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The Murder Book: 10 Complete Crime Novels
The Murder Book Edited by Michael Lister
A crime fiction library like no other.
Ten authors.
Ten complete books.
A collection of crime and mystery books from some of the most exciting writers working today.
Buckle up and open The Murder Book.
Books included:
Blood Oath by Michael Lister
Telling Lies by L.A. Dobbs
The Dying Hour by Rick Mofina
Backwater Bay by Steven Becker
Maniacal by C.M. Sutter
Room Number Three by Gavin Reese
Hide and Seek by Rob Costa
A Stairway to the Sea by Jeff Newberry
Circling the Runway by J.L. Abramo
Thread of Hope by Jeff Shelby
A crime fiction library like no other.
Ten authors.
Ten complete books.
A collection of crime and mystery books from some of the most exciting writers working today.
Buckle up and open The Murder Book.
Books included:
Blood Oath by Michael Lister
Telling Lies by L.A. Dobbs
The Dying Hour by Rick Mofina
Backwater Bay by Steven Becker
Maniacal by C.M. Sutter
Room Number Three by Gavin Reese
Hide and Seek by Rob Costa
A Stairway to the Sea by Jeff Newberry
Circling the Runway by J.L. Abramo
Thread of Hope by Jeff Shelby
- GenresMysteryAnthologiesCrime
2407 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 17, 2018
500 people are currently reading
295 people want to read
About the author
Michael Lister
184 books233 followersNew York Times bestselling and award-winning novelist Michael Lister is a native Floridian best known for his literary suspense thrillers as well as his two ongoing mystery series, the prison chaplain John Jordan "Blood" series and the hard-boiled, 1940s noir Jimmy "Soldier" Riley Series, and the post-apocalypic suspense thriller Cataclysmos.
Visit www.michaellister.com for more information, or follow his youtube channel - Writing and Life at https://www.youtube.com/user/MichaelL...
The Florida Book Review says that "Vintage Michael Lister is poetic prose, exquisitely set scenes, characters who are damaged and faulty" and Michael Koryta says, “If you like crime writing with depth, suspense, and sterling prose, you should be reading Michael Lister," while Publisher's Weekly adds, “Lister’s hard-edged prose ranks with the best of contemporary noir fiction.”
Michael grew up in North Florida near the Gulf of Mexico and the Apalachicola River in a small town world famous for tupelo honey.
Truly a regional writer, North Florida is his beat.
Captivated by story since childhood, Michael has a love for language and narrative inspired by the Southern storytelling tradition that captured his imagination and became such a source of meaning and inspiration. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in theology with an emphasis on myth and narrative.
In the early 90s, Michael became the youngest chaplain within the Florida Department of Corrections. For nearly a decade, he served as a contract, staff, then senior chaplain at three different facilities in the Panhandle of Florida—a unique experience that led to his first novel, 1997’s critically acclaimed, POWER IN THE BLOOD. It was the first in a series of popular and celebrated novels featuring ex-cop turned prison chaplain, John Jordan. Subsequent books in the series include BLOOD OF THE LAMB, FLESH AND BLOOD, THE BODY AND THE BLOOD, BLOOD SACRIFICE, and RIVERS TO BLOOD, and each takes readers through the electronically locked gates of the chain-link fences, beneath the looping razor wire glinting in the sun, and into the strange world of Potter Correctional Institution, Florida’s toughest maximum security prison. Of the John Jordan series, Michael Connelly says “Michael Lister may be the author of the most unique series running in mystery fiction. It crackles with tension and authenticity,” while Julia Spencer-Fleming adds “Michael Lister writes one of the most ambitious and unusual crime fiction series going. See what crime fiction is capable of.”
Michael also writes historical hard-boiled thrillers, such as THE BIG GOODBYE, THE BIG BEYOND, and THE BIG HELLO featuring Jimmy "Soldier" Riley, a PI in Panama City during World War II. Ace Atkins calls the "Soldier" series "tough and violent with snappy dialogue and great atmosphere . . . a suspenseful, romantic and historic ride."
Michael Lister won his first Florida Book Award for his literary novel, DOUBLE EXPOSURE, a book, according to the Panama City News Herald, that “is lyrical and literary, written in a sparse but evocative prose reminiscent of Cormac McCarthy.” It is a contemplation of life and death, art and meaning, set deep in the swamps of the Apalachicola River, a thriller about a wildlife photographer whose camera traps capture a crime, that shows the beauty and danger of the Panhandle paradise.
His second Florida Book Award was for his fifth John Jordan novel BLOOD SACRIFICE.
Visit www.michaellister.com for more information, or follow his youtube channel - Writing and Life at https://www.youtube.com/user/MichaelL...
The Florida Book Review says that "Vintage Michael Lister is poetic prose, exquisitely set scenes, characters who are damaged and faulty" and Michael Koryta says, “If you like crime writing with depth, suspense, and sterling prose, you should be reading Michael Lister," while Publisher's Weekly adds, “Lister’s hard-edged prose ranks with the best of contemporary noir fiction.”
Michael grew up in North Florida near the Gulf of Mexico and the Apalachicola River in a small town world famous for tupelo honey.
Truly a regional writer, North Florida is his beat.
Captivated by story since childhood, Michael has a love for language and narrative inspired by the Southern storytelling tradition that captured his imagination and became such a source of meaning and inspiration. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in theology with an emphasis on myth and narrative.
In the early 90s, Michael became the youngest chaplain within the Florida Department of Corrections. For nearly a decade, he served as a contract, staff, then senior chaplain at three different facilities in the Panhandle of Florida—a unique experience that led to his first novel, 1997’s critically acclaimed, POWER IN THE BLOOD. It was the first in a series of popular and celebrated novels featuring ex-cop turned prison chaplain, John Jordan. Subsequent books in the series include BLOOD OF THE LAMB, FLESH AND BLOOD, THE BODY AND THE BLOOD, BLOOD SACRIFICE, and RIVERS TO BLOOD, and each takes readers through the electronically locked gates of the chain-link fences, beneath the looping razor wire glinting in the sun, and into the strange world of Potter Correctional Institution, Florida’s toughest maximum security prison. Of the John Jordan series, Michael Connelly says “Michael Lister may be the author of the most unique series running in mystery fiction. It crackles with tension and authenticity,” while Julia Spencer-Fleming adds “Michael Lister writes one of the most ambitious and unusual crime fiction series going. See what crime fiction is capable of.”
Michael also writes historical hard-boiled thrillers, such as THE BIG GOODBYE, THE BIG BEYOND, and THE BIG HELLO featuring Jimmy "Soldier" Riley, a PI in Panama City during World War II. Ace Atkins calls the "Soldier" series "tough and violent with snappy dialogue and great atmosphere . . . a suspenseful, romantic and historic ride."
Michael Lister won his first Florida Book Award for his literary novel, DOUBLE EXPOSURE, a book, according to the Panama City News Herald, that “is lyrical and literary, written in a sparse but evocative prose reminiscent of Cormac McCarthy.” It is a contemplation of life and death, art and meaning, set deep in the swamps of the Apalachicola River, a thriller about a wildlife photographer whose camera traps capture a crime, that shows the beauty and danger of the Panhandle paradise.
His second Florida Book Award was for his fifth John Jordan novel BLOOD SACRIFICE.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
November 2, 2018
Blood Oath - 2 stars. This is the first book I’ve read by this author. The number of ‘he said/say, she said/say (insert name) one right after another is very distracting. Lots of ways to let you know who is talking without the endless repetition of that. I read through chapter 31, then started skipping large sections. The writing was way to wordy (to the point of boring in many places), the author tried too hard for the touchy feeling emotion of men crying (a lot), the main character is so perfect he isn’t believable (try Jesus, Muhammad, and Buddha all rolled into one). Everything he says and does is perfect, even in his dealings with his ex-wife who starts out really unreasonable and seemingly unstable who, in a very short time, comes around to what he wants without much trouble. I won’t be looking for anything else by this author.
Telling Lies – 3 stars. Pretty average story, enjoyable enough but nothing that stands out (except the dog, Lucy); I really liked Lucy. The characters were pretty well developed.
The Dying Hour – 5 stars. I started out thinking this was four stars, but very shortly moved it to five due to the fast paced action, the suspense, and the realistic movement of the story-line. Jason Wade is a great character and his tenacity in following up his story shows how strong he is. The point of view moving among the different characters kept the story flowing and kept us up on what was happening. It got to the point where I couldn’t put the book down and finished it in the wee hours of the morning.
Backwater Bay – 3 stars. None of the characters were very well developed; the most we learn about the main character is that he’s from California, accidentally made a big drug bust, divorced, went into witness protection in Florida, likes to blow off his job and fish, and is constantly second guessing himself – I’m surprised he can function at all. I did learn a lot more about boating than I cared to; lots of little details that dragged on and made me want to skip sections.
Maniacal – 2 stars. Not only is every movement detailed but it is done so in the most simplistic language. It’s rather boring and distracts from the storyline. The storyline itself was ok and I did read it to the end, but it took me awhile because I had trouble being interested in this story. I didn’t feel the characters were developed enough for me to care about them.
Room Number Three – 3 stars. Interesting enough; a bit different. A difficult subject that was well written.
Hide and Seek – 3 stars. Pretty short story so the characters weren’t very well developed. I was surprised that the main character (detective) slept and drank on the job and chose what cases he would take.
A Stairway to the Sea – 2 stars. This story really needed proofreading. One paragraph says Chris Chambers couldn’t get into the marines because he was missing the first two fingers on his left. Hand. The next paragraph states he lost his ring and pinky on his right hand. Later on he snaps a salute with his left hand, folding his index finger into his palm, leaving his middle finger out.
Halfway through the second chapter we finally find out the main guys name, Justin. Got everyone else’s name and a short description. The only description on this guy is he doesn’t fill out his uniform as well as Chris does.
They leave in Justin’s police cruiser, but Chris is driving? Ah, nope, they are both driving their own vehicles (we find out much later).
Some editing errors: he used instead of the and their instead of they’re. “I’m haven’t been sleeping to good lately.” Initially it was just occasional words left out. Then it got to where there were too many words left out; having to reread sentences to make sense of them. As the story progresses the editing errors become more frequent. Really needs a good proofreader. Don’t know if the standalone book has these corrected but in The Murder Book it’s pretty bad.
At one point he called Donny Ray Miles Bill Ray Miles.
I don’t find our main character, Justin, very likeable. He has some major anger issues, to the point of wanting to seriously hurt some of the other characters. He lets his intense dislike of others cloud his judgement to the point of blatantly disobeying orders and lying a good deal of the time. He is, as we would call him, a ‘bad cop.’
Well, made it to the end and not impressed. No mystery, just relating events in this guys life, which was ok, but not very exciting.
Circling the Runway – 4 stars. I like the Jake Diamond character and his sassy secretary, Darlene. Diamond is kind of a throwback to the old-time PI’s, rumpled and flawed; he drinks too much but carries on. Lots going on, keeps your interest all the way through.
Thread of Hope – 5 stars. Excellent read! Fast paced, exciting, well written. The characters are well rounded and easily identified with (well, except for the spoiled rich kids)
Telling Lies – 3 stars. Pretty average story, enjoyable enough but nothing that stands out (except the dog, Lucy); I really liked Lucy. The characters were pretty well developed.
The Dying Hour – 5 stars. I started out thinking this was four stars, but very shortly moved it to five due to the fast paced action, the suspense, and the realistic movement of the story-line. Jason Wade is a great character and his tenacity in following up his story shows how strong he is. The point of view moving among the different characters kept the story flowing and kept us up on what was happening. It got to the point where I couldn’t put the book down and finished it in the wee hours of the morning.
Backwater Bay – 3 stars. None of the characters were very well developed; the most we learn about the main character is that he’s from California, accidentally made a big drug bust, divorced, went into witness protection in Florida, likes to blow off his job and fish, and is constantly second guessing himself – I’m surprised he can function at all. I did learn a lot more about boating than I cared to; lots of little details that dragged on and made me want to skip sections.
Maniacal – 2 stars. Not only is every movement detailed but it is done so in the most simplistic language. It’s rather boring and distracts from the storyline. The storyline itself was ok and I did read it to the end, but it took me awhile because I had trouble being interested in this story. I didn’t feel the characters were developed enough for me to care about them.
Room Number Three – 3 stars. Interesting enough; a bit different. A difficult subject that was well written.
Hide and Seek – 3 stars. Pretty short story so the characters weren’t very well developed. I was surprised that the main character (detective) slept and drank on the job and chose what cases he would take.
A Stairway to the Sea – 2 stars. This story really needed proofreading. One paragraph says Chris Chambers couldn’t get into the marines because he was missing the first two fingers on his left. Hand. The next paragraph states he lost his ring and pinky on his right hand. Later on he snaps a salute with his left hand, folding his index finger into his palm, leaving his middle finger out.
Halfway through the second chapter we finally find out the main guys name, Justin. Got everyone else’s name and a short description. The only description on this guy is he doesn’t fill out his uniform as well as Chris does.
They leave in Justin’s police cruiser, but Chris is driving? Ah, nope, they are both driving their own vehicles (we find out much later).
Some editing errors: he used instead of the and their instead of they’re. “I’m haven’t been sleeping to good lately.” Initially it was just occasional words left out. Then it got to where there were too many words left out; having to reread sentences to make sense of them. As the story progresses the editing errors become more frequent. Really needs a good proofreader. Don’t know if the standalone book has these corrected but in The Murder Book it’s pretty bad.
At one point he called Donny Ray Miles Bill Ray Miles.
I don’t find our main character, Justin, very likeable. He has some major anger issues, to the point of wanting to seriously hurt some of the other characters. He lets his intense dislike of others cloud his judgement to the point of blatantly disobeying orders and lying a good deal of the time. He is, as we would call him, a ‘bad cop.’
Well, made it to the end and not impressed. No mystery, just relating events in this guys life, which was ok, but not very exciting.
Circling the Runway – 4 stars. I like the Jake Diamond character and his sassy secretary, Darlene. Diamond is kind of a throwback to the old-time PI’s, rumpled and flawed; he drinks too much but carries on. Lots going on, keeps your interest all the way through.
Thread of Hope – 5 stars. Excellent read! Fast paced, exciting, well written. The characters are well rounded and easily identified with (well, except for the spoiled rich kids)
June 8, 2018
All ten books are outstanding mystery/suspence. I enjoyed each and every book. First time reading several authors so I'll be looking forward to reading more of their writing.
I have a question though. Why am I encountering so many spelling and grammar errors and words left out of sentences? Someone needs to do a better job of editing.
I have a question though. Why am I encountering so many spelling and grammar errors and words left out of sentences? Someone needs to do a better job of editing.
June 15, 2018
An excellent collection.
An excellent collection of crime novels. Some are better than others in my view, but the variety of action do draw you in. I will warn that some descriptions are pretty harrowing. Reality is there are crimes as gruesome as described. Highly recommend that you try this collection.
An excellent collection of crime novels. Some are better than others in my view, but the variety of action do draw you in. I will warn that some descriptions are pretty harrowing. Reality is there are crimes as gruesome as described. Highly recommend that you try this collection.
July 25, 2020
Entertaining
I gave this collection four stars for several merited five stars, a few four stars and a couple rated only three stars. If crime novels appeal to you this collection is a good choice.
I gave this collection four stars for several merited five stars, a few four stars and a couple rated only three stars. If crime novels appeal to you this collection is a good choice.
November 20, 2021
great stories
A wonderful way to learn about some authors I wasn’t familiar with. I enjoyed all of the stories and even read a few second books by these authors. One of the best compilation of mysteries I have read. I highly recommend this book to mystery readers.
A wonderful way to learn about some authors I wasn’t familiar with. I enjoyed all of the stories and even read a few second books by these authors. One of the best compilation of mysteries I have read. I highly recommend this book to mystery readers.
April 27, 2018
I love this & I can't wait for more.
I will be also leaving a review on Goodreads @ Amazon.
And letting everyone know about it.
So i gave it a 5 Stars.
I will be also leaving a review on Goodreads @ Amazon.
And letting everyone know about it.
So i gave it a 5 Stars.
June 11, 2018
10 complete novels!
8 of these were very good! The other two were boring or confusing....see what you think! Took me a week to read them all and I enjoyed the travels.
8 of these were very good! The other two were boring or confusing....see what you think! Took me a week to read them all and I enjoyed the travels.
July 30, 2018
Good read
This collection was really a good read - 1 story was short but it was also good- pleasantly surprised you will be too
This collection was really a good read - 1 story was short but it was also good- pleasantly surprised you will be too
August 1, 2018
Good
All ten books were very good. They kept me reading to wee hours in the morning. Hope you enjoy them too.
All ten books were very good. They kept me reading to wee hours in the morning. Hope you enjoy them too.
December 10, 2018
Love!!!
Whoever decided to compile this book is a marketing genius!! I now have 10 new authors to follow!! Loved every book
Whoever decided to compile this book is a marketing genius!! I now have 10 new authors to follow!! Loved every book
March 19, 2019
The murder book
A great collection of stories written in different styles by different authors. A common theme running throughout. Very enjoyable. Recommended.
A great collection of stories written in different styles by different authors. A common theme running throughout. Very enjoyable. Recommended.
May 17, 2019
Unbelievable collection of stories. Well worth reading again, if you’ve already read some. John Jordan is fantastic. Ready for more.
June 13, 2019
I reviewed each story individually.
October 9, 2019
Good stories
Great mystery stories. Loved all of them. They kept your interest and you didn't want to put it down. Loved all the authors.
Great mystery stories. Loved all of them. They kept your interest and you didn't want to put it down. Loved all the authors.
December 28, 2019
The ending isn't always what you expect
A great series of thrillers. Crime is never easy to solve sometimes the answers aren't what you were looking for.
A great series of thrillers. Crime is never easy to solve sometimes the answers aren't what you were looking for.
October 15, 2021
Nice intro to new authors and series. There are a couple duds among them but overall, very good.
September 17, 2022
Good books
I enjoyed reading this collection of books and I know have more authors I have never read before. Good books
I enjoyed reading this collection of books and I know have more authors I have never read before. Good books
October 6, 2023
Good antbology
I gave this book five steps are because it was a good selection of stories. No cliffhangers just a cross section crime/mystery novels.
I gave this book five steps are because it was a good selection of stories. No cliffhangers just a cross section crime/mystery novels.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews