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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nRG Belsky is a former New York City newsman who\u2019s turned his intimate knowledge of the city and its characters into a number of engaging crime novels. In this story, harried Channel 10 news director Clare Carlson is in the middle of both a puzzling murder story and a potential expos\u00e9 of city political shenanigans. In following clues left by her late mentor, she gradually uncovers what would have been his last scoops: a previously unrecognized serial killer on the loose and a pattern of mob payoffs. Clare is a bull in a china shop, but she has a powerful, self-deprecating sense of humor, and the demands of the daily news cycle keep her plowing forward at speed. Read my full review here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Pele\u2019s Domain<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A novella set in Hawai`i is almost too appealing. This new story by Al Tucher brings the lore, the multicultural mix, the unique foods, and the island attitude front and center once again. Pele, the volcano goddess, is acting up, and the volcano that\u2019s her home, Kilauea, is erupting spectacularly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For residents of the raggedy communities in the path of the searing lava, the eruptions are more deadly hazard than spectacle. Trees, houses, cars\u2014all incinerated. Perfect places to hide a couple of murders. The ironic contrast between tropical paradise and dirty dealing in Tucher\u2019s novels is always fun and, here, Kilauea itself is added to the detectives\u2019 adversaries. Read my full review here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Judge Lu\u2019s Case Files<\/a><\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n If a Hawaiian escape isn\u2019t quite distant enough, go back to Ming Dynasty China where PA De Voe channels what must be an earlier incarnation to write with such authenticity her novels and short stories set in that period. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The twelve short stories in this collection have straightforward plots, partly a result of their length and party the reality that cases in that era had to be wrapped up in a day or two. Plus, miscreants were expected to confess, and \u201cencouraged\u201d to do so by their jailers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although the stories take place more than 600 years ago, they provide timeless insights into human behavior. Read my full review here.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Despite Covid, my friends who are writers are coming out with new books, but with fewer\u2014or at least vastly different\u2014strategies to let us know about them. I\u2019ve joined any number of their ZOOM and Facebook book launches, followed their social … Continue reading ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vweisfeld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/volcano-609104_640-3.jpg?resize=314%2C315&ssl=1\")
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