Northern Michigan author takes a look at another cold case

"Isadore's Secret" by Traverse City author Mardi Link offers a gripping, mesmerizing look at an intriguing, gruesome crime that place in a small northern Michigan town over a century ago. It examines the mysterious disappearance of Sister Janine, a young nun, in the summer of 1907. Her body was discovered buried in the basement of her church over a decade later. Although the book opens with a teaser, focusing on the discovery of the skeletal bones, it smoothly goes back and explores the history of the controversial case. The author begins with background information about Sister Janine's past, relating views on the nun's duties and work situation. Link deftly examines the close association of the nun with the church's priest, Father Andrew Bieniawski as well her relationship with her physician, Dr. George Fralick. Sister Janine's sudden disappearance caused quite a stir and a huge concentrated search effort was coordinated. Many residents of the local Polish community and nearby townspeople joined in the hunt but had no success. A bloodhound and his keeper had similar luck; Father Andrew offered a handsome reward. Rumors abounded – some said Sister Janine had left the area with a man, other implied that she had returned home to members of her family. Father Andrew was considered innocent – he was on a fishing trip when Sister Janine turned up missing. But Stanislawa "Stella" Lipczynska, his longtime housekeeper, was under suspicion. She had distinctly negative opinions about Sister Janine and her bad influence upon Father Andrew. READ MORE AT: http://mittenlit.com/?p=2526

Event: Murder Mystery @ The Whitney October 30, 2009

(click image for larger view) Someone was murdered @ the Whitney and we need your help to solve the mystery. 4421 Woodward Avenue. Detroit, MI October 30, 2009 6pm - 10pm Tickets $10 a Fundraiser for the Michigan Warriors Basketball team Flyer attached and the contact number for tickets is 734-334-6972 or 734-552-1490. Thank you, Janaya Black Managing Editor The Michigan FrontPage 313-963-5522 ext.244 313-963-8788 fax www.frontpageconnect.com www.myspace.com/frontpageconnect www.twitter.com/mifrontpage Facebook: Michigan FrontPage

Two new mysteries take place in Michigan small towns

If you want to relax by the fireplace in a comfortable chair with an enjoyable cozy mystery, here's a quick look at a pair of new books that should be just right. Each novel is set in a small Michigan town, showcasing frustrated amateur sleuth and is part of a likable ongoing series. "Dead Floating Lovers" by Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli (Midnight Ink, $14.95) is the second novel starring Emily Kincaid, frustrated author and part-time journalist. The paperback sequel to "Dead Dancing Women" brings back Deputy Dolly Wakowski, who asks for Kincaid's help when she discovers a body. The receding water level of a nearby local lake has revealed a body, complete with a bullet hole in the skull, and an item that may link it to her long-missing husband. Members of the Odawa Indian tribe observe the discovery. And when the body is identified, they want to make sure she gets a proper Indian burial. As Dolly and Kincaid investigate, other clues surface, as does another body, which causes all kind of complications. Buzzelli, a creative writing instructor at Northwestern Michigan College, has created a satisfying tale with a lot of local color, deftly exploring uneasy relationships and deadly situations. Click here to visit the author's website. "The Chocolate Cupid Killings" by JoAnna Carl (Obsidian, $21.95) is the ninth in her popular series featuring chocoholic Lee McKinney Woodyard, who runs TenHuis Chocolate in the small fictitious Michigan town of Warner Pier. She's approached by Derrick Valentine, a private detective from Georgia who's seeking information about a new employee. The woman is part of a secret underground railroad-type of organization that's helping abused women. Valentine soon turns up dead. Woodyard's aunt Nettie is discovered holding the murder weapon and more challenges arise. When you throw in a violent Detroit mobster, a sneaky CEO under investigation, secretive cops and much more, you've got a fascinating tale that Agatha Christie lovers should enjoy.  Woodyard does a lot of research, trying to figure out what's going on. Her boat-building husband, who's also the city attorney, has other problems; another body surfaces and both are put in a perilous situation. JoAnna Carl, the pseudonym for mystery writer Eve K. Sandstrom, is in fine form, offering more tasty chocolate trivia as well as entertaining mystery faire. Ray Walsh, owner of East Lansing's Curious Book Shop, has reviewed crime novels and noir thrillers regularly since 1987. This article first appeared in the Lansing State Journal. Visit www.curiousbooks.com SOURCE: http://mittenlit.com/

Hackley Public Library hosts true crime writer and medical examiner on October 6th

This is tomorrow, but what a neat program. I'm sure I am not the only one who reads books like the Kathy Reichs series so this would have a broad audience. It would make a great Halloween program for teens and adults. >>>>>>> Skeletons in the Closet Hackley Public Library welcomes Dr. Stephen Cohle and Tobin Buhk on October 6th. Based on his experiences of observing and assisting on more than 35 autopsies with Kent County, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Stephen D. Cohle, and true-crime writer Tobin T. Buhk, recount riveting, real-life stories, each with an unique forensic twist. For more information call 231-722-7276. Posted by Karren Reish http://michiganlibraryauthorvisits.blogspot.com/

Reggie McKenzie Foundation DINNER & MYSTERY MOVIE

Having trouble viewing this email? Click here! Reggie McKenzie Foundation presents DINNER & MYSTERY MOVIE YOUR CHOICE RAFFLE Join us for a night of fun and excitement at our dinner and mystery movie fundraiser. Proceeds support our academic and athletic programs. Don't Miss this event! Limited amount of tickets available! Saturday, October 24, 2009 Buffet Dinner & Raffle 5:15- 6:30 p.m. Movie ????? - 7:00 p.m. - Sharp! Uptown Palladium 12 - Theater 8 250 North Woodward (at Hamilton Ave.) Birmingham, MI 48009 (side parking lot available) For tickets call 313.869.8081/8086 to use your credit card, of make check/money order payable to Reggie McKenzie Foundation and mail to 13853 Trumbull, Highland Park, MI 48203 www.ReggieMcKenzieFoundation.com

BOOK INTRO: Murder on the Down Low

Murder on the Down Low By Pamela Samuels Young    BOOK INTRO     A high-profile lawsuit erupts into chaos, revealing its place in a larger spree of violence in this scandalous tale of lust, lies, and vengeance. A brazen gunman is targeting prominent African American men on the streets of Los Angeles, and police are completely baffled. At the same time, savvy big-firm attorney Vernetta Henderson and her outrageous sidekick, Special, lead the charge for revenge against a man whose deceit caused his fianceé's death. For Special, hauling the man into court and suing him for wrongful death just isn't good enough. While she exacts her own brand of justice, a shocking revelation connects the contentious lawsuit and the puzzling murders.     "Right up to the twisted and unexpected slam-bang ending, Murder on the Down Low will keep you teetering precariously on the edge of your seat the whole way through!"                             -The Book Club Queen     ". . . drama and suspense in every chapter."                               -APOOO Book Club                       Goldman House Publishing ISBN-10: 0981562701 ISBN-13: 978-0981562704  Click on the book to purchase Chapter 1   Dr. Quentin Banks was a man's man. The kind of guy other men liked being around. Handsome, but not a pretty boy. Wealthy, but not a showoff. Versatile enough to host a fundraiser one night and chill out with his buddies over a game of dominoes the next.   Standing outside Exam Room 5, the doctor scanned the chart of the first patient he was scheduled to see after his lunch meeting. His office suite in the Horton Medical Plaza was tastefully decorated with muted walls and dark slate tile. Colorful prints of jazz musicians lined the long, bright hallway. The place was classy, but not over the top. Just like Dr. Banks.   He checked his watch. It was almost eleven-thirty. Time to leave. The doctor closed the chart and dropped it into the plastic casing posted at eye level outside the exam room. He strode into his private office, locked the door, then retrieved a throwaway cell phone from his desk.   "I'm about to leave," he said. "The President's Suite, right?"   It was always that cut and dry. He was a happily married man who did not have the time or the need for emotional connections. His lunch meetings were all about the sex.   The doctor slipped out of his white coat and hung it on a metal rack. Casually but impeccably dressed, he wore a khaki-colored shirt and black slacks made from an expensive linen fabric. The kind that didn't wrinkle much. He was forty-two years old, just shy of six feet, and a hearty 215 pounds. He had the build of an aging ex-football player. Not nearly as lean as in his prime, but thick and firm enough to advertise that he still hit the gym on a regular basis.   After telling his office manager that he'd be back by one-thirty, Dr. Banks took an elevator to the parking structure. He eased his black Jag onto Hillcrest Street. At the light, he turned left on Manchester Boulevard and headed for the northbound ramp of the 405 Freeway.   Without question, Dr. Banks was one of the best OB/GYNs in Southern California. From the day he had applied to Howard Medical School, he had vowed to return home to Inglewood to set up shop. And despite the sacrifices, he'd kept his word, turning down opportunities that were far more lucrative, in terms of both prestige and compensation. Having a predominantly black and Latino patient base meant keeping late office hours and working one, sometimes two, Saturdays a month. The people he served couldn't afford to take time off from work. Not even for medical care.   When he wasn't working, the doctor cherished his family life. Though he now lived just a few miles from his childhood stomping grounds, in many respects it was a world away. View Park was a haven for L.A.'s black elite. Professionals with six and seven-figure salaries who actually liked the idea of having neighbors who looked like them. The doctor's residence spanned five thousand square feet and had a full-length basketball court, a circular swimming pool, and a guesthouse. The Mrs. was a stay-at-home mom who loved her job as wife and mother to their two sons as much as she loved her husband. All in all, life was good.   The doctor pulled his Jag to a stop in front of the Marina Marriott on Admiralty Way, hopped out, and took a ticket from the valet. He felt invigorated by the very thought of the treat that awaited him. Dr. Banks rotated his lunch meetings among different hotels in the area. His favorite was the much more elegant Ritz-Carlton just up the street. As he crossed the hotel lobby, he tossed the cell phone into the trash, then made a mental note to switch locations for next week. He was many things. Sloppy wasn't one of them.   When Dr. Banks reached the hotel room, there was no need to knock. The door was always left open just a crack. He could not risk being seen with his lunch date for even the few seconds it would take to open and close the door.   As usual, the main room of the spacious suite was empty. His lunch sat on a sterling silver room service tray on the coffee table in front of the couch. He'd have the turkey sandwich, root beer, and Caesar salad after his other hunger had been satisfied.   Stepping over to the large picture window, Dr. Banks stared across the street at the sailboats lolling in the Marina. Maybe he'd buy himself a boat.   He walked back to the couch, undressed, and slipped into the white terrycloth robe left waiting for him. Another part of the ritual. Dr. Banks sank down onto the couch and for the next five minutes, fell into a deep, calming meditation. The more intensely he fantasized about what awaited him in the adjoining room, the longer and harder his erection grew. He reached down and gently stroked himself, then picked up the condom on the end table and slipped it on.   Dr. Banks entered the bedroom and nodded at his lunch date, who sat naked in a velvet club chair, a sly grin stretched across his bearded face. Clarence Mitchell was his youngest son's soccer coach. They had been hooking up on a semi-regular basis for over a year.   Clarence stood up, showing off a solid, mink brown body. "Good to see you, man," he said, smiling.   Dr. Banks didn't respond, his growing excitement over what was about to occur more internal than external. The two men awkwardly embraced, then let go. Extended foreplay or professions of love were unnecessary. They saved that for the women in their lives.   Clarence walked over to the bed. Following close behind, Dr. Banks discarded his robe and prepared to treat himself. *  *  *     Just over an hour later, as he exited the freeway, Dr. Banks heard his cell phone ring. He glanced at the caller ID before picking up.   "Hey, beautiful," he said into the phone.   "Hi, honey," his wife chirped back. "I'm catching a movie with Karen tonight. The kids are with my parents."   "Have a good time."   Diana was always good about making sure he knew her precise whereabouts, and Dr. Banks appreciated that. Now that he was free for the evening, the thought of arranging another hookup with Clarence crossed his mind, but he quickly dismissed the thought. He was not a greedy man. He never prowled for sex and the thought of going to a gay bar disgusted him. Only gay men did that, and he wasn't gay.   His lunchtime excursions were just a freaky little hobby. Nothing more. Nothing less. He was a fanatic about safe sex and always chose partners who were family men with as much to lose as he had. Dr. Banks even required his sexual partners to periodically produce written proof that they were HIV negative, and he gladly did the same. He loved his wife too much to demand anything less. In the twelve years since he'd said I do, there had only been five other men besides Clarence.   Dr. Banks turned left into the parking structure, made his way to the second level and backed into a stall that bore his name in neat block letters. He hummed his favorite Temptations song, My Girl, as he took off his shades and clipped them onto the sun visor.   Pushing open the car door, Dr. Banks planted his left foot on the ground at the same moment that a bullet pierced his cheek, just below his right eye. The force of the shot sent his head hurtling backward, then slowly forward, as a splash of crimson darkened the car's pristine beige interior.   As the second and third bullets entered his neck and chest, Dr. Banks' body fell sideways toward the open car door. His hand reached out for something to grasp, but found nothing to break his fall.   In what looked like a slow motion videotape, Dr. Banks tumbled onto the dirty garage pavement, head first.       Pamela Samuels Young  - Website   Introduce your book to our readers - http://sormag.com/advertise.htm Forward email

Female Mystery Writers Bring Diversity to Genre

by Pamela Samuels Young


An expanding group of female writers is at the forefront of a literary cultural shift. As a result, the typical protagonist in today's mystery novels is no longer white and male. He, and more often, she may range from a Puerto Rican prosecutor to a Japanese gardener to an African-American schoolteacher.

Asian writer Naomi Hirahara, who has been writing stories since she was eight, says her early characters "were always white—usually blonde and blue-eyed." When a fourth-grade teacher encouraged her to write about characters more like herself, she initially resisted that advice. Later, in college, after reading about the reparations movement for Japanese-Americans held in detention centers during World War II, her perspective changed.

"Learning about that historic experience and also reading many Japanese and Japanese- American authors opened a door for me. I've been writing mostly Japanese-American or Japanese characters ever since. The main character of my mystery series, Mas Arai, was inspired by my father, who, as a gardener, got little respect from strangers. I wanted to rectify that in my series. Mas is now the hero."

In Hirahara's third Mas Arai mystery, SNAKESKIN SHAMISEN (a 2007 Edgar nominee in the paperback original category), Mas, an atomic bomb survivor, becomes entangled in a world of heartbreaking memories, deception, and murder that reaches from the islands of Okinawa to the streets of Los Angeles.

It was a desire to see a totally different kind of sleuth that prompted Angela Henry to pen her first novel. "I wanted to create a character that I'd yet to see in mystery fiction," says Henry, "a single, educated, young black woman who isn't a member of law enforcement, or a private eye, and doesn't live in a big city." In her third Kendra Clayton novel, DIVA'S LAST CURTAIN CALL, the small-town Ohio school teacher and reluctant sleuth is called on to solve the murder of a Hollywood diva and find her best friend, who has disappeared just days before her wedding.

Former federal prosecutor Michele Martinez turned to writing as an outlet after leaving the U.S. Attorney's Office, where she spent eight years prosecuting big-time drug dealers and notorious gang bangers. "I was looking to re-experience a career I loved in a different format, and my protagonist was my alter ego," says Martinez, author of NOTORIOUS.

Martinez and her protagonist, Melanie Vargas, have a lot in common. They are both mothers and lawyers, they both come from modest backgrounds and have high-powered educations. And both are half Puerto Rican.

"I'm trying to show a Latina professional going about her day-to-day life," Martinez says. "Being Latina is part of who Melanie Vargas is, but it doesn't define her any more than being a lawyer or being a mother does. Her culture is woven into the story in a seamless way intended to acquaint a wide readership with a smart, tough Latina professional."


Do these authors of color have a particular message that they want to communicate to readers? Definitely. 

Hirahara seeks to communicate that "we are not monolithic. Many Americans mix up Japanese nationals with Japanese-Americans. I also try to depict Japanese-Americans as honestly as possible—our strengths but also our weaknesses."

This attempt at cultural honesty isn't always well received by the Japanese community. "When I write about gambling addictions and other secrets, some older Japanese-Americans feel that I'm airing our dirty laundry," Hirahara says. "But I feel that we should represent ourselves as whole human beings, not cardboard model minority stereotypes."

Neither Martinez nor Henry set out to create protagonists who are superwomen. "I'm trying to show a Latina professional going about her day-to-day life," Martinez says. "Her culture is woven into the story in a seamless way intended to acquaint a wide readership with a smart, tough Latina professional."

Henry echoes that sentiment. "Though my main character is a black woman, and sometimes deals with race-related issues, she also deals with all the same everyday issues that any other woman deals with. Job issues, relationship issues and family issues."

* * *
Attorney Pamela Samuels Young is the author of the legal thrillers Murder on the Down Low, In Firm Pursuit and Every Reasonable Doubt. Buying Time coming Fall 2009. Visit her website at www.pamelasamuelsyoung.com 

Murder on the Down Low by Pamela Samuels Young
 Buy Murder on the Down Low  at Amazon.com

Buying Time by Pamela Samuels Young
Purchase the book.

Meet author Pamela Samuels Young 

Pamela Samuels Young is the Essence bestselling author of Murder on the Down Low, In Firm Pursuit, Every Reasonable Doubt and the forthcoming Buying Time. The former journalist and Compton native is the fiction writing expert for BizyMoms.com and is on the Board of Directors of the Southern California Chapter of Mystery Writers of America. Murder on the Down Low raises awareness about HIV and AIDS in the African American community.  Website: www.pamelasamuelsyoung.com

MURDER ON THE DOWN LOW by Pamela Samuels Young is an intense eye-opener!
A high-profile lawsuit erupts into chaos, revealing its place in a larger spree of violence in this scandalous tale of lust, lies, and vengeance. A brazen gunman is targeting prominent African American men on the streets of Los Angeles, and police are completely baffled.

At the same time, savvy big-firm attorney Vernetta Henderson and her outrageous sidekick, Special, lead the charge for revenge against a man whose deceit caused his fianceé's death.

For Special, hauling the man into court and suing him for wrongful death just isn’t good enough. While she exacts her own brand of justice, a shocking revelation connects the contentious lawsuit and the puzzling murders.

(Book info:  ISBN-10: 0981562701;  ISBN-13: 978-0981562704)   

Purchase the books at Barnes and Noble.com       Buy at Amazon.com


"Murder on the Down Low is an entertaining read, filled with heart-pumping suspense.   Pamela Samuels-Young weaves a sitting-on-the-edge of your seat plot that keeps you guessing and turning the pages!"
—Best-selling Author  Victoria Christopher Murray, The Ex Files

 "Right up to the twisted and unexpected slam-bang ending, Murder on the Down Low will keep you teetering precariously on the edge of your seat the whole way through."

 —The Book Club Queen

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Buying Time by Pamela Samuels Young (Paperback - Nov 1, 2009)

Waverly Sloan is a down-on-his-luck lawyer. But just when he's about to hit rock bottom, he stumbles upon a business with the potential to solve all of his problems.

In Waverly's new line of work, he comes to the aid of people in desperate need of cash. But there's a catch. His clients must be terminally ill and willing to sign over rights to their life insurance policies before they can collect a dime. Waverly then finds investors eager to advance them thousands of dollars—including a hefty broker's fee for himself—in exchange for a significant return on their investment once the clients take their last breath.

The stakes get higher when Waverly brokers the policy of the cancer-stricken wife of Lawrence Erickson, a high-powered lawyer who's bucking to become the next U.S. Attorney General. When Waverly's clients start dying sooner than they should, both Waverly and Erickson—who has some skeletons of his own to hide—are unwittingly drawn into a perilous web of greed, blackmail and murder.
  (Book info: ISBN-10: 098156271X; ISBN-13: 978-0981562711)    

Purchase the books at Barnes and Noble.com    Buy Murder on the Down Low  at Amazon.com

Murder on the Down Low by Pamela Samuels Young
Buying Time by Pamela Samuels Young 
Website:  www.pamelasamuelsyoung.com