Reading right now:

            “Who Do, Voodoo?” by Rochelle Staab. I recently ran across this paranormal mystery series and just finished the first book in the series and now have the second (“Bruja Brouhaha”) on request. Staab has only written three books in this series so far, but I’m hoping to see more. I enjoyed the characters and story very much and just noticed that “Who Do, Voodoo?” was nominated for a Best First Novel Agatha Award. This is a story well worth your time especially if you are a mystery reader that enjoys a little spooky on the side. The main character is a clinical psychologist named Liz Cooper whose brother is a cop and whose Mother reads tarot cards.

On hold right now:

            “Day Shift” by Charlaine Harris. This is the second book in the Midnight, Texas series. Midnight, Texas is a place where the few residents are all rather unusual and really like to be left alone. Harris is very well known for her Sookie Stackhouse series and now that she’s finished that series, it’s time for readers to embrace her new series which is very entertaining. This paranormal series features Psychic Manfred Bernardo who in this latest offering finds out just how dangerous his new neighbors in Midnight really are.

Other mysterious things:

            This year so far has seen the passing of Sir Terry Pratchett and Ruth Rendell. Fantasy author Pratchett was only 66 while Mystery author Rendell was 85. Both of these authors were standouts in their field and both wrote too many novels to count which they’ve left behind for future generations to read and enjoy.

Reading right now:

            “The Harvest Man” by Alex Grecian. Inspector Walter Day and his Murder Squad continue to try to modernize Scotland Yard to catch increasingly horrifying killers who terrorize London (such as Jack the Ripper). This is the fourth book in what has been an excellent series. The Harvest Man is a monstrous killer who hides in people’s homes to come out and night and cut off their faces. Grecian is an American author writing an English historical mystery which has been very well received.

On hold right now:

            “Anatomy of Evil” by Will Thomas. This is another American author writing an historical English historical series. This is the seventh book in the series about PIs Cyrus Barker and Thomas Llewelyn. It is 1888, when Barker and Llewelyn are asked by Scotland Yard to help track down the latest murderer who has been eluding the police and is called Jack the Ripper. I suppose it would be impossible to write a Victorian mystery series without at some point trying to deal with Jack the Ripper and this is Thomas’ attempt. While "The Harvest Man" talks a lot about Jack the Ripper and "Anatomy of Evil" directly deals with Jack, there is a third book out this month about Jack the Ripper which is called "I, Ripper" by Stephen Hunter. Many writers and readers seem to have a passion for Jack the Ripper and new books are constantly coming out which makes you wonder if the interest will go on forever.

Other Mysterious Things:

I recently discovered my husband online looking for quotes on passion. When I asked him why, I was told that he was trying to help his new trainees find passion for their work. For me the question became: “Can you teach someone passion?” In my life, I have always had a passion for reading. I discovered that passion as a child and I have tried to help others find books that will ignite a passion in them. I’ve seen kids find a book that sets them off on a lifetime of reading and discovery. I’ve spent years telling people that if you love to read you’ll never be bored or lonely, but despite my best efforts there are those I’ve not been able to convince. My hope, however, is that there is something else in their lives that they will discover that they are passionate about. Good luck in finding your passion. As May comes to a close, here are a few  more books that came out in May that you might be passionate about!

Reading right now:

            “The Fall” by John Lescroart. The 16^th book in the legal thriller series which usually features Dismas Hardy. “The Fall” introduces Rebecca, Hardy’s daughter, who has joined his team and is about to go through her first murder trial. Hardy’s career has been long and varied. He was a marine, a San Francisco cop, an assistant district attorney, and now has his own law firm where his daughter is an associate. After a teenage African-American foster child falls to her death, a middle school teacher is tried for the murder of the teen. Hardy and his daughter don’t believe he committed the murder and try to present other possible killers including a missing stepfather, a roommate who ran a call girl service, an unstable birth mother, and a mysterious homeless man.

On hold right now:

            “The Forgotten Room” by Dr. Jeremy Logan. My favorite series by Lincoln Child and Douglas Preston is, of course, the Pendergast series, but this most recent novel coming out is book four of the Dr. Jeremy Logan series. Logan specializes in investigating unexplained phenomena and in this latest thriller he uncovers a long-lost secret experiment after being hired by an American think tank after one of their doctors kills himself.

Other mysterious things:

            I’ve been catching up with all the Victoria Laurie books that I hadn’t gotten around to reading yet. She has two fun paranormal mystery series. Her Psychic Eye series stars Abby Cooper and her 13^th book in that series comes out in July (“Sense of Deception”). The first book in that series was “Abby Cooper, Psychic Eye.” Her other series that I enjoy is the Ghost Hunter Mystery series. “No Ghouls Allowed” was the ninth book in that series with the 10^th (“A Ghoul’s Guide to Love and Murder”) coming out in January, 2016. I was able to catch up quickly since Los Angeles Public Library has all of her books available via Overdrive as ebooks. If you are reading ebooks on a tablet or on your computer, find out how to get tons of free books from your local library. Almost all libraries have an agreement with Overdrive to allow library card holders to download free books so if you aren’t taking advantage of that service find out how by going to your local library or by taking a look at your library’s website.

Reading right now:

            “The Edge of Dreams” by Rhys Bowen. The fourteenth book in the Molly Murphy series centers on Molly’s husband Daniel who is a captain in the New York City police force and his most recent case. The murderer sends notes to Daniel after each of his murders and then he goes after Molly and her young son. This book came out in March so I’m a little behind in reading it, but I have to catch up fast as Bowen has several books coming out this year. Her fifteenth book in this series comes out in November and is called “Away in the Manger.” Additionally, her ninth book in the Royal Spyness series will come out in August (“Malice at the Palace”). Both of these series are historical mystery series. Bowen’s Agatha win this week for Best Historical Novel (“Queen of Hearts”) is one of many Awards she has won over the years.

On hold right now:

            “What You See” by Hank Phillippi Ryan. After this week’s win of the Agatha Award for Best Contemporary Novel from 2014 for Ryan’s third Jane Ryland book, the fourth is being much anticipated. In that forthcoming book, newspaper reporter Jane Ryland gets involved in the abduction of a flower girl from a family wedding. Will this fourth book in the series be as terrific as the ones that came before and win awards next year? That is the question as we all line up to read the latest Ryan book which won’t be out until October. Ryan herself is an on-air investigative reporter and winner of both Edgar and Agatha Awards for her crime fiction.

           

Other mysterious things:

            This week the Agatha Award Winners were announced for the best traditional mysteries published in the U.S. in 2014:

Best Contemporary Novel Truth Be Told by Hank Phillippi Ryan

Best Historical Novel Queen of Hearts by Rhys Bowen

Best First Novel Well Read, Then Dead by Terrie Farley Moran

Sara Paretsky was presented with Malice Domestic's Lifetime Achievement Award for her many contributions to the mystery fiction genre.

Reading right now:

            “Memory Man” by David Baldacci. In Baldacci’s 30^th novel, he introduces a fresh and fascinating new character named Amos Decker which looks like it will be a new series. Decker started out as a professional football player whose career was ended in a terrible accident so he joins the police and ends up being a police detective. His accident left him changed so that his memory is amazing. One night he returns home from work to find his wife, daughter, and brother-in-law murdered which propels him into a downhill slide into unemployment and homelessness. Years later someone walks in and announces that he murdered Decker's family. When Decker talks to him, he realizes that the man can't be the killer, but what is his motivation? This is a fast moving thriller which keeps you glued to the book until you finish (and then you are sad you read so fast). I really enjoyed the new character and the timely subject matter.

On hold right now:

            “Gathering Prey” by John Sandford. This is the 25^th book in the Lucas Davenport series which started in 1989 with “Rules of Prey.” When someone starts killing off panhandlers, Davenport’s adopted daughter, Letty, gets a call from a friend who thinks she knows the killer. Lucas Davenport has become an iconic detective, a must read for anyone who loves mysteries.

Other mysterious things:

            The Mystery Writers of America announced the 2015 Edgar Allan Poe Awards on April 29 in New York City. The Edgar winner for best novel of the year is “Mr. Mercedes” by Stephen King. The best first novel by an American author is “Dry Bones in the Valley” by Tom Bouman. The best true crime novel is “Tinseltown: Murder, Morphine, and Madness at the Dawn of Hollywood” by William J. Mann.