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Mysteries, thrillers, suspense, spy novels, and other light reading serve as entertainment and relaxation for many people, especially vacationers and weekenders. Fiction takes us away from workaday reality but allows our minds to contemplate other lives and attitudes and possibilities. Such a pastime is easy, safe, cheap, occasionally educational, and not all that time-consuming. Happy reading, everyone!
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A Defense for the Dead, by Michael Fredrickson. Tom Doherty Associates, Forge, New York, 2004. Hardcover. ISBN 0-312-87457-x. --Boston lawyer Jimmy Morrissey is drawn into an investigation of a serial killer known as Van Gogh --but this investigation only begins after the killer is already dead --it turns out that one of the murders may have been a "copy-cat" done by someone else --Morrissey is also drawn into the gay scene in Provincetown where a popular drag queen entertainer seems to hold the key to the mystery --additional complications include a secretary with boyfriend problems, a wife with breast cancer, and a former con-man client who wants his file back --overly complicated but interesting Two-Dollar Bill, by Stuart Woods. G.P. Putnam's Sons, New York, 2005. Hardcover. ISBN 0-399-15251-2. --lawyer Stone Barrington dines at Elaine's and dates the new U.S. Attorney for New York --in this thriller is a bad guy with a penchant for handing out two-dollar bills while name-dropping like crazy --excellent plotting and nice repartee but a little too New Yorker in-crowd, you know, clubby and chummy --a little kid is in danger and a number of relatively harmless people get killed off Love, Lies and Liquor: an Agatha Raisin Mystery, by M.C. Beaton. St. Martin's Paperbacks, New York, 2006. Paper. ISBN 0-312-36877-1. --Agatha's on-again/off-again fancy for James Lacey leads the middle-aged sleuth into trouble. And this time all the characters end up in a dilapidated seaside resort called Snoth-on-Sea. --an obnoxious woman is strangled with one of Agatha's scarves so naturally our intrepid heroine must stick around to solve the case, although in the process she gets into even more trouble and exposes herself to life-threatening dangers --fans of the series will appreciate this outing which is perhaps a little fraught, what with so much travelling by all of the characters --Agatha and James are not together at the ending, but you never know... T is for Trespass, by Sue Grafton. G.P. Putnam's Sons, New York, 2007. A Marion Wood Book. Penguin Group. Hardcover. ISBN 973-0-399-15448-5. --private investigator Kinsey Millhone deals with assorted lowlifes and decent sorts while nearly missing a tragedy taking place next door --an elderly neighbor is briefly incapacitated but, as a result, ends up in the clutches of an uncaring sociopath with eyes on his fortune --but our Kinsey is one tough cookie who can serve a legal paper, pick a lock, or throw a punch with the best of them Rumpole Misbehaves, by John Mortimer. Viking, New York, 2007. Hardcover. ISBN 978-0-670-01830-7. --Old Bailey barrister Horace Rumpole deals with cases that are all curiously linked--an Anti-Social Behavior Order against a 12-year-old, a murder charge against a man visiting a lady of the evening, and a man charged with bringing illegal aliens into the country --his wife Hilda, She who Must Be Obeyed, is in fine form as is Horace's erstwhile nemesis Judge Bullingham --Horace applies for silk (QC) and deals with an ASBO lodged against him by chambers' colleagues --a fine outing for the lovable old curmudgeon --recommended Hit Parade, by Lawrence Block. Harper, New York, 2006. Paperback. ISBN 0-06-084089-7. --everyone's favorite hit man Keller takes on assignments, deals with assorted problems, and buys more stamps --Dot discovers day trading, and so the fortunes of this odd partnership grow --Keller experiences qualms, especially when it comes to one job which requires him to target a dog --Keller reminds Dot to be sure to retrieve his stamp collection should anything happen to him --absorbing, but may not appeal to some due to the light-hearted view of this terrible villain Blue Shoes and Happiness, by Alexander McCall Smith. Anchor Books, New York, 2006. Paperback. ISBN 978-1-4000-7571-3. --lady detective Precious Ramotswe deals with several non-remunerative private investigations, including one that may involve that new phenomenon, the newspaper advice columnist --traditionally built Mma R. considers going on a diet and her much thinner husband, the legendary mechanic J.L.B. Matekoni, considers the implications of buying a new chair --and whose are the blue shoes? they bring a light to the eyes of assistant detective Mma Makuti --blackmail threats, overpriced pills, and an injured hornbill all fit into the mix --sweet --recommended Running Blind, by Lee Child. G.P. Putnam's Sons, New York, 2000. Hardcover. ISBN 0-399-14623-7. --ex-Military Policeman Jack Reacher is dragged into a serial killer investigation by the FBI --Reacher does a good turn on behalf of a restaurant owner threatened by a protection racket but sees that good turn used against him to force his cooperation with the FBI --the killer case is puzzling, with the exact murder method undetermined --as a subplot, Jack and his lawyer girlfriend seem to be drifting apart --by calling in markers and winning the trust of at least one of the FBI agents, Jack manages to solve the case but still finds himself in a heap of trouble --unusual crimes and a classic loner as the hero-investigator There Was an Old woman, by Howard Engel. Overlook Press, New York, 2002. Note: this novel was first published in 1993. Paperback. ISBN 1-58567-255-6. --Canadian PI Benny Cooperman looks into the legal ramifications following from the death of an elderly woman, the friend of perennial hanger-on Kogan --Cooperman meets with lawyers, businessmen and TV people and eventually helps resolve a case involving two murders --his parents get to meet a celebrated local TV personality --and Kogan may inherit from the old woman and be able to buy and sell everything and everyone in sight Fiddlers: A Novel of the 87th Precinct, by Ed McBain. An Otto Penzler Book, Harcourt, New York, 2005. Hardcover. ISBN 0-15-101216-4. --police procedural tracking a serial killer who targets an odd assortment of older, or at least well past middle age, people --different two-man teams from the 87th precinct pursue leads and eventually all focus on one guy named Charlie --fans of the series will appreciate this episode, but the novel does work Okay on its own thanks to a breezy style and clever character delineations --recommended The Reaper, by Peter Lovesey. Soho Press, New York, 2000. Paperback. ISBN 978-1-56947-308-5. --a vicar in an English country village could be a serial killer, or so the whisperers say --the Reverend Otis Joy is much respected for his deft touch with a sermon --and he has great personal charm, good humor, and even better looks --yet people around him seem to keep disappearing, either literally or metaphorically as in sudden death --a clever plot with keen character descriptions --recommended Middle of Nowhere, by Ridley Pearson. Hyperion, New York, 2000. Hardcover. ISBN 0-7868-6563-6. --police procedural involving overworked detectives dealing with a crime increase in Seattle, an increase probably related to a blue flu walkout by uniformed policemen and supported by some detectives --the main characters make a lot of mistakes but eventually get the bad guy and the other guys running a scam from within the police force --good on suspense, plotting, and character details --the technology, cell phone and GPS usage, may seem somewhat dated God's Spy, by Juan Gomez-Jurado. Translated by James Graham. Dutton, New York, 2007. Hardcover. ISBN 978-0-525-94994-7. --serial killer targets cardinals in Vatican City --FBI-trained profiler Paola Dicanti of the Rome police force is called in to handle a sensitive investigation just as cardinals from all over the world are assembling to select the new pope --an American priest with intelligence training and an inspector for the Vatican security force join Paola's team and they search for a deranged priest who has supposedly escaped from a treatment facility for clergy with sexual problems --thriller style touches, but the narrative is somewhat plodding --at the end the pope is chosen without untoward incident Who Guards a Prince, by Reginald Hill. A Felony and Mayhem Mystery. New York, 2005. First published in 1982. Paperback. ISBN 1-933397-02-0. --Detective-Inspector McHarg pieces together several crimes, including murder, which have a connection with a super secret group within the Freemasons --eventually McHarg goes out on his own to battle the bad guys and, yes, save a Prince, albeit a minor one, who is in love with an Irish American girl --along the way the detective loses family members but finds another sort of family --a novel to delight conspiracy theorists everywhere Snapshot, by Garry Disher. Soho Press, New York, 2005. Hardcover. ISBN 1-56947-426-5. --Inspector Challis deals with the murder of his boss's daughter-in-law, a psychologist who appears to have been involved in the sex party scene --obstacles abound, whether reluctant and arrogant witnesses, or suspicious motives dogging everyone --accidental death and near-misses punctuate this crime story which is set in Australia Lazybones, by Mark Billingham. William Morrow, HarperCollins, New York, 2003. Hardcover. ISBN 0-06-056085-1. --British police procedural targeting a serial killer who picks on ex-convicts whom most people don't mind seeing in trouble--rapists --the lead detective becomes semi-involved with a florist and keeps finding and following leads that look highly promising yet ultimately go nowhere --another detective, who is having problems dealing with impending fatherhood, ultimately identifies the killer and rescues the hero detective from near certain death --interesting characters --not sure that the author really plays fair in parcelling out facts so that readers have a chance to figure out 'whodunit' Mr. Dixon Disappears: A Mobile Library Mystery, by Ian Sansom. Harper, New York, 2006. Paperback. ISBN 978-0-06-082253-8. --librarian Israel Armstrong is nearly framed for the kidnapping of a local department store magnate and the theft of a major sum of cash from the store --feckless Israel, the mobile librarian in Tumdrum, Northern Ireland, hasn't a clue, not about not touching anything at a crime scene, not about girlfriends, not about bicycles, not about drinking illegal whiskey, and certainly not about finding the sometime magician and family businessman with no willing heir--the disappearing Mr. Dixon --funny and lighthearted, with colorful characters --recommended Misdemeanor Man: a Novel, by Dylan Schaffer. Bloomsbury, New York, 2004. Hardcover. ISBN 1-58234-460-4. --public defender Gordon Seegerman takes on an apparently unwinnable misdemeanor case while preparing for a big concert with his band, a Barry Manilow tribute group --Gordon's client, the supposedly indigent defendant, is subsequently also charged with murder --legal maneuvering and courtroom scenes and band performances, plus family relationships --nice plotting Find Me, by Carol O'Connell. Berkley Books, New York, 2006. Paperback. ISBN 978-0-425-21787-0. --Detective Mallory and a serial killer are both traveling Route 66, where bodies of children, some long dead, have been found --unusual police procedural that is part road trip and part quest for lost youth --will Mallory find her father and will he turn out to be the killer? --jurisdictional issues between local and state police and the FBI confuse everyone and cause clumsy missteps which favor a chameleon-like madman --recommended Chinaman's Chance, by Ross Thomas. With Introduction by William Heffernan. Thomas Dunne Books, St. Martin's Minotuar, New York, 2005. First published in 1978. Paperback. ISBN 0-312-33414-1. --crime novel featuring con men and sometime spies Artie Wu and Quincy Durant who take on a missing-person assignment as part of a complicated revenge or retribution plan --and everybody has an angle, from the police chief to the local mafia big-wig, from the rich man's wife to the hustler after another big score --past events from the Vietnam War era, including buried treasure and shoot-outs in the jungle, form part of the plot --great character names too, like Otherguy Overby and Silk Armitage who is sister to Lace Piers --did I mention that Artie Wu has pretender claims to the thrones of China and of Scotland? --recommended She Smiled Sweetly: a Poppy Rice Mystery, by Mary-Ann Tirone Smith. Henry Holt, New York, 2004. Hardcover. ISBN 0-8050-7224-1. --an FBI thriller manhunt --two pregnant women drown in suspicious circumstances, one in Boston and one thirty years earlier in Ireland --FBI investigator Poppy Rice looks for connections --child pornography issues turn up as a subplot --agent Rice seems rather unreal as a supercop who flies all over the country, acts gun crazy and guy crazy, and even takes on a private interview with the President's wife --a fast read Death and Judgment, by Donna Leon. Penguin/Grove Press Book, New York, 2006. From the 1995 novel. Paperback. ISBN 0-14-30-3582-7. --Venetian Commissario Brunetti investigates suspicious murders while dealing with politically involved bosses, hard-working assistants, unhelpful witnesses, his opinionated wife, and his sweet teenage daughter --good storytelling and a great setting --human trafficking is a subplot and may be the key to the murders The Lost Army of Cambyses, by Paul Sussman. Thomas Dunne Books, St. Martin's Press, New York, 2002. Hardcover. ISBN 0-312-30153-7. --thriller with an archaeology theme --nice plotting with some absurd elements and a scary ending --interesting setting in Egypt The Patience of the Spider, by Andrea Camilleri. Translated by Stephen Sartarelli. Penguin Books, New York, 2007. Paperback. ISBN 978-0-14-311203-7. --Inspector Montalbano, recovering from a gunshot wound, deals with an apparent kidnapping in the course of which a businessman with political ambitions sees his reputation ruined --everyone in town, as well as the detective's lover Livia, has an opinion on the case --Southern Italy is the setting --Montalbano is a one-of-a-kind character --recommended The Hundredth Man, by Jack Kerley. Large Print edition. Thorndike/Windsor-Paragon and Dutton, New York, 2004. Hardcover. ISBN 0-7862-6926-x. --police procedural set in Mobile, Alabama --serial killer case featuring headless corpses --subplot involves a love angle and recovery from alcoholism --another subplot centers on an institutionalized psychopath --nice plotting and character development --office politics in the police department is an important plot point --thriller-style ending --recommended Ten Second Staircase, by Christopher Fowler. Bantam Books, New York, 2007. Paperback. ISBN 0-533-58831-6. --unusual police procedural featuring the North London Peculiar Crimes Unit --serial murder cases, one with a vampire and one with a highwayman, must be resolved or else the PCU will be disbanded --PCU's motley crew of detectives is headed by the duo of Bryant and May, both overdue for retirement but essential characters for solving odd mysteries --lots of info concerning London history, with fact and fiction intertwining --teenagers seem to be causing lots of trouble --convoluted plot Plea Bargain: A Novel, by Larry Axelrood. Cumberland House, Nashville TN, 2002. Hardcover. ISBN 1-58182-273-1. --trial lawyer mystery set in Chicago --various characters, from cops, private eyes, other lawyers, diamond merchants, bodyguards, drug dealers, and spooks to doctors, cross paths with defense attorney Darcy Cole --nice storytelling, with a variety of subplots --recommended Blowout: An FBI Thriller, by Catherine Coulter. Jove Books, New York, 2005. Paperback. ISBN 0-515-13925-4. --thriller showcasing the murder of a supreme court justice --intrepid duo, Savich and Sherlock, are called in on the case which involves many agents, DC police, and other law enforcement officials --more murders occur before the case is resolved --a subplot deals with a 30-year-old murder case and unusual dreams --the love angle is taken up by a reporter and a police detective Winter House, by Carol O'Connell. G.P. Putnam's Sons, New York, 2004. Hardcover. ISBN 0-399-15211-3. --homicide detective Mallory and assorted sidekicks deal with the return of someone who disappeared from the scene of a mass murder nearly 60 years before --other violence occurs and the living characters involved are all less than helpful --intriguing and convoluted --New York City setting --recommended Thirty-three Teeth, by Colin Cotterill. Soho Press, New York, 2005. Paperback. ISBN 1-56947-429-x. --Dr. Siri, national coroner for Laos, investigates suspicious deaths, one possibly involving an escaped bear and another possibly involving a helicopter crash and yet another involving people leaping to their deaths out of fear --the septuagenarian and his pals confront mysteries of the spirit and of the mundane with good humor despite the drabness and imposed order of communist rule in the late 1970's --fascinating setting --recommended The Mission Song, by John Le Carre. Little, Brown and Co., New York, 2006. Hardcover. ISBN 0-316-01674-8. --the hero is an interpreter, half-British and half-Congolese, who stumbles upon a plot to take over the eastern section of the Congo --British intelligence operatives, mercenaries, and African warlords and crooks congregate for a private conference on a private island --the 'innocent' interpreter later tries to alert people about the matter but fails at every turn --also a love story --interesting and somewhat exotic topic --wonderful storytelling --recommended The 5th Horseman: A Novel, by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro. Little, Brown and Co., New York, 2006. Hardcover. ISBN 0-316-15977-8. --police procedural and legal thriller involving unexplained deaths at a hospital as well as a serial killer who poses victims after death in fancy cars --a group of women located in San Francisco, including lawyers and policewomen, meet over dinner to discuss the latest developments --nice plotting Chill of Night, by John Lutz. Pinnacle Books, Kensington Publishing Corp., New York, 2006. Paperback. ISBN 0-7860-1675-3. --police procedural set in New York City --retired detective Beam is recalled to deal with a serial killer who leaves a red-letter "J" on the bodies of his victims, who mostly are former jurors from cases where the defendant was acquitted --a couple of love stories as sub-plots --Nell, one of Beam's detective assistants, becomes a target of the killer --thriller-style ending --recommended Call for the Dead, by John le Carre. "The First George Smiley Novel." Walker & Co., New York, 2004. Foreword by P.D. James. Hardcover. ISBN 0-8027-1443-9. --the essential spy novel by the British master --well-written and plotted and not over-long --sidekicks ex-policeman Mendel and colleague Guillam prove their mettle --there is also an introduction by the author which offers comments on writing and on characters and on how he, the author, got started with this genre --recommended The Darkest Place, by Daniel Judson. St. Martin's Paperbacks, St. Martin's Press, New York, 2006. ISBN 0-312-35515-7. --serial killer murder mystery with too many mysterious characters, that is, people with something in their pasts that influences their current actions in odd ways --these characters include college teachers, private eyes, a couple of policemen, and assorted hangers-on --the victims show up as bodies in the ocean or lake, and the theme of drowning appears a number of times in plot and subplots --the killer is revealed at the end of the story and seems to arrive out of nowhere despite a couple of vague hints --some self-defense killings are covered up --the female characters all seem to be dissolute types (sluts) and the male characters all seem to carry on bravely despite assorted handicaps and failings --for summer reading, but not for the permanent collection The Lincoln Lawyer: a Novel, by Michael Connelly. Little, Brown, and Co., New York, 2005. Hardcover. ISBN 0-316-73493-4. --legal thriller starring a defense lawyer who discovers he has one unexpectedly innocent client and one seriously guilty client, but, initially, it is not clear which one is which --interesting on topic of legal strategy --set in Los Angeles and assumes some familiarity with the metropolitan area --hero Mickey Haller is a great character and a lawyer you will want on your side --suspenseful --recommended The Ottoman Cage: a Novel of Istanbul, by Barbara Nadel. Thomas Dunne Books, St. Martin's Minotaur, New York, 2000. Hardcover. ISBN 0-312-33769-8. --police procedural set in the Turkish city --involves police, doctors, and society people --the mystery surrounds a dead boy found in a room that had been locked and hidden for years and years --drug addiction, prostitution, and homosexuality figure in the case --Turkish home life, values, and history are touched on --intriguing setting --madness is an additional theme, as is modern relations between men and women in the mid-Eastern culture --recommended Final Justice, A Badge of Honor Novel, by W.E.B. Griffin. G.P. Putnam's Sons, New York, 2003. Hardcover. ISBN 0-399-14926-0. --procedural starring the Philadelphia police department --hero detective Matt Payne handles everything from dignitary protection, to vehicle accidents, to murder investigations, to promotion in police ranks, to fugitive apprehension with aplomb --he is also a lady killer and friend to a journalist with whom he travels to Paris and visits the Louvre --may have far too much detail about police hierarchy than most novel readers need --pretty good pacing and excellent plotting --recommended One shot, a Jack Reacher Novel, by Lee Child. Delacorte Press, New York, 2005. Hardcover. ISBN 0-385-33668-3. --sniper shooting mystery with a rock-solid case against the killer --but then Jack Reacher, and off-the-grid loner who knew the killer, James Barr, when both were in the army, shows up all bets are off, even the supposed "rock-solid case" --intelligent procedural, with a possible mole high up in city government or in the police --the district attorney's daughter takes on the killer's defense --recommended The Naming of the Dead: an Inspector Rebus Novel, by Ian Rankin. Little, Brown and Co., New York, 2006. Hardcover. ISBN 978-0-316-05757-8. --protest marches surrounding a G-8 summit meeting are the setting for this police procedural crime mystery --Inspector Rebus and colleague Siobhan deal with a serial killer, an apparent suicide, and assorted politicos and bosses --covers the forces of law and order and the forces for change as they clash at a meeting for world leaders --nice plotting and great characters --knowing something about the town of Edinburgh might help but isn't really necessary --Rebus fans will appreciate this latest outing --recommended Pieces of My Heart, by Peter Robinson. William Morrow, HarperCollins, New York, 2006. Hardcover. ISBN 0-06-054435-x. --two investigations, one in 1969 and one present day, eventually mesh in this engrossing police procedural --60's culture and mores versus today's attitudes are contrasted as the mystery's outlines are fleshed out --DCI Banks and DI Annie Cabbot work their magic, while dealing with a new boss --DI Chadwick, the lead detective in the 1969 case, is also an interesting character --also covers rock concerts, father-daughter relationships, and office politics --recommended How to Cook a Tart, a Novel, by Nina Killham. Bloomsbury, New York, 2002. Paperback. ISBN 1-58234-304-7. --a blend of gourmet cooking fantasy, book publishing gambits, "other-woman" situations, and teenagers behaving like teenagers --plus a murder mystery --florid writing style to go with the florid character of the heroine, Jasmine March, an artist in the kitchen --different --recommended |
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