FBI Special Agent Antonio Donato is special indeed. The second part of J.J. McCall's love triangle, his character based on my 20 year love affair with all things mafia related (thanks to an obsession with The Godfather I and II and The Sopranos) and an FBI Agent I met once while visiting the FBI's NY field office on a case and later for an intra-agency counterintelligence conference.

Drop.…

There's been a lot said about the rights and wrongs of giving books away, but before KDP Select and the opportunity to make my books free, they were all but invisible. Consequently I'm having another one day giveaway, for short story collection 'Show No Mercy' and debut novel 'Convictions'.

'Convictions' generally does very well indeed over two days, so it will be interesting to see how many readers it attracts with a one day only promotion.

If you'd like a copy of…

Book Title:   MIDNIGHT IN PEKING

Author:  Paul French

ISBN:   9780143567523

Publisher:   Penguin Australia

Year of Publication:   2012



January 1937: Peking is a heady mix of privilege and scandal, lavish cocktail bars and opium dens, warlords and corruption, rumours and superstition - and the clock is ticking down on all of it.



In the exclusive Legation Quarter, the foreigners are jumpy. Japanese troops are poised to attack, and word has it the Chinese…

I haven't had many opportunities to talk about what I term "my former life" as an FBI operations specialist working in counterintelligence. I tend to not spread that around. But now that I'm writing this new J.J. McCall series all those years of experience have really become part of my writing craft, especially in terms of character development. I think it will ultimately help bring a more authentic experience to the reader.

What's Counterintelligence at the…

 Linda Fairstein's latest release, Night Watch, marks the fourteenth book in her highly successful Alex Cooper series.

This has been one of my favourite crime series over the years. Alex works in the …

Book Title:   THE BETRAYAL

Author:  Y.A. Erskine

ISBN:  9781742750187

Location:  Tasmania

Publisher:  Bantam

Year of Publication:  2012



Tasmania is in the grip of one of the longest, bleakest winters on record and it's particularly icy at the Hobart Police Station. Of the many golden rules in policing, one is especially sacred: what happens at work stays at work.



So when a naive young constable, Lucy Howard, makes an allegation of sexual assault against…

Kansas posted this on Amazon.com: "If you like a good mystery, the Hannibal Jones series is a good one to get hooked on. The character is believable, and Austin Comacho keeps the story going at a good pace. I highly recommend his books and look forward to reading all of them." http://amzn.to/MRhFG0

When it comes to contemporary authors who write thrillers and mystery novels about Korea, Martin Limón, is probably the only name that comes to mind. Limón retired from military service after twenty years in the US Army, including ten years in Korea. He is the author of several books in the Sergeant George Sueño series with "…

I've just changed the original price (6.99) for THE SWORD MASTER  to 99 cents on Kindle and Nook.  I'll leave it there through Monday, July 9.

The purpose is to see if I can get more of a response on my latest, a swash-buckling, violent, sexy story of a twelfth century shwordfighter, than I have so far.

It's all experimentation.  When this trial is over, I'll take the book down on B&N and do a Kindle exclusive with Prime.

I hope to learn…

New issue of Kings River Life is up and filled with mystery!

We have another big group of mystery author video interviews from Left Coast Crime--Simon Wood, Naomi Hirahara, Louise Crawford, Jonnie Jacobs, Clark Lohr, Sally Carpenter & more! http://kingsriverlife.com/07/07/and-still-more-left-coast-crime-mystery-author-video-interviews/



Also an…

I always draw on my life and career experiences when developing new characters

for my novels. FBI Agent J.J. McCall is no different. She's actually very

loosely based on an FBI Agent I worked with during my 12 year tenure at the

Bureau. Of all the agents I worked with, and I worked with quite a few, she

always stood out in my mind for many reasons.



One reason she clings to my

memory is that she was, at least at the time, the only African-American…

Damascena had a lot to say about The Troubleshooter on Amazon.com:

"Very occasionally, when I finish a book which is so good that it leaves me speechless, my reaction is a sharply indrawn breath, and a whispered ..."Oh ... my ... God!" That is the reaction I had at the end of this book. For one thing, Mr. Camacho is a stellar story teller. He grabs you in the first chapter, and keeps tight hold of you, never letting your attention wander until the very last word. He is a master of his…

This week has been a series of hot, hot days. I am so glad to be able to leave this state, transport down to Florida to pick up this week’s featured author. We’re off to New York City and the famous Algonquin Hotel at 59 West 44th Street in the heart of Manhatten. Built in 1902, the Algonquin has been a standard for luxury and comfort for decades. They’ve recently…

It was lovely chatting to Julian Clegg again on BBC Radio Solent this morning even though it was an early start, so if I look a little bleary eyed forgive me, I'm not used to getting up at 5.15 am!

We talked about the DI Andy Horton crime series including the latest Death Lies Beneath which will be published in the UK in July and in…

Book Title:   THE MISTAKE

Author:  Wendy James

ISBN:   9781921901041

Location:   New South Wales

Publisher:   Penguin Australia

Year of Publication:   2012



Jodie Garrow is a teenager from the wrong side of the tracks when she falls pregnant. Scared, alone and desperate to make something of her life, she makes the decision to adopt out her baby – and tells nobody.



Twenty-five years on, Jodie has built a whole new life and a whole new family. But when a…

My first novel, The Devil's Road to Kathmandu, was published by short-lived imprint Dragon's Mouth Press in Hong Kong in 2006 and garnered some great reviews in the regional press at the time. The Bangkok Post called it a better backpacker novel than The Beach.

Now, The Devil's Road to Kathmandu has been republished by…

Book Title:  THE NAMESAKE

Author: Conor Fitzgerald

ISBN:   9781408824498

Location:   Italy

Series:   Alec Blume

Publisher:   Bloomsbury

Year of Publication:   2012



When magistrate Matteo Arconti's namesake, an insurance man from Milan, is found dead outside the court buildings in Piazzo Clodio, it's a clear warning to the authorities in Rome--a message of defiance and intimidation from a powerful crime syndicate.



Commissioner Alec Blume, interpreting…

Another 5-star Review! M. Simpson "Kindle lover" (Houston, TX) - posted this about The Piranha Assignment:

"I loved it. It was a great action adventure with memorable characters. It was a little unbelievable at times, but it was a fun read. I highly recommend it if you like adventure stories."…