Comic Review: A Righteous Thirst for Vengeance #7 from Image Comics

A Righteous Thirst for Vengeance #7 

May 4, 2022

Age Rating: M

Writer: Rick Remender 

Artist: André Lima Araújo 

Genre: Crime, murder mystery 

Image Comics

The problem with hiding is there’s no place to run once you’ve been discovered.

This is the big one. All the trains collide.

A Righteous Thirst for Vengeance #7, created by Rick Remender and André Lima Araújo jumps right into the story with Xavier waking to what appears to be an ordinary day. Things take an ominous turn with a mysterious text, and Xavier finds himself on the run. Unfortunately, he runs into the wrong man…or men…or not. When Sonny awakes and finds Xavier missing, he searches frantically for Xavier, but will he be too late?

The artwork has a nice noir feel and does a good job depicting emotion and action. My only issue is with using words like “slash” to depict the sound made from a knife wound, or “kck” to depict a kick to the head. TBH, though, I’m not exactly sure what sound it makes when you stab someone with a knife. The worst I’ve ever done is remove a layer of skin with a vegetable peeler, which really didn’t make much noise at all until I started cursing the potato, the vegetable peeler, and every vegetable within a three-block radius.

There are some unanswered questions (who is Sonny to Xavier and how did they end up together?) and some backstory that was most likely explained in Issues 1-6 (what happened that they’re in a work camp in Hemlock Valley, BC?) but this is definitely not the authors’ fault--I’m the one who chose to jump in with issue 7. I was hooked, though, and I'm Really looking forward to #8. Is Xavier in danger or not? And who wanted him taken? Will Sonny find him before it’s too late, and should Xavier even be with Sonny? Looks like we’ll have to wait and see.

3.5 Sheep

Reviewer: Deb S.

Mystery Author B.R. Stateham: Discussion on writing a murder-mystery short story. + giveaway

Discussion on writing a short-story.

I like writing mysteries. But more than that, I like writing mysteries filled with interesting characters and puzzling cases. So the procedure, for me, is simple;

Begin with a murder in the most unusual situation and/or set of circumstances--and then introduce the main character or characters who are--hopefully--going to solve the case. After the initial set-up is done, its both the author and reader trying to figure out who did it together. In the beginning, I have no clue who or how the crime was done. As I am writing, I am playing off the odd clues I throw into the pile of clues found in the story, but more importantly--it is the wit and thoughts each of my two homicide detectives throw at each other which furthers the story along.

I know--it may very well be the worst way to write a short-story. Or a novel, for that matter. But that's the way I do it. So sit back and enjoy. I think you'll like the ride.

Murder Is Our Business (Turner Hahn and Frank Morales Case Files Book 1)
by B.R. Stateham

June 16, 2021

180 pages

Genre: Hard-Boiled Noir Crime Mystery, Short Stories
Ten stories from the Case Files of homicide detectives Turner Hahn and Frank Morales, these are tales of murder, deception, greed and mayhem only this duo can solve.

Murder is the operative word in this collection: from hardened criminals to deceitful damsels, to the cold minds of serial killers. Come along for the ride as Turner and Frank face off with the crazies, the cunning and the brilliant, as they try to get away with murder.

For Turner and Frank, the city pays them to do a job. But that's okay... they're good at what they do.

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Quote from 'A Barking Dog.'
"Earlier there was something about the kid which bothered me. Well, maybe it was more about something the kid said which bothered me. Just a kid really. Maybe fourteen, fifteen years old. A geeky little kid plagued with adolescent acne and a love for video games. Rail thin with big brown eyes and wire rim glasses. A dime a dozen. You find'em in every apartment building on this side of town. At least one.

But the one thing Frank and I knew from experience. A kid like this knew a hell of a lot more than what he usually revealed. Not because he was up to some nefarious shenanigans. Usually they keep quiet and stay out of everyone's way because, frankly, he was a geeky teenager with a case of acne with a connoisseur’s intimate knowledge of the city's many pizza parlors.

Who the hell wants to be made into a laughing stock by some toothy looking geeky kid?"

Guns, Gams, Ghosts and Gangsters (Turner Hahn and Frank Morales Case Files Book 2)
These ten short stories feature some of the homicide cases investigated by the South Side Precinct’s best homicide detectives Turner Hahn and Frank Morales.

In this riveting collection, you'll find cases of murder, revenge, greed, and insanity, with a hint of the supernatural thrown in as a bonus.

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About the Author
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B.R. Stateham is a fourteen-year-old boy trapped in a seventy-one-year-old body. But his enthusiasm and boyish delight in anything mysterious and/or unknown continue.

Writing novels, especially detectives, is just the avenue of escape which keeps the author’s mind sharp and inquisitive. He’s published a ton of short stories in online magazines like Crooked, Darkest Before the Dawn, Abandoned Towers, Pulp Metal Magazine, Suspense Magazine, Spinetingler Magazine, Near to The Knuckle, A Twist of Noir, Angie’s Diary, Power Burn Flash, and Eastern Standard Crime. He writes both detective/mysteries, as well as science-fiction and fantasy.

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Excerpt: The Accidental Psychic: The Annie Prior Series by Carol-Anne Mason

The Accidental Psychic: The Annie Prior Series
by Carol-Anne Mason
20th August 2021
Genre: Paranormal Murder Mystery
Number of pages: 424
Word Count: 89,560
Cover Artist: Miblart
A horrific train crash turns Annie Prior’s life upside down, by triggering an extraordinary psychic ability that had lain dormant since her childhood.

After being rescued in more ways than one by a dark haired stranger from the train, two fatalities from the accident return to haunt her; and as Annie’s new Clairvoyant and Mediumship abilities grow, she is immersed into a realm of both needy and malevolent souls.

Despite an ongoing battle with her narcissistic family, and a boss with a dark past which continues to plague her, she comes to realise her strange new powers are also there for reasons beyond the present.

She embarks on a life journey helping both the living and the spirit world to gain closure.

But, not all are happy with Annie’s new vocation.

Amazon

Excerpt
Prologue Southampton
A cold morning in early spring 2017

Unbeknownst to Annie, a mundane commute to London on a train — will change her life forever. A fatigue crack in one of the front wheels of the train’s control car had started to open up, and further up the frozen track, a set of points were waiting for the fail...

Chapter 2 The Crash
The previous babble of voices had now risen to a headache-inducing hullabaloo, prompting Annie to put her earphones in to listen to her favourite track ‘Human,’ from the new Rag’n’Bone Man album. She closed her eyes to concentrate on the haunting words.

Suddenly, the train shuddered, then jerked violently. Annie sat bolt upright and yanked her earphones out. The carriage had fallen silent, everyone froze; all eyes widened just before fear kicked in. Then, an unprecedented sound as loud as an overhead thunderclap exploded through the carriage. The screeching of brakes set the students screaming and running for the exits, tumbling over each other like waves. Some commuters stood still, straddling the aisles, and holding onto anything that was bolted down.

Annie could only watch in terror and disbelief; none of it seemed real.

Then, the impact came. A jolt so violent it sent bodies crunching onto the floor of the carriage. Annie was forced backwards with a massive thud into her seat, knocking the wind out of her. If she had she been facing forwards, she would have been horribly smashed.

The screaming in the carriage had become unbearably loud, with commuters slamming into solid objects. The train rocked on its tracks and tilted violently over to her side; and just—kept— tilting. Annie grabbed a pole on the aisle side of the seat and instinctively lifted her legs from the footwell below the table, tucking them under her. There was a combined screeching and scraping, whilst brakes and metal sparked and twisted, before the train succumbed to gravity.

About the Author:
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Carol-Anne Mason is an artist, writer and at the age of 64, author of the new award winning novel The Accidental Psychic.

She has lead a busy and full life with many professions under her belt including: dancing, writing songs and performing. Hair salons, tutoring at college, running a night club and antique shop. Although, has continued throughout the years with her painting and writing.

Her strong belief in spiritualism has grown since her early teens, after realising her premonitions and intuitiveness was a family trait going back many generations. And after immersing herself into the paranormal world and researching all aspects of spiritualism, she felt herself well equipped to write on the subject. Also her love for reading horror stories from the likes of Stephen King and James Herbert has also influenced her writing.

Carol-Anne works from her home in the rural Hampshire countryside of The New Forest UK. Where she lives with her eccentric husband and Maltese terriers and spends much of her time with her two grown children and new grandson. Also, rescuing any animal in need—large or small—often to the annoyance of her patient husband.

Excerpt: Maiden’s Peak by Kristy E. Carter + giveaway

Welcome to my stop on the Maiden's Peak blog tour! If you are looking for a good mystery with a hint of the paranormal, you will want to read on! I have an excerpt for you, and a chance to win a copy of the book!

Maiden’s Peak

by Kristy E. Carter

May 7, 2019

179 pages
Genre: Urban Fantasy/ Murder Mystery
Publisher: Between the Lines Publishing
Victor Shelton ran from his family’s legacy of prophetic dreams at seventeen but finds at twenty-eight that he is unable to run from the nightmares that plague him. Haunted by images of his own death each night he follows the fleeting memory of the town limit’s sign in his nightmare to a quaint Colorado town.

Beckoned to a forbidding mountain peak with a past riddled by ghost stories and legends, Victor must figure out who is friend or foe. Can he unravel the secrets of the enigmatic citizens of Carver’s Corner and solve his own murder before it happens?

Perhaps the answers are in the siren song of whatever is calling him to the caves under Maiden’s Peak. The song in the darkness urges him on, but whether it is to his death or to his salvation, Victor can’t say. All he knows is that once before he had not heeded the call of his dreams and someone had died. He can’t let that happen again.

EXCERPT:

When we got to the pass, it was a low, narrow passage between Maiden's Peak and another mountain peak I didn’t know the name of. We stepped hesitantly on the snow. Thorn said, "There're old mine shafts and sinkholes somewhere in this area. No one goes here because of it."

"Good thing we came here," I said sarcastically while we progressed through the seemingly flat pass. The sides of the two peaks loomed, and the shadows were complete blackness where the flashlights weren’t illuminating the snow. The snow crackled and groaned but held as I took another step. Thorn also froze as we listened to the snow under our feet. That was when we saw it.

There was light under the snow. Thorn backed up. I backed up. The glow moved along, as if someone were walking under us with a light of some kind. It passed right under our feet. We looked at each other, quickly turning to follow the light. It was all we could do to keep up with it.

I was in front, scrambling as quietly as I could along the icy snow. The light flickered and winked out at the edge of the pass. "What the hell was that?" I asked in a low voice as soon as I dared.

Thorn looked contemplative. "Tunnels, maybe? Old mining tunnels?" He paced over to where I was. "Maybe someone’s up here mining."

"In the dark?" I asked, as if he was insane.

He shrugged. "Why do you ask me things?"

About the Author:
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Kristy has been making up her own stories for entertainment for most of her life. Eleven years back she decided that perhaps others would want to walk through the worlds she has created. With over 10+ books in both urban fantasy and cozy mystery, Kristy has allowed readers to venture into realms where magic lives and murder mingles with humor. She currently lives with her family in the Southeastern United States where she helps other authors when she is not writing her own novels as a freelance writer and editor with eleven years of experience. With many projects in the works, there are sure to be more worlds for courageous adventurers to delve into.

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