Fiction

In his short, poetic debut, Saudia Arabian-born Al-Mohaimeed explores the lives of three misfits in his native country's capital of Riyadh. First, there is Turad, a Bedouin who lost an ear; next is Tawfik, a former Sudanese slave who was castrated; and finally, Nasir, an orphan who is missing one eye. As Turad, who was fired from his job after being humiliated at work, sits in the bus station, trying to buy a ticket to anywhere, he contemplates their lives, which have intersected at various times. Myths—like the story of a young woman impregnated by the moon after she hung her underwear to dry by its light or the tale of rival Bedouin thieves wrestling until they become like brothers—meld with the realities of the underbelly of society in Saudi Arabia, where Al-Mohaimeed's protagonists have no status and little opportunity. His exploration of men who have lost pieces of themselves yet struggle to survive swirls with a richness of language and imagery. Banned in Saudi Arabia and deserving of a large audience, it is recommended for most literary fiction collections.—Andrea Kempf, Johnson Cty. Community Coll. Lib., Overland Park, KS

Mother love is at the heart of this impressive first novel by the Bangladeshi-born, American-educated Anam. Protagonist Rehana Haque has long regretted the time after the early death of her husband, when she allowed a relative to take away her son and daughter for a year. During the 1971 war for Bangladesh's independence, she finds an opportunity for redemption. Readers follow an involving thread about the ragtag, grassroots campaign to escape the oppressive Pakistani regime, though the narrative as a whole stays close to Rehana, as she worries about the dangers facing her young adult children, who dive into the struggle. The Bangladeshi forces are successful, but at a great cost. The climax involving a sacrificial choice Rehana must make is gripping and moving. Though touted as the first novel written in English about the Bangladesh war, the novel echoes Kiran Desai's The Inheritance of Loss and Anita Desai's Clear Light of Day, which let readers experience political upheaval on the Indian subcontinent through powerful family drama. Recommended for all libraries.—Evelyn Beck, Piedmont Technical Coll., Greenwood, SC

A handsome troubadour with a beguiling voice leads an astonishing escape heist aided by a witch, a saint, and a couple of knights, monks, and other assorted characters both great and humble. The setting is southern France, the year, 1241. Tales about the Inquisition are not supposed to be amusing and entertaining, but Armstrong (The Game) manages to make them just that while keeping historical integrity mostly intact, if making free use of real and folkloric events alike. The fortified city of Carcassonne—also the location for Kate Mosse's Labyrinth—is held by bickering secular and religious authority much aggravated by the capture of The Jewel, a symbolic leader of the Cathar heresy. Readers will encounter a surprising amount of detail on medieval life that unfolds at a steady pace until the impossible rescue of the Silver Dame at a May Day festival. Two more volumes are on the way, ending at the siege of Montségur. Readers who enjoyed James Patterson and Andrew Gross's The Jester are bound to like this straightforward narrative, and, it should be mentioned, these historical events are a backstory in The Da Vinci Code. Recommended for all public libraries.—Mary-Kay Bird-Guilliams, Wichita P.L., KS

A housewife is found viciously stabbed, wearing the morbid signature of a sadistic killer, a bloody pentagram carved in her forehead after death. Introduced in Frozen, Dr. Megan Rhys, a profiler and forensic psychologist, is called to help the Wolverhampton, England, police solve this brutal crime that might be connected to the occult. Megan juggles her turbulent personal life with the pursuit of a violent serial killer and becomes ensnared in a world of Wicca, infidelity, and lies. As more women die and she races to get inside the mind of the killer, Megan finds her relationship, career, and family life threatened. Because of her gutsy heroine, forensic profiling, and nail-biting story line, Ashford, an award-nominated crime author from Wales, has been compared to Patricia Cornwell and Kathy Reichs, but she's not quite in their league. Still, Ashford is likely to spark interest among U.S. crime-fiction readers. Public libraries should add her to their thriller collections. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 8/07.]—Mary Todd Chesnut, Northern Kentucky Univ. Lib., Highland Heights

Short story writer Attenberg (Instant Love) successfully demonstrates her talent and experience in her debut novel. Her heroine is Jarvis, a dark-haired young woman of Irish descent whose offbeat beauty gets her noticed everywhere. Even rising art star Martin Miller has to have her, and their marriage is one of funky, punk-rock counterculture bliss in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY. And then the unthinkable happens—at the brink of fame, Martin suffers a fall that leaves him in a coma. As the months turn into years with Martin suspended in time, Jarvis's devotion to him continues—even as her life moves forward without him. Her serendipitous meeting of new friends through a local Laundromat widens Jarvis's horizons and leads her to delve into the history of Martin's work. What she finds shakes her world and the foundation of their happy (but dormant) marriage. An engaging and innovative first novel for all fiction collections. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 9/1/07.]—Beth Gibbs, Davidson, NC

Revenge is a dish best served "stone cold." In Baldacci's third novel in "The Camel Club" series—after The Camel Club and The Collectors—Oliver Stone, aka John Carr, ex-CIA assassin, is back with his eclectic group of conspiracy theorists. Their mission is to discover the truth behind the American government's lies. This time the group is trying to protect Annabelle, an honorary group member, as she is being chased with the certainty of being killed by casino king Jerry Bagger, whom she conned out of $40 million in avenging her mother's murder. Concurrently, Harry Finn, a Homeland Security contractor, is himself out for revenge, against the people who framed and killed his father, a Cold War spy. Finn's targets include such people as ex-intelligence chief Carter Gray, senator and presidential hopeful Roger Simpson, and, if Harry discovers he's not dead, John Carr. Baldacci's intricately woven plotlines, well-developed characters, fast-paced action, and surprise ending will leave readers satisfied and wanting more. A sequel worthy of its predecessors; highly recommended for all fiction collections. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 7/07.]—Susan O. Moritz, Montgomery Cty. P.L.s, MD

Bookseller/former intelligence officer Cotton Malone can't stay out of trouble in his third adventure (after The Alexandria Link and The Templar Legacy) that blends contemporary thrills with the historical past. Cotton receives a summons to a museum to meet the mysterious woman he reluctantly worked with in The Alexandria Link. Arriving early, he is knocked unconscious and dumped inside the empty museum, then barely survives the arson that follows. The museum destroyed, Cotton is now a marked man. To survive, he must unravel a conspiracy involving an ancient coin, the death of Alexander the Great, and a ruthless central Asian dictator who will destroy anyone in her path. Massive plot twists and a relentless narrative pace result in another success from Berry. Expect this one to add to his readership and hit the best-sellers lists. For all popular fiction collections.—Jeff Ayers, Seattle P.L.

This second novel in the insipid trilogy that Bradford started last year with The Ravenscar Dynasty picks up where Dynasty left off in 1918. Edward Deravenel is now in his thirties and running his family's business empire. The premise sounds good: family saga, rivalries, lust, riches. Unfortunately, the writing is no better than what might be found in a beginning creative writing class; most of the dialog is dreadful. Not a single character is sympathetic; Harry's fixation on creating an heir almost repels the reader. It was a chore to get through this long novel, and those thinking they will get a book on par with Bradford's stronger earlier works (e.g., A Woman of Substance) will be disappointed. Recommended only for large libraries because of Bradford's name. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 7/07.]—Marianne Fitzgerald, Severna Park H.S. Lib., MD

Having tackled alternate history and hard-boiled mystery in The Yiddish Policemen's Union, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay now tries his hand at a historical adventure along the lines of The Arabian Nights. Set in the medieval Jewish empire of the Khazars, this novella, originally published serially in the New York Times Magazine, follows two "gentlemen of the road" who find their fortune wherever they can—and don't mind taking up what seems like a lost cause just for the adventure of it. A lost cause shows up in the form of a secretive young man with a tragic past who is trying to raise an army to avenge the death of his family. Few can resist his powers of persuasion, including our gentlemen adventurers, and the story wraps up with a satisfying twist or three. Chabon says in an afterword that he semiseriously intended to call the story "Jews with Swords" to highlight a little-known aspect of Jewish history. Chabon has a humorous, acrobatic writing style that translates rather well to the adventure genre. Highly recommended for public libraries.—Jenne Bergstrom, San Diego Cty. Lib.

The second book in a planned trilogy (after The Tea Rose), this story of notorious East London criminal Sid Malone (formerly Charlie Finnegan, believed dead) and crusading woman doctor India Selwyn Jones takes many melodramatic turns between their first antagonistic meeting in 1900 and their final passionate rendezvous in 1907. Fighting their desire for each other, Sid struggles to go straight, and India devotes herself to healing poor women and children. By the time India thinks to break off her engagement to Freddie, the handsome, politically ambitious schemer who only wants her family's money, it's too late—she's trapped in a loveless marriage, and Sid is on the run. Fiona and Joe, characters from the trilogy's first book, figure prominently, but this book stands on its own. The author includes interesting details related to medical practices of the time, but her main characters have contemporary attitudes, and the history goes down easy. Readers looking for a historical page-turner along the lines of Barbara Taylor Bradford's A Woman of Substance won't be disappointed. Recommended for public libraries.—Laurie A. Cavanaugh, Brockton P.L., MA

The crew of a North Korean submarine tries to defect, later to be found slaughtered in their vessel in U.S. waters. CIA forensic scientist Christine Myers is sent to investigate, but neither she nor the Navy SEAL team working alongside her is prepared for what happens next: the SEALs begin to die, one by one. It seems that a killer virus is spreading, and one SEAL member has become a lethal monster. Though at first the SEALs had resented Myers's presence, they must now join forces with her against the vicious killer. Virtually all of short story writer Doyle's thriller takes place aboard the old, cramped sub—the feeling of claustrophobia is pervasive and well done. The plot, however, is somewhat implausible in presuming that any SEAL team would be able to jump in and pilot a North Korean sub to safety—and then of course there's the requisite government cover-up. Although the monster in the boat is a familiar theme, the book is well written and fast-paced fun. For larger collections.—Robert Conroy, Warren, MI

Carl Hiaasen meets Jack London with a dash of James Bond in this sophomore outing from Emmy Award-winning writer, producer, and comedian Elliott. After parodying mystery novels with his first effort, The Shroud of the Thwacker, Elliott this time sends up the adventure genre with a wacky trip up Mount Everest. The journey begins when Elliott receives in the mail his long-lost great-uncle Percy's diary, which indicates not only that Percy was the first human to reach Everest's summit—not, as is believed, Sir Edmund Hillary—but also that his disappearance may have been more than a mere accident. Determined to unravel this intrigue, Elliott sets out to reach the mountain's peak, taking with him a colorful band of characters including a strung-out tour guide, documentarian Michael Moore, and actress Lauren Bacall as well as drawing the attention of a group of Buddhist monks and the CIA. Fans of Elliott's prior work will love this fun read filled with his signature brand of humor; those who do not enjoy his comedic flavor should try something else instead. Recommended for larger fiction collections.—Leigh Wright, Bridgewater, NJ

Hardy's latest (after Sarah) has an old-fashioned appeal with its romantic story of a young woman and her first love in pre-World War II France. Meg Stephens is a young London art student who longs to visit the south of France. The year is 1939, and the Germans have become increasingly aggressive. Knowing that she may not have many more chances, Meg convinces her parents to let her travel with her friend Heather to Saint-Tropez. What she discovers is an exotic mix of people staying at a home called Les Cigalettes. Among the group is the charismatic and mysterious Werner. With the threat of war between France and Germany growing ever closer, Meg begins to worry about what will happen to her new love and whether they can survive. Years later, Meg's daughter Alice discovers that her mother's choices have had a major impact on her own life. Hardy handles the novel's pacing nicely, from the initial gentle movement that gives way to a sense of increasing urgency as the shadow of war looms large. Recommended for public libraries and women's fiction collections.—Jane Jorgenson, Madison P.L., WI

Georgie, an 80-year-old Canadian widow, is heading to the airport for the trip of a lifetime: Queen Elizabeth II has invited her and 98 others born on the queen's birthday to London for a days-long birthday celebration. Georgie, however, loses control of her car less than a mile from her home and is thrown to the bottom of a steep ravine. Grievously wounded and drifting in and out of consciousness, she reflects on her long, rich life, confronts her tragedies and blessings, and bemoans being kept from her lifelong dream of meeting the queen. As she struggles mightily to stay alive, she comforts herself by taking inventory of all the bones in her body, which she learned as a child fascinated with her grandfather's copy of Gray's Anatomy. In her second novel to be published in the United States, Itani (Deafening) takes the premise of a ghastly "if only" moment in life that can be so catastrophically transformative and crafts a beautiful novel filled with unbearable tension over Georgie's chances for survival. Highly recommended. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 9/15/07.]—Beth E. Andersen, Ann Arbor Dist. Lib., MI

After receiving an unusual copper puzzle box by mail from an old Cambridge friend, Robert Reckliss finds himself embroiled in a life-and-death battle on the streets of Manhattan. Based on the secret alchemy of Isaac Newton, an ancient conspiracy called The Iwnw seeks to destroy Western civilization. Reckliss has the power to prevent this cataclysm—but only if he can tap into psychic abilities he doesn't even believe he possesses. The Iwnw arms a weapon, and Reckliss has one week to complete a physical and spiritual quest that includes solving riddles and finding and disarming said weapon—no small task. In essence, New York City is a main character in this debut novel; Langfield describes its architecture and history with details bordering on fetishistic. Those intimately familiar with the city will enjoy the behind-the-scenes tour of some famous landmarks and glimpses of hidden treasures; armchair adventurers will want to re-create the quest. While the concept is brilliantly clever, the overall execution is a tad disappointing. Recommended for most popular fiction collections.—Laura A.B. Cifelli, Fort Myers-Lee Cty. P.L., FL

In fashion journalist McCormack's debut, readers meet Maxi and Bess, friends for 16 years. Maxi, a journalist from a privileged background, has led a seemingly charmed life, but she's always relied on feature film sound artist Bess for support. On New Year's Day 2000 in Toronto, Maxi drags Bess to a party so Maxi can meet up with her new love interest, Tom. Bess meets Marcus; not impressed by him at first, she reconsiders, and the two form a contented relationship. It doesn't go as well for Maxi and Tom, however. When things start to look up for Bess professionally, too, it is more than Maxi can handle. The demise of their relationship is subtly drawn, but the ending plays out with Maxi exploding in jealousy at the Valentine's Day birthday party she throws for Bess. An involving and well-written portrait of the underlying agreements that govern a relationship and what can happen when one of those agreements is unknowingly broken; sure to please fans of women's fiction. Recommended for all public libraries.—Karen Core, Detroit P.L.

A few chapters into this debut novel, readers are so inundated by repeated references to drug use, prostitution, and sudden violence that the cryptic but vivid introduction is nearly forgotten: Chase, recovering from four unexplained reconstructive surgeries, is holed up in a suite at the Palace Hotel in Las Vegas. He's in love with his childhood friend, Michele, who has hatched a plan with her spoiled boyfriend/pimp, Bailey, to clear a cool $200,000 in one summer by running a call-girl service. Chase, a once-promising artist now fearing failure by age 30, falls into work as a chauffeur for Michele and her teenage employees. Events rapidly sink toward total degradation. Mentor Bret Easton Ellis's influence is apparent, although McGinniss's protagonists are modern members of the lower middle class rather than the affluent and bored of the 1980s. Despite Ellis's alleged hand in getting this work published, it stands on its own. Buy where Charles Bukowski and Hunter S. Thompson have a readership. [Film rights have been optioned to Whitsett Hill Entertainment; the author is the son of Joe McGinniss, whose latest true crime book, Never Enough, will be reviewed in LJ 11/15/07.—Ed.]—Christine Perkins, Burlington P.L., WA

All Uli knows is that he's supposed to shoot Dropt outside Cooper Union, then get back to Kennedy to catch the next flight out. As he makes his way to Cooper Union, however, his memory starts coming back to him, and he realizes he's not in New York City, but Rescue City of New York, NV. Nersesian (Chinese Takeout) builds an alternative world circa 1981, in which Nixon served out his term, the Vietnam War still rages, and Rescue City—built to house refugees and dissidents—is playing host to a political battle. Rival gangs/parties the Crappers and the Piggies, which control different boroughs, both want to claim the mayoral office. Uli, en route to Cooper Union, meets Mallory, a Crapper operative, and ends up being chased by Piggies. A mysterious blond man saves his life and tells him to meet at Rock & Filler Center. Uli eventually ends up at Crapper Headquarters, where he learns that the man who controls Staten Island, Raftique, is the swing vote in the presidential election; Uli is assigned to convince Raftique to vote for Ronald Reagan. If all this sounds convoluted, it is: Uli begins with a blank slate, and gradually things get filled in. With plenty of puns on New York City names and characters, this cleverly written alternatives future tale comes into focus but lacks the strong characterization that made Nersesian's previous works so powerful. Recommended for larger collections.—Joshua Cohen, Mid-Hudson Lib. Syst., Poughkeepsie, NY

Who doesn't love an outlaw, especially one who donates to charity and never injures a soul? Believing herself a direct descendant of the legendary Mexican bandit Joaquin Murrieta, Allison Murrieta teaches history in public schools by day and steals cars and robs fast-food restaurants in her free time. Her outlaw life is going well until she witnesses the gory aftermath of a diamond heist gone awry—then runs off with the diamonds. Let the chase begin. Certain characters, both criminals and law officers, will do most anything to get their hands on these diamonds. Allison's biggest problem—aside from staying alive—is how to handle smitten LA sheriff's deputy Charlie Hood, who until now has channeled all his youthful energy into doing the honorable thing. Edgar Award winner Parker (Storm Runners) packs in so many characters and subplots that his speed-driven crime novel sometimes bogs down like a freeway at rush hour. But his ability to evoke the cultural landscape of Southern California, with all its audacity and media obsession, is spot-on. Expect high demand and buy for all popular fiction collections.—Teresa L. Jacobsen, Solano Cty. Lib., Fairfield, CA

In his exceptional first novel, Emmy and Peabody Award winner Powers presents us with Truman Capote in the last year of his life. Addled by drugs and alcohol and despairing the wreck his shining life has become, he is plagued by the ghosts of the people whose deaths he chronicled in his greatest book, In Cold Blood. The now-old Harper Lee, or Nelle as she calls herself, is the only one who has a shot at understanding Truman—his childhood friend, she served as companion and researcher on the trip to Kansas that produced In Cold Blood. But Nelle has her own ghosts to exorcise having to do with why she never wrote a second book. In Kansas, Powers speculates, Truman exposed Nelle to her own sexuality, which she continues to suppress. And at his famous 1966 Black and White Ball, green with envy over Nelle's having won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, Truman spreads the rumor that it was he who wrote To Kill a Mockingbird, not she. Powers, whose 2006 memoir, The History of Swimming, was a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers pick, succeeds brilliantly in blending fact and fiction to produce a sensitive portrait of two lost souls. Heartily recommended for public collections.—David Keymer, Modesto, CA

Growing up is tough to do. The narrator of Rosoff's foray into adult literature has been shuffled through two upper-class boarding schools and now is on his third. His tenure at St. Oswald's looks tenuous as well until one day during a long run along the coastline. Taking a break from the mandatory exercise, our narrator meets Finn, who lives alone in a small hut near the beach free from school and parents. The two boys come together in an idyllic friendship that eventually ends in tragedy. Rosoff, the Printz Award-winning author of How I Live Now, creates a coming-of-age tale full of mystery and angst. Relying on a narrator looking back at his life, the reader is in for an intriguing read. Recommended for larger collections. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 9/15/07.]—Robin Nesbitt, Columbus Metropolitan Lib., OH

The skillful use of multiple narratives elevates this novel above the usual women's wedding fiction. It's Allison and Mead's wedding day, and the ceremony and reception will be held at a swanky Newport, RI, mansion. Too bad the mansion's hostess received her divorce papers that morning; the bride's mother is still bitter about the divorce and her ex's new arm candy; the bride is trying to sideline her frumpy sister and make over her future sister-in-law; the bridesmaids get wind of an indiscretion that could derail the marriage before the wedding; and no one's seen the flower girl in quite some time. Ryan (The Kingsley House) uses distinctive viewpoints to great advantage, building tension and developing characters from the very first page, including everyone from the bridal party to the bartender, mansion staff, and caterer. She blends humor and poignancy with a light hand, taking a serious look at weddings and marriage, friendship and family, without taking it all too seriously. A worthy addition to the genre. Recommended for all public libraries.—Amy Brozio-Andrews, Albany P.L., NY

A large cast of characters inhabits this historical novel by decorated Bulgarian author Wagenstein (Isaac's Torah). Set in Shanghai prior to World War II, it recounts the true story of how thousands of European Jews were forced to flee their home countries as Hitler's power grew. As more and more borders closed, there remained a place willing to give them shelter, if not comfort: Shanghai. The novel begins with a haunting scene: the Dresden Philharmonic plays Haydn's Farewell Symphony, and as each musician ritually exits the stage, he is taken into custody by German authorities. Theodore Weissberg, the symphony's gifted violinist, and his wife are just two of the many refugees who flood into Shanghai seeking freedom, only to find that their salvation comes with a name—the Hongku ghetto. Wagenstein intelligently interweaves the voices of several characters, whose common thread is their desire to live in safety. Winner of the 2004 Jean Monnet Award, this novel sheds light on a forgotten part of history that is only now becoming known. Recommended.—Marika Zemke, Commerce Twp. Community Lib., MI

Wander, who was born in Vienna and died in 2006, has crafted a series of tales that make up this novel based on his experiences in such German camps as Auschwitz and Buchenwald. Although the stories may at first seem disconnected, they form a clear picture of the camp experience. Wander brings his characters harrowingly alive, in most cases right before their deaths. Grim as it may sound, the book is a poetic meditation on human existence under unbelievable circumstances, effectively translated by Hoffman. It is remarkable that beauty can come out of such horror. A map is provided showing the actual paths of the forced marches that took the author and so many others from one infamous Nazi detention site to the next. Originally published to little attention in East Germany in 1971 where Wander was living, it was republished in a reunited Germany in 2005. The ennobling account of this witness deserves the widest audience. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 8/07.]—Edward Cone, New York

LJ's review of K'wan's Hood Rat noted that, before the bullets began flying and the clothes dropping, the author thanked Mom and the Lord for their help. Thug Mrs. continues in this tradition, only this time it's Jesus, Mrs. Young, and the kids who are responsible for allowing the writer to produce this latest entry in the ghetto-lit genre; maybe they want to rethink things. Somewhere in these 200-plus pages exists a good 25-page short story filled with the anger and hopelessness of never-ending revenge and betrayal in the city. Stretched out as it is, the book reads as though written by someone who might have heard of Superfly in film class but never actually bothered to watch it. The dialog suggests the author couldn't commit to the language: e.g., "Hearing Kema's name, Niecy said, 'I rather it be later than sooner. I'm a wait here in the living room. Ask who it is before you open the damn door.' " Rather? It's hard to imagine an audience for this book; the people being written about probably wouldn't spend any time with it. Not recommended.—Larry Schwartz, Minnesota State Univ. Lib., Moorhead

Along with luminaries like John Barth, Alice Munro, and Louis Auchincloss, the latest volume in the series features some lesser-known but nonetheless magnificent writers. In Lauren Groff's "L. DeBard and Aliette: A Love Story," a polio victim takes swimming lessons from an Olympic champion, and in Stellar Kim's "Findings and Impressions," an ambivalent radiologist finds a meaningful way to remember a cancer victim. Each of these stories, selected by editors King and Pitlor, transform and transcend the ordinary by delving into the minds of atypical characters. In Roy Kesey's "Wait," international passengers stranded by fog at an African airport take sides against one another as a civil war rages around them. In other stories, readers are taken into the mind of a killer ("Dimension"), a germ warfare assassin ("The Boy from Zaquitos"), and a female werewolf ("St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves"). This magnificent array should reawaken interest in the American short story; recommended for all libraries.—Chantal Walvoord, Plano P.L. Syst., TX

Jazz runs throughout these 13 short stories, and the "twelve o'clock" of the title is probably midnight rather than high noon. Known more as a poet, Coleman has published other collections (Heavy Daughter Blues, 1991) that included short stories. As Gwendolyn Brooks did for Chicago, Coleman roots her stories in a specific place, here the unforgiving sprawl of Los Angeles County. Her characters tread the salty, choppy waters of race, class, and gender, a fitting counterpoint to peer Charles Bukowski. In a scene between counselor and patient, a typical line reads: "I got one of those stupid-ass white women who think they own the world. No street smarts at all." The book opens and closes with two shorter, lyrical pieces—one on destruction, one of rebirth. Coleman never denies her characters their humanity, even amid brutal circumstance—a true, rare gift for readers. Her searing prose carries both the luminous allure of a late-night moon and the limned reflection of a high-noon sun. Recommended for all collections.—Travis Fristoe, Alachua Cty. Lib. Dist., FL

This rich and lively debut collection demonstrates Shroff's storytelling skill, which has garnered him two Pushcart Prize nominations. All 14 tales focus on the inhabitants of his hometown of Bombay, or, Mumbai, as it was officially renamed in 1996. From a cross section of Indian society, the characters are all somehow beset with the familiar challenges of contemporary city life—terminal poverty, diseases like AIDS, and values and tradition lost to economic development. Shroff does not employ gritty realism to portray his characters' struggles, but he also refrains from romanticizing them. Instead, he achieves a welcome balance of apprehension and optimism. Most of his narrators are men who more often than not convey considerable compassion for the women in their lives. For instance, the carriage driver in "The Queen Guards Her Own" dreams of saving a young prostitute and her daughter. Like other short story collections set in Bombay (e.g., Vikram Chandra's Love and Longing in Bombay and Rohinton Mistry's Swimming Lessons and Other Stories from Firozsha Baag), Shroff's makes for enjoyable reading. Recommended for large fiction collections.—Faye A. Chadwell, Oregon State Univ. Lib., Corvallis

Two excellent horror offerings should chill warm-blooded readers this fall. Award-winning sf/fantasy editor Datlow's first nonthemed collection includes 20 stories by British and Australian writers that run the gamut from the grotesque (by Joyce Carol Oates, K.W. Jeter, and Mark Samuels), to family-security worries (Simon Bestwick, Mike Driscoll, and Nathan Ballingrud), to horror with the classic bells and whistles (Conrad Williams's "Perhaps the Last"). Glen Hirshberg's "The Janus Tree" and Stephen Gallagher's "Misadventure" offer a powerful sense of place. Much of the horror in this volume contains a bonus touch of weariness and depression. Edited by Howison, founder of the famous Los Angeles horror bookstore Dark Delicacies, and leading horror anthologist Gelb, Dark Delicacies II presents 18 fear-focused stories as well as two forewords and an afterword. Glen Hirshberg's "I Am Coming To Live in Your Mouth" is gripping and sorrowful (the author has another story in the Datlow collection); Steve Niles's "The Y Incision" is a corpse-larded tale of the dead, undead, and probably dead. Barbara Hambly's "Sunrise on Running Water" presents a deservedly imperiled vampire on the Titanic. Many of the stories here are gritty, while Datlow's selections are more literary. There is plenty of gore, however, in both volumes to satisfy horror fans. All of the stories are wisely chosen and deserve attention and comment. Both titles are recommended for all public libraries.—Jonathan Pearce, California State Univ., Stanislaus

When Hill's first novel (Heart-Shaped Box) was published, there was much buzz when it was revealed that he was the son of Stephen King. Before that was widely known, however, Hill published a collection of short stories in Britain, which won the Bram Stoker Award, and his novella Best New Horror beat out his father's "The Things They Left Behind" in the Long Fiction category. Ghosts, which had a limited print run in Britain, is finally being released here, and it is astounding. Though most of the stories have elements of horror, the overall mood of the collection is one of heartbreaking wonderment, especially evident in the beautiful story "Pop Art" about a young delinquent's friendship with an inflatable boy. Other standouts are "In the Rundown," a Raymond Carveresque tale about a loser who peaked in high school; "Better Than Home," about a disabled boy's relationship with his father; and "Voluntary Committal," in which a child's cardboard fort becomes a solution to his big brother's problems. This edition includes the new story "Scheherezade's Typewriter" hidden in the acknowledgments. Highly recommended for short story and horror fiction collections.—Karl G. Siewert, MLIS, Tulsa City-Cty. Lib., OK

After Gus ("Old Red") and Otto ("Big Red") Amlingmeyer solved the crime but lost the client in their last case (On the Wrong Track), they found themselves down and out in San Francisco. Here, the death of their acquaintance Dr. Chan inspires Gus to deduce what happened, but no one wants this mystery solved. That doesn't stop a pair of cowboy detectives from riling up the locals with their heavy-handed investigations. Keystone Cop action and wild chases ensue until Old Red and his helpers finally put the clues together for a showdown on the waterfront. Otto tells the story with more profanity and humor than Dr. Watson ever managed, and his foot-in-a-bucket narration will keep the reader snorting with laughter until the Black Dove (a Chinese prostitute who was the last to see Chan alive) is finally found. Hockensmith has been nominated for the Edgar Award, and if he keeps writing like this, he'll win one soon. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 10/1/07.]—Ken St. Andre, Phoenix P.L.

In the latest Scandinavian crime fiction import, award-winning and best-selling Norwegian author Nesbø introduces Detective Harry Hole. A talented, dedicated detective with drinking issues, Hole is nearly as depressed and grim as Henning Mankell's Kurt Wallander but closer in age and style to Ake Edwardson's Erik Winter, occasionally sporting 1980s band T-shirts, always wearing black Doc Marten combat boots, and regularly referencing popular movies. After an unfortunate incident involving an American Secret Service agent, Hole is transferred to the political unit. Left to his own devices, he investigates the purported import of a Marklin (the world's best and most expensive rifle) while keeping an eye on a neo-Nazi ex-con who recently avoided jail. A lengthy and complex story with subplots involving an old man dying of cancer and flashbacks to World War II and the role of Norwegians who fought for Hitler on the eastern front; one of the more fascinating detectives in modern crime fiction; and a well-drawn, engaging set of secondary characters make this one of the best new series of 2007. Highly recommended for all libraries. [In 2004, Norwegian book clubs voted The Redbreast as the best Norwegian crime novel ever written; the second book in Nesbø's "Oslo" trilogy, The Devil's Star, is available on Amazon UK.—Ed.]—Jessica E. Moyer, Coll. of Education & Human Development, Univ. of Minnesota, Minneapolis

Part whodunnit, part horror story, with a pinch of the supernatural, Nikitas's debut novel is not your average mystery. It's the tale of three women: Luc (pronounced "Luke") Moberg, a 15-year-old girl who wears black and occasionally shoplifts for fun; Tanya Yasbeck, a very pregnant 19-year-old from the street who hopes her boyfriend's motorcycle gang membership will lead to a better life; and Greta Hurd, a divorced, middle-aged homicide detective on the outs with her soon-to-be-married daughter. When a trip to the mall ends in Luc's father being murdered, the three threads of the story begin to intertwine, and by the end, each character gets pushed to the limits of her being. This is a genre-stretching narrative where the bad guys are human, the good guys are flawed, and rescue arrives late if at all. It is also literary, gripping, and very real; Nikitas captures the voices of his three female protagonists with compelling accuracy. While this book may not appeal to readers of formulaic crime fiction, it is recommended for both public and academic libraries. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 6/1/07; Joyce Carol Oates nominated Nikitas for a Pushcart Award in 2005.—Ed.]—Nancy Fontaine, Dartmouth Coll., Hanover, NH

Read's mystery debut, A Field of Darkness, was well received by reviewers and nominated for an Edgar Award; only a year later, she has an equally compelling new offering. This time Madeline Dare and husband Dean have relocated from Syracuse, NY, to the Berkshires as Madeline has accepted a teaching position at the Santangelo Academy, an alternative school for troubled teenagers. When the book opens, she is slowly adjusting to the quirky rules and therapy regimens required of students and teachers alike. An atmosphere of distrust is pervasive, cultivated by policies that encourage teachers to snitch on one another for such minor transgressions as smoking cigarettes or drinking coffee. Many of the students are prone to violence, and Read does a good job of projecting an air of unease, even before two of the students are murdered and Madeline's own life is threatened. Read's novel is fast-paced; once the action starts, don't even think about putting it down. The motives behind the murders are complex, and the ultimate heroes and bad guys are a total surprise. Strongly recommended for all public libraries.—Caroline Mann, Univ. of Portland Lib., OR