Agatha Awards Nominees 2015

The 2015 Agatha Award finalists have been announced. The Agathas recognize mysteries that best exemplify the work of Agatha Christie. Amongst the nominees you will find mysteries of the "cozy" variety, which steer clear of explicit sex, language or violence.




Among the nominees are:

Best Contemporary Novel
Long Upon the Land by Margaret Maron
The Child Garden by Catriona McPherson
Nature of the Beast by Louise Penny
What You See by Hank Phillipi Ryan


Best Historical Novel
Malice at the Palace by Rhys Bowen
Dreaming Spies by Laurie R. King
Mrs Roosevelt's Confidante by Susan Elia Macneal
Murder on Amsterdam Avenue by Victoria Thompson


Best Nonfiction
The Great Detective: the amazing rise and the immortal life of Sherlock Holmes by Zack Dundas
The Golden Age of Murder: the mystery of the writers who invented the modern detective story by Martin Edwards
The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook: wickedly good meals and desserts to die for by Kate White

Series-ously Good Mysteries - March 2016

March - cold, blowing, wintery March. This month I plan to be tucked up in a warm blanket reading all the newest titles in my favorite mystery series. How about you?

Laura Childs is releasing the seventeenth title in her Tea Shop mystery series this month, Devonshire Scream. It follows Ming Tea Murder. Catering a high-class trunk show at Heart's Desire Jewelry is a shining achievement for Theodosia and the Indigo Tea Shop. After all, a slew of jewelers, museums, and private collectors will be there to showcase their wares and sip some of Theo's best blends. But just as Theo settles in to enjoy the fruits of her labor, the party is crashed by a gang of masked muggers who steal the precious gems and jewels on display. The thieves disappear almost as quickly as they arrived, leaving shattered glass, scattered gemstones, and a dead body in their wake. Although the last thing Theo wants is to get involved, she can't help but intercede when her dear friend Brooke, aunt of the victim and owner of Heart's Desire, begs for help in figuring out who committed the brutal burglary. Though the FBI believes this daring "smash and grab" is the work of an international gang of jewel thieves, Theo is convinced that the felon is someone much closer to home.

Another favorite is Jacqueline Winspear's Maisy Dobbs series. Journey to Munich is the twelfth title in the series and it follows A Dangerous Place. Working with the British Secret Service on an undercover mission, Maisie Dobbs is sent to Hitler’s Germany in this thrilling tale of danger and intrigue. It’s early 1938, and Maisie Dobbs is back in England. On a fine yet chilly morning, as she walks towards Fitzroy Square—a place of many memories—she is intercepted by Brian Huntley and Robert MacFarlane of the Secret Service. The German government has agreed to release a British subject from prison, but only if he is handed over to a family member. Because the man’s wife is bedridden and his daughter has been killed in an accident, the Secret Service wants Maisie—who bears a striking resemblance to the daughter—to retrieve the man from Dachau, on the outskirts of Munich. The British government is not alone in its interest in Maisie’s travel plans. Her nemesis—the man she holds responsible for her husband’s death—has learned of her journey, and is also desperate for her help.Traveling into the heart of Nazi Germany, Maisie encounters unexpected dangers—and finds herself questioning whether it’s time to return to the work she loved.

Another historical favorite is the Molly Murphy mystery series by Rhys Bowen. This month's addition, Time of Fog and Fire, is the sixteenth title following Away in a Manger.  Molly Murphy Sullivan's husband Daniel, a police captain in turn-of-the-century New York City, is in a precarious position. The new police commissioner wants him off the force altogether. So when Daniel is offered an assignment from John Wilkie, head of the secret service, he’s eager to accept. Molly can’t draw any details of the assignment out of him, even where he’ll be working. But when she spots him in San Francisco during a movie news segment, she starts to wonder if he’s in even more danger than she had first believed. And then she receives a strange and cryptic letter from him, leading her to conclude that he wants her to join him in San Francisco. Molly knows that if Daniel’s turning to her rather than John Wilkie or his contacts in the police force, something must have gone terribly wrong. What can she do for him that the police can’t? Especially when she doesn’t even know what his assignment is? Embarking on a cross-country journey with her young son, Molly can’t fathom what’s in store for her, but she knows it might be dangerous―in fact, it might put all of their lives at risk.

Paige Shelton is starting a new series this month. It is the Scottish Bookshop mystery series and The Cracked Spine is the first title. In need of a good adventure, Delaney Nichols takes the leap and moves to Edinburgh, Scotland to start a job at The Cracked Spine. She doesn't know much about what she's gotten herself into, other than that the work sounds exciting, and that her new boss, Edwin MacAlister, has given her the opportunity of a lifetime. Edwin has promised that she'll be working with "a desk that has seen the likes of kings and queens, paupers and princes," and Delaney can't wait to get started. When she arrives, she meets her new Scottish family; also working at the Cracked Spine are Rosie, perpetually wrapped in scarves, and who always has tiny dog Hector in tow; Hamlet, a nineteen-year-old thespian with a colored past and bright future; and Edwin, who is just as enigmatic and mysterious as Delaney expected. An unexpected bonus is Tom the bartender from across the street, with his piercing eyes, and a rolling brogue -- and it doesn't hurt that he looks awfully good in a kilt. But before she can settle into her new life, a precious artifact -- a previously undiscovered First Folio of Shakespeare's plays -- goes missing, and Edwin's sister is murdered, seemingly in connection to the missing folio. Delaney decides to do some sleuthing of her own, to find out just what the real story is behind the priceless folio, and how it's connected to the tragic death.

Death of a Bacon Heiress is the seventh title in the Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery series by Lee Hollis. It follows Death of a Cupcake Queen. When Hayley Powell is invited to do a cooking demo on one of daytime's most popular talk shows, it's a welcome distraction from her empty nest blues. And the newfound fame certainly has its perks--especially when Olivia Redmond, the posh bacon heiress of Redmond Meats, offers Hayley a writing gig with a juicy paycheck.  But Hayley's good fortune fizzles fast. The heiress is found dead with her pet pot-bellied pig, Pork Chop, squealing bloody murder beside her body, and clogged arteries aren't to blame. It turns out Olivia's inherited a wealth of enemies over the years, and as Hayley trims the fat off a mounting list of suspects, it's clear that being rich and hot-tempered can be a recipe for disaster.

Series-ously Good Mysteries - February 2016

February is a good month to snuggle up and read the newest title in your favorite mystery series.  Or, if you are lucky enough to travel south, take one to the beach with you!

Death of a Nurse by M.C. Beaton is the thirty-first title in the Hamish MacBeth mystery series, following Death of a Liar. James Harrison has recently moved to a restored hunting lodge in Sutherland with his gorgeous private nurse Gloria Dainty. When Hamish visits Mr. Harrison to welcome him to the neighborhood, the old man treats him very rudely. Gloria apologizes for her employer's behavior, and Hamish takes the plunge and invites her out for dinner. On the appointed evening, Hamish waits for Gloria at the restaurant. And waits. Gloria never shows up. Four days later, Gloria's body washes up on the beach near Braikie. Now without a date and without his former policeman Dick Fraser (who left the force to buy a bakery), Hamish must find out who killed the beautiful new resident of Sutherland, and why, before the murderer strikes again.

The nineteenth title in the Hannah Swenson mystery series by Joanne Fluke is Wedding Cake Murder. It follows Double Fudge Brownie Murder. Hannah Swenson is thrilled to be marrying Ross Barton, her college crush. And her excitement only grows when she learns he’ll be able to join her on her trip to New York City for the Food Channel’s dessert chef contest. They get a taste of the Big Apple before Hannah wins the Hometown Challenge and the producers bring all the contestants to Lake Eden to tape the remainder of the show. It’s nerve-wracking enough being judged by Alain Duquesne, a celebrity chef with a nasty reputation. But it’s even more chilling to find him stabbed to death in the Lake Eden Inn’s walk-in cooler—before he’s even had a chance to taste Hannah’s Butterscotch Sugar Cookies! Now Hannah has not only lost her advantage, she’ll have to solve a mystery with more layers than a five-tiered wedding cake.

A Whisker of Trouble by Sofie Ryan is the third title in the Second Chance Cat mystery series, following Buy a Whisker. Spring has come to charming North Harbor, Maine, and with the new season comes a new haul for Second Chance, the shop where Sarah Grayson sells lovingly refurbished and repurposed items. Sarah is turning her keen eye to the estate of collector Edison Hall, hoping for fabulous finds for Second Chance—but when her rescue cat Elvis discovers a body in the kitchen, everything goes paws up. The body belongs to an appraiser who had been hired to check out Edison’s wine collection. When Edison’s sister shows up at Second Chance, she hires Sarah’s friends—the kooky and charismatic trio of ladies who call themselves Charlotte’s Angels and work out of the shop—to solve the murder, Sarah knows she and Elvis are only going to get deeper into the case.

The fourth title in the County Cork mystery series is A Turn for the Bad by Sheila Connolly. It follows An Early Wake. After calling Ireland home for six months, Boston expat Maura Donovan still has a lot to learn about Irish ways—and Sullivan’s Pub is her classroom. Maura didn’t only inherit a business, she inherited a tight-knit community. And when a tragedy strikes, it’s the talk of the pub. A local farmer, out for a stroll on the beach with his young son, has mysteriously disappeared. Did he drown? Kill himself? The child can say only that he saw a boat. Everyone from the local gardai to the Coast Guard is scouring the Cork coast, but when a body is finally brought ashore, it’s the wrong man. An accidental drowning or something more sinister? Trusting the words of the boy and listening to the suspicions of her employee Mick that the missing farmer might have run afoul of smugglers, Maura decides to investigate the deserted coves and isolated inlets for herself. But this time she may be getting in over her head.

The Lavender Lane Lothario is the eleventh title in the Berger and Mitry mystery series by David Handler. It follows The Coal Black Asphalt Tomb. Every year, the Gant family performs an annual ritual desecrating the tomb of Aurora Bing. The Gants have held a grudge against the legendary silent film star for almost eighty years, but for Sherm Gant and his son, things have become personal. Aurora's only grandchild, Hubie Swope, has shut down Sherm's notoriously rowdy beachfront bar, and refuses to allow The Pit to reopen until Shem undertakes expensive upgrades. This means war. And when The Pit catches fire and Hubie Swope's charred remains are found in the rubble, it also means murder. Who killed Hubie Swope? Crime-fighting duo Mitch and Des have no idea. Not only are Sherm and his son prime suspects, but so are the women in Hubie's life. To their surprise, Mitch and Des discover that Dorset's building inspector, a quiet widower who repaired cuckoo clocks in his little house on Lavender Lane, was secretly juggling four girlfriends at once. And then there's Gaylord Holland, a builder who had a beef of his own with Hubie. Dorset is in turmoil, and only New York City film critic Mitch Berger and Connecticut State Police Resident Trooper Des Mitry can put it back together.

Book seven in the Candy Halliday mystery series is Town in a Cinnamon Toast" by B.B. Haywood. It follows "Town in a Sweet Pickle".  The much-anticipated wedding of local resident Maggie Tremont and popular baker Herr Georg has stirred up the usually quiet coastal town of Cape Willington. To make sure the wedding of the year goes off without a hitch, the participants gather at a pre-wedding dinner—everyone, that is, except the best man. Worried, Candy, the maid of honor, goes looking for him, finally tracking him down to the upstairs archive rooms at the English Point Lighthouse and Museum. There’s only one problem: he’s dead, struck over the head with a bottle of champagne, the same exclusive brand that was ordered for the dinner. Before the wedding plans fall flat, Candy rushes to find the murderer, unearthing a conspiracy that could spill over into the whole town.

"Fogged In" by Barbara Ross the fourth in the Maine Clambake mystery series following "Musseled Out". An autumn chill has settled over Busman's Harbor, Maine, but Julia Snowden is warming up the town by offering lobster stew at the local diner. When her landlord discovers a dead body in the walk-in refrigerator, Julia must figure out who ordered up a side of murder. Nothing's colder than a corpse--especially one stashed inside a sub-zero fridge. The victim spent his last night on earth dining at the restaurant bar, so naturally Julia finds herself at the center of the ensuing investigation. Lost in the November fog, however, is who'd want to kill the unidentified stranger--and why. It might have something to do with a suspicious group of retirees and a decades-old tragedy to which they're all connected. One thing's for sure: Julia's going to make solving this mystery her early bird special.

Blast from the Past! Partners in Crime by Agatha Christie

Ok, so we're all familiar with Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. Am I alone in never having heard of Tommy and Tuppence Beresford? I discovered them in a book of loosely connected short stories Partners in Crime. Tommy and Tuppence are a young hip 1920's couple modeled on the so-called Bright Young Things of the age. In this book they have taken over the International Detective Agency and are posing as the owners in order to intercept and pass on treacherous messages. In the meantime, they are cheerfully solving crimes. In each story they are recreating the style of a famous detective. Not being much of a mystery reader, the nuances were a bit lost on me.

We first meet Tommy and Tuppence in The Secret Adversary. The are childhood friends who meet up after the war. They start the Young Adventurers ltd.willing to do anything anywhere for good pay. They become embroiled in espionage and, luckily for the country, they save the day. Tommy and Tuppence, unlike Poirot and Marple, age with time. In Partners in Crime it is six years later and they are young married couple. Their final escapade is in Postern of Fate. Tommy and Tuppence are now elderly and they have raised their children. They have retired to a resort town, but they investigating days are not quite over as they find a coded message about an unnatural death.

Tommy and Tuppence are a modern young couple, lighthearted and playful. Partners in Crime is a perfect little book if you are looking for something light and witty. True mystery fans will enjoy the spoofs of such detectives as Sherlock Holmes, Father Brown, Malcolm Sage and her own Hercule Poirot.

Series-ously Good Mysteries - January 2016

Don't you find January to be a let-down, of sorts? Christmas is over and winter is coming in full force. I find it just the right time to curl up with the newest title in my favorite mystery series. And, January doesn't disappoint this year. Here are the newest mystery series titles coming this month...

Presumed Puzzled by Parnell Hall is the seventeeth title in the Puzzle Lady mystery series, following Puzzled Indemnity. The Puzzle Lady gets more than she bargained for when she's hired to track down Paula Martindale's straying husband. Cora Felton finds him hacked to pieces on his living room rug, while his blood-drenched wife haunts the crime scene clutching a butcher knife. It's a tough spot for attractive young attorney Becky Baldwin. Paula is presumed innocent until proven guilty, but without Cora's help the outcome is all but decided. Cora leaps in to save the day, but she struggles to uncover clues while managing her own role in the courtroom as a witness for the prosecution. Even worse, every bit of evidence she finds in Paula's favor, from crossword puzzles to alibi witnesses, points to Cora herself as the killer!

The ninth title in the Charley Davidson mystery series by Darynda Jones is  The Dirt on Ninth Grave. It follows Eighth Grave After Dark. In a small village in New York Charley Davidson is living as Jane Doe, a girl with no memory of who she is or where she came from. So when she is working at a diner and slowly begins to realize she can see dead people, she's more than a little taken aback. Stranger still are the people entering her life. They seem to know things about her. Things they hide with lies and half-truths. Soon, she senses something far darker. A force that wants to cause her harm, she is sure of it. Her saving grace comes in the form of a new friend she feels she can confide in and the fry cook, a devastatingly handsome man whose smile is breathtaking and touch is scalding. He stays close, and she almost feels safe with him around. But no one can outrun their past, and the more lies that swirl around her-even from her new and trusted friends-the more disoriented she becomes, until she is confronted by a man who claims to have been sent to kill her. Sent by the darkest force in the universe. A force that absolutely will not stop until she is dead. Thankfully, she has a Rottweiler. But that doesn't help in her quest to find her identity and recover what she's lost. That will take all her courage and a touch of the power she feels flowing like electricity through her veins. She almost feels sorry for him. The devil in blue jeans. The disarming fry cook who lies with every breath he takes. She will get to the bottom of what he knows if it kills her. Or him. Either way.

Copy Cap Murder by Jenn McKinlay is the fourth title in the Hat Shop mystery series, following At the Drop of a Hat. For Scarlett Parker, part of the fun of living in London is celebrating the British holidays, and she’s excited to share her first Bonfire Night with her cousin Vivian Tremont. Invited to a posh party by their friend Harrison Wentworth, Scarlett and Viv decide to promote their hat shop, Mim’s Whims, by donning a few of their more outrageous creations. The hats prove to be quite the conversation starters as the girls mix and mingle with the guests—never suspecting that one of them is a killer. It’s a cold, clear night, perfect for the British tradition of tossing a straw stuffed effigy of Guy Fawkes, traitor to the crown, onto the bonfire. But instead of a straw man, they realize in the heat of the moment that the would-be Guy Fawkes is actually Harrison’s office rival and he’s been murdered. Before the smoke has cleared, Harrison is the Metropolitan police’s prime suspect, and Scarlett and Vivian must find the real killer.

Number ten in the Ghost Hunter mystery series by Victoria Laurie is A Ghoul's Guide to Love and Murder. It follows No Ghouls Allowed. M.J., Heath, and Gilley, are back home in Boston, where their new film is sure to be a monster hit. To promote the film, the studio is sponsoring a special exhibit of supernatural artifacts at a local museum. Unfortunately, Gilley—whose mind is engaged with wedding plans—gets talked into donating to the exhibit the very dagger that keeps the dangerous ghost Oruç and his pet demon locked down in the lower realms. Before M.J. can recover the bewitched blade, there’s a murder and a heist at the museum, and the dagger is stolen. Now Oruç is coming for M.J. and her crew, and he's bringing with him some fiendish friends from M.J.’s haunted past. She, Gilley, and Heath are certain to be in for a devil of a time. M.J. may even need to recruit a certain skeptical Boston detective to help stop the paranormal party crashers from turning Gilley’s wedding bells to funeral knells.

Sweet Pepper Hero by J.J. Cook is the fourth title in the Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade mystery series, following In Hot Water. Fire chief Stella Griffin has been put in charge of judging the annual recipe contest, but Eric—her resident ghost and true culinary genius—has vanished. Before she can track down his latest haunt, she’s called in to investigate a local moonshine distillery that was set ablaze, making her realize there’s more than pies and cakes cooking in Sweet Pepper. As rumors of a revived whiskey war ignite, Stella turns to the town’s elders to help her find answers. The past might have some clues as to what has sparked the present fires. But when following a lead lands her in buried rubble, Stella realizes she must extinguish this case fast or she might be going down in flames.

The sixth title in the Piece of Cake mystery series is The Cakes of Monte Cristo by Jacklyn Brady. It follows Rebel Without a Cake. Rita Lucero, co-owner of New Orleans’s Zydeco Cakes, is thrilled to be catering an annual ball held at the Monte Cristo Hotel. Designing the high-end desserts is her priority—until she stumbles upon a mystery long-buried at her shop. It’s an ornate ruby necklace, hidden underneath her staircase and rumored to be cursed. After the gem’s appraiser suddenly drops dead and Rita herself is targeted by a menacing stranger, she’s no longer laughing at local superstition. Now with five cakes on order and an investigation into the necklace’s past revealing layers of unsettling clues, Rita has reason to keep looking over her shoulder while she’s frosting.

Mysteries That Can Cut Through the Sugary Sweetness of the Holidays

If you’re a fan of mysteries and CBC Radio’s The Next Chapter then you’re likely familiar with the show’s Mystery Book Panel. Twice a year the panel gets together to suggest their favourite mysteries. The panel consists of P.K. Rangachari, a mystery novel enthusiast and professor emeritus of medicine at McMaster University, J.D. Singh, the owner of the Sleuths of Baker Street Bookstore in Toronto, and Margaret Cannon, the Globe and Mail's mystery books columnist. If you’re wondering why you should read murderous fiction at this time of year then Margaret Cannon has the answer: "All that treacle and all that sweetness just needs to have some real nastiness to cut it."

Here is the book panel’s most recent suggestions. Hope you find a good one to enjoy over the holidays!

Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter is Margaret Cannon’s top pick for holiday reading:

“This book is being compared to Gone Girl, but it's much better than Gone Girl. The central plot is a young woman who goes out for drinks with friends. She's a college student, a very pretty girl and she's on her way home after a couple of drinks and she disappears. For 21 years no one knows where she's gone. The police say she ran away. Her family knows she didn't run away, and there's always the idea that maybe she's out there. Her father writes a diary to her, telling her about what's going on in life and he can't get past the loss of his pretty girl. His wife does move on and at the end the prologue, she tells him that he's got to get moving on because if he knew what happened, the details would tear him apart. It's the details that eventually come out in this book and they do indeed tear you apart. It's really well written both in terms of character and plot. It will definitely take you away from the Christmas elves”. – Margaret Cannon

Death in the Rainy Season by Anna Jaquiery is P.K. Rangachari's top pick for holiday reading:

“This book is set in Cambodia. Basically what happens is there's a French detective who's half Khmer who's on holiday, and he's asked to investigate the murder of a do-gooder, one of these people who works at an NGO trying to rescue children and so on. The victim has been bashed to death and he's selected a hotel room under an assumed name so all kinds of issues come up: is this a personal vendetta? Is it political? The story is very beautiful, except for the incessant rain. I grew up in India and the monsoons were deadly. Somebody once said that the last chapter of David Copperfield should have been written on blotting paper. I think this entire book should have been written on blotting paper. It's soaking. But the story is very interesting, partly because it merges the past and the present and because I grew up during the time of the Indochina war in India, all these names are very familiar to me. Of course the other issue that comes up is, what do NGOs do? I have always been extraordinarily skeptical of them. Are they there to help people or are they there to hinder people? The story is very beautifully written, the characters are most interesting. There isn't much of a mystery; you can sort of figure it out. It's really more about the characters”. – P.K. Rangachari

Dark Reservations by John Fortunato is J.D. Singh’s top pick for holiday reading:

“It's a debut novel and this year's winner of the Tony Hillerman Prize. The novel is set primarily in Navajo country and basically our principal character is a BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs) agent by the name of Joe Evers. This particularly interesting case comes up and he decides he wants to investigate it. The case is an American congressman who is being investigated for corruption, but 20 years ago, and has been missing all this time. Now this car turns up on the reservation along with mysterious bullet holes and so on and so forth. Delightful story, well written and I'm quite looking forward to the sequels to this”. – J.D. Singh

Here is the rest of their list of choices in no particular order:
Louise

 

Staff pick: Atmospheric historical mystery set in Halifax

Published by Nimbus Publishing, What Kills Good Men is a historical police procedural mystery set in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1899.

The setting was of special interest to me as Halifax is where I grew up and is very near where I live today.  Reading a novel in a locale with which you are very familiar sheds a different light on the reading experience.

The story follows one week of a murder investigation.  The victim was a prominent member of society, a city alderman, who was living a double life.  The policemen in charge of the murder investigation were a duo of high integrity and morals.  The elder, Culligan Baxter, was a married man and a Catholic who was burnt out, embittered, and highly judgmental.  The younger,  Kenny Squire, was just learning the ropes and was applying his keen intellect to his very first murder inquiry.  There was obviously a lot of respect between the two policemen and their rapport was a pleasure to read.


The vivid descriptions of the historic city of Halifax transported the reader to both the time and place of the book’s setting.  The characters were so well developed that the reader knows what they are thinking as well as what they are doing.  Written with thoughtful prose, the language of the novel also serves to transport the reader to the turn of the century.  You can appreciate the societal confines and almost feel the dampness of the fog and the coldness of the wind off the harbour.

The author has previously written a non-fiction work about poverty in 19th century Halifax.  The research for that work has stood him in good stead with this novel.  The historical data was accurately and skillfully portrayed with a sound rendering of class distinction, religious polarity, and the differences between the well-educated and those less so.

The chapters were quite long with each covering a day in the investigation.  The reader was reminded of the impediments faced by police during this time period and of the more tedious aspects of police work.

 Halifax City Police on the Grand Parade steps, Halifax, Nova Scotia 1914

Rich in character and description, this atmospheric novel will appeal to anyone who enjoys having a little history lesson with their murder mystery.  The message of the novel was that power corrupts and nothing is black or white.  The ending was realistic in that justice does not always prevail.  My rating:

Though I know the area well, I feel the book could have benefited from a map for those less acquainted with the locale.

My bookclub read the novel for the month of November and we discussed the title’s significance.  We determined that the ‘good man‘ of the title was not the murder victim, but rather the policeman, Culligan Baxter.  What ‘kills‘ him is the fact that justice is often denied, and that the world is not black or white, but a shade of gray as murky as the Halifax fog.

Halifax in 1899

Halifax in 2015

David Hood grew up just outside of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and has lived in the city for many years. His previous publications include Down but Not Out, an examination of nineteenth-century poverty in Halifax. For much of the past fifteen years he has been teaching at the secondary and post-secondary levels. He is currently teaching in Singapore.   Hood said he has talked to Nimbus Publishing about a possible series. He’s started working on a second book, one that may involve an assassination attempt on the city’s archbishop.


This post was originally published on the blog: Fictionophile