Cartoon of the Day: Labor Day: Labor Day

Labor Day!

Don't miss the updated list of Crime Fiction that focuses on Labor Unions.

NGAIO MARSH AWARDS FINALISTS

2025 Ngaio Marsh Awards Finalists

The finalists for the 2025 Ngaio Marsh Awards were announced in three categories: Best Novel, Best First Novel, and Best Non-Fiction. 

The Awards celebrate excellence in mystery, thriller, crime, and suspense writing by New Zealand authors. 

The winners will be announced as part of a special event in conjunction with WORD Christchurch and the Court Theatre on Thursday, 25 September. 

Thanks, Craig Sisterson, for all you do for New Zealand crime writers, as well as for the entire mystery community. 

BEST NOVEL

• Return To Blood by Michael Bennett (Simon & Schuster)
• A Divine Fury by DV Bishop (Macmillan)
• Woman, Missing by Sherryl Clark (HarperCollins)
• Home Truths by Charity Norman (Allen & Unwin)
• 17 Years Later by JP Pomare (Hachette)
• The Call by Gavin Strawhan (Allen & Unwin)
• Prey by Vanda Symon (Orenda Books)

BEST FIRST NOVEL

• Dark Sky by Marie Connolly (Quentin Wilson Publishing)
• Lie Down With Dogs by Syd Knight (Rusty Hills)
• A Fly Under The Radar by William McCartney 
• The Defiance Of Frances Dickinson by Wendy Parkins (Affirm Press)
• The Call by Gavin Strawhan (Allen & Unwin)
• Kiss Of Death by Stephen Tester (Heritage Press)

BEST NONFICTION

• The Trials Of Nurse Kerr by Scott Bainbridge (Bateman Books)
• The Survivors by Steve Braunias (HarperCollins)
• The Crewe Murders by Kirsty Johnstone & James Hollings (Massey Uni Press)
• The Last Secret Agent by Pippa Latour & Jude Dobson (Allen & Unwin)
• Gangster’s Paradise by Jared Savage (HarperCollins)
• Far North by David White & Angus Gillies (Upstart Press)

LABOR DAY AND LABOR UNION CRIME FICTION for the Labor Day Weekend!

Labor Day Weekend! I'm only aware of a few mysteries set during the Labor Day Holiday, and I've updated my list accordingly: 

Sandra Balzo's Running on Empty

Nancy Coco's Forever Fudge

Lee Harris's Labor Day Murder
Meg Macy's Bearly Departed
Sharyn McCrumb's Highland Laddie Gone

Tonya Kappas' Forests, Fishing, & Forgery
Mary Jane Maffini's The Devil's in the Details (Labour Day Weekend-Canada). 

There's also the short story "Labor Day" by R.T. Lawton in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine. 

There are a few other "Summertime Mysteries" that take place Labor Day, but not as the main theme.

Labor Unions, on the other hand, are rife with settings and situations for crime fiction. This is an UPDATED Crime Fiction list involving Labor Unions with links to two great articles. Please let me know any books that should be added to this list.

LABOR UNION CRIME FICTION

The Knife Behind You by James Benet (Department Store Union Organizer)
For the Love of Mike by Rhys Bowen (Garment Workers Union)
White Hot by Sandra Brown (Labor Dispute)
Big Boned by Meg Cabot (Graduate Student Union)
Double Indemnity by James M. Cain (Insurance)
All Men Fear Me by Donis Casey (IWW)
Beneath It All by Lee Conrad

Cactus Blood by Lucha Corpi (Farm Workers' Union)
Airframe by Michael Crichton (Union Trouble)
Red Herring by Jonothan Cullinane (Waterfront Strike)- coming out this Fall
The Valley of Fear by Arthur Conan Doyle (Union Group called the Scowrers)
Third Strike by Philip Craig and William Tapply (Steamship Authority Strike)
October Heat by Gordon DeMarco (1934 San Francisco General Strike-Longshoremen)
Valley of Fear by Arthur Conan Doyle (The Scowrers)
The Bramble Bush (aka Worse than Murder) by David Duncan (San Francisco General Strike)
American Tabloid by James Ellroy (Teamsters)
LA Quartet by James Ellroy (Movie Unions)
The Man Who Changed Colors by Bill Fletcher Jr. (investigative reporter -shipyards)

A Place Called Freedom by Ken Follett (Coal Mines)
The Peripheral Son by Dorien Gray
Dead Reckoning by Patricia Hall (Union Strike)
Red Harvest by Dashiell Hammett (IWW organizer & Copper Workers; Strike Breaking)

"Busting Red Heads" by Richard Helms in EQMM (short story)
A More Perfect Union by J.A. Jance (Iron Workers' Union)
As Dead As it Gets by Cady Kalian (Creative Artists' Union)
Forests Fishing ad Forgery by Tonya Kappes

The Longer the Thread by Emma Lathen (Garment Workers)
Death at the Old Hotel by Con Lehane (Hotel Workers' Union)
The Given Day by Dennis Lehane (Police Union)
Through a Glass Darkly by Donna Leon (Unsafe environmental pollution in Venetian glass factories effecting workers) 

Black Water Rising by Attica Locke (Long Shoremen's Union)
Deadly Dues by Lulu Malone (Actors' Union)
Stiff by Shane Maloney (Meat Packing)
Lorraine Connection by Dominique Manotti  (Union rep in Cathode-ray Tube industry)
Champawat by Lia Matera A Novella in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine (Labor Unions & the Clash between Anarchists & Democrats)
Organize or Die by Laura McClure (Union organizing)
Conferences are Murder by Val McDermid (Journalists' Union); Darker Domain (UK Miners Strike)
Death at Pullman by Frances McNamara (American Railway Union)
The Viewless Winds by Murray Morgan (Murder of a Labor Leader's wife)
A Red Death by Walter Mosley (Aircraft Manufacturer and Labor Union organizer)

Blanche on the Lam by Barbara Neely (Domestic Workers)
Indemnity Only by Sara Paretsky
Mr Campion's Fault by Mike Ripley (Mineworkers)
Death and Blintzes by Dorothy and Sidney Rosen (Garment Workers Union)
A Bitter Feast by S. J. Rozan (Restaurant Workers' Union)

Waterfront by Budd Schulberg
Some Cuts Never Heal, All Bleeding Stops Eventually, One Foot in the Grave, This Won't Hurt a Bit and others (The Shop Steward Series) by Timothy Sheard (Shop Steward)
Judas Incorporated by "Kurt Steel" (Rudolf Kagey) (Pro-Union)
The Big Both Ways by John Straley (Lumber)
The Labor Union Murder aka Fourth of July Picnic by Rex Stout (novella)
Absolute Rage by Robert K. Tanenbaum (Coal Miners' Union)
Fallout by Paul Thomas
The Porkchoppers, Yellow Dog Contract by Ross Thomas (Politics & Unions)
Killy by Donald Westlake (Manufacturing Union)

Short Story: Richard Helms's Busting Red Heads (EQMM)

For further reading:

The Strange Connection Between Detective Fiction and Union Busting by Erica Eisen

Radical Noir: 26 Activist Crime Novels by Molly Odintz

Have a great Labor Day Holiday!

PROFESSOR T, Season 4 News

So many new seasons of great British TV that I forgot to post that Professor T, Season 4, episode 1 aired last Sunday, August 24, on PBS. You can watch the entire season PBS Passport or other PBS related places -- or watch when it's aired (although you may have missed the first episode). I like this series a lot, and I'm looking forward to bingeing Season 4 over the holiday weekend! 

And somehow I missed that Season 4 dropped even earlier on PBS Passport: August 10!! I'll try to be more diligent in the future--for you and for me. 

Set against the academic backdrop of Cambridge, Professor T stars Ben Miller as the brilliant but eccentric criminologist Jasper Tempest, whose insights into human behavior help solve the UK’s trickiest cases—even as he struggles with his own. If you’re already a fan, you know to expect sharp wit, psychological twists. If you haven't seen this how, you might want to catch up on the first three seasons.

After Season 3’s shocking finale, Dan and Jasper are consumed by grief. Dan throws himself into work whilst the professor hides in his lectures, avoiding the police at all costs. But Helena, Jasper’s therapist, helps him face his police work and the team tackle some complex and dangerous cases. Even through the danger and mystery, love is very much in the air.

 

Return to Paradise: Season 1 coming to Britbox

At last the U.S. is getting Return to Paradise, another Death in Paradise spin-off. We've all been asking for it,  and it will finally air here on September 2 on Britbox with 6 episodes in the season. I haven't seen it yet, but I'm really looking forward to this British/Australian production. I'll post my opinion after watching a few episodes. Oh...there will be 6 episodes. Season 2 is already filming.

Return to Paradise is set in a seaside town in Australia. In the series, Detective Inspector Mackenzie Clarke (Anna Samson) reluctantly returns to her Australian home town (trope) after leaving London under a cloud of suspicion (trope #2). And trope #3: Anna is socially awkward. O.k. no big surprise on these fronts, but I watch a lot of mystery series, so I'm not surprised -- or put-off. I love Death in Paradise, so I think I'll enjoy this!

So many great mystery shows coming in September! Exciting times!

Happy National Dog Day!

 This could be my house!

HOSTAGE: New thriller on Netflix

I highly recommend Hostage on Netflix, a new British series that premiered on Thursday. Good acting, strong plot, if not a bit familiar, but also well done suspense and action. It's definitely bingeable, and I binged it. Hostage stars Suranne Jones, Julie Delpy, and Lucian Msamati. This thriller has it all. 

Storyline: The PM's husband is kidnapped and the visiting French President is blackmailed, as they face high stakes personal and political choices. 

It had me riveted. A good diversion to today's politics. 

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Reminder: Unforgotten & The Marlow Murder Club: New seasons start this Sunday!

Just a reminder that new seasons of both The Marlow Club and Unforgotten start this Sunday night on PBS Masterpiece Mystery! . Can't Wait. I love both these shows!

****

Two MASTERPIECE Mystery! series coming on Sunday, August 24 to PBS broadcast and streaming.

The Marlow Murder Club, Season 2 at 9/8c 6 episodes. 

PBS Broadcast weekly, PBS Passport, MASTERPIECE Prime Video Channel

Life in the idyllic town of Marlow has just about returned to normal, but it’s not long before Judith, Becks and Suzie are called back into action, when a series of new unsettling crimes befall the local residents. Navigating the delicate balance of Marlow society – from local aristocracy to boatyard workers, the picturesque High Street to a newly established archaeological dig – the sleuthing trio dig into all corners of Marlow life as they assist DCI Tanika Malik in her official investigations.

***

Unforgotten, Season 6 at 10/9. 6 episodes. 

PBS Broadcast weekly, PBS Passport, MASTERPIECE Prime Video Channel

Unforgotten once again examines the lives of a disparate group of people linked to a
cold case. We follow DCI Jess James, DI Sunny Khan, and their team as they uncover
the truth behind a dismembered body found in Whitney Marsh.

Cartoon of the Day: Best Books for Summer

 

Cartoon of the Day: TBR Pile

 

SISTER BONIFACE MYSTERIES, SEASON 4

Sister Boniface, the crime-solving nun series, Season 4, will premiere on Britbox on August 19. 

The series is set in the 1960s. Sister Boniface is a Vespa-riding Catholic nun with a crime lab and love of detective fiction, quite comparable to and competent as a forensic scientist, who works with the local constabulary. 

Season 4 will have 8 episodes. 

Lorna Watson stars as Sister Boniface. Returning also are cast members Max Brown as DI Sam Gillespie, Jerry Iwu as DS Felix Livingstone, Ami Metcalf as WPC Peggy Button, and Carolyn Pickles as Rev Mother Adrian. 

Season 4 guest cast includes Les Dennis, Katherine Kingsley, Martyn Ellis Mina Anwar, Ed Birch, and Daniel Laurie.

GREG ILES: R.I.P.

Greg Iles, Mississippi author of several New York Times best-selling novels, died yesterday, at the age of 65.  He had multiple myeloma, an incurable blood cancer. Greg was one of the nicest, kindest, and supportive people, as well as a great writer. He will be missed. My sympathy and love go out to his friends and family.

Greg Iles was born in Germany in 1960, where his father ran the US Embassy Medical Clinic during the height of the Cold War. His mother was raised on a subsistence farm in Louisiana and began picking cotton at the age of three. Iles spent his youth in Natchez, Mississippi, and graduated from the University of Mississippi in 1983.  While attending Ole Miss, Greg lived in the cabin where William Faulkner and his brothers listened to countless stories told by “Mammy Callie,” their beloved nanny, who had been born enslaved.

 

Iles wrote his first novel in 1993, a thriller about Nazi war criminal Rudolf Hess, which became the first of seventeen New York Times bestsellers. Primarily set in the Deep South, his later novels have been made into films, translated into more than twenty languages, and published in more than thirty-five countries worldwide.  His new novel will continue the story of Penn Cage, after the epic trilogy that ended with 

New York Times #1 bestseller Mississippi Blood. 

Greg was also a member of The Rock Bottom Remainders, a charitable rock group made up of authors. Bandmates included Stephen King, Amy Tan, and Dave Barry. 

He is survived by his wife Caroline and four children.

Ned Kelly Awards Shortlists: Australian Crime Writers Association

The Australian Crime Writers Association announced three new shortlists for the 2025 Ned Kelly Awards. 

Best True Crime Nominees

They’ll Never Hold Me, by Michael Adams (Affirm Press)
A Thousand Miles from Care, by Steve Johnson (William Collins)
The Kingpin and the Crooked Cop, by Neil Mercer (Allen & Unwin)
Meadow’s Law, by Quentin McDermott (HarperCollins)
The Lasting Harm, by Lucia Osborne-Crowley (HarperCollins)

Best International Crime Fiction Nominees

Return to Blood, by Michael Bennett (Simon & Schuster UK)
Leave the Girls Behind, by Jacqueline Bublitz (Allen & Unwin)
The Waiting, by Michael Connelly (Allen & Unwin)
A Case of Matricide, by Graeme Macrae Burnet (Text)
Moscow X, by David McCloskey (Swift Press)
Home Truths, by Charity Norman (Allen & Unwin)

Best Crime Fiction Nominees

Shadow City, by Natalie Conner

Sanctuary, by Garry Disher

Unbury the Dead, by Fiona Hardy

The Creeper, by Margaret Hickey

Cold Truth, by Ashley Kalagian Blunt

Highway 13, by Fiona McFarlane

17 Years Later, by J.P. Pomare

Storm Child, by Michael Robotham

The winners, along with Best Debut Crime Fiction, will be awarded in September.

The Petrona Award: Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year Longlist

OUTSTANDING CRIME FICTION FROM FINLAND, ICELAND, NORWAY, AND SWEDEN LONGLISTED FOR THE 2025 PETRONA AWARD

Twelve crime novels from Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden made the longlist for the 2025 Petrona Award for the Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year. Congratulations to All!

Samuel Bjørk - Dead Island tr. Charlotte Barslund (Norway, Bantam)

Stella Blómkvist - Murder Under the Midnight Sun tr. Quentin Bates (Iceland, Corylus Books)

Pascal Engman - The Widows tr. Neil Smith (Sweden, Legend Press)

Malin Persson Giolito - Deliver Me tr. Rachel Willson-Broyles (Sweden, Simon & Schuster)

Óskar Guðmundsson - The Dancer tr. Quentin Bates (Iceland, Corylus Books)

Jørn Lier Horst and Thomas Enger - Victim tr. Megan E Turney (Norway, Orenda Books)

Jo Nesbo - Blood Ties tr. Robert Ferguson (Norway, Harvill Secker)

Aslak Nore - The Sea Cemetery tr. Deborah Dawkin (Norway, MacLehose Press)

Sólveig Pálsdóttir - Shrouded tr. Quentin Bates (Iceland, Corylus Books)

Satu Rämö - The Clues in the Fjord tr. Kristian London (Finland, Zaffre)

Max Seeck - Ghost Island tr. Kristian London (Finland, Mountain Leopard Press)

Gunnar Staalesen - Pursued by Death tr. Don Bartlett (Norway, Orenda Books)

 

The breakdown by country is Norway (5), Iceland (3), Finland (2) and Sweden (2).

 

The shortlist will be announced on 18 September 2025.

***

The award is open to crime fiction in translation, either written by a Scandinavian author or set in Scandinavia and published in the UK in the previous calendar year.

 

More information on the history of the Award and previous winners can be found at the Petrona Award website (https://www.petronaaward.co.uk/).

The Marlow Murder Club, Season 2 & Unforgotten, Season 6 News

Well this is exciting! Can't wait! I love both these shows. Here are two MASTERPIECE Mystery! titles coming on Sunday, August 24 to PBS broadcast and streaming.

The Marlow Murder Club, Season 2 at 9/8c 6 episodes. 

PBS Broadcast weekly, PBS Passport, MASTERPIECE Prime Video Channel

Life in the idyllic town of Marlow has just about returned to normal, but it’s not long before Judith, Becks and Suzie are called back into action, when a series of new unsettling crimes befall the local residents. Navigating the delicate balance of Marlow society – from local aristocracy to boatyard workers, the picturesque High Street to a newly established archaeological dig – the sleuthing trio dig into all corners of Marlow life as they assist DCI Tanika Malik in her official investigations.

***

Unforgotten, Season 6 at 10/9. 6 episodes. 

PBS Broadcast weekly, PBS Passport, MASTERPIECE Prime Video Channel

Unforgotten once again examines the lives of a disparate group of people linked to a
cold case. We follow DCI Jess James, DI Sunny Khan, and their team as they uncover
the truth behind a dismembered body found in Whitney Marsh.

Why Do We Love The Unreliable Narrator? Guest Post by J.T. Ellison, author of LAST SEEN

Stories have changed over the years. What we’re attracted to as readers fluctuates; trends come and go. Tropes become popular and fall away. Short novels give way to massive tomes, which in turn give way to short novels. What’s new is old, isn’t that the saying? 

When Gillian Flynn wrote Gone Girl, she ushered in the unreliable narrator again. I, for one, cheered. There is nothing I like more than a worthy unreliable narrator. They are the best kind of anti-hero.

What makes an unreliable narrator great is their own acknowledgment of their complicity. They are justified, they are innocent. Their crimes are done with both a humbled acknowledgement of illegality and a sense of entitlement. The message—you’d do the same way if given the choice—allows the character the ultimate justification of their actions. 

And they all have an inherent charm. The anti-hero charm is the spider to the fly. They attract their victims, luring them in, and then find ways to justify their actions in ways that we believe them. Worse, we want them to succeed. We marvel at the train wreck of their actions. We identify with their foibles.

Most modern unreliable narrators lie to the reader. If they are unlikable, we root against them. In my opinion, the most effective unreliable narrators are crafted with such delicacy that we can’t help but root for them. It’s a tricky line, as almost all are criminals. They are the antithesis of the Byronic hero—they are the heroes of their own story, narcissists in the truest sense, and committing evil, not good. But somehow, some way, we are on their side. They are saving their victims from a worse fate; their justification is megalomanic in its proportions. 

One example that always comes to mind is Humbert Humbert, in Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita. I recall reaching the end of that book and feeling utterly betrayed and shocked. To be honest, I think his self-loathing, combined with a sense of entitlement and savior complex, sparked my fascination with the psychological underpinnings of criminality. 
 
Another fabulous example is Tom Ripley, Patricia Highsmith’s brilliant con man. She treats him with such nuance that we can’t help but root for him, in all his psychopathic glory. We understand him, his desire to fit in, to have a better life, and though he’s nothing to be admired, somehow, he becomes the ultimate anti-hero. 

While we often root for the male anti-hero, female unreliable narrators are too often referred to as unlikable, which is a fascinating double standard. Women are expected to be nurturers; they are supposed to be soft and caring. When they are amoral and self-involved, committing crimes for their own reasons, it’s harder to connect with them. So when done well, when we do connect, they are utterly unforgettable.  

Amy Dunne, from Flynn’s Gone Girl, is a superb example of this. She openly admits to manipulating everyone around her—of doing everything to be seen as the “cool girl”—and embraces her sociopathy. Because of her honesty, her disdain for actual approval, we cheer for her as she enacts her revenge.

My own Catriona in Last Seen is a clever sociopath who is out for revenge but gets herself in way over her head. She is an antihero who finds the light at the end, who sacrifices her well-being to save others. She evolves in a way that many sociopaths cannot, committing crimes for the right reasons. She is justified. She faces off against a psychopathic oppressor and saves many in her efforts.

What makes these characters stay with us, decades later? Why do we, as readers, continue to be charmed by these admittedly horrible people? I think we’ve all been face to face with a narcissist, a sociopath, a psychopath—and recognize the close call. The real aren’t nearly as compelling as the fictional. Perhaps that’s the talent of the author, more than the characters themselves. To render evil into sublime is a true talent.
 
Who are your favorite unreliable narrators?

 ***

J.T. Ellison is the Nashville-based New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 30 psychological thrillers, and the Emmy® award-winning co-host of A Word on Words on Nashville PBS. She created the Taylor Jackson and Dr. Samantha Owens series, co-wrote the Brit in the FBI series with Catherine Coulter, and has penned multiple standalone hits like A Very Bad Thing, It’s One of Us, and Lie to Me. With millions of books sold across 30 countries, her work has earned the ITW Thriller Award, Indie Next picks, Amazon Editor’s Pick, Book of the Month, among other honors. Last Seen is her most recent thriller.
 
Follow her @thrillerchick and read about the process of writing Last Seen at The Creative Edge substack. (https://jtellison.substack.com)

Cartoon of the Day: Library

 

Cartoon of the Day: Editor

 

Ned Kelly: Best Debut Crime Fiction Shortlist: Australian Crime Writers Association

The Australian Crime Writers Association announced its shortlist for the 2025 Ned Kelly Award for Best Debut Crime Fiction:

Down the Rabbit Hole, by Shaeden Berry (Bonnier Echo)
A Town Called Treachery, by Mitch Jennings (HarperCollins)
The Chilling, by Riley James (Allen & Unwin)
All You Took From Me, by Lisa Kenway (Transit Lounge)
Everywhere We Look, by Martine Kropkowski (Ultimo Press)
Those Opulent Days, by Jacquie Pham (Atlantic Monthly Press)

Other category shortlists have not been announced.

HT: TheRapSheet

CHARLIE CHAN CENTENNIAL: 1925-2025: August 15: Warren, OH

Lou Armagno tells us that members of  The Charlie Chan Family Home head to Warren, Ohio to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Author Earl Derr Biggers’ literary and film creation, Detective Charlie Chan. The following two public events are schedule for Friday, August 15th.

First, a three-person panel discussion “A Century of Charlie Chan,” followed by a Q&A: 2-4 PM at the Warren-Trumbull Country Public Library (free): Warren Library Event.

Then, the historic Robins Theatre will be the venue for one of the most intriguing of the 40-plus Chan films, Charlie Chan at Treasure Island, 1939; starring Sidney Toler, Cesar Romero, Pauline Moore, and Victor Sen Yung on the theatre’s 28 x 17ft BIG SCREEN (doors open at 7PM). The Robins Theatre Ticketing ($9.25).

And if you can't attend (and even if you can) follow https://thepostmanonholiday.com for more news on Charlie Chan and Earl Derr Biggers. 

LAMBDA LITERARY AWARD (LAMMYS): Best LGBTQ+ in Mystery

The Lambda Literary Society, a champion of LGBTQ+ books and their authors, has announced the 2025 Lambda Literary Awards (aka the Lammys) finalists. 

There are many categories, but here are the finalists for: 

 Best LGBTQ+ Mystery 

Charlotte Illes is Not a Teacher // Katie Siegel. Kensington 

One of Us Knows // Alyssa Cole. William Morrow 

Rough Pages // Lev AC Rosen. Tor Publishing Group 

Rough Trade // Katrina Carrasco. MCD 

The Night of Baba Yaga // Akira Otani, Translated from Japanese by Sam Bett. Soho Crime

Winners will be announced on October 4.

Call for Articles: Mystery Readers Journal: Northern California issue (41:3)

Call for Articles: Mystery Readers Journal: Northern California Mysteries! (41:3); Fall 2025

For our next issue, we are looking for articles, reviews, and author essays about crime fiction set in Northern California.

DEADLINE: September 1.

If you have a mystery that fits this theme, please consider writing an Author! Author! essay: 500–1500 words, first person, up-close and personal about yourself, your books, and the theme connection. 

We’re also looking for reviews and articles. 

Send submissions to janet @ mysteryreaders.org 

Deadline: September 1, 2025. 

Author Essays are first person, about yourself, your books, and the "NorCal" connection. 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 "Northern California" setting in your mysteries. Be sure and cite specific titles, as well as how you use Northern California in your books. Add title and 2-3 sentence bio. 

Reviews: 50-250 words. 

Articles: 500-1000 words. 

Deadline: September 1, 2025  

Send to: Janet Rudolph, Editor. janet @ mysteryreaders . org  

Subject Line: NorCal Mysteries

Please let me know if you're planning to send an article, review, or author essay--or if you have any questions! 

Subscribe to Mystery Readers Journal. 

Themes in 2025: London Mysteries 2; Retail Mysteries; Northern California Mysteries; Cross-Genre Mysteries. 

Back issues available as PDF download 

Southern California: Mystery Readers Journal

Senior Sleuths: Mystery Readers Journal

Irish Mysteries: Mystery Readers Journal

Hobbies & Crafts in Mysteries: Mystery Readers Journal

And so many more... We are now in our 41st year. 4 themed issues a year! 

Have a look at our index of fabulous issues with articles, reviews, and essays from your favorite authors and reviewers. 

***

Love Mysteries? Love San Francisco? Left Coast Crime will be held in "Everybody's Favorite City" February 26-March 1, 2026.   Register Now! 

The Thursday Murder Club: Coming to Netflix

I really enjoyed Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club (and the other books in the series), and I'm quite excited about the movie set to  release on Netflix August 28. Just look at the line-up: Story by Richard Osman, Director: Chris Columbus, Producers: Steven Spielberg, Jennifer Todd, Cast: Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Celia Imrie, Ben Kingsley, and Daniel Mays! Wowza. 

FYI: This is a 2 hour movie, not a series.

Storyline: Four retirees spend their time solving cold case murders for fun, but their casual sleuthing takes a thrilling turn when they find themselves with a real whodunit on their hands.

Why not read The Thursday Murder Club before the premiere? You can also continue reading the series. 

And here's an article Richard Osman wrote for Mystery Readers Journal, Senior Sleuths (2020). 

 

MALTESE FALCON AWARD (Japan) 2025

S.A. Cosby was awarded the Falcon for best crime novel for All The Sinners Bleed by The Maltese Falcon Society of Japan. Congratulations, Shawn!

And, The Rap Sheet tells us that Netflix is adapting All the Sinners Bleed into a 9-episode TV series. Filming begins in November for a 2027 debut. 

Photo: S. A. Cosby with the award which is a hand carved falcon. (Photo from S. A. Cosby Facebook page)

Cartoon of the Day: Detective TV Series