A Trifecta of Mystery Bloggers and Their Most Anticipated Titles of 2018!

JENN McKINLAY: There are a lot of book bloggers out there but today I wanted to invite three of my favorites to tell us their three most anticipated mystery titles of 2018. If anyone out there is curious about being a book blogger, our reviewers will be popping in to chat, so feel free to ask them anything. Take it away, ladies.

First up: Cathy Cole from Kittling Books

Paring down this list was painful. I almost sent four and told you to deal with it...but then I decided to behave myself. The three I wound up with are authors that may not be as familiar to a lot of folks as some of the ones I trimmed (Craig Johnson, Stephen King, Ann Cleeves, Elly Griffiths... *sob*). The three authors I chose have also appeared on my Best Reads of the Year lists.

Here goes:

A Howl of Wolves by Judith Flanders' fourth mystery featuring Samantha Clair, editor for a London publishing house and amateur sleuth. Lots of tasty morsels about the world of publishing, laugh-out-loud funny bits, as well as the occasional downright scary scene. Flanders also writes superb non-fiction.

 See Also Proof by Larry D. Sweazy. Sweazy's third mystery featuring Marjorie Trumaine, a freelance indexer and amateur sleuth who lives in rural North Dakota in the 1960s. Yes, indexing can help you be a better sleuth, but the marvels of this series have been its wonderful sense of place and from seeing just how much neighbors and friends help each other in a rather remote area.

Whispers of the Dead by Spencer Kope.

The first book in Kope's FBI Special Tracking Unit series (Collecting the Dead) blew me away two years ago with its imaginative story, the character of Magnus "Steps" Craig, and its oftentimes poetic language. 

From the blog: What is the purpose of this blog, Kittling: Books? First of all, you may wonder just what "kittling" means. It is a Gaelic word that means "anything that strikes [my] fancy", and that pretty much sums up my reading tastes. Although I do have a strong perference for crime fiction (mysteries), I also love historical fiction, history, biographies, time travel...anything that satisfies my craving for strong characters, story and setting. 

Readers can get in touch with Cathy through her blog (kittlingbooks.com), Facebook (facebook.com/KittlingBooks ), and email KittlingBooks@gmail.com. 

On deck: Dru Ann Love from Dru's Book Musings

The first book I’m eagerly anticipating is Charmed Bones by Carolyn Haines – I have read all of the books in this long-running series and fell in love with Sarah Booth and her friends. I especially liked Coleman and Sarah Booth, but the pairing never worked out for the two since they found themselves in relationships with other people. Over the last few books, the author has been closing the gap and I can’t wait for this book to show up in my kindle.

The next book I’m anticipating, as if people who know me knows, is Leverage in Death by J.D. Robb. I do not know what it is about this series, okay, it could be the vulnerability at first of Eve Dallas and her growth in the series, but I just love this series. I know that when the book opens, we are witness to a crime, but what I like best is the call that Eve gets and the arrival of my third favorite character in the series, Peabody. Can you guess who is my second favorite character?

The third book I can’t wait to read is Trust Me by Hank Phillipi Ryan. When I first read Hank’s “Charlotte McNally” series, I was impressed by her characterizations and writing style. I’ve since read all of the books she has written and every time I pick up a new book, I experience something wonderful and she never fails to bring me to a new level of reading.

These three are not the only books I’m anticipating, but they are at the top of my list. Would I like an advance reader copy of these books? No, because I want to read them all in their finished glory.

The reclusive figure of Dru Ann Love reportedly spends her working hours at the mysterious daytime situation doing “research.” She is probably not a spy. Maybe. Her non-working hours are spent less reclusively on her blog, dru’s book musings. She is an avid reader who writes poetry, creates quilts and is happy to be in “her element” within the mystery community. Dru Ann is a 2017 MWA Raven Award recipient and dru’s book musings is an Anthony Award-nominated blog.

Visit her website at https://drusbookmusing.com/ and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/DrusBookMusing/

And our closer: Lesa Holstine from Lesa's Book Critiques  (she is also the book blogger for the Poisoned Pen Bookstore).

Storytellers. I love storytellers. So, the first two books I'm anticipating are by two men who can tell stories, in writing and orally, better than anyone else I've ever heard/read.

Rick Bragg's new book is due out April 3. It's called The BestCook in the World - Tales from My Momma's Table. Here's part of the blurb in the ARC. "In The Best Cook in the World, Rick Bragg finally preserves his heritage by telling the stories that framed his mother's cooking and education, from childhood into old age. Good food always has a good story. And a recipe, writes Bragg, is a story like anything else."

Craig Johnson left us hanging at the end of The Western Star, his last Longmire mystery. In September, we'll find find out what happened. I've attached a photo from Craig's Facebook page. Here's what Amazon has to say about Depth of Winter. 

" Welcome to Walt Longmire's worst nightmare. In Craig Johnson's latest mystery, Depth of Winter, an international hit man and the head of one of the most vicious drug cartels in Mexico has kidnapped Walt's beloved daughter, Cady, to auction her off to his worst enemies, of which there are many. The American government is of limited help and the Mexican one even less. Walt heads into the one-hundred-and-ten degree heat of the Northern Mexican desert alone, one man against an army."

Then, there's Louise Penny. Her Armand Gamache books have topped my favorites list for the last couple years. There are a few in the series that I haven't enjoyed as much as others, but her last couple have been wonderful. And, the world she created in Three Pines! Plus Armand Gamache's wife, Reine-Marie, is a retired librarian. There's no title for her November 27 release, but I'll be waiting!

More about Lesa: She has been a library manager/administrator for over 30 years, in Ohio, Florida, Arizona, and, now, Indiana. Winner of the 2011 Arizona Library Association Outstanding Library Service Award. She is a mystery columnist for Library Journal, Mystery Readers Journal, and ReadertoReader.com. Author of the "Mystery Fiction" chapter in Genreflecting: A Guide to Popular Reading Interests (7th ed.) Winner of the 2009 and 2010 Spinetingler Awards for Best Reviewer.

Lesa's blog is http://www.lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com

She's also the blogger for Poisoned Pen bookstore, www.poisonedpen.com.

Wow, so many great titles to add to my TBR! What about you, Reds and Readers, what books are you looking forward to in 2018?

Love Letter to Broadway by Lesa Holstine

LUCY BURDETTE: A couple years ago, I spotted Lesa Holstine at a book conference in New York, and somehow we began chatting about Broadway. I loved hearing about her family trips to take in as many shows as they could in a short stretch, and I'm betting you'll enjoy it too!

LESA HOLSTINE: Kristin Chenoweth, who originated the role of Glinda in “Wicked”, just did a concert series called “My Love Letter to Broadway”. I could easily say the same, but I can’t sing. I’m passionate about Broadway, and, recently have tried to make a couple trips a year to see shows in New York City.

I credit my mother and two good colleges for my love of theater. My hometown, Huron, Ohio, has the longest running summer theater in the state. My mother would take us to see their children’s productions – “Cinderella”, “The Wizard of Oz”, and the actors would come out in costume to meet the children afterward. Both Kent State University and The Catholic University of America had outstanding theater departments. I had a wonderful “History of Theater and Drama” class at Kent State, taught by the chairman of the department, and we were required to attend plays and review them as part of the class.

But, it was the first show I ever saw on Broadway that won me over. I was attending a conference, and decided to go to the show that was closest to the hotel. It turned out to be “Les Miserables” before it closed the first time on Broadway. I had first row balcony seats, perfect for all of those songs addressed to the heavens. And, the theater! I had only been in giant modern theaters. There’s an intimacy to Broadway theaters that is seldom felt elsewhere. I fell in love with Broadway, but also fell in love with “Les Miz”. 

It wasn’t until I moved to Indiana four years ago, though, that I had the chance to go to New York regularly. It’s so easy to get there, flying non-stop from Nashville. When I go to BookExpo in the spring, I usually go to three shows. And, then, in 2014, I went on a mad, week-long trip with a friend, and we crammed as many shows in as we could. We saw “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder” twice. I had a front row seat to “You Can’t Take It With You”, and James Earl Jones was just six feet away from me! I saw “Pippin”, and sat behind the conductor. I could see every song that was coming up next. There truly is “Magic to Do” at a Broadway show.

Best of all, I went back to see “Les Miserables”, once again at the Imperial Theatre. And, I fell in love with the actor playing Jean Valjean, an Iranian-born actor, raised in Canada, married to a British woman, Ramin Karimloo. He had been the youngest actor to play the Phantom. And, now, he brought a depth and strength and passion to the role of Jean Valjean. I went back to see the show a second time that week. And, in 2015, I would go see him two more times in the role before his run was over. 

Remember, though, when I said my mother took us to the theater when we were children? My sister, Linda, and I decided to return the favor. In June 2015, we took Mom and our younger sister, Christie, to New York. Neither of my sisters had been there, so we all picked three things we wanted to see while we were there. I picked three shows. And, I carefully selected shows that would be memorable. We went to see “The King and I” at Lincoln Center, starring Kelli O’Hara, who went on to win the Tony Award. Tyne Daly from Cagney and Lacey starred in “It Shoulda Been You”, and her partner in crime, Sharon Gless, sat in front of me, and talked to me afterward. And, maybe the most memorable show was “The Audience” with Helen Mirren. Only two corgies could steal a scene from the queen.

Linda and I have been back to Broadway twice together, long weekend trips that are really Broadway trips. She made me stand at the stage door to meet Ramin Karimloo after I dragged her to Les Miz. We laughed at the irreverence of Jim Parsons in “Act of God”. Our last trip took us to “The Front Page” starring Nathan Lane, John Goodman, and Jefferson Mays, “Sweet Charity” with Sutton Foster, “Fiddler on the Roof”, and “Holiday Inn”, where I met Bryce Pinkham afterwards, and learned his grandmother was a librarian. And, coming full circle, we ended our recent weekend with Kristin Chenoweth’s show, “My Love Letter to Broadway”.

I, too, love Broadway. I pick my shows carefully, sometimes with a star in mind, sometimes based on the recommendation of a friend. I read The New York Times reviews, and follow Playbill. I won’t pay an enormous amount of money to go see Hugh Jackman when he’s in a play that doesn’t interest me. But, I’ll pay full price to see a show starring Sutton Foster or Bryce Pinkham or Jefferson Mays or James Earl Jones or Ramin Karimloo or Kelli O’Hara when it’s a plot or musical that entices me. I’ll go see a drama or a comedy, but I truly enjoy the musicals.

I already have my spring 2017 shows selected. “Come From Away”, the musical about the flights that landed in Newfoundland on 9/11 was recommended by a friend. Another friend saw “Groundhog Day” in London. How can I pass up Bette Midler and David Hyde Pierce in “Hello, Dolly!”? And, “Anastasia”. Ramin Karimloo will be back on Broadway in that show.

Thank you, Lucy, for asking me to write my own love letter to Broadway. Have you been bitten by the theater bug? Or, do you have your own passion, some hobby or interest that demands your attention? For me, it’s books and Broadway.

Lesa Holstine is a library manager/administrator who blogs about books and authors, especially mysteries.