Albert, Susan Wittig. The Darling Dahlias and the Cucumber Tree. Berkley Prime Crime. Jul. 2010. 320p. ISBN 978-0-425-23445-7. $24.95.M
In the first in a new series from the best-selling Texas-based author of the China Bayles mysteries, the Darling Dahlias, a ladies' garden club, establish their amateur-sleuth status in Depression-era Alabama. Ebook available.

Andrews, Donna. Stork Raving Mad. Minotaur: St. Martin's. Jul. 2010. 320p. ISBN 978-0-312-62119-3. $24.99.
Multiaward winner Andrews expands her apiary with this 12th mystery featuring Meg Langslow. Meg is pregnant and hosting a raucous Spanish playwright when a dead body ends up in her house. Andrews lives in Virginia. Regional tour; library marketing.

Clemens, Judy. The Grim Reaper's Dance. Poisoned Pen. Jul. 2010. 250p. ISBN 978-1-59058-731-7. $24.95; pap. ISBN 978-1-59058-733-1. $14.95.
Clemens, who writes the Stella Crown mysteries and lives in Ohio, follows up Embrace the Grim Reaper with this second adventure with Death. Before Casey's traveling companion takes a man's life, the man warns her to protect a mysterious package. Large print: ISBN 978-1-59058-732-4.

Drake, Nick. Tutankhamun: The Book of Shadows. Harper: HarperCollins. Jul. 2010. 384p. ISBN 978-0-06-076592-7. $24.99.
After Drake's trilogy opener, Nefertiti, an LJ best mystery of 2007, police detective Rahotep sees a connection between sinister gifts sent to young king Tutankhamun and murders sweeping the city.

Genelin, Michael. The Magician's Accomplice. Soho Crime. Jul. 2010. 336p. ISBN 978-1-56947-626-0. $25.
In Central European Commander Jana Matinova's third appearance (after Dark Dreams), a retired magician helps Matinova investigate a student's shooting and an emerging international conspiracy.

Goldberg, Lee. Mr. Monk Is Cleaned Out. Obsidian Mysteries: NAL. Jul. 2010. 288p. ISBN 978-0-451-23009-6. $22.95.
After eight seasons, the TV series Monk ended in December 2009. Fans will be glad the book series is continuing, as Monk investigates the murder of a key witness in a Madoff-esque case.

Haines, Carolyn. Bone Appetit: A Sarah Booth Delaney Mystery. Minotaur: St. Martin's. Jul. 2010. 320p. ISBN 978-0-312-59464-0. $24.99.
Sarah takes some R&R at a spa but gets back to her PI ways when a beauty/cooking competition turns deadly. Haines, who's written eight previous paranormal cozies in this series, lives in Alabama. Regional tour; library marketing.

Hall, Parnell. Caper: A Stanley Hastings Mystery. Pegasus. Jul. 2010. 336p. ISBN 978-1-60598-104-8. $25.
After Hitman, PI Hastings takes a simple case involving a truant teenager but ends up with a lot more trouble. Hall, who also writes the "Puzzle Lady" series, lives in New York City. Local tour.

Norman, Hilary. Caged. Severn House. Jul. 2010. 224p. ISBN 978-0-7278-6900-5. $28.95.
Couples all over Miami, FL, are turning up dead in Det. Sam Becket's third outing (after Last Run) in this international best-selling author's series.

Pope, Barbara Corrado. The Blood of Lorraine. Pegasus. Jul. 2010. 368p. ISBN 978-1-60598-098-0. $25.
Racial and political tension complicates 19th-century French magistrate Bernard Martin's exploration of an infant's mutilation. Sounds grislier than Pope's LJ starred series debut, Cézanne's Quarry. The author lives in Eugene, OR. Regional tour.

Pronzini, Bill. Betrayers: A Nameless Detective Novel. Forge: Tor. Jul. 2010. 304p. ISBN 978-0-7653-1820-6. $24.99.
In this latest installment in a long-running series, betrayals motivate Nameless and his fellow agency detectives. Shamus Award winner and MWA Grand Master Pronzini lives in Northern California.

Ramsay, Frederick. The Eye of the Virgin. Poisoned Pen. Jul. 2010. 250p. ISBN 978-1-59058-760-7. $24.95; pap. ISBN 978-1-59058-762-1. $14.95.
After Choker, Ike Schwartz's case again involves national security, when an icon that seems to connect two crimes is found to hold spy technology. Large print: ISBN 978-1-59058-761-4.

Shannon, John. On the Nickel. Severn House. Jul. 2010. 272p. ISBN 978-0-7278-6903-6. $28.95.
After PI Jack Liffey suffers a debilitating spine injury, his teenage daughter, Maeve, and his partner, Gloria, search L.A.'s skid row for a missing 16-year-old. There is more of Jack to come for fans of this neo-noir series, now on book 12.

Shuichi, Yoshida. Villain. Pantheon. Jul. 2010. 304p. tr. from Japanese by Philip Gabriel. ISBN 978-0-307-37887-3. $25.95.
In this first book to be translated into English by award-winning Japanese author Shuichi, the stories of a murder victim and a suspect intertwine to paint a picture of modern Nagasaki, from the crime world to the upper class.

In the LJ 1/10 Prepub Mystery column, Laurie King's The God of the Hive was erroneously called Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes's "final adventure." Have no fear: the publisher says there are many more books in the series to come.