Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

True Romance: A Noir Anthology edited by Troy Lambert & Vincent Zandri: Love is What Makes Life Worth Living. Or is it?

DETAILS:
Publication Date: May 15, 2026
Format: e-Book
Length: 286 pg.
Read Date: July 1-17, 2026

You’ll also meet deep characters in dark places and maybe learn that love isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be. Or maybe it is…

What’s True Romance About?

Part of the blurb reads:

From quiet suburban rot to organized crime empires, from calculated seduction to explosive violence, these stories explore the dangerous intersection where love and darkness meet.

Because in noir, love isn’t salvation. It’s motive.

I wish I’d written that, because it’s such a great way to summarize this collection of noir short stories from some of the best I’ve read—like Reed Farrel Coleman and Paul D. Brazill; authors I’ve meant to read, like Frank Zafiro; to a bunch of people I’ve never heard of, but want to hear of again.

Each of these stories approaches the themes of darkness, love, lust, and romance in a different way. But all of them tell us something about the human condition—what we want it to be like, and what it really is.

So, what did I think about True Romance?

Part of me wants to take issue with the title for this—there’s very little Romance to be found here, not much love either. And sure, you can say, “well, that’s because it’s noir, HC.” And there’s a lot to be said for that. But it can be done. Know Me from Smoke by Matt Phillips is the only example I can come up with off the top of my head (which is embarrassing). Sure, it’s tricky—but it can be done.

Sadly, not by most of these authors. Paul D. Brazill’s “Red Esperanto” (which is just a cool title) probably has the best depiction of love (along with a hefty dose of lust, crime, and lying). Samantha Ripley probably comes closest to romance in “Killing in the Name Of” (but there’s a lot of violence, mayhem, and quips before that).

Most of the stories are about lust, love twisted into something else, love that’s very lost, or something else. This doesn’t mean they’re bad, they’re just not romantic. (eh, one exception—but every anthology has to have one. And each reader will pick a different one to qualify). Scott Kikkawa’s “The Buyout” is a fantastic story, but the love there…eh, I’m not sure it qualifies as romantic.

I’ve spent more words on that than I figured I would—whoops. And I still feel like I could go on—but I won’t. The writing is crisp and snappy. The stories are just twisted and noir enough to stick in your minds longer than they might otherwise. Some of these are real gems. Charles Salzberg’s “All for the Love” is written in the Second Person—which is normally a deal-breaker for me, but I didn’t really notice it until the penultimate paragraph—that’s an achievement. Zafiro’s “Ask Me Tomorrow” was just delicious.

I think I could do an entire post about Lawrence Kelter’s “Midnight Confession.” It caught me by surprise more than once.

Before I dig into each story—and I’m close to doing that, but I don’t think it’d serve the collection for me to do so—just know that this is a great anthology with some very strong stories, some decent ones, and a couple that got a “meh” out of me. Which, really, is all I’m looking for in a collection—even those that don’t really have a theme. So it really doesn’t bother me too much that this one doesn’t stick to the theme in the way I’d like it to (your results may vary, and probably will).

I’m so glad I read this and I encourage those who like a good crime fiction short story—particularly with a noir flavor—to check this out. You’ll be happy you did.

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.

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The Irresponsible Reader On…Self-Published Crime Fiction

By HCNewton

On July 24, 2026

In Books, Miscellany, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, News/Misc., Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week

(updated 7/24/26)

From the first moment that people did the strange thing of asking me to talk about their books on my blog, I’ve been impressed by the quality of a lot of what’s been published by authors going out on their own, taking all the risks, shouldering all the responsibility, and doing all the work to get their words, their dreams, their blood, sweat, and tears on to the page (paper or electronic). This should be celebrated—it’s definitely appreciated, as we’re trying to show this week.

As part of this week-long celebration, I’m continuing my habit of highlighting the self-published works that I’ve blogged about over the last few years (or meant to blog about, but at least read)—just a sentence or two. Hopefully, this’ll be enough to make you click on the link to the full post. Beyond that, it’d be great if I inspired you to add a few of these to your TBR. Also, be sure you check out the other posts over at the SPAAW Hub.

Last, but certainly not least for this week, I’m focusing on my apparent specialty: Crime Fiction–vigilantes, police, private eyes, people who have no business at all near a crime…you name it, I love this stuff. This tl;dr list also proves that I was right to break these lists down by genre.

bullet Kind Hearts and Martinets by Pete Adams—a near-to-retirement D. I. with a rag-tag team investigates terror threats, murders, and bike thefts.
bullet Cause and Effect: Vice Plagues the City (my post about it)
bullet Irony in the Soul (my post about it)
bullet Cats, Cannolis and a Curious Kidnapping by Cheryl Denise Bannerman—a mystery writer finds herself the target of a kidnapper and has to employ everything her characters have done to save her own life. Which sounds more dire than this cute novel actually ever achieves. (my post about it)
bullet The City That Barks and Roars by J. T. Bird—Anthropomorphic animals in a 1950s-esque civilization, a pair of detectives hunting for a missing colleague. (my post about it)
bullet Death Stalks Kettle Street by John Bowen—a man with pretty severe OCD is sure that people in his neighborhood are being killed, but the authorities don’t see it–and his turn is coming. (my post about it)
bullet DI Hannah Robbins by Rebecca Bradley—DI Hannah Robbins novels follow Robbins and her team as they solve murders–she’s got a great team and the novels have some of the best hooks around.
bullet The Twisted Web (my post about it)
bullet Kill for Me (my post about it)
bullet Dead Blind by Rebecca Bradley—A Detective adjusting to prosopagnosia (“face blindness”) tries to keep the condition under wraps while leading his team investigating an international organ smuggling ring. Great hook, strong execution. (my post about it)
bullet The Butcher by Nathan Burrows—a darkly comic tale about brothers struggling to keep their farm and butcher shop alive, until they develop a new sausage recipe. (my post about it)
bullet Maria’s Shadow by D.L. Cary—a Sheriff’s Detective and an FBI Agent team up against a sex and drug trafficking operation. (my post about it)
bullet The Shoulders of Giants by Jim Cliff—A rookie P.I. (inspired more by fiction than reality), is on the hunt for a missing college student. (my post about it)
bullet Bad Memory by Jim Cliff—this novella finds Jake Abraham looking into an old closed case and forces it open. (my post about it)
bullet Sharp Investigations by E.N. Crane—a comic series with a heavy-accent on mystery (or is it the other way around?), featuring a former Army MP and her K9 partner who set up a PI firm in a small Ohio town
bullet Barking for Business (my post about it)
bullet Chasing Empty Caskets (my post about it)
bullet Don’t Get Involved by F J Curlew—a slow burn of a novel about some street kids in Kyiv who find a large amount of drugs and a Scottish teacher in town to help their schools. (my post about it)
bullet Criminal Collective by Russell Day—a collection of short stories and a novella from one of my favorite crime writers. (my post about it)
bullet Bones & Betrayal: Silence of the Dead by Andi Ewington/Erica Marks—A necromancer and his partner are compelled to investigate a murder in a fairly typical Fantasy city. It’s a truly compelling mix of magic and mirth. Mystery and intrigue. And pie. Delicious, and sometimes deadly, pie. (my post about it)
bullet Jeremy Barnes by Robert Germaux—tired of teaching, Jeremy Barnes becomes a P.I. These books have a very Spenser-vibe to them and are great comfort food.
bullet Hard Court (my post about it)
bullet In the Eye (my post about it)
bullet Small Bytes (my post about it)
bullet Daniel Hays Mysteries by Robert Germaux—Daniel Hays heads the Special Assignment Squad —- a Major Crimes squad set up to help smaller cities in the county around Pittsburgh–hunts down serial killers in these entertaining thrillers.
bullet Small Talk (my post about it)
bullet One by One (my post about it)
bullet A Murder Most Fungal by Adrian M. Gibson—the personal chef/indentured servant of the commander of the occuping force in Hōppon is blackmailed into an assassination plot. (my post about it)
bullet Mushroom Blues by Adrian M. Gibson—a murder mystery set in the island nation of Hōppon, populated by fungal people and occupied by humans. A human detective and a fungal patrol officer are teamed up to investigate the murders of several fungal and half-breed children. A little SF, a little Police Procedural, a whole lotta good. (my post about it)
bullet DC Smith Investigation by Peter Grainger—I’ve listened to these on audio, but the novels are self-published. Smith is a former DCI who’s voluntarily demoted down to Detective Sergeant so he can actually work cases–in his own idiosyncratic way. There is something indescribably charming about these books, I can see myself re-reading these for years.
bullet An Accidental Death (my post about it)
bullet But For the Grace (my post about it)
bullet Luck and Judgement (my post about it)
bullet Persons of Interest (my post about it)
bullet In This Bright Future (my post about it)
bullet The Rags of Time (my post about it)
bullet Time and Tide (my post about it)
bullet A Private Investigation (my post about it)
bullet The Truth (my post about it)
bullet The Camera Man (as close as I got to posting about it)
bullet The Late Lord Thorpe (my post about it is forthcoming)
bullet King’s Lake Investigations by Peter Grainger—I’ve listened to these on audio, but the novels are self-published. This series tells what happens after DS Smith leaves Kings Lake, following those he trained and left as they form the backbone of the new Murder Squad. They’re just as good.
bullet Songbird (my post about it)
bullet On Eden Street (my post about it)
bullet Roxanne (my post about it)
bullet Missing Pieces (my post about it)
bullet Another Girl (my post about it)
bullet Catch & Neutralize by Chris Grams—Members of a vigilante group that takes down criminals who’ve gotten away with crimes against women and children find themselves in a very hairy situation. (my post about it)
bullet Fatal Forgery by Susan Grossey—as 19th Century British Policing begins to take a new shape, a magistrate’s constable investigates a new kind of financial crime. (my post about it)
bullet Ostler by Susan Grossey—Grossey brings us a 19th Century amatuer slueth hunting for a friend’s murderer, who finds so much more. (my post about it)
bullet Sizar by Susan Grossey—now a university constable, the Ostler has to solve a murder and uncover more corruption in Cambridge. (my post about it)
bullet DoubleBlind by Libby Fischer Hellmann—a PI looks into suspicious deaths following COVID vaccines while dealing with people who think she’s a wife who ran away from a cult. Eventually, she has to stop and figure out what’s going on with her doppelgänger for her own sake. (my post about it)
bullet Through the Ashes by Irene Hill—a search-and-rescue team is on the hunt for a missing child (and his oddly missing parents). (my post about it)
bullet The Secret of Rosalia Flats by Tim W. Jackson—following the death of his father, a man returns to his Caribbean island childhood home to look into what happened. (my post about it)
bullet Cooked Goose by Laura Jenski—a couple on a cross-country motor home trip discovers a body in a campground, and decides to investigate the death to “help” local law enforcement. (I thought I posted about this months ago, apparently not. Soon, maybe?)
bullet Afton Morrison by Brent Jones—the story of a Children’s Librarian with impulses to become a serial killer. No really. It’s twisted. It’s fun. It has some heart, too.
bullet Go Home, Afton (my post about it)
bullet See You Soon, Afton (my post about it)
bullet Nice Try, Afton (my post about it)
bullet Time’s Up, Afton (my post about it)
bullet Harvested by Troy Lambert—a PI starts looking into a rash of dognappings sweeping across Seattle and uncovers something chilling. (my post about it)
bullet Stray Ally by Troy Lambert—An ex-special ops soldier takes on terrorists, Aryans on the hunt, and an out of control military officer, with only his wits, experience and a fantastic stray dog. (my post about it)
bullet Teaching Moments by Troy Lambert—Max Boucher is back, this time to hunt for a stolen horse–and runs across a serial killer while he’s at it. (my post about it)
bullet Typewriter Repair Shop by Troy Lambert—a Twilight Zone-ish thriller about a repair shop and the writer who cannot stop returning there. (my post about it)
bullet You’ll Never Walk Alone by Troy Lambert—a creepy-as-all-get-out short story about a nurse maybe being stalked on her walk home from work–or is it her imagination? (my post about it)
bullet Cutthroat Cupcakes by Cate Lawley—I maybe should’ve included this on the Fantasy and UF lists, too. But Lawley describes these as cozy mysteries, so I’ll stick with that. The owner of an artisan candy shop is arrested by magic police for selling cursed items that have been used to kill someone. It’s a rough way to learn that magic exists. She works with the detective to find the actual killer to clear her name. (my post about it)
bullet Cooking for Cannibals by Rich Leder—an ex-con trying to go straight, a behavioral gerontologist, and a group of senior citizens get into hot water with an experimental drug and competing criminal organizations. (my post about it)
bullet Let There Be Linda by Rich Leder—I can’t sum this up in a sentence or two–a comic crime novel set in L.A. full of interweaving plotlines. (my post about it)
bullet McCall & Company: Workman’s Complication by Rich Leder—a struggling actress takes over her late father’s P.I. Agency (my post about it)
bullet Shadow Ranch by Rebeca Carey Lyles—A woman trapped in a polygamous cult attempts to free herself, her brother, and others. Featuring a truly despicable villain. (my post about it)
bullet Bones & Betrayal: Silence of the Dead by Andi Ewington/Erica Marks—A necromancer and his partner are compelled to investigate a murder in a fairly typical Fantasy city. It’s a truly compelling mix of magic and mirth. Mystery and intrigue. And pie. Delicious, and sometimes deadly, pie. (my post about it)
bullet The Lion’s Tail by Luna Miller, Aidan Isherwood (Translator)—a retired physician turns to a new career as a P.I. An early case turns out to be too much for her to tackle on her own and she recruits some help from people in her neighborhood, creating her own Baker Street Irregulars. (my post about it)
bullet San Diego Dead by Mark Nolan—a modern-day privateer and his dog are on the run from a vengeful drug mob. (my post about it)
bullet How the Wired Weep by Ian Patrick—you’re not going to see me say something negative about a Patrick novel, but this one is special. a gut-wrenching, taut look at a police informant and his detective handler as they try to take down a local drug lord. (my post about it)
bullet The Warrior Series by Ty Patterson—Once upon a time, I think we’d call these books “Men’s Adventure” novels. Former Delta operative (and some friends) now run a covert-ops group.
bullet The Warrior (my post about it)
bullet The Reluctant Warrior (my post about it)
bullet A Tail of Mystery by Paul Regnier—an unemployed reporter (who suddenly has the ability to telepathically communicate with his dog) returns to his small home town to try to rebuild his life. But first, he has to clear himself of suspicion for murder. Cozy-vibes and a talking dog–what more do you want? (my post about it)
bullet The Debt Collector by Steven Max Russo—a debt collector for criminals has to move to a new part of the country for all the wrong reasons. She goes looking for a job and finds trouble–the kind of trouble that comes from a couple of neighborhood drug dealers, some gang members, a bookie, a finance-bro who refuses to pay said bookie, a slightly bent cop, a low-level mobster, and miscellaneous henchman. (my post about it)
bullet The Hunted by Steven Max Russo—An Afghanistan-War vet and a former US Intelligence analyst are thrown together by circumstance while the analyst is being hunted by the very group she used to work for, framed for a crime that goes back to Afghanistan years ago. (my post about it)
bullet Dead Down East by Carl Schmidt—a part-time PI gets sucked into investigating the death of his state’s governor (my post about it)
bullet Big Trouble in Little Italy by Nicole Sharp—a bank-teller finds herself working with the FBI to take down her ex-fiance who turns out to be working for the mob. It’s fun, spicy, exciting, sweet–and did I mention spicy? (my post about it)

If you’re a self-published author that I’ve featured on this blog and I didn’t mention you in this post and should have. I’m sorry (unless you’re this guy). Please drop me a line, and I’ll fix this. I want to keep this regularly updated so I keep talking about Self-Published Authors.

Visit the SPAAW 2026 Hub to see what other Self-Published Appreciation Posts are out there.

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A Murder Most Fungal by Adrian M. Gibson: Survival Does Not Equate to Freedom

By HCNewton

On July 23, 2026

In Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Science Fiction, Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week

A Murder Most Fungal

by Adrian M. Gibson

DETAILS:
Publication Date: June 16, 2026
Format: e-Book
Length: 232 pg.
Read Date: July 6-8, 2026

…for all the damage the Coprinian humans have done to his homeland of Hōppon, they have introduced the fungal peoples to marvels of their colonial culture: Orchestras and operas, films and theater, new genres of music and literature.

What’s A Murder Most Fungal About?

Following the events of Mushroom Blues, the occupation forces have really clamped down on the Hōpponese (aka fungals). Life seems truly miserable for most of them.

But some of them get some perks, a life that’s slightly less oppressive. For example, the chef and his kitchen team who prepare the food for the Military Governor, Duncan MacArthur. MacArthur is of the opinion that to understand his enemy (and that classification tells you a lot about his attitude towards the fungals), he must understand their culture—and the easiest way to do that is by eating their food. So day after day, Pocho Jiro and his small staff prepare the best meals possible for MacArthur and his staff and commanders—and his personal taster (because you can’t trust these people). It should be noted that MacArthur is the only one who tries to enjoy the food, the rest of the humans spend their mealtimes complaining about the food and insulting the cooks (when they’re not ignoring them)—although one new officer arrives who might share MacArthur’s interest partway through the book..

Then one of the many resistance groups threatens the life of Pocho’s only remaining family. Get this intelligence for us and we’ll let her live. And then they come back with another task—kill MacArthur.

The Food

There is harmony in these component parts, in the commingling of delicious flavors that he knows MacArthur and his guests will soon experience. If only things in a kitchen were that easy… Food never holds grudges, nor does it talk back. Food does not disrupt the flow of the song, and instead makes its rhythms possible.

Okay, I don’t have an adventurous palate—there is no way that I’d eat 98% of the dishes described in this book, I know that. But I tell you what—when I read the descriptions of the food that Pocho and his team prepare, the care they put into it, and the way that Gibson and/or Pocho describe it? I wish I could give it a taste, or even just smell and see the meals.

Even better is the way the book depicts the preparation of the food, what it means to the people working in the kitchen to do so, or even just the procurement of the ingredients. It’s just magic. It’s why people watch cooking shows—yeah, I have no idea what the things on Iron Chef or Alex Versus America or whatever taste like—but I love watching them prepare the food. This is like that, but better (if only because the chefs have had time to think about the courses and prepare them without a ridiculous time restriction).

Really, Gibson could abandon the whole Hofmann Report report to just write about fictional chefs (or maybe the occasional passionate fry cook) and I’d be in for it. Sure, Tandri or Viv can brew a heckuva cup of coffee—but Pocho’s fungalfin dishes are works of art.

What does this book tell us about humanity?

If we keep it to humans strictly—the book tells us nothing good. But there is some hope for the species if we treat the fungals Hōpponese as representatives of humanity (as the book wants us to believe).
The humans in the book are utterly despicable—and there are maybe two with a trace of decency (and one of them you have to wait for almost the entire book to encounter). They are hateful toward the Hōpponese, speak of them as animals in their presence (while barely acknowledging that presence), and harass them (at best) constantly.

Now, the Hōpponese, on the other hand. They resent their chains, resent the occupiers, and do what they can to survive under the occupation. Some try to do more than survive—but it has to be done in secret, worried about exposure. We get glimpses of their rich culture from before the occupation—which just makes the current state all the worse.

Then there are the those fomenting rebellion, and well, they’re basically what you think.

If nothing else—we get the idea that those who see people as people who treat them with respect and decency (even if they find themselves on opposing sides of a war/occupation), and those who don’t…well, they’re inhuman at best.

So, what did I think about A Murder Most Fungal ?

the restaurant industry is one that drowns in vices and addictions. Alcohol, drugs, sex, long hours, infidelity; Pocho has seen it all, done it all. But the worst offender is obsession. The addiction to pouring everything you have into an idea, a dream, a project, a craft. Pocho’s experience has taught him that his addiction to cooking has given him everything he ever wanted— success, recognition— but left little room for anything else. Friendships. Family. Love.

As good as I thought Mushroom Blues was, this is better—didn’t Gibson get the memo that second novels are supposed to be a drop in quality? Pocho is just a brilliantly conceived character, and his friendship with/mentorship of Mori is fantastic. I really wish that the circumstances of the novel let us see more of that before we had to get to the nastier stuff. But Gibson gives us enough of a taste of it that we can imagine the preceding years for their friendship—and the rest of the found family. Which makes it worse when things come to disrupt it.

I don’t think I have a criticism of this book—just glowing compliment after glowing compliment. The closest I can come is that I wanted more of everything that wasn’t the plot. More of the street market and Pocho shopping for food, more time in the kitchen with his staff—just them interacting with him and each other. The day to day stuff.

Maybe a little bit with the one officer who seemed to truly want to understand and appreciate the Hōpponese culture and language—let us see him get through to Pocho and start to form some kind of understanding. That’d have raised the stakes for the end game, too.

But that’s just me wishing for more frosting on an already wonderful cake. (and here is where we all understand my struggles keeping my A1C in check).

This is a great SF novel (I think that’s where to categorize these Fungalverse books). It’s a gripping thriller. It’s a fantastic character study of a man with great passions stuck in horrible circumstances. It’s really something you need to read.

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.
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PUB DAY REPOST: Killer Vibes by Jack Friday: Weird (and Dangerous) Times in a Weird City

By HCNewton

On July 14, 2026

In Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

Killer Vibes

by Jack Friday

DETAILS:
Series: Peter Key Mysteries, #1
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: July 14, 2026
Format: eARC
Length: 352 pg.
Read Date: July 6, 2026

What’s Killer Vibes About?

Peter Key is an aimless, small-time weed dealer in his late 20s trying to live like someone in their late teens/early 20s. And that lifestyle is falling apart for him (to mix genres, think a less put-together, but better read, version of Cameron at the beginning of Remarkably Bright Creatures).

Then in an almost deus ex machina move—a lawyer shows up to tell him that his uncle (who he barely knew) is: 1. dead, 2. left him a house, a car, and some other things, and 3. left him a pile of debt.

All Peter can hear is the house part—as he’s about 20 minutes away from being homeless at that point. The lawyer has a bunch of advice about selling the home, getting rid of the debt, and whatnot. Peter wants to just move in and do so right now.

The house is a pigsty, his uncle was clearly going through a hoarding period in his life, and there are so many real estate brokers and bankers pushing him to sell the place that it feels uncomfortable. Add in some mysterious threats and warnings—and a car or two that seems to be following him everywhere.

Peter starts wondering about all this—including the way his uncle died, and starts playing amateur detective.

It’s not long before he runs into a PI who oddly enough, offers him a job and starts to show him better ways to go about what he’s trying to do.

Things get worse for Peter from there. (But better for the reader.)

Austin

What I know about Austin is so minimal. Tres Nevarre spent some time there and probably formed my initial impressions, I’ve heard about SXSW® (and wish I had an excuse to visit it firsthand), and there’s the whole “Keep Austin weird” thing that you can’t help but hear about. So…yeah, I have very little and very shallow understanding of it.

And I’m not saying that reading one mystery novel has set me straight and I’m as close to a native as you can get.

But I feel like I have a much better—grounded, fuller, and possibly nuanced—idea about it. Assuming Friday wasn’t just blowing smoke about his own city. The mix of poverty and obnoxious wealth so close to each other; a city where super exclusive poker games are regular things for the mega-rich and Beyoncé listening parties are loud and joyfully raucous; and some third thing to really round out this list.

In keeping with the title of the book, I think we’re treated to some good Austin Vibes here. And I found that great. I don’t need another Chicago, NYC, LA, or Boston PI (not that I won’t read them!), I really like getting to know another city.

Why did I pick this up? Why did I keep reading?

I requested this from NetGalley because of the phrase in the blurb: “self-proclaimed ‘laziest private investigator in Texas.'” That was enough. Now, I’m not so sure I see him as all that lazy (yet), but that line was enough to get me interested.

Once I started reading, why did I stick with it? That’s really easy—the mystery was complex without getting convoluted, the writing was crisp and clear, the characters leapt off the page—and while Peter is woefully under-qualified to tackle the things he does in this book, somehow he gets by on instinct. That’s just fun to watch.

What does this book tell us about humanity?

All families are messy. Some families are messier than others. That’s really all it boils down to here.

The first family unit we meet in this book (a couple of brothers, plus the girlfriend of one brother) is messy enough that the prudes in the readership might wonder if they want to keep pushing on (I sure did). And, honestly? It turns out that they’re the healthiest family in the book. By a mile. (however, most will not engage the prude-reflex, I should assure you).

And yet—in some way—for most of them, the family bonds, the family loyalty, the impulse to turn to family, etc. is incredibly strong. Arguably, they are the strongest when it shouldn’t be. There are some who have severed that bond—for good or ill.

But for those who haven’t—this book shows focuses on the trouble that can bring—in multiple ways and levels.

So, what did I think about Killer Vibes?

It has been a good, long, time since I read a book that was so obviously a pilot for the rest of a series. It’s about establishing the character, getting him into a new city and trying to rebuild his life, getting involved with a PI to learn from, and then starting in that career—oh, and getting a dog. And as a pilot, it was great.

I do have high hopes for this series. But I think we’re really going to need book 2 to really get an idea what it’ll be like. This novel is too focused on Peter and his family to really get a sense for what kind of stories this is going to be made up of. We know a couple of the characters we should expect to see—Grady, his receptionist, Peter’s friend…but that’s really it. So we can make a guess or two, but…it’s hard to really know. And I’m okay with that. Killer Vibes was good enough that I’m back.

But let me focus on this as a novel. Boy howdy, this was good. As a person, Peter isn’t someone I want to get to know—I think I’d enjoy knowing them, but the getting acquainted part would be difficult for me. And I kind of felt that way about the character at the beginning, too—I was interested in what was going on with him. I also really wanted to see how he goes from the kind of petty criminal that season 1 Jesse Pinkman would look down on, to a PI by the end of the novel.

But the more time I spent with him and watching him navigate the dangerous situation he found himself in—the more I liked him. Even if you don’t like him as a character—he’s a fun bumbling amateur detective in way over his head. Nevertheless, he’s largely successful at it, too. And who can’t enjoy that?

The mysteries surrounding Peter, his house, and his uncle are rich ground for readers to immerse themselves in*. There’s really not a character that you don’t want a little more of (after chapter 2, anyway)—they’re colorful, they’re multilayered, many of them are witty, and they feel real. The stakes are believable. And Friday knows his way around pacing, plot turns/twists, and how to reveal answers/clues/partial answers in a mystery.

Killer Vibes had it all. Mystery readers are going to want to be sure they make time for this one this summer.

* I know you can’t immerse yourself in ground, but roll with it, will ya?

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley in exchange for this post which contains my honest opinion—thanks to both for this.

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.
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Killer Vibes by Jack Friday: Weird (and Dangerous) Times in a Weird City

By HCNewton

On July 8, 2026

In Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

Killer Vibes

by Jack Friday

DETAILS:
Series: Peter Key Mysteries, #1
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: July 14, 2026
Format: eARC
Length: 352 pg.
Read Date: July 6, 2026