Hold My Hand
Mary Helen Becker

The first mystery/suspense novel by Serena Mackesy, author of three mainstream novels, is a winner. Ghost stories are traditional fare in Britain around the holidays, and this one may be the perfect winter read. Bridget "Sweeny," adopts her mother's maiden name to confound pursuit and she and her small daughter Yasmin surreptitiously leave London to escape Kieran, Bridget's monstrous and abusive ex-husband. Kieran, who cannot conceal his violent personality, hires a private detective to find his prey.

Bridget's only connection with her past life is her friend Carol and a cell phone, and she soon finds an isolated new home, an enormous, centuries-old mansion in Cornwall called Rospetroc where Bridget has taken a job as housekeeper. Located near Bodmin Moor, deep in Daphne du Maurier territory, the house is cut off from the nearest village, has erratic electricity, and more importantly, is haunted. The family who owns it avoids it, because of their unhappy history there, and Bridget and Yasmin are all alone unless paying guests rent the house--many of whom are driven away by the spooky atmosphere at Rospetroc.

Mackesy splendidly evokes the Cornish countryside, the locals, and the loneliness of the house cut off from the rest of the world by bad weather. This is a fine suspense novel, and I, for one, stayed up way too late to find out what happened at the end. I look forward to Serena Mackesy's next mystery.

Super User
2010-04-25 16:16:03

The first mystery/suspense novel by Serena Mackesy, author of three mainstream novels, is a winner. Ghost stories are traditional fare in Britain around the holidays, and this one may be the perfect winter read. Bridget "Sweeny," adopts her mother's maiden name to confound pursuit and she and her small daughter Yasmin surreptitiously leave London to escape Kieran, Bridget's monstrous and abusive ex-husband. Kieran, who cannot conceal his violent personality, hires a private detective to find his prey.

Bridget's only connection with her past life is her friend Carol and a cell phone, and she soon finds an isolated new home, an enormous, centuries-old mansion in Cornwall called Rospetroc where Bridget has taken a job as housekeeper. Located near Bodmin Moor, deep in Daphne du Maurier territory, the house is cut off from the nearest village, has erratic electricity, and more importantly, is haunted. The family who owns it avoids it, because of their unhappy history there, and Bridget and Yasmin are all alone unless paying guests rent the house--many of whom are driven away by the spooky atmosphere at Rospetroc.

Mackesy splendidly evokes the Cornish countryside, the locals, and the loneliness of the house cut off from the rest of the world by bad weather. This is a fine suspense novel, and I, for one, stayed up way too late to find out what happened at the end. I look forward to Serena Mackesy's next mystery.

In the Dark
Barbara Fister

Those familiar with Billingham's excellent Tom Thorne series may pick up this book expecting another imaginative variation on his signature "serial killer with a twist" plot launched brilliantly in 2001 with Sleepyhead, but with this standalone, he's up to something very different.
Employing spare language and the kind of complex characterization he excels at, Billingham lays out a tragic triangle: A cop who has grown distant from his pregnant partner; a young drug dealer anxiously negotiating his way up the ladder of illicit trade; and an old-school gangster with a strangely intimate relationship to the cop. When the drug dealer is given a test--he's told to fire a gun into a car as he and his mates speed past it--the bullet sets off a chain reaction that arouses the gangster's ruthless sense of retribution.
Soon the dealer's friends are being picked off and Helen, the cop's pregnant partner, is trying to rouse herself from a numbed state to find out what happened that night. Theo, the young dealer, is a decent kid whose world offers no good choices. Their paths cross in ways that seem accidental, though in fact they're ensnared in a conspiracy that none of them can quite grasp.
The complicated truth that Helen eventually teases out is almost trivial in comparison to the grim reality Billingham portrays with the eye of a documentarian. Many thrillers have a kind of bounciness, offering action that accelerates until justice is done; here, the characters live in a gravitational field that resists fast and easy answers.

Admin
2010-04-25 16:16:03

Those familiar with Billingham's excellent Tom Thorne series may pick up this book expecting another imaginative variation on his signature "serial killer with a twist" plot launched brilliantly in 2001 with Sleepyhead, but with this standalone, he's up to something very different.
Employing spare language and the kind of complex characterization he excels at, Billingham lays out a tragic triangle: A cop who has grown distant from his pregnant partner; a young drug dealer anxiously negotiating his way up the ladder of illicit trade; and an old-school gangster with a strangely intimate relationship to the cop. When the drug dealer is given a test--he's told to fire a gun into a car as he and his mates speed past it--the bullet sets off a chain reaction that arouses the gangster's ruthless sense of retribution.
Soon the dealer's friends are being picked off and Helen, the cop's pregnant partner, is trying to rouse herself from a numbed state to find out what happened that night. Theo, the young dealer, is a decent kid whose world offers no good choices. Their paths cross in ways that seem accidental, though in fact they're ensnared in a conspiracy that none of them can quite grasp.
The complicated truth that Helen eventually teases out is almost trivial in comparison to the grim reality Billingham portrays with the eye of a documentarian. Many thrillers have a kind of bounciness, offering action that accelerates until justice is done; here, the characters live in a gravitational field that resists fast and easy answers.

Mean Town Blues
Oline H. Cogdill

Tommy McLain planned for a life in the military until a stomach wound in the Iraq war derailed his career. Without family or future plans, Tommy drifts toward Chicago where at least he has a standing invitation from an old friend.

In Chicago, he finds some ready-made friends thanks to his buddy, Brian. While Tommy feels like an outsider next to Brian's educated friends, he also sees a future. "He was starting to get an impression of the dimensions of the world outside the army."

Among Tommy's new circle is Lisa DiPetro, who is being stalked by a man she may have met briefly in a bar. Lisa's problems echo with Tommy and a tragedy his family suffered. But the talk he has with the man takes a fatal turn, setting off repercussions that cause a gang war between Chicago's mob families and involve the FBI and two police departments.

Author Sam Reaves finely tunes his look at Chicago and its people in the intricately plotted Mean Town Blues. You can almost feel the snap of the wind and hear the city sounds. Reaves realistically shapes Tommy as a simple, but not stupid, man who is forced to reevaluate his ethics as a result of of his actions.

Stalkers are about control, and Reaves creates a gripping tale about manipulation that has far-reaching effects. Reaves cleverly moves Mean Town Blues into the unpredictable with several well-placed twists. The author, whose work includes Homicide 69 and three novels as Dominic Martell, delivers another satisfying thriller.

Super User
2010-04-25 16:16:03

Tommy McLain planned for a life in the military until a stomach wound in the Iraq war derailed his career. Without family or future plans, Tommy drifts toward Chicago where at least he has a standing invitation from an old friend.

In Chicago, he finds some ready-made friends thanks to his buddy, Brian. While Tommy feels like an outsider next to Brian's educated friends, he also sees a future. "He was starting to get an impression of the dimensions of the world outside the army."

Among Tommy's new circle is Lisa DiPetro, who is being stalked by a man she may have met briefly in a bar. Lisa's problems echo with Tommy and a tragedy his family suffered. But the talk he has with the man takes a fatal turn, setting off repercussions that cause a gang war between Chicago's mob families and involve the FBI and two police departments.

Author Sam Reaves finely tunes his look at Chicago and its people in the intricately plotted Mean Town Blues. You can almost feel the snap of the wind and hear the city sounds. Reaves realistically shapes Tommy as a simple, but not stupid, man who is forced to reevaluate his ethics as a result of of his actions.

Stalkers are about control, and Reaves creates a gripping tale about manipulation that has far-reaching effects. Reaves cleverly moves Mean Town Blues into the unpredictable with several well-placed twists. The author, whose work includes Homicide 69 and three novels as Dominic Martell, delivers another satisfying thriller.

Murder Express
R. Smith

In Murder Express, Canadian author Robert Scott has created one of those puzzling situations in which a murder is committed in a confined space filled with several witnesses and suspects. The crime takes place in a second-class car on "The Last Spike Special," a leisurely traveling train that passengers take mainly to enjoy the scenic views across the Canadian countryside. On the second day out, Oscar Dempster, a retired, arrogant, and obnoxious American, is found hanged in the washroom. Vacationing Vancouver Police Officer Jack Elton, traveling on his honeymoon with his bride Valerie, also a police officer, suspects foul play. Word is radioed ahead and the train makes a stop to pick up an official police investigator but this officer dismisses the death as suicide and promptly leaves to spend the rest of the trip in the dining car. Jack can't accept that, especially when another passenger, a beautiful Brazilian in her last year of medical school, points out some obvious indications that Dempster was first knocked unconscious with a taser gun before he was strangled. Jack takes it upon himself to solve the murder and sets out to talk with the other passengers hoping someone noticed something unusual. He eventually learns that an incident in Dempster's past is the catalyst for his death and uncovers the real murderer. Murder Express has faint echoes of two Agatha Christie's books, And Then There Were None and Murder On The Orient Express, although this novel doesn't measure up to the Dame Agatha's classics.

Super User
2010-04-25 16:16:03

In Murder Express, Canadian author Robert Scott has created one of those puzzling situations in which a murder is committed in a confined space filled with several witnesses and suspects. The crime takes place in a second-class car on "The Last Spike Special," a leisurely traveling train that passengers take mainly to enjoy the scenic views across the Canadian countryside. On the second day out, Oscar Dempster, a retired, arrogant, and obnoxious American, is found hanged in the washroom. Vacationing Vancouver Police Officer Jack Elton, traveling on his honeymoon with his bride Valerie, also a police officer, suspects foul play. Word is radioed ahead and the train makes a stop to pick up an official police investigator but this officer dismisses the death as suicide and promptly leaves to spend the rest of the trip in the dining car. Jack can't accept that, especially when another passenger, a beautiful Brazilian in her last year of medical school, points out some obvious indications that Dempster was first knocked unconscious with a taser gun before he was strangled. Jack takes it upon himself to solve the murder and sets out to talk with the other passengers hoping someone noticed something unusual. He eventually learns that an incident in Dempster's past is the catalyst for his death and uncovers the real murderer. Murder Express has faint echoes of two Agatha Christie's books, And Then There Were None and Murder On The Orient Express, although this novel doesn't measure up to the Dame Agatha's classics.

Murder Short & Sweet
Joseph Scarpato, Jr.

This is simply one of the best mystery short story anthologies I've ever read. And why wouldn't it be, with 25 classic tales concocted by some of the greatest mystery writers of all time? Included here are earlier masters such as Poe, Doyle, Christie and Sayers. More current writers include Block, Westlake and Rendell.

The incomparable Sherlock Holmes appears in two adventures: In "The Speckled Band" he foils one of the cleverest murder schemes of all time, and in "Abbey Grange," he uses his uncanny ability in observing minutiae to bring a murderer to justice...or does he? In Christie's "Philomel Cottage," we share the slowly deepening fear of a newlywed as she discovers that her husband may be a serial killer. Rendell's "Fall of a Coin" shows why a woman scorned can be lethally dangerous and why it's important to pay attention to details.

If you like police procedurals, you'll enjoy Clark Howard's "Under Suspicion," in which a detective travels the mean streets to find the killer of his partner's daughter, and Lawrence Treat's "H as in Homicide" where a missing person report turns into a puzzling murder case. If you have an appetite for irony, Roald Dahl's "Lamb to the Slaughter" is one of the most ironic stories you'll ever read.

This anthology offers something for every mystery lover's taste: For courtroom drama enthusiasts, there's Vincent Starrett's "The Eleventh Juror;" for those who enjoy a touch of Gallic humor, there's James Holding's "The Inquisitive Butcher of Nice;" and for those who revel in seeing villains get their just desserts, there's Francis Iles' "Dark Journey" and Brendan Dubois' "The Dark Snow." This wonderful anthology should provide many hours of enjoyment for mystery readers of every genre.

Super User
2010-04-25 16:16:03

This is simply one of the best mystery short story anthologies I've ever read. And why wouldn't it be, with 25 classic tales concocted by some of the greatest mystery writers of all time? Included here are earlier masters such as Poe, Doyle, Christie and Sayers. More current writers include Block, Westlake and Rendell.

The incomparable Sherlock Holmes appears in two adventures: In "The Speckled Band" he foils one of the cleverest murder schemes of all time, and in "Abbey Grange," he uses his uncanny ability in observing minutiae to bring a murderer to justice...or does he? In Christie's "Philomel Cottage," we share the slowly deepening fear of a newlywed as she discovers that her husband may be a serial killer. Rendell's "Fall of a Coin" shows why a woman scorned can be lethally dangerous and why it's important to pay attention to details.

If you like police procedurals, you'll enjoy Clark Howard's "Under Suspicion," in which a detective travels the mean streets to find the killer of his partner's daughter, and Lawrence Treat's "H as in Homicide" where a missing person report turns into a puzzling murder case. If you have an appetite for irony, Roald Dahl's "Lamb to the Slaughter" is one of the most ironic stories you'll ever read.

This anthology offers something for every mystery lover's taste: For courtroom drama enthusiasts, there's Vincent Starrett's "The Eleventh Juror;" for those who enjoy a touch of Gallic humor, there's James Holding's "The Inquisitive Butcher of Nice;" and for those who revel in seeing villains get their just desserts, there's Francis Iles' "Dark Journey" and Brendan Dubois' "The Dark Snow." This wonderful anthology should provide many hours of enjoyment for mystery readers of every genre.

Old Flame
Hank Wagner

Ex-cop Jackson Steeg suspects that trouble is looming when his harpy of an ex-mother-in-law Jeanmarie shows up at his apartment. Those suspicions are confirmed when she asks him to help his ex-wife Ginny, whose third husband has recently been beaten to death by an unidentified assailant. Adding to his steadily mounting troubles, Steeg is asked by a childhood pal for assistance in resolving a dispute he is having with a local crime lord. Compelled by loyalty to help both parties, Steeg (who, incidentally, is still recuperating from a gunshot wound sustained some months prior) soon finds himself caught up in a war involving a merciless Israeli gangster and Steeg's gangster sibling Dave. He is also in a scandal involving the police and a powerful local politician, a situation that places him, as they say, between a rock and a hard place.

In a blurb praising the book, Thomas Perry calls Old Flame "a good old-fashioned crime novel," a quote which sums up both its strengths and weaknesses. As Perry goes on to say, the book, set in New York's Hell's Kitchen, is "crowded with fast talking, colorful characters, each of whom carries a secret or two and the temperament of a killer." It's also well written and executed. The only knock is, if you read extensively in the genre, you've seen all this before. Although obviously talented, Berkowitz doesn't break any new ground here, either with his language or his plot, making his second novel a competent, but somehow familiar, effort.

Super User
2010-04-25 16:16:03

Ex-cop Jackson Steeg suspects that trouble is looming when his harpy of an ex-mother-in-law Jeanmarie shows up at his apartment. Those suspicions are confirmed when she asks him to help his ex-wife Ginny, whose third husband has recently been beaten to death by an unidentified assailant. Adding to his steadily mounting troubles, Steeg is asked by a childhood pal for assistance in resolving a dispute he is having with a local crime lord. Compelled by loyalty to help both parties, Steeg (who, incidentally, is still recuperating from a gunshot wound sustained some months prior) soon finds himself caught up in a war involving a merciless Israeli gangster and Steeg's gangster sibling Dave. He is also in a scandal involving the police and a powerful local politician, a situation that places him, as they say, between a rock and a hard place.

In a blurb praising the book, Thomas Perry calls Old Flame "a good old-fashioned crime novel," a quote which sums up both its strengths and weaknesses. As Perry goes on to say, the book, set in New York's Hell's Kitchen, is "crowded with fast talking, colorful characters, each of whom carries a secret or two and the temperament of a killer." It's also well written and executed. The only knock is, if you read extensively in the genre, you've seen all this before. Although obviously talented, Berkowitz doesn't break any new ground here, either with his language or his plot, making his second novel a competent, but somehow familiar, effort.

Once Were Cops
Verna Suit

Matthew Patrick O'Shea, a cop in Galway, Ireland, wrangles a one-year appointment to the NYPD. This has long been his goal, and as a New York cop, he'll be able to carry a gun, which he looks forward to using to "do damage." Shea and those close to him recognize that he has problems. One side of him wants to be a decent guy and settle down with a good woman, but too often his dark side takes over and he "zones." Plus he has this thing for long white necks... When Shea reports to his New York precinct he is paired with another demented cop, nicknamed Kebar. They appear to be a match made in heaven, or someplace else, until Shea discovers Kebar's weakness.

Once Were Cops is a standalone thriller in Ken Bruen's best over-the-top noir style. Psychopath Shea's forthright narration and Bruen's wry turns of phrase produce black humor that catches readers unawares. Shea's arrogance, warped mind, and outrageous crimes make him an intriguing character, but not at all a likeable one. Surely his compulsions or his hubris are bound to bring him down eventually. Or are they? Once Were Cops is a fast, compelling read that will leave you horrified and grinning.

Super User
2010-04-25 16:16:03

Matthew Patrick O'Shea, a cop in Galway, Ireland, wrangles a one-year appointment to the NYPD. This has long been his goal, and as a New York cop, he'll be able to carry a gun, which he looks forward to using to "do damage." Shea and those close to him recognize that he has problems. One side of him wants to be a decent guy and settle down with a good woman, but too often his dark side takes over and he "zones." Plus he has this thing for long white necks... When Shea reports to his New York precinct he is paired with another demented cop, nicknamed Kebar. They appear to be a match made in heaven, or someplace else, until Shea discovers Kebar's weakness.

Once Were Cops is a standalone thriller in Ken Bruen's best over-the-top noir style. Psychopath Shea's forthright narration and Bruen's wry turns of phrase produce black humor that catches readers unawares. Shea's arrogance, warped mind, and outrageous crimes make him an intriguing character, but not at all a likeable one. Surely his compulsions or his hubris are bound to bring him down eventually. Or are they? Once Were Cops is a fast, compelling read that will leave you horrified and grinning.

One Night Stands and Lost Weekends
Kevin Burton Smith

Eager to crack the pulp digest market of the late '50s and early '60s, the twentyish Block dove right in, dishing up a man's man's man's world of crime, treachery, and obsession, with women mostly depicted as thieves, con artists, murderers, tramps, and dolls (with a virginal victim tossed in occasionally for good measure). But if these early tales, some so dated they might as well be timestamped, aren't up to the author's later high standards (he points out in an amusingly apologetic introduction that at the time his typewriter still had training wheels on it) there's still a giddy, pulpy charm at play here. Sure, some of the plot twists seem a tad too obvious, and the enthusiasm at times outpaces the craft, but in general these hard, tough tales satisfy, in both their inventiveness and their variety, offering everything from the Spillanesque "I Don't Fool Around" to the malicious O Henry-like legerdemain of "Lie Back and Enjoy It." And the concluding three novelettes, all featuring New York private eye Ed London, make clear how rapidly Block, even early in his career, was already developing the keen craft and powerful storytelling mojo for which he would soon become so justifiably famous.

Super User
2010-04-25 16:16:03

Eager to crack the pulp digest market of the late '50s and early '60s, the twentyish Block dove right in, dishing up a man's man's man's world of crime, treachery, and obsession, with women mostly depicted as thieves, con artists, murderers, tramps, and dolls (with a virginal victim tossed in occasionally for good measure). But if these early tales, some so dated they might as well be timestamped, aren't up to the author's later high standards (he points out in an amusingly apologetic introduction that at the time his typewriter still had training wheels on it) there's still a giddy, pulpy charm at play here. Sure, some of the plot twists seem a tad too obvious, and the enthusiasm at times outpaces the craft, but in general these hard, tough tales satisfy, in both their inventiveness and their variety, offering everything from the Spillanesque "I Don't Fool Around" to the malicious O Henry-like legerdemain of "Lie Back and Enjoy It." And the concluding three novelettes, all featuring New York private eye Ed London, make clear how rapidly Block, even early in his career, was already developing the keen craft and powerful storytelling mojo for which he would soon become so justifiably famous.

Second Violin
Charles L.P. Silet

Second Violin is the sixth in the Inspector Troy series, and it provides the backstory for his emigre Russian family and his early career as a beat cop in the East End of London. The novel opens at the beginning of the Second World War during the Anschluss, as the Germans march into Austria. Subsequent atrocities are committed by the Nazis, which is being covered by Rod Troy, the inspector's reporter brother. Then it shifts to London to record the early days of the Battle of Britain with its bombings, indiscriminate death, and wartime privations to pick up Inspector Troy's story.

Troy is a lowly sergeant in Scotland Yard's Murder Squad, until he is seconded to MI5, Special Branch, to round up foreign nationals for internment, an assignment he hates. However, his experience with the Jewish community in the East End helps to return him to the Murder Squad when the local Rabbis begin to die in numbers and under suspicious circumstances.

This is a first-class period thriller. John Lawton effectively packs lots of historical detail into an engaging narrative, and he is especially skillful at interweaving the personal history of his Inspector Troy with the early days of the war, Hitler's first triumphs, the rescue of the British army at Dunkirk, and the beginnings of the Blitz. Second Violin whets the appetite to pick up the previous novels in the series.

Super User
2010-04-25 16:16:03

Second Violin is the sixth in the Inspector Troy series, and it provides the backstory for his emigre Russian family and his early career as a beat cop in the East End of London. The novel opens at the beginning of the Second World War during the Anschluss, as the Germans march into Austria. Subsequent atrocities are committed by the Nazis, which is being covered by Rod Troy, the inspector's reporter brother. Then it shifts to London to record the early days of the Battle of Britain with its bombings, indiscriminate death, and wartime privations to pick up Inspector Troy's story.

Troy is a lowly sergeant in Scotland Yard's Murder Squad, until he is seconded to MI5, Special Branch, to round up foreign nationals for internment, an assignment he hates. However, his experience with the Jewish community in the East End helps to return him to the Murder Squad when the local Rabbis begin to die in numbers and under suspicious circumstances.

This is a first-class period thriller. John Lawton effectively packs lots of historical detail into an engaging narrative, and he is especially skillful at interweaving the personal history of his Inspector Troy with the early days of the war, Hitler's first triumphs, the rescue of the British army at Dunkirk, and the beginnings of the Blitz. Second Violin whets the appetite to pick up the previous novels in the series.

Six Geese-A-Slaying
Lynne F. Maxwell

Just in time for the holiday season comes Six Geese-A-Slaying, Donna Andrews' 10th entry in her highly entertaining Meg Langslow series. This book is billed as a Christmas mystery, and it certainly is, featuring Meg as event coordinator of the annual Christmas parade for her small town in Virginia. A very reluctant Meg has been forced into this responsibility by the president of the local college, and she feels compelled to accept, not wanting to impede her new husband's quest for tenure in the college's drama department. Inevitably, Meg's organizational demands pale in light of the inopportune murder of a local tyrannical miser who has been cast in the role of Santa Claus for the parade. Andrews' usual cast of eccentric characters including Meg's father, a retired physician and unrepentant mystery buff, eagerly get on the case, with the hilarious results that readers have come to expect from Andrews. Despite the dire circumstances, all of this is good fun, framed by numerous allusions to Dickens' A Christmas Carol, with plot threads and characterizations reminiscent of the classic.

I have been following Andrew's novels since Murder with Peacocks won the prestigious Agatha and Malice Domestic Awards. Her witty fowl-titled books filled with foul play are worth the price of admission to the zany world of Meg Langslow and her odd but lovable family, friends, and neighbors, all amusing caricatures of people we, too, know.

Super User
2010-04-25 16:16:03

Just in time for the holiday season comes Six Geese-A-Slaying, Donna Andrews' 10th entry in her highly entertaining Meg Langslow series. This book is billed as a Christmas mystery, and it certainly is, featuring Meg as event coordinator of the annual Christmas parade for her small town in Virginia. A very reluctant Meg has been forced into this responsibility by the president of the local college, and she feels compelled to accept, not wanting to impede her new husband's quest for tenure in the college's drama department. Inevitably, Meg's organizational demands pale in light of the inopportune murder of a local tyrannical miser who has been cast in the role of Santa Claus for the parade. Andrews' usual cast of eccentric characters including Meg's father, a retired physician and unrepentant mystery buff, eagerly get on the case, with the hilarious results that readers have come to expect from Andrews. Despite the dire circumstances, all of this is good fun, framed by numerous allusions to Dickens' A Christmas Carol, with plot threads and characterizations reminiscent of the classic.

I have been following Andrew's novels since Murder with Peacocks won the prestigious Agatha and Malice Domestic Awards. Her witty fowl-titled books filled with foul play are worth the price of admission to the zany world of Meg Langslow and her odd but lovable family, friends, and neighbors, all amusing caricatures of people we, too, know.

Spider Season
Betty Webb

Soon after disgraced journalist Benjamin Justice comes clean about his "Pulitzer problem" by publishing a memoir about the incident, he realizes that writing the book might have been a mistake. Yes, 18 years earlier, when he'd faked sources for a story, he'd been living under the stress of watching his lover, Jacques, die of AIDS. And yes, he'd also been haunted by the memory of killing his father after discovering him in the act of raping his sister. But now, thanks to the publicity the memoir generated, Justice finds himself being stalked by two violent men. One is a butch ex-Marine; the other, an unbalanced actor who claims the journalist is infatuated with him.

This eighth in the Benjamin Justice series finds the HIV-positive journalist staring at the wreckage of his life. As he examines his past with an unflinching eye, his harsh assessment is balanced by the compassion of Maurice and Fred, his elderly landlords. Softened by their tender mercies, he opens himself to a new love, which leads to one of this beautiful novel's most beautiful passages--the almost otherworldly magic of a first kiss. But love blinds. When Justice finally opens his eyes, he begins to suspect that this new man, a former Catholic priest, is about to betray him.

Although elegiac in tone, Spider Season does have fine moments of humor, such as the book signing attended only by a homeless man looking for shelter from the rain. Edgar Award-winning author Wilson has as fine an eye for irony as he does for elegy--and fortunately for his readers, for justice with a lower case "j". This exquisite novel is the finest yet in a powerful series; let's hope it's not the last.

Super User
2010-04-25 16:16:03

Soon after disgraced journalist Benjamin Justice comes clean about his "Pulitzer problem" by publishing a memoir about the incident, he realizes that writing the book might have been a mistake. Yes, 18 years earlier, when he'd faked sources for a story, he'd been living under the stress of watching his lover, Jacques, die of AIDS. And yes, he'd also been haunted by the memory of killing his father after discovering him in the act of raping his sister. But now, thanks to the publicity the memoir generated, Justice finds himself being stalked by two violent men. One is a butch ex-Marine; the other, an unbalanced actor who claims the journalist is infatuated with him.

This eighth in the Benjamin Justice series finds the HIV-positive journalist staring at the wreckage of his life. As he examines his past with an unflinching eye, his harsh assessment is balanced by the compassion of Maurice and Fred, his elderly landlords. Softened by their tender mercies, he opens himself to a new love, which leads to one of this beautiful novel's most beautiful passages--the almost otherworldly magic of a first kiss. But love blinds. When Justice finally opens his eyes, he begins to suspect that this new man, a former Catholic priest, is about to betray him.

Although elegiac in tone, Spider Season does have fine moments of humor, such as the book signing attended only by a homeless man looking for shelter from the rain. Edgar Award-winning author Wilson has as fine an eye for irony as he does for elegy--and fortunately for his readers, for justice with a lower case "j". This exquisite novel is the finest yet in a powerful series; let's hope it's not the last.

The 731 Legacy
Mary Helen Becker

The 731 Legacy, the fourth in a series by Lynn Sholes and Joe Moore, is an apocalyptic thriller starring Cotten Stone, a well-known anchor on SNN (the Satellite News Network), and host of Relics, a show about ancient objects and their religious and scientific importance. As the story opens, she is working on a program about traces of pollen found in the Shroud of Turin which purportedly come from a thistle found only around Jerusalem, and from which, it is believed, the Crown of Thorns was made.

Cardinal John Tyler, head of an ultra-secret intelligence unit of the Vatican, whose cover is Prelate of the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology, has just arrived in New York on his way to a mission to Moldova. Cotten and John share a hopeless and unfulfilled love for one another, and she is drawn into a terrible plot in order to save his life.

The plot revolves around an embittered scientist in North Korea who plans a devastating revenge upon all the allied nations who fought against Japan in World War II. The scientist controls an ancient virus that reacts with the genetic material in living humans to produce a horrific death.

Cotten has a peculiar genealogy: she is descended from a fallen angel (as told in the Old Testament). The Forces of Darkness are aligned against Cotten, trying to bring her back to their side. This could be entitled "Angels and Demons," and is far superior to the book that bears that title. It has a bit of everything found in popular thrillers: destruction of civilization, ancient religious lore, modern science, and non-stop action. It even features a bit of humor, in a rather loveable group of elderly ex--KGB agents who help Cotten save the day.

Super User
2010-04-25 16:16:03

The 731 Legacy, the fourth in a series by Lynn Sholes and Joe Moore, is an apocalyptic thriller starring Cotten Stone, a well-known anchor on SNN (the Satellite News Network), and host of Relics, a show about ancient objects and their religious and scientific importance. As the story opens, she is working on a program about traces of pollen found in the Shroud of Turin which purportedly come from a thistle found only around Jerusalem, and from which, it is believed, the Crown of Thorns was made.

Cardinal John Tyler, head of an ultra-secret intelligence unit of the Vatican, whose cover is Prelate of the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology, has just arrived in New York on his way to a mission to Moldova. Cotten and John share a hopeless and unfulfilled love for one another, and she is drawn into a terrible plot in order to save his life.

The plot revolves around an embittered scientist in North Korea who plans a devastating revenge upon all the allied nations who fought against Japan in World War II. The scientist controls an ancient virus that reacts with the genetic material in living humans to produce a horrific death.

Cotten has a peculiar genealogy: she is descended from a fallen angel (as told in the Old Testament). The Forces of Darkness are aligned against Cotten, trying to bring her back to their side. This could be entitled "Angels and Demons," and is far superior to the book that bears that title. It has a bit of everything found in popular thrillers: destruction of civilization, ancient religious lore, modern science, and non-stop action. It even features a bit of humor, in a rather loveable group of elderly ex--KGB agents who help Cotten save the day.

The Anteater of Death
Lynne Maxwell

Despite its cryptic and rather unpromising title, The Anteater of Death is a surprisingly fascinating read; after all, Webb is the talented and seasoned author of the highly acclaimed Lena Jones series. In The Anteater of Death Webb puts Lena on sabbatical and initiates a series featuring West Coast zookeeper Teddy Bentley, whose mother is a society matron and whose father is a crook on the lam. With these credentials, Teddy is bound to be a renegade, and indeed she is, living in a houseboat and dedicating herself to caring for zoo animals, particularly Lucy, a pregnant anteater who is one of her beloved charges. The relatively peaceful yet politically volatile world of the zoo shifts when death intrudes. Ultimately, the unpredictable instincts and aggressiveness of the zoo animals fail to hold a candle to the atavistic, calculated violence of the humans. When the body of a prominent zoo trustee is discovered in the anteater's enclosure, initially the death is deemed accidental. Upon investigation, though, the authorities conclude that it was the result of foul play. Teddy wants to make certain that the true murderer is brought to justice, so she undertakes her own investigation, to surprising results. Webb knows how to put together a literate, well-plotted mystery with compelling characters and a sharp sense of humor. Not only does Webb interweave intricate plot strands and characterization, but she also provides a wealth of information about zoos and zoo animals. Intriguing stuff.

Super User
2010-04-25 16:16:03

Despite its cryptic and rather unpromising title, The Anteater of Death is a surprisingly fascinating read; after all, Webb is the talented and seasoned author of the highly acclaimed Lena Jones series. In The Anteater of Death Webb puts Lena on sabbatical and initiates a series featuring West Coast zookeeper Teddy Bentley, whose mother is a society matron and whose father is a crook on the lam. With these credentials, Teddy is bound to be a renegade, and indeed she is, living in a houseboat and dedicating herself to caring for zoo animals, particularly Lucy, a pregnant anteater who is one of her beloved charges. The relatively peaceful yet politically volatile world of the zoo shifts when death intrudes. Ultimately, the unpredictable instincts and aggressiveness of the zoo animals fail to hold a candle to the atavistic, calculated violence of the humans. When the body of a prominent zoo trustee is discovered in the anteater's enclosure, initially the death is deemed accidental. Upon investigation, though, the authorities conclude that it was the result of foul play. Teddy wants to make certain that the true murderer is brought to justice, so she undertakes her own investigation, to surprising results. Webb knows how to put together a literate, well-plotted mystery with compelling characters and a sharp sense of humor. Not only does Webb interweave intricate plot strands and characterization, but she also provides a wealth of information about zoos and zoo animals. Intriguing stuff.

The Beautiful Sound of Silence
Sue Reider

When a body is discovered in a Guy Fawkes Day bonfire, London Detective Inspector Christy Kennedy is assigned to lead the investigation. The case takes on a personal aspect for Kennedy's team after the victim is identified as recently retired Police Superintendent David Peters.

On one level of this multi-faceted book, the author delivers a detailed and intriguing police procedural. As the constables and detectives painstakingly question the superintendent's family, colleagues, and people Peters had put in jail--along with exploring his unsolved cases--they discover that the superintendent was a much different person than his public facade would suggest. The fact that the victim used his position to intimidate and falsely accuse others for his own gain upsets the entire team.

The novel is also an in-depth character study of Kennedy who, of all his colleagues, feels the most betrayed by Peters' actions. He sees himself as an ordinary man just doing his job; however, the image the reader gets of him is very different. He thinks deeply about everything he does, and philosophizes about the meaning and possible consequences of each action. Even when Kennedy is involved in other activities, he is completely consumed by his work, and continuously striving to excel.

All the characters in this story--victim, police, and murderer--are well-rounded. The story takes place in a short amount of time, yet the details of day-to-day police work are meticulously presented. A very readable and well-written story.

Super User
2010-04-25 16:16:03

When a body is discovered in a Guy Fawkes Day bonfire, London Detective Inspector Christy Kennedy is assigned to lead the investigation. The case takes on a personal aspect for Kennedy's team after the victim is identified as recently retired Police Superintendent David Peters.

On one level of this multi-faceted book, the author delivers a detailed and intriguing police procedural. As the constables and detectives painstakingly question the superintendent's family, colleagues, and people Peters had put in jail--along with exploring his unsolved cases--they discover that the superintendent was a much different person than his public facade would suggest. The fact that the victim used his position to intimidate and falsely accuse others for his own gain upsets the entire team.

The novel is also an in-depth character study of Kennedy who, of all his colleagues, feels the most betrayed by Peters' actions. He sees himself as an ordinary man just doing his job; however, the image the reader gets of him is very different. He thinks deeply about everything he does, and philosophizes about the meaning and possible consequences of each action. Even when Kennedy is involved in other activities, he is completely consumed by his work, and continuously striving to excel.

All the characters in this story--victim, police, and murderer--are well-rounded. The story takes place in a short amount of time, yet the details of day-to-day police work are meticulously presented. A very readable and well-written story.

The Big O
Kevin Burton Smith

Given how hip Ireland and the Irish have become in crime fiction lately, there is a curious lack of local color in The Big O, Declan Burke's latest. Were it not for a few fleeting allusions (e.g. A&E instead of ER; curry chips, not pizza) this whole thing could have taken place almost anywhere. Too bad, that, because Burke's smart plot (which recalls Elmore Leonard's more humorous works) deserves better. It's a perfectly realized, twisted little 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle that slowly snaps together, with more than a few surprises along the way. Ray ("serious fringe, cute buns") is a snatch man, an easy-going professional kidnapper (and sometime mural painter) with a retro do and a way with the ladies. Karen is a bored secretary (for a defrocked plastic surgeon now working as a "consultant") who moonlights as a stick-up artist. Ray and Karen meet "cute," but things soon take a turn for the dark side. She has an ex just out of prison, a Mafiosi wannabe intent on reclaiming his imagined Sicilian gangster heritage (and the score from his last heist which he left with Karen). Meanwhile, Karen's boss, the good doctor Frank, has cooked up a scheme to have his soon to be ex-wife abducted for the insurance money.

Initially nobody has a clue about what anyone else is really up to, or what the connections are, but the light begins to dawn as the point of view jumps back and forth between the various major characters. And the rowdy supporting cast is nothing to sneeze at either - it includes a narcoleptic wheelman, a burned out female cop who finds herself oddly attracted to Ray, the half-baked intended kidnap victim, two spoiled and vacuous twins and (I kid you not) a one-eyed Russian wolf bent on revenge. The various threads overlap and intersect, a knotty tangle of double and triple crosses and head-banging coincidences (including one or two right out of the Ross Macdonald catalogue), some seriously bad timing, plenty of zippy dialogue, a mid-life crisis or two, and a waylaid golf shot, as what should be a basic insurance scam goes horribly, amusingly awry. Granted, the humor is of the dark and wicked kind, but both it and the inevitable violence are handled in a refreshingly subtle manner, more ice pick than chainsaw. In the end everyone gets what's coming to him or her - or at least a twisted and maybe unreasonable facsimile. And that includes readers.

Super User
2010-04-25 16:16:03

Given how hip Ireland and the Irish have become in crime fiction lately, there is a curious lack of local color in The Big O, Declan Burke's latest. Were it not for a few fleeting allusions (e.g. A&E instead of ER; curry chips, not pizza) this whole thing could have taken place almost anywhere. Too bad, that, because Burke's smart plot (which recalls Elmore Leonard's more humorous works) deserves better. It's a perfectly realized, twisted little 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle that slowly snaps together, with more than a few surprises along the way. Ray ("serious fringe, cute buns") is a snatch man, an easy-going professional kidnapper (and sometime mural painter) with a retro do and a way with the ladies. Karen is a bored secretary (for a defrocked plastic surgeon now working as a "consultant") who moonlights as a stick-up artist. Ray and Karen meet "cute," but things soon take a turn for the dark side. She has an ex just out of prison, a Mafiosi wannabe intent on reclaiming his imagined Sicilian gangster heritage (and the score from his last heist which he left with Karen). Meanwhile, Karen's boss, the good doctor Frank, has cooked up a scheme to have his soon to be ex-wife abducted for the insurance money.

Initially nobody has a clue about what anyone else is really up to, or what the connections are, but the light begins to dawn as the point of view jumps back and forth between the various major characters. And the rowdy supporting cast is nothing to sneeze at either - it includes a narcoleptic wheelman, a burned out female cop who finds herself oddly attracted to Ray, the half-baked intended kidnap victim, two spoiled and vacuous twins and (I kid you not) a one-eyed Russian wolf bent on revenge. The various threads overlap and intersect, a knotty tangle of double and triple crosses and head-banging coincidences (including one or two right out of the Ross Macdonald catalogue), some seriously bad timing, plenty of zippy dialogue, a mid-life crisis or two, and a waylaid golf shot, as what should be a basic insurance scam goes horribly, amusingly awry. Granted, the humor is of the dark and wicked kind, but both it and the inevitable violence are handled in a refreshingly subtle manner, more ice pick than chainsaw. In the end everyone gets what's coming to him or her - or at least a twisted and maybe unreasonable facsimile. And that includes readers.

The Bodies Left Behind
Jackie Houchin

Police deputy Brynn McKenzie is tired, hungry, and glad to be home after a long shift. But when Sheriff Tom Dahl calls her back on duty to check out an uncompleted 911 call from an isolated vacation house near Lake Mondac, she's eager to go.

The drive through the dense forest of Marquette State Park is long and lonely. On the way, the sheriff reports that the call was a mistake. The cell phone owner had called back saying he and his wife were fine. But Brynn, a specialist in domestic violence cases, is almost there, and decides to make sure.

Utter silence greets her at the house. No one answers the doorbell and when she tries the door, it swings open. Pushing inside, she sees the contents of a briefcase and backpack spilled across the floor. Nearby, a couple lie face down in a spreading pool of blood.

Before she can retrieve her cell phone from the car, Brynn hears whispers and realizes the killers haven't left. Gun shots are exchanged and Brynn escapes into the dark Wisconsin forest. What follows is a night of non-stop terrifying flight and pursuit. Brynn's police training, endurance and wits are tested. Mistakes are made on both sides. Luck and misfortune play equal parts as the upper hand shifts between the pursuer and the pursued. A master of suspense, the author throws his protagonist (and his villains) into one impossible situation after another, increasing the stakes and building the tension.

Deaver's new thriller begins with a chilling setup in chapter one; then rushes into high speed action, cutting away only briefly for subplot or back story. The reader, never quite sure who will turn out to be friend or foe, races along with the heroine, eager to catch the killers and close the case.

Unfortunately the story seems to fall apart at the end. After the thrill ride of the chase with its jaw-dropping plot twists, the investigation and mop-up seem almost anticlimactic. The protagonist is no longer the driving force, as she becomes more interested in solving her personal problems than making arrests. The conclusion feels abrupt, disjointed, and while somewhat satisfying, may leave readers feeling cheated.

Does Deputy Brynn McKenzie have the dedication to be a new series character for Deaver? She certainly has potential, if she'd keep her mind on the job.

Super User
2010-04-25 16:16:03

Police deputy Brynn McKenzie is tired, hungry, and glad to be home after a long shift. But when Sheriff Tom Dahl calls her back on duty to check out an uncompleted 911 call from an isolated vacation house near Lake Mondac, she's eager to go.

The drive through the dense forest of Marquette State Park is long and lonely. On the way, the sheriff reports that the call was a mistake. The cell phone owner had called back saying he and his wife were fine. But Brynn, a specialist in domestic violence cases, is almost there, and decides to make sure.

Utter silence greets her at the house. No one answers the doorbell and when she tries the door, it swings open. Pushing inside, she sees the contents of a briefcase and backpack spilled across the floor. Nearby, a couple lie face down in a spreading pool of blood.

Before she can retrieve her cell phone from the car, Brynn hears whispers and realizes the killers haven't left. Gun shots are exchanged and Brynn escapes into the dark Wisconsin forest. What follows is a night of non-stop terrifying flight and pursuit. Brynn's police training, endurance and wits are tested. Mistakes are made on both sides. Luck and misfortune play equal parts as the upper hand shifts between the pursuer and the pursued. A master of suspense, the author throws his protagonist (and his villains) into one impossible situation after another, increasing the stakes and building the tension.

Deaver's new thriller begins with a chilling setup in chapter one; then rushes into high speed action, cutting away only briefly for subplot or back story. The reader, never quite sure who will turn out to be friend or foe, races along with the heroine, eager to catch the killers and close the case.

Unfortunately the story seems to fall apart at the end. After the thrill ride of the chase with its jaw-dropping plot twists, the investigation and mop-up seem almost anticlimactic. The protagonist is no longer the driving force, as she becomes more interested in solving her personal problems than making arrests. The conclusion feels abrupt, disjointed, and while somewhat satisfying, may leave readers feeling cheated.

Does Deputy Brynn McKenzie have the dedication to be a new series character for Deaver? She certainly has potential, if she'd keep her mind on the job.

The Darker Side
Barbara Fister

In the third Smoky Barrett thriller the scarred but resilient profiler, who has a knack for getting inside the heads of worst-of-the-worst psychopaths, is up against a killer who is poised to expose a collection of dark secrets on a video sharing site. One by one, the criminal has wrested confessions from over a hundred women before murdering them, the most recent being the transgendered child of a congressman with an eye on the presidency. When her story and execution are revealed online, the secrets are out, and in the strangely intimate confessional of the Internet, it becomes clear a ruthless killer is on a warped mission from God. And just to make sure he has everyone's attention, he promises his next victim will be a child.
McFadyen knows his way around the serial killer subgenre, and with lavishly emotive prose he puts Smoky Barrett and her team through the wringer as they immerse themselves in their case. Every one of them has secrets that are exposed by the raw emotions of their high-tension pursuit. At times, the reader's limit for empathy is tested, between the details of the victims' painful secrets and the tortures the FBI team members endure, but the complex humanity of the feisty, talented heroine coupled with McFadyen's exuberant way with words lets him get away with murder on an almost cosmic scale. For fans of the serial killer subgenre, this series raises the stakes with gruesome panache.

Super User
2010-04-25 16:16:03

In the third Smoky Barrett thriller the scarred but resilient profiler, who has a knack for getting inside the heads of worst-of-the-worst psychopaths, is up against a killer who is poised to expose a collection of dark secrets on a video sharing site. One by one, the criminal has wrested confessions from over a hundred women before murdering them, the most recent being the transgendered child of a congressman with an eye on the presidency. When her story and execution are revealed online, the secrets are out, and in the strangely intimate confessional of the Internet, it becomes clear a ruthless killer is on a warped mission from God. And just to make sure he has everyone's attention, he promises his next victim will be a child.
McFadyen knows his way around the serial killer subgenre, and with lavishly emotive prose he puts Smoky Barrett and her team through the wringer as they immerse themselves in their case. Every one of them has secrets that are exposed by the raw emotions of their high-tension pursuit. At times, the reader's limit for empathy is tested, between the details of the victims' painful secrets and the tortures the FBI team members endure, but the complex humanity of the feisty, talented heroine coupled with McFadyen's exuberant way with words lets him get away with murder on an almost cosmic scale. For fans of the serial killer subgenre, this series raises the stakes with gruesome panache.

The Fire
Helen Francini

You do not have to be a chess master to enjoy The Fire. A sequel to The Eight, this tale continues the story of the people involved with the Montglane chess set, which gives incredible power to whoever possesses it. When The Eight's heroine, Cat Velis, disappears, her daughter Alexandra Solarin, now grown up and a chess prodigy, must follow a series of clues to track down a missing piece from the Montglane set and find her mother. Along the way she receives help from an international cast of fascinating characters including her own Basque boss, who is a descendant of Francis Scott Key and a Native American, and a Russian chess master. All are players in a deadly power game resembling a chess match. In a parallel tale set in an earlier era, a young woman travels from Albania to track down Lord Byron, who is mysteriously connected with the chess set.

As in The Eight, Neville delights in word play, and her clever use of symbols and ciphers is reminiscent of The Da Vinci Code (or vice versa, since The Eight came years before Dan Brown's book). But whereas in most thrillers men take the lead, The Fire boasts a group of delightfully strong female characters, and the men, while important to the story, are more pawns than kings or knights. If you enjoy a rollicking escapist thriller with a fast-moving plot, this is the book for you.

Super User
2010-04-25 16:16:03

You do not have to be a chess master to enjoy The Fire. A sequel to The Eight, this tale continues the story of the people involved with the Montglane chess set, which gives incredible power to whoever possesses it. When The Eight's heroine, Cat Velis, disappears, her daughter Alexandra Solarin, now grown up and a chess prodigy, must follow a series of clues to track down a missing piece from the Montglane set and find her mother. Along the way she receives help from an international cast of fascinating characters including her own Basque boss, who is a descendant of Francis Scott Key and a Native American, and a Russian chess master. All are players in a deadly power game resembling a chess match. In a parallel tale set in an earlier era, a young woman travels from Albania to track down Lord Byron, who is mysteriously connected with the chess set.

As in The Eight, Neville delights in word play, and her clever use of symbols and ciphers is reminiscent of The Da Vinci Code (or vice versa, since The Eight came years before Dan Brown's book). But whereas in most thrillers men take the lead, The Fire boasts a group of delightfully strong female characters, and the men, while important to the story, are more pawns than kings or knights. If you enjoy a rollicking escapist thriller with a fast-moving plot, this is the book for you.

The Fire Kimono
Oline H. Cogdill

Sano Ichiro's rise from samurai detective to chamberlain in the shogun's court has not been a smooth transition. Tension between Sano and his most dangerous rival, Lord Matsudaira, pushes the two men to the brink of war during March 1700 in the expertly-plotted The Fire Kimono.

The dispute takes an even more personal turn when Sano's wife, Lady Reiko, is attacked during an ambush by men wearing Matsudaira's crests on their kimonos. Matsudaira denies the attack but claims his own wife also was attacked--by soldiers with Sano's signs on their clothes.

The men's feud--and who is behind the attacks on their wives--has to be put on hold when the shogun asks Sano to again use his detective skills. A skeleton that may be the shogun's long-lost teenage cousin has been uncovered. The 14-year-old disappeared more than 40 years ago during a horrific fire that, legend maintains, was started by a cursed kimono. The shogun's family always believed the boy, who had a habit of running away, died in the fire that killed scores of residents and nearly destroyed the city of Edo, the city that would one day become Tokyo. But marks on the body suggest the boy was murdered.

Sano fears that the investigation will distract him from the crisis with Matsudaira. But the case intensifies when Sano's elderly mother is arrested and accused of murdering the shogun's cousin. Naturally Sano wants to clear his mother's name, but the shogun gives him only three days to solve the decades-old murder. If he doesn't, Sano, Reiko and their children may be killed to avenge the boy's death.

Laura Joh Rowland continues her high standards for melding the history, culture and politics of 17th century Japan in The Fire Kimono. The world that Sano inhabits values honor more than truth; forgiveness is a commodity seldom offered, and guilt can fester in a soul for decades. In this world, those in power aren't often aware that the political arena constantly shifts. Political intrigue lurks around every corner. Sano cannot just concentrate on his investigation, not when his enemies vigilantly want him to fail.

While Sano is accustomed to looking into unusual situations, The Fire Kimono forces him to reevaluate the relationship with his mother, giving him "an uncomfortable sense that he was digging up his own history."

The author insightfully mines the complicated personalities of Sano and Reiko, whose equal-partnership marriage goes against the era's custom. Rowland succinctly compares their strong marriage to that of Sano's assistant whose frequent absences may have caused an irreparable chasm with his wife. The author's original approach is just as fresh in this 13th novel as when she began the series with Shinju in 1994.

Super User
2010-04-25 16:16:03

Sano Ichiro's rise from samurai detective to chamberlain in the shogun's court has not been a smooth transition. Tension between Sano and his most dangerous rival, Lord Matsudaira, pushes the two men to the brink of war during March 1700 in the expertly-plotted The Fire Kimono.

The dispute takes an even more personal turn when Sano's wife, Lady Reiko, is attacked during an ambush by men wearing Matsudaira's crests on their kimonos. Matsudaira denies the attack but claims his own wife also was attacked--by soldiers with Sano's signs on their clothes.

The men's feud--and who is behind the attacks on their wives--has to be put on hold when the shogun asks Sano to again use his detective skills. A skeleton that may be the shogun's long-lost teenage cousin has been uncovered. The 14-year-old disappeared more than 40 years ago during a horrific fire that, legend maintains, was started by a cursed kimono. The shogun's family always believed the boy, who had a habit of running away, died in the fire that killed scores of residents and nearly destroyed the city of Edo, the city that would one day become Tokyo. But marks on the body suggest the boy was murdered.

Sano fears that the investigation will distract him from the crisis with Matsudaira. But the case intensifies when Sano's elderly mother is arrested and accused of murdering the shogun's cousin. Naturally Sano wants to clear his mother's name, but the shogun gives him only three days to solve the decades-old murder. If he doesn't, Sano, Reiko and their children may be killed to avenge the boy's death.

Laura Joh Rowland continues her high standards for melding the history, culture and politics of 17th century Japan in The Fire Kimono. The world that Sano inhabits values honor more than truth; forgiveness is a commodity seldom offered, and guilt can fester in a soul for decades. In this world, those in power aren't often aware that the political arena constantly shifts. Political intrigue lurks around every corner. Sano cannot just concentrate on his investigation, not when his enemies vigilantly want him to fail.

While Sano is accustomed to looking into unusual situations, The Fire Kimono forces him to reevaluate the relationship with his mother, giving him "an uncomfortable sense that he was digging up his own history."

The author insightfully mines the complicated personalities of Sano and Reiko, whose equal-partnership marriage goes against the era's custom. Rowland succinctly compares their strong marriage to that of Sano's assistant whose frequent absences may have caused an irreparable chasm with his wife. The author's original approach is just as fresh in this 13th novel as when she began the series with Shinju in 1994.

The Goliath Bone
Kevin Burton Smith

Truth be told, Mickey Spillane's last few fiction outings bore faint resemblance to the white hot passion and gut-level fury of his best work. But this, the first of several planned posthumous releases tidied up and completed by Spillane's number one fan, friend and frequent accomplice, crime writer Max Allan Collins, sets the world right the way only Manhattan private eye Mike Hammer can--with guns blazing and righteous rage. The risque humor, the Miller beer product placement, the senior sex scenes (Mike and Velda ain't getting any younger) and the cell phone and Bin Laden references may jar, but this is in almost every other way primal Hammer, defiant and gleefully anachronistic, refusing to make nice to anyone. It's 100% pure pulp, an old school spit in the face of modern complacency and current crime fiction's moral and ethical gray areas. All the Spillane trademarks are here: the hardcore violence and the softcore sex, a Big Apple still rotten to the core, and an idea of justice torn right out of the Good Book. But this time it's not just the justice that's coming from the Old Testament--it's also the source of the MacGuffin around which this mystery revolves, as Hammer finds himself playing nursemaid and bodyguard to a couple of love-struck and well-heeled New York college kids who may or may not have stumbled across the earthly remains of Goliath. Yeah, that Goliath. And in this case, the over-sized leg bone's connected to just about everything that matters to Mike: love, honor, justice and duty. It's also drawn the attention of just about every legit and not-so-legit government and terrorist group around the world. They all want it--or want it destroyed. The only thing standing in their way is the battle weary Hammer, who's seriously considering retirement and marriage, after all these years, to his beloved and eternally patient Velda, only to have those plans once again put on hold. Spillane reportedly had the partial manuscript for this one stashed in a closet for years, and only hauled it out after 9/11, but never completed it. Upon his death, and following Spillane's wishes, Collins dusted it off and wrapped it up, fleshing out the story and even adding a few distinct touches of his own, but Spillane's spirit is intact. This is, according to Collins, the last Hammer book Spillane was working on, and is to be the last book chronologically in the series, but there are several more posthumous collaborations in the works, all based on Spillane's ideas and notes. It remains to be seen whether Collins will be able to maintain the prolonged balancing act, but for this first effort, he has done both himself and his idol proud. Mickey would approve.

Super User
2010-04-25 16:16:03

Truth be told, Mickey Spillane's last few fiction outings bore faint resemblance to the white hot passion and gut-level fury of his best work. But this, the first of several planned posthumous releases tidied up and completed by Spillane's number one fan, friend and frequent accomplice, crime writer Max Allan Collins, sets the world right the way only Manhattan private eye Mike Hammer can--with guns blazing and righteous rage. The risque humor, the Miller beer product placement, the senior sex scenes (Mike and Velda ain't getting any younger) and the cell phone and Bin Laden references may jar, but this is in almost every other way primal Hammer, defiant and gleefully anachronistic, refusing to make nice to anyone. It's 100% pure pulp, an old school spit in the face of modern complacency and current crime fiction's moral and ethical gray areas. All the Spillane trademarks are here: the hardcore violence and the softcore sex, a Big Apple still rotten to the core, and an idea of justice torn right out of the Good Book. But this time it's not just the justice that's coming from the Old Testament--it's also the source of the MacGuffin around which this mystery revolves, as Hammer finds himself playing nursemaid and bodyguard to a couple of love-struck and well-heeled New York college kids who may or may not have stumbled across the earthly remains of Goliath. Yeah, that Goliath. And in this case, the over-sized leg bone's connected to just about everything that matters to Mike: love, honor, justice and duty. It's also drawn the attention of just about every legit and not-so-legit government and terrorist group around the world. They all want it--or want it destroyed. The only thing standing in their way is the battle weary Hammer, who's seriously considering retirement and marriage, after all these years, to his beloved and eternally patient Velda, only to have those plans once again put on hold. Spillane reportedly had the partial manuscript for this one stashed in a closet for years, and only hauled it out after 9/11, but never completed it. Upon his death, and following Spillane's wishes, Collins dusted it off and wrapped it up, fleshing out the story and even adding a few distinct touches of his own, but Spillane's spirit is intact. This is, according to Collins, the last Hammer book Spillane was working on, and is to be the last book chronologically in the series, but there are several more posthumous collaborations in the works, all based on Spillane's ideas and notes. It remains to be seen whether Collins will be able to maintain the prolonged balancing act, but for this first effort, he has done both himself and his idol proud. Mickey would approve.

The Good Thief's Guide to Paris
Sue Emmons

Take a delightful romp through the streets of Paris with "good thief" Charlie Howard, back for his second adventure after The Good Thief's Guide to Amsterdam. Charlie, an author by day and a burglar by night, finds himself surrounded by mysterious women, dangerous adversaries, and embroiled in a plot to steal a seemingly innocuous oil painting from a Paris apartment. Strangely enough, it is the same apartment that he had broken into a night earlier after agreeing to display his illicit talents to a neophyte crook. The whimsical and charming Charlie is willing enough to oblige in the art theft for a hefty reward, but finding a dead woman in his own apartment was definitely not part of the bargain. When it appears the victim may have links to the stolen painting, Charlie finds himself enmeshed in a deadly conspiracy with even deadlier compatriots. He finds aid and comfort from his literary agent, the lovely Victoria, who joins him for this Paris escapade. The plotting and dialogue in this tale from British author Chris Ewan offers a treat for readers who like a dash of wit with their mystery. A glossary at the end of the book provides intriguing insight into the tools of thievery. One can only wonder to which European city Charlie will wander for his next adventure.

Super User
2010-04-25 16:16:03

Take a delightful romp through the streets of Paris with "good thief" Charlie Howard, back for his second adventure after The Good Thief's Guide to Amsterdam. Charlie, an author by day and a burglar by night, finds himself surrounded by mysterious women, dangerous adversaries, and embroiled in a plot to steal a seemingly innocuous oil painting from a Paris apartment. Strangely enough, it is the same apartment that he had broken into a night earlier after agreeing to display his illicit talents to a neophyte crook. The whimsical and charming Charlie is willing enough to oblige in the art theft for a hefty reward, but finding a dead woman in his own apartment was definitely not part of the bargain. When it appears the victim may have links to the stolen painting, Charlie finds himself enmeshed in a deadly conspiracy with even deadlier compatriots. He finds aid and comfort from his literary agent, the lovely Victoria, who joins him for this Paris escapade. The plotting and dialogue in this tale from British author Chris Ewan offers a treat for readers who like a dash of wit with their mystery. A glossary at the end of the book provides intriguing insight into the tools of thievery. One can only wonder to which European city Charlie will wander for his next adventure.

The King of Swords
Barbara Fister

Those familiar with Nick Stone's award-winning debut, Mr. Clarinet, will expect his second novel to be massive, complex, violent, and gritty with a supernatural twist. They won't be disappointed.

A prequel to Mr. Clarinet, this 560-page novel is set in Miami in the early 1980s when the city is awash with cocaine money and more corpses than the morgue can hold. Max Mingus and his partner are detectives in an elite squad that seeks out and punishes the guilty, even if the suspect and the crime don't match. When men begin to act out mindless and bloody acts while seemingly possessed, Max and Joe follow a bloody trail to Little Haiti, where a fortune teller and a shadowy leader of a voodoo cult are at the center of a bold plot to seize control of the cocaine trade.

Though the villains are larger than life, Mingus and Joe are richly three-dimensional characters, and the son of the fortune teller, a hapless pimp who has been systematically emasculated by his mother, is oddly sympathetic, even though he is capable of terrible things. The Haitian criminals are able to inflict a fate worse than death--they enslave their victims by putting them through a combination of torture and forced medication that turns them into mindless zombies who carry out violent acts unwittingly. The ambitious leader of the Miami Task Force is both ruthless and corrupt, so Max Mingus and his partner have to seek justice outside the law.

The one-sided picture of Haitian culture emphasizes its most lurid and sensationalistic aspects, and the cinematic storytelling risks going over the top. But there is a rich imagination at work, here, creating a dark and unforgettable world.

Super User
2010-04-25 16:16:03

Those familiar with Nick Stone's award-winning debut, Mr. Clarinet, will expect his second novel to be massive, complex, violent, and gritty with a supernatural twist. They won't be disappointed.

A prequel to Mr. Clarinet, this 560-page novel is set in Miami in the early 1980s when the city is awash with cocaine money and more corpses than the morgue can hold. Max Mingus and his partner are detectives in an elite squad that seeks out and punishes the guilty, even if the suspect and the crime don't match. When men begin to act out mindless and bloody acts while seemingly possessed, Max and Joe follow a bloody trail to Little Haiti, where a fortune teller and a shadowy leader of a voodoo cult are at the center of a bold plot to seize control of the cocaine trade.

Though the villains are larger than life, Mingus and Joe are richly three-dimensional characters, and the son of the fortune teller, a hapless pimp who has been systematically emasculated by his mother, is oddly sympathetic, even though he is capable of terrible things. The Haitian criminals are able to inflict a fate worse than death--they enslave their victims by putting them through a combination of torture and forced medication that turns them into mindless zombies who carry out violent acts unwittingly. The ambitious leader of the Miami Task Force is both ruthless and corrupt, so Max Mingus and his partner have to seek justice outside the law.

The one-sided picture of Haitian culture emphasizes its most lurid and sensationalistic aspects, and the cinematic storytelling risks going over the top. But there is a rich imagination at work, here, creating a dark and unforgettable world.

The Kiss Murder
Lynne F. Maxwell

Turkish writer Mehmet Murat Somer's The Kiss Murder isn't for everyone, but for readers who are willing to take a chance, this unique, "camp" mystery featuring a transvestite sleuth, set in exotic Istanbul is well worth the effort. By day a web designer, and by night part-owner of a tranny nightclub, the narrator/sleuth provides keen, witty insight into the realities of this alternate world. Posturing and deception dominate the interesting transvestite culture in which the narrator is immersed.

There's quite a bit of mystery and intricate plotting in The Kiss Murder. All hell breaks loose when one of the club's girls is slain because she holds incriminating evidence of a past love affair with a highly-placed politician who cannot risk exposure to scandal. Amidst interwoven conspiracies, no one can be trusted in the nasty hunt for condemnatory letters and photos. No one, especially the usually mutually supportive community of transvestites, is as he/she appears--narrator included. The ultimate "outing" of the characters is both surprising and provocative. For a walk on the wild side, experience The Kiss Murder. I guarantee that you've never read anything like it.

Super User
2010-04-25 16:16:03

Turkish writer Mehmet Murat Somer's The Kiss Murder isn't for everyone, but for readers who are willing to take a chance, this unique, "camp" mystery featuring a transvestite sleuth, set in exotic Istanbul is well worth the effort. By day a web designer, and by night part-owner of a tranny nightclub, the narrator/sleuth provides keen, witty insight into the realities of this alternate world. Posturing and deception dominate the interesting transvestite culture in which the narrator is immersed.

There's quite a bit of mystery and intricate plotting in The Kiss Murder. All hell breaks loose when one of the club's girls is slain because she holds incriminating evidence of a past love affair with a highly-placed politician who cannot risk exposure to scandal. Amidst interwoven conspiracies, no one can be trusted in the nasty hunt for condemnatory letters and photos. No one, especially the usually mutually supportive community of transvestites, is as he/she appears--narrator included. The ultimate "outing" of the characters is both surprising and provocative. For a walk on the wild side, experience The Kiss Murder. I guarantee that you've never read anything like it.

The Paris Enigma
Charles L.P. Silet

Paris, 1889. A few days before the opening of the Paris World Fair and Mr. Eiffel's tower, The Twelve Detectives, an organization of the world's best sleuths and their assistants, meets in the City of Light in order to bring together a collection of objects from their most celebrated cases to exhibit at the fair. Only one member of the organization cannot attend, the Argentinean Renaldo Craig, but he has sent his assistant, Sigmundo Salvatrio, as his representative.

The trip is an initiation for Sigmundo, who finds himself assisting detective Viktor Arzaky, a Polish expatriate living in Paris. Arzaky is investigating the death of his colleague, and greatest rival, Louis Darbon, who has fallen to his death under mysterious circumstances from the Eiffel Tower. The initial inquiry expands and Sigmundo finds himself searching the Paris underworld of occultists who oppose the building of Eiffel's structure, and following the leads of other deaths with connections that increasingly seem to link back to Arzaky.

The Paris Enigma has a clever narrative that De Santis plays with in order to highlight various traditions of detective and crime fiction, like cliched sidekicks and methodologies. It is a wonderful smorgasbord of classic mysteries and their detectives, and provides the reader with great fun in working to solve the crimes and identify the literary references.

Super User
2010-04-25 16:16:03

Paris, 1889. A few days before the opening of the Paris World Fair and Mr. Eiffel's tower, The Twelve Detectives, an organization of the world's best sleuths and their assistants, meets in the City of Light in order to bring together a collection of objects from their most celebrated cases to exhibit at the fair. Only one member of the organization cannot attend, the Argentinean Renaldo Craig, but he has sent his assistant, Sigmundo Salvatrio, as his representative.

The trip is an initiation for Sigmundo, who finds himself assisting detective Viktor Arzaky, a Polish expatriate living in Paris. Arzaky is investigating the death of his colleague, and greatest rival, Louis Darbon, who has fallen to his death under mysterious circumstances from the Eiffel Tower. The initial inquiry expands and Sigmundo finds himself searching the Paris underworld of occultists who oppose the building of Eiffel's structure, and following the leads of other deaths with connections that increasingly seem to link back to Arzaky.

The Paris Enigma has a clever narrative that De Santis plays with in order to highlight various traditions of detective and crime fiction, like cliched sidekicks and methodologies. It is a wonderful smorgasbord of classic mysteries and their detectives, and provides the reader with great fun in working to solve the crimes and identify the literary references.

The Price of Butcher's Meat
Oline Cogdill

It hardly seems possible that British author Reginald Hill has been writing his exquisitely plotted novels about police detectives Andrew Dalziel and Peter Pascoe since 1970, when A Clubbable Woman made its debut.

Now, 20 novels and two novellas later, the plots have become more involved and the characters sharper. It takes a lot of audacity--and a tremendous amount of skill--to put a lead character in a coma as Hill did with Dalziel in last year's bestseller, Death Comes for the Fat Man.

Hill takes more chances in the absorbing The Price of Butcher's Meat, in which the two Yorkshire detectives have only a few scenes together. Hill also doesn't rely solely on traditional storytelling. Much of the story is played out in a series of emails from a supporting character and in Dalziel's musings into a digital recorder.

The reason for the separation is that Dalziel is recovering from near-fatal injuries in the quiet resort of Sandytown, where the motto is "Home of the Healthy Holiday!" When the body of a wealthy local denizen is found, Dalziel and Pascoe begin independent investigations before teaming up.

Hill packs a large cast of characters into a cohesive, complicated plot. Hill also has constructed The Price of Butcher's Meat as a homage to Jane Austen's unfinished novel Sanditon, in which residents trying to build a modern seaside commercial town communicate the story through letters. Emails provide the modern spin here and enhance Hill's plot.

Super User
2010-04-25 16:16:03

It hardly seems possible that British author Reginald Hill has been writing his exquisitely plotted novels about police detectives Andrew Dalziel and Peter Pascoe since 1970, when A Clubbable Woman made its debut.

Now, 20 novels and two novellas later, the plots have become more involved and the characters sharper. It takes a lot of audacity--and a tremendous amount of skill--to put a lead character in a coma as Hill did with Dalziel in last year's bestseller, Death Comes for the Fat Man.

Hill takes more chances in the absorbing The Price of Butcher's Meat, in which the two Yorkshire detectives have only a few scenes together. Hill also doesn't rely solely on traditional storytelling. Much of the story is played out in a series of emails from a supporting character and in Dalziel's musings into a digital recorder.

The reason for the separation is that Dalziel is recovering from near-fatal injuries in the quiet resort of Sandytown, where the motto is "Home of the Healthy Holiday!" When the body of a wealthy local denizen is found, Dalziel and Pascoe begin independent investigations before teaming up.

Hill packs a large cast of characters into a cohesive, complicated plot. Hill also has constructed The Price of Butcher's Meat as a homage to Jane Austen's unfinished novel Sanditon, in which residents trying to build a modern seaside commercial town communicate the story through letters. Emails provide the modern spin here and enhance Hill's plot.