November 2025
Randal Brandt contributed a critical introduction to the new edition of The Red Tassel by David Dodge, published last month by Black Gat Books/Stark House Press. Originally published in 1950, the novel is the third and final entry in Dodge’s series about Al Colby, an expatriate private eye operating in Latin America. In this story, Al is hired to investigate a series of “accidents” that have hindered production at a silver mine high in the Bolivian Andes. Also, The Rap Sheet blog has published two of Randal’s essays in a new “Book Into Film” series. The essays are revisions and expansions of Randal’s “Book or Movie” columns that originally appeared here in the pages of LineUp. The first, Plunder of the Sun, was published on August 18, and the second, Phantom Lady, was published on October 22.
Robert Coburn – I’ve added a line of short stories set in Key West, FL to my website RobertCoburnBooks.com. They’re called Key West ESHORTS and are available only on Kindle. There are 10 stories at the present time. More to come. Check it out. All comments welcomed.
Mary Flodin – My newest mystery, Incident at Cougar Creek, set in California’s recently-opened national monument, launched on October 29, 2025. Available on Kindle, Paperback, & Hardcover.
” . . . Mary Flodin’s prose pulses with authenticity, from vivid environmental detail to her nuanced portrayal of trauma and resilience. Both a gripping page-turner and a profound call for empathy toward people and planet. Highly recommended.” The International Review of Books
Leslie Karst – Book two in my Lefty Award-nominated Orchid Isle series, Waters of Destruction, released on October 21 as a trade paperback. More fun Hawaiian vibes and murder, now at a lower price!
Alissa Lee – I am excited to share that my novel, With Friends Like These, is out on November 4. It’s about a group of close college friends who have played a secret game for decades, but when they decide to play one final time, deadly consequences emerge from old lies. Read more about it here.
James L’Etoile – On November 1, I along with Claire Booth and Elena Taylor, will join together at Wild Sisters Book Co. in Sacramento for three times the fun. The authors will talk about their most recent releases, the writing life, and what a haunting, shadows, and sins have in common. The event runs from 6-7:30 PM in a great indie bookstore in downtown Sacramento.
On November 15, 19 NorCal MWA members will converge at the 2nd Annual Lincoln Book Festival, at the Lincoln Public Library for a day of panel discussions and book fun. Face in a Book will be on hand to sell books and attendees can meet some of their favorite authors or perhaps discover a new-to-them author. This year’s participating authors are: Susan Bickford, Robin Burcell, Michelle Chouinard, Allison Davis, Stacie Grey, Claire Johnson, Ellen Kirschman, Audrey Lee, James L’Etoile, Catriona McPherson, Richard Meredith, Gregory C. Randall, Eileen Rendahl, John Rosskopf, Susan Shea, Faye Snowden, Kelli Stanley, Lisa Towles, and Laura Jensen Walker.
Rob Osler – The third short story in my Perry Winkle Whodunit series, “Host to a Murder,” published exclusively in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, appears in the Nov/Dec 2025 edition.
Susan Shea – I will be participating in the November 15 Lincoln, California Library MWA writer event.
James Tipton – Not very mystery or Nor Cal-like, but if you want to include it, a Cantata called “Seven Poems of Love,” lyrics by myself, is being performed Library MWA w University Choral Ensemble, soloists, and orchestra on Nov. 23 in Provincetown, RI.
Victoria Zackheim – Here are my current and upcoming releases.
2025: The Curtain Falls in Paris: An Aria Nevins and Noah Roche Mystery (May 2025)
2026: Death Times Seven (This is the final novel in Anne Perry’s Daniel Pitt series. Anne completed the rough draft of the first nine chapters. After her death, Random House asked me to complete the novel. Final edits were delivered last week! April 14, 2026 pub date.
2026: Murder at Hotel Gloriosa: An Aria Nevins and Noah Roche Mystery (Book 2, May 2026 pub date)