NOIR CITY XMAS: Who Killed Santa Claus?

NOIR CITY Xmas is on its way! Join host Eddie Muller on Wednesday, December 18, 7:30 pm, at Oakland's historic Grand Lake Theatre for NOIR CITY Xmas! To darken your Yuletide spirit, the Film Noir Foundation is presenting Who Killed Santa Claus? (L'Assassinat du père Noël), a 1941 French mystery. The evening will also feature the unveiling of the program (and poster!) for NOIR CITY 22, the 22nd year of the world's most popular film noir festival, coming to the Grand Lake Theatre January 24 - February 2, 2025. 

Tickets for NOIR CITY Xmas are available online from Eventbrite for $15 and can also be purchased at the theatre box office on the day of the show. Doors will open at 6:30 pm on the day of the event. What a Great Deal!!!

LUCY WORSLEY’S HOLMES VS. DOYLE - PBS

LUCY WORSLEY’S HOLMES VS. DOYLE: a three-part series featuring the popular British historian and lifelong Sherlock Holmes fan who seeks to answer why author Arthur Conan Doyle came to despise the character that made him rich and famous. 

Throughout the series, Worsley explores the parallel lives of Doyle and Holmes in the historical context of their times. From the dying years of Victorian England, through the imperial crisis of the Boer war, the optimism of the early Edwardian years, to the trauma of the First World War, Arthur and Sherlock lived through them all. 

LUCY WORSLEY’S HOLMES VS. DOYLE premieres Sundays, December 8-22, 2024, 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET (check local listings) on PBS, PBS.org and the PBS App. 

Featured in over 60 original stories and countless film and television adaptions, Sherlock Holmes has intrigued and excited fans with his intellect and powers of deduction for more than a century. Over the course of three episodes, Worsley investigates the curious relationship between detective and author. 

In Episode 1, “Doctor and Detective” (December 8), Lucy unearths Holmes’ origins in Doyle’s early life as a medical student in Edinburgh. She unpacks the early stories, revealing the dark underbelly of late Victorian Britain, from drug use to true crime. She explores how Doyle infused his stories with cutting-edge technological developments and traces the author’s growing disenchantment with his detective, heading to Switzerland to visit the site of one of the most famous deaths in literature. 

In Episode 2, “Fact and Fiction” (December 15), Lucy explores Doyle’s desire to distance himself from Sherlock after the detective’s apparent death at the Reichenbach Falls. From the delights of the ski slopes to the horrors of the Boer War, she reveals how far Doyle went to make himself the hero of his own story. He even took on the role of detective himself in one of the most important legal cases of the 20th century.  

In the finale, “Shadows and Sleuths” (December 22), Lucy investigates the return of Sherlock. Doyle began the Edwardian age delighting in all it had to offer, but as the First World War approached, the darkness of the later stories mirrored the reality of Doyle’s life. After losing his eldest son, he became an evangelist for spiritualism, and his star declined after a public spat with a famous magician. Sherlock Holmes, in contrast, found a life beyond his author on stage and screen. 

LUCY WORSLEY’S HOLMES VS. DOYLE will stream simultaneously with broadcast and be available on all station-branded PBS platforms, including PBS.org and the PBS app.

Cartoon of the Day: Writer

Bookstore Sign of the Day

THE CHELSEA DETECTIVE SEASON 3 NEWS!

Well this is good news! I've been waiting for the return of The Chelsea Detective, one of my favorite detective shows. Acorn TV has announced that the Christmas episode, starring Adrian Scarborough, will drop on December 16. This special will also serve as the start of Season 3, which will be comprised of four 90 minute episodes that will continue into 2025. (Not enough, but I'll take them!) 

Also reprising their roles in Season 3 are Peter Bankolé (DI Ray, Bodkin) as DC Connor Pollock, Lucy Phelps (Grace) as DC Jess Lombard, Sophie Stone (Shetland) as Chief Forensics Officer Ashley Wilton, and Frances Barber (Whitstable Pearl) as Max’s Aunt Olivia. 

 

THANKSGIVING MYSTERIES // THANKSGIVING CRIME FICTION

Thanksgiving is next week, so you'll want to get reading these Thanksgiving crime novel and short stories. This is an updated Thanksgiving Crime Fiction list, but let me know if I've missed any titles. It's quite the mix of cozy, noir, and whodunit.  

As Thanksgiving approaches, I give thanks for my family, my friends, and the wonderful mystery community.

I'm posting daily recipes for Chocolate Thanksgiving desserts, sides, and main courses (Chocolate Turkey Rub!) on DyingforChocolate.com.

Thanksgiving Mysteries

Victoria Abbott The Wolfe Widow

Susan Wittig Albert Bittersweet
Laura Alden Foul Play at the PTA
Dianne Ascroft Thanksgiving and Theft
Deb Baker Murder Talks Turkey
S.H. Baker The Colonel's Tale
Mignon Ballard, Miss Dimple Disappears
Sandra Balzo Hit and Run
Richard Bausch Thanksgiving Night 

Cindy Bell Fatal Festivities

Kate Bell, Kathleen Suzette Thankfully Dead
Bob Berger The Risk of Fortune
William Bernhardt, Editor, Natural Suspect
Kate Borden Death of a Turkey
Amy Boyles Southern Magic Thanksgiving
Ali Brandon Twice Told Tail

JJ Brass The Turkey Wore Satin
Lilian Jackson Braun The Cat Who Went into the Closet, The Cat Who Talked Turkey
Lizbie Brown Turkey Tracks
Catjerine Bruns In the Blink of a Pie
Carole Bugge Who Killed Mona Lisa?

Lucy Burdette A Deadly Feast
Lynn Cahoon A Very Mummy Holiday
Sammi Carter Goody Goody Gunshots
Lowell Cauffiel Dark Rage
Jillian Chance The Fall of the Sharp Sisters
Joelle Charbonneau Skating Under the Wire

George C. Chesbro Bleeding in the eye of a Brainstorm
Jennifer Chiaverini A Quilter's Holiday 
Laura Childs Scones & Bones 
Bobbi A. Chukran Short mystery stores in her Nameless, Texas series

Leena Clover Turkeys and Thanksgiving
Christine E. Collier A Holiday Sampler
Sheila Connolly A Killer Crop
Cleo Coyle Murder by Mocha
Isis Crawford A Catered Thanksgiving
Bill Crider with Willard Scott Murder under Blue Skies
Jessie Crockett Drizzled with Death
Amanda Cross A Trap for Fools
Barbara D'Amato Hard Tack, Hard Christmas
Mary Daheim Alpine Fury, Fowl Prey, The Alpine Vengeance
Kathi Daley Turkeys, Tuxes and Tabbies; The Trouble with Turkeys; The Thanksgiving Trip: The Inn at Holiday Bay, Pilgrim in the Parlor; Thanksgiving in Paradise; The Catsgiving Feast
Jeanne Dams Sins Out of School
Claire Daniels Final Intuition
Evelyn David Murder Takes the Cake
Mary Janice Davidson Undead and Unfinished
Krista Davis The Diva Runs Out of Thyme; A Good Dog's Guide to Murder

Robert Davis Stuffed
Devon Delaney Double Chocolate Cookie Murder
Vicki Delany (aka Eva Gates) Silent Night, Deadly Night
Jana Deleon Cajun Fried Felony
Wende and Harry Devlin Cranberry Thanksgiving
Michael Dibdin Thanksgiving
Leighann Dobbs Thanksgiving Dinner Death; Turkey Tragedy 

Joanne Dobson Raven and the Nightingale

Alice Duncan Thanksgiving Angels
Christine Duncan Safe House
Susan Dunlap No Footprints
Kaitlyn Dunnett Overkilt
Lauren Elliott To the Tome of Murder

Alex Erickson Death by Hot Apple Cider
Janet Evanovich Thanksgiving (technically a romance)*
Nancy Fairbanks Turkey Flambe
Christy Fifield Murder Ties the Knot
Maureen Fisher Deadly Thanksgiving 
Courtney Flagg Criminally Ungrateful

Jessica Fletcher & Donald Bain Murder She Wrote: A Fatal Feast
Amanda Flower Peanut Butter Panic
Joanne Fluke Raspberry Danish Murder
Katherine V. Forrest The Beverly Malibu
Shelley Freydont Cold Turkey
Heather Day Gilbert Cold Drip 

Noreen Gilpatrick The Piano Man
Martin H. Greenberg (editor) Cat Crimes for the Holidays
Jane Haddam Feast of Murder
Janice Hamrick Death Rides Again
Susannah Hardy A Killer Kebab
Lee Harris The Thanksgiving Day Murder
Ellen Hart The Grave Soul
J. Alan Hartman, editor, The Killer Wore Cranberry; The Killer Wore Cranberry: A Second Helping; The Killer Wore Cranberry: Room for Thirds; The Killer Wore Cranberry: A Fourth Meal of Mayhem; The Perp Wore Pumpkin 
Robin Hathaway The Doctor Makes a Dollhouse Call
Richard Hawke Speak of the Devil
Victoria Houston Dead Hot Shot
Dorothy Howell Fanny Packs and Foul Play
Linda Joffe Hull Black Thursday
Carolyn Q. Hunter Killer Thanksgiving Pie

Ellen Elizabeth Hunter Murder on the ICW
Melanie Jackson Death in a Turkey Town; Cornucopia
Sue Ann Jaffarian Cornucopia, Secondhand Stiff
J. A. Jance Shoot Don't Shoot
Madison Johns The Great Turkey Caper

Gin Jones & Elizabeth Ashby Deadly Thanksgiving Sampler

Tonya Kappes Trapping, Turkeys, & Thanksgiving 
Karin Kaufman At Death's Door
Alex Kava Black Friday
Marvin Kaye My Son, the Druggist
Faye Kellerman Serpent's Tooth
Harry Kemelman That Day the Rabbi Left Town
John Lescroat The Keeper
Clyde Linsley Death of a Mill Girl
Georgette Livingston Telltale Turkey Caper
M. Louisa Locke Pilfered Promises
Nial Magill Thanksgiving Murder in the Mountains
G.M. Malliet Wicked Autumn
Margaret Maron Up Jumps the Devil
Evan Marshall Stabbing Stefanie
K. L. McCluskey Three for Pumpkin Pie
Robert McDavis: Stuffed

Shawn McGuire Silent Secrets

Ralph McInerny Celt and Pepper
Leslie Meier Turkey Day Murder
Wendy Meadows Turkey, Pies and Alibis
Addison Moore Thanksgiving Day Murder

Deborah Morgan The Marriage Casket
Meg Muldoon Roasted in Christmas River 

Joan Lowery Nixon The Thanksgiving Mystery (children's)
Carla Norton The Edge of Normal
Carol O'Connell Shell Game
Jack Pachuta Gobble, Gobble, Death and Trouble
Nancy J Parra Murder Gone A-Rye
Louise Penny Still Life

Cathy Pickens Southern Fried
Michael Poore Up Jumps the Devil 
Craig Rice The Thursday Turkey Murders
Ann Ripley Harvest of Murder
J.D. Robb Thankless in Death
Delia Rosen One Foot in the Gravy
M.L. Rowland Zero Degree Murder
Ilene Schneider Chanukah Guilt
Maria E. Schneider Executive Retention
Willard Scott and Bill Crider Murder under Blue Skies
Sarah R. Shaber Snipe Hunt
Sharon Gwyn Short, Hung Out to Die
Paullina Simons, Red Leaves

Page Sleuth Thanksgiving in Cherry Hills
Alexandra Sokoloff The Harrowing
Rex Stout Too Many Cooks
Denise Swanson Murder of a Barbie and Ken; Murder of a Botoxed Blonde

Kathleen Suzette Roast Turkey and a Murder; Pumpkin Pie Peril
Marcia Talley Occasion of Revenge
Sharon Burch Toner Maggie's Brujo
Teresa Trent Burnout
Lisa Unger In the Blood
Jennifer Vanderbes Strangers at the Feast
Debbie Viguie I Shall Not Want
Auralee Wallace Haunted Hayride with Murder
Livia J. Washburn The Pumpkin Muffin Murder
Leslie Wheeler Murder at Plimoth Plantation
J.A. Whiting Sweet Thanksgiving
Rachel Wood Gobble, Gobble Murder
Angela Zeman The Witch and the Borscht Pearl

***

For the Younger Set:

Thanksgiving Thief: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew
Ron Roy and John Steven Gurney: November Night
Marjorie Weinman Sharmat, Mitchell Sharmat Nate the Great Talks Turkey

Julie Campbell: Trixie Belden and the Mystery Off Glen Road  (Trixie Belden #5)

***

Let me know if I've forgotten any authors and titles!

THE CHELSEA DETECTIVE: Christmas Special & Season 3 News!

Well this is good news. I've been waiting for the return of The Chelsea Detective, one of my favorite detective shows. Acorn TV has announced that the Christmas episode, starring Adrian Scarborough, will drop on December 16. 

This special will also serve as the start of Series 3, which will be comprised of four 90 minute episodes that will continue into 2025.  (Not enough, but I'll take them!)

Also reprising their roles in Season 3 are Peter Bankolé (DI Ray, Bodkin) as DC Connor Pollock, Lucy Phelps (Grace) as DC Jess Lombard, Sophie Stone (Shetland) as Chief Forensics Officer Ashley Wilton, and Frances Barber (Whitstable Pearl) as Max’s Aunt Olivia.

Watch the Trailer:

Thank You, Miss Valley, for Everything: Guest Post by David Freed

Some writers are born to write. Others have the craft cultivated in them. I hail decidedly from the second camp.

When I was growing up, I never imagined that my livelihood would come from the printed word. My ambition was to go into medicine—heart surgery, to be specific. That was my go-to answer, anyway, whenever an adult asked what I wanted to be when I grew up. I can still remember how impressed they always were by my response. How I ended up earning my living not by cracking chests but by crafting sentences can be explained in part by the fact that I never had a burning desire to be a surgeon to begin with. In truth, I wasn’t entirely sure back then what I wanted to do with my life. But that was before I had the good fortune of encountering someone who would alter my path forever—my high school English teacher, Aurelia Valley.

Miss Valley was what many people back then called a "spinster” and what some today might refer to as a "Big Beautiful Woman", only without the "beautiful" part. Her dark hair was short and styled in an outdated bob. She wore plain, flat-soled shoes, thin wire-rimmed glasses, and house dresses that hung on her girthy frame like potato sacks. Her small, upturned nose had a piggish quality, and I remember her breathing mostly through her mouth. Smiling didn’t seem to be in her repertoire. Some of her less-kind students would mock her appearance. Full disclosure: I probably did too at times, if only to fit in with the crowd.

The small high school I attended could best be described as blue-collar. We had no honors classes, though our football team was always formidable. Few students went on to four-year colleges. The most common path for graduates was to get a steady job—often at places like the post office. The classics—Shakespeare, Beowulf, The Last of the Mohicans—were not exactly subjects that bedazzled the majority of my bored, unmotivated classmates. But that didn’t stop Miss Valley. She possessed the two essentials of every great instructor: she knew her stuff, and she was deeply passionate about it.

One day during the spring semester of my senior year, after the bell rang and everybody spilled out of her classroom like it was on fire, as they always did, Miss Valley asked me to stay behind for a few minutes. I froze. What would my friends think? That Miss Valley had a thing for me? I wanted desperately to get out of there, but she had positioned herself in front of the exit, effectively blocking my escape. “You should think about being a writer,” she said. “You have an aptitude for it.”

The rest of our conversation that day has since faded into the distant, haze-gray recesses of my memory, but her advice stuck with me. It was the first time I could recall anyone telling me I had a knack for anything other than complaining about having to do chores at home.

Fast forward a year later. I was a college freshman at a state university with a dismal 2.2 GPA. By then, I’d discovered beer and girls, and I knew that attending medical school was out of the question even if I had wanted to. As I sat in my dorm room one night, flipping through the course catalog, trying to figure out what I was going to do with my life, I stumbled upon the requirements for a journalism degree. In that instant, I swear I heard Miss Valley’s voice in my head as if she were standing next to me. “You should think about being a writer. You have an aptitude.”

So that’s what I did. I became a writer.

After graduation, I landed a job as a newspaper reporter in Colorado Springs. It was there that I met a smart, beautiful young woman who would later become my wife. We’ve now been happily married for over forty years. We have two grown children, three grandchildren, and a fourth on the way. We live in a lovely home by the Pacific. My career as a journalist would lead me to far-flung places, and eventually to opportunities as a screenwriter in Hollywood, as a contributor to major magazines like The Atlantic and Air & Space Smithsonian, and even to work with the CIA. My background as a reporter ultimately influenced my earning a master’s degree from Harvard University. It also played a crucial role in helping me land a publishing deal, which led to the release in 2012 of Flat Spin, the first book in my best-selling Cordell Logan mystery series. The seventh book in the series, Deep Fury, will be out in December.

None of this would’ve been possible without Miss Valley, who saw potential in one of her students, took the time to pull him aside, and encouraged him to become a writer.

Aurelia Valley passed away in 1996. I regret that I never took the opportunity to thank her for the role she played in my life. I hope this serves as a small tribute to her legacy.

Thank you, Miss Valley. For everything.

*** 

David Freed is an instrument-rated pilot, a former Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter for the Los Angeles Times, and author of the Cordell Logan mystery series. He teaches creative writing to graduate students at Harvard University’s Extension School. 

 

Cartoon of the Day: Cats

Happy Caturday!

CALL FOR ARTICLES: Mystery Readers Journal: London; Extended Deadline Monday, November 18, 2024

EXTENDED DEADLINE: NOVEMBER 18, 2024

While the Deadline for the London issue of Mystery Readers Journal (40:4) is actually November 15, some of you might need the weekend to polish off your articles, reviews, and author essays. Therefore, we have extended the deadline for Articles, Reviews, and Author essays for the London issue of Mystery Readers Journal (40:4) until November 18, 2024. Send to  janet @ mysteryreaders. org

Mystery Readers Journal is looking for Articles, Reviews, and Author essays about Mysteries set in London. 

Author Essays: First person, about yourself, your books, and the "London" connection. Reviews and articles can include books both in and out of print that are set in London. 500-1000 words. Treat this as if you're chatting with friends and other writers in the bar or cafe (or on zoom) about your work and the London setting in your mysteries. Be sure and cite specific titles, as well as how you use the London setting in your books. Add title and 2-3 sentence bio. 

Reviews: 50-250 words/each. 

Articles: 500-1000 words.

Deadline for Mysteries in London (40:4) articles, reviews, author essays: November 18, 2024: Send to: Janet Rudolph, Editor.  janet @ mysteryreaders . org

Please let us know if you're planning to send an article, review, or author essay! Subject Line: London Mysteries

SUBSCRIBE TO MYSTERY READERS JOURNAL for 2024: Mysteries set in Southern California; Murder Takes a Holiday (Mysteries that take place while on vacation); Partners in Crime; London.

2025 Themes: Retail Mysteries; Northern California; Thrillers; one more theme TBA.

Many back issues of Mystery Readers Journal are available as single copies in hardcopy or PDF. 

Historical Mysteries I: Available as PDF or Hardcopy.

Murder in Wartime: Available as PDF or Hardcopy.

Animals in Mysteries I: Available as PDF or Hardcopy.

Animals in Mysteries II: Available as PDF or Hardcopy.

Private Eyes I & Private Eyes II : Available as PDF or Hardcopy.

Extreme Weather Mysteries: Available as PDF or Hardcopy

Italian Mysteries:  Available as PDF or Hardcopy

Senior Sleuths: Available as PDF or Hardcopy.

Gardening Mysteries: Available as PDF or Hardcopy.

Have titles, articles, or suggestions for upcoming issues? Want to write an Author! Author! essay? contact:   janet @ mysteryreaders . org

BLOGS
Mystery Fanfare
Dying for Chocolate

SHETLAND, SEASON 9: BritBox

I miss Jimmy Perez on Shetland. Nevertheless, I'm still watching the series. And, here's the latest news! Shetland, Season 9, will premiere on Britbox on December 11. There will be one episode a week through January 15, 2025. Ashley Jensen and Alison O'Donnell return as Detectives Ruth Calder and Alison ‘Tosh’ McIntosh. 

Season 9 features a double missing person’s case that “blurs the lines between the personal and the professional, as Calder and Tosh are drawn into a labyrinthine investigation,” the official synopsis tells us. “When Tosh’s friend, Annie Bett (Sarah MacGillivray), goes missing, Ruth Calder — now living in Shetland — has no time to recover from a life-threatening ordeal of her own, and instead teams with Tosh to search for Annie and her young son, Noah (Jacob Ferguson).

Previous seasons of Shetland are available to stream on BritBox. Of course, you can read the Shetland mystery series by Ann Cleeves. It's a great series. 

2024 Petrona Award: Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year

The Winner of the 2024 Petrona Award for the Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year: 

DEAD MEN DANCING by Jógvan Isaksen translated from the Faroese by Marita Thomsen and published by Norvik Press. 

Jógvan Isaksen will receive a trophy, and both the author and translator will receive a cash prize. 

The judges’ statement on DEAD MEN DANCING: 

Similar to the story of the ancient god Prometheus, a man has been shackled to rocks on the Faroe Islands, and left to drown on the beach. The discovery of his body throws the local community into an unsettling chaos, and as the journalist Hannis Martinsson investigates, he comes across evidence of similar deaths. He realises they are linked to the events in Klaksvík in the 1950s, and a local revolt which tore the community apart. As Martinsson digs into the troubled past, he learns about his country’s history, and also gives the reader a chance to discover what makes the Faroes intriguing and spellbinding. Being a largely unknown territory to most, Dead Men Dancing includes a useful introduction to the modern reality of these islands by the CEO of the Faroese Broadcasting Corporation, mirrored by the social commentary that lies at the heart of the book itself, and the portrayal of the relationship with Denmark throughout the years. 

This is only Isaksen’s second novel to be translated into English following Walpurgis Tide. This contemporary Faroese crime fiction writer places his characters in the wild, beautiful, and unforgiving environment and allows them to search for truth. The judges found the location to be absolutely integral to the unfolding of the plot, and how the raw natural beauty of the Faroes served as a reflection of the thoughts and actions of the characters.

Dogged and uncompromising, Martinsson is a superb creation, similar in his ‘detective’ thinking and approach to Gunnar Staalesen's lonely wolf PI Varg Veum, which the judging panel found very appealing. Martinsson's gloomy demeanour and natural cynicism was beautifully balanced throughout with the more empathetic side of his nature, and in the age-old tradition of crime fiction his personal and professional relationships are fraught with tension. 

The translation by Marita Thomsen is both accomplished and a little unusual, drawing as she does on the vernacular and intonation of the Scottish dialect. Again, the judges found this to be refreshingly different, and enjoyed the unique cadence and rhythm this gave to the book overall, an essential quality of any book in translation. 

The judges agreed that in Dead Men Dancing the balance between location, plot and characteriaation worked well, incorporating some of the familiar tropes of crime fiction, but also providing a refreshingly different reading experience. This was achieved by the depiction of the Faroes themselves and their history, working in symmetry with the narrative, and also by the characterisation of Martinsson, reminiscent of the traditional spare style in Nordic crime fiction. The assured and distinctive translation was also a significant factor in the judges' overall decision. 

Flavia, the Movie!

And this news from BV Lawson's In Reference to Murder, one of my favorite mystery sites. We've been waiting a long time for this. I'm so excited--to see the film--and for Alan Bradley, author of the Flavia books! Congratulations, Alan! What a great cast! I'll keep you posted!

Can't wait for the movie, catch up on Alan Bradley's Flavia series. 13 books so far!

The upcoming feature film, Flavia, based on the books by Alan Bradley, has started principal photography and released a first-look image. The project features Sherlock star Martin Freeman opposite Molly Belle Wright (Deep Water) as the precocious 11-year-old detective, Flavia, Toby Jones (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny), Karan Gill (The Decameron), Annette Badland (Ted Lasso), and Jonathan Pryce (Slow Horses) also star. 

The storyline is set in motion when Flavia finds a dead body at her decaying British manor house and her father is accused of the murder. Flavia dives into her own wild and fearless investigation, unearthing long held family secrets and pitting herself against the true killer.

DALGLIESH, SEASON 3 News!

DALGLIESH, SEASON 3, PREMIERES MONDAY, DECEMBER 2, ON ACORN TV

I'm looking forward to series 3. 

The six-episode season includes three two-part stories: Death in Holy Orders, Cover Her Face, and Devices and Desires. Each story is based on a novel by the Queen of Crime, British author P.D. James.

Dalgliesh Season 3 starts on Acorn TV on December 2. Detective Adam Dalgliesh, played by Bertie Carvel, is back to solve complicated crimes in England in the 1970s, ranging from a murder in a seminary to a plot to attack a terrorist target. 

New cast members and well-known ones, like Carlyss Peer’s Kate Miskin, join him. 

CRIME FICTION LOVER AWARDS 2024 SHORTLISTS

Crime Fiction Lover and its readers are celebrating the best in the genre with their awards. Following are the shortlists for 2024. Crime fiction lovers everywhere can vote. Congratulations to all!

CRIME FICTION LOVER AWARDS SHORTLISTS

Best Crime Novel of 2024 Shortlist 

Midnight and Blue by Ian Rankin 

The Mercy Chair by MW Craven 

Guide Me Home by Attica Locke 

The Examiner by Janice Hallett 

The Death Watcher by Chris Carter 

All the Colours of the Dark by Chris Whitaker 

Best Crime Debut of 2024 Shortlist 

 

Helle and Death by Oskar Jensen 

The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey 

Knife Skills for Beginners by Orlando Murrin 

Deadly Animals by Marie Tierney 

Crow Moon by Suzy Aspley 

A Reluctant Spy by David Goodman 

Best Crime Novel in Translation of 2024 Shortlist 

 

Black Wolf by Juan Gómez-Jurado, translated by Nicolas Caistor 

The Snow Angel by Anki Edvinsson, translated by Paul Norlen 

The Lover of No Fixed Abode by Carlo Fruttero and Franco Lucentini, translated by Gregory Dowling Death at the Sanatorium by Ragnar Jonasson, translated by Victoria Cribb 

The Kitchen by Simone Buchholz, translated by Rachel Ward 

The Night of Baba Yaga by Akira Otani, translated by Sam Bett 

Best Indie Crime Novel of 2024 Shortlist 

 

The Corpse with the Pearly Smile by Cathy Ace 

A Killer of Influence by JD Kirk 

Bronco Buster by AJ Devlin 

Westerwick by George Paterson 

Namaste Mart Confidential by Andrew Miller 

Dying For Crystal by Katherine Black 

Best Crime Show of 2024 Shortlist 

Bad Monkey 

Ludwig 

Slow Horses, Season 4

Nordic Murders, Season 5 

Rebus 

True Detective, Season 4 

 

Best Crime Author of 2024 Shortlist 

Tana French 

Ian Rankin 

Attica Locke 

Ace Atkins 

Janice Hallett 

Abir Mukherjee

An Post Irish Independent Crime Fiction Book of the Year Shortlist

The shortlists have been announced for the An Post Irish Book Awards. There are multiple categories, but here's the 

2024 Irish Independent Crime Fiction Book of the Year

Shortlist

A Stranger in the Family, by Jane Casey (Hemlock Press)

Witness 8, by Steve Cavanagh (Headline)
Where They Lie, by Claire Coughlan (Simon & Schuster)
Someone in the Attic, by Andrea Mara (Bantam)
Somebody Knows, by Michelle McDonagh (Hachette Ireland)
When We Were Silent, by Fiona McPhillips (Bantam)

Winners will be announced during in Dublin on Wednesday, November 27. 

HT: The Rap Sheet

INSPECTOR ELLIS: New series

I really enjoyed Episode 1 of Inspector Ellis, a new series, on AcornTV. Put it on your list. Great acting, interesting plot, new twist. 3 Episodes (1 1/2 each), being dropped weekly. Hope there's a Season 2 in the future.

Acorn TV’s new three-part series Inspector Ellis (Ellis in the UK) challenges our preconceptions of a female detective. DCI Ellis (Sharon D Clarke) is a Black woman, no longer young, whose long black coat and brightly colored scarf are a statement of strength and power. She is neither pleasingly eccentric nor eager to reveal a softer side, although we know she has an estranged daughter. She is not to be messed with. Her toughness and tenacity make her the ideal candidate for a new position; a senior officer sent to handle cases that have stumped the local team. 

VETERANS DAY MYSTERIES // VETERANS DAY CRIME FICTION

Today is the start of Veterans Day Weekend. Veterans Day, originally known as Armistice Day (also known as Remembrance Day), is November 11. Veterans Day commemorates the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany at Compiègne, France, for the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front, that took effect at eleven o'clock in the morning — the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month" 1918.

U.S. President Woodrow Wilson first proclaimed Armistice Day on November 11, 1919. The U.S.  Congress passed a concurrent resolution seven years later on June 4, 1926, requesting the President issue another proclamation to observe November 11 with appropriate ceremonies. The 11th of November is"a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as 'Armistice Day'." It was later changed to Veterans Day.

I love to read mysteries that reflect regions and holidays, so I'm reposting my Veterans Day list with some new additions. 

Julia Spencer-Fleming's Once Was a Soldier,  Jacqueline Winspear, Renie Airth, and Charles Todd's mystery series are at the top of my list of Veterans Day Mysteries. There's also the Joe Sandilands series by Barbara Cleverly. And Bulldog Drummond is a WWI veteran in the Sapper/H.C. McNeile books. Add to that Walter Mosley's WWII Vet Easy Rawlins. Don't miss Marcia Talley's All Things Undying in which Hannah Ives helps to locate the grave of a WWII serviceman. James Lee Burke is another great mystery author whose Cajun detective Dave Robicheaux is a Vietnam Veteran. And, of course, the Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club by Dorothy L. Sayers where the mystery turns on the poppy in the lapel. (and so many more below)..

BV Lawson's 2007 post of Veteran's Day Mysteries is great. No need to duplicate her efforts. Be sure and read her blog, as well as all the comments. 

 

I also did a Memorial Day post here on Mystery Fanfare that covers some of the same territory. It is  a good resource, as many of the books overlap.

You'll want to read J. Kingston's Pierce's article 9 Mysteries Set in the Immediate Aftermath of WWI on CrimeReads.

Wikipedia has an entry about Veterans Day Mysteries. Several hardboiled heroes have been war veterans. Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer and many others from World War II, and John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee from the Korean War. "The frequent exposure to death and hardship often leads to a cynical and callous attitude as well as a character trait known today as post-traumatic stress characterizes many hardboiled protagonists."

ADDITIONAL VETERANS DAY MYSTERIES with Veteran Protagonists

River of Darkness by Rennie Airth

Mark of the Lion by Suzanne Arruda

Billy Boyle series by James R. Benn

Dying in the Wool by Frances Brody

Tom Clancy Oath of Office by Marc Cameron

The Bee's Kiss by Barbara Cleverly

Quarry; The Million Dollar Wound by Max Allan Collins

Long Shot by Jack Coughlin

Foul Trade by B.K. Duncan

One Killer Force by Dalton Fury
Young Blood by Matt Gallagher

The Man Who Won the Medal of Honor by Len Giovannitti

The Sleepwalkers by Paul Grossman

The Dog Stars by Peter Heller

Direct Hit by Mike Hollow

A Gentleman's Murder by Christopher Huang

Operation Burning Candle by Blyden Jackson

Berlin Noir: March Violets, The Pale Criminal, A German Requiem by Philip Kerr

Lone Jack Trail by Owen Laukkanen

After the Rain by Chuck Logan

Mr. Churchill's Secretary by Susan Elia MacNeal

Hystopia by David Means

First Blood by David Morrell

Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley

A Rising Man by Abir Mukherjee

The Odd Angry Shot by William Nagle

The Sympathizer by Viet Than Nguyen

A Beautiful Place to Die by Malla Nunn

Going After Cacciato by Tim O'Brien

The Given World by Marian Palaia

The Drifter by Nick Petrie (and others in the Peter Ash series)

The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers

Whose Body? by Dorothy L Sayers

Dog Day Afternoon by Vern E. Smith

The Return of Captain John Emmett by Elizabeth Speller

Dog Soldiers by Robert Stone

A Test of Wills and others; A Duty to the Dead and others by Charles Todd

Dragonfish by Vu Tran

Maisie Dobbs; Messenger of Truth; The Mapping of Love and Death; and others by Jacqueline Winspear

For the young set, one of the first Veteran-related mysteries: 
Cherry Ames: Veterans' Nurse by Helen Wells. 

As always, let me know any Veterans Crime Fiction that you recommend.

Read a Veterans Day mystery today and remember the men and women who have served our country. Thank you for your service.

In Memory of Veteran - Major Joseph Rudolph, M.D., WWII

Cartoon of the Day: Toxic Ingredient

 

LEFT COAST CRIME 2026 NEWS!

Special Guests forLeft Coast Crime 2026 in San Francisco, California
February 26 – March 1, 2026

The 36th annual Left Coast Crime Convention will be held at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco — on the Embarcadero near the Ferry Building — from February 26 through March 1, 2026. We are finally going back to where Left Coast Crime began in 1991.
 

Registration is now open!

Visit the LCC 2026 website for more information about the convention.
 

Death in Paradise: Christmas Special and Series 14 News!

Don Gilet will play the new lead Detective Inspector Mervin Wilson on Death in Paradise that will debut on the BBC on Christmas. 

This is one of my favorite detective shows, and I've liked all the past DIs. The BBC has a tradition of releasing a Christmas special to mark the end of the current season and the start of a new one. 2024's special will introduce a new detective in Saint Marie after the departure of Ralf Little's DI Neville Parker. DI Mervin Wilson makes his debut in a feature-length Death in Paradise Christmas special this December, before series 14 broadcasts in 2025. Mervin arrives on the island of Saint Marie from his home in London. 

Don Gilet says: “I am delighted to have returned to the wonderful island of Guadeloupe and this time to be stepping into the well-worn shoes of the Detective Inspector. It’s been a real pleasure filming such a beloved series alongside the hardworking cast and crew. I can’t wait for the fans to see how DI Mervin Wilson fares on the island, how he fits within the Saint Marie police team and what secrets may unfold..."

Gilet will be joined by series regulars Don Warrington, Shantol Jackson, Ginny Holder, Élizabeth Bourgine and Danny John-Jules who will continue playing Commissioner Selwyn Patterson, DS Naomi Thomas, Officer Darlene Curtis, Catherine Bordey, and Officer Dwayne Myers, respectively.

Death in Paradise returns with the 2024 Christmas Special on BBC One, and Season 14 will be released in early 2025. Previously, Death in Paradise aired in the U.S. on BritBox. No news yet, but I'm assuming the Christmas Special and series 14 will be available here in early 2025, based on former releases. I'll keep you posted.

PRESIDENTIAL MYSTERIES // PRESIDENTIAL CRIME FICTION

I usually post a Presidential Mysteries list for Presidents Day, but with the Presidential election today, I thought I'd post now. I'm just too nervous to do much else! And, if you haven't already, get out and vote! Your country depends on YOU!

This list features the U.S. President in mysteries, thrillers, and crime fiction. I've divided the list into categories, but added more at the end under 'other' and a separate list of Abraham Lincoln Mysteries. Of course, there are many overlaps, so scroll through them all. This is not a definitive list, and I welcome any additions. Post your favorites in the comments section or send me a note.
 
Books by Presidents: 

The President is Missing and The President's Daughter by former President Bill Clinton with James Patterson. 

The Presidents Mystery Story (propounded to be by Franklin D. Roosevelt) 1935. 

The President's Mystery Plot by Franklin Delano Roosevelt - and others (Short Stories)-although he didn't write any.

Political Election and Thrillers

Rubicon by Lawrence Alexander
Saving Faith by David Baldacci
Political Suicide and Touched by the Dead by Robert Barnard
Capitol Conspiracy by William Bernhardt
Collateral Damage by Michael Bowen
Three Shirt Deal by Stephen J. Cannell
Executive Orders by Tom Clancy
Impaired Judgement by David Compton
Manchurian Candidate by Richard Condon
Term Limits; Protect and Defend by Vince Flynn
The Scandal Plan by Bill Folman
The Power Broker by Stephen W. Frey
Spook Country by William Gibson
Fast Track, Sleeping Dogs by Ed Gorman
The Fourth Perimeter by Tim Green
The People's Choice by Jeff Greenfield
Hazardous Duty by W.E.B. Griffin
The Pelican Brief by John Grisham
The Second Revolution by Gary Hansen
The President's Daughter and The White House Connection by Jack Higgins
The Enemy Within  by Noel Hynd
First Daughter by Eric Lustbader
Drone Threat by Mike Maden
Executive Privilege by Philip Margolin
Presidents' Day by Seth Margolis
The Race, Protect and Defend, Balance of Power by Richard North Patterson
Politics Noir: Gary Phillips, Editor
Missing Member by Jo-Ann Power
Dark Horse by Ralph Reed
Dead Heat, The Last Jihad by Joel C. Rosenberg
Dead Watch by John Sandford
State of the Union by Brad Thor
Capital Crimes by Stuart Woods

Assassination Attempts

American Quartet by Warren Adler
Shall We Tell the President? by Jeffrey Archer
Sherlock Holmes in Dallas by Edmund Aubrey
The 14th Colony by Steve Berry
All American Girl by Meg Cabot (YA)
The President is Missing by Bill Clinton/James Patterson
Primary Target by Max Allan Collins
Campaign Train (Murder Rides the Campaign Train) by The Gordons
Glass Tiger by Joe Gores
The President's Assassin by Brian Haig
Potus by Greg Holden
Marine One by James W. Huston
11/22/63 by Stephen King
Murder at Monticello by Jane Langton
The Surrogate Assassin by Christopher Leppek
Gideon's March by J.J. Marric
The Kidnapping of the President by Charles Templeton
Pursuit by James Stewart Thayer
Primary Target by Marilyn Wallace
Watchdogs by John Weisman

Kidnappings

We are Holding the President Hostage by Warren Adler
The Camel Club, First Family by David Baldacci
Line of Succession by Brian Garfield
Madam President by Anne Holt
Oath of Office by Steven J. Kirsch
Presidential Deal by Les Standiford
The Kidnapping of the President by Charles Templeton
The Lions of Lucerne by Brad Thor

Presidential Disappearances

The President Vanishes by Anonymous (1934)
Missing! by Michael Avallone
The President is Missing by Bill Clinton & James Patterson
Mrs. Roosevelt's Confidante by Susan Elia MacNeal
The President's Plan is Missing by Robert J. Serling
The President Vanishes by Rex Stout

Fixing the Election

The Manchurian Candidate by Richard Condon
The 13th Directorate by Barry Chubin
Atropos by William DeAndrea
The Red President by Martin Gross
The Ceiling of Hell by Warren Murphy
The Trojan Hearse by Richard S. Prather
 President Fu Manchu by Sax Rohmer
The Big Fix by Roger L. Simon

Presidential Crisis

Seven Days in May by Fletcher Knebel and Charles W. Bailey II
Vanished; Night of Camp David by Fletcher Knebel
A Fine and Dangerous Season by Keith Raffel

The President as Detective

Speak Softly by Lawrence Alexander
Lincoln for the Defense by Warren Bull
Mr President, Private Eye, edited by Martin Greenberg & Francis M. Nevins
Bully by Mark Schorr
Hope Never Dies: An Obama Biden Mystery; Hope Rides Again by Andrew Shaffer

The JFK Plot

Too many to list, but...
Mongoose, RIP by William F. Buckley
Executive Action by Mark Lane, Donald Freed and Stephen Jaffe
The Tears of Autumn by Charles McCarry

Presidential Families

Exclusive by Sandra Brown
The President's Daughter by Bill Clinton and James Patterson
Deadly Aims by Ron L. Gerard
The First Lady by E.J. Gorman
First Daughter series by Susan Ford & Laura Hayden
The President's Daughter by Jack Higgins
Alice and the Assassin; The Body in the Ballroom by R.J. Koreto
The Devil's Bed by William Kent Krueger
Mrs. Roosevelt's Confidante by Susan Elia MacNeal
The First Lady Murders, edited by Nancy Pickard
Murder and the First Lady; Murder at the President's Door (and other novels) By Elliot Roosevelt
American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld 
The Murder of Willie Lincoln by Brad Solomon
Murder in the White House (and other novels) by Margaret Truman
They've Shot the President's Daughter by Edward Stewart

Other

The Big Stick by Lawrence Alexander
The President's Mind, The 20th Day of January by Ted Allbeury
Absolute Power by David Baldacci
Father's Day by John Calvin Batchelor
The Turncoat's Widow by Mally Becker
Warriors by Ted Bell
The Kennedy Connection by Dick Belsky
Enslaved by Ron Burns
The Plan by Stephen J. Cannell
Killing Time by Caleb Carr
The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln by Stephen L. Carter
First Strike by Ben Coes
Ex Officio by Timothy Culver (Donald Westlake)
Advise and Consent by Allen Drury
The Whole Truth by John Ehrlichman
The President's Vampire, Blood Bath by Christopher Farnsworth
FDR's Treasure, Lincoln's Hand by Joel Fox
The President's Henchman, The Next President by Joseph Flynn
Carter Beats the Devil by Glen David Gold
By Order of the President by W.E.B. Griffin
White House Chef series by Julie Hyzy
The Last President by Michael Kurland
Spin Doctor by M.C. Lewis
Die Like a Hero by Clyde Linsley
Jack 1939 by Francine Matthews
The Better Angels by Charles McCarry
The Inner Circle; The President's Shadow by Brad Meltzer
The First Patient by Michael Palmer
Treason at Hanford by Scott Parker
Blow Back by James Patterson & Brendan Dubois
No Safe Place by Richard North Patterson
Keeping House by Tucker and Richard Phillips
The Only Thing to Fear by David Poyer
The Night Agent by Matthew Quirk
Acts of Mercy by Bill Pronzini and Barry Malzberg
Love, Lust, and Loyalty by Greg Sandora
White House Gardener series by Dorothy St. James
The President's Daughter by Mariah Stewart
Ghosts of War by Brad Taylor
Jailbird by Kurt Vonnegut
Put a Lid on It by Donald Westlake
President Lincoln's Spy by Steven Wilson

An Anthology

Mr President, Private Eye, edited by Martin H. Greenberg. Different historical presidents in the role of sleuth

Abraham Lincoln Mysteries

Abraham Lincoln: Detective by Allen Appel
A Night of Horrors: A Historical Thriller about the 24 Hours of Lincoln's Assassination by John C. Berry
The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln by Stephen L. Carter
Lincoln's Hand by Joel Fox
The Lincoln Letter by Gretchen Elassani and Phillip Grizzell
Lincoln's Diary by DL Fowler
Murder in the Lincoln White House; Murder in the Oval Library, Murder at the Capitol by C.M. Gleason
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith
The Assassin's Accomplice by Kate Clifford Larson
The Lincoln Letter by William Martin
The Lincoln Secret by John A. McKinsey
The First Assassin by John J. Miller
The Lincoln Conspiracy by Timothy L. O'Brien
The Cosgrove Report by G.J.A. O'Toole
Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
The Murder of Willie Lincoln by Brad Solomon
Margaret Truman's Murder on the Metro by Margaret Truman: Jon Land. John Land continues the series.
President Lincoln's Secret, President Lincoln's Spy by Steven Wilson
Franklin D. Roosevelt.. The President's Mystery Plot (short stories-it was his idea, although he didn't pen any of the stories)

And not about (it's about the Secretary of State) or by a President (she should have been): 
State of Terror by Hillary Clinton and Louise Penny

Want to know what the Presidents read? Read Camille LeBlanc's areticle: American Presidents Can't Stop Reading Thrillers, Just Like Us: A Century of Crime Fiction Readers in the White House that appeared on CrimeReads a few years ago. 

Another great article on Presidents and Crime fiction is "The Mystery Buffs in the White House" by Craig Fehrman. 

Be sure and check out BV Lawson's article FFB: The President's Mystery Plot on her blog In Reference to Murder. 

 Children's Mysteries

Who Cloned the President by Ron Roy

Loving Eleanor by Susan Wittig Albert

Roosevelt's Beast by Louis Bayard

Deep State by Chris Hauty

Squeeze Me by Carl Hiassen

The Cosgrove Report: Being the Private Inquiry of a Pinkerton Detective into the Death of President Lincoln by G.J.A. O'Toole

Mary America, First Girl President of the United States by Carole Marsh