Larry Darter's Blog

VIP Readers Newsletter Sign Up

A technical issue with the platform we’ve used in the past to send out newsletters has forced to us to recreate the process for subscribing by readers interested in receiving our newsletter emails. First, the bad news. Not only has the issue required a lot of time and work for me, it will cause some inconvenience for those already subscribed.After two weeks of trying to work with the platform we…

Source

The Dedman Emergence My First Spy Thriller

Wait. What? The Dedman Emergence isn’t a crime novel?No, the debut novel in my new Jacob Dedman series is an espionage thriller (or spy novel). I haven’t tired of writing crime fiction featuring police detectives and private eyes, but wanted to try something different this time around, and this is a genre I’ve been keen to explore for many years. The Dedman Emergence is the product of that…

Source

Winter 2023 Newsletter

Pre-Order Today Order Now Pre-Order Omerta The Pendulum Darker Angels...

Source

Reader’s Club Newsletter Spring 2022

Spring has sprung here, north of the Red River. The grass is turning green, and many of the trees around my place are already in leaf. The weather has also warmed, which I’m always happy to see. But soon, it will be time for the bi-weekly (sometimes more often) ritual of mowing the lawn. My lawn isn’t that large, but I inherited keeping my mom’s massive lawn mowed after my dad passed a few years...

Source

Reader’s Club Newsletter Winter 2022

Hello From Texas

With March 20 and the beginning of spring bearing down on us, I thought I had better get the Winter 2022 Newsletter out. How is it almost spring already? Where does the time go? It seems like Christmas was only weeks ago and now January and February are gone.

It’s been cold here in North Texas this winter, but at least we don’t typically get much of the kind of snow and ice that other parts of the country must deal with. Frankly, I’m not a winter person and am always glad to see the warmer temperatures arriving. And, it’s starting to look a little like spring. But the weather is always questionable here this time of year. After two very warm days at the end of last week, it’s cold and rainy out today as I write this.

Speaking of the weather, have you ever noticed how you hear nothing from the climate change alarmists in winter? They typically give it a rest when the weather is cold because that doesn’t support their global warming narrative. Then when the normal spring storm season starts and temperatures warm up they start up again with the hand wringing and doomsday predictions. I’m not a climate change denier and I do care about the environment. I just don’t accept the manufactured climate change “crisis” that elitists and activists like Al Gore push so that he and others can enrich themselves. The Earth’s climate has changed dramatically countless times throughout its estimated 4.5 billion years long history. And the climate continues to change. Climate change alarmists have been making apocalyptic climate change predictions for years. Here’s a small sample.

In 1989, the Associated Press relayed a warning from a U.N. official:

“A senior U.N. environmental official says entire nations could be wiped off the face of the Earth by rising sea levels if the global warming trend is not reversed by the year 2000.”

No nations have been “wiped off the face of the Earth” as of 2022.

Global cooling was once a worry to many. Top climate specialists and environmental activists predicted that “global cooling trends” observed between WWII and 1970 would result in a world “eleven degrees colder in the year 2000 – about twice what it would take to put us into an ice age.” Bitter winters and floods from “delayed typhoons” would trigger massive drops in food production, followed by widespread famine.

Yep, never happened.

I could offer hundreds of other dire climate change predictions from the past going back to the 1940s, but you get the point. In each case, claims of impending environmental disaster from climate change, backed by allegedly irrefutable scientific data never happened. Yet policymakers were encouraged to act before it was “too late.” Here is the truth. Environmental and climate change activists have an agenda. They want more government control of every facet of life, and generating widespread panic about the environment is a way to get more government control. Just look what’s happening in our country today. More government means less freedom and higher prices for everything we buy and need to sustain life. No matter where you stand on the environment and climate change you need to understand that the technology needed for a responsible transition from fossil fuels to greener forms of energy is at least 30-50 years away from development. Yet Biden and his administration of ideologues are pressing forward with that irrational agenda right now. God help us. While these clowns hold power, inflation is here to stay so we will all enjoy watching our retirement savings lose value and we will be paying more for basic necessities like gasoline, food, clothing, and utilities. Think about that when the November 2022 elections roll around. It’s time to radically change the make up of the U. S. Congress. Big governments become fascist governments. It’s inevitable.

Forgive me for the rant, and I’ll step off my soap box now and carry on.

In This Issue

I. Top 5 Crime Fiction Books from Current NYT Combined Print & E-Book List

II. Writing Update

III. What I’m Reading

IV. Steals and Deals

Top 5 Crime Fiction Books from NYT Combined Print & E-Books List

Here are the top five bestselling crime fiction books from the current New York Times Combined Print & E-Book List.

(1) The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley | Traditional Detective Mysteries

(2) Nothing to Lose by J.A. Nance | Hard-Boiled Mystery

(3) The Maid by Nita Prose | Traditional Detective Mysteries

(4) Carmel Pecan Roll Murder by Joanne Fluke | Cozy Mystery

(5) The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave | Suspense Thriller

Writing Update

I’ve had a productive 2022 thus far. After getting the ninth Malone novel, What’s Done is Done, out at the end of 2021, I put the finishing touches on Frisky Business, the fourth T.J. O’Sullivan book, and Dead End, the second novel in the Rick Bishop series. Both were published in February of this year. Then I turned my attention to Darker Angels, the third book in the Howard Drew police procedural series.

Right now I’m writing the next Rick Bishop installment, Trouble in Paradise, which is due out this summer, probably in June. But I took a short break from writing that book to outline the tenth Malone novel, Passage to Remorse. For a while I’ve planned to do more with the Bridgette Carpenter character, Malone’s “sort of” adopted daughter, who first appeared in Live Long Day. And I’m featuring Bridgette in this next Malone book. Now at age twenty and home in L.A. from college on summer break, Bridgette teams up with her “dad” on a case.

I’m feeling excited about this book. Not only because of featuring Bridgette, but because I’m experimenting with a new (to me) story structure, screenwriter Blake Snyder’s “Save the Cat” structure. It isn’t a formula, but  a popular story structure template that subdivides the beginning, middle, and end of a story into 15 “beats” or plot points. Each of these beats has a specific purpose and serves a particular function within the over-arching, global story. And from what I learned during the outline process, I’m confident “Save the Cat” will strengthen my writing and improve my storytelling. I guess we will find out when Passage to Remorse publishes this fall.

What I'm Reading Bye Bye Baby by Ace Atkins

The one thing I spend more time doing than writing is reading. I subscribe to Stephen King’s advice. “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have time to write.” But despite the time I devote to it, my “to be read” pile never seems to get any smaller because I keep adding more books to it. This time around, I have two books I’m recommending for crime fiction fans, one that I’ve already finished and the other which I’ve just started but am enjoying immensely.

I recently read Bye Bye Baby by Ace Atkins, the fiftieth novel in Robert B. Parker’s Spenser series. For those who may not know, Atkins took over writing the Spenser novels after Parker’s untimely death in 2010. I for one believe Ace Atkins has done a wonderful job with staying true to Parker’s iconic character. I think he has really channeled Robert B. Parker’s style and his Spenser books are almost indistinguishable from those Parker wrote himself. Bye Bye Baby is classic Spenser, and I really loved the book.

Sadly, shortly before the release of this novel, Ace Atkins announced that he is stepping down from writing the Spenser books to focus on his own writing projects. That’s understandable since Atkins was a bestselling author in his own right long before he took up the Spenser franchise. That leaves Spenser in limbo, and book number fifty may be the last.

I’ve never made it a secret that I forged my Malone character from the Spenser mold and I’m not ashamed to admit it. Nor should I be, since the great Robert B. Parker modeled Spenser on Raymond Chandler’s iconic private detective character, Philip Marlowe. So, while my writing ability is certainly not even close to the level of a Chandler, Parker, or Atkins, in my own way, I’m carrying on the Chandler and Parker traditions just as Parker carried on Chandler’s and Atkins’ carried on Parker’s. That’s why I try to write every Malone novel to best of my abilities.

Anyway, if you haven’t already, I recommend you  give Bye Bye Baby a read.

To The Sea by Nikki Crutchley

The book I’ve just  started reading is To The Sea by New Zealand crime writer Nikki Crutchley. Nikki is a fabulous writer and I’ve loved her writing since I first discovered her. Any book Crutchley writes is a must read for me, and I’ve read them all. Several years ago, after reading my first Jo Nesbo novel, I realized I was missing out on some great crime fiction novels by limiting myself to reading only American authors. Since then, I’ve vastly expanded my reading to authors from all over the world. Nikki Crutchley is one reason I’m so glad I did. Even though I’m only through the first few chapters, To The Sea is a book that deserves to be on your “to be read” list.

Carolina Garcia-Ramirez is a rising star in national politics, taking on the establishment with her progressive agenda. Facing her second election, she is not only fighting a tight primary with an old guard challenger but also contending with numerous death threats coming from hundreds of suspects. It’s up to Spenser, Hawk, and a surprise trusted ally to ensure the congresswoman is safe.

Iluka has been the only home that 18-year-old Ana has ever known. The beautiful wild pine plantation overlooking the Pacific Ocean where her grandfather builds furniture, her aunt runs an artists’ retreat and her uncle tends the land. But the place holds a violent secret and when a stranger arrives, Ana will need to make a choice: to protect everything – and everyone – she holds dear or tell the truth and destroy it all.

Steals and Deals

Last chance to get Rick Bishop #1, the series starter for under a buck. Offer good at all retailers. Deal goes away March 31, 2022.

Last chance for Kindle Unlimited subscribers to read T. J. O’Sullivan’s newest book FREE. Frisky Business leaves Kindle Unlimited at the end of the month.

0.99 KINDLE UNLIMITED

Reader’s Club Newsletter Winter 2021

Hello From Texas

The winter solstice comes on Tuesday, December 21, 2021. This is the astronomical first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and our shortest day of the year. The winter solstice is the “shortest day” of the year since it is the day with the fewest hours of sunlight in the entire year. Thankfully, once we reach the winter solstice, the days begin to once again grow longer and longer until we reach the summer solstice—the first day of summer. The winter solstice marks the official beginning of “astronomical winter,” as opposed to “meteorological winter,” which starts about three weeks before the solstice. So, you might say we have already been in the winter 2021 season since December 1.

Early winter can be unpredictable where I live. As an example, I went to the mall with my sister Thursday for some last minute Christmas shopping and we were both wearing jackets. Then, on Friday, when I took my daily four-mile walk, I was comfortably attired in shorts and a tee shirt. Today, for my walk I had to wear track pants and a sweatshirt. So, you never know what you’re going to get. Whatever winter is like where you live, I hope you and yours are staying safe and well.

Book News What's Done Is Done Out in Print

What’s Done Is Done,  the ninth book in the Malone series is now available in print here from Amazon  and  here from Barnes & Noble.  The eBook version publishes on January 04, 2022, and is available to  preorder from all major booksellers.  From the writer’s perspective, I think this is my favorite Malone title since Foul Play. At least, I enjoyed writing it.

Fourth T. J. O'Sullivan Novel Coming in February

Frisky Business, the fourth book in the T. J. O’Sullivan series, publishes after the first of the year. The print version will be out on January 4, 2022 and the eBook version on February 8, 2022. You can preorder it now on Amazon.  The T. J. books have always done well in Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited program, so we’ve chosen to enroll it there for the first 90-days, even though we’re removing all the earlier T. J. O’Sullivan novels from Kindle Unlimited. We will publish those earlier titles at all other retailers after the end of the year. The final cover just arrived from the designer on December 18, so we’re switching it out for the concept cover I noticed is still showing on Amazon.

Rick Bishop Series

Dead End, the second installment in the new Rick Bishop series, also drops on February 08, 2022. It’s available to  preorder here from all booksellers.  We’ve left the first book in the series, The Girl on the Beach priced at only  0.99 at all retailers  as we hope to gain more visibility for the series. For those who haven’t read The Girl on the Beach yet and want to save a buck, it’s offered as a free download through the end of December 2021 as part of Smashwords End of Year Sale.  Grab a  free copy on Smashwords here.

What's Next?

Right now, I’m working on Darker Angles, the third installment in the Howard Drew police procedural series. Darker Angeles is scheduled for release in the summer of 2022.

What I've Been Reading and Enjoying

Here I wanted to mention two books I’ve read and enjoyed recently, and one I’m reading right now. First off, I really liked Michael Connelly’s new book, The Dark Hours. As a longtime Harry Bosch fan, I was sad that Harry featured so little in the book, but on the Renée Ballard side, I think this is the best book yet. And, let’s face it. Harry is in his seventies and Ballard is his replacement. Even if you too are a diehard Bosch fan, I think you will enjoy this book. Ballard has won me over.

Next up, For Reasons of Their Own by award-winning New Zealand author Chris Stuart is easily my favorite crime thriller of the year. It’s twisty and suspenseful with a host of interesting, realistic characters. I really liked the main character, Australian Detective Inspector Robbie Gray. She is from the same mold as Renée Ballard. Stuart is a fabulous writer that anyone who loves a good crime thriller will enjoy. For Reasons of Their Own is  available here on Amazon.

Finally, I’m about halfway through the latest Spenser novel, Robert B. Parker’s Bye Bye Baby by Ace Atkins. I’m a longtime fan of Parker and especially like his Spenser and Jesse Stone novels. If you’re not familiar with this series, bestselling author Ace Atkins took over writing it after the passing of  Robert B. Parker in 2010. It took Atkins a couple of books to find his footing, but today his Spenser novels have become almost indistinguishable from the originals written by Parker himself.  Unfortunately, here again is cause for sadness. Atkins announced earlier this month Bye Bye Baby is his last Spenser novel as he has other projects he plans to pursue. It will be interesting to see what becomes of this series, arguably Parker’s most popular. Like Harry Bosch, Spenser has aged since Parker created him. Actually, he is even older than Harry Bosch who is a Vietnam veteran in Connelly’s novels. In comparison, Spenser is a Korean War veteran. But since Parker never made much of Spenser’s age, it’s still easy to imagine him as late forties or early fifties. Of course, the Robert B. Parker estate won’t be coming to me for advice, but if I were handed this series to write, I believe I’d return to setting the novels in the past when Spenser was in his prime. Since Adkins has focused the last several books on prominent current headlines, that shortens Spenser’s remaining time as a credible detective considerably because of his advancing age. But I am enjoying this novel so far, which I learned today is attracting some controversy.  Bye Bye Baby comes out January 11, 2022. I was fortunate enough to snag an advance readers copy from the publisher.

From my view, 2021 has been a disappointing year on so many levels. First, like many others, I thought we would turn the corner on the pandemic this year and life would return to something approaching normal. Obviously, that hasn’t happened, and now I know it never will. The philosopher Plato once said, “Only the dead have seen the end of war.” Likewise, those of us alive today should understand “Only the dead have seen the end of coronavirus.” The best we can hope for is that as the virus mutates, the variants will become less capable of causing serious illness and less lethal. In the meantime, take what steps that make sense to you to protect yourself and your family. The government cannot save you. They could never do so. That was only another lie from the politicians. I hope you and yours have a Merry Christmas and a better 2022. Thanks so much for your support in 2021.

Reader’s Club Newsletter Fall 2021

Hello From Texas

Yes, it’s finally that autumnal season, which often seems like a two-day interlude between summer and winter. At least that’s how fall seems here. Ah, the fall! That beautiful time of year when leaves take on the orange glow of the setting Texas sun, acorns crunch under western booted feet, crisp air cools hot cider from the local Starbucks, and—oh, it’s over, there it goes, it’s winter now.

Actually, we had extended summer weather here. Back in the day, we called it Indian summer. But, of course, I’m sure it’s racist to say that today. The wokes at Sports Illustrated are even lobbying to cancel the Atalanta Braves and their tomahawk chop, both of which have been on display this past week in the 2021 World Series with Atlanta playing the Houston Astros. But I digress,

We’ve enjoyed warm weather from the first fall day, September 22, through nearly the end of October. But we’re getting cool days now, and even cooler nights along with the rainy days we always get this time of year. So, it’s time to gather the harvest, roast chestnuts with good friends around the hot wood fire as you—wait, is that sleet? It’s sleeting now. And the weather guy says that tomorrow it’s supposed to be in the upper eighties. Then it’s going to snow. But at least it’s feeling much more like football weather now at about halfway through both the college and professional seasons. You can almost smell those pigskins flying through the crisp autumnal air. So, wherever you are, I hope you avoided the plague, made it through summer alive, and are enjoying nice fall weather where you call home.

The fall is also when we give thanks for all the early Christmas gifts the morons in Washington have bestowed upon this year—record high inflation crisis, gasoline prices that are double what we paid last year, the Afghanistan crisis – the most humiliating American foreign policy debacle in our long and distinguished history, a Thanksgiving dinner that the government says will be the most expensive ever (thank you supply chain crisis) since the pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, a nation more divided than at any time since the Civil War, a historical rise in violent crime, and around two million new document-challenged American residents who couldn’t be bothered to apply for immigration the legal way, but just walked across our non-existent southern border this year and made themselves at home—wait. Are we seeing a pattern here? But, yes, it is starting to look a lot like Christmas, with government giveaways going on everywhere you go.

Rick Bishop Debuts This Month

Due to a publishing snafu, the print version of The Girl on the Beach, the first novel in the series, went out to retailers early, about a month ahead of the eBook. Ordinarily, that wouldn’t have been a huge issue. But I hadn’t yet turned over the final draft, so my sincere apologies to anyone who may have already snagged a print copy before the final edits. I know it contains a few typos which do not appear in the official final draft. But both the eBook and corrected print versions will go on sale at your favorite booksellers in exactly one week from today, November 9.

If you haven’t preordered a copy of The Girl on the Beach, the electronic version is still available from all booksellers at the special preorder price of 0.99 USD (0.99p in the UK). The special pricing ends November 9, 2021.

Dead End, the Second Novel, Coming Soon

Personally, as a reader, I hate taking a chance on a new series until at least the second book comes out. I don’t want to invest in a group of new characters only to learn after buying book one that the author didn’t feel that passionate about the series and doesn’t plan to write any follow-on books. So, to avoid that, I went to work on the second book in the series, Dead End, as soon as I shipped the first novel off to the publisher.

Dead End  will be released on February 8, 2022, and is also available for preorders now at a special price. I’ve finished the final draft and shipped it to editing, so those who preorder the digital version can count on receiving it on time from their preferred retailer on February 8. Actually, it’s warmed my heart to see the number of preorders that have come through already for a book still more than three months from release.

I hope readers enjoy the Rick Bishop series. Bishop is quite a different private investigator than Malone. Hapless might be the kindest way of describing him, and Rick tends to spend a great deal of his time in hospital emergency rooms as he regularly suffers calamities as he goes about investigating his cases.

I think I’ve had more fun writing the Bishop books than any of the other novels I’ve written. So much fun that I’m already more than a third of the way through the first draft of book three, Trouble in Paradise. This series has a lot more humor in the books than any of the others I’ve written. Honolulu, one of my favorite places on the planet, is the setting, just as it is for the T. J. O’Sullivan series. Perhaps one of these days, Bishop and O’Sullivan will join forces on a case. You never know.

Malone Fans Alert

Well, I’ve done something for the very first time since writing and publishing my first book. I gave up on a book, Strange Bedfellows, which I intended to be the ninth book in the Malone series. I drafted and redrafted and then redrafted again. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t produce the type of story that I felt loyal Malone fans would enjoy reading. I absolutely refuse to put a book out there that doesn’t meet that standard. So, at least for now, I’ve shelved Strange Bedfellows. I may take it up again and try to fix it. Or, I might even start again from scratch. But for now, the book is an inactive project.

But for those readers who inquired about when I planned to release the next novel, Malone fans have no cause for despair. There is a ninth Malone novel in the offing. Only it won’t be Strange Bedfellows. I created the outline for another book some time ago, expecting it would be the tenth book in the series. But I couldn’t simply substitute this one for the Strange Bedfellows manuscript as the plot of this one doesn’t lend itself to that title. So What’s Done is Done  will be the ninth novel in the series. I’m steaming through the first draft with none of the issues I experienced with Strange Bedfellows, and What’s Done is Done went up for preorders at retailers today. I think Malone fans will like this one, scheduled for release on January 4, 2022.   You can read an excerpt, the first three chapters, free by clicking the link on the book page.

Before leaving the Malone series, Perchance to Dream, the eighth book is my November 2021 US/UK 0.99 cent/0.99 pence deal. So, if you haven’t read that one, now is the time to grab the electronic version at a deeply discounted price. The deal runs through November 30, 2021, and the price is available from all eBook retailers.

What I’ve Been Reading and Enjoying

Not everyone realizes that most authors are also avid readers, and I am one such author. As Stephen King once wrote, “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.” Reading allows you to explore all the possibilities of the writing craft. As you read, you accumulate knowledge about what has been done before and how it is done today. Typically, I tend to read four to six books each month, mostly fiction in the genres I also write. So, my book recommendation for the month is the new John Sandford novel, The Investigator, the first novel in a new series featuring Lucas Davenport’s daughter Letty. It is vintage John Sandford, and I liked the book just as much as any of the Prey and Virgil Flowers novels. You have to hand it to Sandford. The man has never written a bad book. They only seem to get better and better.

Another book I enjoyed was the latest from Lee Child, Better Off Dead, the best Jack Reacher book I’ve read in a long while. I was a huge Reacher fan from the start, but the quality of the writing fell off over the years, and I stopped reading the novels. But I think this new recently released book is as good as Child’s early books.

That’s a wrap for the edition of Reader’s Club Newsletter. Until next time, stay safe and well. Watch for the next edition of the newsletter coming this winter.

Debut Novel Released in New Rick Bishop Series

Brand new private eye series kicks off with release of The Girl on the Beach, A Rick Bishop Novel

Rick Bishop is a character I developed while stuck at home during the early months of the coronavirus pandemic.

Like Malone, Bishop is a private investigator but the characters couldn’t be more different. Bishop is an ex-Honolulu PD detective who resigned from the force after a tragic incident that he still feels responsible for. Adrift and uncertain, he decided to get his private investigator license and opened an office on Hotel Street.

Rick specializes in divorce cases, mostly because it’s easy work and no one ever gets hurt, usually. Divorce cases are the only cases he will take, usually. Bishop is so stubborn about this, in the debut novel, The Girl on the Beach, it causes a rift between him and his ex-Navy pal and best friend, Joe Rose, the owner of a Honolulu bar called the Likelike, when Joe comes to Rick for help finding a missing beautiful and mysterious woman Joe met on a midnight, romantic beach stroll on Waikiki.

Rick is a man struggling to find himself after his traumatic experience as a police detective. He became a private detective only because it seemed the only thing he was suited for after leaving the cops. So, Rick drinks a little too much, is a bit too lazy, and puts only enough effort into his work to earn enough from divorce cases to keep his head above water.

Book Summary

Rick Bishop, a former cop and lazy Honolulu private investigator who specializes in divorce investigations, reluctantly agrees to help his love-struck best friend, Joe Rose, track down a mysterious girl named Elle Palmer. Rose met the woman briefly on a moonlight stroll on a Waikiki beach. After the fleeting romantic encounter, Palmer vanished the same evening without a trace. Rose believes he is in love with the woman and that she is in grave danger.

Bishop begins his investigation apathetically, but when he meets the wealthy and powerful Hawaii pineapple magnate Derek Ballard, Rick grows more interested in the case. When he spots a photo of the woman Rose wants him to find in Ballard’s office, Ballard explains the woman in the photo is his former fiancé, Elle Palmer, who committed suicide nearly forty years ago. As he continues to dig, Bishop discovers the girl on the beach was actually Kate Weaver, the niece of the long-deceased Elle Palmer. Rick also learns Weaver bears an uncanny resemblance to her dead aunt and appears in various places around Honolulu, claiming to be Elle Palmer while wearing the same ivory-colored formal dress her aunt was wearing the night friends and relatives last saw her alive at a party in 1982.

The plot thickens once Rick uncovers the motivation behind Kate’s bizarre impersonations of her dead aunt’s ghost. Weaver believes her aunt didn’t commit suicide but that Derek Ballard murdered her in a jealous rage. Kate has traveled to Honolulu from California to expose Ballard as her aunt’s killer. She pretends to appear as Elle Palmer’s ghost as a ruse aimed at garnering enough publicity to encourage the Honolulu authorities to reopen the decades-old investigation into her aunt’s death. Bishop decides to help Weaver get justice for her aunt after realizing she truly is in grave danger. Unfortunately, Derek Ballard intends to keep his dark secrets buried by shutting her up by any means necessary. Rick also becomes a target when Ballard tires of his interference and hires a Chinatown thug to eliminate him in a staged auto accident. Bishop and Weaver must find out where all the bodies are buried and fast before Ballard buries them.

Publication Details

The Girl on the Beach is available now in print on Amazon and will be available within a few days at the other major booksellers. The eBook version releases on November 9, 2021, and will be available wherever digital books are sold. However, if you’re an eBook reader and don’t want to wait to  get a copy of this book, I have made it available for immediate download from Smashwords. The book is in ePub format and can be downloaded on any reading device including phone reading apps like Kindle and Nook. If you’re interested in being among the first to read The Girl on the Beach, simply click the link below to grab a copy on Smashwords.

https://www.smashwords.com/books/presale/1108044

I hope readers will enjoy the new Rick Bishop series. I’ve already started the second book, Dead End, which is scheduled for a Spring 2022 release. I hope you will give the series a try.

For Malone fans, the next book in the series, Strange Bedfellows, is in editing and will be out soon. Also, I hope to release the fourth T. J. O’Sullivan novel, Frisky Business, this December.

Dead End (A Rick Bishop Novel, 2)

A local attorney hires Rick Bishop to find her missing friend and then insists on tagging along to help with the case. But, unfortunately, the missing friend, who has a troubled past, also has a former father-in-law looking for her who wants to find her just as badly.

Coming Spring 2022 CLICK TO PREORDER THE GIRL ON THE BEACH NOW

Reader’s Club Spring 2021 Newsletter

Hello from Texas While March 20 is still a few weeks away, it feels like spring here after what felt like a long winter with the record-breaking week of snow, ice, and cold we recently endured. Robins have returned and there are buds on the trees that promise the return of leaves soon to the Live Oak trees.I hope, wherever you are, that you survived the winter and are enjoying a change of seasons. Like me, I’m sure you’re all happily anticipating the return to normality now that the promising coronavirus vaccines are becoming more widely available. I might actually be able to enjoy seeing a baseball game at the stadium on opening day this year. Wouldn’t that be something? Howard Drew Debuts This Month LAPD Detective Howard “Howie” Drew, the titular character of my new Howard Drew Novels series, debuts this month when OMERTA drops on March 9. This is the first book in a police procedural set in, yes you guessed it, Los Angeles, California. Drew begins his career as a homicide detective assigned to the LAPD’s West Bureau.LAPD detectives at the bureau level don’t have the luxury of investigating only one case at a time. Their case loads require them to juggle several at a time. In keeping with that, Drew gets his baptism by fire as he investigates three different murders in OMERTA. I think you will find it a very readable police procedural with an emphasis on realism and authenticity. Actual homicide cases from the files of the Los Angeles Police Department provided the inspiration for OMERTA. Since my own experience as a police officer came from working in Oklahoma and Texas departments, I’m relying on a good friend who is an active detective in Southern California to get the accurate details on the inner workings of LAPD homicide investigations for the series.To celebrate the launch, the digital version of this first book in the series is available for preordering at a special pre-lauch price of $2.99 through launch day, March 9. After launch day it will return to the cover price. So, don’t miss out on your chance to save a couple of bucks by preording from your favorite online bookseller. OMERTA is available wherever digital books are sold. It’s also available in both hardcover and trade paperback for those who prefer print books.If you buy your books from Amazon and you’d like to preorder OMERTA, and take advantage of the pre-launch sale price, you can do that here.If you shop on Apple, Kobo, Goggle Play, or any of the other fine online retailers, you can preorder the book at the pre-launch sale price by clicking on the Books2Read universal link here.There is only a week left until launch day, so if you want to get a copy at the special price you need to move fast. What Readers Are Saying About Omerta After I distributed ACR copies of the book last month, reviews are starting to come in from those who requested the book. Here is one from a BookBub reviewer that I really like and wanted to share.

 

“The author didn’t disappoint. I admit it started out slow, but it picked up the pace when there were multiple cases.This is my first book by Larry Darter. It reminded me of Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch, except that Harry isn’t a newbie in the homicide department.Howard ‘Howie’ Drew is committed to being a homicide detective back when he was still in patrol.While the book title is related to the mafia, there were a lot of homicide and other cases to throw off the reader. Well done on that but I stayed my path.It’s understandable that the veteran detective would accuse someone so obvious.Don’t expect much romance here. Sure, there’s a love interest but it’s always mentioned in passing. If I didn’t know any better, it seemed awkward.I liked the pace of the story too. I can’t wait to see the series unfold.”

 

What I really love about this review, besides the fact the reader enjoyed the book, is this– “[Howard Drew] reminded me of Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch.” This is exactly what I was aiming to write. Believe me, as a longtime Harry Bosch series fan since the first book, THE BLACK ECHO, I’m under no illusion that I have Michael Connelly’s skills as a writer. But I hoped to write a readable police procedural along the same lines.    New And Next For Howard Drew It took me two years to finish OMERTA, but the pace of publishing the followup novels in the series will be much quicker.I’ve already finished the final draft of THE PENDULUM, the second book in the series, and it is with the editor. It is due for release this coming September.  And, I’m already 25,000 words into the first draft of the third novel, DARKER ANGELS which is scheduled for release in the spring of 2022.A three-chapter excerpt from both books are available to read free on the respective book pages. Just click on the highlighted titles above to read them now. What I'm Reading And Enjoying Now Years ago, I discovered Norwegian crime fiction writer Jo Nesbø and his Harry Hole series, which are among the bestselling detective crime novels in the world. I’ve been hooked on Nordic-noir, also known as Scandinavian noir, ever since. But last year, Nesbø decided to write a stand alone thriller instead of the annual Harry Hole novel. That left me looking for a similar author who writes crime fiction usually written from a police point of view and set in Scandinavia or Nordic countries. I found one, bestselling Icelandic author Ragnar Jónasson. I especially like his Dark Iceland series, set in and around Siglufjörður, and featuring Detective Ari Thor. So far, I’ve read and enjoyed the first two novels in the series, SNOW BLIND and NIGHT BLIND. At the moment I’m reading the third book, BLACK OUT. Jónasson is a wonderfully talented writer and compares most favorably with Jo Nesbø.Whether you’ve tried Scandinavian noir or not, if you’re a fan of authentic, fast-paced police procedurals, I’m sure you will like the Dark Iceland series. I think the books get better and better with each novel I read. Until next time, hope you all stay safe and well as we’re hopefully putting the pandemic behind us. Look for the next edition of the Reader’s Newsletter this summer.

The post Reader’s Club Spring 2021 Newsletter appeared first on Crime Fiction Author Larry Darter.

Winter 2021 Newsletter from Crime Fiction Author Larry Darter

As we move through the final weeks of winter 2021, it seemed a good time for this Winter 2021 Newsletter. I hope you are all staying safe and healthy as the soul-crushing pandemic continues.

Also, I hope for those outside the U.S. that your governments are doing a far better job getting the coronavirus vaccine to those who want and need it than our completely inept government has managed here. We continue to see the vaccine trickling out of the pipeline at the same glacial pace. The utter incompetence of America’s political leadership of every stripe, especially at the federal level, has never been more thoroughly and shockingly displayed than during the COVID-19 epidemic.

At least here, the hopes for a return to something approaching normalcy any time soon are fading as 2021 shapes up to be a repeat of 2020, a sort of Apocalypse Now Redux. But enough of the gloom and doom.

While it’s hard to find anything good about these times defined by a global pandemic, the restrictions the circumstances have imposed on our everyday lives has produced a few positives. It’s allowed me to find a great deal more time to write and to read, two of my favorite pastimes.

Malone Novels Updates

This past October, we published Perchance to Dream, the eighth novel in the Malone series featuring LA’s best private detective. I truly enjoyed writing this novel and hope those who read it have enjoyed it too. There haven’t been many reviews so far, but those that have come in have been positive, which I’ve found gratifying. After all, the reason I write is to entertain readers with a good story. When I see readers have enjoyed a book, it’s truly a motivational boost to write new stories.

The ninth book in the series, Strange Bedfellows, is scheduled for release next year in March 2022. I’m about sixty-percent through the first draft. It will definitely be ready in time for the projected publication date.

New Howard Drew Novels Series

I’m excited about a brand new police procedural series I’ve started. The first book, Omerta, is already available in hardcover and will publish in digital and paperback next month, March 2021. The electronic version is available for preorder at a discounted price at all online booksellers. Save two bucks when you preorder Omerta by March 9 from your favorite digital bookseller.

I started the novel more than a year ago but wasn’t happy with the story’s direction. So, I put it aside for a long while and worked on other projects. Then, after a moment of

inspiration, I went back to it, did some rewrites, changed the title, and finally completed the first draft. After tweaking things a bit more, I came up with a story I was happy with and that I think crime fiction fans will enjoy. As much as I like writing the Malone private detective books, I’ve wanted to write a police procedural series since publishing Come What May years ago.

Since finishing Omerta, I’ve almost completed the first draft of the second Howard Drew novel, The Pendulum, which releases in September 2021. The series will continue with the third novel, Darker Angels, in 2022. I’ve outlined that one but haven’t started writing it yet. Inspiration for this series comes from actual past LAPD homicide cases.

So if you enjoy gritty, realistic murder investigation stories, you’re sure to like the Howard Drew novels. While I’d never compare myself to a brilliant crime fiction writer like Michael Connelly, who I consider the best American contemporary police procedural author out there, by design, I’ve written the Howard Drew novels in a similar style to his Harry Bosch series.

What I'm Reading

Enough about me. Let me introduce you to a new crime fiction author I recently discovered courtesy of Karen Sullivan at Orenda Books. I love many of the terrific crime fiction authors published by Orenda and have added a new one to my list of favorites, Icelandic crime fiction author Ragnar Jónasson.

Years ago, when I discovered Stieg Larsson and later contemporary Norwegian crime fiction writer, Jo Nesbø (author of the Harry Høle detective crime novels), I fell in love with the Scandi-noir genre. When Nesbø chose to publish a new stand-alone novel this year instead of another Harry Hole installment, I was scrambling to find another good Nordic noir writer. I saw a Tweet from Karen Sullivan mentioning Ragnar Jónasson’s newest release and took a look. Discovering that it was the newest book in an existing police procedural series, I immediately ordered Ragnar’s first novel in the series, Snow Blind. I was instantly hooked. I’ve now read Night Blind, the second novel in his Dark Icelandic series, and am now reading book three, Whiteout.

Even if you’ve never tried Nordic noir, if you enjoy a taught, suspenseful police procedural, I can’t recommend Ragnar Jónasson’s too strongly. He is every bit as good as Jo Nesbø. I’ll remain a Harry Høle fan for life, but I’m truly happy I found another brilliant and entertaining Scandi-noir writer who keeps me spellbound with every book.

Until next time, stay safe and stay healthy.

Highly Recommended

The post Winter 2021 Newsletter from Crime Fiction Author Larry Darter appeared first on Crime Fiction Author Larry Darter.