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Sandra Mangan

Never Laugh as a Hearse Goes By by Elizabeth J. Duncan

Fresh Meat: Never Laugh as a Hearse Goes By by Elizabeth J. Duncan

By Sandra Mangan

October 28, 2013

Never Laugh as a Hearse Goes By is the fifth book featuring Welsh salon owner and amateur detective Penny Brannigan, who's facing murder at a clerical conference (available October 29, 2013). Elizabeth J. Duncan's series of books featuring Penny Brannigan have garnered awards and attracted legions of fans. Never Laugh as a Hearse Goes By…

Lauren Bacall woodcut by artist Loren Kantor

Undercover Artist: Loren Kantor, Noir Woodcutter

By Sandra Mangan

October 5, 2013

Loren Kantor is a Los Angeles-based woodcut artist whose interest began in the mid-1980s. He recalls: “I attended a German Expressionist art show at LA County Museum and I encountered the woodcut prints and paintings of George Grosz, Kathe Kollwitz and Karl Schmidt-Rottluff. I was mesmerized. I loved the stark lines and bold imagery. ”I…

Justice for Sara, a romantic thriller by Erica Spindler

Fresh Meat: Justice for Sara by Erica Spindler

By Sandra Mangan

August 5, 2013

Justice for Sara by Erica Spindler is a romantic thriller about a young woman who returns, after a decade of hiding, to her hometown to solve her sister's murder. (available August 6, 2013). She's the queen of the romantic thriller, with a raft of awards to her name, so a new Erica Spindler novel is…

The Twelfth Department by William Ryan

Fresh Meat: The Twelfth Department by William Ryan

By Sandra Mangan

July 9, 2013

The Twelfth Department by William Ryan is the 3rd in a historic series set in Stalinist Russia featuring investigator Captain Alexei Korolev (available July 9, 2013). The year is 1937, and Captain Alexei Korolev of the Moscow Criminal Investigation Department is facing his toughest case yet. And he must tread carefully, because the Narodnyy Komissariat…

Tiny paper sculpture jewelry by Katie Stainer

Undercover Artist: Katie Stainer and her Bibliophilic Origami

By Sandra Mangan

June 8, 2013

As a child, I used to make “fortune tellers” out of a square of paper – remember them? It was my only real experience of what I now know is called origami. And if that word has conjured up crude swan and rabbit shapes, then think again… because Katie Stainer takes the skill to a…

Fresh Meat: Graveland by Alan Glynn

By Sandra Mangan

May 20, 2013

Graveland by Alan Glynn is a thriller set in the world of Wall Street high finance (available May 28, 2013). Set in the here and now, Graveland is very much a book of its time. It centers on the current financial crisis—and much of the action takes place in and around Wall Street. The story…

Undercover Artist: Kate Bufton, Transformer of Books

By Sandra Mangan

May 13, 2013

They say you can’t judge a book by its cover, well with Kate Bufton that is certainly true! She sees books as much more than a mere storage area for words and ideas, but as the starting point for some incredible pieces of artwork. Based in Warrington, in the North West of England, Kate says…

Undercover Artist: Jodie Rogers, Sewn By The Sea

By Sandra Mangan

April 17, 2013

Most arts and crafts are a mystery to me, but there are plenty of folk out there who are putting their talents to good use. And when their work includes old books, then I’m definitely hooked! Upcycler Jodie Rogers, also known as Sewn By The Sea, lives at the seaside in Leigh on Sea in…

Undercover Artist: Louise Firchau, the Paper Panda

By Sandra Mangan

April 5, 2013

Books. They take us to places we never dreamt of going; introduce us to people we may love or loathe; inspire, educate, thrill, and move us. They may also provide a starting point for great artwork—and I’ve been seeking out craftsfolk whose love of literature has developed into something amazing… My idea of recycling books…

Criminal Records: On a Crime Fiction Soundtrack

By Sandra Mangan

February 27, 2013

Just lately, I’ve been pondering the reasons behind my apparent predilection for all things crime fiction. As a kid, I remember staring with amazement at the covers of my Mother’s library books. Invariably, they showed a discarded gun, carefully posed body, or spatters of blood—which my brother and I thought was hilarious. We were always…

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