“In a publishing industry often driven by speed, trends, and algorithms, A.M. Potter represents something increasingly rare: a writer grounded in discipline, literary tradition, and narrative restraint.
A Canadian author with three published novels —Bay of Blood, The Color Red, and Silver Moon Rising — Potter writes within the literary detective and noir fiction space, where atmosphere matters, but clarity matters more.
Published by Stark House Press and Black Opal Books, A.M. Potter’s work reflects a core philosophy that becomes clear throughout this interview:
“You control your literary touches… and put the narrative arc first.”
This single insight encapsulates not just Potter’s writing style but a broader truth about what keeps readers engaged in modern fiction ….”
Silver Moon Rising (Detective Bourque #2) by A.M. Potter. Stark House. ISBN 979-8-88601-100-5
Publishers Weekly Review: Potter’s atmospheric second procedural featuring Lt. Ivy Bourque of the Cape & Islands Detective Unit is even better than its predecessor (The Color Red). At the outset, Bourque is called to a Martha’s Vineyard ferry to help locate Daniel Fitzgerald, the handsome young scion of a powerful New England dynasty, who vanished during a nighttime ferry crossing. After investigators find Daniel’s body, knifed in the heart, Ivy learns that he had recently severed ties with his family and devoted himself to various social causes, including cleaning up the Appalachian Trail, fighting climate change, and protecting whales. His protest methods occasionally got him in trouble with the law and courted controversy. When more people — some linked to Daniel — are stabbed to death, Ivy must figure out which of Daniel’s enemies, including Massachusetts politicians and corporate whaling interests, are angry enough to kill. Potter spends worthwhile time illustrating how Ivy’s background in organic chemistry benefits her investigative work, and evokes his brackish, blood-soaked setting with aplomb. This series continues to impress. – Publishers Weekly, Sept 2024
To purchaseSilver Moon Rising, click here for information.
Silver Moon Rising, Book Two in the Detective Bourque series, will be released by Stark House Press on September 4, 2024
Review by James White, Author of Cisco and Giants:
A.M. Potter’s new crime suspense novel, Silver Moon Rising, the second episode in the Detective Lieutenant Bourque series, features the picturesque towns of Cape Cod. But it’s not all picturesque for Bourque. Potter does a masterful job drawing the reader into his fast-paced story with engaging interludes describing the region’s climate and colorful inhabitants.
Bourque and her team soon get bogged down with leads and hunches that go nowhere. It seems every Person-Of-Interest (POI) has an air-tight alibi. Forensics helps identify the murder weapon, but that’s all Bourque has to go on. The perp remains on the loose.
Finally, painstaking detective work provides a glimmer of evidence that sets Bourque and a SWAT team off on a rapid-fire chase to catch the killer before another body washes up in Vineyard Sound. Silver Moon Rising will keep you turning pages. Potter weaves a tangled web of characters and plot twists, culminating in an ending you’ll never expect.
Kudos for Silver Moon Rising from the American Library Association (ALA):
“Silver Moon Rising, Potter’s sequel to The Color Red (2023), portrays Bourque as an increasingly confident, intuitive detective, giving plenty of room for this burgeoning series to grow.” – Booklist, the best book reviews for libraries, the best books for book clubs, published by the ALA
Kudos are coming in for Silver Moon Rising, Book Two in the Detective Bourque series.
Release Date: September 4, 2024 | Publisher: Stark House Press, USA
Lieutenant Ivy Bourque of the Cape & Islands Detective Unit is called to a Martha’s Vineyard ferry at midnight. The estranged son of Massachusetts’ most famous political family is dead. A tangled web leads to Cuttyhunk Island off Cape Cod.
What critics and advance readers are saying:
“Silver Moon Rising, Potter’s sequel to The Color Red (2023), portrays Bourque as an increasingly confident, intuitive detective … giving plenty of room for this burgeoning series to grow.” – Booklist, the best book reviews for libraries, the best books for book clubs, published by the American Library Association
“A.M. Potter continues to redefine murder mysteries. Silver Moon Rising pulls readers deeper into Cape Cod with pepper-paced dialogue and richly relatable characters. The new Bourque novel is another engaging read I couldn’t put down.” – Bill Arnott, author of the Gone Viking travelogues and A Perfect Day for a Walk
“Silver Moon Rising is beautifully-written, a whodunit infused with intrigue, hubris, and loss. Put the Detective Bourque series on your watchlist.” – Mystery Maven Reviews
“If you haven’t read the first novel in the Detective Bourque series (The Color Red), you’ll want to after reading the second (Silver Moon Rising). Silver Moon Rising is well-plotted, set in inviting East Coast outports and hideaways, and with truly exceptional writing chops that leave a great many other formulaic bestsellers in the dust. Or the salty wake, more appropriately.” – Caroline Woodward, Author of Light Years: Memoir of a Modern Lighthouse Keeper
“Detective Ivy Bourque shines again. Silver Moon Rising is a compelling and thought-provoking sequel to The Color Red. Don’t miss this series.” – P.W. Tilley, former RCMP Detective
“Silver Moon Rising’s gripping narrative carries you compulsively forward as it delivers intriguing details of detective procedures and Cape Cod history. Potter’s rich descriptions make me want to go there.” – Jane Bwye, author of Breath of Africa
“Silver Moon Rising is a smart, action-packed police procedural whodunit that ranks among the best in this genre. The story grabs you at the outset, immersing you in the life and trials of Det. Bourque as she methodically tracks down the killer. This is a great read!” – David Hoath, PhD, X-Cop & Police Psychologist (Ret.)
North Noir 