New from the Northwest                     

   

Donna Anders, Sketching Evil (Nov., Pocket pbo, 7.99). Her promising career in art derailed by an assault, a woman reluctantly starts working for the police when her sketch of another woman’s attacker leads to his arrest. Signing.

Anne Argula, Walla Walla Suite (Sept., Ballantine tpo, 12.95). Quinn returns, no longer a cop and now a PI in Seattle. She’s working for an attorney who specializes in trying to save the lives of criminals set to be executed. Things kinda go sideways from there – a missing secretary, a confession of one crime that could be a dodge to escape another charge, all causing Quinn to doubt everything she’s being told. Sequel to the Edgar-nominated Homicide My Own (Pleasure Boat tpo16.00). Signing.

Maureen Ash, The Alehouse Murders (Sept., Berkley pbo, 6.99). Knight Templar Bascot de Marins is home at Lincoln Castle after eight years imprisonment during the Crusades. He needs to mend his body’s health and his spiritual faith after the horrors he encountered and endured. A drunken fight at a local tavern results in a death, a death that becomes clearly a baffling murder. First in a series by a Vancouver, BC author.

Nancy Bush, Ultraviolet (Oct., Kensington hc, 19.95). Process server and PI Jane Kelly investigates the murder of a plastic surgery magnate. Third in the series.  Signing?

Chelsea Cain, Heartsick (Sept., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). For ten years, Portland cop Archie Sheridan chased a serial killer. Finally, she caught him, toying with him for ten days. Then she turned herself in. Archie can’t quit the pain pills or her, visiting her in prison weekly. A new killer is at work and a woman reporter is following his actions and a new game of cat and mouse is at play. In paper, Confessions of a Teen Sleuth (Oct., Bloomsbury, 9.95), a parody of the famed Nancy Drew. Signing.

Stella Cameron – see Holiday Books

Jayne Castle, Silver Master (Sept., Jove pbo, 7.99). aka Jayne Ann Krentz. Para-resonator Celinda Ingram, a match-maker, matches herself up with security specialist Davis Oakes, and gets involved in the hunt for a ruby red relic. Signed Copies Available.

James Cobb, The Artic Event (Sept., Grand Central tpo, 15.99). The 7th in Robert Ludlum's Covert One series finds a team of scientists traveling to a remote island off the Northwest coast of Canada. Once there, they're caught up in Soviet-era biological weapons and modern-day piracy. Signing.

Daniel Edward Craig, Murder at the Universe (Sept., Midnight

Ink tpo, 14.95). Debut mystery by a five-star Vancouver, BC, hotel director. Trevor Lambert, Director of Rooms at an elite NYC hotel, prides himself on running a smooth and calm organization. So the murder of the hotel’s owner destroys the perfect order of his life. Details of the death lead to a media circus and Trevor works to solve the case, calm the storm and restore dignity to the hotel. Signing?

Vicki Delany, In the Shadow of the Glacier (Oct., Poisoned Pen hc, 24.95). Her first in a traditional mystery series. Politics and murder mix in a small British Columbia town over a proposed park to memorialize Viet Nam era draft evaders. The area's leading opponent is found dead and rookie Constable Molly Smith is detailed to investigate with DS John Winters. What adds to the media circus is Constable Smith's mother is one of the lead proponents. Signing.

Michael Dibdin, End Games (Sept., Pantheon hc, 23.95). In Calabria, Aurelio Zen must sift through a strange mix of events and characters: a member of a foreign film crew vanishes, a violent murder occurs and strangers from around the world arrive amidst the rumors of buried treasure. Sadly, Dibdin’s and Zen’s final book. 

Carola Dunn, The Bloody Tower (Sept., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). Getting back to journalism after the birth of her twins, Daisy is hired to write a piece on the Tower of London for an American magazine. While spending the night there under lock and key, someone is murdered. Signing. In paper, Gunpowder Plot (Nov., Kensington, 6.99).

Jessica Fletcher & Donald Bain, Murder She Wrote: Panning For Murder (Oct., Obsidian hc, 19.95). The beloved mystery writer heads to Alaska, taking a vacation cruise, to help a friend search for information on a relative who may have left a treasure from the Gold Rush era. On her way, she makes a stop to do a signing at a certain mystery specialty bookshop in Seattle! Signing?

John MacLachlan Gray, Not Quite Dead (Nov., St. Martin’s hc, 24.95).  In 1849, in order to escape threats from the Irish Mob, Edgar Allan Poe fakes his own death. On a book tour along the East Coast, Charles Darwin is not getting a warm reception. In a twist of fate, they become one another’s roommates, and events press them to work together. Signing?

Gabriella Herkert, Catnapped (Sept., Obsidian pbo, 6.99). Debut by a local author. Sara Townley is a legal investigator whose life is a mess: she’s just married a Navy SEAL she barely knows in a Vegas chapel and she’s supposed to look for a missing cat which is set to inherit a few million dollars. And then there is the added problem of the dead body. Signing.

Kate Kingsbury – see Holiday Books.

Martin Limón, The Wandering Ghost (Nov., Soho hc, 24.00). George and Ernie travel to the DMZ when the only female MP assigned to the area vanishes. No one knows whether it is a political or criminal matter but their investigation will delve into it all – including the death of a young Korean schoolgirl run down by a speeding US truck and whose ghost is said to walk the roads. Signing. Bill recommends.

Cricket McRae, Lye in Wait (Oct., Midnight Ink tpo, 12.95). Sophie Mae Reynolds makes beauty products at home and business is good – until the neighborhood fix-it man is found dead in her workshop. The cops don’t suspect her but she’s not happy about it. Debut by a Seattle-area writer. Signing.

Rick Mofina, A Perfect Grave (Sept., Kensington pbo, 6.99). 3^rd with Seattle reporter Jason Wade. A respected local nun has been murdered and a search for clues leads to secrets from her past.

Sharon Rowse, The Silk Train Murder (Nov., Carroll & Graf hc, 24.99). Set in the 1890s Yukon when silk from the Orient bound for the East Coast is more valuable than gold. Two gold seekers take paying jobs as railroad guards. Within days, they’re up to their vests in murder, smuggling, brothels, blackmail and betrayal. First in a new series from a British Columbia writer. Signing?

L.J. Sellers, The Sex Club (Oct., Spellbinder Press pbo, 8.50). In Eugene, OR a birth control clinic is bombed. One of its clients is later found dead, but had told a nurse about a teenage sex group. Prohibited by confidentiality, she must tread carefully when trying to help Det. Jackson investigate.

E. C. Sheedy, Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye (Oct., Brava tpo, 14.00). A Vegas showgirl discovers that a serial killer is after her. Vancouver, BC author.

Kate  Wilhelm, A Wrongful Death (Sept., Mira hc, 24.95). On the Oregon Coast, Barbara Holloway goes to the aid of a young boy and his mother who had been severely beaten. She returns with the authorities after going for help and finds them gone. The incident gets stranger when she’s accused by the boy’s wealthy family of participating in his disappearance. 10^th in one of Fran’s favorite series.

 

          Now in Paperback

Nancy Bush, Electric Blue (Sept., Kensington, 6.99).

Michael Collins, Death of a Writer (Sept., Bloomsbury, 14.95).

Ashna Graves, Death Pans Out (Sept., Poisoned Pen, 14.95).

J.A. Jance, Web of Evil (Nov., Pocket, 7.99).

Erik Larson, Thunderstruck (Sept., Three Rivers, 14.95).

Ann Rule, Too Late to Say Goodbye (Nov., Pocket, 7.99).

 

          Mysterious Youth

Ridley Pearson and Dave Barry, Peter and the Secret of Rundoon (Oct., Disney hc, 18.99). Finale of the trilogy finds Peter and Molly in the treacherous land of Rundoon.

 

          Special Interest

J.B. MacKinnon, Dead Man in Paradise: Unraveling a Murder from a Time of Revolution (Oct., New Press hc, 24.95). During a revolution in the Dominican Republic in 1965 – four years before the author was born - his uncle was murdered. A Catholic priest, his uncle was seen as troublesome by someone during this period of upheaval and was silenced. As an adult and an independent journalist, MacKinnon began to search for answers and his investigation opened up a view of the Dominican history and society that had remained hidden from view. Vancouver, BC author.

 

          Coming This Winter

Lowen Clausen, River, Jan.

Mary Daheim, The Alpine Traitor, Jan.

Earl Emerson, Primal Threat, Jan.

G.M. Ford, Nameless Night, Feb.

Yasmine Galenorn, Darkling, Jan.

J.A. Jance & Ali Reynolds, Dec.

Jayne Anne Krentz, Sizzle & Burn, Jan.

Sharan Newman, The Shanghai Tunnel, Feb.

Kevin O’Brien, One Last Scream, Jan.

Candace Robb & Owen Archer, Jan.

Ann Rule, Crime File Vol. 12, Dec.

Dana Stabenow, Prepared for Rage, Feb.

 

 

                   New from the Rest                                   

Susan Wittig Albert, The Tale of Hawthorn House (Sept., Berkley hc, 23.95). 4^th in the Beatrix Potter series.

Barbara Allan, Antiques Maul (Sept., Kensington hc, 22.00). 2^nd antiques mystery by the husband-and-wife team of Barbara and Max Allan Collins.

Deb Baker, Goodbye, Dolly (Sept., Berkley pbo, 6.99). 2^nd mystery set in the world of collectable dolls.

David Baldacci, Stone Cold (Nov., Grand Central hc, 26.99). 3^rd with Oliver Stone and the Camel Club. In paper, The Collectors (Sept., Grand Central, 9.99).

Cynthia Baxter, Who’s Kitten Who? (Oct., Bantam pbo, 6.99). 4^th animystery with vet-turned-sleuth Jessica Popper.

Linwood Barclay, No Time for Goodbye (Sept., Bantam hc, 22.00). 25 years ago, while she was in high school, Cynthia Archer woke up to find her family had vanished. No notes, no clues, as if they’d never existed. Now, she begins to see clues that seem to point to the answers. The problem is that no one believes her. Janine highly recommends.

Simon Beckett, Written Bone (Sept., Delacorte hc, 24.00). A strange case confronts forensic anthropologist David Hunter: the remains of a woman are found in her undamaged island home, her feet and one hand intact but the rest of her incinerated. It is supposedly a case of spontaneous combustion, but Hunter is not convinced.

Emily Benedeck, Red Sea (Sept., St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). Debut international thriller by a journalist, basing her story on real intelligence: A dangerous game begins after four jetliners are blown out of the sky. An Israeli agent begins to feed intelligence to an American reporter. Before long, he begins to suspect that she possesses information that she herself is unaware of.

Laura Benedict, Isabella Moon (Sept., Ballantine hc, 24.95). Kate Russell is hesitant to tell the Sheriff that she knows where a young girl is buried, because it was the dead girl who appeared to her and led her to the grave. But Kate decides to tell him and risk disturbing the secrets that she’s kept her entire life. As the Sheriff investigates, he’ll discover that his small Kentucky town is full of secrets, most of which he would have preferred to have never known. Debut novel. Gretchen recommends.

Laurien Berensen, Hounded to Death (Sept., Kensington hc, 22.00). 14^th canine mystery with Melanie Travis.

Heidi W. Boehringer, Crossing the Dark (Nov., Serpent’s Tail tpo, 14.95). A senior cop rescues her own daughter from a vicious thug who was using the teen as a sex slave. The girl is understandably damaged and her mother struggles to bring her back from the hellish psychological effects even as she herself begins to slide into the darkness that now envelopes the young woman.

Rita Mae Brown, The Tell-tale Horse (Sept., Ballantine hc, 25.95). 6^th in the rarefied air of fox hunting society. In paper, The Hounds and the Fury (Sept., Ballantine, 13.95).

Don Bruns, Stuff to Die For (Sept., Oceanview hc, 24.95). Two Florida friends are getting by on odd jobs. One of them gets a small inheritance and buys a box truck, thinking they can start a hauling business. The truck was a deal since it came packed with abandoned stuff. When they unload it, they find a human finger…

Leslie Caine, Fatal Feng Shui (Nov., Dell pbo, 6.99). 5^th in the Domestic Bliss series.

Jennifer Lee Carrell, Interred with Their Bones (Sept., Dutton hc, 25.95). A theatrical scholar and director is given a box by a friend that is supposed to contain a great revelation. Before it can be opened, the theatre has burned to the ground and the friend is dead. So begins a cross-continental race to discover the rest of the puzzle, before a killer can complete his mission and an unknown Shakespearean manuscript can be destroyed.

Noah Charney, The Art Thief (Sept., Atria hc, 25.00). Debut novel by the founding director of a consulting group on art and crime. Three masterpieces have been stolen from separate European capitals. Is it a coincidence or are the thefts part of a larger plan? Signing?

Laura Childs, Frill Kill (Oct., Berkley hc, 22.95). 5^th in the scrapbooking mystery series. In paper, Motif for Murder (Oct., Berkley, 6.99).

Margaret Coel, The Girl with Braided Hair (Sept., Berkley hc, 23.95). A recently unearthed skeleton, with a bullet hole in the skull, dates back to the early 70s. At that time, a young woman was accused of betraying the AIM movement and then vanished. Is this her? Signing. 12^th in the Wind River Reservation series. In paper, The Drowning Man (Sept., Berkley, 7.99).

Jeffrey Cohen, Some Like It Hot-Buttered (Oct., Berkley pbo, 6.99). Start of a new series about a ‘recovering writer’ who puts all of his meager money into a movie theatre. Soon after the opening, someone poisons the popcorn. By the author of As Dog Is My Witness (Bancroft tp, 16.95).

Susan Conant, All Shots (Nov., Berkley hc, 22.95). 18^th Dog Lover’s mystery. There are three Holly Winters in town – one is a dog trainer, one is a dog hater and one is dead. In paper, Gaits of Heaven (Nov., Berkley, 6.99).

Patricia Cornwell, Book of the Dead (Oct., Putnam hc, 26.95). 15^th with Dr. Kay Scarpetta.

Clive Cussler, The Chase (Nov., Putnam hc, 26.95). An historical mystery sees the discovery of a rusting locomotive in a Montana lake in 1950. The story skips back to the early 1900s and detective Isaac Bell, sent by the government to stop the Butcher Bandit. That hunt will lead all over the West. In paper, Treasure of Khan (Nov., Berkley, 9.99), Dirk Pitt.

Shirley Damsgaard, The Witch is Dead (Sept., Avon pbo, 6.99). 5^th cozy with Ophelia and Abby.

Casey Daniels, Tombs of Endearment (Oct., Avon pbo, 6.99). 3^rd with cemetery guide Pepper Martin who sees, and helps, dead people. This time out it is a rock star. Or was a rock star?

Diane Mott Davidson, The Whole Enchilada (Sept., Morrow hc, 25.95). 14^th culinary mystery with caterer Goldy Schulz. A woman from Goldy’s past – who is supposed to be dead – seems to be back.

James D. Doss, Three Sisters (Nov., St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). In his 12^th book, Colorado’s Charlie Moon gets involved in the case of a woman who was mauled beyond recognition. One of a wealthy rancher’s three daughters, her surviving sisters are a forceful pair. In paper, Stone Butterfly (Oct., St. Martin’s, 6.99), the 11^th in the series. And, back in print, the first in the series, The Shaman Sings (Sept., St. Martin’s, 6.99).

Janet Evanovich and Stephen J. Cannell, No Chance (Oct., Grand Central hc, 26.99). New characters and new situations as two ex-military figures try to co-exist on an oil tycoon’s yacht and battle pirates. A limited number of Signed Copies Available.

Nancy Fairbanks, Turkey Flambé (Nov., Berkley pbo, 6.99). In the 10^th book in this culinary series, a book launch party goes up in flames.

Vince Flynn, Protect and Defend (Oct., Atria hc, 26.95). With the Middle East about to explode, Mitch Rapp is sent to protect the CIA director who is there trying to defuse the situation.

Dick Francis, Dead Heat (Sept., Putnam hc, 25.95). A father- and-son production, as Dick shares credit with his son Felix. A caterer believes that there is a connection between trouble at his two recent jobs. Someone came down with food poisoning recently and there was a bombing at his most recent job at a racetrack.

Tess Gerritsen, The Bone Garden (Sept., Ballantine hc, 25.95). By digging up a skull in her garden, Boston Medical Examiner Maura Isles uncovers a case that goes back nearly 200 years. In paper, The Mephisto Club (Sept., Ballantine, 7.99).

Mark Gimenez, The Abduction (Sept., Vanguard hc, 22.95). The abduction of a young girl reunites a Viet Nam vet, long dismissed as a worthless drunk, with his son in a search for the girl. The authorities believe she’s dead and have closed the case. Her father and grandfather keep up their search.

Melissa Glazer, A Murderous Glaze (Nov., Berkley pbo, 6.99). 1^st in a new series with a paint-it-yourself pottery series, set in Vermont.

Lee Goldberg, Mr. Monk in Outer Space (Oct., Obsidian hc, 19.95). 5^th in the series, 2^nd hardcover, with the popular TV cop.

Tom Grace, The Secret Cardinal (Oct., Vanguard hc, 24.95). Ex-Navy SEAL Nolan Kilkenny is sent to the Vatican with a simple job. Once there, the Pope redirects him to a delicate goal: free a Chinese cardinal who has been imprisoned for 30 years and bring him back to become the next pope.

Robert Greer, The Mongoose Deception (Oct., Frog Ltd hc, 25.95). CJ Floyd becomes involved in a case of forensics when an arm is found inside Colorado's Eisenhower Memorial Tunnel after an earthquake. It belonged to one of the original workers who once claimed to have been involved with the JFK assassination. No one paid his story much attention until it is revealed that he was killed three decades ago, during the construction, after he’d been talking. Floyd follows the case into the past and, through his investigation, Greer gives his solution to 'the crime of the century'. Signing.

Lois Greiman, Unmanned (Nov., Dell pbo, 6.99). 4^th with LA shrink Christina McMullen.

Laurel K. Hamilton, A Lick of Frost (Oct., Ballantine hc, 23.95). Just in time for Halloween, a new Meredith Gentry, the 6^th. In paper, Mistral’s Kiss (Nov., Ballantine, 7.99).

Steve Hamilton, Night Work (Sept., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). A stand-alone thriller: Two years ago, a probation officer’s fiancée was strangled while he attended his bachelor party. He’s avoided women since but has decided to start trying to put his social life back together. He goes on a blind date that feels right – until the woman is murdered the next day. In paper, A Stolen Season (Sept., St. Martin’s, 6.99).

Charlaine Harris, An Ice Cold Grave (Oct., Berkley hc, 23.95). Harper Connelly and her brother head to Doraville, NC to find a missing boy. Once they arrive, they discover that many teenage boys have vanished over the last five years and they are all talking to Harper. In paper, Grave Surprise (Oct., Berkley, 7.99).

Robert Harris, The Ghost (Oct., Simon & Schuster hc, 26.00). The ghostwriter hired by the newly-retired British Prime Minister to help finish his memoirs discovers that some secrets and stories are not to be included, and these secrets and stories could alter the world’s politics.

John Hart, Down River (Oct., St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). Adam Harston left his home soil of North Carolina five years ago and did not think that he’d return. Back there, he’s considered a murderer. But a call from his best friend draws him back. Quickly, he’s badly beaten and bodies begin to pile up. Signed Copies Available. Second suspense novel by the Edgar nominated The King of Lies (St. Martin’s, 6.99). Gretchen recommends this author

Kenneth J. Harvey, Inside (Oct., Harcourt hc, 24.00). Myrden came from a rough neighborhood and, after being freed by DNA evidence after 14 years in prison, life is both like it was and, at the same time, different. He waits for the governmental compensation that he hopes will help him escape the doomed cycle of violent revenge that has bedeviled him and his associates. The book was both a noted and nominated book in Canada in 2006.

Randall Hicks, Baby Crimes (Sept., Wordslinger tpo, 13.95). Adoption attorney Toby Dillon is asked for help by a family who adopted a young girl years ago. The parents have never told her she’s adopted and someone is trying to blackmail them. As he investigates, he finds the adoption secret is the least of their problems. Fran recommends this author.

Mary Ellen Hughes, String of Lies (Sept., Berkley pbo, 6.99). 2^nd set at Jo’s Craft Corner. Owner Jo McAllister gets a bead on a murderer.

Maddy Hunter, Norway to Hide (Oct., Pocket pbo, 6.99). 6^th with tour leader Emily Andrews.

Stephen Hunter, The 47^th Samurai (Sept., Simon & Schuster hc, 26.00, Signed Copies 27.00). Bob Lee Swagger returns and is asked to find a lost Japanese military sword. He finds it and murder is the result. Favorite author of JB who suggest him to fans of Jack Reacher.

Greg Iles, Third Degree (Nov., Scribner hc, 25.95). Elizabeth Pike’s ‘perfect life’ in her small Southern town has  been a charade – her husband is a target of the IRS and she might be pregnant by her former lover, a man she knew would never leave his family. And then her husband finds a letter from the other man.  In paper, True Evil (Sept., Pocket, 9.99).

Ken Isaacson, Silent Counsel (Sept., Windermere hc, 24.95). A legal, ethical and moral battle erupts when an attorney agrees to represent a man who killed a boy in a hit-and-run incident. Because of attorney/client privilege the lawyer cannot give up the man’s identity. When tensions over the death escalate into more violence the lawyer is put in a no-win situation. Signing.

Lee Jackson, Redemption (Oct., St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). Debut thriller. Set in the near future, citizens must have ID cards, gas prices are astronomical, the dollar’s value has plummeted and terrorism touches all of America. Homeland Security is the top law enforcement agency and their reach is long. Due process has been suspended. A man has been accused of terrorism and that is as good as a conviction. How does he clear his name?

Iris Johansen, Pandora’s Daughter (Oct., St. Martin’s hc, 25.95). Dr. Megan Blair’s mother died when she was very young and under strange circumstances. Megan inherited her mother’s psychic powers but they’ve been dormant for years, but when someone begins to make trouble for her, they come into play. In paper, Killer Dreams (Sept., Bantam, 7.99).

Linda O. Johnston, The Fright of the Iguana (Oct., Berkley pbo, 6.99). 5^th in the pet-sitter series.

John J. Lamb, The Crafty Teddy (Nov., Berkley pbo, 6.99). 3^rd in the collectable teddy bear series. Each book includes a profile of a teddy bear designer and the author is a retired homicide detective and teddy collector. Janine recommends this series – really!

Martin Langield, The Malice Box (Sept., Pegasus hc, 25.00). A NYC man receives a strange but simple copper puzzle box and is soon thrown into the search for a device that poses danger to the Western World. This weapon, he is told, is set to detonate in seven days. He faces a physical and spiritual trial to defuse the infernal creation, something that has ties to Isaac Newton and alchemy. There will be a website that will allow you to try to find the Malice Box in NYC yourself. The author is a long-time journalist.

William Lashner, A Killer’s Kiss (Sept., Morrow hc, 24.95). Victor Carl was engaged once, but she left him to marry a wealthy doctor. She’s back now, and she’s still nothing but trouble. 7^th in this legal series.

Jeff Lindsey, Dexter in the Dark (Sept., Doubleday hc, 23.95). Dexter’s up to his neck in change: he’s about to get married and his inner guide – the Dark Passenger – has gone silent. Janine and Fran highly recommend this latest Dexter adventure.

Victoria Laurie, Crime Seen (Sept., Obsidian pbo, 6.99). 5^th in the Psychic Eye series.

John Lutz, In for the Kill (Nov., Pinnacle pbo, 6.99). A killer is spelling out Det. Frank Quinn’s last name with the letters of his victims’ names.

T.J. MacGregor, Kill Time (Oct., Pinnacle pbo, 6.99). A woman discovers a secret government agency that has perfected the technology of time travel and that uses it to get rid of problematic people.

Barry Maitland, Spider Trap (Oct., St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). Scotland Yard’s Brock and Kolla are called when human bones are found in a poor area of South London. The case leads back to the day of the Brixton Riots and then to an old nemesis. The 9^th in this respected series. In paper, No Trace (Sept., St. Martin’s, 13.95).

Claire Matturo, Sweetheart Deal (Nov., Morrow hc, 23.95). 4^th with Sarasota lawyer and health-nut Lilly Cleary. Lilly’s mother – who has not left her house in years – has been accused of murder and calls Lilly back to her hometown in Georgia to help with her defense.

Archer Mayor, Chat (Oct., Grand Central hc, 24.99). In his 18^th appearance, Joe Gunther tackles Internet predators. In paper, The Second Mouse (Oct., Grand Central, 6.99).

Kyle Mills, Darkness Falls (Nov., Vanguard hc, 24.95). A former oil technician is asked by Homeland Security to return to the Middle East. He was the foremost expert on returning ‘dry’ oil wells to protection. Too many have stopped producing and sabotage is suspected. No one understands that it is something else, something marrying biological terror with economic attacks. 

Walter Mosley, Blonde Faith (Oct., Little Brown hc, 25.95). In the 10^th Easy Rawlins, he’s stretched thin – an ex-Marine has left his daughter at Easy’s house, Mouse is wanted for murder and two MPs want his help finding the girl’s father. The investigation will bring him deeper into the Viet Nam mess and into the orbit of a white woman with a dark past. In paper, Fear of the Dark (Sept., Grand Central, 7.50). HBO films is adapting Little Scarlet, with Jeffrey Wright and Mos Def as Easy and Mouse. Walter is writing the screenplay.

Reggie Nadelson, Fresh Kills (Sept., Walker hc, 24.95). Artie Cohen stands alone as the only person who is glad to have his nephew Billy out of jail. The family of the man he killed aims for retribution and the kid’s own mother isn’t welcoming him back. 7^th in a series recommended by Tammy and JB. In paper, Disturbed Earth and Red Hook (Sept., Walker, 14.95 ea.) the 5^th and 6^th.

Derek Nikitas, Pyres (Oct., St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). Debut novel. A botched robbery causes trouble and grief to ripple across all involved – the secluded widow, the teenage daughter and the cop who is trying to somehow make up for her own family’s disintegration.  Gretchen recommends.

Robert B. Parker, Now and Then (Oct., Putnam hc, 25.95). 35^th Spenser. In paper, Hundred-Dollar Baby (Sept., Berkley, 9.99), Spenser as well.

James Patterson and Howard Roughan, You’ve Been Warned (Sept., Little Brown hc, 27.99). A young artist’s nightmares begin to affect her daylight hours. AND Double Cross (Nov., Little Brown hc, 27.99), by Patterson alone, a string of murders has the entire East Coast nervous. In paper, Cross (Oct., Grand Central, 9.99).

Richard North Patterson, The Race (Nov., Holt hc, 26.00). A maverick Republican senator is thrust into the presidential primary after a terrorist attack. He’s his own man, not beholden to anyone and would be running against the leading candidates. He’s what the country needs, but he has a secret in his past that could destroy it all. In paper, Exile (Sept., St. Martin’s, 9.99).

Emile Richards, Beware False Profits (Nov., Berkley pbo, 6.99). 3^rd with minister’s wife Aggie.

J.D. Robb, Creation in Death (Nov., Putnam hc, 25.95). 25^th with NYC Lt. Eve Dallas. In paper, Innocent in Death (Sept., Berkley, 7.99).

Natalie M. Roberts, Tapped Out (Oct., Berkley pbo, 6.99). 2^nd dance mystery by a shop favorite, aka Natalie R. Collins. Signing?

M.J. Rose, The Reincarnationist (Sept., Mira hc, 24.95). Wounded in a bombing, a photojournalist awakens with clear and vivid memories that are not his own. They are ancient and violent and deal with a woman named Sabine and a treasure she protects. Signing.

James Sallis, Salt River (Oct., Walker hc, 23.95). 3^rd novel with Tennessee’s John Turner. Almost against his will, Turner has become a deputy sheriff. His small town is getting out of control, even as it feels as if it is dying.

John Sandford, Dark of the Moon (Sept., Putnam hc, 26.95). Virgil Flowers was hired by Lucas Davenport to work on the hard stuff, but he never expected to face what he does now on his own.

Alice Sebold, The Almost Moon (Oct., Little Brown hc, 24.99). The story quickly unfolds over the course of 24 hours, as a woman who has devoted her life to others begins her narrative with “When all is said and done, killing my mother came easily.” A new novel by the author of the notable The Lovely Bones. Signing?

Zoë Sharp, Second Shot (Sept., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). 2^nd US appearance of bodyguard Charlie Fox. She’s come to New England to protect a mother and daughter. Things have gone wrong as the book opens with Charlie lying in a frozen forest with two bullet wounds. Signing. In paper, First Drop (Sept., St. Martin’s, 6.99). Janine recommends this series.

Michael Simon, Last Jew Standing (Sept., Viking hc, 25.95). In his 4^th book, Dan Rele’s life has gotten to where he wants it – a house, a family and a promotion to head Austin’s homicide bureau. Then his estranged father turns up after being on the run for 20 years. A former East Coast enforcer for the Mob, he brings trouble with him. His former bosses are about to make Dan chose between his father, a man he doesn’t know, and the safety of his life in Austin. Signed Copies Available. In paper, Little Faith (Sept., Penguin,14.00). JB recommends this series.

Patricia Sprinkle, Sins of the Fathers (Oct., Avon pbo, 6.99). 2^nd in her genealogy series.

Duane Swierszynski, Severance Package (Nov., St. Martin’s hc, 19.95). On a hot August morning, out of the blue, Jamie DeBroux’s calls a staff meeting. The key people in the company are told that they’ve been working for a faction of the intelligence community, the office is about to be shut down and they have to choose between poisoned champagne or a bullet. Chaos and panic quite understandably erupts. In paper, The Blonde (Nov., Griffin, 13.95). Bill and Janine recommend this author.

William Tapply, One-Way Ticket (Sept., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). In his 23^rd book, Boston lawyer Brady Coyne finds himself under the thumb of the Mob when a friend and client is told to pay a debt and Brady is held responsible to make sure it is paid.

David Thewlis, The Late Hector Kipling (Nov., Simon & Schuster hc, 25.00). Debut novel from the noted British actor. A man’s mid-life crisis gets out of hand, his life of quiet desperation turning deadly in this black comedy.

Margaret Truman, Murder on K Street (Oct., Ballantine hc, 24.95). ‘Bout time someone killed some of those lobbyists. Think anyone will care to look for a killer? In paper, Murder at the Opera (Nov., Ballantine, 7.99).

Andrew Vachss, Terminal (Sept., Pantheon hc, 24.95). Burke is offered a deal by a terminally ill white supremacist: help him extort money from a man who claimed in prison to have killed a teenage girl, so he can go to Switzerland for experimental treatment, and Burke gets a cut of the money and the identity of the killer. In paper, Mask Market (Sept., Vintage, 7.99).

Elaine Viets, Accessory to Murder (Nov., Obsidian pbo, 6.99). 3^rd in the mystery shopper series.

Livia J. Washburn, Murder by the Slice (Oct., Obsidian pbo, 6.99). A PTA murder in the Fresh Baked series.

Larry Watson, Sundown, Yellow Moon (Sept., Random House hc, 25.95). 40 years ago, in Bismark, ND, best friends walked home from school. They heard sirens in the distance and would soon learn that the father of one had gunned down a popular state senator, and then hung himself. The reasons for the violence were never really explained. The other friend, now a writer, looks back at those events to try to make sense of them.

Michael White, Soul Catcher (Sept., Morrow hc, 24.95). War vet Augustus Cain is in a hole with no prospects and not even a horse when debt is called by a plantation owner. Cain is known as having a talent for finding people and he’s asked to find a particular runaway slave. If he can, his debt will be cleared and he can earn some needed money. The country is heading toward the Civil War and Cain’s journey will not be easy or pleasant. Tammy recommends.

Kevin Wignall, Who is Conrad Hirst? (Nov., Simon & Schuster tpo, 14.00). To get out of the business of being a hitman, Hirst must kill the four people who can identify him. When, then, does a friend become an enemy?

Michael Wiley, The Last Striptease (Oct., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). Chicago PI Joe Kozmarski is skeptical when a local judge asks him to do a favor. The judge once double-crossed Joe’s father and Joe owes the man nothing. The judge’s assistant is suspected in the murder of his girlfriend and the only way to clear the man is for Joe to find the killer. Then the Judge is murdered. Winner of the St. Martin’s Press/Private Eye Writer’s best first novel contest.

Stuart Woods, Shoot Him If He Runs (Sept., Putnam hc, 25.95). 14^th Stone Barrington.

F. Paul Wilson, Bloodline (Oct., Forge hc, 25.95). Repairman Jack looks for a missing PI. 11^th in the dark and other-worldly series. In paper, Harbingers (Sept., Forge, 7.99).

Steven Womack, By Blood Written (Nov., Harper pbo, 7.99). New thriller by an Edgar and Shamus award-winning author. The catalog doesn’t give any plot, simply referring to the ‘tradition of Jeffrey Deaver and Thomas Harris’.

Edward Wright, Damnation Falls (Sept., Orion hc, price to be determined). The author of the respected John Ray Horn series delivers a contemporary mystery. A journalist, his career in ruins, returns home to his small Tennessee hometown to do a favor for a boyhood friend and former governor. When he arrives, he finds that the bones of a young woman who was once important to him have been unearthed and the mother of the friend who called him is found hanging from a bridge above the town’s scenic Damnation Falls. Ed is a favorite writer of our entire staff.

Nancy Zaroulis, The Poe Papers (Sept., Pegasus tpo, 13.95). A scholar comes to an old New England mansion in search of mysterious papers said to be there. To get them, he’ll have to deal with a mother and daughter, both beautiful, both treacherous, trying to out do one another when it comes to seduction and rapacious lust. The author wrote three mysteries under the name Cynthia Peale.

 

          Now in Paperback

Kate Atkinson, One Good Turn (Sept., Back Bay, 13.99).

Stephanie Barron, Jane and the Barque of Frailty (Nov., Bantam, 6.99).

Will Beall, LA Rex (Sept., Riverhead, 14.00). Gretchen recommends.

M.C. Beaton, Love, Lies and Liquor (Sept., St. Martin’s, 6.99).

William Brodrick, The Gardens of the Dead (Oct., Viking, 14.00).

Henry Chang, Chinatown Beat (Nov., Soho, 12.00).

Blaze Clement, Duplicity Dogged the Dachshund (Nov., St. Martin’s, 6.99).

Nancy J. Cohen, Perish by Pedicure (Nov., Kensington, 6.99).

John Connolly, The Book of Lost Things (Oct., Washington Square, 14.00). Tammy, Gretchen,

      Fran and Janine highly recommend.

Thomas H. Cook, The Cloud of Unknowing (Sept., Harcourt, 14.00).

Jeffery Deaver, More Twisted (Nov., Pocket, 7.99), Short stories.

Nelson DeMille, Wild Fire (Nov., Hachette, 9.99).

Gerard Donovan, Julius Winsom (Oct., Overlook, 24.95). Fran recommends.

Linda Fairstein, Bad Blood (Oct., Pocket, 9.99).

Elizabeth George, What Came Before He Shot Her (Sept., Harper, 7.99).

Joe Gores, Glass Tiger (Sept., Harcourt, 14.00).

Carl Hiaasen, Nature Girl (Oct., Grand Central, 13.99).

Jesse Kellerman, Trouble (Nov., Jove, 9.99).

Jonathan & Faye Kellerman, Capital Crimes (Nov., Ballantine, 9.99).

John LeCarre, The Mission Song (Nov., Back Bay, 14.99).

Dennis Lehane, Coronado (Nov., Harper, 12.95). Short stories.

Sujata Massey, Girl in a Box (Nov., Harper, 13.95).

Carol O’Connell, Find Me (Oct., Berkley, 9.99). Janine & JB recommend.

Karen E. Olsen, Secondhand Smoke (Nov., Hachette, 6.99).

Katherine Hall Page, The Body in the Ivy (Nov., Avon, 7.99).

Barbara Parker, The Perfect Fake (Nov., Onyx, 7.99).

Ian Rankin, Bleeding Hearts (Nov., Hachette, 6.99). Reissue of 1994 ‘Jack Harvey’ novel.

Ann Ripley, Death in the Orchid Garden (Sept., Kensington, 6.99).

Theresa Schwegel, Probable Cause (Nov., St. Martin’s, 6.99).

Diane Setterfield, The Thirteenth Tale (Oct., Washington Square, 15.00).

James Siegel, Deceit (Oct., Grand Central, 7.99).

Alexandra Sokoloff, The Harrowing (Nov., St. Martin’s, 6.99).

James Swain, Mr. Lucky (Sept., Ballantine, 7.99).

Aimee & David Thurlo, Pale Death (Sept., Forge, 6.99). Lee Nez.

Minette Walters, The Devil’s Feathers (Sept., Vintage, 13.95).

Joseph Wambaugh, Hollywood Station (Oct., Vision, 7.99).

Mark Winegardner, The Godfather’s Revenge (Nov., Signet, 9.99).

Robert Wilson, The Hidden Assassins (Oct., Harcourt, 15.00).

      Janine recommends this author.

 

                           Coming this Winter

Nancy Atherton & Aunt Dimity, Feb.

Elizabeth Becka & Evelyn James, Feb.

Alex Berenson, The Ghost War, Feb.

C.J. Box, Blue Heaven, Jan.

Tim Dorsey & Serge Storm, Feb.

Loren D. Estleman, Gas City, Jan.

David Fulmer, The Blue Door, Jan.

Sue Grafton, T is for Trespass, Dec.

Martha Grimes, Dakota, Feb.

James Grippando & James Swyteck, Jan.

James W. Hall & Thorn, Feb.

Craig Holden, Matala, Jan.

Charlie Huston & Joe Pitt, Jan.

Laurie R. King, Touchstone, Jan.

John Lescroart, Betrayal, Jan.

Michael McGarrity & Chief Kevin Kerney, Jan.

Sara Paretsky, Bleeding Kansas, Jan.

Robert B. Parker & Jesse Stone, Feb.

T. Jefferson Parker, L.A. Outlaws, Feb.

Cornelia Read, The Crazy School, Jan.

J.D. Robb & Eve Dallas, Feb.

Peter Robinson & Insp. Banks, Jan.

Marcus Sakey, At the City’s Edge, Jan.

Theresa Schwegel, Person of Interest, Dec.

Lisa Scottoline, Lady Killer, Feb.

April Smith & Ana Grey, Feb.

James Swain, Midnight Rambler, Dec.

Charles Todd & Insp. Rutledge, Jan.

Louise Ure, The Fault Tree, Jan.

Jacqueline Winspear & Maisie Dobbs, Feb.

 

                             Historical     

Sarah D. Almeida, The Musketeer’s Apprentice (Sept., Berkley pbo, 6.99). 3^rd Musketeer mystery. Porthos’ apprentice has been murdered.

James R. Benn, The First Wave (Sept., Soho hc, 24.00). In his second adventure, Lt. Billy Boyle is part of the Allied invasion of Algeria, helping to accept the surrender of the Vichy French forces. Things are murky and dangerous, and deadly. In paper, his eponymous first book (Sept., Soho, 12.00). Bill and Janine highly recommend the debut, and Janine says the second is equally fine!

Barbara Cleverly, The Tomb of Zeus (Oct., Delta tpo, 13.00). The start of a new series. Laetitia Talbot is aiming to become an archeologist and, in 1928, she heads to Crete to help on a dig headed by a famed but despised expert. He’s after nothing less than the tomb of the chief god, and soon after Laetitia arrives, things get ugly.

Judith Cutler, The Keeper of Secrets (Oct., Allison & Busby hc, 25.95). A young man arrives in a small village to act as its parson. Immediately, he steps into trouble, stopping a rape and becoming involved in the death of a poor poacher. Life is anything put sleepy in this small 1810s hamlet.

Kathy Lynn Emerson, Face Down O’er the Border (Sept., Perseverance tpo, 14.95). 10^th in the Lady Appleton series, set during the time of Mary, Queen of Scots.

Stephen Gallagher, The Kingdom of Bones (Oct., Shaye Areheart hc, 24.95). In 19^th C. England, former boxing champ Tom Sayers travels with a theatrical troupe. A string of grisly murders has begun and the troupe has been in the towns when they’ve occurred. Det. Insp. Becker is convinced Sayers is the killer. After being arrested, Sayers escapes and goes into the darker areas of society in search of the killer, believing it is the only way to clear himself. Things will get worse from there.

Cora Harrison, My Lady Judge (Sept., St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). Debut historical mystery set in 16^th C. Ireland. Mara was appointed to be judge and lawgiver to the independent kingdom but her assistant was murdered and left in the mountains for the carrion. Many people seem to know about his death, yet no one spoke up.

Michael Jecks, Dispensation of Death (Sept., Headline hc, 24.95). 23^rd in his Knights Templar series. Signing.

Edward Marston, The Iron Horse (Sept., Allison & Busby hc, 25.95). 4^th with railway detective Robert Colbeck. A head is discovered in a passenger train that is enroute to Epsom Downs. It is nearly Derby Day and the death has broad repercussions. In paper, The Railway Viaduct (Sept., Allison & Busby, 9.95).

I.J. Parker, Island of Exiles (Oct., Viking tpo, 14.00). When an imprisoned Prince is poisoned, Sugawara Akitada is sent undercover to investigate. When he disappears, his assistant must investigate it all. 4^th in this Medieval Japan series.

David Peace, Tokyo Year Zero (Sept., Knopf hc, 24.00). The war is just over and, in 1946, Tokyo is occupied. Bodies of two murdered women are found in a city park and it falls to Det. Minami to find the killer. Based on actual crimes, the search for a killer plays against the atrocities of the war just ended and, questions of what deaths are acceptable become hazy.

Michael Pearce, A Dead Man in Tangier (Oct., Carroll & Graf hc, 24.99). In his 4^th appearance, Scotland Yard’s Seymour is dispatched to Morocco to solve a murder. Once there, he discovers that nothing is as it appears.

Laura Joh Rowland, The Snow Empress (Nov., St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). Sano Ichiro has achieved a level of success and respect for his detective skills. But he has garnered enemies as well, and his son has been kidnapped. In paper, Red Chrysanthemum (Oct., St. Martin’s, 6.99).

Catherine Shaw, The Riddle of the River (Sept., Allison & Busby hc, 25.95). 4^th set in 1890s England with Vanessa Wetherburn. A young woman has been found dead in the River Cam. Reporter Patrick O’Sullivan comes to Vanessa, seeking help in identifying the body. At the same time, a young actress has disappeared. Is it the same person or two different mysteries?

Peter Tremayne, A Prayer for the Damned (Nov., St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). On the eve of her wedding, with dignitaries at hand, a despised abbott is murdered, and Sister Fidelma must help investigate. In paper, Master of Souls (Oct., Griffin, 13.95).

David Wishart, In at the Death (Sept., Hodder & Stoughton hc, 24.95). 12^th in this Ancient Roman series.

House of Shadows, The Medieval Murderers (Sept., Trafalgar tp, 14.95). 3^rd joint work by this group – Jecks, Gooden, Gregory, Knight, Morson and Beaufort. As with the other volumes, each author’s characters will take a section of the story.

 

In paper

Rosemary Rowe, A Coin for the Ferryman (Nov., Headline, 9.95).

 

          Coming This Winter

Boris Akunin & Erast Fandorin, Feb.

Ariana Franklin, The Serpent’s Tale, Jan.

Margaret Frazer & Dame Fevisse, Jan.

John Madox Roberts, SPQR XI, Dec.

 

                                      From Overseas                               

Jacob Arjouni, Kismet (Sept., No Exit hc, 24.00). German author’s 4^th with Kayankaya.

James Church, Hidden Moon (Nov., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). North Korean Insp. O, back from a mission out of the country, is given the task of investigating a crime that is virtually unthinkable: a bank robbery. The political pressure is intense, as are the personalities he will encounter during this case. The debut of this series (A Corpse in the Karyo, Sept., Griffin, 13.95) was one of the most talked about last year.

Ake Edwardson, Frozen Tracks (Sept., Viking hc, 25.95). 3^rd of the 12 Insp. Erik Winter mysteries to be translated and released in the US. In Sweden, fall is ending and the weather and the crimes are dark, cold and bleak. In paper, Never End (Aug., Penguin, 14.00).

Chris Ewan, The Good Thief’s Guide to Amsterdam (Nov., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). Winner of the UK’s Long Barn Books first novel award. Charlie Howard’s legitimate job is writing thrillers. But to keep his edge and make ends meet, he is a discrete private thief for hire. When someone wants something they can’t have, they come to Charlie.

Peter Hoeg, The Quiet Girl (Nov., FSG hc, 26.00). A Danish circus clown is in hock to gamblers and the tax man. He’s asked by a mysterious group of nuns to help guard a group of children. In return, they promise they can make his problems vanish. The strangest part of it is that the children have special gifts, much like his own that he’s struggled all his life to hide. And then one of them goes missing.

Arnaldur Indridason, Voices (Oct., St. Martin’s Press, 23.95). As the Holiday season heats up, Reykjavik Insp. Sveinsson is called to a grand hotel when their Santa is murdered. The case is about to become more shocking. 3^rd in this Gold Dagger winning series. In paper, Silence of the Grave (Sept., St. Martin’s, 14.00). Janine recommends this author.

Mari Jungstedt, Unspoken (Sept., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). Media scrutiny is intense on Anders Knutas as his team investigates the murder of an alcoholic photographer and the abduction of a teenage girl. The cases seem unconnected until photographs of the girl are found in the man’s studio. 2^nd in this Swedish series.

Richard Kunzman, Salamander Cotton (Nov., St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). South African DI Jacob Tshabalala investigates the murder of a wealthy, retired mining boss. As the leads take him deeper into the case, he turns to a former colleague to probe a connection between the man’s death and the disappearance of his daughter 30 years ago. First book in a series, nominated for the CWA 2005 Creasey Memorial Dagger.

Henning Mankell, Kennedy’s Brain (Sept., New Press hc, 26.95). A Swedish archaeologist gets home to find her only child dead, a supposed suicide. Her belief that he was murdered leads her across the globe in search of a solution to what she is certain is a crime. The trail will take her to Australia and Africa, into high levels of greed and depths of desperate poverty. Wallender #4, The Man Who Smiled (Oct., Vintage, 13.95), available in the US in paperback for the first time.

Dominique Manotti, Dead Horsemeat (Sept., Arcadia tp, 19.95). Nominated for the 2006 Duncan Lawrie International Dagger Award, by a winner of the French Crime Writers Association Top Thriller Award. During the fractious days of 1968, a group of friends become ensnared in crime and corruption amidst the world of horse racing.

Martin Suter, A Deal with the Devil (Sept., Arcadia tpo, 19.95). A German bestseller about a woman who flees her troubles only to find new ones in a small Alpine village.

Seishi Yokomizo, The Inugami Clan (Sept., Stone Bridge tpo, 12.95). One of Japan’s foremost mystery writers now available in the US with a book first published in 2003. During the 1940s, a bloody series of murders follow the death of the wealthy head of a prominent clan. Det. Kindaichi is given the task of stopping the bloodshed and unraveling the murders.

 

In paper

Donna Leon, Fatal Remedies (Oct., Penguin, 7.99). 8^th in the series, from 1999, 1^st US publication.

Qiu Xiaolong, A Case of Two Cities (Oct., Griffin, 13.95).

 

                   From England

Jo Bannister, Flawed (Sept., St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). 7^th with Brodie Farrell’s one-woman detective agency.

Sophie Hannah, Little Face (Oct., Soho hc, 25.00). A new mother returns home from a rare time away to insist that the baby in the crib is not the same baby she left two hours before. Her husband swears she’s wrong and the police have no reason to believe her. She becomes increasingly desperate to find someone who will believe her. The author is a noted poet with this being her first novel.

Susan Hill, The Pure in Heart (Nov., Penguin, $24.95). Life in the village is recovering from the tragedies of the previous year when 9-year-old David Angus vanishes from in front of his home. As the village and surrounding areas rally to find him, we’re taken farther into their lives, joys and tragedies, and the deep secrets that could destroy more than one life. Fran highly recommends this author.

Quintin Jardine, Death’s Door (Sept., Headline hc, 24.95). 17^th with Edinburgh’s Det. Chief Constable Bob Skinner.

John Mortimer, Rumpole Misbehaves (Nov., Viking hc, 24.95). 20^th book with the Barrister whose latest case begins in a political fight. In paper, Rumpole and the Reign of Terror (Nov., Penuin, 14.00).

Alexander McCall Smith, Love Over Scotland (Nov., Anchor tpo, 13.95). 3^rd in the 44 Scotland Street story.

Phil Rickman, The Fabric of Sin (Nov., Quercus hc, 24.95). 9^th with parish priest and deliverance consultant. In paper, The Remains of the Altar (Sept., Quercus, 8.95).

Cath Staincliffe, Missing (Sept., Allison & Busby hc, 25.95). 7^th with Manchester PI Sal Kilkenny. She’s hired to look for a wife and mother who vanished, leaving behind everything she seemed to hold dear. In paper, Bitter Blue (Sept., Allison & Busby, 9.95).

Martyn Waites, Bone Machine (Nov., Pegasus hc, 25.95). The discovery of a ritualistically murdered woman leads ex-reporter Joe Donovan and his mates into an investigation that draws very close to Joe’s own ugly memories. In paper, The Mercy Seat (Nov., Pegasus, 14.95). Tammy recommends this first in series.

 

     Bywater Books

John Harvey, Lonely Hearts, Rough Treatment, Cutting Edge, Off Minor (Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec., 13.95 ea.). The first four in the Nottingham series with Insp. Charley Resnick. If you like Peter Robinson, Peter Lovesey, PD James and other top-notch British procedurals, try John Harvey.

 

                   Coming This Winter

Michael Bond & M. Pamplemouse, Jan.

John Harvey, Gone to Ground, Feb.

Denise Mina & Paddy Meehan, Feb.

Eliot Patison & Insp. Shan, Dec.

Arturo Perez-Reverte, The Painter of Battles, Jan.

Minette Walters, The Chameleon’s Shadow, Jan.

Qui Xioaolang & Chief Insp. Chen Cao, Dec.

 

                             Sherlockiana                               

Andrew Lycett, The Man Who Created Sherlock Holmes (Nov., Free Press hc, 28.00). Using previously unavailable material, the noted biographer aims to answer the central question in Doyle’s personality: how did a man of such rational tenets become so enthralled with mysticism?

Arthur Conan Doyle: A Life in Letters, Jon Lellenberg, Daniel Stashower and Chris Foley (Nov., Penguin hc, 37.95. 608 pages of annotated and previously unpublished correspondence.

 

In paper

David Pirie, The Dark Water: The Strange Beginnings of Sherlock Holmes (Oct., Pegasus, 14.95).

Nick Rennison, Sherlock Holmes: An Unauthorized Biography (Oct., Atlantic, 14.00).

 

                             Mystery Specialty Presses                                          

     Bitter Lemon

Gianrico Carofiglio, Reasonable Doubts (Oct., 14.95). 3^rd with Italian attorney Guerrieri, who is asked by a convicted smuggler’s wife to represent him on appeal. To complicate matters, the man confessed at the first trial and Guerrieri finds himself sleeping with the wife.

 

     Bleak House: This Fall, this young press plans raise the bar on new mystery fiction; they plan to provide all of their hardcovers with bound in sheets based on police booking sheets. Each will be signed, dated, thumb-printed and numbered. Each book is also simultaneously available in normal hardcover and trade paperback. These special edition copies are $45. Quantities will be limited as well. Reserve early.

Steve Brewer, Cutthroat (Sept., 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp, . A rich man’s private ‘troubleshooter’ hears hints that the man’s sons are into something dangerous, but he can’t convince his boss that the boys are in trouble. In paper, Lonely Street (Aug., 14.95), the first of his Bubby Mabry private eye series.

Mark Coggins, Runoff (Nov., 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp). In the 4^th with San Francisco PI August Riordan, the most powerful woman in Chinatown hires him to investigate questions about the recent mayoral election. She thinks someone played with the computerized voting machine. In paper, Candy from Strangers (Aug., 14.95). Signing.

Mary Logue, Maiden Rock (Nov., 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp). 6^th with Deputy Sheriff Claire Watkins. Her daughter’s friends have gotten entangled with bad people, resulting in death and drugs, suicide and meth addiction. 

Craig McDonald, Head Games (Sept., 23.95 hc, 14.95 tp). His youth as far in the past as his days as a pulp writer in the Black Mask era, Hector Lassiter finds himself in possession of Pancho Villa’s head and with rival factions after him and it. A chase begins that will span the continent, two countries and nearly three decades.

Eric Stone, Grave Imports (Sept., 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp). 2^nd with expatriate reporter, investigator and wanderer. Hints of a smuggling ring surface in routine reporting on a Chinese art supply business. Soon the story leads to Hong Kong, a vicious ex-Viet Nam general and some murderous Khmer Rouge toughs. In paper, Living Room of the Dead (Aug., 14.95), first in the series and first time in paper. Signing.

The following two books will not be available in signed editions:

Chicago Blues, Libby Fischer Hellman, ed. (Oct., 27.95 hc, 15.95 tp).  New noir tales of greed, violence and the depths of the heart with the rhythm of the city’s music. Authors include Paretsky, Sakey, Collins, Konrath and others. The publisher hopes to include a DVD that will show the authors giving little tours of the neighborhoods where their stories are set.

Expletive Deleted, Jen Jordan, ed. (Nov., 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp). A selection of new stories, by new and veteran writers, reveling in the grandeur of cusswords. Authors include Lippman, Huston, Bruen and others, and includes a hilarious introduction by Mark Billingham.

 

 

     Capital Crime

Troy Cook, The One Minute Assassin (Sept., 14.95). The California governor’s election, never a model of sanity, goes off the rails when one of the candidates begins to murder the others. They all become suspects and ex PI John Black becomes involved to help his politically connected sister.  Signing.

 

     Europa Editions

Jean-Claude Izzo, The Lost Sailors (Sept., 14.95). NOT A MYSTERY, but due to the popularity of his Marseilles Trilogy, we wanted to mention this. The crew aboard an impounded freighter must decide whether to wait and hope for eventual pay or give up and go on their individual ways.

 

     Felony & Mayhem

Margery Allingham, Death of a Ghost (Sept., 14.95). 6^th Albert Campion, from 1934.

Bob Cook, Paper Chase (Nov., 14.95). More witty, British espionage.

Edmund Crispin, Love Lies Bleeding (Nov., 14.95). 5^th Gervase Fen, from 1948.

Caroline Graham, Written in Blood (Nov., 14.95). 4^th Insp. Barnaby, from 1994.

Reginald Hill, A Clubbable Woman (Sept., 14.95). 1^st Pascoe & Dalziel, from 1970.

Elizabeth Ironside, A Very Private Enterprise (Nov., 14.95). First US publication of the noted author’s debut from 1984. A British diplomat, stationed in India, is found to have a priceless stash of Tibetan art and a rich bank book as his murder is investigated.

John Malcolm, A Back Room in Somers Town (Sept., 14.95), 1^st with art dealer Tim Simpson, from 1984.

Barbara Nadel, The Ottoman Cage (Nov., 14.95). The 2^nd with Istanbul’s Insp. Ikmen, from 2000, also published as A Chemical Prison.

Sheila Radley, The Chief Inspector’s Daughter (Sept., 14.95). 2^nd Insp. Quantrill from 1980.

David Wishart, Germanicus (Sept., 14.95). 2^nd Marcus Crovinus, from 1997.

 

     Hard Case Crime

Ken Bruen & Jason Starr, Slide (Oct., 6.99). Sequel to their earlier Hard Case book, Bust (2006, 6.99), this chronicles the decline of Max Fisher and Angela Petrakos, computer workers who are now charting their own ways through crime and killing.

Mickey Spillane, Dead Street (Nov., 6.99). FIRST PUBLICATION ANYWHERE! A cop believed that, 20 years ago, his girlfriend died in a botched kidnapping. He now finds out she’s alive but has lost her sight and her memory – but not her enemies. His last novel.

Robert Terrall, Kill Now, Pay Later (Sept., 6.99). 3^rd of his Ben Gates mysteries. He takes the job of guarding the goods at a swanky wedding. Someone drugs him and, while he’s out, an attempted robbery leaves two dead. Originally published as by Robert Kyle in 1960 by a man who also wrote 24 of the later Michael Shayne mysteries under the house name Brett Halliday.

 

     Midnight Ink

Faith Donovan, The Black Widow Agency (Oct., 12.95). The Black Widow Agency is four women who right the wrongs done to women with ruthlessness, brains, high tech and lots and lots of dark chocolate.

Tim Maleeny, Beating the Babushka (Oct., 14.95). The suspicious death of a movie producer leads San Francisco PI Cape Weathers into a case that swirls with trouble: Russian mobsters, a huge Hollywood studio and a reluctant police department and a sniper. Signing. Second in a great series recommended by Janine.

 

     Poisoned Pen Press

Charles Benoit, Noble Lies (Oct., hc, 24.95). Vet Mark Rohr is content to spend his years in Thailand taking odd jobs of questionable legality. He’s fine just getting by. When a US woman arrives and asks his help finding her missing brother, Rohr smells easy money. Nothing will be easy, as death is part of the package. In paper, Out of Order (Oct., 14.95).  Signed Copies Available.

Kerry Greenwood, Raisins and Almonds (Sept., hc, 24.95). 9^th in the Phryne Fisher series, originally published in ’97. In paper, The Green Mill Murder (Sept., 14.95), the 3^rd, from ’93.

Peter May, The Critic (Nov., hc, 24.95). It has been 4 years since a powerful wine critic’s body was found tied to a cross in a French vineyard. His unpublished reviews have remained locked within a so-far unbroken code. Enzo Maclead, Scots ex-pat and retired forensic expert aims to get answers to the murder and the code. In paper, Extraodinary People (Nov., 14.95), the 1^st Enzo.

Twist Phelan, False Fortune (Sept., hc, 24.95). In the 3^rd Pinnacle Peak mystery, the business attorney gets involved with her sister’s pollution court case. Signed Copies Available. In paper, Spurred Ambition (Sept., 14.95).

Penny Rudolph, Lifeblood (Sept., hc, 24.95). From her apartment atop the LA parking garage she owns, Rachael Chavez discovers two young Hispanic boys in a van. One dies as she gets them to the emergency room and, when she checks on the other the next day, there is no record of the one who lived. Signed Copies Available. In paper, Thicker Than Blood (Sept., 14.95), 1st in the series, and Listen to the Mockingbird (Sept., 14.95), a stand-alone thriller set in 1861 New Mexico, at the start of the Civil War.

In paper

Kate Charles, Secret Sins (Sept., 14.95).

Ruth Dudley Edwards, The Saint Valentine’s Day Murder (Oct., 14.95), the 2^nd Robert Amiss, from 1984.

Mary Ann Evans, Effigies (July, 14.95). Fran recommends.

 

     Rue Morgue

Catherine Aird, The Religious Body (Nov., 14.95). The 1^st of her Det. Insp. Sloan mysteries, from 1966.

Morris Bishop, The Widening Stain (Aug., 14.95). A 1942 comic mystery by a frequent contributor to the New Yorker that is set at an Ivy League library and includes limericks!

Clyde B. Clason, The Dragon’s Cave (Oct., 14.95). Another locked room case, from 1939, with Prof. Westborough.

Gladys Mitchell, Come Away, Death (Sept., 14.95). Set in Greece, the 8th Mrs. Bradley, from 1937.

 

     Stark House – a new distributor has created a delay in these terrific 2-in-1 books, but the price has dropped, too!

Russell James, Underground/Collected Stories (Oct., 14.95). 1^st US appearance for these works, the noir novel Underground from 1989 and a collection of 5 stories. New introduction by James, called the godfather of British noir. Postponed from April.

Bill Pronzini, Snowbound/Games (Nov., 14.95) Two early suspense novels, from 1974 and 1976. Postponed from June.

A Trio of Gold Medals: Vengeance Man by Dan J. Marlowe, Park Avenue Tramp by Fletcher Flora and The Prettiest Girl I Ever Killed by Charles Runyon (Oct., 15.95). Three classic Gold Medal noirs, each a gem but collectively a fine representation of this paperback original publisher from the 50's and 60's. Postponed from Feb.

 

                             Collections

Detroit Noir, EJ Olsen & John C. Hocking eds. (Nov., Akashic tpo, 14.95). Motor City murders, by the likes of Estleman, Holden, Parrish. (also see Special Interest)

Havana Noir, Achy Obejas, ed. (Oct., Akashic tpo, 14.95). All new stories by 19 writers.

Paris Noir, Maxim Jakubowski, ed. (Nov., Serpent’s Tail tpo, 14.95). New stories by writers including Cara Black, Scott Phillips, Sparkle Hayter, John Harvey and many others.

Sisters on the Case, Sara Paretsky, ed. (Oct., Signet pbo, 7.99). A celebration of 25 years of Sisters in Crime with stories by 20 authors, a mix of classic and original stories.

Dead Man’s Hand: Crime Fiction at the Poker Table, Otto Penzler, ed. (Nov., Harcourt hc, 25.00). A royal flush of trouble by names such as Mosley, Connelly, Lippman, Deaver and others.

Many Bloody Returns, Charlaine Harris and Toni L.P. Kelner, eds. (Sept., Ace hc, 24.95). New stories promised to be ‘tales of birthdays with bite’. Contributors include the editors, Jim Butcher, Kelley Armstrong, PN Elrod, Tanya Huff and others.

 

                             Reissues of Note                           

Lawrence Block, Tanner’s Tiger and Tanner’s Virgin (Sept., Harper, 7.99). The 5^th and 6^th of the Evan Tanner series, both first published in 1968. Virgin has also been published as Here Comes a Hero. In Oct., Me Tanner, You Jane and Tanner on Ice (same publisher and price), the 7^th, from 1970, and 8^th, from 1998, the last, so far…

Charles McCarry, Second Sight (Oct., Overlook hc, 25.95). The 5^th Paul Christopher, from 1991. And, finally, back in paperback, The Miernik Dossier (Oct., Overlook, 13.95), the 1^st Paul Christopher. Sandy recommends.

Denise Mina, The Garnethill Trilogy: Garnethill, Exile and Resolution (Sept., Oct., and Nov., Back Bay, 13.99 ea.). The three books follow the events of the murder of Maureen O’Donnell’s former lover, the investigation of the crimes circumstances and the trial of the accused. Her first three books.

Magdalen Nabb, Death of a Dutchman (Nov., Soho, 12.00). The 2^nd of her Marshal Guarnaccia books from 1982.

Randy Wayne White, The Deadlier Sex (Oct., Signet, 6.99). The 4^th Randy Stryker, from 1981.

 

[See also Small Mystery Presses – Rue Morgue and Felony & Mayhem]

 

                             Special Interest                         

Amos Walker’s Detroit, Loren D. Estleman and Monte Hagler (Aug., Wayne State University Press hc, 34.95). A dream project by two friends using passages from Loren’s books to match up with Monte’s 45 photos of actual locales where the Walker books could take place. A Dozen Signed Copies Available!

Jefferson Bass, Beyond the Body Farm (Sept., Morrow hc, 25.95). Dr. Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson, authors of two forensic novels, present true accounts of forensic investigation, science, crime and justice.

Judith Freeman, The Long Embrace: Raymond Chandler and the Woman He Loved (Nov., Pantheon hc, 25.95). A double biography, if not more, examining the Chandlers’ unconventional marriage, who they were and how Cissy, older than Ray and of fragile health, helped make the shy oil company accountant an American literary force. 

The Black Lizard Big Book of Pulps, Otto Penzler, ed. (Nov., Vintage tpo, 25.00). 1024 pages of pulp greatness! Three sections – crimefighters, villains and dames – and stories by everyone you’d expect and a few surprises: Hammett, Chandler, Gardner, Daly, Woolrich, Cain, McCoy, Davis!

The Rejection Collection Vol. 2: The Cream of the Crap, Matthew Diffe, ed. (Nov., Simon Spotlight hc, 22.95). We’re suckers for New Yorker cartoons – especially ones that are “too too” to be published in that august magazine. Judging by the number of copies of the first Rejection Collection that we sold, so are you.

The Encylopedia of Gangsters: A Worldwide Guide to Organized Crime, Michael Newton (Sept., Thunder’s Mouth, tpo, 24.99). A concise history that spans time from the Black Hand to today’s Triads. Includes black & white and color photos.

Wild Tales from the Police Blotter, C.J. Sullivan (Nov., Globe Pequote tpo, 14.95). Strange, funny and mysterious true stories from a New York Post crime reporter.

Harold Schechter, The Devil’s Gentleman: Privilege, Poison and the Trial that Ushered in the Twentieth Century (Sept., Ballantine hc, 25.95). The true crimes of man-about-town Roland Molineux, the sensationalistic trial, scandal and ruin in New York City’s highest society. A tour of the City as it was, from the top of the town to its depths.

100 Must-Read Crime Novels, Richard Shephard and Nick Rennison, eds. (Sept., A&C Black pbo, 9.95). Nifty small book jammed with suggestions of the best crime books ever written.

 

                             Holiday Books                              

M.C. Beaton, Kissing Christmas Goodbye (Oct., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). A wealthy widow warned Agatha Raisin that someone was going to kill her. In the holidays, someone poisoned the widow. Agatha investigates.

Claudia Bishop, A Carol for a Corpse (Nov., Berkley pbo, 6.99). 15^th Hemlock Falls series.

Emily Brightwell, Mrs. Jeffries & the Feast of St. Stephen (Oct., Berkley hc, 22.95). The wealthy host of a yuletide dinner is murdered between courses.

Stella Cameron, A Cold Day in Hell (Nov., Mira pbo, 7.99). It’s nearly the holidays in Pointe Judah, LA but all is not calm. There are two newcomers to town, a man and his son – except it isn’t his son. He’s the orphaned son of a mob boss and a protected witness. Signing.

Candy Cane Murder, Joanne Fluke, Laura Levin, Leslie Meier (Oct., Kensington hc, 16.00). Three holiday novellas with the authors’ series characters.

Chris Graventein, Hell for the Holidays (Nov., Carroll & Graf tp, 14.99). FBI agent Christopher Miller is after a group of domestic terrorists who plot havoc during the holiday season. Seasonal sequel to last year’s Slay Ride (Carroll & Graf, 14.95).

Kate Kingsbury, Shrouds of Holly (Nov., Berkley tpo, 13.00). A new Pennyfoot Hotel holiday mystery.

Shirley Rousseau Murphy, Cat Deck the Halls (Dec., Morrow hc, 24.95). 13^th with Feline PI Joe Grey.

 

 

The Seattle Mystery Bookshop is a member of the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association. Go to killerbooks.org to see a monthly list of books recommended by other mystery booksellers.

 

Mail and phone and e-mail orders for these or any other books are welcome.

 

We special order non-mysteries as well. We can get you all the books you need, no matter what the topic.

 

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. We can send it to them for you, whether you live here or not.

 

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.

 

  

The Seattle Mystery Bookshop Newsletter was composed and produced by the staff.