A Cow Hunter's Lament & Other Stories by Larry D. Sweazy

 

Larry Sweazy's done it again with this collection of eleven stories that run the gamut of Western life. Normally in any short story anthology, there are one or two stories that are weaker than the rest, but there are none of those to be found in this collection.

 

These stories teach as well as entertain. I learned that cattle ranching was a big part of life in Florida just as it has been in more well-known places like Texas. I'd also never heard of the Indiana Territorial Rangers, an organization that accepted women, so "The Buffalo Trace" was of particular interest to me. 

 

Other stories show Texas Rangers in relentless pursuit of outlaws, an ex-con wanting a quiet life, what happened to some of the children packed aboard the Orphan Trains, a shoot-out with Bonnie and Clyde, and more. 

 

There are stories about Native Americans, about Southerners whose lives were ruined during the Civil War, even one with a rather vampirical edge. They are narrated by both men and women. These stories are tough and tender and so Western that you can hear spurs jingling, cattle bawling, and the click of a hammer being pulled back on a pistol.

 

This is a collection that should be read by everyone with an interest, not only in the Western United States, but in well-drawn characters and fine storytelling. If you find yourself wanting to read more by this author-- and I think you will-- I highly recommend his Marjorie Trumaine mysteries set in 1960s North Dakota as well as his Sonny Burton mysteries set in Depression Era Texas. 

 

 

A Cow Hunter's Lament & Other Stories: A Western Collection 

by Larry D. Sweazy

ISBN: 9781432897857

Gale © 2023

Paperback, 258 pages

 

Short Story Anthology

Rating: A

Source: The author in exchange for an honest review.

Lost Mountain Pass by Larry D. Sweazy

 

First Lines: Kosoma, Indian Territory, May 1888. Three pair of boots burst through the gallows, toes aimed straight to the ground.

 

As the three Darby brothers hang from the gallows, the townspeople of Kosoma are relieved. Nothing and no one had been safe while those three were breathing. Now that the execution has taken place, U.S. Marshall Trusty Dawson's job is to take Judge Hadesworth back home. Just before the two men head out, the dead outlaws' sister, Amelia, persuades the judge to take her along with them. With her brothers' reputations there in town, there's no way she's going to get a fair shake from anyone. Trusty really wanted to leave her behind, sensing that she's trouble, but the judge overrules him.

 

And trouble is exactly what she turns out to be. Bedding down for the night at Lost Mountain Pass, the three are ambushed. The judge is killed, Trusty wounded, and Amelia vanishes, leading Trusty to believe that she led them straight into a trap.

 

To find Amelia, Trusty is going to have to put his faith in the fourth Darby brother, Michael, a man who's recently left the priesthood, but as their search for Michael's sister turns deadlier by the day, Trusty has good reason to distrust Michael as well.

 

~

 

I'm finding that I'm in the midst of another mini-reading binge of books set in the American West, and one of the best authors to read is Spur Award-winning Larry D. Sweazy. This first Trusty Dawson book, Lost Mountain Pass, takes us from 1860s St. Louis and Trusty's youth to 1880s Indian Territory where U.S. Marshall Sam Dawson has earned the nickname everyone calls him by being utterly trustworthy and dependable.

 

Sweazy's setting has you slapping off the trail dust, hearing the jingle of spurs, and knowing that your life may very well depend on how observant you are of people and your surroundings. There's more going on than a simple manhunt to put Trusty's life in danger, and as his backstory is woven into the story, the danger he's in becomes palpable. There are two very dangerous men after Dawson, and the shadowy Michael Darby with his reluctance to talk makes you wonder if there's a third. And as far as characters are concerned, Sweazy introduces a female Apache scout named Woman's Clothes that I definitely would love to see more of. 

 

With its fast pace, authentic setting, very real sense of danger, and amusing turns of phrase ("...took to wearing suits like a lizard dancing on ice" and "...face that looked like it had been used to rake gravel"), Lost Mountain Pass is an extremely satisfying read. In the next book in the series, Trusty will be heading to North Dakota, and I think I'll just mosey right along with him. 

Lost Mountain Pass by Larry D. Sweazy

eISBN: 9780786046782

Pinnacle Books © 2021

eBook, 320 pages

 

Historical Fiction/Western, #1 Trusty Dawson

Rating: B+

Source: Net Galley

Winter Seeks Out the Lonely by Larry D. Sweazy

First Line: January 13, 1935. Sonny Burton stood on the front porch and watched an open-topped jalopy sputtering down the hardpan road, rolling slow enough to kick into the air any dust worthy of noting.

 

It's a bleak, cold January in the Texas Panhandle. The Depression lingers on, digging its dirty fingers deep into every nook and cranny of life. The local Texas Rangers office is closing, which means Sonny Burton's son Jesse will probably lose his job. A ragtag, tired circus camps outside Wellington, needing rest before continuing on its journey, but most townsfolk don't seem to want it there. 

 

Sonny Burton is retired from the Texas Rangers, but that doesn't stop anyone from coming to him for help. His friend, Aldo Hernandez, comes seeking help for his cousin who got into a fight and cost another man his chance to work in the Civilian Conservation Corps. Although Sonny doesn't want to get involved, he finally agrees to help and finds himself in a snarled mess of corruption, bigotry, and hate. 

 

Sonny would much rather focus on the letters he's been receiving from Edith Grantley. While he worries about Edith being willing to share her life with a one-armed man who's used to living alone with his three-legged dog, Edith has grown tired of waiting for a response to her letters. She's jumped into her car, left her home in Huntsville, and is driving all the way to Wellington to see him-- not necessarily the wisest thing to do in these hard times. For both of them, it's a time of dangerous confrontations.

 

~

 

I've been a fan of Larry D. Sweazy's Sonny Burton mysteries since the very first one, A Thousand Falling Crows. During a shootout with Bonnie and Clyde, Bonnie Parker's aim cost Sonny his arm. There can't be any one-armed Texas Rangers, so she cost him his job, too... the most important thing in his life. His dedication to his job took a huge toll on his personal life, and even though his son Jesse joined the Texas Rangers in his father's footsteps, their relationship is strained. Sonny lives outside of town with his three-legged hound, Blue, feeling very much the outsider, and the cold, bleak winter is making him feel rootless and lonely. He's not the only one.

In the second book in the series (there are now three), The Lost Are the Last to Die, Sonny met boardinghouse owner Edith Grantley who's also feeling lost and alone. While Sonny thinks he's not fit to share Edith's life, Edith has her own thoughts on the matter and is brave enough to jump into her Pierce Arrow and make the journey from Huntsville all the way to the Texas Panhandle where Sonny lives. I could talk about these two characters all day because Sweazy brings them to life, but Sonny and Edith aren't the only reasons why you should read this book.

 

Sweazy also sets readers down right smack dab in the middle of the Dust Bowl and the Depression. You get a real feel for the landscape, how people lived, what they thought. If you enjoy historical mysteries set in the western United States, then don't miss Sonny Burton. 

The mystery concerning Aldo Hernandez's cousin is a good one, and it kept me trying to figure out what happened, but the part of the book that really grabbed me was Edith's journey across the state of Texas. Any female reading Winter Seeks Out the Lonely is going to put herself in Edith's shoes and find herself wishing that Edith's bright yellow Pierce Arrow would go faster. Faster. Faster. What makes this part of the book so memorable is that it isn't only adrenaline-churning action, it shows us just what kind of a person Edith is.

For Edith, "The road trip had revealed a world desperate to survive, to express its rage, and to take whatever it wanted without consequence." For readers, Winter Seeks Out the Lonely is a road trip deep into the Depression with two characters who show the strength and resiliency of the human spirit. I am so glad I found these books.

Winter Seeks Out the Lonely by Larry D. Sweazy

ISBN: 9781432868963

Five Star © 2021

Hardcover, 290 pages

 

Historical Mystery, #3 Sonny Burton mystery

Rating: A

Source: the author

September 2021 New Mystery Releases!

 

Okay now. Seems to me the last time I blinked, it was only May. How could it be September already? I would feel more outraged if it weren't for something I read less than an hour ago on a knitting blog. The blogger called 2020 a lost year, and I think we can all agree with that, thanks to the pandemic. Then she went on to say that 2021 is a lost year masquerading as a normal year, and the more I think about it, the more I agree with her, thanks to all the people who won't get vaccinated. There are a lot of folks who need to be transported in a time machine back to the good old days to see what it was like pre-vaccines to be fodder for all sorts of diseases-- several kinds of measles, chicken pox, mumps, and on and on and on. 

This is just one of the many reasons why I like how keeping an eye peeled for new crime fiction can keep my blood pressure from spiking. The following list contains my picks for the best new mysteries being released throughout the month of September. I've grouped them according to their release dates, and the book covers and synopses are courtesy of Amazon.

Let's see if any of my choices are on your own lists!

 

 

=== September 7 ===

 

 

Title: Striking Range

Author: Margaret Mizushima

Series: #7 in the Timber Creek K-9 police procedural series set in the mountains of Colorado.

288 pages

 

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books.

 

Synopsis: "He was suspect number one--the man who tried to kill Deputy Mattie Cobb and may have killed her father thirty years earlier. But when Mattie and cold case detective Jim Hauck reach the Colorado state prison where they will finally get to interview him, he's found dead in his cell. There's only one clue: a map leading to Timber Creek and rugged Redstone Ridge.

Though she usually works with veterinarian Cole Walker, Mattie's K-9 partner Robo has just sired a litter of pups, who require special, time-consuming care at Cole's clinic. Left to explore the map's clue without him, Mattie and Robo journey into the burned forest surrounding Redstone Ridge. But before they can finish their search they're called to help investigate the death of a young woman found in a campground filled with elk hunters. Identification of the deceased points to her having recently given birth, but the infant is nowhere to be found.

As a deadly storm descends upon the mountains, covering everything with a layer of ice and snow, Mattie and her team search for the missing newborn. The storm batters the area, taking its toll on the team and forcing the sheriff to call in reinforcements. When new evidence surfaces, they decide that finding the woman's killer will lead them to her baby, making them even more desperate to solve the case.

Then Cole goes missing, stranded alone in the high country with a person that Mattie now suspects is the mastermind behind several murders, including her father's. She and Robo take to the trail to find Cole--but the killer has a cold-blooded plan that threatens them all." 

Title: The Heron's Cry

Author: Ann Cleeves

Series: #2 in the Two Rivers police procedural series set in North Devon, England.

400 pages

 

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books.

 

Synopsis: "North Devon is enjoying a rare hot summer with tourists flocking to its coastline. Detective Matthew Venn is called out to a rural crime scene at the home of a group of artists. What he finds is an elaborately staged murder--Dr Nigel Yeo has been fatally stabbed with a shard of one of his glassblower daughter's broken vases.

Dr. Yeo seems an unlikely murder victim. He's a good man, a public servant, beloved by his daughter. Matthew is unnerved, though, to find that she is a close friend of Jonathan, his husband.

Then another body is found--killed in a similar way. Matthew soon finds himself treading carefully through the lies that fester at the heart of his community and a case that is dangerously close to home.

DI Matthew Venn returns in The Heron's Cry, in Ann Cleeves' powerful next novel, proving once again that she is a master of her craft."

 

 

Title: The Dark Remains

Author: William McIlvanney & Ian Rankin

Series: #4 Laidlaw Investigation police procedural set in Scotland.

208 pages

 

Synopsis: "Lawyer Bobby Carter did a lot of work for the wrong kind of people. When his body is found in an alley behind a pub that is known to be under the protective wing of a local crime boss, the fragile equilibrium that has been keeping Glasgow relatively safe for months is shattered. Besides a distraught family and any number of powerful friends, Carter has left behind his fair share of enemies. So who is responsible for his death?

DC Jack Laidlaw’s reputation precedes him. He’s not a team player, but he’s got a sixth sense for what’s happening on the streets. His boss chalks Carter’s death up to the usual rivalries, but Laidlaw knows it can’t be that simple. As two Glasgow gangs go to war, he needs to find Carter’s killer before the whole city explodes.

William McIlvanney’s Laidlaw books changed the face of crime fiction. When he died in 2015, he left half a handwritten manuscript of Laidlaw’s first case. Ian Rankin has finished what McIlvanney started. Here, in The Dark Remains, these two iconic authors bring to life the criminal world of 1970s Glasgow, and Laidlaw’s relentless quest for truth."

 

 === September 14 ===

Title: Deadly Summer Nights

Author: Vicki Delany

Series: #1 in the Catskill Summer Resort historical cozy series set in 1950s New York State.

304 pages

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books.

Synopsis: "It’s the summer of 1953, and Elizabeth Grady is settling into Haggerman’s Catskills Resort. As a vacation getaway, Haggerman’s is ideal, and although Elizabeth’s ostentatious but well-meaning mother is new to running the resort, Elizabeth is eager to help her organize the guests and the entertainment acts. But Elizabeth will have to resort to untested abilities if she wants to save her mother’s business.

When a reclusive guest is found dead in a lake on the grounds, and a copy of The Communist Manifesto is found in his cabin, the local police chief is convinced that the man was a Russian spy. But Elizabeth isn’t so sure, and with the fate of the resort hanging in the balance, she’ll need to dodge red herrings, withstand the Red Scare, and catch a killer red-handed."

Title: My Sweet Girl

Author: Amanda Jayatissa

Standalone thriller set in Sri Lanka and California

384 pages

 

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books.

 

Synopsis: "Ever since she was adopted from a Sri Lankan orphanage, Paloma has had the best of everything—schools, money, and parents so perfect that she fears she'll never live up to them.

Now at thirty years old and recently cut off from her parents’ funds, she decides to sublet the second bedroom of her overpriced San Francisco apartment to Arun, who recently moved from India. Paloma has to admit, it feels good helping someone find their way in America—that is until Arun discovers Paloma's darkest secret, one that could jeopardize her own fragile place in this country.

Before Paloma can pay Arun off, she finds him face down in a pool of blood. She flees the apartment but by the time the police arrive, there's no body—and no evidence that Arun ever even existed in the first place.
 
Paloma is terrified this is all somehow tangled up in the desperate actions she took to escape Sri Lanka so many years ago. Did Paloma’s secret die with Arun or is she now in greater danger than ever before?" 

=== September 21 ===

Title: Daughter of the Morning Star

Author: Craig Johnson

Series: #17 in the Walt Longmire police procedural series set in Wyoming.

336 pages

 

Synopsis: "When Lolo Long's niece Jaya begins receiving death threats, Tribal Police Chief Long calls on Absaroka County Sheriff Walt Longmire along with Henry Standing Bear as lethal backup. Jaya "Longshot" Long is the phenom of the Lame Deer Lady Stars High School basketball team and is following in the steps of her older sister, who disappeared a year previously, a victim of the scourge of missing Native Woman in Indian Country. Lolo hopes that having Longmire involved might draw some public attention to the girl's plight, but with this maneuver she also inadvertently places the good sheriff in a one-on-one with the deadliest adversary he has ever faced in both this world and the next." 

Title: Echoes of the Dead

Author: Spencer Kope

Series: #4 in the Special Tracking Unit FBI series set in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

320 pages

 

Synopsis: "Magnus “Steps” Craig is the best 'tracker' in the world, renowned for his ability to follow a person's trail anywhere - no matter the terrain or how old the trail. Steps utilizes his unique talent as part of the elite three-man Special Tracking Unit of the FBI, which is called in on cases that require his unparalleled skills. But there’s a secret to his success. Steps has a kind of synesthesia where he can see the ‘essence’ of a person―which appears to him as a unique color or pattern he calls "shine"―on everything they’ve touched. It's a secret Steps has shared with a rare few people and could, if revealed, endanger not only himself but the unit that he serves.

Steps and the Special Tracking Unit are called in on a new case where the local law enforcement is baffled. Four friends have vanished while on their annual fly-fishing trip―a congressman, a district attorney, a CEO of a major accounting firm, and a co-founder of a successful hedge fund. Now, Steps must search some of the most treacherous terrain, the Sierra Nevada range, as one by one time begins to run out for the missing men. Desperate to save whoever they can, Steps and his team discover that this is no simple missing persons case, but one with sinister motivations unlike any they've seen before." 

=== September 28 ===

Title: Lost Mountain Pass

Author: Larry D. Sweazy

Series: #1 in the Trusty Dawson Deputy U.S. Marshal historical series set in Oklahoma.

320 pages

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books.

Synopsis: "Kosoma, Indian Territory. The outlaw Darby brothers have been sentenced to hang until dead. Witnessing the execution are Amelia Darby, sister of the condemned men, as well as U.S. Deputy Marshal Sam “Trusty” Dawson and Judge Gordon Hadesworth. After justice is served, Trusty hits the trail, escorting the judge—and begrudgingly, Amelia—back to Oklahoma. Ambushed en route, the judge is murdered and Amelia vanishes, leaving Trusty to believe she led them into a trap for revenge.
 
To find Amelia, Trusty will have to put his faith in Father Michael Darby, a fourth brother who gave up his criminal ways to take up the cloth and collar. Unwilling to let his sister continue to fall to the wicked evil that claimed the rest of his family, Michael joins the hunt for Amelia. But as their journey turns deadlier by the day, Trusty starts to doubt that Michael is truly on the righteous path…"

Wow! Any month that has a new Ann Cleeves and a new Craig Johnson has to be considered a stellar month, but there are so many other good ones! Which ones are on your own lists? Inquiring minds would love to know!

The Spoilt Quilt and Other Frontier Stories edited by Hazel Rumney

First Lines from the Introduction: For so long she was a footnote. Her story was not included within the main account of westward migration.

There's not much I can say about this excellent short story anthology other than WOW. If you love historical fiction, read The Spoilt Quilt. If you love stories about strong women, read The Spoilt Quilt. If you love stories about the American West, read The Spoilt Quilt.

I think I've probably gotten my point across by now!

This book first caught my eye because one of my favorite authors, Larry D. Sweazy, has a story included. Then I saw that the introduction is written by another favorite author, Chris Enss. When I looked at the table of contents, my mouth began to water. Sandra Dallas, Charlotte Hinger, Deborah Morgan... the longer the list, the more I wanted to read this book.

I'm glad I did. There's not a weak story in the bunch, and it's impossible for me to name one favorite. Speaking of favorites, I enjoyed all my favorite authors' stories, and I was introduced to several new authors. You can't beat that, can you?

The stories range from high-action ones to stories that are introspective. The women face life-changing challenges in settings far from civilized society, and the ways they deal with their challenges are as diverse as they are. The Spoilt Quilt is a wonderful collection that I urge all of you to read.

The Spoilt Quilt and Other Frontier Stories: Pioneering Women of the West
edited by Hazel Rumney

ISBN: 9781432864293

Five Star Publishing © 2019

Hardcover, 361 pages

Short Story Anthology

Rating: A+

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

The Lost Are the Last to Die by Larry D. Sweazy

First Line: Sonny Burton downshifted the Model A Ford pickup truck and pulled it over to the side of the road.

Texas Ranger Sonny Burton retired after losing his arm in a shootout with Bonnie and Clyde, and you'd think they would leave him alone. But when Billy Bunson escapes from the prison in Huntsville, Texas, Sonny is asked to help capture him-- and his partner will be his son, Jesse.

No one knows Billy Bunson like Sonny Burton, and when Sonny learns that Billy escaped while taking a pregnant woman hostage, he knows there's more to this than meets the eye. For one thing, Billy has vowed revenge on Sonny and fully intends to carry it out because of the history between them. From his beginnings as a simple thief, Bunson has turned into a ruthless killer, so Sonny needs to proceed with caution.

The Lost Are the Last to Die unfolds over the twenty-five years that ex-Texas Ranger Sonny Burton and escaped convict Billy Bunson have known each other. In timelines varying from 1911 to 1934, readers are told these two men's stories from both points of view, and it's all about perspective. Sweazy does an excellent job of portraying both men. We see Burton's unhappy home life, his World War I service, and his slightly uneven career in the Texas Rangers. And throughout this time, Billy pops in and out. Billy, whose mother is a prostitute and his grandmother a brothel owner. Billy, a little boy who travels with the women from place to place when business gets too slow. Billy, who's trained as a thief and whose best friend and teacher is a former slave named Jim Rome. And throughout his life, there's the shadow of Sonny Burton, a laconic Texas Ranger who always seems able to outthink him and who always seems to expect more from Billy than Billy wants to give-- and that makes Billy angry.

As I read this engrossing story, two things stood out. One, a scene where Sonny comes across a rabbit cull. He sees a little four- or five-year-old boy covered in blood and screaming for his mother, and as he drives his Model A Ford pickup truck down the dirt road, he thinks about that little boy, wondering what he would remember of that day and what sort of man he would become. This scene not only brings to life a common occurrence during the Dust Bowl (rabbit culls), but it also tells us a lot about Sonny himself. The second thing? In many ways, the character who stood out the most (and who didn't get that much "screen time") was Jim Rome. In a few words, Sweazy manages to bring this man to life and make readers ponder all the things he had to endure. This is some marvelous storytelling.

This is the second Sonny Burton mystery I've read and enjoyed. The time period, the plots, and the characters all capture my imagination, so it should be no surprise to anyone when I say that I hope Sonny makes a third appearance. I really hope he's not done telling us his story.

The Lost Are the Last to Die by Larry D. Sweazy

ISBN: 9781432857233

Gale Publishing © 2019

Hardcover, 332 pages

Historical Mystery, #2 Sonny Burton mystery

Rating: A

Source: the author


 

On My Radar: Larry D. Sweazy's The Lost Are the Last to Die

After reading Larry Sweazy's Marjorie Trumaine mysteries about a professional book indexer and farm wife in 1960s North Dakota, I became a fan of his storytelling. This led me to his first Sonny Burton mystery, A Thousand Falling Crows, which was one of my Best Reads of 2017.

At the time, I said that I hoped there would be more books about this ex-Texas Ranger who lost his arm in the shootout with Bonnie and Clyde. The early 1930s setting was pitch-perfect, and I knew Sonny could have a lot more to say. So, you know I did a little happy dance when I found out that there is going to be a second Sonny Burton mystery-- The Lost Are the Last to Die.

Let's find out a little more about it!

Available November20, 2019!

 Synopsis:

"After Sonny Burton lost his right arm in a shootout with Bonnie and Clyde, he thought his days as a Texas Ranger were behind him. When a convict escapes from Huntsville Prison and takes the warden's pregnant wife hostage, the Rangers come to Sonny for help because he had a long history with Billy Bunson. From his time in El Paso, when Billy was only a boy and a thief on the street, to a few years later when Billy killed his first man, Sonny was there, either chasing him or trying to save him. Sonny knows right away if he doesn't go after Billy, then Billy will come after him..."



Maybe it's because I live in Arizona that I like reading books in which I can soak up both the history and the landscape of the West. I know that Sweazy can certainly deliver on atmosphere and setting as well as a story that will keep me turning the pages, and I know that the first Sonny Burton book was a winner, so it's little surprise that I'm looking forward to The Lost Are the Last to Die. I even like the subdued cover of the book because those gray tones remind us that the book is set during the Dust Bowl and the Depression. Desperate times.

I know this book won't be to everyone's taste, but if you do enjoy well-written historical mysteries and haven't read his Marjorie Trumaine series, I urge you to read those. They are something very special... just like Sonny Burton.

See Also Proof by Larry D. Sweazy

First Line: The closet door stood wide open and an empty cardboard box sat at my feet.

The winter of 1965 is a long and a bleak one for Marjorie Trumaine as she deals with sometimes overwhelming grief on her isolated North Dakota farm. Her border collie Shep keeps her company and her work as an indexer keeps her busy while women from the Ladies Aid society urge her to join their ranks.

When Marjorie hears the news that a neighbor's fourteen-year-old disabled daughter is missing, she joins the search which doesn't turn up the young girl but does find the body of a murdered man. The man's body was near the missing girl's house. Why? Who wanted him dead? Is his death connected to the girl's disappearance?

Marjorie's search for the truth leads her six hours away to the Grafton State School where the missing girl lived. And-- as often happens-- the information she uncovers raises even more questions. But the most important question of all is this: will the murderer come after Marjorie now that she knows a long-hidden secret?

Larry D. Sweazy's Marjorie Trumaine series continues to be one of my favorites. In See Also Proof, he uses a chapter of North Dakota history that was swept under the rug (and all other states have similar chapters that they've tried to bury). I also like how Marjorie uses her indexing skills to further her investigation into murder; moreover, readers get to learn more about this little-known skill as the story progresses.

Winter is a major character in this book. One blizzard after another roars through. People have to wear many, many layers of clothing in an attempt to stay warm. It's a fight to keep vehicles running in this brutal weather. And most of all, Marjorie shows us why it's so important to have an emergency kit in your vehicle because the chances of being stranded in a snowbank are very real.

As the investigations into the girl's disappearance and the man's death progress, another important theme of the book is uncovered: how people in these isolated areas come together to help each other in times of grief and of trouble. Once again, Sweazy has created a strong mystery for a stalwart woman to solve, but he's also painted a portrait of community, and that will stay in my mind even longer than the mystery itself.

See Also Proof by Larry D. Sweazy

ISBN: 9781633882799

Seventh Street Books © 2018

Paperback, 251 pages

Historical Mystery, #3 Marjorie Trumaine mystery

Rating: A

Source: Amazon Vine

May 2018 New Mystery Releases!

When this is posted, Denis and I will be having fun with our niece, Daisy, who's here from England for two weeks. As you can see, I'm trying to get as much as possible done ahead of time, but who knows how successful I'll be? One thing is certain, though: I'm always on the lookout for new reading material, regardless of what's going on around me!

These are my picks of new crime fiction being released during the month of May. I've grouped them by release date, and the book covers and synopses are courtesy of Amazon.

Hopefully, I've chosen a title or two that tickles your fancy as well as mine. Let's take a look!

=== May 1 ===

Title: A Baby's Bones

Author: Rebecca Alexander

Suspense set in present-day England involving a 400-year-old mystery.

464 pages

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books.

Synopsis: "Archaeologist Sage Westfield has been called in to excavate a sixteenth-century well, and expects to find little more than soil and the odd piece of pottery. But the disturbing discovery of the bones of a woman and newborn baby make it clear that she has stumbled onto an historical crime scene, one that is interwoven with an unsettling local legend of witchcraft and unrequited love. Yet there is more to the case than a four-hundred-year-old mystery. The owners of a nearby cottage are convinced that it is haunted, and the local vicar is being plagued with abusive phone calls. Then a tragic death makes it all too clear that a modern murderer is at work..." 

Title: See Also Proof

Author: Larry D. Sweazy

Series: #3 in the Marjorie Trumaine historical series set in 1960s North Dakota.

251 pages

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books.

Synopsis: "Dickinson, North Dakota, 1965. It's a harsh winter, and freelance indexer Marjorie Trumaine struggles to complete a lengthy index while mourning the recent loss of her husband, Hank. The bleakness of the weather seems to compound her grief, and then she gets more bad news: a neighbor's fourteen-year-old disabled daughter, Tina Rinkerman, has disappeared. Marjorie joins Sheriff Guy Reinhardt in the search for the missing girl, and their investigation quickly leads to the shocking discovery of a murdered man near the Rinkermans' house. What had he been doing there? Who would have wanted him dead? And, above all, is his murder connected to Tina's disappearance?

Their pursuit of answers will take Marjorie all the way to the Grafton State School, some six hours away, where Tina lived until recently. And the information she uncovers there raises still more questions. Will the murderer come after Marjorie now that she knows a long-hidden secret?"

Title: The Perfect Mother

Author: Aimee Molloy

Psychological Thriller, Standalone, set in Brooklyn.

336 pages

Synopsis: "They call themselves the May Mothers—a group of new moms whose babies were born in the same month. Twice a week, they get together in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park for some much-needed adult time.

When the women go out for drinks at the hip neighborhood bar, they want a fun break from their daily routine. But on this hot Fourth of July night, something goes terrifyingly wrong: one of the babies is taken from his crib. Winnie, a single mom, was reluctant to leave six-week-old Midas with a babysitter, but her fellow May Mothers insisted everything would be fine. Now he is missing. What follows is a heart-pounding race to find Midas, during which secrets are exposed, marriages are tested, and friendships are destroyed." 

=== May 2 ===

Title: The Otter of Death

Author: Betty Webb

Series: #5 in the Gunn Zoo series set on the central coast of California.

235 pages

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books.

Synopsis: "While taking the yearly "otter count" at a marsh near Gunn Landing Harbor, California, zookeeper Theodora Bentley sees Maureen, her favorite otter, swimming around clutching someone's expensive smartphone. When Teddy rescues the device, she discovers a photograph of a murder-in-progress. A hasty search soon turns up the still-warm body of Stuart Booth, Ph.D., a local Marine Biology instructor.

Booth was a notorious sexual harasser of young female students, so the list of suspects is long enough to make Teddy wonder if the crime will ever be solved. But when her friend, Lila, one of Booth's original accusers, is arrested and charged with his murder, Teddy begins to investigate. This creates considerable tension with Teddy's fiancé, Sheriff Joe Rejas. He believes the ever-inquisitive zookeeper might be putting her own life at risk, and so orders her to butt out.

Concerned for her accused friend, Teddy ignores Joe's ultimatum. She questions not only members of Gunn Landing's moneyed social elite, but also the other side of the financial spectrum - the financially strapped young women willing to do almost anything to pay for their college tuition. Alarmed by Teddy's meddling, Booth's killer fights back - first with a death threat, then via gunshot."

Title: The Bomb Shelter

Author: Jon Talton

Series: #9 in the David Mapstone police procedural set in present-day Phoenix, Arizona.

300 pages

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books.

Synopsis: "Forty years ago, a Phoenix reporter was killed by a car bomb in one of America's most notorious crimes. Three men went to prison - but was there more to the story of Charles Page's assassination? More than three low-level players? Did a kingpin order the hit and get away with it? And what was the real motive? Despite the work of teams of journalists and law and legal professionals, no one yet knows why.

It's a case custom-made for David Mapstone, the historian-turned-sheriff's deputy. And suddenly Mapstone's boss, newly re-elected Sheriff Mike Peralta, promises to reopen the investigation into the only murder of an American journalist, in the US, in modern times. Why?

The promise triggers new murders. The crimes are reenactments of Phoenix's mob-riddled past, where gangsters rubbed elbows with the city's elite amid crosscurrents of corrupt cops, political payoffs, gambling, prostitution, and murder, all shielded by the sunshine image of a resort city. But who is committing them? A former soldier who is an explosives expert and deadly with a knife? A woman with screen-siren looks and extraordinary computer skills? Or someone out of Phoenix's seamy, swinging Seventies with secrets to keep, even though the major power brokers are dead?

Mapstone will need all the help he can get. He enlists a Ph.D. candidate and Black Lives Matter activist to help him comb through sealed archives of the original bombing. Mapstone's wife, Lindsey, a top hacker, rejoins the Sheriff's Office and plays a dangerous cat-and-mouse game with the perp or perps - one that goes from the digital to the real and risky world. Somewhere in the house of mirrors surrounding the Page case they must find the key that connects the past to the present." 

=== May 15 ===

Title: Fall of Angels

Author: Barbara Cleverly

Series: #1 in the John Redfyre historical series set in 1920s Cambridge, England.

384 pages

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books.

Synopsis: "England 1923: Detective Inspector John Redfyre is a godsend to the Cambridge CID. The ancient university city is at war with itself: town versus gown, male versus female, press versus the police force and everyone versus the undergraduates. Redfyre, young, handsome and capable, is a survivor of the Great War. Born and raised among the city’s colleges, he has access to the educated élite who run these institutions, a society previously deemed impenetrable by local law enforcement.

When Redfyre’s Aunt Hetty hands him a front-row ticket to the year’s St. Barnabas College Christmas concert, he is looking forward to a right merrie yuletide noyse from a trumpet soloist, accompanied by the organ. He is intrigued to find that the trumpet player is—scandalously—a young woman. And Juno Proudfoot is a beautiful and talented one at that. Such choice of a performer is unacceptable in conservative academic circles.

Redfyre finds himself anxious throughout a performance in which Juno charms and captivates her audience, and his unease proves well-founded when she tumbles headlong down a staircase after curtain fall. He finds evidence that someone carefully planned her death. Has her showing provoked a dangerous, vengeful woman-hater to take action?

When more Cambridge women are murdered, Redfyre realizes that some of his dearest friends and his family may become targets, and—equally alarmingly—that the killer might be within his own close circle."

Title: A Howl of Wolves

Author: Judith Flanders

Series: #4 in the Samantha Clair amateur sleuth series set in present-day London, England.

304 pages

Synopsis: "Sam Clair figures she’ll be a good sport and spend a night out at the theater in support of her upstairs neighbors, who have small parts in a play in the West End. Boyfriend (a Scotland Yard detective) and all-round good sport Jake Field agrees to tag along to what is apparently an extra-bloody play filled with dramatic, gory deaths galore. So Sam expects an evening filled with faux fatalities. Until, that is, the curtain opens to the second act, revealing a dummy hanging from the rafters, who’s been made up to look suspiciously like Campbell Davison, the director of the production.

When Sam sees the horrified faces of the actors onstage, she realizes that this is indeed not a dummy, but Davison himself―and this death is not part of the show. Now everyone wants to know: who killed Campbell Davison? As Sam learns more about the murdered man, she discovers that he wasn’t all that well-liked amongst the cast and crew, so the suspect list grows. The show must go on―but Sam knows a murderer must be apprehended, so she sets out to find out what happened, and why."

Title: The Dark Angel

Author: Elly Griffiths

Series: #10 in the Dr. Ruth Galloway series set in Italy.

352 pages

*My review of the UK edition.

Synopsis: "It’s not every day that you’re summoned to the Italian countryside on business, so when archaeologist Angelo Morelli asks for Ruth Galloway’s help identifying bones found in the tiny hilltop town of Fontana Liri, she jumps at the chance to go, bringing her daughter along with her for a working vacation. Upon arriving, she begins to hear murmurs of Fontana Liri’s strong resistance movement during World War II and senses the townspeople are dancing around a deeply buried secret. But how could that be connected to the ancient remains she’s been studying?

Ruth is just beginning to get her footing in the dig when she’s thrown off-guard by the appearance of DCI Nelson. And when Ruth’s findings lead them to a modern-day murder, their holidays are both turned upside down, and they race to find out what darkness is lurking in this seemingly picturesque town."

Title: A Million Drops

Author: Victor del Árbol

Literary Thriller, Standalone set in Spain.

640 pages

Synopsis: "Gonzalo Gil is a lawyer stuck in a disaffected life, in a failed career, trying to dodge the constant manipulation of his powerful father-in-law. This monotonous existence is shaken up when he learns, after years without news of his estranged sister, Laura, that she has committed suicide under dramatic circumstances. Her death pushes the fragile balance of Gonzalo's life as both a father and husband to the limit.

Resolutely investigating the steps that led his sister to suicide, he will discover that Laura is suspected of having murdered a Russian gangster who had kidnapped and killed her young son. But what seems to be revenge is just the beginning of a tortuous path that will take Gonzalo through the untold annals of his family's past that he would rather not face. He will have to enter fully into the fascinating story of his father, Elias Gil--the great hero of the resistance against fascism, the young Spanish engineer who traveled to the USSR committed to the ideals of the revolution, who was betrayed, arrested, and confined on the infamous Nazino Island, and who became a key figure, admired and feared, of Spain's darkest years."

Title: How It Happened

Author: Michael Koryta

Series: #1 in the Rob Barrett thriller series set in Maine.

368 pages

Synopsis: "Kimberly Crepeaux is no good, a notorious jailhouse snitch, teen mother, and heroin addict whose petty crimes are well-known to the rural Maine community where she lives. So when she confesses to her role in the brutal murders of Jackie Pelletier and Ian Kelly, the daughter of a well-known local family and her sweetheart, the locals have little reason to believe her story.

Not Rob Barrett, the FBI investigator and interrogator specializing in telling a true confession from a falsehood. He's been circling Kimberly and her conspirators for months, waiting for the right avenue to the truth, and has finally found it. He knows, as strongly as he's known anything, that Kimberly's story-a grisly, harrowing story of a hit and run fueled by dope and cheap beer that becomes a brutal stabbing in cold blood is how it happened. But one thing remains elusive: where are Jackie and Ian's bodies?

After Barrett stakes his name and reputation on the truth of Kimberly's confession, only to have the bodies turn up 200 miles from where she said they'd be, shot in the back and covered in a different suspect's DNA, the case is quickly closed and Barrett forcibly reassigned. But for Howard Pelletier, the tragedy of his daughter's murder cannot be so tidily swept away. And for Barrett, whose career may already be over, the chance to help a grieving father may be the only one he has left."

=== May 22 ===

Title: The Outsider

Author: Stephen King

Standalone set in the present day.

576 pages

Synopsis: "An unspeakable crime. A confounding investigation. At a time when the King brand has never been stronger, he has delivered one of his most unsettling and compulsively readable stories.

An eleven-year-old boy’s violated corpse is found in a town park. Eyewitnesses and fingerprints point unmistakably to one of Flint City’s most popular citizens. He is Terry Maitland, Little League coach, English teacher, husband, and father of two girls. Detective Ralph Anderson, whose son Maitland once coached, orders a quick and very public arrest. Maitland has an alibi, but Anderson and the district attorney soon add DNA evidence to go with the fingerprints and witnesses. Their case seems ironclad.

As the investigation expands and horrifying answers begin to emerge, King’s propulsive story kicks into high gear, generating strong tension and almost unbearable suspense. Terry Maitland seems like a nice guy, but is he wearing another face? When the answer comes, it will shock you as only Stephen King can."

=== May 29 ===

Title: Dead Girls

Author: Graeme Cameron

Standalone Thriller set in England.

304 pages

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books.

Synopsis: "It’s been two months since a serial killer brutally attacked police detective Alisha Green and left her for dead. Two months since she could effortlessly recall simple things since her mind felt remotely sound. The nameless killer thinks he knows her, thinks she’s just another dead girl among many. Ali Green plans to show him he’s dead wrong about that.

Ali has two enemies now: the dangerous man she’s hunting and her own failing memory. As explosive new evidence comes to light and conflicting accounts from a witness and a surviving victim threaten both her investigation and her credibility, she begins to question what is and isn’t real. And now Ali has no choice but to remember the past…before it buries her."

Title: Crime & Punctuation

Author: Kaitlyn Dunnett

Series: #1 in the Deadly Edits cozy series set in the Catskills area of New York state.

304 pages

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books.

Synopsis: "When perky novice writer Tiffany Scott knocks at her door holding a towering manuscript, Mikki expects another debut novel plagued by typos and sloppy prose. Instead, she finds a murder mystery ripped from the headlines of Lenape Hollow’s not-too-distant past. The opening scene is a graphic page-turner, but it sends a real chill down Mikki’s spine after the young author turns up dead just like the victim in her story . . .

Mikki refuses to believe that Tiffany’s death was accidental, and suspicions of foul play solidify as she uncovers a strange inconsistency in the manuscript and a possible motive in the notes. Then there’s Tiffany’s grandmother and husband, who aren’t exactly on friendly terms over the local area’s planned rejuvenation efforts . . .

Unable to convince police that they are focused on the wrong suspect, Mikki must rely on her keen eyes to catch the truth hidden in Lenape Hollow. As she gets closer to cracking the case, only one person takes Mikki’s investigation seriously—the cunning killer who will do anything to make this chapter of her life come to a very abrupt ending . . ."

Well... did I manage to tempt you with any of my picks? Which ones? 

I love the cover for Betty Webb's The Otter of Death, and Kaitlyn Dunnett's Crime & Punctuation intrigues me. I'm not entirely sure that I like it. What do you think? As for the worst cover of the month, my hat is off to The Perfect Mother. What were they thinking?

On My Radar: Larry D. Sweazy's See Also Proof

You know me-- I'm constantly on the lookout for new mysteries to read, and not just for the month ahead but for several months in advance, too. I became a fan of Larry D. Sweazy's writing when I read his first Marjorie Trumaine historical mystery, See Also Murder. The second, See Also Deception, was every bit as good, and his standalone, A Thousand Falling Crows, was on my Best Reads of 2017 list.

The Marjorie Trumaine series is about a remarkable woman. Marjorie Trumaine is a freelance book indexer living on a farm in 1960s North Dakota who also cares for her disabled husband. As you can see by how I've sung the praises of Sweazy's other books, I did a happy dance when I learned that the third book in the Trumaine series is going to be released on May 1, 2018. Let me tell you a bit more about it.

Here's the synopsis:

"Dickinson, North Dakota, 1965. It's a harsh winter, and freelance indexer Marjorie Trumaine struggles to complete a lengthy index while mourning the recent loss of her husband, Hank. The bleakness of the weather seems to compound her grief, and then she gets more bad news: a neighbor's fourteen-year-old disabled daughter, Tina Rinkerman, has disappeared. Marjorie joins Sheriff Guy Reinhardt in the search for the missing girl, and their investigation quickly leads to the shocking discovery of a murdered man near the Rinkermans' house. What had he been doing there? Who would have wanted him dead? And, above all, is his murder connected to Tina's disappearance?

Their pursuit of answers will take Marjorie all the way to the Grafton State School, some six hours away, where Tina lived until recently. And the information she uncovers there raises still more questions. Will the murderer come after Marjorie now that she knows a long-hidden secret?"


One of the things that makes this series so good is how everyone helps each other out on those remote farms. It reminds me more than a little bit of the small farming community where I grew up.

If you've read Larry Sweazy's Marjorie Trumaine books already, then I'm positive you'll be looking forward to getting your hands on See Also Proof. If you have yet to savor one of these books, well... I've listed all the titles so you can have some excellent reading in store!

A Thousand Falling Crows by Larry D. Sweazy

First Line: The farm-to-market road was vacant, the day's traffic settled and tucked away as the big red sun dropped below the horizon.

Sonny Burton now has only one arm, thanks to Bonnie Parker. Losing the shoot-out with the infamous Bonnie and Clyde in such a way meant his retirement from the Texas Rangers, and he's finding it hard to acclimate to his new life.

Then Aldo Hernandez, a hospital janitor, asks for Sonny's help. Aldo's young daughter has gotten mixed up with two brothers who are involved in a series of robberies. He knows that type of life means death, and he wants his girl back before that happens. Sonny agrees to help, but he finds his attention divided. You see, someone in the area has started killing young women and leaving their bodies out in the fields for the crows to feast upon.

Having really enjoyed Larry Sweazy's Marjorie Trumaine mysteries set in 1960s North Dakota, I didn't hesitate to pick up A Thousand Falling Crows. It's one of the best decisions I've made so far this year. Sweazy's lean, poetic writing style is so evocative of the Depression and the Dust Bowl that I felt as though I were following along with Sonny every step of the way. 

Sonny Burton is a sort of Everyman, struggling with all the changes in his life, with loneliness, and with his lack of relationships. He's a man without a safety net, and just as we see him reaching the end of the long, dark slide that leads to eating his gun, two things happen: Aldo Hernandez reaches out for help, and so does Blue, a mangy stray hound with a broken leg.

Sweazy has written the compelling story of a lonely man who finds a reason to get busy living. As he tracks down Aldo's daughter, Carmen, we see her life from her point of view. As he is forced to live with Blue, we see him coming out of his shell of loneliness. The excellent mystery the author has crafted almost comes as an afterthought in my mind because of the strength of the book's characters and setting.

And above it all is a Greek chorus of crows, letting us see it all from their vantage point. If you haven't sampled Larry D. Sweazy's writing, I hope you change that as soon as you possibly can. I did, and now I want to read everything he's ever written. 
 

A Thousand Falling Crows by Larry D. Sweazy

ISBN: 9781633880849

Seventh Street Books © 2016

Paperback, 280 pages

Historical Mystery, Standalone

Rating: A+

Source: Purchased from Book Outlet.