Leslie Keller Books

Each month I try to feature a few new releases by authors you may know and some you may not.  Here is a list of a few recently released mysteries. Camino Island by John Grisham - I've read many of his books and I'm always disappointed in the end. Let's hope this one carries the suspense to the very last page. The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena - This book was released May 30, 2017 and already has over 1800 reviews. This looks to be a fantastic novel and I can't wait to add it to my list. Before the Fall by Noah Hawley - Technically not a new book but a reprint so I'm including it here.  Written by the producer of the hit series Bones, this looks like an exciting ride. Sister, Sister, a griping psychological thriller by Sue Fortin - I love the intro - two sisters, one is telling the truth and the other is a maniac. Who wouldn't want to read that? A Just Cause, A Booktown Mystery by Lorna Barrett - this is a cozy mystery and the latest installment in t...

Last month's writing prompt required a 100 word or less short story involving the three words.  Actually, I had a choice between these words Evil, Bed, Cow, or these:  Anxiety, Piano, Clown or Anger, Coffee, Cave or Luck, Shoes and Onion. Since I am not a fan of clowns (yes, I find them creepy), coffee or onions, I opted for Evil, Bed and Cow.  Here's my super short story. I hope you find it to be an interesting use of these words. Evil, Bed, Cow I roll over in the lumpy bed, twisted in the sheets from my nightly battle with the forces of good and evil which rage in my head.  Gingerly, I toss off the sweat soaked sheets. My head throbs with the lingering dehydration from the fifth of whiskey I guzzled only a few hours ago. Pain medication I tell myself. The sun has been up for a good twenty minutes which means I'm already an hour behind schedule. I wince as I bend down to pull on the dirty jeans I've worn for a week. No point in putti...

As a writer I am always searching for new ways to murder people - on the page of course. Since murder is serious business I like a bit of humor inserted wherever I can. This led me to find odd or funny crimes committed by crazy or clumsy criminals.  I'm going to share these from time to time. Here's one from the AP on May 13, 2017 which made me laugh: BANGOR, Maine (AP) — In a misstep that would seem to run counter to her business model, a woman who offers a semi-nude cleaning service was arrested for stealing underwear. Police in Bangor, Maine, say the woman is the owner-operator of a business called Topless Cleaning. She was caught shoplifting undergarments from a local business. Bangor Police Sgt. Tim Cotton left a lengthy, humorous post about the arrest on the police department’s Facebook page. He says the woman “had stolen garments that would fully cover, support, and contain much of what her business title promised her customers.” Cotton also says potentia...

It is always a special occasion when I have the opportunity to donate a book to the local library.  This is the Fauquier County Library in Virginia and a great resource for me as a young adult.  Even more fun was being able to share the moment with my niece Hannah.  Happy Trails, Leslie Visit my website Twitter      Instagram      Facebook      Menu for Murder      Cocktails at Sunset

As far back as I can remember I loved the 'wild west'. I read books about it, spent hours watching westerns on television and loved everything that involved horses. My favorite and oldest childhood memory is of the trip to visit my paternal grandmother. On the way I would beg my parents to stop at a place where they gave pony rides. If I was lucky, on the way home, e would stop.  Heaven! Flash forward more than fifty years and I still have a love of the west and, of course, horses.  But I have to ask myself the question - what is a cowboy today?  I frequently tell people on my travels that one of the attractions which drew me to Arizona was that it retains some of that flavor - there are wild horses wandering the desert and if you are lucky, you may see some of the wild burros near Lake Pleasant. Fly over and you will see tracts of land devoted to farming.  Drive up to Cave Creek and you may see a horse tied up to a post outside of a local bar (next to ...

Dined here with 3 friends and can't wait to go back.  This is part of a small chain of high-end restaurants owned by the Mastros Group.  In Arizona they have 3 locations - the Ocean Club, City Hall and the North Scottsdale Steakhouse.  The restaurant has a quiet sophistication as soon as you enter. On the night we went they had a two piece band in the bar and there is a very tiny dance area in front.  The bar is sizeable with tables surrounding it of which some are considered restaurant and some are bar. We started with the beef carpaccio, Caesar salad and calamari. I ordered the crab cakes but our server forgot to put them in. For dinner my friends shared the Porterhouse for two, the Broncini, Brussel sprouts and the gorgonzola mac and cheese.  I had the twin lobster tails with vinegar shoestring fries.  For dessert we shared the warm butter cake. With two mid-range bottles of wine our dinner came to $480 with tip.  A pricey meal but it was a ...

This is a cozy mystery and the first I have read by this author.  The story centers around a very small town and a murder that occurs, you guessed it, on the courthouse steps.  Deputy Sheriff Michael Keane takes the lead on the investigation and is the main character. I was slightly confused about the various law enforcement agencies and who was in charge of whom in the book. It may be my fault for reading it a few pages at a time but having been involved in small town police (as Clerk of the Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Court), I know they usually work separately. In this book, a local gossip is the first to find the body.  The evidence is then immediately trampled by the head Judge - something which would never occur. Michael is involved, as well as Buck Garrett of the state police, Paul Osgood a town policeman nd the Sheriff. The Sheriff wants Michael to report to Paul Osgood and I'm not sure how Buck fits into the picture at all.  There's also t...

Keeping with last month's Cinco de Mayo drink, the Gringo Swizzler I wanted to represent the ladies this month.  What better way than to mix up a batch of Southern Lady 2 oz bourbon 1 oz Southern Comfort - if you have never tasted this is a sweeter liquor 1 oz Amaretto 3 oz pineapple juice 2 oz lemon and lime soda Combine the bourbon, Southern Comfort, Amaretto and pineapple juice in a shake half filled with ice. Shake well. Strain into a Collins or parfait glass Add Soda Garnish with fruit and a cherry - I use pineapple, orange slice and cherry on a stick for a pretty presentation You can leave out the alcohol and substitute crushed pineapple for a Southern Virgin Lady.  Blend the pineapple and pineapple juice well.  Pout into a Collins or parfait glass with ice and top with soda.  Garnish with orange slice and cherry.  You may wish to add a splash of orange juice to taste. Remember to always drink responsibly. Cheers Jayne Visit...

A fun story from CNN.com to add to my file on crazy criminal acts.  This story was reported on April 21, 2017. Love can be tricky, especially when you're a married man with a child and you've got an online girlfriend who wants to go on vacation. Police in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad arrested 32-year-old Motaparthi Vamshi Krishna on Thursday for allegedly sending a hoax email about an aircraft hijack plot. According to a statement by Hyderabad police , in the email, which was sent to Mumbai police on Saturday, Krishna claimed to be a woman who had overheard six men plotting to hijack planes in the cities of Hyderabad, Chennai and Mumbai the next day. Mumbai police then alerted the security agencies, resulting in beefed up security at the concerned airports . Investigators traced the IP address to an internet cafe called E Netzone in Hyderabad and were able to narrow down the email to eight people. After examining CCTV footage from the area,...