In this well-written mystery, The Black Cage: A Milo Rigg Mystery (Severn House Publishers), it’s bitter winter in Chicago, and disgraced crime reporter Milo Rigg wakes up every night dreaming that his wife is calling to him from a black cage. < Back The Black Cage Jack Fredrickson August 28, 2020 In this well-written mystery, The Black Cage: A Milo Rigg Mystery (Severn House Publishers), it’s bitter winter in Chicago, and disgraced crime reporter Milo Rigg wakes up every night dreaming that his wife is calling to him from a black cage. He can’t reach or save her - she was killed by a random bullet two years before. Consumed with grief, he tried to expose a botched murder investigation, but the case nearly destroyed Milo's reputation along with his career. He was sent by paper’s struggling editor to the far suburbs, to write human interest stories. But now there are more murders, and he thinks the cases might be linked, so Milo is back asking questions. Everywhere he turns, it seems like someone is lying or covering up the truth. And he’s not sleeping well, because of the black cage. He just has to figure out what it’s trying to tell him. Jack Fredrickson lives with his wife, Susan, west of Chicago. He is the author of seven Dek Elstrom PI mysteries, the first of which, A Safe Place for Dying , was nominated for the Shamus Award for Best First Novel, and one standalone, Silence the Dead . Listen to Episode Buy Book Previous Next

Attica Locke: Black Water Rising < Back Attica Lock Author of Black Water Rising March 14, 2022 Attica Locke’s (b 1974) first novel, B lack Water Rising was nominated for an Edgar Award, an NAACP Image Award, as well as a L os Angeles Times Book Prize, and was short-listed for the Women’s Prize for Fiction. She came out with H eaven, My Home (September 2019) as the sequel to her Edgar Award-winning B luebird, Bluebird. Her third novel, P leasantville was the winner of the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction and was also long-listed for the Bailey’s Prize for Women’s Fiction. T he Cutting Season was the winner of the Ernest Gaines Award for Literary Excellence. I love the steamy atmosphere, the Texas Rangers, and the southern experience. Locke covers moral issues, greedy developers, white supremacy. Solid writing with no artifice. A former fellow at the Sundance Institute’s Feature Filmmaker’s Lab , Locke works as a screenwriter as well. Most recently, she was a writer and producer on Netflix’s W hen They See Us a nd the also the upcoming Hulu adaptation of L ittle Fires Everywhere. A native of Houston, Texas, Attica lives in Los Angeles, California, with her husband and daughter. Previous Next

Frank Tallis: Max Liebermann Mysteries < Back Frank Tallis Author of The Max Liebermann Mysteries June 13, 2019 Dr Frank Tallis is a British retired clinical psychologist who has published over thirty scientific papers in international journals, a textbook about Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and four psychology books for lay people: Changing Minds (a history of psychotherapy), Hidden Minds (a history of the unconscious), Lovesick (an exploration of the relationship between romantic love and mental illness) and The Incurable Romantic, a fascinating account of a life investigating obsessive love. Talllis is also the Anthony and Edgar-nominated author of the brilliant Max Liebermann Mystery series, about a dashing early 20th century Viennese psychiatrist and disciple of Sigmund Freud, who uses his understanding of human psychology to help solve horrible crimes. While discussing these ongoing investigations, Max and his good friend, the chubby Detective Inspector Oskar Rheinhardt, play chess and consume delicious and well-described Viennese pastries and specialty coffees. Frank Tallis’ novels are: KILLING TIME (Penguin), SENSING OTHERS (Penguin), MORTAL MISCHIEF (Arrow), VIENNA BLOOD (Arrow), FATAL LIES (Arrow), DARKNESS RISING (Arrow), DEADLY COMMUNION (Arrow), DEATH AND THE MAIDEN (Arrow), and MEPHISTO WALTZ (Pegasus). In 1999 he received a Writers’ Award from the Arts Council of Great Britain and in 2000 he won the New London Writers’ Award (London Arts Board). In 2005 MORTAL MISCHIEF was shortlisted for the Ellis Peters Historical Dagger Award and for the Quais du Polar Award in France, 2007. FATAL LIES was longlisted for the International Thriller Writers’ Best Paperback Award, 2010. DARKNESS RISING (VIENNA SECRETS in the USA) was runner up for the 2009 Medical Journalist’s Association fiction award and shortlisted for the Elle Prix de Letrice in 2010. It was also nominated for an Anthony and an Edgar in 2011. DEADLY COMMUNION (VIENNA TWILIGHT in the USA) was shortlisted for an Edgar in 2012. The Liebermann books have been translated into fourteen languages and optioned for TV adaptation. I contacted Dr. Tallis on Twitter to tell him how much I like his Liebermann series (and point out that Americans also read his books). He tweeted back to say thanks and that it’s being filmed! Wish I’d had the moxie to write back and ask who is playing the lead. I just adore the series and hope he’ll keep it going. Dr. Tallis deserves more attention on this side of the pond. Previous Next

I make this dish a lot because I usually have the ingredients in the house. I often use cooked, leftover boneless breasts... < Back Easy Skillet Chicken with Mushrooms, Scallions and Red Peppers January 1, 2020 Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 10 Minutes Serves: 4 Servings Tags: Entrees About the Recipe I make this dish a lot because I usually have the ingredients in the house. I often use cooked, leftover boneless breasts (which I freeze in anticipation of making this easy, quick dinner), in which case, microwave the chicken, cut into pieces, and sauté along with the vegetables. Fresh cut-up chicken pieces require about five minutes of sautéing before adding the vegetables. Once everything is simmering in the pan, the flavors will blend together. Taste before serving. From Smothered: A Whipped and Sipped Mystery Finally, the day sped by and Alene left, leaving Jocelyn in charge of closing. At home, Zuleyka reported that there’d been a lot of quarreling after the kids got dropped off, which happened nearly every time Neal kept them for two nights in a row, but they’d all gotten to their tennis lessons on time. For dinner, Alene made the Easy Skillet Chicken with Mushrooms, Scallions and Red Peppers that they loved to eat with pappardelle pasta, and a chopped salad. For a special treat, and to prove that she could be as fun as Neal, they ate sitting around the coffee table, watching an old movie about children sentenced to a juvenile detention facility who are forced to work for hours in the hot sun. It was filled with silly coincidences and had a happy ending, so everyone enjoyed it, including Cal. Ingredients 1 lb (3 or 4) boneless chicken breasts or thighs, cubed 2 TBSP good olive oil 1 cup mushrooms (I use white or baby bella) cut into pieces 2 or 3 scallions, chopped (or more if you love scallions) 1 small or medium red pepper, cut into pieces ½ jar or one 8 oz can of tomato sauce 1 tsp dried oregano 1 tsp dried tarragon 1 tsp dried basil (or a handful of fresh basil, if you have it) ½ tsp garlic powder 1 tsp salt ½ tsp pepper Preparation On medium heat, stir the chicken in olive oil until it’s cooked through and white, for about 5 or so minutes Stir in the cut-up mushrooms, scallions, red peppers and let simmer for another few minutes Turn the heat to low and add in the tomato sauce and all the herbs If you only have flavored tomato sauce on hand, hold off on the salt and pepper until the very end when you can taste it for flavor Let the sauce simmer for about ten minutes while you set the table, prepare a salad, cut up bread, or boil some kind of pasta. Previous Next

Sherry Thomas: The Lady Sherlock Series < Back Sherry Thomas Author of The Lady Sherlock Series March 4, 2021 I was surprised at how much I enjoyed Sherry Thomas’s Lady Sherlock Series. Thomas has published romance, fantasy and YA books, none of which interest me, but then I started reading about the antics of ‘Charlotte Holmes.’ Charlotte and her friend Mrs. Watson have apparently invented an imaginary brother named Sherlock so that she can use her brilliant powers of deduction to earn money in a Victorian society that doesn’t trust the opinions of women. The writing is descriptive, the conversations witty, the crimes interesting and the atmosphere compelling. Thomas’s has received lots of honors and is a bestselling author. She immigrated from China at age 13. She is also a two-time winner of Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA® Award. I hope she continues writing this charming series. Previous Next

She blended a white gazpacho and served it with homemade rolls for lunch, then let the kids lie in her bed watching... < Back Alene’s White Gazpacho July 17, 2019 Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 10 Minutes Serves: Makes about 4 large, 6 small servings Tags: Soup, Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Entrees, Vegan About the Recipe p.46 Battered: A Whipped and Sipped Mystery Once when Kacey was still a kid and Alene was babysitting during one of her weekend visits, Kacey mentioned in that offhand way teenagers have that Gary and Joan had separate bedrooms. She was trying to explain why there was so much laundry and probably didn’t realize what she was telling Alene. Poor Gary — Joan was his third wife, but apparently third was not the charm. After all, she’d had an affair with the husband of at least one neighbor. Instead of responding to Alene’s text, Kacey appeared in the kitchen moments later and said, “I can’t spend that much time in the sun, but I can go to the airport with you.” “Perfect,” said Alene. “Meet me here at two.” Both of Brianne’s children had gone to college in Washington D.C. and had taken jobs there. Brianne was always blue in the weeks leading up to the anniversary of the day her husband had died, so she’d gone that week to visit her children. Just before Brianne’s trip, Alene had accompanied her to the police station to ask yet again about accidental bicycle collisions in Chicago that might finally provide a connection to the one that killed her husband. Eight years had passed, but Brianne wouldn’t stop trying. Alene took the kids to do errands and to the zoo, where she bought them popcorn, as promised. There was a lot of griping about heat and fatigue on the mile-long walk home. She blended a white gazpacho and served it with homemade rolls for lunch, then let the kids lie in her bed watching a movie while Cal enjoyed yet another Cubs game in the living room. Ingredients 3 cloves garlic 1 sweet onion (small to medium, cut in quarters) 1 peeled cucumber (medium to large) 1 peeled zucchini (small to medium) White part of a fennel bulb (optional, adds licorice taste) 1 cup green grapes and/or 1 small peeled, seeded apple ½ tsp lemon zest ¼ to ½ cup skinless almonds 1 slice of bread (optional but it adds gravitas) 2 or 3 stalks celery (less if you are not celery lovers – blend in or use a stalk to stir) 2 cups water, unsweetened almond milk or coconut water 1 tsp salt ½ tsp white pepper 1 tsp cider vinegar Preparation Sauté garlic and onion Add to blender with other ingredients and zap until smooth. Season to taste Pour into a glass or a bowl and serve Previous Next

Price of Passage: A Tale of Immigration and Liberation (DX Varos, 2022), Larry Sommers opens in 1853 in Norway, where only firstborn sons inherited their father’s land and estate. < Back Price of Passage by Larry F. Sommers August 30, 2022 Price of Passage: A Tale of Immigration and Liberation (DX Varos, 2022), Larry Sommers opens in 1853 in Norway, where only firstborn sons inherited their father’s land and estate. Other children had to fend for themselves. Anders realizes that the only way he can live a life of honor is to flee to America. He escapes his uncle’s home, hides in a boat builder’s barn, and is nearly killed by Maria, a childhood friend. But they talk, and he tells her about his plans to be a farmer in southern Illinois. Anders nearly ruins his chance of reaching Illinois when he tries to stop someone from apprehending a runaway slave. It’s a crime punishable by jail time and a hefty fine, but luckily, a kind gentleman intervenes and ends up hiring Anders to help on his farm. When Daniel, the runaway slave, turns up a few years later, Daniel and Maria hide him in their barn. This is a novel about immigrants, home, slavery, freedom and living a life of honor. Larry F. Sommers is a Wisconsin writer of historical fiction, seeking fresh meanings in our common past. He won Honorable Mention in The Saturday Evening Post’s 2018 Great American Story Contest for “The Lion’s Den,” a tale of childhood in the 1950s, and has published other, similar stories in the online version of The Saturday Evening Post. He served as editor of The Congregationalist, a national church-related quarterly magazine, from 2009 to 2016 and previously worked 23 years in the Public Affairs Office of the Wisconsin National Guard/Wisconsin Emergency Management as a writer, editor, photographer, writing coach, and public affairs consultant in a fast-paced environment punctuated by crisis communication events. A Vietnam-era veteran of the U.S. Air Force, he is active in church work and is a member of the Sons of Norway and two local writers’ critique groups. He lives in Madison, Wisconsin, with his wife and dog. Listen to Episode Buy Book Previous Next

Starting in Jamaica, the stories shift back and forth in time and place, from Europe to Chicago to Door County, Wisconsin. We follow Greta’s emotional journey, spiritual longings, and religious awakening as she survives the complexities of a full life. < Back Side by Side but Never Face to Face Maggie Kast July 1, 2020 During the first few stories, we think the book centers on Manfred, an Austrian Holocaust survivor whose parents converted out of Judaism to save him from centuries of oppression. He and his third wife, Greta, are forced to mourn the accidental death of their youngest child, a trauma that affects them deeply but differently. Only after several stories focused on Manfred’s upbringing and young adulthood do we realize that the protagonist is his wife and then widow, Greta. Starting in Jamaica, the stories shift back and forth in time and place, from Europe to Chicago to Door County, Wisconsin. We follow Greta’s emotional journey, spiritual longings, and religious awakening as she survives the complexities of a full life. Today I talked to Maggie Kast about her new book Side by Side but Never Face to Face: A Novella and Stories (Orison Books, 2020) Kast received an M.F.A. in writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts and has published fiction in The Sun, Nimrod, Rosebud, Paper Street and others. A chapter of her memoir, published in ACM/Another Chicago Magazine , won a Literary Award from the Illinois Arts Council. Her essays have appeared in America, Image, Writer’s Chronicle, and Superstition Review and have been anthologized in Love You to Pieces: Creative Writers on Raising a Child with Special Needs (Beacon Press) and Gravity Pulls You In: Perspectives on Parenting Children on the Autism Spectrum (Woodbine House). Kast is a Board Member of Links Hall , an incubator and presenter of dance and performance art in Chicago. When not writing, Maggie loves cooking, and although she loves traditional midwestern food, also specialized in Viennese cuisine. Listen to Episode Buy Book Previous Next

Laurie R King: Mary Russell-Sherlock Holmes, Harris Stuyvesant Books, Stand-Alone Books < Back Laurie R King Author of The Mary Russell-Sherlock Holmes Mysteries September 28, 2021 Laurie R King is the New York Times bestselling author of 30 novels and other works, including the Mary Russell-Sherlock Holmes stories, beginning with The Beekeeper’s Apprentice (named “One of the 20th Century’s Best Crime Novels” by the IMBA.) She has won the Agatha, Anthony, Edgar, Lambda, Wolfe, Macavity, Creasey dagger, and Romantic Times Career Achievement awards, has an honorary doctorate in theology, and has been guest of honor at several mystery conventions. The author says she became a writer because she loves and has been nurtured by books. King never took a course in creative writing, took seven years to finish her undergrad degree, and didn’t start writing her own stories until she was in her thirties. Her language is crisp; she probes into period thought, manners, dress, and behavior but still manages to defy convention. I love that Mary Russell is a beautiful Jewish woman in whom an aging Sherlock Holmes has finally met his match. Previous Next

Barbara Cleverly: Detective Joe Sandilands Mystery Series, Inspector Redfrye Mystery Series < Back Barbara Cleverly Author of The Detective Joe Sandilands Mystery Series March 13, 2022 Barbara Cleverly was born in Yorkshire, England (1940) and is known for the Detective Joe Sandilands Mysteries (13 of them – enjoyed Spider in the Cup and Diana’s Alter), Inspector Redfrye series (enjoyed Invitation to Die and Fall of Angels)) and the Laetitia Talbot mystery series. She received the E llis Peters Historical Dagger award in 2004 and her writing is British, clever (ly), fast-paced, and intelligent. She draws the reader into her world. While I’m reading Cleverly, I’m continuously reminded that educated Brits have a command of the language most of us lack. We generally wouldn’t use words like insouciance (we might use nonchalance) and we hardly ever toss in Latin. I love that her historical books are often loosely based on actual people or incidents. In Diana’s Alter, Joe Sandilands pretends to be an art connoisseur and holds his own with a Cambridge historian in order to find a killer – is it a cutting-edge researcher or someone in the aristocracy? And why does he have to rely on secretive female spies? I would make my way through all three of Cleverly’s complete series if I didn’t want to read so many other authors! Previous Next

Alene pulled out her old blender and made an edamame/avocado dip followed by a kale and parsley... < Back Edamame – Avocado Dip November 19, 2019 Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 3 Minutes Serves: About 2 Cups of Dip Tags: Gluten Free, Vegetarian, Dips and Sauces, Vegan About the Recipe p.220 Battered: A Whipped and Sipped Mystery Alene felt stunned that Kacey was back in rehab and ashamed that she’d been so impatient with Frank, who said, “There’s a crazy person on the loose and I think all of you need to be cautious right now. Can you make sure your staff is on the alert for anything unusual and try not to be alone? Also, could you do me a personal favor and check your phone more often? You do have me on speed dial, right?” She nodded as Frank and Jack left. He didn’t have to speak to her as if she were a child, she thought glumly. She turned away, instead of admiring Frank’s muscular back and confident stride. She sat down and added him to her speed dial after her father, Ruthie, Lydia, and Brianne. Grabbing an apple from the counter, she headed to her office. It was the end of the month and she had to finish ordering and to work on payroll. She holed up in her office for a few hours, drank more decaf espresso with almond milk, and ate a raw kale Alene pulled out her old blender and made an edamame/avocado dip followed by a kale and parsley dip for the next morning. She grumbled to herself because the dips weren’t as smooth and fluffy as those made with the blender whose base was in police custody. Ingredients 12 oz frozen bag raw edamame (Trader Joe has them) 1 avocado ½ cup lemon juice About 2 tsp mixed herbs (basil, parsley, oregano – whatever you have) ½ tsp dry garlic or a fresh garlic clove ½ tsp salt ½ tsp pepper Preparation Cook edamame and garlic in the microwave about 1 -2 minutes Let it sit and cool for a few minutes Toss everything into a food processor or professional blender Taste for seasonings and add more salt, pepper or lemon as needed Previous Next

In last week's grocery order I forgot tortilla chips and ate this with a spoon! < Back Guacamole Salad May 3, 2020 Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 0 Minutes Serves: 2 cups Tags: Dips and Sauces, Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Vegan About the Recipe In last week's grocery order I forgot tortilla chips and ate this with a spoon! It's that good! Ingredients 1 ripe avocado 2 TBSP salsa (my favorite is Trader Joe’s Chunky Salsa) 1 scallion, chopped (grow them on the windowsill so you also have a few available) 1/2 chopped shallot or sweet onion 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered or halved 1 cup sliced red and yellow sweet mini peppers 1/4 cup (about a handful) chopped parsley or cilantro Juice of 1 lime or about 1 TBSP Nelly & Joe Key Lime juice (it’s always in the fridge) 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper (add more if desired) Sprinkle of red pepper flakes or 1 tsp of Sriracha (also always in the fridge) Preparation In a medium bowl, lightly mash up avocado and salsa – leave chunks – don’t make it super smooth Add all the chopped vegetables, lime juice and salt, pepper Mix it into a chunky guacamole – it’s not the usual kind, but avocados are hard to find – and it’s still delicious! Serve as a side to the main protein or with a bowl of tortilla chips Previous Next