Hi everyone,

We talk to some fascinating new talents in this issue starting with Marcus Sakey, whose latest, Good People, is building on the strong showing of his debut, The Blade Itself.

Tana French’s In the Woods was a favorite of Mystery Scene readers and won  the Edgar for Best First Novel of 2007. Now her second, The Likeness, has critics hailing a major new talent. Cheryl Solimini chats with this former actress who has taken a flair for the dramatic from the stage to the page.

Clyde Ford launches an intriguing new boating series set in the Pacific Northwest with an ex-Coast Guard officer as hero. Ford reports that he’s working with actor Morgan Freeman on a screenplay.

John J. Lamb’s popular mysteries combine two seemingly disparate worlds—the cozy milieu of teddy bear collecting and the gritty details of police procedure. Our reporter discovers striking similarities between Lamb’s work and life.

In the midst of this historic presidential election season, Art Taylor takes a look back at mystery fiction from the tumultuous Civil Rights era of the 1950s and ’60s.

Verna Suit explores fiction set in “Mysterious Maryland” with a special focus on Baltimore, where the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention will be taking place in October.

Our own Jon L. Breen, who won an Edgar Award for Novel Verdicts: A Guide to Courtroom Fiction, puts his expertise to work in a round-up of new legal thriller fiction. Following Jon’s glowing recommendation I’ve just read Justin Peacock’s debut, A Cure for Night. Don’t miss this book!

Best wishes,
Kate Stine
Editor-in-chief (more…)

The Replacement Child
by Christine Barber
Thomas Dunne, September 2008,  $23.95

When the body of local schoolteacher Melissa Baca is found at the bottom of the Taos River gorge, the rumors start flying. Was straight-arrow Melissa really meeting a drug dealer? Why are some cops denying they were in the vicinity of the murder that evening?  And, finally, who on earth would want to
kill her?

In her debut mystery, Barber has created a neat, twisty plot with some spiritual elements drawn from Northern Mexican folklore. The pacing is a bit overcrowded with descriptions at the start of the story, but the last half moves briskly as all the loose ends are knotted together. Winner of the 2008 Tony Hillerman award, offers a fascinating look at Santa Fe’s Hispanic heritage. Its mixture of Catholicism and witchcraft is integral to the plot and affects the psychology/sociology of the book’s characters. Several, with names like Old Maxine Baca and the Scanner Lady, are quite vivid, but the major character, newspaper editor Lucy Newroe, could use further development. Her attempts at crime solving would benefit from more punch, as could her efforts to be a volunteer EMT, which are sympathetic but underwhelming. Overall though, the strong plot, unusual background, and intriguing glimpses of Southwestern culture outweigh the this book’s weaknesses. I would certainly read another from this new series.—Beverly DeWeese

Elvis and the Dearly Departed
by Peggy Webb
Kensington, September 30, 2008, $22.00

Elvis and the Dearly Departed is a classic Southern cozy with a decidedly idiosyncratic twist: It intermittently changes first-person narrators, one of whom is a basset hound who thinks he is Elvis Presley. The other narrator is the novel’s heroine, Elvis’ owner, Callie Jones, a highly intelligent hairdresser with an attitude. Like so many Southerners, Callie has a large, endearing extended family, including her uncle, who owns and operates a funeral home. When a body disappears from the funeral home, Callie and her cousin Lovie spring into action to retrieve it, tracking their suspect to Las Vegas, where yet another body appears. Webb provides plenty of action, but her strength as a writer emerges in rollicking and humorous portrayal of Callie and her sidekick, Lovie. Think Stephanie Plum and Lola, and you’ll know what to anticipate when you pick up this hilarious book.

And Elvis? Well, he has opinions about everything, but the world according to Elvis is a bit skewed, albeit entertaining. I’m not certain that the Elvis character, narrative and perspective contribute much, if anything, to the book, but perhaps readers will find otherwise. In the end, he ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog with a vivid imagination—but the remainder of Elvis and the Dearly Departed rocks.—Lynne Maxwell