Detective Minka Avery is enjoying a rare day off poolside with her daughter. But an annoying game of Marco Polo turns into the end of Minka’s day off when the player turns up dead.
Listen here or wherever you get Mysteries to Die For podcast
ABOUT Marco Polo Marco Polo, as you got from today’s story, is an aqua “blind man’s bluff” – the tag game, not the poker game. According to Wikipedia, the origin of the name isn’t known. It isn’t related to horse-and-ball game or the people-and-ball game. There isn’t any reported connection between the explorer Marco Polo – Venetian explorer, born 1254, died 1324. Intriquing, isn’t it? The land version, Blind’s Man Bluff, dates back to the 16th century. Playing in water was a natural I’m sure. The game was referenced by this name in a late 1960s survey asking respondents to name a water game. More than a few said “Marco Polo.”
ABOUT Karina Bartow KarinaBartow.com Karina Bartow grew up and still lives in Northern Ohio. Though born with Cerebral Palsy, she’s never allowed her disability to define her. Rather, she’s used her experiences to breathe life into characters who have physical limitations, but like her, are determined not to let them stand in the way of the life they want. Her works include Husband in Hiding, Brother of Interest, Accidental Allies, Forgetting My Way Back to You, and Wrong Line, Right Connection. She may only be able to type with one hand, but she writes with her whole heart!
The Nowhere Girlsis a cold case, crime thriller. FBI Agent Nikki Cassidy has returned home to visit David Monroe in prison. On this 15th anniversary, her sister’s killer has an agenda of his own and Nikki is the key.
Bottom line: The Nowhere Girls is for you if you like serial killer crime thrillers where the past is the key to the present.
Listen to the first chapters here or wherever you find Mysteries to Die For podcast
Two strengths of this story lie in the complexity of the crime and the pacing of its reveal. As indicated in the backcover synopsis (i.e. not a spoiler) the crime here is the kidnapping and murder of not one young girl but several. It begins with the cold case investigation of the murder of Caitlin, Nikki’s sister, 15 years ago and is ramped up with the disappearance of another 13-year-old, Natalie, on the anniversary of Caitlin’s disappearance. While revisiting the site where her sister’s body was discovered, Nikki and team find another body – this one from a girl who disappeared from other state. That element of cross state boundaries enables Nikki to be officially assigned to the case and her team to come in. The evolution of the mystery is deliberately paced and satisfying with nearly every chapter counting.
This is the first in the Nikki Cassidy series with the next two already released. I have not read the others in the series. For a first story, Nikki is well developed. Readers can see from early on how her greatest strength is also her greatest weakness. Nikki is one of those characters wo has an abundance of confidence in her own judgement and abilities. This gives her the steadfastness to stick to a case where others would have turned away but also causes her to make poor and selfish decisions where other people pay the consequences.
The supporting cast in this story are largely the characters associated Caitlin’s murder including the convicted killer, his wife/lawyer, and the ME and prosecutor at the time. The characters are distinctly drawn, making it easy for me to both remember and differentiate them.
The logic of the mystery holds up reasonably well when looked at from back-to-front. But. There is no evidence laid out in the story leading to the Big Bad. Instead, the Big Bad self-reveals in the culmination. While this leads to a wrap-up that is satisfying to the reader, ultimately Nikki didn’t solve the mystery.
When we look at how the main character, Nikki, drove the story, there are mixed results. Nikki is focused on the cold case of her sister’s murder while there is an active hunt for missing 13-year-old Natalie. Understanding that Nikki has convinced herself there is a connection between Caitlin and Natalie, there is no sense of urgency on Nikki’s part to find Natalie. After the first interview with Natalie’s parents, she is focused on what happened 15-years ago. Nikki drives the cold case investigation, yes, but not the missing person in imminent danger.
Readers will enjoy this crime thriller best if they go into it with the expectation of a cold case crime thriller rather than a missing person thriller. The discovery that there is a serial killer and answers to Caitlin’s murder are the central story; the search for Natalie is not.
The dynamic storytelling, dramatic pacing, and satisfying ending make THE NOWHERE GIRLS great entertainment for lovers of crime thrillers.
The Nowhere Girls was released from Bookouture and is promoted by Partners In Crime Tours and is available from AMAZON LINK and other book retailers.
MEET Dana Perry
Dana Perry is a New York City author who writes mystery thrillers under the pen names of Dana Perry and R.G. Belsky. He is an award-winning author of crime fiction and a journalist in New York City. As Perry, he writes crime thrillers including the Nikki Cassidy series. As Belsky, he has has published 21 novels—all set in the New York city media world where he has had a long career as a top editor at the New York Post, New York Daily News, Star magazine and NBC News. He is a contributing writer for The Big Thrill magazine and BookTrib.
Partners In Crime Tours represents a network of 300+ bloggers offering tailor-made virtual book tours and marketing options for crime, mystery and thriller writers from around the world. Founded in 2011, PICT offers virtual book tour services for well-established and best-selling authors, as well as those just starting out with their careers. PICT prides itself on its tailored packages for authors, with a personal touch from the tour coordinators. For more information, check out their website partnersincrimetours.com
A comic universe convention scavenger hunt ends in murder. Four newly aquainted friends go out to hunt for the final items; only three come back alive. Two cops, a journalist, and you have to deduce who became the hunter.
Listen here or wherever you get Mysteries to Die For podcast
According to Britannica.com, America writer and hostess Elsa Maxwell is credited with creating scavenger hunts as a party game. Maxwell was renown for your parties both for the A-list guests and for the novelties she created to amuse them. Maxwell was an interesting, self-made woman. Born in 1883, she supported herself as a theatre pianist and accompanist while in her teens. She worked with a Shakesperean troupe, in vaudeville, and in music halls, all without ever having been taught music. She published some 80 songs over her lifetime. By the end of World War I, she was a professional hostess and event organizer across Europe. It is certainly believable that a woman as talented as Elsa Maxwell was – both artistically and in managing events – that she could create a game that is both simple and endlessly creative.
Wikipedia notes that scavenger hunts are held at American universities and that Escape Manor, Inc. in Ottawa currently holds the Guiness World Record for the largest hunt with over 2,700 participants.
Nick Andreychuk is a Derringer Award-winning mystery writer. His stories, which range from classic whodunnits to hardboiled crime to suspense thrillers, have appeared in numerous publications, including Bullet, Hardboiled Crime Scene, Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine, Plan B, Techno Noir, Who Died in Here? and Woman’s World. Reviewers have described Andreychuk’s work as “clever,” “fast-paced,” “action-packed,” “quirky,” and “bloody brilliant.”
Rise to Rebellionis a historical mystery. July 1776. Jeremy Butler is called to investigate threats to the Continental Congress delegation. The attacks seem to come from nowhere and everywhere at once and no one within the households are safe. Jeremy finds an unlikely ally in Hannah White, a Quaker, a widow, and a businesswoman. Together, they unknowingly corner the villain, only to have to fight their way out.
Bottom line: Rise to Rebellion is for you if you like mysteries equally braided with historical and women’s fiction.
Listen to the 3rd chapter – the start of the mystery – here or wherever you get Mysteries to Die For podcast
Strengths of the story. The premise of the story is one of the shining stars. Set in July 1776, the war for Independence is palpable to all. Everyone has a side and being on the side of the patriots isn’t the easy decision history leads us to believe. Bates shows us the working class side of Philadelphia through the household of Hannah Payne White and the farm where Faith Payne Clarke has returned to. The storytelling of the life of unmarried women, freed persons, and enslaved persons humanizes the history, showing us strong, capable people doing what they can to not just survive, but live and thrive.
Bates certainly did her research in the history and culture of the era. It, too, is a shining star. A note from the author talked about her commitment to historical accuracy and the one liberty she took with the story to make it doable for Jeremy. She apologized to history buffs who may be confused by the change. As someone who calls out unreasonable timeframes, I appreciated that she noted it and took steps to make the story plausible.
Jeremy Butler’s story is the mystery. As described, he has gone to Philadelphia to investigate incidents affecting members of the Continental Congress. John Hancock and Benjamin Franklin believe someone is working to subvert their cause.
Faith Clark’s story is women’s fiction. Faith returns home to visit her dying mother, reuniting with the father and siblings she left behind when she married and moved to Virginia. There is some intrigue—the discovery of a murdered neighbor and of an unknown oldest sister—but the story arc is focused on Faith coming to terms with her upbringing and her mother.
Hannah Clark’s story is a mix of drama, romance, and mystery. She picks up with question of an unknown sister and follows down leads as she is juggling running her business selling china settings and taking care of her guest, Jeremy Butler, who returns far too often bleeding from some place or another.
All three characters are engaging and likeable. I am sure readers will vary on which character and storyline is their favorite.
This is the third book in the Faith Clarke Mystery series. I have not read the first two. This story stands alone, being set a year after the second and in a different location.
Where the story fell short of ideal: There are a few places where RISE TO REBELLION falls short of an ideal historical mystery. While this is part of the Faith Clarke mystery series, Faith’s storyline is women’s fiction and is only present for about half the book. At that point, her sister Hannah picks up the storytelling, taking it in a different direction. The mystery would be more accurately characterized as a Jeremy Butler mystery. The story alternates chapters between Jeremy and Faith/ Hannah. Readers who like multi-faceted stories will enjoy the mystery, historical, and women’s fiction weave of the story.
Standing at the end of the mystery story and looking back, I had questions. Actions in the middle and end of the story are definitely supported by the resolution. It is more the beginning of the story that gives me pause. The story of Faith making peace with her mother is solid. The story of the unknown oldest sister again raises questions the resolution did not explain.
I read the kindle e-book version, which had typesetting errors throughout. Some readers will find the error distracting or potentially confusing. Other readers may not notice them.
RISE TO REBELLION was released October 2023 by Level Best Books and is promoted by Partners in Crime Tours
About Julie Bates. After spending a few years writing freelance articles, Julie’s first novel, Cry of the Innocent, premiered in June 2021. The series follows the timeline of the American Revolutionary War. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Triangle Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, Southeastern Mystery Writers of America (SEMWA) and The Historical Novel Society. When not busy plotting her next story, she enjoys working in her garden, doing crafts and spending time with her husband and son, as well as a number of dogs and cats who have shown up on her doorstep and never left. Find her at https://juliebates.weebly.com/
Partners In Crime Tours represents a network of 300+ bloggers offering tailor-made virtual book tours and marketing options for crime, mystery and thriller writers. Founded in 2011, PICT offers tour services for well-established and best-selling authors, as well as those just starting out with their careers. PICT prides itself on its tailored packages for authors, with a personal touch from the tour coordinators. For more information, check out their website partnersincrimetours.com
At a couples getaway at a posh New England golf resort, the weather isn’t the only thing that takes a turn for the worse. Lindsay Strauss, the last member of the group scheduled to arrive, checks in dead. Detectives Spencer and Flores have a club house classic on their hands to figure out who strangled Lindsay.
Listen here or wherever you get Mysteries to Die For podcast
Meet Rick Ollerman
Rick Ollerman is the author of four novels, Turnabout, Shallow Secrets, Truth Always Kills and Mad Dog Barked as well as the non-fiction collection Hardboiled, Noir and Gold Medals. He was also the editor of Down & Out: The Magazine and has written numerous short stories and edited several crime fiction anthologies.
Wet, Warm & Noisyis an psychological thriller. Alaska State Trooper Jake Ward is stuck on light duty and a polygraph assignment is welcome break from the monotony. A woman was arrested breaking into a warehouse. Her defense: she was kidnapped. Ward’s job is to determine if she is a suspect or a victim. As he is realizing something is out of the ordinary, she is broken out of jail. Now a court services officer is fighting for his life, the woman is on the run with the shooter, and there is no way in hell Ward is staying out of the case.
Bottom line: Wet, Warm & Noisy is for you if you like psychological thrillers with a side of medical sci-fi.
Listen to the chapters one and two here or wherever you get Mysteries to Die For podcast
Strengths of the story. The premise of the story is simple and intriguing. There was something wrong with Belle Anderson. Any drugs would have worked out of her system, so what was the explanation for the way she would freeze up? She was alternately oblivious and hyperly aware. A mix of curiosity and duty drive Ward to investigate Anderson, leading him into a world of study on the brain and human consciousness. This is a psychological thriller, but if it were a mystery, it would be a whatisgoingon. Willson does an excellent job of grabbing the reader by the curiosity and never letting go.
Jake Ward is a likeable character. He’s a thinking man, not an action hero. He has survived surgery and treatments for pancreatic cancer and is determined to get the rest of his life back. Ward is a normal guy, sometimes making decisions that put his back in a corner. He drives the story, continually pushing on who Belle Anderson is and what her circumstances are. If Ward would have backed off, the story would have ended. His actions challenge the bad guys (BG) world, forcing BG to react and Ward to overcome another obstacle.
Belle Anderson is not a stereotypical character. She is the narrator in a few chapters, giving us a peak into the BG world that Ward doesn’t have. She will challenge readers to decide if she is a criminal or a victim. Belle went into the BG world willingly but, Unlike Ward, was not able to drive her narrative, becoming a victim. I cheered for Belle but other readers could easily go the other way. Just recognizing this means Willson did an excellent job crafting her.
The Alaskan setting is richly described, showing the challenges of protecting the peace in such a large territory. The supporting characters are well developed and act true to their nature. I especially liked that the other Alaska State Troopers acted as a professional and supportive organization. Meaning, I liked that there was not the trope of the a-hole boss who the hero is battling.
Where the story fell short of ideal: There isn’t much to pick on in this one. The logic, when examined from the backend forward, is a pretty straight line with no breaks. That’s not always the case with thrillers as they seek to surprise the reader with a twist. Ward put in the time and sweat equity to unearth the clues, using the technology and other resource available to the troopers. The story largely avoided use of coincidences. There was one, single scene where I didn’t follow how the BGs got to a certain place. Could have been convenient for the story or me just missing a key detail.
Willson’s pacing is deliberate, allowing the story to unfold. There were times when I wanted it to move faster, but that was primarily driven by my curiosity wanting to know what the heck was going on.
The medical elements of the story are beyond my expertise to comment on. From a civilian standpoint, the scenes were well told, enabling me to understand and picture what was going on without having either an MD or a PhD.
Days after I finished Wet, Warm, & Noisy, I found myself thinking about the sci-fi premise and Ward’s actions. This only happens when a story really catches me and my own wet, warm, and noisy brain wants to know more.
David A. Willson, a retired Alaska State Trooper with more than two decades of service, brings unmatched authenticity to his crime fiction. During his career, he served as a certified police instructor, polygraph program coordinator, court-certified computer forensics expert and supervisor of both Major Crimes and Technical Crimes units. With over a decade in an investigative capacity, he supervised thousands of felony cases, chasing Alaska’s most dangerous criminals. https://davidawillson.com
Partners In Crime Tours represents a network of 300+ bloggers offering tailor-made virtual book tours and marketing options for crime, mystery and thriller writers from around the world. Founded in 2011, PICT offers virtual book tour services for well-established and best-selling authors, as well as those just starting out with their careers. PICT prides itself on its tailored packages for authors, with a personal touch from the tour coordinators. For more information, check out their website partnersincrimetours.com
A series of windshields shattered by projectiles had California drivers nervous. In the most recent attack, the driver lost control and died. To protect people attending the popular Fun Day at the Park event, Chief Rollins amped up police presence on area streets. That left just himself and Detective Stephens, frest from maternity leave, inside the park. As she watches the marbles tournement, she starts to wonder if there was more to the mibsters than just their marbles.
Listen here or wherever you get Mysteries to Die For podcast
ABOUT Marbles
Tombs of ancient Egyptians, ashes in Pompeii, Native American archeology, marbles have been found literally everywhere. They date back so far and to so many places, that the origins of marbles has yet to be discovered. According to the website Mental Floss, the earliest marbles were stones polished smooth by rivers. Artists made marbles from clay, stone, and glass. For centuries, these were made by hand. In 1884, mass production of clay marbles began in Akron, Ohio. The manufacturing invention lowered the price of marbles from about a penny each to a bag of 30 for a penny. Mass manufacturing of glass marbles was also an Akron, Ohio invention, this time in 1915. There’s a link in the shownotes to the article with a video of how they’re made.
When it comes to the game, Mental Floss gives us the conundrum that there is no single game called “marbles” and any game played with marbles can me called “marbles”. There are a lot of games, including the one described in today’s story.
Judge Debra H. Goldstein is the author of Kensington’s five book Sarah Blair mystery series, Should Have Played Poker, and IPPY Award winning Maze in Blue. Her novels and short stories, which have appeared in numerous periodicals and anthologies, have been named Agatha, Anthony, Derringer, Claymore, and Silver Falchion finalists and received Silver Falchion, Bethlehem Writers Roundtable, and Alabama Writers Conclave awards. She serves on the national board of Sisters in Crime and previously was a national board member of Mystery Writers of America and president of the Guppy and SEMWA chapters. Find out more about Debra on her website: https://www.DebraHGoldstein.com
Eddie Shoes’ latest client is the worst. She lies. She cheats. And now, just after the body of her husband’s mistress is found, she’s gone missing. Eddie has to go find her…it’s the only way she’s going to get paid.
Bottom line: One Dead, Two To Go is for you if you like comedic PI mysteries where good sleuthing goes toe to toe with bad luck.
Listen to the first chapter here or wherever you get Mysteries to Die For podcast
Strengths of the story. The storytelling style is the first thing I noticed. It’s fun, free, and fast-paced. Written in the same vein as Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum, Hartwell’s Eddie Shoes is serious about her work. She has to be to manage the chaos around her.
Eddie Shoes, born Edwina Zapata Shultz, is the daughter of card shark and a mafioso. She’s a woman who uses her brains to make a living as a PI. She isn’t a fighter but she is tenacious and willing to go where good sense doesn’t tread. She was well developed and an easy character to cheer for.
Eddie’s mother drops in for an uninvited extended visit and decides to help out. Chava is different from most mother characters. She was 16 when Eddie was born, so this mama is only in her mid-forties. She is a slight of hand pro in addition to card player and has the same tenacity as her daughter. Chava becomes Eddie’s ad hoc assistant, bringing her own skills and connections to the case.
The story has a murder but the plot is focused on the disappearance of Eddie’s client, Kendra Hallings. Between a cheating husband and a mystery man, it seems all but certain that Kendra was kidnapped. Before Eddie can put the pieces together…she has to find them. Kendra’s life isn’t what she painted it to be. Her husband isn’t what she thought he was. And then there’s that mystery man again.
Where the story fell short of ideal: With comedic style stories, it’s often hard to check all the boxes, but this one does. The bones of the kidnapping mystery are strong with the actions of the parties being consistent with their motivations. I thought about the end for several days after reading it, following each thread to see if they stood up, and they do.
Eddie drives her part of the plot and, in doing so, forces the bad guys to act. She could have stopped looking for Kendra, and the story would have ended. Eddie, with the help of Chava, pushed this story to a satisfying end.
About Elena Hartwell. Elena Hartwell spent several years working in theater as a playwright, director, designer, and educator before turning her storytelling skills to fiction. In addition to writing the Eddie Shoes Mysteries, she writes the Sheriff Bet Rivers mysteries under the name Elena Taylor. She is also a senior editor with Allegory Editing, a developmental editing house, where she works one-on-one with writers to shape and polish manuscripts. Elena’s favorite place to be is at Paradise, the property she and her hubby own south of Spokane, Washington. Find her at www.elenahartwell.com
Partners In Crime Tours represents a network of 300+ bloggers offering tailor-made virtual book tours and marketing options for crime, mystery and thriller writers from around the world. Founded in 2011, PICT offers virtual book tour services for well-established and best-selling authors, as well as those just starting out with their careers. PICT prides itself on its tailored packages for authors, with a personal touch from the tour coordinators. For more information, check out their website partnersincrimetours.com
In the middle of a live action D&D game, Darrell “The Dungeonator” Mahoney is dead. The audience saw the virtual Catstaff points his cat staff at The Dungeonator and electrocute him. Mary Watson and her BOT Doyle are investigating worlds real and imagined to see if Catstaff did the impossible or if something else was at play.
Listen here or wherever you get Mysteries to Die For Podcast
ABOUT Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a role-playing game originally developed and designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. First publication was in 1974, which means this is the 50th anniversary of the game that launched the modern role-playing industry. According to Wikipedia, D&D was an advancement in traditional wargaming that allowed players to create their own characters and take on adventures in a fantasy setting. Other games on the market in the mid to late 1900s had elements of character-based role playing, game-world simulations, fantasy scenes designed. D&D was the first to put it all together. Early on, D&D experienced criticism from some religious groups for alleged promotion of witch craft, murder, satanic theme, and the presence of barely contained breasts. While the game made changes to reduce the controversial content, the controversy worked to increase sales in defiance of the outrage. D&D is playable now on table tops and online.
Erica Obey is the author of The Brooklyn North Murder, the first full-length Watson & Doyle mystery, as well as five other novels set in the Hudson Valley, including the award-winning The Curse of the Braddock Brides. Erica is the Past President of the MWA-NY chapter, and a frequent reviewer and judge. She holds a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature and published academic work on female folklorists before she decided she’d rather be writing the stories herself.
The Taste of Daturais an adventure. Nick Terenzi purchased an intricate brass bracelet some time ago in Rome. He tried to sell it and when he couldn’t, we went to the black market. Now, the Egyptians, the Turks, a Spanish professor, the UN, and a sexy flourist all want what Nick has. Nick doesn’t know what’s special about the bracelet, only that it’s his key to staying alive.
Bottom line: The Taste of Datura is for you if you like adventures building off mythology with a touch of paranormal.
Listen to the first chapter here or wherever you get Mysteries to Die For podcast
Strengths of the story. The strength of the story is the composition itself. The Taste of Datura is listed on Amazon in the fiction / literature category. This fits as Datura is a little bit of everything. There is a mystery surrounding the bracelet – what makes it special, why major players want it. There is adventure as Nick loses the bracelet, fights to get it back, and transports it to Cairo. There is mythology in the roots of the bracelet, drawing in both Greek and Roman stories. There is thrill as the few people Nick trusts start dying and Nick knows he’s next. There is paranormal when Nick meets Laura, a medium whose visions show her snippets of the bracelet’s turbulent past. This story gives readers a lot to unpack.
Nick is a likeable lead. He isn’t a professional and doesn’t have “people” or resources. He has a decent amount of common sense, unless he’s around one particular beautiful woman, which is pretty funny.
Laura is interesting in her own right. Her role isn’t traditional. She isn’t a sidekick or a partner, she isn’t a love interest. The best description may be a companion storyteller as she has takes the lead in her sections in a manner similar to a romance (but without the romance). She helps us as readers get a sense of the history. She does passout a lot and her accounts to Nick are less detailed than we get with the vision, giving us a clearer vision (pun!) than Nick.
The pacing of the story is good for keeping the reader’s attention. The author uses a few techniques including, as you heard, starting the story first with the past, then the near future, before settling into the present. I appreciated the epilogue which finished telling the 1890 history, giving us a satisfying end with information that Nick will never have.
The Napoli setting was affectionately written by someone who loves the area. The detail in the location, the food and drink, and the people reflect someone who has spent time there, not just researched on GoogleEarth.
Where the story fell short of ideal: The logic of the story holds up. In an adventure story, logic isn’t as core as in a mystery, it’s more about the hunt or the chase. Nick is more of a reactive hero than a driving force, responding to the actions of the various bad guys, again, common with adventures.
Nick’s actions are true to character. There is only one character whose actions, once the fully scope is revealed, doesn’t hold true. Interestingly, those around this character comment something like “I don’t know why they did that.” It wasn’t bad as much as weak.
The editing on this could have been sharper. There were little things that jumped out as I was reading, such as Nick grabbing his left torso and one of my kindle pages having sixteen sentences beginning with the word “He.” These weren’t big detractors of an overall fun story but something readers are likely to notice.
This was a fun one to read. If you’re in the mood for something lighter hearted, give this one a go.
Meet Lorenzo Petruzziello
Lorenzo holds degrees in International Marketing and Economics, with a background in global marketing for the entertainment and life sciences industries. He writes in his spare time, drawing inspiration from his frequent trips to Italy, his first dating back to his childhood. THE TASTE OF DATURA is Lorenzo’s third book. https://www.magnusmade.com/
About Partners In Crime Tours
Partners In Crime Tours represents a network of 300+ bloggers offering tailor-made virtual book tours and marketing options for crime, mystery and thriller writers from around the world. Founded in 2011, PICT offers virtual book tour services for well-established and best-selling authors, as well as those just starting out with their careers. PICT prides itself on its tailored packages for authors, with a personal touch from the tour coordinators. For more information, check out their website partnersincrimetours.com
TG Wolff 