Mystery

The modern mystery is advancing into new territory with unusual sleuths and a mix of genres and moods. Stephen Jay Schwartz's Boulevard introduces a police detective who is also a sex addict. In The Murdered House, Pierre Magnan illustrates what can be done when combining a crime story, horror, and suspense to the fullest. Jeri Westerson's Serpent in the Thorns adds a touch of noir to the historical, and the zanier side of crime fiction is found is found in Patrick F. McManus's The Double-Jack Murders and Christopher Fowler's Bryant and May on the Loose.

Newly retired CIA agent Hagen is called back to his hometown of Las Vegas when his brother, a member of the French Foreign Legion, is murdered five days after returning from his tour of duty. Hagen finds that his sibling had been trying to sell a valuable artifact that was possibly stolen from the Legion. In this fast-paced debut, winner of the second annual Tony Hillerman Prize for the best first mystery set in the West, there is more than one dangerous group out to stop Hagen from finding his brother's killer. VERDICT Chaney deliberately does not describe Hagen's emotions, and the reader is not allowed a sense of connection with the hero and his quest. Oddly enough, this detachment adds depth and makes the reader want more, especially since the ending is a zinger of a cliff-hanger. For fans of Brad Thor.

The beautiful South African city of Cape Town, the abalone industry, and a hard-boiled PI tale meld into a suspenseful first outing. Ex-cops Mullet Mendes and Vincent Saldana find themselves caught in a web of danger, where they do not know the rules of the game or even what game is being played. Saldana is getting the goods on a woman's supposedly adulterous husband, and Mendes pursues criminals raiding an abalone farm. Things get personal when one of the thieves recognizes Saldana, but the two are clueless until the book's final heart-stopping pages. VERDICT Cole, the pseudonym for South African novelist Mike Nicol (Horseman) and Joanne Hichens, combines the street smarts of Elmore Leonard with Michael Stanley's and Deon Meyer's gritty depictions of South Africa's criminal culture. Readers who like their crime fiction set in exotic locations will want to try this excellent debut.

Following Cox's riveting debut, Blood Is Thicker, her second outing featuring Det.Sgt. Matt Arnold is a fast-paced race against time involving a serial killer who is mutilating men and leaving biblical quotes at the crime scenes. At the same time, Arnold deals with his failing marriage as his son lies in a coma after a hit-and-run accident and the trial of the man accused of injuring his son is set to begin. VERDICT Cox, a police officer in South London, knows how to bring to life the daily stresses and pressures a police investigator faces. Her capable hands wring the emotions of the reader as aptly as those of Arnold. An essential read for fans of British procedurals.

London's Peculiar Crimes Unit, disbanded after solving the affair in The Victoria Vanishes, is in disarray. Some team members have found jobs, others are looking for work, and Bryant is wasting away. Then a headless corpse is found in a freezer in a store in the King's Cross area. There is only one crime team capable of solving the bizarre murders that follow—the Peculiar Crimes Unit swings into action. The trail twists and doubles back on itself, and the elderly Bryant and May bicker, but in the end they must acknowledge that they have met another übercriminal. VERDICT It's apparent that after seven Bryant and May titles, Fowler is working his way through the odd and peculiar bits of London history. No one does this better than Fowler, with the possible exception of Peter Ackroyd. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 7/09.]

In Sheriff Bo Tully's third outing (after The Blight Way and Avalanche), a crazy murderer escapes prison and heads to Blight, ID, seeking the man who put him away and leaving a trail of corpses in his wake. Tully has several plans in place to capture the culprit, including luring him north into the wilderness; at the same time, he is investigating the 85-year-old disappearance of a man and a boy. VERDICT Humorist and outdoor writer McManus's latest crime caper will appeal to readers who enjoy comic mysteries featuring a zany bunch of police types like those in J.M. Hayes's "Mad Dog and Englishman" series (e.g., Server Down). Those who like their crime fiction set in a Western outdoors setting might also appreciate this. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 6/1/09.]

Named 1984's best novel of the year in France and now Magnan's third mystery to be published in the United States (after The Messengers of Death and Death in the Truffle Wood), this thriller opens with one of the most chilling first chapters in recent memory, detailing the massacre of a family in Provence at the turn of the 20th century. The only survivor is a three-week-old infant who is raised in an orphanage, and, 20 years later, labors in road construction. Told the story of how his family died, he begins to dismantle their house, which he has inherited, as he seeks vengeance. VERDICT Using a dark, atmospheric tone and the character of a disturbed young man, Magnan totally immerses the reader in his sinister tangles. [Library marketing campaign.]

Young women working the streets of Beijing are being brutally murdered, and Li Yan, the head of Beijing's serious crime squad, must stop the killer. When the next victim is an American, the U.S. Embassy demands that the autopsy be done by an American pathologist, and Margaret Campbell, who is living with Li Yan and their baby daughter, is drawn back into her work. Unfortunately, she also attracts the attention of the Beijing Ripper, who is always two steps ahead of Li Yan's team. VERDICT Employing a tightly woven plot and detailing interpersonal relationships that reveal more of his protagonists' background, May, the only Western member of the Chinese Crime Writers' Association, has outdone himself in this sixth entry (after Snakehead) in his China series. This is sure to please readers who like watching their heroes face life-threatening situations in far-off locales. Recommended also for fans of Qiu Xiaolong's Inspector Chen series. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 6/1/09.]

In this stand-alone, Ramsay, author of the Ike Schwartz series (Choker), follows the head honchos of Earth Global, a large conglomerate dealing in mining, energy, and real estate worldwide, to mineral-rich Botswana, which CEO Leo Painter wishes to turn into profitable ventures for his company. His accompanying entourage is greedy and immoral and trying to muscle out the aging Leo. Paralleling Leo's tale is the unforgettable Sekeo, an old, ill lion fighting off younger rivals, and game ranger Danderson, her delightful family, and her friends, who seek to make life something more than a focus on money and power. VERDICT A bit rougher-edged than Alexander McCall Smith's genteel "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" series, this mystery will still attract his fans and those who like Michael Stanley's Detective Kubu series (e.g., The Second Death of Goodluck Tinubu).

Hayden Glass is the top investigator in the LAPD elite Robbery and Homicide Division. He's also a sex addict. This debut novel revolves around Glass's addiction and a series of sadistic murders that are aimed specifically at Glass. The murderer leaves clues that Glass puts together but that others miss mainly because few know about his addiction. Working with Kennedy Reynard, a former FBI profiler, he slowly tracks the killer. VERDICT Plot twists and turns plus an unusual denouement make Schwartz an author to watch. Mystery fans who enjoy reading about the mean streets of L.A. (à la Robert Crais, Michael Connelly, T. Jefferson Parker) will devour this.

Dishonored for his part in the treasonous act of trying to remove Richard II from the throne of England, Crispin Guest lives in abject poverty but ekes out a living as a private investigator in 1383 London. When a young woman finds a body in her room and goes to Guest for help, the trail leads him to the Royal Court and more trouble with the King. This follow-up to Westerson's thoroughly engrossing debut, Veil of Lies, places Guest squarely in the sights of those who wish him dead. VERDICT Westerson adds flavor to the tale by enhancing the relationship between Guest and his young helper. Readers who can't get enough of medieval historicals will snap this one up.

Traveling from Scotland to Williamsburg, VA, Scottish ex-cop Alasdair Cameron and reporter Jean Fairbairn combine overseeing the security of a 16th-century Witch Box with a little vacation. When murder gets in the way and a Williamsburg-crafted replica is stolen, they find that quotes from Shakespeare and a missing charm stone lead them into a real-life tangle. VERDICT Readers of Amy Myers's "Marsh and Daughter" series will like this fourth series entry (after The Burning Glass).

The murder of the mayor's wife in the artifact museum owned by Sheriff Tony Abernathy's mother and aunt throws the town of Silersville, TN, for a loop. VERDICT This blend of quilting clues and down-home humor is for those who like Bill Crider, Monica Ferris, and other writers of small-town cozies.

When Raymond Liu, the head of Chicago's Red Lantern Triad, is murdered as he tries to sell some Chinese antiques to Bianca Garibaldi, part-time bounty hunter and antiques dealer Evan Maitland's business partner, she is targeted for death as the sole witness. VERDICT In this third furiously fast-paced, high-body count Maitland thriller (after Maitland and Maitland Under Siege), Hunt shows that he can hold his own with Robert B. Parker and Robert Crais. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 6/1/09.]

DD McGil, an insurance investigator, is hired to do a close background check on four candidates for high-level jobs at HI-Data, a cutting-edge software company in Chicago. When she arrives at its headquarters, she finds the body of her late fiancé's brother. Then her aunt arrives from Scotland, bringing with her what may be a long-lost unpublished Robert Burns manuscript. VERDICT This debut series will appeal to readers who prefer their mysteries soft-boiled and seasoned with a dash of literary sleuthing.

On their way home from a vacation in France, DC Sukey Reynolds and colleague Vicky Armstrong see a suspicious exchange between men in a parking lot. Later, one of the men dies in an auto accident. Then the head of a woman is found on the beach, and the Avon and Somerset Criminal Investigation Division is hip deep in cases involving murder and the illegal drug trade. VERDICT A good choice for mystery buffs who enjoy British police procedurals in the tradition of Peter Turnbull and Peter Lovesey.

Collaboration, like colonoscopy, is usually regarded as an ugly word. You collaborate with the enemy, the way Gilbert did with Sullivan. Irish crime writer Bruen, though, has lately turned it into a successful career path, working with Jason Starr on a trio of novels (The Max being the latest). Here, his partner is Coleman (The James Deans). Their tale, the first original novel for mystery reprinter Busted Flush, consists of two main sections sandwiched between a brief prolog and an epilog. The first part, written by Bruen, focuses on Nick Barrett, Irish as a wake, sullen, and with frequent violent outbursts. Coleman does most of the heavy lifting with his section, which focuses on Todd Rosen, Nick's buddy, as they grow up together in the hardscrabble boroughs of New York and drift together and apart into lives of petty crime. Plot plays second fiddle to the specifics of sharply etched characters relayed in a prose style that frequently lands a punch to the gut. VERDICT These two writers have amassed a mantle full of prizes and bevies of fans; much of the fun they must have had playing off each other comes across in this successful collaboration.—Bob Lunn, Kansas City, MO

Detective Sonchai Jitpleecheep (Bangkok 8, Bangkok Tattoo, and Bangkok Haunts) of the Royal Thai Police generally investigates crimes involving farangs, or Westerners, because he is half farang himself. But rival Sukum wants a high-profile case involving a famous American because he hopes that it will allow him to finally attain his long-desired promotion. This suits the preoccupied Sonchai, who has been made police colonel Vikorn's "consigliere" in the matter of a purchase of $40 million worth of opium from a mysterious Tibetan refugee in Nepal. Dr. Tietsin has also become the grieving Sonchai's guru in the ways of Tibetan Buddhism. Sonchai's son has recently died, and his wife has left him to become a nun. VERDICT The central mystery here is not the "Case of the Fat Farang" but whether Sonchai will survive his own internal conflicts of guilt, grief, bliss, and duty. Obviously, this is not your typical police procedural, but it will reward mystery readers ready for something unusual. Fans of Timothy Hallinan's Bangkok mysteries might like it.—Eric Norton, McMillan Memorial Lib., Wisconsin Rapids

Gaspar sets his third historical, after The Canadian Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and The Case of the Empty Tomb, in a remote Benedictine monastery in the Italian countryside. The year is 999 C.E., and Brother Thomas of Worms, a well-traveled German scholar, is in trouble again with his superior. After reprimanding Thomas for breaking a host of rules, the abbot banishes him to the scriptorium to copy a portion of the New Testament. Thomas stumbles across an ancient manuscript that may undermine church teachings. And when several monks mysteriously die, Thomas finds himself embroiled in another battle with the abbot as he searches for a killer. VERDICT Readers hoping for another Brother Cadfael (Ellis Peters's series character) may be disappointed by the limp mystery, stilted prose, and an uninspiring cast of characters. Fans of medieval mysteries may prefer Sharon Kay Penman's Justin de Quincy series or Alys Clare's Hawkenlye series.—Makiia Lucier, Moscow, ID

Dr. Ruth Galloway lives on the remote English beach of Saltmarsh and teaches archeology at a small local university. When a child's bones are found on a beach nearby, DCI Harry Nelson calls Galloway for help. He thinks they may be those of a missing child from a ten-year-old cold case that involved bizarre letters mentioning rituals and sacrifices. But the bones turn out to be nearly 2000 years old. Then another child vanishes, and Galloway stays on the case. More letters turn up, and these pull Galloway deeper into the hunt and into real danger. VERDICT Crime solving and anthropology have gone hand in hand through other successful mystery series such as those by Erin Hart and Aaron Elkins; Griffiths's debut stands well with them. Both Nelson and Galloway are captivating characters, and Griffiths's story is strong, well plotted, and suspenseful, leaving the reader eager for more adventures on the windswept Norfolk coast. Highly recommended.—Susan Clifford Braun, Aerospace Corp., El Segundo, CA

What would happen if an ordinary person gave in to temptation and committed a serious crime? Nikitas's second novel, after the Edgar-nominated Pyres, addresses this question. Jodie Larkin is living a hand-to-mouth existence as a maid in Atlanta when she steals some money and runs to Cape Fear, NC, where the son she gave up for adoption lives. Meanwhile, in upstate New York, Deputy Sam Hartwick, desperate to support his wife's cancer treatment, takes a bribe, and college student Wynn Jonhston accompanies his best friend from childhood into drug territory. What appear to be separate lives and problems reveal themselves to be related as the narrative intertwines, picks up speed, and hurtles to its startling and violent conclusion. Nikitas is a master craftsman of both plot and prose, merging gritty, evocative description with sharply drawn characters in a staccato style that includes scenes that end in the middle of a thought. VERDICT Readers of Joyce Carol Oates will appreciate this novel, and as will those who enjoyed Stieg Larsson's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Kate Atkinson's Jackson Brodie books, and Tana French's crime novels. [Library marketing campaign; see Prepub Mystery, LJ 7/09.]—Nancy H. Fontaine, Dartmouth Coll., Hanover, NH

Somer's second entry in his "Turkish Delight" series (The Kiss Murder) is a dense tale of murder in modern Istanbul. Recovering from a breakup, Somer's unnamed narrator sleuth is roused out of his depression by a crush on a handsome (and married) lawyer and the subsequent murder of the lawyer's brother-in-law. Inspired to solve the crime with a combination of impressive police connections and a network of outrageous friends and employees of various talents, our hero is a transvestite bar owner with a special talent for computers and kickboxing, a skill that comes in handy in dealing with shady types. VERDICT Somer plays it for laughs and occasionally succeeds, but at times the translation feels awkward and the joke falls flat. Mercifully, the author includes a list of characters and a glossary to help readers familiarize themselves with the Turkish names and terms. Most of the characters are transvestites, and the humor is largely based on that subculture, which may give it special appeal to gay readers. But this mystery will also attract readers who like their crime novels accompanied by madcap characters and wry humor.—Caroline Mann, Univ. of Portland Lib., OR