Inkslingers Ball by Sheila Lowe

I’ve read several books in the Claudia Rose series and have become quite a fan. There are two main characters, a traditional US detective, and his girlfriend who is a graphologist – someone who studies handwriting.

I’ve learned a lot about the techniques used to determine whether a signature on a will is a forgery, for example, what all the loops and whirls and spikes say about your personality. I also learned that several medical insurance fraud cases have been prosecuted in the US based on the testimony of a graphologist. In the case cited, someone had filled out a number of forms all in one go, with the claims put in later – but because the forms had all been signed at the same time, there was ‘drift’ as the signatures migrated in the direction of the writer. I tried this at home, and it’s true. Try writing your name over and over again in a list: if you’re right-handed, you’ll drift to the right side of the margin, and if you’re left-handed, towards the left…

And this story had just the right amount of technical know-how backed up with solid detective work, all well written and well observed. The graphologist was also able to determine whether the same tattooist had inked two murder victims.

If you’re a member of Kindle Unlimited, you can get Inkslingers Ball and other books in the series as part of your subscription.

Highly recommended

Amazon UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/Inkslingers-Ball-Forensic-Handwriting-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B08WWXYGDX

Amazon US https://www.amazon.com/Inkslingers-Ball-Forensic-Handwriting-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B08WWXYGDX

Cliff Diver By Carmen Amato

Set in modern-day Acapulco, a small team of detectives wade through the increasing violence of gangs and cartels, where every night another two or three people lose their lives, widows pray in church while their sons are recruited to crime, their daughters are kidnapped and sold as sex slaves, and orphans wear plastic bottles around…

Read More Cliff Diver By Carmen Amato
Berrick Ford’s favorite criminally good crime writers that you may not have heard of

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The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths

This is the first in a four-book series introducing DC Harbinder Kaur. The parallels between a Gothic novel and a crumbling school were genuinely creepy, with a murder scene identical to one in the novel. I enjoyed the main characters – it was refreshing to have a woman of colour as the lead officer in the…

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The Long Walk by Felix Fund Publishing

In previous issues of this newsletter, I’ve recommended some other authors who write in crime/thriller genres, but it seems apt today to mention the incredible anthology of stories from men and women who have worked in bomb disposal across the decades, published by Felix Fund. I must express an interest here, as it has been…

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Barracuda Bay by Carmen Amato

It would be true to admit that I’m a big fan of this writer and this series in particular. I reviewed the first book in the series CLIFF DIVER, a few months back. You can read the review here. Amato’s first career was as a CIA analyst based in Mexico, and her knowledge of cartels and…

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The Cal Rogan Mysteries by Robert P French

I was intrigued by the premise of this series, an ex-cop who is a heroin addict trying to solve the murder of his best friend even while he’s eaten alive by the need for his next fix. The world of Cal Rogan is grim and gritty, with occasional glimpses of a better, brighter life in…

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