James has been in bookselling for over 30 years and enjoys mysteries, horror, and historical fiction. He's a member of the Horror Writers Association as well as the Mystery Writers of America and you can read his work in the anthologies California Screamin' and Sherlock Holmes and the Occult Detectives Vol 2 (available at Warwick's).
-Bookie since 2016-
Set in the Jim Crow South, this is a harrowing, yet triumphant novel about 12-year-old Robert Stephens Jr. and his fight to survive a brutal segregated boy's reformatory school. One thing that works in his favor is that he can see haints (ghosts), and the sadistic warden wants to use his skill to rid the place of the dead boys that haunt the grounds. This is The Shining meets The Nickel Boys. History and horror mix in an unforgettable novel that will haunt you long after you put it down.
Nobody writes Southern Noir better than S A Cosby. There's a nuance that only a native can capture. When I finished reading about Titus Crown, I just wanted to grab a bourbon, sit down, and dream of being such a great storyteller.
After a school shooting exposes a rot amongst the citizens of Charon County Virginia, their first black sheriff must track down a ruthless serial killer who's one of their own. Titus Crown, a former FBI agent, faces a whirlwind of problems with hostile town council members, thuggish Confederate Army lovers, an angry African American community, an aging father, troubled brother, worried girlfriend, and sadistic murderer who's been secretly killing black children for years.
Time's running out and the man in the wolf mask has his sights set on Titus and those closest to him.
An homage to his mother and the under-reported heroic work of women during WWII. Good Night Irene just might be Urrea's magnum opus in a long line of soul touching works. if Hemingway would have written about war with more tenderness and empathy for women, this kind of novel might have been the result.
Fans of Walter Mosley and Raymond Chandler will enjoy the Noir look at LA during the MLK Civil Rights era.
Harry Ingram is an African-American freelance news photographer still dealing with the horrific memories of the Korean War. Crime scene photos pay the bills. But he longs for legitimate recognition of his art.
When a friend dies in a suspicious car crash, Harry is drawn into a web of political intrigue that will test his morals and skill to survive.
Picture Queen Elizabeth II as a Miss Marple amateur detective and you have the basis of this fun new mystery series. A Russian pianist is found murdered at Windsor Castle after a "dine and sleep" and all clues point to someone within the tightly controlled home of the Queen. Full of interesting suspects and current Royal gossip, this book is a fun read and welcome escape from the craziness of the real world.
Nobody writes, “Florida Crazy” like Carl Hiaasen. If a news story leads with, “Florida man does…”, you can bet that it’s already been covered in a Hiaasen novel. However, no matter how madcap of a scenario that he presents, you can’t help but believe it could really happen.
Take Squeeze Me, the latest drive through wacky town. It’s present day and the current president (code named, Mastodon), is an overweight, tanning bed obsessed narcissist who has a super model wife who spends most of her time avoiding his touch. Sound familiar?
Now, throw in a drug-addled invasive Burmese Python that loves to snack on wealthy geriatric presidential supporters, a ex-con wildlife wrangler on the run from a one-armed poacher, and a former senator turned off-the-grid environmental warrior, and you have a recipe for one heck of a wild ride.
Hiaasen’s satire is razor sharp and his outlandish characters are so close to reality that you may find yourself laughing and then shaking your head in disgust. However, 2020 is a year that threw the rulebook into the swamp and tested us like no other time in recent history. So, grab an ice-cold Mojito, turn off the news, log out of your social media and let yourself laugh at the madness of it all.
Disneyland is the most recognized theme park in the world. However, Richard Snow’s new detailed and fascinating book paints a picture of a dream that succeeded in spite of itself. From the false starts of “Mickey Mouse Land” to the massive failures at the July 15th, 1955 Grand Opening, the story is a truly American success story of not giving up on a dream.
Taken from tons of research and interviews, Snow takes the reader from concept, through secret real estate deals, and financing that included Walt Disney getting a loan against his life insurance, to a park that would see over 160,000 guests in its first week. What started out as a modest couple of million dollar project ballooned into over $17 million dollars by opening day. However, it created a new form of family entertainment and put ABC Television above its competition.
Disney’s Land is a must read for Disneyland fans as well as any budding entrepreneurs.
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(This book cannot be returned.)
Hard-boiled ex-detective Daniel Hawthorn is back to be a pain in the butt to real life author Anthony Horowitz as he bullies the writer into covering a case the police can't solve. This series, aside from being a fun read, gives an inside look at a how a writer puts everything together.
Horowitz's self-deprecating humor paired with Hawthorn's lack of grace make for an interesting flip on the Holmes/Watson style of mystery. Much like a Agatha Christie cold case, a present-day murder by an expensive bottle of wine might be connected to a decade old caving accident. Unlike Christie, Horowitz plays fair with his clues and delivers a satisfying conclusion.
(This book cannot be returned.)