Today, and next week, I want to share with you the remaining stories — because all the stories are good.  And what’s more, maybe your favorite is one of these eight imaginative tales.

So let’s dive in!

The Diving Bits — Breakfield & Burkey

Xiamara has spent her and Judith’s savings to buy a boat. Judith is furious. The money was for their tuition to learn computers.

However, Xiamara convinces her friend they can make the money back by taking tourists out snorkeling.

But when their best laid plans meet reality, the two women end up in a heap of trouble.

A fun backstory romp in Breakfield & Burkey’s Enigma Universe.

Stranded — NE Brown

This story starts out innocently enough, but gradually you become aware that something isn’t right. And the ending? You have to read it — no spoilers here.

This is a suspense shocker that will have you trusting no one. A story I very much liked.

I’d Rather Drown — James R Callan

What would you do if you suddenly found yourself a prisoner? That’s the situation Darcy finds herself in. Prisoner of a control freak and possible psychopath. All because she accepted a drink and agreed to a game of tennis.

But she has a life, and it isn’t with her jailer! How is she going to escape Donald’s clutches?

James Callan gives us a tense thriller, brilliantly executed. A tale of escape that will have you biting your nails. I know I did!

Regi Vitam — Michael Scott Clifton

Ever wonder if anything you do ever has a good impact on someone else?

Frankie Scott was old and in poor health. He’d found a lot of talent for the Major Leagues in his day, but now he was all washed up. Just existing until his heart, lungs, or liver gave out. Just existing, that is, until Devin Ramos’ baseball breaks his window.

A heartwarming story that brought tears to my eyes.

Beyond the Sea: Stories from the Underground is a labor of love. All profits go to Team Rubicon to help their efforts to provide humanitarian relief when disaster strikes.

So do yourself and a lot of others a favor and pick up a copy today. You can be a good Samaritan and have fun at the same time!

Buy Beyond the Sea at Amazon

Comments are always welcome. And until next time, happy reading!

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Bookmans

Tucson has the most wonderful used bookstore. It’s called Bookmans, and this privately owned company is amazing. It’s a used book superstore. 

In fact Bookmans is an Arizona treasure, with 3 locations in Tucson, 2 in Flagstaff, and 1 each in Phoenix and Mesa. The company’s been in business since 1976. Check them out at bookmans.com!

The other week I was visiting my dad who lives in Tucson, and set aside one morning to go to Bookmans. Of course I came away with some exciting new gems to add to the library.

The Mad King by Edgar Rice Burroughs

I like Burroughs. He knew how to write a rousing adventure yarn. In fact, he was the model many editors pointed to when advising new writers on how to write.

The Mad King is new to me and I’m looking forward to the read.

Prisoner’s Base and The Black Mountain by Rex Stout

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love the Nero Wolfe series by Rex Stout. In fact, the books are among the very few I re-read. Once upon a time I had the entire series. Today I’m in the process of rebuilding my collection. These two are very welcome. Very welcome indeed!

The Lost Wagon Train by Zane Grey

When a kid, I used to watch Westerns on TV. Shows such as Gunsmoke, Wagon Train, Bonanza, The Lone Ranger, Have Gun — Will Travel, and many others. But I didn’t read Westerns until recently.

Zane Grey is still considered one of the kings among Western writers. So I added this one to my growing Western collection.

The Girl with the Deep Blue Eyes by Lawrence Block

Lawrence Block is an incredibly amazing and versatile writer. I very much like his fiction, and his books for writers are nonpareil. Block can entertain you like few others, and teach you everything you need to know about the writing game. Block delivers, so this one I added to my collection and have already started reading it.

Those were my Bookmans “purchases”. I put that in quotes because that day was my very lucky day. I was one of two winners to get my books for free! How can you not love a bookstore that gives away books?

Reading is the best entertainment. Books are portable storytellers who are always with you. I have many hundreds of physical books and over a thousand on my iPad. Plenty of stories to take me to places and times I could never visit in person.

To me, the person who does not read fiction can only experience the here and now. And as wonderful as that can be, it’s a life devoid of imagination — and that’s only half a life.

Comments are always welcome! And until next time — happy reading!

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In the Top 25

The older I get, the more I enjoy mysteries. Not thrillers. I actually don’t care much for them. I like the traditional whodunit, where the focus is on solving a murder, and the pacing is gentler.

The first novel I wrote was a mystery. The title? Festival of Death. Although the Festival of Death you can buy today on Amazon, is not at all the same book I wrote back in the late ‘80s. It’s amazing how a couple, three decades can change things.

In the last five years, I’ve written five novels, two novellas, three novelettes, and seven short stories in the Justinia Wright Private Investigator series; and there are an additional two novels in the works. I love every minute I spend with Tina and Harry. The series is also my all-time second highest seller.

Now it’s one thing to write something simply because you love doing it. But it’s a whole different ballgame when you get recognized for doing so — which recently happened to me.

International bestselling authors Caleb and Linda Pirtle are known for their promotion of indie authors. It’s a wonderful thing they are doing for their fellow writers.

Recently they named me as One of the Top 25 Mystery Writers You Need to be Reading.

I am thrilled and honored they chose me to be on their list.

Support from one’s peers is always awesome, and I feel very blessed that my fellow writers appreciate and enjoy my work.

Being an Independent Author/Publisher, means you’re it: you are the writer and you are the publisher and you are the marketer. You are responsible for everything: writing the book, editing the book, formatting the book, producing the ebook and print masters, and marketing the book.

All of which is a lot of work, and some days it is more work than I care to handle. I’d rather just be writing. And then along come people like the Pirtles, who have done all that you’ve done, and know how tough this writing business is. There is nothing like a little recognition and appreciation to put gas in your tank.

Here’s a link to Caleb and Linda Pirtle’s website: https://calebandlindapirtle.com/c-w-hawes-one-top-25-mystery-writers-need-reading/

Recognition is nice. It is a signpost to readers: hey, check this out! Because at the end of the day it all boils down to readers. And we writers want readers to know we exist. After all, they buy the books. 

So all you readers who are reading this, buy and review the books of indie authors. They don’t have massive marketing budgets, but they do have you — and your support is crucial for their encouragement and success. Go ahead and make an author’s day.

To my fellow writers, I encourage you to buy and review the books of your peers. Such an act will not only make their day, but you might gain a friend in the process. And who doesn’t need friends? Remember, it’s who you know that counts.

I’m very thankful for the Pirtles and will continue to support my fellow writers. Good karma is, well, good!

Comments are always welcome! And until next time, happy reading!

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More Suggested Reads

Last week I made a few suggestions for your summertime, or wintertime, reading.

This week I’m back with a few more books that will enable you to take a vacay from your daily routine. Enable you to explore new worlds, solve crimes, and witness the world’s first surfing zombie.

The Omega Chronicles by Mark Carnelley

I’m a big fan of post-apocalyptic cozy catastrophes. A cozy catastrophe, in short, is a story about what happens after the apocalypse. These are stories about people and how they survive and how they rebuild their lives and their world. And hopefully make both better in the process.

The two giants in the sub-genre are the classics Earth Abides by George R Stewart and The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham. They are very much worth reading to get a feel for this important, if often neglected, approach to post-apocalyptic fiction.

Mr Carnelley has penned a superb addition to the cozy catastrophe. A tale about the lone survivor of the end of the world as we know it. To be the last person left alive… What would you do? Would you even want to go on living? There’s much food for thought interwoven in this masterful story of survival.

From my review on Amazon:

This book is no action-packed thriller. It is in the great tradition of Earth Abides. You won’t find zombies, or space aliens, or even triffids. This book is about what it means to live when you are the only one alive. Without diving deep into philosophy, Carnelley gives us a philosophy of life — a philosophy of what can make us have tranquility here and now, free from all the baubles and gadgets and so-called pleasures of “civilized” life.

Good stuff from the pen of Mark Carnelley. Don’t pass this one by.

Don’t Dream It’s Over by Matthew Cormack

This book is one mammoth saga. The tale of a survivor of the end of the world, at least as we know it. The book is written in the form of journal entries and McCormack does a magnificent job in handling what can be a difficult narrative form.

I’ve read a fair number of cozy catastrophes, and I must confess that this one is my favorite. The book is an incredible character study of the narrator. The book is also a realistic picture of what life after the end of the world would be like. In addition, McCormack lays out a very practical and realistic plan for the continued survival of humanity.

This is one amazing book. One incredible adventure. Do buy and read this book. It’s fabulous.

Entangled by J. Evan Stuart

I very much enjoy mysteries. And the older I get the more I enjoy them. Not thrillers. I’m talking the classic mystery as perfected back in the 1930s, and continued today by such writers as Sue Grafton, SJ Rozan, and Lawrence Block.

Entangled is the sole offering in what looked to be a promising series. I write “looked” because Mr Stuart has apparently disappeared. And that is a shame. An incredible shame. For this is a masterful mystery. Stuart tells a story that is part police procedural, part love story, and all pursuit for justice.

The writing is very accomplished. Few debut novels reach this level of accomplishment.

I very much enjoyed the book. And even though it is a solo offering, the book is worth the price and the time you’ll spend reading. Because Stuart sucks you into Sonya and Connor’s world. A world of deceit, prejudice, love, methodical detection, and fast-paced action. 

A superb reading adventure!

The Undude by Ben Willoughby

The Undude is the latest release by Ben Willoughby. It is a hilarious dark comedy about a surfer who drowned, his body never recovered, and then comes back to life as a zombie due to toxic waste being dumped into the water.

Mr Willoughby gives us a very funny story that takes a satirical whack at politics, social movements, and environmental pollution. And the Russians are definitely involved!

At base, however, is the message that people just want to be left alone to enjoy life and nature — nature that hasn’t been mangled by commercialization.

A thoughtful and very funny read. Ben Willoughby is one of my favorite authors. There be good reading here.

As always, comments are welcome; and, until next time, happy reading!

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My 2018 Reading Recap

Today begins a new year. So I thought I’d recap some of the excellent books and stories I read in 2018.

I’m loathe to rank the books I read, and I definitely don’t like to single one out as the Best of the Year. Mostly because tastes change and what I put on top today, I might put in the middle tomorrow.

That being written, 2018 was a banner year because I discovered many wonderful writers and even more truly fabulous books and stories.

What I thought I’d do is look over the 43 novels and novellas, the 5 short story collections and 37 individual short stories, and the 8 books of non-fiction I read and give some a shoutout. Good reads with which to load up your ereader for 2019.

Quite a few of the books I read in 2018 I’ve already promoted on Twitter, featured as my Book of the Week on Facebook, or written reviews for this blog. The rest are waiting for their turn in the limelight.

As a reader, I don’t usually finish a book that isn’t holding my attention. I’m 66 and there are too many good books out there to waste time on the bad ones. After all the actuarial tables aren’t on my side.

I also don’t bother with books touted as bestsellers or award winners. Mostly because the disappointment factor is very high with those books. I’ve discovered true gems amongst the books that are not bestsellers and amongst those that have garnered no awards.

Success is largely a matter of luck, and generally has nothing to do with talent. In writing, as in life, persistence is the key.

Now on to the books!

Secrets of the World’s Best-Selling Writer by Francis L and Roberta B Fugate. This is the best book on writing I’ve ever read. And I’ve read quite a few. The book is about the writing career of Erle Stanley Gardner, the creator of Perry Mason. The Fugates had access to the vast archive of Gardner’s notebooks, letters, and papers. The writing advice comes straight from Gardner himself — and the book is full of wisdom. Every writer who is serious about selling his or her work should have this book. And readers interested in the creative process, should also have this book. It’s a treasure trove.

I love short stories and short novels. Too often long works are filled with unnecessary padding — stuff that doesn’t contribute much, if anything, to the story.

However, I did read a couple of hefty tomes in 2018. And neither one had any flab. They were:

Church Mouse by RH Hale

Don’t Dream It’s Over by Matthew Cormack

I’ve previously extolled (and will continue to do so) the virtues of Church Mouse. It’s a powerful novel with exceedingly well-drawn characters. A very memorable read. A modern day classic.

Note: Due to Amazon’s anti-small author policies, Church Mouse is not available in the Amazon US store. The links take you to Ms Hale’s website and from there you can purchase the book at the vendor of your choice.

Don’t Dream It’s Over is one of the best post-apocalyptic novels I’ve ever read. Matthew Cormack, with a deft hand, paints us a world that is not nice — but wherein lies much hope. Hope for a better future than what we might have gotten in the old world.

The book is also one of the most in depth character studies I’ve ever read. You have to read Kazuo Ishiguro to find something similar. An excellent, excellent read.

Now on to the shorter stuff!

In 2018 I made the acquaintance of quite a number of new (to me) writers. Some of these were:

Richard Schwindt

Joe Congel

Seabury Quinn

Stephen A Howells

Ernestine Marsh

Ray Zacek

Simon Osborne

Andy Graham

Zara Altair

Mark Carnelley

John Paul Catton

These men and women will provide you with many hours of great reading pleasure. So let’s look a bit further and see what kind of pleasure they will bring.

Richard Schwindt has 10 works of fiction (by my count) and I’ve read 8 of those works. He’s an entertaining writer, who delivers good mysteries and occult detective tales, along with imaginative fantasy and paranormal reads. His books are infused with humor, and always give me food for thought.

To start, check out Herkimer’s Nose and Fifty-Seven Years (written under his Will Swift byline). Great reads by a great author!

Joe Congel writes traditional private detective mysteries. His books and stories give a nod to the Golden Era of the mystery, while at the same time being very modern reads. If you like the old school mystery, you’ll like Joe Congel’s Tony Razzolito!

The late Seabury Quinn was a very prolific writer during the pulp magazine era. His first published story was in 1918 and his last (I believe) was in the early 1950s. He wrote across many genres, but is best known for his stories in Weird Tales magazine. He was that magazine’s most popular author, and I can see why. The occult detective Jules de Grandin is his most well-known character.

Stephen A Howells has one book published to date, and in my opinion it is a big time winner. The Garden of Jane Pengelly is part ghost story, part love story, part fantasy, and part magical realism. And it is all wonderful! Mr Howells can tug at your heart strings, so have the tissue box handy. You will love this book.

Ernestine Marsh is the queen of the bitingly satirical comedy novel. Agonising is a look at our foibles and how ridiculous we as a species are at times. Ms Marsh wades in with no holds barred and pulls no punches. I laughed with every page I read. I can’t wait to read the sequel, In Agony Again. Voltaire move over.

The work of Ray Zacek can be darkly humorous, or satirical, or just plain dark. I like his stories very much. My favorite to date is Daguerreotype. The tale is a haunting exploration of our dark side and the risk of indulging it. Treat yourself to Mr Zacek’s work. You won’t regret it.

Simon Osborne’s post-apocalyptic novel, Off Grid, begins with an alien invasion — and the aliens don’t want us around. The rest of the book is a story of survival, planning for the future, and deciding how to get rid of the aliens so we have a future. Off Grid is well-written and just plain good.

In the two works by Andy Graham that I’ve read, he gives us wonderfully dark tales. Stories that explore the unseemly part of our psyche and of our soul. An Angel Fallen is especially powerful and memorable. Do check out his work. You won’t be sorry.

Zara Altair writes mysteries set in Ostrogoth Italy a couple decades after the fall of the western Roman Empire. Argolicus is a retired Roman bureaucrat who gets involved in solving murders — in a culture where murder is not a crime! Give the Argolicus mysteries a try. Start with The Peach Widow.

Mark Carnelley has written an intriguing post-apocalyptic book, The Omega Chronicles, where only one person survives the disaster. What would you do if the survivor was you? Definitely worth your time.

John Paul Catton’s work is remarkable for its inventiveness. Tales from Beyond Tomorrow, Vol 1 is a short story collection that explores a variety of themes. A writer decidedly outside the norm. Take a read!

Now on to a few authors who are no stranger to this blog.

If you have a penchant for stories that have the qualities of a fairy tale, then Sarah Zama’s The Frozen Maze is for you. Quite good!

Jack Tyler’s work makes a strong contribution to the good old-fashioned adventure yarn. However, the book that has impressed me the most is his epic fantasy novel, The Stone Seekers. Mostly because it isn’t a Tolkien ripoff. It’s fresh and creative. The book breathes new life into a sub-genre that is filled with hack writing. Do check out The Stone Seekers.

Mannegishi by Ben Willoughby is an inventively dark take on a Native American legend. If you like horror, you’ll like Mannegishi. And all of Willoughby’s other horror tales.

It is no secret that I am very fond of the work of Crispian Thurlborn. And his latest story, Exit, does not disappoint. Thurlborn’s work is imaginative and at times difficult to categorize. It’s often darkly humorous, and written in a style that would make Dickens envious.

Exit is a story that would have made a stunning episode on The Twilight Zone. It’s a good example of dreampunk (you know, Alice in Wonderland) — and it is simply fabulous. Can we actually change our lives? Or are we doomed to live them forever on repeat? Read Exit and then try to answer those questions.

So that’s my reading recap for 2018. Now on to 2019. I’m currently reading Frank Belknap Long’s early Cthulhu Mythos novel The Horror from the Hills. And I’m looking for some good writers to explore this year. If you have suggestions, let me know.

Comments are always welcome! And until next time, happy reading!

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Where Have All The Mysteries Gone?

The latest Justinia Wright Private Investigator Mystery, When Friends Must Die, is now available. There are a total of seven books in the series (if we count Book 0, which Amazon doesn’t).

To be honest, of all the characters I’ve created Justinia Wright is my favorite. She was my first child, so to speak, and I know her so well it’s as though she’s a real person.

But in this age of thrillers and books whose pages turn themselves, Tina and her brother, Harry, have been a hard sell.

Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe books are the ideal detective reads, in my opinion. They have a bit of Sherlock Holmes and a touch of noir, a smidgeon of philosophy, and a lot of wisecracking banter. I will take Nero Wolfe any day over any other fictional detective out there — including the Great Detective himself.

However, the Nero Wolfe novels aren’t thrillers by today’s standards, and while excellent reads I do have to turn the pages myself. And therein lies the rub.

If the mystery writers of the Golden Age were plunked down into today’s publishing world as newbies, I doubt they’d make it. Why? Because at times their books are ponderously slow by today’s standards. The riveting action usually doesn’t appear until the last quarter to third of the book. The front part is all clue gathering and sub-plot and character development. This makes for a slower read, but one in which the plot is more nuanced and the characters are more richly drawn.

Just think, in today’s market the likes of Agatha Christie, Patricia Wentworth, Ngaio Marsh, and Rex Stout might never have seen a book contract from a publisher. And if they’d gone indie, they might have sold books, but I doubt their names would be household words.

In his day, the very prolific Edgar Wallace was selling mysteries like the proverbial hotcakes. Today, virtually none of his books are in print. He often has plenty of action, but his books are in no way, shape, or form thrillers.

Even Erle Stanley Gardner, creator of Perry Mason, is edging towards oblivion as the generation that grew up reading and watching Perry Mason dies off. Why? Because for all the action, they aren’t thrillers.

Which introduces an interesting dynamic in the mystery vs thriller debate. The mystery reader tends to be older. The thriller reader, younger.

Today’s reader, especially readers of indie books prefer action — just like the pulp magazine readers of yore.

But there are writers of mysteries, traditional mysteries, who are managing to sell books. PF Ford, JA Mensies, and Renee Pawlish to name three.

There are, however, more writers of good mysteries who deserve a much bigger audience. Richard Schwindt and his Death in Sioux Lookout trilogy. Joe Congel with his Tony Razzolito, PI series. JP Choquette and her Tayt Waters mysteries. Just to name a few.

But why read traditional-style mysteries instead of thrillers? Primarily because I think they are overall more entertaining and engaging reads. Mysteries tend to be multi-dimensional, whereas thrillers, at least the ones I’ve read, are pretty much one dimensional. Kind of like superhero comic books. There’s a lot of unrelenting action and that’s about it.

Of course superheroes are all the rage, so maybe that explains the appeal of thrillers.

A good mystery is plot-driven, has multi-faceted characters, an engaging storyline, and a certain literary finesse. A good mystery engages one on a more intellectual level. But a good mystery isn’t all in the mind, because there will be plenty of action scenes to get the heart pumping.

Which is my point: a good mystery is a wholistic read. It appeals to the reader on many different levels.

Give PF Ford, JA Menzies, and Renee Pawlish a try. Give Richard Schwindt, Joe Congel, JP Choquette, and even my own Justinia Wright a try. You just might discover a whole new world opening up before you.

Comments are always welcome! And until next time, happy reading!

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