Mystery

Gentle mysteries allow us to get away from the harsh realities of life and yet satisfy our craving for crime and murder in our reading of choice. Sue Henry details so much of her human and canine sleuths' daily routines in The End of the Road that it is possible for readers to forget about the mystery and danger awaiting the protagonists. Killing Santa in Cleo Coyle's Holiday Grind leads to many misadventures in Greenwich Village, sans gory bloodshed and packed with loads of delicious tips on coffee. And cleaning lady Charlotte LaRue in Barbara Colley's Dusted to Death takes on a bunch of Hollywood types and comes out a winner.

Found murdered in his hotel room in Carmona, Italy, a French art dealer may have been involved in some underhanded transactions. In his hand is a fragment of music, a possible unknown composition by the famed violinist Niccolò Paganini. Violin maker Gianni Castiglione (The Rainaldi Quartet) pieces together the few facts known about the murdered man and the incredibly complex life of Paganini. VERDICT The result is a delightful tromp through 19th-century classical music and the hunt for an invaluable art object. Readers who enjoyed Gerald Elias's Devil's Trill and Beverly Graves Myers's Baroque music series will love this mystery. [Library marketing campaign.]

It is 1928, and aspiring writer Daphne du Maurier sets out for Cornwall to do research at a local abbey but finds a drowned woman on the beach and involves herself in a murder investigation that leads to the local aristocracy. As her probe proceeds, Daphne is also engrossed in trying to write a novel. VERDICT In this series debut, Australian author Challis resurrects a writer whose own life was full of secrets to solve a mystery that turns on the complexities of a family hiding its own. Readers who remember du Maurier's classic Rebecca will love the remote Cornwall setting and the many hints that lead to both real and fictional events.

Santa is gunned down on his way to a coffee tasting at the Village Blend. Owner Claire Cosi is not happy with the way the NYPD is handling the case, so she launches her own investigation. This eighth caffeinated series title (after Espresso Shot) gives readers a rundown on coffee syrups and how to make them, roasting coffee, and many holiday recipes while throwing in a good plot and an in-your-face look at life in the Big Apple for good measure. VERDICT Fans of culinary cozies by Joanne Fluke and JoAnna Carl will want this. Coyle also writes the "Haunted Bookshop Mysteries" under the name Alice Kimberly. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 7/09; for more holiday mysteries, see Rebecca Vnuk's holiday fiction roundup, "Deck the Shelves," LJ 10/1/09.—Ed.]

In his second outing (after Frames), UCLA film archivist Valentino gets embroiled in a case involving a love letter supposedly written by Greta Garbo in 1950 that is being used to blackmail the husband of the letter's recipient. Who cares, you might ask? But Garbo is still big news, and soon Valentino is tripping over eager media hounds and trying to stay out of the way of the police investigating the death of the blackmailer. VERDICT Prolific award-winning author Estleman (Gas City; American Detective) opens the film industry's back door and allows readers to get a glimpse of the world of film preservation. Full of humor and delightful cinema knowledge, this is sure to please mystery fans who love Hollywood. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 8/09.]

It's 1509 in western Ireland, and Mara O'Davoren, Brehon (our equivalent of a judge) of the Burren, is attending the funeral of a local priest when Sorley, a silversmith and the wealthiest man in the region, is killed by multiple bee stings. Following a few clues left at the scene and investigating a rich array of possible suspects, Mara brings the case to a satisfactory conclusion with the help of her capable law students. VERDICT With her third series title (after A Secret and Unlawful Killing), Irish author Harrison is a writer to watch. Her depictions of 16th-century Ireland and little-known Celtic law are thoroughly researched and beautifully presented. For fans of Peter Tremayne's Sister Fidelma series and readers who love Sharon Kay Penman and Philippa Gregory.

When the headless corpses of young women litter the streets of London, an aging Henry VIII sends his trusted captain of the Welsh Guards to find the killer. Hugh Bellows is aided by Simon Maldon, the crippled son of Henry's former physician, and 13-year-old Princess Elizabeth. As the three investigate in their own distinctive fashion, they form a tight-knit bond. VERDICT This historical series debut delivers the goods with panache. The danger of living in a politically unstable England as its king slowly dies in agony is vividly portrayed here, and the discovery of the murderer's identity is carefully plotted. Highly recommended for fans of Elizabethan mysteries by Karen Harper, Kathy Lynn Emerson, and Fiona Buckley.

On a camping trip, Alaska trooper Nathan Active (Frozen Sun) finds a dead hunter but must fly home to the Arctic village of Chukchi to investigate the fire that destroyed the community's recreation center and killed eight people, including the police chief. Does this incident have a connection to a year-old plane crash and the dead man? VERDICT Every detail is in place to lead Active to another piece of the puzzle he must solve. Readers get a crash course in living in remote Alaska and a mighty fine mystery as well. Comparable to Alaska mysteries by Dana Stabenow and Mike Doogan, this series should get more exposure than it does. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 8/09.]

When Newark newspaper reporter Carter Ross tries to uncover the reason why four people were shot execution-style in an empty lot, he digs deep into the city's underbelly and along the way meets a string of vivid characters who could only come from urban New Jersey. VERDICT This is the most hilariously funny and deadly serious mystery debut since Janet Evanovich's One for the Money. Former journalist Parks has learned the art of making words flow and dialog zing. Fans of the NFL's Cleveland Browns will find the Brick City Browns street gang an added delight. [Library marketing campaign.]

Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis of the Greek Police's Special Crimes Division is back in Athens (after solving his first case in Murder in Mykonos) to investigate the murder of the 17-year-old son of one of Greece's most wealthy families. Kaldis is a savvy policeman who dodges corruption and solves his case with professional aplomb. VERDICT With few mysteries set in Greece, the author, a longtime resident of Mykonos, vividly captures this unfamiliar terrain's people and culture. Mystery fans who like their police procedurals in exotic locales will welcome this one. [Also available in a large print edition, ISBN 978-1-59058-690-7.—Ed.]

In her first case as a newly promoted DCI (yes, Charlie Woodend has retired), Monika Paniatowski must prove herself to those she works with and solve a particularly difficult crime involving a pair of severed hands. VERDICT The Woodend series (Sins of the Fathers; Fatal Quest) has always been one of the best British police procedurals around. Now Spencer has taken up a new series with Paniatowski in the lead, and she proves again that she is in the league with Peter Turnbull and Lynda La Plante. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 7/09.]

When a resident director vanishes from St. Thomas College in Westchester County, NY, Alison Bergeron (Quick Study) takes his place to mind the dorm, but she can't resist looking for the missing man. VERDICT In her third outing, Barbieri mixes chick lit with a cozy mystery for a lively tale that fans of Susan Kandel will appreciate. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 9/1/09; library marketing campaign.]

Following a lead that might identify her fiancé's killer, reporter Robin Hamilton (Page One: Hit and Run; Page One: Vanished) finds something very dangerous in the small Upper Peninsula town of Escanaba, MI. VERDICT Nicely plotted with good characterization, this Midwestern mystery will appeal to Steve Hamilton fans.

Charlotte, who runs a maid service, is hired to protect a customer's belongings while a Hollywood movie is filmed in the customer's New Orleans home. But she is shocked by the actors' antics and the ugly side of a Hollywood production. VERDICT This cozy series (Wash and Die; Scrub-a-Dub Dead) gets better with each book. Colley allows Charlotte to grow as a character while still telling the delightful mysteries that will appeal to Diane Mott Davidson fans.

In his 15th outing (after The Devil's Disciples), Matthew Bartholomew, physician and professor of medicine, must solve the death of his sister's oldest friend, poisoned by an herb that may have been taken from his Cambridge laboratory. VERDICT Gregory weaves a tale of medicinal herbs and their uses with an unusual plot involving silver mining and witchcraft in 14th-century England. A perfect choice for historical fans who miss Ellis Peters.

Smarmy, small-time drug dealer Darren Chivers moves into big-time blackmail and gets himself killed. VERDICT Effortless storytelling and good characterization make Gregson's latest Lambert and Hook entry (after A Good Walk Spoiled) a perfect choice for fans of British procedurals. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 7/09.]

Maxie McNabb and Stretch, her faithful miniature dachshund, stay home for the winter and find another mystery to solve when they give a stranger a ride into Homer, AK, as a storm threatens. Soon the man is dead, but no one knows who he is or why he was in Homer. VERDICT The focus in this fourth entry in Henry's award-winning series (The Serpents Trail) is more on Maxie's daily life than the mystery. Readers looking for a gentle story à la Carolyn Hart will be pleasantly rewarded. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 12/08.]

When Kenny Upland's family is killed in a house explosion, he becomes the prime suspect but disappears. Months later, he is spotted in a grocery store in Scottsdale, AZ, by a member of the St. Rose Quilting Bee, and soon the ladies are on the trail of a possible killer. VERDICT Mahon's latest cozy (after Ominous Death) tells the story of one family's destruction with such poignancy that it never slips into the shoals of the ridiculous.

This is a strong solo effort from Irish noir master Bruen, whose prose floats like a butterfly and stings like bejesus. Mitchell has just been sprung after serving three years for aggravated battery. On his own, he visits his vulnerable sister, makes out with a perfect Irish colleen, and takes up with his old mates, soon settling comfortably into the round of pints and casual thuggery that constitutes South London culture. But then he's hired on as jack of all trades for Lillian Palmer, a faded stage actress who lives lavishly in her Holland Park mansion, attended by her manservant/driver/sometime husband, while to Mitchell falls the task of servicing her. It seems Mitchell has never seen Sunset Boulevard, or he'd realize he's sauntering down a dead-end street. VERDICT After several collaborations—with Jason Starr (The Max) and Reed Farrel Coleman (Tower)—this, too, is a collaborative effort of sorts, with Bruen in top form doing a mad Irish jig with the shades of Gloria Swanson and Erich von Stroheim. A film version currently in production with Colin Farrell and Keira Knightley will insure interest here. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 9/1/09; library marketing campaign.]—Bob Lunn, Kansas City, MO

In the 9/1/09 review of Jeri Westerson's Serpent in the Thorns, the protagonist was described as having been dishonored for attempting to remove Richard the Lionhearted from the throne of England. Wrong king, wrong century. The correct monarch was Richard II.