Saturday, November 20, 2021; A review from Dru Ann Love, acclaimed mystery blogger.

Click Here to read the entry directly on Dru's Book Musings.

Monday, December 23, 2019; "Author's Corner" Article published in the Kingsport Times.

Saturday, November 23, 2019; A review from Dru Ann Love, acclaimed mystery blogger.

Here to read the entry.

Thursday, August 2, 2018; The Kingsport Times News.

Sunday, April 15, 2018; The Kingsport Times News.

Sunday, December 31, 2017; posted on Dru's Book Musings (book blog).

Click Here to read the entry.

November 15, 2016 - Fayette County Chamber of Commerce.  

May 14, 2016 - The following review appeared in the May 2016 issue of the Monthly Book Review publication, "Reviewer's Bookwatch".  

Webmaster note: the hardcover edition of Three Deuces Down (Book 1) is out of print; only the paperback and ebook editions are available for this title.

Click Here to go to Clint's Bookshelf, scroll down to his last entry of review to read the entry.

 April 12, 2016 - The following release was featured on April 11, 2016 on the Dew on the Kudzu blog.  

Kinah Lindsay aka "Idgie"
Dew on the Kudzu
"Book Pusher and Paper Enthusiast"

Find the Dew on Facebook
Find the Dew on Twitter   

Click Here to read the entry.

 January 9, 2016 - review on dru's book musings (a reading blog).  

    Click Here to read the entry.

December 2015  - Tennessee Libraries - Book Review   

REVIEW JUST PUBLISHED FOR BOOK 3, Three Devils Dancing. The following review was published in Tennessee Libraries (65.4): Three Devils Dancing. Book Review Editor for Tennessee Libraries, Sandra C. Clariday Associate Dean for Library & Information Services Tennessee Wesleyan College (retired) submitted the review.

Click Here to read the review.

 December 6,  2015  - Mountain Press: "Gatlinburg author publishes 6th book in series"

 

July 2015  - Tennessee Libraries - Book Review   

REVIEW JUST PUBLISHED FOR BOOK 2, Three Days Dead. The following review was published in Tennessee Libraries (65.2): Three Days Dead. Book Review Editor for Tennessee Libraries, Kathy Campbell of Sherrod Library from East Tennessee State University submitted the review.

Click Here to read the review.

 April 2015  - Tennessee Libraries - Book Review   

Click Here to read the entry.

February 2015 - Midwest Book Review

Senior Reviewer Able Greenspan featured a review of Three Dragons Doomed in the February 2015 (current edition) of the online book review magazine "MBR (Midwest Book Review) Bookwatch".

Greenspan's Bookshelf

Critique: Simply stated, Keith Donnelly is a master of the mystery/suspense genre with a truly impressive ability to craft complex storylines and populate them with truly memorable characters. The fifth volume in the Donald Youngblood mystery series, "Three Dragons Doomed" is a solid entertainment from first page to last and highly recommended for personal reading lists and community library collections. It should be noted that "Three Dragons Doomed" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).

Synopsis and review can be found at the following link:
http://www.midwestbookreview.com/mbw/feb_15.htm#greenspan

 October 12 - Kingsport Times News, Sunday 

Click Here to read the entry.

 September 11, 2014 - Mary Sanchez: Johnson City Press 

Click Here to read the entry.

 August 22, 2014 - Mountain Press: "Local mystery novelist signs books at PF library"  

 August 17, 2014 - Mountain Press: "Local author releases 5th book in mystery series"  

    

 August 15, 2014 - Book review for Three Dragons Doomed on dru's book musings.  

    Click Here to read the entry.

 August 6, 2014 - Posted by Idgie for Dew On the Kudzu reading blog .  

    Click Here to read the entry.

 "On the Case with Billy Two Feathers," on dru's book musings - a reading blog.  

    Click Here to read the entry.

NewSouth, Inc. July 8, 2014 blog, Three Deuces Down (Book 1 - new paperback edition) and Three Dragons Doomed (Book 5 - just released) are featured in this entry.  

    Click Here to read the complete entry.

Writer Keith Donnelly will be speaking at the October Lost State Writers Guild meeting in Johnson City, Golden Corral Restaurant, Browns Mill Road, Oct. 3, 11:30am. 

    Read the complete promo @  http://www.loststatewritersguild.com/

Mountain Press Editorial: Three Cheers Apr. 12, 2013 @ 11:54 PM Anna Porter Library has terrific event scheduled Tuesday, April 16, in celebration of Library Week. Gatlinburg author Keith Donnelly will be the special guest.

     http://www.themountainpress.com/opinion/x609281147/Editorial-Three-Cheers

April 9, 2013 - Article in The Mountain Press Newspaper


               
                 To view this image as a PDF file, click HERE.

Wednesday, November 28, 2012 - Kingsport Times News
Author Keith Donnelly to address Kingsport Civitan Club By staff report  

     Keith Donnelly, author of the Donald Youngblood mystery series, will be the guest speaker at Thursday’s meeting of the Kingsport Civitan Club.
     The club will meet at 11:30 a.m. at the Golden Corral on Eastman Road. The public is invited to attend.
     Donnelly released the fourth book in the Youngblood series, “Three Deadly Drops,” in September. This follows “Three Deuces Down,” “Three Days Dead” and “Three Devils Dancing.”
     In the fourth Donald Youngblood mystery, more than a year has passed since Don closed the file on the “Three Devils” case. His personal life is trending upward, his business is booming, and no one has come to him with a case likely to get him killed.
     All of that changes when Jessica Crane walks into his office, asking him to look into the apparent heart attack death of her husband.
     Don is convinced that Jessica’s request is just the delusion of a grieving widow, but as he goes through the motions of his investigations, he uncovers a mysterious note and a 20-year-old photograph of a group of soldiers known as the Southside Seven. Don soon thinks the grieving widow might be on to something.
     The Silver Star, a soldier with a stress problem, an Army Ranger black ops mission gone wrong, a mysterious assassin, and a missing vial are all pieces to the puzzle that Don races to fit together before anyone else dies.
     In the desert of New Mexico, the bayou country of Louisiana, the mean streets of Memphis, and small towns in South Carolina and Kentucky, a haunting mystery unfolds as Donald Youngblood uncovers a startling secret from Desert Storm that haunted the seven men who shared it.
     Born and raised in Johnson City, Donnelly attended Science Hill High School and East Tennessee State University where he graduated with a degree in economics. He accepted a job with Kingsport Press and soon found himself in the New York City world of publishing. In one way or another, books have been his life for more than 40 years.
     Donnelly spent 18 years in the Northeast as a book manufacturing sales representative. In 1992, ready for a change, he moved back to Tennessee to open a new sales office for the Maple-Vail Book Manufacturing Group. The urge to write was always lurking in the back of his mind.
     In 2007 he signed a publishing contract with NewSouth Books in Montgomery, Ala., and “Three Deuces Down” was released in January 2008. He signed one-book contracts with John F. Blair, Publisher, in Winston-Salem, N.C., for “Three Days Dead,” released in May 2009, and “Three Devils Dancing,” released in January 2011.
     Donnelly and his wife, Tessa, live in Gatlinburg.
     In addition to his appearance at the Kingsport Civitan Club meeting, Donnelly will participate in The Holiday Book Fair from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Dec. 1, at the Kingsport Town Center, along with other members of the Lost State Writers Guild. All of his books will be available to purchase, and he will autograph and personalize the books. For more information about Donnelly and his books, visit www.donaldyoungbloodmysteries.com. In addition to this website, all Donald Youngblood mysteries are available for purchase online at www.blairpub.com, www.barnesandnoble.com and www.amazon.com. You can also order copies by phone via the John F. Blair, Publisher toll-free line by calling (800) 222-9796.

To view a pdf copy of the original article, click HERE.

October 2012 - Small Press Bookwatch - online book review magazine (Mystery Shelf) by Midwest Book Review, features a review of Three Deadly Drops. See final entry.

http://www.midwestbookreview.com/sbw/oct_12.htm#Mystery

Three Deadly Drops
Keith Donnelly
Hummingbird Books
PO Box 1386, Gatlinburg, TN 37738
9780895875877, $26.95, www.blairpub.com

An unexplained heart attack can make many suspicious. "Three Deadly Drops" follows Donald Youngblood in his fourth mystery. Looking into the fate of a dead veteran and how his ties to his unit could explain his sudden death which was too quickly ruled a heart attack, Youngblood digs deeper and deeper to find the truth. "Three Deadly Drops" is an exciting mystery that will prove hard to put down, much recommended.

October 4, 2012 - REVIEW: Dru's Book Musings (a reading blog) by Dru Ann Love

To view "dru's book musings ", click HERE.

September 28, 2012 - Friday - "Dew on the Kudzu" (a reading blog)
Keith's fourth book, Three Deadly Drops

To view "Dew on the Kudzu", click HERE.

August 31, 2012 - Friday - "dru's book musings" (a reading blog)
Keith's "A Day in the Life"

To view "dru's book musings", click HERE.

July 31, 2012 - Wednesday - From The Mountain Press
Donnelly pens fourth Youngblood book

Gatlinburg author Keith Donnelly has released the fourth book in his series documenting the escapades of private investigator Donald Youngblood. “Three Deadly Drops” is described as a story of greed and revenge as Youngblood unravels the mystery of the Southside Seven before someone else dies. It all begins when Jessica Crane walks into Youngblood’s office asking him to look into the apparent heart-attack death of her husband. At first, the investigator is convinced it is just the delusions of a grieving widow. But as he goes through the motions of his investigations, uncovering a seemingly threatening note and a 20-yearold picture from Desert Storm, he starts to think there may be more to the death of Walter Crane than natural causes. The investigation takes Youngblood to New Mexico, Louisiana, Memphis, and small towns in South Carolina and Kentucky. Signed copies of Donnelly’s book can be purchased at Buie Pottery on Highway 321 in Gatlinburg. Personalized copies are available at www.donaldyoungbloodmysteries. com. Books can also be purchased at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com as well as through Books- A-Million in Sevierville. Donnelly, a 20-year resident of Gatlinburg, spent years in the New York City publishing world before returning to his East Tennessee roots. From 1992 until his retirement in 2009, he was the Southeastern sales representative for Maple-Vail Book Manufacturing Group in Gatlinburg until he retired to write full-time. He is a member of Gatlinburg United Methodist Church and the Great Smoky Mountains Association. In addition to the Donald Youngblood series, Donnelly collaborated with other mystery writers in 2009 on a special project in a book of recipes compiled by Susan Whitfield called “Killer Recipes.” All profits are donated to the American Cancer Society. “Killer Recipes” is available online. Donnelly is currently working on the fifth book in the Youngblood series.

To view the article at its source, click HERE.

June 2012 - EXCERPT from The Treasure Coast Civitan Newsletter


               
                 To view this image as a PDF file, click HERE.

February 22, 2012 - Wednesday - From The Charlotte Observer
Library Brings Readers, Authors Together by John A. Anderson

It seems the Union County Public Library is quite proactive in bringing readers and writers together.
I availed myself of the opportunity to meet an author last month at the Friends of the Union County Library Winter Author Dinner.
The featured author was Keith Donnelly, creator of "Donald Youngblood, PI." Donnelly was entertaining and generous with his time on stage as he described his writing process, and shared with the audience how he is never quite sure where the book is going when he starts a novel. He also kept us smiling with stories of local people in east Tennessee who are sure they know who the models are for Donnelly's recurring characters . . .
One thought has kept me grinning since the dinner with Keith Donnelly: Denise Milliken, a board member with the Friends of The library dressed in a red devil costume in homage to Donnelly's third novel, "Three Devils Dancing." I gather this is something she does annually . . .
John Anderson is a freelance writer for the Charlotte Observer.

January 29, 2012 - From the Bristol Herald Courier by Joe Tennis
Three Devils Dancing

"Three Devils Dancing," Keith Donnelly, (Hummingbird Books, $24.95, 2011)
Keith Donnelly cruises through another funny, engrossing tale of Donald "Don" Youngblood's mysteries with "Three Devils Dancing."
It's the latest in the former Johnson City, Tenn., resident's series with novels that all have a T.D.D.-style title. (The first was 2008's "Three Deuces Down," and the second was 2009's "Three Days Dead.")
All involved Youngblood, a character who was once a Wall Street whiz kid and now a private investigator.
In this volume, Youngblood tries to settle down and get some rest. He wants to live an easy life.
But then a young girl with a strange and mysterious tattoo shows up dead on a local lake, and the girl's father asks Youngblood to investigate.
Before you know it, the pages are flying by, and Donnelly has taken the reader on a journey that involves a three-year-old girl getting kidnapped and the continuous mystery of trying to determine the meaning behind that strange tattoo.
It's a whirlwind of words worth riding.
"Although this is a work of fiction, most of the places in the story are real," Donnelly writes in an author's note.
"You might recognize places from Gatlinburg, where I reside, and Johnson City, my hometown. I have transplanted them to Don's fictional town. Don's lake house is very much like my mountain home in Gatlinburg, except that below my bottom deck is not a lake but rather a tennis court and hundreds of acres of undeveloped land beyond."
» Keith Donnelly is speaking on Wednesday, Feb. 1, noon, at the Johnson City Public Library, 100 West Millard Street, during the Friends of the Library's Brown Bag series. Call (423) 434-4450.

To view the article at its source, click HERE.

January 4, 2012


Mystery Writer Keith Donnelly to Speak at the Winter Author Dinner

Keith Donnelly, the author of the Donald Youngblood mystery series, will be the speaker at The Friends of the Union County Public Library's Winter Author Dinner on Thursday, Jan. 19 at 7 p.m. at South Piedmont Community College Conference Center in Monroe.
The Winter Author Dinner is one of the major fundraising activities of The Friends of the Union County Public Library. Tickets are $35 and are available by calling Renee Hottle at 704-907-9190 or emailing her at rahottle@aol.com.
The Friends of Union County Public Library funds various programs offered at the Union County Public Library's four branches. Last summer the group was a sponsor of the library's Summer Reading Program for children and teens in Union County.
"It is thanks to the kind contribution, support, and hard work of The Friends of the Union County Public Library that we were able offer programs that were attended by over 8,000 children over the summer," said Kacy Vega, children's services coordinator for the library system. Funds provided by The Friends of Union County Library augment local government funding.
This year's speaker, Keith Donnelly, writes mysteries featuring private investigator Donald Youngblood. One review noted that the characters were people that you wouldn't mind hanging out with for a few hours at a barbeque. Donnelly joins the ranks of other notable southern mystery writers such as Margaret Maron and Mark de Castrique.
Donnelly grew up in east Tennessee. He attended East Tennessee State University earning a B.S. in Economics. After a long career as a book manufacturing sales representative, Donnelly retired in 2009 to become a full-time writer. He is currently working on a fourth Donald Youngblood mystery. Books will be available for purchase by cash or check at the program.

November 25, 2011

The Friends of the Johnson City Public Library have announced in their Fall newsletter that Keith will be the speaker at their February 2012 Brown Bag Event.  Page 1 provides the information as to time and place, etc. and there is also a review of Three Devils Dancing by Wendy Oliver (JCPL Friends Board Member) on page 2.
Click HERE to view the newsletter as a PDF file.

Review from Dew on the Kudzu

Three Deuces Down
Author: Keith Donnelly
Publisher: Court Street Press
Publication Date: 2008
ISBN: 978-1-58838-227-6

Three Days Dead
Author: Keith Donnelly
Publisher: Hummingbird Books/Harrison Mountain Press
Publication Date:2009
ISBN: 978-0-89587-372-9

The Dew reviewed Keith’s latest installment in this series in May of this year. http://dewbookreviews.blogspot.com/2011/05/three-devils-dancing.html

We were impressed enough to request the first two installments. I stated in my review that what I enjoyed was that I actually liked his detective Youngblood and he didn’t appear to be the usual incredibly messed up in the head character with a growing dark side that is so prevalent in these tales. Really, you can’t help but like a guy who has a standard poodle as his dog. I also stated that I had hints to earlier episodes making him more cautious in his life and dealings.

Well, here are the earlier issues!

The first book, Three Deuces Down, explains how Donald Youngblood leaves Wall Street to return home Tennessee and become a P.I. with his pal Billy Two Feathers. They poke along with little jobs for a while until a big case falls in their lap to be solved. But wait, were they picked to solve the case, or because no one thinks they actually will. What really is behind this crime and who’s actually trying to help them? More importantly, who’s trying to stop them?

In book two, Donald is asked to track down a missing mom. The requestor is a teenage daughter without a place to live. So we have a nice human interest element in a possible murder mystery and Donald finds himself trying to settle the teen in a safe place at the same time as finding her mother……… if her mother is still alive.

This is a good crime/drama series that keeps you invested in the characters themselves, not just the final 'whodunwhat".

See the review at its source by clicking HERE.

Review from Dew on the Kudzu
Three Devils Dancing
Sunday, May 29, 2011

Three Devils Dancing
Author: Keith Donnelly
Hardcover: 296 pages
Publisher: John F. Blair, Publisher (November 3, 2010)
ISBN-13: 978-0895873989

     This is the third book in Keith Donnelly's Youngblood crime mystery series.

     What jumped out at me was that I really liked the characters in the book. Well, the good guys anyway. Usually in mystery novels, the lead character is filled with anger and angst and everyone surrounding them have deep issues and mental scars.

     While the characters are real in that they do have issues, they're all people you wouldn't mind hanging out with for a couple of hours at a BBQ. To me, that allows a book to become much more interesting because you care a little more about what happens to everyone.

     Donald is working on making a name for himself as a private investigator. This book intimates that he's had a few close calls in the previous stories (the Dew has not reviewed them) and that he's become a little more cautious than usual in his work. He has a new family unit, with his girlfriend and a young girl, not related, living with him and he wants to ensure their safety.

     But when he takes on two cases at the same time - one a young girl's murder and the second a baby kidnapping - things become more complicated. He finds himself in the limelight with a killer getting ticked off at him while at the same time having a favor being called in by one of the biggest drug runners in the state.

     Will Donald solve a murder, a kidnapping and pull off a favor, all without ending up in prison or dead?

     Read and find out!

See the review at its source by clicking HERE.

ETSU Today Spring 2011 Article

To view the article in context, check out the full ETSU Today Spring 2011 E-zine by clicking HERE. Keith's article is on Page 18.

Friends of Library Welcome Author
By LEIGH ANN LAUBE
lalaube@timesnews.net

Keith Donnelly, author of the Donald Youngblood detective series, will be the featured speaker during the Friends of the Kingsport Public Library’s annual meeting.

The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, in the auditorium at the Kingsport Center for Higher Education, 300 Market St., in downtown Kingsport. There is no cost to attend.

Donnelly will speak after after a brief business meeting to elect new officers and set a budget.

“This [annual meeting] is a way to do two things,” said Paul Hopkins, FOL past president. “It provides Friends of the Library and others with the chance to hear an author. It also encourages membership to the library.” The mission of the Friends of the Kingsport Public Library is to support, promote and enrich the Kingsport Public Library in providing services and opportunities to the community. For the last several years, the FOL’s membership has hovered around 300, which represents around 750 individuals.

Donnelly, who grew up in Johnson City and makes his home in Gatlinburg, has written three Donald Youngblood mysteries, “Three Deuces Down” (2008), “Three Days Dead” (2009), and “Three Devils Dancing.”

He’s currently working on his fourth book, and his goal is a new Youngblood book every 18 months.

Donnelly, who is married to the former Tessa Marshall of Kingsport, is a Science Hill High School graduate who earned a degree in economics from East Tennessee State University in 1967. After graduation, he joined the Kingsport Press’ management training program. Through the years, he changed jobs a couple of times, but always remained in the book manufacturing business. Much of his time was spent in Manhattan with The Maple-Vail Book Manufacturing Group. That company sent Donnelly to Gatlinburg to open a Southeast sales office. Donnelly retired from Maple-Vail in 2009 and now writes full-time.

In the past, Donnelly has participated in local book fairs, held book signings and spoken to members of the Kingsport Civitan Club. Today, he will speak to marketing, criminology and creative writing classes at Dobyns-Bennett High School.

For more information on Donnelly or his series, visit www.donaldyoungbloodmysteries.com.

View the article in full by clicking HERE.

Three Devils Dancing by Keith Donnelly
Posted on December 24, 2010 by Dru

Three Devils Dancing by Keith Donnelly is the third book in the “Donald Youngblood” mystery series. Publisher: Hummingbird Books, December 2010

After the Malone case nearly got him killed, ex-Wall Street whiz kid and private investigator Donald Youngblood wants just to settle down with his new ready-made family and watch the world go by.

Not likely.

A young woman with a mysterious tattoo turns up dead at a local lake, and the girl’s father persuades Don to look into her killing. Soon afterward, a three-year-old girl gets kidnapped. The girl’s mother, wanting to avoid police involvement, convinces Don to look for her daughter, leaving him with much more than he bargained for.
Who took the little girl, and why?

Is the tattoo on the dead girl a significant clue or just skin art?

Playing a deadly game of cat and mouse with an insane serial killer while trying to fulfill a promise to a ruthless drug dealer, Donald Youngblood, with help from partner Billy Two-Feathers and new ally Oscar Morales, pursues his most cunning adversary yet.

What a great story. When a young girl is found dead and similar cases are connected, Don knows this is the work of a serial killer. Don has his hands full with two other cases that need his attention, but the murder of this young teenager and finding her killer is his main priority. From the moment I started reading, I could not put this book down. With a well-written story and more defined characters, this fast-action read kept me turning the pages. I love this series because I always finish with a smile. This was an enjoyable read that will leave you wanting more. My rating: 5 stars

-Posted on Dru's Musings, a WordPress blog. View the original review HERE.

Midwest Book Review - Three Devils Dancing - December 3, 2010

The need for a clear thinking mind is a demand that will never be met. "Three Devils Dancing" follows Donald Youngblood, a private investigator who wants to leave murder and crime behind him. A girl turns up dead at a lake and Donald's only lead is her unusual tattoo, and Donald is unsure if that is even relevant. In the pursuit of a killer, Donald only has so much time. "Three Devils Dancing" is a fast paced and riveting read that should prove hard to put down.

Taken from Amazon.com

Kingsport Times Article - November 28, 2010

Click on the photo to view the article full-size in JPG format.
Click HERE to view the page as seen in the Kingsport Times as a PDF file.

Midwest Book Review - Three Days Dead - November 8, 2010

Following a faint trail can prove tiring, even for the most seasoned investigator. "Three Days Dead" is the story of private investigator Donald Youngblood. Trying to reel in his life after finding love, he's sent on a wild chase to help find a young woman's lost mother and soon finds that this isn't just a simple missing person case, but there's so much more that lies under it all. "Three Days Dead" is a fun and exciting read, highly recommended.

Taken from Amazon.com

Mountain Press Article - October 15, 2010

Click on the article to view it in full-size in JPG format.
Click HERE to view Page 4 (Article Conclusion) full-size in JPG format.
Click HERE to view Page 1 as seen in the Mountain Press as a PDF file.
Click HERE to view Page 4 (Article Conclusion) as a PDF file.

Elizabethton Star Article - September 26, 2010

Click on the article to view it in full-size in JPG format.
Click HERE to view the article as seen in the Elizabethton Star as a PDF file.

Cable Country Videos
Keith has appeared twice on Tim Cable's "Cable Country."

To see Keith discussing Three Days Dead (Filmed at the Park Grill in February 2010), click HERE.

To see Keith discussing Three Deuces Down (Filmed at Maple Vail Office in 2008), click HERE.