Mystery

By Jo Ann Vicarel -- Library Journal, 5/1/2007

Character Rules!

Lately, it seems that strongly defined crime fiction characters are overshadowing their plots. Yes, there is a mystery to be solved, but that sometimes takes a backseat to the protagonists' personal dramas. Kerry Greenwood's Earthly Delights follows amateur sleuth Corinna Chapman as she runs a bakery and deals with life's everyday trials in her eccentric apartment complex. Fans love Earlene Fowler's Benni Harper cozy series (e.g., Tumbling Blocks) because they enjoy folk museum curator Benni and her family as much as they appreciate Benni's crime-solving abilities.

When wealthy Victorian gentleman Charles Lenox is asked by good friend Lady Jane to investigate the apparent suicide by poison of her former maid, he is soon embroiled in a complex case involving members of Parliament, wealthy Londoners, and people with special knowledge of botany and noxious plants. While the story is just a tad slow, the mystery keeps the reader guessing, and the real charm here comes from the finely drawn characters. The wide-ranging relationships that Lenox has forged over the years—from his butler to Lady Jane—make this a debut historical in the line of an Anne Perry or David Liss mystery to be savored slowly and with great pleasure. Vividly capturing the essence of Victorian England, Finch presents us with a unique sleuth who combines the deductive powers of Sherlock Holmes with the people skills of Thomas Pitt. A sparkling achievement, this is recommended for all mystery collections. [A Minotaur First Edition Selection; see Prepub Mystery, LJ 3/1/07.]

Benni Harper's mother-in-law arrives in San Celina, CA, with her new husband to celebrate Christmas. Trying to recover from the shock of meeting a man whom she and police chief husband Gabe did not know existed, running interference between Gabe and his estranged mom, and getting ready for a major event at the Folk Art Museum, Benni juggles everything well until her boss asks her to investigate the death of a major museum donor. Returning to her Benni Harper series after her praised standalone debut, The Saddlemaker's Wife, Fowler is comfortable in her writing and knows Benni's family and friends so intimately that the characters fairly bubble with energy and believability. Filled with the trappings of daily life, her 13th Benni Harper title will appeal to readers who like Rett MacPherson and other cozy authors. Fowler lives in Southern California.

Given the current popularity of sudoku puzzles, a mystery incorporating the game was due. Katie McDonald leaves her job at a Washington think tank to return to her small New Hampshire town to help her old friend and mentor, professor P.T. Avondale, save his puzzle museum. But he is found murdered lying on his desk with a half-finished sudoku puzzle. Someone wants the old Victorian house that also functioned as the professor's museum. Now Katie must find his killer and rescue the museum where she spent the best days of her unhappy childhood. In this captivating series debut, Freydont, author of the Linda Haggerty mystery series, introduces a new sleuthing heroine with plenty of spunk. Think Parnell Hall's Puzzle Lady novels when looking for a read-a-like. For cozy and puzzle fans. Freydont lives in Ridgewood, NJ.

Gumshoe Sam McCain (Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?) is asked by the town judge to look into the death of a young black man who had been dating the daughter of a wealthy white senator. The year is 1963, the height of the Civil Rights Movement, but the few African Americans who live in the small town of Black River Falls, IA, do not interact with the white upper class as equals. Gorman's seventh series mystery is not only a compelling crime novel but also a powerful depiction of the deep-rooted prejudice and social inequities in middle America. A Shamus Award winner, Gorman lives in Cedar Rapids, IA. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 11/1/06.]

Owned and operated by the larger-than-life Corinna Chapman, Earthly Delights is a Melbourne, Australia, bakery housed on the ground floor of an eccentric apartment building designed in the Roman style. One morning in the alley outside the bakery, Corinna discovers a half-dead junkie, the latest victim in a string of heroin overdoses. Then someone threatens the building's occupants, and Corinna and her neighbors—Meroe, the witch; Mistress Dread, proprietor of an S&M shop; and the Lone Gunmen, three computer nerds—join forces. This series debut from the Australian author of the Phryne Fisher mysteries comes equipped with sassy, sexy characters; snappy dialog; and a plot that devotes more time to baking bread than to throwing red herrings. Put on the coffee pot, whip up a batch of muffins (yes, two recipes are included), and enjoy this thoroughly original tale. Strongly recommended for fans of offbeat mysteries.

While Cece Caruso (Shamus in the Green Room) is trying to add more information about Agatha Christie's ten-day disappearance in 1926 to her biography of the Queen of Mystery, she must also organize a baby shower for her pregnant daughter, deal with her ex-husband and his young fiancée, put on a mystery play at the opening of a new Cotswald-cozy housing tract named Christietown, and find the person who murdered her dancing instructor. As usual, the pace is fast, the dialog witty, and the characters are somewhat outrageous. Chick-lit mystery doyenne Kandel knows her way around vintage clothing and female relationships. Her latest laugh-out-loud caper is recommended for most collections. She lives in West Hollywood, CA. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 2/1/07.]

It is baseball season in Toronto, and Cuban pitcher Rico Velasquez's high life takes a plunge when his wife arrives unexpectedly. Rico's tantrums have stirred bad blood among his teammates, alienated his fans, and prompted speculation from the sports media. Yet when he is killed with a baseball bat in the bull pen at the Diamond Dome, home of the Toronto Matrix, suspects are few because, as Inspector Manziuk and Detective Constable Ryan note, most baseball players act like prima donnas. In her second mystery after Shaded Light, Lindquist, a master of plotting, seeds her tale with concealed clues and innuendoes that keep readers guessing until the very end. Reminiscent of golden age mysteries, her latest will appeal to fans of classic mysteries. Lindquist lives in Toronto.

With a Ph.D. in botany, Arthur Hemmings is a most unusual secret agent; he works for Britain's Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. When special seeds are stolen from Oxford University's botany laboratory, he must uncover the thief, find the missing laboratory head, and determine whether the theft is an act of terrorism, for if the seeds fall into the wrong hands, the world's food supply may be seriously compromised. Mix in-house political intrigue, CIA interference, business circling like vultures, and a debonair secret agent who resembles James Bond at 50, and you have a winner. Writing in a tongue-in-cheek manner, science journalist Pringle (Food, Inc.) makes his tale hum along and stuffs it with enough scientific detail to propel readers through the pages. Pringle lives in New York City. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 1/07.]

In his fifth outing, Texas game warden John Marlin (Buck Fever) must determine who staged a murder to look like a hunting accident. The pro-gun National Weapons Alliance, about to have a big rally at the ranch of their spokesperson, country singer Mitch Campbell, sees this death as a gun control issue, and as events get out of hand, Marlin must move fast to solve it. Rehder continues to improve with each book. His latest tackles both sides of the Second Amendment debate with satirical humor and insight. Featuring plots that are more complex than those used in Bill Crider's Dan Rhodes series but not as outlandish as what you'll find in Kinky Friedman's crime novels, Rehder's series will appeal to fans of Southwestern mysteries laced with a bit of humor. Rehder lives near Austin, TX.

Detective Chief Inspector Woodend (The Butcher Beyond) is investigating the murder of a man found hanging from a bridge. Then another man is hanged from a crane, and Woodend's team is dealing with two murders that may be connected. However, the links between the men are few. The characters of this outstanding series, set in 1966 Lancashire, England, are now as familiar to regular readers as old friends, and the stories are always well written and perfectly plotted. The ending is yet another cliffhanger, but we know that Woodend will overcome every adversity—at least we hope he will. For fans of British police procedurals. Spencer lives in Spain and also writes as Alan Rustage.

When the widow of a top pediatric surgeon asks Big Apple P.I. Nathaniel Singer to make sure that her husband's hit-and-run death was accidental, Singer soon finds that the good doctor was cheating on his wife, was hated by his peers, and had been receiving death threats because of his stem-cell research. A mystery debut by a pseudonymous, award-winning New York writer.

Spending a week on an island where multiple murders have been committed is heaven to Maggie Holmes, a forensic scientist and author of a book dealing with paranormal activity at crime scenes. All she and friend Vivian Storm, who actually sees murders through the eyes of the victims, have to do is survive the week while they are being filmed for a reality TV show. To boot, they must pretend to be a lesbian couple. The authors add a great dollop of humor to what is the basic plot of Agatha Christie's classic And Then There Were None. For collections where paranormal mysteries are popular.

Recovering from a fever, Prioress Eleanor (Sorrow Without End) goes home to Amesbury Priory where her aunt, Sister Beatrice, is acting head. When townspeople see a ghost by the river Avon, there is much unrest, and a man is brutally murdered. With the assistance of her friend Brother Thomas, Prioress Eleanor uncovers a motive. Royal's latest historical is less a murder mystery than a vivid depiction of the lives of medieval women. She lives in Northern California.

When a womanizing Colorado rancher is murdered and a friend of Kelly Flynn's (A Good Yarn) is suspected, Kelly pokes around and as usual finds danger. As light and fluffy as one of Kelly's balls of yarns, this fourth entry in Sefton's knitting series marks the author's hardcover debut. Readers may enjoy reading the book almost as much as they'll delight in knitting the Cable Knit Scarf (the pattern is provided here). For cozy and knitting fans. Sefton lives in Colorado.

Loser Cliff Saunders is suspected of murdering the old guy he finds dead on a hiking trail in Shawnee County, OH. Trying to prove his innocence only gets other people killed. This disjointed tale could have been a lot better if the author had remained focused. Not recommended.

T.S. Eliot once said, "Humankind cannot stand very much reality." According to debut novelist Bryan, humankind cannot tolerate very many reality shows. A writer for such TV series as Night Court, Bryan obviously carries the scars of his experience in Hollywood to this day. His hero, Ted Collins, is licking his wounds from a nasty divorce that has left him only infrequent visitation rights to his beloved daughter. Otherwise, he toils away in the vineyard of a reality show, The Mogul, which highlights the entrepreneurial skills of one Roger Dominus, who is notable for his patented catchphrase "You're outta here!" and his terrible toupee. During one of those infrequent visits to his ex and her new husband, Ted witnesses a violent altercation between a Booty centerfold and her rap performer/significant other. When the centerfold's corpse turns up in a refrigerator shortly thereafter, it sets off a string of events that propels this funny, mildly suspenseful, and politically incorrect romp to its conclusion. This should appeal to Entertainment Tonight fans who will appreciate the insider satirical jabs inflicted on the world of television. For larger public libraries.—Bob Lunn, Kansas City P.L., MO

A wound can damage more than just the body, as Sicilian inspector Salvo Montalbano learns when he continues to awaken at the exact time he was shot in the shoulder weeks earlier (in Rounding the Mark). Still convalescing in the care of his lover, Livia, he's called back to help solve the kidnapping of university student Susanna Mistretta, an only child whose mother is dying. When a ransom far above Susanna's parents' means is demanded, it's made clear that the money must come from her uncle, a man with political ambitions who gained his wealth through shady means. Canny Montalbano eventually discovers that an unasked question is his key to solving the case. And in doing so, Montalbano finds himself rested, serene, revived, and sated, despite his awareness of advancing years and acknowledgement that, though Livia brightens his house, both of them are relieved when she leaves. In his eighth outing, the inspector may be aging, but he's still at the top of his game.—Michele Leber, Arlington, VA

Pearce, an ex-con living alone in Edinburgh with his three-legged dog, tries to recover from his mother's violent murder by taking long strolls along the Scottish coast and living as a recluse. Enter the Baxter family—a dysfunctional band of misfits and wannabes who needs to hire a hard man to protect daughter May from Wallace, her brutal husband. Pearce doesn't want the job, but he needs the money. As Pearce discovers, Wallace is much more complex than just a jealous husband with a martial arts degree, as evidenced by a drugged-out Jesus living in a cage in Wallace's basement. Guthrie's latest novel (after Two-Way Split and Kiss Her Goodbye) runs along the same lines of British noir as Ken Bruen, only Guthrie's characters are goofier and his situations more absurd. In the end, bad people do bad things to other bad people in a battle to find the real "hard man." The mixture of black comedy and relentless action makes this a hard-boiled romp to remember. For collections with a noir component.—Ken Bolton, Cornell Univ. Lib., Ithaca, NY

Everyone in Hollywood seems to have a script or movie deal in the works, and LAPD detectives Mike Lomax and Terry Biggs are no exceptions. Unfortunately, their potential producer turns up dead, drained of blood and stuffed into a trash can, a tragedy that dashes their hopes of big bucks for a movie based on an earlier case (see last year's The Rabbit Factory). Then a major actor is killed by the same odd method. It becomes apparent that revenge is the motive as more bodies pile up and Lomax and Biggs frantically try to stem the tide. Karp, a former advertising executive, screenwriter, and playwright, keeps the jokes moving as fast as the action. The wisecracking banter between Lomax and Biggs, two- or three-page chapters, staccato sentences, and nonstop action leave little time for contemplation or character development, but as with Janet Evanovich's mysteries, we are swept up in the humor, the quirky characters, and the frenetic pace. Froth still can be fun. For larger public libraries.—Roland Person, Southern Illinois Univ. Lib., Carbondale

Writing as Packer, Marijane Meaker (Spring Fire) has produced another vivid thriller that won't last long in the hands of any mystery lover. Hoping for privacy, Scotti House lives with her mother in East Hampton, NY, while attempting to save money for a sex-change operation to complete her metamorphosis from Scott to Scotti. Divorced with a young daughter, she is determined to help her family come to grips with her decision to start a new life as a woman. Of humble means themselves, Scotti and her mother live in close proximity to the ultra rich in the Hamptons, and by chance, Scotti gets drawn into a kidnapping scheme involving the daughter of a wealthy and influential neighbor. A prolific writer since the early 1950s, Meaker is the author of more than 50 adult and YA novels (under the name M.E. Kerr). As in her other books, she excels here at exposing the psychological frailties of her characters, making them simultaneously exasperating and endearing. Recommended for all public libraries.—Caroline Mann, Univ. of Portland Lib., OR