Mystery

Girl Power! The chick-lit mystery subgenre has been reinventing itself for a while. Outgrowing shoe fetishes and designer clothing obsessions, ditzy single female sleuths have now matured into responsible young women who still turn to friends for help but also rely on their own inner strength and competency. Nancy Martin's latest entry in her "Blackbird Sisters" series, Murder Melts in Your Mouth, reveals how much the sisters, who were left destitute by their parents, are able to handle what life throws at them. Sue Ann Jaffarian's capable paralegal, Odelia Grey, has become a thoroughly competent detective in Thugs and Kisses. And Claire Johnson uses a culinary school in Roux Morgue to illustrate how a young chef can be exceptional both at her profession and snooping around solving murders. You go, girls!

When Sir Robert Foster, a magistrate and a man many would be glad to see dead, is murdered, many suspect the notorious highwayman known as the Crimson Cavalier, who was spotted near the scene of the crime. But Georgiana Grey, a young, independent woman, is sure the Cavalier is not to blame and begins asking questions. Set in Georgian England but with a decidedly Regency flavor, this lively debut historical features the obligatory couple attracted to each other but unwilling to acknowledge their budding desire, witty dialog, and plenty of action. Readers who mourn the demise of the Regency novel and fans of Georgette Heyer and Barbara Metzger will snap this title up. Another winning tale from Crème de la Crime.

This hard-boiled debut novel featuring Norwegian homicide squad detectives Frank Frølick and his partner, Gunnarstranda, is a bit confusing at first. Focusing on the very sexual relationship of Frølick and Elizabeth Faremo, the sister of a crime figure in Oslo whom Frølick meets during a police raid, the plot moves slowly until Faremo's brother is murdered. So absorbed by his passion, Frølick is blindsided throughout the story, and his behavior is mostly reactive. Of course, Dahl will be compared with Henning Mankell, but his approach, at least in this book, is so much darker and cynical. The mystery is there, and the plot's twists and turns demonstrate why Dahl has won the coveted Martin Beck Award and several other crime fiction awards. For collections where Scandinavian mysteries circulate. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 11/1/07; a Minotaur First Edition Selection; library marketing campaigns.]

Three scribes from the Temple of Ptah are poisoned after signing a peace treaty between Egypt and the Libyans, an event that causes great humiliation for the Pharaoh Hatusu (more widely known as Hatshepsut). On the same day, the bodies of a wealthy merchant and his young wife are found drowned in their pool. In his latest adventure after The Assassins of Isis, Amerotke, the pharaoh's chief judge, must investigate these deaths and discover what is the driving force behind them. Doherty, author of several other historical series, including "The Sorrowful Mysteries of Brother Athelstan," knows a thing or two about locked-room murders and employs the devious plot devices needed to confound the reader. Ancient Egypt is fertile ground for an intriguing mystery, and Doherty uses the Egyptian fascination with poisons and the many intrigues surrounding Hatusu's reign to keep Amerotke and his cohorts busy protecting their monarch. Highly recommended for all mystery collections. The author lives in England.

While Charlie Cannert is in a Chicago hospital being told his cancer is terminal, his wife leaves for Florida to find an appropriate place where he can die. Then, she disappears; Charlie, having recovered enough to leave the hospital, follows her trail and uncovers rumors of other missing seniors, or "snowbirds." Charlie may be a nondescript old man, but he reveals a number of hidden talents on his quest. Hensley, author of numerous crime novels, including the Dan Robak series (Robak's Witch), is known for his unusual characters and plots. This noir mystery will appeal to those readers who enjoy authors like Robert B. Parker and C.J. Box who allow their sleuths to walk that fine line between what is legal and what is expedient. Hensley died in August 2007.

In her third sleuthing outing after Too Big To Miss and The Curse of the Holy Pail, paralegal and world-class snoop Odelia Grey attends her 30th high school reunion, where the class bully who humiliated her at the prom years ago is murdered. Good thing her date is police detective Devin Frye, who gives Cordelia an alibi. Then her boss, Mike Steele, vanishes, and the head of her legal firm asks her to find him. This is the best title yet in a priceless series: the unstoppable Odelia never waivers in her quest to find Steele while involving herself in another murder investigation and juggling her up-and-down love life. Humorous asides and grown-up innuendo abound. A real treat for chick-lit and mystery fans who like feisty women.

Nora Blackbird (Have Your Cake and Kill Him Too) rushes to the aid of her best friend, Lexie Paine, when her business partner falls to his death from their office balcony. The trouble is that many of Philadelphia's blue bloods have been fleeced by Hoyt Cavendish, the dead man, and soon Nora must add her own parents to the list. Hilarious repartee and zany characters move the story along, but Martin never loses sight of the seriousness of death. The good news is that the entire Blackbird family is reunited in this volume. Martin is an outstanding mystery author who deserves more recognition and attention than she currently receives. If your patrons enjoy chick-lit mysteries featuring female sleuths who deal with their problems in unusual ways with a good belly laugh or two along the way (think Janet Evanovich and Lisa Scottoline), this excellent series is for your collection. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 11/1/07.]

When Amber Francisco, the 14-year-old old daughter of a Florida racketeer, becomes involved with a Paradise Island gang banger, her father sends an enforcer to Massachusetts to bring her home. But after Wilson "Crow" Crowmartie—a dangerous Apache Indian hit man in the mold of another Parker character, Spenser's cohort, Hawk—is asked to kill the girl's mother, he turns to his old nemesis, police chief Jesse Stone (Sea Change), to intervene. At the same time, Jesse's ex-wife, Jenn, investigates the gang problem for her TV station and in doing so exposes herself to danger. As in his Spenser novels, Parker allows his characters to dish out justice in their own way while just staying within the law. Blending descriptive detail with sparse dialog, Parker has not lost his touch. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 10/1/07.]

Sixth-century Constantinople—the capital of the Byzantine empire and the forerunner to modern Istanbul—is a mysterious and perilous city as the eunuch John, the Lord Chamberlain of the Emperor Justinian, well knows. In his seventh adventure (after Six for Gold), John finds the brutally murdered corpse of a young woman who had identified herself to him as a model for a mosiac he keeps in his study and who was about to give him some vital information. Discovering what that secret was takes John, walking a fine line between maintaining his loyalty to his emperor and searching for the truth, on a twisting route to a very dangerous ending. The authors get everything right in their latest historical. The story is fast paced, the tensions between characters well portrayed; the ending leaves the reader clamoring for more. Those interested in Istanbul's history may also enjoy series set in Ottoman Turkey by Jason Goodwin (The Janissary Tree) and Jenny White (The Sultan's Seal). The authors live in Pennsylvania.

After the owner of El Dia, the foremost Hispanic newspaper in St. Paul, MN, is killed in his home, homicide detective John Santana must solve this high-profile case in spite of the community's unwillingness to help and pressure from the mayor to make a speedy arrest. He is also at odds with the detective from the mayor's office, who is doing his best to make Santana look incompetent. Valen's debut police procedural provides enough plot twists to keep readers engrossed and paints a clear picture of the Hispanic community in St. Paul. For larger collections.

In 1986, a young woman hits a boy on a bicycle, killing him and hiding his body. In 2006, a novelist is murdered on her houseboat, and her body is dumped in the canal. Detectives Kavanagh and Salt must piece together tiny facts and bits of information to find the motive for Sarah Clement's death. Readers of Joan Lock and Peter Turnbull will appreciate this complex British procedural. Armstrong lives in Shropshire, England.

Cora Felton, the puzzle lady (Stalking the Puzzle Lady), is also quite good at sudoku and is asked to write a sudoku puzzle book for a Japanese publisher. Unfortunately, her niece and partner signs with the wrong company, and the bodies start to pile up. Usually humorous and engaging, Hall here devotes too many pages to ruminating over niece Sherry's love life. Read Nero Blanc for more puzzle stories. Hall lives in New York City.

It has been almost ten years since San Francisco pastry chef Mary Ryan made her mystery debut in Beat Until Stiff, winner of the 1999 Malice Domestic Writer's Grant. Now she is back teaching the art of pastries at her old alma mater. On her first day, she finds her cop ex-husband's partner enrolled in her class, a war between the old-school chefs and more modern cooks, and a murder. Food Channel addicts will enjoy the inside details on cooking school politics, while fans of quirky mysteries will like the outrageous adult behavior on display. Johnson lives in Lafayette, CA.

Syracuse attorney Nicky Rigopoulos is running for New York State Supreme Court judge when his partner is murdered just after she quits as his campaign manager. Then his wife is drowned in their pool, and Nicky heads the suspect list. An amusing but lightweight legal mystery. Langan lives in the Syracuse area.

In his fourth "Baroque Mystery" outing (after Cruel Music), famous Venetian castrato Tito Amato and his brother-in-law arrive at the country villa where rehearsals for a new opera are already underway. The body of an unidentifed man is soon discovered, and the gathered performers, as their personal lives come under scrutiny, begin to unravel. Myers uses the intriguing 18th-century Italian settings to great advantage in this lively historical country house mystery. Myers lives in Louisville, KY. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 11/1/07.]

Stay-at-home dad Jack Holm wonders where his flight attendant wife is—she left one morning without leaving a note or saying goodbye. Soon, her body is found, and the police turn their attention to Jack. Although packed with action, this mystery is too unbelievable, and Jack is an unsympathetic hero. Not recommended.

Computer programer Dewey Pellicano knows little about running the quilting shop she inherited from her mother. So at a national quilt show, she agrees to sell the business to a quilting expert. When the expert is murdered, Dewey is the number-one suspect. Not quite chick lit (everyone is better dressed than Dewey) and a bit too sexy for a cozy, this standard debut mystery with a few surprises will only appeal to quilters.

Following the success of Christine Falls, Black, the pen name of Booker Prize-winning author John Banville (The Sea), returns with a second atmospheric crime novel once again starring Quirke, a 1950s Dublin pathologist and unlikely hero, a deeply curious man with the insight to know "something in him yearned for the darkness." Like the first book, this novel opens with the death of a young woman, the owner of a seemingly successful beauty salon called the Silver Swan. Her body is found in the river, her clothing neatly folded at the edge of the water. The distraught husband, not wanting his beautiful wife's body harmed, asks Quirke (a former classmate of the husband) to bypass the standard postmortem. Upon examining it, Quirke quickly notices a puncture mark visible on the dead woman's arm. And so Quirke's descent into darkness begins yet again. Black/Banville is a master of atmosphere; the fear and dread associated with hidden desires and deeds fairly leap off the page. Highly recommended for all public libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 11/1/07.]—Andrea Y. Griffith, Loma Linda Univ. Libs., CA

The tenth entry (after Moonblind) in Crum's equine mysteries finds horse vet Gail a stay-at-home mom, but an irate call from a neighboring barrel-racing trainer forces her to become involved with her former clients. When Gail goes to confront the much-disliked neighbor, she witnesses the trainer killed in a mysterious riding accident. Gail is sure Lindee was unconscious before the horse fell on her, and she confides her suspicions to her friend, the sheriff. Shortly after, Gail witnesses another strange horse-related accident that injures another trainer. There are many who might have wished Lindee dead, herself included, but why the second woman? Crum's latest will appeal to her fans and readers who enjoy horsey mysteries. By the way, the term "chasing cans" is rodeo slang for barrel racing. Recommended for all public libraries.— Patsy E. Gray, Huntsville P.L., AL

In Gross's second solo thriller (after The Blue Zone and five best sellers cowritten with James Patterson), divorced detective Ty Hauck and recently widowed mother Karen Friedman stumble into a dangerous conspiracy. Karen's hedge-fund husband, Charles, died—or so everyone presumed—in a terrorist attack in New York City's Grand Central Station. Soon after, when Karen and her children are threatened by unknown sources, she uncovers shocking details regarding her husband's business: he had lost as much as half a billion of his clients' money in questionable investments, more yet is missing from offshore accounts, and individuals once connected to him are now being killed. With Karen's help, Lieutenant Hauck follows a trail that leads to empty oil tankers with falsified manifests, hit-and-run killers, advanced government security systems, and the British Virgin Islands. Gross knows how to spin a fast-paced plot with engaging characters. Karen and Ty are forced to undergo convincing transformations as they unveil one mystery after another. Though the twists may not surprise readers, most will enjoy the ride. Recommended for public libraries.—Ron Terpening, Univ. of Arizona, Tucson

The third title in Irish playwright Hughes's (The Wrong Kind of Blood; The Color of Blood) acclaimed series of gritty Dublin thrillers featuring P.I. Ed Loy portrays the downside of the booming Irish economy. The real estate bubble has many young Dubliners in over their heads, days away from foreclosure and being forced to move into seedy subdivisions teeming with family gangs. His own dwindling bank balance finds Ed taking more domestic disturbance cases than he'd like, stuck doing surveillance in the same seedy subdivisions. When Father Vincent Tyrrell summons him to help with a very different kind of family matter, the change sounds appealing: he's to track down a missing member of the legendary Tyrrell horse racing dynasty. The case seems surprisingly simple after he finds a phone number linked to the missing Tyrrell in the pocket of a corpse while pursuing another matter. But Ed suddenly discovers himself caught in a web of drugs, race fixing, gambling, incest, and serial murder among the rich and famous. The family implodes violently, threatening to destroy Ed with them. It all comes down to a bet on a deadly long shot at the famous Leopardstown Racecourse Christmas Festival. Hughes's abilities to craft a "Dublin noir" crime novel and to expand the character of Ed Loy combine to make this a welcome addition to an eminently readable new series. Highly recommended. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 11/1/07.]—Susan Clifford Braun, Aerospace Corp., El Segundo, CA

Editor Penzler, one of the great mystery aficionados, gathers an even dozen stories by Dorothy Parker, Robert Benchley, Edna Ferber, Marc Connelly, George S. Kaufman, S.J. Perelman, and Alexander Woolcott. Although Penzler knows his stuff, dubbing many of these mystery and crime stories is a bit of a stretch. That's not to say they're not good stories—they most certainly are—but labeling Parker's "The Big Blonde" a crime story because the boozy, lovelorn protagonist attempts suicide—legally a crime—requires a leap of faith. True to the collective authors' reputation for wit, many of these pieces are laugh-out-loud funny sketches (Perelman's PI parody "Farewell, My Lovely Appetizer" is a peach) and others like Ring Lardner's noted "Haircut" and "Stop Me—If You've Heard This One," as well as Woolcott's "Rien Ne Va Plus" are straightforward prose pieces. Though these pieces are enjoyable if you're a fan of the Algonquin gang, readers of more traditional crime/mystery stories might find this collection little more than a pleasant novelty. Purchase accordingly.— Mike Rogers, Library Journal