Tag: The Antiquities Hunter

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Book Quote Wednesday! Oops … Thursday!

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Still celebrating last week’s release of the trade paperback edition of THE ANTIQUITIES HUNTER starring the inimitable Gina “Tinkerbell” Miyoko, private eye. Daughter of a retired police detective and a Russian-American professor of folklore, Gina rides a Harley named Boris, packs a titanium blue Taurus Magnum, and has a lucky charm for every occasion.

THE ANTIQUITIES HUNTER (Pegasus Crime) tells of her first major case in which she joins forces with her National Park Service agent friend to thwart thieves of black market antiquities. You can get your trade paperback copy from Amazon or Barnes & Noble or a bookstore near you or you can get the eBook from all the usual suspects. The hardback release is also still available for those of you who like the fashion statement of a hard cover in a lovely dust jacket.

Over in Book View Cafe’s online bookstore, the prequel novelette, “Tinkerbell on Walkabout” is on sale for $1.99 if you purchase it directly from bookviewcafe.com.

“I’m still being followed.” Those were the first words out of Rose’s mouth when I reached her on her cell phone.


“Our reporter-archaeologist friend?”


“If it is, he’s changed cars. This one is a metallic green Chrysler LeBaron.”


I felt a shiver run through me at the mention of LeBarons. My last encounter with one did not conjure pleasant associations, mostly because I’d found a body in the trunk. I reflexively reached for my lucky Caddie wire, which was sticking jauntily out of my pencil cup. “Well, like you said—his cover was blown, so I suppose he might have changed vehicles. When did you notice this?”


“This morning, when I drove to the courthouse for the pretrial deposition with the Blankenships’ defense team. Listen, Tink, this guy—whoever he is—is a little more aggressive than our professor. I mean, maybe it is him, but . . .”


“What do you mean ‘more aggressive’?”


“I mean, pacing me in the left lane, pulling up, then dropping back, tailgating. Weird stuff.”


More shivers. “Close enough to get a look at?”


“Except for the smoked windows, yeah. All I can see is a silhouette with shades.”


“Where are you, Rose?”


“I’m still at the courthouse. I called Ellen Robb and told her about it. Tink, this has really got me spooked. I mean, the timing and everything. I’m supposed to go back down to Albuquerque for the trial in five weeks.”


“And you think someone is trying to dissuade you from doing that?”


“That’s what Ellen thinks. Listen, can you meet me at the NPS offices in about half an hour?”


“I’ll do better than that,” I told her. “I’ll meet you at the courthouse in ten minutes and escort you there.”


“Woo-woo!” she said gamely. “A one-Harley motorcade.”


“Don’t diss Boris. One Harley is better than half a dozen lesser machines.”


I sounded flip, but I was seriously worried.”

Excerpt From: Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff, The Antiquities Hunter

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Book Quote Wednesday!

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In celebration of the February 11th trade paperback release of THE ANTIQUITIES HUNTER (Pegasus Books), I post this quote from the novel. (Oh, and BookViewCafe.com is offering the companion novelette prequel, “Tinkerbell On Walkabout” for a mere buck 99 during the month of February.)

I lay down to sleep with the sound of water lapping at the keel of my houseboat. Far and away, there was an underscore of pounding surf, like a mother’s heartbeat. Somewhere along the path to sleep, I stumbled into a world in which the heartbeat became my own, and the hiss of surf became the hiss of traffic. There were odors here too—oil, wet concrete, something frying.

Sight was slow to register. I was swaddled in moist, cool darkness that clung to my skin. My eyes finally caught up with my other senses and informed me that I was in an alley. Before me was the opening to the street. Neon flashed blue, then red on the glistening concrete, and infused the mist with color—hot then cold. On my left and right were brick walls that seemed to go up into infinity. There was graffiti on them.

Behind me was darkness; I instinctively edged away toward the untrustworthy light.

That’s when a voice spoke my name. It was a man’s voice, crooning sweet slime. I knew it well. It filled me with disgust and desperation.

I ran.

—Gina Miyoko from Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff’s, The Antiquities Hunter

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CSI (Your City Here) vs Real Forensics

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I did something really cool a while back. I went to a seminar sponsored by  Mystery Writers of America (MWA), an organization I joined after the publication of my first Gina Miyoko Mystery, THE ANTIQUITIES HUNTER (from Pegasus Crime). The seminar was entitled Finding Evidence: CSI vs. Real-Life Forensics.

This was a day-long affair on on how real Crime Scene Investigations differ from the Hollywood versions we all know and love. It was fascinating, dare I say riveting. I still haven’t typed up all my notes.

There were about 30 mystery writers at the free event (which included a delightful lunch) and filled the community room at Diablo Valley College to capacity. A life-size cutout of Edgar Allan Poe presided over the talks, which were given by Julie Jaecksch, a retired crime scene investigator from Oakland PD, and Oakland District Attorney Michael O’Connor.

They did not disappoint. We received a host of useful and fascinating information about how real CSIs operate. Julie detailed evidence collection processes and  flow-charted the process of how evidence makes its way through the various working groups to finally be used to crack a case and/or prosecute a crime. She spoke about the many ways evidence can be mishandled, and how a CSI coming across a key piece of evidence can cause the big break in a case. She gave an example of a case she personally solved by choosing to fingerprint an item others had overlooked as being unlikely to yield evidence.

I bet you want to know that that was, huh? It was a coffee cup that had been sitting on a ledge above a rape victim’s bed. Logic dictated that the fingerprints on it would be the victim’s. Julie dusted the cup for prints anyway and found that the prints on the cup belonged to the rapist. Yessiree, Bob. That guy was so supremely confident (read: obtuse) that he got himself a cuppa and enjoyed it at some point during the commission of a crime.

Mike used the Golden State Rapist case to walk us through how the forensics teams, detectives and DA’s office cooperated in the solving of the crime. This was a case in the 90s involving an ex-police officer who ultimately raped 50 women and killed a dozen people. The DA enlightened all of us as to how real courtrooms operate in contrast to how they’re portrayed on Law & Order. They are far more … well, orderly, and rarely hang on a single piece of OMG evidence.

Can you imagine any happier bunch of people than a couple of experts talking about the work they loved (and hated) and two dozen or so writers scribbling away in their notebooks, iPads and computers? (I was one of the notebook scribblers; I’m taking my laptop, Monroe, with me next time.) This was mystery writer heaven. Research junkie Nirvana. It was chocolate, baby. It was better than chocolate—it was bangers and mash, cottage pie and a good pub curry all rolled into one.

During his talk, Mike O’Connor discussed the real-world dark side to Hollywood’s fixation with law and order. The way that forensics is portrayed in both fiction shows and (allegedly) true crime shows is not quite the way the real world works. Hollywood’s portrayal of both CSI and courtroom drama have made the jobs of both CSIs and prosecutors—more difficult.

How so? Evidence, especially that collected by crime scene investigators, is usually ”quiet” and incremental rather than immediate and explosive. It builds up layer by layer and requires that the CSI establish connections between the various layers. It also requires that the jurors have the mental acuity and patience to understand those connections. Without the capacity to comprehend how each new layer changes the ultimate whole, juries may acquit simply because they fail to see the final picture the evidence paints. If it doesn’t make you gasp, it can’t be THAT important, right?

Prosecutors now routinely encounter juries so jaundiced by TV shows that many have started asking prospective jurors if they watch CSI shows during the jury selection process.

CSI shows also affect how savvy criminals commit their crimes by tailoring them to outwit the sort of investigations they see on TV—which may include tech not really available to Law Enforcement. Of course, it’s also caused some criminals who showed extraordinary care in one aspect of a crime to completely bungle something else. One perpetrator took the expedient of using duct tape both in the murder of his victim, and in faking his own attempted murder. He forgot one of the very qualities of the stuff that makes it a useful restraint: everything sticks to it, from fibers to skin cells. The murderer was literally exposed by a roll of tape.

All I can say is MWA-Ha-Ha!

oOo

If you like mystery and high adventure, check out THE ANTIQUITIES HUNTER, from Pegasus Crime. It’s available in hardback and eBook from your favorite bookstores and is coming out in February in trade paperback. And to read about how my diminutive detective became a PI, check out  my novelette, TINKERBELL ON WALKABOUT—available from Book View Cafe and Amazon!

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Whence Gina Miyoko?

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Before I had quite finished writing the manuscript that became THE ANTIQUITIES HUNTER (Pegasus Crime 2018), I penned detective Gina Miyoko’s genesis story, Tinkerbell on Walkabout, and posted it as a novelette on Book View Cafe.

Some of Gina’s backstory changed in the writing of the novel, so I reworked parts of the novelette, re-imagined the cover to be more in line with the one Pegasus gave to the novel and re-released it in anticipation of THE ANTIQUITIES HUNTER’s trade paperback release in February.

The novel is also available in eBook format from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks and just about any other online outlet.

If you want to know how Gina “Tinkerbell” Miyoko came to be a private eye, Tinkerbell on Walkabout (also available from Amazon), is my telling of that harrowing tale.

I’ll let you in on a secret: The original working title of my Gina novel was TINKERBELL AND THE FOURTH GOD FROM THE LEFT, which is a reference to an important work of ancient art Gina comes across in her adventure down among the Mayan ruins. Yeah, I can totally see how hard that would be to squeeze onto the cover of a book.

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Book Quote Wednesday!

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It’s Book Quote Wednesday, y’all!

It was a struggle not to roll my eyes. “Day in the life? Habits? And for that, you scare a woman into hiring a bodyguard?”

His brows ascended. “Bodyguard? Are you speaking of yourself . . . or the dog?”

As if knowing he had been mentioned, Hoho chuffed and wagged his tail harder.

Okay, now I wanted to help Rose punch this guy in the face whether he was telling the truth or not. “I’m a licensed private detective,” I said quietly. “The pretty blue gun is not just for show. I actually know how to use it.”

He gave me a direct look. “I have no doubt of that.”

Excerpt From: Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff’s “The Antiquities Hunter” in hardback and eBook from the usual suspects.

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A Huge Thank You!

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I just wanted to say a heartfelt “huzzah!” in appreciation for everyone who helped make my debut book event at the Phoebe Hearst Museum of Anthropology completely wonderful. You can see from the “featured photo” that my daughters, Kris and Amanda (aka Bunny and Panda) were part of the ensemble cast.

My son, Alex “Mouse” Bohnhoff was there as well, but seemed to have avoided cameras. Jeff did catch the mysterious Mouse hiding in the back of the room, behind my bestie, Vern, and Joey Shoji.

 

 

 

So, anyway, I’d like to thank the following folks:

 

Kaathlyn, Vern (with the snazzy eye patch) & Nura

 

My family, who helped pull it off, especially my adorable daughter-in-law, Nura, who arranged everything from event posters to candy treats for our guests and who ran Team Bohnhoff in assembling the space. My bestest friend in the world, Vern, and my goddaughter, Kaathlyn, who just happened to get caught in this shot with Nura.

 

 

 

My amazing friends in filk who performed at the event: Paul & Beckett, Kristoph & Margaret, and of course, my husband Jeff (man behind the iPhone) who’s put up with all this nonsense since Pegasus bought THE ANTIQUITIES HUNTER.

Trodayne

My wonderful agent, Trodayne, who flew out from New York to be there even though he had a week or so of important best man duties to perform immediately thereafter.

All the friends and folks who turned out to support me—thank you, so very much.

My thanks, also, to my editors, Merritt and Claiborne, for brainstorming the nifty idea of holding this event at an anthropology museum with Trodayne, my publisher for footing the bill and giving such great support, and lastly to the Phoebe Hearst Museum for hosting, especially Jessica Moreno, who was there in person to help out.

 

 

 

And I do not want to forget my friend, John, who endeared himself to my entire family by bringing coffee and breakfast noshes.

John!

Here are some of the cool displays Nura organized.

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The Grumpy Book Reviewer Reads Gina

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Shelving THE ANTIQUITIES HUNTER under “action adventure/thriller,” the Grumpy Book Reviewer (aka, Maria Logan Montgomery) gives Gina Miyoko’s debut a great review.

Some not-so-grumpy excerpts:

“I thoroughly enjoyed this enthralling mystery, in fact, I was hooked on page one, and quickly found myself engrossed in the search for bad guys and ancient artifacts.”

“The book is full of action and suspense that kept me turning digital pages far into the night.”

You can read the entire review here at her review site.

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Mystery Scene Magazine Reviews THE ANTIQUITIES HUNTER!

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Mystery Scene Magazine Reviews THE ANTIQUITIES HUNTER!

This one I didn’t see coming. It just appeared in my Twitter feed this morning and is a lovely, lovely review. I went to their website and discovered a magazine that I would love to read.

The review begins:

California-based private investigator Gina “Tinkerbell” Miyoko is a powerhouse personality in a petite package. I have to give author Maya Bohnhoff credit for populating her book with some of the most inventive fictional names I’ve ever read. Gina’s Russian-American mom is Nadia Eliska Arkhangelski Miyoko (quite a mouthful), and a mysterious Mexican archeologist goes by Cruz Sacramento Vargas. But don’t worry, those names don’t slow down the fast pace of her debut mystery, The Antiquities Hunter.

But wait, there’s more!

Thanks, Mystery Scene!

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Today’s the Day! THE ANTIQUITIES HUNTER Goes On Sale!

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THE ANTIQUITIES HUNTER is now on sale at your local or digital bookstores!

This is a hardback release from Pegasus Crime and the first Gina Miyoko Mystery.

My official first book event is in Berkeley, CA at the Phoebe Hearst Museum of Anthropology (see the post on my website!) on October 20th. We will have live music, treats, a reading, a signing and other cool things.

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What People Are Saying about Gina “Tinkerbell” Miyoko

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More about Gina “Tinkerbell” Miyoko:

“… a tough, sassy, and relatable…” Publishers Weekly

“… a unique series lead, but she sweeps across the pages like an adrenalin-fueled soul sister of Janet Evanovich’s flamboyant characters…” Booklist

“… Gina “Tink” Miyoko, an absolute original…” John Copenhaver, author of ‘Dodging and Burning’

“… deeply complicated and memorable…”William Boyle, author of The Lonely Witness

“I love feisty Gina Miyoko, I could read her all day! She is intriguing, exciting, witty and cool.” Tessa Lunney, author of April in Paris, 1921

“… sharp, witty, but still soft-around-the-edges…”Dana Chamblee Carpenter, author of Bohemian Gospel

“Witty, feisty, sassy—a character to give Philip Marlowe a run for his money any day of the week—Gina ‘Tink’ Miyoko is my new favorite heroine.”E.S. Thomson, author of the Jem Flockart series

“Gina Miyoko is a unique, sassy, and very welcome addition to the top rank of fictional private eyes.” Zoë Sharp, author of the Charlie Fox thriller series