Beautiful, blond Russian photographic models and half-sisters, Anna and Vika, are excited, but also a bit nervous, as their trans-Atlantic flight reaches its destination of Los Angeles. Vitaly, their photographer in Russia, has sent them at the request of his brother, Mikhail, who will photograph the sisters at beach locations along the Pacific Coast near Santa Barbara.
Mikhail—a fiftyish-looking bodybuilder with a salt and pepper goatee—meets the sisters, and they are soon heading north, the girls transfixed by the sights of Los Angeles and the California terrain en route to their new venue. Mikhail drops them off at a motel, suggesting that they rest up. This they do, but they awaken to growing needs for a fix—alcohol for Vika, heroin for Anna. Mikhail returns and takes Vika with him to pick up the necessary booze, needles, and drugs. He’ll pick them up in the morning for a shooting day at the beach.
In this suspense-filled novel, board-certified 25-year veteran criminalist John Houde shares his knowledge in this field—much of it published in the Journal of Forensic Sciences and other professional venues—with both young adult and older readers seeking an exciting tale of crime and murder investigated at crime scenes and in crime labs of California’s police and sheriffs’ departments. Evidence gathered by these organizations comes to be used by the FBI to bring down an international ring of criminals engaged in human trafficking of young women. The crime and mayhem are lightened by a little American-Russian romance and the close relationships that develop among the ‘good’ characters.
Houde intricately weaves many threads into his story, with parts played by colorfully crafted characters, among them the Russian trio; Santa Barbara Police Department criminalist Paul Connert, who is determined to help Vika find her missing sister; SBPD officer Kyra and her partner, Tina, a University of California-Santa Barbara graduate student, whose thesis involves research on the method of nanoparticle-mediated medication delivery to treat drug and alcohol addiction; and a crime investigator turned criminal right under his coworkers’ noses.
What makes Houde’s novel most fascinating, however, is his skillful use of accessible language to enable his readers to enter the contemporary world of criminal investigation and see how forensic evidence is collected, examined, and used to solve crimes that might otherwise never be solved. If this book piques your interest in this scientific field, you’ll want to read Houde’s Crime Lab: A Guide for Nonscientists.
Spanning three continents and taking on crucial issues of child marriage and human trafficking, Disowned features a brave teen heroine struggling against international criminality with nothing but her wits and grit.
Asha, born in Tanzania, is still a child when her parents are tragically killed while on a family safari in Kenya. Within a short period of time she is transported to Goa, India, to live with relatives she has never met. Her grandmother is an angry, culture-bound crone, her aunt and cousin living, as Asha now must, under the old woman’s seemingly heartless sway.
Not yet knowing the language or the social manners of her new homeland, Asha wears her best red shoes to school. She is beaten by the schoolmistress and taunted by classmates until she finds her saving grace—cooking. Beginning with lessons learned as a child and kitchen lore picked up from her new family, she starts her own business selling cupcakes, gaining grudging respect from classmates.
When her grandmother decides to sell her off to an old man who already has a wife and has no qualms about claiming his new child-bride by rape, Asha realizes she must escape — from grandmother, from Goa, and indeed from this horrible marriage.
The road is open to a new life in Canada, but there she will find she has been sold again, this time as the virtual slave of a demented old woman whose bizarre activities soon put Asha on the run again, this time with a new friend and fellow cook named Katy. The dangers are palpable, but the girls are determined to make a new life for themselves – anywhere and by any means.
Tikiri is an entrepreneurial, adventurous self-described “recovering nomad,” and is the author of a series of Non-Fiction books in support of ambitious young women. The Rebel Journal Workbooks touch on subjects of finding your passion and making plans to reach your goal. One senses she has either personally observed or studiously researched the settings she so vividly describes – from the African veldt to the hovels of backstreet Goa.
Tikiri’s central character, Asha, is naïve but definitely not lacking in good sense or in empathy for the suffering she sees around her. Knowing little about men, she nonetheless intuits that her prospective husband would be a brute and her life in Goa an endless grind. She knows she’s made for better things and desires to help her ailing aunt and culturally trapped cousin if she can. Tikiri’s writing is skillful and creative; her storyline never flags. As she leads from twist to turn in the well-constructed plot, her reader’s attention will stay riveted on Asha’s continually escalating challenges. Female readers (from older teens to adults) will find kinship with the girls in the story and look forward to the next installment of Asha’s adventures.
A tale that sounds too real for comfort at times, Disowned, is the first book in the Red-Heeled Rebels series and presents a disturbing view of powerless, exploited women and girls in third-world countries through the hopeful eyes of a determined young woman trying to beat the odds.
The CLUE Book Awards recognize emerging talent and outstanding works in the genre of Suspense, Thriller, Crime, & Mystery Novels. The CLUE Book Awards is a genre division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The #CIBAs).
Chanticleer Book Reviews is looking for the best books featuring suspense, thrilling adventure, detective work, private eye, police procedural, and crime solving, we will put them to the test and choose the best among them. (For light-hearted Mystery and Suspense entries see our Mystery & Mayhem Awards)
Information about the #CIBAs Long Lists and Short Lists and Announcement Rounds.
These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from SLUSH pile to the 2018 Long List (aka the Slush Pile Survivors). We incorporate the Long List when the judges request an additional round of judging to accommodate the number and/or quality of entries received. These entries are now in competition for the 2018 CLUE SHORT LIST. Short Listers will compete for the Semi-Finalists positions.
The coveted First Place Category Winners of the 2018 CLUE Book Awards will be selected from the Semi-Finalists in the final rounds of judging. The First Place Category Winners will be announced at the Chanticleer Awards Banquet and Ceremony.
The First Place Category winners will automatically be entered into the CLUE GRAND PRIZE AWARD competition. The 16 CBR Grand Prize Genre Winners will compete for the CBR Overall Grand Prize for Best Book and its $1,000 purse. First Place Category and Grand Prize Awards will be announced and recognized at the Chanticleer Awards Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, April 27th, 2019, Bellingham, Washington.
These titles are in the running for the SHORT LIST of the 2018 CLUE Book Awards novel competition for Suspense, Thriller, Crime, and Mystery Novels.
Deb Pierce McCabe – Red and Blue
Pamela Beason – The Only One Left
Timothy S. Johnston – The War Beneath
A.J. McCarthy – Cold Betrayal
Saralyn Richard – Murder in the One Percent
Timothy Burgess – California Son
Philip Derrick – Facing The Dragon
Ginnie Padden – Holy Ones
Cheryl L. Reed – Poison Girls
E. V. Stephens – Shortcuts
Nick Airus – The Manifesto Murders
Lawrence Verigin – Beyond Control
Elizabeth Crowens – Dear Bernie, I’m Glad You’re Dead
John Young – The Nexus
Melodie Hernandez – Forgotten Rage
Dan M Portillo – The Lone Escapist
CL Gibson – The Urge
Lyle Howard – A Trace of Revenge
Zach Fortier – Chakana
Nicholas Kellum – Briar Falls
Catherine Ketchum – The Gatekeeper
Kara Wolfe – Number Four
John W. Howell and Gwen M. Plano – The Contract Between Heaven and Earth
Elaine Williams Crockett – Do Not Ask
Carl and Jane Bock – Swamp Guide
Karen Dodd – Scare Away the Dark: A Stone Suspense
Alex Usher – Active Shooter
Kelly Oliver – FOX, A Jessica James Mystery
John Stafford – Prayer of Vengeance
Susan Wingate – The Death of Vultures
Ernesto H Lee – Out of Time
Pat W Coffey – Changing Habits
Elizabeth Crowens – Dear Mr. Hitchcock
Laurie Scott – In Like a Lion
Lisa Towles – Choke
Paul McHugh – The Blind Pool
Tom Edwards – No Greater Freedom
Marilynn Larew – Hong Kong Central
Ken Malovos – One Night In Amboise
Chief John J. Mandeville – Pine Village Co-op Murders
Zach Fortier – Cachbachie
Kara Lumbley – As the Ribbons Fall
Lauren E. Rico – Reverie (Reverie Trilogy, Book 1)
Lauren E. Rico – Rhapsody (Reverie Trilogy, Book 2)
Lauren E. Rico – Requiem (Reverie Trilogy, Book 3)
The ribbons were laid out on the table with
All Short Listers and SemiFinalists will receive high visibility along with special badges to wear during the Chanticleer Authors Conference and Awards Gala.
To view the 2017 CLUE Book Awards winners, pleaseclick here.
The CLUE Grand Prize Winner and the First Place Category Position award winners will be announced at theApril 27th, 2019 Chanticleer Book Awards Annual Awards Gala,which takes place at the Chanticleer Authors Conference that will be held in Bellingham, Wash.
We are now accepting submissions into the 2018 CLUE Book Awards writing competition. The deadline for submissions is September 30th, 2019. Please click here for more information.
As always, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions, concerns, or suggestions at Info@ChantiReviews.com.
The Moving Blade by Michael Pronko won GRAND PRIZE in the CIBA 2018 Global Thriller Awards for Lab Lit and High Stakes Thrillers!
What exactly was Bernard Mattson up to when he committed seppuku* at his Tokyo home – or, was it murder? This is just one of many questions Michael Pronko incites in readers in his latest novel, The Moving Blade.
Another set of questions: What was so important about Mattson’s collection of rare Japanese shunga—centuries-old erotic art—that someone ransacked the house for it while his family attended his funeral? Or was it all about the significant role that the elderly Mattson had in formulating, then turning against, the SOFA** agreements, and the book he intended to publish about the unfairness of the agreements to Japan today?
This is a rich serving of a thriller, a well-cooked and tasty sukiyaki of a novel, written by an American who knows Japan well. He does the magic trick of giving us his Japan with little compromise—the Tokyo settings, subtle cultural difference, and, most exquisitely, thefood—always ensuring his U.S. readers understand and accept shunga, ikizukuri, oyasumi-nasai, and meishi as easily as we understand hot dogs and Mom’s apple pie.
The Moving Blade does more than most procedural crime novels; this one is enriched by carefully drawn portraits of both political and cultural differences between Western and Eastern culture. It outlines without proselytizing the concerns of a range of Japanese citizens with the SOFA agreements. But if you think this book is more political than action, think again. The ongoing appearance of Japanese swords are given proper attention to their historical, social and monetary value, as well as their appearance in a killing that is best explained as ritualistic slice ‘n dice.
Hiroshi Shimizu, the Tokyo police detective with an American education is the lead character among a rich cast of Japanese and American men and women. His interior monologues about his career, a few women in his life, and the investigation aren’t quite as dark as thrillers from Scandinavia, but this is Japan, and he dishes out enough angst to make us care about who he is and what he does.
Most novels about contemporary Japan seem to be written by Japanese writers and translated into English. One of the accomplishments of this book is its distinctly American style that communicates Japanese life with equal clarity. And while some characters play the part of stock players, understand this, The Moving Blade delivers a solid punch to the gut (make that a well-placed thrust of a wakizashi sword) that readers look for in other-worldly thrillers.
This is the second book in Pronko’s series with Detective Hiroshi Shimizu, in a planned series of five books: the first, The Last Train, was published in 2017.
*Seppuku (hari-kiri): 1: ritual suicide by disembowelment practiced by the Japanese samurai or formerly decreed by a court in lieu of the death penalty; 2: SUICIDE: Merriman-Webster online dictionary.
**SOFA refers to the binding arbitration between Japan and the U.S. following World War II allowing the U.S. to establish permanent military bases governed by American laws
“A rich serving of a thriller, The Moving Blade is a well-cooked and tasty sukiyaki of a novel, written by an American who knows Japan well.” – Chanticleer Reviews
As a treaty expert for the Department of State, Aaron Monroe travels the world extensively, unquestioned and unsuspected. This allows him to efficiently fulfill his orders. You see, in reality, Monroe is an undercover operative for the covert arm of the US Council for Homeland Defense. He is the best at what he does—taking out targets, sanitizing scenes, and scooting away undetected.
On holiday in Italy with Sarah, his wealthy, beautiful, Eurasian girlfriend, he abandons her in Venice for one day to keep an appointment in Trieste. A final “go” from his handler in Washington D.C. and Aaron tracks his targets, an al Qaeda and ISIS financier and a senior ISIS commander, to a decrepit villa in one of the city’s oldest areas.
While clearing the building, after gaining entry and eliminating these men, Aaron finds an office equipped with multiple closed-circuit TV screens monitoring four locked, basement rooms. Three are crowded with young teenaged girls and one with pre-teen boys.
Now what? A quick call to his handler, a decision—leave the captives for the police to find— sanitize the scene and get out undiscovered. During the cleaning process, Aaron finds a ledger written in what appears to be Arabic in the deceased financier’s satchel. As the ledger may contain valuable information, he slings the satchel over his shoulder and poof! He’s out of there.
At Sarah’s insistence, Aaron relents and allows her into his shadow world. They trek around Europe and the United States, seeking to expose the international human trafficking ring that kidnapped those children to sell as unsullied brides for ISIS fighters and suicide bomber trainees.
This dangerous quest takes them into the highest echelons of government and industry, where the lust for power and wealth supersedes human decency and democratic ideals. Ultimately, Monroe is forced to question whom he can truly trust and, perhaps more importantly, if anyone really has his back.
The Monroe Decision explores relatively uncharted territory within the thriller genre. Clark uses socio-political facts and incidents from today’s headlines and accurate, detailed descriptions of familiar and exotic locations to create a mesmerizing yarn, replete with assassination, romance, betrayal and the triumph of good over evil.
Clark offers no downtime for his readers: plot, characters, atmosphere, setting, and pacing coalesce into a smooth, captivating read that’s hard to put down. Our advice? Clear your calendar, turn off the phone, lock the door, and enjoy.
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_text]September brings countless clues and unsolved mysteries! Who will crack the case and emerge a winner? Stay tuned…
The game’s afoot this September with thrilling adventure, nail-biting suspense, keen detective work, and more. Perhaps you’ll need a private eye on the case or follow police procedural to the letter. What’s certain, while authors work hard at crime solving, when September draws to an end, all of our cases will be closed!
What are the CLUE Awards? Thrillers, Suspense, the grip of Mystery. CLUE is all about the uncertain– detectives and private eyes, cops and criminals; those who have something to hide and those who hunt to bring those dark secrets to light. CLUE novels thrive on questions and build suspense with each turning of the page. For writers who scatter pieces of a mystery throughout their stories, and readers who enjoy putting those pieces together, CLUE is the genre of choice.
The deadline is just around the corner! Who will survive the Slush? Who will be Longlisted and Shortlisted?
Who will take home the prize at CAC19 on April 27th?
Kaylin McFarren, CLUE Grand Prize Winner
Avoid the crime of letting this deadline slip by!Send in your stories of thrilling detectives, super sleuths, daring and flawed police detectives today. We will put them to the test and choose the best among them.
As the September 30th deadline for submissions draws closer, don’t miss this opportunity to earn distinction for your novel. Enter today!
All category winners have the opportunity to attend our Awards Ceremony on April 27, 2019, that will take place during the 2019 Chanticleer Authors Conference. First Place category winners will be whisked up on stage to receive their custom ribbon and await to see who among them will take home the Grand Prize. It’s an exciting and electrifying evening of dinner, networking, and celebrations!
First Place category winners and Grand Prize winners will each receive a stunning awards package well worth the price of entry into the CLUE Awards competitions.
The CLUE Awards for the best Thriller & Suspense Fiction novels
HALL of FAME
The Grand Prize CLUE Winner in 2017:
Twisted Threadsby Kaylin McFarren won the “Suspense/Thriller” category in the Clue Awards and then took home the Clue GrandPrize! Twisted Threads is the fourth book in her Threads Series set on a cruise ship, “With killers on the loose and no avenue for escape, tension is ratcheted to a breaking point, forcing everyone to choose between love and loyalty – or deeply held honor – in order to survive.”
Kaylin McFarrenis a multi-award winning author who has earned more than forty national literary awards. “She keeps a glass of wine close by while writing love scenes, Kleenex on her desk while writing heartbreakers, and has been known to empty a box of chocolates when she’s completely stumped.“
1st Place Category Winners in 2017:
Do Not Askby Elaine Williams Crockett
100 Days of Terrorby Larry Temple
The Butcher’s Billby SMartin Roy Hill
The Criminalist: A Novel of Forensic Science Suspenseby John Houde
Aged in Charcoalby Jeffrey Ridenour
Grand Prize Winner of 2016:
A Matter of Justice by Keith Tittle won the “Suspense/Thriller” category in the 2016 Clue Awards and went on to win the Grand Prize! “Author Keith Tittle rings all the challenges in this complex, gripping mystery. His story combines diverse elements lending the story opportunity for multiple mayhems. Jeff Dawes is a believable hero – determined, diligent, dogged by past failures that spur him to try harder. The setting – Portland, Oregon, with its scenic natural environs makes for a variety of well-staged scenarios.“
Keith Tittleis “…a lifelong history buff, baseball fan, and resident of the Pacific Northwest, and lives with his wife in southwest Washington.” Keith is working on the second novel in this series.
In 2015, Lonna Enox’s Blood Relations won the CLUE Grand Prize. This is the second book in Lonna’s Sorrel Janes Mysteries series set in the contemporary Southwest. In Blood Relations, “… a tangled web of mystery and lies, [proves that] the truth can only be discovered if the seeker can survive.“
Lonna Enox says this about herself, “I’m a ‘what if’ person. I’m also curious, and ask lots of questions, read about things, try things, & always investigate.”
The Red Ribbon by Rachel B. Ledge won the 2014 Clue Grand Prize. This historical fiction thriller set in London 1773 about a young woman who struggles to adjust to life after witnessing the murder of her closest friend by the man she loves.
“Rachel B. Ledge is an award-winning author of historical novels with elements of suspense, romance, and time travel. She grew up in Idaho, Texas, Utah and California due to circumstances that didn’t involve the military. An expat since 2008, she and her husband lived in Sydney for five years before sailing to Singapore, where they lived on a boat for a while before transitioning onto terra firma. She can be found sitting up late at night, reading anything with a compelling storyline.”
True Crime: Gayle Nix Jackson forOrville Nix: The Missing JFK Assassination Film
Grand Prize CLUE Winner in 2013:
In 2013, Clyde Curley took home the Grand Prize for his novel Raggedy Man, the first in the Detective Toussaint Novels. Here’s a top-notch detective murder mystery set in the Pacific Northwest, Portland Oregon, to be exact. “His novels are prodigious—yes they come in at more than 500 pages, but you will be wishing it were longer—and are page-turners that tackle and explore the big ethical and societal issues of today. Curley’s deft use of murder mysteries to microscopically explore society’s ethical issues is nothing short of brilliant.” – Chanticleer Reviews
Clyde Curley tells us “…this is all that matters: I’ve grown up and now I’m an author. For me, the permanence of art stands as a bulwark against the slings and arrows of outrageous real life. The highest, richest form of art is that which is formed from words—the first and most important attribute of humans striving to behave less like animals and more like gods.”
Pamela Beason’s Mystery/Thriller, The Only Witness tied for Grand Prize in 2012. The Only Witness is a marvel of story-telling. Pamela Beason’s novel is one of those rare gems that is intelligent and informative but also embracing and charmingly accessible.
A former private investigator, Pamela Beason “…lives in the Pacific Northwest. Pam challenges the human assumption that we are the superior species. Each of her titles takes readers on an adventure while reminding us that drifting through life is not enough; you have to live it…”
1st Place Category Winners in 2012:
Shadow Gamesby Jeanette-Marie Mirich
Corporate Insanity by Tom Pors
New Smyrna Swing by D.D. Queens
Made in Chinaby Mark Reutlinger
Mrs. Kaplan in the Soup; The Matzoh Ball of Death by Mark Reutlinger
Murder Strikes a Pose, A Downward Dog Mystery by Tracy Weber
Your book could earn a place in our CLUE hall of fame for the CIBA 2018 Best Books.
All you have to do is to enter your manuscript or published novel.
We are looking for the best books featuring suspense, thrilling adventure, detective work, private eye, police procedural, and crime solving, we will put them to the test and choose the best among them. (For light-hearted Mystery and Suspense entries see our Mystery & Mayhem Awards) [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”2_5″ last=”yes” spacing=”yes” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” border_size=”1px” border_color=”#606060″ border_style=”solid” padding=”10px” class=”” id=””][fusion_text]
Our Chanticleer Review Writing Contests feature more than $30,000.00 worth of cash and prizes each year!
All First in Category Winning Titles will be placed in the queue to receive a covetedChanticleer Book Review Package (value $395) for the winning title (reviews are non-transferable)and go on to compete for the genre Grand Prize and the Overall Grand Prize.
The Overall Grand Prize Winner is namedChanticleer Reviews Best Book of the Yearand awarded the$1000 prize
All Winners receive a Chanticleer Prize Packagewhich includes a digital badge, a ribbon and a whole assortment of goodies
Homicide detective, Lieutenant Kyle Tanner, successfully captures the brutally sadistic serial killer known as The Reaper, whose modus operandi is to systematically dismember his victims while keeping them alive to suffer as long as possible. Tanner receives orders to transport The Reaper from Pluto, where he and his soul-mate Shaheen are stationed, to the CCF Home System where the killer will stand trial. Tanner, more dissatisfied than ever about the CCF contemplates a way out, a way to fall off the grid to start life anew on some distant outpost free from oppression and the totalitarian military regime of the CCF. At least, that’s the plan as soon as he and Shaheen complete their mission to deliver The Reaper to authorities in The Home System.
Along the way, their small transport ship loses power as some unseen force shuts down the systems aboard the ship. Tanner, Shaheen, and his prisoner are left to drift aimlessly in space with a disabled drive and a damaged communications system whose crippled range won’t allow them to call Pluto or any other station for help.
As the number of failing systems grows, their fortunes change. A research ship in the vicinity, the Phoenix, passes within range to receive their distress call and rescues them. But all is not well aboard the Phoenix, either. They have hit the same anomaly and are battling systems shutdowns of their own, albeit with more success.
As the story progresses, Tanner is sure of three things, none of them good: The crew is hiding a secret. No help is on the way. And he a Shaheen will be dead within three days.
Johnston is a master at blending science fiction, mystery, and thriller genres into a captivating read. The Void is well written in the first person, past tense, from the protagonist Tanner’s point of view. The characters are well fleshed out, engaging, and believable. The does contain mild sexual content, though nothing overly graphic. And there is violence, more than this reviewer expected in light of his previous experience with the Kyle Tanner series. This occurs at the very beginning of the novel and almost crossed the line. Then the story takes over and picks up speed leaving the graphic violence behind. (See Chanticleer Reviews of Book 1, The Furnace and Book 2, The Freezer.)
In deep trouble on an unfamiliar ship with the odds stacked against him, Tanner must determine who is enemy, who can be trusted, and what secrets lurk aboard the Phoenix.
The Tanner Sequence by Timothy Johnston won first place in the 2015 Clue Awards in the Chanticleer Int’l Writing Competitions.
Sam had been a curious, resourceful child growing up in a family torn apart by a contentious past. At a very young age, he’d discovered a fascination with killing. Now almost an adult, he’s anxious to find his little sister who he’s sure is living somewhere with their mother. The mother who had abandoned him. Although he was young when they were separated, Sam remembers his sister well, including the cute green ribbons she always wore in her hair. Now author Kara Wolfe shows readers what Sam really thinks in As the Ribbons Fall.
Until he can find the original object of his desire to kill, Sam tries to satisfy his murderous hunger by stalking and attacking substitutes. These girls are carefully chosen for their look and demeanor as he eerily watches them. The third book in the Savannah series, As the Ribbons Fall, draws to a conclusion the mystery of the Dark-Eyed One, exposing horrors of Sam’s secret past. Is it the past that drives his murderous rage? Or as Sam says, was this desire to kill something that he was born with, an innate part of his being?
The fate of Senior Detective Jordan Kinsey and medical examiner Jena Greene of the Savannah Police Department is darkly in question when they are caught off guard and captured by Sam. Now Detectives Vance and Michael are leading the police team to find their colleagues, and to stop this serial killer once and for all.
The chilling portrait of this killer’s thoughts as the author brings you along to one of his murders saturates the pages with terror and horror. The dimensions of desperation in both the killer and the victim are tangible, making this is terrific writing that takes the reader on a step by step journey to the coldest and darkest purgatory of human nature.
At the same time, the author brilliantly contrasts this evil with dynamic writing about the resourcefulness, intelligence, and tools used by the heroes fighting against the killer.
A passionate and talented author, Kara Wolfe excels at the art of suspense as she offers an unforgettable glimpse into the mind of a serial killer.
As the Ribbons Fall made the Shortlist for the 2017 CLUE Awards!
Sam Clevenger is an old curmudgeon, endlessly cranky and critical of those around him. He has liquidated his assets, his ranch and livestock, into gold bullion, worth about a million dollars by today’s figures. His “bank” is an old Dutch oven pot and no one knows the pot’s contents.
When Clevenger’s wife, Charlotte, falls ill with tuberculosis, Sam hopes moving to Washington Territory will improve her health. Sam is mean to everyone – even Jessie, the couple’s fifteen-year-old adopted daughter. He treats her like a ranch hand, and she resents it. But everyone has their limits, and Sam realizes that moving horses and mules through the Buckskin Mountains will be very difficult, more work than he and Jessie can manage, so he hires John Johnson, a bi-racial soldier just released from the U.S. Cavalry, and a handsome young man, Frank Willson, who’s eager to work.
The group has many adventures as they head from the Arizona Territory north. Several indigenous peoples are in the area and relations with various tribes are extremely tense. Hungry coyotes stalk the travelers and tensions rise high as the group must ferry the wagon and the animals across a tumultuous river. Despite the care the Clevenger’s take with the wagons, Charlotte has difficulty traveling over rough terrain and the biggest fear is she won’t last the trip.
Of course, where there are young vivacious people working together, romance is bound to grow. So, it is no surprise when a flirtation begins between Frank and Jessie blooms into something more, causing Frank to become increasingly protective of her when Sam treats her with cruelty and scorn. John and Frank work well together, but, being of mixed race, John is subject to Sam’s racist language and attitudes.
Traveling by wagon with a team of animals in the late 19th century was a huge and precarious undertaking. Each day is a quest to cover as many miles as possible and to find a safe place to sleep at night. Hunting rabbits for dinner is a gamble because the sound of gunshots could alert Indians to the campers’ presence. Readers will feel as if they’re on the journey themselves.
Sam hides his gold in plain sight, the Dutch oven hangs from the wagon like any kitchen utensil by day, but he buries the pot each night. The scene is set for explosive confrontations, murders, cover-ups, lies, trials, jail sentences and fatal consequences. This book is as suspenseful as any thriller, more so because these events are a part of history.
Clevenger Gold is a scintillating work of historic fiction, but as its subtitle notes, it’s also “the true story of murder and unfound treasure.” In the book’s preface and introduction, author Scott Eldon Swapp states that the basic facts on which the narrative rests are accurate. While researching this deeply fascinating tale of a family journeying from the Arizona Territory to the Washington Territory in the 1870s with a couple of hired hands, Swapp studied county, state, territorial and national archives. He shares his methodology and research finds with the reader, and most chapter titles mark the exact location and time of specific incidents on the trip. Swapp clearly strives for the utmost accuracy in recreating this wildly dramatic episode in U.S. territorial history.
Much of the plot takes places via dialogue and Swapp writes the verve and sass of cowboy lingo with relish. Swapp’s enthusiasm for the mystery of the buried treasure is infectious.
Sam’s gold is still out there, waiting to be found. Swapp encourages the reader with these words, “If you have the skills and patience to seek real treasure, go get it!”
Clevenger Gold: The True Story of Murder and Unfound Treasure by Scott Eldon Swapp won First Place in the 2016 Laramie Awards!
We are excited and honored to officially announce the Grand Prize Winner and the First Place Category Winners for the 2017 CLUE Book Awards for Thriller, Suspense, and Investigative Fiction Novels at the fifth annual Chanticleer Authors Conference and Chanticleer Book Awards Ceremony. This year’s ceremony and banquet were held on Saturday, April 21st, 2018 at the Hotel Bellwether by beautiful Bellingham Bay, Wash.
We want to thank all of those who entered and participated in the 2017 CLUE Book Awards, a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards.
When we receive the digital photographs from the Official CAC18 photographer, we will post them here and on the complete announcement that will list all the genres and the Overall Grand Prize Winner for the 2017 Chanticleer International Book Awards. Please check back!
Lawrence Verigin,the author of the 2016 CLUE Winner, Seed of Control, announced the First Place Award Winners and the Grand Prize Winner for the 2017 CLUE Book Awards at the Chanticleer Awards Banquet and Ceremony.
Congratulations to the First Place Category Winners of the 2017 CLUE Book Awards.
An email will go out to all First Place Category Winners and Grand Prize Winners with more information, the timing of awarded reviews, links to digital badges, and more by May 21st, 2018 (four weeks after the awards ceremony). Please look for it.
2017 CLUE Book Awards First in Category Winners for Thriller, Suspense, and Investigative Fiction Novels are:
Do Not Askby Elaine Williams Crockett
100 Days of Terrorby Larry Temple
Twisted Threadsby Kaylin McFarren
The Butcher’s Billby SMartin Roy Hill
The Criminalist: A Novel of Forensic Science Suspenseby John Houde
Aged in Charcoalby Jeffrey Ridenour
And now for the 2017 CLUE Grand Prize Book Awards Winner for Thriller, Suspense, and Investigative Fictional Novels is:
In 2015, Lonna Enox’s 
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In 2013, Clyde Curley took home the Grand Prize for his novel 
Clyde Curley tells us “…this is all that matters: I’ve grown up and now I’m an author. For me, the permanence of art stands as a bulwark against the slings and arrows of outrageous real life. The highest, richest form of art is that which is formed from words—the first and most important attribute of humans striving to behave less like animals and more like gods.”
Homicide detective, Lieutenant Kyle Tanner, successfully captures the brutally sadistic serial killer known as The Reaper, whose modus operandi is to systematically dismember his victims while keeping them alive to suffer as long as possible. Tanner receives orders to transport The Reaper from Pluto, where he and his soul-mate Shaheen are stationed, to the CCF Home System where the killer will stand trial. Tanner, more dissatisfied than ever about the CCF contemplates a way out, a way to fall off the grid to start life anew on some distant outpost free from oppression and the totalitarian military regime of the CCF. At least, that’s the plan as soon as he and Shaheen complete their mission to deliver The Reaper to authorities in The Home System.
Sam had been a curious, resourceful child growing up in a family torn apart by a contentious past. At a very young age, he’d discovered a fascination with killing. Now almost an adult, he’s anxious to find his little sister who he’s sure is living somewhere with their mother. The mother who had abandoned him. Although he was young when they were separated, Sam remembers his sister well, including the cute green ribbons she always wore in her hair. Now author Kara Wolfe shows readers what Sam really thinks in As the Ribbons Fall.
