Raymond Benson's Blog
September 7, 2020
"HOTEL DESTINY--A Ghost Noir" Sept. 15, 2020!
Hello friends and readers!
I hope you are staying well and safe. A lot of us are staying home these days, and what better way to pass the time than with a book?
My new paranormal mystery, "HOTEL DESTINY--A Ghost Noir," will be published by Crossroad Press on September 15, 2020. The book is available for PRE-ORDER now at: !
It is a short, compact novel--a little longer than a novella. The e-book is only $4.99! Trade paperback is $14.99 only from Amazon. The Audiobook is read by terrific actor Stuart Howard and I'm very pleased with it.
WHAT IF YOU, AS A GHOST, HAD TO SOLVE YOUR OWN MURDER? Presenting a novel that is a ghost story with a distinctive noir sensibility mixed with David Lynchian surrealism. The year is 1985. Coleman Sackler is the night manager and hotel detective for the transient Hotel Destiny, which has been plagued with scandals over the century, including several murders, gangster occupation, and fleabag status during the 1960s and 70s. Five recent slayings in the building have been attributed to—the police believe—one killer. During the gala grand re-opening Halloween party, Cole himself is murdered by a masked man. But hold on! Cole “awakes� and is still in the hotel—as a ghost. Prior to his death, a mysterious woman had told him that hidden portals located throughout the building can lead one to other time periods, and that the key to Cole’s destiny is in the hotel’s past and embedded in its many secrets. Thus, Cole’s spirit sets out to solve his own murder by dropping in on living characters throughout Hotel Destiny’s history and observing and/or interacting with them. His goal is to discover the identity of his killer, as well as learn the ironic truth about his own family, his heritage, and himself!
Some advance praise:
“No matter how hard I tried to get a jump on the author, he was always ten maddening steps ahead of me. HOTEL DESTINY is a cocktail more potent than any you’ve ever enjoyed � a mix of murder mystery in the best noir tradition, and a ghost story that’s one-hundred proof. By the time I’d finished it off, I was still reeling from the effects!�
--Robert Masello, author of THE HAUNTING OF H. G. WELLS
“Raymond Benson has crafted a twisty, ghostly, historical detective noir mystery, rich in place and time, and utterly unique. Highly recommended!�
--Tori Eldridge, Anthony and Lefty-nominated author of THE NINJA’S BLADE
“I had a great stay at HOTEL DESTINY. Raymond Benson displays yet another facet of his formidable storytelling talent in this mind-bending, time-bending mystery. It’s a haunting novel in more ways than one, so expect to lose some sleep � while reading, and afterward.�
--Steve Goble, author of the SPIDER JOHN historical pirate mysteries
“Hardboiled, frightening, and deeply mysterious, Hotel Destiny is a highly entertaining throwback to the days of fun in fiction. Benson delivers a novel where a thousand unlikely things happen, yet the reader never questions, never doubts, and always understands. This is how you know you are in the hands of a master plotter.�
--Darren Callahan, award-winning playwright, novelist, and filmmaker
Thank you all! Stay safe! Cheers, and happy reading!
Raymond
I hope you are staying well and safe. A lot of us are staying home these days, and what better way to pass the time than with a book?
My new paranormal mystery, "HOTEL DESTINY--A Ghost Noir," will be published by Crossroad Press on September 15, 2020. The book is available for PRE-ORDER now at: !
It is a short, compact novel--a little longer than a novella. The e-book is only $4.99! Trade paperback is $14.99 only from Amazon. The Audiobook is read by terrific actor Stuart Howard and I'm very pleased with it.
WHAT IF YOU, AS A GHOST, HAD TO SOLVE YOUR OWN MURDER? Presenting a novel that is a ghost story with a distinctive noir sensibility mixed with David Lynchian surrealism. The year is 1985. Coleman Sackler is the night manager and hotel detective for the transient Hotel Destiny, which has been plagued with scandals over the century, including several murders, gangster occupation, and fleabag status during the 1960s and 70s. Five recent slayings in the building have been attributed to—the police believe—one killer. During the gala grand re-opening Halloween party, Cole himself is murdered by a masked man. But hold on! Cole “awakes� and is still in the hotel—as a ghost. Prior to his death, a mysterious woman had told him that hidden portals located throughout the building can lead one to other time periods, and that the key to Cole’s destiny is in the hotel’s past and embedded in its many secrets. Thus, Cole’s spirit sets out to solve his own murder by dropping in on living characters throughout Hotel Destiny’s history and observing and/or interacting with them. His goal is to discover the identity of his killer, as well as learn the ironic truth about his own family, his heritage, and himself!
Some advance praise:
“No matter how hard I tried to get a jump on the author, he was always ten maddening steps ahead of me. HOTEL DESTINY is a cocktail more potent than any you’ve ever enjoyed � a mix of murder mystery in the best noir tradition, and a ghost story that’s one-hundred proof. By the time I’d finished it off, I was still reeling from the effects!�
--Robert Masello, author of THE HAUNTING OF H. G. WELLS
“Raymond Benson has crafted a twisty, ghostly, historical detective noir mystery, rich in place and time, and utterly unique. Highly recommended!�
--Tori Eldridge, Anthony and Lefty-nominated author of THE NINJA’S BLADE
“I had a great stay at HOTEL DESTINY. Raymond Benson displays yet another facet of his formidable storytelling talent in this mind-bending, time-bending mystery. It’s a haunting novel in more ways than one, so expect to lose some sleep � while reading, and afterward.�
--Steve Goble, author of the SPIDER JOHN historical pirate mysteries
“Hardboiled, frightening, and deeply mysterious, Hotel Destiny is a highly entertaining throwback to the days of fun in fiction. Benson delivers a novel where a thousand unlikely things happen, yet the reader never questions, never doubts, and always understands. This is how you know you are in the hands of a master plotter.�
--Darren Callahan, award-winning playwright, novelist, and filmmaker
Thank you all! Stay safe! Cheers, and happy reading!
Raymond
October 8, 2019
"Blues in the Dark" available now!
Hello friends and readers!
My new novel, BLUES IN THE DARK, is available now from Skyhorse/Arcade CrimeWise Publishing, October 8, 2019!
A Hollywood crime drama set in the 1940s and present day that tackles racism, sexism, and murder: Movie producer Karissa Glover sets out to make a modern film noir about actress Blair Kendrick, a "femme fatale" from yesteryear whose career was tragically cut short. She was killed by the mob after allegedly witnessing the slaying of a corrupt studio head... Could Blair's then-taboo interracial relationship with jazz musician Hank Marley have had something to do with it? What really happened that fateful night in 1949?
(Starred Review) “This lovingly and sharply evoked homage to the glory days of film noir works on every level: as a gripping thriller, as an insightful look at racism in Hollywood, and as a perfect entree into the ever-fascinating world of moviemaking.�
—Bill Ott, Booklist
“The shifting perspective that contrasts Glover’s quest and the resistance she meets to find out what happened to Kendrick with Kendrick’s desire to make films and love the man she wants is compelling and heartbreaking. Benson has crafted a noir film inside the pages of a book and the cast of characters in the present and past come vividly to life. He also makes the reader question what is morally just in the midst of a well-written crime drama.�
—Jeff Ayers, Associated Press
“A good mystery novel serves up a puzzle that sucks you in with great characters and solid clues to a startling but logical conclusion. Great mysteries are also steeped in atmosphere and have something to say. Blues in the Dark is a GREAT mystery novel. In this multi-era mystery, Raymond Benson manages to capture both the smoky atmosphere of 1940s Hollywood and the politicized Hollywood of today. In spinning this double-edged tale, Benson realistically tackles the issues of racism and sexism, then and now. A tour-du-force from a master of his craft, Blues in the Dark is as entertaining as anything Hollywood puts out, and will make you think, and feel, long after you read ‘The End.’�
—Austin S. Camacho, Author of the Hannibal Jones mystery series
“Riveting from start to finish, Raymond Benson’s Blues in the Dark digs into Hollywood’s seedy underbelly of racism and misogyny. With a master storyteller’s deftness, Benson tells a classic noir tale with a contemporary twist, while still giving us a human story of forbidden love and its murderous consequences. It’s rare to find a male author who writes so convincingly from a woman’s perspective.�
—Gail Lukasik, author of White Like Her: My Family’s Story of Race and Racial Passing
BLUES IN THE DARK is available in hardcover and e-book (with audiobook to come!). Links to retailers can be found at the Books page of my website, .
Have a great autumn, and happy reading!
Raymond
My new novel, BLUES IN THE DARK, is available now from Skyhorse/Arcade CrimeWise Publishing, October 8, 2019!
A Hollywood crime drama set in the 1940s and present day that tackles racism, sexism, and murder: Movie producer Karissa Glover sets out to make a modern film noir about actress Blair Kendrick, a "femme fatale" from yesteryear whose career was tragically cut short. She was killed by the mob after allegedly witnessing the slaying of a corrupt studio head... Could Blair's then-taboo interracial relationship with jazz musician Hank Marley have had something to do with it? What really happened that fateful night in 1949?
(Starred Review) “This lovingly and sharply evoked homage to the glory days of film noir works on every level: as a gripping thriller, as an insightful look at racism in Hollywood, and as a perfect entree into the ever-fascinating world of moviemaking.�
—Bill Ott, Booklist
“The shifting perspective that contrasts Glover’s quest and the resistance she meets to find out what happened to Kendrick with Kendrick’s desire to make films and love the man she wants is compelling and heartbreaking. Benson has crafted a noir film inside the pages of a book and the cast of characters in the present and past come vividly to life. He also makes the reader question what is morally just in the midst of a well-written crime drama.�
—Jeff Ayers, Associated Press
“A good mystery novel serves up a puzzle that sucks you in with great characters and solid clues to a startling but logical conclusion. Great mysteries are also steeped in atmosphere and have something to say. Blues in the Dark is a GREAT mystery novel. In this multi-era mystery, Raymond Benson manages to capture both the smoky atmosphere of 1940s Hollywood and the politicized Hollywood of today. In spinning this double-edged tale, Benson realistically tackles the issues of racism and sexism, then and now. A tour-du-force from a master of his craft, Blues in the Dark is as entertaining as anything Hollywood puts out, and will make you think, and feel, long after you read ‘The End.’�
—Austin S. Camacho, Author of the Hannibal Jones mystery series
“Riveting from start to finish, Raymond Benson’s Blues in the Dark digs into Hollywood’s seedy underbelly of racism and misogyny. With a master storyteller’s deftness, Benson tells a classic noir tale with a contemporary twist, while still giving us a human story of forbidden love and its murderous consequences. It’s rare to find a male author who writes so convincingly from a woman’s perspective.�
—Gail Lukasik, author of White Like Her: My Family’s Story of Race and Racial Passing
BLUES IN THE DARK is available in hardcover and e-book (with audiobook to come!). Links to retailers can be found at the Books page of my website, .
Have a great autumn, and happy reading!
Raymond
May 21, 2018
"In the Hush of the Night" Now Available!
Hello friends and readers--
The new thriller, IN THE HUSH OF THE NIGHT, was published by Skyhorse Publishing on May 15!
A wonderful Associated Press review has appeared in many newspapers across the country, including the Washington Post. Here's the link to a more hometown paper for me, the .
***
Chicago FBI Special Agent Annie Marino is investigating human trafficking victims with distinctive tattoos.
Jason Ward believes his future brother-in-law might have ties to the Russian mob.
Yana Kravec is lured from Russia into a trafficking scheme, but she is determined to fight back and escape.
The paths of these three characters ultimately coincide, bringing the trio together to defeat a deadly network of criminals who will stop at nothing to protect their secrets.
***
"Bringing to light the often-hidden underbelly of human trafficking crimes, Benson spins a riveting, suspenseful narrative that is as much a cat-and-mouse procedural as it is an exploration of the victim's humanity. The FBI detail is impressively realistic, and the dynamic special agent Annie Marino is terrific!"
--JOHN DOUGLAS, former chief of FBI's National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime and co-author of MINDHUNTER, basis for the Netflix series
IN THE HUSH OF THE NIGHT is available in hardcover, e-book, and audiobook. Links to retailers can be found on my website .
Happy reading, and have a great summer!
Raymond
The new thriller, IN THE HUSH OF THE NIGHT, was published by Skyhorse Publishing on May 15!
A wonderful Associated Press review has appeared in many newspapers across the country, including the Washington Post. Here's the link to a more hometown paper for me, the .
***
Chicago FBI Special Agent Annie Marino is investigating human trafficking victims with distinctive tattoos.
Jason Ward believes his future brother-in-law might have ties to the Russian mob.
Yana Kravec is lured from Russia into a trafficking scheme, but she is determined to fight back and escape.
The paths of these three characters ultimately coincide, bringing the trio together to defeat a deadly network of criminals who will stop at nothing to protect their secrets.
***
"Bringing to light the often-hidden underbelly of human trafficking crimes, Benson spins a riveting, suspenseful narrative that is as much a cat-and-mouse procedural as it is an exploration of the victim's humanity. The FBI detail is impressively realistic, and the dynamic special agent Annie Marino is terrific!"
--JOHN DOUGLAS, former chief of FBI's National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime and co-author of MINDHUNTER, basis for the Netflix series
IN THE HUSH OF THE NIGHT is available in hardcover, e-book, and audiobook. Links to retailers can be found on my website .
Happy reading, and have a great summer!
Raymond
September 29, 2017
"The Secrets on Chicory Lane" Now Available!
Hello Goodfriends!
My new novel, "The Secrets on Chicory Lane," is now available from Skyhorse Publishing.
It's something different from me--well, not really, if you've read my very early novel, "Evil Hours," to which it is sort of a companion piece. They both take place in the fictional West Texas town of "Limite."
The very kind review in Booklist describes it pretty well: “This stand-alone is a surprising but satisfying departure for genre veteran Benson, the author of multiple James Bond pastiches as well as the acclaimed Black Stiletto series. The novel offers a compelling meditation on lifelong friendship, love, and tragedy as it details the evil that destroys two families.� (Michele Leber, Booklist)
I hope you'll give it a try.
the Amazon ebook link.
Happy Autumn!
Raymond
The Secrets on Chicory Lane
My new novel, "The Secrets on Chicory Lane," is now available from Skyhorse Publishing.
It's something different from me--well, not really, if you've read my very early novel, "Evil Hours," to which it is sort of a companion piece. They both take place in the fictional West Texas town of "Limite."
The very kind review in Booklist describes it pretty well: “This stand-alone is a surprising but satisfying departure for genre veteran Benson, the author of multiple James Bond pastiches as well as the acclaimed Black Stiletto series. The novel offers a compelling meditation on lifelong friendship, love, and tragedy as it details the evil that destroys two families.� (Michele Leber, Booklist)
I hope you'll give it a try.
the Amazon ebook link.
Happy Autumn!
Raymond
The Secrets on Chicory Lane
April 17, 2015
"12+1" Short Thriller Anthology!
Hello Goodfriends! Now available at a nice price for all e-book formats! "12+1: TWELVE SHORT THRILLERS AND A PLAY" from Crossroad Press Audio & Digital Books. �12 + 1� is a collection of previously published mysteries, thrillers, science fiction, and fantasy, all told with wry humor and in the spirit of The Twilight Zone--plus some unpublished works such as “The Heart of Erzulie,� “Fortunata-697,� and the stage play “Second Chance� (written with Doug Redenius). Spies and detectives, rock ‘n� roll crime, time travel, androids, alternate history, an encounter with St. Peter, and even The Black Stiletto, all in one compact anthology. Here's the Amazon link:
November 11, 2014
Fifth and Final Black Stiletto is Published!
The Black Stiletto: Endings & BeginningsHello friends--
THE BLACK STILETTO: ENDINGS & BEGINNINGS was published on November 4, 2014. This is the fifth and final installment of the Black Stiletto saga. In this one, all secrets are revealed and all questions are answered.
It's really one big story in five parts, so now that all five are out--why not give them a try?
Thank you to all my readers who have supported the series thus far. It's been a wild five year ride with Judy Cooper.
Raymond
THE BLACK STILETTO: ENDINGS & BEGINNINGS was published on November 4, 2014. This is the fifth and final installment of the Black Stiletto saga. In this one, all secrets are revealed and all questions are answered.
It's really one big story in five parts, so now that all five are out--why not give them a try?
Thank you to all my readers who have supported the series thus far. It's been a wild five year ride with Judy Cooper.
Raymond
December 15, 2013
Fourth "Black Stiletto" book out January 7, 2014!
The Black Stiletto: Secrets & Lies
Hello friends...
I'm pleased to announce that the fourth book in the five-book Black Stiletto saga will be published by Oceanview Publishing on January 7, 2014:
THE BLACK STILETTO: SECRETS & LIES
In this one, it's 1961 in Judy Cooper's half of the story. Judy moves from New York to Los Angeles and meets the man who may (or may not) be the father of her son, Martin. And does this mystery man have something to do with the new threat that threatens Martin, his daughter Gina, and his dying mother in the present?
This installment is a dark one, with lots of thrills and surprises that forecast the fifth and final book in the story.
Here's an Amazon link to the Kindle edition:
Happy New Year!
--Raymond
Hello friends...
I'm pleased to announce that the fourth book in the five-book Black Stiletto saga will be published by Oceanview Publishing on January 7, 2014:
THE BLACK STILETTO: SECRETS & LIES
In this one, it's 1961 in Judy Cooper's half of the story. Judy moves from New York to Los Angeles and meets the man who may (or may not) be the father of her son, Martin. And does this mystery man have something to do with the new threat that threatens Martin, his daughter Gina, and his dying mother in the present?
This installment is a dark one, with lots of thrills and surprises that forecast the fifth and final book in the story.
Here's an Amazon link to the Kindle edition:
Happy New Year!
--Raymond
April 1, 2013
"The Black Stiletto: Stars & Stripes" new trailer
April 2, 2013 is the publication date for the third book in the series: THE BLACK STILETTO: STARS & STRIPES!
And here's a new trailer for it:
Enjoy!
Raymond
And here's a new trailer for it:
Enjoy!
Raymond
October 1, 2012
My James Bond Novels now e-books!
Just in time for Bond's 50th anniversary, my six original James Bond thrillers, originally published 1996-2002, are now available as e-books on Kindle, and for a nice price, too.
ZERO MINUS TEN
THE FACTS OF DEATH
HIGH TIME TO KILL
DOUBLESHOT
NEVER DREAM OF DYING
THE MAN WITH THE RED TATTOO
Just search the Kindle store for my name or by title(s).
In other Bondian-related news, Jeffery Deaver and I have teamed up to edit a Mystery Writers of America anthology of new short stories: ICE COLD--TALES OF MYSTERY & INTRIGUE FROM THE COLD WAR, to be published 2014.
Cheers!
Raymond
ZERO MINUS TEN
THE FACTS OF DEATH
HIGH TIME TO KILL
DOUBLESHOT
NEVER DREAM OF DYING
THE MAN WITH THE RED TATTOO
Just search the Kindle store for my name or by title(s).
In other Bondian-related news, Jeffery Deaver and I have teamed up to edit a Mystery Writers of America anthology of new short stories: ICE COLD--TALES OF MYSTERY & INTRIGUE FROM THE COLD WAR, to be published 2014.
Cheers!
Raymond
September 14, 2011
Bouchercon! Free booze, book signing!
Bouchercon attendees! Come get a free cup of wine or whisky and meet Oceanview Publishing authors Anthony-nominated Hank Wagner (co-editor, "Thrillers: 100 Must Reads") and me ("The Black Stiletto"), signing at Mystery Mike's booth in the book room, Friday, 9/16, 2:30pm - 3:30pm! A free music CD comes with "The Black Stiletto"! Hope to see you.
