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"The fire you kindle for your enemy often burns yourself more than them." ~ Chinese proverb
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New and Recently Released!
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| Five: A Novel by Ursula Archer; translated by Jamie Lee SearlePolice Procedural. This "riveting" (Publishers Weekly) debut mystery introduces Beatrice Kaspary, a single mom and dedicated Austrian detective inspector. With her partner Florin Wenninger (of whom she's growing perhaps a bit too fond, considering he has a long-distance girlfriend), she catches a puzzling case: a woman's corpse has been found in a cow pasture with GPS coordinates tattooed on the soles of her feet. A twisted geocaching game is quickly afoot, where the discoveries are gruesome to behold. Though Five is not for the faint of heart, readers who enjoy cleverly plotted international mysteries will appreciate this suspenseful novel. |
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| Safari: A Stanley Hastings Mystery by Parnell HallMystery. If you've read any of the Stanley Hastings mysteries set in New York City, you'll be surprised to learn that down-on-his-luck Stanley travels to Zambia and Zimbabwe in this 19th entry. You won't be surprised, however, to learn that his wife, Alice, planned their cut-rate safari or that she's not pleased with his lack of enthusiasm. Arriving in Africa, the bungling PI finds himself on tour with a daredevil guide, a nubile young woman, and others as he (sort of) enjoys encounters with wild animals. But the vacation ends when suspicious accidents begin plaguing his fellow tourists, and Stanley knows a murderer lurks within the group. Readers who enjoy witty narration and character-driven stories peppered with wordplay will want to pick up this 19th mystery starring Stanley. |
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| In the Company of Sherlock Holmes: Stories Inspired by the Holmes Canon by Laurie R. King and Leslie S. Klinger (editors)Short Stories. It's elementary that Sherlock Holmes will never die; he clearly lives on in various media and book pastiches. This latest offering (which was delayed for several years due to a lawsuit, one that eventually released the deerstalker-wearing character into the public domain) showcases a variety of stories, some traditional, some inspired by previous Holmes adventures, and others that take place in more modern settings. Though not every reader will enjoy every story, this entertaining follow-up to the best-selling A Study in Sherlock includes contributions by a large group of talented authors, including Sara Paretsky, Jeffery Deaver, Harlan Ellison, and Michael Connelly (Harry Bosch makes an appearance!). |
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| Irène by Pierre Lemaître; translated by Frank WynnePolice Procedural. Though he'll never reach even five feet in height, 40-year-old Camille Verhoeven is a police detective who stands tall among his peers. Incredibly intelligent, he nevertheless finds himself challenged by a cunning serial murderer who bases his killings on scenes from famous crime novels. With a very pregnant wife at home and newspaper leaks upsetting higher ups at work, Camille manages to balance everything -- until it all collides. If you enjoy tension-filled noir novels and can stomach grisly details, you may want to check out this suspenseful tale with an ending "that's both brilliant and diabolical" (Kirkus Reviews). Though the 2nd book in the series, Alex, was published in English last year, Irène is the actual 1st book in the trilogy and is the best place to start. Fred Vargas readers who'd like books about another quirky French police detective will want to meet Camille. |
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| Wink of an Eye: A Mystery by Lynn Chandler WillisMystery. Leaving Las Vegas after upsetting the wrong people, PI Gypsy Moran goes home, to tiny Wink, Texas, where his teacher sister still lives. There less than four hours, he is lassoed into investigating the "suicide" of a local cop, who was also a single dad. Now being raised by his wheelchair-bound grandfather, 12-year-old Tatum McCallen is convinced that his father was murdered because of a case he was investigating off the clock. Intrigued in spite of himself, Gypsy checks things out and finds a whole lot of trouble. The winner of St. Martin's Press and PWA's Best First Private Eye Novel Competition, this atmospheric, well-plotted mystery has a likable hero in Gypsy. Fans of Bill Crider's Dan Rhodes mysteries and Terry Shames' Samuel Craddock mysteries who'd like more tales set in small Texas towns should plan a trip to Wink. |
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Fire, fire, and more fire
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| Roast Mortem: A Coffeehouse Mystery by Cleo CoyleCozy Mystery. To the horror of New York City coffee lovers, an arsonist is setting fire to cafés around town. Clare Cosi, who manages the popular Village Blend coffee house in Greenwich Village, is visiting a friend to talk business at his Queens restaurant when the place goes up in flames. Rescued by firefighters, Clare is drawn to the case like a moth to a flame and begins her own investigation of the fire and of the others that soon occur, even though the fire marshal really wishes she wouldn't. Juggling work and single motherhood, she smokes out the crooks and provides mouthwatering descriptions of coffee and food (almost a dozen recipes are included). Grab a hot cup of your favorite brew and relax with this diverting read, the 9th Coffeehouse Mystery. |
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| Fire Sale: A V.I. Warshawski Novel by Sara ParetskyMystery. At the behest of her former coach who's currently fighting cancer, V.I. Warshawski begins coaching the girls' basketball team at her old South Chicago high school. V.I.'s got gang members and teen mothers to deal with, but not to worry, whodunit fans! She also dons her detective gear after she's hired to investigate the disappearance of a rich local family's son, and she tries to figure out who sabotages (and then blows up) a local flag factory. Mystery readers looking for books with a strong sense of place will find that Chicago has "a costarring role" (Booklist) in Fire Sale, the 13th in a gritty series. |
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| The Fire Kimono by Laura Joh RowlandHistorical Mystery. In 1700 Japan, a conflict between samurai detective Sano Ichiro and his fiercest enemy escalates even as a newly found skeleton threatens all that Sano thinks he knows. With the shogun giving Sano just three days to look into the mysterious bones -- which seem to be those of the shogun's cousin, who was killed many years earlier at the time of the great fire -- he's got to work fast. Unfortunately for Sano, the prime suspect is his own mother. If Feudal Japan intrigues you or you just love historical tales, check out The Fire Kimono, the excellent 13th Sano Ichiro mystery -- Kirkus Reviews says that "the historic setting is mesmerizing." |
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| California Fire and Life by Don WinslowMystery. When a wing of a California coast mansion goes up in flames with Nicky Vale's young wife inside, it's a bit surprising when he files the insurance claim the very next day. Called in to verify the claim, experienced insurance investigator Jack Wade, who'd rather be surfing, believes it's a case of arson and murder. But with Nicky being high up in the Russian mafia and the local police having already declared the fire accidental, how can he prove it? Perhaps with the help of the victim's sister, a cop who's also Jack's former lover. With its authentic yet terse and gritty language, fans of classic hardboiled tales should give this "focused, street-smart tale" (Booklist) a try. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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