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Mystery books come in many flavors, from hard-boiled crime novels to fanciful farces that happen to have a murder to compound the fun. Some examples, as well as the odd regular non-mysterious novel, follow in short-note format.
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Strange Affair, by Peter Robinson. William Morrow, New York, 2005. Hardcover. ISBN 0-06-054433-3. --Detective Chief Inspector Banks investigates his brother's disappearance unofficially and colleague Detective Inspector Cabbor takes on a murder case --the two cases gradually merge, with the two detectives showing up in London as well as checking leads in Yorkshire --police procedural, nicely written Unholy Order, by William Heffernan. William Morrow, New York, 2002. Hardcover. ISBN 0-688-16564-8. --Detective Paul Devlin and team investigate a serial killer targeting Catholic priests in New York City --involves a cult-like religious order within the Catholic Church, homophobia, drug dealing, and city politics --police procedural --well observed characters Murder Most Academic, by David Stewart. iUniverse, Inc., New York, 2004. Paperback. ISBN 0-595-33334-6. --long-winded traditional whodunit --poorly edited as there are typos and some confusion in identifying who is speaking or who is being spoken about (mostly in the first quarter of the book, as the remainder looks OK) --may include more details about the academic life than you, the reader, really want to know --satisfactory solution to the crimes The Coroner's Lunch, by Colin Cotterill. Soho Press, New York, 2004. Paperback. ISBN 1-56947-418-4. --Dr. Siri is a reluctant coroner and a natural detective with possibly supernatural powers --sudden deaths, floating corpses, suspicious suicides in Laos in 1976 under the new regime --intriguing and atmospheric; good mysteries which are all resolved --charming characters --recommended The Informer, by Akimitsu Takagi. Translated from the Japanese by Sadako Mizuguchi. Soho Press, New York, 1999. From the 1965 novel. ISBN 1-56947-243-2. --Down on his luck, Shigeo Segawa, a former stockbroker, becomes involved in industrial espionage and is accused of murder --complicated family relationships add confusion to this police procedural --the plot is eventually unraveled and resolved The Oxford Murders, by Guillermo Martinez. MacAdam-Cage, San Francisco, 2005. Hardcover. Translated by Sonia Soto. ISBN 1-59692-150-1. --an Argentinian mathematician comes to Oxford to study and becomes mixed up in murder --brainy mystery with an unexpected solution Jar City, by Arnaldur Indridtson, translated from the Icelandic by Bernard Scudder, Thomas Dunne Books, St. Martin's Minotuar, New York, 2004. Hardcover. ISBN 0-312-34070-2. --police procedural set in Reykjavik --involves cold cases and genetic diseases --Inspector Erlendur solves the murder of a 70-year-old loner and investigates other crimes --interesting setting Ragtime in Simla, by Barbara Cleverly. Dell, New York, 2004. Paperback. ISBN 0-440-24223-1. --Detective Joe Sandilands of Scotland Yard investigates murders in India in 1922 --exotic locale, the British Raj, adds interest to this puzzling whodunit --some of the secondary characters are a bit sketchy but charming Alice, the heiress, steals the show Friends, Lovers, Chocolate, by Alexander McCall Smith, Pantheon Books, New York, 2005. Hardcover. ISBN 0-375-42299-4. --philosopher and editor Isabel Dalhousie helps out friends and relatives in this quiet and reflective novel --for fans of the town of Edinburgh in Scotland --a minor but poignant mystery involving a heart transplant proceeds to a resolution Backstabber, by Tim Cockey. Hyperion, New York, 2004. Hardcover. ISBN 0-7868-6713-2. --mortician Hitchcock Sewell is dragged into a murder scene by an old friend --Hitch finally solves that mystery involving a not-too-faithful wife and an old love affair --the mystery also involves suspicious deaths and financial finagling at a nursing home --fans of the series will enjoy this one; but this is not the novel to start with if Tim Cockey is a new author for you Dancing with Death, by Joan Coggin. Rue Morgue Press, Boulder, CO, 2003. Paperback. Reprint of 1947 copyrighted work. ISBN 0-915230-62-3. --Lady Lupin discovers that a presumed suicide is actually part of a dastardly murder plot --Christmas house party and assorted characters --has a certain charm The Blackbird Papers, by Ian Smith. Doubleday, New York, 2004. Hardcover, ISBN 0-385-51136-1. --FBI agent investigates the disappearance and gruesome murder of his brother, a science luminary and Dartmouth professor --somewhat convoluted plot and lots of characters --recommended for those who like tales featuring lots of running about in New York City Murder in Clichy, by Cara Black. Soho Press, New York, 2005. Paperback. 1-56947-411-7. --private investigator Aimee Leduc and sidekick Rene deal with unknown enemies in a case involving ancient Vietnamese jade pieces, oil rights, computer hacking, war veterans and Dien Bien Phu, family relationships, and "les flics" --Aimee runs all over Paris and narrowly escapes death several times The Last Refuge, by Chris Knopf, Permanent Press, New York, 2005. Hardcover. ISBN 157-962118-x. --divorced and early-retired engineer Sam Acquillo investigates the death of his neighbor --real estate development skullduggery and fiduciary trust entanglements --good characters, a cool car, and a great dog --recommended The Girl with the Long Green Heart, by Lawrence Block. Hard Case Crime, Dorchester, New York, 1965. Paperback. ISBN 0-8439-5585-6. --a couple of guys set up a "long con" which, of course, goes wrong --easy read and by the same author Hit List, William Morrow, 2000. Hardcover. ISBN 0-06-019833-8. --Keller narrowly avoids being killed twice by a hitman who is apparently targeting his competitors, other hitmen --Keller and his handler Dot eventually figure out what is going on and manage to 'take care of' the guy they have nicknamed "Roger" --along the way, Keller buys some stamps for his collection, manages an affair, almost acquires a painting, and does a tour of jury duty --sparely written --recommended Wolves Eat Dogs, by Martin Cruz Smith. Simon & Schuster, New York, 2004. Hardcover. ISBN 0-684-87254-4. --policeman Arkady Renko solves a case involving the Chernobyl disaster and the new order in Russia --the investigation includes a long stay in the closed zone around the embalmed powerplant --intriguing characters and high body count --recommended Death in Springtime, by Magdalen Nabb. Soho Press, New York, 2005. Reprint of 1983 novel. Paperback. ISBN 1-56947-415x. --a crime novel about a kidnapping, set in Florence, Italy --Marshal Guarnaccia only has a small role in this one (note for fans of the Marshal) --police procedural and by the same author The Innocent, Soho Press, New York, 2005. Hardcover. ISBN 1-56947-414-1. --Marshal Guarnaccia deals with a body found in a pond in the Boboli Gardens --small shopkeepers in Florentine backstreets are implicated in a story which features foreigners and true love and shoes --police procedural --recommended The Last Witness, by K.J. Erickson. St. Martin's Minotaur, New York, 2003. Hardcover. ISBN 0-312-31468-x. --investigation of murder of wife of celebrity sports icon --unexpected twists --police procedural set in Minneapolis The Lighthouse, by P.D. James, Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 2003. Hardcover. ISBN 0-307-26291-x. --crime mystery featuring Adam Dalgliesh and cohorts --murder on a small island with limited number of suspects --helicopters, rock climbing, SARS, high-power people seeking solitude and isolation --somewhat convoluted but still "cosy" the way only British mystery writers seem to be able to deliver Amendment of Life, by Catherine Aird, St. Martin's Minotuar, New York, 2002. Hardcover. ISBN 0-312-29080-2. --English police procedural featuring a body in a maze --family problems/relationships in the key to solving the mystery --Inspector Sloan's sidekick Constable Crosby has all the funny lines --light --recommended The Blind Man of Seville, by Robert Wilson, Harcourt Inc., New York, 2003. Hardcover. ISBN 0-15-100835-3. --absorbing crime novel mixing present day Spain, latter day Morrocco, and WWII events; also bullfighting and modern painting --unusual twists of plot and character development --the central character, homicide detective Javier Falcon, undergoes a breakdown yet solves the case The Smell of the Night, by Andrei Camilleri, Penguin Books, New York, 2005. Translated by Stephen Sartarelli. Paperback. ISBN 0-14-303620-3. --Inspector Montalbano behaves like a madman yet still solves the mystery --good food, interesting characters, sense of place --recommended Upon a Dark Night, by Peter Lovesey, Soho Press, Inc., New York, 1997. Paperback. ISBN 1-56947-393-5. --British police precedural featuring detective Peter Diamond --convoluted story involves an amnesia victim, an elderly farmer murdered with his own shotgun, a woman falling off a building, possible ancient buried treasure, confusing identities --lots of red herrings -enjoyable and by the same author Rough Cider, Soho Press, New York, 2001. Reprint of 1986 work. Paperback. ISBN 1-56947-228-9. --revisits a fictional murder in England during the Second World War --interesting puzzle based on the memory of the narrator who was a boy at the time --the bodies pile up but there is a happy ending and by the same author Bloodhounds. Soho Press, New York, 1996. Paperback. ISBN 1-56947-377-3. --Inspector Diamond investigates a club for crime novel buffs --cryptic clues from the killer and a lock-boat murder mystery --British police procedural --recommended and by the same author The Circle, Soho Press, New York, 2005. Hardcover. ISBN 1-56947-392-7. --truck delivery guy Bob joins a writers' group and ends up involved in a case of serial arson and murder --Bob writes occasional rhyming verse but the others in the group, The Circle, are more ambitious; and some fancy themselves as amateur sleuths, as the police are having a hard time in this one too --recommended Codex, by Lev Grossman, Harcourt, Inc., Orlando FL, 2004. Hardcover, ISBN 0-15-101066-8. --a young financial executive gets caught up in the search for a very old and possibly non-existent or never-existent book or manuscript --also involved are a duke and a duchess who apparently are at odds for some reason --literary detection plus love interest --absorbing Echoes of Silence, by Marjorie Eccles, Thomas Dunne Books, St. Martin's Minotuar, New York, 2000. Hardcover. ISBN 0-312-30880-9. --police detective Tom Richmonds returns to Yorkshire where his daughter and former wife died --mystery involving blackmail, family relationships, sense of place, old case and new perspective Holy Smoke, by Tonino Benacquista, translated from the French by Adriana Hunter, Bitter Lemon Press, London, 2004. Paperback, ISBN 1-904738-01-x. --Italian immigrants living in France --a childhood friend is murdered and leaves a legacy with strings attached and hero Tonino must sort it out despite threats from various quarters --old grudges, the Mafia, the church, wine, local superstitions, father-son relationships --engaging --recommended Murder is Academic: A Cambridge Mystery, by Christine Poulson, Thomas Dunne Books, St. Martin's Minotaur, New York, 2002. Hardcover, ISBN 0-312-31807-3. --professor Cassandra must teach students, figure out a puzzling accident-or-is-it-murder, plan for a new baby, organize the English department --quiet and descriptive, with a satisfying mystery The Last Resort, by Carmen Posadas, translated by Kristina Cordero, Random House, New York, 2005. Hardcover, ISBN 0-375-50886-4. --Rafael decides to visit an out-of-the-way spa resort in Morocco where he runs into a continuing story featuring a segment of the Madrid in-crowd --the puzzle involves a husband dying, either by accident or by neglect, and a wife, either suffering or profiting or re-engaging with life or all of the above --intriguing, and there's a dog named Gomez --recommended Dooley's Back: A novel of crime, by Sam Reaves. Carroll & Graf, New York, 2002. Hardcover. ISBN 0-7867-1094-2. --an ex-cop returns to Chicago from Mexico and falls right back into crime-fighting --involves organized-crime types as the bad guys --most of the bad guys fail to survive by the end of the book Naked Prey, by John Sanford, G.P Putnam's Sons, New York, 2003, Hardcover. ISBN 0-399-15043-9 --police procedural set in Minnesota --lots of people in a small town end up dead --even the local nuns seem to be up to something --real heroine is a young girl who likes to trap muskrats God Save the Mark: a Novel of crime and confusion, by Donald E Westlake. Tom Doherty Associates, New York, 2004. Reprint of 1967 novel. Paperback. ISBN 0-765-30919-x --funny crime novel about a born loser who is left a considerable legacy --recommended Dead on Arrival: a Yorkshire Mystery, by Paricia Hall, St. Martin's Minotuar, New York, 1999. Hardcover. ISBN 0-312-26572-7 --detective novel, with a journalist doing much of the detecting --involves racial attitudes, people smuggling, London vs. the rest of England --nice plotting and writing The Goodbye Body, by Joan Hess. St. Martin's Minotaur, New York, 2005. Hardcover. ISBN 0-312-31304-7 --Bookseller, mother of teenage daughter and girlfriend of local police detective, Claire Malloy gets into trouble but eventually solves the case --the teenage daughter and friend are the best characters --convoluted, with FBI agents, and Mafia members and witnesses, and a body that keeps disappearing Lost Light, by Michael Connelly. Warner Vision Books, New York, 2003. Paperback. ISBN 0-446-61163-8 --retired detective Harry Bosch solves an old case, managing to upset police departments, FBI types, and old colleagues --convoluted, with big gunfight at the end, but ties up the loose ends --recommended and by the same author The Closers, Little, Brown & Co., New York, 2005. Hardcover. ISBN 0-316-73494-2. --retired detective Harry Bosch returns to active duty to work on so-called cold cases --police procedural, with focus on wrong man, but eventually the case is solved --some police department politics, some gang notes, some race-related stuff, some gunplay --well-written, absorbing No Certain Rest, by Jim Lehrer. Random House, New York, 2002. Hardcover. ISBN 0-375-50372-2. --Civil-War era body is found, apparently murdered and with the wrong ID tags --involves the Battle of Antietam, antiquarian investigations and research, how descendants view past heroics of ancestors --good writing, good balance of past and present events, but with an unsatisfactory ending 3rd Degree, by James Patterson and Andrew Gross. Little, Brown, New York, 2004. Hardcover. ISBN: 0-316-60357-0 --very easy read --police procedural with female detective as heroine; also a love interest --starts off with a bomb and seems to involve a terrorist plot --recommended Right as Rain, by George P. Pelecanos, Warner Books, New York, 2001. Paperback. ISBN 0-446-61079-8 --mystery/crime novel set in D. C., wih former cop turned private detective Derek Strange as the hero-sleuth --involves drug dealings, racial attitudes, and police culture --good writing The Dragon Man, by Garry Disher, Soho Press, New York, 2004, Paperback. ISBN 1-56947-356-0 --set in Australia; police procedural --Christmas time, so the weather is warm --serial killer crime mystery --recommended and by the same author Kittyhawk Down, Soho Press, New York, 2003. Hardcover. ISBN 1-56947-394-3. --Inspector Challis of Australia solves several murders while juggling personal problems --police procedural --convoluted, but with an ah-ha factor --recommended The Falls, by Ian Rankin, St. Martin's Paperbacks, New York, 2003, Paperback. ISBN 0-312-98240-2 --set in Scotland; police procedural featuring Inspector Rebus --mystery involving Internet quizzes, folk history, media-police relations, politics in the police force, last-minute saves, location/landmark details --a new crime and old cases --recommended The Rottweiler, by Ruth Rendell, Crown Publishers, New York, 2003, Hardcover. ISBN 1-4000-5190-8 --serial killer mystery, set in London --character studies --well-plotted, well-written --the killer, not a detective, tries to figure out the "why" --recommended Comeback, by Richard Stark, Mysterious Press, Warner Books, New York, 1997. Paperback. ISBN 0-446-67465-6 --heist novel, with ultimate bad-guy thief Parker --written in spare, hard-boiled style --there aren't any good guys --recommended and by the same author Nobody Runs Forever, a Parker novel, Time Warner, New York, 2004. Hardcover, ISBN 0-89296-798-6. --a heist novel, and once again problems arise for unregenerate bad guy Parker --a must for Parker fans The Forgotten Man, by Robert Crais, Doubleday, New York, Hardcover. ISBN 0-385-50428-4 --detective novel featuring Elvis Cole and set in L.A. --double-crosses, frame set-ups, old unsolved crimes, old unsolvable family mysteries --good dialogue Blood Sinister, A Bill Slider Mystery, by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles, Thomas Dunne Books, St. Martin's Minotuar, New York, 1999, Hardcover. ISBN 0-312-27485-8 --police procedural set in London --group dynamics among old friends, coincidences, political interference --no loose ends Money, Money, Money, a Novel of the 87th Precinct, by Ed McBain, Simon & Schuster, New York, 2001. Hardcover. ISBN 0-7432-0269-4 --police procedural --lions at the zoo eat someone --bad guys abound: drug dealers, counterfeiters, smugglers, thieves, money launderers, book dealers --great characters --well written A Window on Copacabana, by Luiz Alfredo Garcia-Roza, Henry Holt & Co., New York, 2005, Hardcover. ISBN 0-8050-7438-4 --Chief Inspector Espinosa of Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro investigates a confusing and convoluted multiple murder case --police procedural --the hero is interesting and thoughtful --colorful locale, apparently with lots of restaurants --easy-to-read translation --recommended and by the same author Pursuit, translated by Benjamin Moser. Henry Holt, New York, 2005. Hardcover. ISBN 0-8050-7439-2. --Inspector Espinosa unravels a puzzling story involving a psychiatrist, a patient, and the psychiatrist's family --atmospheric procedural set in colorful Rio de Janeiro Breaking and Entering: An Inspector Ghote Mystery, by H.R.F. Keating, Thomas Dunne Books, St. Martin's Minotuar, New York, 2000. Hardcover. ISBN: 0-312-26952-8 --interesting locale and details --interesting mystery story --police procedural --recommended --Inspector Ghote solves two cases with the assistance of his Swedish friend Axel Svensson (also a character in "The Perfect Murder" which was made into a movie) The Horse's Mouth, by Joyce Cary, Harper & Rw, Perennial Library, New York, 1965. Paperback. ISBN 0-06-080046-1 --fascinating, sometimes stream-of-consciousness style, narrative, with dialogue and poetry, about an artist who only wishes to paint but needs must deal with many obstacles, including people --funny and poignant and full of interesting characters --set in London --may be out of print Old Boys, by Charles McCarry, Overlook Press, Woodstock & New York, 2004, Hardcover. ISBN 1-58567-545-8 --spy thriller involving terrorists, ancient artifacts, world travel, clever retired intelligence specialists, assorted weapons including the WMD kind --good writing --never a dull moment, with broad range of interesting asides, characters, incidents from the near and distant past --recommended Maigret's Christmas: Nine Stories, by Georges Simenon, translated from the French by Jean Stewart, Harcourt Brace, A Harvest Book, New York, 1976. Paperback. ISBN 0-15-655132-2 --fans of Inspector Maigret will enjoy these stories which are rich in detail despite the brevity of the cases --lots of characters, lots of Parisian atmosphere --the last story pulls Maigret out of retirement to solve a dark mystery --good for dipping into in between reading other books A Noble Radiance, by Donna Leon, Penguin Books, New York, 2003. Paperback. ISBN:0-14-200319-0 --engrossing mystery in the series featuring Commissario Brunetti of Venice --involves the discovery of a buried corpse and a 2-year-old kidnapping case with unusual resolution --details about Venice will delight anyone who has visited the city --interesting characters and by the same author Blood from a Stone. Atlantic Monthly Press, New York, 2005. H ardcover. ISBN 0-87113-887-5. --Inspector Brunetti investigates the apparent assassination of an African street vendor --involves diamond smuggling, illegal aliens, office and police and government politics, as well as fine food, and walks and boat rides around about the beautiful city of Venice --well detailed characters --recommended Cruising for Murder: A Mystery, by Susan Sussman with Sarajane Avidon, St. Martin's Minotuar, New York, 2000. Hardcover. ISBN 0-312-25220-x --described as "seriously perky" by a friend --OK mystery and interesting venue--on a cruise ship --the heroine (sleuth) is an entertainer on the cruise ship --writing is pretty good but story drags a bit --surprise ending, with solution coming out of left field Potshot, by Robert B. Parker, Berkley Books, New York, 2002. Paperback. ISBN 0-425-18288-6 --has a plot setup reminiscent of the The Magnificent Seven, except that in this case the good guys all survive and the town turns out not to be full of innocents --spare dialogue that gets a little too cute sometimes --fans of Spenser will love this one and by the same author Back Story, G.P. Putnam's Sons, New York, 2003. Hardcover. ISBN 0-399-14977-5. --Spenser investigates a 28-year-old murder at the behest of the victim's daughter --high body count --fan favorites Hawk and Susan have bit parts --an easy read And Justice There Is None, by Deborah Crombie, Bantam Books, New York, 2002. Paperback. ISBN 0-553-57930-4 --police procedural set in London --good mystery and good characters --story somewhat convoluted, with interspersed flashbacks by a key figure who was killed before the story starts --a little long, but recommended Blues in the Night, by Rachelle Krich, Fawcett Books, New York, 2002. Paperback. ISBN 0-449-00726-x --good on Los Angeles background/descriptions --good mystery with twist, although you will probably figure it out before the ending --good on Jewish culture too --female heroine is likable, interesting --recommended Moghul Buffet, by Cheryl Benard, Soho Press, New York, 1998, Paperback. ISBN 1-56947-179-7 --unusual foreign setting (Pakistan) and interesting mystery --detective story, police procedural; missing person with an adventure/changing-his-life story to tell (but probably goes on to not change his life) --good on how women cope in a Muslim country The Return of the Dancing Master, by Henning Mankell, translated by Laurie Thompson, The New Press, New York, 2004. Hardcover. ISBN 1-56584-860-8 --from the Swedish crime writer --star detective is Kurt Wallander --absorbing and complicated crime mystery involving WWII characters and actions as well as recent, unexpected and puzzling murders --recommended (the whole series) especially if you like police procedurals --smooth translation, so names unfamiliar (too foreign) to US readers should not present much of a problem --the more recent novel, Before the Frost, ISBN 1-56584-833-7, features Linda Wallander (Kurt's daughter) as a new police woman --good mystery/procedural but Linda is annoying as the type who goes off alone in dangerous circumstances to investigate something Detective Inspector Huss, by Helene Tursten, translated by Steven T. Murray, Soho Press, New York, 2003, Hardcover. ISBN 1-56947-303-x --Swedish detective story --engrossing --procedural --recommended --smooth translation A Deadly Indifference: a Henry Spearman Mystery, by Marshall Jevons, Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, 1998. Paperback. ISBN 0-691-05969-1 --academic sleuth mystery set in Egnland in 1960's, with the protagonists, a Harvard professor and his wife --slow, but interesting asides on economics, the specialty of the principal sleuth Henry Spearman and by the same author Murder at the Margin, Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, 1978. Paperback. ISBN 0-691-0098-0. --Professor Spearman uses economic theory to solve murders at a Caribbean resort --thoughtful and interesting --good primer on elementary economics too --recommended Twilight at Mac's Place, by Ross Thomas, with an introduction by T. Jefferson Parker, Thomas Dunne Books, St. Martin's Minotuar, New York, 2003. Paperback.ISBN 0-312-31584-8 --re-issue of the 1990 spy novel --wonderfully written, interesting characters --murder mystery and love story too --likeable hero and heroine sidekick --recommended and by the same author The Fools in Town Are on Our Side. Introduction by Tony Hiss. Thomas Dunne Books, St. Martin's Minotuar, New York, 2003. Reprint of 1970 novel. Paperback. ISBN 0-312-31582-1. --ex-secret service-spy type Lucifer Dye finds a stateside job even more dangerous --convoluted triple crosses and high body count --cool characters --recommended Courting Trouble, by Lisa Scottoline, HarperTorch, HarperCollins, New York, 2002, Paperback. ISBN 0-06-103141-0 --mystery, thriller --OK writing, with some smart-aleck asides --leading characters are female --good airplane/waiting-room fodder Black Sunshine, by S.V. Date, Berkley Prime Crime, New York, 2002, Paperback. ISBN 0-425-19216-4 --political thriller, with sea chase and hurricane --set in Florida where the absurd is expected to happen --good writing --the smartest characters are not the most likable and the apparent hero doesn't end up with the girl The Mystery of Swordfish Reef, by Arthru W. Upfield, with a new introduction by Edward Marston, Scribner, Simon & Schuster, New York, 1998, Paperback. ISBN 0-684-85060-5 --reprint of 1943 mystery --caution: you may learn way too much about fishing for swordfish --slow, but interesting --hero/detective bears the name of "Napoleon Bonaparte," (not "the" but a "named-after") The Winds of Change: A Richard Jury Mystery, by Martha Grimes, Viking, 2004, Hardcover. ISBN 0-670-03327-8 --Richard Jury fans will like this one which brings back another favorite side character, Brian Macalvie --procedural --Melrose Plant does a turn as a gardener --good writing --mix of past and present stories to resolve the mystery and prevent another death When Red is Black, by Qiu Xiaolong, Soho Press, New York, 2004, Hardcover. ISBN 1-56947-369-2 --police procedural set in Shanghai --interesting and atmospheric --Inspector Chen and Sergeant Yu are excellent, watchable characters --cultural notes, how things are done in contemporary China Tepper Isn't Going Out: A Novel, by Calvin Trillin, Random House, New York, 2001, Hardcover. ISBN 0-375-50676-4 --not a mystery --very well written --absorbing character who has had enough of big-city life and follows his own, even if eccentric, ideals --recommended Jinxed, by Carol Higgins Clark, Pocket Star Books, New York, 2002, Paperback. ISBN 0-7434-1232-x --not a mystery, but a novel of suspense which the writer clearly enjoyed dreaming up, as she throws in everything but the kitchen sink by way of plot development (thickening) and side shows --a neat juggling trick with a happy ending and the bad guys going to jail Murder in the New Age, by D.J.H. Jones, University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, 1997, Paperback. ISBN 0-8263-2236-0 --mysterious goings-on plus social commentary about the town of Santa Fe, New Mexico --mixes in virtual reality via computer software, Navajo ceremonies, and New Age attitudes towards food, health, the afterlife --female heroine who is saved by male detective |
About the mysteries reviewed above: whether they be police procedural or amateur investigation, whether gruesome or quiet, whether convoluted in plot or an "easy read," these stories and the many like them that are published every year, provide entertainment and ideas for many, many people. So, don't pass up the "Mystery" section in the local bookstore next time you visit!
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