Reading right now:

 

“Suspect” by Robert Crais is proving enthralling. I love the parts about the detective’s dog and his bonding with his K-9 partner. Crais is best known for his Elvis Cole character (there are 13 books starring Elvis). Crais has written numerous scripts for TV shows such as Hill Street Blues, Quincy, Miami Vice, and L.A. Law.

            I actually managed to finish Anne Perry’s “Midnight at Marble Arch” this week before starting “Suspect.” It was really fascinating and I was driven to stay up late a few nights to finish it. It is book 28 of her Thomas Pitt series.

On hold right now:       

            I am still waiting for “The Hit” by David Baldacci. This is his sequel to last year’s “The Innocent” which introduced the Will Robie character. I love Baldacci’s books and in an embarrassment of riches see that he has another novel coming out in November. In a former life, Baldacci was an attorney. Luckily for all of us, he decided to start writing. His first book was made into a movie by the same name (“Absolute Power”). 

 

           

Special Interest:

            There are several mysteries to look forward to in May. On the top of my list is John Sandford’s “Silken Prey” (his 23^rd Lucas Davenport novel). Charlaine Harris’s new book “Dead Ever After” comes out in May and will be her 13^th Sookie Stackhouse book. Clive Cussler’s new “Zero Hour” will be his 11^th in the NUMA files series. Carolyn Hart’s latest is “Dead, White, and Blue” and will be the 23^rd in her Death on Demand series. “A Delicate Truth” is John le Carre’s new stand alone novel. Lizbeth Lipperman has a new series starting with “Heard It Through the Grapevine.” “Murder on Chelsea” is Victoria Thompson’s latest in her Gaslight mystery series.

            Two authors to note: Poppy Gee’s first mystery “Bay of Fires” looks noteworthy. As does the Richard Nottingham series written by Chris Nickson (“Broken Token” was the first in that series).

           

Reading Right Now:

                “Blood Memories” by Barb Hendee. Hendee is a fantasy author probably best known for the books she co-writes with her husband J.C. Hendee (Saga of the Noble Dead). I’m enjoying the unusual take she has on vampires--much more vulnerable and isolated than other books with vampire characters. This is the first book in a series and so far I’m looking forward to more.

On Hold Right Now:

                “The Taken” by Vicki Pettersson is a paranormal thriller with dead PI Griffin Shaw and still living journalist Kit Craig. As an angel, Shaw is supposed to collect souls, but when thugs attempt to murder Kit Shaw decides to save Kit’s life. He makes a deal with her: He will help her discover who is trying to kill her if she uses her contacts to try to solve the mystery of his own death and the murder of the woman he loved.  Pettersson spent ten years with Trapicana’s Folies Bergere in Las Vegas when she decided to start writing. “The Taken” is the first book in her Celestial Blues series “The Lost” which is the second book in the series just came out in March.

Special Interest:

                There seem to be more and more authors writing fun, exciting, well-written crossover books that fall into both the fantasy and mystery genre. One of my favorite authors whose books fall into this category is Jim Butcher. Butcher has written 14 books starring PI Wizard Harry Dresden (first book was “Storm Front”). Another author is Darynda Jones whose PI main character just happens to also be the grim reaper (the series starts with “First Grave on the Right”). Jennifer Estep’s Elemental Assassin series starts with “Spider’s Bite” which combines the paranormal and suspense. In Sue Ann Jaffarian’s charming mysteries the main character can see ghosts (Ghost of Granny Apples series which starts with “Ghost a La Mode”).  Patricia Briggs’s series featuring Mercy Thompson provides plenty of suspense around things that go bump in the night (like werewolves and vampires) (first book is “Moon Called”). Devon Monk’s main character Allison Beckstrom traces illegal spells back to their casters (nine books available with the first being “Magic to the Bone”). One can’t help but mention PI John Taylor who battles monsters in the Nightside (author Simon R. Green, the first book is “Something from the Nightside”). In the meantime, Sophie Lawson works at the Underworld Detection Agency trying to save the world from evil elements (Hannah Jayne is the author, “Under Wraps” the first book in the series). And magic-shop proprietor Alex Verus uses his second sight to defeat powerful Dark mages in London (author Benedict Jacka, first book “Fated”).

Reading Right Now:

               “The Boyfriend” by Thomas Perry is his latest novel which I thought was a stand-alone novel, but it is really the second novel he has written with the Jack Till character who first appeared in “Silence.” After retiring from the LAPD, Till becomes a private investigator. When he takes on the case of a recently murdered young girl, he finds ties to other deaths of similar young women around the country. Not only does Perry write great books, he has an interesting background. He has a Ph.D. in English Literature from the University of Rochester and he has worked as a television writer and producer on Simon & Simon, 21 Jump Street, and Star Trek: The Next Generation.

 

On Hold Right Now:

               “Silken Prey” by John Sandford. This is the 23^rd Lucas Davenport novel. I’ve enjoyed every one of these novels and can’t wait for the latest. John Sandford is the pseudonym of John Roswell Camp, an American author and journalist who won the Pulitzer Prize in journalism in 1986.

Special Interest:

From 2008-2012 Kenneth Branagh played Swedish sleuth Kurt Wallander on the Masterpiece Mystery series called “Wallander.” The series is based on Henning Mankell’s bestselling mystery series. Branagh is terrific as the brilliant detective who is fighting his personal demons. The series is exceptional.