by Matt Lubbers-Moore
Recently I have taken to republishing the works of Fergus Hume, a gay nineteenth-century writer of mysteries, goth romances, and fantasy novels. Some are easy for me to republish and some take me a lot of work, but those that are the hardest for me are sometimes the most fun as they require a lot more research and double checking the first editions to the scanned copies. I just finished publishing Aladdin in London, a fantasy based on the Arabian Nights with a fantastical ring imbued with great power and the possibility of overthrowing a newly-formed republic in the Baltic region. The scans were atrocious and required a great deal of work, but the book was fun to read.
The new book I am working on is The Black Carnation. What brings me the greatest joy is finding a gay character hidden in the works. During the Melbourne Trilogy, there was a minor character by the name of Felix that was identified as homosexual. In The Black Carnation, the main character waxes poetically throughout the first chapter about opera: the divas, the scores, and the atmosphere. Then he retires to his club in which membership is limited to bachelors over the age of forty, but on rare occurrences allow a younger male in. This is what is depressing, yet fun, about older books that not only were the gay authors closeted but so were their books. Now authors, their books, and their characters can live openly.
Out with the books!
A Glimpse of Darkness by Aman Gupta
Out Sept. 3, 2021
One month after a huge attack nearly wiped out half of the town, things heat up in Morrow when a suspicious death points to a serial killer who might’ve been hiding for over three decades. The new sheriff of Morrow Town, Bill Johnson, faces an uphill battle, in Eric’s absence, when the serial killer starts killing cops. As Bill and his team tries to stop the mysterious killer, they are baited into a trap leading to terrible repercussions. Book 3 of the Eleven Graves series.
The Heron’s Cry by Ann Cleeves
Out Sept. 7, 2021
This is the second book in the Two Rivers Series featuring the gay police detective Matthew Venn. North Devon is enjoying a rare hot summer with tourists flocking to its coastline. Detective Matthew Venn is called out to a rural crime scene at the home of a group of artists. What he finds is an elaborately staged murder; Dr Nigel Yeo has been fatally stabbed with a shard of one of his glassblower daughter’s broken vases. Dr. Yeo seems an unlikely murder victim. He’s a good man, a public servant, beloved by his daughter. Then another body is found killed in a similar way. Matthew soon finds himself treading carefully through the lies that fester at the heart of his community and a case that is dangerously close to home.
Ghost Light by Stan Jones and Patricia Watts
Out Sept. 15, 2021
With the help of an Alaska Native grandmother suffering from dementia, Chukchi police chief Nathan Active hunts down the killer who hid a woman’s expertly dismembered body in the ice cellar of an abandoned Inupiat fish camp. The investigation pulls Active into a dark tangle of love and jealousy, even as he struggles with the PTSD that has haunted him since being wounded in a shootout in an earlier case.
The case starts when Tommie Leokuk’s husband brings her to Active’s office to show him what she found in her latest midnight ramble around the Arctic hamlet of Chukchi. From the pouch of her traditional atiqluk, she pulls a human jawbone with a single molar still in place. At first, Chief Active doesn’t know whether she’s found a murder victim or an old grave opened by erosion or scavengers. He soon discovers it’s very much a murder case, one of the most tangled he’s seen. The victim had two lovers, one male, one female. Both become suspects as the investigation proceeds.
The Origins of Iris by Beth Lewis
Out Sept. 28, 2021
Iris flees New York City and her abusive wife Claude for the Catskill Mountains. When she was a child, Iris and her father found solace in the beauty and wilderness of the forest; now, years later, Iris has returned for time and space to clear her head, and to come to terms with the mistakes that have led her here. But what Iris doesn’t expect in her journey of survival and self-discovery is to find herself—literally.
Trapped in a neglected cabin deep in the mountains, Iris is grudgingly forced to come face to face with a seemingly prettier, happier, and better version of herself. Other Iris made different choices in life and love. As a storm encroaches, threatening both their lives, time is running out for them to discover why they have been brought together, and what it means for their futures.
Madison Square Murders by CS Poe
Out Sept. 28, 2021
Everett Larkin works for the Cold Case Squad: an elite, if understaffed and overworked, group of detectives who solve the forgotten deaths of New York City. Larkin is different from others, but his deduction skills are unmatched and memory for minute details unparalleled. When a spring thunderstorm uproots a tree in Madison Square Park, unearthing a crate with human remains inside, the best Cold Case detective is assigned the job. And when a death mask, like those prominent during the Victorian era, is found with the body, Larkin requests assistance from the Forensic Artist Unit.
Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. Be sure to check out our new mystery podcast too with mystery short stories, and first chapters read by local actors. A new episode went up this week.
Click on this link to take you to Mysterious Galaxy’s website where you can purchase many of these books & a portion will go to help support KRL:
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