SEATTLE MYSTERY BOOKSHOP

Summer 2008 Newsletter

117 Cherry St. Seattle, WA 98104

Hours: 10-5 Mon – Sat, 12-5 Sun

Bill Farley, founder / JB Dickey, owner

Fran Fuller, Bookkeeper / Janine Wilson, bookseller

Gretchen Brevoort, Co-op / Mary Ary-Almojuela, bookseller

staff@seattlemystery.com 206-587-5737 www.seattlemystery.com

cops – private eyes – courtroom – thrillers – suspense – espionage – true crime – reference

New from the Northwest

Stella Cameron, Cypress Nights (Aug., Mira hc, 24.95). St. Cecil’s Parish has hired teacher Bleu Labeau to establish a grade school. Local rogue Roche Savage is after her for other, less honorable reasons. Bodies begin to turn up and are connected to both of them. All of the victims are both patients of Savage’s and contributors to the school fund. Signing.

Daniel Edward Craig, Murder at Hotel Cinema (June, Midnight Ink tpo, 15.95). One of Hollywood’s hottest stars dies in a fall from her penthouse balcony at the party celebrating the renovation of a Tinseltown hotel. Was it a publicity stunt gone terribly awry or something else? Hotelier Trevor Lambert will find out.

Mary Daheim, Vi Agra Falls (Aug., Morrow hc, 23.95). Judith’s world is beset by chaos. Her husband’s ex-wife – now rich beyond dreams after her second husband died and left her a fortune – has bought an old house in the neighborhood and announced she intends to tear it down and build a massive condominium. In paper, Scots on the Rocks (July, Avon, 6.99). Signing.

Mike Doogan, Skeleton Lake (Aug., Putnam hc, 25.95). In his 3^rd book, Alaskan Det. Nik Kane is recovering from his last case (Capitol Offense, Aug., Berkley, 7.99) and begins to think about his first investigation, the murder of an old-style cop, Danny Shirleff. Someone put two bullets into the back of the man’s head and Nik could never hang the crime on anyone. Now he has time to re-open this old, cold case.

Aaron Elkins, Uneasy Relations (July, Berkley hc, 23.95). Professor Oliver attends a conference on Gibraltar when the remains of a Neanderthal woman are found with a baby that seems to be half-Neanderthal and half-human. Someone is obviously upset by the find and fresher bodies are soon turning up. In paper, Little Tiny Teeth (July, Berkley, 7.99). Signing.

Yasmine Galenorn, Dragon Wytch (July, Berkley pbo, 7.99). The D’Artigo sisters series continues: Camille learns a secret that could impact all of the sisters’ lives. Signing.

Gabriella Herkert, Doggone (Aug., Obsidian pbo, 6.99). In her second adventure (after Catnapped, Obsidian, 6.99), legal investigator Sara Townley begins work on a case of stolen identity. Somewhere along the way a black lab begins to show up where ever she goes. Soon, she realizes that she’s got a sidekick. Signing.

Lisa Jackson, Left to Die (Aug., Kensington pbo, 7.99). Two Montana cops, Detectives Selena Alvarez and Regan Pescoli, take on a disturbing case. Four victims have been abducted, played with and slowly murdered. Cryptic messages have been left with the bodies. Obviously the killer is toying with them as well.

J.A. Jance, Damage Control (Aug., Morrow hc, 25.95). Joanna Brady is stretched thin and is exhausted – being the sheriff and the mother of a newborn will do that to a person. Her plate is filled further with two events: a woman who had been harassed by her ex shoots an intruder, but it isn’t her ex, and a car goes through the guardrail of a mountain highway. No rest for the weary from the wicked. In paper, Justice Denied (July, Harper, 9.99), Beaumont. Signing.

Rebecca Kent, High Marks for Murder (June, Berkley pbo, 6.99). Start of a new series by Kate Kingsbury, under a new name. In 1905 Edwardian England, headmistress Meredith Llewellyn presides over Bellehaven House, a girls’ finishing school. One of her teachers is killed in the school’s garden, and even in death, she seems to be pointing to the garden – a clue?

Caitlin Kittredge, Pure Blood (Aug., St. Martin’s pbo, 6.99). Homicide Det. Luna Wilder finds herself in the middle of a war between rival clans of witches. Not a good place for a cop – or a werewolf – to find herself. Signing.

Mike Lawson, House Rules (June, Atlantic Monthly hc, 22.00). DeMarco is tasked with investigating a string of terrorist attacks on DC. None have succeeded but the powers in Washington are rattled, and pending legislation is punishingly restrictive. The Speaker is suspicious and DeMarco – with Emma’s help – begins to see problems with the official stories about the attacks. A timely story about the uses and abuses of power and mis-directions of threats – Lawson’s best book yet, which is saying something! Plus, Bill’s blurb recommending the book is printed on the back of the jacket! Signing.

Ron Lovell, Yaquina White (July, Penman tpo, 15.00). 7^th with former Oregon professor Thomas Martindale. His career wrecked, Martindale accepts an assignment to the North Pole to escape the drug dealers he’d become entangled with. More shenanigans befall him on the trip and, upon his return, he faces a showdown with his enemy.

Neil Low, Thick as Thieves (July, Tigress tpo, 15.95). Debut novel by a veteran Seattle cop. Seattle in the 1940s is a wide-open den of vice and corruption. When a corrupt cop kills his father, a private investigator, Alan Stewart determines to get justice and revenge. What he can’t possibly foresee is that the clues will lead him to the “Crime of the Century”, a notorious kidnapping the decade before. Signing.

Elizabeth Lowell, Blue Smoke and Murder (June, Morrow hc, 24.95). Strange and threatening events are happening in Jill Breck’s life. Some time before, while a river guide, she’d saved the life of the son of some powerful people in her town. She turns to them now, asking for help and they send Zach Balfour, their troubleshooter, to help her,

Phillip Margolin, Executive Privilege (June, Harper hc, 25.95). In DC, a private eye is hired to follow a young woman to see where she goes and whom she sees. The morning after she sees the President, she’s found murdered. In Portland, a lawyer’s client tells him a former governor – who is now the President, framed him for murder. Signing.

Cricket McRae, Heaven Preserve Us (Aug., Midnight Ink tpo, 13.95). Home crafts maven Sophie Mae Reynolds (first seen in Lye in Wait, Midnight Ink, 12.95) works nights on a crisis helpline. Her first call of the evening is from a man who threatens suicide and then threatens her.

Ridley Pearson, Killer View (Aug., Putnam hc, 24.95). A search-and-rescue mission turns into something else when shots are fired at Sun Valley Sheriff Walt Fleming’s team. One dead, one vanished and they haven’t found any sign of the missing skier. In paper, Killer Weekend (July, Jove, 9.99), first in the series.

Barbara Pope, Cezanne’s Quarry (June, Pegasus hc, 25.00). Debut from a University of Oregon professor of history and women’s/gender studies. In the late 1800s in France, a young woman is found murdered. She was the lover of a Darwin scholar and the object of lust of Paul Cezanne. Various elements swirl through this whodunit: the treatment of women in the late 19^th C.; the inadequacies of the French legal system; the early battles of evolutionary theory; and the revolutionary art of the most influential post-impressionist. Signing.

Kat Richardson, Underground (Aug., Roc hc, 21.95). In her 3^rd book – and first hardcover – Seattle PI Harper Blaine investigates a series of deaths among the homeless. The case will take her into the Seattle Underground. She hears tales of zombies… Signing.

Mark Schorr, Fixation (June, St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). Portland counselor Brian Hanson works to help FBI agent Louise Parker after her raid on a Neo-Nazi drug lab goes badly. She’s the subject of an internal investigation, and the target of her original investigation is out for revenge.

Elizabeth Sims, The Actress (June, St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). Struggling actress Rita Farmer is desperate for any work. She accepts a job from a lawyer to help coach a client, a tabloid fixture, who has been accused of killing her own child. Can Rita help to make the woman seem more human? Signing.

Kate Wilhelm, Cold Case (Aug., Mira hc, 24.95). 22 years ago, a young woman was strangled, but no one was ever charged. Now all of the characters she was with that night have been drawn together again. One of them had been looking into the case after all these years and he’s been murdered. Barbara Holloway and her father take up the defense of the man accused of the new murder. In paper, A Wrongful Death (July, Mira, 6.99).

Now in Paperback

Chelsea Cain, HeartSick (Aug., St. Martin’s, 7.99). Gretchen recommends.

Michael Dibdin, End Games (Aug., Vintage, 13.95). The final Arelio Zen. Favorite author of Janine’s.

Matt Ruff, Bad Monkeys (Aug., Harper, 13.95). Wasn’t this already sort of a softcover?? JB & Fran recommend this wickedly twisted book.

Reissues of Note

L.R. Wright, The Suspect (July, Felony & Mayhem, 14.95). Winner of the 1985 Edgar for Best Mystery, this is the first of the Karl Alberg books, set along British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast. A dynamite book, you know from the start who did it but you don’t know until the last page why!

Mysterious Youth

Ridley Pearson, The Kingdom Keepers: The Rise of Chernabog (Aug., Disney tpo, 17.99). The disappearance of a mysterious sister, a wild monkey in a storm, and the Overtakers threaten the Magic Kingdom, and the Kingdom Keepers are on watch. 2^nd in the series.

Special Interest

John Straley, The Rising and the Rain: Collected Poems (Aug., Univ. of Alaska Press tpo, 19.95). The first book of poetry from Alaska’s Writer Laureate.

Coming This Fall

Chelsea Cain, Sweetheart, Sept.

Jayne Castle, Dark Light, Sept.

Carola Dunn & Daisy Dalrymple, Sept.

Larry Karp, The King of Ragtime, Oct.

Ann Rule & Case Files Vol. 13, Nov.

[Entries in Blue do not appear in the printed, paper version. The printed newsletter is limited by postage and printing to a finite number of pages. No such limits exist on the web so we include much, much more.]

New from the Rest

Jeff Abbott, Collision (June, Dutton hc, 24.95). Two men are joined in a battle. One is a grieving widower and the other is former CIA agent who now works for shadowy agency. Somehow, they are both the subjects of the same conspiracy, targeted for elimination. One knows nothing of this world while the other knows too much.

Elizabeth Adler, One of Those Malibu Nights (July, St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). Murder, mystery and movie stars.

Mark Alpert, Final Theory (June, Touchstone hc, 24.00). Columbia University physics professor David Swift is called to the hospital where his mentor is near death after a beating. The older man’s last words refer to Einstein’s long-postulated Theory of Everything, which would unite all of the various forces into one theory of how things work. Supposedly, the theory was never finalized. But, soon after his mentor dies, Swift is arrested, questioned and nearly murdered. Someone clearly believes this theory was completed and wants it. First novel by “a self-described lifelong ‘science geek”.

Donna Andrews, Cockatiels at Seven (Aug., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). Reluctantly, Meg Langslow agrees to be an emergency babysitter for a few hours. When those hours pass, and then the night, she goes looking for her friend, the child’s mother. In paper, The Penguin Who Knew Too Much (July, St. Martin’s, 6.99).

David Bajo, The 351 Books of Irma Arcuri (June, Viking hc, 25.95). This promises to be a mind-bending bibliomystery that is both metaphysical and philosophical: Philip Magyrk is a mathematical genius that has been through two marriages while maintaining an affair with Irma Arcuri. She’s now disappeared and left her library to Philip, all 351 volumes, 5 of which she wrote herself. As he delves into the books, he sees patterns and clues to Irma’s circumstances, and to events in his own life.

Linda Barnes, Lie Down with the Devil (Aug., St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). Carlotta Carlyle investigates her own life: her fiancé Sam Gianelli has fled the country after a secret indictment comes down to accuse him of murder. Signed Copies Available.

Brett Battles, The Deceived (June, Delacorte hc, 24.00). Professional ‘cleaner’ Jonathan Quinn takes his latest job personally – the victim is an old friend and former CIA agent. Quinn is going to get find justice. In paper, The Cleaner (June, Dell, 6.99), Quinn’s first appearance.

Sydney Bauer, Undertow (July, Berkley pbo, 7.99). 1^st US release of a debut legal thriller by an Australian author – but set in Boston. The witness to an accident that killed the daughter of a powerful Senator becomes ensnared by the politician’s own plan.

Cynthia Baxter, Monkey See, Monkey Die (Aug., Bantam pbo, 6.99). 7^th with veterinarian/sleuth Jessica Popper.

Nancy Bell, Paint the Town Dead (Aug., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). 3^rd with Judge Jackson Crain.

Claudia Bishop, The Case of the Ill-Gotten Goat (June, Berkley pbo, 6.99). 3^rd with veterinarian Austin McKenzie. The milk inspector, known to be a randy fellow, is found dead in a 400-gallon vat of the fluid.

Lawrence Block, Hit and Run (July, Morrow hc, 24.95, Signed Copies $25.95). Hit man John Keller becomes the suspect after the Governor of Ohio is shot while Keller is in the state on another job. Was he set up to be the fall guy? He’s got to find out and the only person he can trust is Dot, his contact who feeds him his jobs. Bill and Janine recommend.

Suzanne Brockmann, Into the Fire (July, Ballantine hc, 23.00). A man’s life crashes after his wife is murdered.

Rita Mae Brown, Hounded to Death (Aug., Ballantine hc, 25.00). 7^th with Sister Jane Arnold, Master of Foxhounds. In paper, The Tell-Tale Horse (Aug., Ballantine, 14.00).

Sandra Brown, Smoke Screen (Aug., Simon & Schuster hc, 26.95). All the catalog says: “A sizzling tale of corruption and betrayal, revenge and reversal – where friends become foes, and criminals become heroes in the ultimate abuse of power.” In paper, Play Dirty (July, Pocket, 9.99).

Edna Buchanan, Legally Dead (Aug., Simon & Schuster hc, 25.00). First in a new series: US Marshall Michael Ventura quit the Witness Protection program to go solo; he’s now a one-man, freelance, new-identity source. He’ll make you a new identity with one restriction – you can’t contact anyone from your previous life, including him.

James Lee Burke, Swan Peak (July, Simon & Schuster hc, 26.00). It’s been years since Dave Robicheaux was in Montana (the 3^rd Robicheaux book, the 1989 Edgar-winning Black Cherry Blues, Avon, 7.99), but a new case will take him back there. Signed Copies Available. In paper, The Tin Roof Blowdown (July, Pocket, 7.99). Undoubtedly one of America’s greatest writers, ever.

Ellen Byerrum, Armed and Glamorous (July, Obsidian pbo, 6.99). 6^th in the Crimes of Fashion series with reporter Lacey Smithsonian.

Leslie Caine, Poisoned By Gilt (June, Dell pbo, 6.99). The judge in a green-home contest is found dead.

Stephen J. Cannell, At First Sight (July, Vanguard hc, 25.95). The site of a woman in a Hawaiian pool turns from simple lust to a homicidal obsession for a dot-com millionaire whose life is empty.

Tori Carrington, Working Stiff (Aug., Forge hc, 24.95). 3rd with PI Sofie Metropolis.

Stephen L. Carter, Palace Council (July, Knopf hc, 26.95). In the early 70s, a wealthy and politically connected man is found murdered on the grounds of his Harlem mansion. A young writer and his girlfriend begin to look for answers. Along the way will be intrigue, deception and, at the end of it all, presidential corruption. The past is inevitable prologue. Signing? In paper, New England White (June, Vintage, 14.95).

Kathryn Casey, Singularity (July, St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). Debut novel by a former reporter and true crime writer. Texas Ranger Sarah Armstrong catches the case of a wealthy businessman who has been found dead, murdered with his mistress, their bodies in grotesque positions.

Thomas B. Cavanaugh, Prodigal Son (July, St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). 3^rd darkly-humored private eye novel set in Central Florida.

Sean Chercover, Trigger City (June, Morrow hc, 23.95). Chicago PI Ray Dudgeon is hired by the father of a murdered woman. The cops are satisfied that she was the victim of a crazy co-worker. Clues will lead Ray into the dark world of military contractors. Janine recommends this author.

James E. Cherry, Shadow of Light (June, Serpent’s Tail tpo, 14.95). As we know from the headlines, racial tensions are as high as ever in America’s South. In a backwater Tennessee town, a gang of white teens gang rape a black grandmother. There is only one person in town that has a chance to defuse the situation: the senior cop, African-American Walter Robinson. Debut novel.

Lee Child, Nothing to Lose (June, Bantam hc, 27.00). Jack Reacher arrives in Despair, CO, and within an hour is unceremoniously expelled by the police. He quickly finds out others have been escorted out and his curiosity is piqued: why would a small town on the edge of the Great Plains want to keep people out instead of welcoming them? Signing. We ALL recommend.

Martin Clark, The Legal Limit (July, Knopf hc, 24.95). An older brother shielded his younger brother from their abusive father, but ended up in prison after repeated run-ins with the law. The younger brother escaped their small Virginia town to go to law school, marry his true love, and eventually return to the town as the commonwealth’s attorney. The older one expects help getting out of jail and, as leverage, invokes a secret they both swore to never bring up.

Mary Jane Clark, It Only Takes a Moment (Aug., Morrow hc, 24.95). A TV news host becomes part of the story when her daughter is kidnapped from a summer camp.

Jeffrey Cohen, It Happened One Knife (July, Berkley pbo, 7.99). 2^nd in this refurbished-movie-theatre series.

Kate Collins, Shoots to Kill (Aug., Obsidian pbo, 6.99).7^th in the popular Flower Shop series.

John Connolly, The Reapers (June, Atria hc, 26.00). Investigator Charlie Parker counts as one of his confidantes a man named Louis, one of an elite group of killers. Now someone has set another of the killers against Louis. Parker, no stranger to death and violence, is going to help his friend. John’s a favorite of the staff – and we love his books too. Signing. Fran recommends.

Sheila Connolly, One Bad Apple (Aug., Berkley pbo, 6.99). 1^st in a new series dealing with a woman’s family orchard and a developer. By the author of a glass-blowing mystery written as Sarah Atwell.

Robin Cook, Foreign Body (Aug., Putnam hc, 25.95). An LA medical student hears on an international news broadcast that her grandmother has died in India after an ordinary hip operation.

Thomas H. Cook, Master of the Delta (June, Harcourt hc, 24.00). Jack Branch returns to his small Mississippi town in 1954 to teach at his former high school. He finds that the son of a notorious killer is one of his students and tries to take the kid under his wing and help him out. He will discover that he’s waded into a family far more troubled than expected. Signing.

Stephen Coonts, The Assassin (Aug., St. Martin’s hc, 26.95). A small but elite group of men from the top of their fields in the West decide it is time to wipe out Al Qaeda’s leadership. When one of them is killed, it is clear that they have a leak.

Catherine Coulter, Tailspin (June, Putnam hc, 25.95). 12^th FBI thriller. In paper, Double Take (July, Jove, 7.99).

Philip R. Craig, Vineyard Chill (June, Scribner hc, 24.00). The 19^th and final book in his Martha’s Vineyard series.

Robert Crais, Chasing Darkness (July, Simon & Schuster hc, 26.00). Three years ago, Elvis Cole became a hero when he unearthed evidence that helped clear a man accused of murder. Now, that man has been found dead and the circumstances point to his guilt in the earlier crime. And Elvis is on the hot seat. Signing. Janine recommends.

Deborah Crombie, Where Memories Lie (July, Morrow hc, 24.95). DI Gemma James has an elderly neighbor who, along with her late husband, came to London decades before to escape the Nazis. The woman comes to Gemma for help after a unique piece of jewelry, reported stolen years before, is seen at a prestigious auction.

Ellen Crosby, The Bordeaux Betrayal (Aug., Scribner hc, 25.00). 3^rd mystery set in the vineyards of Virginia. In paper, The Chardonnay Charade (July, Pocket, 7.99).

Clive Cussler & Jack DuBrul, Plague Ship (June, Putnam hc, 26.95). 4^th with the private spy ship Oregon. In paper, with Paul Kemprecos, The Navigator (July, Berkley, 9.99), Kurt Austin.

Jeffery Deaver, The Broken Window (June, Simon & Schuster hc, 26.95). Rhyme and Sachs are up against a fiendish killer. The ‘522’ uses high technology to perfectly frame innocent people for his murders and his latest patsy is Lincoln’s cousin Arthur. In paper, The Sleeping Doll (May, Pocket, 9.99). Signing.

Phillip DePoy, The Drifter’s Wheel (July, St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). 4^th with Appalachian folklorist Fever Devilin.

P.T. Deutermann, The Moonpool (June, St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). The body of a murdered cop sets off radiation alarms at the morgue. The only source around that part of North Carolina is the local nuclear plant. Who killed her and why is her body radioactive? In paper, Spider Mountain (June, St. Martin’s, 6.99).

D.H. Dublin, Freezer Burn (June, Berkley pbo, 7.99). 3^rd in the Philadelphia Crime Scene Unit series.

Susan Dunlap, Hungry Ghosts (July, Counterpoint hc, 25.00). Stuntwoman Darcy Lott is back in San Francisco, trying to get past her brother’s disappearance and helping her Zen master set up his new zendo. Another disappearance rattles her and she’s soon in the middle of a unseen plot. In paper, Single Eye (July, Counterpoint, 12.95).

Kaitlyn Dunnett, Scone Cold Dead (Aug., Kensington hc, 22.00). 2^nd Scottish Twist mystery.

Janet Evanovich, Fearless Fourteen (June, St. Martin’s hc, 27.95). In paper, Lean Mean Thirteen (June, St. Martin’s, 7.99).

Barbara Fister, In the Wind (June, St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). 2^nd with former cop Anni Koskinen. A church worker asks her for help and, from such an innocent request, Anni is sucked into trouble that stems from the 1972 murder of an FBI agent during the AIM shoot-out.

Stephen Frey, Forced Out (Aug., Atria hc, 24.95). Back in Florida after being forced out as a scout for the Yankees, Jack Barrett watches a young baseball player and thinks the kid’s natural talents could be his ticket back to the big leagues. But the young man has secrets and keeps to himself. If the secrets get out…

Alan Furst, The Spies of Warsaw (June, Random House hc, 25.00). In 1937 Warsaw, nearly everyone is a spy. There are 21 in this story alone – spies for France and Germany, all working for their countries and their ideals… and for survival. A love affair will complicate things for new military attaché Colonel Jean-François Mercier who falls for a Parisian woman of Polish descent who is a lawyer for the imperiled League of Nations. Signing? Favorite author of Janine’s.

Michelle Gagnon, Boneyard (July, Mira pbo, 6.99). FBI Special Agent Kelly Jones leads the investigation of a mass grave found on the Appalachian Trail and the crime trail splits into two distinct paths – two kinds of victims and possibly two different killers. Signing.

Meg Gardiner, The Dirty Secrets Club (July, Dutton hc, 24.95). The San Francisco Police Department hires forensic psychiatrist Jo Beckett after a string of murder/suicides by prominent people in the Bay area. She’s shocked to learn that they all belonged to something called The Dirty Secrets Club. As she gets closer to answers, she receives a message, that due to a secret in her own past, she’s been made a member. Signed Copies Available. Gretchen recommends. In paper, China Lake (June), Mission Canyon (July) and Jericho Point (Aug.,), Crosscut (Sept., all Obsidian, 7.99), 1st, 2^nd, 3rd and 4^th in her Eve Delaney series.

Lisa Gardner, Say Goodbye (July, Bantam hc, 25.00). FBI Special Agent Kimberly Quincy has noticed a pattern that young women from society’s edges have been disappearing. An 18 year old from that world contacts her, saying she has information about it all. In paper, Hide (June, Bantam, 7.99).

Tess Gerritsen, The Keepsake (Aug., Ballantine hc, 26.00). ME Maura Isles thinks the examination of a mummy will be an interesting departure from current crimes. But the body turns out to not be centuries old

but actually a recent victim. Other similar bodies begin to appear. In paper, Bone Garden (Aug., Ballantine, 7.99).

Victor Gishler, Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse (July, Touchstone tpo, 14.00). Something different from the present-day noir spinner: 10 years after the Apocalypse, insurance salesman (former, that is) Mortimer Tate leaves the cave in Tennessee where he hid out. What he finds is a landscape littered with useless crap and the only ‘civilization’ to be Joey Armageddon’s strip club. From there, joined by some odd-balls he meets, Tate will set out for Atlanta to see what is left of the world.

Lee Goldberg, Mr. Monk Goes to Germany (July, Obsidian hc, 21.95). In paper, Mr. Monk in Outer Space (June, Obsidian, 6.99).

Tod Goldberg, Burn Notice (Aug., Obsidian pbo, 6.99). 1^st in a series based on the USA network series.

Sally Goldenbaum, Death by Cashmere (Aug., Obsidian hc, 21.95). First in a new knitting series, set on the Massachusetts coast.

Paul Goldstein, A Patent Lie (June, Doubleday hc, 24.95). Michael Seeley leaves his Manhattan law firm for a solo practice in Buffalo. His estranged brother-in-law is one of his first clients, asking for help in Silicon Valley regarding with a disagreement over an AIDS vaccine.

Carol Goodman, The Night Villa (Aug., Ballantine tpo, 14.00). After escaping a traumatic campus shooting, classics professor Sophie Chase accepts the task of helping to translate scrolls that survived the 79 AD eruption of Vesuvius. New danger awaits as a shadowy group wants the writings at any cost.

Chris Grabenstein, Hell Hole (Aug., St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). 4^th with Sea Haven, NJ cop John Ceepak. A death on the Jersey shore has ties to the events in Iraq. As a former military investigator, the case hits Ceepak harder than do most. Signing.

Margaret Grace, Mayhem in Miniature (Aug., Berkley pbo, 6.99). 2^nd in this hobby series.

Linda Greenlaw, Fisherman’s Bend (June, Hyperion hc, 24.95). Former Florida detective Jane Bunker is astounded that the sleepy little Maine village she moved to has a dark underbelly. In paper, Slipknot (May, Harper, 6.99).

Derek Haas, The Silver Bear (July, Pegasus hc, 24.00). Over the last decade, an anonymous killer known as Columbus has become the most proficient and reliable hit man in the country. His father unknown, his mother a hooker, he has built a ruthless reputation. But his past is about to collide with his future: his mother once was involved with a young congressman who became Speaker of the House and is now running for president. Columbus is following his moves closely. Debut thriller by a noted screenwriter.

Carolyn Haines, Wishbones (July, St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). 8^th with Southern PI Sarah Booth Delaney, who has decided to move to Hollywood to become a screen star. In paper, Ham Bones (June, Kensington, 6.99).

Denise Hamilton, The Last Embrace (July, Scribner tpo, 14.00). A stand-alone noir thriller based on the unsolved true crime of actress Jean Spangler in 1949. After an actress’s body is found in a ravine by the Hollywood sign, her mother is unsatisfied with the police investigation. She turns to her son’s fiancée, Lily Kessler, a former OSS operative, for help.

Laurell K. Hamilton, Blood Noir (June, Berkley hc, 25.95). 16^th with vampire hunter Anita Blake.

David Handler, The Sour Cherry Surprise (July, St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). Things have just been wrong since Trooper Desiree Mitry broke up with film critic Mitch Burger. They’re about to get worse. 5^th in this series highly recommended by Fran and Janine.

Honor Hartman, The Unkindest Cut (June, Obsidian pbo, 6.99). 2^nd in the Bridge Club mystery series.

Michael Harvey, The Fifth Floor (Aug., Knopf hc, 23.95). Chicago PI Michael Kelly’s latest case has its roots in the Great Fire of 1871. In paper, The Chicago Way (July, Vintage, 12.95).

Linda Howard, Death Angel (June, Ballantine hc, 26.00). The girlfriend of a mob boss was a conniving moll who was murdered for stealing a suitcase of cash from him. Returned to life, she’s become an avenging angel set on evening the score.

Mary Ellen Hughes, Paper-Thin Alibi (July, Berkley pbo, 6.99). 3^rd in this arts and crafts series.

Iris and Roy Johansen, Silent Thunder (July, St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). Mother and son team up. A hidden message in a decommissioned Russian sub headed for a museum exhibit results in murder.

Craig Johnson, Another Man’s Moccasins (June, Viking hc, 24.95). Sheriff Walt Longmire’s latest murder investigation strikes chords with his first, as a Marine in Viet Nam. The victim found along the Wyoming interstate is herself Vietnamese and a photo found in her purse looks eerily familiar to Walt. Signing.

Linda O. Johnston, Double Dog Dare (June, Berkley pbo, 6.99). 6^th in the pet-sitter series with Kendra Ballantyne.

Daniel Judson, The Water’s Edge (July, St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). Jake Bechet left the Castellos crime family a year ago with enough information set aside to ensure his safety. When two men are found hanging from a bridge not far from his house in the Hamptons, their hands removed, he knows trouble isn’t far away. The head of the family comes to him, asking him to investigate who killed the family’s soldiers.

Janice Kaplan, A Job to Kill For (Aug., Touchstone hc, 24.00). 3^rd with interior designer and sleuth Lucy Fields.

N.M. Kelby, Murder at the Bad Girl’s Bar and Grill (June, Shaye Areheart hc, 23.00). In her second outlandishly funny crime novel, a group of people in a Floridian gated community share not only a neighborhood, but also dead bodies that don’t seem to be against the homeowner’s rules. The guard at the gate seems to be the only person bothered by the crimes and his name is Brian Wilson. Fran recommends her first book with Jimmy Ray, the Buddhist Bluesman, Whale Season (Three Rivers, 13.00).

Faye Kellerman, The Mercedes Coffin (Aug., Morrow hc, 25.95). A recent homicide bears a strange resemblance to an unsolved case from 15 years before. Just after Peter Decker contacts the lead cop from that first case, he finds out the retired detective has killed himself. In paper, The Burnt House (Aug., Harper, 7.99).

Julie Kenner, Deja Demon (July, Berkley tpo, 14.00). 4^th in the demon-hunting soccer-mom series.

Andrew Klavan, Empire of Lies (July, Harcourt hc, 25.00). Jason Harrow is convinced his life is perfect and is buoyed by his deep religious faith. All of that is shattered when a woman from his past calls and asks for help. Her daughter is missing and she is convinced Jason is the only one who can find her. His search will take him to the center of a plot against the U.S.

J.A. Konrath, Fuzzy Navel (July, Hyperion hc, 23.95). Chicago Lt. Jacqueline Daniels is told that the worst killer she put away has killed herself in prison. A gang of vigilantes, for some reason, is targeting cops and “Jack” thinks the killer is not dead but is behind it. In paper, Dirty Martini (June, Hyperion, 7.99).

Michael Koryta, Envy the Night (Aug., St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). Stand-alone thriller by the author of the Lincoln Perry, PI series. 7 years ago, just before he was to graduate high school, Frank Temple’s father killed himself to avoid prosecution and prison. Frank’s been trying to make sense of it ever since. Word reaches him that the man who got Frank’s father into trouble is returning to an isolated lake where both families vacationed. Frank aims to settle scores. Ridley Pearson raved about this book. In paper, A Welcome Grave (June, St. Martin’s, 6.99).

Julie Kramer, Stalking Susan (July, Doubleday hc, 22.95). Debut by a long-time TV news producer. A TV journalist figures out that someone is killing women named Susan on the same day each year. The women seem to have no connection other than their first name. How do you stop a killer like that?

Linda Ladd, Die Smiling (Aug., Kensington pbo, 6.99). 3^rd with Missouri Det. Claire Morgan.

Jon Land, The Seven Sins (June, Forge hc, 24.95). Michael Tiranno has come a great distance from being an orphan in Sicily to owning one of the greatest casinos in Vegas. But he and his attorney and confidante, Naomi Burns, have done a great deal to bury his one dark secret. Someone from his past is out to release the secret and destroy him.

Joe R. Lansdale, Leather Maiden (Aug., Knopf hc, 25.00). Returning to his East Texas hometown after scandal cost him his Houston job, Cason Statler is a wreck – drinking too much and wallowing in self-pity. Accepting a job at the local paper, he discovers notes left about a lurid and unsolved murder. He thinks that cracking the case will be his salvation, but it will lead him into a freaky game of evil.

John Lathrop, The Desert Contract (June, Scribner hc, 25.00). A debut novel informed by the author’s stint in the Air Force and working overseas for 15 years. US businessman Steve Kemp goes back to Saudi Arabia after his life implodes. Once there, looking for a new career, he re-connects with a woman from years before, restarting their affair. Only this time, she’s married to a high level diplomat. The country begins to destabilize and he realizes he’s amongst people whose loyalties are impossible to know.

Marc Lecard, Tiny Little Troubles (Aug., St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). A famous nano-technologist cannot keep his fly closed, allowing bad people to get near him and have the chance to steal his secrets.

Laura Levine, Killing Bridzilla (June, Kensington hc, 22.00). 7^th with writer-for-hire Jaine Austen, working with her old high school enemy on a play when the woman falls to her death.

Francie Lin, The Foreigner (June, Picador tpo, 14.00). A 40ish bachelor, Emerson Chang is the son of immigrants and lives a quiet and sheltered life. He also speaks no Chinese. After his mother’s sudden death, he obeys her wish to have her ashes scattered in Taipei and be reunited with his brother whom he hasn’t seen in decades. His brother, Little P, has worked his way up the Taiwanese crime world and Emerson will be faced with more than he can imagine. Debut by a Massachusetts writer.

Eric van Lustbader, First Daughter (Aug., Forge hc, 25.95). After 8 years of an ideological and belligerent president, a moderate is about to take office. But on the day before the inauguration, the daughter of the president-elect is kidnapped; and the man detailed to find her has himself recently lost his daughter.

Jackie Lynn, Swing Low, Sweet Chariot (June, St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). 3^rd with Rose Franklin, who lives at the Shady Grove campground along the Mississippi River in Arkansas.

Margaret Maron, Death’s Half Acre (Aug., Grand Central hc, 24.99). Judge Deborah Knott becomes involved when a shady county commissioner is murdered. As the city encroaches on farmland, there is a ton of money to be made by those willing to be corrupt. In paper, Hard Row (Aug., Grand Central, 7.99).

John McFetridge, Everybody Knows This is Nowhere (July, Harcourt hc, 25.00). Two people in Toronto are on a collision course, but they don’t know it yet: Sharon MacDonald is under house arrest in her police-watched building from which an Iranian immigrant has just fallen from the roof, and she’s suspicious of this new guy Ray who is just too handsome and slick to be believed. Det. Gord Bergeron has a new partner, a torso discovered in an alley, a pre-teen girl is missing, and a feeling that corruption has burrowed deep into the police force. In paper, Dirty Sweet (July, Harcourt, 14.00).

Ralph McInerny, Ash Wednesday (Aug., St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). 27^th with Father Dowling.

Rae Meadows, No One Tells Everything (June, MacAdam Cage tp, 13.00). A NYC editor becomes entranced by the news stories of a young college guy accused of killing a coed. He is from the editor’s hometown and Grace, the editor, senses something deeper to the story. She exchanges messages with him and heads back to their hometown. The present and the past begin to blur as memories from her childhood begin to look different after events of the present.

Richard Montanari, Badlands (Aug., Ballantine hc, 26.00). Two of Philadelphia’s best cops catch the cold case of a murder in a desolate area of town. The first woman they investigate kills herself as soon as they leave; the only clue remaining is a single Latin word. In paper, Merciless (Aug., Ballantine, 7.99).

Kaye Morgan, Sinister Sudoku (Aug., Berkley pbo, 6.99). 3^rd in the numbers-puzzle series.

Tamar Myers, Death of a Rug Lord (June, Avon pbo, 6.99). 14^th in the Den of Antiquity series.

Barbara Parker, The Dark of the Day (July, Vanguard hc, 25.95). The disappearance of a woman after a swanky Florida party turns political: the host was the head of security for a US congressman from Miami. CJ Dunn is a media spin expert, but even her skills will be put to the test to deflect attention from the man giving the party and his boss. Things get tenser when the woman is found dead.

P.J. Parrish, South of Hell (July, Pocket pbo, 7.99). 9^th from the sisters with Louis Kincaid and his girlfriend Det. Joe Frye. Kincaid and Frye are asked by a woman to investigate the unsolved murder of her mother in 1981. Lately, the woman has been experiencing flashbacks of a violent murder. As Kincaid and Frye dig into the case, it becomes clear that the flashbacks do not correspond to her mother’s murder. What, then, do they match up to? Shamus winning and Edgar nominated series.

James Patterson & Howard Roughan, Sail (June, Little Brown hc, 27.99). A young widow takes her children on a sailing vacation to try to pull the family together. The kids are a mess, she’s not much saner. And things are going to get much, much worse. In paper, You’ve Been Warned (Aug., Vision, 9.99).

George Pelecanos, The Turnaround (Aug., Little Brown hc, 24.99). Back in 1972, three teens inadvertently drove into a DC neighborhood unknown to them. By the end of that hot summer afternoon, six lives were shattered. Now, 35 years later, one of the survivors tries to make amends while another is getting out of prison.

Thomas Perry, Fidelity (June, Harcourt hc, 25.00). Emily Kramer is stunned when her husband is murdered after having emptied their joint account. Jerry Hobart is the guy who killed her husband; it’s what he does for a living. But why is he now asked to whack the wife? While Emily searches for answers, Jerry looks for a larger pay-off. In paper, Silence (June, Harcourt, 14.00). [Both books arrived in April, for some reason.]

Christi Phillips, The Devlin Diary (July, Pocket hc, 24.00). While the authorities believe the death of a Trinity College history professor was an accident, Fellow Claire Donovan and historian Andrew Kent believe otherwise. The dead man was clutching a page from a 1670s diary, the writings of a royal physician during the time of a string of murders that were never solved. All of the bodies had strange carvings on them.

Donald Pfarrer, A Common Ordinary Murder (Aug., Random House hc, 24.00). Big-city cop Steven McCord is 42, has seen what people do to one another and has become detached from the crimes as well as his own life. The latest case for him seems to be ordinary enough – an elderly man strangled in his own home. But the case will take on aspects that will echo in McCord’s own life and reignite his own fires.

Suzanne Price, Dirty Deeds (July, Obsidian pbo, 6.99). 2^nd in the Grime Stoppers series.

Bill Pronzini, Fever (June, Forge hc, 24.95). Nameless and his associates have helped return a gambling- addicted woman to her husband a couple of times; the last time she found them, having been beaten up. Now she’s gone again but this time her blood is on her kitchen floor and it appears someone has come to the end of their patience.

Christopher Reich, Rules of Deception (July, Doubleday hc, 24.95). Jonathan Ransom is a surgeon for Doctors Without Borders taking a vacation with his wife in the Swiss Alps. His wife is killed on a mountain in a freak storm. The next day, he receives an envelope addressed to her that contains two claim tickets. His first step, to find out what it means, result in fight that leaves on of his attackers dead – a Swiss cop. What was his wife into? Gretchen recommends.

Kathy Reichs, Devil Bones (Aug., Scribner hc, 25.95). A North Carolina plumber working on a home renovation discovers a secret room that contains remains and evidence that points to voodoo, Santaria and devil worship. Temperance Brennan’s 11^th case. In paper, Bones to Ashes (June, Pocket, 7.99). Gretchen and Fran RAVE about this series.

J.D. Rhoades, Breaking Cover (Aug., St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). Stand-alone thriller from the author of the Jack Keller books. Years ago, Tony Wolf was thought to be the most talented FBI agent in the bureau’s history. Then he simply disappeared. But now, after saving two children from an attempting kidnapping, he’s exposed, and those from his past, those from whom he hid, know where to find him. In paper, Safe and Sound (June, St. Martin’s, 6.99). Janine recommends this author.

Les Roberts, King of the Holly Hop (June, Gray & Co. hc, 24.95). 14^th with Milan Jacovich.

Nora Roberts, Tribute (July, Putnam hc, 26.95). A former child star has left Hollywood behind and now enjoys a quiet life restoring old homes. She left the glitz of LA after a friend died. Letters come to her attention that her friend may have been pregnant and the drug overdose might not have been accidental. Signed Copies Available. In paper, High Noon (June, Jove, 7.99).

James Rollins, The Last Oracle (June, Morrow hc, 26.95). During the Cold War, a group of scientists began to study autistic children and discovered a way to enhance and manipulate savants. An extreme faction broke off and devoted itself to developing these children into what they think one of them can be – a prophet for the new millennia. Sigma Force begins their investigation. Signing. In paper, The Judas Strain (June, Harper, 7.99). Fran recommends his books. And, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (May, Del Rey hc, 26.00), the ‘official novel’ of the new movie.

David Rosenfelt, Don’t Tell a Soul (July, St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). The first stand-alone thriller from the author of the staff-favorite Andy Carpenter mysteries. Months ago, Tim Wallace’s wife died in a boating accident. The cops wanted to hang a murder rap on him but could never find evidence that it was murder. It is now New Year’s Eve and friends have gotten Tim out of his house and into a pub. While there, a drunk stranger admits to having killed a woman months before…and then disappears into the night. The cops don’t buy it and renew their pursuit of Tim. He is the only one who can find the truth. Bill highly recommends.

Marcus Sakey, Good People (Aug., Dutton hc, 24.95). What would you do with $400,000? A young, suburban couple assume that the money they find hidden by their dead tenet is just the cache left by a recluse. But he was a recluse for a reason and now those from whom he was hiding want it. Gretchen and Janine recommend it as his best book yet.

Jonathan Santlofer, The Murder Notebook (June, Morrow hc, 24.95). An NYPD sketch artist begins to have visions of terrible crimes. Doing what comes naturally, he draws them. Eerily, they appear to be scenes from horrific crimes both past and present.

Bart Schneider, The Man in the Blizzard (Aug., Three Rivers tpo, 14.95). As the Republican Convention comes to the Twin Cities, pothead PI Augie Boyer is hired by a striking blonde violinist – who, by the way, has multiple personalities – to help her with some neo-Nazi violin collectors. If this doesn’t sound bizarre enough, Augie asks a friend (a cop who is a fanatical poetry promoter) to help him and Blossom (his spike-haired and ex-con assistant) on the case. Soon they discover a plot to kill three abortion doctors during a rally and that Augie’s only child, a radical singer-songwriter, is involved in a protest, and things get out of hand. As they would.

Michele Scott, A Vintage Murder (July, Berkley pbo, 6.99). 4^th in the Wine Lover’s series.

Maggie Sefton, Dyer Consequences (June, Berkley hc, 23.95). 5^th in this knitting series. In paper, A Killer Stitch (June, Berkley, 6.99).

Jonathan Segura, Occupational Hazards (July, Simon & Schuster tpo, 14.00). Debut novel by a magazine editor. An Omaha reporter spins his wheels reporting on real estate and county funding stories. Then he stumbles on what could be the story of a lifetime; a bloody crime scene leads him to a group intent on cleaning up the blighted areas of town to profit from the rehabilitation, even if it requires murder.

Daniel Silva, Moscow Rules (July, Putnam hc, 26.95). In his 8^th book, Gabriel Allon travels to Russia and discovers that there are still things to be learned about spycraft. In paper, The Secret Servant (July, Signet, 9.99).

David Skibbins, The Hanged Man (Aug., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). Tarot reader Warren Ritter is asked by his girlfriend to help save a friend who has been jailed. To help spring dominatrix Therese de Farge, everyone involved will have to infiltrate the straight-laced world of normal people – no small thing. Fran recommends this author.

Karin Slaughter, Fractured (July, Delacorte hc, 25.00). After years of abuse from her husband, Gailyn Campano snaps when she comes home to find an intruder holding her daughter hostage. Quickly, the man is dead. Will Trent of the Georgia Bureau of Investigations is sent to look into the circumstances and see if the case really is so simple. Gretchen recommends. In paper, Beyond Reach (July, Dell, 7.99).

Patricia Smiley, Cool Cache (June, Obsidian hc, 23.95). Tucker Sinclair comes to the aid of her newest client, a chocolatier, when her shop is ransacked and her cleaning lady murdered. In paper, Short Change (June, Obsidian, 6.99).

Julia Spencer-Fleming, I Shall Not Want (June, St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). 6^th in this award winning series. Claire Fergusson is brought into the case of a murdered Latino, because of her work with migrant workers. What appears to be an isolated murder turns into a media circus after two more bodies are found. Signed Copies Available.

Duane Swierczynski, Severance Package (June, Griffin tpo, 13.95). At a company meeting on a hot Saturday in August, the staff is told that they’ve been working for a covert branch of the intelligence community and the group is being shut down. Permanently. They have two choices: drink the champagne and fall asleep, forever, or take a bullet to the head. All hell breaks lose. (This had been announced as being a paperback release for Nov., 2007, but the hardcover was canceled.) Author is a modern noir master and a staff favorite.

Heather Terrell, The Map Thief (July, Ballantine hc, 25.00). A 15^th C. Chinese Emperor sent an armada to chart the world’s oceans. When they returned, the Emperor had been overthrown and the maps disappeared. Now, their secrets are leaking out.

Brad Thor, The Last Patriot (July, Atria hc, 26.00). The 6^th with Homeland Security operative Scot Harvath. The publisher’s catalog gives no plot info. In paper, The First Commandment (May, Pocket, 7.99).

Aimée and David Thurlo, The Prodigal Nun (June, St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). 5^th with Sister Agatha.

Ian Vasquez, In the Heat (June, St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). Debut thriller. Boxer Miles Young is near the end of his career in the ring. A promoter brings him the possibility of a big pay off: the daughter of a rich woman has run off with money and the son of the former corrupt chief of police. The mother wants her daughter found and thinks Miles will be able to get answers from those who won’t deal with the police. An atmospheric story set in Belize, where the author was born.

Heather Webber, Weeding Out Trouble (Aug., Avon pbo, 6.99). 5^th in the mystery series with landscape designer Nina Quinn.

Jincy Willett, The Writing Class (June, St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). A reclusive widow’s only activity is teaching creative writing extension course. Her class is a mix of oddballs. When one of them is murdered, they’re all suspects.

Don Winslow, The Dawn Patrol (June, Knopf hc, 23.95, Signed Copies $24.95). A member of an early morning surfing group (The Dawn Patrol, last heard about in The Winter of Frankie Machine, a staff favorite) Boone Daniels is a PI who works only enough to pay for the basics, leaving as much time as possible to surf. Once a cop, he’s never forgotten the case of a missing girl, never solved. His latest client, a bossy and beautiful lawyer asks for help on an insurance case and Boone sees it as a way to make things right. JB, Gretchen & Bill recommend.

Simon Wood, We All Fall Down (July, Leisure, $7.99). On the fast track, Hayden Duke has joined Marin Design Engineering to work on an important project. One of MDE's employee's committed suicide just before Hayden started, and he's wasn’t the first. Is it the pressure? Or is there some other connection? Signing.