Mystery Fanfare: Edgar Allan Poe Awards 2012

Mystery Fanfare: Edgar Allan Poe Awards 2012: Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award Winners for 2012 were just announced in New York. Congratulations to all! BEST NOVEL Gone by...

Newark Library Hosts Two Local Mystery Authors

The Newark Library hosts two local authors, J. Michael Demko and Carolyn Williams, for a discussion of their mystery novels at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, April 30, 2012, at the Newark Library, 101 West Main Street.  The authors' books will be available for purchase and signing following their talks.

J. Michael Demko's law enforcement background includes the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Reynoldsburg Police Department. Demko is also a past president of the Ohio Crime Prevention Association and a former combat Marine. He lives in Central Ohio with his family. He has published two novels featuring Ohio police officer David Chandler, Flaming Sundown and Ace.

Flaming Sundown:
 Silverlake is a suburban community of Columbus Ohio. in which a burglar rapist has selected single women living in the city as his victims. He has made his plans and knows when he will strike and where. David Chandler, a rookie police officer, is able to identify when the criminal will strike, but he has no idea where. With everyone on the Police Department having a theory about the criminal, no one believes David knows anything more about the case than they do. David is forced to join forces with Sergeant William Romp who is the only one with faith in the new officer.



 
Carolyn Williams is a lifelong resident of Ohio and a member of the German Village Writer's Guild. Mystery in the Pines is her first novel.

Mystery in the Pines

Accustomed to privilege as the daughter of the owner of the town's newspaper, Connie Winthrop is unprepared for the dangers in store. Eager to please her father as a journalist, Connie has been dedicating herself to the biggest story of her career. When Mr. Winthrop gets word of a series of gas explosions, he sends Connie to cover the case. Forced to spend the night in a seedy motel, Connie is alarmed when several men try to break into her room. She doesn't know this is only the beginning. Very quickly Connie learns she cannot depend on her father to rescue her from the peril she finds herself in.

Registration is not required.  Come and meet these two talented local authors.

 

Red on Red by Edward Conlon

We will be discussing Red on Red by Edward Conlon at our next meeting on April 25th at 6:30 p.m. in the Upper Level Conference Room of the Newark Library. Copies of the book are available to be checked out at the Newark Library.

2012 Edgar Award Nominee for Best First Novel

Library Journal Review

NYPD detective Conlon follows up his first-class memoir, Blue Blood, with this superb first novel. Set in upper Manhattan's Dominican-dominated Washington Heights, it is a police procedural with a potent mix of strong story line, police jargon, crisp dialog, black humor, bleakness, gangs, drugs, shootings, murders, and suicide, with complicated romances thrown in.
    

 Read the NPR review of Red on Red here.

 

Mystery Fanfare: St. Patrick's Day Crime Fiction

Mystery Fanfare: St. Patrick's Day Crime Fiction: Erin - go- bragh! St. Patrick's Day figures in several mysteries.  Here's an updated St. Patrick's Day Crime Fiction list . Irish Noir is v...

The Long Fall by Walter Mosley

At our next meeting on March 28th, we'll be discussing The Long Fall, the first book in Walter Mosley's latest series featuring Leonid McGill, a New York private detective. 

Watch the book trailer here.

Mystery Gook Group to Welcome Guest Speaker on Art Theft and Detection

The Booked to Death Mystery Group at the Newark Library will welcome a guest speaker at their February 22 discussion of The Art Thief  by Noah Charney.  David Jackson, a retired British police officer with 25 years' experience as a SWAT officer (including royalty protection), Art and Antiques officer, and detective (drug trafficking and counter terrorism), will speak to the group about his experiences in various branches of British law enforcement including art theft and detection.

The discussion will take place at 6:30 p.m. in Meeting Room A at the Newark Library, 101 West Main Street, Newark, Ohio.  Copies of The Art Thief are available for checkout at the Newark Library.

This event is free and open to the public.

Cozy Chicks: Holiday Baking, Music, and More

Cozy Chicks: Holiday Baking, Music, and More: by Maggie Sefton The Holidays are definitely here, folks. We're shopping for gifts, decorating our houses (well, I'm not because I'll spe...

Christmas Dinner and Book Discussion

We're celebrating the holidays at our annual Christmas Dinner at a local restaurant on December 28 at 6:30 p.m.  Following dinner, we'll be discussing Water Like a Stone by Deborah Crombie, the 11th book in the Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series.

If you plan to attend the dinner and book discussion, contact Bonnie at bstrope@lickingcountylibrary.info or 740.349.5524.

The Lock Artist by Steve Hamilton: Discussion Questions

We will be discussing The Lock Artist by Steve Hamilton at our next meeting on Wednesday, November 30 at 6:30 p.m. in the Newark Library's conference room.  If you've finished reading the book, here is a discussion guide provided by Princeton Book Review.com.

1. How do you think the tragedy Michael experienced as a child influenced the choices he made as an adult? At what point in one’s life is the past no longer an excuse for bad decisions?

2. In what ways did Michael’s uncle help or hurt him? Do you think he provided proper guidance? Did his actions in anyway contribute to Michael’s outcome? Do you think he cared and did his best? Should he have know more about Michael’s involvement with the unsavory characters that he became mixed up with?

3. If you listen to Michael’s inner voice, he was a young man with morals and a conscience, yet he became mixed up with criminals. Do you think this is because he had no options?

4. Do you think it’s realistic for Michael to risk his life for Amelia? What do you think the driving force in their relationship was? Loneliness? First love? Common bond?

5. Did Michael’s actions and decisions demonstrate courage or cowardice? Would your answer differ if he hadn’t survived the tragedy he suffered at age 8?

6. How effective was the author’s technique of using a silent main character? Did this approach enhance the book? The mystery? Did Michael’s silence make you think about the difficulty of not being able to speak? Was it realistic?

7. Amelia’s father was a manipulative person. Was it acceptable to sacrifice Michael for the safety of his daughter? How much do you think he attributed to the downfall of Michael? Do you think he compromised his daughter in any way? Does the end always justify the means? What do you think motivated him? Greed? Fear? Family?

8. Which characters, if any, grew throughout this book? Did the book or any of the personality traits of the characters provoke thought or teach you anything? Do you think the right people were punished?

9. How well do you think the book examines the effects of trauma on children? Which threads or actions in articular addressed this? Can a child overcome a tragedy such as Michael experienced?

10.The book examines the redemptive powers of art and the power being accepted by peers has on a person. Discuss this both from the perspective of the book’s characters and real life experiences.

11. Considering the outcome of the main characters involved in this story, do you think Michael regretted his decision?

12. The author shifts between the past and present and gradually converges the two. Did this method suit the story line? Was it seamless or at anytime confusing?
© 2008 Princetonbookreviews.com

Murder, Mystery & Mayhem: Witches, Goblins, and Ghosts - Halloween Mysteries...

Murder, Mystery & Mayhem: Witches, Goblins, and Ghosts - Halloween Mysteries...: The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown. - - - H. P. Lovecraf...