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Trouble often comes in threes. Patrick Davis is having legal troubles with the production company that is filming his screenplay, his marriage is on shaky ground, and now there is new problem added to the mix. He is being stalked. DVDs start arriving at the house showing Patrick and his wife going about their business inside their home. Then the e-mails start coming in giving him instructions and the stakes of this cat-and-mouse game get even higher. Crafted with twists and surprises that have the zesty essence of a Hitchcock masterwork this is a thriller that keeps you guessing until the end. Lots of positive buzz is already building for this one.
Harry Stein years ago wrote a book about growing weed that made him a bit of an icon in pot-smoking circles. But now, in order to maintain joint custody privileges in raising his teenage daughter he has abstained from partaking of the devil weed and works as a private investigator. However, a case involving the heist of a local grower’s crop cultivated for hospice purposes thrusts the fifty-year old shamus into an escapade involving murder and a deadly threat to someone very dear to him. This is a mystery debut showcasing a slacker hero with a touch of humor that will appeal to devotees of Gregory McDonald’s Fletch.
NYC District Attorney Butch Karp is getting a second chance to convict Harlem imam Sharif Jabbar for his involvement in an attempt to blow up the New York Stock Exchange and the stabbing death of a woman who tried to foil his attack. In another courtroom his wife, Marlene, is heading the defense of Dirty Warren, the courthouse newspaper vendor who is afflicted with Tourette’s , who has been targeted by DA Harley Chin to take the fall for the murder of a socialite to keep hidden aspects of the victim’s secret life that implicates rich and powerful political players. What we learn about justice system and the corrupting influences of power makes for a compelling read.
Kelly turns to her friend forensic handwriting analyst Claudia Rose to seek her help with the sudden disappearance of her niece. Kelly had been estranged from her half sister Erin, and wasn’t even aware she was an aunt until Erin’s unexpected arrival at her home. Erin and her family were members of the Temple of Brighter Light, an isolated religious compound when her husband and daughter disappeared leaving a puzzling missive that contained an ominous message raising concerns about possible harm coming to the girl. Claudia must decipher the meaning of the note before it is too late. Vivid characters, an intelligent protagonist with a fascinating skill, and fast-paced plotting distinguish this mass market original.
Who knew that a simple shopping errand to obtain the new Sinful handbag could turn out to be the prelude to a murder investigation? Fashionistas rejoice as Haley Randolph our favorite amateur sleuth, who also happens to work in retail, is entangled in another murder mystery. The victim, Tiffany Markham, had not only stolen Haley’s purse party business idea, but tried to put Haley and her partner out of business. So when Tiffany’s corpse is discovered in the trunk of the Mercedes her boyfriend’s grandmother had lent her, Haley is in the unenviable position of being the prime suspect. This cozy series featuring a likeable if fashion obsessed heroine is a fabulous poolside read. Do tell your friends.
Ben and Chon are two longtime friends who run a very lucrative marijuana operation out of Laguna Beach. Trouble starts brewing when the Mexican Baja Cartel sends them a gory e-mail displaying the butchered bodies of other independent dealers as a calling card to show they want a piece of the action and that “no” is not on the table. The boys don’t fold and this wild thrill ride into the underworld of the border drug trade really takes off. Absurdly funny and scary, the story is told in a spare style with a staccato and terse rhythm that is mesmerizing. This is not just a great story. It is a true work of art.
A young couple, Nick and Sara, are on their way to Reno to formally cement their union. At a rest stop in rural Nebraska they encounter ailing Sylvester White who offers them five hundred dollars for a ride to Omaha. Any chance that this is a fortunate event is soon put to rest as the passenger’s condition like the weather outside worsens. They stop at an isolated roadside motel to take stock of the situation when Syl stops breathing altogether. A search of his luggage reveals he was travelling with almost two million dollars in cash and the couple face the dilemma of what do you do next? This is a pressure cooker of a thriller that is a red-hot debut that stays with you long after you’ve read the last page.
It is always a special occasion when there is a new Maggie O’Dell novel and we are pleased to have a special evening event to welcome Alex back to the store. The discovery of a stainless steel cooler full of body parts in Pensecola Bay prompts the arrival of FBI agent Maggie O’Dell and Homeland Security deputy director Charlie Wurth. In a separate case involving the search for the source of a horrific bacteria that is killing our servicemen, Col. Benjamin Platt, Maggie’s new beau, is also on the scene. Eventually they are able to trace the body in the cooler to the disappearance of a man who vanished weeks earlier after a hurricane hit Port St. Lucie. But this only raises more questions as to how it ended up six hundred miles away?
LEE GOLDBERG, MR. MONK IS CLEANED OUTFinancial problems in the SFPD force the termination of Mr. Monk’s position as a department consultant. He does not panic. After all, he decides he can live off his savings until the current crisis passes. Problem is Mr. Monk’s investment manager Rob Sebes is facing charges for defrauding his clients and wiping out all their assets. When the key witness in the case is murdered, Monk is convinced Bob Sebes is behind it, and now he has to prove it.
TOD GOLDBERG, BURN NOTICE: THE GIVEAWAYFormer government op, Michael Westen owes some favors to Barry, the local money launderer. Barry assigns Michael the task of trying to patch up a situation involving Barry’s friend, Bruce, who is a former gentleman thief. It would appear Bruce who has only recently returned to a life of crime in order to support his ailing mother made the error of stealing from the legendary Ghouls motorcycle gang. The Ghouls want payback and Michael needs to come up with a solution and fast!!!!
WILLIAM RABKIN: PSYCH: A FATAL FRAME OF MINDThe opening night crowd gathered to witness the unveiling of a lost masterwork by Dante Gabriel Rosetti at the Santa Barbara art museum. Unfortunately, the dead body of the museum’s curator stole the show. Bogus psychic Shawn Spencer and his partner Burton ”Gus” Guster pursue an investigation that places their lives in peril from a deadly cabal desperate to maintain its secrets.
Former Hollywood stuntman and current PI David Spandau is back on the entertainment scene when he is hired to guard Anna Mayhew. The aging Oscar winner and former tabloid headline sensation has captured the attention of a really disturbed stalker. She also needs protection as she is serving as a judge at the Cannes film festival using the opportunity to jumpstart her flagging career. Depp excels in his descriptions of the glitz and glamour of Cannes based on his considerable inside Hollywood knowledge that lends a sly charm to this clever casefile.
A dead body bumps into the boat that zookeeper Theodora “Teddy” Bentley calls home. That would be disturbing enough, but what’s worse is the strangled corpse is someone she knows. Kate Nido was the koala-keeper at the zoo. The clues indicate that perhaps one of the other animal keepers at the zoo responsible. Before long, after a zoo employee is arrested and another marina resident is murdered, Teddy slides into full amateur sleuth mode that draws the attention of the killer with near-fatal results. Set on the Central California Coast, this entertaining and spirited cozy is sure to appeal to the legions of mystery fans who are also animal lovers.
New Jersey Attorney Andy Carpenter is an unrivaled advocate and protector of canines, and thanks to a windfall inheritance of $22 million he can pursue cases he cares about without worrying about the cost. A German Shepherd witnesses a murder, and if the dog’s owner is convicted of the crime, the dog could possibly face the needle. Andy argues with a judge that the dog should be set free, but a further investigation reveals that the dog and his owner, an Iraq war veteran and former cop who is now a thief, may be connected to an even bigger case. And this former police dog may be the key to solving another crime and preventing a huge disaster from taking place.
SIGNED BOOKSNEW! Signed copies of Peter Robinson's Bad Boy on sale!
Deputy sheriff Dave Robicheaux is back in New Iberia, Louisiana and finds himself caught up in the investigation of the death of a female high school honor student. Is she another victim of the serial killer who has brutally murdered a series of young women in the adjacent parish? Further complications arise for Dave as his daughter Alafair in pursuit of attempting to complete her novel becomes involved with Kermit Abelard whose family may have some connection to the crime. Another gripping and richly textured novel, which is already being considered one the best in the series, this entry resonates with an emotional intensity that is unparalleled. (July)
Former NYPD detective Charlie Parker in examining the suicide of a veteran discovers the disturbing fact that other members of the same unit have killed themselves as well. The disenchanted Iraqi war veterans were involved in smuggling artifacts into the country from Canada. Among the smuggled merchandise is an antique golden box that has attracted some very sinister men who will stop at nothing to obtain it. An atmospheric sense of dread and darkness elevates the action and engages the reader in this outstanding mystery which has just a dash of the supernatural added for additional flavor. (July)
Stephanie Plum, our favorite Jersey bounty hunter, has her hands full trying to help out her employer, cousin Vinnie, who has managed to get himself into trouble due to building up huge gambling debts. Lula and office manager Connie lend a hand as madcap antics ensue once more in another rollicking entry in this popular series.
Back in 1985, Frank and Rosie, a teenage couple, plotted their elopement to London to escape from their poor Dublin neighborhood of Faithful Place. But when Frank Mackey, now an undercover cop, found a note at their rendezvous point, he believed that she had left without him. Frank was not deterred from leaving as well. Now, over twenty years later, his sister calls to tell him that Rosie’s suitcase has been found stashed away in a deserted house. In his dogged determination to answer the questions that now plague him, Frank is once more is plunged into the family feuds and petty resentments that are the foundation of Faithful Place. (July)
Dr. Jonathan Ransom is no longer with Doctors Without Borders. He is on a mission that is being run by Division a secret government agency. Jonathan’s wife is Emma, Emma’s true loyalties remain an enigma. The cool and deadly woman may also work for Division, be a Russian agent, or be something else altogether. In any case, Jonathan is committed to helping her escape from a Taliban warrior and an evil arms dealer. This third book in the series is the most popular yet, and this one ends with a cliffhanger that would give rise to the belief that a fourth one is on the way. (July)
Gabriel Allon, master art restorer and assassin, has distanced himself from the Office and has gone to Cornwall with his wife Chiara to allow her a chance to heal from the conflict with Ivan Kharkov, but an old associate Julian Isherwood arrives and with Chiara’s urging as well Gabriel is persuaded to try to find a lost Rembrandt portrait that was stolen after the brutal murder of a fellow art restorer. It is a task that will take him to many diverse foreign locales and he will encounter a ruthless evil greed that knows no limits. Deadly secrets, suspense and intrigue distinguish this superior summer read. (July)
Kyle Wallace is snatched off the streets of Manhattan one evening in 2003 on a sojourn to rent a video. Now seven years later, the rest of the family, Kyle’s parents Mark and Claire and sister Kate are a family still burdened with emotional baggage from the abduction. Mark is an independent energy analyst working on secret project concerning foreign oil reserves that takes a strange turn when friends and colleagues are murdered and a new lead to the identity Kyle’s abductor rises to the surface on the same day a Russian natural gas pipeline is destroyed by terrorists. Working together the family seek to defeat a conspiracy to create a global energy monopoly. Vance has constructed another financial thriller that has a frighteningly real plausibility at its foundation. (Aug.)
NEW AND NOTEWORTHY
The mysterious circumstances surrounding the shooting death of former wife of the current President Robert McFarland draws forensic psychiatrist Jo Beckett into a web of intrigue that places her in the deadly path of a stalker. San Francisco Lt. Amy Tang a friend of the troubled country singer had brought Jo on board to conduct a psychological autopsy to determine whether the gunshot wound was a stunt gone wrong, a public suicide, or an assassination. Smooth plotting, brisk pacing, and compelling characters once again are the hallmarks of this reliable and gifted storyteller. (July)
Sandro Cellini, a Florentine PI, is asked by the grieving widow of a prominent Jewish architect to investigate the circumstances leading to her spouse’s death by drowning. Feeling sympathy for her plight he agrees to take the case although he initially believes that the Holocaust survivor with a long history of depression took his own life. But things heat up once he discovers a common link with his other investigation into the disappearance of a female art student. Fans of Donna Leon will enjoy this evocative and sinister puzzler involving greed and corruption. (July)
A Havana cop, Mercado Suarez, travels undercover and enters the country illegally to find the hit-and- run driver who took the life of her father, a Cuban defector. What Hshe uncovers is a web of secrets surrounding her father and by going undercover as a maid she witnesses first hand the facile corruption of the Hollywood elite and forms her own plan of revenge. This is the trade paperback edition of this searing noir novel. (July)
Set in Moscow in 1936, Captain Alexi Korolev is assigned to investigate the murder of a young woman who has been butchered and left on the altar of a deconsecrated church. The case takes an unexpected turn when it become evident that there are political issues involved which place Korolev in jeopardy of exile to the frozen north if he should fail to steer a safe course. The perpetual state of fear engendered during the Stalinist era is brilliantly rendered in this striking debut denoting the dilemma of an honest cop treading the dangerous waters of a repressive state. (Aug.)
This debut thriller presents in brutal detail the nightmare scenario of every real estate agent. Annie O’Sullivan is showing a property when an outwardly pleasant young man posing as a client abducts her and holds her captive for a year in an isolated mountain cabin. First there is the harrowing description of her confinement and ultimate escape told through her sessions with a therapist, and secondly there is the police investigation into the identity of the psychopath, and Annie’s challenges in readjusting to the world she left behind. The setting of Vancouver Island is another plus in this suspenseful, and fully realized novel that has twists and surprises galore. Highly recommended but not for the squeamish. (July)
This is another first-rate debut with a Canadian setting. Montgomery Harviko, is a recovering drug addict and reformed thief who has started a new life with a wife and baby. Three men break into his Winnipeg home and Harviko defends him family and kill them in the process. The police because of his record don’t believe his story and arrest him for murder. Like Jack Reacher this is an anti-hero you can root for as he sets to prove his innocence and to resist the siren call of his former criminal tendencies. There is some edgy humor present as well in this fast-moving tale. (Aug.)
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This page last revised on August 27, 2010 |
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