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Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is What Goes Around by Michael Wendroff What Goes Around is a thriller. Violence and hate have taken up residence in this American town and are starting to show their presence. What begins with a Robin Hood-like shooting grows into an array of violence so intermixed, the sheriff, state investigators, and the FBI are having trouble figuring out just how many groups they're up against. Bottom line: What Goes Around is for you if you like gritty, hard hitting thrillers.What Goes Around was released from House of Zeus Aries Imprint and is promoted by Partners In Crime Tours and is available from AMAZON LINK and other book retailers.Wondering what to read after you finish What Goes Around? Partners in Crime Tours is your ultimate destination for all things mystery, crime, thriller, and cozy! Since 2011, they've been working to fill bookshelves with gripping and heart-pounding reads. Discover new mystery series and connection with other fans with Partners in Crime. Look up Partners in Crime Tours on the web or your favorite social media. https://partnersincrimetours.com/And Authors, whether you're looking to promote your latest thriller, discover a new mystery series, or connect with fellow fans of the genre, PICT has you covered. Check out their promotion options that come with the personal attention of a dedicated coordinator.Join us next week for a regular episode of Mysteries to Die For, Season 8 Anything but Murder where cockfighting is our murderless crime in Detective Connolly Gets Down ‘n' Dirty by Jack Wolff
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is Love and the Divorce Lawyer by Barbara NewhartLove and the Divorce Lawyer is a legal drama. Divorce attorney Josie Jensen transitioned from divorce attorney to family law professor with a client's bullet shattered more than her hip. Now her half-brother is pulling her back into the game. As Josie agrees to help, she's thrust into her own marital drama and ensuing divorce. Nothing is sacred in the no-holds-barred world of dissolution.Bottom line: Love and the Divorce Lawyer is for you if you find your thrills in cunning drama.Love and the Divorce Lawyer was released from Wild Rose Press and is promoted by Partners In Crime Tours and is available from AMAZON LINK and other book retailers.About Barbara NewhartBarbara Newhart enjoys reading and writing stories that contain at least a sprinkle of romance, tossed into a great mystery or thriller where the characters dodge and weave their way through this crazy adventure we call life. In addition to Love & the Divorce Lawyer, Barbara has written Legally Yours and Finally Yours as Kimberly Whitmore.www.BarbaraNewhart.com
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is The Whisper Legacy by Tj O'ConnorThe Whisper Legacy is a political thriller. Private detective Lowe Curran (pronounced Ker-in) is doing a data recovery job for his best client when he inadvertently gets a little extra…and that extra is the proverbial Pandora's box. With national security on the line, Curran's new job is to protect the data and the hacker who stole it. Yeah…good luck with that.Bottom line: The Whisper Legacy is for you if you like private detectives up to their eyeballs in intrigue and trickery. The Whisper Legacy was released from Level Best Books and is promoted by Partners In Crime Tours and is available from AMAZON LINK and other book retailers.About Tj O'ConnorTj O'Connor is an award-winning author of mysteries and thrillers. He's an international security consultant specializing in anti-terrorism, investigations, and threat analysis—life experiences that drive his novels. As a government agent and years as a consultant, he has lived and worked throughout many countries in the European Union and the Americas. In his spare time, he's a Harley Davidson pilot, a man-about-dogs (and now cats), and a lover of adventure, cooking, and good spirits (both kinds). tjoconnor.comWondering what to read after you finish The Whisper Legacy? Partners in Crime Tours is your ultimate destination for all things mystery, crime, thriller, and cozy! Since 2011, they've been working to fill bookshelves with gripping and heart-pounding reads. Discover new mystery series and connection with other fans with Partners in Crime. Look up Partners in Crime Tours on the web or your favorite social media www.partnersincrimevbt.com.And Authors, whether you're looking to promote your latest thriller, discover a new mystery series, or connect with fellow fans of the genre, PICT has you covered. Check out their promotion options that come with the personal attention of a dedicated coordinator.Join us next week for Season 8 Anything but Murder. Join us for Graciela's Gifts by KM Rockwood where organized theft is where our murderless crime.
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is After Pearl by Stephen G. Eoannou TG Wolff ReviewAfter Pearl is a PI Mystery. World War II is raging and private investigator Nicholas Bishop is a fighting hang over. Sometime in the days he can't remember, his .38 had been fired twice and the woman he was last seen with has gone missing. While juggling jobs that actually pay the bills, Bishop must find the woman before the police make good on their threat to hold him responsible. Bottom line: After Pearl is for you if you like private detectives in historical periods who are equally dedicated to their craft and the bottle. After Pearl was released from Santa Fe Writers Project and is promoted by Partners In Crime Tours and is available from AMAZON LINK and other book retailers.About Stephen G. EoannouStephen G. Eoannou holds an MFA from Queens University of Charlotte and an MA from Miami University. He has been awarded an Honor Certificate from The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators and the Best Short Screenplay Award at the 36th Denver Film Festival. His novel Yesteryear was awarded the 2021 International Eyelands Award for Best Historical Novel, The Firebird Book Award for Biographical Fiction, and Shelf Unbound's Notable Indy Books of 2023. He lives and writes in his hometown of Buffalo, New York, the setting and inspiration for much of his work.www.SGEoannou.comWondering what to read after you finish After Pearl? Partners in Crime Tours is your ultimate destination for all things mystery, crime, thriller, and cozy! Since 2011, they've been working to fill bookshelves with gripping and heart-pounding reads. Discover new mystery series and connect with other fans. Look up Partners in Crime Tours on the web or your favorite social media -www.partnerincrimetours.com.And Authors, whether you're looking to promote your latest thriller or connect with fellow fans of the genre, PICT has you covered. Check out their promotion options that come with the personal attention of a dedicated coordinator.Join us next week for Season 8 Anything but Murder. A Missing person case is our next murderless mystery with The Florida Man Cometh by Jim Winter.
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is The Brownstone on E. 83rd by Jenny DandyThe Brownstone on E. 83rd is a caper crime story. Ronnie Charles is a street kid, a self-taught thief, and butler, cook, and errand boy to Isabelle Anderson. FBI Special Agent Frank Jankowski is after a drug dealer and his only way into the closed network is thru the lady at the top of society itself, Isabelle Anderson. When it comes to the game of cat and mouse, one thing is certain…Isabelle is all feline.Bottom line: The Brownstone on E. 83rd is for you if you like capers where the players are bold, beautiful, and brutal.About Jenny DandyJenny Dandy is a graduate of Smith College and of Lighthouse Writers Workshop Book Project. Though she has lived and worked from Beijing to Baltimore, from Northampton to Atlanta, it was New York that held onto a piece of her heart. She now lives and writes in the Rocky Mountains where she would never lift a wallet or scam her dinner guests.www.JennyDandy.comWondering what to read after you finish The Brownstone on E. 83rd? Partners in Crime Tours is your ultimate destination for all things mystery, crime, thriller, and cozy! Since 2011, they've been working to fill bookshelves with gripping and heart-pounding reads. Discover new mystery series and connection with other fans with Partners in Crime. Look up Partners in Crime Tours on the web or your favorite social media. https://partnersincrimetours.com/And Authors, whether you're looking to promote your latest thriller, discover a new mystery series, or connect with fellow fans of the genre, PICT has you covered. Check out their promotion options that come with the personal attention of a dedicated coordinator.Join us next week for Mysteries to Die For Season 8 Anything But Murder. Our story is Ace of Hearts by Margaret S. Hamilton where witness intimidation is our murderless crime.
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is Rented Grave by Charles Philipp MartinTG Wolff ReviewRented Grave is an suspense novel. A man is dead. A boy is missing. When it comes to the crimes, three men are in it to win it. Criminal, victim, and cop. But address and title doesn't necessarily tell who is who.Bottom line: Rented Grave is for you if you like gritty stories of haves and have nots with a Hong Kong flair.About Charles Philipp MartinCharles Philipp Martin grew up in New York City's Greenwich Village in a family steeped in music and literature. After attending Columbia University and Manhattan School of Music, Martin took off for a six-year paid vacation in the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. While in Hong Kong he hung up his bow and turned to writing, spending four years as a Sunday Magazine columnist for the South China Morning Post, and writing for magazines all over Southeast Asia. His weekly jazz radio show 3 O'Clock Jump was heard every Saturday on Hong Kong's Radio 3 for some two decades. Martin now lives in Seattle with his wife Catherine. Find him at www.NeonPanic.comWondering what to read after you finish Rented Grave? Partners in Crime Tours is your ultimate destination for all things mystery, crime, thriller, and cozy! Since 2011, they've been working to fill bookshelves with gripping and heart-pounding reads. Discover new mystery series and connection with other fans with Partners in Crime. Look up Partners in Crime Tours on the web or your favorite social media - www.partnerincrime.com.And Authors, whether you're looking to promote your latest thriller, discover a new mystery series, or connect with fellow fans of the genre, PICT has you covered. Check out their promotion options that come with the personal attention of a dedicated coordinator.
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is Boomsters by David MarksTG Wolff ReviewBoomsters is a farcical thriller. Newly retired David Blazen is looking for his next adventure. He finds it in a slightly used certificate and the creation of Detective Blaze. Now he's part of the good guys keeping Chicago safe. He learns the hard way that to make an omelet, you have to break some eggs. Eventually he asks the question many eggs can you break and still be considered a good guy?Bottom line: Boomsters is for you if you like your thrills off-beat and your morality ambiguous. Boomsters was released from Wheatmark and is promoted by Partners In Crime Tours and is available from AMAZON LINK and other book retailers.https://pictbooks.tours/RJhVzAbout David MarksDavid Marks spent 30 years relying on his creativity to develop some of the world's greatest impulse products. With his retirement, he went from being an innovative workaholic with a 200+ team to a man with no forum to exercise his mind, all in a day. Desperate to do something creative, he imagined a fictitious character facing the same traumatic reality of retirement. Inspired by crime stoppers on TV, David pondered the question of how much bad could be justified in the name of good. A book was never the goal. The exercise was simply meant to help keep his mind sharp. But in the process, Boomsters was born.Wondering what to read after you finish Boomsters? Partners in Crime Tours is your ultimate destination for all things mystery, crime, thriller, and cozy! Since 2011, they've been working to fill bookshelves with gripping and heart-pounding reads. Discover new mystery series and connect with other fans with Partners in Crime. Look up Partners in Crime Tours on the web or your favorite social media www.partnerincrime.comAnd Authors, whether you're looking to promote your latest mystery or connect with fellow fans of the genre, PICT has you covered. Check out their promotion options that come with the personal attention of a dedicated coordinator.
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is I Know She Was There by Jennifer SaderaTG Wolff ReviewI Know She Was There is a psychological thriller. Caroline Case spends her nights pushing her daughter's stroller through an upscale neighborhood. She is the friend they don't know they have. She is the eyes that see what they think they hide. One night, a woman is in an upstairs window, blood encircling her neck like a scarf. The next morning there's no body, no blood, no proof. But Caroline knows what she saw.Bottom line: I Know She Was There is for you if you like high concept thrillers with blurred lines of reality. About Jennifer Saderahttps://www.jennifersadera.com/Jennifer Sadera began as a junior copywriter at book publisher NAL before transitioning to the editorial departments of national women's magazines. She'd established herself as a freelance writer and blogger when followed her true passion: creating novels. Her writing has earned her multiple awards at Atlanta Writers Conferences and a fellowship at the Martha's Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing. I Know She Was There is Jennifer's debut psychological suspense novel. When not writing, Jennifer can be found gardening, traveling, or reading anything she can get her hands on. She is blessed with her husband CJ and children Amanda and Ryan.Wondering what to read after you finish I Know She Was There? Partners in Crime Tours is your ultimate destination for all things mystery, crime, thriller, and cozy! Since 2011, they've been working to fill bookshelves with gripping and heart-pounding reads. Discover new mystery series and connection with other fans with Partners in Crime. Look up Partners in Crime Tours on the web or your favorite social media - links are in the show notes.And Authors, whether you're looking to promote your latest thriller, discover a new mystery series, or connect with fellow fans of the genre, PICT has you covered. Check out their promotion options that come with the personal attention of a dedicated coordinator.www.partnersincrimetours.com
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Dying to Know is a paranormal mystery. Police detective Oliver “Tuck” Tucker is dead, killed in his own home. While his body is gone, his spirit remains, but to do what? Solve his murder? Protect his wife? Figure out why his best friend and partner is hiding evidence? So much to do, so little idea how to do it. Bottom line: Dying to Know is for you if you like mysteries told in a new and unexpected way.About Tj O'ConnorTj O'Connor is an award-winning author of mysteries and thrillers. He's an international security consultant specializing in anti-terrorism, investigations, and threat analysis—life experiences that drive his novels. As a government agent and years as a consultant, he has lived and worked throughout many countries in the European Union and the Americas. In his spare time, he's a Harley Davidson pilot, a man-about-dogs (and now cats), and a lover of adventure, cooking, and good spirits (both kinds). tjoconnor.com
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is Early Termination by Cindy Goyette TG Wolff ReviewEarly Termination is a crime novel. Parole Officer Casey Carson has her hands full with a stacked case load and a rookie to train. Her workload takes a twist when one of her clients is found dead with her business card stuff in his mouth. Now the cops want her, members of the Diablo gang want her, her ex-husband and her new maybe plaything, they both want her, too.Bottom line: Early Termination is for you if you like fast-paced crime stories woven with suspense, thrills, and humor.About Joyce GoyetteCindy Goyette is a former probation officer who had a front row seat to the criminal justice system. She kept her sanity by finding humor in most situations. A mix of these things helped her create The Probation Case Files Mystery Series. After spending over twenty years in Arizona, Cindy lives in Washington state with her husband and two Cocker Spaniels.CCGoyette.comPartners 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
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is The Chemical Detective by Fiona ErskineTG Wolff ReviewThe Chemical Detective is a thriller. Dr. Jaqueline Silver, who answers to Jaq, is a chemical engineer putting her considerable talents to work keeping the alpine slopes avalanche free by detonating controlled explosions. When she notices an anomaly in the explosives delivery, she pulls unwittingly on a house of cards and brings down a whole lot more than snow. Bottom line: The Chemical Detective is for you if you like heroes chill and your thrills explosiveThe Chemical Detective was released in the UK in 2019 and released here in the States in August 2024, is promoted by Partners In Crime Tours and is available from AMAZON LINK.About Fiona Erskinehttps://fionaerskine.com/Fiona Erskine is a professional engineer. Based in the north of England and working internationally, she has often been the lone representative of her gender in board meetings, cargo ships and night-time factories. Her fiction offers a fascinating insight into the traditionally male world of heavy industry. Fiona's stand-alone portrait of a Scottish factory, Phosphate Rocks: A Death In Ten Objects, made the UK Literary Review's top ten crime novels of 2021. Her latest series introduces DI Cadell in a cyber thriller - Losing Control: Terror in Teesside. Fiona is passionate about music and outdoor swimming, though not generally at the same time.There will be a ONE WEEK US Kindle Countdown deal on Phosphate Rocks (my best book!). It'll be $0.99 from Sunday, February 2 to Sunday, February 9th, 2025. 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
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is A Cold, Cold World by Elena Taylor A Cold, Cold World is a cop mystery. Sheriff Bet Rivers is facing her first real challenge: the snowstorm of the century is bearing down on the small town of Collier, WA. She has a plan for keeping the main loop clear, the residents warm and healthy. Now she just needs to worry about her only deputy's 9-months-pregnant wife and the dead body found on Iron Horse Ridge.Bottom line: A Cold, Cold World is for you if you like classic mysteries against a background of life in action.A Cold, Cold World was released from Severn House and is available in hardback, e-book, and audio. Amazon link is in the show notes. Paperback fans, mark your calendars for the April release.About Elena TaylorElena Taylor spent several years working in theater as a playwright, director, designer, and educator before turning her storytelling skills to fiction. She writes the Sheriff Bet Rivers mysteries, featuring a female sheriff filling her late father's rather big shoes in her small, mountain town. She also writes the quirky Eddie Shoes mysteries under the name Elena Hartwell. Elena is a senior editor with Allegory Editing, a boutique 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. www.ElenaTaylorAuthor.comA Cold, Cold World is promoted by Partners In Crime Tours, who 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.comJoin us next week for the 2nd episode in Mysteries to Die For season 8: Anything but Murder. Dognapping is our murderless crime. It's “Going to the Dogs” by Bonnar Spring.
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you in the heart of a mystery. All stories are structured to challenge you to beat the detective to the solution. These are arrangements, which means instead of word-for-word readings, you get a performance meant to be heard. Jack and I perform these live, front to back, no breaks, no fakes, no retakes.This is Season 7, Games People Play. Games are about competition conducted according to rules with participants working toward a goal. Games are a part of every culture and are one of the oldest forms of social interaction and engagement. Games can be fun, challenging and exhilarating. They can also be intense, cutthroat, and lethal. This season, our authors have fashioned deadly games and unscrupulous villains to test your detection skills. This is Episode 24, a maze is the featured game. This is Amazed to Death: (Not) a Documentary by TG Wolff, an adaptation of MURDER IN THE MAZE by J.J. ConningtonAbout MURDER IN THE MAZE by J. J. ConningtonJ.J. Connington was the pen name of Alfred Walter Stewart. He was a British chemist and part-time novelist who was born in 1880 and died in 1947. As a chemist, he had a highly successful career. He earned his doctorate of science degree from Glasgow University in 1907. A year later, he wrote a textbook on organic chemistry that provide to be popular and went on to write a total of four books on advanced chemistry topics.Stewart is credited with 26 novels, many of them detective novels. MURDER IN THE MAZE was the first of 17 Chief Constable Sir Clinton Driffield mystery. Published in 1927, it is now available in the public domain through Project Gutenberg.ABOUT MAZESAccording to Smithsonian Magazine, mazes have been around for thousands of years. They can be made out of anything that provides a barrier – hedges, corn, mirrors, wood – and change in size and complexity to suit the space and the designer. Mazes began as labyrinths, which are single paths meant as a journey, not a puzzle. You couldn't get lost as your walked from one end to the other. At least some of these had spiritual meaning, a serene path to walk as you contemplated the meaning of life. Sometime during the middle ages – a long period between the fall of Rome in 476 and the start of the Renaissance between 1400 and 1450 – labyrinths evolved to be amusements, which qualifies them as games to us! England has a long tradition of mazes and the website reports over 125 are open to the public. In Indiana, Fall isn't Fall without corn mazes and followed by some hot apple cider.https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/winding-history-maze-180951998/ WRAP UPThat wraps this episode of Mysteries to Die For. Support our show by subscribing, telling a mystery lover about us, and giving us a five-star review. Check out our website TGWolff.com/Podcast for links to this season's authors.Mysteries to Die For is hosted by TG Wolff and Jack Wolff. Amazed to Death: (Not) a Documentary was written by TG Wolff, adapted from Murder in the Maze by J.J. Connington. Music and production are by Jack Wolff. Episode art is by TG Wolff. Join us next week for a Toe Tag, which is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, or thriller genre. Then come back in two weeks for the start of Season 8: Anything but Murder!
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is Elephant Safari by Peter RivaElephant Safari is a political thriller. Documentary film maker Pero Baltazar and elite guide Mbuno Waliangulu are on a walking safari when they come across a herd of elephants being terrorized by poachers. After intervening, they take on the responsibility of protecting the herd and ending the poaching, which draws them into an international conspiracy they could not imagineBottom line: Elephant Safari is for you if you like dramatically intense political thrillers and the exotic environs of East Africa.Elephant Safari was released from Open Road Media Mystery & Thriller and is promoted by Partners In Crime Tours and is available from AMAZON LINK and other book retailers.About Peter RivaPeter Riva has traveled extensively throughout Africa, Asia, and Europe, spending many months spanning thirty years with legendary guides for East African adventurers. He created the Wild Things television series in 1995 and has worked for more than forty years as a literary agent. Riva writes science fiction and African adventure books, including the Mbuno & Pero thrillers. He lives in Gila, New Mexico.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 with a personal touch from the tour coordinators. For more information, check out their website partnersincrimetours.com
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is The Light Beside the Sea by Connie DiMarcoTG Wolff ReviewThe Light Beside the Sea is a cozy mystery. Julia Bonatti is an astrologer who gives guidance to others to allay fears of change and the future. Yet, she is stuck in her own past, one that won't lie quiet. A few, short years ago, her fiancé Michael was killed in a hit-and-run as he returned from an archeological expedition. Now it comes to light that he wasn't the only grad student related to the project or the professor who has died. The latest was just days ago. Now Julia is asking questions. By solving one death, she just may be able to provide closure on them all. Bottom line: The Light Beside the Sea is for you if you like cozy mysteries and a touch of the unexpected.About Connie Di MarcoConnie di Marco is the author of the Zodiac Mysteries featuring San Francisco astrologer Julia Bonatti, a woman who never thought murder would be part of her practice. The Light Beside the Sea is the fifth novel in the series. Writing as Connie Archer, she is also the author of the national bestselling Soup Lover's Mysteries from Penguin Random House. You can find her excerpts and recipes in The Cozy Cookbook and The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook. Connie is a member of the Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, Crime Writers Association (UK) and Sisters in Crime.ConnieArcherMysteries.comPartners 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.comJoin us next week for Season 8 Games People Play when our favorite maybe-detective is back with another misadventure. Its Detective Connolly in Rock, Paper, Scissors, Shoot by Jack Wolff
This week on M2D4, we are taking a break for Thanksgiving. Please instead enjoy a 10 second mystery written by producer Jack Wolff in the form of a 20 second radio ad. Come back next week for our next Toe Tag, and the week after for Detective Connolly, and his adventures revolving around Rock, Paper, Scissors, Shoot!Thanks for listening, and we hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving!
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is Map of My Escape by Cheryl L. ReedTG Wolff ReviewMap of My Escape is a crime drama novel. Anti-gun activatist Riley Keane has done the unthinkable. In a crisis situation, she shot at two men wrestling. But did she shoot the assailant or her close friend and Chicago police officer Reece Taylor? Either way, she's too hot to stay in her hometown. Now Alderman Finn O'Farrell, Riley's lover, is left to deal with the fallout of threats, accusations, and blackmail. Bottom line: Map of My Escape is for you if you like crime driven drama delivered at a pace to be savored.About Cheryl L. ReedA former staff editor and reporter at the Chicago Sun-Times and other publications, Cheryl L. Reed's stories have won multiple awards, including Harvard's Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting. She has twice been awarded a U.S. Fulbright Scholar fellowship by the State Department, first in Ukraine and then in Central Asia. Reed is the author of the nonfiction book Unveiled: The Hidden Lives of Nuns and the novel Poison Girls, which won the Chicago Writers' Association Book of the Year. She splits her time between Washington, DC and her home near the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia.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 with a personal touch from the tour coordinators. For more information, check out their website partnersincrimetours.comJoin us next week for Season 7 Games People Play. We have an adaptation for you from the early part of the 20th century. The game is a maze. The original is The Mystery of the Downs by John Watson and Arthur J. Rees. The name of the adaptation? I'm working on it.
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is Lethal Standoff by Diann MillsTG Wolff ReviewLethal Standoff is an amateur sleuth mystery. A hostage standoff by a desperate man has innocent lives in the crossfire. After a hostage crisis ends with loss of life, Hostage negotiator Carrington Reed and reporter Levy Ehrlich follow through on promises to seek answers and protect a suspect's family. But if solving problems were that easy, they would have been solved already. Bottom line: Lethal Standoff is for you if you like your mysteries and thrillers woven into the life and faith of your detectives. Lethal Standoff was released from Tyndale and is promoted by Partners In Crime Tours and is available from on-line and other book retailers.About Diann MillsDiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She weaves memorable characters with unpredictable plots to create action-packed, suspense-filled novels with threads of romance. DiAnn believes every breath of life is someone's story, so why not capture those moments and create a thrilling adventure?DiAnn is passionate about helping other writers be successful. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country. She's an avid reader, loves to cook, and believes her grandchildren are the smartest kids in the universe. She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas.diannmills.com
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is On the Horns of Death by Eleanor KuhnsTG Wolff ReviewOn 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. The On the Horns of Death was released from Severn House and is promoted by Partners In Crime Tours and is available from on-line and other book retailers.About Eleanor KuhnsEleanor 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.www.eleanor-kuhns.com
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is Rogues & Patriots by Patrick H. MooreTG Wolff ReviewRogues & Patriots is an PI thriller. Los Angeles PI Nick Crane does a friend a favor by taking on the two-headed case of investigating the murder of a Confidential Informant and saving his young daughters from the horrors of the juvenile immigration. But his time isn't his own as an underground group of vigilantes are after him and something they think he possesses.Bottom line: Rogues & Patriots is for you if you like ballsy private investigators, conspiracy thrillers, and blurred lines between the good guys and the bad.The Rogues & Patriots was released from Down & Out Books and is promoted by Partners In Crime Tours and is available from AMAZON and other book retailers.About Patrick H. MoorePatrick H. Moore is a Los Angeles based investigator, sentencing mitigation specialist, and crime writer. In the field since 2003, he has worked in virtually all areas including drug trafficking, sex crimes, crimes of violence, and white-collar fraud. Mastering this job, which combines art, science, and intuition, has given Patrick the tools to write realistic crime fiction that depicts the unpredictable and violent world of cops, convicts, prosecutors and defense attorneys. Rogues & Patriots was the second in a three-part series in which veteran Los Angeles private investigator Nick Crane battles a group of aristocratic domestic terrorists known as the “principals.”patrickhmoorewriter.com
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is The Guest House by Bonnie TraymoreTG Wolff ReviewThe Guest House is psychological thriller. Allie Dawson is on the ride of a lifetime. Her brainchild for a voice-to-caption product has received preliminary funding. But moving from Milwaukee to Silicon Valley has brought more than the expected challenges of getting a new product to market. She's moved into a guest house where the rent was too good to be true. That should have been the first clue.Bottom line: The Guest House is for you if you like female-centric stories where thrill and mystery are mechanisms for character growth. The strengths of the story are also the most unique aspects. Our hero, Allie Dawson is deaf. She uses a cochlear implant that enables her to hear. Without it, she hears nothing. Allie's deafness is presented in a way that we live it as an ordinary part of her life-which it is-similar to if she had to put in contacts each morning. I especially liked this because it felt natural. It was an important thing for us to understand, especially as to how it affects how Allie communicates, but it isn't the most important thing to know about Allie. The most important thing is that she is courageous, willing to walk away from her comfortable life to chase a dream.That leads us into the second strength, navigating the high-stakes and complicated world of the entrepreneur. Allie comes to Silicon Valley with a good idea and a prototype in development. Her job is to find someone to finish the engineering, figure out who can manufacture it, and find a few someones interested in funding all the above. This is not a field that I have seen explored in many stories, giving The Guest House a fresh feel.Traymore uses a staccato storytelling style that makes you feel as if the character is reporting on their day to you. Take this example from Chapter two: “I'm also hungry and hot. But I'm on a tight schedule, so although I'd like to chill for a while, I need to keep going. I locate the restroom and, thankfully, there's no line. When I come out, I rush up to the counter to look for my drink order. I pick up a few cups that could be mine and examine them, but my latte's not ready yet. I let out a long sigh and glance at my watch.” The Guest House is shown as a psychological thriller on the cover and listed as a techno-thriller on Amazon. The book meets most of the standards for a psychological thriller with the tension coming from mental stressors rather than physical. Overall, I found the tension to be mild as it generated more of a creepy feeling than nail-biting. This can be positive or negative, depending on a reader's thrill-scale preference. I had to look up techno-thriller, which is a subgenre where a technology is a dominant part of the story. I do not find this to be a good description. While Allie is trying to bring a technology to market, by her own admission, she doesn't understand that part. Her engineer brother is working on it away from the story, as is the grad student she hired. While the technology concept is what gets Allie to Silicon Valley, the tech itself is not central to the story.Overall, I felt The Guest House did not fit well within one genre category but was a combination of women's fiction, thriller, and mystery. Women's fiction was most dominant genre to me as the story wove growth of the alternating narrators Allie Dawson and Laura Foster. Allie's part of the story did carry the thriller element, as she becomes suspicious of her landlords and their other renter. Laura's...
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is The Stuff of Murder by Kathleen Marple Kalb. TG Wolff ReviewThe Stuff of Murder by Kathleen Marple Kalb is an amateur sleuth cozy mystery. Dr. Christian Shaw is a mother, a widow, and the director of the historical society. She is responsible for the 17th century bible and pewter tankard used by the lead actor in a movie very loosely based on The Scarlet Letter. Then the actor dies, dramatically. Christian's old stuff is at the heart of the investigation and where they go, she goes.Bottom line: The Stuff of Murder by Kathleen Marple Kalb is for you if you like cozy mysteries, charming characters, and everyday old stuff. One of my favorite things about The Stuff of Murder is the characters. Kalb does a wonderful job of giving the primary characters distinct voices and appearances, making the story easy to read. Christian Shaw is six foot one with flaming red hair. Her son Henry is a five-foot tall third-grader with photographic memory. The fathers she should have had are Garrett the academic and his husband Ed the retired state trooper. And last but certainly not least is the handsome, philanthropic, and very tall state's attorney Joe Poli. Then there are the other parents, the society volunteers, and townspeople. This is an amazing, heartwarming cast.The setting is small town Unity, Connecticut. As with most small town cozies, the nature of the town with the tensions and conflicts of people too involved in each other's business is an amusing counterpoint to main mystery. This is the source of much of the information Christian uses as well as the bane of her busy days. Brett Studebaker is a fifty-something actor looking to launch into the next stage of his career on a period film based loosely on The Scarlet Letter. Brett is filming a pivotal scene, acting in the pulpit of church turned synagogue some ten feet above the floor. When he goes off script, only Christian and the locals with her notice the odd behavior. Brett falls from the pulpit, breaking his neck. But it isn't the simple accident someone wants everyone to believe. The leading theory is poison, introduced through the pewter mug the historical society lent to the film. This mystery is a throw back to an older style where conversations, not evidence, are the primary detection tool. Christian pieces together the small facts she learns into a chain that will catch the guilty. It's hard to discuss the logic of the mystery without giving too much away. Suffice it to say that the motives and actions of the guilty are consistent and follow logically in their minds.The Stuff of Murder is a character driven story that would be enjoyed by readers who love cozies as well as those who prefer traditional mysteries.The Stuff of Murder by Kathleen Marple Kalb was released from Level Best and is available from AMAZON LINK and other book retailers. Book 2, The Stuff of Mayhem is coming in November 2024.About Kathleen Marple Kalb
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is Knife River by Baron BirtcherTG Wolff ReviewKnife River is a cop mystery. It's 1976 and Sheriff Ty Dawson has his hands full with Meridian County's newest resident. Music producer Len Kaanan brought in rock star Ian Swann and with him came a troubled brother, an ornery producer, shady stagehands, property damage, assault, and someone with a more deadly intent. Plus, Ty's daughter is sweet on the music man.Bottom line: Knife River is for you if you like stories where you know something bad is going to happen but have no idea which direction it's coming from. This review is careful not to reveal details of Knife River that will take away from the readers own discovery and enjoyment.There are so many strengths of this story that it is hard to know where to start. The one that sticks out most to me is the storytelling style. This one unfolds thoughtfully, deliberately, and with such terrifying elegance that I was tempted to read through my fingers. Chapter by chapter, the feeling grows that something very bad has happened, was going to happen but where it would come from and who would be the target wasn't clear.The language used elevates Knife River to the top of mystery literature. Consider from chapter twenty, “By the time morning arrived, it came so softly that it felt like a eulogy, the underlayment of the clouds glowing like coal embers for only the briefest of moments, soon swallowed by a still and steely sky that stole all but the ambient glow of sunrise.” Sheriff Ty Dawson is an engaging hero who is easy to root for. A lawman, cattle rancher, and Korean vet, he is a complicated and damaged man who takes life one day at a time. He is grounded by his wife, Jesse, his college age daughter, Cricket, as well as his foreman and the deputies. The cast is close knit, a group who are positive and supportive of each other. The 1970s and rural Oregon setting of the Ty Dawson Mysteries makes it stand out from the pack. Birtcher displays his prowess by writing with historical accuracy while making it feel as though we were reading a modern telling. In his hands, we are eternally far away from reading a textbook description of the life and times in post-Vietnam. He similarly brings us into the world of cattle ranges and cowboys by taking us along, at the crack of dawn, to ride down strays.The plot of this story is wonderfully winding when read from the start, as noted. Standing at the end and looking back to page one, it is both twisted and straightforward. Thinking about the story in the days since I finished it, each detail checks back to earlier chapters, making the logic sound.When considering whether Sheriff Ty Dawson drives the story, the book divides into two parts: pre-murder and post-murder. Prior to the murder, the action of the main plot is driven by the rock star and music producer. Ty inserts himself into those plans to set up a prevent defense ahead of the invasion of ten thousand fans, but he is in a reactive position. After the murder, he shifts to a proactive role, driving the investigation. His tenacity on details is the reason why this murder is solved.As to where this story fell short of ideal, there isn't much to pick on. The logic, the pacing, the storytelling are topnotch.Knife River is the fourth book in the Ty Dawson Mystery series. I read the third, but not the first two. Knife River can be read as a stand alone. The mystery is independent from prior books. Readers who...
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is FAST TIMES BIG CITY by Shelly Frome TG Wolff ReviewFFAST TIMES BIG CITY is an amateur sleuth adventure. It's the late 1950s and Bud Palmer is living his best life as a sports reporter for the Miami Herald. Then his Uncle Rick, a self-proclaimed PI, gets in hot water up to his eyeballs and clutches onto Bud as his life preserver. Now Bud has to go to cold NYC to find a girl he's never met and recover a briefcase she stole before the Chicago mob gets impatientBottom line: FAST TIMES BIG CITY is for you if you like reluctant heroes, plot driven quests, and immersion in eras gone by.It is a fun read, watching Bud get deeper into the trouble he didn't cause, and then figuring out how to dig his way out of it.The FAST TIMES BIG CITY was released from BQB Publishing and is promoted by Partners In Crime Tours and is available from AMAZON LINK and other book retailers.About Shelly FromeShelly Frome is a member of Mystery Writers of America, a professor of dramatic arts emeritus at UConn, a former professional actor, and a writer of crime novels and books on theater and film. He also is a features writer for Gannett Publications. Fast Times, Big City is his latest foray into the world of crime and the amateur sleuth. He lives in Black Mountain, North Carolina.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 with a personal touch from the tour coordinators. For more information, check out their website partnersincrimetours.com
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you in the heart of a mystery. All stories are structured to challenge you to beat the detective to the solution. These are arrangements, which means instead of word-for-word readings, you get a performance meant to be heard. Jack and I perform these live, front to back, no breaks, no fakes, no retakes.This is Season 7, Games People Play. Games are about competition conducted according to rules with participants working toward a goal. Games are a part of every culture and are one of the oldest forms of social interaction and engagement. Games can be fun, challenging and exhilarating. They can also be intense, cutthroat, and lethal. This season, our authors have fashioned deadly games and unscrupulous villains to test your detection skills. This is Episode 15, Truth or dare is the featured game. This is Dare or Truth by Frank ZafiroABOUT Truth or DareThe origins of truth or dare weren't as well documented or researched as some of the other games used this season. The Wikipedia page refers to entries as early as 1712 describing a game that is similar to truth or dare, although with one person being in control. Certainly, it isn't a leap to see this as a social party game in the era preceding television and radio. The most interesting entries I came across were on the social platform Quora where the question was asked…what's the farthest you've ever taken Truth or Dare. The posts responding themed on creative nudity and sex and not, thankfully, murder. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truth_or_dareABOUT Frank ZafiroFrank Zafiro writes gritty crime fiction from both sides of the badge. During his life, he has been a military intelligence linguist, a police officer (a twenty year career, retiring as a captain), and an independent consultant and instructor. He has taught both writing and police related topics at the collegiate level and professional venues. Through it all, he has been a writer. To date, he has published 48 novels, over 100 short stories, and appeared in over 50 anthologies. He lives in Redmond, Oregon, with his wife, Kristi, who is a teacher.www.frankzafiro.comWRAP UPThat wraps this episode of Mysteries to Die For. Support our show by subscribing, telling a mystery lover about us, and giving us a five-star review. Check out our website TGWolff.com/Podcast for links to this season's authors.Mysteries to Die For is hosted by TG Wolff and Jack Wolff. Dare or Truth was written by Frank Zafiro. Music and production are by Jack Wolff. Episode art is by TG Wolff. Join us next week for a Toe Tag, which is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, or thriller genre. Then come back in two weeks for an adaption of The Billard Room Mystery by Brian Flynn, where Billards is the featured game
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is The Big Lie by Gabriel Valjan. TG Wolff ReviewThe Big Lie is PI mystery. PI Shane Cleary is a popular guy. Everyone wants a favor from him. An MIA standard poodle, Latin tutoring for a mafioso's niece, pro bono work for a grand larceny defense, and a background check as SOP for getting serious. It's going to take the help of friends and enemies to keep all these balls in the air. Bottom line: The Big Lie is for you if you like stories where the pacing keeps up with the PI's fast talking. Strengths of the story. Shane Cleary is juggling four jobs plus keeping off his girlfriend's shit list. It's a lot for anyone. One of the strengths of THE BIG LIE is the skill with which author Gabriel Valjan lets us know exactly where we are at all times. He distinctly draws the characters making it easy for readers to differentiate between the cases. Shane as a character is well developed both with a full back history in Vietnam and with the Boston PD and a more recent history such as with this girlfriend, friends, cat, and answering service. He is a character readers can get behind, working from the moral high ground that lets him make hard and sometimes painful decisions. The story is set in a colorful Boston. It is not set in modern time, but I could not find reference to a year. Based on Shane having (and hating) a beeper, his having been in Viet Nam and worked for Boston PD, and a reference to punter Ray Guy, it seems to be set late 1970s to early 1980s. Shane navigating Boston's segregated Irish, Italian, Black, and Jewish communities adds a layer of complexity to his tasks that ups the stakes and heightens the entertainment. You can add the Boston PD hating Shane to the complications.This is the 5th book in the Shane Cleary Mystery series. I have not read the previous four. This can be read as a stand-alone as the mysteries Shane signs up for do not seem to be carried over from previous books. Character carryover is managed well with backstory snippets that get us what we need to know without dragging down in synopsis. When looking at the logic of the story lines and the role Shane has in resolving them, we have to look individually. Shane outsources the Latin tutoring and the background check, making his role more of a facilitator. The missing dog story had a strong, simple logic. Shane uses his talents with the missing dog case to get people beyond the fear of the dog's owner to be helpful. There was one spot that had me raising an eyebrow but the resolution is good without being predictable.The grand larceny case showed excellent detective skills and definitely would have died without Shane pushing at apparent dead ends. The logic of the criminal action is more complicated here. I ended up with a few questions about the setup, which happened before Shane was involved. The logic of Shane's actions is strong. He does his job, providing the defense with what it needs to combat a lazy if not corrupt PD, then wipes his hands, leaving it to the lawyers to pick up the work of charging the guilty party.Overall, The Big Lie, the 5th in the Shane Cleary Mysteries, was a highly enjoyable, entertaining read. Readers who prefer the fast pacing that comes with getting four stories in one book will keep the pages turning on this one.The Big Lie was released from Level Best Books - Historia and is promoted by Partners In Crime Tours and is available from
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is SOME KIND OF TRUTH by Westly Smith. SOME KIND OF TRUTH was released from Wicked House Publishing and is promoted by Partners In Crime Tours and is available from AMAZON LINK and other book retailers.TG Wolff ReviewSOME KIND OF TRUTH is a dark thriller. Pittsburgh Tribune reporter Steve James made a name for himself by digging up the kind of dirt some people want to keep buried. When a package containing a driver's license and violent video is delivered to him, it's clear some anonymous person wants him to put his skills to use. Rebecca Ann Turner was sixteen when she was last seen in 1999. Bottom line: SOME KIND OF TRUTH is for you if you like gritty mysteries where no ending could be called a good ending.Strengths of the story. The leading strength of SOME KIND OF TRUTH is the storytelling style. We readers are there alongside Steve James as sussed out clues that were overlooked, under investigated, or not available during the original investigation. With assistance by local reporter Amy Richards, Steve is able to reinterview key witnesses, giving us firsthand information. With solid pacing and excellent chapter development, I found this one to be one where I kept turning the page, wanting to learn more.SOME KIND OF TRUTH is a stand-alone novel and not part of a series. Steve James is a good, lead character. He is an established professional but one that is haunted by his capture by the Taliban after 9/11. His history has a role in his decision making, which is the flaw that makes him human. Amy Richards is more partner than assistant and, though they are of a similar (unspecified) age, she clearly lacks Steve's experience. She is a good counterpoint to Steve, having the connections and local knowledge needed to supplement his broader investigative skills. The supporting characters each play a needed role and display a range of emotions, which makes them individuals rather than flat bit players.The premise for the story is 16-year-old Rebecca Turner went to a party with a friend and wasn't seen again. The friend reported she left around midnight; her car was found in a field wiped clean. Through the course of his investigation, Steve learns five other girls were kidnapped and abused in a similar manner to Rebecca. These other girls have a connection to a S&M magazine that owned by a money launderer. It is this connection that uniquely positions Steve to solve the cases. This was a cleverly devised plot that Steve unpeeled one layer at a time. The events of 25-years ago are logical in a hard-crime sense. The modern events unfolded also are logical and are driven by Steve. The resources he has as a crime reporter, his experience in other tough investigations, and his determination to find out what happened to Rebecca drive the story forward to an unexpected but engaging end. Where the story fell short of ideal: The story as it unfolds from the first page to the last is logical and satisfying. However, I found myself with questions about actions of the supporting characters before Steve becomes involved. Questions that, depending...
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is a plot setting excerpt from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is Lines of Deception by Steve Anderson TG Wolff ReviewLines 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.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. The Lines of Deception was released from Open Road Media Mystery & Thriller and is promoted by Partners In Crime Tours and is available from AMAZON LINK and other book retailers.About Steve AndersonSteve 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...
We're joined by Toe Tag, Mr Mike Morris. A great friend to many, many people, he's always been there for everyone no matter what. From Winchester to Dallas to DC & Virginia, he loves experiencing new places & people and works to maintain his friendships. It's always a good time hanging with Toe Tag, we just wish it could've been in person!
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is an excerpt from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is The Machine Murders: Desert Balloons by CJ Abazis TG Wolff ReviewThe Machine Murders: Desert Balloons is a serial killer mystery. Death has again found Interpol Chief Data Scientist Dr. Manos Manu. Hot air balloon pilots are being murdered in the United Arab Emirates, frozen to death high above the earth. Manos is dispatched to Dubai to support analysis by a software he led the creation of. But to generate correct answers, the software needs data, data that hides in the dark traits of men.Bottom line: The Machine Murders: Desert Balloons is for you if you love high-tech code nearly as much as you love mysteries. Strengths of the story. The greatest strength of this story is the expert detail presented in the development, testing, and augmentation of machine learning systems. In his day job, CJ Abazis runs a software company and his expertise shines through here. The Machine Murders isn't the typical high-level use of IT common in television shows like NCIS or Criminal Minds. Instead, the program is a rich as character as any of the humans and the language is true to life.Much of this story is set in the Emirates. I found it to be a new and fresh scene, with texture and depth that supplemented the mystery. The justaposition of the uber high-tech with the traditional Arab culture made for fascinating reading. I cannot comment on how accurate Abazis' representation of the culture was, just that it was well developed and added to the story.The Machine Murders is structured as an extended story told in two parts. The first, Island Buoys, kicks off the story of Dr. Manos Manu and the use of machine learning models to hunt for the killer. The second, this story called Desert Balloons, picks up shortly after the end of the first. I have not read the first. The author does introduce the continuing Interpol characters and software basics to new readers. I do wonder if the machine learning would have been easier to follow if I had read Island Buoys. As to how the logic stands up from the finish looking back, the result is fair. This is a mystery where the solution isn't driven by testimony or evidence. The machine does the reasoning, using the additional information Manos identifies. We aren't privy to actions or history of the suspects to be able to assess the logic of the solution and, as such, have the rely on the results from the computer system as correct. Manos confronts the killer, giving readers a satisfying end that the guilty party was found, but I was left with questions.Overall, the pacing of the story did well to hold my attention. There were a few sections where I did not follow the change from one scene to another. While these ultimately did not affect the outcome of the story, I was pulled out of it as I went back to re-read. The thriller elements were written to align with a main character that was a chief data scientist, with Manos using his brains rather than fighting he way out of situations.While the greatest strength of the story is the detail of machine learning, it is also the element that makes its less than accessible for some readers, including myself. Being an average technology end user at best, I simply could not follow the directions given to modify the code or or appreciate the results it generated. The Machine Murders: Desert Balloons is unique in the mystery world for making the software itself a main character and is a must read for lovers of machine...
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is The Nowhere Girls by Dana Perry TG Wolff ReviewThe Nowhere Girls is 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. 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
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is Rise to Rebellion by Julie Bates TG Wolff ReviewRise to Rebellion is a historical mystery. July 1776. Jeremy Butler is called to investigate threats to the 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 fictionStrengths 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 apologizes to history buffs who may be confused by the change. As someone who calls out unreasonable timeframes, I appreciate 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 affected 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 form 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 is 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. Mystery lovers may be left wanting more. Readers who like multi-faceted stories will enjoy the mystery, historical, and women's fiction weave of the story....
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is Wet, Warm & Noisy by David A. Willson. TG Wolff ReviewWet, 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.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...
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is One Dead, Two To Go by Elena Hartwell TG Wolff ReviewOne Dead, Two To Go is a PI Mystery. 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.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.One Dead, Two To Go was released in 2023 from Open Road Media Mystery & Thriller and is promoted by Partners In Crime Tours and is available from AMAZON LINK and other book retailers. The next two books in the series – Two Heads Are Deader Than One and Three Strikes, You're Dead are also availableAbout Elena Hartwellwww.elenahartwell.comElena Hartwell spent several years working in theater as a playwright, director, designer, and...
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is The Taste of Datura. TG Wolff ReviewThe Taste of Datura is 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.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. The Taste of...
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is Hounds of the Hollywood Baskervilles. TG Wolff ReviewHounds of the Hollywood Baskervilles is a comedic, cozy mystery. Babs Norman is a Hollywood stunner, but instead of gracing the silver screen, she's gumshoeing it through the star-studded streets. Hollywood's movers and shakers are reeling as canine stars and faithful companions alike are disappearing. Babs must mingle with Tinseltown's elite to find the hand that holds the leash.Bottom line: Hounds of the Hollywood Baskervilles is for you if you like cozy-styled mysteries and fun-filled romps through the golden age of Hollywood.Strengths of the story. One of the shining stars (ha!) of the story was the 1940 Hollywood setting. Crowens took us into the glitz and glamour of the parties, the mansions, and the sets. It was one of the most unique and detailed settings I think I have ever read. The depth of Crowens imagination is a remarkable as she brings a lost world back to life.The characters surrounding the mystery are just as creatively detailed. Basil Rathbone of Sherlock Holmes fame and his Watson, Nigel Bruce. Myrna Loy and William Powell. Crowens takes what could have been cardboard cut outs of the icons and gives them family, relationship troubles, friends, and secrets – just like normal people. I don't know how much research Crowens did or if the result was pure imagination, but it was a sweet result.The character of Babs Norman and her partner Guy Brandt are a good, functional team. They were witty and engaging, but largely played the straight role to the Hollywood icons. I do look to see how much a detective drives the story. In the first half of the book, Babs goes about traditional Q&A which doesn't yield much success. Then she decides to take a risk, grabbing control of the story and getting it moving forward.This story has been classified as a cozy, won awards as a comedy, and listed as a historical. The steady passing and clean storytelling style is a real treat.Where the story fell short of ideal: When it came to the motive behind the dognappings, it was as solid as it was creative. But inside of that, there were elements that felt underplayed or inconsistent. The number of dogs missing and their fame increases but there is no outcry, it isn't picked up in the press, etc. It was believable when it was two dogs, but as it grew, I felt like the story didn't grow with it.While it is critical that the detective drives their story, the logic of the actions also matters. There was a point where Babs had earned her big break in the case, and then the story took a doglegged turn. She abandoned her first success for a half-heard reference. I had issues with the sudden redirection that seemed to fly in the face of the evidence.In the category of personal preference, I struggled with the breakdown of the chapters. There are 38 chapters, most of which are seven to ten pages. Then three of the last four chapters were over 20 pages each with subsections. It confused me as I read as I was conditioned to expect the short, quick hitting chapters.All in all, this was a clean, fun read.Hounds of the Hollywood Baskervilles was released from Level Best Books and is promoted by Partners In Crime Tours and is available from AMAZON LINK and other book...
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you in the heart of a mystery. All stories are structured to challenge you to beat the detective to the solution. These are arrangements, which means instead of word-for-word readings, you get a performance meant to be heard. Jack and I perform these live, front to back, no breaks, no fakes, no retakes.This is Season 7, Games People Play. Games are about competition conducted according to rules with participants working toward a goal. Games are a part of every culture and are one of the oldest forms of social interaction and engagement. Games can be fun, challenging and exhilarating. They can also be intense, cutthroat, and lethal. This season, our authors have fashioned deadly games and unscrupulous villains to test your detection skills. This is Episode 5, Indian Poker or Blind Man's Bluff is the featured game. This is A Forced Card by Ed TejaIf you like a taste of the surreal with your mysteries, check out the struggle that private investigator Matt Cramer faces. He is solving crimes in rural Silver City, New Mexico, where doing almost anything involves dealing with the magic of local witches and at least one shaman, the secrets of ranchers and desert rats, small town politics and law enforcement, and the possible involvement of aliens (and definitely some alien hunters). It's a strange brew that tends to twist reality or expose the surreal, with more stories coming. Link to the first book, An Impossible Abduction, is in the show notes. The series starts here: https://books2read.com/u/4ElRGO ABOUT Indian PokerThis poker game has a lot of names. Indian poker, squaw poker, Oklahoma forehead, Indian head. According to my favorite source, Wikipedia, this is a game of probability and psychology. Ed described how we game is played so, yeah, you can see there being psychology involved. This is a one card poker game but variations exist on stud poker and Texas hold'em. I wasn't able to find any details on the history of this game. It was difficult given how many names it has and the multiple meaning of words in the name. The tag game, blind man's bluff, dates back to the late 15th century. And poker has existed in India since the British brought it in the 1800s. Fascinating facts that have nothing to do with today's game. Ah well.ABOUT Ed Tejawww.edteja.com Ed Teja has edited magazines in Asia, been a boat bum in the Caribbean, traveled the world, and always, always, written fiction. He is currently hunkered down in rural New Mexico where he writes strange stories of strange people and teaches martial arts. His cross-genre stories emphasize the surreal around us and have appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies. WRAP UPThat wraps this episode of Mysteries to Die For. Support our show by subscribing, telling a mystery lover about us, and giving us a five-star review. Check out our website TGWolff.com/Podcast for links to this season's authors.Mysteries to Die For is hosted by TG Wolff and Jack Wolff. A Forced Card was written by Ed Teja. Music and production are by Jack Wolff. Episode art is by TG Wolff. Join us next week for a Toe Tag, which is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, or thriller genre. Then come back in two weeks for our next original story, A Checkered Past by Frank Zafiro where checkers is the featured game
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is Black & White by Justin M. Kiska TG Wolff ReviewBlack & White is a mystery. This story is told in two times. Then was 1945. Stride agency investigator Francis “Fitz” Mason is hired by a retired US Ambassador to find the daughter who disappeared while dressing for her wedding. Now is 1985. Park City Police Detective Sergeant Ben Winters and Detective Tommy Mason are called to the scene of a woman's body discovered in a field. She's young, beautiful, and frozen solid. Winters and Mason take up the case where Uncle Fitz left off forty years ago. Bottom line: Black & White is for you if you like mysteries driven by classic detectives, both cop and private investigator. Strengths of the story. Black & White moves back and forth between the 1945 kidnapping case and the 1985 suspicious death case. The movement between the two periods are distinct, staying in each period for multiple chapters, with distinct indication of the change.The 1945 story features PI Fitz Mason with a cast mixing the local rich and famous with local cops covering their own butts. The story is a solid kidnapping mystery with the who, why, and how largely making sense. Former ambassador Conrad Martin's daughter, Lillian, went missing the morning of her wedding. Someone carried her out of her father's mansion dressed in her wedding gown. The character of Fitz Mason is of the classic, heroic cut and is easy to cheer for. The supporting characters of Ambassador Martin, younger sister Lucy, the valet Joe Grainger, and police chief Buchanan are also well developed, three-dimensional characters who you can like, hate, laugh at, and sympathize for.The 1985 story features police detectives Ben Winter and his partner and friend Tommy Mason. Childhood friends, they grew up listening to Uncle Fitz's case stories. The suspicious death is intriguing. The who, why, and how are built off the 1945 case, so, while it has equal weight in the book, it feels secondary. Even in writing this review, I'm being careful to not reveal anything that would detract from your enjoyment. This is the fourth book for Ben and Tommy, so they have the history and depth of established characters. The supporting characters are more typical of police procedurals, being effective, informative, and often entertaining.The scene setting in both 1945 and 1985 are distinctively drawn using language, clothing, and period appropriate relationships between father and daughters, men and women. I felt transported to 1945. The 1985 language was not very different from now. The biggest “feel” for the mid-80s came from Tommy looking and dressing like the original Magnum P.I.Fitz does an excellent job of driving his story. He investigated, picked up the clues, and drove it to the next point, then the next point, etc. Ben and Tommy are more traditional cops, acting on information given to them by the evidence clerk, forensics, etc and ushering the story point to point. Where the story fell short of ideal: To enable the two stories to be told simultaneously, the modern story had to be slowed down, so it didn't give away the historic story. But in doing that the modern story felt to me like it was idling, sometimes waiting until Fitz made a move before Ben and Tommy took a step forward.The logic on the kidnapping, as I said, largely made sense. However, Lillian was knocked out and carried out of a mansion busy with wedding preparation without being seen. While Fitz was...
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is Playing Dead by me, TG Wolff TG Wolff ReviewPlaying Dead is a mystery. A body is put on display in Det. Jesus De La Cruz's neighborhood. The victim isn't random but some Cruz and the Cleveland police have been after, Alexander “Rotten” Carter. There was nothing plain and simple about this murder. Point in fact: the corpse was dressed as the king of hearts…the suicide king. Now Cruz is on the case to find answers to Carter's killing and to the activities that hit much closer to home.Bottom line: Playing Dead is for you if you like complex mysteries and being part of the detective's professional and personal life.At the time of this recording, Playing Dead was days away from release, so there are no reviews to pull from. So, I'm putting my M2D4 hat on and critiquing my own book. Strengths of the story. Playing Dead is the 4th book in the series that deals as much with the ups and downs of the personal life of Jesus De La Cruz as it does the details of the mystery. The characters continue to grow from past novels, making it feel like we are catching up with old friends. The main characters of Cruz, his fiancé Aurora, best friend Det Matt Yablonski, and awkward brainiac Professor Grayson Manor are fully developed, having strengths that bridge challenges and weaknesses their work against their success. The side characters often offer comedic relief to the intensity of the murder.The mystery itself ties off storyline from the last two books. Reading prior books is not a necessity in following the mystery itself. The motivations and actions of the suspects is fully contained within this book. Reading the prior stories will be helpful in understanding the emotional strain the victim, Rotten Carter, cause to the cast of characters.The story is told linearly including both Cruz's on-the-clock and personal time. This drives the pacing as Cruz, like all of use, juggles the demands of a challenging professional life and a full private life, which includes a best friend who is treading dangerously close to over-the-line.Where the story fell short of ideal: For lovers of stand-alone mysteries where the story is one-hundred-percent about the murder, the incorporation of personal life may not be as rewarding.As with all series, starting a book four may has the potential to leave new readers feeling either like they are left out of the story or not getting as immersed in the emotions the characters are feeling. Certainly, as the author, I worked to make it welcoming to new readers, but this is always a challenge of series.The Playing Dead was released from Down & Out Books and is promoted by Partners In Crime Tours and is available from AMAZON LINK and other book retailers.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
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is Objects of Desire. TG Wolff ReviewObjects of Desire is a PI Mystery. Two years ago, PI Rita Mars broke up with Diane Winter. It was loud and messy end to their relationship. Now Diane is missing and the note left behind points in Rita's direction. Juggling a case of corporate embezzlement, Diane's disappearance, and a mother with early dementia means Rita has to do a lot of juggling to keep the balls in the air and her butt out of jail.Bottom line: Objects of Desire is for you if you like mysteries without murder, female-centric plots, and clean storytelling. Strengths of the story. The second in the Rita Mars thriller series, Objects of Desire is listed as an LGBTQ+ Mystery and Women's Detective Fiction on Amazon. I do agree with the genres of mystery and detective fiction, moreso than thriller. Rita runs her own PI agency and juggles two cases, keeping both stories moving forward. While there were implied threats to Rita from the police investigation, this was a subplot, which placed the mysteries front and center. The characters of Rita, her assistant Beverly Hills, her best friend Mary Margaret Smooth, and IT wizard Roswell were comfortable in their roles, which reflected this being the second book in the series. Rita was a PI who relied on her team to extend her reach and resources. As compared to other PI characters, she runs a team and uses them to their strengths. The characters were both likable and interesting. Rita's mother played the role of the comic relief with her sugar and Oreo obsession. I have not read the first Rita Mars story but had no problem reading Objects of Desire. Webster did a nice job of giving new readers the information needed to jump into Rita's world. Webster's storytelling style is clean, without cursing, sex, or on-stage violence. There is the implication and threat of violence but not actual depiction of, which makes this a great choice for readers who prefer classic mystery styles of Miss Jane Marple, Nero Wolfe, and others. On the spectrum of cozy to hard boiled, this is closer to the cozy end.The financial mystery was well developed. While Rita developed the theories, the technical nature of the crimes meant that Roswell did more of the leg work than Rita. This worked to keep the story progressing while Rita worked on Diane's case. The kidnapping mystery was a straighter story. The biggest challenge here is there was nothing for Rita or the cops to start from. Rita had to return to PI gumshoe roots, working through all of Diane's friends, acquaintances, and other exes to get to a clue that led somewhere. This mystery is categorized as LGBTQ+ with the majority of the main characters being gay. Rita Mars and OBJECTS OF DESIRE stands as a solid mystery because of the plot, not because of the characters' enduring attraction to the same sex. While being gay is central to Rita's identity, much as being from Belgium was central to Poirot, it has no bearing on her capability as a PI. If you are a reader looking for a lead from the LGBTQ+ community, read Rita Mars. If you are a reader looking for a clean mystery with an intelligent PI, read Rita Mars. Where the story fell short of ideal. Considering OBJECTS OF DESIRE as a mystery, there was a lot to like, as already mentioned, but I had a few minor items. I did think that the urgency of finding Diane was undermined by both the financial case and Rita's mother, at times...
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is The January Corpse by Neil AlbertInteresting tidbit before we start, the Dave Garrett series was planned as a 12 book series. Books 1-6 were published between 1991 and 1996. Neil is picking up the series and re-issuing the first six, the first of which is today's toe tag, The January Corpse. The Dave Garrett series is set in 1990. Cell phones were on the scene but weren't every day like they are now and were meant for, wait for it, making phone calls. There was no internet, no smart phones, and people still used payphones. That's right, we are going old school with The January Corpse!TG Wolff ReviewThe January Corpse is a PI Mystery. Former lawyer turned investigator Dave Garrett is picking up sloppy seconds with this case. The family of Daniel Wilson has filed suit to declare the man missing for 7 years as dead to claim the life insurance benefit. What should be a chore of routine investigation into a cold case gets messy, mean, and dirty in the blink of an eye.Bottom line: The January Corpse is for you if you like fast-thinking private eyes, cases with too many loose ends, and action and adventure in Pennsylvania Dutch country.Strengths of the story. Dave Garrett is an intellectual PI who uses his head rather than brute force for investigating. Being an ex-attorney, he is a different take on a private investigator than characters with backgrounds in law enforcement or military. Dave has some emotional scars, making him an interesting character and somewhat outsider.The mystery itself is the right size for something solved in 3 days. You would think after 7 years, it wouldn't be so easy to solve the disappearance of Dan Wilson. Does Dave get lucky? Some could say that, but he invested the time and tenacity that ended up paying off. No one gifted him with the answers, he earned every single one. This is one of the biggest strengths, Dave Garrett is the hero of his story. The setting is Philadelphia, 1990. I loved the details on Philly and the surrounding area, the kind that come from an author really knowing the area. For example, there is a passage discussing the odd travel patterns. Some days, it takes 10 minutes to get into the city, then you're stuck in gridlock for 3 blocks. Other times it takes 90 minutes and once you're in the city, you're free an clear. You don't get those types of observations using Google Earth. The descriptions of the neighborhoods, people, and buildings give texture to the story.The pacing is excellent for those of us looking for a reason to binge read a book in one sitting (yeah, I did that.) When Dave gets the case Friday morning, it's with the expectation of appearing in court to testify on Monday. The clock starts ticking immediately. I like that part of the story includes Dave weighing what is the best use of his limited time – especially limited business hours. In that short period, there is a fight, a car chase, a hostage situation, and a hot chili pepper romance scene. Where the story fell short of ideal: Not much to pick on here. The logic of the story held up well, something I always look for. The events that were surprising and action packed when reading fully made sense with the benefit of hindsight. As is often the case with PI stories, people lie to Dave but he sniffs out the truth in a way where he does the heavy lifting of sleuthing (i.e. no coincidences, etc) and the lies make sense.A word of warning and an explanation – you may see some typesetting errors, like
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is Broadcast Blues. TG Wolff ReviewBroadcast Blues is an amateur sleuth mystery. Channel 10 News's Clare Carlson prayed to the news gods for an explosive lead story and she got it. A car bombing in the middle of New York City killed private investigator Wendy Kyle. Wanting to break the story to stave of the station's new owners, Clare starts digging and discovers Kyle was into more than just cheating husbands.Bottom line: Broadcast Blues is for you if you like brassy female leads, the pressure and pace of local TV news, and a mystery you can sink your teeth into.Strengths of the story. Clare Carlson is a fully established character who is comfortable in her own skin. She is confident and has a sharp edge that she wields on her executive producer, some witnesses, and the occasional ex-husband. Perhaps those characteristics are the reason she thrived in the industry. In this story, she is dealing with the imminent approach of her 50th birthday, the reality of three failed marriages, and a complicated relationship with the daughter she gave up for adoption. She isn't a two-dimensional character but juggles work-life-play like many of us do. It was when she struggled that I most connected with Clare. The setting of the local TV news brings a sense of urgency to everything Clare does. Often, the element of urgency can feel contrived or artificial but in Broadcast Blues, it's a normal part of Clare's life. It pushed Clare forward when she had little to go on.The story has a nice level of complexity. At first, it seems like there is too wide a field of suspects, those being all the unfaithful spouses Kyle exposed. The story settles into a single line of investigation at a pace that, in my opinion, was just right. It wasn't too fast, jumping to a conclusion, and it wasn't so slow, drawing things out. I especially liked the ending. It wasn't predictable, it was exciting, and wrapped up the whodunnit questions.This is the 6th book in the Clare Carlson Mystery Series and I have not read the previous books. The mystery is stand alone and does not rely on knowledge from prior books. There are some continuing characters and Clare's character arc that do bridge across books but Belsky gives us what we need to understand without making you feel like you've been left out. Where the story fell short of ideal: I did have a challenge with an element of the writing style – there were several passages where I lost who was speaking in extended back-and-forth dialog. Consistently, there were only two people speaking, but sometimes there were other people in the room. Each time I lost track, I pulled out of the story to back track and to figure out who was speaking. Other readers may read through the passages without the issues I had.Standing at the end looking back, I have a few questions. They aren't about the heart or the logic of the mystery itself- that is solid. My questions are on one particular detail that pushed the investigation forward. If you tend not to reverse engineer a mystery, then you'll enjoy Broadcast Blues for dynamic storytelling that it is. The Broadcast Blues was released from Oceanview Publishing and is promoted by Partners In Crime Tours and is available from
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery, murder, and mayhem. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is The Legacy by CL Tolbert. The Legacy was released from Level Best Books and is promoted by Partners In Crime Tours and is available from AMAZON LINK and other book retailers.About CL Tolberthttps://www.cltolbert.com/Licensed in Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi, Cynthia Tolbert retired after thirty-five years of practicing law and began writing full time. After winning the Georgia State Bar Fiction Writing Contest, she developed the winning short story into the first novel in the Thornton Mystery Series, OUT FROM SILENCE, published in 2019. Cynthia taught at Loyola Law School for several years where she directed a homeless clinic, and worked with third year law students in actual cases. All of these experiences have informed her fiction.She is an avid reader, a mother of two, and a grandmother to three beautiful girls. She lives in Austin, TX with her husband and schnauzer, Yoda.TG Wolff ReviewThe Legacy is a mystery / legal thriller. Professor Emma Thornton's newest case is complicated. Jeremy Wilcox is accused of killing his mother, stabbing her to death. Diagnosed as schizophrenic, Jeremy is off his meds in jail, making communication difficult. He has a history of self-medicating with painkillers and escaping from the local hospital's mental health ward. The family dynamic is dysfunctional, support is non-existent, and answers to even basic questions are not forthcoming. Bottom line: The Legacy is for you if you like legal thrillers where it takes more than evidence to get to the truth. Strengths of the story. This is the fourth story in the Emma Thornton series. The cast of characters are mature, each comfortable in their skin. Tolbert's detailed and loving description of New Orleans IS a treat. I have only been a visitor to the city a handful of times but feel like she transports me onto the streets and into the culture.Tolbert also does a very nice job of giving us a meaningful story without crossing the line into a lesson driven story. She explores the idea of and consequences of heredity. In the Wilcox storyline, it is the genetic heredity of schizophrenia and the impact it has on a leading New Orleans family. This is paralleled with Emma having to face to other legacies that hit closer to home. As her 14-yr-old twins start experimenting and rebelling, Emma has to confront their father's legacy of alcoholism. At the same time, she realizes she had passed on traits that drive her to excel in one area, even at the cost of others. It is an excellent study and very well done. The Legacy is listed on Amazon as a mystery and traditional detective. Those are reasonable genre descriptions. Certainly, they do not reflect the degree to which the legal case is front and center. Also, as Emma is a law professor, this is an amateur sleuth, not PI or cop detective. There are thriller elements in the resolution, which lead me to the opinion that legal thriller or legal mystery (making up my own genre here) give a more accurate impression of this story.While this is the 4th, readers can jump in right here. There is a continuing growth...
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery, murder, and mayhem. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.TG Wolff ReviewThe Medusa Murders is an amateur sleuth mystery. Professor Bay “L.L.” Browning is drawn into a serial killer's world when her coat is found at a crime scene. The killer has an agenda and a style, one that emulates the mythical Medusa turning her victims to stone. Her knowledge of art and mythology turns out to be the expertise the police need.Bottom line: The Medusa Murders is for you if you like clean mysteries with a cozy feel and centering on art and mythology.Strengths of the story. The Medusa Murders is classified on Amazon as amateur sleuth, women's crime fiction, and contemporary women's fiction. It absolutely is an amateur sleuth follow-along mystery. Crime fiction has become the broader term for stories involving crime, so it fits again. Contemporary women's fiction is a story of a woman's growth through the story. This is an element of the story but is most applicable to the secondary stories. While it is not listed as a Cozy, the clean storytelling style (no cursing), lack of on-screen violence, and prominent role of interesting and quirky specialties (classic art and mythology), make The Medusa Murders a good fit here, too.The setting in a fictional Wisconsin college in the winter is a nice variation on a small town setting. The social complexities of working inside higher ed gives a “peak behind the curtain” from what life looks like from a professor's perspective. The story does a nice job of showing Bay having to juggle her work responsibilities and family problems that includes her ex-con sister showing up at her door, while also working to find a link between the murders and mythology.All in all, it's a fun read. For those who dig mythology or know their way around classic art about mythology, you will find a lot to dig your teeth into with this one.Where the story fell short of ideal: One of the first and biggest challenges for authors using amateur sleuth is getting the hero into the story. From the beginning, Bay doesn't know why she is part of the investigation and, several times, makes credible arguments that someone else who knows more should be doing the work. For me, this undermined the strength and credibility of the character. Ultimately, it doesn't affect the flow or result of the story.It took me some time to warm up to Bay. There were times it felt like she embodied the collegiate arrogance she accused others of having. She came into her own in second half of the book and I came to like and respect her.About Joy Ann RibarJoy Ann Ribar is an RV author, writing on the road wherever her husband and their Winnebago View wanders. Joy's cocktail of careers includes news reporter, paralegal, English educator, and aquaponics greenhouse technician, all of which prove useful in penning mysteries. She loves to bake, read, do wine research, and explore nature. Joy's writing is inspired by Wisconsin's four distinct seasons, natural beauty, and kind-hearted, but sometimes quirky, people.Joy holds a BA in Journalism from UW-Madison and an MS in Education from UW-Oshkosh. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Blackbird Writers, and Wisconsin Writers Association.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...
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery, murder, and mayhem. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is not a single book but 35 novellas in a collection called A GRIFTER'S SONG. The collection was conceived and edited by Frank Zafiro with episodes written by Frank and 30 other authors, myself included. I have for you today the first chapter of the 1st book, THE CONCRETE SMILE, and the 4th chapter of the last book, INTO THE DYING SUN, both written by Frank Zafiro. TG Wolff ReviewA GRIFTER'S SONG is a Crime Thriller series. Sam and Rachel are long time lovers and lifelong grifters. No mark is too big, no scheme too hot. They zigzag across the continent, looking to make the next score and stay ahead of Little Vincent and the Philadelphia mob. From the first book to the last, nothing is sacred. . . except the love they have for each other. Bottom line: A GRIFTER'S SONE is for you if you get your thrills cheering for heroes who live on the other side of the tracks. Strengths of the series: Zafiro created a world for the grifters with a full backstory that drives Sam and Rachel's continuous need to move on. They have a few trusted acquaintances, including a computer hacking expert, and too many enemies, thanks to the long arms of the Philadelphia mob. All novellas are under 30,000 words, or about 100 pages, making them easy reads that fit into a busy lifestyle. Stories have equivalent ratings of PG to R, but most are pretty hard core. Lol, my episode, #30 GOOD FOR IT, was definitely as lighter end.Each story is a unique blend of Zafiro's world and the imagination and style of the individual authors. Sam and Rachel remain true to themselves and each other, no matter what situation they are thrown into.Where the story fell short of ideal: The series concept is well developed and provides a framework that is defined enough to provide continuity but is open enough to give authors room to work. Readers are bound to have favorite stories and stories they like less – I certainly do. If you don't love one, I encourage you to read on. This is a very satisfying series. Where to find A GRIFTER'S SONGAll books in A GRIFTER's SONG were released from Down & Out Books and are available from AMAZON and other book retailers.About Frank ZafiroFrank writes gritty crime fiction from both sides of the badge. Frank served in the U.S. Army from 1986-91 in military intelligence as a Czechoslovak linguist. In 1993, he became a police officer in Spokane, Washington. During his career, he worked as a patrol officer, corporal, and detective. In 2002, he became a sergeant and entered into leadership roles. He was fortunate enough to command patrol officers, investigators, the K-9 unit, and the SWAT team. He retired from law enforcement in 2013 as a captain in order to write full time and to teach
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe TagI am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery, murder, and mayhem. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is Second Term by JM Adams. The Second Term was released from Oceanview Publishing and is promoted by Partners In Crime Tours and is available from AMAZON LINK and other book retailers.About JM AdamsJM ADAMS has more than 15 years of on-air television journalism experience, reporting for CBS and NBC news affiliates across the United States. Highlights from his career include sea patrols with the Navy after the 9/11 attacks and reporting on location from Kuwait, Iraq, and a number of hurricane disaster zones across the country. Adams was briefly detained in East Germany during the fall of the Berlin Wall. Second Term is his debut novel.Adams lives in Northern New Jersey with his wife, two daughters, and a pair of Cavashons who appear to have taken over the house.TG Wolff ReviewSecond Term is a Political Thriller. Cora Walker represents the best of US intelligence and skills. Sixteen years after leading a campaign to protect the US Embassy in Benghazi, Libya, she is pressed into action again. This time, she is defending the Capital and Speaker of the House against a homegrown attack.Bottom line: Second Term is for you if you love tense, political thrillers built from today's headlines.Strengths of the story. This story is told in three parts. First is a 2012 invasion of the US Embassy in Benghazi, Libya. The second is 2028, post presidential election and set the scene for Cora as the press secretary for the Speaker of the House. The third is January 2029 and the chaos accompanying a president who does not want to step down.The first thing that pops out about this story is the intensity. Adams doesn't waste words as he builds worlds both in Libya and Washington, D.C. We see both worlds through the eyes of the efficient, no-nonsense Cora Walker. The intensity drives the pacing and, for me, kept the pages turning.The texture to this book is notable. JM Adams takes us to the places he has been not just through visual description but through sounds and smells. It adds a layer to the scenes making them richer and more real.Cora Walker is a strong character who acts independently and according to her moral code. The things she does engaging the enemy places her with other elite fictional agents like Jack Reacher and Jason Bourne. She is a fun hero to cheer for.Where the story fell short of ideal: While not short of ideal, readers are either going to love or going to hate how the main story presents a sadly easily imagined attack on US democracy by an egomaniac president who can't accept losing and attacks everyone and everything in an effort to win.Thrillers are one of the hard genres to resolve the storylines without breaking logic. The Benghazi story line was especially tight and stood up well. I would have liked a bit more detail on what happened, but that is a personal preference. For Parts 2 and 3, Cora acted true to her character with no flaws in her decisions. I did take some issue with the actions of other characters in developing the situation Cora had to fight her way out of. If you can get past those and/or focus on Cora, you'll enjoy one heck of a...
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery, murder, and mayhem. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is THE ALGORITHM WILL SEE YOU NOW by JL LYCETTE. THE ALGORITHM WILL SEE YOU NOW was released from Black Rose Writing and is promoted by Partners In Crime Tours and is available from AMAZON LINK and other book retailers.ABOUT JL LycetteJL Lycette is a novelist, award-winning essayist, rural physician, wife, and mom. Mid-career, she discovered narrative medicine on her path back from physician burnout and has been writing ever since. Her first novel, The Algorithm Will See You Now, was a 2023 SCREENCRAFT CINEMATIC BOOK COMPETITION FINALIST, 2023 READER'S FAVORITE BRONZE MEDAL WINNER in the Medical Thriller category, 2023 MAXY AWARD'S FINALIST – Thriller category, and 2023 PAGE TURNER AWARD'S FINALIST – Best Debut Novel category. The prequel, The Committee Will Kill You Now, was released November 9.TG WOLFF REVIEWTHE ALGORITHM WILL SEE YOU NOW is a Medical Thriller. Dr. Hope Kestrel is the top resident at the most cutting-edge hospital in the country, where data and algorithm solve medicals toughest challenges. Hope believes the data-driven science saves people from the pain of ineffective treatments and the illusions of false hope. With one mistake, Hope falls from the top to outcast and along the way, learns the system she built her career around has been manipulated for profit's sake. Now Hope has a choice…fade into a sad memory or fight her way out. Bottom line: THE ALGORITHM WILL SEE YOU NOW is for you if you like medical and conspiracy thrillers where a thin line separates reality and science fiction. Strengths of the story. The first star of the story is the premise. The book is set in 2035, extrapolating a world built from the concepts of our current American health system and the potential of artificial intelligence. While reading it, I have thoughts of Mary Shelley's FRANKENSTEIN – not for the monster but for the way fiction was used to explore the ideas of what science and technology should do and what it shouldn't do. In Lycette's world, DNA sequencing is used to identify which patients will respond to treatments and which ones will not. The “non-responders” as they are called, are written off and all but cut off from a health care system unwilling to invest limited resources in a no win case.One of the best and most terrifying things about THE ALGORITHM WILL SEE YOU NOW is that it is easy to imagine as our future reality.Lycette's experience in the medical industry shines through with the informed construction of the interworkings of the hospital system. This isn't a story about diseases and their treatment but about the people – patients, loved ones, doctors and nurses. The story itself is very well crafted. Standing at the end and looking back, the logic holds. The conspiracy is straightforward, with the question being more about what was done than who did it. There are several high-tension moments, and they seldom resolve the way I expected them to.Where the story fell short of ideal: There were not many weak points in this story. It does take a little time to reveal the main plot and get into the thriller. Whether this is too long will vary by reader, but it does give us time to see Hope's “normal life” and learn about the hospital and the technology. Because this is a medical thriller, the tension is intellectual rather than physical. Partners In Crime Tours represents a network of 300+ bloggers offering...
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery, murder, and mayhem. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is GIRL ON TRIAL by Kathleen Fine GIRL ON TRIAL was released from CamCat Books and is promoted by Partners In Crime Tours and is available from AMAZON LINK and other book retailers.About Kathleen FineKathleen Fine received her Master's in Reading Education from Towson University and Bachelor's in Elementary Education from University of Maryland, College Park. She is a member of the Maryland Writers Association, International Thriller Writers, and Author's Guild. When she's not writing and selling real estate, she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling to the Outer Banks, and of course, reading anything she can get her hands on. She currently lives in Baltimore, Maryland with her husband, three children, and Sussex Spaniel. Her short stories have been published in Litro Magazine, Pen in Hand, The Maryland Writer's Association Anthology, and in The Indignor Playhouse Anthology. Girl on Trial is her debut novel. Find her at https://www.kathleenfineauthor.com/TG Wolff ReviewGIRL ON TRIAL is a Contemporary YA Mystery/Thriller. Sixteen-year-old Emily Keller has one goal her junior year of high school: fit in. But making friends and being popular takes Emily down a dangerous path of drinking, pills, and sex. Now the family she babysat for is dead and Emily is accused of leaving the stove on, causing carbon monoxide poising.Bottom line: GIRL ON TRIAL is for you if you like legal suspense coupled with the interpersonal drama.Strengths of the story. Author Kathleen Fine took a rare approach to the storytelling, alternating between the jury trial and the events of the prior year, beginning with the first day of school. While other stories may alternate between past and present, GIRL ON TRIAL meticulously walks through the trial, making you feel the fear and anxiety along with Emily.With this approach, we have two storylines running simultaneously and they have two very different feels. In the “past” story, we get to know Emily as a person and see the influence those closest to her – her twin brother, her friends - have on. This isn't a story of privilege but of smart, determined daughter of a single mom who is an alcoholic. Reading with an adult's eye, we see the precipice Emily is walking along well before she does. If the “past” story is personal, the “trial” story is professional. The lawyer does the talking. Emily has to listen to testimony that cuts down who she is. Some are lies, some aren't, but she has to hold herself in the impossible combination of aloof but humble. The contrast between the two storylines is nicely done.Where the story fell short of ideal: GIRL ON TRIAL is hard to pin down on genre. It is listed as a Young Adult Mystery / Thriller. I argue it is neither. It is not a Mystery as there is not a crime being investigated and none of the characters are working to uncover information to resolve the situation. It is not a Thriller because it lacks the fast pacing, the physicality, and the risk of mortal danger to the hero. I find it best classifies as Suspense. The pacing is...
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery, murder, and mayhem. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is 25 to Life by John Lansing. 25 to Life was released from White Street Publishing and is promoted by Partners In Crime Tours and is available from AMAZON LINK and other book retailers.TG Wolff Review25 to Life is a PI Mystery and is also characterized as Noir Fiction and Crime Thriller. Jack Bertolino is back for his fifth case. A law student is dead. Her crime? Working on a Project for the Innocent case on behalf of Carl Forbes. What Gloria Millhouse finds? Well, it stinks. Before she can move on it, someone moves on her. Now Jack is on the case, looking for the scum behind the shiny badges of the LAPD SWAT team to find the answers.Bottom line: 25 to Life is for you if you like classic hard-boiled PIs who punch first and ask questions later and do the dirty work that the good cops can't.Strengths of the story. The set-up is classic PI. A bright, talent law student is killed in a murder made to look like an accident. (I don't consider this a spoiler b/c if it was an accident, there wouldn't be a story.) She's connected. Her father is a renowned attorney and political supporter who asked his friend the Los Angeles mayor for help. That help comes in the form of Jack Bertolino, former NYPD inspector turned private investigator. I really like this set-up because it gave Jack a legit reason to dive into the case and the backing to go places and ask the questions he needed to.The pacing is excellent. At no point did my attention wander or did I get bored. I got a little anxious a few times, but that was a good thing.This is Jack's fifth case. I have not read the prior ones and this one stood solidly alone. Lansing did an excellent job of briefly providing any needed back story without providing a full page synopsis of the prior cases. It is obvious that Jack's team were in the previous books as they were fully developed characters, comfortable in their own skin.Where the story fell short of ideal. There wasn't a place it fell short of ideal, per se. There were a few grammar typos, such as “ in the wrong place, but those were minor and did not detract from the story.While I thought the final confrontation with the Big Bad was excellent in terms of action and excitement, I did roll my eyes at the set up. It was the only time that I thought Jack acted out of character. He is brave and aggressive, yes, but he is smart, manipulating situations to put the odds in his favor. This time, he chose to run into hell carrying a water bottle. At least he put a vest on. This is obv my pet peeve. I bet most of you hard boiled PI lovers will love it just the way it is.About John Lansingjohnlansing.comJohn Lansing is the author of four thrillers featuring Jack Bertolino—The Devil's Necktie, Blond Cargo, Dead Is Dead, and The Fourth Gunman—as well as the true-crime non-fiction book Good Cop Bad Money, written with former NYPD Inspector Glen Morisano. He has been a writer and supervising producer on Walker, Texas Ranger, the co-executive producer of the ABC series Scoundrels, and co-wrote two MOWs for CBS. The...
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Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery, murder, and mayhem. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is Echo from a Bayou by J Luke Bennecke Echo from a Bayou was released from Jaytech Publishing and is promoted by Partners In Crime Tours and is available from AMAZON LINK and other book retailers.About J Luke Benneckehttps://www.jlukebennecke.com/J. Luke Bennecke, a master civil engineer, became an award-winning author, philanthropist, and daredevil pilot amidst the concrete jungles of Southern California. While constructing bridges and highways, Bennecke secretly plotted high-octane thrillers that became instant bestsellers. But his adventures didn't end there. As a licensed real estate broker and general contractor, he built homes with the precision of a ninja, all while jetting off to exotic destinations, voiceover acting, and giving back to the community via annual high school scholarships. Living in the shadows of Cherry Valley, CA, Bennecke's next daring escapade is always just around the corner.TG Wolff ReviewEcho from a Bayou is a paranormal suspense. John Bastian went head-first into a tree. He woke from a coma and, yeah, he could see dead people. Even weirder, John woke with memories of a war he never fought in, a career he never had, and a wife he never kissed. Flashes hinted at map leading to treasure and an ax leading to death of the man who John was…Jack Bachman. Now John is on the hunt for the treasure, his murderer, and the woman he left behind.Bottom line: Echo from a Bayou is for you if you like your suspense steeped in the supernatural, paced to draw out the good stuff and finishing with one of the best, eerie endings you've ever seen.Strengths of the story. From the start, the premise of the story grabs you. This isn't a typical time travel type of story but a well-reasoned reincarnation story. This not only is a unique spin on the supernatural genre but eliminates all the problems of logic stability that is inherent in time travel.The characters are also a winner. John / Jack is an ordinary man, put in extraordinary circumstances. He doesn't flip a switch and go into hero mode but his slowly driven there by memories and urges his rational mind has to justify. The best friend, Kevin, is an excellent comic relief. The bad guy, Scott, is complex. Just because he's evil doesn't mean he's always an asshole.The pacing matches the expectation set with being suspense. Certainly, some scene hit the thrill level, but, overall, this is one you sit back and enjoy…until you have to read faster because the shit is hitting the fan.Where the story fell short of ideal: Having finished this book several days ago and revisited the plot, this is a really solid suspense. There is very little to pick on here. If you like thriller-like pacing, you may find this a bit slow, but again, this is true to the suspense genre.While I totally loved the end, I did have one question for the author on why/how it happened that way. Regardless of his answer, this is at the top of my list for cool ways to finish a book.
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery, murder, and mayhem. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is Reckoning by Baron Birtcher Reckoning was released by Open Road Media Mystery & Thriller, promoted by Partners In Crime Tours, and is available from AMAZON LINK and other book retailers.About Baron BirtcherBefore he became a full-time writer, Baron Birtcher spent a number of years as a professional musician and founded an independent record label and management company.Baron is the winner of the Silver Falchion Award (Hard Latitudes); Winner of Killer Nashville Readers Choice Award (South California Purples); and Best Book of the Year Award for Fistful Of Rain. He has also been nominated for the Nero Award, the Lefty, the Foreword Indie, the Claymore, and the Pacific Northwest's Spotted Owl Awards. Baron's writing has been hailed as "The real deal" by Publishers Weekly; "Fast Paced and Engaging" by Booklist; and "Solid, Fluent and Thrilling" by Kirkus.Find him at https://www.facebook.com/BaronRBirtcherTG Wolff ReviewReckoning is a mystery with a conspiracy thriller subgenre. It's the 1970s and Portland, OR Detective Clark Wehr is found dead in a fishing cabin, hours from home. Everyone from Wehr's partner to his commander wants the case closed quickly as a suicide. But Sheriff Ty Dawson has questions that the evidence isn't satisfying and he's going to keep digging until he gets the answers. Bottom line: Reckoning is for you if you like cheering on the underdog and calling out injustices for the sleezy, dirty lies they are. Strengths of the story. Labeled as a Ty Dawson mystery, this story fits more accurately in a conspiracy thriller genre. A conspiracy thriller is one where the protagonist investigates a crime or anomaly to ultimately find it is a small part of a much bigger story. Reckoning does begin with the discovery of Wehr's body, but storylines of the attempted cover over by the Portland PD and the woes of an elderly rancher who is being harassed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service get equal screen time. Each of the three storylines are interesting and compelling, leaving the reader wanting to know where it is going.This is Ty Dawson's third story. I have not read the previous two and did not have a problem with picking the story up. If there are Easter eggs, they are subtle gifts for fans of the series that do not detract for the new reader. Because this is an established character, Dawson and the Meriweather County cast are refined and well developed.The pacing is strong and consistent. There wasn't a section where the story dragged or my attention waned. Dawson is juggling so much, there isn't time for the mundane.Where the story fell short of ideal. Having finished the book days ago, I continue to think through the storylines and their resolutions – a testament...
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery, murder, and mayhem. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is DEADLY DEPTHS by John F. Dobbyn The Deadly Depths was released August 1 from Oceanview Publishing and is available from AMAZON LINK and other book retailers. It is available in print, e-book and audio book.About John F. DobbynBest-selling author John F. Dobbyn, a graduate of Harvard College, Boston College Law School, and Harvard Law School, is a former professor of law at Villanova Law School where he taught criminal, constitutional, and corporate law. Prior to his teaching career, Dobbyn practiced criminal and civil trial work. He is a frequent contributor to Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine and Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, and he is the author of five award-winning legal thrillers featuring Michael Knight and Lex Devlin. Dobbyn is a Boston native and now resides in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Lois.TG Wolff ReviewDEADLY DEPTHS is a genre crosser. It can be found under Amateur Sleuth mystery and murder thriller. I would classify it as an Adventure bookended by Amateur Sleuth. Archeologist Barrington “Barry” Holmes is dead. With a slit wrist, the police rule it suicide. Holmes's protégé, Matthew Shane, former Air Force Intelligence and current professor of law, calls bullshit. The path to resolving Holmes's death puts him face-to-face with a voodoo curse, a notorious antiquities dealer and a three hundred-and fifty-year-old promise between the leader of the Aztec people and the famous Englishman, Captain Henry Morgan. Bottom line: DEADLY DEPTHS is for you if you like treasure hunts, a jumble of altruistic, self-serving, and devious characters, and murder of the lowest degree. Strengths of the story. There are several things to love about DEADLY DEPTHS. First in my book is the treasure seeking adventure. Lovers of Indiana Jones stories, “National Treasure”, and “The DaVinci Code” will enjoy the mix of folk lore, voodoo, pirates, and the potential of a treasure of incomparable value. The clues are cryptic yet meaningful. The locations are grounded in real history. The characters are distinct and true to their nature—for good or for bad.The pacing is strong. Once picked up, this is a hard one to put down. While this story does not have the time deadline common in this genre, there is a sense of being up against a ticking clock. For most of the book, there is a sense of an unseen hand manipulating the situation, creating the feeling of a race but against an invisible competitor. .Where the story fell short of ideal: As noted, this story crosses genres. It stands strongly but readers focusing on only one of the genres may find areas for complaining. The story begins as an Amateur Sleuth, creating the impetus for starting the Adventure. Then Adventure takes over, driving most of the book. Only after the Adventure is nearing completion is the original mystery resolved. Adverture lovers could scoff at the time to get the Adventure going. Mystery lovers could do the same for pursuit of the murder. If those genre-specific expectations are put aside, DEADLY DEPTHS is a very satisfying read.That wraps up this Toe Tag of...
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery, murder, and mayhem. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is Bastard Verdict by James McCrone Bastard Verdict was released in May 2023 and is available from AMAZON LINK and other book retailers.About James McCroneJames McCrone is the author of the Faithless Elector series—Faithless Elector, Dark Network, and Emergency Powers—“taut” and “gripping” political thrillers about a stolen presidency. Bastard Verdict, his fourth novel, is about a conspiracy surrounding a second Scottish Independence referendum. To get the details right for the new thriller, he drew on his boyhood in Scotland and scouted locations for scenes in the book while attending Bloody Scotland. He's a member of MWA, Int'l Assoc. of Crime Writers, and he's the new president of the Delaware Valley Sisters in Crime chapter. He lives in Philadelphia. You can learn more at his website: JamesMcCrone.comTG Wolff ReviewBastard Verdict is a Political Thriller. FBI Special Agent Imogen Trager is on sabbatical. She's taking a break from the fall out of her last cases to dive into the safe world of academia. At visiting fellow at Scotland's University of Glasgow, she's diving into the data behind referendums in the US, Scotland, and Sweden. But then a question is raised about the validity of the 2014 Scottish referendum on independence. And that quick, Imogen is back in the thick of it.Bottom line: Bastard Verdict is for you if you like sophisticated, intricately woven political thrillers steeped in real historical events. Strengths of the story. The strength of the story is the premise: the exploration of a fascinating “what if”. What if an election was stolen…that the victor would have won anyway? Was a crime committed? Where is the accountability? How high does it go? What would the victors do to stop the story from coming out?This is Imogen's 4th case so she is an established and well-developed character. As this book is set in Scotland, not the US, there are no continuing characters from previous books. This makes it an easy choice to pick up, even if you haven't read the previous books.Thriller lovers should be aware this is a political thriller, so the tension and action are more intellectual and less physical. The pacing is strong with the storyline continuously moving forward. Interestingly, the story is largely driven by the “villains”, forcing the heroes to act and react throughout the book. Where the story fell short of ideal: I had two minor challenges reading the book. First centers around point of view. Bastard Verdict is told from multiple points of view, as is common with thrillers. But occasionally, the change in point of view happened within a continuous scene, often subtly. It was enough that I had to stop and re-read to understand the narrating character changed.The second challenge centered around logic and sequence. Once the story gets rolling, the actions of the characters are...
Joes Assemble! So the Joe Team is defeated... I guess this means the show is over.... or is it.... This month, a new team of Joes are introduced to hunt down Serpentor and save the previous group. Come meet the New Team: Dells, Toe Tag, Greystone, and Silverback! Can our Joes succeed where the previous team failed? Tune in and find out! Join us monthly, here on the Headcast Network. Be sure to let us know what you think by emailing us at GIJoe@HeadcastNetwork.com And be sure to look for us on Patreon. If you like what we're doing, throw a few in the tin at http://patreon.com/HeadcastNetwork. Yo Joe!
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery, murder, and mayhem. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.The Hemingway Deception was released from Suspense Books and promoted by Partners in Crime Tours and is available from AMAZON LINK and other book retailers.About Tj O'ConnorTj O'Connor is the author of The Hemingway Deception, Dying with a Secret, (pending publication), The Consultant and four paranormal murder mysteries.Tj is an international security consultant specializing in anti-terrorism, investigations, and threat analysis—life experiences that drive his novels. With his former life as a government agent and years as a consultant, he has lived and worked around the world in places like Greece, Turkey, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, and throughout the Americas—among others. Tj is a Harley Davidson pilot, a man-about-dogs, and a lover of adventure, cooking, and good spirits (both kinds). He was raised in New York's Hudson Valley and lives with his wife and Labrador companions in Virginia where they raised five children who are supply a growing tribe of grands!Catch Up With TJ O'Connor:www.TjOConnor.comBookBub – @tj37Twitter – @TjoconnorauthorInstagram – @tjoconnorauthorFacebook – @TjOConnor.Authorhttps://partnersincrimetours.com/the-hemingway-deception-by-tj-oconnor/TG Wolff ReviewThe Hemingway Deception is a Thriller. Hemingway. No one knows who he is or what he can do, only that he is the ultimate prize. The key lies with Dr. Montilla, who some label a saint and others a guerilla.Ana Karras Montilla survived her upbringing in the jungles of Colombia to establish a ‘normal' life in Queens. Now her missionary parents have gone missing and saving them means embracing everything she fought to escape. Trane does the dirty work that needs to be done. To protect his Washington-insider bosses, has to find Montilla, then Hemingway to put a permanent end to his plans. Catalina Reyes is a Cuban spy who has lost her husband and has lost her direction. Desperation drives her to take on this mission where succeed or die are the only outcomes and Montilla is her guide. Luke Brennan is NYPD, working to make sense of the mess Karras and Trane leave in their wake. Everyone keeps telling him to let this one go. Right. Like he's going to listen.Bottom line: The Hemingway Deception is for you if you like multi-hero stories where everyone is out for themselves for damn good reasons and the stakes are so high, losing means war.Strengths of the story. This book has several strengths. Let's start with motivation. As I said, there are several heroes on this book, each busting their butts to win. O'Connor does an excellent job of creating motivations for the heroes that are deep, personal, and relatable. Next is OMG tension. Several scenes I read through my fingers. Knowing O'Connor works professionally in anti-terrorism and that he draws from his real life experience amped up the tension and negated any certainty that any character was going to survive. Next respect…if not like. By the end of the book, I had connected with the main characters, even if I didn't necessarily like them. I got why they were doing what they did. They were the heroes in their own stories, just not necessarily
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery, murder, and mayhem. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is Psycho Therapy by TG Wolff The third book in the series is now available.The Psycho Therapy was released July 10 from Down & Out Books and is available from AMAZON LINK and other book retailers.TG Wolff ReviewPsycho Therapy is a Mystery. 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.Bottom line: Psycho Therapy is for you if you like fast-paced mysteries, dynamic characters, and story meant to be read just for the fun of it Strengths of the story. Like all of the Diamond stories, Psycho Therapy is a mystery with an adventure pacing that doesn't take itself too seriously. Each chapter is a story in itself, making it a satisfying read. .Where the story fell short of ideal: This is the third story in a trilogy. While the mystery – Dr. Robin Ransom's story – is independent of the first two books, the character development for Diamond is not. Like any trilogy, you can read the story alone, but you won't be able to fully get the relationship between the characters or the jokes that refer back to previous books – like defenestration. Really, the best thing you can do for yourself is to read all three.
Birthing the predator & prey…keep having them i guess
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery, murder, and mayhem. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today we're continuing our early celebration of the July 10th release of Psycho Therapy, the last in my Diamond Trilogy with this Toe Tag of the second story Suicide Squeeze. The Suicide Squeeze was released from Down & Out Books in 2021 and is available from AMAZON LINK and other book retailers.TG Wolff ReviewWidow's Run is a Mystery. A university chemistry professor went out for lunch and didn't come back. The cops think he's skipped town, but his fiancée knows better. Desperate for answers, the fiancée, Hanna Lang, agrees to a clandestine meeting. The stranger with a reputation gives her a cryptic letter and an address. An hour later, she rings the doorbell.Diamond is a former CIA agent turned widow whose future is sealed. In her darkest hour, the curve fate pitches is a blonde with a situation virtually identical to her own with one exception: Hanna's man might still be alive. Putting her plans on hold, Diamond dives into the mystery, surfacing in a scavenger hunt for a secret known as Poe's Raven. It takes Diamond's flair for the impossible to capture this bird, only to discover what's in her hand has the potential to take terrorism to a chilling new level. And fate isn't done with Diamond, forcing her to put it all on the line or risk setting the caged bird free.Bottom line: Suicide Squeeze is for you if you like fast-paced mysteries, dynamic characters, and story meant to be read just for the fun of it Strengths of the story. To give you an unbiased review, I'm using posted reviews…One from Amazon, “…Like the first book, SUICIDE SQUEEZE is a fast-paced, humorous thrill ride from beginning to end that spans multiple continents. Even better? It brings back all our favorite characters from book one. Loved it, and can't wait to see what new adventures await Diamond in book 3!.” This story carries on with the style from the first book, keying on pacing and characters. It's a solid mystery, but simple, it had to be because everything around it was so complex. Each chapter is it's own story and also moves the overall story along. It made it a blast to write and it what give the pacing it's feel.Where the story fell short of ideal: Well, there aren't any negative reviews. Honestly, there's only one review on Amazon and Goodreads…so that must mean everyone loves it!So take six hours out of your reality to read Suicide Squeeze, the second Diamond Adventure. Review it, help me get up to like 20 reviews. It would mean a lot. Then you'll be ready to finish the series with Psycho Therapy, releasing July 10th. Join us next week for the last episode of Season 6: Detective Connolly Gets Wet N Wild. In the tradition of Inspector Clousseau and Maxwell Smart, Detective Connolly…is something you have to experience for yourself. Hint: It's a Jack story.
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery, murder, and mayhem. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's I'm starting an early celebration of the July 10th release of Pyscho Therapy, the last in my Diamond Trilogy with this Toe Tag of the first story, Widow's Run. Widow's Run is the first season of Mysteries to Die For. The book was our inspiration for starting the podcast as much as it was our guinea pig in learning how to do, well, everything..The Widow's Run was released November 2019 from Down & Out Books and is available from AMAZON LINK and other book retailers.Everyone but Tina's ReviewWidow's Run is a Mystery. Diamond. One name for a woman with one purpose in life. It should have been ordinary, her husband attending a scientific conference, except he didn't come home. A random accident. Or was it? A video surfaces calling facts into question, but the police only have words of sympathy for the new widow. Resurrecting her CIA cover, Diamond goes where the police won't. From Washington DC to Rome, Italy, to Tulsa, Oklahoma, her widow's run follows the stink greed leaves in its wake. Murder is filthy business. Good thing Diamond likes playing dirty. Bottom line: Widow's Run is for you if you like fast-paced mysteries, dynamic characters, and story meant to be read just for the fun of it Strengths of the story. To give you an unbiased review, I'm using posted reviews…Two from Amazon, “Widow's Run is a suspenseful thriller with well-crafted characters and a plot that leaves you guessing until the very end.” And “Widow's Run is a nonstop roller coaster ride of chaos and suspense with a lead character who's not afraid to speak her mind...and has the resources to back her words up. Determined to find the true reason behind her husband's death, Diamond will stop at nothing to get the answers...including faking her own death and then showing up in disguise at the funeral. Both her tongue and mind are sharp as a whip, making this a super fun read.” These are fair. This story is about pacing and characters. It's a solid mystery, but simple, it had to be because everything around it was so complex. I was inspired by Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series – each chapter is it's own story and also moves the overall story along. It made it a blast to write and it what give the pacing it's feel.Where the story fell short of ideal: Miriam on GoodReads gave me a 3.5 for zest and enthusiasm- thanks for the bump, Miriam. She felt it was “a convoluted spy / mystery / thriller that begins in a slapstick humor manner and, while calming down some, is still frenetic as Diamond travels to Rome and back to the states. She's got a lot of help, some more useful than others.There are a few grammatical errors, and a doozy of a continuity issue at the very end as the dead people are incorrectly identified.If you do pick up this slim mystery, don't put it down or you'll lose track of all the disparate threads.”The comment on slapstick is reasonable. Overall, it may give the impression the book is silly, which it isn't. But it does feature gags that mix physical timing and mental wit. It is more Dead Pool than Inspector Gadget.I have no reason to doubt the grammatical errors are there....
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery, murder, and mayhem. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is Dream Stalker by Nancy Gardner Dream Stalker was released June 2021 and is available from AMAZON LINK and other book retailers.About Nancy GardnerNancy Gardner writes cozy mysteries with a paranormal twist. The first novel in her new series, Dream Stalker, tells the story of Lily Scott, a contemporary Salem witch who walks into people's dreams to fight crime. One reviewer called it a gripping tale of witchcraft, family loyalties, and the cost of seeking justice. Her most recent short story, “Death's Door,” was selected to be included in the 2021 anthology, Malice Domestic 16: Mystery Most Diabolical. She lives near Boston with her writer husband, David.TG Wolff ReviewDream Stalker lists as a paranormal cozy mystery. It's October in Salem, Massachusetts and Mrs. Lily Scott, wiccan, herbalist, and dream walker, is up to her neck in trouble. It started with a childhood friend, she suicided in front Lily. That was followed with two murders, arson, another suicide, and an accident that threatens the life of the best woman Lily knows, her sister Ann. Lily follows a trail of clues to protect the women she cares for, including the one she loves most, her own daughter.Bottom line: Dream Stalker is for you if you like your mysteries clean, your witches wiccan, and your fiction feminine. Strengths of the story. Gardner's female characters are the gems of this story. All major characters and most minor are female, with a large part of the story arc dedicated to Lily recovering the relationship with her sister and her daughter. That puts this mystery solidly in the category of Women's fiction. Each character is truly unique and stays true to themselves throughout the telling – for better or for worse. Salem, MA in October gives a colorful backdrop for a story of quiet deceit and subtle treachery. It certainly made me curious about the town, which is exactly what a good author does. The story lives up to the Cozy name with clean language and roots in the heritage and traditions of Wiccan. A sophisticated hand compares and contrasts Wiccan to Catholicism, showing that when you look for differences, that is what you see. But when you look for goodness, beauty is abound.Where the story fell short of ideal. The story is listed as a paranormal. Readers who prefer moderation in paranormal will appreciate Gardner's sparing hand with Lily's dream walking. As a reader who loves the power and imagination of a world beyond our own and prefers it in a story the same way I want chocolate syrup on my ice cream, I was left wanting more. In my opinion, framing this story as a women's fiction cozy mystery better casts the light of the story. Lily has a lot of work to do if she is going to solve the mystery, save the shelter her sister runs, and repair the relationships most vital to her.
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery, murder, and mayhem. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is The Bone Records by Rich Zahradnik The Bone Records was released October 2022 from 1000 Words A Day Press and is available from AMAZON LINK and other book retailers.About Rich ZahradnikRich Zahradnik is the author of the thriller The Bone Records and four critically acclaimed mysteries, including Lights Out Summer, winner of the Shamus Award. He was a journalist for twenty-seven years and now lives in Pelham, New York, where he is the mentor to the staff of the Pelham Examiner, an award-winning community newspaper run, edited, reported, and written by people under the age of eighteen.TG Wolff ReviewThe Bone Records is a thriller. Grigg Orlov, the son of a Russian father and Jamaican mother (deceased), was an outsider in his own neighborhood. His father disappeared six months ago and the NYPD wasn't interested in looking for him. Grigg alone has been searching while juggling two jobs. Just as suddenly, his father returns, with a gunman hot on his heels. His father's last stand launches Grigg on mission for the truth. One with twisted truths and secrets so deep, dying is the only way out. Bottom line: The Bone Records is for you if you like lightning-fast pacing, engaging underdogs, and a setting in one of America's hidden cultures.Strengths of the story. Rooted in New York City's Russian community, the story is a creative weave of fiction and facts in the foreground of the 2016 presidential election. That being said, this is not a political thriller. At its essence, The Bone Records is a thriller about a son searching for the truth about his father's murder. The plotting is strong with Grigg taking actions that interfere with the antagonists' goals and force them to react to him, propelling the story forward. There is ample lying, backstabbing, and spying to keep the reader guessing right along with Grigg about who can be trusted. Where the story fell short of ideal. This is a very strong thriller. Of course, there are always little things I can pick at, but nothing worth mentioning. When I got to the end of The Bone Records, I sat for several moments and unpicked the weave of the storylines. They all held up. The actions stayed consistent with the motivations of the decision makers from start to finish. It would have been interesting if Grigg had had more time with his father. What would he have learned and how would it have changed Grigg's actions. For that matter, after six months, why did his father come back at all?
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery, murder, and mayhem. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is What Meets the Eye by Alex Kenna What Meets the Eye was released December 2022 from Crooked Lane Books and is available from AMAZON LINK and other book retailers.About Alex KennaAlex Kenna is a lawyer, writer, and amateur painter. Before law school, Alex studied painting and art history. She also worked as a freelance culture writer and sold art in a gallery. Originally from Washington DC, Alex lives in Los Angeles with her husband, son, and giant schnauzer, Zelda. When she's not writing Alex can be found exploring Southern California, toddler-wrangling, and playing string instruments badly.TG Wolff ReviewWhat Meets the Eye is a Private Investigator mystery. PI Kate Myles takes a job everyone else has turned down, the investigation of an avant-garde artist's death. LAPD, Kate's former employer, determined it was a suicide. But, of course, her father doesn't buy it for no fact-based reason. Kate's taken this job before and three out of three times, the cops were right. But this time? This time just may be different. Bottom line: What Meets the Eye is for you if you like your art edgy, your stakes high, and your dirty deeds done anything but cheap. Strengths of the story. The setting is one of the stars of this story. This mystery is embedded in the LA art scene and told in a way that could only be done by someone with Kenna's unique background. This goes beyond the death of a star artist and makes this one of the most mysteries I'm read in a long time.The plot is equally interesting, likely because it is interwoven with the art scene itself. This isn't a mystery that is merely dropped into an interesting setting. This story only exists because of where it is in the art scene. Where the story fell short of ideal. The story telling style is 80% from Kate Myles POV in modern time with the remainder from other characters and/or in past times. On the “pro” side, the style gives the reader “just in time” cues to motivation and back story for the mystery or Kate herself. On the “con” side, it can pull the reader out of the story and introduce some time or speaker confusion. This will be something that some readers won't notice at all and will bother others. For my own experience, I “hear” the story as I read, so tended to hear Kate regardless of who the narrator was supposed to be. Hence, it caused me some confusion but was able to work through it quickly.
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery, murder, and mayhem. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is A Bad Bout of the Yips by Ken Harris The A Bad Bout of the Yips was released March 9, 2023 from Black Rose Publishing and is available from AMAZON LINK and other book retailers.About Ken HarrisKen Harris retired from the FBI, after thirty-two years, as a cybersecurity executive. With over three decades writing intelligence products for senior Government officials, Ken provides unique perspectives on the conventional fast-paced crime thriller. He is the author of the From the Case Files of Steve Rockfish series. He spends days with his wife Nicolita, and two Labradors, Shady and Chalupa Batman. Evenings are spent playing Walkabout Mini Golf and cheering on Philadelphia sports. Ken firmly believes Pink Floyd, Irish whiskey and a Montecristo cigar are the only muses necessary. He is a native of New Jersey and currently resides in Northern Virginia.TG Wolff ReviewA Bad Bout of the Yips is a PI mystery. Partners Steve Rockfish and Jawnie McGee are neck deep in the kind of trouble that puts you six feet under. First, there is the case. Their clients are being threatened and their property burned to incentivize them to sell their putt putt business. Then, there is the next streaming show. Angel is coming to talk. And so is his money. Finally, there's the mob. Annetta Provolone may be under house arrest but Jawnie's the one who is locked down until the retrial. Nothing goes right. Not a single, damn thing.Bottom line: A Bad Bout of the Yips is for you if you like stubborn private investigators with smart mouths and ideas so bad, they're great.Strengths of the story. It's a hard call on whether the characters, the fast-paced storytelling style, or the dynamic storylines is the starring feature. Together, they hit the trifecta of PI mysteries. There is enough humor and irreverence to keep Yips from becoming too heavy even as the ruthlessness of the mob characters has you worried for everyone's well-being.Where the story fell short of ideal: There only place the story fell short of ideal was Siri listening to Jawnie and doing what she wanted the first time she asked. Ken Harris is truly living in a fantasy world. Beyond that, there isn't a place where the story fell short. It is the third in a continuing story and, IMO, would be best enjoyed after reading the prior installments. Don't think of it as a gotta do, think of it as a get to do.
FS1's Chris Broussard joins Steiny & Guru to explain why he still feels confident in the Warriors title defense, but it hangs in the balance. He breaks down Draymond Green's lack of authority and Bob Myers future.
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery, murder, and mayhem. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is Chaos at Carnegie Hall by Kelly Oliver The Chaos at Carnegie Hall was released November 15, 2022 from Boldwood Books and is available from AMAZON LINK and other book retailers.About Kelly OliverKelly Oliver is the award-winning and bestselling author of three mystery series: The Jessica James Mysteries; Pet Detective Mysteries for middle grade readers; and The Fiona Figg Mysteries. Chaos at Carnegie Hall is the latest Fiona Figg mystery, and the first to feature sidekick, Kitty Lane.When she's not writing novels, Kelly is a Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University.TG Wolff ReviewChaos at Carnegie Hall is a cozy, historical mystery. It is the first in the Fiona Figg / Kitty Lane mystery series, picking up the character of Fiona Figg from a separate cozy series by Kelly Oliver. It's 1917 and Temporary British Intelligence officer Fiona Figg is sent from London to New York in pursuit of Frederick Fredericks, a smooth talking South African who is determined to undermine the British war effort. But first, she has to get there.Bottom line: Chaos at Carnegie Hall is for you if you like the quirks of cozy, the nostalgia of WWI era settings, and the charm of British mysteries.Strengths of the story. The story is charming as it incorporates in stride details of the world as it was in 1917, both in London and New York. From the clothes to the societal rules to the politics, Choas at Carnegie Hall gives a glimpse into life as it was.Where the story fell short of ideal: Chaos at Carnegie Hall was hard for me to wrap my arms around. I would have described it as a cozy spy novel up to about the half-way point where the mystery element began. The story is billed as the 1st in the series, but it uses characters (good and bad) and makes references to the cases of the Fiona Figg books. From a reader's stand-point, I do think it is more fairly characterized as a Fiona Figg book. Oliver does a thorough job of explaining the back story, but as is always the case, you do feel like you are jumping in at the middle rather than the beginning, as you with expect with a Book 1.
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery, murder, and mayhem. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is Duplicity by Shawn Wilson Duplicity was released October 2022 from Oceanview Publishing and is available from AMAZON LINK and other book retailers.About Shawn WilsonShawn Wilson is a produced playwright and author of Relentless, the first novel in the Brick Kavanagh mystery series. She earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Administration of Justice from American University in Washington, D.C. and spent over thirty years working for the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Attorney's Office, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. Having traveled on five continents, she is very happy to call Chicago home.TG Wolff ReviewDuplicity is a mystery, the kind I call a “follow along.” Brick Kavanagh is officially retired from the Washington DC police Homicide Squad. Unofficially, he's got a few irons in the fire. The most promising is an airline stewardess named Nora that just might be worth relocating to Chicago. A potential paying gig, Brick is invited to mentor law students through a cold case in their own back yard. Then there is the thing that happens to his partner's wife. For that, everything else can wait.Bottom line: Duplicity is for you if you like appealing characters getting in the weeds of missing persons and cold case mysteries.Strengths of the story. Brian “Brick” Kavanaugh is a strong leading character who you want to succeed. The secondary characters are equally engaging and, always a winner with me, I could keep them straight. The “missing person” and “cold case” storylines hold up front-to-back and then back-to-front. The rapid storytelling style is engaging and keeps you wanting to know what happens next.Where the story fell short of ideal. While there were no plot holes, the main storyline pivoted to resolution on a coincidence, not Brick's actions or deductions. Being a mystery fanatic, I look for the detectives to drive to the solution. In this case, he was more in the right place at the right time, which falls short of ideal. Notably, Brick does drive the solution of the secondary storyline. If it wasn't for him sticking with what should have been a dead-end lead and pressing buttons marked “do not touch” then the status quo would have been sadly maintained.
Sel pühapäeval räägib oma kujunemisloo Henry Kõrvits, keda teame räppar Genkana koosseisudest Toe Tag ja A-Rühm. Kui Henry isa Harry on näitlejana ja muusikuna samuti enamusele tuttav, siis ema Viiu kohta seda öelda ei saa. Aga temagi õppis omal ajal "pedas" ja Nukuteatrisse tööle mindi Harryga koos.
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery, murder, and mayhem. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is The Accidental Spy by David Gardner The Accidental Spy was released November 2, 2022 from Encircle Publications and is available from AMAZON LINK and other book retailers.About David GardnerDavid Gardner grew up on a Wisconsin dairy farm, served in Army Special Forces and earned a Ph.D. in French from the University of Wisconsin. He has taught college and worked as a reporter and in the computer industry.He coauthored three programming books for Prentice Hall, wrote dozens of travel articles as well as too many mind-numbing computer manuals before happily turning to fiction: “The Journalist: A Paranormal Thriller,” “The Last Speaker of Skalwegian,” and “The Accidental Spy” (all with Encircle Publications, LLC).He lives in Massachusetts with his wife, Nancy, also a writer. He hikes, bikes, messes with astrophotography and plays the keyboard with no discernible talent whatsoever.TG Wolff ReviewThe Accidental Spy is a Suspense Thriller with a minor in satire. Harvey Hudson is a big thinker. A professor of Big History, his niche in this world is to understand how things begin and how they end. His lackluster technical writing career began with the end of his collegiate teaching career. Breaking the top commandments for cyber security, he invites industrial espionage into his company's servers. But, no worries, the CIA is on it…and so are the Russians. And Harvey, he's the pinball stuck in between, working to make his own way out.Bottom line: The Accidental Spy is for you if you like thrillers that are more intellectual than physical where you can cheer for the underdog.Strengths of the story. Harvey Hudson is not your normal thriller hero. He's a 56-year-old thinker, not a man of action, and we meet him at a low point in his life. Yet, he is utterly likeable for his quiet rebellions (eating the skittles out of a birthday basket), his dedication to his mother (paying her mortgage while he lives in a hole), and his unwavering dreamer philosophy (his favorite question is “what if?”). He is the star. The supporting characters are distinctive and have real roles in the story. The logic of the plot holds up and all questions are resolved. Where the story fell short of ideal: This is a story that is a hybrid of the thriller and satire genre. The story is short on the high-speed chases and bullet riddled exchanges often expected with a thriller. Consequently, fans of series such as Jason Borne may find The Accidental Spy slow. However, if you have the sense of humor that aligns with Fletch, well, you'll enjoy Harvey.
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery, murder, and mayhem. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is Hero Haters by Ken MacQueen The Hero Haters was released in 2022 from The Wild Rose Press and is available from AMAZON and other book retailers. About Ken MacQueenBefore turning to fiction, Ken MacQueen spent 15 years as Vancouver bureau chief for Maclean's, Canada's newsmagazine, winning multiple National Magazine Awards and nominations. He traveled the world writing features and breaking news for the magazine, and previously for two national news agencies. Naturally, he had to make Jake Ockham, his hero, a reporter, albeit a reluctant one. MacQueen also covered nine Olympic Games and drew Jake's athletic prowess from tracking elite rowers in training and on podiums in Athens, Beijing and London. He and his wife divide their time between Vancouver, and British Columbia's Sunshine Coast.TG Wolff ReviewHero Haters is a thriller. There's a little bit of hero in all of us, but for some of us, our hero has risen to the test. Stopping a shooter in a school. Pulling a man out of a burning car. Rescuing a child from a well. In Ken MacQueen's world, ordinary people putting others' lives ahead of their own are honored with an award for exceptional heroism with the Sedgewick Sacrifice Medal. Quietly, one by one, the recipients are disappearing, recipients vetted by one man: Jake Ockham. As the storm of hatred and disillusion swirls, Jake is again called to the most sublime act of setting others before himself.Bottom line: Hero Haters is for you if you like high tension thrillers driven by twisted logic and determined heroes.Strengths of the story: Hero Haters masterfully stimulates the readers feelings of urgency, angst, and “oh, shit, no.” This is one book where once you start, either you won't put it down or you'll put it down fast because you can't take the intensity. The characters, good and bad, are well developed and feel like real people. The story line is truly well thought out. Ken MacQueen had to do a lot of plotting about what happened to these characters years before the story starts in order for it to be this flawless. The story moves distinctly between Washington State and Western Pennsylvania, making it easy to follow what is happening in the two locations.Where the story fell short of ideal: This one doesn't, which is unusual for me with thrillers. Usually I get to the end, look back at the story and find all kinds of contrived scenarios, plot holes, and inconsistencies between character motives and actions. That is not the case with Hero Haters. If I have to pick something as weak, I will say I had some trouble keeping the timeline straight at the start of the book. I didn't realize this until I was about ⅔ way through and while surprising me, didn't detract from the story.
It was a real thrill talking with Seattle punk/hardcore/thrash LEGEND Blaine Cook for episode 71. As a kid coming of age in the pre-Grunge Seattle punk scene of the early 80's, for me and my friends The Fartz set the standard of what it meant to be a hardcore band. Their name sometimes drew snickers from the uninitiated but the intensity of their live shows and recordings, which owed everything to Blaine's guttural sandpaper delivery, immediately dispelled any idea that this was some kind of novelty punk act. They were as hardcore as it gets. In our conversation Blaine and I talk Seattle music (and skateboarding) history, and we chronicle his four decade career fronting and snarling with The Fartz, proto-grunge pioneers 10 Minute Warning, crossover/punk/thrash mainstays The Accused and Toe Tag up to his work today with The Accused AD. He is the epitome of an uncompromising punk rock n roll survivor. I'm so happy to be able to share this conversation with Blaine Cook. Links: Blaine Cook: Instagram The Accused AD Support the pod: PATREON Music: The Fartz “You Got a Brain” The Accused “Martha Splatterhead” TM pod theme by Jason --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jason-traeger/support
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery, murder, and mayhem. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is 1 Last Betrayal by Valerie J. Brooks 1 Last Betrayal was released September 2022 from Black Leather Jacket Press and is available from AMAZON and other book retailers. Revenge in 3 Parts (Black Leather Jacket Press, October 2018) AMAZON. Tainted Times 2 (Brooks & Company, Sept 2020) AMAZON.About Valerie J. BrooksMulti-award-winning author Valerie J. Brooks is the author of the Angeline Porter trilogy, femmes-noir thrillers starring a badass disbarred attorney.NYTimes bestselling author Kevin O'Brien called her second novel TAINTED TIMES 2 “… a real nail-biter from first page to the last.” Heather Gudenkauf, NYT bestselling author of THE WEIGHT OF SILENCE and THE OVERNIGHT GUEST calls Brooks the Queen of the Femmes-noir Thriller and says her upcoming 3rd novel 1 LAST BETRAYAL is “explosive” and “Brooks drops us into the dark underbelly of organized crime, and we love her for it.”Brooks is a member of Sisters in Crime. Her awards include an Elizabeth George Foundation grant and five writing residencies. She teaches workshops and classes on writing noir and creating plot twists. Brooks found her love of thrillers as a teen after turning in a hitman to the FBI.She lives in Oregon with her husband, Dan Connors and their Havanese pooch Stevie Nicks.TG Wolff Review1 Last Betrayal is a thriller. Angeline Porter is picking up where she left off from the 2nd book in the series, Tainted Times 2, putting it all on the line for her half-sister. Bibi has disappeared and based on the last few texts, it wasn't willingly. Angeline flies from Oregon to Florida to extract her sister from a hornet's nest that includes a local detective, an ethically questionable FBI agent, a totally unethical mob queen, and a half-brother who only wants to be her family.Bottom line: 1 Last Betrayal is for you if you like intricately woven plots that unravel one knot at a time.Strengths of the story. 1 Last Betrayal checks a lot of boxes on the thriller checklist. First, the lead character being in mortal danger — check. Angeline, who is also called Ang, Angie, and Porter, is held at gunpoint, beaten, and kidnapped. She jumps from frying pan to frying pan, never quite knowing where the fire is. Second, the story has to resolve within a certain time — check. After 24 hours, most missing persons cases don't end with a living resolution, according to the book, and so we have a deadline, or maybe it should be called an aliveline. Three, the motivations of the other characters are hidden from the lead — check. Every one of the people helping Angeline has an ulterior motive, but those secrets are tightly held.Where the story fell short of ideal: It is common in thrillers to have scenes from the point of view of multiple characters, enabling us readers to know what is going on and to be anxious on behalf of our heroes. 1 Last Betrayal is told only from Angeline's point of view. In a...
Make way....the legends have entered the building. This week I had the pleasure of speaking with some Seattle OG's - The Accused AD aka Toe Tag. We chatted about some upcoming gigs, their recent Toe Tag album, underrated Northwest bands through the years and much more. This interview features four songs. So turn it up and rage !
Welcome to The Nothing Shocking Podcast 2.0 reboot episode 150 with our guest Blaine "Zippy" Cook of Toe Tag (Accused AD, The Accused, The Fartz). In this episode we discuss Toe Tag's new EP Paraquat, touring methodology, and his YouTube show “The Wicker Bar,” and more! For more information visit: https://m.facebook.com/people/Toe-Tag/100062977581802/ https://toetag.bandcamp.com/album/paraquat https://www.youtube.com/@TheWickerBarakahappyhouratthe Hong Kong Sleepover: https://www.amazon.com/Butcher-Bolt-Explicit-Hong-Sleepover/dp/B07P5H6ZY2 or additional merchandise at https://thehongkongsleepover.bandcamp.com Also don't forget to like our Facebook page which can be found right here: https://www.facebook.com/nothingshockingpodcast/ or follow us on twitter at https://twitter.com/hashtag/noshockpod Help support the podcast and record stores by shopping at Ragged Records. http://www.raggedrecords.org
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery, murder, and mayhem. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre.Today's featured release is The Midnight Call by Jodé Millman The Midnight Call was released October 11, 2022 from Level Best Books and is available from AMAZON and other book retailers.About Jodé MillmanJodé Millman is the acclaimed author of HOOKER AVENUE, an American Fiction Award Finalist for Legal Thriller, and THE MIDNIGHT CALL, which won the Independent Press, American Fiction, Independent Publisher, and the Bronze IPPY Awards for Legal Thriller. She's an attorney, a reviewer for Booktrib.com, the host/producer of The Backstage with the Bardavon podcast, and creator of The Writer's Law School. Jodé lives with her family in the Hudson Valley, where she is at work on the next installment of her "Queen City Crimes" series—novels inspired by true crimes in the region she calls home. Find her at Jodé Millman - (jodemillman.com)TG Wolff ReviewThe Midnight Call is a legal thriller. Jessica Martin is a corporate attorney whose mentor, Terence Butterfield, is in big trouble – the bloody kind. Jeremy Riley is the past-his-prime defense attorney Jess brings in to defend Terence. Hal Samuels is the Assistant District Attorney pressured to make sure justice is a big, public win. But it's not that easy – it never is. Past relationships cloud the facts until the web is indeed a tangled one.Strengths of the story. The story is told in three parts. In the first, we see firsthand the wheels that are set in motion by the midnight call. From the opening phrases through the Grand Jury, the story is well crafted, working through the angst and strategy of a murder trial. The middle part of the story shifts focus to the private lives of the main characters and how the publicity and pressure of the trial affects their choices and their families. The characters are put in difficult situations, and we watch as, for some, emotion overrules good judgment. The final sequence returns to the trial, where the lawyers roll up their sleeves and finish the job. The storytelling throughout is detailed and reasoned.Where the story fell short of ideal: Compared to other legal thrillers, The Midnight Call does not go deep into the detail of the law and courtroom procedures. This will be a plus for readers who love the air of a legal thriller without the grainy detail and a minus for those who like to get so granular, sand falls from the pages. With the story focusing on the three attorneys, the accused killer Terence Butterfield is not front and center, so we do not get his side of the story. While the story tied off the legal strings, it left me with a few unanswered questions.
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag. I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery, murder, and mayhem. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre. Today's featured release is The Perfect Brother by Chris Patchell. The Perfect Brother was released September 27, 2022 from Chris Patchell Ink and is available from Amazon and other book retailers. About Chris Patchell Chris Patchell is an award-winning USA Today Bestselling Author who started writing to curb the homicidal tendencies she experienced during her daily Seattle commute. Over the years, she has written numerous popular books and series, including bestsellers Deadly Lies, In the Dark, and her most recent collection of small-town crime novellas, the Lacey James Series. Along the way, her writing has won several awards, including a 2022 Next Generation Indie Book Award, an IndieReader Discovery Award, and a Pacific Northwest Literary Award. Connect with Chris through her newsletter to learn more about her latest works and author happenings. Newsletter sign up can be found on her website: https://www.chrispatchell.com/newsletter/ (https://www.chrispatchell.com/newsletter/) From September 26 thru October 21, 2022, The Perfect Brother is on tour with Partners in Crime. Check out the tour link for more content and information. https://www.partnersincrimetours.net/the-perfect-brother-by-chris-patchell/ (https://www.partnersincrimetours.net/the-perfect-brother-by-chris-patchell/ ) TG Wolff Review 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. Let's compare The Perfect Brother to the “perfect suspense” and the “perfect amateur sleuth” Strengths of the story. In the first half of the book, the element of suspense is driven by seeing snippets of characters' lives, uncomfortable and imperfect, but not knowing how they all fit together. Ms. Patchell does an excellent job of ensuring you bite your fingernails. Once the victim is dead and the perfect brother arrested (not a spoiler because it's on the back cover), the story is taken over by Indira Saraf, a talented software engineer who has mad IT skills. While the first half of the story evolves, Indira drives the second half. She is the catalyst that moves her brother's case forward and in unexpected directions. The array of characters are all well done. Indira is the hero of this story. She is not only easy to like, she is easy to respect. Like any good detective, she has her supporting cast, each of whom plays a role in the outcome. I have not read other stories set in the Indian-Canadian culture, making this a nice departure from the usual. The role of family and pressure on both males and females added to the complexity of the story in a way that was natural and...
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag. I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery, murder, and mayhem. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre. Today's featured release is Sanctuary by https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=4807982619d04d2cJmltdHM9MTY2MDAwNjc0OCZpZ3VpZD0yNWFhYTM2MC0zNjEyLTRhZWItYWUxMy1hZTFiYzQ5MzYzZDgmaW5zaWQ9NTE2Mg&ptn=3&hsh=3&fclid=78e160fa-177e-11ed-9d38-1f1f15d01890&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuY2x0b2xiZXJ0LmNvbS8&ntb=1 (C.L. Tolbert). Sanctuary was released July 14, 2022 from https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=0109d11094a6e67fJmltdHM9MTY2MDAwNjcxOSZpZ3VpZD0wZDc2OWFjMC1lOWM3LTQ1NWQtYmQ4NC1mNWU0M2VkOTBlODgmaW5zaWQ9NTE4NA&ptn=3&hsh=3&fclid=6774216d-177e-11ed-a9cd-9e25cc25177d&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubGV2ZWxiZXN0Ym9va3MudXMv&ntb=1 (Level Best Books) and is available from https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B5YFSL54/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i0 (Amazon) and other book retailers. About https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=4807982619d04d2cJmltdHM9MTY2MDAwNjc0OCZpZ3VpZD0yNWFhYTM2MC0zNjEyLTRhZWItYWUxMy1hZTFiYzQ5MzYzZDgmaW5zaWQ9NTE2Mg&ptn=3&hsh=3&fclid=78e160fa-177e-11ed-9d38-1f1f15d01890&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuY2x0b2xiZXJ0LmNvbS8&ntb=1 (C.L. Tolbert) An attorney with thirty-five years of experience, Cynthia Tolbert retired and began writing full time. She won the Georgia State Bar Fiction Writing Contest, then developed the winning short story into the first novel of the Thornton Mystery Series, OUT FROM SILENCE, published in 2019. Two additional mysteries in the series have also been published, THE REDEMPTION, in 2021, and SANCTUARY, published in 2022. Cynthia also has a Master's of Special Education, and taught school for ten years before becoming a lawyer. She lives in Atlanta, GA with her husband and schnauzer, Yoda. Visit Cynthia at https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=4807982619d04d2cJmltdHM9MTY2MDAwNjc0OCZpZ3VpZD0yNWFhYTM2MC0zNjEyLTRhZWItYWUxMy1hZTFiYzQ5MzYzZDgmaW5zaWQ9NTE2Mg&ptn=3&hsh=3&fclid=78e160fa-177e-11ed-9d38-1f1f15d01890&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuY2x0b2xiZXJ0LmNvbS8&ntb=1 (www.cltolbert.com) From September 12 through October 8, 2022 SANCTUARY is on tour with Partners in Crime. Check out the tour link for more content and information: https://www.partnersincrimetours.net/sanctuary-by-c-l-tolbert/ (https://www.partnersincrimetours.net/sanctuary-by-c-l-tolbert/) TG Wolff Review This is an amateur sleuth mystery with elements of a legal thriller. James Crosby, as you heard, is dead. The finger of guilt is pointed at a 19-year-old transient who was a member of the church Crosby led. Arrested, the young woman, Stacey Roberts, calls the one person she knows in New Orleans who can help her, law professor Emma Thornton. The quest for Reasonable Doubt takes Emma into the back rooms of a cult, a head shop in the French Quarter, and under the overpass. Bottom line: SANCTUARY is for you if you like sophisticated amateur sleuths, a balanced mixed of whodunnit mystery and legal thriller, and the spicy vibe that is uniquely New Orleans. Let's compare SANCTUARY to the “perfect amateur sleuth” Strengths of the story. Emma Thornton is a strong protagonist with a well-ordered mind and a good heart. Emma ferrets out facts that characters would rather keep hidden and, in doing so, does drive her story forward. Without Emma, there was a chance that Stacy would have been acquitted (depending on the astuteness of the new lawyer) but the real culprit would not have been captured and there would have been repercussions to other characters of the “bad guy getting away”. The story is 95% about the murder of James Crosby. This is a “win” for readers who just want the mystery and a “loss” for readers...
I recently had the pleasure to chatting with Blaine Cook – one of the most distinct vocalists in hardcore. Whether it is with The Fartz, Toe Tag or The Accused, Blaine’s voice is unmistakable and utterly unique. The Accused played a significant part in my musical journey and I had a lot of fun talking […]
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag. I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery, murder, and mayhem. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre. Today's featured release is In Danger of Judgement by David Rubin As for the title, it's taken from the book's epigraph: Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment. –Matthew 5:21 IN DANGER OF JUDGMENT was released August 4, 2022 from Black Rose Writing and is available from https://www.amazon.com/Danger-Judgment-Thriller-David-Rabin-ebook/dp/B09ZVPW2NN/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1HFTASLEHDMK&keywords=in+danger+of+judgment+david+rabin&qid=1659791533&sprefix=in+danger+of%2Caps%2C492&sr=8-1 (Amazon) and other book retailers. About David Rabin David Rabin was born in Chicago and raised in its Lakeview neighborhood. He later moved to Atlanta, where he worked as a trial lawyer for thirty-three years. Now retired, he writes fiction, runs a competitive shooting program, and competes in rifle sports, including the discipline of Highpower Rifle, in which he holds two High Master classifications. His debut novel, In Danger of Judgment, was the Runner-Up in the Thriller Category of the 2022 Maxy Awards. Learn more at https://davidrabinauthor.com/ (https://davidrabinauthor.com/). From August 8 thru September 2, IN DANGER OF JUDGMENT is on tour with Partners in Crime. Check out the https://www.partnersincrimetours.net/in-danger-of-judgment-by-david-rabin/ (tour link) for more content and information TG Wolff Review This is thriller. Set in 1987, the thug life in Chicago kept Detectives William “Bernie” Bernardelli and Marcelle DeSantis up to their elbows in blood and guts. That life is about to get disrupted. The heroin market, cornered by two rival Mexican cartels, is being violently squeezed by the newest game in town, the Asian powered Quon. And what makes Quon powerful is an American-born mercenary turned enforcer named Robert Thornton, aka The Professor. Let's compare IN DANGER OF JUDGEMENT to the “perfect thriller” Strengths of the story. The storyline, when you look from back to front, is simple. It certainly doesn't look that way front to back, which is what kept my mind engaged, trying to unravel the story as fast as Bernie and Marcelle. But the simpleness of the underlying story is its power and why it stands up so well. Frequently when I get to the end of a thriller, I look back and all kinds of “that doesn't make sense” and “why would he do that.” That did not happen here at all. The story is rooted in the Vietnam War. The prologue does what it should do, setting the stage without revealing too much of what is to come. Fight scenes display a strong sense of military tactical engagement performed at a high level. (I leave it to others to validate the reality as that is not my area of expertise. I'll just say it worked for me.) The characters—good, bad, and ugly—are well crafted. With the possible exception of Thornton, we get glimpses of both the human side and the darker side. A large part of the appeal of this book is knowing that one of the characters are much more than they represent, but not knowing which. The story is cleanly written with no typos or other distractions. Where the story fell short of ideal: There were not many places this one fell short. The storyline with Quon moving into Chicago is not fully resolved at the time the book ends, but the book is not the lesser for it. Bottom line: IN DANGER OF JUDGEMENT is for you if you like domestic intrigue, military operations, and stories where the definition of justice is fluid.
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag. I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery, murder, and mayhem. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre. Today's featured release is Dead in an Alley by Sharon Michalove DEAD IN AN ALLEY was released August 10, 2022 from Coffee and Éclair Books and is available from https://www.amazon.com/Dead-Alley-Sharon-Michalove-ebook/dp/B09P8QWC31/ref=sr_1_2?crid=TNP63926PUGH&keywords=dead+in+an+alley&qid=1658588166&sprefix=dead+in+an+alley%2Caps%2C382&sr=8-2 (Amazon) and other book retailers. From July 18-August 12, Dead in an Alley is on tour with Partners in Crime. Check out the tour link for more content and information https://www.partnersincrimetours.net/dead-in-the-alley-by-sharon-michalove/ (https://www.partnersincrimetours.net/dead-in-the-alley-by-sharon-michalove/) About Sharon Michalove Sharon grew up in suburban Chicago but after spending most of her life in a medium-sized university town she moved back to Chicago in 2017. She loves music, theater, travel, hockey, and cats, and less elevated activities like eating doughnuts and sampling gins and single malts. Besides writing mysteries, she is the author of the romantic suspense series, Global Security Unlimited, and several short stories. https://www.sharonmichalove.com/ (https://www.sharonmichalove.com/) TG Wolff Review This is a second-time around, romantic suspense story. Bay Bishop has moved back home to small-town Michigan with her husband Derrick to start an upscale restaurant. It is a success in so many ways. But then Derrick is killed in a hit-and-run right outside the restaurant's back door. The investigation takes an abrupt turn when a connection to drug trafficking is found. Enter Greg Musgrove, narcotics detective and the high school boyfriend who ghosted on her nearly 20 years ago. Strengths of the story. The novel weaves together storylines: investigation into Derrick's death; Bay's grief over the loss of her husband and coming to grips with the sham that was her life; Greg juggling work, a new business venture, and the realization he stilled loved Bay; Bay's conflicted reaction to being in close quarters with Greg again; and Bay's issues with her parents and siblings. The lines are influenced by each other, which makes for a compelling, over arching story. The main characters, Bay and Greg, are likable and the main supporting characters add texture. Ms. Michalove culinary knowledge shines through and if she cooks as well as she describes in here, I want to go to her house. Where the story fell short of ideal: The logic, my #1 test, was reasonable but not strong. I walked away with questions about why characters would do certain things – primarily the culprit and side characters, not Bay and Greg. With so many storylines, it isn't surprising there are a lot of characters and keeping them all straight was a challenge I failed at a few times. I haven't decided where I fall on the start of the romance itself. Being romantic suspense, it is obvious where it is going. But Bay loves her husband. She is truly devastated when he is killed. It is hard for me to buy the quick turn to the one that got away. Yet, this is romantic suspense and that spark has to happen quickly, it's just part of the game. Likely this is one place where readers will fall into different camps: didn't notice; noticed but no problem with it; noticed and didn't love it but got over it; and noticed and didn't get over it. I enjoyed the book and am glad I finished it. Bottom line: Dead in an Alley is for you if you like second chance, redemption romances, culinary morsels, and rich storylines that immerse you in the lives of the main characters.
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For: Toe Tags I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery, murder, and mayhem. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre. Today's featured release is SEE YOU NEXT TUESDAY by Ken Harris SEE YOU NEXT TUESDAY was released July 14, 2022 from Black Rose Writing and is available from Amazon and other book retailers. About Ken Harris Ken Harris retired from the FBI, after thirty-two years, as a cybersecurity executive. With over three decades writing intelligence products for senior Government officials, Ken provides unique perspectives on the conventional fast-paced crime thriller. He is the author of the “From the Case Files of Steve Rockfish” series, which include The Pine Barrens Stratagem and the sequel, See You Next Tuesday. He spends days with his wife Nicolita, and two Labradors, Shady and Chalupa Batman. Evenings are spent playing Walkabout Mini Golf and cheering on Philadelphia sports. Ken firmly believes Pink Floyd, Irish whiskey and a Montecristo cigar are the only muses necessary. He is a native of New Jersey and currently resides in Northern Virginia. Find him at https://kenharrisfiction.com/ (https://kenharrisfiction.com/) From July 11-August 5, See You Next Tuesday is on tour with Partners in Crime. Check out the tour link for more content and information https://www.partnersincrimetours.net/see-you-next-tuesday-by-ken-harris/ (https://www.partnersincrimetours.net/see-you-next-tuesday-by-ken-harris/) TG Wolff Review This is a Private Investigator and grift story. The dynamic team of Steve Rochfish and Jawnie McGee tackle their first case as full partners. A line from later in the book gives the perfect synopsis. It's a simple cheating husband case turned into a search and rescue, cult exfiltration and a wild ride that comes back to two old guys getting ripped off. Rating See You Next Tuesday on a 5-point scale against the “perfect PI story”, I give this 5.00. Strengths of the story. By now, you all know I'm hell on logic and Harris lives up to the bar. The actions of all the characters made sense for who they were. Rockfish and McGee drive the story, interfering with the bad guys plans, and the bad guys react, changing plans in a way that both creates unexpected twists and is totally reasonable given the change in their circumstances. Harris thoroughly developed his story, giving his detective material to work with. He worked them into a corner a time or two and let them fight their way out. I liked both lead characters. Rockfish is older and has the mindset and habits that reflect those of us born in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Jawnie is his counterbalance, rooted in modern times in terms of technology, mindset, and vernacular. While either character could have been stereotypical, neither are and what really makes them work is the mutual respect and affection they have for each other. Where the story fell short of the ideal. The first half of the story alternates between Rockfish's and Jawnie's points of view. As the story progresses, we have scenes written from the POV for their new Confidential Informant Lynn and, later, the bad guys. Information the reader gains here could not come from Rockfish or Jawnie. Often, I am not a fan of changing the storytelling style mid-book, but Harris did them very well. These changes in POV were the reason the logic and the story were able to stand up as strongly as they did. There were a few stylistic elements that were not my favorite but those were certainly personal preferences. Some minor editing misses were found, but not enough to detract from the story. Bottom line: See You Next Tuesday is for you if you like PI's who like to mix it up with the bad guys and refuse to quit—even after the cops tell them too.
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag. I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery, murder, and mayhem. Today is a bonus episode we call a Toe Tag. What's a Toe Tag? It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre. Today's featured release is Wolf Bog, a Berkshire Hilltown Mystery by Leslie Wheeler. Wolf Bog was released July 6, 2022 from Encircle Publications and is available from https://www.amazon.com/Wolf-Bog-Berkshire-Hilltown-Mystery/dp/164599385X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=FOSMMCX6XI3C&keywords=leslie+wheeler&qid=1656380000&s=books&sprefix=leslie+wheeler%2Cstripbooks%2C137&sr=1-1 (Amazon) and other book retailers. About Leslie Wheeler. An award-winning author of books about American history and biographies, Leslie Wheeler turned to mystery writing to give herself the freedom to make things up. While she still salts her mysteries with actual history, she now offers an exciting story in the present. Her Miranda Lewis Living History Mystery series debuted with Murder at Plimoth Plantation, set at the living history museum and re-released as a trade paperback from Encircle Publishing. Other series titles are: Murder at Gettysburg, set at a re-enactment of the famous battle, and Murder at Spouters Point, set at a fictionalized Mystic Seaport. Find her at https://www.lesliewheeler.com/ (https://www.lesliewheeler.com/) From July 1-31, 2022 Wolf Bog is on tour with Partners in Crime. Check out the tour link for more content and information. https://www.partnersincrimetours.net/wolf-bog-by-leslie-wheeler/ (https://www.partnersincrimetours.net/wolf-bog-by-leslie-wheeler/) TG Wolff Review This book is an amateur sleuth story where Katheryn Stinson, a curator of prints and photographs for a small library, is drawn into the mystery of the surfacing body of a local man who went missing forty years prior. Rating: Wolf Bog on a 5-point scale against the “perfect amateur sleuth”, I give this 3.75. Strengths of the story. The story pacing is deliberate, continuously dropping breadcrumbs as the book winds through two main storylines. The planning and detailing of the stories were well thought out and executed. The setting of a small town in the Berkshires provides enough detail to “feel” the place without being overly descriptive. The characters are very likeable and can easily become the type of friends you want to return to story after story. They are continuing from previous books, which I have not read. Wheeler did an excellent job of providing enough context for me to understand the relationships without providing synopses of prior books. This book is well written and free of errors. Where the story fell short of the ideal. Wheeler created an interesting but challenging story with part rooted in a past 40-years old and part rooted in the present. To meet the ideal, the elements of the story had to have strong logic in character behavior in both time periods. When you get to the end and look back over the entirety of the story, do the actions of all the players (not just the hero) hold up? Wheeler did such a good job covering up the original crime, there was little to work in modern time. As a result, Katheryn's role in this story was less of a sleuth and more of a narrator, moving the story along its arc. Bottom line: Wolf Bog is for you if you prefer small town mysteries with likeable characters, deliberate pacing and/or the Berkshire setting.
Welcome to Mysteries to Die For and this Toe Tag. I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is normally a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you at the heart of mystery, murder, and mayhem. Today we introduce something new, something we call Toe Tags. What's a Toe Tag? It is the first chapter from a fresh release in the mystery, crime, and thriller genre. Today's featured release is Architect of Courage by Victoria Weisfeld. Architect of Courage was released on June 4, 2022 from https://blackopalbooks.com/ (Black Opal Book)s and is available from https://amzn.to/3tobuSH (Amazon) and other book retailers. http://www.vweisfeld.com/ (Victoria Weisfeld), who also goes by Vicki, has had short stories appear in popular mystery magazines and several crime anthologies. Her stories have won awards from the Short Mystery Fiction Society and the Public Safety Writers Association. She's a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and other crime fiction organizations. For the past decade, she's blogged several times a week at http://www.vweisfeld.com (www.vweisfeld.com). From June 20 through July 15, Architect of Courage is on tour with Partners in Crime. Check out the tour link for more content and information. https://www.partnersincrimetours.net/architect-of-courage-by-victoria-weisfeld/ (https://www.partnersincrimetours.net/architect-of-courage-by-victoria-weisfeld/) TG Wolff Review In the book, the genre was listed as murder mystery. If you pick up this book expecting a murder mystery, you will be disappointed. This book is not a whodunnit, where the amateur sleuth Archer Landis is solving the mystery of his lover's murder. This book is a thriller, where the unwilling hero, Archer Landis, is being accosted personally and professionally, forcing him to chase the rabbit down its hole. Rating Architect of Courage on a 5-point scale against the “perfect thriller”, I give this 4.25. Strengths of the story. The pacing is fast without being aggressive or too fast to follow and has the plot twists that are the hallmark of a good thriller. Our hero is in constant mortal danger, and like so many thriller heroes, has no idea why. The setting moves between NYC, a beach house, and the south of Spain and draws in international figures from Spain, Israel, and Morocco. Having the hero be an industry leading architect sets this book apart, bringing in a world seldom explored in thrillers. This book is well written in terms of the noun-verb-noun writing and the editing. There is a lot to like. Where the story fell short of the ideal. While the book is well written, the opening chapters were rough. The adjectives were too flowery, the cheating husband too falling on his own sword. There are also several convenient coincidences and suggestions by minor characters that felt less than organic, intentionally set to advance to the next chapter. This does clean up by about the fifth chapter, when the story really takes off. Thriller endings are often difficult. Authors generally have created such a complex weave of plots (those twists and turns readers love) that to unravel each one in a logical and satisfying manner is a very complicated task. When you get to the end and look back over the entirety of the story, do the actions of all the players (not just the hero) hold up? Weisfeld did better than most, but she wasn't perfect. I am not going to go into spoiler detail. These plot resolution points prevented me from scoring the book higher, but I doubt it is something that will bother the vast majority of thriller lovers. Bottom line: Architect of Courage is for you if you are into thrillers, faster paced stories, and international flavors.
Gore legend Fred Vogel sits down with us to discuss his latest film The Final Interview which stars Grainger Hines and Diane Franklin. This is a special one for us as we are long time fans of Fred's film company ToeTag Pictures and his notorious underground film series August Underground. Fred talks indie horror, old school wrestling, and what one of his films has in-common with Cannibal Holocaust. Enjoy!Special thanks to DJ Cryptkicker for the intro and outro music. Be sure to find his music on social media at @djcryptkicker or the following:https://djcryptkicker.bandcamp.com/album/shock-around-the-clockhttps://music.apple.com/us/artist/dj-cryptkicker/1536351234https://open.spotify.com/album/1KUi9ntDa5eYughfOvfxNY
We have a very special guest on. Fred Vogel from Toe Tag pictures and director of his newest film The Final Interview. We go over the movie, fears, horror cons, and more.
Pidupäev ja pidulikud võtted. Jobska tahab koera ja Maci vajab nõu. Kerge saients, hiphop.ee aastahääletus. 1. binlada - Uulitsa muusika 2. Cool D - Surnuna sündinud 3. Toe Tag feat. Põhjamaade Hirm - Hundinahaslambad 4. eksoplaneet (NKN pagu, NKN orjandus, NKN kro$$u pri$ke, NKN susan) [prod. NKN pagu] 5. A-Rühm - Rahvused on surnud 6. Öökülm - Elu võib tappa Toeta meid Patreonis: www.patreon.com/sabkajamac Liitu Discordiga: discord.gg/9u74rr9SWE Hostid: Sabka @kasperkoodi Maci @mcfrkz Onu Jobska @kekkoskekkos NB! Saade on väljamõeldis, palun võtta seda täie tõsidusega. @TÖÖKODA
Welcome to Death By DVD's WILD WILD WEST! This is the first episode for an all new monthly series about western films, a genre rich with the history of the B movie and American cinema. On this episode THE SHOOTING (1966) directed by MONTE HELLMAN written by CAROLE EASTMAN is discussed :"A mysterious woman persuades two cowboys to help her in a revenge scheme."Would you like to hear more Death By DVD's Wild Wild West? Click here for episode one! The Death By DVD SENTINEL remix theme by LINUS FITNESS-CENTRE
This month's theme is Spooky Hotels and this week, Jensen pulled 2011's The Innkeepers by Ti West out of the body bag! The discussion is quite contentious as opinions on the film are quite split with the group, and in so, Jensen has a massive bit of self discovery...oh, and he learns something about the film...yeah mostly that. Does Madeline O'Malley take all of us out before we give our Toe Tag rating? Yeah sort of. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thefrightcrew/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thefrightcrew/support
Monday night, August 23, 2021, Robert Martin
In which Eddy and Dixie interview Joshua Doetsch and talk about his career, his Poe obsession, and much more! Josh's origin story and video game career White Wolf novel contest Bringing Josh onto Pugmire Writing for a beloved property A cat digression A novel digression A keybard digression They Came from Beyond the Grave Links: Age of Conan: https://www.ageofconan.com/ Secret World Legends: https://www.secretworldlegends.com/ Strangeness in the Proportion: https://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/96994/Strangeness-in-the-Proportion?affiliate_id=548232 Morgue toe tags: https://www.amazon.com/Tags-Identification-String-Morgue-Coroner/dp/B08CSGHDTX/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=Toe+Tag&qid=1626963155&sr=8-5 Silent Knife: https://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/107252/Silent-Knife?affiliate_id=548232 Under a Raven's Wing: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57917127-under-a-raven-s-wing Keybard meme: https://twitter.com/BBGreenSedai/status/1211100696491130880 The Reckoning trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peMnD0TPCIc&list=PLmiXCaSrrCIgSWNq_6l9YSKRxvVm1bW6t&index=13 Joshua's website: https://joshuadoetsch.com/ Onyx Path YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheOnyxPath Onyx Path Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theonyxpath Onyx Path Discord: https://discord.gg/5uckcBk
4-26-2021 - Revival Speaker - Robert Martin - Take Off The Toe Tag by
I recently had the honor of chatting with local legend Blaine Cook, best known for his his time in OG Seattle Splatter Rock band The Accüsed. This was an awesome conversation that covered tons of history from the early days with the Fartz and The Accüsed as well as current happenings with Toe Tag, The Accüsed A.D., and other awesome stuff he's got going on. Blaine Cook Links: www.splatterrock.com www.theaccusedarchives.com www.facebook.com/groups/454802831609600/ Misery Point Radio Links (Merch, Social Media, Websites) https://linktr.ee/MiseryPointRadio
Dissecting Docs covers the films That Sugar Film, The New Rijksmuseum, Sinatra: All Or Nothing At Tall, Toe Tag, and Dying to Know: Ram Dass and Timothy Leary, of which we will have the great pleasure of being joined by it's filmmaker Gay Dillingham. For information about Carole Dean and From the Heart Productions please visit www.FromtheHeartProductions.com. To learn more about Don Schwartz and his film reviews visit http://fromtheheartproductions.com/radio-blog/don-schwartz-blog/.
Best. Preshow. EVER. Plus, gifts... snowbirds... motorcycles... and some birthday fun. Cheers
Gina and Randy reminisce about their magical monday adventure in Ginas Apartment
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