Book Review: KARLA’s CHOICE by Nick Harkaway
The master of spy fiction, is of course, John le Carré. TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY is the classic Cold War counterintelligence tale. There’s a Soviet mole within the Circus, the author euphemism...
Not Quite James Bond but a good career nonetheless
My CIA career has come up several times lately, during new release promo events for BARRACUDA BAY, the latest Detective Emilia Cruz mystery. House of Mystery podcast When I was chatting with House...
7 Teeny Tiny Illustrated Instant Book Reviews
Every other Sunday, my Mystery Review newsletter carries a review of a book I loved and think you will, too. Basically, I'm recommending what to read while you wait for my next book! But if you're a...
How to Add a Book to Goodreads Lists
Goodreads is a great resource for readers. One part review platform, one part social sharing, all parts clunky and hard to navigate. Yet it is worth taking the time to navigate the platform because...
BARRACUDA BAY Needs You
All books are born alone . . . without any reviews. Given that about 1% of readers actually take the time to write a review, those who do are truly rock stars. BARRACUDA BAY, the latest Detective...
New Release! BARRACUDA BAY is the latest Detective Emilia Cruz mystery
The long-awaited continuation of the award-winning Detective Emilia Cruz mystery series is out now, taking you into the dizzying, dangerous world of money laundering and cross-border intrigue....
Book Review: The 8th Detective by Alex Pavesi
This is a Russian nesting doll of a book, with multiple literary devices nested inside a wider puzzle. The pundits have called it a thriller, which is stretching the definition in my view, but it...
She was Emilia Cruz. So was she.
The top question I get from readers? “Is Detective Emilia Cruz based on a real person?” Yes, sort of. Emilia is a composite of three different people. All contribute in unique ways to the character,...
My Author Year in Review: 2024 Edition
Phew! 2024 was quite a year. Here's a swift recap: 2024 in review: New releases 1 Backlist glow-up: AWAKENING MACBETH, 2nd edition 2 Audiobooks: MADE IN ACAPULCO and THE LISTMAKER OF ACAPULCO 1 Box...
BOOK REVIEW: ALL OUR WARS by Stephanie Vasquez
It's been 12 years since I released THE HIDDEN LIGHT OF MEXICO CITY. On the eve of Mexico's presidential elections, an attorney discovers collusion between the country's powerful Minister of Public...
BARRACUDA BAY: Cover reveal and Release Date
Drum roll, please! Graphic artist Matt Chase has created another signature piece of art for the next book in the Detective Emilia Cruz series, BARRACUDA BAY. Cover Reveal The background color was...
Just another day in paradise
Just another day in paradise, except for the dead police lieutenant in the bottom of a speedboat drifting in the still waters of Puerto Marques, the small bay-within-a-bay on the southeastern tip of...
Gifts from my mother
My mother passed in October at age 95. Although she’d been declining for some time and dementia had robbed us of who she really was, the loss still hit like a hammer blow. Many of my writer friends...
Book Review: DEAD WATER, a Cornish Crime thriller by Berrick Ford
DEAD WATER is a deep dive into a British police investigation, set against the beautiful light and harsh seas of the Cornwall coast. First in Berrick Ford’s new Cornish Crime series, the compelling...
New Release! Paranormal romance novel AWAKENING MACBETH
I’m thrilled to announce that Laurel & Croton has released a brand new edition of AWAKENING MACBETH, a suspenseful, page-turning paranormal romance novel. It’s available now in Kindle and...
Book Review: TANGLED ISLA by Lynda L. Lock
It’s the long-awaited next book in the mystery series set on Mexico’s Isla Mujeres on the Caribbean coast. TANGLED ISLA is full of island atmosphere, familiar characters, and the real places that...
Custom knitting kits inspired by the Galliano Club historical fiction series
A mystery author, a knitting pattern designer, a fiber arts store owner and a custom yarn maker all walk into a bar . . . The result is knitting, crochet and weaving kits inspired by the Galliano...
Find Me at Killer Nashville and Bouchercon
Summer is the season for author “cons.” My hands down favorite is Killer Nashville, right in my (almost) back yard. Killer Nashville This annual author conference is a 4-day whirl of writing...
Tornado Hits City that Inspired Historical Fiction Series
On 16 July, a tornado barreled through my hometown of Rome in upstate New York. With a population of around 32,000, Rome is near the geographical center of New York state. Summers there are known...
Author to Author with Liese Sherwood-Fabre
I had the pleasure of meeting Liese Sherwood-Fabre when we were fellow panel members at a mystery author event organized by the Smith County Library in Wylie, Texas. After the event, we discovered...
Best Books to Read According to Contest Judges (and me!)
Today I’m sharing 9 books by friends of the Mystery Ahead newsletter (and 1 by yours truly) that are on Killer Nashville’s list of Top Ranked Books of 2023, as reviewed by judges for the Silver...
Elections This Year are the Stuff of Fiction
In BARRACUDA BAY, the upcoming Detective Emilia Cruz mystery set in Acapulco, elections for mayor are coming up fast. Incumbent Carlota Montoya Perez, an enigma to Emilia, wants another term but...
Book Review: THE STREET KING by Mike Ludden
With a propulsive pace, this Savannah, Georgia police procedural delivers a compelling plot and an unlikely duo of cops who will steal your attention and (possibly) your heart. Tate Drawdy is a...
Not my CIA
I rarely discuss hot potato topics, but this week it became painfully clear that the CIA I joined in 1985 is not the CIA of today. the nonpartisan rule I entered on duty the day after Ronald...
Havana Syndrome Spy Thriller
You saw it here first. I'm finally writing a spy thriller. Well, part of one. Spy-sourced thriller I've been invited to contribute a chapter to a spy thriller that tackles Havana Syndrome. Different...
“Come back in 15 Minutes”
“Come back in 15 minutes." When we lived in Mexico, I hated this phrase. The words weren't meant to be taken literally. Nothing would change in 15 minutes and everyone knew it. No, it was a...
Book Review: COVERT ACTION by David Bruns and J.R. Olson
Clear your schedule! Coming at you fast and low is a top-notch espionage military thriller with an eye-opening lesson in how China projects power around the world today. Don Riley is the Deputy...