SEATTLE MYSTERY BOOKSHOP
117 Cherry St. Seattle, WA  98104
OPEN 10-5 Mon – Sat, 12-5 Sun
Bill Farley, Founder / JB Dickey, Owner/Tammy Domike, Manager
Sandy Goodrick / Fran Fuller / Janine Wilson
staff@seattlemystery.com   206-587-5737  www.seattlemystery.com
cops—private eyes—courtroom--thrillers—suspense—espionage—true crime—reference

Fall 2005 NEWSLETTER

NEW FROM THE NORTHWEST 
Nancy Bush, Candy Apple Red (Oct., Kensington hc, 19.95). Jane Kelly left SoCal to be a process server in a Portland suburb. She's hired by a local attorney to track a missing man. The author – like her character – lives near Portland. She's the sister of Lisa Jackson. Signing.
Stella Cameron, A Grave Mistake (Nov., Mira hc, 16.95). In a small Louisiana town, a local restaurateur is troubled by people from her past. Her father is bad news and when a murder in New Orleans is tied to one in town and to one that the new sheriff couldn't stop, they band together. Signing.  In paper, Now You See Him (Oct., Mira, 7.50).
William Deverell,April Fool (Oct., McClelland & Stewart hc, 26.95). A retired lawyer on a British Columbian island is called back to court to defend an old client. Meanwhile, his new wife has taken up residence in an endangered tree. His hands are full on the island and the mainland. Also, see Reissues of Note.
Carola Dunn, Fall of a Philanderer (Sept., St. Martin's hc, 23.95). On holiday at the shore, Daisy is involved in the murder of a low-rent lothario whose been working around the town. Signed Copies Available. In paper, A Mourning Wedding (Nov., Kensington, 6.50).
Clyde W. Ford, The Long Mile (Oct., Midnight Ink tpo, 13.95). Released on appeal after being framed for murder during a bust gone bad, former NYPD officer John Shannon heads back home to clear himself. Before he gets anywhere, he finds out his son has been kidnapped, his former partner is dead and a new warrant has been sworn out for his arrest. First in a new series by the new and noted local author of Red Herring (Mystic Voyager, 15.95) Signing.
John MacLachlan Gray,A White Stone Day (Oct., St. Martin's hc, 24.95). Edmund Whitty, London writer of lurid press stories, investigates the death of a quack psychic after the man reveals secrets of Whitty's late brother. Signing? Vancouver, BC, writer.
"India Ink" (aka Yasmine Galenorn), Scent to Her Grave (Oct., Berkley pbo, 6.99). Persia Vanderbilt runs Venus Envy, a bath and body shop in Gull Harbor, WA. She has a nose for scents and for solving crime. Signing.
Gregg Keizer,Midnight Plague (Sept., Putnam hc, 24.95). As the final days before the invasion of Normandy tick away, a small boat reaches England. On it, most of the passengers are dead from some mysterious illness. An American doctor races against the clock to find out the reason and begins to believe the Nazis are using some terrible biological weapon. Signing. 

Martin Limon, The Door to Bitterness (Sept., Soho hc, 23.00). After an absence of seven years, one of our favorite authors is back with a new novel. Military cops George and Ernie face a treacherous case – George's gun has been stolen, along with his badge, and are being used in murders. The military wants their equipment back, the politics are getting hot, North Korea looms just over the border and the Viet Nam war has everyone on edge. 4th in this outstanding series set in South Korea in the 70s. We're honored to have the Premiere Signing for his new book.

Kevin O'Brien, The Last Victim (Sept.,Pinnacle pbo, 6.99). A sister, needing distraction from a messy divorce, works on her twin brother's senatorial campaign. But being so close to him reminds them both of a secret from their childhood, a secret that someone else seems to know. Signing.
Tom O'Neill, Shark Tank (Sept., iBook hc, 19.95). Postponed from June: When two NJ drug dealers are blown away by someone impersonating a cop, the case falls to the locals to solve. Before they can act, the feds are into the case. Seems it might've been the work of a former attorney who has gone underground and is exacting justice on his own. Debut thriller from a former Philadelphia attorney who now lives in the Puget Sound area. Signing?
Barry Ozeroff, Sniper Shot (Nov.,iBooks pbo,7.99). Debut by a Portland area author: a novel set within an elite Oregon sniper team, as the top two shooters clash over who should be the top gun – and who is really a villain.
Don Porter, Deadly Detail (Sept., Poisoned Pen hc, 24.95). During the construction of the Trans-Alaskan pipeline, a bush pilot finds a friend dead and an assassin after him and the widow. Their search for safety and answers takes them from Point Barrow to Valdez. The author lived in Alaska for years, doing various jobs, but now lives in Hawaii where he is a PI.
Greg Rucka, Private Wars (Oct., Bantam hc, 24.00). Only one thing could draw Tara Chase back into the deadly game of assassination: a chance to vindicate herself. She's sent to Uzbekistan extract the family of a politician who was murdered in a power-grab – by the politician's own sister. Whether in England or the Urals, betrayal is the deadliest weapon. Signing?
Michael Slade, Swaztika (Nov., Signet pbo, 7.99). Canada's Special X unit investigates racist hate crimes and stumbles into a government conspiracy that has roots in WWII. The story oscillates between the closing days of the war in Berlin and present day British Columbia and spirals out to include the Pentagon, the FBI and events that happened in the New Mexico desert in 1947. Favorite series of JB's.
Kate Wilhelm, The Price of Silence ( Oct., Mira hc, 23.95). A woman accepts a job at a small town newspaper in Bindle, OR. The town-folk seem friendly enough to her and her husband at first, but when a young girl goes missing and it's tied to 5 other missing girls over the last 18 years, the residents become a bit less friendly to the newspaperwoman.  In paper, The Unbidden Truth ( Oct., Mira, 6.99), Holloway.
M.J. Zellnik,Murder at the Portland Variety (Oct., Midnight Ink tpo, 13.95). In 1894 Portland, white slavery is booming, thanks to the Shanghai Tunnels under that seemingly peaceful NW town. A vaudeville performer is found murdered in those tunnels and it's written off as a botched kidnapping. A seamstress and a reporter team up to find the truth. Debut by a NYC transplant. Signing.

Now in Paperback
Denise Deitz, Eye of Newt (Sept., 5 Star, 13.95)
Norma Tadlock Johnson, Donna Rose and the Slug War (Oct., 5 Star, 13.95)
Jayne Ann Krentz, Falling Awake ( Oct., Jove, 7.99)
Michael Collins, Lost Souls (Sept., Penguin, 14.00). Tammy recommends.
Dana Stabenow, A Taint in the Blood (Sept., St. Martin's, 6.99) 

Now in Audio
The History of Harry Nile, Volume 12(Aug, Jim French Productions, $15.95) Six stories that follow PI Nile through the middle of 1952. The late Phil Harper voices Nile, with Russell Johnson and Harry Anderson joining on one episode.

Reissues of Note
William Deverell, High Crimes and Mindfield (Oct., ECW Press, 14.95 ea.). Two earlier works by the Canadian master. Crimes is from 1982, Mind from 1989.
Aaron Elkins, Murder in the Queen's Armes(Oct., Berkley, 6.99). 3rd Gideon Oliver, from 1986.

Mysterious Youth
Ridley Pearson, The Kingdom Keepers (Sept., Disney hc?, 17.99). A thriller for kids from 10 and up: strange things are happening with Disneyworld's new technology – Daylight Hologram Images. Evil powers are afoot and the solution seems to reside in a riddle/fable left by the Great Man himself.

Coming This Winter
Yasmine Galenorn & Emerald O'Brien, Dec.
Jane Isenberg & Bel Barrett, Dec.
J.A. Jance, Force of Evil, Dec. – something different.
Jayne Ann Krentz, All Night Long, Jan.
Lono Waiwaiole & Wiley, Dec.

NEW FROM THE REST
Jeff Abbott, Panic(Sept., Dutton hc, 23.95). A young documentary filmmaker rushes home to Austin to find his mother murdered and revelations that his past was a carefully created lie. 8th mystery by this much-nominated and Agatha-winning author, and first hardcover. Janine recommends highly.
Tasha Alexander, And Only to Deceive (Oct., Morrow hc, 23.95). In Victorian England, a young widow begins to understand that her late husband – a man she didn't know that well – was a man with secrets. Soon, she's is caught up in a swirl of stolen antiques, betrayal and murder. Debut novel.
Donna Andrews,Delete All Suspects (Nov., Berkley hc, 23.95). 3rd "techno-cozy" with sentient sleuth Turing Hopper. In paper, Access Denied (Nov., Berkley pbo, 6.99).
Sarah Andrews, Dead Dry (Nov., St. Martin's hc, 24.95). 10th with geologist Em Hansen. A war over water leads to the death of an eccentric scientist.
Deborah Turrell Atkinson, The Green Room ( Oct., Poisoned Pen hc, 24.95). Oahu attorney Storm Kayama is drawn into a fight when an ancient Hawaiian weapon is delivered to her office. The North Shore is drawing surfers to a competition – and a killer. Signed Copies Available. In paper, Primitive Secrets (Oct., Poisoned Pen, 14.95).
Lori Avocato,One Dead under the Cuckoo's Nest (Oct., Avon pbo, 6.99). 3rd with ex-nurse Pauline Sokol, who goes undercover in an insane asylum.
Mitchell Bartoy, The Devil's Own Rag Doll (Oct.,St. Martin's hc, 23.95). In 1940s war-time Detroit, a white heiress is murdered in the black part of town and racial tension brings the city to a halt. Newly-minted Det. Pete Caudill is given the job of restoring peace. Debut crime novel. 
Carol Lea Benjamin, Without a Word (Sept.,Morrow hc, 23.95). Rachel Alexander is reluctant to look for a mother who vanished five years ago, but the woman's withdrawn daughter has been accused of murdering her therapist. 8th with PI and dog trainer Rachel and her pit bull Dashiell.
Laurien Berensen, Raining Cats and Dogs ( Sept., Kensington hc, 22.00). 12th canine caper with Melanie Travis. In paper, Jingle Bell Bark (Oct., Kensington, 6.50).
Nero Blanc, A Crossworder's Delight (Oct., Berkley hc, 10.95). Includes crossword puzzles and holiday dessert recipes.
Steve Brewer, Bank Job (Oct., Intrigue hc, 24.00). Three stupid, small-time thieves think they've struck it rich when they kidnap the wife of a retired bank robber and force him to hit a place in return for her safety. The wily old thief is far beyond them.
Emily Brightwell, Mrs. Jeffries & the Silent Knight (Oct., Berkley hc, 22.95). 1st hardcover and 1st holiday setting for this popular series.
Stephen J. Cannell,Cold Hit ( Sept., St. Martin's hc, 24.95). 5th with LAPD investigator Shane Scully. Someone is killing homeless vets, and the enormous powers of the Patriot Act are being used against justice.
Taffy Cannon, Paradise Lost (Sept., Perseverance Press tpo, 13.95). Two women are abducted from a posh Santa Barbara spa. And, while the women band together in their isolation, the internet ransom note is unorthodox.
Joanna Carl, The Chocolate Mouse Trap (Sept.,Signet pbo, 6.99).  5th with chocolate shop manager Lee McKinney. Pseudonym of Eve Sandstrom.
Kate Charles, Evil Intent ( Oct., Poisoned Pen hc, 24.95). After a break-up with her fiancée, Callie Anson takes what she believes will be a quiet job as curate for a church in Paddington. It is anything but what she hopes. Signed Copies Available.
Nora Charles, Death is a Bargain (Sept., Berkley pbo, 6.99). 3rd with senior citizen/sleuth Kate Kennedy.
Jill Churchill, Who's Sorry Now? (Nov., Morrow hc, 23.95). 6th in the Depression Era Grace & Favor series. In paper, A Midsummer's Night's Scream (Nov., Avon, 6.99), Jane Jeffry #15.
Richard A. Clarke, The Scorpion's Gate ( Oct., Putnam hc, 24.95). Former National Coordinator for Security and Counter Terrorism pens his first novel, of terrorism, warring nations and political treachery.
Margaret Coel, Eye of the Wolf ( Sept., Berkley hc, 23.95). 10th in the Wind River Reservation series. A killer leaves bodies on an historic battlefield, seemingly to ignite a new tribal war. Signed Copies Available. In paper, Wife of Moon ( Sept., Berkley, 6.99).
Michael Connelly, The Lincoln Lawyer (Oct., Little Brown hc, 26.95). A departure for this writer – his first legal thriller! A low-level defense attorney has worked for years from hand to mouth, taking cases as they come. Now he seems to have a rich client – the son of a big-wig - accused of savagely beating a woman. But the case begins to mutate as neither accused or victim are what they seem. Signing.
Natasha Cooper, Gagged and Bound (Sept., St. Martin's hc, 24.95). 7th with barrister Trish Maguire.
Tom Corcoran, Air Dance Iguana (Nov., St. Martin's hc, 24.95). Forensic photographer Alex Rutledge looks into the strange deaths of two men who were killed in the same strange way, at the exact same time, 20 miles apart.  
Patricia Cornwell, Predator(Oct., Putnam hc, 26.95). Scarpetta.
Catherine Coulter, Point Blank (Sept., Putnam hc, 25.95). Sherlock and Savich of the FBI.
Iris Crawford,A Catered Christmas ( Oct., Kensington hc, 22.00). 3rd in the catering series with sisters Bernadette and Libby Simmons. In paper, A Catered Wedding (Sept., Kensington, 6.50).
Jeanne M. Dams,Crimson Snow ( Sept., Perseverance Press tpo, 13.95). The 5th Hilda Johansson mystery is based on an actual crime from 1904 South Bend, Indiana.
James D. Doss,Shadow Man (Oct., St. Martin's hc, 23.95). 10th with Ute tribal investigator Charlie Moon.  In paper, The Witch's Tongue (Oct., St. Martin's, 6.99).
Eileen Dreyer,Sinner and Saints (Sept., St. Martin's hc, 24.95). Forensic nurse Chastity O'Connor is trying to put her past behind her, but a call from her family leads her back.
Kathy Lynn Emerson, Fatal as a Fallen Woman (Sept., Pemberley Press hc, 24.95). 2nd with late 1800s  NYC reporter Diana Spaulding. Her mother is accused of killing a gold baron in Denver. In paper, Deadlier than the Pen (Sept., Pemberley Press, 13.95), the first in the series.
Ron Faust,The Blood-Red Sea (Sept., Bantam pbo, 6.99). A woman swimming in the dark of night draws attorney Dan Shaw into a case of murder and adventure. Tammy recommends this author.
Jane Finnis, A Bitter Chill(Sept., Poisoned Pen hc, 24.95) In Dec of 95 AD, Britannia innkeeper Aurelia Marcella is looking forward to celebrating Saturnalia when her brother returns from Rome with word that someone is spreading lies about their family. 2nd in the series. Signed Copies Available. In paper, Get out or Die (Sept., Poisoned Pen, 14.95).
Elaine Flinn,Deadly Collection (Oct., Avon pbo, 6.99). 3rd with CA antiques dealer Molly Doyle.
Brian Freeman, Immoral (Sept., St. Martin's hc, 22.95). Debut mystery dealing with obsession, sex and revenge: a Minnesota cop is hounded to solve the case of two teenagers who have vanished in the last year. The case leads him to Vegas and into life-altering events. Fran recommends.
Chris Grabenstein, Tilt-a-Whirl (Oct., Carroll & Graf hc, 23.95). Just returned from Iraq, MP John Ceepak is given what should be a quiet summer job – policeman in Sea Haven, a resort town with an amusement park. When a real estate tycoon is found murdered on the rollercoaster, Ceepak is drawn into the investigation. First in a series claimed to be a mix of John D. MacDonald and Carl Hiaasen.
Robert Greer, Resurrecting Langston Blue (Oct., North Atlantic hc, 23.95). Denver's CJ Floyd is enlisted to find a trail to Carmen Nguyen's father, a sergeant thought to have died in Viet Nam. 2nd book with Carmen and 4th with Floyd.
Martha Grimes,Belle Run (Sept., Viking hc, 25.95). 12-year-old Emma Graham searches for answers in the remains of the great hotel, The Belle Rouen, that burned down before she was born. Some family secrets have laid there, just outside the tree line of her town, Cold Flat Junction. In paper, The Winds of Change ( Nov, Signet, 7.99), Jury.
Peter Guttridge, The Once and Future Con (Oct., Speck tpo, 14.00). When the grave of King Arthur is discovered, reporter Nick Madrid finds himself in the midst of rival archeologists, heritage-industry marketers, and a Camelot-crazy killer. Laura Lippman says these are hysterical.
Charlaine Harris, Grave Site (Oct., Berkley hc, 23.95). Harper Connelly is a medium who is very good at communicating with the newly-dead. They can tell her the circumstances of their deaths. Some folks don't want that to happen. First in a new series.
Victoria Heckman, K.O.'d in the Rift (Sept.,Pemberley Press tpo, 14.95) 3rd in the Hawaiian series. Honolulu cop K.O. Ogden is dragged into a mess of greed and deception and misplaced loyalty when a white man's body is found at a sacred and ancient island site.
Libby Fischer Hellman, A Shot to Die For (Aug.,Poisoned Pen hc, 24.95). Chicago documentary film-maker Ellie Foreman is at a Lake Geneva, WI, resort to produce a film. As she researches the place, she's drawn into the history of a rich family whose mansion sits on the shore, and their story is a dangerous one. 4th in the series. Signing.
Jack Higgins,Without Mercy (Aug., Putnam hc, 23.95). Dillon and Bernstein return.
Reginald Hill,The Stranger House (Oct., Harper hc, 24.95). A small, quiet town in Cumbria hides its true self well. Two young strangers happen into the town on the same autumn day, each hoping to find the ties it has to their families. There they will discover deceit, duplicity and desire. Signed Copies Available. In paper, Good Morning, Midnight (Sept., Avon, 7.99), Pascoe and Dalziel.
Hazel Holt, Mrs. Malory and No Cure For Death (Oct., Signet pbo, 6.99) 16th in the British cozy series that is one of Sandy's all time favorites. Now, if the idiot publisher would just keep them in print…
Gregg Hurwitz, Trouble Shooter (Sept.,Morrow hc, 24.95). US Marshall Tim Rackley is after the violent biker gang leader whose daring escape on an LA freeway has left several fellow marshals dead. Signed Copies Available.
Jane Jakeman,The Egyptian Coffin (Sept., Berkley tpo, 13.00). In the autumn of 1830, Lord Ambrose rushes to Cairo, fearing that an accident that befell an old friend's daughter was no accident. 2nd in the series, after Let There Be Blood (Berkley, 12.00).
Jonnie Jacobs, The Only Suspect (Oct., Kensington hc, 23.00). A doctor wakes up in his car which is in a ditch with no memory of what happened. When he gets home, his wife is missing.
Susan S. James, Solace Glen Honeymoon (Oct., Berkley pbo, 6.99). 3rd with Solace Glen Resort maid Flip Paxton, whose honeymoon is not at all romantic.
Morag Joss, Half Broken Things ( Sept., Delacorte hc, 22.00). Winner of the Silver Dagger. Three strangers are drawn together at Walden Manor when a deadly mix of deceit, luck and misfortune brings an aging house-sitter, a con man and a young pregnant woman to the secluded country estate. All three see a chance to start over. Stand-alone thriller by an author compared to James, Rendell and Walters.
Juvis Jurjevics, The Trudeau Vector (Sept., Viking hc, 24.95). Dead scientists at a remote Arctic research center, a missing Russian submarine, and lingering cold war sentiments collide with environmental and biological terrorism. Debut novel by the cofounder and publisher of Soho Press.
Lee Charles Kelley, 'Twas the Bite Before Christmas (Nov., Avon pbo, 6.99). 4th with ex-cop and kennel owner Jack Field. Why would someone kidnap a Dalmatian puppy?
Nicholas Kilmer, Madonna of the Apes (Oct., Poisoned Pen hc, 24.95). 6th in the Fred Taylor art mysteries. Can the lid to an old wooden chest be a lost Da Vinci?
Signed Copies Available. In paper, Lazarus Arise (Oct., Poisoned Pen, 14.95).
Alice Kimberly, The Ghost and the Dead Deb (Sept., Berkley pbo, 6.99). 2nd with bookshop owner Penelope Thornton-McClure and her resident ghost, Jack.
Christine Kling Bitter End(Sept., Ballantine hc, 24.95). Salvage tug captain Seychelle Sullivan witnesses the shooting of a south Florida gazillionaire. Her one-time best friend, the man's ex-wife, is arrested for the murder.
Michael Kronenwitter, First Kill (Aug., St. Martin's hc, 24.95). Winner of the 2004 PWA/SMP Best Private Eye Contest: In a small Wisconsin river town, Hank Berlin has a quiet live as a detective. But when his former best friend is murdered, the widow – whom Hank loved and lost long ago – asks for help.
Jane Langton,Steeplechase (Nov., St. Martin's hc, 24.95). 18th Homer Kelly mystery finds the Kellys in a case that involves a lost church, a gigantic tree, a Longfellow poem and the story of the Billy Goats Gruff. Chapters alternate between the civil war time and the Kellys and include period photos and Langton's own drawings.
Simon Levack, Demon of the Air (Sept., St. Martin's hc, 23.95). Winner of the CWA Debut Dagger: murder, intrigue, treachery, romance and drama set in 1517 among the Aztecs.
Sujata Massey,The Typhoon Lover ( Oct., Harper hc, 23.95). Soon after her 30th birthday, antiques dealer Rei Shimura is asked to search for and authenticate a Middle Eastern pitcher that vanished from Iraq's National Museum. Signed Copies Available.
T.J. MacGregor, Category 5 (Oct., Pinnacle pbo, 6.99). 4th in the Edgar-Winning Tango Key series.
Peter May,The Firemaker (Aug., St. Martin's hc, 24.95). A female forensics expert from Chicago travels to Beijing to lecture at a university. Dead tired and jet-lagged, the last thing she wants to do is work. But a killer is on the loose and she is drawn into the case to work with the local police. Signing.
Archer Mayor, St. Albans Fire (Oct., Mysterious Press hc, 24.95). A string of fires takes Joe Gunther across Vermont. In paper,The Surrogate Thief (Oct., Warner, 6.99).
Ed McBain, Fiddlers(Sept., Harcourt hc, 25.00). The 57th - and perhaps last – of the late author's 87th Precinct novels. A true original, he set the course for all the procedurals that followed. The first in the series was in 1956! Still available, Cop Hater (Signet, 7.99)
V.L. McDermid, Stranded(Oct., Amble Press tpo, 13.95). Short stories showing her versatility and imagination. Forward by Paretsky.
Leslie Meier, New Year's Eve Murder (Nov., Kensington hc, 22.00). Lucy and her daughter head to the Big Apple and find more excitement than just the holiday.
Walter Mosley, Cinnamon Kiss (Sept., Little Brown hc, 24.95). Easy is asked to meet with an illustrious PI after a prominent attorney vanishes with a briefcase full of classified documents. Signing.
Magdalen Nabb, The Innocents(Oct., Soho hc, 22.00). Her 13th with Florence policeman, Marshal Guarnaccia. In paper, from 1983, Death in Springtime (Oct., Soho, 10.00), the 3rd in the series.

Karen E. Olson, Sacred Cows (Sept., Mysterious Press hc, 21.95). First winner of a new mystery prize – the Sara Ann Freed Memorial Award. Freed was a much-loved editor at Mysterious Press and guided many highly regarded authors from their earliest books. Freed died in June of 2003. In Olson's debut, a Connecticut police reporter is called to an early morning crime scene of the naked body of a Yale student. A scandal erupts when she's revealed to have been a high-priced escort.

Robert B. Parker, School Days (Sept., Putnam hc, 24.95). 33rd Spenser. In paper, Melancholy Baby (Oct., Berkley, 7.99). 4th Sunny Randall.
Michael Pearce, Dead Man in Istanbul ( Oct., Carroll and Graf hc, 25.00). In his second appearance, Foreign Office investigator Seymour is sent to Turkey after the Second Secretary at the embassy drowns under mysterious circumstances. The man was  trying to swim the Dardenelles Straights, a waterway crowded with the commerce and military of Europe. In the early 1900s, Istanbul is awash with intrigue.
Cathy Pickens,Done Gone Wrong (Nov., St. Martin's hc, 23.95). 2nd in the Malice Domestic winning series with attorney Avery Andrews.
Mary Reed & Eric Mayer, Six for Gold ( Nov., Poisoned Pen hc, 24.95). Emperor Justinian sends Lord Chamberlain John the Eunuch to an Egyptian village where the sheep appear to be cutting their own throats. Signed Copies Available.
Ben Rehder, Guilt Trip ( Sept., St. Martin's hc, 24.95). 4th comic crime novel in Blanco County, Texas. Game warden John Marlin has his hands full between poachers, blackmail of a state senator, and a pet psychic. Signing. In paper, Flat Crazy (Sept., St. Martin's, 6.99). Janine recommends this author.
Ruth Rendell, 13 Steps Down (Sept., Crown hc, 25.00). A young man's obsession with a model and a serial killer leads his landlady and her group of friends to watch him with suspicion. In paper, The Rottweiler (Sept., Vintage, 13.00).
Nora Roberts, Blue Smoke (Sept., Putnam hc, 25.95). A childhood brush with arson forms Reena Hale. She grows up learning all there is to know about fire, and joins the Baltimore Arson Unit. In paper, Northern Lights (Sept., Jove, 9.99) and Survivor in Death (Sept., Berkley, 7.99).
Kirk Russell, Dead Game (Sept., Chronicle hc, 23.95). An informant disappears while on the phone with Fish and Game Warden John Marquez and the hunt leads him to sturgeon poachers, the Russian mob, and interfering FBI. Signing. In paper, Night Game ( Sept., Chronicle, 12.95), the 2nd Marquez.
P.B. Ryan, Murder on Black Friday (Nov., Berkley pbo, 6.99). 4th Gilded Age mystery.
James Sallis, Drive( Sept., Poisoned Pen hc, 19.95). A classic noir novella: a guy does stunt work for movies in California and Arizona by day, and drives for criminals at night. Doublecrosses and bloodshed result. Signed Copies Available.
Jonathan Santlofer, The Killing Art (Nov., Morrow hc, 24.95). 3rd art mystery with ex-cop turned art historian Kate McKinnon. Paintings by the Abstract Expressionists are being slashed. If that isn't criminal enough, so are their owners. In paper, Color Blind ( Nov., Harper, 7.99).
Theresa Schwegel, Officer Down (Sept., St. Martin's hc, 23.95). Debut mystery: Chicago cop Samantha Mack's gun killed her partner, but who pulled the trigger?
Zoe Sharp,First Drop (Sept., St. Martin's hc, 23.95). Charlie Fox's latest bodyguarding job is to watch the gawky 15-year-old son of a Florida computer programmer. This should be an easy one for her, right?
Connie Shelton, Balloons Can Be Murder ( Nov., Intrigue hc, 24.00). 9th Charlie Parker.
Michael Simon, Body Scissors(Sept., Viking hc, 23.95). In the oil bust days of early 1991, outsider cop Dan Reles is caught between big cases–-an assassination attempt on a rising black community leader has left her children injured, and someone is lacing the drugs that college kids are taking. Signed Copies Available. In paper, his great debut, Dirty Sally (Sept., Penguin, 7.99).
Patricia Smiley,Cover Your Assets (Nov., Mysterious Press hc, 23.95). In Tucker Sinclair's second appearance, she deals with the murder of an old boyfriend. Only in Hollywood could she find herself between a hostile cop, a biker gang and the star of a soap opera. 2nd funny mystery by a former Seattle resident.  Signing. In paper, False Profits(Nov., Warner, 6.99).
Alexander McCall Smith,Friends, Lovers, Chocolate (Sept., Pantheon hc, 19.95). 2nd installment in the Isabel Dalhousie series, after The Sunday Philosophy Club (Anchor, 12.95).
George Stade,Sex and Violence: A Love Story (Oct., Turtle Point tpo, 17.50). Murder and love in the English department of Columbia University. The story takes the form of letters and is unabashedly politically incorrect, reflecting the goings on witnessed by the author in the 1980s.
Leann Sweeney, Dead Giveaway (Nov., Signet pbo, 6.99.) 3rd with Texas heiress Abby Rose.
Duane Swierczynski,The Wheelman (Oct., St. Martin's hc, 23.95). Lennon is a mute Irish getaway driver who has definitely hooked up with the wrong gang aiming to pull the wrong job. In Philadelphia, violent ripples move out from the job.
William G. Tapply, Nervous Water (Sept., St. Martin's hc, 23.95). Postponed from June and re-titled from Last Legs: Brady Coyne investigates for a widower recently diagnosed with terminal cancer: find the daughter who ran away years before. Coyne's investigation becomes mixed up with his own family's troubles. In paper, Bitch Creek (Nov., Lyons, 17.95).
Margaret Truman, Murder at the Washington Tribune ( Oct., Ballantine hc, 24.95).
James Twining, The Double Eagle(Sept., Harper hc, 24.95). Debut thriller mixing art, antiques, heists, treachery, murder and an elusive and expensive coin that isn't supposed to be outside of Fort Knox.
Jacqueline Winspear, Pardonable Lies ( Sept., Holt hc, 23.00). Maisie Dobbs returns to the site of her most painful WWI memory to investigate the death of a pilot. Signed Copies Available. In paper, Birds ofa Feather (Sept., Penguin, 14.00).
Valerie Wolzein, Death at a Premium (Sept.,Ballantine pbo, 6.99). 7th with home-improvement expert Josie Pidgeon.
 

And Detecting a Trend…
Elizabeth Bright, Invitation to Murder (Sept., Signet pbo, 6.99). First in a new craft series dealing with card making; will include tips.
Maggie Bruce,The Gourdmother ( Sept., Berkley pbo, 6.99). 1st in a new series set in the world of gourd crafts. Includes tips.
Sammi Carter,Candy Apple Dead (Sept., Berkley pbo, 5.99) 1st in a new series, set in a candy shop, and includes old-fashioned candy recipes.
Tim Myers, Death Waxed Over (Oct., Berkley pbo, 6.99). 3rd candle-making mystery. Includes tips.
Michele Scott,Murder Uncorked (Nov., Berkley pbo, 6.99). Debut of a Wine Lover's series, which includes recipes and wine pairings.  


Now in Paperback
Susan Wittig Albert, The Tale of Hill Top Farm (Oct., Berkley, 6.99).
Robert Barnard,The Bones in the Attic AND The Mistress of Alderly (Nov., Poisoned Pen, 14.95 ea).
Stephanie Barron, Jane and His Lordship's Legacy (Sept., Bantam, 6.99).
Gail Bowen,The Last Good Day (Sept., McClelland and Stewart, 7.99).
Colin Cotterill, The Coroner's Lunch (Nov., Soho, 11.00).
Diane Mott Davidson,Double Shot (Sept., Harper, 7.99).
Nelson DeMille, Night Fall (Nov., Warner, 7.99).
Loren D. Estleman, Retro(Nov., Forge, 5.99).
Janet Evanovich,Metro Girl (Oct., Harper, 7.99) AND Manhunt (Nov., Harper, 7.50) a reworked romance from 1989.
Monica Ferris,Crewel Yule (Oct., Berkley, 6.99).
Dan Fesperman,The Warlord's Son (Sept., Vintage, 13.95). Janine recommends.
Sharon Fiffer,Buried Stuff (Nov., St. Martin's, 6.99).
Joanne Fluke, Sugar Cookie Murder (Oct., Kensington, 6.99)
Jim Fusilli,Hard Hard City (Sept., Berkley, 7.99).
Sarah Graves,Tool & Die (Oct., Bantam, 6.99).
James Grippando,Hear No Evil (Nov., Harper, 7.99).
Laurell K. Hamilton, Incubus Dreams ( Oct., Jove, 7.99).
David Handler,The Burnt Orange Sunrise (Nov., St. Martin's, 6.99). Janine, Fran AND Sandy recommend this series.
Jonathan Kellerman, Twisted(Sept., Ballantine, 7.99).
Simon Kernick, The Business of Dying (Sept., St. Martin's, 12.95). Janine recommends.
Michael Koryta, Tonight I Said Goodbye (Nov., St. Martin's, 6.99). Janine recommends this debut.
Kirk Mitchell, Dance of the Thunder Dogs (Nov., Berkley, 7.99).
John Mortimer,Rumpole and the Penge Bungalow Murders ( Oct., Penguin, 14.00).
Shirley Rousseau Murphy,Cat Cross Their Graves (Oct., Avon, 6.99).
Beverle Graves Myers, Interrupted Aria (Aug., Poisoned Pen, 14.95).
Carol O'Connell,Winter House (Sept., Berkley, 7.99. Favorite series of JB and Janine.
Karin Slaughter,Indelible (Oct., Harper, 7.99). 

Coming this Winter
Deborah Crombie & Kincaid and James, Feb.
Sue Grafton, S is for Silence, Dec.
Cynthia Harrod-Eagles & Bill Slider, Dec.
Janet Neel, Ticket to Ride, Dec.
Rebecca Pawel & Lt. Leon, Feb.
Charles Todd & Rutledge, Jan.
 

Mysterious Youth
Lemony Snicket, Book the Twelfth (Oct., Harper hc, 11.99). Not only are things worse, they are so much worse that the book doesn't even have a title!


New From Overseas
Marshall Browne,Rendevous at Kamakura Inn (Nov., St. Martin's hc, 23.95). After a major case is scratched by influence and power, Tokyo Det. Aoki is sent to a remote Japanese village for vacation. He finds as much intrigue and as many secrets there as in the nation's capital. Favorite author of Janine's.
Andrea Camilleri, The Smell of Night (Oct., Penguin tpo, 12.00). 6th with Sicilian Insp. Montalbano, who looks for a con man who bilked half the retirees in Vigata. He's blocked by a hostile superior.
Arnaldur Indridason, Jar City (Oct., St. Martin's hc, 21.95). Winner of the 2003 Glass Key Award for Best Nordic Crime Novel, by an author being compared to Mankell, Simenon, Wahloo and Sjowall. A lonely man is found dead in his Reykjavik flat and the police have no clue what happened. Insp. Sveinsson looks into the man's past for clues.
Jose Latour, Comrades in Miami (Nov., Atlantic hc, 23.00). 3rd book by the "master of Cuban noir": a Cuban spymaster and her husband have salted away millions and plan to defect but don't know that others are on to their plan.
Soji Shimada, The Tokyo Zodiac Murders (Aug., Stone Bridge hc, 22.95). 1st English translation of the book that established his reputation and career: 40 years ago, someone murdered seven people, dismembered them, and pieced them together to create a supreme being. Now, astrologer, fortuneteller and detective Mitarai hopes to crack the case. Includes maps, charts and illustrations used by Mitarai.

English Imports
Joolz Denby, Billie Morgan(Sept., Serpent's Tail tpo, 15.00). Now in her 40s, Billie is leading a quiet life with a jewelry shop in a small English town. She was once a biker chick, involved in bad stuff. Her past is about to catch up with her.
Susanna Gregory,The Mark of a Murderer (Sept., Trafalgar hc, 25.00). 11th in this medieval series with Matthew Bartholomew. In paper, The Hand of Justice (Oct., Trafalgar, 7.99).
Quintin Jardine, Lethal Intent (Sept., Trafalgar hc, 25.00). 15th with Edinburgh's top cop Bob Skinner. Skinner and his men are after Albanian gangsters and unaware that MI5 is in the mix. Signed Copies Available.
Michael Jecks, Butcher of St. Peters (Nov., Trafalgar 9.99). 16th in series.
John Malcolm,Rogue's Gallery (Sept., Allison & Busby hc, 25.95). 13th art mystery with Tim Simpson.
Stuart Pawson,The Judas Sheep and Last Reminder (Sept., Allison & Busby, 9.95 ea.). The 3rd from 1996 and the 4th from 1997 with art school grad and Yorkshire DI Charlie Priest.
Rosemary Rowe, Enemies of the Empire (Oct., Trafalgar tpo, 9.99). 7th in medieval Roman Britain series with Libertus.
David Wishart,Food for the Fishes (Sept., Trafalgar hc, 25.00). A wealthy fish farm owner is found drowned in one of his eel tanks. In his 8th book, Marcus Corvinus investigates.

Reissues of Note
Lawrence Block, The Burglar Who Traded Ted Williams(Nov., Harper, 7.50). Bernie #6 from '94. See also,
James Ellroy, Because the Night (Oct. , Vintage, 12.95). Lloyd Hopkins from 1984.
G.G. Fickling, Honey West: This Girl for Hire (Oct., Overlook, 13.95). An early female private eye from the 50s and 60s, Honey was the "nerviest and curviest." In eleven books, and a TV series with Ann Francis and her beauty-mark, West was funny and entertaining, with enough innuendos to fill any Hollywood swimming pool. This is the first in the series.
Harry Stephen Keeler, The Riddle of the Traveling Skull (Sept., McSweeney's hc, 18.00). As long as our shop has existed, a small but dedicated number of people have asked about Keeler's books. Here is the catalog copy: "…to some, an overlooked genius; to others, the Ed Wood of detective fiction. The Riddle of the Traveling Skull is perhaps his best-loved work. The adventure begins when a poem and a mysterious handbag lead a man to the grave of Legga, the Human Spider – and things just get stranger from there." First published in 1934.
Donna Leon, Dressed for Death, aka The Anonymous Venetian in the UK, (Sept., Penguin, 7.99). The 3rd Brunetti with its American title.
Charles McCarry,The Miernik Dossier ( Sept., Overlook hc, 24.95). The first Paul Christopher novel, originally published in 1973. Sandy recommends.
Peter O'Donnell, Modesty Blaise and Dead Man's Handle (Oct., Souvinir Press tp, 14.95 ea). The first in the series from 1965, and the 12th from 1985.
Phoebe Atwood Taylor,Death Lights a Candle (Sept., Countryman Press, 10.95). From 1932, the second in the Asey Mayo Cape Cod series.

Sherlockiana
Gabriel Brownstein, The Man from Beyond (Sept., Norton hc, 23.95). Debut novel from a winner of the PEN/Hemingway Award: in 1922, on a spiritual crusade, Arthur Conan Doyle arrives in NYC and meets the mysterious Margery, one of the most famous mediums of the day. Soon, he and his friend Harry Houdini are deep into the world of spooks, spirits, fraud and murder. Signed Copies Available. 
H. Paul Jeffers, The Forgotten Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Nov., Carroll and Graf tpo, 14.95). Based on original radio plays written by Anthony Boucher in the 1940s. 13 radio scripts drawn from Doyle's stories and now adapted back into print.
Leslie S. Klinger,The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes: The Novels ( Nov.,Norton hc, 49.95 until 2/1/06, 59.95 thereafter). Slipcased edition, edited and with annotations of the Sherlockian expert.
The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Vol #8 (Aug., Jim French Productions, $15.95) One CD with two stories: "The Singular Affair of Madame Planchette" by Jim French, and a special double-length radio play, "The Ripper Inheritance." by British author M.J. Elliott.

Now in Paper
Carole Nelson DouglasSpider Dance (Sept., Forge, 7.99) 

Small Mystery Presses
          Bitter Lemon
Gianrico Carofiglio, Involuntary Witness (Nov., tpo, 13.95). In this author's first novel, a black immigrant is accused of murdering a young boy and the trial is overlaid with racism.
          Crippen & Landru
Dennis Lynds aka Michael Collins, Slot-Machine Kelly (Sept., hc 29.00, tp 19.00). 13 stories first published in magazines Mike Shayne and Manhunt, from 1962-65.
          Felony and Mayhem
Coming in Sept., 14.95 ea
Tony Broadbent, The Smoke – 2002, set in 1947 London with a cat burglar. Signing.
Elizabeth Ironside, Death in the Garden – 1995 British mystery.
Nicholas Freeling, Death in Amsterdam – 1989, the first Van Der Valk mystery.
Stuart Kaminsky,Death of a Dissident – 1st in the Rostnikov series, 1981.
Marissa Piesman, Unorthodox Practices – 1989, 1st with attorney Nina Fischman.
Anthony Price,The Labyrinth Makers – 1970 with Dr. David Audley, historian and spy.
Coming in Nov., 14.95 ea
Liza Cody, Dupe – 1981, 1st with London PI Anna Lee.
K.C. Constantine, The Rocksburg Railroad Murders – 1972, the 1st Mario Malzic.
Matthew Head, The Devil in the Bush – set in 1940s Africa, one of 4 to be reissued.
Carolyn Hougan,The Romeo Flag – 1989, espionage.
Julian Symons,The Blackheath Poisonings – 1978, historical.
Peter Watson, Landscape of Lies – 1989, a smart art-history mystery.
          Hard Case Crime
Stephen King, The Colorado Kid (Oct., 5.99 pbo!) First appearance! A novice newspaperwoman is told about a 25-year-old crime that was never solved. A man was found on a Maine beach and the body wasn't identified for a year. She's intrigued…
Lawrence Block,The Girl with the Long Green Heart (Nov., 6.99). A noir, non-series work from 1965.
          Rue Morgue
Dorothy Bowers, Deed Without a Name ( July, 14.95). From 1940. An artist leaves sketches, paintings and clay models of his killer's name, but Pardoe is at loss to find the murderer.
Dorothy Bowers, Fear and Miss Betony (Nov., 14.95) From 1941. Famed mystery critic James Sandoe called this an ESSENTIAL acquisition for libraries. This is the 4th and final mystery with Scotland Yarders Pardoe and Salt.
Katherine Farrer, Gownsman's Gallows ( Aug., 14.95). From 1957. Insp. Ringwood follows a killer's trail that takes him from Oxford to France, and connections to the Resistance.
Constance and Gwenyth Little, The Black Dream (Nov., 14.00). From 1952, this is the 18th of their 21 books.
Gladys Mitchell, Death at the Opera (Sept., 14.95). From 1934. Mrs. Bradley is asked to pose as a faculty member to investigate the death of an instructor. Released in the US as Death in the Wet. This is the Mrs. Bradley portrayed by Diana Rigg on PBS' Mystery!
Gladys Mitchell,When Last I Died (Oct., 14.95). From 1941. Mrs. Bradley matches wits with a professional psychologist.
            Stark House
Day Keene, Framed in Guilt/My Flesh is Sweet  (Sept., 19.95 tp) Two of his noir novels from the 1950s. A good mate for the recent Hard Case Crime reissue.
Robert J. Randisi, The Ham Reporter/ The Disappearance of Penny ( Sept., 19.95 tp) Penny, from 1980, is Randisi's first novel. Reporter, a 1986 mystery, is set in 1911 when Bat Masterson really was a sports writer in NYC. This book will have Randisi's complete bibliography (some 400 books!) and a new intro by him.

Collections
Tonight, Somewhere in New York: The Last Stories and an Unfinished Novel by Cornell Woolrich, Francis M. Nevins, ed. (Sept., Carroll and Graf hc, 26.00). A mix of works from late in his life, some of which have never been published, as well as that unfinished book. Nine stories from the '50s and '60s, two pieces from an autobiographical manuscript on which he had worked, and five chapters of a novel completed before his death in 1968. 
Chicago Noir, Neal Pollack, ed. (Sept., Akashic tpo, 14.95). Contributors include Joe Meno, Peter Orner, Kevin Guilfoile and the editior.
San Francisco Noir, Peter Maravelis, ed. ( Oct., Akashic tpo, 14.95). Contributors include David Corbett, Dominic Stansbury and Eddie Muller, and we'll have a signing with the editor Robert Mailer Anderson, Kate Brauerman and Peter Plate.

Special Interest
John Berendt, The City of Falling Angels (Oct., Penguin hc, 25.95). In 1996, the famed Fenice Opera House in Venice burned down. Three days later, Berendt arrived in town and began investigating not only the fire, but the building's place in history as well. He paints an atmospheric book of all that he found – the chaos, the corruption, the characters and the crimes.
The Best American Crime Writing 2005, Otto Penzler and Thomas H. Cook, eds (Sept., Harper tpo, 14.95). Best true crime writing with an introduction by James Ellroy.
The Robert B. Parker Companion, Dean James & Elizabeth Foxwell, eds. (Oct., Berkley tpo, 14.00). Everything you'd ever want to know about Parker, his books, characters, films and TV. Includes an exclusive interview with RBP.
 

Philip Marlowe's Guide to Life, Martin Asher, ed. (Nov., Knopf tpo, 14.95). A compendium of observations and insights from one of literature's greatest characters. "I like smooth shiny girls, hardboiled and loaded with sin."
L.A. Noir: the City as Character, Alain Silver and James Ursini (Oct., Santa Monica Press tpo, 24.95) An examination of film noir's use of LA in film. 150 photos, many never before seen.
Dashiell Hammett: Lost Stories, Vince Emery, ed. (Sept., Emery Prod. hc, 24.95). 21 long unavailable stories by the master, stories that were never included in anthologies or never reprinted in decades, in their original versions. Includes photos, illustrations and an introduction by Joe Gores. A few of the limited editions, 149.95, are still available.
Discovering The Maltese Falcon and Sam Spade, Richard Layman, ed. (Sept., Emery Prod. hc, 19.95). A wealth of documents and photos, many never before published, about the book, movie, and radio plays, as well as about Hammett himself.George J. "Rhino" Thompson,Hammett's Moral Vision ( Nov., Emery Prod. hc, 24.95). Collected in one volume for the first time, all five essays of critical analysis on Hammett's books that originally appeared in separate issues of The Armchair Detective magazine. Intro by William F. Nolan.

Nancy Drew: Girl Sleuth and the Women Who Created Her, Melanie Rehak (Sept., Harcourt hc, 25.00). With wit and a wealth of little-known material, the author traces Nancy Drew's inception and development over the 80 years of her existence.
Nancy Drew Fold and Mail StationarySets (Aug., Chronicle, 7.95). Each packet contains 5 designs that repeat 8 times.
Nancy Drew Postcard Sets (Aug., Chronicle, 9.95). Each set has 30 different cards with book jacket art from the 30s to the 70s

 

What We've Been Reading – The Fran Edition
          Here we are at the halfway point, and I think it's time to review some of the wonderful debuts we've seen, some of which I've mentioned and at least one I haven't. These are in no particular order. 
         Dark Harbor by David Hosp ($24.95, Warner Books, signed firsts available) introduces us to Scott Finn, a Boston lawyer who has overcome his Southie roots to succeed in the corporate world, but when his colleague/ex-lover is murdered, he has to go back to his past to clear his name.  Hosp has created some gritty, memorable characters and, I believe, has the makings for a fine new series. 
         gods in Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson ($19.95, Warner books, signed firsts available) in which Arlene Fleet makes a promise to God: she'll give up fornication, lying and she'll never go back to Alabama - all God has to do is never let them find the body.  So, there's Arlene, on her way back to Alabama with her boyfriend.  The body hasn't been found, exactly, but lots of people are looking to her for answers.  The mystery isn't the main focus of this humorous debut, but the characters are so well drawn that it all comes together, and there's a surprise at the end.  
         The Inside Ring by Mike Lawson ($24.95, Doubleday, signed firsts available) is a debut that JB, Bill, Janine and I all loved.  The FBI gets word that the inside ring of protection around the President has been compromised, and they do nothing.  When an assassination attempt is made, the Speaker of the House sends his tame lawyer, Joe DeMarco, in to investigate, hoping to bring down the head of Homeland Security.  This is the beginning of a promising series, with a wonderful secondary character!
         Eight of Swords by David Skibbins ($23.95, Thomas Dunne Books, signed and dated firsts available), winner of the Malice Domestic Award, follows Warren Ritter, former Weatherman who blew himself up and is hiding out in San Francisco, reading tarot cards for a living.  However, when he gives a truly awful reading to a young girl, and then it comes true, he has to figure out what has happened to her before the police look too closely at him, since he was the last one to see her.  This bi-polar protagonist is wonderfully quirky and human. 
         I haven't, however, mentioned Brian Freeman's Immoral ($22.95, St. Martin's, September), which is a twisty and complex novel revolving around Duluth, Minnesota, Detective Jonathan Stride,who is haunted by the disappearance of two teenage girls, just weeks apart.  Freeman's characters are multi-layered, and as Stride diligently tries to find out what happened to them, especially to the most recent girl, Rachel, he learns that no one is completely good or bad, except possibly Rachel herself.  She was definitely not a good girl.  This debut shows a deep understanding of the complexity of human behavior and is, yet again, another worthy debut. 
             If you like Patricia Cornwell or Kathy Reichs (or both!), then you'll like Elizabeth Becka's novel, Trace Evidence($22.95, Hyperion Press, signed copies available), which follows forensic analyst Evelyn James, a single mother whose world becomes nightmarish when she comes to the conclusion that the killer stalking the cold streets of winter Cleveland is now after her daughter.  Becka, a forensic scientist herself, brings her special knowledge to her debut novel with a flair and a clear voice that tells me she's an author to watch closely.
         And finally there's Forcing Amaryllis by Louise Ure ($23.95, Mysterious Press, signed copies available), a quietly disturbing and horrifying debut revolving around a trial consultant in Tucson who is unwillingly required to consult on a rape-murder case, which leads her to need to find the man who raped her sister, Amaryllis, now in a coma.   Ure takes you on a dark journey through Calla's desperate search for closure; and Calla's not your typical super-sleuth, but is achingly human and vulnerable.  With these debuts, I find myself wondering what the rest of the year will bring!
[A version of this column was sent out in an August newzine. Not everyone gets the newzine and we thought this was a piece that was worth wider distribution. – the eds.]

Killer-Books-Logo

Books to die for, selected monthly by IMBA, the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association.  
Go to www.mysterybooksellers.com find the mystery bookstore near you, where you can find these and just about any other mystery you can think of.    
Who better to pick the best mystery books of the month than the people who run mystery bookstores?
Each month, the 60 quirky stores that make up IMBA submit their favorite recent reads to a rotating editor who then trims the list to five. The general rule is that the book must be published within a three-month period. However, since mystery booksellers don't really like rules, they created a category called "the one that nearly got away"  to include books that fall outside that period.  Every selection is a gem that otherwise might have been lost among the more than 100 mysteries published each month.
Go to www.killerbooks.org, or see our display in the shop.   

AUTHOR APPEARANCES
Tues, Sept 6 -Libby Fischer Hellman signs A Shot to Die For
Wed, Sept 7 -Karen Slaughter signs Faithless
Sat, Sept 10 -Ben Rehder signs Guilt Trip
Thurs, Sept 15 -David Morrell signs Creepers
Fri, Sept 16 -Peter May signs The Firemaker
Sat, Sept 17 -Kevin O'Brien signs The Last Victim
Sat, Sept 24 -Martin Limon signs The Door to Bitterness 
Wed, Sept 28 -Mark Cohen signs Bluetick Revenge
Fri, Oct 7 - Michael Connelly signs The Lincoln Lawyer
Sat, Oct 8 -Clyde W. Ford signs The Long Mile
Sat, Oct 15 -"India Ink" signs Scent to Her Grave.
Mon, Oct 17 -Lisa Jackson and Nancy Bush
Wed, Oct 26 -San Francisco Noir
Sat, Nov 5 - M.J. Zellnik signs Murder at the Portland Variety
Sat, Nov 12 -Stella Cameron signs A Grave Mistake
Sat, Nov 19 - Double Trouble: Kirk Russell signs Dead Game and Tony Broadbent signs Spectres in the Smoke
 Mon, Nov 21 - Patricia Smiley signs Cover Your Assets

Mail and phone orders for these or any other books are welcome. We can special order non-mysteries as well Gift certificates are available in any denomination, can be ordered by phone or e-mail, and are a great present for the local mystery fans on your list.

Visit our website for our full calendar of scheduled author events, our past newsletters, and a link to a listing of available signed copies.

Copies in the best condition go to those who reserve in advance. Dust jacket protectors are put on all signed books that are shipped out.

Prices and dates are subject to change without notice.

Seattle Mystery Bookshop News is composed and produced by the staff.

Back to www.seattlemystery.com