1. Fingers crossed

I'm thrilled to announce that RUSSIAN MOJITO, Detective Emilia Cruz Book 7, is a finalist for the 2020 Silver Falchion Award in the Procedural category!

The Silver Falchion is a peer-judged literary award sponsored by the Killer Nashville International Writer’s conference. Although the conference itself will not be held this year, the awards process is moving forward, with winners announced on 22 August.

Last year, the bilingual Detective Emilia Cruz story THE ARTIST/EL ARTISTA won the Silver Falchion in the Short Story/Collection category. Is it too much to hope Emilia can win again this year?

See all the finalists here >>> https://killernashville.com/2020-killer-nashville-silver-falchion-award-finalists

Get RUSSIAN MOJITO on Amazon here >>> https://geni.us/russian-mojito

MURDER AT THE GALLIANO CLUB is my next release, set in upstate New York during Prohibition. The Galliano Club is an Italian social club for men, catering to mill workers producing the copper and iron to build America’s bridges, ship hulls, and electrical wires.

Ruth Cross lives in the apartment above the Galliano Club. She keeps her rent low by “doing a favor” to owner Vito Bottini every now and then, although she secretly longs for bartender Luca Lombardo. But Ruth has a secret, which in 1926 makes her very vulnerable.

Ruth was halfway home, hurrying to beat the rain, when O’Malley stepped out of a doorway and fell into step beside her as smoothly as a blue wool steamship with brass buttons. “And a good afternoon to you, Miss Cross,” he said and touched the visor of his police cap.

“And to you, Officer,” Ruth said with a prim nod.

“I stopped by to see you Saturday night,” O’Malley said. “But I never saw you.”

“I’m busy on Saturday nights,” Ruth said and tried to walk faster. She wasn’t some wide-eyed girl who needed a man’s intentions shoved under her nose ten times before she knew what he wanted.

“Oh, aye.” O’Malley kept pace, the nightstick on his right side bumping between them. “With your landlord, Vito Bottini.”

Ruth felt a cold shiver which had nothing to do with the stormy October weather. “If you need to talk to Mr. Bottini you can find him at his place of business.”

“He was still at the Galliano Club when I came by,” O’Malley seemed to be enjoying the conversation. “Past closing time, but he was still there.”

Ruth transferred her shopping basket to her left arm to make a barrier between them. “Mr. Bottini’s business hours are no concern of mine.”

“I know he visits you after hours. What's your racket, Miss Cross? Dancing or prostitution?”

Ruth stopped walking, stunned into immobility.

O’Malley stopped, too. “Why else would you be interested in an old married dago like Bottini? He’s only got one use for a woman as fine as you.”

Ruth found her voice, albeit with difficulty. “You have no right to say these outrageous things to me,” she said.

“We need to make an arrangement, Miss Cross.” O’Malley smiled at her. The corners of his eyes crinkled, but there was no humor in his face. “You’re a fine woman and I’d be pleased to court you. In other words, I won’t say anything about your arrangement with your landlord as long as you extend the same arrangement to me.”

“I’m not making any arrangement with you, Officer O’Malley,” Ruth gasped. She backed away from him. “You are coarse and low to even make such a suggestion.”

“Don’t run away from me, Miss High and Mighty,” O’Malley said and caught her by the elbow. “I know all about you and I mean to use it against you, if you make me.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Ruth tried to shake him off but his grasp was tight, his fingers pressing through the thick fabric of her coat. Her grip on the heavy basket loosened. Her groceries nearly spilled into the street before she caught the basket with her free hand.

“I did a little investigating when Miss Ruth Cross came to Lido and set up her business,” O’Malley said and gave her arm a little jerk. “Guess what I found?”

“I have no interest in what you do in your spare time, Officer O’Malley,” Ruth said. She spoke tartly but inside she was terrified.

“Miss Ruthie Ann Crosswater was found bleeding and unconscious on a park bench in Poughkeepsie two years ago.” O’Malley let go of her arm to hold his gloved hand sideways, like he was reading from a book. “Taken to the hospital where she delivered a child, which was unformed and deceased. Miss Crosswater is not married, nor is she a resident of Poughkeepsie. She gave no fixed address.”

Ruth said nothing. The air was knocked clean out of her. Deep down, she’d always expected this day to come, but that didn’t lessen the blow.

“How would all those mamas like it if they knew little Suzy’s dance teacher was a knocked up, vagrant whore?” O’Malley asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

“You have no idea what happened to me,” Ruth wanted to say. Her mouth wouldn't form the words.

“You’re a role model, Ruthie Ann,” O'Malley said. “You think the upstanding citizens of Lido would let you stay if they knew how soiled you are? Teach their children to dance so they can grow up to be whores, too?”

O’Malley looked away from her to take in the storefronts and the cars cruising up and down Hamilton Street. Ruth knew what his gaze meant. Her business, her new-found place in the community, the friendships she’d made. It was all hers to lose.

Ruth bit her lip to keep the tears from falling. “Make your point, Officer O’Malley.”

“I can forget I ever heard of a place called Poughkeepsie,” O’Malley said slowly, as if savoring the suspense. “But that depends on you.”

Read more about the upcoming Galliano Club series here: http://carmenamato.net/ galliano-club-mystery-series/

Non-fiction author Erik Larsen (DEAD WAKE, THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY, THE SPLENDID AND THE VILE, etc.) writes true crime with the sweep, suspense, and vocabulary of the best fiction authors. THUNDERSTRUCK may not be his best known book but it is the incredible saga of a true crime that will leave you as breathless as any bestselling thriller.

The book pits two men against each other in a brilliant match-up aboard the SS Montrose as the ship churns across the Atlantic toward Canada. The captain of the ship is the linchpin. This is where THUNDERSTRUCK begins, hooking the reader with a little-known, but absolutely crucial moment in history.

The first man in this unlikely battle is Guglielmo Marconi, a wealthy and eccentric Italian youth who is obsessed with science and turns his family’s attic into a private laboratory. The socially inadept Marconi will be credited with the invention of the wireless telegraph, aka, radio. He’ll monetize his invention and transform global communications via ambitious experiments, risky marketing, British mentors, and his family connections.

The immediate value of Marconi’s wireless is the ability to communicate with ships at sea. Soon every major vessel has a Marconi cabin and telegraph operators sending and receiving Marconigrams.

Next up is Hawley Crippen, a mild-mannered American medical man who moves to London to peddle patent medicines. His wife Cora, with dreams of becoming an opera singer, spends every penny Crippen makes. In due time, she renames herself Belle Elmore, is a minor failure on the British vaudeville circuit known as varieties, and takes a lover who is more dashing than her husband.  Crippen takes solace in a relationship with his very young secretary, Ethel Le Neve.

The lives of Marconi and Crippen move in parallel, each in their own fascinating way. Marconi is willful, selfish, demanding. Crippen is meek, abused, long-suffering.

When Belle’s friends doubt Crippen’s claim that Belle died in California, Scotland Yard investigates. Crippen and Le Neve drop out of sight. A manhunt ensues with Marconigrams flying through the ether.

Meanwhile, a father and teenaged son board the SS Montrose for an 11-day crossing. The captain identifies them as Crippen and Le Neve in disguise. Scotland Yard’s lead investigator boards a faster ship.

What happens next is stranger than fiction. Thanks to Marconi, the entire world except for the passengers aboard the SS Montrose knows about the nail-biting chase through the Atlantic. Will Scotland Yard catch up to Belle’s murdering husband or will the disguised lovers reach Canada first and disappear into the wilds?

The book is absolutely riveting. Larsen spins out the story like a master storyteller, tantalizing and leading us from one key piece of the puzzle to the next. Highly recommended.