Mary Daheim, Saks & Violins (Aug., Morrow hc, 23.95). A world-class musician dies after eating poisoned rhubarb at a party at the bed-and-breakfast. Judith feels that it is her duty to find the killer – after all, she was hosting the party – just as someone has run up a massive debt on Rennie’s credit cards. When it can’t get any worse, her neighbor’s valuable violin bow is stolen! Signing. In paper, Dead Man Docking (Aug., Avon, 6.99).

Jo Dereske, Bookmarked to Die (June, Avon pbo, 6.99). Miss Zukas, the formidable librarian of Bellhaven, WA, returns! Helma Zukas launches a collection featuring local authors' books at the Bellehaven Public Library and immediately an aspiring poetess/library patron dies in what first appears to be a sad accident.  But the next night another author dies.  Helma is drawn into the case when her presence and her new collection appear to be precursors to the deaths.  Signing. Tammy recommends.

Christine Dodd, Trouble in High Heels (Aug., Signet pbo, 7.99). After being deserted by her fiancée and having a fling with an Italian stranger, a woman finds that she’s become the target for trouble. Romantic suspense by a bestselling Bellingham author. Signing.

Mike Doogan, Lost Angel (Aug., Putnam hc, 24.95). Debut mystery from a noted Alaskan columnist: In a remote Christian commune, the granddaughter of the group’s founder disappears. The leaders, fearing the outside, turn to a disgraced former cop to search for answers, giving him a chance to regain his character. Signing?

Aaron Elkins, Unnatural Selection (June, Berkley hc, 23.95). Traveling with his wife to an eccentric’s salon, Gideon Oliver hopes for a quiet time exploring the Neo-lithic sites on the islands off the coast of Cornwell. A bone points to a recent murder and another leads him indoors, into the castle of his host. Signing.

Clyde W. Ford, Deuce’s Wild (July, Midnight Ink tpo, 13.95). As a favor to his son, Shango investigates the shooting of a hip-hop artist who had converted to Islam. The singer had been on a terrorist watch list. Was it his religious conversion that put him on the list or something more sinister? Signing.

G.M. Ford, Blown Away (Aug., Morrow hc, 23.95). Frank Corso, investigating an unsolved bombing case, begins to see problems with the official story: could it be possible that the bomber, who had the explosives wrapped around his torso, was not a willing participant? And how could that have happened? When a second bombing makes it a pattern, Frank is at the center of a national story. Signing. In paper, No Man’s Land (July, Avon, 6.99).

Yasmine Galenorn, One Hex of a Wedding (Aug., Berkley pbo, 6.99). Emerald’s wedding is in shambles with her fiancé wounded by gunfire, her ex-husband a suspect and her maid of honor is being threatened. Signing. 5^th in this popular local series.

J.J. Henderson, Mexican Booty (May, CDS tpo, 11.95). 2^nd mystery with travel writer Lucy Ripkin. Fake Pre-Columbian art leads Lucy from a friend’s art gallery in New Mexico to a trail in Old Mexico. Signed Copies Available.

J.A. Jance, Dead Wrong (Aug., Morrow hc, 25.95). With her second child due, Sheriff Joanna Brady is faced with two brutal crimes and no one to help her. First, the body of a recently released convict is found in the desert with his fingers missing, and then her deputy is beaten while conducting an unauthorized stakeout. Signing. In paper, Long Time Gone (Aug., Avon, 9.99), Beaumont in enhanced paperback format.

Kate Kingsbury, An Unmentionable Murder (Aug., Berkley pbo, 6.99). As the Allied Invasion begins, the Manor House is in an uproar – the butler is gone, an ill-tempered guest is dead and someone is stealing knickers!

Michael Lawson, Second Perimeter (July, Doubleday hc, 24.95). Demarco and Emma are detailed by the Speaker of the House to investigate rumors of fraud at a US Naval Base. What at first appears to be a low-level swindle hides something larger and far more dangerous. Signing. In paper, The Inside Ring (Aug., Anchor, 6.99) his debut which is highly recommended by ALL of us.

Elizabeth Lowell, The Wrong Hostage (June, Morrow hc, 24.95). A judge with a secret and a kidnap specialist who has no faith in the system come together when the judge’s son vanishes into the bloody hands that reach out from her secret. Signing.

Phillip Margolin, Proof Positive (July, Harper hc, 25.95). Two capital cases appear to be proved beyond doubt based on the physical evidence. But doubts arise: what if the forensics were tampered with by the technician? Signing.

Tom Micheltree, Missing, Maybe Dead (June, Intrigue hc, 24.00). In the 3^rd  book in the series, Paul Fischer finds his life quieting down. When a dying colleague asks Fischer to find his missing wife, things get complicated. The wife vanished 30 years ago, and answers on the Oregon Coast are few.

Paul Neilan, Apathy and Other Small Victories (May, St. Martin’s hc, 17.95). Debut novel from a Portland writer. Shane is ready to leave when things get complicated and the biggest complication is the murder of one of the many women in his life. His girlfriend is a sadistic social climber, his rent is subsidized by an affair with his landlord’s wife and his unstable dentist’s deaf assistant is entrancing. Laughs that will make your stomach hurt.

 

 

Now in Paper

 

Alafair Burke, Case Closed (June, St. Martin’s, 6.99).

Mark Nykanen, Search Angel (May, Hyperion, 6.99).

Greg Rucka, Private Wars (Aug., Bantam, 6.99). Tammy & JB recommend this series.

 

Reissues of Note

 

John Straley, The Curious Eat Themselves (July, Soho, 12.00). The second with Alaskan PI Cecil Younger, a favorite series of Tammy and JB.

 

Mysterious Youth

 

Ridley Pearson & Dave Barry, Peter and the Shadow Thieves (July, Disney hc, 18.99). Peter and Tinker Bell head to London to do battle with the evil Lord Ombra and protect the Starcatchers and the valuable starstuff. Signing?

 

Coming this Fall

 

Michael Collins, Death of a Writer, Sept.

Michael Dibdin & Aurelio Zen, Sept.

Carola Dunn & Daisy Dalrymple, Sept.

Clyde W. Ford & Charlie Noble, Oct.

Larry Karp, The Ragtime Kid, Nov.

Erik Larson & Dr. Crippen and Marconi, Oct.

Kat Richardson, Greywalker, Oct.

Jess Walter, The Zero, Oct.

Kate Wilhelm & Barbara Holloway, Sept.

 

 

 

Jeff Abbott, Fear (Aug., Dutton hc, 24.95). A new, experimental drug may help a mob informant who is on the run for his life, as well as the daughter of the hit man who is after him. Janine recommends this author.

Susan Wittig Albert, The Tale of Cuckoo Brow Wood (July, Berkley hc, 23.95). 3^rd in the mystery series of the Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter. In paper, The Tale of Holly How (July, Berkley, 6.99).

Barbara Allan, Antiques Roadkill (Aug., Kensington hc, 22.00). 1^st in a “Trash ‘n’ Treasures” series by the wife and co-writer of Max Allan Collins. A newly divorced woman returns to her small hometown to find out that the man who conned her mom has been murdered.

Donna Andrews, No Nest for the Wicket (Aug., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). Meg Langslow finds herself in a new summer game – Extreme Croquet.

Lori Andrews, Sequence (June, St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). Debut from a nationally known expert on law and genetics: Dr. Alexandra Blake works for the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology on viral genetics in biological warfare. Her boss has ambitions to turn the lab into a mini-FBI and a serial killer striking on military bases is the place to start.

Louis Bayard, The Pale Blue Eye (June, Harper hc, 24.95). A retired NYC detective is recruited by the authorities at West Point to investigate when a grisly murder takes place. He chooses a cadet to aid him – the young Edgar Allan Poe.

Lawrence Block, Hit Parade (July, Morrow hc, 24.95). The third book with professional killer John Keller. When you need a hit done right, Keller’s the one to call: cool, calm, lonely and full of doubts – fully human like the rest of us. Signed Copies Available. In paper, The Burglar Who Studied Spinoza (Aug., Harper, 7.99), reissue of the 4^th in his witty series with bookseller Bernie Rhodenbarr, gentleman catburglar. Bill recommends everything Block writes.

Stephen Booth, One Last Breath (July, Bantam hc, 25.00). 5^th in his series of psychological thrillers with England’s Peak District coppers Ben Cooper and Diana Fry. They face a killer hiding in the region’s tunnels. In paper, Blind to the Bones (June, Bantam, 7.50). Janine recommends this series.

Rhys Bowen, Evanly Bodies (Aug., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). 10^th with Welsh Constable Evan Evans.

T.C. Boyle, Talk Talk (July, Viking hc, 25.95). A young deaf woman suddenly finds herself in deep legal trouble when she finds that someone has stolen her identity and left her to deal with his crimes. Trying to track the man down leads to a road trip that examines love, language and identity. Signed Copies Available.

Emily Brandt, Under Pressure (June, Signet pbo, 6.99). Fourth with underwater investigator Hannah Simpson. While on a training stint in the Virgin Islands, a plane crashes and the training is hands-on.

Simon Brett, The Stabbing in the Stables (Aug., Berkley hc, 23.95). In the 7th Fethering mystery, the body of an ex-equestrian is found in a stable. Someone has been harming horses across the countryside and the police think he may have been killed when he surprised the “Horse Ripper”. Others think otherwise. In paper, The Witness at the Wedding (July, Berkley, 7.99).

Emily Bright, Deadly Greetings (June, Signet pbo, 6.99). Second in the greeting card mystery series.

Ken Bruen, Calibre (Aug., St. Martin’s tpo, 12.95). 6^th with Insp. Brant and the Southeast London police squad. Someone is out to teach some manners and etiquette and the lessons are lethal. Favorite author of Janine’s. See also Felony & Mayhem in Small Mystery Presses.

James Lee Burke, Pegasus Descending (July, Simon & Schuster hc, 26.00). Robicheaux thinks he’s achieved a level of peace in his life. Then a new crime leads back to when, as a young cop, drunk on duty, Dave broke up a robbery and caused the death of a friend. A suicide, stolen $100 bills, and a vicious Mob thug take him back into his haunted past and present demons. Signed Copies Available. In paper, Crusader’s Cross (July, Pocket, 9.99).

Ellen Byerrum, Raiders of the Lost Corset (July, Signet pbo, 6.99). 4^th in the Crimes of Fashion series.

Dana Cameron, Ashes and Bones (Aug., Avon pbo, 6.99). 6^th with archeologist Emma Fielding.

JoAnna Carl, The Chocolate Bridal Bash (Aug, Signet pbo, 6.99). 6^th in this culinary chocolate series. Author is Eve Sandstrom.

John Case, Ghost Dancer (Aug, Ballantine hc, 25.95). Diabolical mathematician Jack Wilson intends to rediscover the weapon Nikola Tesla claimed to have created: a device that would use harmonic resonance to destroy any molecular structure.

Linda Castillo, A Whisper in the Dark (Aug, Berkley pbo, 7.99) Bookseller Julia Wainright is getting threatening letters. Her past is catching up with her.

Les Claypool, South of the Pumphouse (July, Akashic tpo, 14.95). Debut novel from a noted rock bassist of the 90s: A dark tale of brothers, a fishing trip, drugs and murder. The publisher writes that this is an epic tale reminiscent of “The Old Man and the Sea” by way of Hunter S. Thompson. Signing?

Barbara Cleverly, The Bee’s Kiss (Aug., Carroll & Graf hc, 25.00). In his 5^th appearance, back in London, Joe Sandilands is dispatched to investigate the murder of Dame Beatrice Joliffe. A window was broken and a valuable emerald necklace is missing. After years in India, Joe is unprepared for the Jazz Age and for the political pressures that the case unleashes. In paper, The Palace Tiger (July, Delta, 13.00).

Peter Corris, Saving Billie (April, Allen & Unwin tpo, 11.95). Cliff Hardy is drawn into federal elections when a journalist hires him to find a woman who has evidence on a media-giant. The corporate head has men looking for her too. 24^th in this Australian series for fans of Ross Macdonald and Steve Greenleaf. Series recommended by Bill & JB.

Colin Cotterill, Disco for the Departed (Aug., Soho hc, 23.00). Laotian national coroner Dr. Siri Paiboun is sent to the area where the present government used to hide in caves. An arm has been found in the area and the good doctor is given the job of finding out who it belongs to and where it came from. Signed Soho bookplates available for the first 16 copies reserved.  In paper, Thirty-Three Teeth (Aug., 12.00), the second in the series.

Cleo Coyle, Murder Most Frothy (Aug., Berkley pbo, 6.99). 4^th in the coffee shop series.

Philip R. Craig, Dead in Vineyard Sand (June, Scribner hc, 24.00). 17^th Martha’s Vineyard mystery – fun, food, folks, and at least one felony. FORE!!! Sun and sand on the island’s links. A favorite series of Sandy’s.

Lindsey Davis, See Delphi and Die (June, St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). The 17^th with Marcus Didius Falco. In paper, Scandal Takes a Holiday (June, St. Martin’s, 6.99).

Jeffery Deaver, The Cold Moon (June, Simon & Schuster hc, 26.00). Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs match wits with The Watchmaker, a diabolical killer who has a fiendish plot timed to perfection. While hunting, Sachs stumbles upon information about Rhyme that threatens their relationship. Signing.

Garry Discher, Snapshot (July, Soho hc, 23.00). Insp. Hal Chase is blocked by his boss as he tries to investigate the shooting death of a local psychologist. The woman was the daughter-in-law of the Superintendent and he seems more interested in protecting his son’s name than in catching her killer. In paper, the second Chase mystery, Kittyhawk Down (July, Soho, 12.00). Bill, JB and Janine recommend this author.

Carole Nelson Douglas, Cat in a Quicksilver Caper (July, Forge hc, 19.95). In paper, Cat in a Hot Pink Pursuit (June, Forge, 6.99).

Barry Eisler, The Last Assassin (May, Putnam hc, 24.95). John Rain learns that his former lover is rearing their child in NYC. His enemies know it too and are waiting for him. Signing.  In paper, Killing Rain (June, Signet, 7.99). Janine, Bill and JB recommend this series.

Janet Evanovich, Twelve Sharp (June, St. Martin’s hc, 26.95), Signed Copies Available. And, in paper, Eleven On Top (June, St. Martin’s, 7.99), and Smitten (Aug., Harper pbo, 7.99). Revised and reissued.

Monica Ferris, Sins and Needles (July, Berkley hc, 23.95). 10^th needlecraft mystery – patterns included – with Betsy Devonshire. In paper, Embroidered Truths (June, Berkley, 6.99).

Dan Fesperman, The Prisoner of Guantanamo  (July, Knopf hc, 24.00). FBI veteran and Arabic speaker Revere Falk is in Guantanamo interrogating terror suspects when a US soldier’s body washes up on a Cuban beach. He’s pressed into service and finds many forces circulating around him. Janine recommends this author.

Jasper Fforde, The Fourth Bear (July, Viking hc, 24.95). Insp. Spratt has been demoted to Missing Persons after bungling the case of the murdered baker. He and Mary Mary are sent to hunt for a missing journalist last seen by a family of bears. Meanwhile, a murderous genius of a killer cookie is on the loose. How can the Gingerbread man be stopped? Signed Copies Available.  In paper, The Big Over Easy (July, Penguin, 14.00), the first Jack Spratt. His next book will be with Thursday Next!

Frederick Forsyth, The Afghan (Aug., Putnam hc, 26.95). The West hears of a major Al Qaeda plot but can find no details to help them prevent it. The only hope is a Brit, long undercover, and imprisoned at Guantanamo. To let him out may blow his cover. But what other choice is there?

Margaret Frazer, A Play of Knaves (Aug., Berkley pbo, 6.99). 3^rd with Middle Ages player Jollife, who emerged from the Dame Frevisse books to have a series of his own.

Stephen Frey, The Power Broker (July, Ballantine hc, 24.95). Christian Gillette is first approached about a merger with his investment company and then is approached about being a possible Vice-Presidential candidate. He mistrusts both overtures.

Scott Frost, Never Fear (July, Putnam hc, 24.95). Pasadena Det. Alex Delillo is called to identify a body. She’s shocked to discover the man was a brother she never knew about. Even worse, he was investigating a string of 17 year-old murders. Signed Copies Available. Frost’s debut, Run the Risk (Berkley, 7.99.) was nominated for the 2006 Edgar award for Best First Novel. Janine recommends.

Ashley Gardner, A Covent Garden Mystery (July, Berkley pbo, 7.99). 6^th Regency England mystery with Captain Lacey.

Lee Goldberg, Mr. Monk Goes to Hawaii (July, Signet pbo, 6.99). Monk investigates death by coconut.

Batya Gur, Murder in Jerusalem (Aug., Harper hc, 24.95). Sixth and, sadly, the last of Michael Ohayon mysteries. The horrible death of a film set director may have implications of social and political unrest. In paper, Bethlehem Road Murder (Aug, Harper, 14.95).

Carolyn Haines, Bones to Pick (July, Kensington hc, 22.00). 6^th with Southern Belle and PI Sarah Booth Delaney.

Laurell K. Hamilton, Danse Macabre (July, Berkley hc, 24.95). The 13^th with Anita Blake, vampire hunter.

John Harvey, Darkness & Light (July, Harcourt hc, 25.00). In his third appearance, retired cop Frank Elder, as a favor to his ex-wife, looks for the sister of a missing friend. Similarities bring to mind one of his old, unsolved cases. In paper, Flesh & Blood (July, Harcourt, 14.00).

David Hosp, The Betrayed (July, Warner hc, 24.95). His second novel revolves around Sydney Chapin, whose sister was tortured to death, and the police officers, Train and Cassian, whose investigation leads them to places where those in power don’t want them looking. Signed Copies Available. In paper, Dark Harbor (June, Warner, 6.99). Fran recommends both.

Joshilyn Jackson, Between, Georgia (July, Warner hc, 22.95). Second book by a shop favorite whose debut was a bestseller for us in 2005. Now she introduces us to Nonny Frett, by birth a Crabtree but raised by Fretts, families with a long-standing enmity, and when the aging Frett sisters are attacked, Nonny may not be able to stop the violence. Fran, Tammy and Janine recommend. Signed Copies Available. In paper, gods in Alabama (June, Warner, 12.95).

Bill James, Wolves of Memory (July, Norton hc, 23.95). Harper and Iles are assigned the task of protecting an informant after a carefully designed raid goes bad. The only one to escape arrest is quickly fingered and it’s their job to hide him.

Morag Joss, Puccini’s Ghost (Aug., Delacorte hc, 22.00). Stand-alone suspense in the world of opera: a 15 year-old girl seeks rescue from a claustrophobic family when her beloved uncle stages an amateur production of Turandot. As she plans her future, her dreams combine with reality to make a dangerous concoction.

Daniel Judson, The Darkest Place (June, St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). A string of drownings during a cold-snap at a Long Island resort puts a local college professor in the crosshairs of the authorities. He has yet to recover from the drowning death of his own child a year before and his self-destructive activities are making him a suspect. Shamus Winning author.

Susan Kandel, Sam Spade in the Green Room (June, Morrow hc, 23.95). In her 3^rd appearance, LA mystery writer biographer Cece Caruso is thrilled that her new biography of Dashiell Hammett is to be made into a film. She’s hired to tutor the gorgeous male star, only to begin believing him to be a closet killer. Signing.

Faye Kellerman, The Garden of Eden and Other Criminal Delights (Aug., Warner hc, 24.95). 14 short stories gathered together for the first time, including three with Decker and Lazarus never before published. In paper, Straight into Darkness (July, Warner, 7.99).

Lee Charles Kelley, Dogged Pursuit (July, Avon pbo, 6.99). 5^th with dog trainer and kennel owner Jack Field.

Bill Kent, Street Legal (June, St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). Elderly obit writer Shep Ladderback and his assistant Andy Cosicki investigate when Andy sees a sand truck fill a car and cover a dead body sitting inside. It is tough since Shep has a fear of open spaces, but they’ll get the job done. 2^nd in this intelligent and quirky series.

Jack Kerley, A Garden of Vipers (June, Dutton hc, 24.95). Mobile, AL, detectives Ryder and Nautilus follow the trail of a murdered dog into one of the area’s wealthiest families and find that these perfect people will stop at nothing to maintain their place. Signed Copies Available. Janine recommends this author.

J.A. Konrath, Rusty Nail (July, Hyperion hc, 23.95). Chicago cop Jacqueline Daniels is being sent snuff films. All those involved were also involved in cases from her past. In paper, Bloody Mary (June, Hyperion, 6.99).

William Kent Kruger, Copper River (Aug., Atria hc, 24.00). Fleeing assassins who’ve already put one bullet in him, former sheriff Cork O’Connor runs to an old resort owned by a cousin. There he finds others in danger, including his nephew. In paper, Mercy Falls (July, Pocket, 7.99).  Favorite series of Fran’s.

William Lashner, Marked Man (June, Morrow hc, 24.95). Victor Carl wakes up with his suit in tatters and a painfully new tattoo on his chest. All of that’s got to wait, as his latest client wants to bargain with a stolen Rembrandt and someone doesn’t want that painting to surface. Signed Copies Available. In paper, Falls the Shadow (May, Harper, 7.99).

David Lawrence, Cold Kill (June, St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). 3^rd with London Det. Stella Mooney.

Laura Levine, The PMS Murder (June, Kensington hc, 19.95). 5^th with LA free-lance writer Jaine Austin.

Laura Lippman, No Good Deeds (July, Morrow hc, 24.95). Tess Monaghan agrees to protect a young boy who may hold the key to the solution of the murder of a young federal prosecutor. When this is discovered, she faces jail and the boy goes missing. Signed Copies Available. In paper, To the Power of Three (July, Avon, 7.99).

Gayle Lynds, The Last Spymaster (June, St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). A legendary US spy, imprisoned for treason near the end of the Cold War, vanishes from his cell. The agent assigned to capture him quickly sees that something else, something wrong, is going on. Signing.

Jay MacLarty, Live Wire (April, Pocket pbo, 7.99). Courier Simon Leonidovich is hired by the CIA to convey documents to North Korean dissidents. Third in a series highly recommended by Janine.

Paul Malmont, The Chinatown Death Cloud Peril (May, Simon & Schuster hc, 24.00). In the depths of the Great Depression, pulp writers Walter Gibson and Lester Dent put aside their pulp heroes – The Shadow and Doc Savage – to battle real evil, and evil that made the dead Lovecraft’s skin crawl. The adventure takes them around the world. Debut novel with a gorgeous pulp cover.

Margaret Maron, Winter’s Child (Aug., Mysterious Press hc, 24.95). Newlywed Judge Knott and her new husband are lured into the disappearance of his ex-wife and their child. 12^th in this multi-award winning series.  Signed Copies Available. In paper, Rituals of the Season (Aug., Warner, 6.99).

Edward Marston, Princess of Denmark (Aug., St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). 16^th Elizabethan theatrical mystery with Nicholas Bracewell. 

Francine Mathews, The Alibi Club (Aug, Bantam hc, 24.00). A little known historic event becomes the seed for this WWII thriller: four women, united by chance, circumstances and war, try to smuggle a gifted scientist out of Nazi Europe and to give his secrets to the Allies. By the author who also writes as Stephanie Barron and who will have a new Jane Austen book in Nov.

Cammie McGovern, Eye Contact (June, Viking hc, 24.95). Two schoolchildren wander away. When found hours later, the little girl has been murdered and the autistic boy is the only witness. His mother must work with him and the police to try to get answers about what happened. Signed Copies Available.

Colleen McCullough, On, Off (May, Simon & Schuster hc, 25.95). In 1965, few of the forensic techniques that are taken for granted now were not even dreamed of. In a Connecticut center for neurological research, part of a murder victim is found. What appears to be just one victim soon changes to a series of crimes. The cop assigned has heard the term “serial killer”, but few know what that entails. A true whodunit by the author of The Thornbirds.

D.R. Meredith, Murder by the Book (June, Berkley pbo, 6.99). Fifth with librarian Megan Clark who matches wits with a killer who has been studying Dame Agatha. Her own book club is under her suspicion.

Kyle Mills, The Second Horseman (Aug., St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). A career thief is broken out of prison by the FBI agent who framed him to put him there. The agent needs help with a national security matter.

Denise Mina, The Dead Hour (July, Little Brown hc, 24.95). Scottish reporter Paddy Meehan sees a connection between the murder of a beautiful prosecutor who was known for her social conscience and a body found in the river. In paper, Field of Blood (July, Little Brown, 7.50).

Camille Minichino, The Oxygen Murder (Aug., St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). 8^th in the Periodic Table mystery series. The author is, like her character, a professor of physics.

Marcia Muller, Vanishing Point (July, Mysterious Press hc, 24.95, Signed Copies 25.95). Sharon McCone is hired to solve a famous cold case. 20 years ago, a mother and artist vanished. Her daughter wants answers but, before McCone can get a feel for the case, the daughter goes missing, just like mother. In paper, Cape Perdido (July, Warner, 7.99).

Tim Myers, A Flicker of Doubt (June, Berkley pbo, 6.99). Fourth with candle shop owner Harrison Black. AND A Pour Way to Dye (Aug., Berkley pbo, 6.99), 2^nd in his soap making series.

Sister Carol Anne O’Marie, Murder at the Monk’s Table (June, St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). 11^th with the retired Bay Area nun, Sister Mary Helen.

Robert B. Parker, Blue Screen (June, Putnam hc, 24.95). Sunny Randall is hired to protect a C-list movie actress and is led into the territory of Police Chief Jesse Stone. Working together, they learn much about each other and themselves. Signed Copies Available. In paper, Appaloosa (June, Berkley, 7.99).

George Pelecanos, The Night Gardner (Aug., Little Brown hc, 24.95). Three cops, former friends long separated by years, events and hates, are reunited by a new case which leads to a showdown between them. Signed Copies Available. A favorite author of JB and Janine.

Louise Penny, Still Life (July, St. Martin’s hc, 22.95). Introducing Monsieur L’Inspecteur Armand Gamache of the Surete du Quebec, who is called to the scene of what is said to be a hunting accident near the US border. A Debut Dagger honor book in the UK.

Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child, The Book of the Dead (June, Warner hc, 25.95). The battle of brothers continues as a tomb is opened and a curse released amidst a series of murders. This battle must end and only one will emerge from clash. Fran recommends this series.

Bill Pronzini, The Crimes of Jordan Wise (July, Walker hc, 24.00, Signed Copies 25.00). An unassuming and straight-arrow accountant falls under the spell of an enchantress and embezzles half a million to keep up with her. That is when things really turn ugly.

Kathy Reichs, Break No Bones (July, Scribner hc, 25.95). The discovery of a fresh skeleton at an archeological dig leads Tempe Brennan to a case of a free street clinic from where the poor are vanishing. She’s led into the lucrative world of stolen body parts. In paper, Cross Bones (June, Pocket, 9.99). Favorite series of Fran’s.

Ruth Rendell, End in Tears (July, Crown hc, 25.00). Insp. Wexford feels he’s losing his skills when a young woman is killed. Obviously, it was not random. It isn’t until he finds the connection to a car crash that he begins to see his way. Signed Copies Available. In paper, 13 Steps Down (June, Vintage, 13.00).

J.D. Robb, Born in Death (July, Putnam hc, 24.95). Eve Dallas must deal with two double homicides. In paper, Memory in Death (June, Berkley, 7.99), and, as Nora Roberts, Angels Fall (July, Putnam hc, 25.95). In paper, Blue Smoke (June, Jove, 7.99).

Peter Robinson, Piece of My Heart (June, Morrow hc, 24.95). The murder of a free-lance music journalist takes Insp. Banks back to a long-unsolved case, 30 years ago, that might be connected to his fresh case. Signed Copies Available.

Sandra Scoppetone, Too Darn Hot (June, Ballantine hc, 24.95). 2^nd case for NYC PI Faye Quick. The Summer of 1943 is torrid and it will get worse. She’s hired to find a soldier who went AWOL a few days earlier. In paper, This Dame For Hire (June, Ballantine, 6.99).

Maggie Sefton, A Deadly Yarn (Aug., Berkley pbo, 6.99). Third in the popular knitting mystery series.

James Siegel, Deceit (Aug., Warner hc, 24.95). A disgraced,once-famous reporter now covers non-news stories for a small town paper in the California desert. Covering a highway wreck, he discovers that a bigger story is there, one that could restore his reputation. Tammy and Bill recommend this writer.

Daniel Silva, The Messenger (Aug., Putnam hc, 25.95). In London, Gabriel Allon, art restorer and spy, finds that an Al-Qaeda cell is planning an attack. Something about their plan seems familiar but he can’t quite figure out what. Janine recommends this series.

Clea Simon, Cattery Row (Aug., Poisoned Pen hc, 24.95). Freelance reporter Theda Krakow is having a tough time. Newspaper and magazine work has grown scarce. A request from a friend leads to a string of catnapping: show cats are being stolen. In paper, the 1^st, Mew is Murder (Aug., Poisoned Pen, 14.95).

Karin Slaughter, Triptych (Aug., Delacorte hc, 25.00). Her first stand-alone thriller: The story of two men – a homicide detective trying to work out of the nightmare of a failed marriage and the death of his partner and an ex-con whose nightmare is about to begin. In paper, Faithless (Aug., Dell, 7.99).

Alexander McCall Smith, Espresso Tales: The Latest from 44 Scotland Street (July, Anchor tpo, 13.95). Further adventures of the residents of the Edinburgh townhouse. 

Olen Steinhauer, Liberation Movements (Aug., St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). In 1975 Eastern Europe, truth is a deceptive thing. When a plane is destroyed in mid-air by terrorists, a secret policeman and a homicide cop are sent to investigate. Both have the feeling that their superiors are holding back information. In paper,36 Yalta Boulevard (July, St. Martin’s, 13.95). Janine recommends this author.

Jonathan Stone, Parting Shot (June, St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). As a sniper terrorizes the county, a local reporter finds himself in the middle of the media circus. His private life is a mess and his research on the case starts to give him ideas of a way out of all of it.

Denise Swanson, Murder of a Real Bad Boy (Aug., Signet pbo, 6.99). 8^th in the Scumble River series with contractor Skye Denison.

Victoria Thompson, Murder in Little Italy (June, Berkley hc, 23.95). 8^th with mid-wife Sarah Brandt in the Gaslight mystery series. In paper, Murder on Lenox Hill (June, Berkley, 6.99.

Brad Thor, Takedown (June, Atria hc, 25.00). A terrorist attack has cut Manhattan off from the rest of the country at the start of the 4^th of July holiday. Counter-terrorism op Scot Harvath was in town to visit a buddy and he may be the country’s only hope. In paper, Blowback (June, Pocket, 9.99).

Aimee & David Thurlo, Prey for a Miracle (June, St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). 3^rd with Sister Agatha.

P.J. Tracy, Snow Blind (Aug., Putnam hc, 24.95). The Monkeewrench gang is back in action when the bodies of two cops are found packed inside snowmen in a local park. Signed Copies Available. 4^th in this favorite series of Tammy, Fran and Janine.

Andrew Vachss, Mask Market (Aug., Pantheon hc, 24.95) Hired to find a missing person, Burke sees his client gunned down just minutes later. When he opens the dossier, he finds that he’s to look for a woman he found once before – twenty years ago when she was 13. Signing?  In paper, Two Trains Running (June, Vintage, 14.95).

Ayelet Waldman, Bye-Bye, Black Sheep (Aug., Berkley hc, 22.95). 7^th in the Mommy-Track mystery series. Signing. In paper, The Cradle Robbers (July, Berkley, 7.99).

Minette Walters, The Devil’s Feather (Aug., Knopf hc, 24.00). UK reporter Connie Burns is certain that a madman is using the world’s catastrophic wars to engage in brutal acts of rape and murder, but no one seems to care. First in Sierra Leone and then in Iraq, she follows his trail, barely escaping his attack herself. Back in England, she knows it’s just a matter of time before he comes for her.

Louise Welch, The Bullet Trick (Aug., Canongate hc, 23.00). William Wilson is a master performer, a mentalist and conjurer, wasted as an opening act for Glasgow’s strippers. A gig in the dark and lurid clubs of Berlin gives him a shot at the spotlight, but a chance for fast money after hours confuses where the act ends and trouble begins. Adults only suspense.

Brian Wiprud, Crooked (Aug., Dell pbo, 6.99). 3^rd comic mystery from this staff favorite: An insurance investigator of elastic morals finds crime really might pay after all.

Daniel Woodrell, Winter’s Bones (Aug., Little Brown hc, 22.95). 16 year old Ree is used to taking care of her family, but when her father skips bail, she goes after him. If she can’t bring him back, their house will be lost. Signed Copies Available. Latest Ozark Noir by a favorite writer of Tammy and JB. Tammy says this one is fabulous!

 

 

Keith Ablow, The Architect (June, St. Martin’s, 7.99).

Rennie Airth, The Blood-Dimmed Tide (June, Penguin, 14.00).Fran and Janine recommend.

M.C. Beaton, The Perfect Paragon (June, St. Martin’s, 6.99). Agatha Raisin.

John Burdett, Bangkok Tattoo (July, Vintage, 12.95).

Mark Cohen, Bluetick Revenge (Aug., Warner, 6.99).

Michael Connelly, The Lincoln Lawyer (July, Warner, 7.99).

Thomas Cook, Red Leaves (June, Harcourt, 14.00). Edgar   nominee for Best Novel of 2005.

James D. Doss, Shadow Man (Aug., St. Martin’s, 6.99).

Brian Freeman, Immoral (June, St. Martin’s, 6.99). Fran recommends.

Cynthia Harrod-Eagles, Dear Departed (Aug., Trafalgar, 8.99). 10^th Bill Slider.

Erin Hart, The Iron Girl (Aug., St. Martin’s, 14.95).

Mo Hayder, The Devil of Nanking (June, Penguin, 7.99).

Gregg Hurwitz, Troubleshooter (Aug., Harper, 7.99).

Joseph Kanon, Alibi (May, Picador, 14.00). Janine recommends.

Philip Kerr, Hitler’s Peace (Aug., Penguin, 14.00).

Jeff Lindsay, Dearly Devoted Dexter (July, Vintage, 6.99)    Fran, Bill and Janine recommend this series.

Peter Lovesey, The Circle (June, Soho, 13.00). Sandy and Bill recommend.

Sara Paretsky, Fire Sale (July, Signet, 9.99).

Steven Saylor, A Gladiator Dies Only Once (June, St. Martin’s, 13.95).

Julie Smith, PI on a Hot Tin Roof (Aug., Forge, 7.99).

Julia Spencer-Fleming, To Darkness and to Death (June, St. Martin’s, 6.99).

Peter Spiegelman, Death’s Little Helpers (June, Vintage, 13.95).

Lea Wait, Shadows at the Spring Show (June, Pocket, 12.00).

F. Paul Wilson, Crisscross (June, Tor, 7.99). Repairman Jack.

Jacqueline Winspear, Pardonable Lies (June, Picador, 14.00).

 

 

Kate Atkinson, One Good Turn, Oct.

Jan Burke, Kidnapped, Oct.

Michael Connelly & Harry Bosch, Oct.

Susan Dunlap, A Single Eye, Nov.

Dick Francis, Under Orders, Oct. !!!!

Elizabeth George, What Came Before He Shot Her, Oct.

Joe Gores, Glass Tiger, Oct.

James Grady, Mad Dogs, Sept.

Steve Hamilton, & Alex McNight, Sept.

Tony Hillerman, The Shape Shifter, Nov.

Philip Kerr & Bernie Gunther !!!, Sept.

John LeCarre, The Mission Song, Sept.

Dennis Lehane & a short story collection, Sept.

Robert Littell, Vicious Circle, Sept.

Walter Mosley & Fearless Jones, Sept.

Ian Rankin, Bleeding Hearts, Nov.

Julia Spencer-Fleming, All Mortal Flesh, Oct.

Richard Stark & Parker, Nov.

Joseph Wambaugh, Hollywood Station, Nov.

Robert Wilson & Ins. Falcon, Nov.

Don Winslow, The Winter of Frankie Machine, Sept.

Jacqueline Winspear & Maisie Dobbs, Sept.

 

 

Will Thomas, The Limehouse Text (June, Touchstone hc, 24.00/tp, 14.00). A pawn ticket belonging to enquiry agent Cyrus Barker’s last – and late – assistant leads him and his current helper to Chinatown, a rare book about martial arts forbidden to the West, and geopolitics, all the while trying to avoid a killer who wants possession of the book and its secrets. Third in this Victorian series.

Bill Doyle, Betrayed! Crime through Time 1977 and Silenced! Crime through Time 1969 (July, Little Brown tp, 5.99 ea). Further adventures of the famous Fitzmorgan detective family, with historical settings and accurate forensics and investigative practices of that time.

Charlie Higson, Blood Fever: The Young James Bond, Book Two (June, Miramax hc, 16.95). 13 year-old Bond heads to Sardinia on a school trip and learns that mischief is afoot.

 

A.C. Baantjer, Dekok and Variations on Murder (June, Speck tp, 14.00). A woman finds a dead man in an office boardroom. She goes for help and the body is gone when she returns.

Andrea Camilleri, Rounding the Mark (Aug, Penguin tpo, 13.00). Two separate cases take Insp. Montalbano deep into the dark world of human trafficking.

Ake Edwardson, Never End (June, Viking hc, 24.95). As his coastal city sweats under a heat wave, Swedish cop Erik Winter begins to think that a string of rape/murders may be related to string of similar crimes from the past. Is there a new killer or has the old one resurfaced?  In paper, Sun and Shadow (May, Penguin, 13.00), the first of his books to be published in the US.

Karin Fossum, When the Devil Holds the Candle (July, Harcourt hc, 24.00). Insp. Konrad Sejer is baffled that two cases may be linked: the death of an infant in a stroller and the disappearance of a local delinquent. Odd things are going on just below the surface of his small Norwegian town. Signing. In paper, He Who Fears the Wolf  (July, Harcourt, 14.00) the 2nd Insp. Sejer.

 

     From England

Michael Bond, Monsieur Pamplemousse and the Militant Housewives (May, Allison & Busby hc, 25.95). The coffin explodes into flames just after Pamplemousse gives the eulogy for a colleague. Luckily, Pomme Frites’ barks of warning are just in time.

Michael Jecks, The Death Ship of Dartmouth (July, Trafalgar hc, 24.95). 15^th medieval mystery with Furnshill and Puttock. In paper, A Friar’s Bloodfeud (June, Trafalgar, 9.99).

 

     Bitter Lemon

Tonino Benacquista, Framed (July, tpo, 14.95). 3^rd Parisian mystery with billiards fanatic Antoine. Asked to watch over an art gallery, he’s soon embroiled in a case of art theft, the murder of the gallery owner, and the parasites who infect the art world.

Leonardo Padura, Havana Black (May, tpo, 14.95). A body washes up on a Cuban beach, the body battered and mutilated. The man had been involved with confiscating art at the time of the revolution.

     Busted Flush

[ This new press is affiliated with Murder by the Book in Houston.]

Ken Bruen, A Fifth of Bruen (May, tpo, 18.00). A collection of the author’s first 4 novels and 2 short story collections: Funeral: Tales of Irish Morbidities; Shades of Grace; Martyrs, Sherry and Other Stories; Time of Serna-May and Upon the Third Cross; and All the Old Songs and Nothing to Lose. Intro by Allan Guthrie. A limited number of signed copies will be available.

Damn Near Dead, Duane Swierczynski, ed. (July, hc, 26.00). A collection of hard-boiled “geezer noir” stories by 28 authors, including M. Billingham, K. Bruen, Cotterill, J. Harvey, S. Kernick, L. Lippman, Z. Sharp, J. Siler and signed by contributors J. Crumley, J. & M. Abbott, M. Burton, R.Coleman, B. Crider, S. Doolittle, V. Gischler and the editor.

     Europa Editions

Alicia Gimenez-Bartlett, Dog Day (May, tpo, 14.95). Hardboiled Spanish crime novel for dog lovers: Two cops investigate the murder of a homeless man whose only friend seems to have been his mongrel dog named Fright. The murders begin to pile up.

Carlo Lucarelli, Carte Blanche (July, tpo, 14.95). At the end of WWII, Mussolini’s fascist construction is disintegrating. Commissario De Luca heads up a dangerous investigation that takes him into the private lives of the powerful who are losing that power and becoming even more dangerous. Tammy has long been waiting for new translations from this author, having loved Almost Blue (City Lights, 2001, 11.95), a contemporary mystery.

     Felony & Mayhem

Margery Allingham, The Crime at Black Dudley (June, 14.95), the 1^st Albert Campion, from 1926. They’ll be reissuing this entire classic Golden Age series!

Bob Cook, Disorderly Elements (Aug., 14.95). After 30 years, a down-sized spy tries to put away a little nestegg. From 1985.

Peter Dickinson, King and Joker (June, 14.95). A fictional royal family struggles to keep its secrets from the press. From 1976.

John Norman Harris, The Weird World of Wes Beattie (June, 14.95). A classic locked-room mystery set in Toronto in the early 60s. From 1963.

Donald E. Westlake, One of Us is Wrong (June, 14.95). Originally published as by Samuel Holt. A has-been TV detective star tries his hand at the real thing. From 1986.

David Wishart, Ovid (Aug., 14.95). His 1^st historical Roman mystery, from 1995.

     Hard Case Crime

Madison Smartt Bell, Straight Cut (June, 6.99.) Originally published in 1986. A freelance film editor takes a job in Rome, only to be surprised, threatened and endangered. A chase across Europe begins, and leads back home to NYC where betrayal awaits.

Max Allan Collins, The Last Quarry (Aug, 6.99). 30 years after his first appearance, the retired hit man – Quarry – is drawn out for a lucrative assignment. But he has to wonder, why would anyone want a beautiful young librarian dead?

Richard Stark, Lemons Never Lie (July, 6.99). Originally from 1971. When he isn’t pulling heists with his buddy Parker, Alan Grofield runs a theatre and supports it with other “jobs”. In turning down one, he makes a bad enemy. Lawrence Block called this “the best Richard Stark ever.” Is there such a thing as a bad Donald Westlake book?

     Pegasus Books

Frederic Lenoir and Violette Cabesos, The Angel’s Promise (July, tpo, 15.95). An archeological and metaphysical mystery, as a young French investigator examines an abandoned church and abbey on the coast. In 10 centuries, the ruin has kept its secrets and she’s endangered by poking into them now. The book won the prestigious Bookseller’s Prize in Paris.

Charlie Stella, Shakedown (June, hc, 24.00). Normally, it isn’t too dangerous to find a girl, get married and have babies – unless you need to quit the mob to do it all. Bobby Genarro wants to be an ex-bookmaker but his old boss has flipped to the Feds and begins to squeal, and a gang war with the Chinese is looking likely.

Cornell Woolrich, Manhattan Love Song (Aug., tpo, 13.95). Originally published in 1932 as he was moving from traditional novelist to suspense master, this novel details a modern couple’s fall from grace.

Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine Presents Fifty Years of Crime and Suspense, Linda Landrigan, ed. (June, tpo, 16.95). A full clip of favorite authors with stories chosen by the readers of the magazine. McBain, Block, Westlake, Willeford, Pronzini, Estleman and Paretsky, to name a few. Better be a Stout in there…

     Rue Morgue

Dorothy Bowers, The Bells of Old Bailey (Aug., 14.95). From 1947, this is the fifth and final book from an author compared to Sayers during her short life.

Pamela Branch, Murder’s Little Sister (June, 14.95). From 1959. Enid decides that suicide is the way to get her husband’s attention but soon finds out that it isn’t that simple.

Constance & Gwenyth Little, The Blackout (July, 14.00). From 1951, murder befalls an odd group of people living in a run-down mansion owned by a retired ballerina.

    Stark House

Invasion of the Body Snatchers: A Tribute Edition by Kevin McCarthy & Ed Gorman (June, 19.95) The original novel that became the landmark movie, with interviews with the original stars and essays by noted horror writers.

Harry Whittington, A Night for Screaming/ Any Woman He Wanted (July, 19.95). Two from a paperback original noir master and includes an intro by Whittington expert David L. Wilson and “a (nearly) definitive and exhaustive bibliography.”

 

Twin Cities Noir, Schaper and Horwitz, eds. (June, Akashic tpo, 14.95). Contributors include Housewright, Thayer, Logue, Krueger, Hart, Hautman and the editors.

London Noir, Cathie Unsworth, ed. (Aug., Akashic tpo, 14.95). Contributors include Bruen, Denby, Sykes and the editor.

Murder in the Rough, Otto Penzler, ed. (June, Mysterious Press tp, 13.95). The pros are out with their wedges: Block, Bruen, Hamilton, Lippman, Rankin and others provide new stories set on the links.

Mystery Writers of America Presents Death Do Us Part, Harlan Coben, ed. (Aug., Little Brown hc, 25.95). The trials of love and relationships and their shocking resolutions from 18 authors, including Lee Child, Ridley Pearson, Laura Lippman and others.

Thriller: Stories to Keep You Up All Night, James Patterson, ed. (June, Mira hc, 24.95). An anthology from the recently formed International Thriller Writers with 32 contributions from authors such as L. Child, J. Grippando, D. Hamilton, G. Hurwitz, J. Konrath, J. Lescroart, D. Liss, D. Morrell, C. Reich, Rose and many others. Visit their site at www.InternationalThrillerWriters.com.

The Widow of Slane and Six More of the Best Crime and Mystery Novellas of the Year, Gorman and Greenberg, eds. (Aug., Carroll & Graf tpo, 16.95). The best novellas of 2004 from S. Allyn, D. Stabenow, C. Howard, C.N. Douglas, T. Faherty, S. Hockensmith and A. Perry.

 

James Ellroy, Suicide Hill (July, Vintage, 12.95). The third with Det. Sgt. Lloyd Hopkins, from 1986.

Kenneth Fearing, The Big Clock (July, NYRB Classics, 14.00). A 1949 noir classic that was made into two successful films: The Big Clock (1948) with Charles Laughton and Ray Milland, and No Way Out (1987) with Kevin Costner and Gene Hackman: a murder takes place in a large, sealed building. The man named to hunt for the killer is the man suspected of being the killer, but the boss and owner of the building doesn’t know that the man he appoints is the man he’s after… Got that? It’s a great story. Bill and JB recommend.

David Goodis, Black Friday and Selected Stories (July, Serpent’s Tail tp, 13.95). Works from a noir master long unavailable: the novel Black Friday was first published in 1954 and the stories, first published in pulp magazines, have never been in a book.

Kerry Greenwood, Flying Too High (July, Poisoned Pen hc, 24.95) From 1990, the second in the series with Phryne Fisher, flapper PI in 1920s Melbourne.

Ed McBain, Learning to Kill (July, Harcourt hc, 25.00). 25 early short stories published under pen names Evan Hunter, Richard Marsten or Hunt Collins, all but 5 appearing originally in Manhunt magazine. Collected for the first time by the author before his death, each with an individual introduction that tells how he came to write it.

F. Paul Wilson, The Tomb (Aug., Tor, 3.99). The 1^st of the Repairman Jack books, with the author’s revised and preferred text in paperback for the first time.

 

Rick Gekoski, Nabokov’s Butterfly and other Stories of Great Authors and Rare Books (July, Carroll & Graf tpo, 14.95). Rare book dealer Gekoski relates the stories of 20 rare books that passed through his hands and  the dealers, the authors, and the collectors who populate his tales.

Lewis Buzbee, The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop: A Memoir (June, FSG hc, 17.00). A memoir and a history of bookselling from a long-time dealer and publisher’s representative, full of anecdotes and the community of booklovers. Signing?

Graham Lord, John Mortimer: The Secret Life of Rumpole’s Creator (Aug. St. Martin’s hc, 25.95). A deep and revealing portrait of the barrister, playwright, bestselling novelist and knight of the realm.

The Trial of Jack the Ripper: The Case of William Bury (1859-89), Euan MacPherson (Aug., Trafalgar tpo, 16.95). The account of the only man to have been tried for a Ripper murder – Bury moved to London just before the Whitechappel murders began, and they stopped when he moved to Scotland. But a sensational murder there points to Jack and to Bury being Jack.

Don Hutchinson, The Great Pulp Heroes (Aug, Book Republic Press tpo, 12.95). A survey of the beloved pulp creations – such as The Shadow, Tarzan and Zorro – who helped to set the pattern for our fictional heroes who have come after.

Playback: A Graphic Novel, Raymond Chandler (July, Arcade hc, 19.95). Chandler’s screenplay – which he had adapted for the final Marlowe novel – is unearthed, adapted to become a graphic novel by Ted Benoit and illustrated by Philippe Garnier.

Nicholas Christopher, Somewhere in the Night: Film Noir & the American City (June, Shoemaker & Hoard tp, 16.00). A new, expanded edition includes a new afterward by the editor and an expanded filmography.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s a selection of first books – not all from this year - that we’ve read this year and recommend, some in our newzines, some here for the first time:

 

A Fool’s Gold: A Story of Ancient Spanish Treasure, Two Pounds of Pot, and the Young Lawyer Almost Left Holding the Bag ($23.95, Bloomsbury), a “non-fiction” true-crime set in Portland and on the Oregon coast in the ‘70’s. Bill Merritt, fresh out of law school has landed his first job, working under the eccentric and slightly shady Thaddeus Silk. This is a hilarious legal novel, that’s true - mostly. Tammy recommends. Signed Copies Available.

 

The Princess of Burundi, by Kjell Eriksson, translated from the Swedish by Ebba Segerberg (St. Martin’s Press $23.95), winner the Swedish Crime Academy’s Best Crime Novel Award. Set in the welfare class of Uppsala in upper Sweden, a local tropical fish enthusiast has been killed and mutilated; has his past caught up with his reformed family life, or is it the work of a psycho killer? While on maternity leave, Insp. Ann Lindell is pulled unofficially into the investigation. Finely drawn portraits of the family and friends’ relationships in their grief and desires for resolution, with descriptions that are gripping, nuanced and haunting. Tammy recommends.

 

Javier Sierra's The Secret Supper ($25.95, Atria).  Set in 1497 in Milan, word has reached the Vatican of da Vinci's mural on the wall of the monastery Santa Maria della Grazie, a depiction of the last supper.  Are there hidden secrets in this painting?  Is it heretical?   Sierra has done a lot of research into the ways medieval artists, and the mystery he has created around the time of da Vinci's painting is intriguing. Even if you're fed up with the whole da Vinci conspiracy mania, this is a book well worth reading. Fran recommends.

 

Brian Haig's military/legal thriller series features Major Sean Drummond, a JAG officer with a clandestine background and a wise-ass, irreverent attitude. Secret Sanction (Warner, $6.99) has him investigating a Bosnian massacre reported to be the work of a unit of Green Berets. It’s the first of five so far. Drummond is the narrator of each book and given the rather serious topics, his irreverence and general cheekines make the reading easier to handle. There are a few recurring characters, so I'd advise reading the series in order.  For those of you who enjoy David Rosenfelt's Andy Carpenter series, think Andy Carpenter in a uniform... Janine, Bill and JB recommend.

 

Martyn Waits’ new book, The Mercy Seat, is the first in a trilogy (Pegasus Books $25.00). Disgraced news-paperman Joe Donovan must win the trust of street hustler, Jamal, to track down the serial killer who is stalking a Newcastle research scientist and laying waste to those in his path. Very gritty and reminiscent of Lee Child’s style.  Vivid characters, with sly twists and double-crosses. First book released in the US.

Tammy recommends.

 

Something violent but oh-so-funny is the best way to describe The Wheel Man (St. Martin's, $23.95) by Duane Swierczynski.  We meet our "hero", Lennon, outside a bank in Philadelphia, waiting for his partners, in the getaway car.  He's about to find himself in the middle of the heist from hell where he's betrayed by his partners. This is one wild ride, perfectly paced, with a deliciously twisted ending. Janine recommends.

Cornelia Read's A Field of Darkness (Mysterious Press, $22.95) Set in the summer of 1988, the protagonist is a fledgling journalist for a small newspaper in upstate New York. When a set of dog tags turns up at the scene of a decades-unsolved double murder, she is compelled to investigate the crime. The name on the tags is that of her favorite cousin. Read's voice is unique ~ and her storytelling skills first rate.  Janine, Fran and Tammy proclaim a must read book! Signed Copies Available June 2^nd.

 

Steve Hockensmith’s Holmes on the Range (St. Martin’s, $22.95) features two cowboys, brothers, on a Montana spread in 1893. Fans of the Sherlock stories that they’ve read in Harper’s Weekly, they decide that they can “detectify” when on of their fellow wranglers is killed. Sandy and Tammy recommend.

 

Matilde Aseni’s The Last Cato is her first book published in English and the US (Rayo, $24.95). A nun working in the Vatican is drawn into an investigation of thefts of church relics. All are slivers from the True Cross. Fran recommends.

 

As the Director of the US Central Identification Lab. in Honolulu, Tom Holland draws upon his knowledge and experience of forensic anthropology in One Drop of Blood (Simon & Schuster, $24.00, Signed Copies Available.) His main character – a fictionalized director of the CIL -  investigates two 40 year-old deaths, one in Arkansas and one in Viet Nam. Fran recommends.

 

Tony Broadbent’s Smoke (Felony & Mayhem, 14.95) is his first with Jethro, a jewelry thief in England just after the end of WWII. He’s stuck between a mobster and government heading into the Cold War. Both sides want him to do a job for them.  Janine recommends.

 

 

SEATTLE MYSTERY BOOKSHOP

117 Cherry St. Seattle, WA, 98104 206-587-5737

staff@seattlemystery.com www.seattlemystery.com

Our newsletter is available free in the shop, and online at our website. Mail subscriptions are $5.00 per year for four issues.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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