It Was A Dark And Stormy Book Club

WWAR October 2023Show NotesToday is WWAR for October and our theme is Horror or Spooky reads.Tracey reported on Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey. Just Like Home is a darkly gothic thriller perfect forfans of Netflix's The Haunting of Hill House as well as HBO's true crime masterpiece I'll Be Gone in the Dark.“Come home.” Vera’s mother called and Vera obeyed. In spite of their long estrangement, in spite of thememories ― she's come back to the home of a serial killer. Back to face the love she had for her father andthe bodies he buried there, beneath the house he'd built for his family.Coming home is hard enough for Vera, and to make things worse, she and her mother aren’t alone. Aparasitic artist has moved into the guest house out back and is slowly stripping Vera’s childhood for spareparts. He insists that he isn’t the one leaving notes around the house in her father’s handwriting... but whoelse could it possibly be?There are secrets yet undiscovered in the foundations of the notorious Crowder House. Vera must

On today's episode, we spoke with two more of the authors who will be featured at Fright Reads. Melissa C. Annen is an author who writes a series called the Agent Raines series. There are currently two books in the series and she is working on the third. She is planning to release a stand alone book at Fright Reads titled “The Familiar Stranger.” Melissa also produces a podcast with her best friend. The podcast is called Nothing Happens In A Small Town. They grew up in a small town and, of course, things happen in a small town. It is available of Spreaker, Spotify and other podcast hosting sites. Her website is https://melissacannen.com We then talked with James Rada, Jr. Jim is an Amazon.com-bestselling author who writes non-fiction history and historical fiction. His books include the historical novels “Canawlers,” 'October Mourning,” “Between Rail and River,” and”The Rain Man.” His non-fiction books include “Battlefield Angels: The Daughters of Charity Work as Civil War Nurses” and “Looking Back: True Stor

Joyce Elaube?Rosalie SpielmanToday we talk with two of the authors for Fright Reads Book Conference which will be help September30 and October 1 in Millersville, MarylandJoyce Elaine is a hard working kind of gal who loves to get out and see new thingsand have little adventures during her down time. She also loves to write. She hasenjoyed writing ever since she learned how to write. She can remember being 13years old, with a notebook, and big yard at home to sit down in and write. She wroteabout many things. Sge made up stories, kept a journal, and wrote poems. As shegot older, she realized how much she really enjoy writing and that people actuallyenjoy reading what she writes. Her dream is to be a published author and she iscurrently working on that journey! She also wants to travel – get out and see theworld. She has a side project with her husband called Marylander’s Visiting. Theyhave set out to visit every single city in Maryland as time permits. They also plan tovisit more states and other countries to

On today's episode, we visit with Harry Carpenter, an author and the Founder and Producter of the Fright Reads Book Festival. This will be the third year for the event and it has grown over the past three years. Harry goes into the guest celebrities and authors he has lined up. The event is to be held in Millersville Maryland on September 30 and October 1. For information on the event or for tickets, visit https://frightreads.com. It was lovely talking with Harry and we look forward to the event. The next two weeks of Dark and Stormy Book Club Podcast will feature interviews with some of the authors we will meet at the event.

On today's episode, we selected libraries and librarians for our WWAR subject for this month. Misty reported on the book “Librarians and Larceny” (Book One in the Rebel Librarian Crime Fighter Mystery series by Cyndy Cypress LARCENY! KIDNAPPING! MURDER! OH MY!In the cozy college town of Kootenai Hills, Montana, a beloved librarian goes missing … right under the noses of Rebecca Fulton, the university's newest library coordinator, and Jenn Acosta, a mature grad student and aspiring librarian!And it happened in broad daylight … during homecoming weekend, no less!But that's not the only thing that's disappeared. An important historical manuscript tied to the missing librarian's past, leaves the women wondering just what Rebecca's boss and beloved mentor got himself into.What happened to Professor Clifford Smith?Rebecca and Jenn are determined to find out, but they have a few of their own challenges to work through first - a grumpy police captain being one of them.Do these two polar opposites have what it takes t

Agatha Christie, She Watched: One Woman's Plot to Watch 201 Christie Adaptations Without Murdering the Director, Screenwriter, Cast, or Her Husband by Teresa Peschel Care to match wits with Hercule Poirot? Share tea and gossip with Miss Marple? Chase spies with Tommy and Tuppence? “Agatha Christie, She Watched” will introduce you to must-see movies (and must-avoid dogs) that prove Agatha’s genius depicting the hopeful and dark sides of human nature. These movies will tantalize you, mystify you, and make you laugh at the folly of humanity. For more than a century, Agatha Christie has thrilled readers with her classic mysteries and dark dramas that explore evil such as “And Then There Were None” and “Endless Night.” with more than 200 adaptations made from her stories, Agatha has been a huge part of the world’s movie and television culture. Teresa Peschel watched and reviewed 201 adaptations, from the German silent movie “Adventures, Inc.” (1929) to “See How They Run” and “Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?” (2022). Ea

The Campby Nancy BushKensington Books6/27/23There are always stories told around the fire at summer camp—tall tales about gruesome murders andunhinged killers, concocted to scare new arrivals and lend an extra jolt of excitement to those hormone-charged nights. At Camp Luft-Shawk, nicknamed Camp Love Shack, there are stories about a creeping fogthat brings death with it. But here, they’re not just campfire tales. Here, the stories are real.Twenty years ago, a girl’s body was found on a ledge above the lake, arms crossed over her heart. Some saidit was part of a suicide pact, connected to the nearby Haven Commune. Brooke, Rona, and Wendywereamong the teenagers at camp that summer, looking for fun and sun, sex and adventure. They’ve neverbreathed a word about what really happened—or about the night their friendship shattered.Now the camp, renamed Camp Fog Lake, has reopened for a new generation, and many of those who werethere on that long-ago night are returning for an alumni weekend. But something is stirring

On this episode, we talk with bestselling true crime author John Glatt about his book “Tangled Vines Power,Privilege and the Murdaugh Family Murders.” The author did a masterful job reconstructing the rise of theprestigious Murdaugh family and the shocking double murder that led to the downfall of its patriarch, AlexMurdaugh.Among the lush, tree-lined waterways of South Carolina low country, the Murdaugh name means power. Acentury-old, multimillion-dollar law practice has catapulted the family into incredible wealth and localcelebrity―but it was an unimaginable tragedy that would thrust them into the national spotlight. On June 7th,2021, prominent attorney Alex Murdaugh discovered the bodies of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, on thegrounds of their thousand-acre hunting lodge. The mystery deepened only months later when Alex himselfwas discovered shot in the head on a local roadside.But as authorities scrambled for clues and the community reeled from the loss and media attention, darksecrets about this South

WWAR August 2023Show NotesIn our first episode together since vacation, we have 4 books that involve heat.Misty reviewed When She Gets Hot by Miriam Allenson. Tootsie Goldberg was never one to rockthe boat. Witnessing tragedy after a seemingly harmless protest taught the Jersey native tokeep her mouth shut, even when she's fuming. But when her elderly coworkers lose their radiostation jobs due to a shady business deal, this feisty fifty-year-old decides it's never too late touse her smart mouth for something other than talking in circles.Standing up for her friends lights a fire in her to confront injustice, starting with the questionablenew owners of the station. But being a sassy sleuth sometimes means tweaking the rules. Andas her fight for the little guy garners the delicious attention of a stoic and sexy cop, can Tootsietoe the line between what's right and what's legal?When She Gets Hot is the scorchingly witty first book in the Tootsie Goldberg amateur sleuthseBuy now to solve the mystery of what happe

WWAR August 2023Show NotesIn our first episode together since vacation, we have 4 books that involve heat.Misty reviewed When She Gets Hot by Miriam Allenson. Tootsie Goldberg was never one to rockthe boat. Witnessing tragedy after a seemingly harmless protest taught the Jersey native tokeep her mouth shut, even when she's fuming. But when her elderly coworkers lose their radiostation jobs due to a shady business deal, this feisty fifty-year-old decides it's never too late touse her smart mouth for something other than talking in circles.Standing up for her friends lights a fire in her to confront injustice, starting with the questionablenew owners of the station. But being a sassy sleuth sometimes means tweaking the rules. Andas her fight for the little guy garners the delicious attention of a stoic and sexy cop, can Tootsietoe the line between what's right and what's legal?When She Gets Hot is the scorchingly witty first book in the Tootsie Goldberg amateur sleuthseBuy now to solve the mystery of what happe

Spy School - Can a normal kid become a secret agent? Ben Ripley may only be in middle school, but he’s already pegged his dream job: C.I.A. or bust. So he’s thrilled when he’s recruited to the C.I.A.’s top secret Academy of Espionage. Only, it turns out, Ben hasn’t been brought in because the C.I.A. expects him to succeed. Instead, he’s been brought in as bait to catch a dangerous enemy agent. Now, Ben needs to step up his game before he ends up dead. Can he solve the crime, get the girl and save the day? Maybe not, but it’ll be fun to watch him try! Stuart Gibbs is an American author who has written mostly mystery and humor books that are aimed for tweens and teens. Gibbs' books have been described as "fun, fast-paced" and "entertaining

The third vacation episode for the summer holiday features Misty Simon reading the first chapter of the book "All That Glitters Isn't Old" by her namesake Gabby Allan published by Kensington Publishing, which releases 7/25.Whit is up to her ears in this one with Goldy wanting a friend from the past cleared of a murder Whit isn't certain he didn't commit. Things are shady on Catalina Island right now and Whit has to figure out whodunnit before they do it again.

We interrupt your bright summer to bring you another ghost story by Mr. Charles Dickens, “The Trial for Murder.” It is, perhaps, the best known of his ghost stories, second only to “A Christmas Carol,” which, by the way, had far too many happy events and helpful supernatural beings to please our own taste for the macabre and un-wonderful. Here we have it plain and simple – the quiet terror that follows seeing what we know we should not be able to see.And now, turn down the lights, and join us for “The Trial for Murder” by Charles Dickens….

This episode is the first of our Vacation Short Stories. It is read by Ann Dark and the short story is "Sand Bar" by Ang Pompano. This story was first published in "Stone Cold: The Best New England Crime Stories"

Leslie KarstShow NotesOn this episode, we take a small break from mysteries and talk with an old friend, Leslie Karst,about her book “Justice is Served: A Tale of Scallops, The Law, and Cooking For RBG”When Leslie Karst learned that her offer to cook dinner for Supreme Court Justice Ruth BaderGinsburg and her renowned tax law professor husband, Marty, had been accepted, she wasthrilled—and terrified. A small-town lawyer who hated her job and had taken up cooking as away to add a bit of spice to the daily grind of pumping out billable hours, Karst had never beforethrown such a high-stakes dinner party. Could she really pull this off?Justice Is Served is Karst’s light-hearted, earnest account of the journey this unexpectedchallenge launched her on—starting with a trip to Paris for culinary inspiration, and ending withthe dinner itself. Along the way, she imparts details of Ginsburg’s transformation from a youngJewish girl from Flatbush, Brooklyn, to one of the most celebrated Supreme Court justices in ournation

Elle MarrShow NotesOn this episode, we visit with Elle Marr to talk about her book “The Family Bones,” Thomas & Mercer.What makes a psychopath? A young woman delves into her family’s shadowy legacy in a terrifyingnovel by the #1 Amazon Charts bestselling author of Strangers We Know.Psychology student Olivia Eriksen’s family is notorious among true-crime buffs. Faced with a legacy ofpsychopathy that spans generations, Olivia has spent much of her academic life trying to answer one chillingquestion: Nature or nurture?Although she’s kept a safe distance from her blood relatives for years, Olivia agrees to attend a weekendreunion. After all, her fiancé is eager to meet his future in-laws, and the gathering may give her a chance tointerview her elusive grandfather about the family traits.But nothing is ever peaceful among the Eriksens for long. Olivia’s favorite cousin is found dead in a nearbylake. Then another family member disappears. As a violent storm isolates the group further, Olivia’s fears risefaster

Tove AlsterdalShow NotesOn today's episode, we visit Sweden and talk to the author Tove Alsterdal about her book “You WillNever Be Found” which was published by Harper.In the small mining town of Malmberget, north of the Arctic Circle, residents and their houses are beingrelocated. As the mine that built the town slowly swallows it street by street, building by building, thememories of the community have collapsed into the huge pit they call “the hole.” Only a few stubbornsouls cling to their homes, refusing to leave. When two workers making their final preparations hear asound coming from a basement, they break a cellar window and find a terrified man curled up in acorner.In Ådalen, 700 kilometers away, police officer Eira Sjödin is investigating the disappearance of a manreported missing by his ex-wife. Eira and her colleagues search his apartment, contact his friends andrelatives, and query local hospitals, but the man has vanished without a trace.Eira knows the pain of loss—she mourns for her mother, whos

WWAR For JuneShow NotesAs we enter summer, we have two new books to suggest.Tracey reported on DOOMSDAY MOTHER by John Glatt (St. Martin's True Crime Press).In The Doomsday Mother, bestselling true crime author John Glatt tells the twisted tale of Lori Vallow,accused of having her two children murdered to start a new life with her new husband, doomsdayprepper Chad Daybell.At first, the residents of Kauai Beach Resort took little notice of their new neighbors. The glamorous blondeand her tall husband fit the image of the ritzy gated community. The couple seemed to keep tothemselves―until the police knocked on their door with a search warrant. Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell hadfled to Hawaii in the midst of being investigated for the disappearance of Lori’s children back in Idaho―Tyleeand JJ―who hadn’t been seen alive in five months.For years, Lori Vallow had been devoted to her children and her Mormon faith. But when her path crossedwith Chad Daybell, a religious zealot who taught his followers how to prepare fo

Radiolandby Matt CahillShow NotesDead bodies are being found in Toronto; bodies that have been altered in disturbing ways. There are whisperson the streets of a murderer stalking the bars and clubs. No one knows who the killer could be. Maybe it’sKris, a troubled musician who has just reached a level of fame only to have his life collapse around him.Maybe it’s Jill, a young woman cursed with a dangerous magic that calls strangers to her.As Kris struggles to deal with a childhood experience of sexual abuse he finds a strange advertisementpinned to a tree. By answering it he begins texting Jill, another lost soul reaching out for connection. In bitsand pieces, they share their stories, discovering truths about themselves and the people surrounding them,until they must face the danger that is stalking them both.TRIVIALast week's question was:Which author was a cook at the Fair Isle Bird Observatory?a. Sharon McCrumbb. Ann Cleevesc. Jeffrey Deaverd. Anthony HorowitzTune in next week for the answer and to hear fro

Malice RecapShow NotesAnn, Tracey and Misty discuss our observations of the Malice Domestic Conference this year. We lovedevery minute of the event and the awards banquet where the Agatha Awards for 2022 were presented: Wethoroughly enjoyed every minute of the conference and look forward to next year.2022**WINNERSBest Contemporary NovelA World of Curiosities, Louise Penny (Minotaur)**Best Historical NovelBecause I Could Not Stop for Death, Amanda Flower (Berkley)**Best First NovelCheddar Off Dead, Korina Moss (St. Martin’s)**Best Short Story"Beauty and the Beyotch," Barb Goffman (Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine, Feb.2022)**Best Non-FictionPromophobia: Taking the Mystery Out of Promoting Crime Fiction, Diane VallereEd. (Sisters in Crime)**Best Children's/YA MysteryEnola Holmes and the Elegant Escapade, Nancy Springer (Wednesday Books)**We send our sincere congratulations to all of the winners.TRIVIALast week's question was:Jeffrey Deaver was ahead of his time in 2001 when he?a. He had characters in spaceb. He