Brian Abbott

LATEST ARTICLES ( 306 )

• Peril & Prayer: a Sister Lou Mystery

  

  Book by Olivia Matthews“Sister Louise LaSalle, two murders in Briar Coast in three months—and you’re on site for both of them. Read more

  Posted on 26 June 2018 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Friday Cocktail: the Mint Julep

  

  The Mint JulepKick off the summer this Friday with the classic Mint Julep!Best enjoyed while dining al fresco or on a porch on a hot summer evening, the mint... Read more

  Posted on 23 June 2018 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Friday Cocktail

  

  The Monkey GlandTime for some monkey business for this Friday cocktail; try The Monkey Gland.It may sound unappealing, but the drink is actually rather enjoyabl... Read more

  Posted on 27 April 2018 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Cocktail Special

  

  The Dubliner cocktail‘Tis time for a cocktail, and what better choice than one called The Dubliner ?The Dubliner is only a couple decades old. Read more

  Posted on 18 March 2018 BOOKS, CULTURE

• By Its Cover: Footsteps in the Dark

  

  Novel by Georgette HeyerIt’s a throwback to what was once considered cool and sophisticated. A man and a woman light up there cigarettes on this cover of... Read more

  Posted on 16 March 2018 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Lethal in Old Lace

  

  Will the lawyer and the shop girl get married?The latest entry in the Consignment Shop Mystery series begins with a proposal as Walker Boone proposes to Reagan... Read more

  Posted on 13 March 2018 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Friday Cocktail

  

  Tuxedo cocktailDress it up this Friday with a Tuxedo cocktail!The Tuxedo (no. 2) cocktail dates back to the classic pre-Prohibition cocktail period. Read more

  Posted on 10 February 2018 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Top 10 Fantasy Novels of 2017?

  

  Following a look at last year’s top mysteries, it’s time to check out which fantasy novels were the most popular in 2017. Based on circulation figures at my... Read more

  Posted on 16 January 2018 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Top 10 Mysteries of 2017?

  

  As 2017 comes to a close, let’s take a moment to look back at the year’s most popular mysteries. Based on circulation figures at the library where I work,... Read more

  Posted on 01 January 2018 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Friday Cocktail

  

  Banana Split cocktailHave a treat this Friday with a Banana Split cocktail!This is one of those modern cocktail creations that tries to mimic the flavor of... Read more

  Posted on 28 October 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Friday Cocktail

  

  Banana Split cocktailHave a treat this Friday with a Banana Split cocktail!This is one of those modern cocktail creations that tries to mimic the flavor of... Read more

  Posted on 28 October 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Writing Challenge 64

  

  The house on the hill, in the woods, set apart at the edge of town. What secrets (or horrors) are to be discovered within?It’s familiar trope, but one that’s... Read more

  Posted on 16 October 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Friday Cocktail

  

  Flamingo cocktailCelebrate summer with the colorful Flamingo cocktail!The Flamingo cocktail dates back to at least the mid-1960s, appearing in the 1966 paperbac... Read more

  Posted on 12 August 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Writing Challenge 63

  

  Does he steal in on a soft breeze from the window? Ducking into shadow, yet posing for a moment in the daylight, a figure in constant motion dancing on the... Read more

  Posted on 04 June 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Friday Cocktail

  

  The Sphinx cocktailIt may be the most famous riddle of them all: “What being, with only one voice, has sometimes two feet, sometimes three, sometimes four, and... Read more

  Posted on 29 April 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Writing Challenge 62

  

  They will eat you alive!Dive in and discover a new story, scene, or chapter in your writing. Will your characters visit an aquarium or the Amazon? Is a villain... Read more

  Posted on 01 April 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Friday Cocktail

  

  Black and Red cocktailSt. Patrick’s Day on a Friday? The perfect time for a cocktail. And though it’s not green, a Black and Red cocktail is a quick and easy... Read more

  Posted on 17 March 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• By Its Cover: The Death of Kings

  

  Imagine a classic film in black-and-white flickering on a screen in a darkened room. For an instance the frame freezes. A woman stands holding a glass of... Read more

  Posted on 09 March 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Writing Challenge 61

  

  “Into the woods you go again, you have to every now and then…”Just like the characters in Stephen Sondheim’s 1987 musical, Into the Woods, writers should journe... Read more

  Posted on 09 February 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Gone with the Wind Cocktails

  

  Let’s start of the month of February with a quartet of drinks that will be perfect to enjoy around Valentine’s Day! Try a Scarlett O’Hara, Rhett Butler,... Read more

  Posted on 01 February 2017 BOOKS, CULTURE