Mystery

For mystery fans who like to do a little traveling with their armchair crime solving, this summer's crop of crime fiction features some unusual settings. Mary Anna Evans and Elaine Viets place their books in Florida locations not commonly visited by tourists, and Kathryn R. Wall uses the South Carolina island resort of Hilton Head as her backdrop. Then there are police departments in such diverse locales as Vancouver, B.C., (Sandra Ruttan's What Burns Within) and Honolulu (Neil S. Plakcy's Mahu Fire), and sheriffs' departments in Wyoming (Craig Johnson's Another Man's Moccasins) and Michigan (Robert Underhill's Cathead Bay) are great examples of mysteries set in out-of-the-way America. Even the novels with European settings occur in nontraditional places. Paul Charles's Dust of Death features the Garda (police) of County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland, and the cops of Maardam, Sweden, play an integral part in Håkan Nesser's Mind's Eye.

A master carpenter is brutally tortured, then crucified in a church; the Serious Crimes Unit headed by Garda Inspector Starrett begins its investigation. Ireland, County Donegal in particular, is as much a character as the people who play out this drama. And drama it is, as the victim's life unfolds, revealing the strength and grief of his family and the mean little motive behind his death. Charles, author of eight Inspector Christy Kennedy books (Sweetwater; Last Boat to Camden Town), begins this new police procedural series with all the mastery of his craft. True, it is a bit pricey, but it is well worth it. Fans of Ken Bruen and other Irish crime writers will snap it up.

It is always sad to say goodbye to old friends. This is Craig's final Martha's Vineyard mystery, as the author died last year. When J.W. Jackson's old friend Cal arrives on the island, he brings with him danger in the guise of two goons who are seeking what Cal has hidden. At the same time, the body of a young woman who disappeared a year ago is discovered. Her murder and keeping Cal and his loved ones safe occupy J.W. until he triumphs in his very individualistic way. Martha's Vineyard and the people who live there year-round are described in loving detail, and there are three recipes provided for the reader's enjoyment. Read this for nostalgia and the sheer joy that Craig's writing always inspired.

Archaeologist Faye Longchamp's friend, mentor, and father figure, Douglass Everett, is murdered the night that he and Faye realize that she has found a huge emerald in an archaeological dig on a site that once belonged to her family. The murderers miss the emerald but steal Faye's notes from the site. Then another friend is killed, and the danger becomes apparent to all. Faye's friends rally to protect her and Douglass's widow, but the situation involving greedy people who desecrate Confederate archaeological sites soon spins out of control. Evans always incorporates detailed research that adds depth and authenticity to her mysteries, and she beautifully conjurs up the Micco County, FL, setting. This is a series that deserves more attention than it garners. Fans of archaeological mysteries by Lyn Hamilton, Sarah Andrews, and Aaron Elkins will enjoy.

In his 11th outing, London Detective Inspector Bill Slider (Dear Departed) and his team are called to the apartment of investigative reporter Ed Stonax, who has been murdered. Despite finding no evidence, the team begins to piece together a case of great complexity that includes several other murders and the return of Slider's nemesis, Trevor Bates. Harrod-Eagles writes terrific crime novels, meshing fully realized characters with multilevel plot lines. The result is a pleasing combination of puzzle mystery and police procedural. This series will appeal to patrons who like Quentin Jardine, Stuart MacBride, and Barry Maitland.

After Amanda, Sam Acquillo's girlfriend, is accosted by a man from her past, other bad things happen. A fire destroys one of the houses she is restoring in Southampton, NY. Then Amanda's attacker, builder Robbie Milhouser, is murdered, and Sam becomes the prime suspect because the murder weapon, a staple hammer, belongs to him. In his third outing (after Two-Time and The Last Refuge), Sam, with the help of his friends, must act fast or be convicted of a crime he didn't commit. Knopf takes a closer look at his complex hero's past while providing a true mystery. He uses the same kind of deceptively laid-back style employed by Todd Borg, lulling unsuspecting readers only to shock them with an unexpected ending. Highly recommended.

When millionaire and mystery author Adrian Beauclerk-Fisk sends out wedding announcements to his ex-wife and children, the family descends on Waverly Court, their father's large estate in Cambridgeshire. Family tensions soon break out into murder, and Detective Chief Inspector St. Just and Sergeant Fear are called in. In her series debut, Malliet, who won a Malice Domestic Grant to write this novel, lays the foundation for an Agatha Christie-like murder mystery, although the plot lacks direction and could have used a few more red herrings. Traces of humor add to a story enhanced by the detection skills of St. Just and Fear. This will appeal to Christie fans and readers who enjoy British cozies.

When Janek Mitter wakes up from a night of too much alcohol and sex, he must break into the locked bathroom, where he finds his wife dead in the bathtub. Suffering from amnesia as a result of his drinking, he falls into a lethargic state that lasts throughout his murder trial, conviction, and imprisonment in a mental hospital. Detective Chief Inspector Van Veeteren launches a new investigation when Mitter is murdered. Finally being published in the United States, this 1993 noir crime novel, set against the bleak, cold backdrop of Maardam, Sweden, launched Nesser's popular police procedurals (The Return; Borkmann's Point). For readers of Henning Mankell and those who remember Per Wahlöö and Mai Sjowald. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 2/1/08.]

Vancouver, B.C., constables Hart and Fain team up to investigate a series of arsons and the disappearances of young girls. Constable Nolan is working on a string of rapes. The three young police officers a year earlier had investigated a high-profile case and soon find that their current cases may have a connection. This is the first in a new series of police procedurals by Ruttan (Suspicious Circumstances), the cofounder of Spinetingler Magazine, a popular e-zine. Well worth adding to any mystery collection.

Working as a customer service representative in an exclusive private club not far from Fort Lauderdale, FL, Helen Hawthorne (Murder with Reservations) finds her life turned upside down when her deadbeat ex-husband, Rob, arrives with his new wife, the ultrawealthy and many-times married Marcella, known as The Black Widow. When Rob disappears the next day, Helen is the only suspect. After Marcella helps get Helen released from police custody, the two form an uneasy alliance to investigate. Anyone whose job is in customer service will relate to Helen's work experiences here. A quick summer read for fans of humorous mysteries with clever premises. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 1/08.]

The South Carolina resort of Hilton Head, for all of its tourist attractions and glitz of Southern wealth, takes on a more down-to-earth feel in Wall's capable hands. Series PI Bay Tanner (Bishop's Reach) must tackle two cases that hit close to home. Her housekeeper's son disappears after the suspicious hit-and-run death of a young Hispanic woman who had been advocating for the rights of illegal immigrants. Then, during a bank robbery, Lavinia, the woman who raised Bay and still lives with her father, tries to help an old man who has recognized one of the robbers. At the risk of her own life, Bay is desperate to keep those she cares about safe. Sue Grafton, Sara Paretsky, and Marcia Muller come to mind as the quintessential writers of the modern female private eye novel. Wall, in a quiet and unassuming way, has produced a body of work of equal quality as she tackles complex modern issues that trouble her very human characters. Highly recommended.

Reluctant Buffalo, NY, psychic and former insurance investigator Jeff Resnick (Murder on the Mind) is asked to look into the murder of a bartender. Bartlett has a deft touch and makes psychic abilities very real.

Newly elected St. Louis district attorney Jack Hilliard seems to have it all until an old friend is suspected of murder. Her alibi is Hilliard, who just happened to spend the night with her even though he is happily married. Some readers will like this debut by a practicing attorney for its fluid prose and insight into the legal system, but it does not break any ground in the legal thriller genre. [A Minotaur First Edition Selection; see Prepub Mystery, LJ 1/08].

Smooth, savvy Tony Boudreaux (The Swamps of Bayou Teche) is looking into an arson fire and the murder of a street person in San Antonio. But his boss also wants him to mentor a new hire who hates men and is the boss's sister-in-law. Reminiscent of 1950s hard-boiled detective stories with a dash of 21st-century male awareness, this series is engaging on all fronts. Giving Tony a unique female partner is a masterstroke.

In a fast-paced story packed with foolhardy action, Kansas library volunteer Lexie Starr drives to Schenectady, NY, in search of the truth about the murder of her son-in-law's first wife. This first Lexie Starr novel begins with a bang and ends on just the right note.

Gay Honolulu police detective Kimo Kanapa'aka (Mahu; Mahu Surfer) finds himself in the midst of a murder investigation involving a terrorist attack on the Hawai'i Marriage Project, a group fighting to legalize gay marriage. Add to the mix the arsons against gay-owned businesses and the arrival of an ultraconservative religious group, and the result is an emotionally charged sizzler of a mystery.

Master chef and TV cooking phenomenon Silvio Rossi is skewered through the heart during an afternoon bash at his Michigan summer house on Cathead Bay. Leelanau County Sheriff Davis (Strawberry Moon) narrows the likely suspects down to a handful, but the motive remains elusive. Underhill peoples his tale with believable characters and weaves a well-thought-out plot to delight his readers.