Reading right now:

            “What the Fly Saw” by Frankie Y. Bailey. “The Red Queen Dies” introduced detective Hannah McCabe and her partner in this only slightly futuristic (2019) mystery. Now McCabe is back and faced with the murder of a funeral director. While trying to find her way through the maze of lies that surround the death, McCabe is also faced with political controversy involving her family and unanswered questions from an earlier case.

           

On hold right now:

            “Signature Kill” by David Levien. This is the fourth book featuring investigator Frank Behr. In this mystery novel, Behr is faced with a serial-killer. Brooding ex-cop Frank Behr is an Indianapolis private detective who is barely scrapping by when he is hired to find a missing daughter. It doesn’t take Frank long to determine that the missing girl and the serial killer cases are connected.

                         

Other Mysterious Things:

            It’s rare to find a mystery author who isn’t writing a series and sometimes the main character in that series becomes more memorable than the author. Think about Alex Cross, Peter Decker, Lucas Davenport, Lincoln Rhyme, Myron Bolitar, Aloysius Pendergast, Jack Reacher, Elvis Cole, Dave Robicheaux, Andy Carpenter, Harry Bosch, and on it goes. Once you find a character you like, you want to read all the books with that character even when one of the books in the series doesn’t live up to the rest. The hope is that the next one will be great again and in the meantime you get to spend some time with a character that feels like a good friend and see where that character’s life is going. As spring arrives this month so does any number of new mystery books that are the next in a series. First to take note of is J.A. Jance’s latest called “Cold Betrayal” which is the tenth book in the Ali Reynolds series. Deryn Lake’s third book in the Nick Lawrence series becomes available in the U.S. (“The Moonlit Door”). Owen Laukkanen’s latest Kirk Stevens and Carla Windermere mystery is the fourth in the series (“The Stolen Ones”). G. A. McKevett’s 20^th book in the Savannah Reid series is out (“Killer Gourmet”). C. J. Box’s 15^th Joe Pickett novel “Endangered” is available this month, as is,  David Morrell’s second book in the Thomas De Quincey series called “Inspector of the Dead.”

            If you love a good series, you are always looking for a new series to add to your list. This month Brian Freeman introduces Cab Bolton in “Season of Fear.”  Leslie Budewitz also introduces a new series with “Assault and Pepper.” Diana Orgain’s new series starts with “A First Date with Death.”

Reading right now:

            “Nobody Walks” by Mick Herron. Herron wrote a series about private investigator Zoe Boehm and several standalone books. His latest thriller centers around a former British intelligence agent (Tom Bettany) who is estranged from his 26-year old son, his former life, and is now working in a meat processing plant in France. When he receives a call telling him his son is dead, he returns to London to find out what really happened to his son which leads him into trouble with those who may be behind the new tragedy, as well was, those who have reason to hate him from his past life. 

           

On hold right now:

            “Star Fall” by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles. This is the seventeenth novel in the Detective Inspector Bill Slider series. Harrod-Eagles is a prolific author who writes three separate series and had authored many stand-alone books. In her latest book, Slider must investigate the stabbing death of a celebrity host of a television show. The victim is antiques expert Rowland Egerton who is stabbed to death in his London home. While it could be a robbery gone wrong, it could also be that one of Egerton’s many enemies could have gotten tired of his phony charm.

Other Mysterious Things:

            Who doesn’t like English mystery authors? No matter what types of mysteries you read, there is bound to be a few English authors on your list of favorites. Some of your favorites may include Rhys Bowen, Denise Mina, Minette Walters, Elizabeth George, Alan Bradley, Kate Atkinson, and Ruth Rendell. There are several British authors with books coming out this month. “False Impression” by Veronica Heley is the ninth book in the Abbott Agency series. “The Life I Left Behind” by Colette McBeth is her second stand-alone thriller. “The Winter Foundlings” by Kate Rhodes is the third book in the London forensic psychologist Alice Quentin series. Emily Brightwell’s 34^th book in the Mrs. Jeffries series came out in February. Canadian author Jon Redfern’s “Children of the Tide” takes place in the 1840s in London and is the second book in the inspector Owen Endersby series. 

  

Reading right now:

 

            “The Whites” by Harry Brandt. This debut novel by Harry Brandt (really Richard Price writing under a pen name) centers around disgraced NYPD detective Billy Graves who ends up on the after midnight crew who does little more than turn over crimes to the incoming daytime shifts. But when called in to investigate a brutal slashing of a man at Penn Station, Brandt recognizes that the victim was a suspect in an unsolved brutal killing of a 12-year-old boy years ago.  The case pushes Brandt into a situation that sends him back to a time that destroyed his career and in the present threatens his family.

           

On hold right now:

            “The House of Wolfe” by James Carlos Blake. In this third novel in the Wolfe family saga a wedding party of 10 is kidnapped in Mexico City. A Wolfe family cousin is one of the people kidnapped which forces the Wolfe clan to attempt a rescue. Trying to make his reputation, a small-time gangster named El Galan kidnaps the wedding party and asks for a five million dollar ransom. The Wolfe family fears that once the money is paid, the captives will be killed unless they get there first. Blake based this series on his own family and the first book follows the family’s violent history from Mexico to Texas while the next two show how the family thrives in Texas even while their outlaw ties draw them across the border.

Other Mysterious Things:

            “The Girl on the Train” by Paula Hawkins is holding its place as a much in demand and much requested thriller/mystery. Other popular items coming out this month include Harlan Coben’s “The Stranger,” J.A. Jance’s “Cold Betrayal,” James Patterson’s “NYPD Red 3,” “World Gone By” by Denise Lehane, and Joy Fielding’s “Someone is Watching.” “The Stolen Ones” is the new Owen Laukkanen novel and the fourth in his series about state investigator Kirk Stevens and his partner in the joint state and FBI task force Carla Windermere. This series opened with “The Professionals” in 2012 and the latest should be in demand. Personally I’m looking forward to reading two debut novels both of which sound like strange and unusual thrillers: Graeme Cameron’s “Normal” and “Girl Underwater” by Claire Kells. 

Reading right now:

            “Pardon the Ravens” by Alan Hruska. While handling a huge fraud case that could make his reputation, Alec Brno falls for the estranged wife of the mob boss who is behind the fraud. Hruska writes and directs films (and plays) and has written three novels (one science fiction and two legal thrillers). “Pardon the Ravens” sounds a little heavy on the love affair, but will hopefully be an interesting addition to the legal thriller genre.

On hold right now:

            “Lethal Beauty” by Lis W. Wiehl. This is the third in the series with Seattle prosecuting attorney Mia Quinn as the main character. After a young Chinese prostitute is stabbed to death by her client, Quinn is determined to get justice for her despite jury tampering, threats to her family from the Chinese crime cabal, and the victim’s mother trying to take justice into her own hands.     

Other Mysterious Things:

If you like legal thrillers, there are several others coming out early this year:

“Fox is Framed” by Lachlan Smith. This is the third in a series featuring San Francisco attorney Leo Maxwell. Leo and his brother always thought their Father murdered their Mother. After being convicted and jailed, it looks like Leo’s Father may be innocent so when new evidence is uncovered he is granted another trial. Getting to the truth isn’t so easy as more bodies pile up and the testimony is shocking.

“Losing Faith” by Adam Mitzner. Being compared to John Grisham and Scott Turow, Mitzner’s new stand-alone novel centers around attorney Aaron Littmann being blackmailed into representing a Russian businessman arrested on terrorism charges. As the story evolves, Littmann is accused of murder and finds himself in the position of possibly losing not only his wife and family, but his life.

“The Missing Piece” by Kevin Egan. Another standalone legal thriller presents New York Judge Oliver Johnstone who is presiding over a case which centers on the ownership of a $70 million treasure. On the first day of the trial, two gunmen break into the courtroom and steal part of the treasure and kill a court officer. Three years later, Judge Linda Conover inherits the case and once more finds danger and intrigue surround the treasure which makes finding the missing part of the treasure a desperate race to bring justice. Egan’s first book “Midnight” was a terrific legal thriller so if you haven’t read it, you may want to start with his first novel.

Legal thriller writer Martin Clark’s latest “The Jezebel Remedy” comes out in June and is much anticipated. James Grippando’s 12^th book in his series with defense attorney Jack Swyteck also comes out in June (called “Crash Landing”). Allison Leona’s “A Good Killing” comes out in May and features prosecutor Anna Curtis heading home to defend her sister against a murder charge. Attica Locke’s “Pleasantville” arrives in April and brings back attorney Jay Porter from “Black Water Rising.” Peter Murphy’s amazing and unusual series takes place in England’s high courts in the 1960s. The third book “And is There Honey Still for Tea?” comes out in April. 

Reading right now:

            “The Book of Fires” by Paul Doherty. Doherty does medieval mysteries right. This is the fourteenth book in the Sorrowful Mysteries of Brother Athelstan series. The series name alone is fantastic and the books are even better. Coroner Sir John Craston and monk Brother Athelstan are the investigators in this series set in the 1300s.

On hold right now:

            “Lamentation” by C. J. Sansom. This is the sixth book in the Shardlake series which takes place in 1546. Lawyer Matthew Shardlake gets pulled into the desperate plight of the current Queen (Catherine Parr) who wrote a confessional book (Lamentation of a Sinner) which has now disappeared. The information in the book could well bring down the Queen and her sympathizers.

Other Mysterious Things:

            I never think of myself as an historical mystery fan, but when I look back and think about the mystery series that I have enjoyed and the authors that I look forward to reading, I realize that I am a fan. The Cadfael series by Ellis Peters is one of my favorite medieval mystery series and I still enjoy watching the TV series over and over again. I watch carefully for the next Anne Perry novel (“The Angel Court Affair” March, 2015), Tessa Harris (“Shadow of the Raven” Apri, 2015), and C. S. Harris (“Who Buries the Dead” March, 2015) which are some of my favorites. This month there are several historical mysteries to look forward to so watch for them and give one a try. You never know, you might find that you too can be turned into an historical mystery fan (if you aren’t already). Just a few appearing soon are: Laurie R. King’s next Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series set in 1925 is coming out this month (“Dreaming Spies”). S. D. Sykes’ “Plague Land” is said to be a brilliantly thrilling debut set in medieval Kent. Book eleven in the Medieval Mystery series by Priscilla Royal appears this month (“Satan’s Lullaby”) which is set in 1278. Cora Harrison releases the 12^th book in the Burren mystery series set in the sixteenth century in Ireland (“Condemned to Death”). Hope you enjoy one or perhaps all of them!

Reading right now:

            “Pall in the Family,” by Dawn Eastman. First in the Family Fortune mystery series, this is a relatively new series which I recently discovered. I just finished it and really enjoyed everything about the first book and am now looking forward to the second which came out last year and the third which will appear in April, 2015. Ex-cop, Clyde Fortune returns to her hometown of Crystal Haven, Michigan to heal. Psychic ability runs in her family, but Clyde has not embraced her own talent. When a local psychic is killed, Clyde gets involved in every way. Being an ex-cop gives Clyde skills to help investigate murder, but the humor and affecting characters keeps the reader engaged. Clyde’s family is eccentric fun with everyone having some type of psychic ability. Each character is engaging and makes you want to find out what happens to each of them.

On hold right now:

            “In the Woods” by Merry Jones. This is the fifth book in the Harper Jennings series. I have really enjoyed this series and have high hopes for “In the Woods.” Harper is an Iraqi War vet with PTSD. Over the five books, she has gotten help trying to control her PTSD, has had a baby, had her husband injured in a home repair accident, and has gotten involved in murder and mayhem. In this latest book, her husband has recovered, the baby is now a toddler, and it’s time to get away from it all as a couple and enjoy the great outdoors. Unfortunately, their camping trip in the woods is full of dead bodies, militia, a marauding Bog Man, and a hysterical wife who has lost her husband.

Other mysterious things:

            The Edgar Allan Poe Award nominees were recently announced and winners will be presented with awards on April 29, 2015.

Best Novel Nominees are:

 This Dark Road to Mercy by Wiley Cash

Wolf by Mo Hayder

Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King

The Final Silence by Stuart Neville

Saints of the Shadow Bible by Ian Rankin

Cop Town by Karin Slaughter

Best First Novel by an American Author:

Dry Bones in the Valley by Tom Bouman

Invisible City by Julia Dahl

The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens

Bad Country by C.B. McKenzie

Shovel Ready by Adam Sternbergh

Murder at the Brightwell by Ashley Weaver

TV Episode/Teleplay:

"The Empty Hearse" – Sherlock, Teleplay by Mark Gatiss
"Unfinished Business" – Blue Bloods, Teleplay by Siobhan Byrne O'Connor
"Episode 1" – Happy Valley, Teleplay by Sally Wainwright
 "Dream Baby Dream" – The Killing, Teleplay by Sean Whitesell

"Episode 6" – The Game, Teleplay by Toby Whithouse 

Reading right now:

            “Once Upon a Grind” by Cleo Coyle. The husband and wife team who write this series do a wonderful job writing what is a great cozy series full of coffee and murder. The first book in the series introduced Clare Cosi who left a bad marriage and decided to go back to work managing the historic Village Blend coffeehouse in New York’s Greenwich Village. Her first morning back, she finds her assistant manager injured and the police declare it an accident, but Clare doesn’t buy it. Now in the 14^th book, Clare sends her coffee truck to the Central Park Fairy Tale Week festival only to find a young model’s body in one of the park’s wooded areas. The police dismiss the death as a drug overdose, but Clare thinks it’s a murder. 

On hold right now:

            “Die Again” by Tess Gerritsen. In this 11^th Rizzoli and Isles mystery, they are called out to solve the case of a dead big game hunter who is found dead in his apartment. His is the most recent murder where the victims are found hanging upside down like a leopard’s kill. Tracking down the killer takes Rizzoli all the way to Botswana and a deadly camping safari. “Rizzoli & Isles” is also a really good mystery TV series. If you haven’t watched it, catch the opening of the new season this month on TNT. 

Other Mysterious Things:

            Here are a few mysteries that I’m looking forward to reading in February: