Murder Mystery Archives - John Dwaine McKenna

The Art of Violence

By John|2021-01-14T21:27:30+00:00January 18th, 2021|Murder Mystery, Mysterious Book Report|

The Art of Violence Mysterious Book Report No. 432 by John Dwaine McKenna I was intrigued by Dennis Lehane’s blurb on the cover: “S.J. Rozan can write sentences that make my jaw literally drop.” So I purchased a copy of her newest Lydia Chin/Bill Smith novel entitled, The Art of Violence, (Pegasus Crime, $25.95, 275 pages, ISBN 978-1-64313-531-1), and read the first sentence: “Shifting colors on a monster billboard

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Old Anger

By John|2021-01-07T20:34:14+00:00January 7th, 2021|Murder Mystery, Mysterious Book Report|

Old Anger Mysterious Book Report No. 430 by John Dwaine McKenna Although this novel was released in late 2020, it’s still as timely as tonight’s news. That’s because it’s about racism and how it’s felt from both black and white perspectives. Old Anger, (Brash Books, PB, $18.99, 277 pages, ISBN 978-1-7343480-7-1) by Phillip Thompson, takes place in present day rural Mississippi and features a white, small town sheriff named

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Fortune Favors The Dead

By John|2020-11-12T19:41:05+00:00November 16th, 2020|Historical/Thriller, Murder Mystery, Mysterious Book Report|

Fortune Favors The Dead Mysterious Book Report No. 427 by John Dwaine McKenna Fortune Favors The Dead, (Doubleday, $26.95, 336 pages, ISBN 978-0-3855-4655-3), is the first novel from author Stephen Spotswood. It takes place in New York City in 1945, and features a pair of female private eyes in the style and manner of Rex Stout, with Lillian Pentecost, “the most famous woman detective in the city and possible

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The Cold Millions

By John|2020-10-01T20:15:58+00:00October 6th, 2020|Murder Mystery, Mysterious Book Report|

The Cold Millions Mysterious Book Report No. 421 by John Dwaine McKenna Spokane, Washington, just after the turn of the 20th century is the setting for Edgar Award-winning author Jess Walter’s stunningly well-timed new novel entitled The Cold Millions (Harper, $28.99, 352 pages, ISBN 978-0-06-286808-4), which tells the story of the International Workers of the World, or IWW—also known as the Wobblies—beginning their fight for free speech . .

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Ivy Is A Weed

By John|2020-09-03T20:08:26+00:00September 7th, 2020|Murder Mystery, Mysterious Book Report|

Ivy Is A Weed Mysterious Book Report No. 417 by John Dwaine McKenna Author Robert Roseth is a man with a strong sense of humor, an ear for sarcasm and a talent for satire. He puts all of those elements together in his first novel, Ivy Is A Weed, (Self-published, $13.99, 336 pages, ISBN 978-0-578-62246-0) a tongue-in-cheek, hysterical behind-the-scenes look at the foibles, follies and free-for-alls that go on

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The Bone Hunger

By John|2020-08-18T20:43:05+00:00August 24th, 2020|Murder Mystery, Mysterious Book Report|

The Bone Hunger Mysterious Book Report No. 415 by John Dwaine McKenna All novelists are bright. That’s because writing is a craft that demands much, and promises nothing more than thousands of hours of solitary and challenging work, putting together what we hope will be a story with an engaging plot, interesting characters and a few surprises along the way that will entertain and involve our readers, maybe even

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Charlie 316

By admin|2019-12-17T20:41:34+00:00February 17th, 2020|Murder Mystery, Mysterious Book Report|

Charlie 316 Mysterious Book Report No. 376 by John Dwaine McKenna Charlie 316, (Down & Out Books, PB, $18.95, 398 pages, ISBN 978-1-948235-68-6) by Colin Conway & Frank Zafrino, is an electrifying and propulsive police procedural that takes place in Spokane, Washington . . . out near the Idaho state line. It combines elements of race, heroism, crime, treachery, violence and murder into a tale that you just can’t

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Hudson’s Kill

By John|2019-12-17T20:38:20+00:00February 10th, 2020|Murder Mystery, Mysterious Book Report|

Hudson’s Kill Mysterious Book Report No. 389 by John Dwaine McKenna Although they’re few and far between . . . “Rare as hen’s teeth,” as my old Irish mother used to say . . . some authors show early on in their careers that they are on the way to literary greatness, and destined to leave a wordsmith’s mark on the world. Writer Paddy Hirsch is such a one.

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Old Anger

By John|2020-12-31T21:11:28+00:00January 4th, 2020|John McKenna Publications, Murder Mystery, Mysterious Book Report|

Old Anger Mysterious Book Report No. 430 by John Dwaine McKenna Although this novel was released in late 2020, it’s still as timely as tonight’s news. That’s because it’s about racism and how it’s felt from both black and white perspectives. Old Anger, (Brash Books, PB, $18.99, 277 pages, ISBN 978-1-7343480-7-1) by Phillip Thompson, takes place in present day rural Mississippi and features a white, small town sheriff named

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The Dead Beat Scroll

By John|2019-11-12T21:02:56+00:00November 11th, 2019|Murder Mystery, Mysterious Book Report|

The Dead Beat Scroll Mysterious Book Report No. 395 by John Dwaine McKenna August Riordan is “an old meat-eating dinosaur” type of Private Investigator who’s returned to San Francisco to track down the person that killed his friend and one-time partner, Chris Duckworth, in the soon-to-be-issued, (Nov. 19, 2019), murder mystery entitled The Dead Beat Scroll, (Down & Out Books, PB, $17.95, 265 pages, ISBN 978-1-64396-031-9) by award-winning author

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