The Red Queen is the 26th entry in the Richard Jury series. And what a disappointment.
Tom Treadnor is shot through the window in a local pub, The Queen. When Jury investigates, he sees someone has edited the pub’s name to The Red Queen. When he begins investigating, he discovers everyone has a different opinion of the victim. Jury sends his friends Melrose Plant and Gerrard Gerrard to the Treadnor estate to do some undercover investigating. I was never sure why this section was included since it offered nothing to the mystery.
About halfway through, Jury’s sergeant suddenly leaves Scotland Yard to look for a sister that disappeared five years ago and has suddenly reappeared. (In past novels, the sister is believed dead.)
I’ve read almost all of the Grimes’ mysteries and yet I felt as though I’d gone to a party where I knew no one, but they knew each other. There was almost no back story to help put the reader in the know. There was, however, an awful lot of empty banter. And the murder mystery was not very good. But at least there was an ending, albeit not a very plausible one. Wiggins’ story feels half-finished with several unanswered questions.
This past week I read Dachshund Through the Snow by David Rosenfelt. I love these books. They are funny and with good mysteries as well.
In this one, Andy Carpenter is persuaded by his wife and by a Christmas wish from a young boy, to bring his father home. But he doesn’t want to be found. He knows he is suspected of a murder that happened long ago, a murder he assures Carpenter he didn’t commit.
As he investigates, Carpenter begins to believe the young man is telling the truth. Especially after several people assigned to watch Carpenter are murdered. Then another man who was asking questions.
Sure enough, the case is way more complicated than it first appears. But Andy pursues it to the end and justice is served.
Bulls in Ancient Crete were sacred. We know that from the murals and the statuary that show how valuable the bull was. Rhytons, drinking cups, were even made in the shape of a horned bulls head. I’ve certainly discussed at length the ritual of bull leaping. Teenagers, little more than kids actually, ran at a charging bull, grabbing the horns, and flipping over the beast.
These are not out modern bulls either. These were bulls that were especially fast. They are not extinct, a poacher killed the last one that was housed in a Polish zoo.
How do we know about this ritual? Well, anyone who knows the Theseus myth is familiar with the minotaur. Athens had to send 14 tributes to Knossos; 7 boys and 7 girls. In the myth, they face the minotaur in the labyrinth. Theseus, with the aid of a ball of string and a sword given him by the king’s daughter Ariadne, defeats the minotaur.Frescoes from Knossos show they teenagers leaping over a charging bull. Another member of the team caught the jumper. There seems to be no doubt this ritual occurred.
What is behind the veneration of the bull? I’ve read varying explanations. Is it because the Bull represented the male principle, even in a society with a Supreme Goddess? Is it because of the connection with Poseidon. also a God in this culture. (I have mentioned previously how much the Classical Greeks borrowed from the Minoans).
A stylized version of the bull’s horns, called the Horns of Consecration, were used everywhere. Examples have survived in Knossos.
A Murder of Furies, the third in the Bronze Age Crete series, will be released January 31.
In this outing, Ancient Egypt plays a large role.
A minor prince seeks the hand of Hele, the High Priestess’s daughter. She has turned him down multiple times but he won’t take no for an answer. He arrives in Knossos to press his suit in person. While he is there, Martis discovers that the prince is allying himself with Khoranos, the High Priestess’s son, who is planning to take the throne.
And then the High Priestess is murdered! Martis suspects the Egyptians.
I don’t know if this could have happened but I thought it might be possible. Crete and Egypt were trading partners and some time after the time frame in which this story takes place, Ramses appealed to Crete for help in stopping the Sea Peoples, the pirates who attacked Egypt regularly. We know, therefore, that there was regular contact between the two.
When this mystery takes place, Hatshepsut, a woman, was the pharaoh of Egypt. Although women enjoyed a comparatively high status, there are very few women pharaohs. Hatshepsut was the daughter, the sister, and the wife of a king so her bloodline was impeccable.
The daughter of Thutmose I, she ruled jointly with her brother/husband, Thutmose III. She reigned for over 20 years and is generally regarded as a successful pharaoh.She reestablished trade networks that had been disrupted during a previous war and although was engaged in warfare in the early part of her reign, oversaw a long and prosperous era. She also embarked on many building projects.
She was almost lost to history since her cartouche was removed from her monuments. Her brother, Thutmose III, did not remove her cartouche until the end of his reign. Since by the little we know, the relationship between Thutmose and Hatshepsut was a good one, it is suggested that his son, Amenhotep II was the defacer.
Not much is known about her. She had one daughter and seems to have been a good ruler. A mummy believed to be hers has been discovered. An examination shows she had diabetes, cancer and bad teeth.
As even many layman know, the Egyptians married siblings, nieces, and daughters. The accepted explanation is that only another royal had the proper bloodline. Another theory is that this was an effort to keep the power concentrated in one family’s hands.. One suggestion I find particularly interesting is that, because of a woman’s connection to a Supreme Goddess, a holdover from the Goddess worship of earlier times, only a female member of the royal family could give legitimacy to the throne and to her relative’s rule.
Our Lady of the Overlook, by R.L. Carpentier III is a police procedural.
Mike Ellis is a rookie cop, working under the shadow of his father. Charles Ellis had been the police chief in the little town for years.
Now it looks like history is repeating itself. Mike Ellis finds the body of a woman murdered, at the overlook, just like his father had forty years ago. Although Mike’s investigation takes a heavy toll on him, he pursues it to the end. Mike’s character evolves and changes as he faces truths that are, at best, uncomfortable.
The mystery takes a little while to get started but once it does, I couldn’t put the book down. I’m glad Carpentier has planned a trilogy as I have already ordered the second one in the series.
As many know, I am a member of the Mavens of Mayhem, a chapter of the national organization: Sisters in Crime. We have programs every month.
Coming in January:
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Next up: An opportunity for writers. Here’s a chance to have your short story featured in the Mavens Anthology. Rules below.
The Mavens of Mayhem are pleased to announce that submissions are now open for our upcoming anthology. All subgenres of mystery and crime fiction are welcome, including but not limited to: traditional mysteries, cozies, police procedurals, psychological suspense, thrillers, hardboiled detectives, noir, historicals, capers, comedy, and cross-genre stories including elements of urban fantasy, paranormal, and speculative fiction.
Stories must include a crime and a New York setting. We welcome stories set anywhere from Adirondack State Park to Central Park; from the Hudson River to Niagara Falls, and from Fire Island to Henderson Harbor [pop. 1,400] Whichever you choose, the Empire State offers a range of possibilities for artful dodgers and evil masterminds.
Word count: Stories must be between 1,500 and 5,000 words
Content: Stories must be original to the author and cannot rely, in whole or in part, on AI-generated content.
Requirements for Submission
Each author must be a member in good standing of both Sisters in Crime National and a local New York State chapter: the Upper Hudson River Mavens of Mayhem, OR the New York/Tri-State Chapter, OR Central/Western NY Murder on Ice.
Only previously unpublished stories will be considered. The story may not have appeared in print, online (including e-zines and personal websites) or in any other public forum.
Mandatory Manuscript Guidelines
1. Formatting and Font: · MS Word document (.doc, not .docx, please), 12 point Times New Roman, double-spaced, one-inch margins on all sides. You may use italics as needed within the text.
2. Leave two lines, then center title, ALL CAPS BOLD, Leave two lines below title, then start story – do not indent first line of first paragraph · Use Format > Paragraph > to indent the first line of paragraphs 0.5″ (do not use the tab key to indent) ·
3. Separate sections with a centered # and do not indent first line of first paragraph beginning new section/ Indicate end of story with ### centered (format line for no indentation before centering)
4. Pagination and Rubrics: Paginate with page numbers at top right, including first page · Add story title only (not author name) as header at top left on all pages ·
5. Manuscript file name should be story title only ·
6.Strip manuscript of all metadata before submitting, as submissions will be evaluated anonymously.
7. Cover Sheet: Submit a cover sheet along with the story manuscript as a separate email attachment. The cover sheet must include: author/member real name, pen name, mailing address, telephone number, email address, title of story, and word count
8. Cover sheet file name should be author name and story title or an appropriate abbreviation.
9. Submissions: The story and cover sheet should be submitted together as two (2) attachments to anthology@upperhudsonsinc.com
The subject line should read: Anthology Submission – [Author Name] – “[Story Title]” ·
10. Anonymity: Do not include the author’s name below the title or anywhere on manuscript. Strip manuscript of all identifying metadata before submitting.
Decision-making and Revisions:All stories will be read and ranked anonymously by at least two volunteer evaluators in addition to the editors. The final selection for inclusion in the anthology will be ratified by the Board of Directors of the Mavens of Mayhem and may include editorial considerations beyond numeric scores. Authors and the chapter at large will be notified when final selections are made. · Please note that you may be asked to make revisions, either as a condition for selection or after selection as part of the editorial process.
All editing will be done using Word’s Track Changes, which has become standard for most publishers these days and is worth learning if you haven’t used it before.
This anthology is tentatively scheduled for publication October 2026, but that date may change.
Payment is $25 for accepted entries.
We look forward to reading your work!
Empire State Crimes Co-Editors: Ellen Higgins and Lori Robbins
Empire State Crimes Co-Editors: Ellen Higgins and Lori Robbins
I am a big fan of the Shetland mysteries (Vera and Jimmy Perez.)Several years have passed and Jimmy has settled into his new home in the Orkneys with his partner Willow Reeves.
One night, during a terrible storm, a close friend disappears and is found murdered. A Neolithic story stone is found next to his body. Jimmy is heartbroken. Archie Stout was as close as a brother. And Jimmy is too close: questioning Archie’s wife and family is difficult.
And rumors – about Archie’s relationship with a young artist, as well as concerns about a television star and his wife, swirl about the island. But Jimmy, assisted by Willow, preserves to the tragic solution.
Amy Patricia Meade is becoming one of my favorite authors. In this outing, she offers us Rosie the Riveter.
Rosie has taken on the job at the Brooklyn shipyards, along with several other women, because of the pay. The more ‘ladylike’ jobs do not pay as well and Rosie is supporting her widowed sister and baby. The male riveters don’t want the women there but Rosie is managing.
When her foreman makes a pass at her, promising a promotion, she clocks him in the head with the telephone. The next day his body is discovered in a nearby alley. Rosie is the prime suspect. She begins to investigate, finding a surprise ally in the police lieutenant investigating the case.
Roșie discovers several people wanted the foreman dead. The solution rests in a very nice twist. I would love to read the sequel but unfortunately it is unavailable.
Highly Recommended.
I also read Million Dollar Baby by Meade. Marjorie, an attractive mystery writer, catches the eye of wealthy British heir, Creighton Ashcroft. The house he is renovating is the site of a suicide, a mysterious death, and a missing diamond. When Ashcroft invites Marjorie to tour the house, they find a body.
A handsome policeman arrives to investigate – and Marjorie is immediately interested. Ashcroft is jealous and annoyed, but the three must work together to solve the mystery.
My husband and I just returned from a Christmas cruise through Germany, Slovenia, and Budapest. Christmas markets have been a feature in Europe, primarily Germany, since the Middle Ages. The first date I found stretched all the way back to the 1200s but the date usually accepted for the first Christmas market is 1434. They have evolved into markets for food (gingerbread, for example, and the famous meter long sausage), Artisan products, and my favorite: Gluhwein. This is basically mulled wine and it is good! We also were able to keep the mugs. I now have a nice set of six.
Gingerbread in all forms: small cookies, cakes, and several different recipes, is huge there. Gingerbread as a baked good is very old, almost as old as bread which puts it almost into the Neolithic. My favorite was made solely with honey, water, and rye flour. Quite different from our American made. And, I might add, totally without ginger.
We also tried raclette, melted cheese poured over home baked rye bread. Wow!
Artisan products include wooden items – bowls, spoons, cutting boards, baskets, glass and paper ornaments, textiles – my husband bought socks.
One of the markets was in the courtyard of a castle. We took a tour, and part of the family’s home was from the Middle Ages with the stone crypts. Hard to imagine one family living in the same house for a millennia.
The Christmas markets are so popular that they are frequently located within blocks of one another. In Vienna, we could see a market from the market we were currently standing in. Within in the limits of the city center, there are 13 and of course many more outside.
