Podcasts about toe tag

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 All We Buried by Elena TaylorTG Wolff ReviewAll We Buried is a police procedural mystery. Sheriff Bet Rivers is the next in a long line of Rivers' to serve Collier, Washington. On a quiet afternoon, trouble walks into her office in the form of Professor Peter Malone. While conducting research on Lake Collier, he snags the body of a woman wrapped in canvas. First Bet has to figure out who she is and then who killed the young woman and disposed of her body in their lake. Nothing like a challenge for your first homicide investigation.Bottom line: All We Buried is for you if you like plot driven mysteries with rich settings and strong, quiet heroesAll We Buried was released from CROOKED LANE and is promoted by Partners In Crime Tours and is available from AMAZON LINK and other book retailers.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.comWondering what to read after you finish All We Buried? 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 - 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.Join us next week for Season 8 Anything but Murder where arson for hire is our murderless crime. It's Slow Burn by Chuck Brownman

Pip sees the Who and Joe spends a weekend at Chrissie Mayrs Content Hotel

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 Bazaar by Miles JoynerBazaar is technothriller. On the dark web, a new type of gambling is emerging—betting on the death dates of the rich, famous, and politically powerful. Two men see opportunity. Yemi Uzunma and his sister, Karen, see a need for a new breed of personal security force. A need their security company Raptor can fill. Aaron Williams sees a solution to his money problems and all he needs is he 3-D printer. As the betting pool grows Yemi's and Aaron's squads face off with one trying to protect and the other trying to kill the prize.Bottom line: Bazaar is for you if you like your thrills hinged on technology with an element of lion versus tiger.Bazaar was released from World Castle Publishing and is promoted by Partners In Crime Tours and is available from Amazon and other book retailers.https://pictbooks.tours/wND3XpMgABOUT Miles JoynerA lifelong fiction writer, Miles turned to penning novels after nearly a decade of holding various producer/editor roles in the D.C. area media industry. He still pursues filmmaking in between books and finds that writing in the thriller genre only enhances that passion even more. Miles is an active member of International Thriller Writers where his novel, Bazaar, was selected for ITW's Debut Authors Program. He also attends monthly meetings for Novels in Progress DC. www.TheBazaarVerse.comWondering what to read after you finish Bazaar? 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 -Partnersincrimetours.comAnd 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 our next episode in Season 8 Anything but Murder. A strange art theft is our murderless crime. It's “Was it the Vermeer?” by Erica Obey.

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 Gone to Ground by Morgan HatchGone to Ground is an urban thriller. College bound Javier Jiminez is juggling life in one of Los Angeles's toughest neighborhoods, Barrio Horseshoe, better known as the Shoe. He divides his time between friends, AP classes, keeping his younger brother out of a gang, and working for his half-sister's towing company. While checking in a tow, Javier discovers a gun and a burner phone. The phone comes to life, kicking off events that will change the Shoe forever.Bottom line: Gone to Ground is for you if you like everyman heroes who are a pain in the bad guys ass. Gone to Ground was released from Black Rose Wring and is promoted by Partners In Crime Tours and is available from AMAZON LINK and other book retailers.About Morgan HatchHaving taught in the LA public schools for thirty years, Morgan now writes about the people and places he has come to know in the course of his career. During the pandemic, he began writing Gone To Ground while Los Angeles was going through scandals involving public officials and an uptick in the perennial “crises” of homelessness, immigration, and gentrification. Add to this the on-again-off-again California bullet train, and you have the main threads of this novel. Morgan lives in Los Angeles with his wife where he's trying to learn his mother-in-law's recipe for dal dhokli.

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 Calypso Blue by Brian SilvermanCalypso Blue is an amateur sleuth mystery. New York transplant Len Buonfiglio carved out a business on the island of St. Pierre with a sports bar. Now the Marine veteran is finding a place in the community as the man people come to when they have problems. Maurizio Loffredo has returned to the island, to the wife he abandoned, and he's brought trouble. An art investment deal gone sideways, Len agrees to help Maurizio recover stolen merchandise in hopes of squaring the deal. But hope, as they say, is not a strategy. Bottom line: Calypso Blue is for you if you like amateur sleuths with an island flairThe Calypso Blue was released from Down & Out and is promoted by Partners In Crime Tours and is available from AMAZON LINK and other book retailers.About Brian SilvermanBrian Silverman's writing career has spanned over 30 years. He has written about travel, food, and sports for publications including the New York Times, Saveur, Caribbean Travel and Life, the New Yorker, and others. His short fiction has appeared in numerous publications, including Mystery Tribune, Down and Out Magazine, and Mystery Weekly. His stories appeared in The Best American Mystery Stories in 2018 and 2019, and The Best American Mystery and Suspense Stories 2021. Freedom Drop is his first published novel. He lives in Harlem, New York, with his wife, Heather, and his sons, Louis and Russell. Catch Up With Brian Silverman:www.BrianSilvermanWrites.comWondering what to read after you finish Calypso Blue? 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 our next episode in Season 8 Anything but Murder. A frame job is our featured murderless crime in “The Joker is Wild” by Debra H. Goldstein.

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 Freedom Drop by Brian SilvermanFreedom Drop is an amateur sleuth mystery. New York transplant Len Buonfiglio carved out a business on the island of St. Pierre with a sports bar. Now the Marine veteran is finding a place in the community as the man people come to when they have problems. With a pot of island stew, Mrs. Johns hires Len to bring her jailed son home. A task that is easier said than done.Bottom line: Freedom Drop is for you if you like amateur sleuths with an island flairThe Freedom Drop was released from Down & Out Books and is promoted by Partners In Crime Tours and is available from AMAZON LINK and other book retailers.About Brian SilvermanBrian Silverman's writing career has spanned over 30 years. He has written about travel, food, and sports for publications including the New York Times, Saveur, Caribbean Travel and Life, the New Yorker, and others. His short fiction has appeared in numerous publications, including Mystery Tribune, Down and Out Magazine, and Mystery Weekly. His stories appeared in The Best American Mystery Stories in 2018 and 2019, and The Best American Mystery and Suspense Stories 2021. Freedom Drop is his first published novel. He lives in Harlem, New York, with his wife, Heather, and his sons, Louis and Russell.www.BrianSilvermanWrites.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 SOMEONE HAD TO LIE by Jack LuellenReviewSOMEONE HAD TO LIE is a political mystery / thriller. DEA agent Joe Aguilar is dead. His life was taken as talked to his friend, defense attorney James Butler. His last words: “It was bigger than we thought and now we're in danger.” Now James and his wife, Erica Walsh, are on a perilous quest to find the truth behind Aguilar's death.Bottom line: SOMEONE HAD TO LIE is for you if you like political mysteries told against the backdrop of true crime. Someone Had To Lie was released from Torchflame Books and is promoted by Partners In Crime Tours and is available from AMAZON LINK and other book retailers.About Jack LuellenJack Luellen is a Denver, Colorado, attorney with more than 30 years of experience. In practice, he has tried cases to courts and juries, and written hundreds of briefs, motions, and memoranda to state and federal courts, including federal courts of appeal and the United States Supreme Court. In 1990, Jack first started working on cases related to the 1985 kidnapping and murder of DEA Agent Enrique Camarena and has investigated the case in the years since that time. Jack's investigations have taken him to foreign countries and included interviews with witnesses both notorious and infamous. Catch Up With Jack Luellen: LuellenWriting.comWondering what to read after you finish Someone Had To Lie? 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 .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. It's episode 13 where race fixing is our murderless crime. Join us for The Butterfly Stroke Effect by Ken Harris.

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

The Vikings plan to place Justin Jefferson on the IR, effectively crushing their hopes for the season. Anthony Richardson displays injury issues early in his career. Sunday Night Football TV Ratings with and without Taylor Swift. Plus, the weekly edition of “Would You Rather…?”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.