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Printed from https://writing.com/main/newsletters/action/archives/id/11739-January-newsletter---New-Years-Murder.html
Mystery: January 04, 2023 Issue [#11739]




 This week: January newsletter - New Years Murder
  Edited by: Gratitude Adore ♥ Author IconMail Icon
                             More Newsletters By This Editor  Open in new Window.

Table of Contents

1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions

About This Newsletter

The holidays are behind, boo hoo, I say, boo hoo! I really enjoy all the pomp and fuss of this season. It's a great time of year, if I do say myself. But alas, it is behind us, and the New Year is before us. Several prominent figures passed into the night on New Year's Eve. Barbara Walters and Pope Benedict XVI passed away before seeing 2023. Just notable mentions; nothing to do with mysteries here.

Now, we can talk of possibilities for hope and future profits, whaaa? Who am I kidding? In our newsletter for January, we look forward to some great mystery writing all focused on the New Year. May it be New Year's Eve or New Year's day, that is what we will read and ingest. So without further, pish posh, let's see what mysteries we can enjoy from this month's newsletter.



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Letter from the editor

As we open this New Year’s installment of the Mystery newsletter, we celebrate what has unfolded by New Year’s Eve. This has been a tumultuous year, rising inflation, a few well loved stars joined the others in the sky, leaving us to carry on. Many of us look forward to the New Year, as we anticipate the merriment, have high hopes for the coming year, and, of course, fresh beginnings. But what happens, when the clock strikes twelve, toasts are made but some are using this time to commit murder and mayhem.

For this month's newsletter, we are blessed with 10 fantastic mystery tales from some of the best writers in the business. From a mystery in which the viewer is sure they saw who murdered the person but afterwards, they aren't sure they can trust their eyes to a raucous time in a Depression era town where three very different sisters all reside and have secrets to hide. Oooh, I am salivating! So without further discussion, let's start the list with number ten:

10. Bones and Silence - Reginald Hill - Trouble surrounds superintendent Andrew Dalziel and his partner Pascoe in this celebrated crime thriller by Reginald Hill. An inebriated Dalziel finds himself in the middle of a suspicious slaying when he witnesses a woman being shot. The deceased's husband claims the shooting death was an accident, but Dalziel isn't buying it. In the midst of all this, Dalziel is cast in a local medieval mystery play in the role of God—and the very man he suspects of cold-blooded murder is cast opposite him in the role of Lucifer. Meanwhile, Dalziel's partner Pascoe tries to find an anonymous letter sender who claims her resolution for the new year is to take her own life.
[Order Bones and Silence (Dalziel & Pascoe, Book 11) from Amazon.Com]

The next mystery writer is number 9, and this story is a chiller thriller:

9. Bad Tidings - Nick Oldham - Detective Superintendent Henry Christie has a lot on his plate: not only is he newly engaged, but he also must take care of an ailing mother. A Christmastime break is exactly what he needs. Unfortunately, crime never takes a vacation, and the Chief Constable of Lancashire just assigned Christie to a chilling new case.

A holiday serial killer is on the loose. After several people vanish on Christmas Eve, their brutalized bodies turn up on New Year’s Day. Christie pieces together the clues and traces them to the next likely target. The only problem? The target happens to be the unhinged son of a dangerous Lancashire crime family. It isn't long before Christie finds himself in the middle of a brutal turf war. [Order BAD TIDINGS (A Henry Christie Mystery, 19) from Amazon.Com]

Now, we have mystery number eight to satisfy the most discerning tastes and appetites:

8. The Right Murder - Craig Rice - As the final moments of the year count down, Chicago criminal attorney John J. Malone sits sulking in a bar. His brooding is disturbed by a strange man calling out his name—and promptly collapsing to the floor with a knife plunged into his back. Could this be the work of Mona McClane, the rich and beguiling beauty who swore to John she could get away with murder? As the body count piles up—twelve and counting—Jake is going to need the help of his partners, crime reporter Jake Justus and socialite Helen Brand, to help crack the case.
[Order The Right Murder (Library of Crime Classics) from Amazon.Com]

Here, we see mystery number seven, what a shocking sight and a priest is the victim...shocking indeed!

7. The Case of the Headless Jesuit - George Bellair - A brutal death haunts Cobbold-in-the-Marsh. Centuries ago, a Jesuit priest refused to deny his faith and was promptly beheaded. Since then, the quaint English hamlet hasn't seen much bloodshed. But the specter of violence returns in the not-so-merry week after Christmas.

First, a police officer turns up dead in the canal—and the death shows signs of foul play. Then, in the midst of midnight mass on New Year’s Eve, the wealthy and troublesome son of a manor house stumbles down the church aisle with blood pouring down his side. Scotland Yard Detectives Thomas Littlejohn and Robert Cromwell are called in to investigate, and soon uncover more darkness in Cobbold than anyone ever suspected. Buy @ Amazon.Com!

Next, we arrive at mystery number six and interestingly enough, this mystery involves numbers:

6. The Clock Strikes Twelve - Patricia Wentworth - Though they share a manor house, the Paradines are not close, and their patriarch does nothing to discourage the petty jealousies that divide wealthy families. A cold figure, James Paradine prefers work to his relations, but on New Year’s Eve he gathers everyone in the household. Valuable plans have been stolen from his office, and only one person could be to blame. He knows the culprit’s name, and gives the thief until midnight to come forward.

But by midnight, James Paradine is dead. With the local authorities flummoxed, it's up to amateur detective Miss Maud Silver to expose the murderer.[Order The Clock Strikes Twelve from Amazon.Com]

Next, we are at mystery story number five and it is a doozy:

5. The Fountain of Death - Jane Haddam - After 20 years in California, Frannie Jay—formerly Frances Jakumbowski—returns to her home town: New Haven, Connecticut, a university town rife with crime. The depressed aerobics instructor hopes to start a new life at the Fountain of Youth—a workout studio whose weight trainer, Tim Bradbury, is the best in the business. But Frannie’s fresh start turns sour just before New Year’s, when she finds Bradbury in the bushes outside the studio, stark naked and stone dead. [Order Fountain of Death (Gregor Demarkian) from Amazon.Com]

Next, we are at mystery story number four and it is a doozy:

4. The Nine Tailors - Dorothy L. Sayers - Lord Peter Wimsey and his manservant Bunter are traveling across the East Anglia flatlands when an accident disrupts their travels. They seek sanctuary in a nearby church, where members of the clergy welcome the weary travelers with open arms. Lord Peter and Bunter are met with hospitality, a good meal, and an invitation to go on a marathon bell-ringing session to ring in the New Year.

Indeed, the merry act is steeped in ancient tradition. Yet as Lord Peter and Bunter venture into this unfamiliar corner of the countryside, they discover that darkness lurks behind the cheery façade. During their stay, Lord Peter and Bunter encounter murder, a mutilated corpse, and a decades-old jewel theft for which locals continue to die.

[Order The Nine Tailors from Amazon.Com]

Next, we are at mystery story number three and it is a snapper:

3. A Crossworder's Gift - Nero Blanc - Nero Blanc serves up five merry tales of holiday mayhem in this collection of cases that features crosswords you can actually solve. Mystery is afoot and husband-and-wife sleuthing duo Belle Graham and PI Rosco Polycrates are here to piece together the clues. In "The Mystery of Wordsworth House", Belle and Rosco find themselves in snowy Montreal where they aim to help a family solve a haunting riddle from their past... with the help of a ghost.

"A Crossworder’s Gift" whisks away the sleuthing pair to Las Vegas for the holidays, where they must sort through the clues strewn throughout a high roller's suite if they hope to find the cash. And Belle and Rosco must unravel a murdered crossworder’s last puzzle and testament in "The Eraser’s Edge." [Order A Crossworder's Gift from Amazon.Com]

Next, we are at mystery story number two and it is a whopper:

2. Calamity Town - Ellery Queen - Mystery author Ellery Queen arrives in Wrightsville in hopes of finding inspiration for a new novel. Instead, he discovers this post-Depression town has a dark side. While renting a house owned by the town’s first family, he crosses paths with the illustrious clan's three daughters.

There's Nora, a fragile recluse who was left at the alter years ago; Patricia, the town beauty engaged to a rising but dull local politician; and then there’s Lola, a divorcee and the bohemian black sheep of the family. Their family bond is nothing if not turbulent. But when Nora's fiancé returns to town after years away, things take a turn for the mysterious—culminating in one calamitous New Year's Eve party.[Order Calamity Town from Amazon.Com]

and now, we have the final mystery book for this month, and it is...drum roll...

1. The Devil's Teardrop - Jeffrey Deaver - It's New Year’s Eve 1999, full of possibilities as the new millennium is about to dawn. Cautious optimism turns to terror that morning when a ruthless killer known as “the Digger” robotically guns down dozens of people at a Washington D. C. subway station. The Digger’s accomplice, a criminal mastermind named Gilbert Havel, sends a note to the mayor demanding 20 million dollars by midnight—or else he will unleash the Digger on the capital once again. The city agrees, but before he can accept the money and call off the Digger, Havel is killed in a freak accident.

With the clock ticking down to midnight and it’s up to Special Agent Margaret Lukas to prevent disaster. She also enlists the help of retired FBI agent and skilled forensic document examiner Parker Kincaid. The clock is ticking, and they must stop the Digger before mayhem is unleashed on the town.
Buy Devil's Teardrop: A Novel of the Last Night of the Century @ Amazon.Com!

Well, this was A LOT of reading to unload on your for this month but it is a very good selection to enjoy.



Editor's Picks

Here are some authors that you might find interesting here:

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Twenty-nine Open in new Window. (13+)
There's some things in this world you can't explain. (2142 w) Winner: 2020 Quill Awards.
#2235558 by Nightkeeper Author IconMail Icon



 
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The Pearl-Handled Letter Box Open in new Window. (E)
A discovery in an Iowa attic.
#2285006 by iinadia Author IconMail Icon



The Medium Open in new Window. (13+)
She could sense the spiritual, unearthly elements around her.
#1702140 by ChrisDaltro-Chasing Moonbeams Author IconMail Icon



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Gilbert's Ghost Open in new Window. (ASR)
A mysterious disappearance, a lost love, a haunted lake
#2277486 by Graywriter Author IconMail Icon



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This item number is not valid.
#2286618 by Not Available.



 Invalid Item Open in new Window.
This item number is not valid.
#2286987 by Not Available.



 
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ASIN: 1542722411
Amazon's Price: $ 12.99


Ask & Answer

So, I asked a question in the opening about how many notable deaths were mentioned in this issue. If you provide the answer, I will award a MB for the correct number in the next issue.
I am still working out the trinket issue, so I can only offer an MB.

Also, reader dragonwoman Author IconMail Icon ...THANK YOU so much for answering the question from December's newsletter.

So, till next issue...see you next month. *Reading*

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