This True Detective knows Criminal Minds from all angles...

Our author Michael Barrett is getting all kinds of praise for his latest crime novel, Shoshana. And it's no wonder: as a former police detective, sketch artist, and private investigator, Barrett knows the crime scene intimately.

Westport News recently released an article about their hometown career cop and his successful transition to full-time author:

"I wanted people to see the cop's point of view," he said. On television police officers are portrayed as hard, often emotionless people, he said.  "On TV when a cop shoots someone, it's no big deal and that's not at all how it works.  Most cops leave the job with post-traumatic stress disorder," the retired officer said.  "A macho cop gets a SIDS call and it changes the way he thinks about people."

For the full article complete with insights into Barrett's motivation and inspiration for Shoshana visit Westport News.  And for more information about Michael Barret, Shoshana, and his other works, visit his personal website.

Posted By: Stacy Briscoe @SLBriscoe

WALL STREET JOURNAL'S Tom Nolan Reviews CITY OF GHOSTS

Critics and bloggers alike are intrigued City of Ghosts, Kelli Stanley's third novel in her Miranda Corbie mystery series.

Tom Nolan praises, "Kelli Stanley's atmospheric mystery-adventure of art thieves and smugglers, murderers, and possible foreign agents in the Bay Area in 1940, makes quite an impression."  Who wouldn't be impressed by "art thieves and smugglers, murderers and possible foreign agents."   Read Nolan's complete review at the online edition of WSJ.

And head over to Lesa's Book Critiques where Lesa tells book-lovers, "If you want to understand pre-war America, the looting of Europe's art treasures, San Francisco's history, or the story of a strong, gritty woman, a woman with a past, and a city with a past, Kelli Stanley's City of Ghosts is a must-read."  Read her full review on her book blog.

To get started or continue your adventure in the Miranda Corbie series, visit the author's official website and for even more information and updates, follow her on twitter.

Posted by Stacy Briscoe @SLBriscoe

TJ O'Connor in the Tabloids!!!

But it's all good.  I guess the EXAMINER knows that mystery books are hot right now.  You have to keep an eye out this weekend when the issue will be distributed.

And if you don't believe in tabloids, here are a few book reviews that may entice you to pick up a copy of O'Connor's Dying to Know.

OpenBookSociety.com: "Definitely a surprise [...] you will find things are not always as they appear, and what does appear may not be what you see after all. Read the book."

Edie Dykeman from BellaOnline.com: "...check out Dying to Know and be prepared to thoroughly enjoy the ride."

Mysterymavenblog.com (who's not going to believe a mystery maven?): "...a fast-paced, humorous exploration of the netherworld."

So now you're Dying to Know what all the hubbub is about?  Check out TJ O'Connor's personal website for information on this book, the sequel, and other works.

Posted by Stacy Briscoe @SLBriscoe

A Sweet Review for BORDEAUX: THE BITTER FINISH

The Midwest Bookwatch Review is a monthly online book review publication showcasing reviews and commentaries from both staff and contributing editors and reviewers.  In the June edition, Klausner's Bookshelf featured a sweet review for our very own Janet Hubbard's Bourdeax: The Bitter Finish:

American wine critic Ellen Jordan asks NYPD Detective Maxine Maguire to act as her bodyguard while she visits Bordeaux, France. Once in country Ellen asks French speaking (from her mom) Max also to protect one of the four wine magnums valued at over $30,000 each by auctioneer Paula Goodwin though the American believes these are worthless frauds.

At the annual regional wine tasting gala in Lussac, experts test the contested wines for authenticity. However, Ellen dies from asphyxiation in her hotel room and the magnum Max left in the hotel safe has vanished. Max believes her client was murdered so she persuades her former lover French magistrate Olivier Chaumont and Commissaire Abdel Zeroual to allow her in on the investigation.

With a nod to Ellen Crosby's Wine Country Mysteries (though in France rather than Virginia) the second Vengeance in the Vineyard Mystery (see Champagne: The Farewell) is a super whodunit as suspects straddle both sides of the Atlantic. Fast-paced from the moment Max learns Ellen died, readers will enjoy this solid whodunit as questioning those with motives seems to disprove Vino Veritas.

Cheers -- I'll drink to that!

For more information about Janet, her books, and her wine visit her official website and follow her on twitter.

Posted By Book-nerd/Wine-snob Intern Stacy Briscoe

Book Bloggers Review TJ O'Connor's DYING TO KNOW

A dead detective solving his own murder mystery?  Book bloggers are blowing up their pages about TJ O'Connor's unusual perspective of a classic genre.

"The reader is treated to unique antics and seeming magic," says Joseph Arellano from Joseph's Reviews.  "Well recommended."  See the full review here.

And J.P. over at CrimeSquad.com found O'Connor's novel "to be highly entertaining and completely addictive [...] a great debut into a competitive section of the crime genre and hopefully the first of many in this 'Gumshoe Ghost Mystery' series," rating it a 4/5.  Check out the complete review on the site.

And who loves mysteries more than a site entitled I Love A Mystery?  Aylah Foureste highly recommends this "fascinating read."  Read the short but sweet review here.

So, dying to know more?  Read more reviews posted on our blog.  And check out TJ O'Connor's official webpage and connect with him on Facebook for more information about this novel and other works by TJ O'Connor.

Posted By Intern Stacy Briscoe @SLBriscoe

Success and Series Set-Up: Vaughn Entwistle's THE REVENANT OF THRAXTON HALL is a classic in the making

US Edition

If it seems like I've been posting about Vaughn Entwistle's The Revenant of Thraxton Hall a lot lately, it's because I am.  It's not my fault.  Blame the author for writing an epic novel bound to be an epic series.  Everyone from professional critics to book-bloggers are intrigued and entertained by this paranormal take on the traditional Sherlock Holmes mystery.

OpenLettersMonthly.com, an arts and literature review, has this to say:

"This is Grand Guignol fun. Entwistle is an original who has assembled a delicious, extravagantly eccentric cast of characters. And it turns out The Revenant of Thraxton Hall is just the first adventure for Conan Doyle and Oscar Wilde. I, for one, can’t wait for the next installment."

Click here for the full review.

Move on to LiteraryEscapism.com, a hub for fantasy and paranormal reviews ("and more!"), and we see the same, if not more excitement: 

"Entwistle makes use of the showmanship as well as the inherent eeriness of being in a large manor away from home.  Hallucinations reinforce the thin line between realistic and fantasy [...] I can't wait to see what Entwistle comes out with next."

Read the full review here.

 Go across the pond, and the book is receiving constantly accolades in Entwistle's home-country as well from FantasyBookReview.co.uk:

"...a fun read and I look forward to the next in the series."

Here's that full review.

UK Edition

So, what I'm hearing right now is not only is this paranormal, Holmsian murder-mystery a MUST read, but it's also a MUST write another.  Hey Entwistle...I'm waiting for your first draft!

To learn more about the author, order his book, learn about his other works (and future works...hint, hint), check out his personal website and follow him on twitter.

And check out these other reviews from our agency blog featuring Vaughn Entwistle.

Posted By Intern Stacy Briscoe @SLBriscoe

More Outstanding Reviews for Vaughn Entwistle's THE REVENANT OF THRAXTON HALL

Recently released in the US and soon to be released in the UK, The Revenant of Thraxton Hall has already received glowing reviews by critics and everyday readers alike (click here, here, and here to read a few), and the praise just keeps coming.

Amy Eller Lewis (@amyellerlewis), from CriminalElement.com says this book checks off all the things she's looking for in a quality Holmsian murder-mystery:

"19th Century London? Check. A Crumbling Gothic Mansion? Check. Murder? Seances? Underground crypts?  Arthur Conan Doyle hallucinating the ghost of Sherlock Holmes? Oscar Wilde and fabulous outfits? Check, check double check."

Read the full review here.

And Steve Taylor-Bryant (@OpinionGeeks) from TheCultDen.com finds himself engrossed in the scenes, settings, and characters:

"Doyle is well written and Oscar Wilde, in the almost Dr. Watson role, was a brave and exciting choice which works incredibly well. The setting itself is reminiscent of any ye olde gothic ghost story and Entwistle proves himself a very capable provider of atmosphere."

Read the full review here.

Super excited to read this book and learn more about this gargoyle-sculpting author?  Visit his personal website and follow him on twitter.

Posted by KC&A Intern Stacy Briscoe @SLBriscoe

Philip Donlay's DEADLY ECHOS -- a "ripsnorting adventure"

Deadly Echos is Donlay's fourth thriller featuring Donovan Nash -- and it definitely doesn't hold back on the action, adventure, and "science possible" thrills readers of his previous works are used to.  As writer-editor-publisher-book reviewer David Marshall says in his blog Thinking About Books:

"...a rip snorting adventure [...] I’m not entirely sure what gas emerges from the rip but, when you snort it, it gives you extraordinary vigour as a reader."

Read the full review here.

Marshall points out readers will better enjoy the novel if they read the preceding books before-hand.  For more information on The Donovan Nash novels including Deadly Echos, visit Philip Donlay's personal website.  And don't forget to check out his blog and follow him on Facebook for more
personal information.

Posted by Intern Stacy Briscoe @SLBriscoe

Professor Moriarty is Back in Michael Kurland's WHO THINKS EVIL

It's taken a few years, but Author Michael Kruland's fifth Professor Moriarty finally released just last month, and it's proving to be worth the wait by critics and fans alike.

When Sherlock Holmes is unavailable to solve a crime, who do you call?  Professor Moriarty.  And, as Meredith Frazier says in a new review from ReviewingtheEvidence.com, 

"...whether or not you're a fan of that famous detective - or even if you're unfamiliar with Conan Doyle's work - Kurland's plotting and wit will go a long way toward convincing you to become a fan of Moriarty, and he's done it in such a way as to please both those who have been eagerly awaiting the latest Moriarty mystery and those who have just discovered this unexpected hero."

Read the full review here.

Need to catch up on the other Professor Moriarty cases before reading this thriller?  Visit Kruland's personal website for a list of all his books including the Professor Moriarty series.

You can also check out his personal notes and thoughts on his blog or follow him on twitter @mjkurl.

Posted by Intern Stacy Briscoe @SLBriscoe

Fiction Reboot's Daily Dose Friday Fiction Feature: Vaughn Entwistle's THE REVENANT OF THRAXTON HALL

Fiction-DailyDose.com celebrates "Adventures at the Intersection of Medicine and Literature," and have listed Vaugn Entwistle's The Revenant of Thraxton Hall as a Friday Fiction Feature.

For more information about Vaughn Entwistle, including other novels and short stories, please visit his official website.

And follow him on twitter @VaughnEntwistle.

Post brought to you by intern Stacy Briscoe @SLBriscoe

Entwistle Tweets, "Funniest book review I've received so far"

Vaughn Entwistle's THE REVENANT OF THRAXTON HALL: THE PARANORMAL CASEBOOKS OF SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE is still "Making Waves Through the Bloggesphere."

Buy It

GoodReads provides a place for readers to post their own reviews.  Click here to read what Entwistle calls his funniest review yet.

For more information about the author and his books, visit his official website or follow him on twitter @VaugnEntwistle.

Post brought to you by intern Stacy Briscoe @SLBriscoe

Great new review for Thatcher Robinson's WHITE GINGER

Reviewing The Evidence has recently reviewed Thatcher Robinson's WHITE GINGER and they are fans of the book.

For the full review, click here.  You can see more of Thatcher Robinson at his website, www.thatcherrobinson.com and get his book here.

For more up-to-date news, please follow Kimberley Cameron & Associates on Twitter @K_C_Associates and on Facebook at Facebook.com/kimberleycameronandassociates.

Even more praise for James Gunn's TRANSCENDENTAL

Yet another glowing review has come out for James Gunn's TRANSCENDENTAL! Amazingstoriesmag.com's Jack Dowden recently wrote a review on the website stating, "James Gunn's TRANSCENDENTAL is one of my recent favorites."

For more information on James Gunn or his book, visit his website at www.sfcenter.ku.edu/bio.

For more up-to-date news, please follow Kimberley Cameron & Associates on Twitter @K_C_Associates and Facebook at Facebook.com/kimberleycameronandassociates.