Reviews + Articles

Dark Humor by Matt Goldman

For some reason it seems appropriate that it’s been a few years since Matt Goldman’s last Nils Shapiro novel. It’s been two years since Shapiro’s wife,, the Minneapolis police chief, was gunned down in a parking garage. Nils has patiently...

The Tale of the Wicked by John Scalzi

John Scalzi can say more in a short story than many authors can in an entire novel. “The Tale of the Wicked” is a satisfying, surprising story with clever plotting. Even in a short story, his characters can grow and change, including a battle ship...

What Are You Reading?

I’m going to say this once, and then I’ll drop it for those who are not yet retired. I love retirement. I hate snow, driving in it, walking in it. We had snow in the middle of the night on Sunday, and it continued into rush hour on Monday. And, I...

The Curious Poisoning of Jewel Barnes by Terry Shames

While I’m a big fan of Terry Shames’ character Police Chief Samuel Craddock, I’m not a big fan of her latest book, The Curious Poisoning of Jewel Barnes. I love Craddock and the familiar characters in the series. However, there are a few too many...

The Snow Lies Deep by Paula Munier

I used to turn to Louise Penny’s Armand Gamache books when I wanted beautiful writing. Now, I do the same with Paula Munier’s mysteries. In The Snow Lies Deep, the seventh Mercy Carr mystery, Munier describes a Vermont Christmas with poetic, magical...

January Treasures in My Closet

Are you ready for a sneak peek into January 2026? Let’s forecast a few of the books of that month. Let me know which ones you want to read. And, don’t forget to tell us what books I missed that are January releases. Let’s kick off January with...