Chris Chan's Blog, page 11

“The Servant Girl Annihilator” and a Solar Pons Essay

“The Servant Girl Annihilator” and a Solar Pons Essay

 

I have two short publications in Belanger Books publications that were released in the past few weeks.  First, “The Servant Girl Annihilator” was published in the Belanger Books anthology Sherlock Holmes: A Year of Mystery 1886.  It’s part of a series (starting in 1881) covering years when Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson were solving cases together, but Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote very few story set during those years.  My story, “The Servant Girl Annihilator,” is based on a real-life serial killer who stalked Austin, Texas in 1884 and 1885.  Set in January 1886, Holmes is asked by none other than the famous short story writer O. Henry to investigate the case… and the results aren’t what one might expect.

 

Also, Belanger Books has released the fourth issue of The Pontine Dossier: Millennium Edition.  My essay “The Monographs of Solar Pons” is in it.  If you’re a fan of Solar Pons, please take a look!

 

 

Chris Chan’s sequel to Sherlock’s Secretary, Nessie’s Nemesis, was published on September 3rd by MX Publishing.  His novel Ghosting My Friend was released by Level Best Books on March 28th. His first novel, Sherlock’s Secretary, was released by MX Publishing, as was his anthology Of Course He Pushed Him and Other Sherlock Holmes Stories Volumes 1 & 2.  His Agatha-nominated book Murder Most Grotesque: The Comedic Crime Fiction of Joyce Porter was published by Level Best Books.  His first non-fiction book, Sherlock & Irene: The Secret Truth Behind “A Scandal in Bohemia” is available for sale at Amazon.com and the MX Publishing website, as well as at Book Depository (with free worldwide shipping there).  It is also available in a Kindle edition.

 

Ghosting My Friend is an Honorable Mention in the 2024 Author Shout Reader Ready Awards!

Ghosting My Friend is an Honorable Mention in the 2024 Author Shout Reader Ready Awards!

 

Ghosting My Friend has been named an Honorable Mention in the 2024 Author Shout Reader Ready Awards!  Thanks so much to the judges!

 

 

Chris Chan’s sequel to Sherlock’s Secretary, Nessie’s Nemesis, was published on September 3rd by MX Publishing.  His novel Ghosting My Friend was released by Level Best Books on March 28th. His first novel, Sherlock’s Secretary, was released by MX Publishing, as was his anthology Of Course He Pushed Him and Other Sherlock Holmes Stories Volumes 1 & 2.  His Agatha-nominated book Murder Most Grotesque: The Comedic Crime Fiction of Joyce Porter was published by Level Best Books.  His first non-fiction book, Sherlock & Irene: The Secret Truth Behind “A Scandal in Bohemia” is available for sale at Amazon.com and the MX Publishing website, as well as at Book Depository (with free worldwide shipping there).  It is also available in a Kindle edition.

Ghosting My Friend Makes the Chanticleer Short List!

Ghosting My Friend Makes the Chanticleer Short List!

 

Some more good news– the Chanticleer International Book Awards recognize books in numerous different genres.  Ghosting My Friend was just named  to the 2023 Short List for the CLUE Book Awards for Suspense/Thrillers!  Not only that, but four other novels by Level Best Books made it to the Short List!  More announcements about which books will advance in the competition will be made in the coming months.  Congratulations to everybody on the Short List!

 

 

 

Chris Chan’s sequel to Sherlock’s Secretary, Nessie’s Nemesis, was published on September 3rd by MX Publishing.  His novel Ghosting My Friend was released by Level Best Books on March 28th. His first novel, Sherlock’s Secretary, was released by MX Publishing, as was his anthology Of Course He Pushed Him and Other Sherlock Holmes Stories Volumes 1 & 2.  His Agatha-nominated book Murder Most Grotesque: The Comedic Crime Fiction of Joyce Porter was published by Level Best Books.  His first non-fiction book, Sherlock & Irene: The Secret Truth Behind “A Scandal in Bohemia” is available for sale at Amazon.com and the MX Publishing website, as well as at Book Depository (with free worldwide shipping there).  It is also available in a Kindle edition.

 

Announcing She Ruined Our Lives!

Announcing She Ruined Our Lives!

 

The second book in the Funderburke and Kaiming series, She Ruined Our Lives, is scheduled to come out in February!  Here’s a description of the book: 

 

Layla Dolak blamed her sister Erika for destroying all of her hopes and dreams.  Over the past several years, Layla was kicked out of college, had most of her possessions and all of her hair stolen from her, and was about to lose custody of her daughter.  And Erika, in Layla’s mind, was responsible for all of that.  So when Erika died suddenly, Layla thought she might have a chance at the life she wanted again.  That changed when Layla’s young daughter, Juniper, accused her mother of murder.

 

Juniper asked Nerissa Kaiming and Isaiah Funderburke, who provide support for children in crisis, for help, and the sleuthing duo started looking to see if there was any truth to the allegations.  Nerissa and Funderburke usually work as a team, but this case sees them following different investigative pathways as they unearth long-buried family secrets that could potentially obliterate the remains of an already fractured family.

 

And here’s the cover art!

 

 

In other great news, Nessie’s Nemesis was the second highest-selling MX Audiobook for November 2023!  Thanks to Steve Emecz for making the announcement, and thanks to Kevin E. Green for doing such a great job with the narration!

 

And if you’re interested in checking out my lecture on August Derleth’s Judge Peck Mysteries, it’s now available on YouTube.

 

Thanks!

 

Chris Chan’s sequel to Sherlock’s Secretary, Nessie’s Nemesis, was published on September 3rd by MX Publishing.  His novel Ghosting My Friend was released by Level Best Books on March 28th. His first novel, Sherlock’s Secretary, was released by MX Publishing, as was his anthology Of Course He Pushed Him and Other Sherlock Holmes Stories Volumes 1 & 2.  His Agatha-nominated book Murder Most Grotesque: The Comedic Crime Fiction of Joyce Porter was published by Level Best Books.  His first non-fiction book, Sherlock & Irene: The Secret Truth Behind “A Scandal in Bohemia” is available for sale at Amazon.com and the MX Publishing website, as well as at Book Depository (with free worldwide shipping there).  It is also available in a Kindle edition.

 

 

Escape Room Review– Escape Waukesha

Escape Room Review– Escape Waukesha

 

The first challenge at Escape Waukesha is finding it.  Located in a strip mall and office space area, the signboard at the street has a different escape room company’s name on it.  My friends and I walked up and down the complex, fruitlessly looking for the business, until our other friend, who had arrived separately, texted to tell us that Escape Waukesha was at the back of the complex.  Once you drive around the side, there’s plenty of parking and it’s easy to locate the storefront.  They really need a sign with the correct name pointing people around the back.

 

The waiting lobby is reasonably spacious, with a few tables with puzzle games in one corner, across from the “photo-taking” wall.  They currently have three rooms, the Lewis Carroll-themed Escaping Wonderland, the pirate-themed Captured, and the bank robbery-themed Blue Ocean Heist.  My friends and I played Blue Ocean Heist.  

 

Blue Ocean Heist requires the players to search a bank office for clues in order to break into a safe and open some lockboxes, all in order to steal some valuables from some presumably immoral people.

 

Visually, it’s a moderately immersive room.  The first two “rooms” are a modest step up from the basic “a bunch of furniture and props in a bit of office space,” but to be fair, it looks exactly like the lobby of most banks. Aside from being windowless, if the space looks exactly like it would in real life, I can’t fault it.  The vault is a bit less realistic, but it suffices.

 

The puzzles are of solid, moderate difficulty.  We only needed a couple of hints, and most of our problems came from overlooking details in our searches.  My advice to players is to check everything– if you can turn it around and scrutinize it, or move it, then do so.  It should be noted that there’s a lot of artwork on the walls that is not meant to be touched.  If a picture has a little dot on it, you shouldn’t touch it.  If it doesn’t have the telltale dot, then more likely than not it has some role to play in the puzzle. The shelves are stocked with the usual books and knickknacks.  About half of them have clues and the other half are red herrings, so you need to  scrutinize every object.

 

The puzzles range from “find a key, use that key,” to some math and logic puzzles, to creative and intellectual leaps.  One puzzle requires a very basic knowledge of vexillology, but the vast majority of the population should be sufficiently educated to know at least seventy-five percent of the necessary information, so anyone who doesn’t know the last bit should be able to figure it out by elimination.  

 

With a four-person team, the puzzles are more than manageable.  Three competent players or two master escape room solvers should be able to finish on time, but the room takes up to ten people.  Escape Waukesha keeps biweekly statistics on the top three teams for each room, and at the time we finished with about fifteen minutes to spare, we were in third place for that time period. 

 

I’d say Blue Ocean Heist is about a six out of ten in terms of difficulty, but overall, it’s a positive and enjoyable experience.  If it’s not the most challenging, creative, artistic, or technologically advanced room; it’s still a good, solid room that will serve players of all abilities.  Families and larger groups should appreciate it.  No crawling or excessive physical activity is needed, and the only potential problem for most players is that at one point there’s a smoke effect that won’t bother most people, but initially, it made my eyes water.

 

Escape Waukesha changes out its rooms periodically– if you played their games a year or two ago, there was a Titanic room, an Ancient Egypt room, and one more that has since been changed.  As a nod to the now-defunct Egypt room, a sarcophagus that was presumably part of the décor is now decorating the hallway.  If this trend holds, I suggest that you play Escaping Wonderland, Captured, and The Blue Ocean Heist before they’re changed out again.

 

I enjoyed The Blue Ocean Heist, and I look forward to playing Escaping Wonderland and Captured in the future.

 

 

Chris Chan’s sequel to Sherlock’s Secretary, Nessie’s Nemesis, was published on September 3rd by MX Publishing.  His novel Ghosting My Friend was released by Level Best Books on March 28th. His first novel, Sherlock’s Secretary, was released by MX Publishing, as was his anthology Of Course He Pushed Him and Other Sherlock Holmes Stories Volumes 1 & 2.  His Agatha-nominated book Murder Most Grotesque: The Comedic Crime Fiction of Joyce Porter was published by Level Best Books.  His first non-fiction book, Sherlock & Irene: The Secret Truth Behind “A Scandal in Bohemia” is available for sale at Amazon.com and the MX Publishing website, as well as at Book Depository (with free worldwide shipping there).  It is also available in a Kindle edition.

Escape Room Review– City 13: Kandy Corp

Escape Room Review– City 13: Kandy Corp

 

I love City 13, the independent escape room company in Oak Creek, Wisconsin.  It’s original, immersive, and epic.  I’ve reviewed the company a year ago, describing its four smaller rooms and its magnificent four-hour Save the Cityexperience that unites all of the four independent rooms with an overarching storyline.

 

City 13 was known for its massive lounge for players, but space is a valuable commodity, and about half of the formerly gigantic recreational area is now repurposed as a brand new puzzle experience: Kandy Corp.  

 

City 13 describes Kandy Corp as follows:

 

Kandy Corp isn’t just about candy-making. It’s a sprawling maze of challenges, orchestrated by its eclectic group of department masters, each with a tale to tell and a stamp of approval to give. As a new recruit, you’re thrust into this candy-coated universe, your goal being to master the arts of confectionery creation. But as you delve deeper, it becomes clear that this isn’t your ordinary induction.

 

This immersive game promises thrills, chills, and a touch of sweetness in an expansive open-world setting. While you’ll encounter other candy enthusiasts in the public spaces of Kandy Corp, your puzzle-solving endeavors remain a private affair. Navigate the factory, interact with its eccentric inhabitants, and challenge your wits in a uniquely social escape room experience.

 

Join the ranks, embrace the challenge, and uncover the delicious secrets that Kandy Corp Chronicles has in store. Just remember: In this factory, every candy has its price.

 

This is clearly a different world from the post-apocalyptic city.  Design-wise, Kandy Corp has hints of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, with the color palette of the stairwells in Squid Game and a futuristic vibe as well.  This isn’t a single escape room.  It’s a series of six smaller rooms, each with two or four puzzles of varying styles.  I don’t want to spoil the discovery experience, because part of the fun is trying to figure out exactly what the heck is going on in this factory.

 

Five of the rooms can be played in any order, with each room presenting its own special challenges.  Two rooms are fairly easy to solve, two are of moderate difficulty, and one is pretty difficult.  That room and the final room require intellectual leaps that really need to be telegraphed through a bit of helpful but not too obvious clueing.

 

One of the problems with Kandy Corp is the sound and lighting.  Most of the rooms are outfitted with their own distinct soundtracks.  Sometimes the music is fairly unobtrusive, but in one case, a blaring techno soundtrack is much too loud.  It makes it hard to communicate, and it really distracts from the game.  Additionally, some of the rooms are so dimly lit that it’s very difficult to read and see symbols.  In the final room, I could barely make out images that are critical to solving the final puzzle.  If they’d been twice as big, it would have saved a ton of trouble and frustration.  In another room, a puzzle depends on identifying colors, but the light is too poor to determine some of the shades without the help of, say, a smartphone flashlight.  Also, one room contains multiple telephones, but the sound was out on one of them when my friends and I played last week. Additionally, some rooms are not designed for people with disabilities.  Two rooms have puzzles that require physical mobility, dexterity, and hand-eye coordination.  The colorblind will certainly have problems with the puzzles.  If you need special accommodations, please check with City 13 well before playing.

 

You have fifteen minutes to finish each room.  As long as other people aren’t using the rooms, you can have a second chance to complete a room.  It’s usually a lot easier the second time around.  Did my friends and I finish?  We completed all the puzzles, sometimes needing to do a room twice.  Our gamemaster said we finished and won, but the email they sent us afterwards said we didn’t complete the room.  Based on what we were told at the actual game, I’m saying we won Kandy Corp, partly because of the initial verdict of our game master, partly because I’m very competitive and I hate losing.

 

At present, Kandy Corp is a promising and unique experience that requires a little bit of polishing before it’s on the level of the post-apocalyptic city puzzles.  However, one piece of news that our game master told us unsettles me.  Kandy Corp is currently described as “Chapter One.”  At the end of your adventure, it’s revealed that there will be a lot more behind the lore of the mysterious confectionary, and that future adventures are forthcoming.  All well and good.  I look forward to playing the next chapter in the Kandy Corp saga.  The problem is that it sounds like the current “City” puzzles will be removed to make way for more Kandy Corp.  I know that escape room companies often have to replace old rooms as they wear out and need to give players a reason to return, but the post-apocalyptic city is a work of art, and it really shouldn’t be sacrificed.  If new puzzles could be inserted, like a game for the tiny fifth room and on the streets of the city, or some other epic puzzle that would connect the rooms but with a different storyline from Save the City, that could bring old players back.  A storyline like some sort of mystery to solve on the city’s streets would work, or perhaps all of those rubber rats could finally be incorporated into a puzzle where the city has to be saved from pestilence.  Perhaps a series of fifteen minute-puzzles in each of the four rooms would work.

 

My plea to City 13: please don’t destroy your masterpiece!  Save the City, this time for real!

 

 

Chris Chan’s sequel to Sherlock’s Secretary, Nessie’s Nemesis, was published on September 3rd by MX Publishing.  His novel Ghosting My Friend was released by Level Best Books on March 28th. His first novel, Sherlock’s Secretary, was released by MX Publishing, as was his anthology Of Course He Pushed Him and Other Sherlock Holmes Stories Volumes 1 & 2.  His Agatha-nominated book Murder Most Grotesque: The Comedic Crime Fiction of Joyce Porter was published by Level Best Books.  His first non-fiction book, Sherlock & Irene: The Secret Truth Behind “A Scandal in Bohemia” is available for sale at Amazon.com and the MX Publishing website, as well as at Book Depository (with free worldwide shipping there).  It is also available in a Kindle edition.

Escape Room Review– Solve Escape Rooms: 14 Floors Below

Escape Room Review– Solve Escape Rooms: 14 Floors Below

 

Nearly a year ago, I posted a review of Solve Escape Rooms in Waukesha, Wisconsin.  My friends and I played their room “Capone’s Cabin” and really enjoyed it.  Just last night, we played their room “14 Floors Below.”  “14 Floors” makes no effort to hide that it’s affectionately inspired by National Treasure.  As you watch the opening video, a newscast announces that the Declaration of Independence has been stolen from the National Archives, and then an FBI “agent” recruits you, because as it turns out, the thief is your landlord, and the Declaration of Independence is in your apartment building’s basement, but if you don’t retrieve it in sixty minutes, a device will destroy the Declaration.

 

As with “Capone’s Cabin,” the production values are strong, though not as colorfully immersive as the cabin in the woods.  The opening room, is a pretty realistic elevator, with lights and sounds designed to allow your imagination to convince you that the elevator is indeed moving downwards.  You know you’re stationary, but your brain isn’t entirely convinced.  The rest of the room is a basement filled with assorted puzzles.  Without spoilers, I can tell players to look carefully, look thoroughly, and to look everywhere.  

 

I do not recommend that this room be played with fewer than four players, though three highly skilled players just might be able to do it.  My group of four had to split in half, and so I’m not sure how some of puzzles worked, but by working in independent groups, it’s easier to cover everything in time.  

 

The puzzles range from moderate difficulty to slightly challenging.  In some, you need a little clue in order to give you the push you need to put everything together.  The puzzles are fair, creative, and fun.  You need to look for patterns and take a couple of creative leaps, but they’re a bit more original and fresh than the tired “find a key, open a lock” puzzles. 

 

We managed to finish with twenty-two minutes to spare, so we got to play a bonus game that required four additional puzzles to solve.  We finished with five minutes to go.  You don’t need to finish the bonus puzzles to technically win.  Solve is special because they “solve it forward” and donate twenty-five dollars to charity (you can pick from a few options)  when you win.  They don’t pay extra for solving the bonus puzzles.

 

I highly recommend both of Solve’s rooms.  Two more are coming in the future.  I look forward to playing them.

 

 

 

Chris Chan’s sequel to Sherlock’s Secretary, Nessie’s Nemesis, was published on September 3rd by MX Publishing.  His novel Ghosting My Friend was released by Level Best Books on March 28th. His first novel, Sherlock’s Secretary, was released by MX Publishing, as was his anthology Of Course He Pushed Him and Other Sherlock Holmes Stories Volumes 1 & 2.  His Agatha-nominated book Murder Most Grotesque: The Comedic Crime Fiction of Joyce Porter was published by Level Best Books.  His first non-fiction book, Sherlock & Irene: The Secret Truth Behind “A Scandal in Bohemia” is available for sale at Amazon.com and the MX Publishing website, as well as at Book Depository (with free worldwide shipping there).  It is also available in a Kindle edition.

 

Winter Crimes (Mystery, Crime, and Mayhem, Book 16) is Available!

Winter Crimes (Mystery, Crime, and Mayhem, Book 16) is Available!

 

My second appearance in Mystery, Crime, and Mayhem, the quarterly crime fiction magazine, is available now!  Every issue has a theme, and this one is “Winter Crimes.” There are stories set around Christmas, New Year’s, and ordinary chilly days.  It’s available in paperback and Kindle editions.

 

My novella, “Macie is Missing” is included!  In this Funderburke & Kaiming mystery, the detecting duo are trying to enjoy a quiet, romantic Valentine’s Day, but then one of their students comes to them with a problem: her troubled sister is missing, and she fears the worst.  As they search for the young woman, it leads to a dysfunctional family’s hidden secrets.

 

Additionally, I have another true crime article in the issue: “The Problems are Real,” a history of the educational PBS mystery shows for kids from the 80’s and 90’s.  I put a particular focus on Mathnet from Square One TV, but I also look at The Bloodhound Gang on 3-2-1 Contact, Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego, Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego, and Ghostwriter.  If you have fond memories of these shows, please take a look at my work!

 

Chris Chan’s sequel to Sherlock’s Secretary, Nessie’s Nemesis, was published on September 3rd by MX Publishing.  His novel Ghosting My Friend was released by Level Best Books on March 28th. His first novel, Sherlock’s Secretary, was released by MX Publishing, as was his anthology Of Course He Pushed Him and Other Sherlock Holmes Stories Volumes 1 & 2.  His Agatha-nominated book Murder Most Grotesque: The Comedic Crime Fiction of Joyce Porter was published by Level Best Books.  His first non-fiction book, Sherlock & Irene: The Secret Truth Behind “A Scandal in Bohemia” is available for sale at Amazon.com and the MX Publishing website, as well as at Book Depository (with free worldwide shipping there).  It is also available in a Kindle edition.

 

 

Nessie’s Nemesis is Available as an Audiobook!

Nessie’s Nemesis is Available as an Audiobook!

 

Do you prefer audiobooks to paper or e-books?  Nessie’s Nemesis is now available as an audiobook!  You can find it on Amazon here.  Thanks!

 

 

 

Chris Chan’s sequel to Sherlock’s Secretary, Nessie’s Nemesis, was published on September 3rd by MX Publishing.  His novel Ghosting My Friend was released by Level Best Books on March 28th. His first novel, Sherlock’s Secretary, was released by MX Publishing, as was his anthology Of Course He Pushed Him and Other Sherlock Holmes Stories Volumes 1 & 2.  His Agatha-nominated book Murder Most Grotesque: The Comedic Crime Fiction of Joyce Porter was published by Level Best Books.  His first non-fiction book, Sherlock & Irene: The Secret Truth Behind “A Scandal in Bohemia” is available for sale at Amazon.com and the MX Publishing website, as well as at Book Depository (with free worldwide shipping there).  It is also available in a Kindle edition.

 

My Shepherd Express “Best of Milwaukee” Nomination!

My Shepherd Express “Best of Milwaukee” Nomination!

 

The Shepherd Express is a Milwaukee newspaper that gives out awards in scores of categories every year.  They celebrate everything from restaurants to bars to actors to politicians to organizations to museums.  

 

They also have a category for “Milwaukee Author,” and I was nominated this year!  This is the second year I’ve been nominated, having first been nominated in 2018.  If you’re so inclined, please register (it’s free) to vote.  To find “Milwaukee Author,” go to “Arts and Entertainment” and scroll down– the categories are in alphabetical order.  You must vote in five categories for your vote to be counted.  Vote for whoever you like, but please consider voting for my father, Dr. Carlyle Chan, who was nominated for “Psychiatrist/Psychologist” (look under “Medical”), and my friend Noel Kegel, whose company Wheel & Sprocket was nominated for “Bike Shop” (see “Bought and Sold”) and who was also nominated for “Local Entrepreneur” (see “City Confidential”).  Noel’s family’s restaurant, Kegel’s Inn, was also nominated in multiple categories.

 

Congratulations to all of the nominees, especially the other three nominated Milwaukee authors: John Gurda, David Luhrssen, and Wes Manko!

 

Voting ends Nov. 30th!

 

 

 

Chris Chan’s sequel to Sherlock’s Secretary, Nessie’s Nemesis, was published on September 3rd by MX Publishing.  His novel Ghosting My Friend was released by Level Best Books on March 28th. His first novel, Sherlock’s Secretary, was released by MX Publishing, as was his anthology Of Course He Pushed Him and Other Sherlock Holmes Stories Volumes 1 & 2.  His Agatha-nominated book Murder Most Grotesque: The Comedic Crime Fiction of Joyce Porter was published by Level Best Books.  His first non-fiction book, Sherlock & Irene: The Secret Truth Behind “A Scandal in Bohemia” is available for sale at Amazon.com and the MX Publishing website, as well as at Book Depository (with free worldwide shipping there).  It is also available in a Kindle edition.