Publisher: The Wild Rose Press (April 8, 2024) Category: Mystery/Suspense, Murder Mystery, Female Amateur Sleuth Tour Dates April 22-May 30, 2024 ISBN: 978-1509254194
Available in Print and ebook, 312 pages
Description Not Quite Enlightened Sleuth by Verlin Darrow
A Buddhist nun returns to her hometown and solves multiple murders while enduring her dysfunctional family.
Ivy Lutz leaves her life as a Buddhist nun in Sri Lanka and returns home to northern California when her elderly mother suffers a stroke. Her sheltered life is blasted apart by a series of murders, which she attempts to solve with the help of a smitten detective.
She understands why someone might want to kill her stepfather, who it turns out to be is a smuggler on the run, but what about her mother? Is Ivy’s unstable sister right that she was murdered, too? Ivy struggles to live by her Buddhist principles and employ her mindfulness skills, and discovers they both hinder and help in her search for the truth.
Review Not Quite Enlightened Sleuth by Verlin Darrow
Guest Review by Mark
“Minutes after my mother passed, I was back in Ivyville, the home of Ivy Lutz, the bad Buddhist.”
What a story, and what a writer! I’ve previously read one of Verlin Darrow’s stunning novels, ‘Murder for Liar,’ last year and I was so taken with it that I gave it a five-star rating.
Going into ‘The Not Quite Enlightened Sleuth,’ I had a feeling that I was going to love it, because of my love for Darrow’s last novel. And boy was I right! Although the two novels could not be more different in terms of the story.
This novel is about a woman, Ivy Lutz, who leaves Sri Lanka where she is living as Buddhist nun to return to San Francisco to be by her mother’s bedside as the she passes away. The beginning of this story is so touching, as we seen Ivy’s mother die, that I found myself already tearing up only a few pages in. It is not often that a writer is so talented they are able to evoke emotion like that from me so early in the story! I rarly tear up, especially from a book. Fortunately, the humor of the book took over before long, and I found myself laughing, too.
The book takes a turn that will not be unexpected to longtime fans of the amateur sleuth genre, when Ivy discovers that her sister, Jan is under the impression that their mother was actually murdered. Of course, Ivy gets backed into investigating the case herself, as, according to Jan, she has a keen observational mind. Also, Jan believes that the police are not properly investigating.
Ivy has to tangle with the police herself as she ends up needing the help of a detective named Art, who she begins to bond with.
Ivy has to decide if she is ready to find out things about her mother’s life that the woman had kept hidden, and whether or not those things may have led to her death.
About Verlin Darrow
Award-winning novelist, Verlin Darrow is currently a psychotherapist who lives with his psychotherapist wife in the woods near Monterey Bay in northern California. They diagnose each other as necessary.
He is the author of Blood and Wisdom, Coattail Karma, Prodigy Quest, and Murder For Liar. Two of these won major book awards. Verlin is a former professional volleyball player, country-western singer/songwriter, import store owner, and assistant guru in a small, benign cult.
Before bowing to the need for higher education, a much younger Verlin ran a punch press in a sheet-metal factory, drove a taxi, worked as a night janitor, shoveled asphalt on a road crew, and installed wood floors. He barely missed being blown up by Mt. St. Helens, survived the 1985 Mexico City earthquake (8.0), and (so far) he’s successfully weathered his own internal disasters.
Enter the Giveaway Not Quite Enlightened Sleuth by Verlin Darrow
This giveaway is for 3 print or ebook copies. Print is open to the U.S. only. ebook is open worldwide. This giveaway ends on May 31, 2024 midnight, pacific time. Entries accepted via Rafflecopter only.
Kent and Katcha: Espionage, Spycraft, Romance by Larry and Rosemary Mild
Publisher: Magic Island Literary Works (March 28, 2024) Category: Spy, Thriller, and Romance Tour Dates May 13-June 21, 2024 ISBN: 979-8986386409 Available in Print and ebook, 248 pages
Description Kent and Katcha by Larry and Rosemary Mild
Larry and Rosemary breach deep cover to bring you a novel of high intrigue drawn from Larry’s former association with secret operatives and their spook agencies.
The year is 1992. The Soviet Union has collapsed, but danger persists. Young Kent Brukner, a freshly trained American spy, arrives in Moscow for a high-risk mission: to infiltrate and compromise a Russian Federation Army facility. Under an alias, in a military uniform, he plies his skills—unprepared for the brutal confrontations and irrational consequences.
Kent meets the innocent and passionate Katcha, daughter of a British expatriate and a Russian dissident. Together the lovers embark on a nearly impossible journey, beginning in the foothills of the Ural Mountains. Stalked by the evil Major Dmitri Federov, they must escape from St. Petersburg to Helsinki, Finland, or face life in a Russian prison.
Praise for Larry and Rosemary Mild
Cr ‘Ohana: Winner of the Readers Favorite, 2011 Award
“I was hooked from the very first page. The chapters are short but there is plenty of suspense, intrigue, blackmail and betrayal. The characters are very easy to connect with. The descriptions of Hawaii are excellent. Adventure and suspense make this a book you won’t want to miss.”-Readers Favorite, for Cry ‘Ohana
“The beautiful setting, engaging characters, and lively plot combine to bring readers a story that is literally difficult to put down. The novel deftly moves between the characters and their stories concluding with a satisfying finish. It is an engaging story of tragedy, hope, and unconditional love.”- Mystery Books Site, Reviewed by Edie Dykeman, BellaOnline’s Mystery Books Editor, for Cry ‘Ohana
“Shame can tear families apart, and murder can obliterate them. Cry Ohana: Adventure and Suspense in Hawaii tells the story of a Hawaiian family who through a string of tragedies finds their family torn apart. But when they need to find justice, the family struggles to reunite. A story of family and reunion for the betterment of it all, and dedicated to Hawaiian culture, Cry Ohana is a choice pick, highly recommended.”- Midwest Book Review
Reviews for On the Rails
“I enjoyed this story and felt like it was well researched in regard to the Depression, the different government work programs, and what it was like to live in the mid-30s. Life was very different then compared to today. The story does not gloss over the dangers of her adventures. She did encounter some men who wanted only one thing. Others tried to rob her of what little she had in her possession.”-Leslie, Storeybook Reviews
“This book has everything you could ask for, non-stop adventure, some history lessons, villains and most importantly, highly likeable characters, who have to overcome every imaginable obstacle.”-Denise, Amazon
“Excellent character development. I adored Bertie. She had such an amazing personality. She was a fighter for sure. She wasn’t afraid to go for what she wanted, even if it meant… pretending to be a man. And fight, she did. She had to fight her way through every situation she came to. Don’t let the sweet and fun of this book fool you. There is plenty of action. Having taken place in 1936, this book has lots of great historical aspect to it, which I love! I highly recommend this for anybody who would like something a little bit different. I would definitely read more by this great writing duo!”-Wendy, Wall To Wall Books
“I enjoyed reading On the Rails by the talented co-authors, Larry and Rosemary Mild. I liked going back in time to the Great Depression era and meeting Bertie. I loved her character and getting to know her. She was intriguing and I was fascinated by her story. I would love to read more like this from the writing team Larry and Rosemary Mild in the future.”-Amy, Locks, Hooks, and Books
“A book that not only brings some laughter, but packs an emotional punch. I was pleasantly surprised by the high caliber of the writing in this novel! The writers did a lot of research, and it was employed well throughout the book. This is a great read and one that I highly recommend!”-Bee, BookPleasures.com
Guest Post Larry and Rosemary Mild
Writing Together Can Be Murder, But That’s Not a Bad Thing
LARRY:
We’re often asked how we write together. First, where do we write together? Eleven years ago, we moved from Maryland to Honolulu, Hawaii. In our two-bedroom condo, we’re squished but cozy. Our apartment overlooks the Pacific Ocean and Ala Moana Beach Park—with Magic Island, a small, lush peninsula jutting out from the park. We call ourselves Magic Island Literary Works. Our second bedroom is our office, where all the magic (and mayhem!) take place, and we sit back-to-back at our dueling computers.
Some coauthors write alternating chapters. We don’t. We divide our creative tasks between us—to the one best suited to perform it. Rosemary insists that I’m the conniving wizard, and she’s right. I conjure up all our plots. But where do I get my ideas? In addition to newspaper articles and books, I’m always observing our surroundings—and eavesdropping, one of my favorite occupations, to help me write realistic dialogue. We’ve been world travelers, so some of our stories are set in countries like Japan, Italy, and Cambodia. We draw from our own experience. For instance, our novel On the Rails: The Adventures of Boxcar Bertie is set in the Great Depression. I included many of my personal recollections of that era.
We take our characters from real life. Many are composites of people we’ve known. Our trusty basic rule: We stay out of trouble by keeping our characters in trouble.
So how do I begin a new novel? I write a statement of work, a paragraph for a short story or five pages for a whole novel. Then I write the entire first draft: plotting, counterplotting, twisting, turning, and employing the black art of the red herring. After all, where would any story be without ample doses of conflict, misdirection, and controversy? Boring!
ROSEMARY:
Now it’s my turn. But, first, I have to admit that Larry has a much longer attention span than I do. My desk overlooks the ocean and provides me with constant entertainment that interrupts my writing. He bought me binoculars and I love watching the container ships, barges, and cruise ships entering and leaving Honolulu harbor.
Finally, I buckle down to Larry’s manuscript. I flesh out the characters. To give them unique physical descriptions, I might flip through People or the daily paper. Or during a meeting I might scribble a few words about an unusual-looking person sitting across from me.
I also beef up the narrative. I often find a gem of a scene but it’s told second-hand. For instance, in Death Steals a Holy Book, our third Dan & Rivka Sherman mystery, bookstore clerk Ivy has a disastrous date in a popular restaurant and tells Rivka about it the next morning. I turned the scene into real time, making it dramatic and funny, where Ivy is confronted by a nasty woman. They argue, shout, slug each other—and get thrown out by the maitre d’.
I also streamline Larry’s narrative, cutting to pick up the pace by “judicious pruning,” a term I learned as an assistant editor at Harper’s Magazine. Larry calls it “Slash and burn. I spent an hour on those two paragraphs.” Eventually, we negotiate and soothe each other’s egos.
LARRY:
We’re Independent publishers, so all the publishing work is our responsibility. I’m a retired electronics engineer, so all the technical stuff falls on me. I transfer the text from Word to an Adobe InDesign format. After multiple proofreadings’ and our final step—reading the whole book aloud to each other— we send the formatted book to our printer.
Getting back to the business of our writing in the same small room. (Rosemary jokes that she’s practically sitting on my lap.) Can there be a downside to our arrangement? If you’ll excuse my Latin, there’s this co-writus interruptus thing. It’s too easy to stop one another and ask, “Does adrenaline have an e?” rather than look it up. Or I’ll ask her, “Can this character wear jeans to the opera?” rather than decide for myself. Of course, I also succumb to the magnetic tendency of looking out the window at passing ships, parasailers, and helicopters. And daydream.
I’m 91. Rosemary is 88. We consider ourselves fortunate to be able to get up each day and know what we have to do, what we want to do, and what we’ll go on doing as long as God gives us the strength to keep it up.
Award winning authors Larry and Rosemary coauthor mystery, suspense, and fantasy novels and short stories: The Paco and Molly Mysteries; The Dan and Rivka Sherman Mysteries; 2 Hawaii suspense/thrillers; a sci-fi novella; a historical novel (new); and four collections of short stories.
They are members of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, the National League of American Pen Women, and Hawaii Fiction Writers.
Making their home in Honolulu, Hawaii, in a condo overlooking the Pacific Ocean, they relish time with their daughter and grandchildren. Rosemary’s popular personal essays include her new book IN MY NEXT LIFE I’LL GET IT RIGHT. She is a former assistant editor of Harper’s Magazine..
Giveaway Kent and Katcha by Larry and Rosemary Mild
This giveaway is for 3 print or ebook copies. Print is open to the U.S. only. ebook is open worldwide. This giveaway ends on June 27, 2024 midnight, pacific time. Entries accepted via Rafflecopter only.
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press (April 8, 2024) Category: Mystery/Suspense, Murder Mystery, Female Amateur Sleuth Tour Dates April 22-May 30, 2024 ISBN: 978-1509254194
Available in Print and ebook, 312 pages
Description Not Quite Enlightened Sleuth by Verlin Darrow
A Buddhist nun returns to her hometown and solves multiple murders while enduring her dysfunctional family.
Ivy Lutz leaves her life as a Buddhist nun in Sri Lanka and returns home to northern California when her elderly mother suffers a stroke. Her sheltered life is blasted apart by a series of murders, which she attempts to solve with the help of a smitten detective.
She understands why someone might want to kill her stepfather, who it turns out to be is a smuggler on the run, but what about her mother? Is Ivy’s unstable sister right that she was murdered, too? Ivy struggles to live by her Buddhist principles and employ her mindfulness skills, and discovers they both hinder and help in her search for the truth.
Praise for Verlin Darrow
“I don’t know when I’ve enjoyed a murder mystery more. Between the insightful sarcasm, inside jokes, flat out madcap hilarity and keenly wicked observations, there’s literally something to laugh or chuckle about on every page. This is truly a clever, one of a kind book that really turns everything upside down and inside out.”-Donna Thompson, Amazon Review
“I loved every page of this and I know that you will too! I highly recommend this to lovers of mystery and suspense novels, or anyone who likes a good novel at all!”-Sally S., Bound 4 Escape
“Almost immediately when I started reading this, I knew that I was going to enjoy it but I didn’t know that by the end, it would end up being one of my favorite reads of the year, so far! I loved the narration in this novel. Tom Dashiel’s character was so funny and easy to root for. I found myself really wanting him to unravel the mystery at the center of this novel and somehow manage to get out alive.”-Nora, Storeybook Reviews
“Murder For Liar,’ is a book that just feels new. It feels unlike any other book you’ve ever read. I truly enjoyed this novel and couldn’t put it down once I started reading it! This book was perfection!”-Bee, BookPleasures.com
“Murder for Liar by Verlin Darrow is a twisty type of murder mystery that keeps you guessing until the very end. Just when you think you have it figured out, something new happens.”-Becky, Life As Rog
Read the Excerpt Not Quite Enlightened Sleuth by Verlin Darrow
“You might know him by another name. Let me show you a photo.” I pulled out the photo that Dee had found online and laid it on the slick wooden bar.
“Oh, you mean Anton. He comes in all the time.”
“He won’t be coming in anymore,” I told him as gently as I could.
“Why’s that?”
“He’s been murdered.” I watched Skip’s face closely. His expression didn’t change.
“Really?” he responded matter-of-factly.
“Really. You don’t seem surprised.”
“I’m not. If you lie down with dogs, you get fleas.”
“Meaning?”
“Look, I’m talking to you because you’re with Brian. We go way back. But you don’t want to know who Anton used to meet in here.”
“Yes, I do.”
“Trust me. You think you do, but you don’t. Brian’ll back me on this.”
I turned and looked at my uncle, who was in the act of trying to erase a grimace.
“Why’s that, Brian?” I asked. “Why can you back him?”
“Regrettably, I’ve seen some illegal activity in here,” he told me. “Ruthless types.”
“We need to talk about that later.”
I returned my gaze to Skip. Now he was frowning and slowly shaking his head, as if to emphasize what he’d said before.
“Is there anyone else in here who knew Anton?” I asked him.
He started to look toward a booth in the back of the bar before he could stop himself. “No,” he then said vehemently. “There’s no one.”
“Okay, thanks.”
I began walking to the back booth, which was occupied by a hard-looking giant and a slim older man in a gleaming blue sharkskin sport coat over a cream-colored silk turtleneck. He looked even more out of place than Brian and I did. In fact, I couldn’t imagine where he’d be in place.
“Hold it!” Brian said, grabbing my arm. “You can’t do this. I think that guy’s a drug dealer.”
“How do you know that?” I felt my face heat up.
He didn’t answer. I kept walking and my uncle followed me.
The giant looked up as we approached. His gaze was studiously blank. Close-up, even sitting, he scared me simply because of his size, but his face was also intimidating. He didn’t have the dead eyes that assassins did in movies, but his deep-set blue ones still seemed to be profoundly disinterested in what happened around him. Whatever it might be, it was all the same to him. Upon closer examination, I thought he might be someone who’d been wounded and had adopted this attitude in response to trauma—to protect himself emotionally.
The older man kept his eyes glued to a tablet he’d propped up on the table in front of him. His face was lined, with several small dents in his temple and forehead, probably from skin cancer removals. My mother had exhibited similar scars.
His jet black hair, which was mostly what I saw because of his slightly bowed head, was thick and lustrous.
“Excuse me,” I said. “Do you have a minute?”
“I have many minutes,” the man said without looking up. “Who wants to know about these minutes?”
He had a thick Eastern European accent, and spoke in a low-pitched growl. On the other hand, his tone wasn’t unpleasant in the way I usually associated with that timbre. It was almost playful.
“My name is Ivy. I was Anton Todorov’s stepdaughter.”
At that, he looked up and surveyed me with interest. “Ah, the poor man. So he had a stepdaughter? What can I do for you? And why are you here with Brian?”
He knew my uncle? I was thrown off-balance for a moment. Brian and I were going to have another little chat soon.
Now I could see a complexity to the man. If he was a criminal, he wasn’t a garden variety one. His dark, alert eyes sat above a hawk nose. A bushy, stiff-haired mustache below that drooped onto his upper lip, which was a thin slash mismatched to his generous lower lip. His teeth were yellow and jumbled as if his parents had never brought him to a dentist.
I couldn’t read him at all, which was anomalous. Right or wrong, I usually got a sense of who someone was, at least in general terms. Even the man’s energy—his chi—was a mixture of indecipherable elements.
“You know my uncle?” I asked.
“Your uncle, eh? Interesting. Brian and I are old friends.”
I turned and stared at my uncle for a moment. He smiled a shaky smile, seemingly aware of my thoughts. Then I returned my attention to the man at the table.
“I’m looking into my mother and Anton’s death, and—”
“Why? Why are you doing this?” The man held his hands up, palms facing me.
“I want to find out what happened.”
He shook his head and muttered, “It’s better not to know these things.”
“I disagree. In my world, it’s all about knowing.”
“What world is that? Are you a librarian? No, don’t answer. I think maybe a tech person who answers me when I google.”
“I’m a Buddhist.”
“So? Is that supposed to impress me?” He leaned back, apparently pleased with himself. I couldn’t see why.
“Can we get back to the deaths? Is there anything you know that I should know?”
“Should? No. But I know many things about many people. Perhaps some of that could come your way. But what do I get from this?”
“What do you want?” I couldn’t imagine what I could offer from my side of a deal.
“A date.” He smiled a wicked smile—almost a smirk.
“You’re serious? You want a date with me?” My eyebrows shot up and I felt my mouth form an O.
Award-winning novelist, Verlin Darrow is currently a psychotherapist who lives with his psychotherapist wife in the woods near Monterey Bay in northern California. They diagnose each other as necessary.
He is the author of Blood and Wisdom, Coattail Karma, Prodigy Quest, and Murder For Liar. Two of these won major book awards. Verlin is a former professional volleyball player, country-western singer/songwriter, import store owner, and assistant guru in a small, benign cult.
Before bowing to the need for higher education, a much younger Verlin ran a punch press in a sheet-metal factory, drove a taxi, worked as a night janitor, shoveled asphalt on a road crew, and installed wood floors. He barely missed being blown up by Mt. St. Helens, survived the 1985 Mexico City earthquake (8.0), and (so far) he’s successfully weathered his own internal disasters.
Enter the Giveaway Not Quite Enlightened Sleuth by Verlin Darrow
This giveaway is for 3 print or ebook copies. Print is open to the U.S. only. ebook is open worldwide. This giveaway ends on May 31, 2024 midnight, pacific time. Entries accepted via Rafflecopter only.
The Not Quite Enlightened Sleuth by Verlin Darrow
