A California Magazine with Local Focus and Global Appeal:
Community - Entertainment - Human Interest

Weekly issues every Saturday morning and other special articles throughout the week — there's something for everyone. Check out our sister site KRL News & Reviews for even more articles every week.

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The Holiday Extravaganza in Oceano

FROM THE December 8 ISSUE

IN THE Terrance V. Mc Arthur SECTION

by Terrance McArthur


Not far south of Pismo Beach, in the town of Oceano, there sits a brightly-painted building, (They had to have something to do during the pandemic shutdown, so they painted), The Great American Melodrama and Vaudeville. Since it’s holly-eggnog-mistletoe-ho-ho-ho time, it’s time for the Melodrama’s The Holiday Extravaganza, a Christmas-Spirit booster shot in three acts—a brisk version of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, a fractured fairy tale opera, and a vaudeville program of song, dance, and comedy.

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Winter Holiday Interview with Joe Cosentino Author of Drama TV, Thirteenth Nicky and Noah mystery/comedy/romance novel

FROM THE December 8 ISSUE

IN THE Mysteryrat's Maze SECTION

by Joe Cosentino


Joe Cosentino, what are you thankful for this holiday season?

Kings River Life Magazine, of course! How many brownie points do I get? (smile)

A king’s ransom (smile).

I’m also thankful for television, which has helped us all get through the pandemic. So, the thirteenth novel in my award-winning and popular Nicky and Noah gay cozy comedy mystery series is set in the world of television.

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Sister Act On Stage at the Reedley Opera House

FROM THE December 8 ISSUE

IN THE Reedley News SECTION

by Terrance McArthur


Remember the Whoopie Goldberg movie “Sister Act?” You know, the one where a Vegas club singer witnesses a murder, and has to go into witness protection in a convent full of nuns? They made a musical out of it, and Sister Act is currently playing at the Reedley Opera House as a River City Theatre Company production through December 19.
The stage version, transplanted to a Philadelphia setting, sports music by Alan Menken (Little Shop of Horrors, The Little Mermaid), lyrics by Glenn Slater (School of Rock), and a script by Cheri Steinkellner, Bill Steinkellner, and Douglas Carter Beane.

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It’s a Wonderful Woof: A Chet and Bernie Mystery By Spencer Quinn: Review/Giveaway

FROM THE December 4 ISSUE

IN THE Kathleen Costa SECTION

by Sandra Murphy


It’s Christmas time in the Valley. Chet and Bernie of the Little Detective Agency, Little being Bernie’s last name, Chet being the dog, could use another job. Chet is puzzled when Bernie turns down work and instead, passes the job to another PI, Victor. Chet and Bernie are action oriented, Chet being the one who grabs the perp’s pants leg and hangs on, Bernie being the smartest guy in the room. Victor is a better researcher than an active PI, so it makes sense for him to take the job.

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Christmas In the Park With Valley Animal Center

FROM THE December 4 ISSUE

IN THE Animal Rescue Adventures SECTION

by Lorie Lewis Ham


Valley Animal Center (VAC) is one of many wonderful animal rescues in the Fresno area. Next weekend they will be having a special Christmas event called Christmas in the Park, and we took a moment to chat with Alisia Sanchez, their Marketing Manager, about the event.

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Mrs. Jeffries and the Midwinter Murders By Emily Brightwell: Review/Giveaway

FROM THE December 4 ISSUE

IN THE Mysteryrat's Maze SECTION

by Sandra Murphy


Inspector Witherspoon has the highest solve rate for murder cases in the police department. He’s not sure how he does it, especially since dead bodies and autopsies make him a bit squeamish, but with the help of his Constable, they get the job done.

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Acorn Streaming: Police Drama Gems Suspects & The Silence

FROM THE December 4 ISSUE

IN THE Kathleen Costa SECTION

by Kathleen Costa


AcornTV is one of my favorite go-to entertainment sites, and it’s not just for avid Anglophiles. It has a reasonable membership fee (monthly $5.99 or an annual special $59.99) in comparison to other options available, and offers hours and hours of engaging dramas (Single-Handed), laugh-out-loud comedies (Boomers), clever mysteries (Agatha Raisin), and informative documentaries (Adrian Dunbar’s Coastal Ireland) from all over the British Commonwealth.

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An Eggnog to Die For By Amy Pershing: Review/Giveaway/Interview

FROM THE December 4 ISSUE

IN THE Cynthia Chow SECTION

by Cynthia Chow


As the holiday season rolls in, restaurant reviewer Samantha Barnes is thoroughly enjoying being able to treat her (picky) friends as they taste-test the best of Cape Cod Cuisine. Since she’s also been hired to film short foodie videos for the local newspaper’s online edition, Sam is thrilled to have more excuses to eat out when she receives the news that her newly-retired parents are flying in from Florida for the New Year’s holiday.

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It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

FROM THE December 4 ISSUE

IN THE Arts & Entertainment SECTION

by Kathy Eide Casas



The dazzle of sparkling light displays, the lilting sounds of holiday music, delectable food prepared right in front of you, and the opportunity to visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus. If you’re wondering where you can find such a magical time while in the warmth and comfort of your car, look no further than the Big Fresno Fair’s Holiday Fantasy of Lights.

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Pair of Christmas Mysteries: Christmas Candy Corpse & Murder at the Mistletoe Ball

FROM THE December 4 ISSUE

IN THE Cynthia Chow SECTION

by Sandra Murphy
& Cynthia Chow


This week we have 2 more Christmas mysteries for your holiday reading in this post, plus a few more Christmas mysteries also up in KRL and KRL News and Reviews this week-Christmas Candy Corpse: A Courtney Archer Mystery by Rosemarie Ross & Murder at the Mistletoe Ball: A Ferrara Family Mystery by J. D. Griffo.

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Making Animal Communication Realistic in Mysteries

FROM THE December 1 ISSUE

IN THE Mysteryrat's Maze SECTION

by Jacqueline Vick


Ask any pet parent if their animal “talks” to them and the answer is an emphatic, YES! It’s true the cocked canine head or flicking feline tail can communicate a pet’s thoughts as clearly as words, but what would it look like if we could delve into their furry and feathered brains and hold a two-way conversation? That’s the question I needed to answer for my pet psychic mysteries.

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Merry Christmas, George Bailey Presented by CenterState Clovis Community Theatre

FROM THE December 1 ISSUE

IN THE Terrance V. Mc Arthur SECTION

by Terrance McArthur


It started as a Christmas card/pamphlet, a story sent to 200 friends by Philip Van Doren Stern. Frank Capra turned it into a 1946 movie, It’s a Wonderful Life, starring Jimmy Stewart. The film wasn’t a hit at the box office, but it became a hit on TV and video. The Lux Radio Theatre broadcast an hour-long version of the movie in 1947, and a TV film was made of a benefit performance in 1999. An expanded (adding more of the film scenes and dialogue) script is now Merry Christmas, George Bailey, a CenterStage Clovis Community Theatre production at the theatre in the Clovis Veterans Memorial District Auditorium through December 11.

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Lucy Burdette Tries a New Recipe, Unsafe Haven

FROM THE December 1 ISSUE

IN THE Mysteryrat's Maze SECTION

by Lucy Burdette


With twelve cozy culinary mysteries down the hatch (sorry, couldn’t help myself), I realize I am very accustomed to understanding my characters through what and how they eat. The main character in my Key West foodie mysteries, Hayley Snow, is a food critic. Her mother, Janet, is a caterer. Both women are excellent cooks who love to entertain. As Hayley Snow said in Killer Takeout: “Food is a major deal in my family—life-sustaining, of course. But it also provides clues to the cook’s inner life, like a psychologist’s inkblot test.

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Wall Arts For the Hallway

FROM THE November 29 ISSUE

IN THE Community SECTION

by Staff


Your hallway is arguably the most important room in your home. It’s the first room that people will see and it’s your chance to make a good first impression! The hallway isn’t just a functional space, it’s a room with its personality. Who said that hallways have to be utilitarian and purely functional? Just because a hallway is a space that you tend to pass through doesn’t mean that it can’t be an inviting space with character and warmth.

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