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Carolyn Mulford

Carolyn Mulford

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      • Reviews
    • Show Me the Ashes
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Category Archives: Reviews of Carolyn’s books

About The Feedsack Dress Blog

Carolyn Mulford Posted on July 16, 2019 by CarolynJuly 18, 2019

When The Feedsack Dress came out in 2007, I started a blog on Typepad that focused on life during the late 1940s and early 1950s. I stopped posting there in 2012, but you can still link to The Feedsack Kids. I’m posting some new blogs and my favorite old ones here.

Posted in The Feedsack Dress

Reviewers Recommend Sinister Snowman

Carolyn Mulford Posted on July 13, 2017 by CarolynJuly 13, 2017

Despite the winter setting, Show Me the Sinister Snowman found favor with reviewers in July.

Librarians and those who request they add books to their collections should note Midwest Book Review’s recommendation. The reviewer says that “dedicated mystery buffs will appreciate the deftly crafted characters, as well as the unexpected plot-driven twists, turns and surprises.… very highly recommended, especially for community library Mystery/Suspense collections.” To read the full review, go to the July 2017 issue’s “Mystery/Suspense Shelf” at http://www.midwestbookreview.com/sbw/jul_17.htm.

Another reviewer, the Pople Backyard Farm Blog, names Sinister Snowman one of its Best Reads for Summer 2017. Comments include, “Grab your cocoa and curl up with this arctic delight! … The book gave me a laugh as it reminded me of the fun we had playing Clue as kids as it involves a snowbound property. … Well written, fun and a page turner.” To read full the review scroll through http://poplebackyardfarm.blogspot.com/p/best-reads-for-summer-2017.html.

A few print magazines still review books. In its June/July “Show Me Books” column, Missouri Life said, “Carolyn Mulford has readers intrigued with her latest murder mystery…. Show Me the Sinister Snowman takes readers on an adventure to discover the real truth behind the congressman’s death and the unusual circumstances around it.” You can find the full review at http://aftermathenterprises.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Mo.Life_.Review.Final_.pdf.

With the temperatures in the 90s, the winter setting helps readers stay cool.

—Carolyn Mulford

Posted in Media Materials, News, Reviews of Carolyn’s books, Show Me Series

Reviewers Recommend Novel for All Ages

Carolyn Mulford Posted on August 8, 2016 by CarolynAugust 8, 2016

Who are the readers for Thunder Beneath My Feet? Reviewers have recommended it for tweens through adults. Just what I wanted to hear.

When I planned a story set during the New Madrid earthquakes of 1811-1812, I chose to tell it through the eyes of a teenage girl who must grow up overnight and make judgment calls few adults face. I pictured readers as young as fourth graders and expected most to be sixth to eighth graders. I hoped anyone who likes history would enjoy watching the major characters, who range in age from ten to mid twenties, deal with danger and individual and cultural differences.

Below are excerpts from three recent reviews.

The Historical Novels Review, Issue 77, August 2016 (https://historicalnovelsociety.org/reviews/thunder-beneath-my-feet/): “Thunder Beneath My Feet is a charming novel with a strong historical setting. The landscape, characters, and manners of speech all set the tone perfectly.  … the story is made intriguing by its diverse characters and well-visualized time period.

“I would recommend this book to my daughter, particularly when she learns about pioneer life in school. I must admit that I had no idea about these events! The story is meticulously researched and will entertain (and educate!) readers from tweens to adults.”

Boundless Book Reviews, June 30, 2016 (bit.ly/29dEjKF): “This suspenseful drama hooked me from the first page and I read it within two days, I just could not put it down. I highly recommend Thunder Beneath My Feet; this is one of those rare books everyone can enjoy. I absolutely loved it and give it 5 Boundless Stars.”

Missouri Life, August-September 2016: “If you’re a fan of the Titanic movie, then you will love Carolyn Mulford’s fictional story of a tragedy that struck Missouri 205 years ago.”

—Carolyn Mulford

Posted in Historicals, Reviews of Carolyn’s books, Thunder Beneath My Feet

Reviewer: Achilles Steals the Show

Carolyn Mulford Posted on December 21, 2015 by CarolynDecember 21, 2015

“Phoenix’s dog Achilles plays a star role in the whole series, and with each book, he steals more of the show,” wrote blogger Judy Hogan in her pre-publication review of Show Me the Ashes. The review is posted at http://postmenopausalzest.blogspot.com/2015/12/review-carolyn-mulfords-show-me-ashes.html.

The reviewer liked the other characters, too, ending the review with this: “One fiction teacher I had years ago said that the sign of a good book was its memorability.  Did it stick in your mind?  Carolyn Mulford’s characters stick in my mind.”

A poet, novelist, and activist, Judy’s latest books are The Sands of Gower: The First Penny Weaver Mystery and This River: An Epic Love Poem.

 —Carolyn Mulford

Posted in News, Reviews of Carolyn’s books, Show Me Series

First Review of Show Me the Ashes

Carolyn Mulford Posted on November 9, 2015 by CarolynNovember 9, 2015

Kirkus Reviews has posted the first pre-publication review of Show Me the Ashes. That’s a good thing.

Five Star will release the book, the fourth in the series, December 16, 2015.

The Kirkus headline reads: “A former CIA agent must find a way to solve a cold case without hurting her best friend’s feelings.” The conclusion says: “Phoenix’s fourth provides both plenty of action and enough likely suspects to keep you guessing.” In between, the reviewer sketches the characters’ relationships and the two cases that former covert operative Phoenix Smith, singer Connie Diamante, and Sheriff Annalynn Carr Keyser investigate.

If you’d like to read the whole review, go to https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/carolyn-mulford/show-me-the-ashes.

If you’d like to read my description and the first chapter, click on the book’s cover on my home page.

—Carolyn Mulford

 

Posted in News releases, Reviews of Carolyn’s books, Show Me Series

Different Readers, Different Reviews

Carolyn Mulford Posted on January 14, 2015 by CarolynJanuary 14, 2015

More reviews of Show Me the Gold went online this week, and the difference in comments from those who had read the first two books and who had read only the third one struck me.

In a brief review on the January 7, 2015, Bibliophilic Books Blog, Star noted that Gold has good characters and an interesting mystery and reads very well as a standalone. She added, “I could have gained more insight into the characters from reading the other books in this series.” To read the full review, go to

http://www.bibliophilicbookblog.com/2015/01/book-review-show-me-gold-by-carolyn.html.

I hope her readers follow her advice and read Show Me the Murder and Show Me the Deadly Deer, too.

A similar remark came from P.J. Coldren in a much longer review in the January issue of  Reviewing the Evidence. She wrote, “There is enough back story to move the reader along, and yet not quite enough— this makes most readers want to go back and read the first two in the series.”

Coldren saw familiar traits in the characters. She wrote, “Connie, the third member of this long-standing trio, seems to take turns aiding and abetting Annalynn, then Phoenix; who doesn’t have a friend like this?” To read the entire review, go to http://www.reviewingtheevidence.com/review.html?id=10204.

Judy Hogan, who reviewed the first two books, noted, “This is a fast read, but I like the slower scenes best, where we learn more about the characters. Each book in the series reveals more about the trio of women. Fortunately novel four is already in the works.”

Like many reviewers, she didn’t neglect the canine hero: “The dog Achilles continues to add a wonderful human tone to these novels, as do the various minor small town and rural characters.”

Her review ran January 11, 2015, on http://postmenopausalzest.blogspot.com.

One of the reasons readers and writers like series is the chance to get to know the ongoing characters and watch them change.

—Carolyn Mulford

 

Posted in Mysteries, News releases, Reviews of Carolyn’s books, Show Me Series

Reviewers Value Books’ Characters

Carolyn Mulford Posted on December 22, 2014 by CarolynDecember 22, 2014

Yesterday two reviewers gave me an early Christmas gift, appreciation of the people who inhabit Show Me the Gold, the newly released third volume of my mystery series.

In Living on the Page: Personal Journal of Author Sandra Parshall, the Agatha winner wrote, “The plot has enough twists, turns, and blind alleys to keep readers turning pages, but the greatest strength of Carolyn Mulford’s writing is her gift for creating likable characters with the kinds of flaws that make us all human. … Highly recommended for readers who love character-driven stories with realistic small town settings.”

If you need a model for writing book reviews, read this one and others at http://livingonthepage.blogspot.com/2014/12/review-show-me-gold.html.

Few newspapers give space to writers these days, but Columbia Tribune arts reporter Amy Wilder surveyed the local scene literary scene in “Missouri scribes fill shelves with varied volumes.” She even read Show Me the Gold before she interviewed me.

She focused on the fast pace, the sense of place, and my characters. She wrote, “Mulford is interested in, and draws a lot of inspiration from, social dynamics she has observed in people throughout her life — both while she lived and worked abroad and at home.

“While many things have changed” since the author left Missouri decades ago, “I don’t think people have changed very much,” she said. “I didn’t have an awareness of as many of the strains of Missouri life as a child, as I do as an adult — particularly as an adult who’s come back; you see a place more clearly when you return to it after being away.”

You can read the full article at http://www.columbiatribune.com/arts_life/ovation/missouri-scribes-fill-shelves-with-varied-volumes/article_4a7f2a0d-7e14-5858-86b1-ecff2f4e7041.html.

Those two perceptive reviewers made December 21 a great day for me.

—Carolyn Mulford

Posted in News, Reviews of Carolyn’s books, Show Me Series

Library Journal and Gumshoe Like Show Me the Gold

Carolyn Mulford Posted on December 8, 2014 by CarolynDecember 15, 2014

One of the most important reviews for any author comes from the Library Journal. With Show Me the Gold to be released December 17, I started searching for the review, only to discover it came out October 1, 2014.

I’d missed two months of feeling good. The reviewer, librarian Viccy Kemp, put Phoenix Smith in the company of three of my favorite mystery protagonists: Marcia Muller’s Sharon McCone, Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Milhone, and J. A. Jance’s Joanna Brady. Those three writers pioneered in introducing intelligent, tough female investigators.

Here’s the review: “Ex-spy Phoenix Smith and Sheriff Annalynn Keyser respond to a call from a neighboring county in rural Missouri and kill two bank robbers trying to escape an abandoned farmhouse. Now they are the No. 1 targets of the surviving members of the Cantree clan. The third entry (after Show Me the Deadly Deer) in this character-driven series will intrigue fans of female PIs such as Sharon McCone, Kinsey Millhone, or Joanna Brady.”

The December issue of Gumshoe Review delighted me by posting two reviews. Both reviewers gave the nod not only to Phoenix and her two old friends but also to her canine sidekick, Achilles.

Verna Suit concluded, “The complex plot of Show Me the Gold finds Phoenix getting into lots of tight corners as she hunts down the elusive Cantrees. Frequently she is saved at the last second by the alertness of her Belgian Shepherd, Achilles, who easily earns his place in the series’ cover art. This very satisfying book traces the exploits of a 50-something single woman creating a new life for herself in small-town America; a CIA agent’s second act.” (See http://www.gumshoereview.com/php/Review-id.php?id=4513.)

Mel Jacob focuses on how Phoenix and her friends, Acting Sheriff Annalynn Keyser and singer/musical comedy director Connie Diamante, deal with crime and personal problems and what Achilles contributes. Jacob endorses Show Me the Gold by writing, “Readers will be looking forward to [the] next installment on Phoenix, Annalynn, Connie, and, of course, Achilles.” (See http://www.gumshoereview.com/php/Review-id.php?id=4682.)

Nothing beats knowing that readers enjoy my books.

—Carolyn Mulford

Posted in Mysteries, News, News releases, Reviews of Carolyn’s books, Show Me Series

Kirkus Praises Show Me the Gold

Carolyn Mulford Posted on November 13, 2014 by CarolynDecember 15, 2014

“Mulford confronts her troupe of reluctant crime solvers with plenty of action and a few surprises.”

So ends Kirkus Reviews’ 300-word review of Show Me the Gold, the third mystery in my Show Me series. Five Star/Gale, Cengage releases the hardback and e-book editions December 17.

As usual, Kirkus is the first pre-publication reviewer. The publisher sends paperback uncorrected proofs (often called advanced reader copies—ARCs) to national review publications three to four months before the release date.

I send out copies to my own list, which consists mostly of bloggers and newsletters. Few newspapers today carry staff-written book reviews. The reviews, and some interviews, that I generate will come later. So will comments on such sites as GoodReads and Amazon.

That later response makes the first review from a well-respected magazine particularly special.

The entire Kirkus review is posted at https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/carolyn-mulford/show-me-the-gold/.

—Carolyn Mulford

Posted in Mysteries, News, Reviews of Carolyn’s books, Show Me Series

Reviews of Show Me the Deadly Deer

Carolyn Mulford Posted on April 11, 2014 by CarolynApril 11, 2014

Below are excerpts of reviews of Show Me the Deadly Deer with links to the full reviews. 

Kirkus Reviews, November 15, 2013

“Small-town Missouri again proves almost as dangerous to a former CIA agent as European back alleys. Mulford’s second provides plenty of excitement as readers wend their ways through a slew of suspects.”

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/carolyn-mulford/show-me-deadly-deer/

 

St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 21, 2013

“Mulford’s depiction of north-central Missouri will surely displease many people who live there. … raising the rural region’s murder rate close to that of St. Louis. Still, the local color can be colorful indeed.”  —Harry Levins

http://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/books-and-literature/reviews/show-me-roundup-seven-books-with-missouri-ties/article_43e015e4-16c3-5232-b6c1-7a02749ce519.html

 

Suspense Magazine, “Inside the Pages,” January 2014

“A mark of a good mystery series is when you can pick up any volume as a starting place and not feel lost. That test is passed by “Show Me the Deadly Deer,” the second entry in Carolyn Mulford’s enjoyable Show Me series, set in rural Missouri.

“Carolyn Mulford has crafted a satisfying mystery with enough twists to keep the reader turning the pages. She captures the flavor of the rural life, where everyone knows everyone’s business, but where deadly secrets can still remain hidden.” — David Ingram

http://www.suspensemagazine.com/files/Suspense_Magazine_January_2014.pdf

 

Gumshoe Review, January 2014

“Tying all the clues together takes time. An exciting climax places Phoenix and Annalynn in danger. Overall, Mulford provides interesting characters and a good mystery.” —Mel Jacob

http://www.gumshoereview.com/php/Review-id.php?id=4015

 

Columbia Daily Tribune, “Ovation,” January 26, 2014

“With decades of life experience behind them and healthy independence, none of the women in Mulford’s books could be described as one-dimensional, weak or foolish. They are fully human, with complex personalities and dynamic interactions with the world and one another.”

“Show Me the Deadly Deer flows with deceptively simple language and a satisfyingly complex plot.” —Amy Wilder

http://www.columbiatribune.com/arts_life/ovation/covert-world-small-town-missouri-come-together-in-mystery-series/article_6a269d4a-8630-11e3-b4a9-10604b9ffe60.html

—Carolyn Mulford

Posted in News, Reviews of Carolyn’s books, Show Me Series

Reviewer Calls Characters Appealing, Story Compelling

Carolyn Mulford Posted on February 1, 2013 by CarolynFebruary 1, 2013

Dozens of editors and publishers have rejected my nonfiction and (especially) fiction manuscripts over the years, so forgive me if I report some reassuring praise.

In the February issue of Gumshoe Review Magazine of Mystery Literature, reviewer Verna Suit ended her review of Show Me the Murder with, “Phoenix is a can-do heroine and all three of the women are appealing characters. The reader cheers when Annalynn steps up to take control of her life. Plot and setting are convincing and the compelling story keeps one reading. I look forward to finding out what the future has in store for all three of them.”

The 15 other books reviewed in the issue included Garment of Shadows by Laurie R. King, Calculated by Death by J.D. Robb, and Buried in a Bog by Sheila Connolly.

To read the full review of Show Me the Murder, go to http://www.gumshoereview.com/php/Review-id.php?id=3558.

—Carolyn Mulford

Posted in Mysteries, Mysterious Ways, News, Reviews of Carolyn’s books

Kirkus Reviews Show Me the Murder

Carolyn Mulford Posted on January 28, 2013 by CarolynJanuary 28, 2013

The first review of Show Me the Murder came from Kirkus Reviews, the venerable magazine that carries pre-publication reviews.

The reviewer sums up by writing, “The first in Mulford’s planned series explores the unsettling rise of crime in rural areas and provides an amusing and touching look at the reunited gal pals.”

The magazine reviewed 17 mysteries and 258 other books in the issue. You can read the entire review of Show Me the Murder on the website ((http://www.kirkusreviews.com/search/?q=Show+Me+the+Murder) or on page 33 of the January 1, 2013, issue (Vol. LXXXI, No.1).

The book will be released February 15, 2013.

Posted in Media Materials, News, News releases, Reviews of Carolyn’s books

Latest Postings


I Am a River

Carolyn Mulford Posted on April 19, 2025 by CarolynApril 19, 2025

Each week I lunch with a group of friends and discuss a topic. Last time the coordinator posed this question: What is the shape of your life? The answers included a rectangle, a vase, a cloud, and an octagon. Usually I wing it, but this time I wrote my response. The Shape of My Life I am a river, Birthed in a puddle, Nourished by rain, Pushed to overflow And grow broader And deeper.   Springs and creeks fed my flow. Widening waters gathered force, Thrusting me against unyielding barriers And cascading me over rocky falls.   Other streams joined … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized

Where to Find My Books

Carolyn Mulford Posted on April 1, 2025 by CarolynApril 1, 2025

While only one of my books, Show Me the Sinister Snowman, continues to be published in print and electronic editions, several of my novels are available from online sellers. Most of the copies are used, but columbiabooksonline.com, my supportive local bookstore, has a small stock of new Show Me hardbacks and paperbacks. I also have a few copies of all my novels except The Feedsack Dress, my historical children’s book, and Show Me the Murder, the first in my mystery series featuring a former spy returning   home and solving crimes with old friends. Fortunately e-editions still exist. Barnes and Noble … Continue reading →

Posted in Mysteries, The Feedsack Dress, Uncategorized

Looking Forward 60 Years Ago

Carolyn Mulford Posted on February 28, 2025 by CarolynFebruary 28, 2025

Reminders of my attempts to start my writing career arrived last Christmas. A friend, Joyce Campbell, sent me letters I had written to her while we were serving as Peace Corps Volunteers (teaching English) in Ethiopia from September 1962 to July 1964 and in the months after we returned home (Chattanooga, Tennessee, for her and Kirksville, Missouri, for me) after traveling through Europe. On December 21, 1964, I wrote, “Has anything turned up for you yet? People don’t seem terribly impressed with Peace Corps experience for job qualifications it seems to me. I’m going down to the University Placement Bureau … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing

Mid-Continent Earthquakes, Past and Future

Carolyn Mulford Posted on December 16, 2024 by CarolynDecember 16, 2024

About 2:30 a.m. December 16, 1811, an earthquake threw people in New Madrid, Missouri Territory, out of bed and crumbled brick houses and cabin chimneys, forced the Mississippi River to run backward and change course, disturbed sleep along most of the East Coast, and toppled dishes from shelves in the White House. That marked the beginning of some of the most powerful, prolonged quakes the United States has experienced. These weren’t the first in the New Madrid Seismic Zone, which is centered near where Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Kentucky come together. Geologists and other scientists have found indications that powerful … Continue reading →

Posted in Historicals, News, Thunder Beneath My Feet

The Turkey That Bullied Me

Carolyn Mulford Posted on November 26, 2024 by CarolynNovember 26, 2024

I grew up with animals as friends, the first being our dog Roamer. He and I wandered around the yard, the barnyard, and the garden. Roamer barked at squirrels and chased rabbits from our vegetables. He made me ponder one of life’s great puzzles: Is it okay to sympathize with Peter Rabbit in the story but condemn him when your own carrots are at risk? Roamer knew not to chase our chickens or cows or pigs, and he joined me in playing with an orphaned lamb and the kittens whose parents kept the barn free of mice. What he didn’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized

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