High-quality English language analysis and editorial writing on the news.
Unbeknownst to the good citizens of Ballard, Texas, as Hawke’s Prey: A Sonny Hawke Thriller by Reavis Z. Wortham begins, terrorists have crossed the nearby border and then violently through a nearby temporary border patrol checkpoint leaving bodies in their wake. While snowstorms and blizzards happen in this part of Southwest Texas, this one is […]
Warning Signs by award winning author Jan Christensen is made up of three short stories that were previously published in print and online markets. This collection is a bit less than 19,000 words and each story is a good one. Each story has a small intro, a brief explanation of how the story came about, […]
It has been several books since I read a Jack Reacher novel. For me, they had become entirely too predictable. Reacher drifts into town, finds a more than friendly local cop or waitress, cleans out the problem caused by entrenched locals, and moves out and on down the road. Names and places changed, but the […]
All Due Respect 2020 is the book version of the stories that appeared online at All Due Respect. Edited by Chris Rhatigan and David Nemeth, the stories appear in the book in the same order as they appeared each month on the website. These are crime fiction tales of characters dealing with hard problems. The […]
Short message service is not a new concept, but it’s a novel way to boost a modern marketing strategy. It’s one of the most effective ways to get your message across to a large audience without relying on traditional social media push tactics. The text message costs less per target and can return up to […]
When planning an extended stay away from your home, it is the norm to be guided by a mental checklist. Some people make it a priority to find the right home for their pet. Others will install additional security and ask a trusted friend to check in periodically. However, very few people purchase Vacant Home insurance. […]
The story that inspired the cover, “The Calculus of Karma” by M. C. Tuggle, leads off the Mystery Weekly Magazine: June 2020 issue. Deputy Marshal Malcom Lamb has to deal with a body in an alleyway of the asteroid’s main camp. The miner is dead because of the crack in his visor that allowed the […]
Mystery Weekly Magazine: May 2020 issue opens with “The Rusted Beetle” by James Nolan. He has been able to hide in the tiny village of St. Julien in France for some time. He thought he was safe until the man with the black backpack showed up at the same time the legendary wind that is […]
Code Four is the final installment of the series that began in Charlie-316 by Colin Conway and Frank Zafiro. While much is resolved, one can see how this might not be the end of the story for several of these characters. As this is the fourth and final installment of the story arc that has […]
The Killer Wore Cranberry: A Sixth Scandalous Serving leads off with a very poignant introduction. In a note that honors the pain that many of us deal with this time of year, the loss of a loved one, Editor Jay Hartman honors author and friend, Earl Staggs. Earl was, and still is as his legacy […]
A Private Cathedral: A Dave Robicheaux Novel is a book of two times. Set a couple of decades ago, it has numerous references to the here and now concerning the fight for social justice, the current occupant of the White House, and more. As one always expects in a Dave Robicheaux novel, aspects of the […]
Sunshine Vicram is back in Del Sol, New Mexico, with her teenage daughter, Aurora, better known as Auri. She is also less than thrilled about living in the small tourist town of Del Sol again. Even if it is home for her parents and she and Auri are in the guest house about fifty feet […]
The Religious Body by Catherine Aird is the first book in The Calleshire Chronicles and is a good one. What initially presents as a locked room mystery set in a nunnery is far more complex than the initial set up would have the reader believe. It is early November and before dawn at the Convent […]
Badge Heavy is the third book in the Charlie 316 series and picks up shortly after Never The Crime ended. The Anti-Crime Team is up and running and working the streets of Spokane hard. Officer Gary Stone is on ACT along with Tyler Garrett as well as well with rookie Jun Yang and veteran officer […]
Mulholland Dive: Three Stories by Michael Connelly is a collection of three entertaining stories set on Mulholland in Los Angeles. Each story is complicated and violent in its own way. Each story is from a different time period. Yet, they all share the same idea that greed kills and does so violently. The only question […]
Mystery Weekly Magazine: April 2020 opens with story that inspired the cover art, “The Roaring Twenties Revisited” by John H. Dromey. Lieutenant Tierney of the 23rd precinct wants Molly Sullivan’s help on a case. Tierney’s daughter is friends with a niece of legendary crime figure, Charles Mellon. The niece wants somebody to do a welfare […]
The nearly one million automotive technicians and mechanics in the United States all share a few common traits that extend well beyond the profession that they have come to love. Auto mechanics love tinkering with a problem until they find a solution. They love to strip down problem areas and work to rebuild more efficient […]
Now that our world is digitally connected, living and working in a beautiful foreign country has never been easier. The options for exploration and cultural enjoyment are nearly limitless. If you’re a young digital nomad or a successful retiree with a sense of adventure, you too can take part in a valuable cultural exchange! All […]
As we age, we gain experience. A lot of things get easier – we get better at our jobs, we understand our relationships better, and we are better equipped to understand and react to a wide variety of things. We get wiser when we get older! Unfortunately, our bodies and our minds don’t always fare […]
It is the middle of May 2018 as The Lantern Men: A Ruth Galloway Mystery by Elly Griffiths begins and a lot has changed in recent months. Kate is now nine. Dr. Ruth Galloway now teaches at Cambridge and lives with Frank. She is no longer the North Norfolk police’s resident forensic archeologist and is […]
Brian Holloway came out to the house on Shell Island to crack a safe. It is his job and one he has been doing for quite awhile. The owner, a Mr. Robinette, is rather difficult from the start and is clearly more trouble than he is worth and he is obviously worth a lot of […]
Never Look Back In Texas by Russ Hall begins innocently enough with Al Quinn long since retired being asked by Sheriff Clayton to do a little mentoring. He has the experience and despite the grumbling, is ready to help out. He just was not ready to see on his way home hours later, Fergie in […]
Tracing your ancestry is all the rage the last few years and a lot of folks are doing it by way of various genetic testing sites. Many people are totally unaware that once you send off your genetic material, the company that receives your genetic materially can legally do pretty much do anything they want […]
Frozen: A Vera Stanhope Short Story by Ann Cleeves begins with Vera having the day off and wanting to get out and about. After getting some fresh air and seeing the sights, Vera decides to go to the small town of Corbridge for some tea and cakes. She has some and then goes across the […]
It has been a few months since U.S. Marshall Lucas Davenport was shot. September is half gone and he knows he still doesn’t look right no matter what the others say. Working out helps, but he isn’t back physically or emotionally, and he knows it. He also can’t spend much time worrying about where he […]
It is late June 1898 as Sooner Than Gold by J.R. Lindermuth begins. Hiram Mariner is the local doctor and he has come to fetch Sheriff Sylvester Tilghman in his newfangled horseless carriage as they both are wanted down at a mine just outside of town. Nathan Zimmerman, owner of the mine just outside of […]
Businesses face various risks each day. One lawsuit or catastrophic event could be enough to wipe out a small business before it even has a chance to get off the ground. Commercial insurance, also called business insurance, helps protect your business from financial losses resulting from lawsuits, property damage, workplace injuries and illnesses, loss of […]
There are few subjects as polarizing as gambling. The debates as the whether the activity should receive wide-spread legalization have been going on for years. Sociologists, economists, and common folk alike all have their arguments for and against it. Nevertheless, the reality is that people will bet, no matter if it is legal or not. […]
Unfortunately, sometimes marital bliss turns into a situation in which married couples become perfect strangers. Marriage is a challenge, and sometimes there just isn’t enough love there to overcome the many challenges that come with married life. When you’ve put a lot of time into a relationship, it can be hard to let go, but […]
Gardening is a positive activity with many health benefits. Picking up pots, digging holes for seeds, lifting bags of soil, and holding a watering can all involve physical activity. You’ll burn calories, feel healthier, and decrease your risk of developing serious diseases like diabetes and heart disease. Pulling weeds and working with shears and hoes […]
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| « Dec | ||||||
| 1 | 2 | |||||
| 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
| 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
| 31 | ||||||