It Was A Dark And Stormy Book Club

We need to step away for about a month our beloved Ann Dark needs to take some time to heal. She can't wait to return to the podcast. Please join her family and freinds in wishing her well. We will be posting further updates on here or our facebook page. Thank you for your continue support and understanding.

Recommendations For Your TBRShow NotesOn today's episode, we feature six books that we recommend for our listener's TBR. These are books thathave been sent to us for review. There is no way we can read every book but we want to make sure theyare highlighted in some way.Ann reported on Good Girls Don't Die by Christina Henry (Berkeley 11/23). This is the story of threewoman with one way out.Tracey reported on The Repurposed Spy by Oliver Dowson (self 3/22) A modern spy novel filled withhumor and intrigue.Misty had Miss Blaine, The Prefect & the Weird Sisters by Olga Wojtas (Felony & Mayhem Press 3/23) Aprefect who time travels to help people.Ann's second book is The Murder of Andrew Johnson by Burt Solomon (Forge Books 10/23) An inspectorlooks to see if the president was killed in his home state of TennesseeTracey 's second book is Anna-O by Matthew Blake (Harper 1/24) The story of a woman who commitstwo murders while sleepwalking and then never wakes up again.Misty's second book is The Lies I tell by

1-24 WWARNew BeginningsShow NotesFor our first WWAR for 2024, we discussed three books that feature new beginnings for the protagonist orstorylMisty reported on her book “Poison Ivy” by Misty Simon. This is the first book she had published in2004. It has been re-released two more times since then and has just been again re-released. She says thebook is still a lot of fun to read.Tracey reported on her book “What Waits In the Woods.” by Kieran Scott It features a ballerina who hasto begin over when she damages her leg and has to give up her dream of ballet. On the day she arrivesback in her hometown in rural Pennsylvania, a body is found behind her father's house.Ann reported on “Conflicting Loyalties: My Life As A Mob Enforcer turned DOJ Informant” by AidenGabor. It is a true story of a teenager who is forced to become an informant for the Justice Department inorder to stay out of jail. He remained an informant for almost 20 years when he got out. He then has tostart his life over a second time when he was di

Edwin HillShow NotesToday we talk with Edwin Hill about his book Who To Believe. It will release today from KensingtonBooks.Monreith, Massachusetts, was once a small community of whalers and farmers. These days it’s a well-to-dotown filled with commuters drawn to its rugged coastline and country roads. A peaceful, predictable place—until popular restaurateur Laurel Thibodeau is found brutally murdered in her own home. Suspicion naturallyfalls on Laurel’s husband, Simon, who had gambling debts that only her life insurance policy could fix. Butthere are other rumors too . . .Among the group of six friends gathered for Alice Stone’s fortieth birthday, theories abound concerningLaurel’s death. Max Barbosa, police chief, has heard plenty of them, as has his longtime friend, Unitarianminister Georgia Fitzhugh. Local psychiatrist Farley Drake is privy to even more, gleaning snippets of gossipand information from his patients while closely guarding his own past.But maybe everyone in Monreith has something to hide. Be

Top Five RundownShow notesOn today's episode we review our top 5 books we read over the past year.\5Ann – The Last Orphan by Greg HurwitzTracey – The Devil's Chew Toy by Rob Osler4Ann - Last Known Port by Sue AngerTracey - Bone Rattler by Elliot Pattison3Ann – The Hunter by Jennifer HereraTracey – The Camp by Nancy Bush2Ann – Malibu Burning by Lee GoldbergTracey – Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey1Ann – The Bones of Birka by Cynthia SurrisiTracey – Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. CosbyWe had a few honorable mentions of books that we did not cover on the program but were so good theydeserve a mentionAnn's listThe Girl in the Eagle's Talons by Karen SchmirnoffThe Road To Station X by Sarah BaringHolly by Stephen KingTracey's listThe Only One Left by Riley SagerVerity by Coleen HooverCarrie by Stephen KingTRIVIALast week's questionWhich mystery author has a span of 29 years between the publishing of one of her mysteries?a. Mary Roberts Reinhartb. Ruth Rendellc. Mildred Davisd. Amanda CrossThe answer is c. Mildred Davis.

David SimmonsGhosts of E#ast BaltimoreShow NotesOn the first official episode of 2024, we talked with David Simmons about his book “Ghosts of EastBaltimore.: David was delightful. Worm, fresh out of jail, tries to make a little money to get back on his feet,and make it back to the halfway house before his 9 pm curfew. But what should be a simple drop-off, spiralsinto a nightmare. Worm is faced with a number of obstacles like Greek gangsters, gimps, mecha suits, wilddrugs, and more. This feels like the perfect cross-genre book written for me especially with the cloneconspiracy theory sprinkled in.Ghosts of East Baltimore is a wild ride and the perfect mix of elegant yet literary cosmic hood horror withtextured prose that not many could pull off. Rich with history, and a deep-seated love for Baltimore, this is afantastic crime fiction debut.TRIVIAAuthor Gary Phillips has edited several anthologies over the years. One that won particular accolades wasone that paid homage to a past president. Which one?a. Nixonb.

In the last of our Holiday Break short stories We read a story that Bruce Robert Coffin sent to us. It is a perfect story to end this season of giving and caring. Please enjoy!! Tune in next week for our regularly scheduled episodes.

The Noir before Christmas written and read by Ang Pompano

The second in our Holiday Vacation series, Disappear is written and performed by the author, Sue Angejr. It tells the story of a sister's love and loss over the holidays.

Dark and Stormy is off enjoying the season. Please enjoy a few weeks of Holiday stories brought to you by some of our favorite authors. We will return in January with more original episodes.

Ann reported on The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon (Anchor 2015)West Hall, Vermont, has always been a town of strange disappearances and old legends. Themost mysterious is that of Sara Harrison Shea, who, in 1908, was found dead in the field behindher house just months after the tragic death of her daughter.Now, in present day, nineteen-year-old Ruthie lives in Sara’s farmhouse with her mother, Alice,and her younger sister. Alice has always insisted that they live off the grid, a decision that hasweighty consequences when Ruthie wakes up one morning to find that Alice has vanished. Inher search for clues, she is startled to find a copy of Sara Harrison Shea's diary hidden beneaththe floorboards of her mother's bedroom. As Ruthie gets sucked into the historical mystery, shediscovers that she’s not the only person looking for someone that they’ve lost. But she may bethe only one who can stop history from repeating itself.Creepy, goosebumpy, scary ghost stories aren't only for cool fall evenings. It turns out

Jersey GhoulsShow notesToday we talked with Marissa and Jacki, two women we met at Fright Reads They host the Jersey Ghoulspodcast which features horror movies with a feminist twist. We Are in the process of planning acollaboration with them. They primarily feature movies in the horror genre and we will do a book versusmovie episode of Dark and Stormy Book Club.We are happy we met up with the girls and look forward to working with them.TRIVIA:Last week's question wasMark Andrew Twitchell is a Canadian filmmaker. He became famous in April 2011 for what?a. He used a fictional murderer as a guideline for the crimeb. He pulled off the biggest jewel heist in historyc. He murdered his wife and 6 childrend. He murdered a man and filmed the murderThe answer is a. He used a fictional murder as a guideline for murder. He was convicted of first-degree murder in April 2011 for the murder of John Brian Altinger His trial attracted particularmedia attention because Twitchell had allegedly been inspired by the fictional cha

Rapid ReadsShow NotesFor our first Rapid Reads episode we gave short reviews of six different books:Militia House by John Milas“This is a beautiful horror story told masterfully and elegantly. It is a brilliant, different kind of warnovel, one that reveals the insidious ways the violences of war can tear people apart from the insideout. “Midnight is the Darkest Hour by Ashley Winstead“a gothic Southern thriller about a killer haunting a small Louisiana town, where twooutcasts―the preacher's daughter and the boy from the wrong side of the tracks―hold the key touncovering the truth. “Murder with Chocolate Tea by Karen Rose SmithTea shop owner and bride-to-be Daisy Swanson must solve a murder before she can say “I do”in the latest Daisy’s Tea Garden Mystery set in Pennsylvania’s Amish country...What Wild Women Do by Karma BrownTwo women's lives unexpectedly collide at a camp in the Adirondacks in this fascinating dual-timeline novel full of ambition, secrets, betrayal, mystery, intrigue, nature, inspiration, and

Lee GoldbergMalibu Burning Show NotesToday we talked with our old friend Lee Goldberg about his bool Malibu Burning. It is the first in hisnew seriues featuring arson investigators Walter Sharpe and Andrew Walker. It is published by Thomas &Mercer and was released on September 1 of this year.Hell comes to Southern California every October. It rides in on searing Santa Ana winds that blast at nearhurricane force, igniting voracious wildfires. Master thief Danny Cole longs for the flames. A tsunami of fire isexactly what he needs to pull off a daring crime and avenge a fallen friend.As the most devastating firestorms in Los Angeles’ history scorch the hills of Malibu, relentless arsoninvestigator Walter Sharpe and his wild card of a new partner, Andrew Walker, a former US marshal, suspectthat someone set the massive blazes intentionally, a terrifying means to an unknown end.While the flames rage out of control, Danny pursues his brilliant scheme, unaware that Sharpe and Walker areclosing in. But when they a

WWAR OctoberShow NotesOn today's episode, we selected mysteries that were set in Colonial America.Misty reported on “A Shaker Murder” by Eleanor Kuhns. It is #6 in her Will Rees mystery series.Fresh from facing allegations of witchcraft and murder, travelling weaver Will Rees, his heavily pregnant wifeLydia and six adopted children take refuge in Zion, a Shaker community in rural Maine. Shortly after theirarrival, screams in the night reveal a drowned body ... but is it murder or an unfortunate accident? The ShakerElders argue it was just an accident, but Rees believes otherwise.As Will investigates further, more deaths follow and a young girl vanishes from the community. Haunted bynightmares for his family’s safety, Rees must rush to uncover the truth before the dreams can become realityand more lives are lost. Yet can the Shaker Elders be trusted, or is an outsider involved? Misty highlyrecommends this series.Ann reported on “Brutalized” by J. R. Thompson. 17th-century Dublin, Ireland, preteen Callum McCart

Dark Rideby Lou Berney9/23/23 William MorrowThis week we visited with an old friend, Lou Berney, about his new book “Dark Ride.:From Lou Berney, the acclaimed, multi award-winning author of November Road and The Long and FarawayGone, comes a Dark RideSometimes the person you least expect is just the hero you needTwenty-one-year-old Hardy “Hardly” Reed—good-natured, easygoing, usually stoned—is drifting through life.A minimum-wage scare actor at an amusement park, he avoids unnecessary effort and unrealistic ambitions.Then one day he notices two children, around six or seven, sitting all alone on a bench. Hardly checks ifthey’re okay and sees injuries on both children. Someone is hurting these kids.He reports the incident to Child Protective Service.That should be the end of it. After all, Hardly's not even good at looking out for himself so the last thing hewants to do is look out for anyone else. But he's haunted by the two kids, his heart breaking for them. And themore research he does the less he trusts th

Today we visited wi6h Vanessa Riley about her bnook Murder at Drury Lane. Portraying the true diversity of the Regency-era and the hidden intrigue of England’s abolitionist movement, this vibrant, inclusive new historical mystery from acclaimed author Vanessa Riley features an engaging heroine with an independent streak, a notorious past, and a decided talent for sleuthing…Pressed into a union of convenience, Lady Abigail Worthing knew better than to expect love. Her marriage to an absent lord does at least provide some comforts, including a box at the Drury Lane theater, owned by the playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan. Abigail has always found respite at the theater, away from the ton’s judgmental stares and the risks of her own secret work to help the cause of abolition—and her fears that someone from her past wants her permanently silenced. But on one particular June evening everything collides, and the performance takes an unwelcome turn . . .Onstage, a woman emits a scream of genuine terror. A man has

‘Do you believe Will took his own life?’The question echoed off the white tiles in the hospital’s cold, cavernous morgue, and I studied my husband in peaceful repose. I leaned down and put my forehead against his. Silent tears ran down my cheeks. They felt hot, and he felt so cold. It was five days since his death, and my grief felt heavy, like a vast, dark mass pushing down on me.”When Maggie’s husband, Will, is shot dead in their London home, she thinks he is the victim of a burglary until the police tell her the shocking news that Will was the one who pulled the trigger.Maggie is consumed with grief and questions. Will wasn’t suicidal. He had so much to live for.After the funeral, Maggie travels to their holiday home on a small Croatian island to escape London. She finds a disturbing letter written by Will, containing clues to a dark secret.As Maggie puts the pieces together, she discovers Will’s death is connected to someone from his past… Someone who will go to extreme lengths to keep Maggie silent.Three

Desmond P. Ryan and Fright Reads RecapShow NotesOn this episode we talked with old friend Desmond Ryan. His Mary Margaret O'Shea mystery series hasfinally been published.Mary Margaret and The Case of The Lapsed Parishoner (Level Best Books 8.28.23) When Mary-MargaretO'Shea, a woman of a certain age with mildly Machiavellian tendencies, discovers a homicide scene andmeets an unimpressive lead investigator, she realizes that she has no choice but to solve the crime herself.With little help from Michael, her police-detective son, she enlists Arthur, her eccentric housekeeper, to helpher find the killer.In Mary-Margaret and The Case of The Lapsed Parishioner, a series of assumptions and misguided stepsmay lead her to the killer, or they may make her the next victim.Desmond is working on two new series and has begun a writers event at a local pub near his home inToronto. We wish him all the best and look forward to talking with him soon.We then gave a quick recap of the Fright Reads Book Convention we attended las