Mutt Cafe

Black Mail By Neville Steed Endeavour Press Mystery & Thrillers Pub Date: February 26, 2016 Review My first experience with Neville Steed was reading one of his cozies, Die-Cast. As I enjoyed that novel immensely, I decided to try Black Mail. Unlike Die-Cast, Black Mail is not strictly a cozy, blending in some pulp/noir elements. The main character, Johnny Black is a private detective in 1937 Britain. A former pilot, Johnny has charm, wit, and a number of helpful friends.

The Skeleton Garden: A Potting Shed Mystery By Marty Wingate Alibi/ Random House Mystery & Thrillers Pub Date: March 15, 2016 Review The Skeleton Garden is a captivating, multi-layered mystery with plenty of surprises in store for readers. If you are a fan of British cozy mysteries, Marty Wingate's novels will not disappoint. Her plots are original and there is always a fascinating array of characters. The story begins with an accidental murder of a British airman during

alt.sherlock.holmes: New Visions of the Great Detective by Gini Koch, Jamie Wyman, and Glen Mehn Rebellion/ Abaddon Sci Fi & Fantasy Pub Date: April 12, 2016 Review Holmesians look out - this is a collection of tales that will delight and amaze, that will tear down your preconceived notions of who Sherlock Holmes and Watson are, and linger long in memory. Each tale features a Holmes who is all you know and love, but at the same time who is far different than you expect. Th

The Last Girl By Joe Hart Thomas & Mercer Sci Fi, Mystery and Thrillers Pub Date: March 1, 2016 Review The Last Girl has an interesting premise. Women are scarce and no female babies have been born for almost a generation. Zoey is amongst a small number of young women kept in a fortress and told they are the only hope for the world. Like most dystopian novels, the villains of this piece (the NOA) are the worst of the worst. The girls have scarcely any education, live a pri

Death in Profile by Guy Fraser-Sampson Urbane Publications Mystery & Thrillers Pub Date: March 17, 2016 Review All mystery lovers will attest to the fact that the mystery genre provides an intimate look at human psychology, individual motivation, and the actions that an individual may be driven to. Intellect and empathy both play a role in detection. Guy Fraser-Sampson takes this to heart in the first book in his newest series Death in Profile. For months a killer has been

Trident's Forge: Children of a Dead Earth Book Two by Patrick S. Tomlinson Angry Robot Books Sci Fi & Fantasy Pub Date: April 5, 2016 Review Humans may have discovered how to live together in peace during their time on the Ark. but that doesn’t mean that human vices, particularly greed, have been extinguished. Bryan Benson saved humanity once already. Now the denizens of the Ark are settling on Tau Ceti G, building a colony which will hopefully thrive. The natives of the p

Death on the Riviera: A British Library Crime Classic by John Bude Poisoned Pen Press Pub Date: March 1, 2016 Review The British Library Crime Classics are true treasures for the mystery lover. It is a pleasure to have the opportunity to read such wonderful stories knowing that most have been unavailable to the public for over five decades. Death on the Riviera is an excellent procedural containing two separate but interrelated cases. One is a counterfeit currency racket,

Die-Cast by Neville Steed Endeavour Press Mystery & Thrillers Pub Date: February 19, 2016 Review Don’t be fooled by the cover - it has absolutely no relation to the novel whatsoever. The die in die-cast refers to a method used to create model toys, not to dice or gambling. Die-Cast is a delightful British cozy filled with all of the important ingredients - an interesting village setting removed from the bustle of the city, unique characters, a charming and clever lead, an u

Beyond Tomorrow by Alan David Endeavour Press Sci Fi & Fantasy Pub Date: February 19, 2016 Review On a technical level, Beyond Tomorrow is skillfully written. What it lacks, however, is emotion and the ability to draw the reader in on a visceral level. I didn’t connect with Captain Jex Bowen. I didn’t feel any danger from the unknown or the alien threat. The novel read much like an episode of the original Star Trek series. The tagline (To Boldly Go) and the beginning of

Grumpy Cat Volume 1 by Ben McCool, Royal McGraw, Elliott Serrano, Ben Fisher Diamond Book Distributors Dynamite Entertainment Comics & Graphic, Children's Fiction Pub Date: February 16, 2016 Review The Misadventures of Grumpy Cat is a comic designed to appeal to younger fans of the famous feline. The artwork is cute and colorful, and the stories are short. Pokey is Grumpy Cat’s foil with irrepressible good humor and enthusiasm. Without Pokey, Grumpy Cat would not have the