We’re always tinkering with the layout of the newsletter, trying to organize it so that similar types are together. But it is beginning to feel fractured to us, with too many sections. Let us know how it feels to you.

     And, in case you haven’t heard, we now have a shop blog. You can click to it from our website. On the menu at the left is “Our Blog”. You can read various postings and look through our two photo albums.

 – the Crew

 

 

New from the Northwest

Greg Bear, Quantico (April, Vanguard hc, 24.95). In the next decade, home-grown terrorism has faught law enforcement to a standstill and the graduating FBI class may be the last as the political pressure to win the War On Terror reaches a shrill volume. Three Quantico grads are after a bio-terrorists and the case seems complex beyond their abilities. Something different from the multi-awardwinning, and local, science fiction author. Signing?

Bill Cameron, Lost Dog (April, Midnight Ink tpo, 13.95). Debut from a Portland writer. Peter McKrail is out of work and trying to overcome his kleptomania. When he stumbles upon a body, he lands on the news and becomes a handy patsy for the killers. Signing.

Stella Cameron, Target (April, Mira pbo, 7.99). Nearly 20 years after the mass suicide of a cult, 3 siblings are forced out of hiding in a small bayou town. Signing.

Caroline Carver, Beneath the Snow (April, Orion pbo, 9.99). In the midst of a bad snowstorm in the Alaskan town of Lake’s Edge, a young research scientist vanishes. Her sister flies in from England to help in the search. As soon as she arrives, she becomes aware that her sister was causing problems for some powerful interests. 

Michael Chabon, The Yiddish Policeman’s Union (May, Harper hc, 26.95). Postponed from April ’06: It's an historical fact that FDR proposed that Alaska be the homeland for the Jews instead of Israel, and this mystery takes place in what that Alaska might have been: Det. Meyer Landsman works the case of a heroin-addicted chess prodigy found dead in Meyer's run-down building. Signed Copies Available.

Mary Daheim, The Alpine Scandal (Mar., Ballantine hc, 23.95). A series of obituaries raises flags since they’ve been sent by the “deceased”. Soon he is dead for certain. Signing. In paper, The Alpine Recluse (April, Ballantine, 6.99).

Jo Dereske, Catalogue of Death (April, Avon pbo, 6.99). 10^th with the inquisitive librarian Wilhelmina Zukas. When a blinding blizzard brings Bellehaven to its knees, the disaster is compounded by an explosion at the new library site, killing the library's benefactor, Franklin Harrington.  The surviving Harringtons are more inclined to build pricy condos on the land.  The library director, Miss May Apple Moon, charges Helma to convince the dead man's dysfunctional familly to honor Franklin's wishes. Delving too deeply into Harrington affairs could be fatal to the curious. Signing.

Ashna Graves, Death Pans Out (Mar., Poisoned Pen hc, 24.95). A journalist spends time at her uncle’s Eastern Oregon mine, recovering from surgery. As she gains strength, her reporter’s skills take hold and she’s soon walking around the area, talking to the locals and asking general questions. Someone is clearly not interested in questions being answered.

Nicola Griffith, Always (April, Riverhead hc, 26.95). Aud Torvingen returns! In her third appearance, security expert Aud is teaching a self-defense class and doing an occasional investigation. Her carefully polished emotional walls are wearing and her latest case begins to evolve into something more, something dangerous on many levels. Aud’s first book, Blue Place (Harper,13.95) is on JB’s list for one of the best books of the 1990’s. Nicola is a brilliant writer and Aud is a great and damaged heroine. Signing.

Michael Gruber, The Book of Air and Shadows (April, Morrow hc, 24.95). An intellectual property lawyer is drawn into the dangerous nexus of a murdered Shakespearean scholar, a missing manuscript, a ruinous fire in an antiquarian bookshop and an encrypted map. Signing. In paper, Night of the Jaguar (April, Harper, 7.99), last of the Jimmy Paz trilogy.

Sue Henry, The Refuge (April, NAL hc, 23.95). Off the road and in Hawaii to help a friend pack for a move, Maxie begins to suspect something sinister is going on. Her friend has been whispering into the phone and someone has been trying to break into the house. Signing? In paper, The Tooth of Time (April, Signet, 6.99).

Lisa Jackson, Absolute Fear (April, Kensington hc, 19.95). The institutional chills from Shiver (Mar., Zebra, 7.99) continue their haunting ripple.

Mark Lindquist, The King of Methlehem (May, Simon & Schuster hc, 23.00). Veteran Det. Wyatt James tracks a powerful meth dealer as he moves through drugs’ damaged landscape in the population South of Seattle. A searing crime novel by a former Pierce County prosecutor and life-long Washington State resident. Signing.

Patrick F. McManus, Avalanche (Mar., Simon & Schuster hc, 24.00). An avalanche strands Sheriff Bo Tully at the West Branch Lodge while he’s there about a missing person case. Things get worse when he finds out that an old flame is there without her husband – oh, and there’s a murder, too. Signed Copies Available.

Gregg Olsen, A Wicked Snow (Mar., Pinnacle pbo, 6.99). The local true crime writer and expert on female killers turns to fiction: Hannah Griffin is a CSI investigator who lost her mother 20 years ago in a fire on the family farm. The killer was never found. Now he appears to be back and Hannah gets a chilling message – “Your Mom Called”. Signing.

Liz Osborne, Masquerade (April, 5 Star hc, 25.95). Debut by a local writer. When a Congressman dies in her hospital, Patient Relations Manager Robyn Kelly looks into the circumstances. The politician had many enemies and some of them may be co-workers. Signing.

Amanda Quick, The River Knows (April, Putnam hc, 24.95). Two young Victorians, a man and a woman who couldn’t possibly be attracted to one another, unite to find the secrets of a prominent man who troubles them both. Signing. In paper, Second Sight (April, Jove, 7.99).

Ann Rule, Too Late to Say Goodbye (April, Free Press hc, 26.00). A doctor’s wife in Atlanta is found dead, apparently a suicide by gunshot. Detectives later learn that another woman in the doctor’s past died the same way – also ruled a suicide. Seattle true-crime maven Ann Rule unravels the details. Signing.

E.C. Sheedy, Without A Word (Mar., Brava tpo, 14.00). A woman becomes the guardian of a murdered friend’s daughter. Someone else seeks custody. British Columbia.

 

Now in Paperback

Daniel Kalla, Rage Therapy (May, Forge, 7.99).

Elizabeth Lowell, The Wrong Hostage (May, Avon, 7.99).

John J. Nance, Orbit (April, Pocket, 7.99). JB recommends.

Sharan Newman, Heresy (Mar., Tor, 6.99). 8^th in her medieval France series from 2002, first time in paperback.

 

Mysterious Youth

Ridley Pearson, The Kingdom Keepers: Disneyland After Dark (May, Disney, 8.99).

 

     Coming This Summer

Mary Daheim & the Bed & Breakfast, Aug.

Aaron Elkins & Gideon Oliver, June

J.A. Jance & Beaumont, July

Elizabeth Lowell, Innocent as Sin, June

Ridley Pearson, Killer Weekend, July

Kat Richardson & Harper Blaine, Aug.

 

 

Peter Abrahams, Nerve Damage (Mar., Morrow hc, 24.95). Roy Valois never got over the death of his wife 15 years ago. Now facing his own death, he resolves to solve the mysteries of the helicopter crash that took her from him.

Susan Wittig Albert, Spanish Dagger (April, Berkley hc, 23.95). 15^th China Bayles. In paper, Bleeding Hearts (April, Berkley, 6.99).

Lori Andrews, The Silent Assassin (May, St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). Geneticist Dr. Alexandra Blake is involved in a delicate diplomatic event. US GIs brought home skulls from Viet Nam and the remains are to be turned over at a ceremony in DC. In paper, Sequence (April, St. Martin’s, 6.99). Fran recommends.

David Baldacci, Killer Genius (May, Warner hc, 26.99). Former agents investigate a murder at a retreat for scientific geniuses.

Alex Barclay, Dark House (May, Delacorte hc, 23.00). American debut by a young Irish writer who rose to the top of the UK bestseller lists. After a terribly, bloody end to a case, NYC Det Joe Lucchesi takes his family to Ireland to escape it all. There he is soon drawn into the disappearance of a young woman who had been dating his son.

Linwood Barclay, Stone Rain (May, Bantam pbo, 6.99). 4^th comic mystery with Zach Walker.

Robert Barnard, A Fall from Grace (May, Scribner hc, 24.00). Det. Insp. Charlie Pearce and his wife Felicity are surprised when her father moves to their quiet town. The old man is a notorious braggart who it appears has a thing for younger women. Rumors of scandalous acts give way to rumors of something more criminal. While they don’t like the old geezer, they can’t believe the rumors splash Felicity as well.

Cynthia Baxter, Right from the Gecko (April, Bantam pbo, 6.99). Veterinarian Jessica Popper looks into the death of a reporter at a Hawaiian hotel. 5^th in the series.

Benjamin Black, Christine Falls (Mar., Holt hc, 25.00). First in a series with Dublin pathologist Quirke under a pen name by John Banville. After finding his brother-in-law altering a casefile, Quirke looks closer at the case and begins to suspect tampering with the corpse as well. His reluctant investigation will take him to the secret and well-guarded heights of the Church in Ireland and Boston.

Cara Black, Murder on the Ile Saint-Louis (Mar., Soho hc, 23.00). Parisian PI Aimee Leduc finds herself caring for an abandoned infant as she tries to finish other work. By the time she finds the mother, much violence has taken place and Aimee is taken to the tunnels beneath the Seine. In paper, Murder in Montmartre (Mar., Soho, 12.00), the 6^th in this popular series. Signed Copies Available while they last.

Stephen Booth, The Dead Place (May, Bantam hc, 25.00). The 6^th of his books with DC Ben Cooper and DS Diane Fry to be published in the US. Cooper investigates Derbyshire’s first reported case of bodysnatching while Fry believes a phone prankster is not harmless. Soon they will understand that they’re both dealing with the strange world of those who dispose of the dead.

Rhys Bowen, In Dublin’s Fair City (Mar., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). 5^th with 1903 PI Molly Murphy. In paper, Oh Danny Boy (Mar., St. Martin’s, 6.99).

C.J. Box, Free Fire (May, Putnam hc, 24.95). Having lost his badge, Joe Pickett is mending fences on his father-in-laws ranch when the Governor calls with a favor: a killer recently walked free from four murders committed in a slice of Yellowstone Park that is under the legal jurisdiction of no one. The Governor will return Joe’s badge if he investigates the murder. Sandy HIGHLY recommends. Signing. In paper, In Plain Sight (May, Berkley, 7.99).

Emily Brightwell, Mrs. Jeffries and the Best Laid Plans (May, Berkley pbo, 6.99). 22^nd in this Victorian series with the perceptive housekeeper.

Rita Mae Brown, Puss ‘n Cahoots (Mar., Bantam hc, 25.00). 15^th Mrs. Murphy. In paper, Sour Puss (Mar., Bantam, 7.50).

Ken Bruen, Priest (Mar., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). 5^th with Irish cop Jack Taylor. The beheading of a priest horrifies even the most hardened.  In paper, The Dramatist (Mar., St. Martin’s, 12.95).

Gwendolyn Butler, Dread Murder (April, St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). Maj. Mearns receives a large package. In it are a pair of legs. This is just the first of such deliveries. The Major and Sgt. Denny resolve to find out who has killed a fellow soldier. Author of 31 mysteries with John Coffin. This is the second with Maj. Mearns. The prolific Ms. Butler also wrote as Jennie Melville.

Dorothy Cannell, Withering Heights (April, St. Martin’s hc, 22.95). 12^th Ellie Haskell, whose cousin Ariel asks her to look into some strange goings-on in her Gothic mansion on the Yorkshire moor. Signed Copies Available.

Alexa Carr (aka Jenny Siler!), An Accidental American (Mar., Random House tpo, 9.95).  When a past lover is shown to be a terrorist, a woman living quietly in France is asked to help find him in Lisbon. Not willing to be a snitch and not trusting the US agent who confronts her, she heads to Portugal to find the truth. Violence erupts. Favorite author of Tammy and JB’s.

Lee Child, Bad Luck and Trouble (May, Bantam hc, 26.00). Old friends of Jack Reacher are dying as someone targets those Reacher trusted and worked with most closely. And we know Reacher won’t stand idly by. Year in and year out, Lee’s books are among our top sellers and always on our staff lists of Best of the Year.  Deservedly so since his books are so damn great. Haven’t read him? Better get started! Signing. In paper, The Hard Way (April, Dell, 7.99). All Staff Recommendation!

Laura Childs, Dragonwell Dead (Mar., Berkley hc, 23.95). 8^th in the Tea Shop Mystery. In paper, Blood Orange Brewing (Mar., Berkley, 6.99).

Jill Churchill, The Accidental Florist (Mar., Morrow hc, 23.95). Jane Jeffry’s own wedding is interrupted when someone dies in the self-defense class that the groom requests her to attend. 16^th in the series.

Jane K. Cleland, Deadly Appraisal (April, St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). 2^nd with antiques appraiser Josie Prescott. Signing.

Harlan Coben, The Woods (May, Dutton hc, 26.95). The sister of a New Jersey prosecutor was one of four girls who vanished from a campground 20 years ago. A new murder stirs up the older case as some think the victim could be one of the four. Signed Copies Available. In paper, Promise Me (Mar., Signet, 9.99), his latest Myron.

Max Allan Collins, A Killing in Comics (May, Berkley tpo, 14.00). A mystery novel with illustrations by Terry Beatty. In 1948, ex-burlesque headliner Maggie Starr runs her late husband’s newspaper syndicate. They make a fortune distributing the Wonder Guy comic strip. But the strip’s publisher has been murdered and there is no shortage of suspects for Maggie’s stepson and troubleshooter to investigate. See also Historical.

Nancy Collins, Acts of Violets (Mar., Signet pbo, 6.99). 5^th in the witty flower shop series.

John Connolly, The Unquiet (May, Atria hc, 25.95). PI Charlie Parker is boxed in between his search for a missing psychiatrist who is accused of harming children under his care and a killer focused on revenge for those acts. A third force rears its ugly head – those who want the truth buried at any cost. Signing by a staff favorite.

Susan Rogers Cooper, Vegas Nerve (Mar., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). 8^th with Sheriff Milt Kovak.

David Corbett, Blood of Paradise (Mar., Ballantine tpo, 9.95). In El Salvador, US bodyguard Jude McManus is contacted by his late father’s Chicago PD partner. The man had fled the States years before when mob contacts had been arrested and he now draws on Jude’s feelings for help. Jude thinks he can help and not become involved – but he’s wrong. Signed Copies Available. JB highly recommends this author.

Susan Conant & Jessica Conant-Park, Simmer Down (Mar., Berkley hc, 22.95). Chloe Carter’s boyfriend is set to open a new restaurant in Boston when the owner of a trendy club is bludgeoned to death at the opening.

David Downing, Zoo Station (May, Soho hc, 23.00). In 1939 Berlin, British journalist John Russell has been there for a decade but is reluctant to flee the approaching war and the pall it casts over everything. His investigative pieces might get him deported anyway, but he doesn’t want to leave his son or his starlet girlfriend. Favors he does bring him under the eye of battling intelligence agencies, endangering him further.

Anthony Eglin, The Amazon Lily (April, St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). 3^rd in the English Garden mystery series. In paper, The Lost Garden (Mar., St. Martin’s, 6.99).

Loren D. Estleman, American Detective (April, Forge hc, 24.95). 19^th Amos Walker, the best US private eye series currently being written. A request from a former Tigers pitcher sends Walker into a police stakeout and then into a case of loan sharks, casino owners, crooked cops and murder. Signed Copies Available.

Jessica Fletcher & Donald Bain, Coffee, Tea or Murder? (April, Signet pbo, 6.99). The in-joke here is that Bain was the actual author of Coffee, Tea or Me?, the stewardess book from the ‘60s.

Joanne Fluke, Key Lime Pie Murder (Mar., Kensington hc, 22.00). 9^th culinary mystery with Hannah Swensen. Signing. In paper, Cherry Cheesecake Murder (Feb., Kensington, 6.99).

Christopher Fowler, White Corridor (May, Bantam hc, 24.00). 5^th in the quirky puzzles of Arthur Bryant and John May, investigators for London’s Peculiar Crimes Unit. On their way to a Spiritualists convention, the pair are stranded by a blizzard. They quickly come to realize that a killer is amongst the other motorists.

Earlene Fowler, Tumbling Blocks (May, Berkley hc, 24.95). 13^th in the quilting series with Bennie Harper. In paper, The Saddlemaker’s Wife (May, Berkley, 7.99).

Stephen Frey, The Fourth Order (May, Ballantine hc, 24.95). The CFO of a DC energy company unwittingly steps into a noose when he pursues the takeover of a global information company that is being used by various intelligence agencies as a pawn.

Shelley Freydont, The Sudoku Murder (May, Carroll & Graf hc, 24.95). The head of a puzzle museum is found murdered. A member of the Institute of Theoretical Mathematics and a master puzzle-solver, Katie McDonald has returned to her New Hampshire hometown and finds herself the new proprietor of the museum. The dead man was her mentor and she resolves to crack this case.

Mark Frost, The Second Objective (May, Hyperion hc, 24.95). Based on historical fact: As WWII winds to a close, Nazi commando Otto Skorzeny – the man who rescued Mussolini – is sent on a mission with two points: the first is that a group of German soldiers will land behind Allied lines, pass themselves off as Americans and cause chaos; the second is more secret, and more sinister.

Christine Goff, Death Shoots a Birdie (Mar., Berkley pbo, 7.99). 5^th in this bird watching mystery series.

Lee Goldberg, Diagnosis Murder: The Last Word (May, Signet pbo, 6.99). 8^th novel based on the popular TV show.

Jane Haddam, Glass Houses (April, St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). 22^nd with the retired head of the FBI’s Behavioral Sciences Unit Gregor Demarkian.

James W. Hall, Magic City (Mar., St. Martin’s hc, 24.95, Signed Copies 25.95). In 1964, a B&W photo was taken during a prize fight in Miami. Something shown in that photo is leading to murders in today’s Florida and when those crimes come near Thorn, a price will be exacted. How could something so simple, a picture that is 40 years old, cause so much pain and bloodshed? Thorn will find out. A favorite writer, and person, of JB and Tammy’s.

Lyn Hamilton, The Chinese Alchemist (April, Berkley hc, 23.95). 11^th with antiques dealer Lara McClintoch who is working to find an 8^th C. Tang Dynasty box rumored to hold an alchemist’s recipe.

Charlaine Harris, All Together Dead (May, Ace hc, 24.95). In her 7th book, Louisiana’s Sookie Stackhouse is dealing with a new man – he’s a handful, being a shape-shifter, you know – as well as a planned vampire summit. Signing? An HBO series based on these books is set to air next Fall/Winter. In paper, Definitely Dead (April, Ace, 7.99), Sookie. Also in paper, Sweet and Deadly (Mar., Berkley, 7.99). The author’s first book from 1980, about a murder in a small town and the local reporter who is caught up in the investigation.

Carolyn Hart, Set Sail for Murder (April, Morrow hc, 23.95). Henrie O returns for her 7^th adventure. In paper, Dead Days of Summer (April, Avon, 6.99).

Honor Hartman, On the Slam (May, Signet pbo, 6.99). 1^st in a new series of Bridge Club mysteries by an ‘established mystery author’ who lives in Houston where this series is set.

Richard Hawke, Cold Day in Hell (Mar., Random House hc, 24.95). A media circus surrounds the trial of a TV personality accused of murdering two women. When a third is attacked across the street from where his girlfriend lives, NYC PI Fritz Malone becomes involved. In paper, Speak of the Devil, the 1^st Fritz (Feb., Ballantine, 7.99), by this pseudonym of Tim Cockey.

Vicki Hendricks, Cruel Poetry (May, Serpent’s Tail tpo, 14.95). Two people are infatuated with Renata, a stunning young woman who has sex for money and thrills. One is a professor who is endangering his career and marriage, the other is a young writer who spies on Renata from her room next door. Both want to be Renata’s one true love and, in Vicki’s Noir World, you know it will end badly for them all. Signing. A reissue of note: Miami Purity (Busted Flush, 15.00). A staff all-time favorite from 1995, a steamy, erotic thriller that will forever change how you view drycleaners. A modern noir classic.

Joan Hess, Damsels in Distress (April, St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). 16^th with Arkansas bookseller Claire Malloy. Signed Copies Available.

Reginald Hill, Death Comes for the Fat Man (Mar., Harper hc, 24.95). Critically injured in a blast, Dalziel lies in a hospital bed. DCI Pascoe launches a hunt for those responsible. Clues point to a shadowy group called The Templars, and he begins to suspect that they’re getting help from his department. 24^th in this popular series. Signed Copies Available.

Susan Hill, The Various Haunts of Men (April, Overlook hc, 24.95). A woman vanishes into fog on a hill known for its tranquility. The police are not alarmed. But then others disappear on the hill – a young girl, an old man, and a dog – and the coppers must act. Something is terribly wrong in this quiet cathedral town. First in a new series with DCI Simon Serrailler by a much-awarded writer.

Tami Hoag, The Alibi Man (April, Bantam hc, 26.00). Trouble finds a former narcotics detective when she discovers the body of a co-worker. Ties lead the case to the Russian Mob. In paper, Prior Bad Acts (Mar., Bantam, 7.99).

David Housewright, Dead Boyfriends (May, St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). 4^th with unlicensed PI Rushmore McKenzie.

Roberta Isleib, Deadly Advice (Mar., Berkley pbo, 6.99). Author of the golf mystery series begins a new series: Dr. Rebecca Butterman is a psychologist and writes an online advice column. She investigates when a neighbor is said to have committed suicide.

Craig Johnson, Kindness Goes Unpunished (Mar., Viking hc, 23.95). Traveling to Philadelphia with his friend Henry Standing Bear, Wyoming Sheriff Walt Longmire hunts for those who attacked his daughter, a lawyer who had been caught up in political shenanigans. Signed Copies Available. In paper, Death Without Company (Mar., Penguin, 14.00).

Marshall Karp Blood Thirsty, (Mar.,Macadam Cage hc, 26.00).

This hilariously dark sequel to The Rabbit Factory reminded me of the early wise-cracking dialogue of Robert Crais. Barry Gerber, a hated and powerful man in Hollywood has been found ‘exsanguished’ and left in a garbage can, effectively dashing the hopes of Detectives Lomax and Biggs dreams to have their big case made into a movie. Det. Lomax's father, Big Jim Lomax, is an old-time Hollywood teamster who's meddling almost foils their chances of solving the murders that continue to eliminate Hollywood bad boys. Lomax and Biggs have to navigate their way through Tinseltown secrets and double-crosses to get to the bottom of the murders.

Signing? Tammy HIGHLY recommends.

Jonathan Kellerman, Obsession (April, Ballantine hc, 26.95). 15 years ago, Dr. Alex Delaware helped a young girl who was abandoned by her mother and raised by her aunt. She’s become haunted by her aunt’s final words, words that could be taken as a deathbed confession of murder. In paper, Gone (April, Ballantine, 7.99). Gretchen recommends.

Jerry Kennealy, Jigsaw (April, St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). Start of a new series by the author of the Nick Polo mysteries. Entertainment critic Carroll Quint is the only connection between three murders. All were friends of his and the killer has been e-mailing him clues from old Hitchcock movies that point to the next victim. A thoroughly Hollywood story – Quint’s mother, a former starlet, helps with clues of her own.

Matthew Klein, Con Ed (Mar., Warner hc, 23.99). Once one of the planet’s greatest con men, Kip Largo is out of prison and trying to live legally. A beautiful woman approaches him to get money out of her billionaire husband because she won’t get anything out of him in a divorce. Kip declines. But when his son informs him that he’s in hock to the Russian Mob and needs Kips help, the woman’s offer takes on a different luster. Signed Copies Available.

Mary Kruger, Knit Fast, Die Young (May, Pocket pbo, 6.99). 2^nd mystery with yarn shop owner Ariadne Evans, set in a cozy Massachusetts town.

Victoria Laurie, What’s a Ghoul to Do? (April, Signet pbo, 6.99). First in a new series with ghost hunter M.J. Holliday.

Joyce and Jim Lavene, Poisoned Petals (May, Berkley pbo, 6.99). 3^rd garden mystery.

Marc Lecard, Vinnie’s Head (Mar., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). Johnnie LoDuco is such a small-time hood that it is amazing anyone knows who he is. He and his childhood buddy Vinnie McClusky-Schmidt pull off a lucrative credit card scam and think they’re set for life. But fishing one day, Johnnie snags his chum’s head and things go downhill from there. Eveyone is after him and Vinnie’s head. Too bad Johnnie can’t quite remember which cooler he stashed it in… Debut, dark laughs.

Elmore Leonard, Up in Honey’s Room (May, Morrow hc, 25.95). US Marshall Carl Webster – The Hot Kid (Harper, 9.99) – returns, hunting an escaped Nazi prisoner of war. Unknown to him, he’s stumbled into a nest of the bad guys operating in Detroit. If that wasn’t enough, the wife of one of them has taken a shine to him. In paper, The Complete Western Stories of Elmore Leonard (May, Harper, 15.95).

Laura Lippman, What the Dead Know (Mar., Morrow hc, 24.95). Stand-alone thriller about a woman claiming to be one of the

girls who were kidnapped 20 years ago but never found. DNA test disprove it but she knows things only one of the girls

would know. Signed Copies Available. In paper, No Good Deeds (Mar., Harper, 7.99). Tess Monaghan.

Lisa Lutz, The Spellman Files (Mar., Simon & Schuster hc, 25.00). Debut comic private eye novel about a young woman, Izzy Spellman, who works in her odd-ball family’s investigation business. The publisher promotes this as “if Nancy Drew went to work for the Royal Tenenbaums”.

Nancy Martin, A Crazy Little Thing Called Death (Mar., NAL hc, 21.95). 6^TH with the sophisticated snoops, the Blackbird Sisters. Signing. In paper, Have Your Cake and Kill Him Too (Mar., Signet, 6.99).

Chris McKinney, The Tattoo (April, Soho tpo, 14.00). A new arrival in a Hawaiian prison looks to be a tough-case to his cellmate, the prison tattoo artist. The new guy asks for a tattoo and tells his life story as the book and the inking unfold. It is a hard journey through the Hawaiian-Korean underworld and the young man’s pride is his own downfall. “Life in Hawaii, sunny side down.”

Adrian McKinty, The Bloomsday Dead (Mar., Scribner hc, 24.00). End of the Dead trilogy: Michael Forsythe is held at gunpoint by goons while taking a phone call: back in Dublin, Bridget’s daughter has been kidnapped and, unless he agrees to come back to look for her, the goons will shoot.

Neil McMahon, Lone Creek (April, Harper hc, 24.95). A hand on a Montana ranch discovers the buried carcasses of two horses. He’s always felt that something was odd about the new owners of the spread and this just adds to his suspicions. Signing?

Mark Mills, The Savage Garden (May, Putnam hc, 24.95). A Cambridge scholar is assigned to write about a famed Italian garden. While there, he begins to suspect that the garden’s design is meant to point to the means and motive of a murder.

David Morrell, Scavenger (Mar., Vanguard hc, 24.95). A powerful and evil figure, the Game Master, sends Frank Balenger (Creeper, CDS, 7.99) on a high-tech scavenger hunt for a century old time capsule. Failure means death for someone important to Frank.

Shirley Rousseau Murphy, Cat Pay the Devil (Mar., Morrow hc, 24.95). 12^th Joe Grey mystery.

Tim Myers, A Mold for Murder (April, Berkley pbo, 6.99). 3^rd in the soap making series.

Linda Palmer, Diss of Death (May, Berkley pbo, 7.99). 4^th with soap writer Morgan Typer.

T. Jefferson Parker, Storm Runners (Mar., Morrow hc, 25.95). Matt Stromsoe hit bottom after an explosion that was meant for him killed his family. His life reassembled, he’s got a job with a friend’s private security firm. Hired to protect a local TV personality, he discovers that her private life is the source of the problem. Recommended by Janine.

James Patterson, The 6^th Nanny (May, Little Brown hc, 27.99). The Women’s Murder Club, co-written with Maxine Paetro.

Joanne Pence, The Da Vinci Cook (Mar., Avon pbo, 6.99). 14^th culinary mystery with chef and sleuth Angie Amalfi.

Cathy Pickens, Hog Wild (Mar., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). 3^rd with South Carolina attorney Avery Andrews.

Ann Purser, Secrets on Saturday (April, Berkley pbo, 6.99). Lois is cleaning a house that a newcomer is claiming to have inherited. The problem is the previous owner was known to not have relatives.

Ian Rankin, The Naming of the Dead (April, Little Brown hc, 24.99). Rebus is being kept far from a international conference

of leaders by his superiors. While manning a small Edinburgh station, he’s called to a castle where someone has fallen to their death. Was it an accident, a suicide? Whatever it was, those guarding he delegates want it kept quiet. Signing.

Ben Rehder, Gun Shy (May, St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). 5^th comic mystery set in Blanco County, TX.

J.D. Rhoades, Safe and Sound (April, St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). 3^rd with Carolina bounty hunter Jack Keller. A young girl is missing and her father has gone AWOL from the elite Delta Force center. Is the father involved or after the kidnapper himself? Janine recommends this series.

David Rosenfelt, Play Dead (May, Warner hc, 24.99). In his 6^th book, New Jersey attorney and wiseacre, Andy Carpenter

saves a yellow lab from death and ends up trying to re-open a murder case in which he’ll have to call the dog into court as a

witness. In paper, Dead Center (May, Warner, 6.99). A wonderful, funny series.

John Sandford, Invisible Prey (May, Putnam hc, 26.95). Lucas Davenport’s suspicions are aroused by the murders of two

women in a wealthy neighborhood. Little was taken to justify

killing the women, but there must be something else – and the something else is waiting and expecting him.

Jonathan Santlofer, Anatomy of Fear (April, Morrow hc, 24.95). A successful NYC Police artist seems to run into his evil doppelganger – a killer draftsman. Before the cop can get closer, the killer begins to turn his fellow cops against him.

Stephen Santogrossi, A Stranger Lies There (April, St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). Winner of the St. Martin’s Press/Malice Domestic First Novel Award. The body of a young man on a couple’s lawn has them puzzled until they look back twenty years to when the woman was an addict and the man put someone in prison with his testimony. Is that man now out and after revenge? But who is the dead man on the grass?

Michele Scott, Silenced by Syrah (Mar., Berkley pbo, 6.99). 3^rd Wine Lover’s mystery.

Lisa Scottoline, Daddy’s Girl (Mar., Harper hc, 25.95). At a prison riot, law professor Natalie Greco hears the last words of a dying inmate. Her carefully balanced and safe life will vanish as others vie to find out those last words. Signed Copies Available.

Maggie Sefton, A Killer Stitch (May, Berkley hc, 21.95). 4^th in the popular knitting series and 1^st to be published in hardcover. 

Barbara Seranella, Deadman’s Switch (April, St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). Sadly, her last book. Charlotte Lyon has built a lucrative career in “crisis management”. Her latest case is to help a rail company whose derailment killed the engineer and a movie celebrity. She’s just the gal for the job.

Gerald Seymour, Rat Run (Mar., Overlook hc, 24.95). The London drug world sees new pressures: a soldier stripped of his ranks by charges of cowardice seeks justice for an elderly woman attacked by addicts and the drug lord is asked to smuggle a terrorist into the country by his Mid-East contacts. In paper, Traitor’s Kiss (Mar., Overlook, 13.95). Janine recommends this author.

Sarah Shaber, Shell Game (Mar., St. Martin’s hc, 22.95). 5^th with author and forensic historian Simon Shaw.

Rick Shefchik, Amen Corner (Mar., Poisoned Pen hc, 24.95). While on medical leave from the Minneapolis police, Sam Skarda arrives at the Masters to find one of the rules committee members has been murdered. Troubles pile on and the Augusta club asks Skarda to work the case to protect the club’s privacy.

Mitch Silver, In Secret Service (May, Touchstone hc, 25.00). Debut thriller. A woman travels to Scotland to take possession of her dead grandfather’s deposit box. All it contains is an unpublished manuscript from Ian Fleming detailing his WWII espionage exploits. Though more than half a century old, someone still wants to kill to keep his secrets.

Denise Swanson, Murder of a Botoxed Blonde (April, Signet pbo, 6.99). 9^th with Scumble River school psychologist Skye Denison.

William G. Tapply, Gray Ghost (Mar., St. Martin’s, 23.95). 2^nd with Stoney Calhoun, angler and amnesiac.

Heather Terrell, The Chrysalis (May, Ballantine hc, 21.95). Mara Coyne is a Manhattan lawyer defending a major auction house against charges of selling Nazi art. The piece in question has a violent past and has caused numerous lives much damage. Debut novel of international intrigue and art history. 

Aimee & David Thurlo, Turquoise Girl (April, Forge hc, 23.95). Ella Clah.

Elaine Viets, Murder with Reservations (May, NAL hc, 21.95). 6^th in the Dead-End Job series.

Jill Paton Walsh, The Bad Quarto (Mar., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). 4^th with the inquisitive college nurse Imogen Quy. An on-campus death has Shakespearean ties.

Heather Webber, Trouble in Bloom (May, Avon pbo, 6.99). 4^th with garden landscaper Nina Quinn.

Donald E. Westlake, What’s So Funny? (April, Warner hc, 24.99). Dortmunder and his gang are on the trail of a priceless chess set, a jewel encrusted gift from the last Csar.

Randy Wayne White, Hunter’s Moon (Mar., Putnam hc, 24.95). Saving a former US President from assassination has huge repercussions for Doc Ford. Signed Copies Available. In paper, Dark Light (Mar., Berkley, 7.99). And a reissue of note: Cuban Death-Lift (April, Signet, 6.99). 3^rd of the Randy Stryker reissues, this Dusky MacMorgan was originally published in 1981.

Stephen White, Dry Ice (Mar., Dutton hc, 25.95). In his 15^th mystery, psychologist Alan Gregory faces someone from his past – the diabolical killer whom he helped to jail in the first book, Priviledged Information (1991). The man has escaped and seeks revenge. In paper, Kill Me (Mar., Signet, 9.99).

Stuart Woods, Fresh Disasters (April, Putnam hc, 25.95). 13^th Stone Barrington.

 

Now in Paperback

Matilde Asnesi, The Last Cato (April, Harper, 13.95). Fran recommends.

Ace Atkins, White Shadows (April, Berkley, 7.99).

James O. Born, Escape Clause (Mar., Berkley, 7.99).

Barbara Cleverly, The Bee’s Kiss (Mar., Delta, 13.00).

Jeffery Deaver, The Cold Moon (May, Pocket, 9.99). Rhyme.

Tim Dorsey, The Big Bamboo (April, Harper, 7.99). Tammy recommends.

Carole Nelson Douglas, Cat in a Quicksilver Caper (April, Forge, 6.99).

John Dunning, The Bookwoman’s Last Fling (Mar., Pocket, 9.99).

Robert Greer, Resurrecting Langston Blue (May, Frog Ltd., 13.95).

Martha Grimes, The Old Wine Shades (Mar., Signet, 9.99). Jury.

Denise Hamilton, Prisoner of Memory (Mar., Pocket, 7.99).

Lauren K. Hamilton, Dance Macabre (April, Jove, 7.99). Anita Blake.

Joshlyn Jackson, Between, Georgia  (May, Warner, 13.99).

Staff recommends.

Alex Kava, A Necessary Evil (April, Mira, 7.99).

Gayle Lynds, The Last Spymaster (Mar., St. Martin’s, 6.99).

Tucker Malarkey, Resurrection (April, Riverhead, 14.00) Fran recommends.

Claire Matturro, Bone Valley (May, Avon, 6.99).

G.A. McKevitt, Corpse Suzette (April, Kensington, 6.99).

Robert B. Parker, Sea Change (Mar., Berkley, 9.99) Stone.

Marisha Pessl, Special Topics in Calamity Physics (May, Penguin, 15.00) Named by the NY Times as one of the 10 Best Books of 2006.

Elizabeth Peters, Tomb of the Golden Bird (April, Harper, 9.99).

Michael Robotham, Lost (May, Vintage, 13.95). Janine recommends.

Peter Robinson, Piece of My Heart (May, Harper, 7.99).

James Sallis, Cripple Creek (April, Walker, 12.95).

Javier Sierra, The Secret Supper (Mar., Washington Square Press, 14.00) Fran recommends.

Robert K. Tannenbaum, Counterplay (May, Pocket, 9.99).

Barbara Vine, The Minotaur (Mar., Vintage, 13.95).

 

     Coming this Summer

James Lee Burke & Dave Robicheaux, July

Jeffery Deaver, The Sleeping Doll, June

Barry Eisler & John Rain, June

Jasper Fforde & Thursday Next, Aug.

Timothy Hallinan, A Nail Through the Heart, July

Stephen Hunter & Bob Lee Swagger, Sept.

Jeff Lindsey & Dexter, Aug.

Peter Lovesey & Insp. Diamond, June

Margaret Maron & Judge Knott, July

Marcia Muller & Sharon McCone, July

Robert B. Parker & Sunny Randall, June

Thomas Perry, Silence, July

Preston & Child & Pendergast, Aug.

Kathy Reichs & Tempe Brennan, Aug.

Daniel Silva & Gabriel Alon, July

 

 

We’re going to try something different this issue and put all of the new historical mysteries, no matter what period or where the author lives, into one section. The exceptions are that these will not be from Pacific Northwest authors and will not be reissues. Let us know if you like it.

 

Susanne Alleyn, A Treasury of Regrets (April, St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). Set during the French Revolution, Aristide Ravel is a freelance investigator for the Paris police. He’s sure that a young servant is innocent of poisoning her employer.

Sarah D’Almeida, The Musketeer’s Seamstress (April, Berkley pbo, 6.99). 2^nd with the quartet of criminologists.

Lindsey Davis, Saturnalia (May, St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). 18^th with Marcus Didius Falco. In paper, See Delphi and Die  (May, St. Martin’s, 6.99). A favorite series of Fran and Janine.

Ruth Downie, Medicus (Mar., Bloomsbury hc, 23.95). A burned-out Roman Army doctor seeks a new start at the edge of the Empire. Once in Brittania, he finds life far from refreshing. The hours are grueling and he’s drawn into a string of murders that leave him wondering just who the barbarians are – the subjects on this godforsaken island or his fellow Romans.

Kathy Lynn Emerson, No Mortal Reason (April, Pemberley Press tpo, 17.95). 3^rd with 19^th Century reporter Diana Spalding who follows a story to Saratoga Springs.

Alan Gordon, The Lark’s Lament (May, St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). In 1204, the Fool’s Guild is underground, having been banned by the Pope. A former member of the guild is now the abbot at a monastery and he agrees to help intercede with the Pope if two fools who seek his help can solve a murder that took place in the librarium.

Kerry Greenwood, The Green Mill Murder (April, Poisoned Pen hc, 24.95). The 4^th in the Phryne Fisher series set in Australia during the flapper era. In paper, Cocaine Blues, the 1^st in the series, published in ’91, and Urn Burial, the 8^th from ‘96 (April, Poisoned Pen, 14.95 ea.). Signing this Fall!

Susanna Gregory, Blood on the Strand (May, Trafalgar hc, 24.95). 2^nd in Restoration England with Thomas Chaloner who serves the Crown as an intelligence spy. 

Michael Jecks, The Noble Outlaw (May, Trafalgar hc, 24.95). In his 11th case, Crowner John is called in when remains are found in a school that is being renovated. The victim is identified as the treasurer of a guild with ties to powerful people. In paper, The Elixir of Death (Mar., Trafalgar, 7.99).

R.N. Morris, The Gentle Axe (Mar., Viking hc, 24.95). In December of 1867, St. Petersburg policeman Porfiry Petrovich deals with his most perplexing murder investigation. Worse, it seems to be somehow related to the case novelized as Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky.

Anne Perry, At Some Disputed Barricade and We Shall Not Sleep (Mar., and April, Ballantine hcs, 21.95 ea.). The 4^th and 5^th in her WWI series with the Reavley family comes to an end, as does the war. In paper, Dark Assassin (Mar., Ballantine, 7.99), the 15^th with Insp. Monk.

Joel Rose, The Blackest Bird (Mar., Norton hc, 24.95). Summer in 1841 NYC is suffocating. Three murders take place: that of tobacco shop girl Mary Rogers, the slaying of a publisher, and the murders of an Irish gang leader’s family – and the city’s first detective, Jacob Hays, is put in charge of solving them. He’ll spend a decade on it and look for clues in grave robbings, gang wars and the poems of Poe.

Rosemary Rowe, A Coin for the Ferryman (April, Trafalgar hc, 24.95). 9^th set in Roman Britain with former slave and amateur sleuth Libertus. In paper, A Roman Ransom (April, Trafalgar, 9.99).

C.J. Sansom, Sovereign (April, Viking hc, 25.95). In his 3^rd book with legal troubleshooter Matthew Shardlake for Henry VIII is deep into it; a plot against the crown has been exposed and the King has given Shardlake the job of protecting one of the conspirators. P.D. James has listed Sansom as being a favorite author.

Steven Saylor, Roma (Mar., St. Martin’s hc, 25.95). If you’ve been wondering where Saylor has been, here it is: in 709 pages, the epic history of Rome, from its beginning as a trade-route camp to the glory of the Empire. This is not a mystery, but a complex novel of triumph and tragedies.

Boris Starling, Visibility (Mar., Dutton hc, 25.95). Having left MI5 for Scotland Yard, Det. Herbert Smith believes he’s left the Cold War maneuvering of 1950s London for the simple life of a copper. His first case takes him back to familiar territory: he’s called to the drowning of a biochemist who, hours earlier, made important claims.

 

 

                          From Overseas

 

Grace Brophy, The Last Enemy (May, Soho hc, 23.00). In the heated world of post-war Italy, a young American woman comes to live with aristocratic relatives. When she’s murdered during Holy Week, Commissario Alessandro Cenni is pressured to accept an easy scapegoat as the killer. The relatives are plugged into Fascist political circles and no one wants him to follow the clues. First in a projected series.

Andrea Camilleri, The Patience of the Spider (May, Penguin tpo, 13.00). Insp. Montalbano is faced with his toughest foe – himself. To solve his latest case, he must overcome his own limitations.

Ottavio Cappellani, Who is Lou Sciortino? (May, FSG tpo, 13.00). A US born mobster, Lou has been working for the family by cleaning money through the movies biz. A white-collar guy, he’s sent to Sicily when a war breaks out  between families. His Catalina relatives are not as ‘professional’ as the gang back home in NYC, so Lou is quickly put in control when a cop is killed. And things go downhill from there. Capo comedy from The Old Country. Debut novel by a noted Italian columnist.

Massimo Carlotto, The Master of Knots (April, Orion pbo, 8.99). 2^nd with ex-con turned PI Alligator. He’s asked to look into the kidnapping of a woman. The couple led a double-life, being involved with Italy’s S&M underground. The man seems as concerned about his position and job as he is about his wife’s safety.

Daniel Chavarria, Tango for a Torturer (April, Akashic tpo, 15.95). While visiting Havana, a former Argentine revolutionary finds the Uruguayan officer who tortured him. While he plots revenge, he begins to see how the Cuban capital is a lush and erotic haven for tourists and devils. An Edgar winning writer who has also won the Hammett Award.

Lief Davidsen, The Serbian Dane (April, Arcadia hc, 24.95). Iranian mullahs put out a fatwa on an internationally respected author. As she’s due in Denmark for a conference, their security service is put on alert. A good thing, too, as a Serbian man aims to collect the reward for her death.

Inger Frimansson, Good Night, My Darling, translated from the Swedish by Laura Wideburg  (April, Pleasure Boat Studios tpo, $ 16.00) Justine is a wealthy woman in her forties, living alone in a big house full of troubled memories of a tortured childhood. Now the memories come back to haunt Justine, but she is prepared. It is time for Justine to take revenge on everyone who has done her wrong. First published in 1998.

Hakan Nesser, The Return (Mar., Pantheon hc, 22.95). 2^nd book by this multi-award winning author to be translated into English. In hospital, recovering from surgery, Chief Insp. Van Veeteren thinks over a peculiar case: a body was found in ditch, wrapped in a rug. It was missing hands, feet and head. Not only does he not know who the killer is, he doesn’t know who the victim is either. Borkman’s Point (Mar., Vintage, 12.95) won the 1994 Swedish Crime Writers Academy Prize for Best Novel. Signing in May!

Eugenio Fuentes, The Depth of the Forest (May, Arcadia tpo, 14.95). A number of ugly events have happened in a remote Spanish nature preserve. Two female hikers have been murdered and a ranger was shot point-blank, and the forest is impenetrable and a difficult place to investigate. AND The Blood of Angels (May, Arcadia tpo, 16.95). A man puts an old gun into a safe but it is used to kill a teacher at his daughter’s school. 

Juan Gomez-Jurado, God’s Spy (April, Dutton hc, 24.95). At the Vatican, the Pope has died and, days later, a cardinal is found murdered in a grisly fashion. Rome Insp. Paola Dicanti soon learns it is not the first such murder. Teaming with a US priest who has US Army intelligence experience, they find themselves in a maze of intrigue. A European bestseller.

Matti Joensuu, The Priest of Evil (April, Arcadia hc, 24.95). Det. Sgt. Timo Harjunpaa of the Helsinki Violent Crimes Unit investigates a series of deaths in the local subway system. There are no witnesses and the video cameras show nothing useful.

Gene Kerrigan, The Midnight Choir (April, Europa tpo, 14.95). Contemporary Dublin is a new world for its criminals and its cops and everyone is trying to figure out the new rules as it roils with sophisticated moral dilemmas.

Natsuo Kirino, Grotesque (Mar., Knopf hc, 24.95). 2^nd book by this multi-award winning author to be translated into English. Two women are murdered. The sister of one of them reviews their lives, searching for answers as to how they became prostitutes and what lead them to their early graves. An interconnected tale of beauty, sex and violence in the lives of these three Japanese women. Her first book to be translated, Out (Vintage, 12.95, recommended by Fran) was an Edgar Award Nominee.

Donna Leon, Suffer the Little Children (May, Atlantic Monthly hc, 24.00). Brunetti deals with an attack on a pediatrician, the abduction of the doctor’s young son, infertility desperation and a pharmacy scam. In paper, Through a Glass Darkly (April, Penguin, 7.99).

Carlo Lucarelli, The Damned Season (May, Europa tpo, 14.95). 2^nd in his De Luca Trilogy. In 1946 Italy, the war is over but old wounds are fresh. De Luca is pressured into investigating a string of murders and becomes a pawn in political power-plays.

Alexander McCall Smith, The Good Husband of Zebra Drive (April, Pantheon hc, 21.95). 8^th in the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series. In paper, Blue Shoes and Happiness (Mar., Anchor, 12.95).

Jan Costin Wagner, Ice Moon (May, Harcourt hc, 25.00). Det. Joentaa returns to work just a week after losing his wife. Though distraught, he investigates the death of a woman who was smothered in her sleep. The death of these two women, so close together, obsesses him. During the Summer in Finland, the days are long and unnerving.

Passport to Crime, Janet Hutchings, ed. (Mar., Carroll & Graf tpo, 16.95). “The Finest Mystery Stories from International Crime Writers”, 26 in all, selected from the Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine.

 

From England

Kate Charles, Secret Sins (Mar., Poisoned Pen hc, 24.95). 2^nd with curate Callie Anson. In paper, Evil Intent (Mar., Poisoned Pen, 14.95), the first with Callie.

Vena Cork, Green Eye (April, Trafalgar hc, 24.95). Rosa Thorn is at Cambridge to film a documentary and to see her son. There have been many bad things going on and she’s drawn into the efforts to keep the peace. In paper, The Art of Dying (Mar., Trafalgar pbo, 8.99), the 2^nd in the series.  

Maureen Duffy, Alchemy (Mar., Trafalgar pbo, 13.95). From 2004, first release in the US: Jade Green has a strange legal case. A university professor is accused of Satanism and a 17^th Century manuscript has been stolen from his briefcase. The manuscript dealt with a young woman accused of witchcraft and that old story is echoing in the present.

Ruth Dudley Edwards, Murdering Americans (April, Poisoned Pen hc, 24.95). 11^th in the Robert Amiss and Baroness Troutbeck series. Jumping at the chance to leave the little people behind in her native England, the Baroness accepts the post of Visiting Professor at an American campus. How will she fare in Indiana, for god’s sake? In paper, Martricide at St. Martha’s and Murder in a Cathedral (Feb., Poisoned Pen, 14.95 ea.), the 5^th and 7^th in the series.

Tana French, In the Woods (May, Viking hc, 24.95). 20 years ago, three children didn’t come when called. One boy was found, terrified, in blood-filled sneakers. Now a cop in Dublin, a new case is strikingly similar to the one he survived long ago. 

Arlene Hunt – three from an author new to us: Vicious Hunt (Mar., Trafalgar pbo, 8.99). A professional dominatrix has crossed the wrong man at a time when prostitutes are being murdered, the cops believe she could be on the list; False Intentions (April, Trafalgar pbo, 8.99). Two rookie Dublin cops investigate when a couple of citizens disappear after a drug haul washes up on a beach; Black Sheep (May, Trafalgar pbo, 8.99). John Quigley and Sarah Kenny – the rookies – return to look at separate crimes that can’t possibly be connected, but you know they are.

Graham Hurley, blood and honey (Mar., Trafalgar pbo, 8.99). In his 6^th book, DI Joe Faraday investigates a body that can’t be identified – it is found beneath the cliffs at the Isle of Wight without a head.

Edward Marston, The Painted Lady (April, Allison & Busby hc, 25.95). In the late 1600s, the young Lady Culthorpe is celebrated as one of the most desirable women around. When her staid husband is murdered, there is no shortage of suspects, as any number of men sought her attentions. 7^th in the series with architect Christopher Redmayne. In paper, The Parliament House (April, Allison & Busby, 9.95), the 6^th.

Phil Rickman, The Remains of an Alter (April, Trafalgar hc, 24.95). 8^th in the occult mystery series with Reverend Merrily Watkins. An investigation of strange road accidents leads Merrily into a odd nexus of developers and mobsters.

Rebecca Stott, Ghostwalk (May, Spiegel & Grau hc, 24.95). Debut novel by a noted historian based on – and purported to solve – historical mysteries. A series of deaths opened the way for Isaac Newton to be appointed to a fellowship at Trinity College (true) and history and science would be forever changed (true too). The novel begins when a scholar is found drowned, a prism in her hand, her opus on Newton’s experiments in alchemy unfinished. Another scholar steps in to finish the book and strange and menacing events occur.

June Thomson, Going Home (Mar., Allison & Busby hc, 25.95). After a long absence, DCI Jack Finch returns. A deaf girl goes missing whilst walking home from school. Favorite author of Sandy’s.

The Best British Mysteries IV, Maxim Jakubowski, ed. (Mar., Allison & Busby hc, 25.95). New stories from the likes of Lee Child, John Harvey, Alexander McCall Smith and others.

     In paper

Quintin Jardin, dead and buried (April, Trafalgar, 9.99). Skinner.

     Bloody Brits/Bywater Books

John Connor, Phoenix (May, Bywater Books tpo, 13.95). 1^st of 3 with Det. Karen Shrape. She’s a hard-drinking copper who is too drunk to meet an informant. When her sergeant takes her place, he’s murdered.

Clare Layton, Those Whom the Gods Love (June, Bywater Books, 13.95). A 2001 psychological thriller by a writer also known as Natasha Cooper. A London reporter is probing the deadly events that occurred in Oxford in 1970. One of a group of close-knit students hanged himself, leaving his friends and family stunned. He had been accused of rape, though none close to him believed the charges.

John Malcolm, The Burning Ground (Mar., Bloody Brits Press/Bywater Books tpo, 13.95). The 10^th art mystery with Tim Simpson, from 1993, in paper for the first time in the US – 1^st time in the US as far as we can tell.

Priscilla Masters, Night Visit (April, Bywater Books tpo, 13.95). Her first medical mystery from 1998. Dr. Harriet Lamont is asked by an older patient to find his granddaughter who disappeared a decade ago. She begins to suspect him and that she will be next.

 

Coming This Summer

John Burdett, Bangkok Haunts, June

Colin Cotterill & Dr. Siri Paiboun, Aug.

Garry Discher & Hal Challis, July

Karin Fossum & Insp. Sejer, July

Jean-Claude Izzo, Solea, June

Javier Sierra, The Lady in Blue, June

 

          Sherlockiana

David Pirie, The Patient’s Eyes: The Dark Beginnings of Sherlock Holmes (April, Pegasus, 14.95). Paperback release of a novel that matches Dr. Josheph Bell with Arthur Conan Doyle… and murder!

 

 

     Bitter Lemon

Saskia Noort, The Dinner Club (April, 14.95). A group of Dutch women – pampered, rich and elite – are targeted by someone malevolent. Their lives and identities are tied to their affluence and that is now threatened.

     Bleak House

Bill Bryan, Keep It Real (May, hc 24.95, tp 13.95). Comic mystery by one of the talents behind Night Court and Coach: Ted was once a top reporter but his live fell apart. He’s now a producer on a hit reality show he detests. Inadvertently, he sees the rapper star fight with his dancer girlfriend and, when she disappears, Ted’s investigative instincts take hold.

Reed Farrell Coleman, Soul Patch (April, hc 24.95, tp 14.95). 4^th with PI Moe Prager. a Shamus winning and Edgar nominated series. The death of his old boss and friend, the former NYPD Chief of Detectives, brings Moe back to Coney Island.

Marshall Cook, Twin Killing (May, hc 24.95, tp 14.95). 3^rd small town mystery with Monona Quinn, who leaves her home in Wisconsin to help her twin sister’s twin son in Iowa whose drug possession charge turns to attempted murder.

Victoria Houston, Dead Madonna (April, hc 24.95, tp 14.95).

8^th in Loon Lake series. Police Chief Lew Ferris is called in after a woman’s body is found under a pontoon party boat.

     In paper

John Galligan, The Blood Knot (Mar., tp14.95). 2^nd fly fishing mystery.

     Felony & Mayhem

Robert Cullen, Cover Story (April, 14.95). 2^nd set in Moscow with journalist Colin Burke from 1994.

Elizabeth Daly, Evidence of Things Seen (April, 14.95). The 5^th Clara and Henry Gamadge, from 1942. Daly was Agatha Christie’s favorite American author.

S.F.X. Dean, Such Pretty Toys (April, 14.95). 2^nd with Professor Neil Kelly, from 1982.

Caroline Graham, Death in Disguise (April, 14.95). 3^rd Insp. Barnaby, from 1992.

William Kotzwinkle, The Game of 30 (April, 14.95). A private eye, a murder of an antiques dealer, his exotic daughter obsessed with an ancient Egyptian game that resembles chess. From 1994. JB recommends this mystery by the author of cult classics Elephant Bangs Train, The Fan Man, and others.

Peter Lovesey, Bertie and the Crime of Passion (April, 14.95). 2^nd comic mystery with the future King Edward VII acting like the Great Sleuth. In Paris, he’s aided by Sarah Bernhardt and Toulouse-Lautrec. From 1990.

     Hard Case Crime

Gil Brewer, The Vengeful Virgin (April, 6.99). Published in 1958, this tells the tale of a young woman forced into taking care of a rich, old man – a life she does not plan on living for long.

David Goodis, The Wounded and the Slain (May, 6.99). First published in 1955. A couple fly to Jamaica to try to salvage their damaged marriage. There each will find trouble to drive them further apart.

Russell Hill, Robbie’s Wife (Mar., 6.99). Debut noir. A failed writer leaves LA for England and is tempted by the young wife of his host.

     Midnight Ink

Deb Baker, Murder Grins and Bears It (May, 12.95). 2^nd Yooper mystery set in upstate Michigan with amateur sleuth Gertie Johnson.

Kit Frazier, Dead Copy (May, 13.95). 2^nd with Austen Sentinel obit writer Cauley MacKinnon.

Michael Hancock, The Lost (May, 13.95). A scholarly thriller dealing with biblical writings that can alter history.

Joyce & Jim Lavene, Swapping Paint (May, 12.95). A rookie NASCAR driver is the prime suspect in the murder of another driver.

Tim Maleeny, Stealing the Dragon (Mar., 14.95). We got a carton of this book early for our cavalcade and SOLD OUT. During a mayoral campaign, a shipful of Chinese refugees runs aground on Alcatraz. Cops, politicians, drug lords and triads. Signing – He’s Coming Back!

Amy Patricia Meade, Ghost of a Chance (April, 13.95). 2^nd with 1930s mystery writer Marjorie McClelland.

JB Stanley, Fit to Die (May, 12.95). 2^nd with the Quincy Gap, VA dieting group.

     Pegasus

Marcia Muller, Somewhere in the City (April, 14.95). A selection of her best short stories from the last two decades, from mystery to horror, westerns to suspense.

     Rue Morgue

Catherine Aird,
A Most Contagious Game (Feb., 14.95). Known for her Insp. Sloan books, this is her only stand-alone mystery, from 1967. A British man buys a Tudor mansion and discovers a 150 year-old skeleton secreted in a hidden room. Since retirement can be boring, he’s delighted to have something to do – until more bodies appear.

Glyn Carr, Death Under Snowdon (April, 14.95). First US publication of this 1954 book. “Filthy” Lewker returns, investigating a case in Wales. Three new Knights go for a day’s rock climb but only one of them returns.

Michael Gilbert, Close Quarters (May, 14.95). From 1947, a Scotland Yard detective is asked inside a residential Cathedral to find out if a death really was accidental.

Constance & Gwenyth Little, The Black Iris (Mar., 14.95). From 1953, when two old ladies vanish, it seems likely that someone was after their money. They had a fondness for Russian Roulette and the bad guys might be the ones in trouble.

Stuart Palmer, Miss Withers Regrets (May, 14.95). Hildegarde Withers tries to stop meddling in police business, really, she does, but she returns to form, even finding a critical clue in her fish tank. From 1947, the 10^th in the series.

     Stark House (two-in-one trade paperbacks)

Elizabeth Sanxay Holding, The Old Battle Axe/Dark Power (Mar., 19.95). Her second book, Power, has been printed in its full form just once – the original hardcover in 1930. Axe is from 1943. A mid-Century intrigue author noted for her strong female characters.

Russell James, Underground/Collected Stories (April, 19.95). Underground is his first book, from 1989, and never before published in the US – ‘pitch-black noir’ we’re assured. These stories are collected for the first time. With a new intro by the author.

Richard Powell, A Shot in the Dark/Shell Game (May, 19.95). Shot is from 1952 and was also published as Leave Murder to Me. Shell is from 1950. Both are said to be ‘charming’.

 

                              Collections

 

Hollywood and Crime: Original Crime Stories Set During the History of Hollywood, Robert J. Randisi, ed. (Mar., Pegasus hc, 24.00). 15 stories by the likes of Connelly, Lochte, Pronzini, Goldberg, Kaminsky and others.

Los Angeles Noir, Denise Hamilton, ed. (May, Akashic tpo, 14.95). New noir by the likes of Michael Connelly, Robert Ferrigno, Gary Philips, Scott Philips, Naomi Hirahara and the editor. Signing event?

New Orleans Noir, Julie Smith, ed. (April, Akashic tpo, 14.95). New noir from the Big Easy penned by Thomas Adcock, Ace Atkins, David Fulmer, Barbara Hambly, Laura Lippman and others.

 

                            Reissues of Note

 

Peter Blauner, Slow Motion Riot (April, Warner, 7.99). Winner of the Edgar Award for Best First Novel for its 1991 release and out of print for years. A great, gritty urban thriller. JB recommends.

Lawrence Block, The Burglar in the Library (Mar., Harper, 7.99). 8^th Bernie from 1997. 8^th in the humorous Bernie Rhodenbarr series. Bill says this is a particular favorite in an outstanding series.

David Goodis, Nightfall and Street of No Return (May and April, Millipede Press, 14.00 ea.).  Classic noir from 1947 and 1954. Nightfall has a new introduction by Bill Pronzini and Street has one by Robert Polito.

George Simenon, Three Crimes (Mar., Trafalgar pbo, 15.95). Translated into English for the first time, this book relates how a young Simenon came into contact with three men who would go on to commit heinous crimes. This experience would help to shape the crime writer he would become.

 

                             Special Interest

 

Sheridan Hay, The Secret of Lost Things (Mar., Doubleday hc, 23.95). A young Australian woman gets a job in a chaotic and eccentric New York City used bookstore, filled with eccentrics. She eventually becomes the assistant to the albino manager when the man’s sight begins to fail. One day a letter arrives from someone wanting to “place” a lost and fabled manuscript from Herman Melville. And the adventure begins. Based on an actual letter Melville wrote to Hawthorne. While this doesn’t sound like a true mystery, we’re suckers for books about books.

Hollywood’s Celebrity Gangster: The Incredible Life and Times of Mickey Cohen, Bradley Lewis (April, Enigma Books tpo, 22.00). A vision of LA and American from the 40s to the 70s, through the “Mickster”, who controlled LA crime and rubbed elbows with the highest and lowest – and used them all.

Walter Mosley, This Year You Write Your Novel (April, Little Brown hc, 19.99). A masterful writer explains how to write your own book.

Nancy Pearl, Book Crush (May, Sasquatch tpo, 16.95). “For Kids and Teens - Recommended Reading for Every Mood, Moment and Interest”, by Seattle’s celebrity librarian.

Sara Paretsky, Writing in the Age of Silence (May, Verso hc, 22.95). In her first work of non-fiction, the noted mystery author writes about growing up in a family of boys, a Jewish girl in a traditional Mid-western town and her political growth during the civil and women’s rights era. A revealing and personal book.