Tag Archives: Historical Mystery

Location, Location, Location: Should You Go? / Author Alana White

Posted on September 11, 2013 by Clay Stafford

If the book you are writing is set in your hometown, details and interesting locations are relatively close to hand: a few days will go a long way in establishing tone, mood, and finding intriguing, unusual places for scenes to … Continue reading →

Posted in Guest Blogger Series, Writing | Tagged 1400's Italy, Alana White, Author, Books, characters, Clay Stafford, fifteenth century, five hundred years, Florence, florence cathedral, Florence Italy, guest bloggers, Guid'Antonio, Historical, Historical Mystery, Historical Novel, Historical Series, Italian Renaissance, Italy, Killer Nashville, Killer Nashville 2013, Killer Nashville writers conference, Literary genre, literary mystery, Location, mystery, mystery series, Piazza Limbo, politics, Readers, Series, Sign Of The Weeping Virgin, Silver Falchion Award, Silver Falchion Finalist, Themes, Vespucci, Viper district, Writing | 1 Comment

Killer Nashville’s Featured Book of the Day / “Rapscallion” by James McGee / Tuesday, May 28, 2013 / Reviewed by Clay Stafford

Posted on May 28, 2013 by Clay Stafford

Today’s featured book is Rapscallion by James McGee It’s the early 1800s and espionage is alive and well in jolly old England. “Rapscallion” by James McGee is the third adventure for Bow Street Runner Matthew Hawkwood and in this installment, without giving … Continue reading →

Posted in Recommended Books of the Day | Tagged 1800s, American mercenary, Author, Award Winning, Bestselling, bestselling author, Book of the day, Books, Bow Street Runner, characters, Clay Stafford, Dark English, drama, England, espionage, Featured Book, Featured Book of The Day, floating penitentiary, French, Historical, Historical Mystery, James McGee, Killer conversation, Killer Nashville, Killer Nashville Featured Book, literary mystery, literature, Matthew Hawkwood, mystery, mystery series, Napoleonic time period, prisoner, profiteering, Rapscallion, Readers, Rhett Butler, Series, Smuggling operation, suspense, Themes, undercover, Writing | 1 Comment

Killer Nashville’s Featured Book of the Day / “The House of Special Purpose” by John Boyne / Monday, May 13, 2013 / Reviewed by Clay Stafford

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Clay Stafford

Today’s featured book is The House of Special Purpose by John Boyne If you are looking for a page-turning mixture of suspense and betrayal within a well-executed part love story, part historical epic, and part-tragedy, then “The House of Special Purpose” is … Continue reading →

Posted in Recommended Books of the Day | Tagged alternative history, Author, Bestselling, bestselling author, Book of the day, Books, characters, Clay Stafford, Czarist Russia, drama, epic, Featured Book, Featured Book of The Day, georgy, Historical, Historical Mystery, insensitivity, Irish author, John Boyne, Killer conversation, Killer Nashville, Killer Nashville Featured Book, Lenin, literary mystery, literature, London, Marx, mysterious, mystery, New York Times, New York Times Bestselling, New York Times Bestselling Author, Other Press, Paris, Readers, riveting, Romanovs, special purpose, Stalin, storytelling, suspense, tense with suspense, The House of Special Purpose, Themes, Thriller, tragedy, Tsar Nicholas II, Tsarevich Alexei, Writing, zoya | 1 Comment

Killer Nashville’s Book of the Day / Tuesday, November 27, 2012 / “Death of a Schoolgirl” by Joanna Campbell Slan / Reviewed by Clay Stafford

Posted on November 27, 2012 by Clay Stafford

Today’s featured book is Death of a Schoolgirl by Joanna Campbell Slan. Who would have thought Jane Eyre was such an excellent detective? Why Clay Stafford chose this book: Joanna Campbell Slan’s new historical series stars Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre. “Death of … Continue reading →

Posted in Recommended Books of the Day | Tagged adele varens, Author, best of both worlds, Book of the day, Books, Carlotte Bronte, characters, charlotte bronte, Classic Literature, Clay Stafford, Cozy, cozy mystery, cozy series, Death of a Schoolgirl, Historical, historical cozy, Historical Mystery, Jane Eyre, joanna campbell, Joanna Campbell Slan, Killer conversation, Killer Nashville, literary mystery, literature, London, mystery, Readers, Series | Leave a comment

Your Book Represented in Foreign Markets – Deadline December 5, 2012

Posted on November 19, 2012 by Clay Stafford

~Reach worldwide distribution reps through Killer Nashville’s new program “American Authors Around The World”~ Registration deadline for Paris: December 5, 2012 Killer Nashville invites you to participate with us at foreign book expos around the world. Through an arrangement … Continue reading →

Posted in Announcements, Call for Submissions, Marketing, Writing | Tagged American Authors Around The World, Beijing, Berlin, Books, Clay Stafford, cozy mystery, Dubai, Foreign Distribution, Historical, Historical Mystery, Johannesburg/Cape Town, Killer Nashville, Killer Nashville Book Tour, literary mystery, London, March 22-25 2013, Marketing, Mexico City, mystery, Native American Mystery, New Delhi, Noir, Paris, Paris Expo, Paris Expo - Porte de Versailles on March 22-25 2013, Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, Porte de Versailles, Readers, Rio de Janeiro, Romantic suspense, Serial Killer sub-genre, Series, Singapore, suspense, Thriller, Writing, WWII | 1 Comment

Killer Nashville’s Book of the Day / Wednesday, November 14, 2012 / “Death in the Floating City” by Tasha Alexander / Reviewed by Clay Stafford

Posted on November 14, 2012 by Clay Stafford

Today’s featured book is Death in the Floating City by Tasha Alexander. Venice. Cat fights. Ill-fated love. Murder. Why Clay Stafford chose this book: With “Death in the Floating City,” Tasha Alexander has written what I think is probably her best … Continue reading →

Posted in Recommended Books of the Day | Tagged 19th Century mystery, Author, Bestselling, Book of the day, Books, characters, Clay Stafford, Cozy, cozy mystery, Death in a Floating City, Historical, Historical Mystery, Killer conversation, Killer Nashville, mystery, New York Times, Readers, romance, romantic mystery, Tasha Alexander, Venice | Leave a comment

Killer Nashville’s Book of the Day / Tuesday, October 9, 2012 / “Don’t Ever Get Old” by Daniel Friedman / Reviewed by Clay Stafford

Posted on October 9, 2012 by Clay Stafford

Today’s featured book is Don’t Ever Get Old by Daniel Friedman. Growing old doesn’t have to mean a life watching the Fox News Network. Why Clay Stafford chose this book: When you read the first chapter of “Don’t Ever Get Old,” the debut novel … Continue reading →

Posted in Recommended Books of the Day | Tagged Author, Book of the day, Books, buck schatz, characters, Clay Stafford, Daniel Friedman, Don't Ever Get Old, german nazi, Historical Mystery, jewish detective, jews in germany, Killer conversation, Killer Nashville, mystery, Noir, police mystery, Readers, Themes, World War II, Writing, WWII | Leave a comment

Killer Nashville’s Book of the Day / Monday, October 8, 2012 / “A Sunless Sea: A William Monk Novel” by Anne Perry / Reviewed by Clay Stafford

Posted on October 8, 2012 by Clay Stafford

Today’s featured book is A Sunless Sea: A William Monk Novel by Anne Perry. For the brutal murder of of one woman, an innocent woman may hang. Why Clay Stafford chose this book: Real. That’s the word I would use to describe … Continue reading →

Posted in Recommended Books of the Day | Tagged A Sunless Sea, A William Monk Novel, Anne Perry, Author, Award Winning, Bestselling, Book of the day, Books, characters, Classic Literature, Clay Stafford, current-events, Historical, Historical Mystery, Killer conversation, Killer Nashville, literature, mystery, Opium Wars, Readers, River Police, Series, Themes, Thriller, Victorian historical genre, Victorian London, william monk, Writing | Leave a comment

Killer Nashville’s Book of the Day / Wednesday, September 19, 2012 / “The Riddle of the Sands” by Erskine Childers / Reviewed by Clay Stafford

Posted on September 19, 2012 by Clay Stafford

Today’s featured book is The Riddle of the Sands by Erskine Childers. Why I chose this book: THE RIDDLE OF THE SANDS / Erskine Childers (1903) – Google for info, notablyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Riddle_of_the_Sands. While in my “classics” state of mind before going back to some … Continue reading →

Posted in Recommended Books of the Day | Tagged Author, Book of the day, Books, characters, Classic Literature, Clay Stafford, Erskine Childers, german warships, Historical, Historical Mystery, Killer conversation, Killer Nashville, Literary classic, Literary genre, literary mystery, mystery, Readers, riddle of the sands, The Riddle of the Sands | Leave a comment

Killer Nashville’s Book of the Day / Thursday, September 13, 2012 / “The Thirty-Nine Steps” by John Buchan / Reviewed by Clay Stafford

Posted on September 13, 2012 by Clay Stafford

Today’s featured book is The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan (1915). Why I chose this book: Today’s Killer Nashville Book of the Day is one of those classics all thriller writers should be familiar with because, whether you know it or not, … Continue reading →

Posted in Recommended Books of the Day, Writing | Tagged Alfred Hitchcock, Author, Book of the day, Books, characters, Classic Literature, Clay Stafford, Edgar Allan Poe, Historical, Historical Mystery, John Buchan, Killer conversation, Killer Nashville, literature, mystery, Readers, Series, The 39 Steps, The Thirty-Nine Steps, thirty nine steps, thriller writers, WWII | Leave a comment

Killer Nashville’s Book of the Day / Monday, September 10, 2012 / “What You Wish For” by Janet Dawson

Posted on September 10, 2012 by Clay Stafford

Today’s featured book is “What You Wish For” by Janet Dawson. Why I chose this book: WHAT YOU WISH FOR Lindsey Page’s world is about to change: her estranged daughter comes home, her friends are not what she thought they were, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Recommended Books of the Day | Tagged Author, Book of the day, Books, characters, Clay Stafford, conservative newspapers, current-events, Historical, Historical Mystery, Janet Dawson, Killer conversation, Killer Nashville, mystery, Plot driven novel, politics, Readers, San Francisco, San Francisco History, What You Wish For, Writing | Leave a comment

Killer Nashville’s Book of the Day / Friday, September 7, 2012 / “The Darling Dahlias and the Confederate Rose” by Susan Wittig Albert

Posted on September 7, 2012 by Clay Stafford

Today’s featured book is The Darling Dahlias and the Confederate Rose by Susan Wittig Albert. Why I chose this book: Susan Wittig Albert is a long-time writer of historicals from various time periods. Her latest series,“The Darling Dahlias” is set in the South … Continue reading →

Posted in Recommended Books of the Day | Tagged Author, Book of the day, Books, characters, Clay Stafford, Confederate Rose, Cozy, cozy mystery, dahlia garden, Darling Dahlias, Historical, Historical Mystery, Killer conversation, Killer Nashville, mystery, mystery with recipes, nature, Readers, Susan Wittig Albert, The Darling Dahlias and the Confederate Rose, Themes, Writing | Leave a comment

Killer Nashville’s Book of the Day / Thursday, September 6, 2012 / “Death in Breslau” by Marek Krajewski

Posted on September 6, 2012 by Clay Stafford

Today’s featured book is Death in Breslau Marek Krajewski. Why I chose this book: DEATH IN BRESLAU Author Marek Krajewski’s set of four crime novels featuring Counsellor Eberhard Mock have been translated into 14 languages. To my knowledge, this first book in … Continue reading →

Posted in Recommended Books of the Day | Tagged Author, Book of the day, Books, characters, Clay Stafford, Death in Breslau, foreign novel, Historical, Historical Mystery, Killer conversation, Killer Nashville, Literary genre, literary mystery, Marek Krajewski, mystery, Readers, WWII | Leave a comment

Killer Nashville’s Book of the Day / Wednesday, September 5, 2012 / “Garment of Shadows: A Novel of Suspense Featuring Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes” by Laurie R. King

Posted on September 5, 2012 by Clay Stafford

Today’s featured book is Garment of Shadows: A Novel of Suspense Featuring Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes by Laurie R. King. Why I chose this book: This is not your traditional Sherlock Holmes. In the latest novel featuring Mary Russell and her … Continue reading →

Posted in Recommended Books of the Day | Tagged A Novel of Suspense, Author, Bestselling, Book of the day, Books, characters, Clay Stafford, Garment of Shadows, Historical, Historical Mystery, intellectual mystery, Killer conversation, Killer Nashville, Laurie R. King, Mary Russell, mystery, New York Times, Readers, Sherlock Holmes, Themes, Writing | Leave a comment

Killer Nashville’s Book of the Day / Tuesday, August 21, 2012 / “Stealing from the Dead” by A.J. Zerries

Posted on August 21, 2012 by Clay Stafford

Today’s featured book is Stealing from the Dead by A.J. Zerries. Why I chose this book: An old woman dies in her New York apartment. The apartment reveals little – in fact – too little. Detective Greta Strasser can’t leave it alone … Continue reading →

Posted in Recommended Books of the Day | Tagged A.J. Zerries, Author, Book of the day, Books, characters, Clay Stafford, German Holocaust, Historical Mystery, Holocaust survivors, Killer conversation, Killer Nashville, mystery, Readers, Sealing from the Dead | Leave a comment

Killer Nashville’s Book of the Day / Friday, August 10, 2012 / “The Spymasters” by W.E.B. Griffin

Posted on August 10, 2012 by Clay Stafford

Today’s featured book is The Spymasters by W.E.B. Griffin. Why I chose this book: This is number seven in Griffin’s Men at War series. Griffin, frankly, is one of the best, no matter what the subject. This is the third one he … Continue reading →

Posted in Recommended Books of the Day | Tagged Author, Award Winning, Bestselling, Book of the day, Books, characters, Clay Stafford, Historical, Historical Mystery, Killer conversation, Killer Nashville, Manhattan Project, New York Times, Readers, Series, The Spymasters, Themes, Thriller, W.E.B. Griffin, William E. Butterworth, Writing, WWII | Leave a comment

Killer Nashville’s Book of the Day / Wednesday, June 27, 2012 / “Rough Cider” by Peter Lovesey

Posted on June 27, 2012 by Clay Stafford

Today’s featured book is Rough Cider by Peter Lovesey. Why I chose this book: Intricate plotting. A child witnesses a murder. Twenty years later, the bastard daughter of the murdered man finds the now adult child and seeks to uncover the truth. … Continue reading →

Posted in Recommended Books of the Day | Tagged Author, Book of the day, Books, characters, Clay Stafford, Edgar Award, Historical, Historical Mystery, Killer conversation, Killer Nashville, mystery, Peter Lovesey, Readers, Rough Cider, World War II | Leave a comment

Notes on Nashville / Author Chris Knopf

Posted on May 30, 2012 by Clay Stafford

First off, Nashville is a great town. Coincidentally, I’d spent a long weekend there for the first time a month before last year’s Killer Nashville. I was with a bunch of college friends. We were a rock band back in … Continue reading →

Posted in Guest Blogger Series | Tagged Author, Book of the day, Books, characters, Chris Knopf, guest bloggers, Historical Mystery, Ice Cap, Killer conversation, Killer Nashville, mystery, Nashville, Readers, Series | 1 Comment

Killer Nashville’s Book of the Day / Tuesday, May 29, 2012 / “Dead Last” by James W Hall

Posted on May 29, 2012 by Clay Stafford

Today’s featured book is Dead Last by James W Hall. Why I chose this book: Serial killer using the obituaries to plan the next kill. Multiple layers. Realistic psychological behavior. Sense of humor. Author Hall is a past Edgar and … Continue reading →

Posted in Recommended Books of the Day | Tagged Author, Book of the day, Books, characters, Clay Stafford, Dead Last, Edgar Award, Historical Mystery, James W. Hall, Killer conversation, Killer Nashville, mystery, Readers, Serial Killer sub-genre, Shamus Award | Leave a comment

Killer Nashville’s Book of the Day / Tuesday, May 22, 2012 / “Death at the Wedding Feast: John Rawlings, Apothecary” by Deryn Lake

Posted on May 22, 2012 by Clay Stafford

Today’s featured book is Death at the Wedding Feast: John Rawlings, Apothecary by Deryn Lake. Why I chose this book: Set in 1768 and based upon an actual historical figure (apothecary John Rawlings). The death does not come until late … Continue reading →

Posted in Recommended Books of the Day | Tagged Apothecary, Author, Book of the day, Books, characters, Clay Stafford, Death at the Wedding Feast, Deryn Lake, Historical, Historical Mystery, John Rawlings, Killer conversation, Killer Nashville, mystery, Series | Leave a comment

Killer Nashville’s Book of the Day / Monday, May 14, 2012 / “The Constant Lovers (Richard Nottingham Mystery) by Chris Nickson

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Clay Stafford

Today’s featured book is The Constant Lovers (Richard Nottingham Mystery) by Chris Nickson. Why I chose this book: I’m a history buff, so here I go back again in time. This one is set in 1732. Third in the series … Continue reading →

Posted in Recommended Books of the Day | Tagged Author, Book of the day, Books, characters, Chris Nickson, Clay Stafford, Historical, Historical Mystery, Killer conversation, Killer Nashville, mystery, Richard Nottingham Mystery, The Constant Lovers, Writing | Leave a comment

Killer Nashville’s Book of the Day / Sunday, May 13, 2012 / “The Solitary House” by Lynn Shepherd

Posted on May 13, 2012 by Clay Stafford

Today’s featured book is The Solitary House by Lynn Shepherd. Why I chose this book: Well plotted like a spider web. The detective makes serious mistakes, which gives this a sense of realism. Ties in characters from Dicken’s “Bleak House.” … Continue reading →

Posted in Recommended Books of the Day | Tagged Author, Bleak House, Book of the day, characters, Clay Stafford, Dickens, Historical Mystery, Killer conversation, Killer Nashville, Lynn Shepherd, mystery, Series, The Solitary House, Writing | Leave a comment

Killer Nashville’s Book of the Day / Thursday, April 26, 2012 / “Cold Cruel Winter: A Richard Nottingham Mystery” by Chris Nickson

Posted on April 26, 2012 by Clay Stafford

Today’s featured book is “Cold Cruel Winter: A Richard Nottingham Mystery” by Chris Nickson. Why I chose this book: Set in 1732. I love these historicals. Gives me a bit of education as well as a most joyful ride. One … Continue reading →

Posted in Recommended Books of the Day | Tagged Author, Book of the day, characters, Chris Nickson, Clay Stafford, Cold Cruel Winter, Historical, Historical Mystery, Killer conversation, Killer Nashville, mystery, Richard Nottingham Mystery, Series | Leave a comment