Ken Follett,
Whiteout (Dec., Viking hc, 26.95). As a blizzard closes in on Dec.
24th, a group of people are bound together by the Scottish storm and by their
ties to a deadly virus let loose at local lab.
Margaret Frazer,
The Widow’s Tale (Jan., Berkley hc, 22.95). Dame Frevisse deals
with a recent widow and her late husband’s greedy relatives. In paper, The
Hunter’s Tale (Dec., Berkley, 6.99).
Scott Frost, Run
the Risk (Jan., Putnam hc, 19.95). LA Det. Alex Delillo works a set
of cases in which none of the evidence seems relevant – a shopkeeper is shot to
death, a bungalow is demolished by untraceable explosives, and her daughter is
abducted. The author was a writer on Twin Peaks and is the brother of
Mark Frost – also of Twin Peaks fame – who wrote a couple of Sherlockian
books. Signed Copies Available.
David Fulmer,
Jass (Jan., Harcourt hc, 23.00). Following up on his
Shamus-winning debut (Chasing the Devil’s Tail, Harcourt, 14.00), Creole
detective Valentin St. Cyr looks into the deaths of four of a band’s musicians –
the fifth and last living player has vanished. Those in power in Storyville want
him off the case. JB and Janine recommend both books.
Leonce Gaiter,
Bourbon Street (Jan., Carroll & Graf hc, 24.00). In 1958, a
drifter leaves Texas for New Orleans, hoping to change his luck. Upon his
arrival, he meets a woman he wronged years ago and is soon entangled in schemes
and plots spun by the son of the local crime boss, and lost amidst the drunken
crowds and bejeweled costumes.
Luiz Alfredo
Garcia-Roza, A Window in Copacabana (Jan., Holt hc, 23.00). In
the space of a few days, three cops have been shot down. They were unremarkable
cops, not well known or liked, and just fair policemen. Insp. Espinosa doesn’t
have much to go on. In paper, Southwestly Wind (Feb., Picador,
13.00).
Leslie Glass, For
Love and Money (Dec., Ballantine hc, 23.95). Annie Custer leads the
perfect life of a working mom and stockbroker, except now she’s been accused of
embezzlement. A quarter of a million dollars worth of stock certificates have
disappeared. She's used to the chaos of home—now it's come to work with her. A
comic novel of high stakes and revenge.
Ann Granger, That
Way Lies Murder (Jan., St. Martin's hc, 23.95). Mitchell and Markby
investigate a poison pen campaign in a small town where nothing is at it
seems.
Sarah Graves, Tool
& Die (Dec., Bantam hc, 22.00). Someone is threatening Jake
Tiptree’s new housekeeper.
W.E.B. Griffin, By
Order of the President (Jan., Putnam hc, 26.95). After a leased jet
is hijacked in Angola and various agencies are tangled in a turf war, the
President sends Major Carlos Castillo, an Army Intelligence officer serving with
Homeland Security, to look into what is going on and to stop whatever is
unfolding. First in a new series.
John Grisham, The
Broker (Jan., Doubleday hc, 27.95). A notorious DC power broker is
pardoned by a lame-duck President with 14 years to go on his prison term. He’s
smuggled out of the country and hidden in Italy. He has serious enemies and, as
the CIA watches him, the question is not whether he’ll be killed, but who will
get to him first.
Batya Gur,
Bethlehem Road Murder (Dec., Harper hc, 24.95). Chief
Superintendent Michael Ohayon is called to the scene of a murder in the
politically charged Arab Quarter and finds an unfinished romance awaiting
him.
Peter Guttridge, A
Ghost of a Chance (Jan., Speck Press tpo, 14.00). 2nd comic mystery.
Nick Madrid is asked by his only friend in journalism to spend the night in a
haunted place. Before he knows it, he’s involved with a body hanging from a
tree, pagans, Satanists, seances and a kick-boxing zebra.
James W. Hall,
Forests of the Night (Jan., St. Martin's hc, 24.95). Patrolwoman
Charlotte Monroe is known for her near-psychic ability to size up people and
situations. When a stranger shows up at her family’s door with a threatening
note written in Cherokee hieroglyphics, their lives are turned upside down. And
then their troubled daughter vanishes into the Smokey Mountains to join the
stranger’s sect. Signing?
Laurell K. Hamilton,
A Stroke of Midnight (Jan., Ballantine hc, 23.95). Meredith Gentry
faces new and ominous enemies as her dark and erotic encounters grow stronger.
In paperback, Seduced by Moonlight (Jan., Ballantine,
7.50).
Gary Hardwick, The
Executioner’s Game (Jan., Morrow hc, 24.95). Luther Green, a
government hit-man, is given a terrible job -- kill the man who trained him.
Luther is bothered by more than the identity of the target: why did the man go
rogue in the first place, and why can’t Luther get the answers he needs?
Karen Harper, The
Fyre Mirror (Feb., St. Martin's hc, 23.95). A pyromaniac is torching
portraits of young Queen Elizabeth.
Lee Harris, Murder
in Alphabet City (Jan., Ballantine pbo, 6.99). Second whodunit in her
new Manhattan series with NYPD Det. Jane Bauer.
Craig Holden, The
Narcissist’s Daughter (Feb., Simon & Schuster hc, 24.00). The
young narrator gets it into his head to destroy his boss’s family. Once he meets
the guy’s daughter, he begins to realize that they’re drawing him into their own
machinations and their unraveling lives. Signed Copies Available. Favorite
author of JB’s – he recommends this as a twisted, sexy thriller.
Greg Iles, Blood
Memory (Feb., Scribner hc, 24.95). Suspended after blackouts and
panic attacks occur at crime scenes, forensic expert Cat Ferry returns to her
childhood home. There, she discovers that the murder of her father happened in
the house, not in the garden as she remembered. As she begins to forensically
reconstruct that crime, events at her job draw her back.
Lee Irby, 7,000
Clams (Jan., Doubleday hc, 23.95). Postponed from Spring 04: a
small-time bootlegger finds a handwritten IOU and heads to Florida to cash it
in. The problem is that others want the money and the leverage. Gangsters,
molls, hustlers, gamblers, psychos and Yankee fans— the IOU was written by Babe
Ruth, and he's at Spring training.
Renay Jackson,
Shakey’s Loose (Dec., North Atlantic Books tpo, 14.95). Ambitious
new players fight for control of Oakland’s drug trade. The author won the
Chester Himes Award, the top prize at the annual Chester Himes Black Mystery
Writers Conference.
Craig Johnson, The
Cold Dish (Jan., Viking hc, 23.95). Though he’s been the Sheriff for
24 years, Walt Longmire faces perhaps his most explosive crime: a man is found
shot dead near Wyoming’s Northern Cheyenne Reservation and it is assumed, at
first, to be a hunting accident. Then it is revealed that he was one of four
white teenagers who were convicted of the rape of a young Cheyenne girl years
before. They got off with a light sentence. Is someone now taking their own
justice? Debut thriller. Signing.
Linda O. Johnston,
Sit, Stay, Slay (Jan., Berkley pbo, 5.99). New series: canned from
her LA law firm, Kendra Ballantyne is now a free-lance pet-sitter and part-time
sleuth.
Stuart Kaminsky,
The Last Dark Place (Dec., Forge hc, 23.95). Abe Lieberman is
bringing a prisoner back from Arizona when the killer himself is killed.
Jonathan Kellerman,
Twisted (Nov., Ballantine hc, 26.95). While trying to focus on a
vicious gang slaying, Hollywood Det. Petra Connor is presented with a theory
both outlandish and terrifying: that a psycho has been stalking the streets,
unknown and unchallenged, for over a decade. If she is to believe it, can she
find the killer? Petra was last seen in A Cold Heart (Ballantine,
7.99).
Lee Charles Kelly,
To Collar a Killer (Dec., Avon pbo, 6.99). Maine kennel owner Jack
Field has been ingeniously framed for murder.
John Lescroart, The
Motive (Jan., Dutton hc, 25.95). Dismas Hardy delves into a case that
intersects the highest points of society and politics. In paper, The Second
Chair (Jan., Signet, 7.99)
Randye Lordon, Son
of a Gun (Feb., St. Martin's hc, 23.95). NYC PI Sydney Sloan looks
into the case of a boy given up for adoption years ago. He might be the shooter
in an attack on a friend who is a NYPD captain.
Ed McBain, Alice in
Jeopardy (Jan., Simon & Schuster hc, 25.00). A widow’s children
are missing and a ransom demand arrives asking for the same amount that the
widow got for her husband’s boating accident. Signed Copies
Available.
Jill McGown,
Unlucky for Some (Jan, Ballantine hc, 22.95). DCIs Lloyd and Hill
deal with a hostile press after a series of apparently motiveless
crimes.
G.A. McKevett,
Murder a la Mode (Jan., Kensington hc, 2.00). In her 10th case,
plus-sized PI Savannah Reid hunts a murderer on the set of a reality TV show. In
paper, Cereal Killer (Dec, Kensington, 6.50).
Adrian McKinty,
Hidden River (Jan., Scribner hc, 24.00). A disgraced Irish cop,
once a rising star whose career was ruined by 6 months on the drug squad,
travels to America to find the murderer of his high school love. Trying to kick
his habit, he’s wanted by cops on both sides of the Atlantic for answers in
their cases. Signed copies Available.
D.R. Meredith, Tome
of Death (Feb., Berkley pbo, 5.99). Librarian Megan Clark unravels
the case of two bodies in one grave: one a skeleton and the other a Comanche
mummy from 100 years ago. 4th in the series.
J Milligan, Jack
Fish (Jan., Soho hc, 23.00). The title character is a secret agent
for the Elders of Atlantis who has been sent among the Topworld to find an enemy
of their state and spear him. As he struggles to adjust to living with the
breathers, he finds that the air breathers are as alien to one another as they
are to him.
John Mortimer,
Rumpole and the Penge Bungalow Murders (Dec., Viking hc, 24.95).
Looking back half a century, Rumpole’s first case is told. In paper, Rumpole
and the Primrose Path (Dec., Viking, 14.00).
Shirley Rousseau
Murphy, Cat Cross Their Graves (Jan., Harper hc, 24.95).
Tomcat sleuth Joe Grey looks into the murder of a retired ‘40s movie star. The
only witness was her cat. 9th in the series. In paper, Cat Fear No Evil
(Jan, Harper, 6.99)
Tamar Myers,
Assault and Pepper (Feb., NAL hc, 19.95). At the annual church
chili supper, Rev. Schrock is murdered when someone puts peanut butter into his
serving. Who knew about his allergy and wanted him dead? 13th in the
Pennsylvania Dutch series. In paper, Thou Shalt Not Grill (Jan.,
Signet, 6.50).
Barbara Nadel, The
Ottoman Cage (Feb., St. Martin's hc, 23.95). When a brutal murder
occurs in one of Istanbul’s tonier districts, Insp. Ikmen is sent to
investigate.
Robin Paige, Death
at Blenheim Palace (Feb., Berkley hc, 23.95). A murder from 1154 is
the subject of a book by Kate Sheridan. Blenheim Palace seems to not want the
mystery solved. In paper, Death in Hyde Park (Feb., Berkley,
6.50).
Barbara Parker,
Suspicion of Rage (Feb., Dutton hc, 24.95). A honeymoon trip to
Havana for Miami lawyers Connor and Quintana becomes a messenger service for the
CIA.
P.J. Parrish, A
Killing Rain (Feb., Pinnacle pbo, 6.99). A routine case for Det.
Louis Kincaid turns grisly when it takes him into the Everglades and a hunter of
humans.
Rebecca Pawel, The
Watcher in the Pine (Feb., Soho hc, 24.00). In 1940s Spain, Carlos
Tejeda’s first independent command is a small mountain village. He and his wife
arrive to find no one to welcome them, and that his predecessor was murdered
amidst smuggling and rebel activity. In paper, Law of Return
(Feb., Soho, 13.00). Second and third in the Edgar-winning
series.
Joanne Pence,
Courting Disaster (Dec., Avon pbo, 6.99). 12th with chef/sleuth
Angie Malfi sees her own engagement party endangered by crime.
Ann Purser, Weeping
on Wednesday (Feb., Berkley pbo, 5.99). 3rd with British village
cleaner Lois Meade, who has hired the daughter from a reclusive family. Strange
letters and omens begin, putting everyone on edge.
Jonathan Rabb,
Rosa (Feb., Crown hc, 24.95). In the aftermath of WWI Berlin,
Kripo Det. Insp. Hoffner and his assistant Fichte take little notice of the
political changes around them as the socialists take control. When a series of
murders take place in the slums and four women are found, each with identical
markings, they’re troubled when the state political police take an interest in
the case.
Ian Rankin,
Fleshmarket Alley (Feb., Little Brown hc, 22.95). Rebus thinks
he’s seen it all until he’s called to the red light district, where flesh is
sold by sex-workers and by those who supposedly help refugees. In paper, A
Question of Blood (Jan., Warner, 6.99).
Richard Rayner, The
Devil’s Wind (Feb., Harper hc, 24.95). Las Vegas in the ‘50s is
booming, man, and not just in growth: the Atomic Energy Commission is testing
A-bombs just 60 miles away. Ambition, mobsters, money and revenge mix in an
explosive and deadly way.
J.D. Rhoades, The
Devil’s Right Hand (Jan., St. Martin's hc, 21.95). Gulf War vet Jack
Keller lives a fairly uneventful life as a tracker of bail jumpers in North
Carolina. Events take a turn for the worse on his latest assignment, as he finds
others after his target – a cop who has few morals or ethics and two locals who
are blinded by rage and out for revenge. Debut mystery.
John Maddox Roberts,
SPQR IX: The Princess and the Pirates (Jan., St. Martin's hc,
22.95). Decius is assigned the task of ridding the Mediterranean of pirates. To
do this, he must humor a certain princess from Egypt. And in paperback, SPQR
VIII: The River God’s Vengeance (Feb., St. Martin's, 13.95).
J.D. Robb, Survivor
in Death (Jan., Putnam hc, 23.95). In NYC of 2059, Lt. Eve Dallas
investigates the murder of an ordinary family and protects the one survivor. In
paper, Visions in Death (Feb., Berkley, 7.99).
Peter Robinson,
Strange Affair (Feb., Morrow hc, 24.95). While Banks is in London
dealing with the disappearance of his estranged brother, Det. Annie Cabbot’s
investigation of the murder of a young woman leads back to someone close. Soon,
the separate investigations collide. Signed Copies Available. In paper,
Playing with Fire (Jan., Avon, 7.50).
Christopher Rice,
Light Before Day (Feb., Miramax hc, 23.95). A young LA journalist
loses his magazine job and hires on as an assistant to a noted mystery writer.
They join forces when the young guy’s ex-lover is the victim of a serial killer
and hunt for the murderer. Third novel by the son of Anne.
Signing.
Stella Rimington,
At Risk (Jan., Knopf hc, 24.95). British Intelligence Officer Liz
Carlyle understands the warning from her government’s Joint Counter-Terrorist
Group: an attack will be carried out soon by “an invisible," a native who can
pass undetected by the intelligence community. Liz believes she has figured out
the target, but how can she find the “invisible”? Debut novel by a member of MI5
since ’65, and director general from ’92 to ’96.
Priscilla J. Royal,
Tyrant of the Mind (Dec., Poisoned Pen Press hc, 24.95). In the
winter of 1271, Prioress Eleanor of Tyndal travels to her father’s Welsh castle
to help save her sick nephew. While they save him, someone else dies, and her
father is accused of the crime.
Walter Satterthwait,
Cavalcade (Feb., St. Martin's hc, 23.95). In 1923, two Pinkerton
agents are sent to Munich to look into the assassination attempt on a German
politician. What appears to be a straightforward crime turns murky – the
politician’s last name is Hitler.
Gerald Seymour, The
Unknown Soldier (Feb., Overlook hc, 24.95). Mistakenly released from
Guantanamo, the world’s most deadly terrorist vanishes into the vast desert of
Saudi Arabia. Can Western intelligence agents find him before he can strike
again?.
Daniel Silva,
Prince of Fire (Feb., Putnam hc, 25.95). Gabriel Allon is called
back to Israel after terrorists get hold of his dossier. He’s drawn back into
the world of secrets that he’s foresworn. Signed Copies
Available.
Barbara Burnett Smith,
Bead on Trouble (Jan., Berkley pbo, 5.99). New series from the
Purple Sage author: retired Texas stateswoman has started her dream business –
she's opened a bead shop. She hadn’t planned on sleuthing as a sideline.
Includes tips and patterns!
Brad Smith, Busted
Flush (Feb., Holt hc, 24.00). Civil War buffs and con men collide in
this wickedly funny story of old-time relics and modern greed. Smith has been
described as a rural Hiaasen.
Boris Starling,
Vodka (Feb., Dutton hc, 25.95). In 1991 Russia, the Soviet Union
has just collapsed, the lines for goods are still long, and a power vacuum sets
brutal Mafia gangs to war. An American banker, Alice Liddell, has come to help
the most famous distillery privatize and finds herself in the midst of a bizarre
series of murders and the endless battle for power at every level of
society.
David Terrenoire,
Beneath the Panamanian Moon (Jan., St. Martin's hc, 23.95). A
private Panamanian resort advertises for a piano player who also has experience
as a soldier with overseas special operations. John Harper, oddly enough, can
fill that job, and he’s soon up to his ivories in American mercenaries and
Columbians. A debut thriller with a sharp sense of humor.
Aimee and David
Thurlo, Thief in Retreat (Dec., STMP hc, 23.95). Sister Agatha
looks into the situation of a closed monastery. In pb, the debut, Bad
Faith (Nov., STMP, 6.50).
Charles Todd, A
Cold Treachery (Jan., Bantam hc, 25.00). Insp. Rutledge is confronted
with an ugly crime deep in the frozen Lake District: a family of five has been
slaughtered and the youngest son is missing. There is no trace of the boy or the
killer. Rutledge must search the past quickly to find the boy before the killer
does.
Louise Welch,
Tamburlain Must Die (Feb., Canongate hc, 18.95). An Elizabethan
murder mystery starring Christopher Marlowe, a man with just 72 hours to live.
London is a city on edge — war and plague threaten. In the country to write,
Marlowe is summoned back to the capital when his fictional creation begins to
raise hell. By the author of the acclaimed The Cutting Room (tp,13.00),
recommended by Janine.
Minette Walters,
Disordered Minds (Dec., Berkley pbo, 10.00). A councilor and an
anthropologist re-investigate the controversial murder conviction of a
20-year-old who is mentally retarded. They’re unprepared for the disturbing
facts they uncover and the personal demons unleashed.
Robert Wilson, The
Vanished Hands (Jan., Harcourt hc, 25.00). Recovering from the
effects of his last case, Javier Falcon investigates a suspicious suicide in the
wealthy outskirts of Seville. There is no clear evidence in the death and his
investigation is just beginning when two more suicides occur – one of them a
fellow cop. Janine recommends this author.
NOW IN PAPER
Boris Akunin,
Murder on the Leviathan (Feb., Random House, 12.95). Bill
and Janine recommend.
Sarah Andrews,
Earth Colors (Jan., St. Martin's, 6.99)
Marion Babson, The
Cat Who Wasn’t a Dog (Dec., St. Martin's, 6.50)
Linda Barnes, Deep
Pockets (Jan., St. Martin's, 6.99)
Nevada Barr, High
Country (Feb., Berkley, 7.99)
James Carlos Blake,
Handsome Harry (Feb., Harper, 13.95). Tammy and JB recommend
this author.
Rhys Bowen, For the
Love of Mike (Dec., St. Martin's, 6.99)
James Lee Burke, In
the Moon of Red Ponies (Feb., Pocket, 7.99)
Jodi Compton, The
37th Hour (Jan., Dell, 6.99)
Jeffrey Deaver,
Garden of Beasts (Feb., Pocket, 7.99)
John Dunning, The
Bookman’s Promise (Feb., Pocket, 7.99)
Jerrilyn Farmer,
Perfect Sax (Jan., Avon, 6.99)
Victor Gischler,
Pistol Poets (Jan., Dell, 6.99)
Charlaine Harris,
Shakespeare’s Counselor (Feb., Berkley, 5.99)
Janis Harrison,
Reap a Wicked Harvest (Jan., STMP, 6.99)
Joan Hess,
Muletrain to Maggody (Jan., Pocket, 6.99)
Joe R. Lansdale,
Sunset and Sawdust (Jan., Vintage, 13.00)
Henning Mankell,
The Return of the Dancing Master (Feb., Vintage, 13.00),
Bantam, 6.99)
Walter Mosley, Man
in my Basement (Feb., Warner, 13.95)
George Pelecanos,
Hard Revolution (Feb., Warner, 6.99). JB
recommends.
Rick Riordan,
Southtown (Jan., Bantam, 6.99). Janine
recommends.
Barbara Seranella,
Unpaid Dues (Dec., Pocket, 6.99)
Ray Shannon,
Firecracker (Feb., Jove, 7.99) (aka Gar Anthony Haywood)
Daniel Silva, A
Death in Vienna (Feb., Signet, 7.99)
April Smith, Good
Morning, Killer (Dec., Pinnacle, 6.99). JB recommends
this terrific sequel to North of Montana (Fawcett, 6.99).
James Swain, Loaded
Dice (Jan., Ballantine, 6.99). Tammy recommends.
Laura Wilson,
Telling Lies to Alice (Jan., Dell, 6.99)
Carlos Ruiz Zafon,
The Shadow of the Wind (Jan., Penguin, 15.00). Janine and
Bill highly recommend. Signing.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Now in Paper Special Notice
Alexander McCall
Smith, The Full Cupboard of Life (Jan., Anchor, 11.95) and,
for the first time in AMERICAN paperback, the three Professor Dr. Moritz-Maria
von Igelfeld novellas: Portuguese Irregular Verbs, The Finer Points of
Sausage Dogs and At the Villa of Reduced Circumstances (all
Jan., Anchor, 10.95). Coming in April, the US hardcover of In the
Company of Cheerful Ladies. (See also Special Interest.)
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Coming this Spring
Boris Akunin, The
Turkish Gambit, March
Donna Andrews &
Meg Langslow, March
Nevada Barr & Anna
Pigeon, April
Cara Black & Aimee
Leduc, March
Michael Connelly &
Bosch, May
John Dunning &
Cliff Janeway, March
Bill Fitzhugh &
Rick Shannon, April
Elizabeth George &
Insp. Lynley, March
Robert B. Parker &
Spenser, March
Owen Parry & Maj.
Jones, March
George Pelecanos,
Drama City, March
Anne Perry & the
Pitts, March
Elizabeth Peters &
Amelia, April
David Rosenfelt, &
Andy Carpenter, May
James Swain & Tony
Valentine, March
P.J. Tracy, Dead
Run, April
Donald Westlake &
Dortmunder, April
Don Winslow, Power
of the Dog, April
Randy Wayne White
& Doc Ford, March
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
SHERLOCKIANA
Martin Davis, Mrs.
Hudson and the Spirit’s Curse (Dec., Berkley tpo, 13.00). While
Watson and Holmes look into one aspect of a man who claims to be under a curse,
their housekeeper sets out to look into other areas of the case.
Carole Nelson Douglas,
Spider Dance (Dec., Forge hc, 24.95). Irene Adler is drawn back to
the land of her birth to uncover her forgotten past.
The Ghosts of Baker
Street, Greenberg, Lellenberg and Stashower, eds (Feb., Carroll
& Graf tpo, 13.95). All new stories in which Holmes and Watson confront
crimes and the supernatural.
Reissues of Note
Eric Ambler, The
Light of Day (Dec., Vintage, 12.00). A small-time con man is caught
up in a big international caper. Basis for the film Topkapi.
Constance & Gwenyth
Little, The Black Smith (Feb., Rue Morgue, 14.00). Head nurse
Judith Onslow has a rich cast of suspects when the “Black Smith” roams the halls
of her hospital late at night. Another classic from the queens of comic cozy,
published in 1950.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Margaret Scherf,
The Gun in Daniel Webster’s Bust (Dec., Rue Morgue, 14.95). It’s
Christmas time in NYC and murder nearly ruins the festivities at Emily’s
Lentenment Decorating Shop. First published in 1949, Scherf would go on to be
considered one of the finest comic mystery writers of the mid-Century. Rue
Morgue will be publishing more. One of Bill’s all-time favorite
authors.
Kelley Roos, The
Frightened Stiff (Jan., Rue Morgue, 14.95). First published in 1942,
this was an early entry in a series with newlywed couple Jeff and Haila Troy.
Moving into their Greenwich Village apartment, they find a body in their garden.
For fans of snappy-patter and merry mysteries. Another of Bill’s all-time
favorite authors!
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Max Allan Collins,
Neon Mirage (Jan., iBooks, 6.99). 4th Nate Heller, with Bugsy
Siegel and the founding of Vegas.
Robert Crais,
Sunset Express (Jan., Ballantine, 7.99).
Ross Thomas,
Chinaman’s Chance (Jan., St. Martin's, 14.95). The first Wu and
Durant from 1978.
Peter Lovesey,
Bloodhounds (Dec., Soho, 13.00). 4th Peter Diamond.
Gregory McDonald,
Fletch and the Man Who (Dec., Vintage, 12.00).
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Collections
Dangerous
Women, Otto Penzler, ed. (Jan., Mysterious Press hc, 24.95).
Stories of femme fatales from the best in the biz: Connelly, Jance, Connolly,
DeMille, Leonard, Lippman, McBain, Mosley, Rankin, Rozan and others.
Masters of Mysteries:
Vintage Detective & Crime Stories, Martin Radcliffe, ed.
(Dec., Dufour hc, 34.95, tp 18.95). While Collins, Doyle and Dickens are
the most well-known of the Victorian and Edwardian mystery pioneers, they were
hardly alone. They are joined in this survey by Bennett, Pemberton, Morrison,
Rohmer, Le Queux and others.
The Mammoth Book of
Short Spy Novels, Bill Pronzini, ed. (Feb., Carroll & Graf,
12.95). 13 novellas from the masters, including Fleming, Maugham, Charteris,
Doyle and Gardner, spanning 75 years of espionage.
Murder in
Vegas, Michael Connelly, ed (Jan., Forge hc, 24.95). 22 new
stories set in America’s oasis of sin by authors such as Rozan, Wessel,
McClendon, Healy and Swain.
Special Interest Items
Sharan Newman, The
Real History behind the Da Vinci Code (Jan., Berkley tpo, 14.00). By
the Oregon medieval historian, a comprehensive, encyclopedic, A-Z historical
volume about the facts behind the Da Vinci code: the figures, the groups and the
events.
Alexander McCall
Smith, The Girl Who Married a Lion and Other Tales from Africa
(Dec., Pantheon hc, 20.00). A beguiling collection of African tales from
Zimbabwe and Botswana. These are tales the author heard as a boy in Zimbabwe,
and stories he told to his own children.
Vanessa McMahon,
Murder in Early Modern England (Dec., St. Martin's hc, 29.95).
Stories of murders, investigations and punishments in the 17th Century.
Donald H. Wolfe,
The Black Dahlia Files: The Mob, the Mogul, and the Murder that Transfixed
Los Angeles (Feb., Regan hc, 25.95). Another solution to what could
credibly be called the second most famous unsolved American murder case: the
mobster who killed her, the major public figure with whom she was having an
affair, corrupt police detectives and a “shadowy doctor”. 16 page photo
insert.
Nathaniel Rich, San
Francisco Noir (Jan., Little Bookroon hc, 17.95). Using photographs
and period film stills, this survey of films based in the city of hills – from
The Maltese Falcon to The Conversation. A guide to the films and
the locations in which they were shot.
Michael Connelly,
Crime Beat: Selected Journalism 1984-1992 (Jan., Vascik Pub hc,
30.00). With a foreword by Connelly, this book presents his reporting, as he
hones the style that would make him a best-selling writer of fiction – the depth
of character, atmosphere and eye for detail. Short tales of true life, the
victims, culture, perps and cops. A limited number will be available; reserve
one.
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Holiday Gift Ideas - all currently available
Scene of the Crime:
Photographs from the LAPD Archive (Abrams, large format hardcover,
35.00). Introduction by James Ellroy. This haunting collection presents the
photos without any text. At the end of the book, the photos are explained with
what info is available. In many, there is no case history, no explanation of the
people or the events that lead to the crime.
The Da Vinci Code
Illustrated, Dan Brown (Doubleday hc, 35.00). The popular novel with
illustrations, photos and maps of the places, art and images mentioned in the
novel, and woven into the story in full brilliant color in the text where you
need to see them. This is the version we all needed when we first read
it.
The Complete Western
Stories of Elmore Leonard, (Morrow hc, 25.95). Five decades of western
fiction – including the first story he ever published – by this master of many
genres.
Men’s Adventure
Magazines, (Taschen large format soft cover, 39.99). Illustrated history
of post-war men’s adventure magazines. The text is by Max Allan Collins and his
long-time collaborator George Hagenauer. Lurid, sleazy and amusing.
Film Noir,
(Taschen, large format soft cover, 19.99). Richly illustrated look at film noir,
using still publicity photos and behind the scene pics. Movies are considered by
category – plot or character, for instance – rather than year of release. A
treat for mystery movie fans.
The Incredible World of
Spy-Fi, Danny Biederman (Chronicle, large format soft cover, 19.95). The
sub-title says it all: Wild and Crazy Spy Gadgets, Props, and Artifacts from TV
and Movies. Chapters on Bond, U.N.C.L.E., West (Honey and James are covered), as
well as I-Spy, Avengers, Get Smart. The serious and the spoofs.
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Staff Lists of Favorite Mysteries Read in 2004
Bill's
I’ve mentioned most of these
in prior newsletters, so I’ll just list them here, by author:
James (not J.R.L.)
Anderson, The Affair of the 39 Cufflinks
Lawrence Block, The
Burglar on the Prowl
G. M. Ford, Red
Tide
Charlie Huston,
Caught Stealing
David Rosenfelt,
Open and Shut (and First Degree, and Bury the Lead)
S. J. Rozan, Absent
Friends
Dylan Schaffer,
Misdemeanor Man
Lisa Scottoline,
Killer Smile
James Siegel,
Derailed
Richard Stark (Donald
Westlake), Nobody Runs Forever
Tammy's
Jess Walter’s
Citizen Vince
Ridley Pearson’s
Cut & Run
Greg Rucka’s A
Gentleman’s Game
P.J. Tracy’s
Monkeewrench and Live Bait
Brian Wiprud’s
PipSqueak
Penn Jillette’s
Sock
Lowen Clausen’s
Third & Forever
Robert Ferrigno’s
The Wake-Up
T.R. Pearson’s True
Cross
Sandy's
J. R. L. Anderson,
Death in the Channel (1976)
Desmond Bagley, The
Tightrope Men (1973)
Robert Barnard,
Death of a Mystery Writer (1978) and The Skeleton in the Grass
(1987)
Katherine Beck, Bad
Neighbors (1996)
Ruth Dudley Edwards,
The Anglo-Irish Murders (2000) and Carnage on the Committee
(2004)
Gerald Hammond, Dog
in the Dark (1989), Give a Dog a Name (1992) and Twice Bitten
(1998)
Hazel Holt, The
Silent Killer (2004)
Iain Pears, The
Bernini Bust (1992)
Barbara Paul, But
He Was Already Dead When I Got There (1986)
June Thomson, Not
One of Us (1972) & Death Cap (1973)
Susan Wolfe, The
Last Billable Hour (1989)
Fran's
Since
this is my first year here, I had to scramble to catch up, and there are so many
good authors, so many good books, and not nearly enough time! So I broke my list
down into Debuts/Stand-Alones and Authors. There's no order to these.
Debuts/Stand-Alones:
Rule of Four by
Caldwell/Thomason - This is an intelligent and articulate puzzle, and
it's not for everyone but I loved it.
Darkly Dreaming Dexter
by Jeff Lindsay - How wonderful to have a serial killer as the
protagonist!
Absent Friends by
SJ Rozan - The whole city of New York in the aftermath of 9/11 is almost
a person in this amazing story, and it made me cry.
How I Paid for College
by Marc Acito - A light and incredibly funny summer in New Jersey, where
one of the key characters is a statue of Buddha.
Califia's Daughters by
Leigh Richards a/k/a Laurie R. King - As with all things, when Ms. King
tries something new, she's successful, and her futuristic novel about a
women-driven society is no exception.
Authors:
Chuck Logan - A
Minnesota author I've always enjoyed. His current novel, After The Rain,
brings home the question of the price you'd be willing to pay to stop
terrorists.
Lowen Clausen - I'd
never read any of his, and now I'm a dedicated fan. Third and Forever
touches on many timely topics!
Lee Child - I started
with his latest, The Enemy, and now I've joined his cheering section.
Michael Connelly -
Need I say more? In preparation for The Narrows, I re-read The
Poet and it has the hallmark of a truly great book.
PJ Tracy - A duo I'd
never even heard of, but Monkeewrench grabbed me and now I love their
writing.
That's
ten, but then what about John Dunning and Diane Mott Davidson and
Kathy Reichs and...oh bother. Next year, next year.
Janine's
Lee Child's The
Enemy - simply the best Reacher to date, a prequel that fills in many of the
blanks in Reacher's past, a combination thriller/police procedural written in
Child's very visual style.
Charles Huston's
Caught Stealing - gets my vote for best debut of 2004. Free flowing
dialogue, super violent (not for the squeamish), edgy.
Jeff Lindsay's
Darkly Dreaming Dexter - a police department blood spatter analyst who
hates the sight of blood, doesn't understand why women find him attractive and
moonlights as a serial killer. But he only kills the really bad guys...dark
humor at its best.
SJ Rozan's Absent
Friends - the post 9/11 book, an exquisite story of friendship,
betrayal and loss and what it really means to be a hero.
Lono Waiwaiole's
Wiley's Shuffle - even better than last year's debut. Hard-boiled and
brutal but full of hope with characters you will love and hate.
Dylan Schaffer's
Misdemeanor Man - a reluctant public defender is assigned a case that
should be a slam dunk, which would allow him to pursue his true passion -- his
Barry Manilow band. A revealing look at the legal system and a humorous view of
family dynamics and dysfunction.
Robert Ferrigno's
The Wake Up - a great story about a "wake up call" that turns ugly.
Ferrigno never disappoints with his plots and oftentimes quirky characters.
Gunter Ohnemus' The
Russian Passenger - translated from German, a fast paced thriller - and a
love story. A taxi driver helps his fare escape from the Russian mafia with
millions of their money. Stream of consciousness writing at its best.
Maggie Estep's
Gargantuan - the sequel to Hex, wonderful use of multiple points
of view tells the story of murder at the racetrack, with a group of characters
you won't forget.
Ridley Pearson's
The Body of David Hayes - the latest Lou Boldt offering, much more than a
thriller, with Boldt coming face to face with the consequences of his wife's
betrayal.
JB's
Lee Child’s works:
after enjoying Enemy, I re-read all of the Reachers in order.
David Rosenfelt: all
three books – funny and inventive.
James Ellroy’s
Black Dahlia: a classic that has lost no power over time. Need to re-read
more of his books as it has been at least a decade since I first read them.
Michael Connelly’s
The Poet - masterpiece
Lono Waiwaiole’s
Wiley’s Shuffle: even better than his outstanding debut.
Michael Simon’s
Dirty Sally: wonderful debut. One of the two best.
Charlie Huston’s
Caught Stealing: the other best debut.
Robert B. Parker’s
Double Play: two of my favorite things in one book – crime and
baseball!
Carl Hiaasen’s
Skinny Dip: about time to re-read him too.
Mark Winegardner’s
The Godfather Returns: just great Family entertainment.
Chuck Hogan's
Prince of Thieves: smooth, vivid writing.
And two biographies that set
their subjects in their times with vivid, well-drawn portraits: David
Peitrusza’s Rothstein (the gambler who fixed the World Series) and
Dary Matera’s Dillinger.
Mail
and phone orders for these or any other books are welcome. We often have signed copies of
Northwest authors, and other authors who visit the shop. Prices subject to change without
notice.
Seattle Mystery Bookshop, 117
Cherry St., Seattle, WA 98104
Email:
staff@seattlemystery.com
WEBSITE:
seattlemystery.com
SEATTLE MYSTERY BOOKSHOP
NEWS is composed and produced by JB Dickey and Sandy Goodrick. The online
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