Murder to the Metal by Annie Hogsett

June 03, 2018

The second Somebody’s Bound to Wind Up Dead mystery, Murder to the Metal, doesn’t have as much humor as Annie Hogsett’s debut. But, the complex storyline and the heart in this mystery make up for it. Allie Harper is the narrator. She and Thomas...

DEROS by John A. Vanek

February 04, 2018

DEROS: Date of Expected Return from Overseas. In John A. Vanek’s first Father Jake Austin mystery, the former medic in Vietnam may physically be in the United States, but even in 2002, he still feels as if he left a part of himself behind. After his service in...

Down a Dark Road by Linda Castillo

July 05, 2017

I’ve never been disappointed in one of Linda Castillo’s Kate Burkholder crime novels. And, even better for Police Chief Burkholder, her small police force has never disappointed. Down a Dark Road is another riveting story in an outstanding series....

Too Lucky to Live by Annie Hogsett

May 04, 2017

Annie Hogsett’s debut mystery is one of the most entertaining I’ve read this year. When Allie Harper, the narrator says, “I have always felt that with some training, I’d make an excellent P.I. A cross between V.I. Warshawski and Kinsey...

An Open Book by Michael Dirda

December 20, 2016

When I read literary critic Michael Dirda’s book, Browsings, I discovered he’s from northern Ohio, and went to college at Oberlin. Browsings led me to the story of Dirda’s youth, An Open Book: Chapters from a Reader’s Life. It’s a...