Publisher: Mulholland Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 04/30/2013
ISBN-13: 9780316206846
ISBN-10: 0316206849

Mystery. In this "stellar debut" (Publishers Weekly), private investigator Cormoran Strike has a day he'll not soon forget. The 35-year-old, who lost a leg in Afghanistan, spends the night in his bare-bones London office after a relationship-ending fight with his long-term girlfriend. That morning, he sports a cut on his face (she threw an ashtray) as he rushes out the door, barreling into a new temp secretary he can't afford, almost sending her down a staircase. The forgiving temp, Robin, quickly proves herself useful when they get a case: a famous young model supposedly jumped from the top of her penthouse apartment, but her brother believes she was murdered. Entering the realm of the mega-rich, Strike and Robin question celebrities and fashionistas, trying to uncover the truth in this beautifully written first novel.

Publisher: Viking
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 06/04/2013
ISBN-13: 9780670026456
ISBN-10: 067002645X

Police Procedural. In Wyoming's Absaroka County, 15-year-old Cord Lynear is a "lost boy" -- a teen who's been thrown out of a polygamist Mormon compound in order leave more wives for others -- in search of his missing mom. Sheriff Walt Longmire alongside his deputy (and love interest) Victoria Moretti and his good friend Henry Standing Bear try to help him. Fans of this 9th in a bestselling series who'd like another mystery that deals with "lost boys" can try Betty Webb's Desert Lost: A Lena Jones Mystery. Those who want more mysteries that are gritty and outdoorsy can try C.J. Box's Wyoming-set Joe Pickett books or William Kent Krueger's Minnesota-based Cork O'Connor novels. Those who've only seen Longmire, the A&E program based on Craig Johnson's books, may want to start with the 1st in the series, The Cold Dish.

Publisher: Bantam Books Trade Paperbacks
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 05/14/2013
ISBN-13: 9780345536730
ISBN-10: 0345536738

Historical Mystery. In her 3rd character-driven adventure, indomitable Maggie Hope, a Brit raised in America, works for Winston Churchill's black ops division and agrees to perform a most dangerous mission. After lots of training, she parachutes into Berlin in 1941, where she masquerades as the girlfriend of a Nazi, delivers radio parts to resistance members, and confronts her own past when she attempts to bug the office of an influential Nazi mastermind to whom she's related. Newcomers will want to start with the 1st Hope book, the charming Mr. Churchill's Secretary, to best watch developments and relationships unfold. Those who'd enjoy a cozier look at WWII-era Britain may want to try Rhys Bowen's richly detailed 1930s-set Royal Spyness mysteries.

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Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 05/21/2013
ISBN-13: 9780307595850
ISBN-10: 0307595854

Mystery. Christmas in Oslo takes a violent turn when a contract killer shoots a Salvation Army street musician right in front of holiday shoppers. Investigating the murder, maverick detective Harry Hole discovers that the assassin killed the wrong person...and he's now frantically searching for his real target. Kirkus Reviews says in a starred review of The Redeemer, "rarely does a mystery novel succeed on so many levels." Readers should know that the Harry Hole novels have not been published in series order in the U.S.; while The Redeemer is the most recently released, it is actually 6th in reading order, coming before the stunning events of last year's Phantom. Fans of Jo Nesbø's complex, multi-layered books should appreciate the same characteristics in Henning Mankell's Inspector Kurt Wallander series, which are set in Sweden.

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Publisher: Minotaur Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 05/07/2013
ISBN-13: 9781250026590
ISBN-10: 1250026598

Cozy Mystery. On an Outer Banks island where wild Spanish mustangs still live, fire chief Colleen McCabe occasionally helps her best friend, Sheriff Bill Dorman, with cases. Not that the Sheriff is happy about that. In fact, when a burned body is discovered on the beach, he warns Colleen not to investigate. Unable to help herself -- even though she's busy keeping the North Carolina island safe from sparks on the fourth of July -- Colleen finds time to sift through the evidence, especially after an arsonist strikes. She also spends time with her Border collie, Sparky, and rebuffs amorous advances from a persistent local developer. Animal lovers who appreciate the coastal small-town setting of Carolyn Hart's South Carolina-set Death on Demand novels may want to try this evocative winner of the Malice Domestic Best First Traditional Mystery Novel contest.

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Publisher: Penguin Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 02/06/2007
ISBN-13: 9780143038306
ISBN-10: 0143038303

Cozy Mystery. It's not very reassuring when you're in hiding for your own safety and find a skull on a British beach. But that's the situation American ex-pat Lori Shepherd finds herself in after her lawyer husband receives death threats against him and his family. While her husband goes to London to assist Scotland Yard, Lori and her five-year-old twin sons travel to a remote Scottish island to hide out at Sir Percy Pelham's castle. Mysteries abound even there, however, due to the unexplained affluence of the local villagers and the aforementioned skull. Ever curious, Lori decides to check things out and asks the ghost of Aunt Dimity (who corresponds with her via a blue notebook) for help. This 11th in the slightly supernatural series has a few tense moments to go along with its atmospheric setting, endearing characters, and sweetly cozy feel.

Publisher: Berkley Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 11/04/2008
ISBN-13: 9780425226858
ISBN-10: 0425226859

Mystery. Park ranger and amateur sleuth Anna Pigeon has been assigned to fire duty at drought-ridden Cumberland Island National Seashore off the coast of Georgia. It's incredibly hot, and she's getting a bit bored sitting around waiting for fires to break out, but things heat up when a plane crashes (killing the two men onboard), and it appears the aircraft was tampered with. Meanwhile, Anna's boyfriend, FBI agent Frederick Stanton, meets Anna's sister, and he likes her a lot -- perhaps too much. Endangered Species is the 5th book in the bestselling Anna Pigeon mysteries, "which are as entertaining and thought provoking as they are fun to read" (Booklist). Newcomers can start here, but those who want to watch relationships evolve should pick up the 1st book, Track of the Cat.

Publisher: Minotaur Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 07/19/2011
ISBN-13: 9780312564537
ISBN-10: 0312564538

Mystery. Crime reporter Jimm Juree thinks it's the end of her career when her mother sells the family's store/home in urban northern Thailand to buy a rundown, ocean-front motel on the sleepy southern coast. But when the skeletons of two hippies are discovered in a VW van buried in a field and a Buddhist abbot is murdered, Jimm suddenly has plenty of crime to cover. With help from a closeted gay policeman, her ex-traffic cop grandfather, and her transgendered sibling (a computer hacker who stayed in the city), she investigates. Fans of Lisa Lutz may want to try this humorous 1st in a new series as Jimm is as independent as Izzy Spellman, with a family that's just as eccentric.

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Publisher: Pegasus Crime
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 05/01/2012
ISBN-13: 9781605983363
ISBN-10: 1605983365

Mystery. When the booze-infused reality TV show Fun House sets up production in Sea Haven, New Jersey, death follows. In their 7th outing, local cop John Ceepak, who's also a decorated military police officer, and his young, Springsteen-loving partner Danny Boyle find themselves on national television as they deal with everything from drunken Skee-Ball shenanigans to cold-blooded murder. The incredibly moral Ceepak, who "will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do," may not understand the raucous Jersey Shore-esque stars, but he's determined to figure out who killed one of them before another one dies. Fans of Janet Evanovich's humorous, Jersey-set Stephanie Plum novels will appreciate the quirky characters in Sea Haven as well as Danny's entertaining first-person narration.

Publisher: Random House Trade Paperbacks
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 01/08/2013
ISBN-13: 9780812983920
ISBN-10: 0812983920

Mystery. Living in a houseboat he won in a bet in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, sensitive yet tough Travis McGee has enough money that he only occasionally works as a "salvage consultant," recovering items of great value. Agreeing to help distressed Cathy Kerr find treasure hidden by her father, who died in prison, Trav must deal with ex-con Junior Allen. Allen, a charismatic man, seduced Catherine and lived with her and her family...until he finally found her father's hiding place and disappeared. If you haven't meet McGee, try The Deep Blue Good-By, the 1st entry in a series that's beloved by many. Though John D. MacDonald died in 1986, his 21 McGee novels are classics that still feel remarkably fresh and timely.