THE SILENCE OF THE LOONS--Commentary

THE SILENCE OF THE LOONS ISBN: 1-932472-36-3 A 2005 release from Nodin Press Frankly, I have personal interest in this collection of short stories from Minnesota authors. One of the thirteen tales of mystery is one I wrote. Minnesota is an active place with many well-known and talented writers and my fellow members of the Minnesota Crime Wave decided to bring more of them to public awaareness. Our local publisher agreed. So, I will not offer a critical assessment of the stories because of my apparent prejudice. I do however want to note that several well-regarded authors, including Janet Rudolph and Laura Lippman have contributed accolades for the stories herein contained. Thirteen tales of mystery all based in a limited environment. Yes, when we invited Minnesota authors to submit we required tales of murder, mystery and crime set, of course in Minnesota. But we also set another requirement. We created a list of eight clues or elements and we required the writers to use at least four of the eight clues or elements in their story. The creative minds of our author friends were immediately engaged and we were intrigued. The result was this anthology of Minnesota mysteries. The collection is easily and widely available. And, oh yes, here are the required Clues: A headless barbie doll; a page torn from a dictionary; footprints in the snow; the sound of a train whistle; a temporary tattoo; the scent of Obsession; a wig; a soiled ballet slipper.

THE INTRUDER -- Review

THE INTRUDER by Freida McFadden A Poisoned Pen release, 2025 Cashiered teacher Casey is living her current life in an isolated cabin somewhere on the fringes of society. Readers unfamiliar with this author cn get a strong and accurate sense of the author's style and of Casey by reading the first and second paragraphs of the novel. A storm is brewing and the author adroitly uses it as a motivting forces to introduce other characters an other lives. This novel, mysterious, long-reaching, moody and extremely well written quickly draws readers into the narrator's life, both as a child and an adult. It is almost impossible to discuss th novl without revealing the book's secrets. That would be unfair to the reader. Solet this reviewer end by stating this is a thoughtful, careful dramatic and gripping story.

MURDER IN PLANE SIGHT --Review

MURDER IN PLANE SIGHT by Julie Holmes ISBN:979-8-9914430-7-4 Pulished by Mayhem Books, 2025 Note that the title of this story is not misspelled. Principal character in this emotional crime novel is Sierra Bauer. She's an unusual young woman in an unusual career. Skilled and competent, forthright and often blunt speaking, she works carefully and grittily as a trained licensed aircraft mechanic at the Minneapolis/Saint Paul Airport. Specifically she's a designated air-frame and powerplant mechanic, which meant she was certified by the FAA to wok on a new small passenger planes being introduced to their fleet at Range Air, a Detroit-based commercial airline company. The author introduces discomfort very early, even before Sierra arrives for her January night shift at Range Air's maintenance hanger. But then the body of another employee is discovered in a recently arrived Rnfge Air passenger aircraft. The novel is replete with fascinating details of FAA rules and air safety regulations. They are presented in such a way as to inflate reader's satisfaction and trust of air travel safety for the reader and at the same time helping to move the plot forward. Enter the cop. Quinn Moore is a tall experienced cop employed by the MSP airport and assigned to sort out the discovery of the dead employee. The interview Detective Moore conducts with distraut Sierra Bauer, in spite of the suspicion he radiates, is also clearly the beginning of a different kind of relationship. All the relationships are complicated and a budding romance only adds to the confusion. Ultimately resolutions are sorted. The pace of the novel and the competent writing will carry readers along with the necesary level of satifaction. The plot is excellent, the main characters are well-drawn and the necessary descriptive segments are well-handled and motivate the reader. The only real difficulty is the length. There are too many development paragraphs which slow plot movement beyond what is truly useful.

THE SONG CALLS--Review

THE SONG CALLS by Laurie Lynnsee & A.W. Powes ISBN: 979-8-9914430-5-0 Mayhem Books 2005 release A deep dive into two worlds that intermingle in both positive and negative ways. Empaths are dwfined as individuals with higher than normal sensitivity to and with other humans. Often that empathy is described as heightened sensitivity to the auras and mental energy emanating from the core of the being. It's an area of human existence that requires considerable in-depth study. This is the story of two empathetic sensitive sisters, Elise and Ruth, both keepers of empathy for some of those around them. Elise, the more sensitive is an accomplished musician returmning from college with her flueglehorn. At home, she teams up with sister Ruth in musical paths. Ruth is employed by the local county sheriff. She is also a talemted pianist and singer. The sisters form a band based largely on the music written by their deceased father. External dark forces gather to affect band mmbers in a negative way, the mental conditions, especially of Eliese. Dark. aggressive auras begin to intrude in insidious ways that have great potential to wreck what is a talented musical band. The careful blending of mental and musical abilities is judiciously handled by the authors and works well in this overlong and wordy but fascinating and interesting novel.

UNDER COLD STONE

UNDER COLD STONE by Viki Delaney ISBN: 975-1-4642-0233-9 Copyright 2004 Released by Poisoned Pen Press The author writes a dense, convoluted enthralling crime novel. This one is set in the hills and Rocky Mountains of Canada. It embodies death, mysterious disapearance, murder and chaos. Her writing also carries healthy doses of complex human development and the intricate and compelling emotions that frequently invade and disrupt the relationships we all experience. In this author's work, professional requirements establish limits that interfere with Molly Smith's efforts to protect and serve her family. When her mom, Lucky Smith and her current lover, Chief Constable of Trafalgar, British ColumbIa,travel to the famous resort ofLake Louise in Banf, they plan to spend time appreciating the surrounding mountain range. Unfortunately, life, in the form of Keller's son, Matt intrudes. He's wanted by Canadian authorities in connection to the murder of a man in thhe resort town. Matt is missing and Paul Kellor, Chief Constable, and Lucky are drawn into the search for son Matt and the truth. When Moonlight Molly Smith, a constable in a nearby town, learns of the situation, she immediately travels to the resort to help her mom, Lucky. Complications load on top of circumstances, enhanced by fraught relationships. The plot is ably dressed in the magnificant scenery of the region, the rhythms of life connected to Lake Louise and the Canadian Rockies, and thoughtful examination of human drama. As she always does, the author has written a thoughtful, modern and relevant crime novel.

THE KILL CODE COLLECTIVE

THE KILL CODE COLLECTIVE by Brian Lutterman, John Baird Rogers, Julie Holmes,Chris Norbury and Rob Jung A 2026 Midwest Mystery Works Thriller A VERY up-to-date crime novel! Five excellent Midwestern mystery authors have combined their talents, and their leading characters, into a story with almost frightful real implications. How much control and protection do certain patients have? When an electronic device is implanted, let's say a pacemaker, and the device is designed to send certain kinds of electronic signals to a monitoring physician, what are the vulnerabilities, if any? And should a corrupt corporate raider decide to go after the manufacturer of the device, what kind of defense is needed? Five Minnesota mystery authors decided to combine their considerable talents to explore those questions. The five carefully and judiciously brought their characters together in one story to defend a corporation and save certain key patients. Why are some patients targeted? Read this excellent novel to discover the answers. From every perspective of this kind of plotting, the authors have blended their talents and inserted established characters into new uncertain circumstances that will test their wit and intellects and provide readers with a satisfying and intensely interesting novel.

MUSIC IN THE PARK SERIES

Not a crime book series, this is a many-years-old music series established in the Saint Anthony Park neighborhood of Saint Paul. Because I attend and support such an excellent series, I occasionally review  concerts, even though this is not a crime novel. The music series takes place five Sunday afternoons each year in the sanctuary of the United Church of Christ, formerly a Congregational Church. This was the final concert of the current season. The Miro quartet is a world-recognized groupof string musicians. Their collaborator for this program included virtuoso saxophone artist Steven Banks. He plays soprano and tenor instruments in the concert, including the fine original piece, he composed. It's title, "Come What May."  The rest of the concert included an ancient piece by Hildigard of Birgen, two delightful works by Caroline Shaw, sweet, joyful, precise and moving, then part of Beethoven's String Quartet in A minor, Op. 132. Throughout, the concert, including the final suburbly moving piece, a 1994 suite from Osvaldo Golijov titled "The Dreams and Prayers  of Isaac the Blind," Throughout, the musicians performed  with precision, complex coordination, and considerable emotion over a wide range of musicianship. It was a very moving concert, enhanced by the significant architecture and sound characteristics of the venue. As a concert venue for smaller groups and solo performers, this place is surely one of the finest in the Twin Cities.