Tag: book review

M2D4 Toe Tag: On The Horns of Death by Eleanor Kuhns

TG Wolff

On the Horns of Death is historical mystery. Sixteen-year-old Martis volunteers as a bull dancer in Knossos on the isle of Crete. An ordinary day of practice turns dark when she discovers the body of another dancer inside a bullpen. But why would he climb into the pen? Answer: murder.

Bottom line: On the Horns of Death is for you if you like amateur sleuths and the rich sights, scents, and sounds of Ancient Greece.

Listen to the first chapter and full review here or wherever you get Mysteries to Die For podcasts

The On the Horns of Death was released from Severn House and is promoted by Partners In Crime Tours and is available from AMAZON and other book retailers.

About Eleanor Kuhns
www.eleanor-kuhns.com

Eleanor Kuhns is a previous winner of the Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel competition for A Simple Murder. The author of eleven Will Rees mysteries, she is now a full-time writer after a successful career as the Assistant Director at the Goshen Public Library in Orange County, New York.

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 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

Book Review: Fistful of Rain by Baron Birtcher

TG Wolff

Fistful of Rain is a historical, western mystery. Summer 1975 and a culture clash is reaching a boiling point. On one side is an old school sheep rancher. On the other side is a hippie commune. In the middle are a slick lawyer, a high school teacher, hired muscle, and cattle rancher / sheriff Ty Dawson.

Bottom line: Fistful of Rain is for you if you like mystery steeped in period Americana. 

Baron Birtcher’s writing style is one of the stand-out features of this Ty Dawson mystery. Narrated by our hero, you pick up the cadence of his speech and, if you’re like me, you can “hear” him speak. It’s like listening to an old friend tell you a story from back in the day. Dawson is a man you can like and respect. He lives by a code of honor, treating the people he serves equally, equitably, no matter his personal opinion. A veteran of the Korean war, a cattle rancher, a cowboy, a husband, and a father. He is not a hippy. But he recognizes the young people not only aren’t breaking any laws, but they are contributing to the economy of Meridian with their businesses. When certain people in town want Ty to run them out, he digs in and stands his ground.

The plot is on the complex end of the spectrum. There is something going on between the Rainbow Ranch and Harper Emory’s neighboring farm. Harper’s taken a beating and he says it’s at the hands of the men at the ranch. Only he can’t identify his attackers. Ty investigates but with no evidence, no charges can be filed. So Emory freelances and things devolve first to arson and then to murder. Investigating isn’t easy between people lying or plain not talking. His gut says there’s something more to it and his gut is rarely wrong.

Fistful of Rain is the second in the Ty Dawson series. I had read Book 3 (Reckoning), Book 4 (Knife River), and Book 1 (California Purples), in that order. It is rare that I come back to the start of a series when I’ve joined mid-stream, but I am very glad I did. Having gotten to know Dawson, his family, and his ranch hands, going back to the beginning has been a treat. The mysteries between the stories are stand-alone. It’s the supporting characters and Double Diamond ranch that matures with each story.

There wasn’t much not to like. As I think about the story in the days since I finished it, I have a question or two about who did exactly what in the end. Ty is true to his character, from beginning to end. The motivation of the bad guy was crystal clear. Exactly how they accomplished it is something I’ll be thinking about for days to come.

With this story, I really came to appreciate the research Birtcher had to do into the cultural and political climate of 1975. It’s one thing for a writer to reference history-book making events like Watergate. It’s another for an author to weave individual threads of pride, distaste, faith, hope, fear, and more to the point where you can see the points of view of each of the characters. Therein lies the complexity Ty Dawson has to navigate.

Overall, this is an excellent series and is a must read for fans of western mysteries and historical/vintage mysteries.

Book Review: Talking to Strangers by Fiona Barton

TG Wolff

Talking to Strangers is a women’s mystery. Karen Simmons lives the life of a vibrant, sexually healthy woman in her 40s. Her murder on Valentine’s Day draws together three unlikely allies. Detective Elise King and her sergeant conduct a police investigation. Small town reporter Kiki had featured Karen in a story. A grieving mother, Annie’s 8-yr old son died in the same forest 16-years prior. It will take all of them to find the solution to Karen’s murder.

Bottom line: Talking to Strangers is for you if you like mysteries woven into the real-life drama of the modern middle-aged woman.

The strength of Talking To Strangers is the storytelling style. This is a book in three-parts, with no part more or less important than the others. A well-balanced story, the narrators are distinct and individualistic. Karen’s death is the mechanism used to explore different but real-life challenges common in the lives of women in their 40s and beyond.

Elise is the police detective who is facing the one-year anniversary of her breast cancer diagnosis. Still recovering mentally and physically from a mastectomy and chemo, she’s working to get back to the person she was. Life suddenly looks up when a sexy new neighbor moves in.

Kiki is the journalist who gave up the big city job when she became a single mom. Now with her daughter turning 13, Kiki longs for stories bigger than the small town paper she works for. Her current feature is on the dating scene for women in their 40s and her star is Karen Simmons. Karen’s death spurs her to dig deeper, unearthing a group of twisted men who treat dating as a dirty sport.

Annie is a wife and a mother. Sixteen years ago, her two boys were playing in the forest. Only one came home. A man was arrested for his murder, but he suicided in police custody and Annie never got the answers she needed. When Karen’s murder makes the news, Annie recognizes her as the woman who cut the family’s hair in their old town. Feelings buried, memories recessed boil to the surface, driving Annie to act for Karen, for her lost son, for herself.

In the same age group, the three women have different lifestyles. Themes of loneliness and surviving mental and/or physical trauma are part of each story.

The mystery is a challenge to review. There is little evidence for Elise and Kiki to work with. The suspects are derived from Karen’s dating life and one by one, explored and eliminated until there is only one remaining. I did not think the same level of detail was given to exploring background and alibi of the last person standing as was given to the others. At the end of the book, I was left with a number of questions, which were answered in the epilogue. While this made for a feeling of closure, it highlighted that the story was not really finished when the book ended.

TALKING TO STRANGERS was very well written and the stories of the three narrating women were engaging. This was listed on Amazon as Women’s Crime Fiction, Women’s Psychological Fiction, and Psychological Thriller. The common theme is this book was written for women and their experiences in their 40s and beyond. This is stronger as a women’s fiction story than a mystery, but all around enjoyable.