Author

Brian Kenney

Review

Runaway Horses

by Brian Kenney

And now for something completely different. Carlo Fruttero and Franco Lucentini were well-known Italian authors who co-authored several mysteries, throughout the 1980s and ‘90s, under their surnames of Fruttero & Lucentini. Their best-known works are The Lover of No Fixed Abode, set in Venice, and The Sunday Woman, which was made into a film starring Marcello Mastroianni and Jacqueline Bisset. Runaway Horses takes place in Siena during the Palio of Siena, the biannual horse race that the Sienese have been celebrating since the 13th century. It features lawyer Enzo Maggione and his wife, Valeria, who are traveling from their home in Milan to Siena, visiting Valeria’s brother along the way. But the two never make it to the farm; instead, they encounter a violent storm and take refuge in a nearby, sprawling estate. Here they find a most idiosyncratic group, including Puddu, the best known of the Palio’s jockeys. Fruttero and Lucentini take the reader deep into the arcane practices of the Palio, which are full of plots and counterplots, while Enzo and Valeria discover their attraction not only to each other but to other residents on the estate as well. Readers with an interest in Siena may enjoy the exhibit Siena: The Rise of Painting 1300-1350, which is currently on display at the Metropolitan Museum and will travel to Britain’s National Gallery in spring 2025.

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Review

Serial Killer Games

by Brian Kenney

It’s dark. It’s humorous. And everything about it is completely unexpected. Dolores dela Cruz has been on the lookout for a serial killer, and Jake Ripper fits the bill. A temp in her office, Jake is charming, handsome, and in possession of a pair of classic “strangler gloves.” What more can you ask for? Jake, meanwhile, is smitten with his mysterious colleague, from her severe wardrobe to the abuse she occasionally dumps on him. Slowly, the relationship between the two morphs into a morbidly intense but weirdly romantic obsession. The dialogue—a good part of the pleasure this book offers—runs from full-on snark to flirtatious banter. And while there are plenty of those head-swiveling moments suspense readers love, more shocking is the tenderness that grows between the two. Are we dealing with real murderers here, or do some serial killers just want to have a little fun? Weird enough to appeal to a broad swath of crime fiction readers.

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Review

Abduction of a Slave

by Brian Kenney

What’s great about Stebenow’s Eye of Isis series—this is the fourth title–is its wonderful balance of history and mystery. The book is set during the reign of the all-powerful Cleopatra, seventh of her name, and we are treated to all the intrigue, gossip, and even fashion that one could wish for. At the same time, the ancient world is readying itself for war, with Caesar expanding troops in Sicily. Tetisheri, Cleopatra’s own Eye of Isis, gathers information both for herself and at the beck of her Queen, who surprisingly granted her leave from Alexandria to engage in some information seeking. In this novel, Tetisheri accompanies her uncle, an important trader, on a trip to the Kingdom of Cyrenaica, both to acquire more goods but also to be on the lookout for Cleopatra’s interests. Cyrenaica is awash in conflicting rumors, including those about Julius Caesar, his archenemy Mettelus Scipio, and King Juba I. Tetisheri must use all her skills to monitor what is happening in the Kingdom while also resolving a murder close to home. Mystery readers with a penchant for history will be delighted by this book.

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Review

Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping (On a Dead Man)

by Brian Kenney

Many readers will be delighted at the return of Vera Wong, a great cozy hero if there ever was one. In Vera’s first book, we saw her discovering the body of a dead man in her San Francisco tea house. A tragedy, yes, but one that led to quite a transformation for Vera, who discovered a whole new world thanks to that one death. She has a growing social life, her tea shop is burgeoning, and there are plenty of friends to enjoy her cooking. Except that life is growing a tad dull, compared to a murder investigation. But lucky for her, Vera comes across a young woman outside the police station who appears quite upset. It turns out that the woman’s boyfriend has recently died, possibly by suicide, and she fears that she may have had a role in his death. Well, did this young woman come across the right person. Through her own research, Vera discovers that Xander, the young man who died, was a well-known influencer, with an extravagant lifestyle. So how did he end up in Mission Bay? That question pushes Vera into a story that’s quite a bit darker than the first book. Vera is still a fun and lovable character, but here she takes on some challenging social issues. In other words, Vera grows. And readers will be happy to follow her.

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Review

One Death at a Time

by Brian Kenney

This is one glorious, sprawling, comic work of crime fiction, full of characters you are likely never to forget. Chanel-clad, 60-plus Julia Mann—former actress, current lawyer, and full-time curmudgeon—meets Natasha Mason, all of 20-something, at an AA meeting. Julia is obsessed with the corpse that was discovered in her pool, and can only remember snippets of how it might have gotten there. Could she have done it? Perhaps. She was so drunk last night that she remembers nearly nothing, and the cops seem to believe she’s guilty. Julia sets to worrying, since she has already been locked up for murder once in her life and has no desire to repeat the experience. Fortunately, Natasha makes the perfect companion, and despite her loathing of the film industry, Julia talks the young woman into joining her staff—yes, Julia’s that rich—to help her clear her name. Natasha agrees, if she can also help to keep Julia sober. The joy of this book is both its breadth and depth. The two women—who couldn’t be more unalike—careen about Los Angeles County seeking out the real murderer, driving from the Hollywood Hills to Palm Springs to a night of old-school burlesque all while sharing stories of their lives. It’s a marvelous portrait of 30 years in Hollywood, the conflict between the generations, and how humor can almost conquer all.

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Review

A Serial Killer’s Guide to Marriage

by Brian Kenney

A lean, wonderfully written story of a husband and wife, serial killers who target only bad men who deserve it: primarily rapists and sexual abusers. While the two couldn’t come from more dissimilar backgrounds—British Hazel has dragged herself out of a childhood of poverty and neglect and is now a successful painter, while American Fox, a finance guy, descends from one of the USA’s wealthiest, most prominent families. But it was their joint passion for murder that brought them—and keeps them—together. Until, that is, in this version of Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Hazel discovers she is pregnant, and off to the London suburbs they go. At Fox’s insistence, they agree to no more murders until baby Bibi is 21—how can they risk incarceration, which would leave Bibi an orphan? But Hazel can barely tolerate motherhood, never mind forgoing murders, and it’s thanks to her one “mom friend,” Jenny, that she is able to keep it together. Until she suspects Fox of harboring secrets, she develops a few herself, and Jenny turns out to be, of all things, a cop. The pace is just perfect, the characters alternately funny and dark, and the head-spins relentless.

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Review

The Big Fix

by Brian Kenney

Computer science professor Penny Collins has been dragged by her sister to a tag sale being run by Anthony, who’s recently deceased uncle has left him—as handsome as he is aloof—with his estate, which he is now trying to unload. Things go from bad to worse when Penny’s toddler nephew yanks open a closet door, only to have a dead body tumble out. From there, Anthony tries to avoid Penny and her 101 questions, while Penny can’t stop herself from trying to get to the facts. Or at least get to Anthony (did I mention how handsome he is?). Sooner rather than later, the two end up locked together in their own closet, and when they finally emerge, they agree to work together. Anthony, it turns out, works as a “fixer,” but one of the good guys: he doesn’t kill, he just, well, fixes things. There is a lot swirling around these two, including the missing wife of a technology billionaire—Anthony is involved—and eventually the FBI arrives on the scene. There are so many remarks from Penny about how Anthony smells, it’s quite remarkable; this could well be the first olfactory novel. In any case, I’m planning to splurge on a bottle of Tom Ford’s Eau d’Ombre Leather for when reading the next volume, which I sincerely hope comes along sooner rather than later.

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Review

The Gatsby Gambit

by Brian Kenney

It takes a lot of guts to write a book based on one of America’s most beloved novels, one that’s the inspiration for several major films and is assigned reading in high schools across the country: Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. But Wheeler successfully takes the original setting, Jay Gatsby’s mansion in West Egg during the summer, and the same cast of characters (Gatsby, Daisy and Tom Buchanan, Nick Carraway, Jordan Baker) and shifts the narrative into a work of crime fiction. The biggest surprise is the arrival of Greta Gatsby, Jay’s much younger sister. Greta is finally done with finishing schools, has moved into Jay’s mansion, and is ready to take on the world. But the suicide—or was it murder?—of one of the leading characters, and the response of most of the residents (one more Gimlet, please?) inspires Greta to become a sleuth, if no one else will. Greta’s new role is hardly acceptable for a young lady, but she just barrels through the criticism, investigating the household staff, the cops, even Gatsby’s guests. A fresh and exciting take on America during the roaring ‘20s, with feminism and class tensions taking center stage, and sure to be a pleasure for readers who enjoy historical mysteries. It would be a delight to have Greta return in all her nosy glory

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Review

Famous Last Words

by Brian Kenney

An expert novel of incredible suspense. A moving love story. And certain to be one of the best books of 2025. Camilla (Cam) wakes up early one morning only to find that her husband, Luke, has disappeared, he’s left a rather ambiguous note, and no amount of telephoning or texting is bringing him back. But enough about him. This is also Cam’s first day back from maternity leave and their nine-month-old daughter’s first day at nursery. Enough anxiety? Well, there’s more. Cam is just getting settled into her publishing job when she sees footage of a hostage situation in Central London. Then the cops arrive at her office, wanting her to identify herself. Luke’s being held hostage? Horrifying. But no, actually. He’s the hostage taker. Now don’t think I’m giving away the plot, this is just the beginning of a story that spreads out over years, confronting how you can love a spouse whom the world believes is a criminal. Who manages to disappear for years after killing two of the hostages, but never manages to contact you. A man who you think you know, but can’t help and wonder if your relationship was built entirely on lies. But hang in there. The resolution—when it does come—is as shocking as it is gratifying. By the author of the Reese’s Book Club Pick Wrong Place Wrong Time.

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Review

Serial Killer Support Group

by Brian Kenney

One of the best—and most shocking—narratives of revenge I’ve ever encountered, and one that even saves room for a bit of humor. Cyra’s younger sister Mira has been murdered, apparently by a serial killer. It’s been over a month, and Cyra has grown increasingly frustrated at the tepid response from the New York Police Department: “Let us do our jobs.” Since Mira died, nearly everything—Cyra’s job, her relationship with her ex-girlfriend, the small group of friends she and Mira share, her apartment in Queens—is rapidly unraveling. Big sister Cyra has always taken care of Mira, and if she couldn’t stop Mira from being murdered, at least she can find her murderer. With some help from a friend, Cyra learns about a self-help group for serial killers—kind of funny, kind of not—and successfully infiltrates the group, creating a persona as a murderer. She claims to work in a nursing home, preying on the elderly, and manages to convince the guys (yes, it’s an all boy’s club) to let her join their group. Her goal? To learn if any of the members murdered Mira, or at least knows who did. But creating an identity as a serial killer has its own unanticipated consequences, and the more involved Cyra becomes in the support group, the more she finds her old self slipping away. Schaefer’s story is dark and twisted, unique, and totally engrossing. Readers who enjoy this book may also appreciate Oyinkan Braithwaite’s My Sister, the Serial Killer and Peter Swanson’s A Talent for Murder.

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