Volume 1 Issue 4
During the past few months, I’ve found myself reading an eclectic mix of crime novels, and I want to share with you a few of my choices that you may also enjoy.
Typically, I don’t read many cozy mysteries. However, my sister Meg clued me in to a debut novel by Richard Osman, a British TV host, which is a pleasure to read and a much-needed antidote to the challenging environment we’re currently live in. The Thursday Murder Club serves up plot twists, clever wit, and a quartet of retirement village residents who know how to solve crimes. The four club members are richly drawn, complex characters who explode the stereotypes of retirees.
If you read Osman’s first novel, you won’t have long to wait for the next adventure with the murder club. The Man Who Died Twice, featuring the same characters, is scheduled for release in late September. We just might be in on the ground floor of a fun, new series.
In sharp contrast to a cozy, I’ve read the first five novels in the Travis McGee series written by a master of hard-boiled detective fiction, John D. MacDonald. Successful crime novelists continue to recommend MacDonald’s work, and now I see why. Travis lives in Florida aboard his boat, The Busted Flush, which he won in a poker game. He is cynical but with a keen sense of justice and refers to his work as the “salvage business.” He works with the able assistance of his best friend, Meyer, an economist with valuable contacts for crime-solving.
The novels in this series that I read and recommend are: A Tan and Sandy Silence, The Dreadful Lemon Sky, The Empty Copper Se, The Green Ripper, and Free Fall in Crimson.
Free Short Story Download My short story, The Lure of Other People’s Money, is available free on the Amazon Kindle app. If you are interested, you can download it at no cost between September 21 and September 25. If you are interested you can find a link to the short story on my website, chrisqquarembo.com, or directly at Amazon. You don’t need a Kindle Reader because the app can also be downloaded free to your computer or mobile phone. The story features Philadelphia PI Andrea Fabiano, who believes her client is not guilty of stealing $100,000 from his employer even though evidence against him piles up. Was the lure of money too much to resist, or was her client framed?
Consider Independent Book Stores Please consider patronizing an independent bookstore to help keep them viable within our communities whenever you purchase books.
Please feel free to email me, chrisquarembo@gmail.com, and share your comments about the newsletter, books you’re reading, and books to recommend to readers of this newsletter.
Watch for another of my newsletters in November.
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