Summer 2003

In This Issue:

Author Appearances

A Note From JB

New From the Northwest

Coming this Fall & Winter

Signed Books Available

New From the Rest

Coming this Fall

A Pocketful of Highsmith

Reissues of Note

Sherlockiana

Things of Interest

2003 Edgar Awards

Midyear Staff Recommendations

Late Recommendations from Bill Farley

A Day Trip to Florida, by Tammy Domike

Film Noir: A Definition, by Benjamin Chamberlain

AUTHOR APPEARANCES

Wed, June 4, noon, Randy Wayne White signs Everglades.

Thurs, June 5, noon, C. J. Box signs Winterkill.

Sat, June 7, noon, Curt Colbert signs Sayonaraville.

Mon, June 9, noon, Lisa Scottoline signs Dead Ringer.

Tues, June 10, noon, April Smith signs Good Morning, Killer.

Mon, June 16, noon, Barbara Seranella signs Unpaid Dues.

Wed, June 25, noon, Steve Hamilton signs Blood is the Sky. Note: a change in date from Tues the 24th.

Sat, July 5, 1-3 pm, G. M. Ford signs A Blind Eye.

Sat, July 12, noon, Sue Henry signs Deathtrap.

Mon, July 14, noon, James Grippando signs Last to Die.

Tues, July 15, noon, Gregory McDonald signs Flynn's World.

Sat, Aug 2, noon, Mary Daheim signs Hocus Croakus.

Wed, Sept 3, noon, Mike Hawley signs Silent Proof.

A Note From JB

We’ve been soliciting suggestions for additions or changes that might improve our website and we’ve instituted two of them. If you visit the site (www.seattlemystery.com), click on the question mark at the top left of the site. A page of definitions will pop up that will help us all to understand the lingo that gets tossed around so readily. Then, down by the list of staff members, there is a link to a page of staff biographies. No pictures, sorry – the line was drawn at bios. Hope you find these changes interesting. Thanks for the suggestions.

NEW FROM THE NORTHWEST

T.F. Banks, The Emperor’s Assassin (June, Dell pbo?, 6.50). Sequel to the The Thief Taker (6.50), the Bow Street Runner novel by a Vancouver, BC, author. The publisher tells us this is a paperback reissue of a hardcover, but that is news to us…

Alafair Burke, Judgment Calls (July, Holt hc, 23.00). Portland DDA Samantha Kincaid questions her own judgment when she decides to charge attempted murder in what might have been only an assault case. Soon, the case leads to a high-profile death penalty case, a prostitution ring for underage girls, and a killer. Debut novel by a former deputy DA from Portland and a daughter whose name you should recognize. Signing, we hope.

Curt Colbert, Sayonaraville (June, Uglytown tpo, 14.95). Lingering bitter feelings about the internment of Japanese-Americans, and a decapitated insurance agent, make the lives of local PIs Jake Rossiter and Miss Jenkins complicated. Sequel to the author’s bestselling debut, Rat City (Uglytown, 15.00). Signing.

Mary Daheim, Hocus Croakus (Aug, Morrow hc, 23.95). A fire forces Renie and the family out and they take refuge in a resort casino. Soon enough, a magician’s assistant is found stabbed to death. Signing.

Sharon Duncan, The Wives Society (Aug., Signet pbo, 5.99). In her 3rd mystery, Island Co. PI Scotia MacKinnon looks into the case of a local woman whose vanished husband took everything she had, much as he did in the cases of his earlier wives – who are now turning up dead. Signing?

G.M. Ford, A Blind Eye (July, Morrow hc, 23.95). Trapped by a blizzard in a deserted house, Corso and Meg discover the remains of several bodies, and can’t leave the mystery alone. Signing. [We will not be doing any more limited editions. This book is not set locally and we think our last limited was our best, so we’ll stop on a high note. Hope you completed your set!]

Yasmine Galenorn, Ghost of a Chance (Aug., Berkley pbo, 5.99). Debut mystery from a local author. Emerald O’Brien is a tarot-reading psychic who runs the Chintz ‘n China Tea Room. When the ghost of Susan Mitchell asks Emerald’s help to catch her murderer, Emerald brews up the solution. Signing?

Sue Henry, Death Trap (June, Morrow hc, 23.95). 10th with musher Jessie Arnold, who works the Iditarod booth at the State Fair while recovering from knee surgery. When a body is found in the Fair’s pond, and then her lead dog disappears, Jessie must find answers. Signing.

J.A. Jance, Exit Wounds (Aug., Morrow hc, 25.95). Probing the deaths of a loner and her 17 dogs, Joanna Brady discovers that the past’s secrets can run deeper than she ever feared. Signing.

Elizabeth Lowell, Die in Plain Sight (July, Morrow hc, 25.95). The granddaughter of a noted landscape painter--herself a painter--inherits hundreds of his paintings. When she begins to research the works and his past, someone tries to stop her.

Skye Kathleen Moody, Medusa (Aug., St. Martin's hc, 24.95). Venus Diamond’s brother has been accused of murder--pushing a girl off a yacht in the middle of Puget Sound. Witnesses tell a different tale: the dead girl was snatched overboard by some large sea creature. Signing. [Postponed from 7/02]

Greg Rucka, A Fistful of Rain (July, Bantam hc, 23.95). Mim Bracca returns home, on her last chance to straighten out her life. Her past returns in the form of a sniper’s bullet, and she finds out that she is far from hitting the bottom. Signing.

Kate Wilhelm, Clear and Convincing Proof (Aug., Mira hc, 23.95). Barbara Holloway is hired to protect the interests of the widow of a gifted surgeon found murdered in the garden of a private rehab clinic.

Things of Interest:

Gwendolyn Southin, Death in a Family Way and In the Shadow of Death (March, Studio 9 hcs, 17.99 and 18.99). This is the first US publication of these books, just brought to our attention. Written recently (2000 and 2002), they are set in the late 1950s, in British Columbia. The author is British born and was unknown to us until very recently. Margaret Spencer, at 50, is dissatisfied with her comfortable life and signs on with Nat Sothby, an ex-cop PI. These are the first two books of her new adventures, which seem to be an interesting mix of styles – Miss Marple on the Mean Streets of Vancouver.

Now in Paperback:

D. W. Buffa, The Legacy (July, Warner, 7.99)

Mary Daheim, Silver Scream (July, Avon, 6.99)

Carola Dunn, To Davy Jones Below (July, Kensington, 5.99)

G. M. Ford, Black River (July, Avon, 6.99)

Tod Goldberg, Living Dead Girl (July, Soho, 11.00)

Sue Henry, Cold Company (June, Avon, 6.99)

J. A. Jance, Partner in Crime (July, Avon, 7.99)

Steve Martini, The Arraignment (Aug, Jove, 7.99)

Jack Olsen, I: The Creation of a Serial Killer (Aug, St. Martins, 6.99)

Ridley Pearson, The Art of Deception (Aug, Hyperion, 7.99)

Greg Rucka, Critical Space (June, Bantam, 6.99)

Dana Stabenow, A Fine and Bitter Snow (July, St. Martin's, 6.99)

Kate Wilhelm, Skeletons (July, Mira, 6.50)

Reissues of Note:

Michael Dibdin, The Tryst and Dirty Tricks (July, Vintage, 13.00 ea)

Nicola Griffith, Slow River (July, Ballantine, 13.95). Originally published in ’96, this is a Lambda and Nebula Winner. While we normally don’t stock science fiction, we’re so enamored with this local writer’s writing that we’ll stock ‘em all. Also in paper now, Stay (June, Vintage, 12.95) JB’s nominee for best mystery of 2002.

Coming this Fall:

Meg Chittenden, More Than You Know, Sept

John J. Nance, Fire Fight, Nov

Ann Rule, Heart Full of Lies, Oct

And, coming this winter...

Aaron Elkins, Good Blood, a new Gideon Oliver set in Italy, Feb '04

SIGNED BOOKS AVAILABLE

We have some signed books on hand that were not previously mentioned in a newsletter or postcard. Sometimes authors drop in, or the unexpected happens:

D. W. Buffa, Star Witness

Tom Corcoran, Octopus Alibi

Bill Fitzhugh, Heart Seizure

Jasper Fforde, Lost in a Good Book. AND, we have a few of Jasper's limited edition postcards available, first come, first served.

Thomas Griffin, Cube 6

James W. Hall, Off the Chart

Jodi Piccoult, Second Glance

Les Standiford, Havana Run

Edward Wright, Clea's Moon

Minette Walters, Fox Evil

NEW FROM THE REST

Mark Arsenault, Spiked (July, Poisoned Pen hc, 24.95). A low-rent reporter gets into trouble with a shadowy crime syndicate after his beat partner is found dead in a canal.

Marian Babson, The Cat Who Wasn’t a Dog (Aug., St. Martin's hc, 22.95). An old-school actress puts on a huge show when her precious dog dies. Taking it to the taxidermist, she finds herself in the middle of arson, kidnapping, murder and the adoption of--of all things--a cat.

Stephanie Barron, Jane and the Ghosts of Netley (June, Bantam hc, 23.95). 7th in the Jane Austen series.

Steve Berry, The Amber Room (Aug., Ballantine hc, 24.95). Thriller based on historical fact: a great work of art--an entire room carved entirely out of amber-- was stolen from Russia by the Nazis and has not been seen since 1941. An Atlanta judge follows clues left by her father after he mysteriously dies, clues to something made out of amber.

Nero Blanc, Corpus de Crossword (July, Berkley tpo, 13.00). A corpse stops a construction crew and Belle and Roscoe are on the case. In paper, A Crossword to Die For (June, Berkley, 6.50).

Giles Blunt, The Delicate Storm (June, Putnam hc, 24.95). Follow-up to the noted Forty Words for Sorrow (Berkley, 6.99) finds a freak thaw in small Algonquin Bay, Ontario. Two bodies have surfaced in the woods and the cops are catapulted back to a 30-year-old unsolved case. Signed Copies Available.

Simon Brett, Murder in the Museum (Aug., Berkley hc, 22.95). When a skeleton is discovered at the historic home of a famed author, it must be determined if he used anything mightier than his pen.

William Brodrick, The 6th Lamentation (July, Viking hc, 24.95). In England, Father Anselm offers sanctuary to an old man persecuted by the world--a wanted Nazi war criminal. This is not the first time the church has helped this man, as it also helped him flee to England after the war. As Father Anselm looks into the circumstances, he faces complex moralities. Written by a former Augustinian friar and based on his own mother’s experiences during WWII.

Dana Cameron, Past Malice (June, Avon pbo, 6.99). Archeologist Emma Fielding unearths a pair of corpses in a small Massachusetts village. 3rd in the popular series.

Stephen J. Cannell, Runaway Heart (July, St. Martin's hc, 24.95). A lawyer and an ex-cop investigate when the lawyer’s father is literally torn apart by the military’s new secret weapon.

Charlotte Carter, Jackson Park (July, Ballantine tpo, 12.95). In 1968 Chicago, as society roils, an elegant older black couple, Woodson and Ivy Lisle, work with their grandniece to search for the missing child of an old family friend.

Marion Chesney, Snobbery with Violence (July, St. Martin's hc, 22.95). First of a new Edwardian mystery series by an author who normally uses just initials before the last name BEATON.

Laura Childs, The English Breakfast Murder (Aug., Berkley pbo, 6.99). 4th in the popular Indigo Tea Shop series. While helping in Charleston’s Sea Turtle Protection program, Theo spots a body bobbing in the surf.

Jill Churchill, Love for Sale (June, Morrow hc, 23.95). Just before the presidential election of 1923, a stranger arrives at the Grace & Favor Cottage with a billfold jammed with cash. 4th in the series.

Tom Clancy, The Teeth of the Tiger (Aug., Putnam hc, 28.95). A new generation is in charge of the Nation’s welfare and the Maryland firm of Hendley Associates is at the forefront. Two of their recent recruits are the Caruso brothers and a third is their cousin, a young man named Ryan, who seems to be a chip off the old block.

David Corbett, Done for a Dime (July, Ballantine hc, 24.95). Follow-up to the noted debut, The Devil’s Redhead (coming in pb in June, Ballantine, 6.99). Det. Dennis Murchison investigates the murder of a legendary blues musician.

C. R. Corwin, Morgue Mama (Aug, Poisoned Pen hc, 24.95). The 40-year queen of the newspaper morgue known as Morgue Mama has her domain disturbed by a young reporter digging up the past of a televangelist in an attempt to solve his murder.

Clive Cussler with Paul Kemprecos, White Death (June, Putnam hc, 26.95). 4th NUMA Files adventure.

Phillip R. Craig, A Vineyard Killing (June, Scribner hc, 24.00). J.W. Jackson delves into an explosive battle in the Vineyard’s real estate territory. Reissues of note: in June, Avon will release A Beautiful Place to Die, the first book in the Jackson series, and in July, Death in Vineyard Waters (AKA The Woman Who Walked into the Sea, the second book), and Vineyard Deceit (AKA The Double–Minded Man, the third in the series);each 6.99. Sandy recommends these fine early entries.

Barry Eisler, Hard Rain (July, Putnam hc, 24.95). Free-lance assassin is laying low after taking out a CIA officer who hunted him. An old nemesis from the Japanese intelligence finds him and asks for help with a killer who threatens the balance of power in their country. Signed Copies Available. Eisler’s debut (Rain Fall, July, Signet, 6.99) was a favorite of the staff in 2002.

Kate Ellis, The Bone Garden (July, St. Martin's hc, 23.95). DS Peterson wishes he could indulge his passion for archeology when two bodies are found under a stone plinth during the restoration work on Devon’s Earlscacre Hall, but a more recent murder needs his attention.

Janet Evanovich, To The Nines (June, St. Martin's hc, 25.95). In paper, Hard Eight (June, St. Martin's, 7.99).

Christine Gentry, Mesozoic Murder (Aug., Poisoned Pen hc, 24.95). An archeologist discovers the body of her murdered ex-lover while on a dig and is led deeper into the dark secrets among the scientific community.

Elizabeth George, A Place of Hiding (July, Bantam hc, 26.95). As the specter of war hovers over the country, forensic scientist Simon St. James and his wife Deborah travel to a wintry island in the English Channel and into violence. In paper, I, Richard (July, Bantam, 11.95).

Tess Gerritsen, The Sinner (Aug., Ballantine hc, 24.95). Within a cloistered convent lies a shocking crime--two nuns, one dead, one critically injured. Soon, another murder ties to the first crimes and an ancient horror connects them. In paper, The Apprentice (Aug., Ballantine, 7.99).

Leslie Glass, A Killing Gift (June, Onyx pbo, 7.50). Det. April Woo tracks the killer of an old cop who won the lottery and who decided to collect on old debt.

James Grippando, Last to Die (July, Harper hc, 23.95). Miami attorney Jack Swyteck agrees to defend a friend’s brother, a hit-man who claims he’s gone straight. He’s accused of killing a woman whose will listed the man, and five other people she hated, as someone who’d inherit $46 million if they were the last of the 6 to survive. Signing.

Barbara Hambly, Days of the Dead (July, Bantam hc, 23.95). Benjamin January and his wife travel to Mexico City to help a friend caught up in the intense political and social upheaval in Oct, 1835.

Steve Hamilton, Blood is the Sky (June, St. Martin's hc, 24.95). Alex McKnight travels to Northern Ontario with a long-time friend whose brother has vanished while guiding a group of rich hunters. 5th in the Edgar-winning series. In paper, North of Nowhere (May, St. Martin's, 6.99) Signing.

Charlaine Harris, Poppy Done to Death (Aug., St. Martin's hc, 22.95). On her way to her book group, librarian Aurora Teagarden is horrified to find a family member bloodied and dead in their home.

Donald Harstad, The Heartland Experiment (July, Doubleday hc, 23.95). Possible links to terrorism surface after a murder at a local kosher meat plant.

Libby Fischer Hellman, A Picture of Guilt (July, Berkley pbo, 6.50). Filmmaker Ellie Foreman has video evidence that clears a man of murder charges, and is targeted by both the FBI and the Mob. Also available in a signed hardcover from Poisoned Pen Press (June, 24.95).

Rupert Holmes, Where the Truth Lies (July, Random House hc, 24.95). The Tony and Grammy winner turns his pen to a novel: a funny and frightening suspense story, set in the 1970s of NY and LA, telling of a woman who becomes involved with a legendary comedy team, one of whom may be a murderer.

Hazel Holt, Mrs. Malory and Death in Practice (July, Signet pbo, 5.99). The town’s new vet impressed no one and, now that he’s been murdered, no one is surprised. 14th in the series.

Kay Hooper, Sense of Evil (Aug., Bantam hc, 23.95). Someone is leading smart and savvy blondes to a bloody death in a small Southern town and none of them seems to have resisted. In paper, Always a Thief (June, Bantam pbo, 7.50).

Greg Iles, The Footprints of God (Aug.,Scribner hc, 25.95). Two doctors are all that stand in the way of government officials who are seduced by the power handed to them by the success of Project Trinity.

Stuart Kaminsky, Mildred Pierced (July, Carroll & Graf hc, 24.00). Only Joan Crawford can help Toby Peters’ dentist, who is accused of killing his estranged wife Mildred with an arrow.

Faye Kellerman, Street Dreams (Aug., Warner hc, 25.95). Det. Peter Decker teams up with his wife and daughter to solve a crime rooted in the past. In paper, Stone Kiss (July, Warner, 7.99).

William Landay, Mission Flats (Aug., Del hc, 23.95). When the DA of a small Maine town is murdered, Chief Ben Truman follows the clues to Boston and into the ranks of the Boston police. Debut by an author being heralded as a cross of Turow and Lehane.

Jane Langton, The Deserter (June, St. Martin's hc, 23.95). In the 17th book, Homer Kelly helps his wife clear up family lore: one of her ancestors was said to have deserted at Gettysburg. She believes it might’ve been something else.

Virginia Lanier, A Bloodhound to Die For (Aug., Harper hc, 23.95). After a long absence, the popular bloodhound series returns for a 6th book. Jo Beth is on the trail of a prison escapee while helping to search for an elderly woman who wandered into the swamp.

Penelope Lively, The Photograph (June, Viking hc, 24.95). After his wife’s death, Glyn finds an envelope marked DO NOT OPEN-DESTROY. Opening it, he finds a simple photo. But what it shows, and what he thinks it shows about his wife, leads him to re-examine what he believed to have happened in the past. Signed Copies Available.

Peter Lovesey, The House Sitter (June, Soho hc, 23.00). DS Peter Diamond is called in after a woman is found strangled on a popular beach. 12 days later, the body is identified as that of a top profiler for the National Crime Faculty. In paper, Diamond Dust (June, Soho, 13.00).

Margaret Maron, Last Lessons of Summer (Aug., Mysterious Press hc, 23.95). Heir to her family’s children’s book business, Amy Stedman returns to North Carolina to clean up the house of her deceased grandmother. Family history reveals itself and her mother’s suicide might not be what it seemed. In paper, Slow Dollar (Aug., Warner, 6.99).

Edward Marston, The Vagabond Clown (Aug., St. Martin's hc, 24.95). 13th Elizabethan Theatrical mystery featuring Nicholas Bracewell.

Sharyn McCrumb, Ghost Riders (July, Dutton hc, 24.95). Latest in her Appalachian series. Links to Confederate raiders resonate with the present for Rattler and Nora Bonesteel.

Gregory Mcdonald, Flynn’s World (June, Pantheon hc, 23.00). After nearly 20 years, Boston Insp. Francis Xavier Flynn returns to a plateful of trouble. Signing.

Leslie Meier, Father’s Day Murder (June, Kensington hc, 22.00). While attending a newspaper conference in Boston--and missing her family’s Father’s Day celebration--Lucy Stone deals with another Dad who might be the victim of patricide. In paper, Birthday Party Murder (May, Kensington, 6.50).

Harker Moore, A Cruel Season for Dying (June, Mysterious Press hc, 24.95). Debut thriller about NYC homicide Det James Sakura who is after a killer who poses his victims with white wings, as if he’s killing angels.

Walter Mosley, Fear Itself (July, Little Brown hc, 24.95). In 1950s LA, Paris Minton and Fearless Jones are brought into the case of a missing nephew of one of the wealthiest women in town and the Texas Sheriff who vanished while investigating it. In paper, Bad Boy Brawly Brown (July, Warner, 7.50), the newest Easy Rawlins novel.

Marcia Muller, Cyanide Wells (July, Mysterious Press hc, 24.95 Signed Copies 25.95). 14 years after his wife disappeared, Matthew Linstrom is finds out that she is alive and living with her lesbian lover and their adopted daughter. When he arrives at their home to confront her, she and the girl are gone and a blood-streaked hallway greets him. In paper, Dead Midnight (July, Warner, 7.50), the newest Sharon McCone.

Peri O’Shaughnessy, Presumption of Death (July, Bantam hc, 24.95). Nina Reilly is called to the defense of her assistant’s son, who has been accused of arson.

I.J. Parker, The Hell Screen (Aug., St. Martin's hc, 24.95). 2nd witty thriller set in ancient Japan. The author won a Shamus award for her short story “Akitada’s First Case," which featured this character. In paper, Rashoman Gate (July, St. Martin's, 6.50.)

Anne Perry, No Graves As Yet (Aug., Ballantine hc, 25.95). On a sunny June afternoon in 1914 England, brothers learn that their parents have died in a car crash while on the way to deliver a secret document that may shake the foundations of the Empire and the civilized world. A departure for the popular Victorian mystery author.

Carmen Posadas, Little Indiscretions (Aug., Random House hc, 23.95). An international bestseller and an award-winner in Spain. In this comic mystery, a famous pastry chef is found dead in the walk-in freezer during a party given by a wealthy art dealer. Who’d want to harm a harmless cook? The chef, it seems, was a magnet for secrets.

Christopher Reich, The Devil’s Banker (Aug., Dell hc, 25.95). More financial intrigue as the CIA and MI6 stumble into a terrorist plot and the only way to stop it is to follow the money.

Kathy Reichs, Bare Bones (July, Scribner hc, 23.95). Bones from a fiery plane crash and old bones found in a wood stove interrupt Tempe Brennan’s plans for a romantic getaway. Signing? In paper, Grave Secrets (July, Pocket, 7.99).

J.D. Robb, Imitation in Death (Aug.,Berkley pbo, 7.99). 15th Lt. Eve Dallas.

Gillian Roberts, Claire and Present Danger (June, Ballantine hc, 23.95). Amanda Pepper is hired to get the low-down on a prospective bride after the groom’s family gets letters hinting at scandal.

Lisa Scottoline, Dead Ringer (June, Harper hc, 25.95). Ace lawyer Bennie Rosato is dueling evil in the form of her twin sister, an ex-con. Signing. In paper, Courting Trouble (June, Harper, 7.99).

Edward Sklepowich, The Last Gondola (July, St. Martin's hc, 24.95). Latest in the highly praised Venetian series finds writer Urbino Macintyre tracing the disappearance of small, valueless items from a friend’s apartment to the cave-like home of a strange, reclusive art collector.

Sarah Strohmeyer, Bubbles Ablaze (July, Dutton hc, 23.95). 3rd wickedly funny mystery with reporter Bubbles Yablonsky.

Robert Tanenbaum, Resolved (Aug., Atria hc, 26.00). In the 15th Butch Karp novel, an escaped killer goes after the cops and the prosecutor who put him away. In paper, Absolute Rage (Aug., Pocket, 7.99).

Charles Todd, The Murder Stone (Nov., Bantam hc, 24.95). A young woman must come to grips with her family’s long history of trouble and the mysterious – some say cursed – “murder stone” in the garden. What is its tie to the Great War?

Ayelet Waldman, Death Gets a Time-Out (July, Berkley hc, 22.95). 4th in the mommy-track series. In paper, A Playdate with Death (July, Berkley, 6.99).

Randy Wayne White, Everglades (June, Putnam hc, 21.95). In helping a former lover, Doc Ford enters the glades and tangles with a cult ruled by a real estate schemer. In paper, Twelve Mile Limit (June, Berkley, 6.99). Tammy recommends. Signing.

Jacuiline Winspear, Maisie Dobbs (July, Soho hc, 24.00). Taken in and educated by an early suffragette, Londoner Maisie Dobbs is back after spending time as a nurse in WWI and hangs out her sign, M. Dobbs, Trade and Personal Investigations. Her first case involves suspected infidelity but turns up a tombstone with just a first name on it – Vincent. Debut mystery.

Paula L. Woods, Dirty Laundry (July, Ballantine hc, 23.95). A murder in Koreatown has LA Det. Charlotte Justice in a media circus as a volatile mayoral campaign is waged.

Now in Paperback:

Linda Barnes, The Big Dig (Aug, St. Martin's, 6.99)

Margaret Coel, The Shadow Dancer (Aug, Berkley, 6.99)

Deborah Crombie, And Justice There is None (June, Bantam, 6.99)

Kinky Friedman, Meanwhile Back at the Ranch (Aug, Pocket, 6.99) Scudder

David Fulmer, Chasing the Devil's Tail (July, Harcourt, 14.00). On JB’s list of Best of 2002.

Alan Furst, Blood of Victory (June, Random House, 12.95)

Eric Garcia, Matchstick Men (July, Random House, 11.95)

Joan Hess, Maggody and Moonbeams (Aug, Pocket, 6.99)

Tayari Jones, Leaving Atlanta (Aug, Warner, 13.95). On Erin’s list of Best of 2002.

Michael McGarrity, The Big Gamble (Aug, Signet, 6.99)

Denise Mina, Resolution (June, Carroll & Graf, 14.00).

Owen Parry, Honor's Kingdom (July, Avon, 7.99).

Ian Pears, The Dream of Scipio (June, Riverside, 14.00).

Julie Smith, Louisiana Bigshot (Aug, Tor, 6.99)

Coming this Fall:

Bruce Alexander & Sir John Fielding, Oct

James Lee Burke and Dave & Clete, Oct

Margaret Coel and O'Malley & Holden, Sept

Patricia Cornwell & Scarpetta, Oct

Deborah Crombie & Gemma James, Oct

Martha Grimes, Foul Matter, Sept

Joan Hess & Arly Hanks, Sept

Stephen Hunter & Earl Swagger, Oct

Laura Lippman, Every Secret Thing, Sept

Michael McGarrity & Kevin Kerney, Sept

Carol O'Connell & Mallory, Sept

Sara Paretsky & V. I., Oct

Owen Parry, Bold Sons of Erin, Sept

Ruth Rendell & Insp. Wexford, Oct

Lemony Snicket & #10, Nov

Timothy Watts, Grand Theft, Oct

REISSUES OF NOTE

Dan Brown, Angels & Demons (June, Pocket hc, 17.95). Due to the well-deserved popularity of his new book, The DaVinci Code (see our mid-year recommendations), Pocket is reissuing this first Robert Langdon thriller, which is just as fun and thrilling as his new book.

Robert Bloch, Psycho (June, iBooks, 6.99) Don’t get in the shower…

Max Allan Collins, True Crime (June, iBooks, 6.99) and The Million Dollar Wound (Aug., iBooks, 6.99). The second and third Nate Heller, the middle and end of the “Nitty Triology”, focusing on Heller and the Chicago Mob. Masterful and entertaining series, these two were too long out of print. Let’s hope they continue to reissue the Hellers. A favorite of Bill, Tammy and JB’s.

Jonathan Latimer, Solomon’s Vineyard (June, IPG, 12.95). Hardboiled Classic from 1941, first printed in France and not published in the US until 1988. Latimer was American, but the book was deemed too “rough” and scandalous for American readers and banned for 4 decades. One of the hardest of the hardboiled and a great book, up there with Red Harvest and Green Ice. JB HIGHLY recommends.

Thomas Perry, Butcher’s Boy and Metzger’s Dog (June, Random House, 11.95 ea). Finally, his two early classics will be back in print; Butcher’s Boy won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel for 1982, and Metzger’s Dog is rated as being one of the funniest mysteries ever – it’s from ‘83. All-time favorites of Bill's.

SHERLOCKIANA

Dennis Burges, Graves Gate (July, Carroll & Graf hc, 25.00). Arthur Conan Doyle joins forces with an American journalist to investigate murder and scams in the intersection of Spiritualism and early psychiatry in post WWI London.

Howard Engel, Mr Doyle and Dr Bell (July, Overlook hc, 24.95). The brilliant Dr Bell is asked to investigate the case of a man sentenced to hang for the murder of a dazzling opera star and her lover. The man’s brother believes him to be innocent and Bell, along with his young student, Doyle, investigates in 1879 Edinburgh.

Roger Jaynes, A Duel with the Devil (April, Breese tpo, 7.95). A recently discovered manuscript, detailing the Fall and Winter of 1888, as the battle between Holmes and Moriarty reaches its most violent.

David Pirie, The Night Calls (Aug., St. Martin's hc, 24.95). Dr Bell and his bright student Doyle encounter a man who prefigures Moriarty, the true Napoleon of Crime. In paper, The Patient’s Eyes (June, St. Martin's, 6.50).

THINGS OF INTEREST

Susan Wittig Albert, An Unthymely Death and other Garden Mysteries (June, Berkley tpo, 14.00). A treasury of stories, herbal lore, recipes and crafts.

Nevada Barr, Seeking Enlightenment…Hat by Hat (June, Putnam hc, 21.95). Barr beckons her readers to share her spiritual search for meaning in life.

Raymond Chandler: A Literary Reference, Robert F. Moss, ed. (Aug.,Carroll & Graf tpo, 22.00). Photos, reproductions of manuscript pages and book covers aid in an account of the writer’s life and career.

2003 EDGAR AWARDS

This year's Edgar Awards were announced at the beginning of May. Here are the winners for books published in 2002:

Best Novel: S.J. Rozan, Winter and Night (St Martins, 6.99)

Best First Novel: Jonathon King, The Blue Edge of Midnight (Onyx, 6.99)

Best Paperback Original: T.J. MacGregor, Out of Sight (Pinnacle, 6.99)

Best Critical/Biographical: Mike Ashley, ed, The Mammoth Encyclopedia of Modern Crime Fiction (Caroll & Graf, 12.95).

MID-YEAR STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS

We’re trying something different for this Summer’s issue – each of us lists some of our favorite reads from the year so far. In some cases, we’ve grouped them for more “umph." Hope you have a relaxing Summer with lots of time for books. We’ll borrow the terms of the Nation’s pastime.

Home Runs:

Lee Child, Persuader – Bill, JB, Sandy, Tammy recommend

Lowen Clausen, Second Watch – Tammy, Bill, JB, Erin, Cathie recommend

Dan Brown, The Da Vinci Code – JB, Erin, Tammy, Sandy recommend

Edward Wright, Clea's Moon – Sandy, Tammy, Bill, JB recommend

Triples:

Erik Larson, The Devil in the White City – Cathie, Tammy, Bill recommend

Dennis Lehane, Shutter Island – Erin, Bill, Tammy recommend

Lono Waiwaiole, Wiley's Lament – JB, Tammy, Bill recommend

Doubles:

Dave Barry, Tricky Business – Bill, Tammy recommend

Robert Ferrigno, Scavenger Hunt – Tammy, JB recommend

Charlaine Harris, Club Dead – Erin, Cathie recommend

James Swain, Sucker Bet – Tammy, JB recommend

Helen Knode, The Ticket Out – Tammy, JB recommend

Andrew Vachss, The Getaway Man – Erin, JB recommend

Singles:

Michael Connelly, Lost Light – Bill recommends

Earl Emerson, Into the Inferno – Tammy recommends

David Ferrell, Screwball – JB recommends

Hartley Goodweather, Dreadful Water Shows Up (Sept release) – Tammy recommends

Laurie R. King, Justice Hall – Cathie recommends

Robert Littell, The Company – JB recommends

T. Jefferson Parker, Silent Joe – JB recommends

George Pelecanos, Soul Circus – JB recommends

George Pelecanos, The Big Blowdown – JB recommends

Greg Rucka, A Fistful of Rain (Sept release) - Tammy recommends

Bob Sloan, Middle of Nowhere - Bill recommends (see below)

Laura Wilson, My Best Friend - Cathie recommends

LATE RECOMMENDATIONS

from Bill Farley

Bob Sloan, The Middle of Nowhere (May, Atlantic hc, 23.00). Third in series, and the best yet. A “feel good” police procedural? Yes! NYPD Det. Lenny Bliss is just a very appealing character. His attempts to balance job and family are a joy to watch.

The Mammoth Encyclopedia of Modern Crime Fiction, edited by Mike Ashley (2002, Carroll & Graf tpo, 12.95). This little lump (780 pages) of a book is a gold mine. It’s the most inclusive new reference volume I’ve seen in a long time. Types of mysteries with lists of authors who write them (e.g., historicals grouped by time period, humorous grouped by type of humor, etc.). Author bios and book titles, plus listing of real name, pen name, web-site, where to start reading, who writes similar stuff, and more. A section on TV series and major films. The most exhaustive list of awards I’ve ever seen in one place, explaining who gives them, when, and for what, and a complete list of winners from inception through 2001 (unless they’re defunct).

The key word in the title is modern (defined approximately as post-WWII). As the compiler states, there are plenty of sources covering earlier, well-known authors, so this book concentrates on books and writers too new for most of the earlier references. There are a few eyebrow raisers (John Dunning is not included but Bret Easton Ellis is; Barbara Neely’s books are listed as culinary; etc.) but it’s a great source of useful information and fascinating to browse. And it’s a mere $12.95! Order yourself a copy, ‘cause you can’t borrow mine (though you can view it in the shop). --Note: This review was written before the book won an Edgar.

A DEFINITION OF FILM NOIR

As mentioned in our Winter 02-03 Newsletter, we now carry DVDs of classic & modern mystery & crime films. We thought that the following might be useful for discussions:

Film Noir

NOUN: 1. A movie characterized by low-key lighting, a bleak urban setting, and corrupt, cynical characters. 2. The genre or style of such movies. (American Heritage Dictionary.)

Film Noir, a term coined by the French critic Nino Frank, was more a style of film than a genre. Visually it was marked by high contrast lighting and shadow, heavily influenced by the German Expressionist films. Many of the directors and film production crew were in fact expatriates of Germany like Fritz Lang, Billy Wilder and Robert Siodmak. The films depicted a much darker and cynical world than the escapist films of the 20’s and 30’s. The story lines came from the hardboiled thrillers of the day with tough guys in hats and tougher talking dames. Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, James Cain, and David Goodis were just a few of the authors who were very popular with Hollywood Film Studios.

--Benjamin Chamberlain (one of our many knowledgeable customers)

Mail and phone orders for these or any other books are welcome. We often have signed copies of Northwest authors, and other authors who visit the shop. Prices subject to change without notice. Seattle Mystery Bookshop, 117 Cherry St., Seattle, WA 98104. Phone: (206) 587-5737.

Email: staff@seattlemystery.com

WEBSITE: seattlemystery.com

SEATTLE MYSTERY BOOKSHOP NEWS is composed and produced by JB Dickey and Sandy Goodrick. The online version is brought to you by Cathie van Veen.

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