by Matt Lubbers-Moore
Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win an ebook copy of Murder at the Oasis by David S. Pederson.
I was reminiscing with a coworker the other day about the different celebrities I have met over the years. And I promise this is not a name-dropping-ooo-look-at-me-I’m-friends-with-celebrities article. The celebrities I have met were at comic cons and book signings with any interaction lasting less than five minutes. But, it is fun sometimes how much interaction one can get in five minutes or less … My friend James would make an amusing comment about other interesting interactions that take five minutes, but this is a high-brow column in a respectable mystery magazine.
We discussed the big name celebrities that were seriously less than interesting such as Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, and Janet Evanovich that gave me a quick smile, signed my items, and moved on to the next person. There were the authors and celebrities who were anxious to talk because of the items being signed such as Adrienne Barbeau, Charlaine Harris, and Wade Rouse.
The most interesting and bizarre conversation I’ve had with a celebrity was Miss Lois Lane herself, Margot Kidder. In the early 2010s, Margot Kidder was doing a signing at the Novi, Michigan Comic Con, on Saturday and Sunday. I drove three hours so that I could be first in line to have her sign On the Other Hand, Death by Richard Stevenson. She had played the role of a lesbian being threatened by a corporate conglomerate to vacate her home and she was refusing to leave. It had been a made for TV movie on the HereTV! Network. Unfortunately, she was two hours late, supposed to be there at 10 a.m. and not arriving until 12. I kept circling the vendor hall and had a quick lunch with periodic stops at her table to see what her updated schedule was. When she arrived, she explained that she had been stuck in the left hand turn lane to get into the parking lot for over an hour and apologized for making us wait.
I handed her my book for her to sign and she glanced at the title, then me, then back to the book. “You want me to sign your … mystery novel?” I explained how much I enjoyed her in the movie adaptation. She took another look at it and exclaimed how much she loved working with the cast and crew, and it was a wonderful experience. Margot Kidder was an incredible actress, but even I could tell she had no recollection of the movie. Later, when Stevenson signed the book, he couldn’t believe I had gotten her signature as he was not allowed on set the days Kidder was doing her scenes.
She was supposed to do another signing at the Grand Rapids, Michigan, comic con, and I planned on having her sign another copy of the book to see what her reaction would be but sadly she passed away shortly before she was supposed to attend. I know that Margot Kidder had mental health issues, and I am in no way making fun of her or her lack of recollection of a low budget film that she was probably involved with for no more than a month. It is only a fun story to remind myself that I actually got to meet Margot Kidder and had her sign a book for me. I’m sure it’s a one of a kind and I’ll treasure it always.
On with the books!
A Divisive Storm by David E. Feldman
Out August 1, 2023
In book six of the Dora and Missy investigations series, Ray Drucker is shot in the face while sitting in his car in the parking lot of a drug store. His wife, Katie, hires Dora Ellison and Missy Winters of Geller Investigations to find his killer. Soon, another murder occurs, and these are linked to a third murder, five years earlier. Dora and Missy learn that these men were all members of a club with a barely hidden racist agenda and a white supremacist past. As the bodies pile up, Dora and Missy are faced with their most daunting, dangerous case yet!
The Bewitching Hour by Ashley Poston
Out August 1, 2023, Disney Hyperion
This is book two of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Prequel series. Tara Maclay isn’t thrilled to be starting her senior year of high school in a new town. But, if she can just keep her head down, then maybe she can make it through this year in Hellborne, Vermont, without the town living up to its name. Of course, her plan falls apart immediately, as dead students start turning up around her, and she’s suddenly voted Most Likely To Have Murdered Them by the rest of the senior class. Oh, and the fellow new girl Tara’s crushing on? Turns out to be a witch-hunter. So, maybe it’s not the worst thing that Tara’s magic is majorly malfunctioning. As the body count rises, Tara has to overcome her fears, reconnect with her magic, and cast herself in a more central role to save the town — even if it means putting her new relationship at risk.
Murder at the Oasis by David S. Pederson
Out August 15, 2023, Bold Strokes Books
A relaxing trip to a Palm Springs resort turns deadly for Mason Adler and his friend Walter Wingate when, first, one of their fellow guests, then, another ends up murdered. Suspects and motives abound among the remaining guests as well as the owner of the Oasis resort, Marvin Gagliardi, an old friend of Walter’s. Mason investigates, hoping to prove Marvin’s innocence, but the more he uncovers, the more he wonders if Marvin actually might be the murderer. Distracting Mason is the handsome and eligible police detective assigned to the case, Brian Branchford. Mason had vowed not to become interested in anyone living a five-hour drive from Phoenix, but Branchford’s green eyes, gray hair, and toothbrush mustache are compelling reasons to give it a try.
The Girls from Hush Cabin by Marie Hoy-Kenny
Out August 15, 2023, Blackstone Publishing
Calista, Zoe, Holly, and Denise were inseparable best friends when they spent their summers together at sleepaway camp. But, after an unexplained tragedy forced the camp to close, the girls drifted apart. Years later, reunited at their beloved camp counselor Violet’s funeral, the four former best friends quickly realize how much they’ve changed over the years. But, despite their differences, they agree on one thing: Violet’s so-called accidental death was actually murder. Unwilling to leave the case unsolved, they set off to uncover the truth, even if it means revealing the dark secrets of their pasts. But someone wants them to stop investigating, and the anonymous threats keep coming, leaving them suspicious of everyone. No one can be trusted, not even the girls from Hush Cabin.
The Body in the Back Garden by Mark Waddell
Out August 22, 2023, Crooked Lane
Crescent Cove, a small hamlet on Vancouver Island, is the last place out-of-work investigative journalist Luke Tremblay ever wanted to see again. He used to spend summers here, until his family learned that he was gay and rejected him. Now, following his aunt’s sudden death, he’s inherited her entire estate, including her seaside cottage and the antiques shop she ran for forty years in Crescent Cove. Luke plans to sell everything and head back to Toronto as soon as he can, but Crescent Cove isn’t done with him just yet.
When a stranger starts making wild claims about Luke’s aunt, Luke sends him packing. The next morning, though, Luke discovers that the stranger has returned, and now he’s lying dead in the back garden. To make matters worse, the officer leading the investigation is a handsome Mountie with a chip on his shoulder who seems convinced that Luke is the culprit. If he wants to prove his innocence and leave this town once and for all, Luke will have to use all his skills as a journalist to investigate the colorful locals while coming to terms with his own painful past.
Board to Death by CJ Connor
Out August 22, 2023, Kensington Books
Back in his hometown of Sugar House running his family’s board game shop and café, Ben Rosencrantz just can’t seem to get his life to pass go, much less collect $200. Once he was a happily married English professor in Seattle, now he’s a divorced caregiver, looking after his ill father and a Chihuahua named Beans while still figuring out the rules of retail management. At least the town has become more LGBTQ+ friendly than when Ben was a teenager — and that flower shop owner, Ezra McCaslin, enjoys flirting with him. But, despite his usual clientele of gamers, Ben is barely earning enough to keep the store running and stay on top of his father’s medical bills.
Then, a local toy and game collector named Clive offers him a winning strategy: purchase a turn-of-the-twentieth-century edition of The Landlord’s Game, the realty and taxation game that inspired Monopoly, at a tenth of the rare edition’s true value. Suspicious of Clive’s shady, low-priced deal, Ben turns the offer down. Then, Clive turns up dead at the front door of Ben’s and a backpack full of $100 bills appears on his doorstep. Now, Ben is the #1 suspect in Clive’s death, and unless he and Ezra can prove his innocence and find the real killer, he’ll go to jail for murder — and no amount of double dice rolls will set him free.
The Look of Death by CC Gilmartin
Out August 23, 2023
Colin Buxton arrives in 1933 Berlin, which, like him, is facing an uncertain future, and things turn sinister when the bodies of seven young men are found in parks around the city. Is it only Colin who believes there’s a serial killer on the loose? Delving deeper into the men’s lives, clues suggest it could be someone they’ve known intimately. However, regardless of the mounting evidence, the authorities won’t take him seriously. Will it need an eighth victim for them to listen? This is book two in the Colin Buxton series.
Hot Rocks by Lev Raphael
Out end of August, 2023, ReQueered Tales
Nick’s musings over getting older halt abruptly when he realizes that his companion in the health-club steam room is head trainer and all-around stud Vlado Zamario, and he’s dead. Before you can say “smoldering temptress,” series regular Professor Juno Dromgoole is on the scene, spreading the news that it’s murder and proposing to solve it with Nick, the obvious suspect because of his previous involvements with homicide. Given Vlado’s encounters with the women at Michigan Muscle, the plot quickly and deliciously thickens into layers of domestic discord highly seasoned with compromising photos. This is the seventh of the Nick Hoffman academic mystery series being re-released by ReQueered Tales.
Other Releases:
The Spy’s Familiar by TJ Nichols, out August 14, 2023
Forever Together by Shelby Rhodes, out August 15, 2023
Shadow and Silk by Richard Amos, out August 18, 2023
Once a Rogue by Allie Therin, out August 22, 2023
To enter to win an ebook copy of Murder at the Oasis by David S. Pederson, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “oasis” or comment on this article. Entries will be accepted through July 29, 2023. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.
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