Dark and Stormy Book Club

Top Five RundownShow notesOn today's episode we review our top 5 books we read over the past year.\5Ann – The Last Orphan by Greg HurwitzTracey – The Devil's Chew Toy by Rob Osler4Ann - Last Known Port by Sue AngerTracey - Bone Rattler by Elliot Pattison3Ann – The Hunter by Jennifer HereraTracey – The Camp by Nancy Bush2Ann – Malibu Burning by Lee GoldbergTracey – Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey1Ann – The Bones of Birka by Cynthia SurrisiTracey – Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. CosbyWe had a few honorable mentions of books that we did not cover on the program but were so good theydeserve a mentionAnn's listThe Girl in the Eagle's Talons by Karen SchmirnoffThe Road To Station X by Sarah BaringHolly by Stephen KingTracey's listThe Only One Left by Riley SagerVerity by Coleen HooverCarrie by Stephen KingTRIVIALast week's questionWhich mystery author has a span of 29 years between the publishing of one of her mysteries?a. Mary Roberts Reinhartb. Ruth Rendellc. Mildred Davisd. Amanda CrossThe answer is c. Mildred Davis. She wrote 18 mystery novels between the years 1948 and 1977. Shedidn't publish another until 2006 when she began the Murder in Maine mystery series with her daughterKatherine Roome.This week's question is:Author Robert Barnard wrote over 40 mysteries. He wrote 4 mysteries under the name Bernard Bastable.Who was his famous protagonist?a. Wolfgang Mozartb. Thomas Wolfec. Agatha Christied. Robert Barnard

David SimmonsGhosts of E#ast BaltimoreShow NotesOn the first official episode of 2024, we talked with David Simmons about his book “Ghosts of EastBaltimore.: David was delightful. Worm, fresh out of jail, tries to make a little money to get back on his feet,and make it back to the halfway house before his 9 pm curfew. But what should be a simple drop-off, spiralsinto a nightmare. Worm is faced with a number of obstacles like Greek gangsters, gimps, mecha suits, wilddrugs, and more. This feels like the perfect cross-genre book written for me especially with the cloneconspiracy theory sprinkled in.Ghosts of East Baltimore is a wild ride and the perfect mix of elegant yet literary cosmic hood horror withtextured prose that not many could pull off. Rich with history, and a deep-seated love for Baltimore, this is afantastic crime fiction debut.TRIVIAAuthor Gary Phillips has edited several anthologies over the years. One that won particular accolades wasone that paid homage to a past president. Which one?a. Nixonb. Bushc. Washingtond. ObamaPhillips has edited a number of anthologies including Orange County Noir and The Obama Inheritance:Fifteen Stories of Conspiracy Noir, with the latter receiving the 2018 Anthony Award for Best Anthology. TheObama Inheritance was inspired by the many conspiracy theories generated about President Barack Obama.Each story in the anthology focused on one conspiracy theory as a means to "Riff on it, take it apart and turn iton its head, and give the reader a thrill ride of weirdo, noirish, pulpy goodnessWhich mystery author has a span of 29 years between the publishing of one of her mysteries?a. Mary Roberts Reinhartb. Ruth Rendellc. Mildred Davisd. Amanda Cross

In the last of our Holiday Break short stories We read a story that Bruce Robert Coffin sent to us. It is a perfect story to end this season of giving and caring. Please enjoy!! Tune in next week for our regularly scheduled episodes.

The Noir before Christmas written and read by Ang Pompano

The second in our Holiday Vacation series, Disappear is written and performed by the author, Sue Angejr. It tells the story of a sister's love and loss over the holidays.

Dark and Stormy is off enjoying the season. Please enjoy a few weeks of Holiday stories brought to you by some of our favorite authors. We will return in January with more original episodes.

Ann reported on The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon (Anchor 2015)West Hall, Vermont, has always been a town of strange disappearances and old legends. Themost mysterious is that of Sara Harrison Shea, who, in 1908, was found dead in the field behindher house just months after the tragic death of her daughter.Now, in present day, nineteen-year-old Ruthie lives in Sara’s farmhouse with her mother, Alice,and her younger sister. Alice has always insisted that they live off the grid, a decision that hasweighty consequences when Ruthie wakes up one morning to find that Alice has vanished. Inher search for clues, she is startled to find a copy of Sara Harrison Shea's diary hidden beneaththe floorboards of her mother's bedroom. As Ruthie gets sucked into the historical mystery, shediscovers that she’s not the only person looking for someone that they’ve lost. But she may bethe only one who can stop history from repeating itself.Creepy, goosebumpy, scary ghost stories aren't only for cool fall evenings. It turns out that themiddle of January in remote Vermont when it's buried in snow is also the perfect setting for apsychological thriller filled with ghosts.Written by Jennifer McMahon, this is two stories in one with the common factor the setting of anold farmhouse on a secluded road in the very small town of West Hall, Vermont. The storiesalternate: One takes place in January 1908, including flashbacks about 20 years earlier. Theother takes place in the present day, also in January. This thickly-wooded homestead includesan outcropping of giant boulders that looks so much like a hand, the area has always beencalled Devil's Hand. Wander too far into the woods, and you might not make it out alive.Something is going on here, and those who have seen it believe there are ghosts in this spookyforest.It's January 1908. Sara Harrison Shea and her husband Martin Shea live in the farmhouse withtheir little girl, Gertie, who is 8 years old. One day she is found dead, having fallen 50 feet downa well. Sara collapses in grief, but writes her fears, anguish, and hopes into a secret diary. Saracomes to an untimely and gruesome death, which remains the stuff of legend in West Hall ahundred years later. She hid her diary in one of the hidey-holes in the old farmhouse, and manypeople want to find it because in it she supposedly left instructions on how to raise the dead tolife.Meanwhile in the present-day, Alice Washburne lives in the same farmhouse with her twodaughters, Ruthie, 19, and Fawn, 6. Alice, who is widowed, has lived off the grid for about 20years. No computer. No cell phone. No links to anyone in the world. Even in this small town, noteveryone knows who she is. On New Year's Day, Alice disappears. More than anything, Alicedislikes the police, so Ruthie knows she shouldn't call the cops. (This is one of several plotpoints—some small, some big—that make the mystery work. If Ruthie did call the cops orsomeone didn't lock her cell phone in the car so she didn't have it when she really needed it,things would have worked out quite differently. A little cheesy, perhaps.) The two stories—pastand present—converge as Ruthie discovers dark secrets about her own past and thosesurrounding this strange house.This is one of the creepiest stories I have ever read, and while the plots from both time periodsare rather farfetched, the book is a page-turner. It will keep you up past your bedtime, and if youread it then, you may very well have nightmares.Tracey's book was A Dark and Snowy Night by Sally Goldenbaum, #5 in the Seaside KnittersMystery Series (Kensington 2022)It’s holiday season in the picturesque, coastal town of Sea Harbor, Massachusetts! But in USAToday bestselling author Sally Goldenbaum’s latest Seaside Knitters Society mystery, theknitting club sleuths will have to take a break from crafting cozy Christmas gifts to investigate amurder at the Mayor’s holiday party.Winter in Sea Harbor is a feast for the senses—crackling bonfires, the scent of snow in the saltyair, carols ringing out on the village green. This year, the Seaside Knitters have a sackful ofobligations in addition to their usual Christmas preparations. Izzy is so overloaded with knittingclasses that she hires an extra salesperson, but the new addition has trouble fitting into the yarnshop’s holiday spirit. Cass, juggling the stresses of running her lobster fishery, has finally founda nanny for her active toddler. Molly Flanigan seems practically perfect in every way—until shesuddenly disappears, taking Cass’s beloved rescue mutt with her...Meanwhile, the holidays are kicking off in style at Mayor Beatrice Scaglia’s holiday party, wherea well-dressed crowd admires the mayor’s sumptuous new home and the celebrity chef cateringthe event. An additional treat for Ben and Nell Endicott at the festive affair is reconnecting with adear college friend, Oliver Bishop. But it’s not just reunions and the appetizers that are to-die-for.Before the party-goers can toast the beginning of Sea Harbor’s festive season, the chef—andyoung wife of the Endicott’s old Harvard friend—is found dead beneath the mistletoe.Izzy, Birdie, Nell, and Cass must uncover the pattern to these mysteries to remove suspicionfrom those they love, bring a murderer to justice—and keep Sea Harbor’s holiday magic fromvanishing into the chill winter air...TRIVIALast week's question was:Which mystery author was also a barrister?a. Linda Howardb. Patricia Moyesc. Eileen Dewshurstd. Nancy SpainThe answer is c. Eileen Dewhurst. She wrote the Hilary Tamar series This series of fourbooks, described as "legal whodunits", were written over a period of twenty years. Their primarysetting is the top floor of 62 New Square at Lincoln's Inn where four young junior barristers havetheir chambers: Michael Cantrip, Desmond Ragwort, Selena Jardine and Timothy Shepherd.While the last named only appears sporadically, taxes barrister Julia Larwood, who works in theadjacent premises, is a regular visitor and is in effect the fifth member of the group. Thesecharacters are in some ways thinly drawn (Selena is highly organized and efficient, Julia isclumsy and chaotic, Cantrip is casual and modern, Ragwort is elegant and conservative), nevercommunicating in anything other than an ironic tone, so that even when they are in deadlydanger the atmosphere remains uniformly light-hearted.This week's question is:Author Gary Phillips has edited several anthologies over the years. One that won particular accolades wasone that paid homage to a past president. Which one?a. Nixonb. Bushc. Washingtond. ObamaTune in next week for the answer.

Jersey GhoulsShow notesToday we talked with Marissa and Jacki, two women we met at Fright Reads They host the Jersey Ghoulspodcast which features horror movies with a feminist twist. We Are in the process of planning acollaboration with them. They primarily feature movies in the horror genre and we will do a book versusmovie episode of Dark and Stormy Book Club.We are happy we met up with the girls and look forward to working with them.TRIVIA:Last week's question wasMark Andrew Twitchell is a Canadian filmmaker. He became famous in April 2011 for what?a. He used a fictional murderer as a guideline for the crimeb. He pulled off the biggest jewel heist in historyc. He murdered his wife and 6 childrend. He murdered a man and filmed the murderThe answer is a. He used a fictional murder as a guideline for murder. He was convicted of first-degree murder in April 2011 for the murder of John Brian Altinger His trial attracted particularmedia attention because Twitchell had allegedly been inspired by the fictional characteWhich mystery author was also a barrister?A/ Linda Howardb. Patricia Moyesc. Eileen Dewshurstd. Nancy Spain

Rapid ReadsShow NotesFor our first Rapid Reads episode we gave short reviews of six different books:Militia House by John Milas“This is a beautiful horror story told masterfully and elegantly. It is a brilliant, different kind of warnovel, one that reveals the insidious ways the violences of war can tear people apart from the insideout. “Midnight is the Darkest Hour by Ashley Winstead“a gothic Southern thriller about a killer haunting a small Louisiana town, where twooutcasts―the preacher's daughter and the boy from the wrong side of the tracks―hold the key touncovering the truth. “Murder with Chocolate Tea by Karen Rose SmithTea shop owner and bride-to-be Daisy Swanson must solve a murder before she can say “I do”in the latest Daisy’s Tea Garden Mystery set in Pennsylvania’s Amish country...What Wild Women Do by Karma BrownTwo women's lives unexpectedly collide at a camp in the Adirondacks in this fascinating dual-timeline novel full of ambition, secrets, betrayal, mystery, intrigue, nature, inspiration, and a journey ofself-discovery.Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen“This is a nice take on retirement—five old spooks whose bones may ache but whose mindsremain sharp. You can expect mystery, action, and bloodshed in this exciting thriller launched straightfrom the peaceful shores of Maine.”TRIVIALast week's question was:Which mystery author used the pseudonym Mark Sadler, John Crowe, Carl Dekker and William Arden?a. Dan Brownb. John Grishamc. Mickey Spillaned. Michael CollinsThe answer is d. Michael Collins but the name Michael Collins is actually a pseudonym for Dennis Lynds.Beginning in 1968 with The Mystery of the Moaning Cave and ending in 1989 with Hot Wheels, Lynds wrotefourteen novels under the pen name William Arden for the juvenile detective series The Three Investigators,which was originated by Robert Arthur, Jr. Under this same name, he also wrote five novels featuring privateeye Kane Jackson, a former military policeman who has become an industrial security specialist after leavingthe military. The first Jackson novel, A Dark Power, appeared in 1968.Prolific, explaining that he had more ideas than he knew what to do with, in addition to his Collins name, hecreated additional series under the pseudonyms Mark Sadler, John Crowe, and Carl Dekker. For a few years,he published under three of these pseudonyms at the same time at three different publishing housesThis week's question is::Mark Andrew Twitchell (born July 4, 1979) is a Canadian filmmaker. He became famous in April 2011 forwhat?a. He used a fictional murderer as a guideline for the crimeb. He pulled off the biggest jewel heist in historyc. He murdered his wife and 6 childrend. He murdered a man and filmed the murder

Lee GoldbergMalibu Burning Show NotesToday we talked with our old friend Lee Goldberg about his bool Malibu Burning. It is the first in hisnew seriues featuring arson investigators Walter Sharpe and Andrew Walker. It is published by Thomas &Mercer and was released on September 1 of this year.Hell comes to Southern California every October. It rides in on searing Santa Ana winds that blast at nearhurricane force, igniting voracious wildfires. Master thief Danny Cole longs for the flames. A tsunami of fire isexactly what he needs to pull off a daring crime and avenge a fallen friend.As the most devastating firestorms in Los Angeles’ history scorch the hills of Malibu, relentless arsoninvestigator Walter Sharpe and his wild card of a new partner, Andrew Walker, a former US marshal, suspectthat someone set the massive blazes intentionally, a terrifying means to an unknown end.While the flames rage out of control, Danny pursues his brilliant scheme, unaware that Sharpe and Walker areclosing in. But when they all collide in a canyon of fire, everything changes, pitting them against anunexpected enemy within an inescapable inferno.TRIVIALast week's question was:John Dickinson Carr is famous for writing what?a. The most re-issued mysteriesb. Mysteries with hints given throughout the storyc. Impossible mysteries or locked room mysteriesd. First person mysteries.The answer is c. Impossible or locked room mysteries. John Dickinson Carr is credited with writing the first“impossible” mystery, Carr is generally regarded as one of the greatest writers of so-called "Golden Age"mysteries; complex, plot-driven stories in which the puzzle is paramount. He was influenced in this regard bythe works of Gaston Leroux and by the Father Brown stories of G. K. Chesterton. He was a master of the so-called locked room mystery, in which a detective solves apparently impossible crimes. The Dr. Fellmystery The Hollow Man (1935), usually considered Carr's masterpiece, was selected in 1981 as the bestlocked-room mystery of all time by a panel of 17 mystery authors and reviewers.[1] He also wrote a number ofhistorical mysteries.This week's question is:Which mystery author used the psynonym Mark Sadler, John Crowe, Carl Dekker and William Arden?a. Dan Brownb. John Grishamc. Mickey Spillaned. Michael CollinsTune in next week for the answer.

WWAR OctoberShow NotesOn today's episode, we selected mysteries that were set in Colonial America.Misty reported on “A Shaker Murder” by Eleanor Kuhns. It is #6 in her Will Rees mystery series.Fresh from facing allegations of witchcraft and murder, travelling weaver Will Rees, his heavily pregnant wifeLydia and six adopted children take refuge in Zion, a Shaker community in rural Maine. Shortly after theirarrival, screams in the night reveal a drowned body ... but is it murder or an unfortunate accident? The ShakerElders argue it was just an accident, but Rees believes otherwise.As Will investigates further, more deaths follow and a young girl vanishes from the community. Haunted bynightmares for his family’s safety, Rees must rush to uncover the truth before the dreams can become realityand more lives are lost. Yet can the Shaker Elders be trusted, or is an outsider involved? Misty highlyrecommends this series.Ann reported on “Brutalized” by J. R. Thompson. 17th-century Dublin, Ireland, preteen Callum McCarthyis shipped to the English Colonies, where he will endure horrors of the Irish slave trade. Intense and powerful,JR Thompson’s Brutalized explores ideas of greed, loneliness and despair, determination, and faith.Growing up in an area where poor Irish families are as welcome as malaria, Callum, the son of a drunkardfather and neglectful mother, already has the odds stacked against him. But when the boy is kidnapped fromhis own home, he’s plunged into a living nightmare.Upon arrival in America, a cruel man by the name of Josiah Gillcrest makes Callum his ill-treated workhorse.Bone-chilling secrets Callum uncovers on the tobacco plantation force him to make difficult decisions. Shouldhe make a run for it? Kill the wicked overseer, who happens to be his master’s son? Lead a slave uprising?The possibilities are endless.Mystery, brutality, and deep, dirty secrets saturate Brutalized as Thompson shares truths of white slavery fromIreland and Germany to Colonial America. Callum’s detective skills could prove useful in bringing crucialchanges to the plantation if they don’t kill him first.Finalkly Tracey reported on the book. Bone Rattler by Eliot Pattison. Unfairly convicted and force intoindentured servitude, young Highland Scot Duncan McCallum finds himself aboard a prisoner ship bound forthe New World. A series of mysterious deaths plagues the passengers and claims the life of Duncan’s dearfriend Adam Munroe. Enlisted by his captors to investigate, a strange trail of clues leads Duncan into the NewWorld and eventually thrusts him into the bloody maw of the French and Indian War.Duncan is indentured to the British Lord Ramsey, whose estate in the uncharted New York woodlands is aHeart of Darkness where multiple warring factions―the British, rogue Scots, the French, the Huron, and theIroquois―are engaged in battle. Exploring a frontier world shrouded in danger, Duncan, the exiled chief of hisnear-extinct Scottish clan, finds that sometimes justice cannot be reached unless the cultures and spirits ofthose involved are resolved.

Dark Rideby Lou Berney9/23/23 William MorrowThis week we visited with an old friend, Lou Berney, about his new book “Dark Ride.:From Lou Berney, the acclaimed, multi award-winning author of November Road and The Long and FarawayGone, comes a Dark RideSometimes the person you least expect is just the hero you needTwenty-one-year-old Hardy “Hardly” Reed—good-natured, easygoing, usually stoned—is drifting through life.A minimum-wage scare actor at an amusement park, he avoids unnecessary effort and unrealistic ambitions.Then one day he notices two children, around six or seven, sitting all alone on a bench. Hardly checks ifthey’re okay and sees injuries on both children. Someone is hurting these kids.He reports the incident to Child Protective Service.That should be the end of it. After all, Hardly's not even good at looking out for himself so the last thing hewants to do is look out for anyone else. But he's haunted by the two kids, his heart breaking for them. And themore research he does the less he trusts that Child Protective Services —understaffed and overworked—willdo anything about it.That leaves...Hardly. He is probably the last person you’d ever want to count on. But those two kids havenobody else but him. Hardly has to do what's right and help them.For the first time in his life, Hardly decides to fight for something. This might be the one point in his entire life,he realizes, that is the entire point of his life. He will help those kids.At first, trying to gather evidence that will force the proper authorities to intervene, Hardly is a total disaster.Gradually, with assistance from unexpected allies, he develops investigative skills and discovers he’s smarterand more capable than he ever imagined.But Hardly also discovers that the situation is more dangerous than he ever expected. The abusive father whohas been hurting these children isn’t just a lawyer—he also runs a violent drug-dealing operation. The motherclaims she wants to escape with the kids—but Hardly isn't sure he can trust her.Faced with a different version of himself than he has ever known, Hardly refuses to give up. But hiscommitment to saving these kids from further harm might end up getting the kids, and Hardly himself, killed.TRIVIALast week's question was:Isaac Asminov was a prolific author but he had one serious phobia.. What was it?a. Fear of the number 13b. Fear of Heightsc. Fear of Closed spacesd. Fear of flyingThe answer is d. Fear of Flying.. Asimov was afraid of flying, doing so only twice: once in the course ofhis work at the Naval Air Experimental Station and once returning home from Oahu In 1946. Consequently, heseldom traveled great distances. This phobia influenced several of his fiction works, such as the Wendell Urthmystery stories and the Robot novels featuring Elijah Baley. In his later years, Asimov found enjoymenttraveling on cruise ships, beginning in 1972 when he viewed the Appollo 11 launch from a cruise ship. Onseveral cruises, he was part of the entertainment program, giving science-themed talks aboard ships such asthe Queen Elizabeth 2. He sailed to England in June 1974 on the SS France for a trip mostly devoted tolectures in London and Birmingham, though he also found time to visit Stonehenge.This week's question is:Mystery author Charlotte MacLeod had a family connection to which criminala. Whitey Bulgerb. John Gottic. Al Caponed. Albert Anastasia

Today we visited wi6h Vanessa Riley about her bnook Murder at Drury Lane. Portraying the true diversity of the Regency-era and the hidden intrigue of England’s abolitionist movement, this vibrant, inclusive new historical mystery from acclaimed author Vanessa Riley features an engaging heroine with an independent streak, a notorious past, and a decided talent for sleuthing…Pressed into a union of convenience, Lady Abigail Worthing knew better than to expect love. Her marriage to an absent lord does at least provide some comforts, including a box at the Drury Lane theater, owned by the playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan. Abigail has always found respite at the theater, away from the ton’s judgmental stares and the risks of her own secret work to help the cause of abolition—and her fears that someone from her past wants her permanently silenced. But on one particular June evening everything collides, and the performance takes an unwelcome turn . . .Onstage, a woman emits a scream of genuine terror. A man has been found dead in the prop room, stabbed through the heart. Abigail’s neighbor, Stapleton Henderson, is also in attendance, and the two rush backstage. The magistrate, keen to avoid bringing more attention to the case and making Lady Worthing more of a target, asks Abigail not to investigate. But she cannot resist, especially when the usually curmudgeonly Henderson offers his assistance.Abigail soon discovers a tangled drama that rivals anything brought to the stage, involving gambling debts, a beautiful actress with a parade of suitors, and the very future of the Drury Lane theatre. For Abigail the case is complicated still further, for one suspect is a leading advocate for the cause dearest to her heart—the abolition of slavery within the British empire. Uncovering the truth always comes at a price. But this time, it may be far higher than she wishes to pay.

‘Do you believe Will took his own life?’The question echoed off the white tiles in the hospital’s cold, cavernous morgue, and I studied my husband in peaceful repose. I leaned down and put my forehead against his. Silent tears ran down my cheeks. They felt hot, and he felt so cold. It was five days since his death, and my grief felt heavy, like a vast, dark mass pushing down on me.”When Maggie’s husband, Will, is shot dead in their London home, she thinks he is the victim of a burglary until the police tell her the shocking news that Will was the one who pulled the trigger.Maggie is consumed with grief and questions. Will wasn’t suicidal. He had so much to live for.After the funeral, Maggie travels to their holiday home on a small Croatian island to escape London. She finds a disturbing letter written by Will, containing clues to a dark secret.As Maggie puts the pieces together, she discovers Will’s death is connected to someone from his past… Someone who will go to extreme lengths to keep Maggie silent.Three can keep a secret... If two of them are dead.The international multi-million bestselling author of The Girl in the Ice is back with his first stand-alone thriller, a heart-racing, hold-your-breath read that will keep you hooked until the very last page.

Desmond P. Ryan and Fright Reads RecapShow NotesOn this episode we talked with old friend Desmond Ryan. His Mary Margaret O'Shea mystery series hasfinally been published.Mary Margaret and The Case of The Lapsed Parishoner (Level Best Books 8.28.23) When Mary-MargaretO'Shea, a woman of a certain age with mildly Machiavellian tendencies, discovers a homicide scene andmeets an unimpressive lead investigator, she realizes that she has no choice but to solve the crime herself.With little help from Michael, her police-detective son, she enlists Arthur, her eccentric housekeeper, to helpher find the killer.In Mary-Margaret and The Case of The Lapsed Parishioner, a series of assumptions and misguided stepsmay lead her to the killer, or they may make her the next victim.Desmond is working on two new series and has begun a writers event at a local pub near his home inToronto. We wish him all the best and look forward to talking with him soon.We then gave a quick recap of the Fright Reads Book Convention we attended last weekend. The event hasgrown over the years and we were thrilled and had a wonderful time. We were honored to hose three authorpanels during the event. We met many new friends and were very pleased to meet the Jersey Ghouls. Theyhave a podcast which mainly covers horror movies with a feminist twist.. We are planning on having acollaboration with them next year. We thank Harry Carpenter and his team for their expertise on planning andexecuting such a great event. We can't wait for next year.Due to the length of today's episode, we will defer trivia until next week.