Tag: #BookBlogger

Posted in #Anthology

Vancouver Noir (Akashic Noir)

Posted on by BookReviews

This “excellent anthology” of noir fiction set in Canada’s City of Glass features all-new stories by Linda L. Richards, Sam Wiebe, Yasuko Thanh and more (Quill & Quire, starred review).

For many people, Vancouver is a city of affluence, athleisure, and craft beer. But if look a little closer at this gentrified paradise, you’ll find the old saying holds true: behind every fortune there’s a crime. Hidden beneath Vancouver’s gleaming glass skyscrapers are shadowy streets where poverty, drugs, and violence rule the day. These fourteen stories of crime and mayhem in the Pacific Northwest offer an entertaining “mix of wily pros, moody misfits, bewildered bystanders, and a touch of the supernatural” (Kirkus).

Vancouver Noir features the Arthur Ellis Award-winning story “Terminal City” by Linda L. Richards, and the Arthur Ellis Award-finalist “Wonderful Life” by Sam Wiebe. It also includes entries by Timothy Taylor, Sheena Kamal, Robin Spano, Carleigh Baker, Dietrich Kalteis, Nathan Ripley, Yasuko Thanh, Kristi Charish, Don English, Nick Mamatas, S.G. Wong, and R.M. Greenaway.


Editorial Reviews

Review

“Wiebe and the 13 other mostly Canadian contributors to this solid anthology expose the seedy underbelly that belies the Vancouver known to tourists and fans of the many films shot in Hollywood North . . . Noir aficionados will find plenty to like.”
― Publishers Weekly

“The latest Akashic ‘Noir’ collection features stories by Canadian writers, both crime writers and not, residents and expats, with stories all about characters who live in gritty everyday Vancouver, BC, settings . . . For fans of the city, noir fiction, and the series.
“
― Library Journal

“Vancouver Noir is an excellent anthology that would appeal to short-story fans of all types – even those who don’t read the genre on a regular basis . . . Like the earlier volumes Toronto Noir and Montreal Noir, the new anthology serves as a fantastic introduction for those unfamiliar with the genre and a reminder that Canada, bursting with amazing writers, is one of the strongest countries for crime writing in the world.”
― Quill & Quire, Starred Review

“The beauty of the Akashic series of noir short story anthologies is that they offer local writers a chance to say ‘here’s our town.’ This crop of writers, assembled and edited by Sam Wiebe, succeeds in a gritty, moody way.
“
― New York Journal of Books

“There’s the Vancouver of charming neighborhoods, vast verdant parks, lovely beaches and snow-capped mountains as a backdrop to it all. But the Vancouver of the newly published Vancouver Noir collection of 14 original short stories is the unsettling underside of all that ― and the project masterminds couldn’t be happier.
“
― Globe & Mail

About the Author

Sam Wiebe is the author of the Vancouver crime novels Last of the Independents, Invisible Dead, and Cut You Down. Wiebe’s work has won an Arthur Ellis Award and the Kobo Emerging Writers Prize, and he was the 2016 Vancouver Public Library Writer in Residence. His short fiction has appeared in ThugLit, Spinetingler, and subTerrain, among other places.

find the book

Posted in Cozy Mysteries

Custard Crime: Donut Mystery #14 (The Donut Mysteries)

Posted on by BookReviews

Brand New From New York Times Bestselling Author Jessica Beck!

Custard Crime, Donut Mystery

When the chief of police’s ex-wife is found dead, some folks think it was an accident, but Suzanne Hart’s boyfriend, State Police Inspector Jake Bishop, knows better. When he’s asked to investigate the crime, Suzanne is thrilled that he’s going to be nearby, but she’s also worried that the investigation might interfere with their relationship. Little does she know that it’s about to do much more than that as she and Grace work behind the scenes searching for the killer themselves.

Praise for the Donut Mysteries by New York Times Bestselling Author Jessica Beck

“A delight. Suzanne Hart is a lovable amateur sleuth who has a hilariously protective mother and great donut recipes! Readers will have a blast with this book.” —Diane Mott Davidson, New York Times bestselling author of Fatally Flaky

“If you like donuts—and who doesn’t?—you’ll love this mystery. It’s like a trip to your favorite coffee shop, but without the calories!” —Leslie Meier, author of the Lucy Stone mysteries New Year’s Eve Murder and Wedding Day Murder

“The perfect comfort read: a delicious murder, a likeable heroine, quirky Southern characters—and donut recipes!” —Rhys Bowen, Agatha and Anthony award–winning author of the Molly Murphy and Royal Spyness mysteries

“A tribute to comfort food and to the comfort of small town life. With great donut recipes!”—JoAnna Carl, author of The Chocolate Cupid Killings

“A yummy new treat in the culinary mystery genre. Skillfully weaving donut recipes throughout a well-plotted story, the author proves that life after divorce can be sweet; all you need are good friends, your own business, and comfort food. Delicious!”—Tamar Myers, author of Death of a Rug Lord and The Cane Mutiny

“A cleverly plotted cozy mystery with a wonderful small Southern town…Fatally Frosted is a great follow-up to Glazed Murder. Suzanne is a great heroine, Ms. Beck has a sure-fire winner!”—Fresh Fiction

“Along with the hilarious plot, author Jessica Beck treats the readers to a few recipes strategically placed within the novel. Sinister Sprinkles will keep you guessing until the very end.”—The Mystery Librarian

“A sugary concoction that provides readers a glimpse through the donut hole of living in a small town.”—Harriet Klausner, Genre Go Round Reviews

find the book

Posted in #BookTours

A Hidden Fate

Posted on by BookReviews

A hidden past. An uncertain future. An impossible choice.

A Hidden Fate

by Carol Efron

Genre: Women’s Fiction

A poignant novel of love under fire about a woman who must find the courage to face an uncertain future—and an impossible choice.

Baltimore, 1986. Julia and Matt are newlyweds, in love and eager to begin graduate school. Julia longs to leave behind haunting memories of her mother’s devastating decline in Maryland, but she unexpectedly learns the truth her father has hidden: Her mother died of a fatal genetic illness. Julia now faces a 50 percent chance of inheriting the same fate, and every child she longs to have will carry the same risk.

When an unplanned pregnancy rocks their careful plans, Julia and Matt face agonizing uncertainty and impossible choices. Desires and convictions pull them toward starkly different paths, each possibly leading to misery.

As the couple struggles to protect the fragile, fierce love that first bound them together, they face the cost of secrets and the ache of betrayal—but they also discover the hope of forgiveness.

What readers are saying:

“…the richly drawn characters and the emotional depth of Julia’s journey make for a deeply affecting novel whose moral questions linger long after the story’s end.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“This moving novel will appeal to fans of intimate, issue-driven fiction about women’s choices, inherited trauma, and the hidden costs of love. Great for fans of: Lisa Genova’s Inside the O’Briens, Abraham Verghese’s The Covenant of Water” —Publisher’s Weekly Booklife Review

“Family secrets, the rights of parents, maternal love and the importance of living one’s life to the fullest all come into play as Julia, the protagonist in Carol Efron’s intriguing novel, faces an excruciating and fateful decision.” —Jerry Burger PhD  author of Shadows of 1915: A Novel

Find the book!

Bookbub * Goodreads

About the Author

Carol earned her MD from Johns Hopkins, served on the faculty at Stanford and John Hopkins, and built a thriving private practice in Silicon Valley. Working on the front lines of genetic testing, she felt an urgent need to write this book, and she would love to talk to you about how these real-world experiences inspired her debut novel, along with the broader implications of genetic testing.

Website * Substack * Facebook * X * Instagram * Amazon * Goodreads

Author Links

Website: https://carolefron.com/

Substack: https://substack.com/@carolefronauthor

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCarolEfron

X: https://x.com/AuthorCEfron

Instagram:   https://www.instagram.com/authorcarolefron

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Carol-Efron/author/B0GR226J5C

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/68739565.Carol_Efron

Giveaway

$10 Amazon or Paypal

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

Diagnosis, Decisions, and Devotion: Newlyweds Studying In Baltimore Struggle To Protect Their Fragile Bond While Facing The Massive Cost of A Hidden Inheritance In A Hidden Fate
Posted in #Anthology

Marrakech Noir (Akashic Noir)

Posted on by BookReviews

This unique anthology of crime fiction features 15 original stories of “scandals, smugglers, and other sordid tales” by award-winning Moroccan authors (CrimeReads).

At first glance, Marrakech may seem like an odd setting for noir fiction. Contemporary Moroccans call it The Joyful City—a place where locals are happy to joke about gossip and quick to forget stories of crime. But in Marrakech Noir, some of Morocco’s finest authors address old wrong that have been kept hidden behind the city’s ancient gates, and spin contemporary tales of poverty, grift, and violence in this global tourist destination.

Marrakech Noir features brand-new stories by Fouad Laroui, Allal Bourqia, Abdelkader Benali, Mohamed Zouhair, Mohamed Achaari, Hanane Derkaoui, Fatiha Morchid, Mahi Binebine, Mohamed Nedali, Halima Zine El Abidine, My Seddik Rabbaj, Yassin Adnan, Karima Nadir, Taha Adnan, and Lahcen Bakour.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Thanks to all of this diversity and difference found in just one place, Marrakech supplies everyone with what they’re looking for. The work, as a whole, does a stellar job at showcasing the city’s importance, influence, and cultures . . . Whether you’ve been to Marrakech or not, this anthology promises to take you there.
“
― Asymptote Magazine

“As Adnan warns in his charming introduction, this is an unusually joy and humor-filled noir collection, although it also has its share of murders, accidents, abuse, and theft.


“
― Arab Lit

“Marrakech Noir provides a convincing exploration of the noir genre, whilst balancing its own Arab literary intricacies and local eccentricities. Whether readers have been to Marrakech or not, this collection succeeds in immersing the reader in the bustling streets, glamorous riads, and darkest corners of the Red City.



“
― Banipal

“Marrakech is known as Morocco’s ‘joyful city,’ and as editor of the collection Yassin Adnan details in his marvelous introduction to the anthology, it was at first difficult to gather enough stories to fill this volume in a country with no tradition of noir. Luckily for readers, the joyful city had enough scandals, smugglers, and other sordid tales to inspire writers to pay homage to the complexities of their city through crime writing.



“
― CrimeReads, included in August’s Best International Crime Fiction

“Edited by Yassin Adnan, this powerful collection of diverse and unique tales dives into a Marrakech mostly unknown by outsiders. The stories paint an in-depth portrait of a city and traverse the spectrum of emotions, from joyful to sadistic.

“
― Arab News

About the Author

Yassin Adnan was born in 1970 in Safi, Morocco, but grew up in Marrakech where he still lives. He is best known for his weekly cultural program Masharif on Moroccan television. He has published four collections of poetry and four books of short stories, along with a nonfiction volume entitled Marrakech: Open Secrets, with Saad Sarhane. His novel Hot Maroc, which takes place in Marrakech, was nominated for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction. He is the editor of Marrakech Noir.

find the book!

Posted in Cozy Mysteries

Deep Fried Homicide: Donut Mystery #13 (The Donut Mysteries)

Posted on by BookReviews

From New York Times Bestseller Jessica Beck
Donut Mystery 13, Deep Fried Homicide

When Suzanne’s boyfriend, Jake, is shot in the line of duty, he comes to April Springs to recuperate. The only problem is the that the man Jake was trying to capture has a partner, a very bad man now intent on seeking revenge. Add another villain returning from Suzanne’s own past into the mix, and the donut shop owner’s normally tranquil world is suddenly turned upside down.

Praise for the Donut Mysteries by New York Times Bestselling Author Jessica Beck

“A delight. Suzanne Hart is a lovable amateur sleuth who has a hilariously protective mother and great donut recipes! Readers will have a blast with this book.” —Diane Mott Davidson, New York Times bestselling author of Fatally Flaky

“If you like donuts—and who doesn’t?—you’ll love this mystery. It’s like a trip to your favorite coffee shop, but without the calories!” —Leslie Meier, author of the Lucy Stone mysteries New Year’s Eve Murder and Wedding Day Murder

“The perfect comfort read: a delicious murder, a likeable heroine, quirky Southern characters—and donut recipes!” —Rhys Bowen, Agatha and Anthony award–winning author of the Molly Murphy and Royal Spyness mysteries

“A tribute to comfort food and to the comfort of small town life. With great donut recipes!”—JoAnna Carl, author of The Chocolate Cupid Killings

“A yummy new treat in the culinary mystery genre. Skillfully weaving donut recipes throughout a well-plotted story, the author proves that life after divorce can be sweet; all you need are good friends, your own business, and comfort food. Delicious!”—Tamar Myers, author of Death of a Rug Lord and The Cane Mutiny

“A cleverly plotted cozy mystery with a wonderful small Southern town…Fatally Frosted is a great follow-up to Glazed Murder. Suzanne is a great heroine, Ms. Beck has a sure-fire winner!”—Fresh Fiction

“Along with the hilarious plot, author Jessica Beck treats the readers to a few recipes strategically placed within the novel. Sinister Sprinkles will keep you guessing until the very end.”—The Mystery Librarian

“A sugary concoction that provides readers a glimpse through the donut hole of living in a small town.”—Harriet Klausner, Genre Go Round Reviews

Find the book