It Was A Dark And Stormy Book Club

Popup Show NotesOn this episode we visit with six authors who visited our room during Malice Domestic.Lynn McPherson, is a Canadian author. She is a cozy mystery writer and author of The IzzyWalsh Mystery Series. Her books are fun, light-hearted whodunits. They pair well with a strongcoffee or a light chardonnay, and are a recommended way to spend a relaxing afternoon. Shealso writes under the name Sydney Leigh. Her newest book, The Girls Dressed For Murder...When Izzy gets a killer dress for her birthday, she isn’t expecting to accessorize it with murder...It’s 1958 in the cozy coastal town of Twin Oaks and amateur sleuth Isabelle Walsh is armed witha fresh perspective, two years after tragedy strikes. The first stop on her journey back to joy isthe best little dress shop in town—introduced to her by best friend and fashion fiend, AvaRussell.Izzy falls in love with the store and its style. So, when the boutique is marred by murder, Izzywants to help. But with more suspects to choose from than a spring collec

As we wrap another Malice Domestic under our belts, we announce the winners of this year;s Agatha Awards:Best 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 Magazine, Feb. 2022)Best Non-FictionPromophobia: Taking the Mystery Out of Promoting Crime Fiction, Diane VallereEd. (Sisters in Crime)Best Children/Young Adult NovelEnola Holmes and the Elegant Escapade, Nancy Springer (Wednesday Books)We sincerely congratulate each of the winners and also the nominees. We look forward to next year's MaliceWe talked with Verena Rose, Chair of the Board of Directors of Malice Domestic. She is a fount of knowledgeabout the history of Malice.Verena is a short story writer, an editor and co-publisher at Level Best Books. She has been the chair of theBoard of Directors of Malice for 17 years.TRIVIALa

On this episode, we talked with our longest patron, Cynthia Surrisi. She has two books thathave just come out. She is a very successful middle school novel author.The Bones of Birka: Unraveling the Mystery of A Female Viking Warrior.(Chicago ReviewPress). When archaeologist Dr. Charlotte Hedenstierna-Jonson discovers that the bonescontained in the most significant Viking warrior grave ever opened are, in fact, female, she andher team upend centuries of historically accepted conclusions and ignite a furious debatearound the reality of female Viking warriors and the role of gender in both ancient and moderntimes.In The Bones of Birka, author C. M. Surrisi introduces young readers to the events that led up tothis discovery and the impact it has had on scientists’ and historians’ views of gender roles inancient societies and today. This is the inside account of the Birka warrior grave Bj 581archaeological endeavor, including all of the dreams, setbacks, frustrations, excitement, politics,and personalities that we

PART 2 WWAR:Tracey reported on “Operation Blackbird: A Cold War Spy Novel” by Ellen Butler. Ellen appeared onepisode 19 in August of 2018 on her book “Isabella's Painting.”October, 1952. The war is over, but for CIA officer Miriam Becker, memories of the horrors she witnessedremain jagged in her mind. While vacationing in Argentina, recovering from a mission that nearly killed her,she’s seeing more ghosts from the past than the sights.When a longtime family friend and fellow operative, Jake Devlin, tracks her down, Miriam is forced to pusheverything to the back of her mind for the next mission: help a highly prized and heavily guarded rocketscientist defect from Soviet-controlled East Berlin—right out from under the KGB’s nose.Well aware that one wrong move could spark World War III, Miriam, Jake, and the team plan their strategy tothe last detail. But when a betrayal brings everything crashing down, Jake’s quick thinking creates thediversion to get Miriam out alive—but leaves him trapped behind the Iron Curt

5thPodiversary andWWAR For AprilShow NotesWe are celebrating our 5th“Podiversary” this month and, as a subject, we have decided to return to yearone and revisit some of the authors from our very first year.Kathy reported on Jana DeLeon who was featured on episode 8 for her book “Louisiana Longshot.”Kathy found that she has 24 books in the series now and reported on “Flame and Fortune” the 22ndbookin the series.It’s New Year’s in Sinful, and the competition for the New Year’s Queen is heating up as the warring churchesgo head-to-head. Fortune Redding is not the sequined dress kind of woman, but reluctantly agrees to partakein the debacle so that Ida Belle and Gertie can best their nemesis, Celia, who’s put up former Sinful mean girlRJ Rogers.RJ and her friend Brock Benoit left plenty of devastation in their wake when they fled Sinful after high school.So when they return and Brock is found dead, there’s no shortage of suspects. Fortune, Ida Belle, and Gertieknow all too well what it’s like to live under suspic

Jennifer Chow, Rob Osler and Harini NagendraShow NotesOn this episode we finish our interviews with nominees for the Agatha Awards which will begiven at Malice Domestic this year.We first talked with Jennifer Chow who is nominated for her book “Death By Bubble Tea”(Berkley) for Best Contemporary Novel.When Yale Yee discovers her cousin Celine is visiting from Hong Kong, she is obliged to playtour guide to a relative she hasn't seen in twenty years. Not only that, but her father thinks it's awonderful idea for them to bond by running a food stall together at the Eastwood Village NightMarket. Yale hasn't cooked in years, and she hardly considers Celine's career as a social mediainfluencer as adequate experience, but because she's just lost her job at her local bookstore,she feels she has no choice.Yale and Celine serve small dishes and refreshing drinks, and while business is slow, iteventually picks up thanks to Celine's surprisingly useful marketing ideas. They're quite shockedthat their bubble tea, in partic

Nina Wachsman and Martin EdwardsShow NotesWe talked to two more of the Agatha Nominees for this episode.First, we talked with Nina Wachsmann who is nominated for a Best First Novel for her bookThe Gallery of Beauties (Level Best Books) In the city that invented the concept of the ‘Ghetto,’it is surprising to learn that the Jews lived separately but not isolated from the culture aroundthem in the seventeenth century. Rabbis were not only leaders in the Jewish community, butscholars, mathematicians, statesmen and playwrights who were well known and respected inVenetian society and throughout Europe. The music, art and innovative foods which filled thecity, filtered into the Ghetto, finding its way into synagogues and homes.In a salon-like discussion with trustee David Sable, Nina Wachsman will bring to life this unusualcity and its unusually modern Jews, from her research for her novel of historical suspense, TheGallery of Beauties.We then talked with Martin Edwards who is nominated for Best Non-Fiction for his

Korina Moss and Fleur BradleyShow NotesThe first thing we did on this episode is to announce that we have a new patron in Jan H. fromIllinois and we are thrilled. We also had a donation made to our tip jar on our website from JoanLong. We are very appreciative of both.Korina Moss is nominated for an Agatha Award for Best First Novel for her book “Cheddar OffDead.”Cheesemonger Willa Bauer is proving that sweet dreams are made of cheese. She’s openedher very own French-inspired cheese shop, Curds & Whey, in the heart of the Sonoma Valley.The small town of Yarrow Glen is Willa's fresh start, and she's determined to make it a success– starting with a visit from the local food critic. What Willa didn’t know is that this guy never givesa good review, and when he shows up nothing goes according to plan. She doesn’t think thenight can get any worse... until she finds the critic’s dead body, stabbed with one of her shop’scheese knives. Now a prime suspect, Willa has always believed life’s problems can be solvedwit

Joan Long/M.A. MoninShow notesOur first episode dedicated to the nominees for Agatha Awards begins today. Our first nomineeis Joan Long who is nominated for Best First Novel for her book “The Finalist”The Finalist (Level Best Books) Five authors, each with their own secrets, are chosen tocomplete a deceased novelist's unfinished manuscript. For single mom Risa Marr, thecompetition is the opportunity of a lifetime. At stake is a million dollars and a contract to continuethe famous novelist's bestselling thriller series.Transported to the tropical paradise of Key Island, the finalists are cut off from the world andgiven seven days to draft their best ending for the book. But when one of them turns up dead,theories and accusations abound. Accident? Suicide? Or Murder? To what lengths willcompetitors go to win? And who, if anyone, will leave the island alive?We then chatted with M.A. (Mary) Monin who is nominated for Best First Novel for her book“Death In The Aegean”Death in the Aegean (An Intrepid Traveler Myste

WWAR for March 2023Show NotesPart 1The Agatha Awards are coming up at end end of April and our next few episodes will be interviews withseveral of the nominees for this year's awards. Therfore, we decided to devote our March WWAR episodes tobooks that have been nominated for awards this year.Joan Long is nominated for an Agatha for Best First Novel for “The Finalist” (Level Best Books)Five authors, each with their own secrets, are chosen to complete a deceased novelist's unfinishedmanuscript. For single mom Risa Marr, the competition is the opportunity of a lifetime. At stake is a milliondollars and a contract to continue the famous novelist's bestselling thriller series.Transported to the tropical paradise of Key Island, the finalists are cut off from the world and given seven daysto draft their best ending for the book. But when one of them turns up dead, theories and accusations abound.Accident? Suicide? Or Murder? To what lengths will competitors go to win? And who, if anyone, will leave theisland alive?D

WWAR for March 2023Show NotesPart 1The Agatha Awards are coming up at end end of April and our next few episodes will be interviews withseveral of the nominees for this year's awards. Therfore, we decided to devote our March WWAR episodes tobooks that have been nominated for awards this year.Joan Long is nominated for an Agatha for Best First Novel for “The Finalist” (Level Best Books)Five authors, each with their own secrets, are chosen to complete a deceased novelist's unfinishedmanuscript. For single mom Risa Marr, the competition is the opportunity of a lifetime. At stake is a milliondollars and a contract to continue the famous novelist's bestselling thriller series.Transported to the tropical paradise of Key Island, the finalists are cut off from the world and given seven daysto draft their best ending for the book. But when one of them turns up dead, theories and accusations abound.Accident? Suicide? Or Murder? To what lengths will competitors go to win? And who, if anyone, will leave theisland alive?D

Mystery at Windswept Farmby Wendy Sand EckelShow NotesWe visited with Wendy Sand Eckel about her book Mystery at Windswept Farm (LevelBest Books).This is the third book in theRosalie Hart Mystery Series,Rosalie's hard-earned organic farm certification is threatened by a toxic neighbor who isabout to crop dust his winter wheat. When their impulsive farm hand decides to confronthim, she finds his lifeless body inside the door of his home on Windswept Farm.In the midst of the mayhem, Rosalie's beloved Day Lily Café hosts a 5-day cookingschool. Marco Giovanelli, a celebrated Italian chef, arrives in Cardigan and a sumptuoussituation ensues. When one of the students falls ill with the same poison that killed thefarmer, Rosalie and her best friend and head waiter, Glenn, take matters, andhomemade pasta dough, into their own hands.With Mystery at Windswept Farm, Eckel once again brings the fictional town of Cardiganto life and delights with suspense, humor, and mouth-watering menus.Degrees in criminology and social

Jennifer HerreraShow NotesThe Hunter by Jennifer Herrera published by G. P Putnam Sons 1/12/23After reckless behavior costs NYPD detective Leigh O’Donnell her job and her marriage, she returns with herfour-year-old daughter to her beautiful hometown of Copper Falls, Ohio. Leigh had stayed away for more thana decade—even though her brother and a trio of loving uncles still call it home—because, while the town mayseem idyllic, something rotten lies at its core. Three men in town have drowned in what Leigh suspects to bea triple homicide. She hopes that by finding out who killed them, she just might get her life back on course.Headstrong and intuitive, Leigh isn’t afraid to face a killer, but she has to do more than that to discover thetruth about what happened to those men. She must unravel a web of secrets going back generations, and, indoing so, plumb the darkness within herself.Jennifer Herrera is a former philosophy grad student turned literary agent, who is fascinated by thestories we tell ourselves to liv

Gary EdgingtonShow NotesOn today's episode we had a delightful conversation with Gary Edgington, the author of“Outside The Wire” (not the science fiction film of the same name). It was publsihed by KoehlerPress and was released in August of 2022.A retired LA counterterrorism cop and a fearless Army doctor risk everything, including theirburgeoning romance, as they battle clandestine Iranian operatives bent on the slaughter ofthousands of innocents and ultimately the destruction of America.After a yearlong lull, local Iraqi insurgents launch a deadly mortar barrage at the sprawlingCamp Victory Base in Baghdad, Iraq. Rick Sutherland, a retired LAPD lieutenant working as anembedded counterterrorism advisor, is wounded in the attack, and a local interpreter is killed.Along with Major Nancy Weaver, his former doctor and now partner, Rick embarks on an off-the-books investigation that quickly morphs into a race to stop murderous Iranian operatives fromexploding multiple dirty bombs during a critical meeting of US a

On today's episode, we interviewed author Ann Claire about her book Dead and Gondola(Bantam Books 11/22). It is the first in her Christie Bookshop Mystery series..Ellie Christie is thrilled to begin a new chapter. She’s recently returned to her tiny Coloradohometown to run her family’s historic bookshop with her elder sister, Meg, and their beloved cat,Agatha. Perched in a Swiss-style hamlet accessible by ski gondola and a twisty mountain road,the Book Chalet is a famed bibliophile destination known for its maze of shelves and relaxingreading lounge. At least, until trouble blows in with a wintry whiteout. A man is found dead onthe gondola, and a rockslide throws the town into lockdown—no one in, no one out.The victim was a mysterious stranger who’d visited the bookshop. At the time, his only blundershad been disrupting a book club and leaving behind a first-edition Agatha Christie novel, writtenunder a pseudonym. However, once revealed, the man’s identity shocks the town. Motives andsecrets swirl like the sn

On this episode, we had a lively interview with Gregg Hurwitz, the author of The Last Orphan,#8 in the Orphan X series by Gregg Hurwitz (Minotaur Books 2/14.23Evan Smoak returns in The Last Orphan, the latest New York Times bestselling Orphan Xthriller--when everything changes and everything is at risk.As a child, Evan Smoak was plucked out of a group home, raised and trained as an off-the-books assassin for the government as part of the Orphan program. When he broke with theprogram and went deep underground, he left with a lot of secrets in his head that thegovernment would do anything to make sure never got out.When he remade himself as The Nowhere Man, dedicated to helping the most desperate intheir times of trouble, Evan found himself slowly back on the government's radar. Havingeliminated most of the Orphans in the program, the government will stop at nothing to eliminatethe threat they see in Evan. But Orphan X has always been several steps ahead of hispursuers.Until he makes one little mistake...Now th

Desmond RyanShow NotesFor almost thirty years, Desmond P. Ryan began every day of his working life with either a victimwaiting in a hospital emergency room, or a call to a street corner or a blood-soaked room wheresomeone had been left for dead. Murder, assaults on a level that defied humanity, sexualviolations intended to demean, shame, and haunt the individuals who were no more thanobjects to the offenders: all in a day's work.It was exhilarating, exhausting, and often heartbreaking.As a Detective with the Toronto Police Service, Desmond P. Ryan wrote thousands of reportsdetailing the people, places, and events that led up to the moment he came along. Heinvestigated the crimes and wrote synopses for guilty pleas detailing the circumstances thatbrought the accused individuals before the Courts. He also wrote a number of files to haveindividuals deemed either Not Criminally Responsible due to mental incapacity, or DangerousOffenders to be held in custody indefinitely.Now, as a retired investigator with three

WWAR FebruaryShow NotesPart 1In honor of Black History Month, we are featuring four books by Black authors.Tracey reported on Blacktop Wasteland by SA Crosby (Flatiron Books) A husband, a father, ason, a business owner...And the best getaway driver east of the Mississippi.Beauregard “Bug” Montage is an honest mechanic, a loving husband, and a hard-working dad.Bug knows there’s no future in the man he used to be: known from the hills of North Carolina tothe beaches of Florida as the best wheelman on the East Coast.He thought he'd left all that behind him, but as his carefully built new life begins to crumble, hefinds himself drawn inexorably back into a world of blood and bullets. When a smooth-talkingformer associate comes calling with a can't-miss jewelry store heist, Bug feels he has no choicebut to get back in the driver's seat. And Bug is at his best where the scent of gasoline mixes withthe smell of fear.Haunted by the ghost of who he used to be and the father who disappeared when he neededhim most, Bug

WWAR FebruaryShow NotesPart 1In honor of Black History Month, we are featuring four books by Black authors.Tracey reported on Blacktop Wasteland by SA Crosby (Flatiron Books) A husband, a father, ason, a business owner...And the best getaway driver east of the Mississippi.Beauregard “Bug” Montage is an honest mechanic, a loving husband, and a hard-working dad.Bug knows there’s no future in the man he used to be: known from the hills of North Carolina tothe beaches of Florida as the best wheelman on the East Coast.He thought he'd left all that behind him, but as his carefully built new life begins to crumble, hefinds himself drawn inexorably back into a world of blood and bullets. When a smooth-talkingformer associate comes calling with a can't-miss jewelry store heist, Bug feels he has no choicebut to get back in the driver's seat. And Bug is at his best where the scent of gasoline mixes withthe smell of fear.Haunted by the ghost of who he used to be and the father who disappeared when he neededhim most, Bug

Dark and Stormy Takes On The MoviesShow NotesOn this episode of Dark and Stormy Book Club, we talked about a few of the new movies thatwe have enjoyed over the past few weeks. Each of these movies is currently available onNetflix.Misty reported on The Glass Onion, A Knives Out Mystery by Rian Johnson starring DanielCraig, Edward Norton, Kate Hudson, and a host of quirky characters. Benoit Blanc returns topeel back the layers in a new Rian Johnson whodunit. This fresh adventure finds the intrepiddetective at a lavish private estate on a Greek island, but how and why he comes to be there isonly the first of many puzzles. Blanc soon meets a distinctly disparate group of friends gatheringat the invitation of billionaire Miles Bron for their yearly reunion. Among those on the guest listare Miles' former business partner Andi Brand, current Connecticut governor Claire Debella,cutting-edge scientist Lionel Toussaint, fashion designer and former model Birdie Jay and herconscientious assistant Peg, and influencer Duke