Dark & Stormy's Top 5 Books of 2023

We need to step away for about a month our beloved Ann Dark needs to take some time to heal. She can't wait to return to the podcast. Please join her family and freinds in wishing her well. We will be posting further updates on here or our facebook page. Thank you for your continue support and understanding.

Recommendations For Your TBRShow NotesOn today's episode, we feature six books that we recommend for our listener's TBR. These are books thathave been sent to us for review. There is no way we can read every book but we want to make sure theyare highlighted in some way.Ann reported on Good Girls Don't Die by Christina Henry (Berkeley 11/23). This is the story of threewoman with one way out.Tracey reported on The Repurposed Spy by Oliver Dowson (self 3/22) A modern spy novel filled withhumor and intrigue.Misty had Miss Blaine, The Prefect & the Weird Sisters by Olga Wojtas (Felony & Mayhem Press 3/23) Aprefect who time travels to help people.Ann's second book is The Murder of Andrew Johnson by Burt Solomon (Forge Books 10/23) An inspectorlooks to see if the president was killed in his home state of TennesseeTracey 's second book is Anna-O by Matthew Blake (Harper 1/24) The story of a woman who commitstwo murders while sleepwalking and then never wakes up again.Misty's second book is The Lies I tell by Julie Clark (Source books 12/22) The story of a con woman whobecomes what her mark needs her to be.Tracey is currently reading “the Carrow Haunt” by Darcie Coates and the “Night Circus” by ErinMorgensternAnn is currently reading “The Deepest Kill” by Lisa Black, “The Waxworks Man” by J.C. Briggs, and“The Huntress” by Kate Quinn.Misty is currently working on her new mystery series based on a diner with dead people.

1-24 WWARNew BeginningsShow NotesFor our first WWAR for 2024, we discussed three books that feature new beginnings for the protagonist orstorylMisty reported on her book “Poison Ivy” by Misty Simon. This is the first book she had published in2004. It has been re-released two more times since then and has just been again re-released. She says thebook is still a lot of fun to read.Tracey reported on her book “What Waits In the Woods.” by Kieran Scott It features a ballerina who hasto begin over when she damages her leg and has to give up her dream of ballet. On the day she arrivesback in her hometown in rural Pennsylvania, a body is found behind her father's house.Ann reported on “Conflicting Loyalties: My Life As A Mob Enforcer turned DOJ Informant” by AidenGabor. It is a true story of a teenager who is forced to become an informant for the Justice Department inorder to stay out of jail. He remained an informant for almost 20 years when he got out. He then has tostart his life over a second time when he was diagnosed with ALS.We also reported on the books we are currrently reading.Misty is reading “Writing A Cozy Mystery” by Nancy J. Cohen, and says she reads it often to make sureshe is including everything in her books.Tracey is reading “A Good House For Children” by Kate CollinsAnn is currently reading “Seed” by Anya Allborne and “Calico” by Lee Goldberg.

Edwin HillShow NotesToday we talk with Edwin Hill about his book Who To Believe. It will release today from KensingtonBooks.Monreith, Massachusetts, was once a small community of whalers and farmers. These days it’s a well-to-dotown filled with commuters drawn to its rugged coastline and country roads. A peaceful, predictable place—until popular restaurateur Laurel Thibodeau is found brutally murdered in her own home. Suspicion naturallyfalls on Laurel’s husband, Simon, who had gambling debts that only her life insurance policy could fix. Butthere are other rumors too . . .Among the group of six friends gathered for Alice Stone’s fortieth birthday, theories abound concerningLaurel’s death. Max Barbosa, police chief, has heard plenty of them, as has his longtime friend, Unitarianminister Georgia Fitzhugh. Local psychiatrist Farley Drake is privy to even more, gleaning snippets of gossipand information from his patients while closely guarding his own past.But maybe everyone in Monreith has something to hide. Because before this late-summer evening has cometo a close, one of these six will be dead. And as jealousy, revenge, adultery, and greed converge, thequestion becomes not who among these friends might be capable of such a thing, but—who isn’t?

Top Five RundownShow notesOn today's episode we review our top 5 books we read over the past year.\5Ann – The Last Orphan by Greg HurwitzTracey – The Devil's Chew Toy by Rob Osler4Ann - Last Known Port by Sue AngerTracey - Bone Rattler by Elliot Pattison3Ann – The Hunter by Jennifer HereraTracey – The Camp by Nancy Bush2Ann – Malibu Burning by Lee GoldbergTracey – Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey1Ann – The Bones of Birka by Cynthia SurrisiTracey – Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. CosbyWe had a few honorable mentions of books that we did not cover on the program but were so good theydeserve a mentionAnn's listThe Girl in the Eagle's Talons by Karen SchmirnoffThe Road To Station X by Sarah BaringHolly by Stephen KingTracey's listThe Only One Left by Riley SagerVerity by Coleen HooverCarrie by Stephen KingTRIVIALast week's questionWhich mystery author has a span of 29 years between the publishing of one of her mysteries?a. Mary Roberts Reinhartb. Ruth Rendellc. Mildred Davisd. Amanda CrossThe answer is c. Mildred Davis. She wrote 18 mystery novels between the years 1948 and 1977. Shedidn't publish another until 2006 when she began the Murder in Maine mystery series with her daughterKatherine Roome.This week's question is:Author Robert Barnard wrote over 40 mysteries. He wrote 4 mysteries under the name Bernard Bastable.Who was his famous protagonist?a. Wolfgang Mozartb. Thomas Wolfec. Agatha Christied. Robert Barnard

David SimmonsGhosts of E#ast BaltimoreShow NotesOn the first official episode of 2024, we talked with David Simmons about his book “Ghosts of EastBaltimore.: David was delightful. Worm, fresh out of jail, tries to make a little money to get back on his feet,and make it back to the halfway house before his 9 pm curfew. But what should be a simple drop-off, spiralsinto a nightmare. Worm is faced with a number of obstacles like Greek gangsters, gimps, mecha suits, wilddrugs, and more. This feels like the perfect cross-genre book written for me especially with the cloneconspiracy theory sprinkled in.Ghosts of East Baltimore is a wild ride and the perfect mix of elegant yet literary cosmic hood horror withtextured prose that not many could pull off. Rich with history, and a deep-seated love for Baltimore, this is afantastic crime fiction debut.TRIVIAAuthor Gary Phillips has edited several anthologies over the years. One that won particular accolades wasone that paid homage to a past president. Which one?a. Nixonb. Bushc. Washingtond. ObamaPhillips has edited a number of anthologies including Orange County Noir and The Obama Inheritance:Fifteen Stories of Conspiracy Noir, with the latter receiving the 2018 Anthony Award for Best Anthology. TheObama Inheritance was inspired by the many conspiracy theories generated about President Barack Obama.Each story in the anthology focused on one conspiracy theory as a means to "Riff on it, take it apart and turn iton its head, and give the reader a thrill ride of weirdo, noirish, pulpy goodnessWhich mystery author has a span of 29 years between the publishing of one of her mysteries?a. Mary Roberts Reinhartb. Ruth Rendellc. Mildred Davisd. Amanda Cross

In the last of our Holiday Break short stories We read a story that Bruce Robert Coffin sent to us. It is a perfect story to end this season of giving and caring. Please enjoy!! Tune in next week for our regularly scheduled episodes.

The Noir before Christmas written and read by Ang Pompano

The second in our Holiday Vacation series, Disappear is written and performed by the author, Sue Angejr. It tells the story of a sister's love and loss over the holidays.