Terry Shames's Blog: 7 Criminal Minds, page 121

Season's Greetings from 7 Criminal Minds

 

Short and Sweet…or Scary…or Mysterious too! Guest post by Art Taylor

Our final post of the year comes from Art Taylor, a 7 Criminal Minds alum. Art is the author, most recently, of The Boy Detective & The Summer of ’74 and Other Tales of Suspense from Crippen & Landru. You can find out more about his work at  www.arttaylorwriter.com .

Last week, I started reading Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol aloud to my wife, Tara, and our son, Dashiell, who’s reminded us that he’s seen the movie but still seems enthralled by each fresh turn of the tale.

Many of us may default ...

2020's Bright Side, by Catriona

I will, I will, I will get this first draft finished and printed out (while I dance to Mariah Carey) by Friday. So, with apologies, I'm cheating a bit on the blog.

This is my year in books, lifted whole off my website, but with a book of the month highlighted for every month. That choice was really hard, in a year of fantabulous reading and not much else. Sometimes two books from one month would have made my top ten of the entire year. July, in particular, was stellar.

December 2020

DEATH AT GREENW...

And now, the end is near... by Cathy Ace

So, 2020 is finally drawing to a close, but it seems this year still has more bitter pills for us to swallow. The death of John le Carré has encouraged me to add this “Foreword” to the piece I had prepared for today, so – if you’ll forgive me – I’d like to open by tipping my hat to a master of our craft. 

Whilst his stories centered (in the main) upon the world of professional spies, le Carré's writing about human relationships (both personal and professional), politics (from the intimate to the ...

Do You Read What I Read?

From Frank

It is that time of year, where the giving of gifts abound... we here at 7 Criminal Minds are suggesting that a) books make great presents, and b) we can help you choose.

But first, a disclaimer - people's taste differ. I don't tend to read cozy. I do dig the harder-edged stuff. So my recommendations will probably reflect that preference. Maybe the person you're buying for fits the same bill.

And second, another disclaimer of sorts - you should read the authors on this blog! There's such ...

And They All Settled Down for a Long Winter's Night

 Q: Books make wonderful gifts. What are your recommendations this year?

 

- from Susan

 

So many good books! And this is the year to read, read, read. I know my fellow Minds are sharing their own wonderful suggestions, and I am afraid that my TBR shelves will be groaning from the weight of the crime fiction books I must read. 

 

Im going to do something a bit different. If youre like me, finding a new author and a book you love is a wonderful experience. How much more...

Some Ideas For Your Letter to Santa

By Abir

Merry Christmas!

I can't believe that this is my last post on this blog for 2020. It seems that even when you're confined to your house for a year, time still flies.

One of the things that has made 2020 slightly more bearable, at least for me, has been reading, and we've been blessed with some fantastic books. So, if you're in the mood for petitioning Mr Claus for some Christmas, or maybe even new year's reading, or if you want some idea for presents for loved ones, here are a few of the...

Some Really Great Reads 2020 (from James W. Ziskin)

Its becoming a tradition for me to put together an end-of-the-year list of books I recommend. This is not a best-of list. Im not a fan of those since theres no way people can read everything. So how can they declare some books the best? Not that I dont admire the books that make those lists. I do. Its simply that those big names and big successes get plenty of ink elsewhere, so I try to shine a light on excellent books and fine authors I enjoy instead. They may not be household names yet, and...

Recommended Reads

Books make wonderful gifts. What are your recommendations this year?

by Dietrich

Theyre not all new releases and not all crime or mysteries, but here are twelve of my favorite reads from this years stack: 

Juliet, Naked is a well-written romantic comedy its classic Nick Hornby. 

The Way We Die Now is Charles Willefords fourth and last in the amazing Hoke Mosely series. Willefords is one of the best voices in crime fiction ever.

Exterminator! is just a great short story collection from...

Happy Holiday Books

Although the year 2020 in many ways has been horrible, it has been a banner year for books. In keeping with our Seven Criminal Minds tradition, were recommending out favorite reads of the year. Ive read so many good ones that Ill keep the list long and the chatter short: Mystery: Who wouldnt lead off with the mystery book of the year, Blacktop Wasteland, by S. A. Cosby? Its been on every best of list, and deservedly so. The writing is perfection, descriptions and dialogue sharp, the story...