Mystery – Page 2

M2D4 Toe Tag: Lines of Deception by Steve Anderson

June 28, 2024June 26, 2024TG Wolff

Lines of Deception is a thriller. Max Kaspar is finding a new kind of normal in post-war Munich, Germany. He has his club, he has his customers, and he has his brother’s ear. In a purple box. Now Max is on a mission to save his younger brother, who is on a mission to save someone the Soviets have and the Americans want. Allies and enemies, no one can be trusted.

Bottom line: Lines of Deception is for you if you like seat of your pants thrillers woven into the complicated world of post-war II Europe.

Listen to the first chapter here or wherever you get Mysteries to Die For podcast

Strengths of the story. The post-WWII setting takes center stage. This isn’t a story generically set in 1949 or in one city but is a thriller woven through a variety cities and countries, occupied by multiple allied countries. Miles are crossed on trains, in trucks, and on foot. The food is lackluster, the PTSD rampant. Yes, Lines of Deception has an incredibly rich setting.

This is the fourth book in the Kaspar Brothers series. As such, both Max and his brother Harry are well developed characters. Max leads the storytelling in this one. He stays true to his nature from start to finish. The side characters, good and bad, are well created and easy to keep track of. Max, Harry, and friends are constantly in danger of being discovered.

Max drives the story until he achieves his goal of finding Harry. The baton of the decision making lead then passes to Harry. Together Max and Harry do drive the story. If at any point they made different decisions, the story would have ended.

At the end, looking from back to front, the logic holds. This is a missing person type thriller without the elements of “switchbacks” that can weaken logic in political thrillers. I appreciated that at the end of the book, Max and Harry recapped the logic line, making me a very happy reader.

Where the story fell short of ideal: I didn’t find much to pick on here. Perhaps thriller readers who prefer fire fights, explosions, and stunt people might find this one a bit staid. I, myself, did not. The thrills were just right for the time period.

Meet Steve Anderson

Steve Anderson is the author of numerous novels, mostly historical thrillers about gutsy underdogs. In an earlier life he earned an MA in history and was a Fulbright Fellow in Germany. Day jobs have included busy waiter, Associated Press rookie, and language instructor. He’s also written historical nonfiction and translated bestselling German novels. Lines of Deception is fourth in his Kaspar Brothers series but can be read as a standalone. A hopeless soccer addict, he lives in his hometown of Portland, Oregon with his wife René.

http://www.stephenfanderson.com/

Meet Partners in Crime

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

M2D4 S7E12: A Tarotfying End by TG Wolff

June 21, 2024June 9, 2024TG Wolff

In the town of Bonbanni, Louisianna, magic is a way of life. When murder intrudes, Lt. Pierre-Luc “Mystic” Fountineau uses the vast skills at his disposal to determine who or what caused a young woman to fall to her death.

Listen here or where you get Mysteries to Die For podcast

ABOUT Tarot
Tarot cards date back to the 15th century where they were used in various parts of Europe to play card games. The earliest references date to the 1440s and 1450s and the region of the northern cities of Venice, Milan, Florence, and Urbino. According to a 2016 article posted by Tim Husband, curator, Department of Medieval Art and The Cloister with the Met Museum, the complicated nature of the tarot game points to the origins of the game being decades older. Tarot is a trick taking game and the rules have not changed significantly since the 15th century.
According to Wikipedia, it was in the late 18th century that tarot gained its association with fortune-telling thanks to French occultists. Unsubstantiated claims began being made about the meaning of the cards. These cards began with Antoine Court and Jean-Baptiste Alliette in Paris. Alliette, who also went by the name Etteilla, is credited with first creating an adapted tarot set specifically for occult purposed around 1789. Modern derivatives of these decks are the only ones available in English speaking countries. There is a lot to learn about both types of tarot cards. Check out the links to dive down your own rabbit hole.

https://www.metmuseum.org/blogs/in-season/2016/tarot
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarot

ABOUT TG Wolff

Like you, I’m not one thing. I’m a writer, an engineer, a wife, and a mother. What is first on the list depends on the day. Beyond the title I claim, I’m a person who loves learning and thoroughly enjoys a good puzzle, is creative and gets bored easily. I hold a BS in Civil Engineering from Case Western Reserve University and an MS in Civil Engineering from Cleveland State University, which gives me absolutely no background in writing, but I do it anyway. Writing mysteries and engineering isn’t as different as you’d think. Both require using logic and process to get from a starting problem to a solution.

A special thank you to Ed Teja whose work editing this episode made it better.
Find me at www.tgwolff.com

M2D4 Toe Tag: Warm, Wet, and Noisy by David A. Willson

May 3, 2024April 29, 2024TG Wolff

Wet, Warm & Noisy is 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.

About David A. Willson

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

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

M2D4 Toe Tag: One Dead, Two To Go by Elena Hartwell

April 19, 2024April 14, 2024TG Wolff

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

M2S4 S7E3: Cards Against Jake by Jim Winter

February 9, 2024February 4, 2024TG Wolff

Jake Randall delighted in playing every “vagina” card in his Cards Against Humanity to the discomfort of the female players. Detective Ana Friedman, one of those women, escapes to the bathroom for some quiet reading time. And that’s when somebody struck. Now Ana needs to solve Jake’s murder or live with her vic dying while she was on the toilet.

Listen here or wherever you get Mysteries to Die For podcast

Kick Ass PSYCHO THERAPY Reviews

August 13, 2023TG Wolff

No book will ever please everyone, which is why the first two reviews for PSYCHO THERAPY, the final book in the Diamond series, really made me feel like I did something right. Excerpts are below with links to the full review. If you are interested in reading PSYCHO THERAPY in exchange for your review, please email me at tina at tgwolff dot com and I will send you the e-book. Reviews are key to getting new readers to give me a chance. As I have yet to crack the secret to getting hundreds of reviews, I am asking for your help getting started.

From Guatemala Paula Love to Read

“The plot sends Diamond across the country and around the globe as she chases down clues left behind by a master hacker, and there are plenty of twists and turns that amp up the excitement. However, Diamond’s narrative, her distinctive inner voice, and the author’s stylish prose keep me coming back for more. TG Wolff has quickly become one of my favorite writers this past year.”

Read the full review HERE

From Jenn of The Book Reviewers Crew

“What sets Psycho Therapy apart from the classic detective style that many readers, myself included, hold dear is the quirky and memorable main female character. Strong, intelligent, and refreshingly unconventional, she subverts the typical tropes of female characters in detective fiction. Her witty dialogue and unorthodox investigative methods inject a sense of authenticity and relatability that is often lacking in similar narratives. She proves to be a refreshing departure from the norm, contributing to the novel’s uniqueness.”

Read the full review HERE

Diamond. One name for a woman who is faking it until she makes it. And she will make it. At least that’s what she’s telling herself.

Dr. Robin Ransom is a therapist to first responders, cops, and spies. She has a problem. She is being blackmailed via email by a nameless, faceless crook. Her neighbor Murali Devi, is an IT wizard who said he’d take care of the problem for her. Now he’s dead. And there’s a hot British guy after her for information she swears she doesn’t have.

Before Diamond was a widow, she was a CIA agent with lethal skills. Skills she nearly used on herself. An intervention puts her on Dr. Ransom’s couch and squarely in the middle of a high-stakes game of blackmail, kidnapping, and murder. From a video gaming Beastmaster in Michigan, to a suicide bomber in Virginia, to a psychiatric conference in the south of France, Diamond jumps in with her usual flair for chaos and destruction. But Fate isn’t satisfied, pushing Diamond into a position where it is either her or the person she cares for most.

From Down & Out Books. Available from online retailers and by request from your favorite bookseller.

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 |

Giddy Up Done Gone: A Review

July 6, 2022July 4, 2022TG Wolff

Driver Giddy Up Derrick is trying to live up to the expectations her grandfather set. The only problem is her uncles won’t let her out from behind the reception desk. When the legendary Handbrake Hardy Frye is rumored to be on his deathbed, Giddy Up decides to make the trip to pay respects. Two eighteen year old girls, 1,800 miles, and enough ramen for a week. What could possibly go wrong?

The next story in Colin Conway’s Back Road Bobby and His Friends belongs to me. I thought about skipping this one. You know, recusing myself, and then decided nahh.

This story is has a different tone than the preceding episodes. Giddy Up and her friends Angel and Marcella deal with some grown up problems. Giddy Up isn’t given the chance to live up to her potential simply because she was born female. Angel is a domestic violence victim. First by her step-father, then by her boyfriend. Marcella is an illegal immigrant kidnapped from her family and forced into the sex trade. Real and heavy stuff. Giddy Up and Angel live dangerously by deciding to make the trek to Spokane. Along the way, they save Marcella from the men holding her.

Is this story for you? If you like darker stories, then probably not. It wouldn’t surprise me if you found Giddy Up and her friends silly. If you like dark stories with the potential of a happy ending, then yes, I think you’d enjoy the antics of three girls ready to take on the world.

Dead Dead Girls: A Review

June 13, 2022TG Wolff

There is a lot to love in Nekesa Afia’s debut mystery Dead Dead Girls. This book is an amateur sleuth-style mystery. Our sleuth is 26-year old Louise Lovey Lloyd. A Black woman in 1920s Harlem, she works as a waitress in a café over a kinda sleezy speakeasy by day and dances her feet off in the best club in the neighborhood at night. On her way home from a late night of music and drinking, Louise and her companion Rosa Maria discover the body of a teen in the cafe’s doorway. Louise feels for the girl who reminds her of her younger self, of her younger sisters. With a spine of steel, Louise works with the New York police to go into the one place they can’t, the homes and businesses of Black New York.

Rating Dead Dead Girls on a 5-point scale against the perfect mystery, I give this 3.5 stars.

Strengths of the story. The lead character is vividly imagined and brought out on the page. You can the pride and frustration that would come with being friends with the smart and courageous woman. The setting is equally well drawn out, letting us feel the pulse of the band as Louise dances the Charleston. I simply love the language. I do not know how much research Ms. Afia did, but it was worth it. The slang is a key part of being transported to this neighborhood, at this point in time. The story is well told in the noun-verb-noun sense and is well edited, as you would expect with Berkley Prime Crime.

Where the story fell short of ideal. Ms. Afia weaves a complicated plot for her debut novel and with that intricacy comes the opportunity to make leaps in logic and leave string hanging. It is the type of story that at the end you think ‘ok, fine. That’s good.’ And then the questions start popping up. What about this and how was that managed. Beside the mystery itself, this happens with the apparent constant threat Louise is under. For readers who tend not to dissect the logic of a story, I am confident you will be delighted with this one.

Bottomline: Dead Dead Girls is for you if you like dynamic amateur sleuths and the under explored time of 1920s Harlem.

One of Back Road Bobby’s Friends

May 30, 2022TG Wolff

Colin Conway has just released the newest anthology of his 509 universe, Back Road Bobby and his Friends. I am thrilled to have written a story for this collection titled Giddy Up Done Gone. My story is about something everyone wants but noone can buy: respect. Giddy Up is eighteen and grew up in her grandparents loving home. With her grandsparents now deceased, her family had very modest expectations for her life. In a family of mechanics and car junkies, being female kept her out of the pits. I suppose this is a coming-of-age story, but it didn’t feel like it when I was writing. It has the hallmarks of a TG Wolff story-strong characters, humor, and a healthy dose of rule breaking. Check out all the wide and varying stories in this newest edition to the 509 universe.