It Was A Dark And Stormy Book Club

Bone Deep: Untangling the Twisted True Story of the Tragic Betsy Faria Murder Caseby Charles Bosworth Jr., Joel J. SchwartzPublished February 22nd 2022 by Citadel Press The explosive, first-ever insider’s account of the case that’s captivated millions--the murder of Betsy Faria and the wrongful conviction of her husband--told by Joel J. Schwartz, the defense attorney who fought for justice on behalf of Russell Faria, and New York Times bestselling author Charles Bosworth Jr.On December 27th, 2011, Russell Faria returned to his Troy, Missouri, home after his weekly game night with friends to an unthinkable, grisly scene: His wife, Betsy, lay dead, a knife still lodged in her neck. She’d been stabbed fifty-five times.First responders concluded that Betsy had been dead for hours when Russ discovered her. No blood was found implicating Russ, and surveillance video, receipts, and friends’ testimony all supported his alibi--yet incredibly, police and the prosecuting attorney ignored the evidence. In their minds, Ru

In our final installment of Agatha Nominees interviews. Judy L. Murray who is nominated for Best First novel and Jan Brogan nominated for Best non-fiction.Judy L. Murray - Murder in the Master(Level Best Books). It isn't the first time real estate agent Helen Morrisey has found someone naked in bed while showing a house. But this one is different. One glance at the bluish cast around his lips and the vacant, staring eyes, and Helen knows developer Al Capelli is never going to sign another sales agreement.His death is big news for a small Chesapeake water town where a family empire is built around secrets and their brash money style is resented by locals. Within days, his lover, her old friend, begs Helen to find the killer before she's arrested for murder. Helen quickly realizes that solving a murder mystery in real life is a lot more dangerous than reading one. She decides to create her own Detection Club of expert sleuths-Miss Marple, Jessica Fletcher, Nora Charles, Agatha Raisin, and, yes, Nancy Drew to he

The Turncoat's Widow (Revolutionary War Mysteries #1)by Mally BeckerPublished February 16th 2021 by Level Best BooksSet during the darkest days of the American Revolution, The Turncoat’s Widow tells the fictional story of General Washington’s most reluctant spy, a young widow who races times and traitors in New York City and Morristown circa 1780 to uncover a plot that threatens the new nation’s future. With elements of romance and suspense, this historical mystery also explores themes of resilience, loss, and the courage needed to leave the past behind. Arsenic and Adobo(Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery #1)by Mia P. Manansala Published May 4th 2021 by BerkleyThe first book in a new culinary cozy series full of sharp humor and delectable dishes—one that might just be killer....When Lila Macapagal moves back home to recover from a horrible breakup, her life seems to be following all the typical rom-com tropes. She's tasked with saving her Tita Rosie's failing restaurant, and she has to deal with a group of matchma

It is that time of year again where we interview some of the Agatha Award Nominees. Watch Her by Edwin Hill (Kensington)Best Contemporary FictionEdwin Hill is the author of LITTLE COMFORT and THE MISSING ONES. He was born in Duxbury, Massachusetts, and spent most of his childhood obsessing over The Famous Five, Agatha Christie, and somehow finding a way into C.S. Lewis’s wardrobe. His parents were fond of taking his sister and him on month-long family camping trips across the U.S. and Canada, and one of his best memories is of finishing a copy of The Seven Dials Mystery while the rest of the family visited Mount Rushmore. Growing up when VHS tapes were new meant that watching Alien, Jaws, The Shining, or Halloween whenever he wanted seemed luxurious, and still does today. Like Hester Thursby, he watched these movies – and others like them – a lot. After attending Wesleyan University and graduating with a B.A. in American Studies, he headed west to San Francisco for the original dotcom boom. Later, he returne

The Good Sonby Jacquelyn Mitchard Published January 18th 2022 by MIRAWhat do you do when the person you love best becomes unrecognizable to you? For Thea Demetriou, the answer is both simple and agonizing: you keep loving him somehow.Stefan was just seventeen when he went to prison for the drug-fueled murder of his girlfriend, Belinda. Three years later, he’s released to a world that refuses to let him move on. Belinda’s mother, once Thea’s good friend, galvanizes the community to rally against him to protest in her daughter’s memory. The media paints Stefan as a symbol of white privilege and indifferent justice. Neighbors, employers, even some members of Thea's own family turn away.Meanwhile Thea struggles to understand her son. At times, he is still the sweet boy he has always been; at others, he is a young man tormented by guilt and almost broken by his time in prison. But as his efforts to make amends meet escalating resistance and threats, Thea suspects more forces are at play than just community outrage

We hgglight books that feature strong woman for Womans History month. Her Perfect Familyby Teresa Driscoll Published November 1st 2021 by Thomas & MercerA gripping psychological thriller from the bestselling author of I Am Watching You. The perfect family? Or the perfect lie?It’s their daughter’s graduation and Rachel and Ed Hartley are expecting it to be one of their family’s happiest days. But when she stumbles and falls on stage during the ceremony, a beautiful moment turns to chaos: Gemma has been shot, and just like that, she’s fighting for her life.PI Matthew Hill is one of the first on the scene. A cryptic message Gemma received earlier in the day suggests someone close to her was about to be exposed. But who? As Matthew starts to investigate, he finds more and more layers obscuring the truth. He even begins to suspect the Hartleys are hiding something big—from him and from each other.While Gemma lies in hospital in a coma, her would-be killer is still out there. Can Matthew unravel the family’s se

The Pilot's Daughterby Meredith Jaeger Published November 2nd 2021 by Dutton BooksThe glitzy days of 1920s New York meet the devastation of those left behind in World War II in a new, delectable historical novel from USA Today bestselling author Meredith Jaeger.In the final months of World War II, San Francisco newspaper secretary Ellie Morgan should be planning her wedding and subsequent exit from the newsroom into domestic life. Instead, Ellie, who harbors dreams of having her own column, is using all the skills she's learned as a would-be reporter to try to uncover any scrap of evidence that her missing pilot father is still alive. But when she discovers a stack of love letters from a woman who is not her mother in his possessions, her already fragile world goes into a tailspin, and she vows to find out the truth about the father she loves--and the woman who loved him back.When Ellie arrives on her aunt Iris's doorstep, clutching a stack of letters and uttering a name Iris hasn't heard in decades, Iris is

In honor of Black History Month we feature three books by black woman mystery authorsBody and Soul Food (Books & Biscuits Mystery #1)by Abby Collette Published November 9th 2021 by Berkley BooksWhen Koby Hill and Keaton Rutledge were orphaned at age two, they were separated, but their unbreakable connection lingered. Year later, they reunite and decide to make up for lost time and capitalize on their shared interests by opening up a well-stocked bookstore and cozy soul-food café in the quaint Pacific Northwest town of Timber Lake. But this new chapter of their lives could end on a cliffhanger after Koby's foster brother is found murdered.The murder, which occurred in public between light-rail stops, seems impossible for the police to solve. But as Keaton and Koby know, two heads are always better than one, especially when it comes to mysteries. With just a week to go before the grand opening of their new café, the twins will use their revitalized connection with each other to make sure this is the killer'

Murder at Mallowan Hall(Phyllida Bright Mystery #1)by Colleen Cambridge Colleen Cambridge's charming and inventive new historical series introduces an unforgettable heroine in Phyllida Bright, fictional housekeeper for none other than famed mystery novelist Agatha Christie. When a dead body is found during a house party at the home of Agatha Christie and her husband Max Mallowan, it's up to famous author's head of household, Phyllida Bright, to investigate...Tucked away among Devon's rolling green hills, Mallowan Hall combines the best of English tradition with the modern conveniences of 1930. Housekeeper Phyllida Bright, as efficient as she is personable, manages the large household with an iron fist in her very elegant glove. In one respect, however, Mallowan Hall stands far apart from other picturesque country houses...The manor is home to archaeologist Max Mallowan and his famous wife, Agatha Christie. Phyllida is both loyal to and protective of the crime writer, who is as much friend as employer. An afic

For February we chose three books featuring womanThe Pickwick Murders (A Dickens of a Crime #4)by Heather Redmond Published October 26th 2021 by Kensington Publishing CorporationIn a reimagining of Charles Dickens' classic The Pickwick Papers, Heather Redmond's fourth Victorian-era mystery in the Dickens of a Crime series finds a young Charles tossed into Newgate Prison for a murder he didn't commit, and his fiance Kate Hogarth striving to clear his name...London, January 1836: Just weeks before the release of his first book, Charles is intrigued by an invitation to join the exclusive Lightning Club. But his initiation in a basement maze takes a wicked turn when he stumbles upon the corpse of Samuel Pickwick, the club's president. With the victim's blood literally on his hands, Charles is locked away in notorious Newgate Prison.Now it's up to Kate to keep her framed fianc� from the hangman's noose. To solve this labyrinthine mystery, she is forced to puzzle her way through a fiendish series of baffling riddle

The 200th episode of Dark and Stormy Book club features snippets from some of our favorite interviews from the past.

Green Mount Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Established on March 15, 1838, and dedicated on July 13, 1839, it is noted for the large number of historical figures interred in its grounds as well as many prominent Baltimore-area families. It retained the name Green Mount when the land was purchased from the heirs of Baltimore merchant Robert Oliver. Green Mount is a treasury of precious works of art, including striking works by major sculptors including William H. Rinehart and Hans Schuler.The cemetery was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. Guided tours are available at various times of the year.A Baltimore City Landmark plaque at the entrance reads:Green Mount Cemetery was dedicated in 1839 on the site of the former country estate of Robert Oliver. This was at the beginning of the "rural cemetery movement"; Green Mount was Baltimore's first such rural cemetery and one of the first in the U.S. The movement began both as a response to the heal

Happy New Year!!Three books to start the year off right.For Your Own Goodby Samantha Downing Published July 20th 2021 by BerkleyTeddy Crutcher has won Teacher of the Year at the esteemed Belmont Academy, home to the best and brightest.He says his wife couldn't be more proud—though no one has seen her in a while.Teddy really can’t be bothered with the death of a school parent that’s looking more and more like murder or the student digging a little too deep into Teddy’s personal life. His main focus is on pushing these kids to their full academic potential.All he wants is for his colleagues—and the endlessly meddlesome parents—to stay out of his way.It's really too bad that sometimes excellence can come at such a high cost.USA Today bestselling author Samantha Downing is back with her latest sneaky thriller set at a prestigious private school—complete with interfering parents, overeager students, and one teacher who just wants to teach them all a lesson… A Good Day for Chardonnay (Sunshine Vicram #2)by Darynda

One of Us (A Tower District Mystery #1) by Lorie Lewis Ham At 35, children’s book author Roxi Carlucci finds herself starting over again after her publisher drops her book series. With no income, she has to pack up her life on the California Coast, along with her pet rat Merlin, and move in with her cousin, P.I. Stephen Carlucci, who lives in Fresno, CA. The one redeeming factor is that Stephen lives in the Tower District—the cultural oasis of Fresno.Stephen talks Roxi into helping out with a community theatre production, which is also a fundraiser for a local animal rescue. Little did she know that someone would be murdered during a rehearsal, and that she and Stephen would be hired to find the killer. The killer has to be one of Roxi’s new acquaintances since the theatre was locked at the time of the murder, but no one seems to have a motive. How can they solve a murder without a motive? Could the local gossip website hold any clues? Can they stop the killer before they strike again? Lorie Lewis Ham lives i

We finalize our holiday break with a recast of one of our favorites from this past year. Ellery Adams. Enjoy

Recast of episode 163 featuring an interview with Caitlin Rother about her book Death on Ocean Boulevard: Inside the Coronado Mansion Case" It was released in April of 2021 by Citadel Press

We are taking a long winter's nap. for the next 3 episodes we will play some of our favorites from this past year. This week is the unforgettable Anne Perry. Enjoy!!!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder (Catering Hall Mystery #3)by Maria DiRico Published October 26th 2021 by Kensington Publishing CorporationAstoria, Queens, is decorated within an inch of its life for the Christmas season, and Mia Carina is juggling her job at the Belle View catering hall with a case of murder...Mia's busy with a full schedule of events at the family business--among them an over-the-top Nativity-themed first birthday party and a Sweet Sixteen for a teen drama queen. But her personal life is even more challenging. Her estranged mother has returned--and her lifelong friend Jamie has discovered a shocking secret about his past. He's so angry that he starts hanging out with Lorenzo, who claims to be his long-lost brother--even after it becomes clear that Lorenzo's story is as fake as a plastic Christmas tree.Then a body turns up among the elves in a Santa's-workshop lawn display, and amateur sleuth Mia has a buffet of suspects to choose from. Amid the holiday celebrations, she intends to f

Her Name Is Knight (Nena Knight #1)by Yasmin Angoe Published November 1st 2021 by Thomas & MercerHer Name Is Knight revolves around Nena Knight, codename Echo, a highly trained assassin for The Tribe – a clandestine international organization dedicated to the protection and advancement of the peoples and countries of Africa around the world. Her Name Is Knight is a propulsive character story and action thriller driven by retribution, passion, strength — and coming to terms with your own true self, regardless of what anyone calls you.Websitehttps://yasminangoe.comTwitter yasawriterYasmin Angoe is the debut author of the bestselling and award-winning thriller Her Name Is Knight. She is a first-generation Ghanaian American and has worked in education for nearly twenty years as a middle and high school teacher and instructional coach. Currently, Yasmin works as a developmental editor and sensitivity reader for publishers and authors.Yasmin received the 2020 Eleanor Taylor Bland Award for Emerging Writers of C

Death Overdue (Killer Librarian #2)by Mary Lou KirwinPublished November 5th 2013 by Gallery BooksIn the second novel in the “engaging” (Booklist) cozy library mystery series, Karen must work to clear her beau’s name after his ex-girlfriend is killed by a falling bookshelf while staying at his inn.Spunky librarian Karen Nash is back in London and planning to open a bookstore with her beau, Caldwell Perkins, who owns a B&B. Unexpectedly, Sally, Caldwell’s tall, gorgeous, and blonde ex-girlfriend shows up—possibly to reclaim the B&B—and just maybe Caldwell, too. Sally’s current boyfriend, Alfredo, joins her, and they take a room.That night, Karen is awakened by a horrible crash. Caldwell isn’t in bed with her. She rushes out to the hall to find him standing in the doorway of the inn’s library with a look of horror on his face. Inside the room all Karen can see is a woman’s hand sticking out from under a massive pile of pages and wood. While Sally’s death appears an accident, Karen finds it hard to believ