Cartoon of the Day: Book Club

Cartoon of the Day: TBR Pile

 

FATHER'S DAY MYSTERIES. //FATHER'S DAY CRIME FICTION

Father's Day: A day to celebrate Dad. My father was the ultimate reader. His idea of a great vacation was sitting in a chair reading a mystery. It didn't mattered that he was home, the book took him miles away -- and he was comfortable!

Even now after he's been gone these many years, I find myself finishing a mystery and saying to myself, "I have to send this to Dad. He'll love it." It always makes me sad to remember I can't. My father engendered my love of mysteries through his collection of mystery novels and Ellery Queen Mystery Magazines. I like to think he's up there somewhere in a comfortable chair surrounded by books, reading a good mystery.

This year I've included True Crime, as well as fiction, on my Father's Day list. I've also included more Short Stories and a Graphic Novel. And, of course, I've updated the list. Let me know if I've missed any titles/authors.

FATHER'S DAY MYSTERIES

Father’s Day by John Calvin Batchelor
Father’s Day by Rudolph Engelman
Father's Day: A Detective Joe Guerry Story by Tippie Rosemarie Fulton
Father’s Day Keith Gilman 
Dear Old Dead by Jane Haddam
The Father’s Day Murder by Lee Harris
Day of Reckoning by Kathy Herman
Dead Water by Victoria Houston
Father’s Day Murder by Leslie Meier
On Father's Day by Megan Norris
Father’s Day by Alan Trustman

Murder for Father, edited by Martin Greenberg (short stories)
"Father's Day" by Patti Abbott --short story at Spinetingler
Collateral Damage: A Do Some Damage Collection  e-book of Father's Day themed short stories.
"Where's Your Daddy?" by Sue Ann Jaffarian

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And a list of Crime Fiction that focuses on Fathers and Sons and Fathers and Daughters. Have a favorite Father / Son Father/Daughter Mystery? Post below in comments or send me a note.


FATHERS AND SONS and FATHERS AND DAUGHTERS in CRIME FICTION

The Stay at Home Dad series by Jeffrey Allen

Carriage Trade by Stephen Birmingham
His Father's Son by Tony Black
Her Father's Secret by Sara Blaedel
The Guest Room by Chris Bohjalian
The Lonely Witness by William Boyle

The Controller by Matt Brolly

All Things Cease to Appear by Elizabeth Brundage
Secret Father by James Carroll
The Emperor of Ocean Park by Stephen L. Carter

The President's Daughter by Bill Clinton & James Patterson
The Hasidic Rebbe's Son by Joan Lipinsky Cochran

Hot Plastic by Peter Craig
The Marsh King's Daughter by Karen Dionne 
The Poacher's Son by Paul Doiron
Killings by Andre Dubus

The Perfect Father by Charlotte Duckworth

Lars and Little Olduvai by Keith Spencer Felton
The Dead Daughter by Thomas Fincham

Unsub by Meg Gardner   
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
The Dead Fathers Club by Matt Haig

Gnosis by Rick Hall

Atticus by Ron Hansen

King of Lies by John Hart
Damage by Josephine Hart

The Good Father by Noah Hawley
1922; The Shining by Stephen King

Revival Season by Bharti Kirchner    
Cold in July by Joe R. Lansdale

A Perfect Spy by John LeCarre 
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Charlie Chan Returns by Dennis Lynds

I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh
Darksight by D.C. Mallery

Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh

Blood Grove by Walter Mosley 
The Son by Jo Nesbo

Beijing Payback by Daniel Nieh

Ali Cross: Like Father, Like Son by James Patterson

The President's Daughter by James Patterson & Bill Clinton

Sherlock Holmes Dark Son, Dark Father by John Pirillo

The Godfather by Mario Puzo
The Roman Hat Mystery; other novels by Ellery Queen (Manfred B. Lee and Frederic Dannay)
My Son, the Murderer by Patrick Quentin

Paperback Original by Will Rhode
The Senior Sleuths: Dead in Bed by Marcia Rosen
Baby's First Felony by John Straley

The Father by Anton Swenson

City on the Edge by David Swinson

To Die in California by Newton Thornburg

The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley by Hannah Tinti

Father's Day by Simon Van Booy

The Second Son by Jordan Wells

The Ones Who Do by Daniel Woodrell 

True Crime: So very, very dark! Disturbing...but a new category on the list!

Incident at Big Sky by Johnny France and Malcolm Mcconnell

Fatal Vision by Joe McGinniss

Murder in Little Egypt by Darcy O'Brien

If I Can't Have Them by Gregg Olsen

The Poison Tree by Alan Prendergast

Above Suspicion; Death Sentence by Joe Sharkey

Fred & Rose by Howard Sounes

Short Stories: 

"Father's Day" by Michael Connelly in Blue Murder

A Holiday Sampler by Christine Collier

Where's Your Daddy? (Holidays from Hell Short Story Series) by Sue Ann Jaffarian

Murder for Father, Edited by Martin Greenberg, stories by Ruth Rendell, Ed Gorman, Max Allan Collins, Bill Crider and more

Graphic Novels:

Father's Day by Mike Richardson, Illustrated by Gabriel Guzman

SHAMUS AWARD NOMINEES 2025: Private Eye Writers of America

The Private Eye Writers of America announced the nominees for the coveted Shamus Awards. Winners will be announced at the 2025 Bouchercon Opening Ceremonies, Thursday, September 4 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

BEST PI HARDCOVER

• Kingpin by Mike Lawson 

• The Hollow Tree by Phillip Miller

• Farewell, Amethystine by Walter Mosley

• Trouble in Queenstown by Delia Pitts 

• Death and Glory by Will Thomas 

BEST ORGINAL PAPERBACK P.I. NOVEL

• Geisha Confidential by Mark Coggins 

• Quarry’s Return by Max Allan Collins 

• Not Born of Woman by Teel James Glenn

• Bless Our Sleep by Neil S. Plakcy 

• Call of the Void by J.T. Siemens 

• The Big Lie by Gabriel Valjan 

BEST FIRST P.I. NOVEL

• Twice the Trouble by Ash Clifton 

• The Devil’s Daughter by Gordon Greisman 

• Fog City by Claire M. Johnson

• The Road to Heaven by Alexis Stefanovich-Thomson

• Holy City by Henry Wise 

BEST P.I. SHORT STORY

• “Deadhead” by Tom Andes (Fall 2024, Cowboy Jamboree Magazine)

• “Alibi in Ice” by Libby Cudmore (July/August 2024, AHMM)

• “Drop Dead Gorgeous” by M.E. Proctor (Janie’s Got a Gun: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Music of Aerosmith)

• “Under Hard Rock” by Ed Teja (October 2024, Black Cat Weekly #164)

• “The Five Cent Detective” by S.B. Watson (November 2024, Crimeucopia)

HT: Kevin Burton Smith, Thrilling Detective 

GRANTCHESTER, Season 10: MASTERPIECE Mystery!

Grantchester returns to MASTERPIECE Mystery! on PBS with Season 10 this Sunday, June 15 at 9/8c. 

Secrets are exposed and relationships are tested in what the Grantchester cast calls the “best season yet.” All of your favorite characters return in Season 10

In the new episodes, Alphy (Rishi Nair) has really found a home in Grantchester. In Geordie (Robson Green), he’s found a best friend and his intellectual equal. Love proves more elusive, until a case throws him in the path of a romance. But before he can let anyone else in, he must confront truths about himself. Geordie, meanwhile, wrestles with his expectations for his own son and Cathy takes steps to better her career with the help of Mrs. Chapman.

 

Season 10 of Grantchester premieres  Sunday, June 15 at 9/8c. The eight-episode season will also be available to stream on the PBS app, PBS.org, and with PBS MASTERPIECE on Prime Video.

FREDERICK FORSYTH: R.I.P.

Frederick Forsyth, author of The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File, and The Dogs of War, died Monday, at the age of 86. Forsyth was the master of the geopolitical thriller populated with spies, mercenaries, and political extremists. He wrote 24 books, including 14 novels, and sold more than 75 million copies. He will be missed, but remembered.

NYT obituary

The Guardian obituary

The Washington Post

Crime Writers' Association interview with Frederick Forsyth

Art Detectives: New Series on AcornTV

I love a good art mystery, and I'm looking forward to Art Detectives that starts today on AcornTV. Two episodes are now available, with future episode streaming one a week.

In the Metropolitan Police's smallest department, the Heritage Crime Unit, an art-loving detective tackles cases connected to the world of art, antiques, collectibles and cultural heritage. Stephen Moyer remains best known in America for his vampire Bill Compton in True Blood. Moyer returns today, June 9, with AcornTV’s murder mysteries series Art Detectives as art-loving Detective Inspector Mick Palmer, partnered with Detective Constable Shazia Malik (Nina Singh). They’re the Heritage Crime Unit, solving murders linked to art and antiques – everything from forged paintings to Viking gold. 

“I loved the idea of it,” the British born Moyer, 55, began in a Zoom interview with the Boston Herald. “There is a real Heritage Crime Unit – I think it’s called the Art Fraud Department. It’s the smallest department in the whole Metropolitan Police. Just three people. Alongside straight-talking DC Shazia Malik, played by Nina Singh, the pair solve murders connected to the world of art and antiques, from Old Master paintings, to Banksy street art, medieval manuscripts and collectible vinyl. in the series, the artfully astute detectives encounter a fake Vermeer, Viking gold, a rare Chinese vase and items rescued from the Titanic. 

Palmer navigates these cases while managing a budding romance with museum curator Rosa, played by Sarah Alexander and the sudden reappearance of his charismatic father, Ron, (Larry Lamb), who just happens to be one of Britain’s most notorious forgers. 

Art Detectives' first two episodes stream today on Acorn TV. 

SHORTLISTS: Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year & McDermid Debut Award

Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award Shortlist

The Cracked Mirror, by Chris Brookmyre (Sphere)
The Mercy Chair, by M.W. Craven (Constable)
The Last Word, by Elly Griffiths (Quercus)
Hunted, by Abir Mukherjee (Harvill Secker)
All the Colours of the Dark, by Chris Whitaker (Orion)

McDermid Debut Award (named for crime writer Val McDcDermid)

Sick to Death, by Chris Bridges (Avon) 

I Died at Fallow Hall, by Bonnie Burke-Patel (Bedford Square) 

Her Two Lives, by Nilesha Chauvet (Faber & Faber) 

A Reluctant Spy, by David Goodman (Headline)

Isolation Island, by Louise Minchin (Headline) 

Black Water Rising, by Sean Watkin (Canelo)

Winners will be announced  July 17 at the opening night of this year’s Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate, England. Congratulations to all!

Cartoon of the Day: Collector

Happy Caturday!

Murder in Wartime: D-Day

For D-Day, I thought I'd post a link to Mystery Readers Journal: Murder in Wartime. Check out the Table of Contents and links below. Great articles and reviews by and about your favorite authors. 110 pages! Buy this back issue as a downloadable PDF.

MYSTERY READERS JOURNAL: Murder in Wartime (Volume 33:2)

Available a downloadable PDF.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• World War II and the Golden Age Tradition by Kate Jackson

AUTHOR! AUTHOR!

• The Making of Heroes by Suzanne M. Arruda
• It Never Happened by Mary Adler
• On Edge by Albert Ashforth
• Between Lost and Dead by Rona Bell
• A Half Century Later, Vietnam Is Still a Mystery by R.G. Belsky
• Harry Lime Was Wrong by James Benn
• My Wartime Connection by Cara Black
• The Secrets of Bletchley Park by Rhys Bowen
• Passing On the Memory of Wars I Never Knew by William Broderick
• Don’t Mention the War by Frances Brody
• Why Care About a Murder in Wartime? by Rebecca Cantrell
• The Green Corn Rebellion by Donis Casey
• War Is Hell… but Hell Makes Good Mysteries by John A. Connell
• Murder and Ancient War by Gary Corby
• The Real and Recent Wars Behind My Fiction by Diana Deverell
• Spoils of War by David Edgerley Gates
• You Say Conflict, I Say War by Chris Goff
• Mystery in The First World War by Dolores Gordon-Smith
• Civil War Crime by Paul E. Hardisty
• War Stories by Libby Hellmann
• Body of Evidence by Graham Ison
• Wartime in England by Maureen Jennings
• The Mysteries of War by Kay Kendall
• From Bomb Shelters to a B&B by Kate Kingsbury
• Bombs and Short Legs by Joan Lock
• Rough Cider in the Making by Peter Lovesey
• If It’s War, It Can’t Be Murder? by Michael Niemann
• Echoes of Vietnam by Neil Plakcy
• When the Investigator Wears Boots by Ben Pastor
• His Debts Were Settled At Last by Mary Reed
• Murder in Wartime by Gavin Scott
• The Time Traveler As Writer by Sarah R. Shaber
• A Coin for the Hangman: The Home Front and the Returning Soldier by Ralph Spurrier
• The Solitary Soldier by Kelli Stanley
• Wartime in New York by Triss Stein
• Writing About War by Charles Todd
• It’s Not Our War: Writing a WWI-Era Mystery Series Set in New York by Radha Vatsal
• Fading Away by Sharon Wildwind
• Bloodshed Behind the Lines by Sally Wright
• Fate, Facts, and War Stories by Ursula Wong

COLUMNS

• Mystery in Retrospect: Reviews by Kristopher Zgorski, Craig Sisterson, L.J. Roberts, Sandie Herron, Kate Jackson, Kate Derie
• Khaki Cops by Jim Doherty
• True Crime in Wartime by Cathy Pickens
• The Children’s Hour: War Mysteries by Gay Toltl Kinman
• Just the Facts: The Military Mutilator by Jim Doherty
• Crime Scene: Murder in a Time of War by Kate Derie
• From the Editor’s Desk by Janet Rudolph

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Cartoon of the Day: D-Day

 

PATIENCE: PBS series premieres June 15

If you're a fan of the French TV series Astrid et Raphaelle, as I am, you might want to check out the British/Belgian version entitled Patience which is based on the French series. It will premier in the U.S. on Sunday, June 15 at 8 pm ET on PBS, with streaming available on pbs.org and the PBS app. New episodes will be released weekly on Sundays through July 20th. The series is also available on the PBS Masterpiece Prime Video Channel (requires a separate subscription). 

Patience has already been renewed for a season two. The first series saw Patience (Ella Maisy Purvis), who’s autistic, establish herself as an invaluable member of the City of York Police. Jo McGrath, Chief Creative Officer at Eagle Eye Drama has promised that series 2 will be "more action packed, culminating with a nail-biting hostage storyline and a shocking family revelation for Patience." Patience stars Laura Fraseras Detective Inspector Bea Metcalf, and Ella Maisy Purvis as autistic police archivist Patience Evans (Purvis is herself autistic). The series is set in Yorkshire.

Cartoon of the Day: The Story Coaster

From Grant Snider: