Mystery

Whether it is a sign of the times or just a plot device, mystery writers are showcasing how people can join forces to solve crimes and form relationships that go beyond the job. The individuals frequently differ from each other but find they can work well together in what becomes a familylike environment. Veronica Heley's Bea Abbot (False Pretences) gathers a motley crew of various ages and backgrounds to solve whatever problems her clients want her to address, while two sets of odd couples—Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli's Deputy Dolly and reporter Emily Kincaid (Dead Sleeping Shaman) and Norman Green's PI Alessandra Martillo and receptionist Sarah Waters (Sick Like That)—team up to fight crime while building strong friendships.

On the verge of acquiring a literary agent for her mysteries and a more permanent job as a columnist for the local newspaper, Emily Kincaid stumbles on the strangled body of a psychic who had dirt on a local cult leader. Calling on her best friend, Deputy Dolly, for assistance, Emily swings into investigative action. VERDICT Buzzelli hits her stride in this third entry (after Dead Dancing Women and Dead Floating Lovers) in a series about two women who have formed a tight friendship despite their different personalities and who discover that they are stronger than they believe. For readers who like Sue Henry.

Lee Barber drives a train in the Thames Valley region of England. One night he overshoots a station and is reported for his mistake. He is so enraged that he wants to injure the man who reported him, and soon he gets his chance. At the same time, a research biologist wants to blow the whistle on a top-secret project he's working on. When the two men cross paths, their lives change in ways they could never imagine. VERDICT The author of over 40 novels, including 16 in the Mike Yeadings series (Payback), is one of mystery's undiscovered treasures. Every novel is different, and Curzon's plots are so complex, mixing different points of views and story lines, that readers are kept guessing to the very last page. Her latest is another masterpiece. [Library marketing campaign.]

PI Graham Gage must find the person responsible for shooting his best friend, attorney Jack Burch. While Burch lies unconscious in the ICU, federal agents are investigating him for conspiracy, fraud, and other crimes in connection with the collapse of a defense contractor. To find the truth, Gage puts together a team that crosses international boundaries and dips into the shadowy world of the Russian mafia. VERDICT Drawing on his expertise as a private investigator, Gore has written an exciting debut thriller that will both educate and entertain the reader. With his command of storytelling and insider's knowledge, Gore can go up against Nelson DeMille and Daniel Silva and come out a contender. [HarperCollins's Harper imprint just published a mass-market edition of this work (ISBN 978-0-06-178218-3. pap. $9.99).—Ed.]

PI Alessandra Martillo (The Last Gig) and receptionist Sarah Waters run the detective agency while their boss is in the hospital, recovering from a gunshot injury. While they are looking for the stepson of a dying client, Sarah's ex-husband becomes a person of interest in a shooting death that happens almost in front of them. When he disappears, the two women have no idea what they are walking into when they decide to search for him. VERDICT Green demonstrates a knack for creating complex characters who bring unique points of view to their sleuthing. Alessandra and Sarah complement each other precisely because they are so different. New York's mean streets smack these women around a bit, but they are tough and not easy to frighten away from their goal. Mystery fans who like their crime fiction with attitude should give Green a try. [Library marketing campaign.]

Bea Abbot (False Step) agrees to accompany young friend Zander as he returns the possessions of a dead man to his widow. The errand of mercy turns ugly when the wife, revealing her racist nature, accuses Zander of theft and blames him for her husband's heart attack. Soon the Abbot Agency staff investigates a scan at the Housing Trust where Zander works, while Zander and Oliver, Bea's semiadopted son, find themselves suspects in two murders. VERDICT Heley has created a rich world around Bea Abbot, who has been affected by her husband's death in ways she never expected. Now surrounded by her extended family, she handles everything that life throws at her. The Abbot Agency rates an A++ for creativity and problem-solving ingenuity; this charming and sophisticated series will appeal to readers who enjoy contemporary cozies.

In 1636 Alkmaar, Holland, tulip trader Wouter Winckel is brutally murdered, an antireligious tract stuffed into his mouth. Was the motive religion or Winckel's possession of a rare and expensive tulip bulb? In 2007 London, a Dutchman is found mortally wounded, clutching a 17th-century book about tulips. Shifting between centuries, Hermans ties the two killings into a neat debut mystery. VERDICT Drawing on the actual tulip bubble of 1637 (the first recorded speculative bubble), Hermans reveals how the past can impact the present and gives us a fascinating lesson in the history of the tulip industry, much as Michelle Wan has done in her mysteries about rare orchids (A Twist of Orchids). Sure to appeal to fans of contemporary mysteries with historical backdrops. [Minotaur First Edition Selection; library marketing campaign.]

In this sequel to Dragon's Eye, senior homicide investigator Sun Piao is released from a mental hospital for dissidents just as China is preparing for the 2008 Olympics. When one of his best friends and colleagues is murdered while investigating the killings of young women on a construction site, the government assigns the case to Sun Piao, China's most successful maverick detective. VERDICT Superimposing a capitalist economy on a totalitarian political and social structure works only to a point. Oakes's mystery reveals the hidden machinations that keep the Chinese people under control. Recommended for fans of Peter May and Qiu Xiaolong and readers who like to explore foreign countries where we have little firsthand knowledge.

In his eighth adventure (after Seven for a Secret), John, the Lord Chamberlain to Emperor Justinian, is sent to retrieve two men who escaped dying after being hanged twice. The Byzantine ruler seeks them because they belong to factions that are stirring turmoil and unrest in Constantinople. Walking that fine line between the wiles of Empress Theodora and the dangers that are ever present in the streets and the court, John shows himself a worthy hero yet again. VERDICT Historicals have a proven track record of presenting unforgettable protagonists like John the Lord Chamberlain. His military background gives him that unflappable air, and his high intellect provides him with the means to solve whatever Justinian needs. For readers who can't wait for the next Laura Joh Rowland or P.C. Doherty mystery. [Large print edition: ISBN 978-1-59058-703-4. $22.95.]

San Francisco PI Dante Mancuso (The Ancient Rain) is faced with a dilemma. His cousin is at the center of a federal investigation, the shadowy organization that Mancuso once worked for might help him in return for one last favor, and now people Dante knows are being garroted. He can trust no one. VERDICT Heart-racing suspense and a shocking ending from the Edgar Award-winning Stansberry make this noir crime novel a good choice for Robert Crais fans. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 11/1/09.]

It is 1881, and Sarah Woolson (The Cliff House Strangler) struggles to keep her law practice afloat by finding bits and pieces of work where she can. A murder takes place a few blocks from her home on Rincon Hill in San Francisco. Another murder and the arrest of two young Chinese men who have just arrived in the States finds Sarah acting as their attorney. VERDICT Anti-Chinese prejudice and the plight of young women from good families who are encouraged or bullied into marriage are themes explored in Tallman's fourth series historical, which also brings the charming city of San Francisco to life. For readers who like Rhys Bowen's historicals.

In her 11th outing (after Chasing Cans), veterinarian Gail McCarthy and her family go on a horse camping trip to a ranch owned by her old boyfriend Lonny Peterson, only to find that he has been charged with the murder of his girlfriend and her brother. The arresting officer is Bret Boncantini, one of Gail's oldest friends. VERDICT Bringing back Lonny and Bret in this long-running series is just what fans wanted. A good murder mystery that packs quite a wallop. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 12/09.]

When Hannah's grad school adviser hits on her baby sister, the baker/sleuth threatens him just before he is found dead with a turnover in his hand. VERDICT The ever popular Fluke writes engaging cozies with one part great characters, one part gentle story, and three parts the best recipes in the genre.

When old friend R.J. is murdered, Handy White returns to L.A. to find out who killed him and why. Perhaps this will absolve Handy of the guilt he has carried around for 26 years. VERDICT The author of the popular Aaron Gunner series has created a believable sleuth who tells his story in a clear voice and never makes excuses. Sure to appeal to fans of Robert Crais and Michael Connelly. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 10/1/09.]

Charlie Williams is on death row and about to be executed for a murder he did not commit when a prison inmate confesses that he knows the identity of the real killer. Sean O'Brien, who had been a lead investigator on the case, must race against time and the establishment to prove Williams innocent. VERDICT O'Brien's second outing (after A False Dawn) lacks the immediacy that it should have, given the subject matter. In addition, the story is weakened by implausible actions (e.g., O'Brien allows a young woman he has brought into a dangerous situation to go home alone, where she is attacked). For the compleat mystery reader.

Josh Handleman goes home to Reston, VA, to bury his father and finds that Dad kept many secrets, among them a collection of diamonds that is now missing. The discovery that his father had a life after his son moved out comes as a shock to Josh, as it would to most children. VERDICT A neat mystery and a pleasant Jewish background add to this debut novel.

An impoverished Mary Wollstonecraft (yes, the future author of A Vindication of the Rights of Women and the mother of Frankenstein novelist Mary Shelley) goes to be a governess in remote County Cork, Ireland, where she witnesses a stabbing at a pagan bonfire. VERDICT This gothic mystery featuring an inquisitive young woman who steps into a vipers' nest is reminiscent of works by Daphne DuMaurier, Mary Stewart, and Joan Aiken. It will also appeal to readers who like their sleuths to be actual historical or literary figures (see, e.g., Gyles Brandeth's Oscar Wilde series).

In her fourth Southwestern adventure (after Wild Sorrow, Wild Inferno, and Wild Indigo), Bureau of Land Management agent Jamaica Wild sets out to piece together a fascinating puzzle that revolves around a secret religious sect known as Los Penitentes, but her research turns into a hunt for a killer when she sees a body on a cross tossed off a bridge over the Rio Grande Gorge. Neither medicine woman Momma Anna, her spiritual teacher, nor Father Medina can shed light on the crucified victim. VERDICT Ault's love of the outdoors and her respect for Native American culture are evident in her vivid descriptions of New Mexico's culture, people, and landscape. Nevada Barr fans and mystery aficionados still mourning the late Tony Hillerman will snap this one up as well as other titles in Ault's Mary Higgins Clark Award-winning series. Enthusiastically recommended. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ 10/1/09.]—Melody Ballard, Pima Cty. P.L., AZ

When two Glasgow club bouncers set out to abduct a young man in order to make a quick buck, things go very wrong. The inexperienced criminals barge into the house of a Ugandan Muslim family, the Anwars. They accidentally shoot the beautiful teenage daughter in the hand and abduct her aging father, the owner of a small Glasgow grocery store. If DS Alex Morrow can figure out why the bungling thugs targeted this family, she may be able to save the old man's life. Meanwhile, she must find a way to get along with her new partner, the arrogant, credit-stealing DS Grant Bannerman while picking up the pieces of her marriage following the death of her young son. VERDICT Mina (Slip of the Knife) is adept at capturing the rhythms of life in Glasgow among the down-and-out. She vividly portrays the squalor of the underworld while depicting even her bad guys in all of their human complexity, which gives her novels a rare grace. Recommended to fans of Ian Rankin and anyone who enjoys a good police procedural. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 11/1/09.]—Jane la Plante, Minot State Univ. Lib., ND

It would be easy—but ill advised—to overlook Leonid McGill, a short, stocky, bald, middle-aged black man with a worried expression. At any given New York minute, though, McGill just might explode in your face or end up dead at your feet. He and his beautiful Scandinavian wife of 23 years have three children and an "arrangement"; he's trained himself to appreciate that one of the kids is actually his own. Still trying to shake off his past ties to crime, McGill works as a PI, mainly on the right side of the law. Fingered by an NYC power broker to investigate a woman, he arrives at her apartment to find it overrun by cops. Someone there has been shot and her assailant stabbed to death. It's enough to test even this dark knight's commitment to righting wrongs. VERDICT With his second McGill outing (after The Long Fall), the neo-noir master proves that this new series has legs; this title will appeal to anybody who enjoys George Pelecanos's take on contemporary DC as well as longtime Easy Rawlins fans. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 11/1/09.]—Bob Lunn, Kansas City, MO