Reading right now:

            I am reading two books right now: a horror novel and a fantasy novel. Joe Hill’s “NOS4A2” is long and scary just like his Father’s books (Stephan King). The title is the license plate of the villain’s car (I will let you guess what it means).  “Dead Ever After” by Charlaine Harris is the latest Sookie Stackhouse novel and the cover says it is the final Sookie novel. After the tremendous success of the series, it is hard to believe that we’ve seen the last of Sookie.

On hold right now:

            “Inferno” by Dan Brown which I keep being told hasn’t received very good reviews. My response is: “Who cares?” These books are fun and exciting and that’s what we read them for. We don’t read them because reviewers say they are meaningful or great lit.

Other Mysterious things:

Several mystery authors have books or even a series of books that revolve around the Amish or Amish country settings.  A few of these authors are Laura Bradford, Linda Castillo, Vannetta Chapman, Amanda Flower, Paul L. Gaus, Karen Harper, Marta Perry, and Barbara Workinger. My personal favorite is Linda Castillo’s series which started with “Sworn to Silence” and “Her Last Breath” will come out in June, 2013. The books revolve around Kate Burkholder who becomes the local Chief of Police where she grew up as an Amish girl.

Of Interest:

            The American Library Association (ALA) selected six books as finalists for the 2013 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction in late April and will select the winners in late June.  If you are involved in a book club, these would be great books to consider reading:

Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction:

"The Mansion of Happiness: A History of Life and Death," by Jill Lepore

"Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher: The Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis ," by Timothy Egan

"Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic," by David Quammen

Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction:

"Canada," by Richard Ford

"The Round House," by Louise Erdrich

"This Is How You Lose Her," by Junot Diaz

Reading right now:

            Chris Ewan’s “Safe House.” On the Isle of Man, repairman Rob Hale is called out to an isolated home where he meets Lena. When he takes her for a ride on his motorcycle, he wakes up in the hospital and is told she didn’t exist. Rob doesn’t believe that Lena is a product of his imagination and talks private investigator Rebecca Lewis (who his parents hired to find his missing sister) into helping him find out what really happened to Lena. While “Safe House” is a stand-alone novel, Ewan is well-known for his award winning “good thief” mystery series featuring Charlie Howard.

On hold right now:

            The description of Joe Hill’s new book “NOS4A2” sounds like a book his father Stephen King would have written. In addition to her secret gift for finding lost objects, Victoria McQueen also has a bike that will take her anywhere she wants to go. One day she runs into Charles Talent Manx who takes children for rides in his 1938 Rolls-Royce, terrifying rides that they never return from. But Victoria did return and years later Manx comes back to take her son away.

Other Mysterious things:

            The Mystery Writers of American recently announced the winners of the 2013 Edgar Allan Poe Awards. Dennis Lehane’s “Live by Night” won for best novel. Chris Pavone’s “The Expats” won as best first novel. Best TV episode teleplay was “A Scandal in Belgravia,” Sherlock (BBC/Masterpiece).

            The AMC series “The Killing” returns June 2 with a new case. The first two seasons were riveting and I am looking forward to a new season with a new case for the two Seattle detectives that the show revolves around. The series is based on the Danish TV series “Forbrydelsen” (which means The Crime).

Reading right now:

            “Free Fall” by Chris Grabenstein. This is the latest installment of the Detective John Ceepak and Officer Danny Boyle series which takes place on the Jersey Shore. This series is full of humor and fast-paced action. This is the 8^th in the series which started with “Tilt-a-Whirl.” Grabenstein won an Anthony award for “Tilt-a-Whirl.”  Once upon a time, Grabenstein was an improvisational comedian and before writing novels he spent 20 years writing commercials.

            I just finished “The Hit” by David Baldacci and it was fantastic. This is the second novel in his Will Robie series (the first was “The Innocent” which just came out last year). Start it and you will want to call in sick until you finish it—great fun. Watch out in November for another Baldacci book!

On hold right now:

            “No Way Back” is the latest from Andrew Gross. Gross has written several best-selling novels with James Patterson and several great novels on his own. His new novel revolves around an ex-NYPD detective who trusts the wrong man and finds herself wanted by the FBI.

Special Interest:

Perhaps you’ve read Stieg Larsson’s series “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” but have you read any of the other Scandinavian (mostly Swedish) mystery authors available in the U.S.? It seems to be a very popular and prolific group which includes: Karin Alfredsson, Karen Alvtegen, Carina Burman, Camilla Ceder, Arne Dahl (Jan Arnald), Ake Edwardson, Kerstin Ekman, Kjell Eriksson, Inger Frimansson, Carin Gerhardsen, Jan Guillou, Anders Roslund & Börge Hellström, Anna Jansson, Mari Jungstedt, Mons Kallentoft, Lars Kepler, Camilla Lackberg, Maria Lang, Jens Lapidus, Åsa Larsson, Henning Mankell, Liza Marklund, Håkan Nesser, Kristina Ohlsson, Hakan Ostlundh, Leif G.W. Persson, Hellstrom Roslund, Johan Theorin, Helene Tursten, Karin Wahlberg, Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo, and Katarina Wennstam. Try one and see if you get hooked.

Reading Right Now:

               “Deadly Sting” by Jennifer Estep (8^th in the Elemental Assassin series which started with “Spider’s Bite”) continues Gin Blanco’s attempt to leave her past as an assassin behind, but there are just too many people who need killing and wrongs that need to be righted. These fun books which fall into the category of urban fantasy (which seems to just mean fantasy books set in a city) include giants, dwarves, vampires, and elementals (beings who have the ability to control air, fire, ice, and /or stone. If you haven’t read this series get started with “Spider’s Bite” and hurry because the ninth book “Heart of Venom” is coming out in late August.

On Hold Right Now:

               “City of Dragons” by Kelli Stanley is the first book in the Miranda Corbie mystery series (“City of Secrets” and “City of Ghosts” are the other two currently available). “City of Dragons” was a 2011 LA Times Book Prize Finalist. Miranda Corbie is a PI in 1940s San Francisco trying her best to bring justice whatever the cost. Ms. Stanley says about herself that she laughs easily and “credits reading Raymond Chandler with teaching her how to write.” A sense of humor and loves to read Chandler!? These books have got to be good!

Special Interest:

               People are always wondering why some people like to read and others don’t. Usually parents want to know how to make their children love to read. I wish I had an answer. For myself, I have always loved reading. My Mother did too. She set the example, but something inside of me was drawn to reading. I am never bored as long as there is a book by my side. A good book is great company and when you read a book you get inside the lives of interesting people and follow their adventures. In the case of a mystery, you help solve the puzzle of whatever problem they’ve gotten into. Mysteries are engaging, adventurous, suspenseful, and exciting. No matter what else I do for fun, I always come back to reading which completely takes me away from all my problems and transforms me into another world in a more complete way than movies, computer games, or just about anything else. Not everyone is going to fall in love with reading, but hopefully there will always be those who find reading as glorious as I do.

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.