The Curious Poisoning of Jewel Barnes by Terry Shames

December 03, 2025

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 Dark Vineyard by Martin Walker

September 20, 2025

Bruno Courreges may think of himself as a simple village policeman, but he’s a shrewd man who loves Saint-Denis and its people, the ones he serves. The Dark Vineyard, the second in Martin Walker’s Bruno, Chief of Police series, demonstrates his ability to...

The Troubling Death of Maddy Benson by Terry Shames

September 30, 2024

Earlier this year, when Terry Shames launched her Jessie Madison series set in the Bahamas, I worried that she was leaving Samuel Craddock behind. Not to worry. She recently signed a contract to continue both series. And, with The Troubling Death of Maddy Benson, she...

Murder at the Jubilee Rally by Terry Shames

October 05, 2022

Terry Shames’ last Samuel Craddock mystery, A Risky Undertaking for Loretta Singletary, came out in 2019. I couldn’t be happier that Severn House picked up the series. Shames’ latest, Murder at the Jubilee Rally, proves that neither she nor Craddock...

Nantucket Penny by Steven Axelrod

July 14, 2021

Steven Axelrod takes us back to Nantucket in Nantucket Penny, but it’s not the luxurious island you expect. It’s autumn on Nantucket. With the tourists gone, the island should be peaceful, and Police Chief Henry Kennis and his police force should be able...