←Back
These essays cover a couple dozen novels, mostly of recent vintage and read in 2008 and 2009. Additional details about the books themselves follow the essays. Currently there are three essays on this page. For more essays check here and here.
◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊
Murder mysteries and police procedurals depend a lot on atmosphere, local color, and lead characters. Choosing a well-known city like Philadelphia or Chicago or, alternatively, a more romantic location like Venice or Rio clinches the local-color angle, especially if the author sends the protagonists traipsing off around the streets and landmarks. Atmosphere is developed by pace and attitude, among other tricks in the writer's arsenal. Lead characters, if they are distinctive enough, can acquire devoted fans. In the nine novels described here this month, there is a wide variation in locale, ambiance, and lead investigators.
Barcelona police inspector Petra Delicado and her assistant Sergeant Fermin Garzon start a case involving an unknown beating victim who dies without regaining consciousness ("Dog Day" by Alicia Gimenez-Bartlett, translated and published in 2006). Gradually it emerges that the dead man had been engaged in dog-napping for years, starting out with strays and then capturing pampered and pedigreed canines. Somewhat slowed by subplots involving the love lives of Delicado and Garzon, this procedural covers dog breeders in the countryside, dog beauty salons, pet-finding agencies, dog trainers, and, finally, dog fighters. Petra adopts the original victim's mixed-breed dog.
Philadelphia homicide cops Kevin Byrne and Jessica Balzano deal with a killer who stages murders inspired by celebrated Hollywood movies, films the actual murders, and inserts the newly filmed scenes into the appropriate place in videotapes of the original movies ("The Skin Gods" by Richard Montanari, 2006). Unsuspecting videotape renters come upon the scenes and alert the police. Coincidentally, a major new film is in production in the city and some of its top people appear to be somehow involved in the murders. There are several highly suspenseful moments, including the finding of a buried-alive baby just in the nick of time.
In Rio, inspector Espinosa puzzles over the apparently random shooting of a one-legged beggar on a steep, dead-end street in the midst of a sudden rainstorm ("Blackout" by Luiz Alfredo Garcia-Roza, translated and published in 2008). No information about the identity of the victim or any leads from witnesses are forthcoming for much of the novel. Eventually it is revealed the one witness, a dinner guest at a party on the street, is having memory difficulties. Then his wife is killed. Espinosa, a bookish policeman who loves to wander around the city and enjoy the views of Copacabana and Ipanema, closes the case just before it is transferred to the cold-case archives.
Venice is the haunt of Urbino Macintyre, a writer and amateur sleuth ("Frail Barrier" by Edward Sklepowich, 2007). His love for the city is evident in his penchant for strolling about, stopping to admire palaces, plazas, bridges, and eating establishments, while supposedly planning to visit persons of interest in a mystery involving three unexpected deaths within a short period of time. A wealthy heir, a poor plein-air painter, a paper-goods shop owner, a herbalist, a singing teacher, gondola racers, and assorted aristocratic types are among the suspects and witnesses interviewed by Macintyre. A regatta is the main event recounted in this novel, which may well include more detail about Venice than most guidebooks on the city.
Nottinghamshire, England is the setting for a missing-person's incident turned murder case for former police officer Frank Elder ("Darkness & Light" by John Harvey, 2006). Details of the case remind Elder of his first homicide investigation which had remained unsolved. Interrogating witnesses from the earlier case eventually leads to a resolution. Suspects include a couple of Internet-dating Romeos, a convention promoter with a checkered past, and a seriously disturbed man just released from prison. Occasional flashback scenes suggest that the culprit's problems harked back to childhood traumas. Subplots featuring Elder's estranged daughter, former wife, and former police partner round out this somewhat cerebral but intriguing mystery.
Much of the action in Lee Child's "Bad Luck and Trouble" (2007) thriller-mystery is set in Los Angeles, where defense-plant employees and executives may be involved in terrorism activity. There's quite a high body count in this novel which showcases former Army MP Jack Reacher as a troubleshooter for a special investigation team that has been decimated. Dropping people out of helicopters is a running theme in this one. Needless to say, the bad guys are caught and the futuristic weapons are recovered by the ending. And Reacher and the remnants of his team are able to divide up some serious cash.
Chicago detective Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels and her partner Herb Benedict track down a serial killer who turns out to be a cop in the first part of this fast-paced police procedural ("Bloody Mary" by J.A. Konrath, 2005). The bad cop beats the rap because he has a brain tumor; so, naturally, he finds a way to go after Daniels and Benedict. One unusual character here is a cat with a penchant for attacking people, a cat which had reluctantly been adopted by Daniels. When the bad guy goes after Daniels' mother, the cat comes into his own. This is a clever novel with a modicum of humor in the telling.
Back to Venice for "The Girl of His Dreams" by Donna Leon (2008), a novel featuring Commissario Brunetti, who unravels a minor mystery involving the clergy and a major mystery involving a well-connected family and some relatively friendless Gypsies. Brunetti balances a peaceful home-life and an office life fraught with bureaucracy and sycophancy. What happened to a 10-year-old drowning victim drives this quiet and introspective story, which is also notable for its attention to details about this tourist-overrun city on a lagoon.
Philadelphia crops up again, this time as the backdrop for a story involving celebrity crime and nuns ("Hardscrabble Road" by Jane Haddam, 2006). Consultant Gregor Demarkian, an FBI-trained investigator and frequently referred to as the Armenian-American Hercule Poirot, pieces together disparate threads to resolve a murder case where the victims turn out to be surprises. One, a radio talk-show personality, had been reportedly locked in a rehabilitation facility, yet was found dead in a make-shift homeless shelter in the barn of a monastery on Hardscrabble Road. The mystery unfolds in short scenes which shift among the characters, a technique which allows a gradual awareness of motivations and penchants for evil-doing. Few characters are flawless, but Demarkian, unswayed by politics or political correctness, keeps focused on the case, pursues the significant suspects, and keeps complaining about the cold weather.
So, there you have it: this month's roundup of mysteries, thrillers, procedurals and who-done-its. Site-specific information is one of the pleasures of reading these works, which provide interesting descriptive details about cities from Chicago to Rio while challenging armchair sleuths to pick out the chief bad guys in amicable competition with the leading case investigators. If local color appeals to you, choose one of these novels for your next foray into light reading.
Publisher's site for "Blackout" by Luiz Alfredo Garcia-Roza
Official site for "The Skin Gods" by Richard Montanari
Official website of Lee Child and Jack Reacher
Dog Day, by Alicia Gimenez-Bartlett.. Translated from the Spanish by Nicholas Caistor. Europa Editions, New York, 2006. From the 1997 book titled Dia de perros. Paperback. ISBN 1-933372-14-1.
The Skin gods: a Novel, by Richard Montanari. Ballantine Books, New York, 2006. Hardcover. ISBN 0-345-47097-4.
Blackout: an Inspector Espinosa Mystery, by Luiz Alfredo Garcia-Roza. Translated by Benjamin Moser. Henry Holt and Co., New York, 2008. Originally published as Espinosa fem faida in 2006. Hardcover. ISBN 978-0-8050-7960-9.
Frail Barrier, by Edward Sklepowich. Severn House, New York, 2007. Hardcover. ISBN 978-0-7278-6569-4.
Darkness & Light, by John Harvey. Harcourt, New York, 2006. Paperback. ISBN 978-0-15-101133-9.
Bad Luck and Trouble: a Jack Reacher Novel, by Lee Child. Delacorte Press, New York, 2007. Hardcover. ISBN 978-0-385-34055-7.
Bloody Mary: a Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels Mystery, by J.A. Konrath. Hyperion, New York, 2005. Paperback. ISBN 0-7868-9074-6.
The Girl of His Dreams, by Donna Leon. Atlantic Monthly Press, New York, 2008. Hardcover. ISBN 978-0-87113-980-1.
Hardscrabble Road, by Jane Haddam. St. Martin's Minotaur, New York, 2006. Hardcover. ISBN 978-0-312-35373-5.
◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊
Here is a brief review of the latest mysteries, crime novels, police procedurals, and thrillers that I have read in the past few weeks. We'll start in Wales where Detective Constable Evan Evans, newly assigned to a special criminal investigation unit, is mystified by three seemingly random murders. His wife, a school teacher, worries about the disappearance of the daughter of Pakistani immigrants, newcomers to the small Welsh village that the Evans family calls home. Jamila, the daughter in question, is fearful of her radical Muslim brother and of a recent decision by her parents to send her back to Pakistan for an arranged marriage. This rather slow-paced mystery follows Evans, an inveterate peacemaker, as he discovers an unexpected link for the murders as well as the whereabouts of Jamila. He also manages to minimize the effects of a terrorist attack. This work is "Evanly Bodies" (2006) and the author is Rhys Bowen.
Next, let's look at "The Tea-Olive Bird Watching Society" (2005) by Augusta Trobaugh. This one is a murder mystery only in the sense that it keeps you wondering if a murder will actually take place. The ladies of Tea-Olive, Georgia, are polite, conservative, proud of their land, socially active, very close-knit, and avid birders. When a retired judge moves into town, he upsets the placid community by marrying a local spinster and purchasing a bull. The spinster is a meek member of the society and the bull presents a challenge to another member, who seeks to free the beast in an ill-advised attempt on the judge's life. The judge eventually passes away but the circumstances, appearing accidental, are wide open to speculation. This quiet mystery is one that sneaks up on you just as you think you might tire of small-town Georgia.
Clare Curzon's "The Glass Wall" (2005) features a mixed cast of characters, from police, doctors, lawyers, nurses, patients, and young truants to a bedridden nonagenarian, her ill-intentioned heirs, a fired court usher turned repossession agent, and a Filipino immigrant. The puzzle in this one is not whether someone will be murdered but who actually was murdered and by whom, as well as questions about who moved the body the first time and then the second time. And the spry nonagenarian has a great art collection to boot!
For something more exotic, let's look at Qiu Xinolong's "A Case of Two Cities," (2006) with Shanghai and St. Louis being the cities in question, although there is also a sojourn in Los Angeles. Inspector Chen juggles political influences while investigating a major corruption case and, incidentally, a murder or two. Chen, a published poet in addition to being a high-ranking police officer, deals with most situations by recalling to mind poetry excerpts. Although Chen's maneuvers in the murky world of Chinese bureaucracyare fascinating, his failure to put real faces on those guilty for the murders is a distinct shortcoming. However, followers of this series will undoubtedly appreciate this update on Chen's career.
For another big-city crime novel, let's try "Murder on K Street" (2007) by Margaret Truman. In this one, the wife of a U.S. senator is found murdered. A boyhood friend of the senator is among those taking a close interest in the case. Possible involvement of a big-time firm of lobbyists complicates this political hot potato, especially since the senator's son works for the lobbying firm. This rather tangled story is nonetheless believable, with plenty of inside-the-beltway detail. And, best of all, a dog turns out to be a hero in the thriller-style ending.
French author Fred Vargas' "This Night's Foul Work" ((2008) finds Commissaire Adamsberg piecing together a puzzle involving deer poaching, accidental deaths that may not be so accidental, street murders, grave robbing, relic snatching, ghosts, and prison escapes. Meanwhile, a new recruit joins the Paris-based murder squad and he turns out to be a potential enemy from Adamsberg childhood. This sprawling novel is held together by Adamsberg, a heads-in-the-cloud leader who follows his instincts and intuition or possibly just the clouds. Amazingly, it is a cat that eventually solves the case and saves a key squad member, the redoubtable Violette Retancourt. Word to the wise: watch out for the too-helpful pathologist.
Elmore Leonard's "Up in Honey's Room," (2007) sets up as a 1940's noir novel complete with escaped German POWs, spies, lawmen, and a uniquely modern woman, Honey Deal, who pretty much overwhelms everyone she meets. This great story is more a period thriller and not really a murder mystery. But there are wonderfully drawn characters to meet, including a murderous Ukrainian, an wise-cracking U.S. marshal, blackmarket cattle rustlers and meat butchers, plus two clever and personable Germans who are supposed to be in an Oklahoma prison camp. And then there is Honey, who pretty much does what she wants and always turns out a winner.
A serial killer case returns to worry Chicago detective lieutenant Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels in "Rusty Nail" (2006) by J.A. Konrath. The killer may be a copycat or else a relative of the killer finished off by Jack in the previous novel in this series named for popular cocktails. Causing additional confusion is a TV series which features Jack's character, unflatteringly portrayed; life-threatening health problems plaguing her police partner Sergeant Benedict; and wedding prospects for a former partner, now a private investigator, Harry McBride, whose fiance Holly Flakes is a crack shot. What's more, Jack's old boyfriend shows up, once again to face mayhem and death in a thrill-ride ending. This story has some rather gruesome details and showcases some truly insane characters but is definitely in the fast-paced, quick-read category.
Lastly, let's check out a dour Russian setting brightened by the psychic deductions and seemingly pessimistic insights of senior Moscow police investigator Arkady Renko, who frustrates the illusions of hysterics bent on seeing the specter of the former dictator in "Stalin's Ghost" (2007) by Martin Cruz Smith. Political motivations and war-crime cover-ups account for assorted gratuitous murders and the general mood of paranoia. American promoters help stage rallies and guide TV "visuals" while thecandidate tries to whitewash the past and confound suspicious investigators. Renko's girlfriend Eva is a player, being a Ukrainian affected by Chernobyl radiation and a doctor familiar with service in Chechnya. Isakov, the bad guy, is shown up as a weakling and not a war hero. Meanwhile, Renko's ward Zhenya, a chess genius at age 12, both manages to get Renko shot in the head and to save Renko and Eva from a crazed, knife-wielding killer in this complicated and character-rich story. Mass graves, old motorcycles, chess moves, and childhood memories fill out this absorbing novel which covers a lot of ground but manages to feel authentic and not contrived.
These nine recommendations for leisure-time reading are all available at many libraries, larger bookstores, and online retailers. Several are installments in continuing series by celebrated authors; so, you may wish to catch up on the earlier novels in addition to enjoying these relatively recent, entertaining, and well-written selections.
Evanly Bodies, by Rhys Bowen. St. Martin's Minotaur, New York, 2006. Hardcover. ISBN 0-312-34942-4.
The Tea-Olive Bird Watching Society: a Novel, by Augusta Trobaugh. Dutton, Penguin Group, New York, 2005. Hardcover. ISBN 0-525-94879-1.
The Glass Wall: a Superintendent Mike Yeadings Mystery, by Clare Curzon. Thomas Dunne Books, St. Martin's Minotaur, New York, 2005. Hardcover. ISBN 0-312-34963-7.
A Case of Two Cities, by Qiu Xinolong. St. Martin's Minotaur, New York, 2006. Paperback. ISBN 0-312-37466-6.
Murder on K Street: a Capital Crimes Novel, by Margaret Truman. Ballantine Books, New York, 2007. Hardcover. ISBN 978-0-345-49886-1.
This Night's Foul Work, by Fred Vargas. Translated from the French by Sian Reynolds. Penguin Books, New York, 2008. Originally published as Dans les bois eternals in 2006. Paperback. ISBN 978-0-14-311359.
Up in Honey's Room, by Elmore Leonard. Harper, HarperCollins, New York, 2007. Paperback. ISBN 978-0-06-072426-9.
Rusty Nail: a Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels Mystery, by J.A. Konrath. Hyperion, New York, 2006. Paperback. ISBN 978-0-7868-9073-6.
Stalin's Ghost: an Arkady Renko Novel, by Martin Cruz Smith. Simon & Schuster, New York, 2007. Hardcover. ISBN 978-0-7432-7672-6.
◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊
I love mystery stories, and if you do too and would appreciate some thoughts on recent novels, then you have come to the right place! If you haven't read some of the ones I recommend, you can probably find them easily at your local library, bookstore, or online at Internet book-sellers. Enjoy the following hints of storylines and comments on readability for seven novels!
First lets start with a series recommended to me by my sister, a high school science teacher. The Oxygen Murder: A Periodic Table Mystery, from 2006, by Camille Minichino, follows the adventures of retired scientist and amateur sleuth Gloria Lamerino. In this outing she, her husband, and a couple of friends travel to New York City where Gloria stumbles across a corpse in her niece's apartment. The niece is a documentary filmmaker who is currently focusing on ozone and CFC issues. Needless to say, the plot allows for plenty of digressions into science-related matters and explanations. Still, the pace is a good one and the storyline includes sight-seeing opportunities and even shopping.
If you are looking for a really unusual mystery story, Disco for the Departed, from 2006, by Colin Cotterill, may be just the ticket. In this novel with an exotic setting, Lao national coroner Dr. Siri deals with a mummified corpse encased in a concrete walkway. His ever faithful sidekick Nurse Dtui accompanies him to the remote site where she also, unexpectedly, finds a suitor, translates for a Cuban doctor running a nearby hospital, and mothers an injured little orphan. Yet another loyal sidekick, Geung, the morgue technician afflicted but not much hampered by Downs Syndrome, has an adventure of his own, as an officious administrator seeks to send the trusting Geung far away during Dr. Siri's absence. But Geung somehow manages to travel back to Vientiane all on his own. This event-filled plot also conjures up Caribbean black magic and tales of sacrifice, love and death, and star-crossed lovers. Plus there are caves to explore and restless dreams to be endured. This one is as enchanting as it is intriguing.
For a stalwart police procedural set in Australia, you might like Chain of Evidence, from 2007, by Garry Disher. Here we find Inspector Hal Challis dealing with the impending demise of his father and new evidence in the disappearance of his brother-in-law. Meanwhile, Hal's colleague Sergeant Ellen Destry has a missing-child case to coordinate, a pedophile ring to uncover and dismantle, and police misconduct to investigate. Issues of justice and adequate evidence to pursue criminals mix with issues of family relationships, aging, and office politics.
For a San Francisco setting, you might want to give Shooting Gallery: An Art Lover's Mystery, from 2006, by Hailey Lind, a try. Annie Kincaid, granddaughter of a famous art forger, becomes involved in art theft and murder in a case which also seems to involve her mother, her landlord, her erstwhile nemesis who runs a local museum, and a heart-throb art thief who appears and disappears at will. This one is a terrific and fast read.
Also mostly set in California is The Bookwoman's Last Fling: a Cliff Janeway Novel, from 2006, by John Dunning. Bibliomania and horse racing are two plotlines related to a possible two-decades-old murder and a more recent homicide in this novel. Ex-cop and confirmed bibliophile Janeway discovers wonderful books in private collections but must seek out apparently stolen editions while dealing with a dysfunctional family (not his own) and assorted characters involved in professional horse racing. In pursuit of information, he takes a job hot-walking the horses and questions everyone he can find to discover facts about a fabled heiress who had a fatal allergy to peanuts. But Janeway and his love interest come to a parting of the ways over the violence the ex-cop's investigations always seem to bring forth. The story-telling flow of this book is quite well done.
For British mystery lovers I can recommend Death Comes for the Fat Man, from 2007, by Reginald Hill. Although the irascible Detective Superintendent Dalziel spends most of this outing in a hospital bed in a coma, his friend and partner Chief Inspector Pascoe assumes an almost Dalziel-like persona in pursuing vigilantes calling themselves the reincarnation of the Knights Templars. The Knights' targets appear to be Arab terrorists and sympathizers, but their true aims are puzzling and likely are inspired by other, ulterior motives. This book features plenty of characters and red herrings to sort through, while watching Peter Pascoe, seconded to the anti-terrorism group, become increasingly suspicious of everyone around him. This one could have turned rather self-righteous but stays entertaining as well as insightful.
Lastly, Hollywood Crows, from 2008, by Joseph Wambaugh may appeal to readers who love lots of little stories, little slices of life with witty dialogue delivered by a master of tale-telling. In this book, set in Los Angeles, we find Hollywood Division's Community Relations Officers, or Crows, acting on quality-of-life complaints and sometimes running across serious crimes and assorted hardened criminals. This book features several returning patrol officers from the previous novel, Hollywood Station (2007). Part of the plot involves an acrimonious divorce and associated fallout, including murder plots. Familiarity with Los Angeles in general and Hollywood in particular may add to a reader's enjoyment but ignorance of the terrain and hot spots won't detract from the various story threads and clever characters, such as Hollywood Nate, a police officer with a Screen Actors Guild card, or surfer cops nicknamed Flotsam and Jetsam or even plus-sized Gert Von Braun, who is always quick and resourceful.
So, there you have it for a brief round-up of mystery novels read recently and worthy of a recommendation to fellow mystery story aficionados!
The Oxygen Murder: A Periodic Table Mystery, by Camille Minichino. Thomas Dunne Books, St. Martin's Minotaur, 2006. Hardcover. ISBN 978-0-312-34786-4.
Disco for the Departed, by Colin Cotterill. Soho Press, New York, 2006. Paperback. ISBN 978-1-56947-464-8.
Chain of Evidence, by Garry Disher. Soho Press, New York, 2007. Paperback. ISBN 978-1-56947-500-3.
Shooting Gallery: An Art Lover's Mystery, by Hailey Lind. Signet, New American Library, Penguin Group, New York, London, 2006. Paperback. ISBN 0-451-21973-2.
The Bookwoman's Last Fling: a Cliff Janeway Novel, by John Dunning. Scribner, New York, 2006. Hardcover. ISBN 978-0-7432-8945-0.
Death Comes for the Fat Man, by Reginald Hill. HarperCollins, New York, 2007. Hardcover. ISBN 978-0-06-082082-4.
Hollywood Crows, by Joseph Wambaugh. Little, Brown and Co., New York, 2008. Hardcover. ISBN 0-316-02528-3.
Click here for additional recommendations
♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣
Back to Start.
And thanks for visiting this page.
Send E-Mail if you must.
Just kidding-- comments are welcomed!
Page last modified Sept. 14, 2009.
Site Map
Page design and comments on books are copyright © c. stockbridge 2008-2009. Do not copy without express permission.