Nev March: Award Winning Author of Historical Mysteries

History and Mystery novels that move us

Nev’s Recommendations – All of 2023

Each month in my newsletter (click here to subscribe) I recommend a book, a movie, a series and some writing link. Here’s all of 2023, with links to each.

From my newsletter of Apr 2023

If you enjoyed Murder in Old Bombay and Peril at the Exposition, you will likely enjoy these!

  • Books: Abir Mukherjee’s Sam Wyndham series starts with A Rising Man. Read my review of Smoke and Ashes – Book 3 of his series
  • Writing links: Author Learning Center’s excellent training on Revision Tips and Tricks: Watch and/or download the slides, which are full of links to useful articles.
  • Movie Recommendation: Operation Finale (Netflix) is a gripping account of the hunt for a Nazi war criminal settled in Argentina (based on a true story).
  • TV Series Recommendation: For an entertaining, family-friendly show, watch From Scratch (Netflix)

Nev’s Recommendations: May 2023

Here’s what I’ve enjoyed recently.

  • Books: Vaseem Khan’s Lost Man of Bombay–I loved it so much that I’m giving a 5 week online class on Humor in Mysteries at Rutgers University Osher Inst using this book!
  • Writing links: Link to my Author Learning Center’s training on Writing Layered Stories: Watch and/or download the slides, which includes an example of my outlining process.
  • Movie Recommendation: Time Traveler’s Wife (Get it on DVR or at your library) is the story of a chrono displaced man and his amazing wife. Be prepared, you will need tissues! I was moved by this profound love story
  • TV Series Recommendation:  Henry Cavill in The Witcher absolutely makes this fantasy show(Netflix) and Wednesday (Family friendly, on Netflix. You don’t have to be a fan of the Addam’s Family to love this!)

Nev’s Recommendations: June 2023

Here’s what I’ve enjoyed recently.

  • Books: Master story-teller Boman Desai’s The Memory of Elephants–a delightful tale that travels from Chicago to India… Perfect for Juneteenth, as it has a heartfelt portrayal of a black family, Read my Goodreads review here. 
  • Writing links: Link to Authors publish.–Among lots of useful info, it also offers lists of publishers for unagented writers. Here’s one for under-represented authors.
  • Movie Recommendation: LIVING (Netflix) is Kazuo Ishiguro’s delightful book come to life. Bill NIghy is masterful. Understated and moving. NOT a thriller…!
  • TV Series Recommendation:  The Night Agent is a gripping series, with delightful actors. Watch the trailer here.

Nev’s Recommendations: July 2023

Here’s what I’ve enjoyed recently.

  • Books: Last newsletter I had named the another Elephant book. This time it’s master story-teller Boman Desai’s Elephant Graveyard–-a delightful tale that travels from Chicago to India…  a heartfelt portrayal of a black family, Read my Goodreads review here.
    • Also HAVANA HIGHWIRE a departure for me, a gritty NOIR thriller set in Cuba by my friend John Keyse-Walker 
  • Writing links: Value shifts give a book momentum and surprise
  • Movie Recommendation: Yes, I admit it. I’m a Harrison Ford fan! Watched Indiana Jones in movie theatres and squealed so loud my son admonished me (!!!) Trailer here
  • TV Series Recommendation:  I’m so sad that this is the final season of Endeavor! Watch on PBS stations, or online if you donate to PBS.

Nev’s Recommendations: August 2023

Here’s what I’ve enjoyed recently.

  • Books: Just finished a haunting classic, Burmese Days by George Orwell. Did you know the author of 1984 and Animal Farm served as a policeman in Burma and intensely disliked the two awful years he spent enforcing colonial rule there?
  • Writing links: Masterclass has fabulous trainings by Walter Mosely, Neil Gaiman and Dan Brown. I’m still working through these. 
  • Movie Recommendation: Oppenheimer! Three hours does not seem too long as you watch this brilliant movie. The script moves between past and present, telling the backstory of Oppenheimer’s incredible leadership of the Manhattan Project while keeping us riveted with a kangaroo court trial. Incredibly, this is a true story.
  • TV Series Recommendation:  The Night Manager on Netflix… OMG. Tom Hiddleston is a fun actor to watch. Hugh Laurie makes a believable and terrifying villain. This fabulous screenplay delivers non-stop excitement and chills. A satisfying series to binge-watch.

Nev’s Recommendations: Sep 2023

Lately I’ve been delving into both science fiction and historicals, just to mix it up a bit.

  • Books: I’m reading an intriguing science fiction novel by NJ writer J R BALE: The Cognition Chronicles. Summary at this link: GoodReads. It’s such an easy read, a set of five interconnected stories. Loving it!
    • Book 2 of his series has JUST been released. 
  • Writing links: Thoughtful articles here: Savannah Gilbo‘s site on how to make scenes focused and moving
  • Movie Recommendation: Captain Corelli’s Mandolin is an exquisite love story and the little-known story of how Nazi Germany turned on its Italian comrades during WW2.
  • TV Series Recommendation:  AppleTV’s FOUNDATION is the original Sci-Fi masterpiece. I had read Issac Asimov’s novel as a teen, and completely forgotten it! A lavish production and brilliant epic.

Here are some I’ve really enjoyed: Oct 2023

Nev’s Recommendations- Nov 2023
Here are some useful links for online classes, a (very brief) movie review and TV series I’ve enjoyed:

Nev’s Recommendations- Dec 2023

  • Books:  For a fun, imaginative read, try Immortalized to Death by Lyn Squire….who imagines that someone might have murdered Charles Dickens!
  • Writing links: How to add fun sub-plots!
  • Movie Recommendation: Queen Marie (2021) free on Kanopy – a superb vintage costume drama of the end of WW II, with European powers dividing the world up among themselves… a queen struggles to keep Romania whole.
  • TV Series Recommendation: OnNetflix- The Last Kingdom –somewhat gory, but covers the era when King Alfred (the great) almost lost all of England to the Vikings!

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