TG Wolff

The Beetle’s Last Fifty Grand: A Review

December 11, 2022TG Wolff

Kevin R. Tipple’s contribution to Colin Conway’s Back Road Boddy and His Friends is “The Beetle’s Last Fifty Grand”. Rick Wilson woke up battered, beaten, and in a barn. He says, “Well…shit”, then thinks about how it summed up his life and the situation. Wilson isn’t a bad guy, not at all. But he is a man whose life proves that no good deed goes unpunished.

Through Wilson, Tipple tells the story of Wilson’s brother-in-law, Wyatt, aka The Beetle, a name given to him during his tenure as a getaway driver. Wyatt drove with the legendary Handbrake Hardy and is still owed money. With Handbrake on his deathbed and Wyatt in a similar situation, he sends Wilson to collect this money. It’s to be his inheritence.

Really, Wilson should have known it wasn’t going to be that easy.

I finished reading the story a few days ago, at first not have strong feelings one way or another. But Rick Wilson keeps floating to the top of my mind, a sure sign of a good character and strong story. Without asking for empathy, Tipple creates, in a few short pages, a character you care about. One you can’t help shaking your head and thinking, “Well…shit. He got a raw deal.”

Suicide Kings and Dead Man’s Hands

December 8, 2022TG Wolff

There are many things in our daily lives that are so ordinary, we never stop to consider how we got them. One such thing is featured in my next Jesus De La Cruz mystery – working title PLAYING DEAD – a deck of cards. Mr. Will Roya posted a history of playing cards back in 2018 on the website Playing Card Decks This was one of the most fascinating trips I’ve taken down the internet rabbit hole. There are few things I can think of (although I’m sure some of you can) that combine anthropology, art, societal evolution, and gaming into something that fit in the palm of your hand. Here are a few of my favorite fun facts (paraphrased, of course):

Face cards have long been an element of a deck but who is on the face card varies with deck origin. A king, a knight, a knave. A king, a queen, a prince (later called jack). A king and two knaves. (FYI a knave is a tricky, deceitful fellow according to Merriam-Webster)
52 cards is a deck is far from standard. Some decks have 40 cards, others 48. It wasn’t so much I didn’t know this as I never stopped to think about it.
Hundreds of years ago, innovative printers with modern techniques who could mass produce cards and bring costs down to an “every man” level became a standard, as they were widely circulated, and had a large influence on deck of card we know today. By sheer volume, they pushed aside older styles of cards that were much more expensive and fewer people owned.

How did I use the information in the book? As inspiration my friends. How could a mystery write not be inspired by the lore of suicide kings and dead man’s hands.

And hey, since its the Holiday season, check out Playing Card Decks at playcarddecks.com main page for some fantastically unique decks will stuff that stocking. They have decks to suit every interest and hobby.

Gro is for Grotesque: A Review

November 8, 2022November 7, 2022TG Wolff

Call me butter, I’m on a roll! That is right, a review of the next story in Colin Conway’s 509 Crime Anthology BACK ROAD BOBBY AND HIS FRIENDS. This time it’s Rob Pierce’s turn with GRO IS FOR GROTESQUE. Gro and a woman named Bobby are traveling from Tacoma to Spokane to tie off loose ends with the infamous and dying Handbrake Hardy Fry. For Bobby, it’s about the answer to an unanswerable question. For Gro, well, it’s personal.

Gro and Bobby have secrets…and trust issues. As they grind their way east, the story starts unpacking. They are interesting characters and the story leaves you wanting to know more about how they got where they are.

Fletch Goes for a Ride: A Review

November 7, 2022TG Wolff

Finally found time in between this and that for Eric Beetner’s installment in Colin Conway’s 509 Crime Anthology BACK ROAD BOBBY AND HIS FRIENDS. Fletcher Moore is worn out. A life time of driving and living hard has ruined his hips, made him slower than he should be, even at 72. But aching bones aren’t Fletch’s problem. The problem is a twenty-something who has come looking for the ten grand Fletch owes his boss.

This short story (and it is short) is worth reading twice. Beetner packs a big story in the careful crafted pages, sucking you in and then leading to a very unexpected ending. FLETCH GOES FOR A RIDE is absolutely worth a read…twice.

A Good Man?

September 24, 2022TG Wolff

Cleveland homicide detective Jesus De La Cruz is spending his day off with his fiancée at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. It’s the break from the day-in, day-out they both need.

Until the gun shot.

Now maintenance manager Warren Taylor is dead. Was he the good man his assistant claims, a man pushing the all to be the best they could be. Or was he a stubborn, rigid boss who got what was coming? Listen to Mysteries to Die For and see if you can beat Cruz to the killer.

FADING SHADOW is a story from the De La Cruz casefile. It is set a two months after RAZING STAKES and a month before PLAYING DEAD, the fourth novel in the series, coming in a year or so.

M2D4 Fading Shadow

M2D4 Toe Tag: The Perfect Brother by Chris Patchell

September 16, 2022January 21, 2023TG Wolff

Listen to the first chapter here: https://podcasts.captivate.fm/media/b5f1c273-7d6e-4459-9b0f-d7fcb51b1b4a/TT7-20Perfect-20Brother.mp3

This story is made up of two parts. The first part is suspense; the second part is amateur sleuth. This one is hard to summarize without giving too much away.

Suspense: In a university area of Vancouver, a college co-ed Katie Lord disappeared during a run. Flyers are up everywhere and the cops like her fiancé for it. Mallory Riggins isn’t thinking about Katie when she discovers her driver’s side window shattered. She’s not thinking about anything except how to pay for the repair. Which is too bad. She really should.

Mystery: Amar Saraf is the college professor his students call Dr. Hottie. His is admired by his students and is the apple of his parents’ eye. Indira is his brilliant, younger sister who bucks tradition and her parents at every turn. But even she admits, Amar is the perfect brother. Which is why, when Amar is arrested for the murder of his lover, Indira puts her software engineering skills to work to catch a killer.

Bottom line: The Perfect Brother is for you if you like suspense, dynamic amateur sleuths, and technology as an integral part of detecting.

M2D4 Featured on Writers Who Kill

September 14, 2022TG Wolff

Mysteries to Die For was featured on that fantastic mystery and thriller blog Writers Who Kill. One of the writers who routinely kills is KM Rockwood, who contributed Best Friend to Season 4: A WORD BEFORE DYING. The featured post talks about how our podcast grew from an idea to a media forum tailor made for those who can’t resist a good mystery.

https://writerswhokill.blogspot.com/2022/09/welcome-to-mysteries-to-die-for-by-km.html

Ghostly Deeds

September 9, 2022September 8, 2022TG Wolff

When crossing the Atlantic, few things are worse than have a ghost among the crew. The one above the Paul Henry is looking for men to join its ranks. So far, he’s acquired two souls. Dock in New York, Captain Saverfeld seeks out a pair who solved a deadly mystery on another ship, years before. Mr. Edmund Jessop and Mr. Linus Gordon have turned their time and skills to booking cargo. But they can’t resist a good mystery anymore than we can.

Listen to Mysteries to Die For and solve the mystery of The Ghost of the Paul Henry by Michael Penncavage.

The Ghost of the Paul Henry

Best Friend or Best Fiend?

September 1, 2022TG Wolff

KM Rockwood’s contribution to Mysteries to Die For, Season 4 A Word Before Dying poses just this question. Darlene, a developmentally delayed young woman is hit by a truck driven by her foster father. It’s chalked up to another bad thing happening in a bad neighborhood. Darlene’s last words “best friend” are heard by her older brother and the volunteer social worker who had been supposed to meet Darlene that day. The pair investigate and what they find shocks the community.

Listen here and see what you think. Also available wherever you get your podcasts.

A Word Before Dying: The Book

August 21, 2022TG Wolff

Mystery lovers, have I got a treat for you.

The nine stories of this season’s Mysteries To Die For podcast are coming to a book distributor near you. What makes this anthology so much fun for us mystery lovers is that, like the podcast, there is a pause before the big reveal to give you a chance to solve the murder. I’ve included the list of suspects and summarized the clues in a page called “Deliberation.” Whet your detective skills on these made to order mysteries.

Nuts! by Judi Lynn. Laurel and Nick’s first anniversary Airbnb getaway is hi-jacked by a woman dying on the kitchen floor. “Nuts!” she tells Laurel before losing consciousness.

Finding Hiawatha by Frank Zafiro. Jameson Burrish’s health had been failing but death came for him sooner than expected. With his daughter and nephew at his bedside, he gasps out his final word “Hiawatha.” Is it the rambling of a sick man or a decree to rewrite his will? The answer falls to private investigator Stefan Kopriva.

In Vino Veritas by Jack Wolff. The rag tag team of treasure hunters is within a day of finding the mythical Domas Dei temple when their guide, Den Deadson, meets a messy end. With his last breath he tells Detective-turned-bodyguard James Delviro “in vino veritas.” Now what the heck could that mean?

The Legend of El Melena by Mark Edward Langley. People are turning up dead around a small, burned down church outside Las Palmas, NM. Paranormal journalist Eddie Manning investigates to determine if the hand behind “El Melena” are human or something other.

No Luck like Bad Luck by TG Wolff. Richard Wedgeworth died in the middle of a party, his final words to his wife were “bad luck.” He ate the same food and drank the same drinks as everyone, yet he was poisoned. Solving the mystery is Diamond’s problem. Too bad she’s not for hire.

Sue Her by Kyra Jacobs. Marissa Steele is implicated in murder when the soon-to-be dead man points to her and says “Jimmy will sue her.” A former cop, Charlie Mullins pulls out all the stops to protect his best friend’s sister and the one woman he can never have.

Best Friend by KM Rockwood. A developmentally delayed young woman is hit by a truck and killed, the case closed as a tragic accident. But her last words “best friend” mean Darlene’s older brother and a volunteer social worker aren’t so quick to close the book.

The Ghost of the Paul Henry by Michael Penncavage. Men are dying aboard the Paul Henry. The only clue to their demise is the last word uttered by one of the damned. “Ghost.” Captain Saverfeld turns to Mr. Edmund Jessop and Mr. Linus Gordon to answer the question of if there is a ghostly hand behind it all.

Fading Shadow by TG Wolff. A day of the zoo becomes work for Detective Jesus De La Cruz when the maintenance manager Warren Taylor is shot. His dying word “shadow” leaves Cruz looking hard at those closest to the man.

Available from the e-retailers below. Available August 31 with pre-order available now. Amazon | Apple Books | Barnes & Noble |