Mystery

Title: The Texas Two Card Hold 'em Heist
Author: Karl Boyd
Genre: Fiction, Thriller, Mystery
Reviewer: John Cathcart

ISBN (links go to the MWSA Amazon store): 0557541239

Roger Booth, Carl James and their gang of ex-military troops are at it again - this time they're back in Las Vegas, where they plan to steal the first prize of twenty million dollars right off the final table at the Universal Poker Tour.

As usual, Roger's plan is unique, deceitful and amazing in scope. Along with the FBI and law enforcement agencies of Nevada, you'll wonder how they did it and where the money is. You be awed by who actually makes off with the money and how Roger, Carl and the gang retrieve it for themselves. It's a feat of daring-do.

As a bonus, fans of Karl's previous books, especially the two others that make up this trilogy of lighthearted crime tales, learn what one of their previous victims; Richard Murdock wants them to do in repayment for swindling him so many years ago.

Although the pair of con men agrees to do Richard's biding, as always, with Roger, Carl and their nefarious assistants, nothing is as it seems.
Be prepared for more double crosses and a story that keeps you guessing until another unexpected conclusion.

Long time fins of Karl Boyd's novels wonder if this third part of the trilogy is actually the last adventure they'll share with Roger and Carl. But, fear not; there is a fourth episode being written as we speak.

Title: PIRATES The Midnight Passage
Author: Jim Hannibal
Genre: Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Young Adult
Reviewer: Frank Evans

ISBN (links go to the MWSA Amazon store): 1590957253

The Midnight Passage debuts the chronicles of Jim Thatcher and the intrepid crew of the sloop Adventure. Pirates, puzzles, and peril await the privateer crew as they seek to recover the vast treasure of Morgan's Lost Gold from the mysterious Aztec underworld of the Midnight Passage.

Betrayal! A treaty is signed, and suddenly the British privateers are named pirates by the very Crown they serve. Some embrace the new title and the bloody life that comes with it; others, like Captain Jim Thatcher, are not so eager to turn against the world they love. Exiled from Port Royal, Thatcher and the crew of the Adventure set out on a new mission. They seek to recover a vast fortune in gold and emeralds that disappeared a half-century before, hoping it will be enough to buy their pardons. But Thatcher soon learns that the Adventure is not the only ship on the hunt for the treasure.

An Indiaman pursues them across the Windward Passage; it is the Havoc, captained by Thatcher's long-time nemesis, Edward Teach, the infamous Blackbeard. Fleeing the powerful pirate ship and following a questionable treasure map, the crew takes refuge at the mouth of an underground river system, the ancient Aztec underworld. They are trapped by the Havoc; there is nowhere to go but forward, but there are worse things than pirates in the Caribbean. Deadly puzzles, booby traps, and something even more sinister await the crew in the darkness of the Midnight Passage.

Title: The Lost Priest
Author: Karl Boyd
Genre: Fiction, Mystery
Reviewer: Sandra Miller Linhart

ISBN (links go to the MWSA Amazon store): 1604520442

Once again, in his longest novel thus far, The Lost Priest, Karl Boyd works his magic and paints vivid pictures with words to bring a diversified cast of characters to life in a two part adventure/thriller/romance tale set in Texas, Bermuda and the steamy jungles of Brazil.

Title: I Know Why the Dogwoods Blush
Author: Bill Cain
Genre: Fiction, Mystery
Reviewer: Paul Decker

ISBN (links go to the MWSA Amazon store): 1432745360

When love turns to hate, there’s Hell to pay!

Jeremiah “Jerry” Bronson was an abandoned newborn baby discovered by Sheriff “Big Ben” Spear in Timmons County, Georgia during the annual Dogwood Festival of 1950. Raised by the entire town, Jerry grew to become the hometown hero in every area: high school football star, Vietnam war hero, and pacifist reverend. His mentor, “Father” Roman Spindola, thought of him as his own son.

Upon returning home from Vietnam in 1972, Jerry vowed to never harm another human being again and became a respected minister. He married high school sweetheart and local entertainer Angel Andrews. Life was good. Then came the Dogwood Festival of 1979 when sadistic biker Roscoe Parker and his “Broken Bones” gang rode into town on a murder and pillage spree. Jerry saved the town and was elected sheriff. His star continued to shine.

Jerry, Angel and their dog, Blueblood, were murdered by a Russian mob cartel during the Dogwood Festival of 1995. Avenged by Dick Spear, the old sheriff’s son who now stood poised to become the sheriff himself, the little town of Timmonsville has moved on beyond these tragedies. The Dogwood Festival of 2010 is about to begin.

During the week prior to the festival, the grave of Jerry Bronson is desecrated and his body taken. Strange events are occurring around town. And to the west … in Louisiana, Kansas and Washington, former Timmons County residents are meeting with violent deaths. As more and more unexplained events take place, “Father” Spindola fears the dead are about to walk the earth, bringing about the long foretold end of days. Sheriff Dick Spear wants to believe these events are just pranks carried out by misguided teens. But both men carry secrets from the past: Spindola with his supernatural visions of death and Spear with his knowledge of what really happened the night Jerry Bronson died. Waiting in the shadows, watching his decades long plan finally come into play, is the evil Vladimir Buchinsky. He’d failed twice before in his efforts to destroy the town. But this time, he had a secret weapon: a spell so powerful it could resurrect the dead and usher in a new dark age for mankind.

As the events of the Bronson murders of 1995 are revealed, things appear worse than ever. Has Jerry Bronson returned from the grave to save the town? Or has the real threat to the survival of Timmons County ... and all of mankind … been Jerry Bronson from the start? The blushing Dogwoods know the answer. Their secret will change the world!

I KNOW WHY THE DOGWOODS BLUSH is a crime drama/thriller with a supernatural flourish. It is intended to be a stand-alone tale but with threads linking it to potential follow-on stories told in the same universe and time line. If you think you know the legend of the dogwood tree, think again!

Sometimes, what you don’t know can kill you!