February 2024 MBR The Mystery/Suspense Shelf part 1 of 3

The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Death of a Punk
John P. Browner
Stark House Press
www.starkhousepress.com
9798886010695, $12.99, PB, 218pp

https://www.amazon.com/Death-Punk-John-P-Browner/dp/B0CKDSTSCP

Synopsis: Lenny Hornblower used to drive a cab. Now he finds people for a f=
ee -- $100 a day plus expenses. When Lisa Perlont calls and asks him to fin=
d her son Blinky, it seems like an easy job. Blinky hangs out at an East Vi=
llage punk club called AC-DC.

Lenny puts up with the noise and aggravation, but when someone knocks him o=
ut in the alley and steals his wallet, he starts to take it personally.

However, the search for Blinky turns up more than a young punk with a safet=
y pin in his nose -- Lenny also finds a group of equipment hijackers with a=
 large stash of cocaine. In fact, it looks like Blinky is running a scam of=
 his own, one that just might prove fatal.

Lenny wants to do right by his lovely client but is this any way to make a =
living?

Critique: Originally published in 1980, "Death of a Punk" by John P. Browne=
r was the first novel to come directly out of the NYC CBGBs Punk scene. Now=
 reissued the 'Black Cat' series from Stark House Press for the first time =
in more than 40 years this time-lost classic will have an immense appeal to=
 a new generation of fans with an interest in classic hard boiled private i=
nvestigator crime novels. While a great pick for community library Mystery/=
Suspense collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "D=
eath of a Punk" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle,=
 $5.99).

Editorial Note: John P. Browner lived in Greenwich Village during the 70's.=
 An habitue of the downtown clubs that spawned the Punk/New Wave music scen=
e, he wrote Death of a Punk in 1977 78. It was originally published by Pock=
et Books in 1980. Currently, he lives with his wife, the writer Lisa Yarger=
, and his daughter, Greta, in Munich, Germany, where he owns and operates T=
he Munich Readery, an English secondhand bookshop (http://readery.de).

So Deadly Fair / Diamonds Don't Burn
Gertrude Walker, author
Bill Kelly, introduction
Stark House Press
www.starkhousepress.com
9798886010343, $19.95, PB, 272pp

https://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Fair-Diamonds-Dont-Burn/dp/B0C4NHZJFH

Synopsis: SO DEADLY FAIR -- It was dark and raining when Walter Johnson cra=
wls out of the freight car that night. So when he sees a woman motioning to=
 him from the window of a house across from the tracks, he decides to inves=
tigate. What he finds is a bloodied corpse, and the set-up with him as the =
killer. But Johnson doesn't intend to allow himself to be railroaded into a=
 murder charge. He grabs the woman who tried to frame him, and takes off wi=
th her for California. Elizabeth is no victim herself. Sooner or later, she=
 is going to have her way. She settles in with Johnson as a reluctant marri=
ed couple, but Johnson knows that it's only a matter of time before she mak=
es her break. He just didn't realize that this time he'd be accused of her =
murder.

DIAMONDS DON'T BURN -- Clara and her husband John have grown apart. Then Jo=
hn introduces her to his friend Roger, and she feels an immediate attractio=
n. But Clara is torn. She doesn't want to become an unfaithful wife. Still,=
 Roger is persuasive, and Clara finds herself meeting him in a New York hot=
el room. What neither of them could suspect is that a diamond robbery has b=
een planned for the next room that night. Mike Grant has been working on th=
is plan for some time, and nothing is going to get in his way. But how coul=
d he know that the man he has set out to rob would wake up, that he would b=
e forced to shoot him? And that racing to escape he would bump into Clara, =
also trying to escape her situation? Who could foresee that their bags woul=
d get mixed up in the confusion?

Critique: Two time-lost classics of the hard-boiled crime novel genre by Ge=
rtrude Winifred Walker (April 8, 1902 - June 18, 1995) who was an American =
screenwriter, TV writer, and novelist best remember for her work on B movie=
s at Republic Pictures. "So Deadly Fair / Diamonds Don't Burn" have been br=
ought back into print by Stark House Press as part of their 'Crime Classics=
' series. The stuff of which film noir movies were made, "So Deadly Fair / =
Diamonds Don't Burn" will prove to be a memorably entertaining read for mys=
tery and crime novel fans. While an excellent and enduringly popular pick f=
or community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for p=
ersonal reading lists that "So Deadly Fair / Diamonds Don't Burn" is also a=
vailable in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99).

Editorial Note: Gertrude Walker (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gertrude_Wal=
ker) joined the writing staff at Republic Pictures, where she enjoyed the c=
ollegial atmosphere and working with writer Dane Lussier. As Walker later r=
ecounted, she was almost laid off from the studio in 1944 - until her boss =
saw her script for Silent Partner (which she had written in three days) and=
 was blown away. During her time later in the decade at Warner Brothers, sh=
e also gained recognition as a novelist; her 1948 title, So Deadly Fair, wa=
s named one of the 10 best mystery novels of the year. In 1955, her novel D=
iamonds Don't Burn was published.

The Glass Heart / The Sleeping City
Marty Holland
Stark House Press
www.starkhousepress.com
9798886010534, $16.95, PB, 186pp

https://www.amazon.com/Glass-Heart-Sleeping-City/dp/B0CFZDD4KL

Synopsis: THE GLASS HEART -- Down on his luck, Curt snatches an overcoat an=
d is chased by the police into a Beverly Hills neighborhood where he meets =
Mrs. Virginia Block. Virginia is expecting a new handyman to show up, and C=
urt quickly snags the position. He doesn't realize that this seemingly swee=
t old woman is a rich miser, and finds himself working for pennies as her g=
ardener, her chauffeur, and whatever else she needs to maintain her huge ho=
use. Then Lynn, as aspiring actress, moves in, and things don't seem so bad=
 there after all. But it isn't until Curt discovers Mrs. Block's secret tha=
t he finds out what kind of a goldmine he's sitting on. All he has to do is=
 figure out is how to work it... and then stay alive.

THE SLEEPING CITY -- Officer Wade Reed is given his mission, to pose as a m=
ember of the Les Ties gang and infiltrate a local mob. As Jim Cox, he is an=
 out-of-town gunman who has been hired to help with a heist set up by Louie=
 Thompson, an old-style prohibition hoodlum who's planning a comeback. It's=
 Wade's job to find out the details and report back to the Gangster Squad. =
One false move from Jim Cox, and Wade's fiancee Betty will have to find a n=
ew husband. But Wade doesn't figure on Thompson's girl Madge. At first she =
seems like a real tough cookie. But once she gets under Wade's skin, he beg=
ins to have his doubts about the mission. Can he protect Madge and still st=
op the heist?

Critique: As an author, Marty Holland was a master of the hard-boiled myste=
ry genre and two of her best were "The Glass Heart" and "The Sleeping City"=
. Now brought back into print for the benefit of a new generation of reader=
s with an interest in crime classics, this two tale Stark House edition of =
"The Glass Heart / The Sleeping City" will prove to be a welcome and enduri=
ngly popular pick for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It sh=
ould be noted for personal reading lists that "The Glass Heart / The Sleepi=
ng City" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99)=
 as well.

Editorial Note: Marty Holland (1919 - 1971) began writing at age 12. After =
moving to Hollywood with her family, she landed a job as a script typist fo=
r the movie studios. Marty's own work was soon recognized by movie mogul Ot=
to Preminger, who snapped up her novel, Fallen Angel, and made it into a ma=
jor motion picture. Known for her dark, hard-boiled writing, she again foun=
d cinematic success with The File on Thelma Jordan, starring Barbara Stanwy=
ck and Wendell Corey. One of her last books, The Glass Heart, was made into=
 a screenplay by James M. Cain.

McKee of Centre Street
Helen Reilly
American Mystery Classics
c/o Penzler Publishers
https://penzlerpublishers.com
c/o W.W. Norton (distribution)
www.wwnorton.com
9781613164983, $25.95, HC, 288pp

https://www.amazon.com/McKee-Centre-Street-Helen-Reilly/dp/161316498X

Synopsis: When one of New York's favorite dancers is killed in a crowded hi=
gh-tone speakeasy, everyone present becomes a suspect -- and those that may=
 have eluded questioning as well. Now it's up to Inspector McKee of the NYP=
D to sift through the witness statements, separate fact from fiction, and p=
ut together a picture of the crime as it happened in order to discover what=
's missing from the official narrative. And in the process, he'll uncover a=
 story that leads back into the past, with blackmail and stolen emeralds lu=
rking in the shadows...

As McKee's case comes into focus, a rich and confounding mystery plot is re=
vealed, which will take all of the inspector's resources to solve. Along th=
e way, the inner workings of the New York City police department in the 193=
0s is on full display, including the line-ups, the radio room, the morgue, =
and the fingerprinting office -- technologies that were at the cutting edge=
 of this era's fight against crime.

Critique: A speakeasy performer is murdered in this pioneering mystery from=
 the mother of the police procedural. Reissued for the first time eighty ye=
ars, "McKee of Centre Street" by Helen Reilly is one of the first police pr=
ocedurals novels ever written by a woman. Her realistic descriptions of New=
 York and her insightful view of police work were an instant hit with fans =
and its lead character went on to star in over thirty mor crime novels. A l=
iterary treasure brought back from obscurity in a new edition from American=
 Mystery Classics, "McKee of Centre Street" is a fund read from start to fi=
nish and a welcome, unreservedly recommended pick for community library Mys=
tery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading list=
s of all dedicated 'whodunnit' mystery buffs that "McKee of Centre Street" =
is also available in a paperback edition (9781613164990, $15.95) and in a d=
igital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note: Helen Reilly (April 25, 1891 - January 11, 1962) was a pion=
eering author of American Golden Age mysteries and considered to be one of =
the first women to write in the police procedural subgenre. She wrote over =
thirty novels starring Inspector Christopher McKee, of the fictitious Manha=
ttan Homicide Squad. Most of her writing was published under her own name b=
ut she also published several novels under the pseudonym Kieran Abbey. A me=
mber of the Mystery Writers of America, she served as president of the orga=
nization in 1953.

The Last Word
Gerri Lewis
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9781639106318, $29.99, HC, 304pp

https://www.amazon.com/Last-Word-Gerri-Lewis/dp/1639106316

Synopsis: Obituary writer Winter Snow is no stranger to grief, and writing =
obituaries for the citizens of Ridgefield, Connecticut, is her way of provi=
ding comfort to those who have been in her shoes. But funerals and eulogies=
 are meant for the dead, so when the very much alive Leocadia Arlington req=
uests her own obituary by the end of the week, Winter's curiosity is piqued=
. Even more so when she finds Mrs. Arlington dead soon after. Officer Kip M=
ichaels and his relentless partner Tom Bellini make it clear that Winter is=
 under suspicion for the death.

Drafting an obituary for someone who hadn't died yet certainly looks bad, b=
ut Winter knows that it wasn't her, and she becomes obsessed with trying to=
 figure out the real killer. She dives headfirst into the investigation to =
give Mrs. Arlington and herself some peace. When Winter realizes Mrs. Arlin=
gton was working on a revealing memoir that has now gone missing, Winter be=
gins to wonder if the death wasn't exactly random - accident or otherwise.

With the help of her foodie Uncle Richard, her wise octogenarian neighbor H=
orace, her best friend Scoop, and Diva, the Great Pyrenees puppy she inheri=
ted from Mrs. Arlington, Winter must uncover the killer before the next obi=
tuary written is her own.

Critique: A fun read for cosy mystery fans from start to finish, "The Last =
Word" is author Gerri Lewis debut launch of her new A Deadly Deadlines Myst=
ery'. This impressively original and carefully crafted 'whodunnit' mystery =
features an amateur female sleuth caught up in the necessity of clearing he=
r name and involving a number of memorable characters and a dramatic conclu=
sion. While highly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense colle=
ctions, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Last Word" =
is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).

Editorial Note: Gerri Lewis (https://gerrilewis.com) started her career as =
a freelance writer and has published over 1,400 features, news stories, obi=
tuaries, and columns. Along with writing her novels, she continues to write=
 magazine features for O68 Magazine. Her cover features appear regularly an=
d her HOW WE MET column was a popular staple of the magazine for many years=
. Her accolades include feature-writing awards from the New England Press A=
ssociation and the Society of Professional Journalists, among others.

The Lost Dresses of Italy
M. A. McLaughlin
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9781639105649, $29.99, HC, 304pp

https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Dresses-Novel-M-McLaughlin/dp/1639105646

Synopsis: Verona, 1947. Textile historian Marianne Baxter comes to post-war=
 Italy with one thing on her mind: three pristine Victorian dresses, once o=
wned by the famous poet Christina Rossetti. Hidden away in a trunk for near=
ly a century, they were recently discovered at the Fondazione Museo Menigat=
ti and Marianne's expertise is needed before they go on exhibit. Still grie=
ving the loss of her husband, the trip is also a reason for Marianne to sta=
rt over. But when she arrives, she discovers an unsupportive but handsome m=
useum owner, a superstitious local community, and a mysterious letter with =
a scribbled warning hidden among the dresses.

Verona, 1864. Christina Rossetti returns to her family's homeland in hopes =
of leaving her unfulfilled personal life and poetry career in England and b=
eginning a new chapter. After a chance encounter with an old family friend,=
 she finds a gift her father once gave her: a small ornate box with the thr=
ee Muses carved into the lid. When she stumbles across a secret compartment=
, Christina finds a letter from her father with an urgent and personal requ=
est.

The letter, speaking of a pendant and stolen book that must be returned, co=
nnects Marianne and Christina - and leaves them both with more questions th=
an answers. Inspired by the real-life mysteries surrounding poet Christina =
Rossetti, The Lost Dresses transports readers to Verona with the enchantmen=
t and intrigue of Italian art and fashion.

Critique: A deftly crafted and innately fascination historical mystery set =
in Verona, Italy, "The Lost Dresses of Italy" by M. A. McLaughlin showcases=
 her genuine flair for originality and a distinctive storytelling style tha=
t makes for a fun read from cover to cover. Of particular interest to fans =
of historical fiction with events separated by the better part of a century=
, "The Lost Dresses of Italy" is certain to be an immediately welcome and e=
nduringly popular pick for community library Historical Fiction collections=
. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Lost Dresses of I=
taly" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) as well.

Editorial Note: M. A. McLaughlin (https://martyambrose.com) is an award-win=
ning author who completed her M.Phil. at the University of York (England) a=
nd teaches nineteenth-century British literature, composition, and fiction =
writing at Florida Southwestern State College. She has also given numerous =
workshops in the U.S. and abroad on all aspects of creating/publishing a no=
vel, and is a member of The Byron Society, Historical Novel Society, Florid=
a Writers Association, and Women's Fiction Writers Association.

A Pie to Die For
Gretchen Rue
Crooked Lane Books
www.crookedlanebooks.com
9781639106257, $29.99, HC, 320pp

https://www.amazon.com/Pie-Die-Lucky-Mysteries/dp/1639106251

Synopsis: Este March runs the family-owned Lucky Pie Diner on Split Pine Is=
land in Northern Michigan. The pies at Lucky Pie aren't just good, they're =
magical, made from a family recipe that grants certain customers their grea=
test hopes and dreams when they eat the pie. The remote island is closed to=
 outsiders over the winter months, but on the last day of the season, the u=
npopular new produce vendor, Jeff, turns up dead on his boat, and Split Pin=
e Island's peace goes up in smoke.

Tom Cunningham, the local sheriff, casts suspicion onto Este, who may have =
been the last person to see Jeff alive. Not to mention several people witne=
ssed her getting into an argument with the rude vendor in some of his final=
 hours. Este decides to clear her name and her diner's reputation by launch=
ing her own investigation, which means she must turn suspicion on her frien=
ds and neighbors, because only a local could have murdered the victim.

As Este investigates, she uncovers a deeper web of secrets, finding that ma=
ny of the locals had reason to either frame her, or kill the victim. The cl=
ock is ticking to figure out the killer, and the clues in the case are flak=
ier than an apple pie. Este will have to uncover the killer before her futu=
re crumbles.

Critique: A classic cozy mystery from Gretchen Rue, "A Pie to Die For" is t=
he first volume of the author's new 'A Lucky Pie Mystery' series from Crook=
ed Lane Books. Once again we find a young woman compelled to become amateur=
 detective in her attempt to clear herself from a murder mystery by finding=
 out 'whodunnit'. A fresh and fun read from cover to cover, "A Pie to Die F=
or" will prove an instantly popular pick for personal reading lists and com=
munity library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be note=
d that "A Pie to Die For" is also readily available in a digital book forma=
t (Kindle, $17.99).

Editorial Note: Gretchen Rue (https://www.sierradean.com/gretchenrue) is a =
secondary pen-name from author Sierra Dean. She is a cozy mystery author, w=
hose works include The Witches' Brew series and now the Lucky Pie series fr=
om Crooked Lane Books as well.

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James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
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To submit reviews of any fiction or non-fiction books, email them to Frugal=
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Midwest Book Review