Mystery

Mystery authors are not shy about taking on big political, social, and other hot-button issues. Here, we find several recent crime-fiction offerings hip deep in extremism, fanaticism, and everything in between. The conflict between the animal rights movement and hunters is a theme in C.J. Box's Blood Trail, while E.L. Merkel's Virgins and Martyrs focuses on abortion clinics, home-grown terrorism, and religious fanaticism. Ben Rehder in his hilarious Holy Moly places televangelists and the creationism vs. evolution debate under the microsope, and Mark de Castrique's new series launch, Blackman's Coffin, tackles the treatment of returning war veterans.

When a hunter is butchered in Wyoming, game warden Joe Pickett and his boss, Randy Pope, set off to investigate. Soon, it becomes clear that someone is systematically killing hunters. Caught between the people who hunt and those who are opposed to hunting, not to mention facing one of the most dangerous cases of his career, Pickett must find a way to bring the killer to justice before more deaths occur. Award-winning mystery writer Box ratchets up the suspense in this tightly plotted example of his writing genius, his eighth thriller to feature Pickett. His sense of place and talent for character development are on a par with those of James Lee Burke. Highly recommended. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 1/08.]

This series opener from the author of the Buryin' Barry mysteries introduces Sam Blackman, an Iraq War veteran recuperating from the loss of his leg in a North Carolina hospital. A young female visitor piques his interest when she asks for his help, but she is murdered before she can tell him more. Soon, Blackman is drawn deep into an 88-year-old murder case connected to her death. Known for his effortless storytelling, de Castrique once again delivers a compelling tale blending fact and fiction, this one involving racial tension, the aftermath of war, and the authentication of manuscripts. For all mystery collections. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 2/1/08.]

In Ebisch's second mystery to feature Roaming New England Magazine reporters Amanda Vickers and Marcie Ducasse (after The Crying Girl), the two women are in West Windham, ME, investigating a sighting of the Lake Opal Monster. Then, they attend a séance arranged by a wealthy businessman wanting to find out who killed his wife, and the medium announces that the identity of the murderer lies with his widow in her coffin. Ebisch keeps both plots on track in this fine mystery that will capture most readers' imaginations.

After three Lake District mysteries (The Cipher Garden), Edwards returns to his original series featuring Liverpool lawyer Harry Devlin with this eighth entry (after All the Lonely People). Someone is murdering young women, and Harry receives warning of his own impending demise, which gives him a few days to discover who wants him dead. The two mysteries come together with Harry squarely in the middle and characteristically unusual results (Edwards never writes the same book twice; both his plotting and settings are original). If the solution is a bit rabbit-out-of-the-hat, the book is still perfect for an evening's entertainment. For most mystery collections.

In Eriksson's third novel to be published in the United States (after The Princess of Burundi and The Cruel Stars of the Night), series detective Ann Lindell must identify a corpse found in a river and figure out what lies behind the murder. Her investigation leads her to Dakar, a high-end restaurant in Uppsala, Sweden. As usual, Eriksson packs his story with numerous characters, multiple plotlines told in different voices, and an ending from which no one but the reader emerges a winner. Not a quick read, as the similarity among many of the Swedish names can be confusing, and some readers may be turned off by the author's anti-American politics. But recommended for collections where Scandinavian crime fiction circulates. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 1/08; library marketing planned.—Ed.]

Det. Aria Quynn of Florida's Spanish Bay Police Department is caught between the FBI and a reporter bent on getting an exclusive. The story opens when an abortion clinic is bombed, and a 13-year-old girl has visions of the Mother of God in a shopping mall. Quynn must determine whether these "visions" are connected to the bombing. Raising the specters of stigmata, the abortion debate, religious fanaticism, and extremist terrorism in the United States, Merkel (Dirty Five) keeps the reader riveted as the story plays out to an unexpected ending. Using his background in journalism, Merkel draws a fascinating picture of the difference between a police officer's investigation for the truth and a reporter's search for a story. See Edna Buchanan for more of this genre juxtaposition. Highly recommended.

In Raichev's third series entry (after The Death of Corrine) to feature mystery writer Antonia Darcy, Antonia gets caught up in a gothic tale involving a tragic car accident, the two women it brought together, and one of the drivers, now dying and wishing to make amends. Greed, jealousy, rampant emotions, and a killer lurk in the wings of this tale that mixes Henry James's psychological insight with Agatha Christie's whodunit plotting skills. Throw in a diabolically clever story line and the challenge to readers to figure out what is really going on, and Raichev once again triumphs in this totally fascinating game of wits. Highly recommended for all collections.

A young backhoe operator unearths a 70 million-year-old dinosaur fossil in Blanco County, TX, and is shortly thereafter murdered. Rehder (Guilt Trip) takes readers on an adventure into the multimillion-dollar realm of the televangelist on whose land the fossil was found, life in small-town Texas, and the inner workings of police investigation in the latest entry (after Gun Shy) in this Edgar Award-nominated series. Combining sophisticated prose with down-home Texas crime, he leaves no part of Texas life untouched. Recommended for most collections, especially where Southwestern mysteries are popular.

Illinois State Special Agent Elizabeth Hewitt returns in Rusch's third novel (after For Edgar and The Boy with Perfect Hands). This time, she must make sense of a series of decapitations in which the victims are all middle-aged and seem to have ties to a marriage-counseling service. The narrative's multiple points of view can be slightly confusing. However, the beauty here is Rusch's development of his characters and their relationships. From the first page to the last, this book wows; recommended. [See Prepub Mysery, LJ 12/07.]

Miles Young is a 35-year-old middle-weight boxer living in Belize who has just lost his comeback fight. The single parent of a young daughter, he is offered the job of locating another young girl, a runaway who has stolen cash from the local crime lord. Miles walks into a desperate situation that threatens everything he holds dear, but his years in the ring have taught him how to remain calm when confronted by fear and how to show an opponent the quiet face of courage. First-time novelist Vasquez—whom the publisher has compared with James Hall and Dennis Lehane—has created the perfect hero for the 21st century. Strongly recommended for all collections. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 2/1/08.]

In this second Corinna Chapman adventure (after Earthly Delights), the chocolates made by Heavenly Pleasures, a shop in the complex where Chapman runs her bakery, are being sabotaged. Then, a bomb surfaces in the lobby, and Corinna and her boyfriend, an ex-Israeli soldier, go into action. Set in Melbourne, Australia, with a neat cast of wacky characters, this is a pleasure to read. Recipes included. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 2/1/08.]

In this second novel (after The Circle) to feature Inspector Henrietta "Hen" Mallin, Hen suspects a woman might be more directly involved in the murder of her boss than she admits. Award winner Lovesey never fails to entertain: his books are as complicated and well written as those of Ian Rankin and John Harvey. Here, the suspense will keep readers turning pages long into the night. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 12/07.]

Las Vegas car dealer and art collector D.J. Singer buys a Sol Fleming painting while aboard a cruise ship but soon doubts the work's authenticity and begins asking questions. Narrated by D.J. and the art auctioneer who sold her the Fleming, the story is fragmented and the ending confusing. Buy where there is interest.

As Marjorie McClelland and Creighton Ashcroft watch the townspeople of Ridgebury, CT, plan their wedding, a woman asks the couple to find her missing husband. In this third McClelland mystery (after Ghost of a Chance), the intrepid duo once again swings into action to investigate. Witty dialog and 1930s-era sophistication make this a charming series selection for readers liking Carolyn Hart and Nick and Nora Charles.

Horror veteran Masterton (Edgewise) plays to readers' desire to know what is behind a series of brutal, random attacks on people in elevators throughout Cincinnati. Fortune-teller Sissy Sawyer and her police artist daughter-in-law, Molly, are soon deep into the case in this latest series entry that is nothing like a normal mystery. Only Masterton could pull this one off. For horror and mystery collections.

Six women inadvertently kill the man who runs the sleazy strip club where they work, a crime for which the bouncer is arrested and serves 20 years. Upon his release, the women are targeted one by one. Det. Insp. Paul Banham, last seen in Behind You!, is on the case, but even he cannot bring about a happy ending in this tangle of multiple motives and miseries. For collections where British procedurals circulate.

Acting on a tip, the Yorkshire police find the body of a man who has been missing for ten years. Turnbull showcases both the expertise of Detective Chief Inspector Hennessey and his police team as well as his own plotting skills in revealing who the dead man was and how he came to be murdered. Another great addition (after Once a Biker) to an outstanding British police series.

Set in late 19th-century England, Alexander's third historical (after And Only To Deceive and A Poisoned Season) to feature Lady Emily Ashton begins at a country-house party at which political powerhouse Lord Basil Fortescue is shot and Robert Brandon, his protégé, stands accused of the murder. Emily attends the party with her fiancé, agent of the Crown Colin Hargreaves. While Colin is engaged in uncovering a plot against England, Emily, a close friend of Robert's wife, doesn't hesitate to look for the real killer. When Emily and Colin both wind up in Vienna mingling with anarchists and artists alike, the two are surprised to find how well they work together. Alexander cleverly incorporates historical figures and events into a fictional story of European political intrigue, English society, Viennese culture, and plenty of genteel romantic chemistry. A wonderful choice for readers looking for a pleasant diversion from everyday troubles; recommended for all fiction collections. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 2/1/08.]—Stacey Hayman, Rocky River P.L., OH

This is the book Inspector Lynley fans have been waiting for ever since George dropped the bombshell of Helen Lynley's murder at the end of With No One as Witness. Thomas Lynley, grief-stricken in the wake of the death of his wife and unborn child, sets off walking around the southwest coast of England. On the 43rd day of his walk, Lynley comes upon the body of a young climber who has fallen to his death. When police discover that the equipment of the fallen climber has been tampered with, Lynley gets caught up in a murder investigation. New Scotland Yard sends Lynley's old friend and foil Barbara Havers to help with the case (and to keep an eye on Lynley). The victim—16-year-old lothario Santo Kerne—had many enemies in the small Cornish town of Casveyln, so the investigation of his murder is satisfyingly intricate. In keeping with George's standards, both the inspectors and their many suspects are complex, fascinating folks, and, also as usual, they all have dramatic, if a bit unbelievably dire, back stories. Highly recommended for all mystery collections. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 1/08.]—Jane la Plante, Minot State Univ. Lib., ND

In this high-energy thriller, Emily Kramer tries to find out why her husband, Phil, was shot dead and discovers he'd been keeping secrets from her. Jerry Hobart completed his contract killing of Phil Kramer, but now his employer wants Phil's wife dead as well; Jerry decides he can instead make more money finding out what his employer is hiding. And rich, successful Ted Forrest likes young women—really young women. This predisposition got him into trouble once before, and he's not going to let it happen again. A virtue of Edgar Award winner Perry's (Silence) novel is that the bad guy draws you in. You can't dismiss Jerry as simply evil—he kills ruthlessly but not needlessly; his heart aches for a lost past, and he admires the woman he's paid to kill. A spunky but believable heroine, an emotionally conflicted killer, a plot whose twists you will not anticipate—what more could a reader want from a piece of escapist fiction? Fidelity is a winner. But, then, Perry has never written a bad novel in his life. Recommended for all public libraries.—David Keymer, Modesto, CA

If you like your mystery short stories dark with a Canadian flavor, this latest entry in the "Akashic Books Noir" series is for you. New tales by such Canadian authors as Gail Bowen, Kim Moritsugu, Janine Armin, and Andrew Pyper are set in various Toronto neighborhoods, from the affluent middle-class Beaches and Bloor West Village to gentrified Parkdale to tawdry basement flats in East York and Queen West. Featuring bored housewives, wronged lovers, mad scientists, murderous best friends, movie stars, wannabes, and peeping toms, the stories are engrossing and entertaining. This book gives readers a taste of Toronto as experienced by Torontonians and, discounting the noir aspect of the stories, shows why Canadians both love and hate their biggest city. This gem should be considered for every short story collection, particularly those in Canadian libraries.—Lisa O'Hara, Univ. of Manitoba Libs., Winnipeg