Read to me!

Reading right now:

            Jeri Westerson’s “Shadow of the Alchemist.” This is the sixth Crispin Guest novel. (If you haven’t read any of them yet, start with “Veil of Lies.”) The latest in this suspenseful, historical series finds Guest and his young apprentice helping alchemist Nicholas Flamel who seems to have lost his wife and his own apprentice. Nicholas Flamel plays a part in the Harry Potter series as does his Philosopher’s Stone. It seems likely that someone evil might just be after the Stone and that Guest will have to save the day. I love this series and can’t wait to dig into the latest.

On hold right now:

“The Good Boy” by Theresa Schwegel. This latest from Edgar Award winning Schwegel is a standalone novel centering on an 11-year old-boy who runs away with his dad’s police dog after witnessing a shooting.

Other Mysterious things available soon:

The third in Wallace Stroby’s unusual series is coming out in December. “Shoot the Woman First” centers around career criminal Crissa Stone. Award winning journalist and author, Stroby lives in New Jersey.

“A Killing Winter” by Wayne Arthurson. This is the second in his Leo Desroches series (with “Fall From Grace” being the first). There are many mystery writers coming out of Canada and Wayne Arthurson is one of those writers. Leo Desroches is the Aboriginal issues reporter for the Edmonton newspaper. While he likes to gamble and drink way too much, he still gets himself into lots of trouble when he delves a little too deeply into the stories he covers.

“Chinese Beverly Hills” by John Shannon. This is the 14^th novel in Shannon’s Jack Liffey mystery series. Liffey’s special gift is finding missing children which he does with gusto throughout the series.

 

Great Books into Movies:

There are certain books that everyone should just read and “Ender’s Game” by Orson Scott Card is one of them. It’s a great book, not just a great Science Fiction book. A second great book coming out as a movie right now is “The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak. It’s fine to see the movies and I’m sure they are probably both good, but read the books first.

Reading right now:

            Marisha Pessl’s latest is “Night Film.” You may have read her first fantastic novel, “Special Topics in Calamity Physics.” This new book centers on Ashley Cordova’s suicide which journalist Scott McGrath believes is murder. McGrath’s investigation takes him into the dark and mysterious world of Ashley’s father, cult-horror film director Stanislas Cordova.

               Regarding Pessl’s “Night Film” the Austin Chronicle writes, “If spiders and mayonnaise aren’t enough to strike fear in your heart this Halloween, pick up a copy of Marisha Pessl’s new interactive thriller novel, “Night Film.”        

On hold right now:

Charlotte Hinger’s “Hidden Heritage” comes out in November. This is the third in the Lottie Albright series. Western Kansas historian and Undersheriff Lottie Albright’s latest investigation revolves around a gruesome killing at the Carlton County, Kansas, livestock feedyard.

Other Mysterious things:

Kirk Russell’s latest is out November 1. “Die-Off” is the fifth in his John Marquez series. Marquez works for the California Fish & Game’s Special Operations Unit trying to shut down animal traffickers.

Father Brennan Burke and public defender Monty Collins team up again for the seventh book in Anne Emery’s mystery series. “Blood on a Saint” comes out in November.

S. J. Gazan’s “The Dinosaur Feather” will be available in the U.S. in November. This is the first novel by Scandinavian writer Gazan.

Read a Paranormal Mystery for Halloween:

            Hannah Jayne’s Underworld Detective Agency Chronicles starts with “Under Wraps” and continues through five novels to the latest “Under a Spell.” The books center around Sophie Lawson who is employed by the Underworld Detective Agency because she is immune to magic which allows her to handle many problems that others are overwhelmed by. “Under Wraps” finds Sophie dealing with a rash of gruesome murders and a handsome human detective.

            Victoria Laurie’s Ghost Hunter series starts with “What’s a Ghoul to Do?” There are currently seven books in this series and number eight is coming out in 2014. M.J. Holliday and her partner Gilly get rid of problem ghosts and demons around the world.

            Soon to come out with her sixth book in the Charley Davidson series, Darynda Jones writes award winning books in which Charley is the grim reaper. Unfortunately, she’s found that it isn’t always easy to get people to go into the light some of them have issues that need to be resolved first.

            Casey Daniels has nine fantastic Pepper Martin mysteries ready for your reading pleasure. In the first novel, “Don of the Dead,” Pepper finds that she can see a dead Mafia don who is demanding that she hunt down his killer. This is the start of Pepper’s new job of being a P.I. to the dead.

            Other authors to take a look at is the terrific Jim Butcher with his Harry Dresden series, Shirley Damsgaard’s Ophelia & Abby mysteries, Simon R. Green’s Nightside series, Sue Ann Jaffarian’s Ghost of Granny Apples mysteries, Madelyn Alt’s Bewitching mysteries, and on it goes. Read one and get hooked! You may find they are really fun to read.

 

 

Reading right now:

            Jeff Lindsay’s “Dexter’s Final Cut.” This is the seventh book in the Dexter series. If you watched the TV series finale, you might already miss Dexter and want to hit the books. I haven’t always agreed with the direction that the books have gone, but the character is original and interesting. In the latest book, Dexter is tempted by fame in Hollywood.      

On hold right now:

            The Lincoln Lawyer is back in “The Gods of Guilt.” This is Michael Connelly’s fifth book in the Mickey Haller series and I can’t wait. While you’re waiting for this to come out in December, you should watch the movie again!

Other Mysterious things:

A new season of “Homeland” started. It is so great—don’t miss it.

2013 SHAMUS AWARDS: For works published in 2012: The winner was announced at the Private Eye Writers of America banquet in Albany, New York, in late September.

BEST HARDCOVER P.I. NOVEL

• Taken by Robert Crais (Elvis Cole)  (winner in this category)
• Robert B. Parker's Lullaby by Ace Atkins (Spenser)
• Hunting Sweetie Rose by Jack Fredrickson (Dek Elstrom)
• Blues in the Night by Dick Lochte (Dave "Mace" Mason)
• The Other Woman by Hank Phillippi Ryan (Jane Ryland)

BEST FIRST P.I. NOVEL

• Black Fridays by Michael Sears (Jason Stafford) (winner in this category)
• Hush Money by Chuck Greaves (Jack MacTaggart)
• Murder Unscripted by Clive Rosengren (Eddie Collins)
• Racing the Devil by Jaden Terrell (Jared McKean)
• The Twenty-Year Death by Ariel S. Winter (Dennis Foster)

BEST ORIGINAL PAPERBACK PI NOVEL

• And She Was by Alison Gaylin (Brenna Spector) (winner in this category)
• Death Warmed Over by Kevin J. Anderson (Dan Shambles)
• Archie Meets Nero Wolfe by Robert Goldsborough (Nero Wolfe & Archie Goodwin)
• False Negative by Joseph Koenig (Adam Jordan)
• Pulse by John Lutz (Frank Quinn)

BEST INDIE P.I. NOVEL

• White Heat by Paul Marks (Duke Rogers) (winner in this category)
• Stranger in Town by Cheryl Bradshaw (Sloane Monroe)
• Enamored by O'Neil De Noux (Lucien Caye)
• One-Eyed Jack by Christopher J. Lynch (John Sharp)
• Devil May Care by James Mullaney (Crag Banyon)

Reading right now:

            “Death Angel” by Linda Fairstein. This is Fairstein’s 15^th mystery featuring Assistant District Attorney Alex Cooper. In Manhattan, Fairstein has run the Sex Crimes Unit of the District Attorney’s Office for two decades which gives her stories a unique realism, not only regarding the law, but the setting as well. In this new novel, Alex Cooper and Detective Mike Chapman track a serial killer through Central Park.

On hold right now:

            “Storm Front” by John Sandford. In this seventh Virgil Flowers mystery, Virgil gets his “Da Vinci Code” moment when an Israeli cop shows up in Minnesota on the trail of the man who stole and smuggled in an important King Solomon relic.

 

 

Other Mysterious things:

Here’s three authors presenting their first mysteries:

“Just What Kind of Mother Are You” is Paula Daly’s first novel which revolves around one of my worst nightmares: the disappearance of your best friend’s child under your watch.

“Hiding Gladys” is the first novel in Lee Mims’ new series centering on geologist Cleo Cooper. After discovering a huge granite deposit which could make many people wealthy, Cleo’s project is plagued with murder and accidents.

“Jump the Gun” by Zoe Burke introduces smart and sexy Annabelle Starkey. In this first in a planned series, Annabelle’s hook up with Mickey Paxton sends them both on the run from police and criminals who seem to think she knows more than she does.

 

Reading right now:

            “Never Go Back” by Lee Child. Reacher is back: back in Virginia, back in the army, and back into big trouble. When Reacher returns to Virginia looking for Major Susan Turner, not only doesn’t he find her, but he finds himself accused of a sixteen-year-old homicide.

In October, “Inherit the Dead” is due out. It is a collaborative novel with 20 writers each writing one chapter. Lee Child is one of those authors. Royalties will be donated to Safe Horizon (an organization that provides services to victims of violence and abuse).

On hold right now:

            “Countdown City” by Ben H. Winters. This second book in the Last Policeman series continues the countdown to the end of the world. As asteroid 2011L47J gets closer to earth, some people are concentrating on enjoying what little time they have left, while others are praying for salvation, but New Hampshire homicide detective Hank Palace stays on the job. Winters’ first novel in this series, “The Last Policeman” was nominated for a 2013 Macavity Award for Best Mystery Novel.

Other Mysterious things:

The 2013 Macavity Awards for Best Mystery Novel included:

·        Gillian Flynn: Gone Girl

·        Peter May: The Black House

·        Louise Penny: The Beautiful Mystery

·        Hank Philippi Ryan: The Other Woman

·        B.A. Shapiro: The Art Forger

·        Ariel S. Winter: The Twenty Year Death

·        Ben H. Winters: The Last Policeman

And nominations for Best First Mystery Novel are:

·        Susan M. Boyer: Low Country Boil

·        Daniel Friedman: Don't Ever Get Old

·        Susan Elia MacNeal: Mr. Churchill's Secretary

·        Chris Pavone: The Expats  

The Macavity Awards are presented by the Mystery Readers International members. The awards are named for T. S. Eliot’s mystery cat in his book “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats.

Macavity, Macavity, there's no one like Macavity,

There never was a Cat of such deceitfulness and suavity.

He always has an alibi, or one or two to spare:

And whatever time the deed took place--MACAVITY WASN'T THERE!

And they say that all the Cats whose wicked deeds are widely known

(I might mention Mungojerrie, I might mention Griddlebone)

Are nothing more than agents for the Cat who all the time

Just controls their operations: the Napoleon of Crime!

Reading right now:

            “Blind Justice” by Anne Perry. So far this isn’t one of my favorite Anne Perry novels, but it is interesting and I love the characters. This is her 19^th William Monk novel. Earlier this year, she put out her 29^th Thomas Pitt novel. “Blind Justice” continues some of the elements that have appeared in her last couple novels in the series only this time Monk must work quickly to help family friend Judge Oliver Rathbone stay out of jail.

            As a teenager in 1954, Anne Perry (real name Juliet Hulme) was convicted of helping kill her best friend’s mother. At one time or another, there was lots of interest in the case especially when the movie “Heavenly Creatures” came out. Peter Graham revisits the case with his new book “Anne Perry and the Murder of the Century.” The book reexamines the case looking more at motive then previous books. The bio got good reviews for those of you who like some true crime once in a while.

On hold right now:

            “Bones of the Lost” by Kathy Reichs. This is Reichs’ 16^th Temperance Brennan book. In real life, Kathy Reichs is a forensic anthropologist for the North Carolina Offices of the Chief Medical Examiner and also for a similar government department in Quebec. These are the books that the TV series “Bones” is based on.

Other Mysterious things:

            Everyone interested in mysteries should try some of the mystery novels with science fiction and fantasy (paranormal) overtones, I recently came across new author T. Aaron Payton’s “The Constantine Affliction.” This 2012 novel is a Steampunk novel about Pembroke Hanover, an aristocrat who assists police or private individuals in solving crimes, and E. Skye, a lady crusading journalist. In the first of what I hope is a series, Hanover and Skye uncover the truly monstrous nature of England’s most famous scientist.

            Casey Daniels has written nine Pepper Martin mysteries. When the series starts (with “Don of the Dead”), Pepper’s new job as a tour guild in a cemetery brings her in contact with the ghost of a Mafia don who threatens to make her life hell if she doesn’t find out who killed him. This is a really fun series with Pepper trying to cope with her abilities, difficult financial situation, and problematic love life.