"The crowd of racist, anti-Semitic Neanderthals who hang at Thor's Bar and Grill make Jake's skin crawl, but when it comes right down to it, he can pretend to be an idiot with the best of them.... fast paced and frequently entertaining. Singer has a good ear for dialogue among the witless…It's fun to watch [Jake and Rosie] the two old friends work together, and the bad guys eventually get their satisfying comeuppance, after an interesting plot twist that keeps things hopping till the very end."
—San Francisco Bay Guardian on Royal Flush
List of Works
Shelley Singer is the author of ten mysteries, two science fiction novels, one mainstream fiction, and many short stories. And don't forget the movie Night Feeder. not to be confused with a later production called Night Feeders, plural, about which I know nothing. You can find ours in DVD. Be merciful, it's old.
NOVELS
Torch Song 2014, BooksBNimble e book; hardcover (as Blackjack)Five Star Press, and audiobook, Books in Motion.
Royal Flush, 1999, Perseverance Press/John Daniel&Co., trade paperback
Suicide King, 1987, hardcover, St. Martins Press, paperback, Worldwide
Spit in the Ocean, 1986, St. Martins, Worldwide
Full House, 1985, St. Martins, Worldwide
Free Draw, 1983, St. Martins
Samson's Deal, 1982, St. Martins
E books 2013/2014
REVIEWS
Blackjack is truly one of those books that the reader simply cannot set aside until completion. A story whose pace is akin to the speed of a rocket-launcher missile, Blackjack will grasp any reader by the throat and hang on till the end. What characters! What plotting! What a wealth of historical background (especially of the Twentieth Century) and the descriptive setting of the New World from our time forward to the plot setting of 2066! Blackjack will linger in the mind for long after the completion, with the question ringing: Could a near-future like this actually occur?—Euro-Reviews
More reviews for Royal Flush and other Jake Samson and Rosie Vicente books:
. "...one of the nicer guys in the private eye business, who operates in a relaxed, casual style without need for macho posturing"
Washington Post
"Their respect for each other's privacy and integrity is so deeply ingrained that they are careful with their affection, would not quite call it love, and so their wisecracking takes on a softened, humane edge."
San Francisco Chronicle
The always enjoyable friendship and connection between the straight Jake and lesbian Rosie has always been a favorite of mine. As Jake house hunts in Marin county, you get to know this likable character a little more. These two people have always been a good team and I'm glad they're back.
Mysterybooks
A fast-paced and often frightening look at the insidious attraction of the extreme right. Even though most of those drawn to the group may be on the lower end of any IQ chart, their sense of dedication to the mistaken idea that they possess a genetic and racial superiority is enough to make them very dangerous.
This Shelley Singer novel is recommended. Bookbrowser
...the most memorable aspect of Royal Flush is the mood the author creates. A feeling of utter terror permeates the book.. Royal Flush is definitely not a book to pick up if you want a light, fluffy, entertaining read. It is much too disturbing. It is too believable. The actual possibility that people such as the members of the Aryan Command could really exist is frightening. Royal Flush is an entertaining and thought provoking book.
The Mystery Reader
... surprising twists, and Jake's sharp-edged humor...
Publishers Weekly
... very nasty story, very well told.
I Love A Mystery
Jake remains his loyal, intelligent and quirky self, which is plenty to rejoice about.
--Contra Costa Times
Ms. Singer is one of only three or four authors that I wouldn't miss whatever she wrote. --Over My Dead Body
Great bar scenes, a wonderfully wry narrative, and the obvious nonsexual affection between Jake and Rosie will have readers clamoring for more.
--Library Journal
...manages to capture the nastiness of such groups without drowning the reader in blood and gore... The plot moves quickly through its twists and turns and, while the story is socially relevant and a little scary to think about, Jake’s commentary keeps it in perspective. This reader gives a warm welcome back to Rosie and Jake.
--Talk City
Breathtaking action is offset by the wise-cracking Jake and Rosie. The tension will keep you reading all night long. Compelling characterization by Singer makes this series a must-read, with authentic details and witty dialogue.
- Mystery Time
OTHER NOVELS
The Demeter Flower, St. Martin’s Press, 1980.
SHORT STORIES and excerpts
The Pepsi Cola Ninth Street Grocery, August 2007, Vintage Voices, A Toast to Life, Redwood Writers branch, CWC, iUniverse. Excerpt from memoir
Body By Fisher, Fedora, Wildside Press
Reconciling Howard, Criminal Kabbalah, Jewish Lights Publishing
Lost Polars, Mystery Midrash, Jewish Lights Publishing
Heart Attack,The Best of Sisters in Crime, Readers Digest Books
Me, Louis, And The Skinhead,Lethal Ladies II, Berkley Books,
A Man's Home,100 Sneaky Little Sleuth Stories, Barnes&Noble, reprinted from A Woman's Eye anthology, Delacorte Press, Sara Paretsky, Ed.
Excerpt: from the novel Full House, in Berkeley! A Literary Tribute, Heyday Books
Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, “Gin Rummy”
AWoman’s Eye ( see above),
Sisters in Crime, Berkley Books, 1989; “A Terrible Thing”
MORE REVIEWS of Royal Flush
I felt I was walking the tightrope of suspense and intrigue right along with Jake and Rosie...It moves with a real life flavor imbedded within the characters, motivations and plot. Jake's and Rosie's thoughts and comments -- including the humor -- were absolutely "right on." The twists, turns and resolution were vintage Singer -- unpredictable and fresh. She writes so that you unravel the story right along with Jake and Rosie. ...Singer makes her characters and plotting so clear and vibrant that I never had to "back read" when I interrupted my reading for a couple days... I could just pick up Royal Flush, read the next sentence and it
all came back to me like I never put the book down.—Eileen Massucco in The Puget Sound Sisters in Crime Newsletter
...one needs a program to sort out the nasties from the not-so-nasty and the undercover Nazis from the real thing. Somehow Jake finds time along the way to fall in love with Sally, his real-estate agent. This is a well-plotted series peopled with likable characters in understandable situations. Singer tells a dramatic story without drenching readers in gore or resorting to gratuitous sex.
Booklist
This is not a book for the squeamish or for those who don't want politics in their mysteries; the politics is there from page one through to the last line. And the always enjoyable friendship and connection between the straight Jake and lesbian Rosie has always been a favorite of mine. As Jake house hunts in Marin county, you get to know this likable character a little more. These two people have always been a good team and I'm glad they're back.
Mysterybooks
Singer has written a timely novel...She includes a proper seasoning of Jake’s and Rosie’s personal lives and loving detail of Marin County to lighten the book’s mood. Royal Flush is a good read.
Lady M’s Mystery International
Jake remains his loyal, intelligent and quirky self, which is plenty to rejoice about.
Contra Costa Times
For fans of Shelley Singer, all you really need to know is, Jake and Rosie are back! For newcomers, you will quickly come to know Jake and his friends and want to be counted among them. Ms. Singer manages to make this hate group both scary and funny (in a "can anybody really be that dumb?" sort of way) at the same time. And as the identity of the players unfolds, you'll probably savor a chuckle or two. And by the end of the book, you'll be ready for another case with Jake and Rosie. I enjoy Shelley Singer's writing so much, that I would read a Jake and Rosie book even if they didn't have a case to work on! I found myself starting to read ROYAL FLUSH over again, immediately after I finished the last sentence. And then I dug out my old copies of the earlier Jake and Rosie books so I can reread them. This series just keeps getting better and better. Of course, I may be a bit biased. Ms. Singer is one of only three or four authors that I wouldn't miss whatever she wrote.
Over My Dead Body
The crowd of racist, anti-Semitic Neanderthals who hang at Thor's Bar and Grill make Jake's skin crawl, but when it comes right down to it, he can pretend to be an idiot with the best of them.... fast paced and frequently entertaining. Singer has a good ear for dialogue among the witless; Jake and Rosie aren't quite convincing in their earnest attempts to fit in with the fascists, but who could expect them to be? It's fun to watch the two old friends work together, and the bad guys eventually get their satisfying comeuppance, after an interesting plot twist that keeps things hopping till the very end.
San Francisco Bay Guardian
Great bar scenes, a wonderfully wry narrative, and the obvious nonsexual affection between Jake and Rosie will have readers clamoring for more.
Library Journal
...manages to capture the nastiness of such groups without drowning the reader in blood and gore... The plot moves quickly through its twists and turns and, while the story is socially relevant and a little scary to think about, Jake’s commentary keeps it in perspective. This reader gives a warm welcome back to Rosie and Jake.
Talk City
Breathtaking action is offset by the wise-cracking Jake and Rosie. The tension will keep you reading all night long. Compelling characterization by singer makes this series a must-read, with authentic details and witty dialogue.
Mystery Time
Contact Shelley Singer