Fiction

By Staff -- Library Journal, 02/15/2007

Anscombe, Roderick. Virgin Lies. St. Martin's. Mar. 2007. c.304p. ISBN 0-312-36567-5. $24.95. F

A child abduction case in the sweltering Boston summer heat has police scrambling to find vanished eight-year-old Danielle. Forensic psychiatrist Paul Lucas is personally pulled into the investigation after a frantic call from his wife, Abby. Working as a volunteer for Abby, Danielle was sent on the daily coffee run and never returned. Despite the antagonistic police response to his involvement, Paul uses his unique training in lie detection as the clock ticks down on Danielle's life. Further interviewing leads to a sociopath and his partner in crime, both with a penchant for young girls. With enormous pressure from his wife, Paul must decide if he should step over his moral and ethical boundaries to save a child's life. In his second novel featuring Paul Lucas (after The Interview Room), author Anscombe, a forensic psychiatrist like his protagonist, skillfully uses his knowledge of his field to create a taut and technically precise thriller. Recommended for all popular fiction collections. [Library marketing campaign planned.—Ed.]—Joy St. John, Henderson Dist. P.L., NV

For many reasons, second-generation Iranian American Assefi's novel should make for an impressive debut. About the death of a young girl and the resulting grief of her Iranian American mother, this epistolary but not always chronological novel cleverly juxtaposes events for maximum for character revelation. There is the fascinating exposition of the story of the mother, Jasmine, who grew up with strict Iranian parents but lives an American's life in Seattle as a cancer specialist and single mother. There is even a descriptive journey across the world, from Guatemala to Tibet to Iran, where Jasmine lives out her grief. Yet Aria fails in the most fundamental way—it does not sufficiently capture grief, as did Joan Didion's The Year of Magical Thinking, through which readers could feel Didion's consuming sorrow over the loss of her husband. This could be a very good novel about immigration and of the pressure of failed parental expectations, but it is too cluttered and has too many focuses to be about this sort of all-encompassing loss. Not recommended.—Shalini Miskelly, Highline Community Coll. Lib., Des Moines, WA

Late 17th-century London comes alive in this latest offering from Chevalier (Girl with a Pearl Earring). After a tragic death in the family, the Kellaways are persuaded by a traveling circus owner to move to the bustling city, where they discover that they live next door to the famous William Blake: printer, poet, and political radical. A streetwise girl named Maggie befriends the youngest boy, Jem, and their coming-of-age adventures eventually provide material for Blake's Songs of Innocence and Experience. In addition, the French Revolution has made everyone jittery, and the family is soon caught up in the excitement and uncertainty of political unrest; they also face economic hardship, struggling daily to earn enough to stay together. Chevalier's vivid descriptions and unusual mix of characters make this story an easy pleasure to read. The Blake connection, however, feels contrived and distracts from the plot, which weakens and loses steam after such a strong beginning—a minor quibble for fans of the genre or the author. Recommended for all libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 11/1/06.]—Kellie Gillespie, City of Mesa Lib., AZ

Rennie Stroud looks back to 1942, when she was 13, to tell a powerful coming-of-age story. That year, the U.S. government opened a Japanese internment camp outside Ellis, CO, less than a mile from where Rennie and her family farmed sugar beets. Rennie observes the prejudice of some of the townspeople as well as her parents' strong moral code and their entanglement in the emotions of the time. Her father, Loyal, not only shows open support for the Japanese, whom he views as Americans, but offers to hire them to work on the farm. When a young girl is murdered, suspicion naturally turns to the camp, and the town is divided by fear. Dallas's strong, provocative novel is a moving examination of prejudice and fear that addresses issues of community discord, abuse, and rape. Her phrasing and language bring the 1940s to life, and she has created characters that will linger with the reader. As in her previous work, The Persian Pickle Club, Dallas emphasizes the need for women to form strong networks in order to survive emotionally. Highly recommended for book clubs and public libraries.—Lesa M. Holstine, Glendale P.L., AZ

A checkered romance between a Southern social science researcher and a Jamaican reggae musician is the subject of this debut novel from the Ghanian-born Dawes. Keisha meets Kofi, the scion of a wealthy but troubled Jamaican family, at a South Carolina club where his band is playing, and they are immediately attracted to each other. He follows her to New York, where she is involved in a research project, and she eventually follows him to Jamaica. There, her history of involvement in destructive relationships collides with his bouts of depression, resulting in a breakup despite her pregnancy, and she returns to South Carolina. A drawn-out cat-and-mouse game ensues, with Kofi pursuing Keisha and Keisha rejecting him. By turns sensual and painful, violent and tender, the novel explores love in the very real context of the human psyche, featuring two people who in the end don't necessarily triumph over their pasts but instead realize their willingness to work toward overcoming the history and habits that would push them apart. Recommended for public libraries.—Lawrence Rungren, Merrimack Valley Lib. Consortium, Andover, MA

When anthropologist Isabel Azuera learns while conducting extended fieldwork in Guatemala that she is presumed dead, she decides to remain in the jungle and assess her life and her relationship with her family. Isabel's personal journal makes up half the novel, which alternates narratively with a diary her daughter writes back in Barcelona shortly after Isabel's "death." Each chapter provides a different brick in the construction of the history of this dysfunctional family and the deceptions that have characterized its members and their ancestors. Readers will understand why Isabel wittingly forces the ruse of her death on her family, but they may find it unpalatable that she decides to go back, especially in light of the apathetic welcome that greets her. Barcelona-born de Hériz's loosely structured book digresses into intercalated stories on the alleged exile of eighth-century Chinese poet Li Po and the legendary Battle of Les Formigues, arguably suggesting the very act of storytelling might be one big hoax as well. One of the many ironies is Isabel's specialization in death rituals, whose vivid descriptions reflect de Hériz's extensive, detailed research. Recommended for public and academic libraries. [Winner of Spain's Premi Llibreter (Bookseller's Award).—Ed.]—Lawrence Olszewski, OCLC Lib. & Information Ctr., Dublin, OH

In New York Times best-selling author Dugoni's (The Jury Master) latest, successful attorney Dana Hill's life begins to fall apart when her brother is murdered and she is diagnosed with breast cancer. Going to her husband for support, she learns he is having an affair. Rather than collapsing in self-pity, she decides to take control and starts investigating her brother's death. An examination of his life proves to Dana that she really didn't know him at all. As she digs deeper, the forces behind his murder want her out of the picture, and a man dressed as a policeman is killing people who might know the answers. Dana and the supporting characters are fascinating, helping to propel the narrative to its shocking conclusion. Comparisons to John Grisham's early works and David Baldacci's thrillers are easily warranted. Destined to damage the best sellers lists; for all fiction collections. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 10/15/06.]—Jeff Ayers, Seattle P.L.

Farah revisits Mogadiscio, the capital of Somalia and the setting of many of his previous works (e.g., Links), to discover the humanity in the ruins of that war-torn city. The narrative is centered on Cambara, who has left her home in Canada following the death of her son and the disintegration of her marriage to reclaim a house that her family owned years ago. But a minor warlord has taken over the house, and her cousin Zaak, her one contact, chews qaat all day and refuses to further her somewhat unrealistic mission. Not to be deterred, Cambara hooks up with a woman's network and practically adopts two teenage boys, one a former gun-toting mercenary and the other an orphan from the streets. Eventually, Cambara decides she wants to direct a play she has written, based on African myths, and the house is soon taken over and renovated with the help of the women's network. In the end, her mother travels from Canada to witness Cambara's unlikely success; there is a happy ending, at least for these citizens of Mogadiscio. Almost disconcerting in its optimism, this novel presents another facet of the story of Somalia by one of its most respected writers, now in exile in South Africa. Recommended for all libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 10/15/06; for an author interview, see "Fiction as Hope," p. 114.]—Jim Coan, SUNY Coll. at Oneonta

Sydney, Australia, post-9/11, may lack Mad Max's cutthroat gasoline pirates but is no less paranoid and dark. Gina Davies, a.k.a. the Doll, already leads a life in the margins. A pole dancer at the Chairman's Lounge, she's learned to embrace life's disappointments, socking away hundred-dollar bills in a hole in her bedroom ceiling while allowing herself one dream: to buy her own home one day. A chance meeting with a handsome surfer leads to a night of drug-infused sex. When the Doll wakes up, her tenuous shot at a "normal" life has disappeared, along with her lover—whose face can be seen all over the news, a su)spected al Qaeda terrorist. The Doll is wanted for questioning, and soon the relentless media and government propaganda machine is spinning lies about every aspect of her existence, sending her up as Australia's first domestic terrorist. Flanagan's (Gould's Book of Fish) dystopic tale is raw, timely, cynical, and bleak. Recommended for mature audiences, especially for those unwilling to buy into the mass hysteria of the war on terror. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 1/07.]—Christine Perkins, Burlington P.L., WA

García's latest traces the parallel lives of three people from disparate backgrounds as they seek to create some sort of equilibrium in their lives. Enrique and his father have fled Cuba and are just marking time in Las Vegas until Papi hits the big time as a magician. Marta remains focused and self-reliant as she escapes from poverty and brutality in El Salvador. Leila grows up in a privileged yet emotionally damaged family in Tehran. Following their stories as the years go by, one wonders how their paths will eventually cross—and they do cross, sort of. Though the characters are skillfully drawn, they lack the forward motion that would serve to propel them toward a predestined intersection of fate. García's skills as an author have shone brightly in some of her earlier works—Dreaming in Cuban and The Agüero Sisters among them—but this novel does not capture the reader's imagination in quite the same way. For larger fiction collections.—Susanne Wells, P.L. of Cincinnati & Hamilton Cty.

Madrid journalist Gómez-Jurado hopes to replicate the instant success he enjoyed in Spain with this English translation of his first novel, set during the 2005 Conclave to elect a new pope. Paola Dicanti, Italy's only Quantico-trained certified profiler, is chasing a serial killer targeting cardinals. The arrival of American priest Padre Fowler, who identifies the suspect, provides many layers of intrigue. Fowler is a psychologist, former CIA operative, and persona non grata with the Curia. His deep insight into the case stems from time served as a therapist at a rehab facility for Catholic priests with a history of sexual abuse—another layer of intrigue. Dicanti must learn to trust him if she wants to catch the killer before he strikes again. The Vatican secret police have their own agenda, and Dicanti finds the sovereign nation makes her job nearly impossible. A grisly story in the tradition of Thomas Harris, Gómez-Jurado's richly detailed thriller will appeal more to fans of TV's Criminal Minds than to those of CSI. Recommended for most popular fiction collections.—Laura A.B. Cifelli, Ft. Myers-Lee Cty. P.L., FL

Gowdy's (The White Bone) tale of the stalking and kidnapping of a beautiful young mixed-race Canadian girl is all the more chilling for its calm, understated reporting. Celia, a single mom holding down two jobs to support her beloved daughter, nine-year-old Rachel of the golden hair, pale blue eyes, and tawny brown skin (father unknown), is rushed into every parent's nightmare when the deeply creepy Ron, a small-appliance repairman, uses the cover of a Toronto summertime blackout to "rescue" Rachel from what he sees as her unsavory poverty. With the help of his girlfriend, Nancy, an uneasy accomplice whose thwarted maternal instincts impel her to try to protect Rachel, Ron imprisons the girl in his basement apartment. Ron's struggles with his vile urges toward Rachel are in a race with Celia and the police's frantic search for Rachel, helped along by the media circus. At the height of this unbearable crescendo, Gowdy suddenly leads her readers into unexpected territory. Gowdy's seventh novel, a nail-biting tale of suspense, spells extra work for manicurists everywhere. Highly recommended.—Beth E. Andersen, Ann Arbor Dist. Lib., MI

First-time novelist James depicts 1918 England amid a Spanish flu epidemic that will claim millions worldwide. Competing for casualties is a war one doctor speculates is causing the flu's spread. Henry Speake is an undertaker who becomes overwhelmed with business as the disease progresses. Mrs. Allen Thompson is a widowed schoolteacher who must deal with a stubborn sister, a dying woman hidden in her house, and rumors of illicit behavior as she befriends Henry. When Henry finds a letter from the aforementioned doctor, struck dead from the flu, he confides to Mrs. Thompson the fears that come with his newfound knowledge. James uses rich detail and excerpts from Speake's diary to create a wonderfully engrossing read. With much historic accuracy and engaging characters, her novel may create quite a following. Highly recommended for all libraries; it may also make an excellent book club selection.—Leann Restaino, Girard, OH

Like Johann Sebastian Bach's renowned Goldberg Variations, Josipovici's (humanities, Univ. of Sussex; The Singer on the Shore) novel, comprising 30 interrelated stories based on a seemingly facile plot, is ambitious and serious. A Jewish novelist and poet is commissioned to read to a wealthy recluse who cannot sleep. Just as a young orphan named Goldberg played Bach's Variations for insomniac Count Keyserlingk many years ago, so is our modern-day Goldberg asked to write something original that will cure his well-paying host's insomnia. This request thoroughly tests Goldberg as he searches for suitable topics about which to write. Many of the stories constituting this novel are actually essays dealing with philosophical and literary topics. Explored and dissected, e.g., are John Donne's poetry, the Neolithic community of Skara Brae, love and lust, Odysseus and Homer, Paul Klee's Wander-Artist (the painting that adorns the cover), and Bach's The Art of the Fugue. This brilliantly conceived and executed novel is a brainteaser; its eclectic and varied scope will lead thoughtful readers to further hours of study and reflection (a guide is available for reading group discussions). Recommended for larger public libraries as well as academic settings.—Lisa Rohrbaugh, East Palestine Memorial P.L., OH

It's Bolivia in 1967, and everyone wants Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara dead, including the CIA, the KGB, and even Fidel Castro, for whom Guevara has become both a distraction and a loose cannon. Former CIA agent Denny Hoyle is now working for the CIA as a contractor in Bolivia, and he becomes involved in the hunt for Che. This means dealing with layers of corruption, incompetence, and betrayals. As Hoyle tries to do the right thing, the killings, tortures, and rapes swirl around him in a tale that is curiously sympathetic to Che and his cause. In his first novel, ex-Navy SEAL and screenwriter Pfarrer (Warrior Soul) captures the sense of foreboding surrounding Che's last days. Readers will almost be able to smell the pervading stench of corruption. An extremely well-written, well-researched, and well-crafted debut, though the subject matter will limit its appeal; recommended for larger collections.—Robert Conroy, Warren, MI

A leisurely walk on a foggy San Francisco beach culminates in every parent's worst nightmare—a missing child. Abby turns her head for a matter of seconds to look at a dead seal pup. When she looks back up, her fiancé Jake's six-year-old daughter, Emma, is gone. Abby knows that Emma is still alive and that the clue needed to solve her disappearance is buried in her memory, but the police and even Jake eventually decide that Emma must have drowned. Stopping the search is not an option for Abby; to let go of Emma would be to let go of her own sanity. Richmond (Dream of the Blue Room) has written a mesmerizing novel of loss and grief, hope and redemption, and the endurance of love. Expect high demand in public libraries with a following for authors like Jodi Picoult and Jacquelyn Mitchard. Highly recommended.—Karen Fauls-Traynor, Sullivan Free Lib., Chittenango, NY

Writing as J.D. Robb, the pseudonym she uses for her near-future world series set in New York in the mid-2000s, the extremely prolific Nora Roberts gives us the 23rd book about NYPSD cop Lt. Eve Dallas. Her husband, Roarke, is a billionaire with one of the slipperiest pasts known to humankind. Not everything is perfect between Dallas and her brilliant husband, though. An old flame comes back into Roarke's life, and Dallas throws herself into work—investigating the murder of an ordinary man, a teacher in a posh school—to avoid her roaring jealousy. There are suspects aplenty and the requisite red herrings as Robb keeps unpeeling the layers of Eve and Roarke's relationship. Newcomers to the series should begin at the beginning with Naked in Death, as otherwise they may have some difficulty appreciating the depth of the characters' motivations and actions and could get lost in the large cast of fabulous supporting characters. Essential for all public libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 10/1/06.]—Charli Osborne, Oxford P.L., MI

Scottoline introduces readers to another strong heroine as likable as Mary DiNunzio, Bennie Rosato, and Cate Fante. Nat Greco is a mild-mannered law school professor who finds her world spinning out of control after she agrees to an impromptu guest lecture at a local jail with a colleague. Within minutes of arrival, a riot locks down the jail, Nat's life is threatened, and her coworker is injured. She flees the classroom and encounters a grisly crime scene. After dispatching someone to her associate, she attempts CPR on a dying prison guard, who gives her a message for his wife. Nat's attempts to deliver the message ensnare her in a web of corruption, danger, and intrigue that threaten her reputation and her life. Those who can tolerate a slow beginning won't be disappointed. Once the book picks up pace, it's a nonstop joy ride all the way to the finish. Recommended. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 11/15/06.]—Mary Todd Chesnut, Northern Kentucky Univ. Lib., Highland Heights

Expatriates in London, children's book illustrator Irena McGovern and longtime partner Lawrence, a head-in-the-clouds sort who works at a think tank, are quietly content with their routine lives. Then, when Lawrence is away on business, Irena is saddled with the responsibility of taking out an old friend for his birthday. The ex-husband of an author Irena has worked with, Ramsey Acton is unpredictable, electric, slightly uncouth—and one of England's best-known snooker players. To Irena's surprise, she feels an urgent attraction to Ramsey on their evening out and is stuck with the inevitable question: should she or shouldn't she? In real life, we can never have it both ways, but in this original and involving work, Orange Prize winner Shriver (We Need To Talk About Kevin) gets to indulge. In alternating chapters, she details what happens when Irena takes the erotic plunge with Ramsey and then what happens when she doesn't. The technique works surprisingly well. Sometimes one story is more engaging than the other, but the two versions are seamlessly knit, and in the end both are convincing and beautifully told. Highly recommended. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 11/15/06.]—Barbara Hoffert, Library Journal

A diverse group of attractive folks take refuge from tragedy in a hillside villa, where much merriment, bawdiness, and storytelling ensue. Boccaccio's Decameron? Yes, at least as transplanted to 21st-century America in this sly and sexy comic novel. The hills of the title are in Hollywood, the tragedy is the Iraq war, and the characters, all connected in some way with the film industry, exemplify the privileged classes of our times. The ill-assorted circle that descends unexpectedly on Max, an aging director, and Elena, his significant other, include Max's grown-up environmentalist daughter, Isabel; Stoney, Max's agent (and Isabel's secret romantic interest); Elena's son, Simon, who is currently skipping college classes to work in a student porn flick; Max's gorgeous movie star ex-wife and her New Age lover; and Charlie, a childhood friend of Max fleeing suburban life. During an eventful week and a half, the group's political tensions, family arguments, anecdotes, gossip, and lovemaking make up a satirical frolic reminiscent of the Pulitzer Prize-winning author's Moo, though here with more emphasis on Eros than academe. Recommended for most fiction collections. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 10/1/06.]—Starr E. Smith, Fairfax Cty. P.L., VA

The many readers who liked Vantrease's debut, The Illuminator, set in 14th-century England, will be pleasantly surprised by this satisfying sequel. The love affair between the Illuminator, Finn, and the noble Kathryn ended with Finn fleeing the country to avoid religious persecution, believing Kathryn dead. This novel opens in Prague almost two decades later and features Anna, a young copyist readers will recognize as the baby Finn took with him—the child of his daughter and Kathryn's son. A new wave of persecution catches Anna's intended husband, who had burned indulgences with other dissidents. While this unfortunate's head ends up on a pike by the river, Finn dies peacefully at home after extracting a promise from Anna to seek out an English sympathizer to the Lollard cause, Sir John Oldham. Across the Channel, a young Dominican friar (the titular mercy seller) ordered to bring Sir John down is sent to the Continent disguised as a merchant and meets Anna. The same lovely period detail and attention to historical realities of the first book are here maintained. An author's note clarifies the few liberties taken with the historical record and tells us the grim fate of Sir Oldham. Recommended for all public libraries.—Mary Kay Bird-Guilliams, Wichita P.L., KS

Free-spirited sociology professor Blip Korterly writes "Uh-oh" across a bridge, and our narrator and his colleague, microbiology professor Flake Fountain, traces the disastrous effects of a virus back to that moment. Although friends, Blip and Flake are polar opposites. Blip believes he is being poisoned as part of a plot against him, while Flake spends his days focusing on bits of DNA. When Blip is arrested, he's sure something sinister is going on in the town jail. Not only is that true, but Flake is being lured into taking part in it. Flake's job is to find a cure for the highly contagious Pied Piper virus, which breaks down peoples' ability to communicate. While Blip gets rearrested so that he can investigate the mystery, Flake, because of the highly secret nature of the work, is taken into total isolation. Vigorito's (social theory, emeritus, Ohio Univ. & Antioch Coll.) book was originally published in 2001, but because of its irreverent, whimsical style, it has attracted a cult following. Sprinkled throughout are philosophical rants and rhetorical questions (e.g., if oranges are called oranges, why aren't apples called reds?). The final apocalyptic vision is a twist not seen since Kurt Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle. Recommended.—Joshua Cohen, Mid-Hudson Lib. Syst., Poughkeepsie, NY

Three young British women meet on a plane to Thailand in 1985. A year later, on her way home after living the high life in Bangkok, one of them abandons her newborn baby in a broom closet at Heathrow. Fast-forward to 2000, when random circumstances reunite the three women—along with teenage Kate, who loves her nice, stable family but longs to find her birth mother. Who's the mum? There's gentle and caring Clio, a doctor trapped in a loveless marriage; high-powered and high-strung lawyer Martha, who's just been tapped to be a major political leader; or freewheeling tabloid reporter Jocasta, living glamorously in London. Vincenzi's (No Angel) novel starts with the promise of a page-turning romp à la Jackie Collins, but at more than 600 pages, it limps along. It is also heavy on the British jargon, which may throw some readers off. Others might think they've read the plot before—Shirley Conran's Lace, anyone? Unfortunately, this is a pale imitation. For larger women's fiction collections.[See Prepub Alert, LJ 1/07.]—Rebecca Vnuk, River Forest P.L., IL

Wimberley's (Dead Man's Bay) surprisingly affecting novel explores school integration in Florida in the 1960s through the eyes of tall, musically gifted Cilla Handsom, the black teenage daughter of an autistic mother who requires a lot of care. The section of Laureate, where she lives, is dubbed "Colored Town" and lacks running water and music, but for one well and radio. Cilla's old life of toting water and helping her mother perform at church is interrupted by the arrival of charismatic Joe Billy King by train one day and by her teacher's request that she join the marching band at the county's formerly all-white school in exchange for music lessons. The drama includes some Southern gothic twists, but Cilla's life reveals an authentic glimpse of a moment in history. Recommended.—Ann H. Fisher, Radford P.L., VA

Wyatt Earp was a lousy lover but a very shrewd judge of people. You'll learn that in Owen Wister Award winner Richard S. Wheeler's "Hearts." Some Indians can play basketball—PEN/Malamud Award winner Sherman Alexie shows us that in "What Ever Happened to Frank Snake Church?" There are 18 more fine stories in editor Jaffe's collection, by such big-name writers as Elmore Leonard, William Kittredge, and Elmer Kelton. But don't be fooled—this is not a book of Western stories. Here, you're just as likely to meet a pilot, a deep-sea fisherman, or a redneck as you are a gunslinger like Earp. Jaffe's theme is not really "the West"; rather, it's loss. Every story is about losing someone or something—family, friends, innocence, faith. A fine collection of American short stories good for larger fiction collections everywhere; this shouldn't be put with the Westerns.—Ken St. Andre, Phoenix P.L.

Poet and fiction writer Swan's (On the Edge of the Desert) collection of nine stories has a few rather remarkable entries, but the rest are just middling. One of the remarkable ones is "The Death of the Cat," about a woman who takes a journey of the mind back to her childhood home through small scenes recalling the dissolving of her parents' marriage and her mother's possible insanity. Other particularly good stories are "Exiles," in which a widow harbors a political exile and falls half in love with him, and "Traveling Light," in which a woman finds distraction from her troubles listening drunkenly to her motel neighbors' problems, then inevitably comes full circle, returning to her dark thoughts. However, stories like "The Orange Bird" and "Uncle Lazarus" are disconnected and jarring, the ends seemingly unrelated to the beginnings. Although the good stories are very good, readers won't make it past the not-so-good ones. Not recommended.—Amy Ford, St. Mary's Cty. Lib., Lexington Park, MD

P.I. Kristin Van Dijk charges through her second entry (after Baby Shark) in this tremendously satisfying glimpse into the underside of 1950s Dallas/Ft. Worth. She and mentor-partner Otis Millett have been hired to find kidnapped teen oil-heiress Sherry Beasley, who needs to be kept safe until her upcoming 18th birthday. They retrieve her once, along with lots of cash, but free-spirit Sherry escapes almost immediately. Unfortunately, crime boss Vahaska and his entourage of unsavory characters desperately want to find Sherry since she witnessed a double murder. Moving adeptly from pool halls into the ritziest hotel in Dallas, Otis and Kristin keep asking themselves whose money is in their safe and how it ended up in a remote farmhouse. Mix in a few dead bodies and an attractive detective from the Dallas PD, and you've got one hot little crime story. Fate's witty dialog, colorful characters, and nonstop action make this pulp-style piece sparkle. Let's hope for more in this series. Highly recommended.—Teresa L. Jacobsen, Solano Co. Lib., CA

Commissario Guido Brunetti of Venice does what it takes to solve a case, whether it's having his aristocratic father-in-law arrange a meeting with a powerful political figure or playing the part of a wealthy infertile man who'll do anything to get a baby. After the Carabinieri (Italy's military police) rouse a prominent pediatrician in the middle of the night for illegally adopting his beloved 18-month-old son, Brunetti investigates related adoptions (in which an Italian man swears, falsely, that he fathered a child by a foreign woman) plus a scam in which pharmacists and doctors bill for bogus appointments. The two cases become entwined after the shop of an "exquisitely moral" pharmacist is vandalized. In her 16th book featuring Brunetti, CWA Silver Dagger Award winner Leon vividly illustrates the power of fatherhood, captures the nuances of Venetian politics, and provides a finish as satisfying as it is tragic. But what lifts this series far above the norm is the humanity of Brunetti and his family and the charm of Venice, where Leon has lived for 25 years. Brunetti and his wife, Paola, separately take delight in the wonders of their city; little wonder that their readers will, too. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 1/07.]—Michele Leber, Arlington, VA