Reading right now:

            “The Skeleton Road” by Val McDermid. “I had always wanted to write, ever since I realized that real people actually produced all those books in the library. But everyone told me that it was impossible to make a living from writing, that I needed to have a proper job. I knew I wasn’t the sort of person who would be suited to a proper, nine to five job with a neat hierarchical career structure, so I became a journalist,” says Val McDermid on her website. Scottish mystery writer, McDermid has had tremendous success since she started writing mystery novels in the 1980s. While she writes several series, her latest is a stand-alone which starts with the discovery of a skeleton found in an apparently inaccessible Gothic pinnacle on a derelict school which is about to be torn down. Cold-case detective Karen Pirie is called in to trace who the skeleton once was which leads to decades old secrets being revealed.

On hold right now:

            “Perfect Sins” by Jo Bannister. Bannister and McDermid have much in common—both from the UK, both former journalists, and both have contributed many books to the mystery genre. “Perfect Sins” introduces a new series starring former government agent Gabriel Ash and police constable Hazel Best. While Best is dragged into a cold case, Ash finds new clues to help him discover if his family (who were taken by pirates) are still alive.

Other Mysterious Things:

“Cold in July” by Joe R. Lansdale. “Cold in July” was a stand-alone novel that came out in 1989 and was made into a movie in 2014. Newly out on DVD, this movie is worth a viewing. It’s gritty and sad with a twisting plot that will keep you involved. After Richard Dane kills an intruder in his home, he is told that the man was wanted felon, Freddy Russell. Dane has trouble moving on with his life which is compounded when the father (Ben Russell) of the man he killed starts threatening him. Eventually Dane discovers that the man he killed was not Freddy Russell which brings Dane and Ben Russell together in an attempt to find out what really happened to Freddy Russell and who Dane actually killed. Ben and Dane become involved with a private detective who leads them into trouble with federal agents and the mafia. The cast is amazing and includes Michael C. Hall, Sam Shepard, and Don Johnson. 

Reading right now:

           

“The Escape” by David Baldacci. This is the third title in Baldacci’s John Puller series. Puller is a Military CID investigator who upon returning from Florida learns that his brother has escaped from prison. Puller finds himself on the wrong side of the law trying to find his brother and help him stay alive. Baldacci was a lawyer who lives in Virginia and writes amazing books. My favorite series is still the Camel Club. His books are exciting reads that you just want to take the day off and finish, but then you are so sad that they are done.

On hold right now:

            “Flesh and Blood” by Patricia Cornwell. This is her 22^nd book in the Kay Scarpetta series and, hopefully, a good one. I haven’t always been happy with Cornwell’s books which often get bogged down in family and personal issues that have grown tiresome over the years. Her latest finds her attempting to track down a serial sniper.

Other Mysterious Things:

New author Elisabeth de Mariaffi brings out her debut novel in January, 2015 which is called “The Devil You Know.” The book centers around rookie crime reporter Evie Jones who is haunted by the unsolved murder of her best friend. It’s a case that she can’t leave alone and one that she follows into territory that may get her killed.

            Known for his work on the TV series Monk and also for the books featuring Monk, Hy Conrad debuts a new series in January, 2015, called Amy’s Travel Mystery series. The first book in the series is called “Toured to Death” and features Amy and her Mother, who are travel agents with a nose for murder.

            In January, 2015, non-fiction writer Thom Hartmann’s new fiction series will start off with “Death in the Pines.” This first book in the Oakley Tyler series finds ex-PI Tyler running away to a cabin in the Vermont woods to retire in peace. Unfortunately, Jeremiah Smith finds him and asks him to save his newspaper reporter grandson who is under attack by a group of unknown men. After Smith is killed in a hit-and-run car accident, Tyler takes on the case which finds him in the middle of the genetic engineering controversy.

While Grant Jerkins’ 2015 novel “A Very Simple Crime” is slated to become a movie, his next novel is coming out in January, 2015. “Done in One” is a stand-alone novel about SWAT sniper Jake Denton and the difficult job he does.

Reading right now:

            “Die I Will Not” by Suzanne Rizzolo. English teacher Rizzolo writes a Regency London historical mystery series. This is the third in her series which started with “The Rose in the Wheel” and “Blood for Blood.” Her books center around lawyer Edward Buckler and Bow Street Runner John Chase. Rizzolo’s books have been called likeable, vivid, and intelligent. She brings Regency London to life with characters that you want to continue to get to know.

On hold right now:

            “A Fine Summer Day” by Charles Todd. This 17^th novel in the Ian Rutledge series comes out in January, 2015. Amazingly, Charles Todd is a pen name used by a Mother and son team writing together to achieve an amazing body of work which includes two separate series and some stand-alone novels. Inspector Ian Rutledge deals with major crimes in a post-World War I world while struggling to cope with his personal demons from the war. Todd’s second series stars Bess Crawford, a World War I nurse who solves mysteries. Two new books in the Crawford series came out in 2014, “An Unwilling Accomplice” and “The Maharani’s Pearls.” In August, 2015, they are planning on bringing out only their second stand-alone novel called “A Pattern of Lies.” This body of work is for those who like literate, historical mysteries.

Other Mysterious Things:

            “Tinseltown: Murder, Morphine, and Madness at the Dawn of Hollywood” by William J. Mann. This true crime book reads like a mystery novel and is a great choice if you are a mystery reader who might like something different. It is about Hollywood actor and director, William Desmond Taylor’s murder in 1922 which remained unsolved until William Mann decided to solve his murder and write this fascinating book. The rights to the book have already been sold for TV.

            The winner of the Nero Award will be announced December 6, 2014. The Nero Awards are presented by The Wolfe Pack which is a society founded in 1978 to celebrate Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe series. This year’s finalists include “Ask Not” by Max Allan Collins, “Three Can Keep a Secret” by Archer Mayor, “Murder as a Fine Art” by David Morrell, “A Study in Revenge” by Kieran Shields, and “A Question of Honor,” by Charles Todd.

Reading right now:

            “The Burning Room” by Michael Connelly. This is the 19^th Harry Bosch novel and they have all been fantastic. I love Harry Bosch and moving Bosch to LADP’s Open-Unsolved Unit with new partner rookie Detective Lucia Soto has given the series new life. This time Bosch catches an unusual cold case in which the victim dies after being shot nine years earlier. There’s no evidence, but there’s plenty of political complications. It’s hard to believe that anyone who loves mysteries hasn’t picked up the Bosch series, but if you haven’t yet read these run to the library and start at the beginning.

On hold right now:

            “Blue Labyrinth” by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. Special Agent Pendergast is back in this 14^th book in the series. After one of Pendergast’s enemies ends up dead on his doorstep with a piece of turquoise in the deceased stomach, Pendergast chases the killer on a journey into his family’s past. This is an unusual and complicated mystery series which went a little off track for a while, but is now back on track with the regular characters back in great form trying to help Pendergast solve a complicated mystery filled with action and suspense.

Other Mysterious Things:

Let’s talk about Mary Higgins Clark! With her forthcoming book, “The Cinderella Murder,” she has been writing mystery and suspense novels since her first big hit in 1975 called “Where Are the Children?” Two of her books were made into films (“A Stranger is Watching” and “Where Are the Children?”) and other books were made into films for television. Clark is a survivor. She was raised by a single Mother because of the death of her Father when she was eleven. Her marriage ended early when her husband died of a heart attack in 1964. She was left to raise five children on her own (although she did remarry later). Writing saved her and through the years she has won many awards including the Grand Prix de Literature Policiere in France and she was chosen by the Mystery Writers of America as Grand Master of the 2000 Edgar Awards. As well as her stand-alone novels, Clark writes a series with her daughter Carol Higgins Clark. “The Cinderella Murder” was written with Alafair Burke (daughter of James Lee Burke). This is the first of a new series which centers on a television program featuring cold cases. The first cold case that the reality drama “Under Suspicion” covered was a huge success and the show helped solve the case. In picking the second episode, TV producer Laurie Moran decides the murder of UCLA student Susan Dempsey would be the perfect choice, but unexpected developments quickly arise. 

Reading right now:

            “Personal” by Lee Child. This is the 19^th Jack Reacher novel. After an assassin (whom Reacher put in jail once before) attempts to kill the French president, Reacher is asked to hunt him down again and put him away. His quest takes him to France and England in a quest to not only find the shooter, but the men behind him.

On hold right now:

            “The Escape” by David Baldacci. In this third John Puller novel, Puller’s older brother escapes from prison after his conviction for treason and national security crimes. Puller wants to bring his brother in alive. Along the way, however, he finds troubling details about his brother’s conviction.

Other Mysterious Things:

Don't miss even one of these great new novels coming out soon:

Reading right now:

            “Deadline” by John Sandford. Hard to believe that this is already the eighth Virgil Flowers thriller, but it is. This time around Flowers is after a dognapping ring supplying medical labs until he gets a call from Lucas Davenport about a dead reporter and finds himself investigating a whole school board to find the killer or killers.

On hold right now:

            “Blood of the South” by Alys Clare. This sixth book in the medieval mystery series continues the adventures of apprentice healer Lassair and her partner Rollo.

Other Mysterious Things:

            I’m always looking for a debut mystery author who might be the next big thing: the next David Baldacci, the next James Patterson, or the next Lee Child. Every new author brings fresh hope that twenty years from now, we will still be reading their books and loving them. A few new mystery authors throwing their hats in the ring for the next big thing include: Andrew Brown, Holly Brown, C.J. Carpenter, Steph Cha, Joel Decker, and E.R. Dillon.

            In Andrew Brown’s “Coldsleep Lullaby,” South African Detective Eberard Februarie investigates the death of the daughter of a prominent conservative activist. The book has been called compelling and chilling. Holly Brown’s “Don’t Try to Find Me” has been compared to “Gone Girl.” Brown’s debut novel revolves around a family’s use of social media to try to find their fourteen-year-old runaway daughter. C.J. Carpenter’s new series launched with “Never Alone” which centers around NYPD detective Megan McGinn. Steph Cha’s main character is Juniper Song, an amateur sleuth in Los Angeles. The new series opened with “Follow Her Home” and the second in the series came out in August, 2014, with “Beware, Beware.” Her books have been called compelling and the third book in the series should be available some time in 2015 (“The Surrogate”). “The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair” by Joel Dicker looks fascinating and takes on the murder of a teenaged girl in 1975 and the solution 33 years later. Another new series by E.R. Dillon introduces Deputy Kyle Shaw who solves crimes in 1297 (first book “Ayrshire Murders”).

Reading right now:

            “The Golem of Hollywood” by Jesse and Jonathan Kellerman. Here’s a great Halloween book—a combination of mystery, suspense, with a splash of the supernatural. The central figure is L.A. detective Jacob Lev who gets dragged into the mysterious beheading of a serial killer. After Lev sleeps with a beautiful, mysterious woman, he finds himself chasing the legend of the Golem of Prague throughout the world. In order to solve the case, he is assigned to the Special Projects squad whose members seem more interested in blocking his attempts to solve the case than actually helping him. So far I have enjoyed the storyline about the beheading, but the other half of the book isn’t working for me. It just feels like two separate books which I’m sure will intersect at some point, but I think the two parts of the book could have been integrated in a much more readable way.

On hold right now:

            “Bones Never Lie” by Kathy Reichs. This is the 17^th Temperance Brennan book and I’ve heard it is a good one. Can’t wait to read it.

Other Mysterious Things:

            The new movie “Life of Crime” was recently released in the U.S. and is based on Elmore Leonard’s 1978 book called “The Switch.”  While Jennifer Aniston may be the main reason to see the movie, it is a prequel to Quentin Tarantino’s Jackie Brown and sounds funny. It is about two convicts who once released from prison kidnap a rich real estate developer’s wife and holds her for ransom. Unfortunately, the husband does not want his wife back and she does not want to go back.

            Liam Neeson’s new movie “A Walk Among the Tombstones” started out as the 10^th book in the Matthew Scudder series by Lawrence Block. Ex-NYPD cop turned PI, Matthew Scudder is hired to find out who killed the wife of a drug lord—violence and craziness ensues.

Reading right now:

            “Blood on the Water” by Anne Perry. This is Perry’s 20^th William Monk novel. In this historical mystery it is 1856, the Suez Canal is almost complete and Monk is still in charge of the River Police in London. It opens when Monk witnesses a pleasure boat blowing up with 200 people killed on board. For political reasons, the River Police are not allowed to investigate the bombing. The regular police quickly arrest an Egyptian man who is sentenced to hang for the crime. Monk discovers that the evidence is flawed and is given back the mess of trying to find out who was really behind the crime. Along the way, Monk’s wife Hester plays her usual important role in solving the crime, as does their “unofficially” adopted son Scuff. Best of all, Oliver Rathbone is back. I love Perry’s characters, her presentation of Victorian England, and her story ideas are always interesting. What I don’t like is her emphasis on the thoughts and feelings of the characters instead of on how they go about catching the bad guys. There are way too many questions asked during the novel which to me feels like a waste of words—pay attention to how the crimes are being solved instead of just having the characters ask themselves endless questions. That method becomes irritating to me when I think the emphasis should be on how they get the answers to these questions.

On hold right now:

            “Wouldn’t It Be Deadly” by D. E. Ireland. This is the first book in a new series by Meg Mims and Sharon Pisacreta who are calling themselves D. E. Ireland. The series is based on “Pygmalion” by George Bernard Shaw with Eliza Doolittle and Henry Higgins getting caught up in murder and mayhem. “Wouldn’t It Be Deadly” starts off after Eliza’s success gets her a job as an assistant to Higgins’ rival Emil Nepommuck. Nepommuck takes credit for Eliza’s transformation which enrages Higgins. When Nepommuck is found murdered, Higgins becomes the prime suspect. Eliza and Higgins must team up to find out which of Nepommuck’s enemies is his real killer.

Other Mysterious Things:

            September is a great month for mystery fans. There are several books coming out by authors that we have all been waiting to write another book. Probably the most eagerly anticipated book for me is Dennis Lehane’s “The Drop.” Lehane returns to the mean streets of “Mystic River” with this new novel which will soon be a new movie.  

            Lee Child presents the 19^th Jack Reacher novel, “Personal.” Kathy Reichs gives us the 17^th Temperance Brennan book called “Bones Never Lie.” Harlan Coben’s third Mickey Bolitar book called “Found” comes out (this is a Young Adult series, but lots of adults are reading it). Jesse Kellerman and Jonathan Kellerman team up for “The Golem of Hollywood.” Reed Farrel Coleman takes over Robert B. Parker’s Jesse Stone series with “Blind Spot.” Tana French’s fifth Dublin Murder Squad series continues with “The Secret Place.” M. C. Beaton’s 25^th book in the Agatha Raisin series called “The Blood of an Englishman” is out. What a great month! Can’t wait to read them all.

Reading right now:

            “Murder 101” by Faye Kellerman. Peter Decker and his wife have moved from Los Angeles to upstate New York in order to be close to their children. Decker finds himself bored by the small town police department until a major crime finally takes place. Tiffany panels have been stolen from a local cemetery which leads to murder and international intrigue. I find myself missing the LA setting and really don’t understand why Decker with his extensive experience would take a job that insults his ability. Plus his irritating new Harvard educated partner is getting on my nerves just a bit. This is book 22 of this series and the change of location is a major change for the series. Despite some reservations, still enjoying Kellerman’s latest. 

On hold right now:

            “Consumed” by David Cronenberg. Filmmaker Cronenberg’s new book is generating a lot of excitement. It has been called darkly humorous, bizarrely depraved, and grotesque. That sounds like most of his films! From what I’ve read the book revolves around two online journalists. One of the journalistic couple (Naomi) becomes obsessed with the murder of a French philosopher whose husband is accused of killing her. The couple were sexual libertines and police suspect that the husband killed his wife and consumed parts of her body. The husband has disappeared, but Naomi decides to track him down. Meanwhile Naomi’s partner is taking a separate, but equally disturbing journey. The two stories finally come together in a plot that involves murder, geopolitics, 3-D printing, North Korea, Cannes Film Festival, cancer, STDs, and sex. 

Other Mysterious Things:

            The new TNT series called “Legends” is based on the book “Legends: a Novel of Dissimulation” by Robert Littell. The story revolves around undercover FBI agent Martin Odum who has played so many different roles for his job that he no longer always knows who he is. The amazing English actor Sean Bean plays Odum. TNT has some fantastic mystery/thriller series. “Rizzoli & Isles” just started the fifth season. The show is based on the novels of Tess Gerritsen. The first season of “Murder in the First” recently ended. The show followed a single case through the whole season. Another great show on FX is “Justified” which is based on three Elmore Leonard’s novels “Pronto,” “Riding the Rap,” and his short story “Fire in the Hole."

Reading right now:

            “Bless the Dying” by Sandra Bretting. Only Bretting’s second book, “Bless the Dying” is a mystery with a medical twist. When a young policeman is poisoned, his former girlfriend who works for the hospital doesn’t believe it was an accident and steps in to prove that something else is going on and finds plenty of suspects. This looks like it will be a pretty easy read, but has potential.

On hold right now:

            “Payoff” by Douglas Corleone. This is the second in the Simon Fisk series which debuted with “Good as Gone” last year. Our hero is former U.S. Marshal Simon Fisk who now works as a private contractor to try to locate kidnapped children. After movie studio mogul Edgar Trenton’s teenage daughter is kidnapped during a violent home invasion, Fisk is hired to deal with the ransom exchange. It soon becomes obvious that the kidnappers are not going to return the girl and Fisk must track them through many dangerous South American cities to try to return her to her parents. This is supposed to be a tremendous thriller with many surprises.

Other Mysterious Things:

            August has seen some amazing books come out with several more on the way. I’m sure we’ll still be trying to catch up with these for a while. It’s hard to mention every book that comes out each month, but some of these are important and you may not want to miss them. “The Bellingham Bloodbath” by Gregory Harris is the second in the Colin Pendragon series. This is another terrific Victorian London mystery with Colin Pendragon as the brilliant detective. Leading Swedish author Henning Mankel’s 11^th Kurt Wallander book came out in August (“An Event in Autumn”). “The Kills” by Richard House is a collection of his four part series. If you haven’t read his books before, here is an opportunity to find out why the collection was nominated for The Man Booker Prize this past year. Louise Penny’s “The Long Way Home” is the 10^th book in the Chief Inspector Gamache series. August saw Tami Hoag write a new stand-alone novel called “Cold Cold Heart.”

Here’s a few more: Bitter Crossing by D. A. Keeley, Confessions by Kanae Minato, Devil takes Half by Leta Sarafim, Low Profile by Nick Oldham, A Distance to Death by Holly Menino, Clam Wake by Mary Daheim, I Can See in the Dark by Karin Fossum, Designated Daughters by Margaret Maron, A Cry from the Dust by Carrie Stuart Parks, A Little Night Murder by Nancy Martin, Queen of Hearts by Rhys Bowen, Strange Shores by Arnaldur Indridason, Summer of the Dead by Julia Keller, Windigo Island by William Kent Krueger, The Equalizer by Michael Sloan, Etta Mae’s Worst Bad-Luck Day by Ann B. Ross, and Harbor Island by Carl Neggers.