Anthony Awards, Nominee Considerations, Reviews Part 3

If you've been following my posts this week, and I hope you have, you'll know that I'm featuring reviews of books I've read that are eligible for the Bouchercon Anthony Awards nominations.  With so many amazing books and stories published in 2015, it's hard to narrow down the choices to five nominations for each category.  I am providing these reviews and mentions of the books I've read to help jog your memory about books you've already read or to encourage you to read some new ones before the April 30th deadline for Anthony nominations.  All those attending Bouchercon can participate in this nominating, so please take advantage of supporting your favorite authors and books by filling out the nomination ballot that you should have received in your email.  If you did not receive a ballot, there is contact information on the Bouchercon 2016 FB page https://www.facebook.com/events/850126108400024/    

Today's four books and authors I offer for your consideration are The Nature of the Beast by Louise Penny from Minotaur Books (eligible for Best Novel), The Fatal Flame by Lyndsay Faye from G.P. Putnam's Sons (eligible for Best Novel), Burnt River by Karin Salvalaggio from Minotaur Books (eligible for Best Novel), and The Edge of Dreams by Rhys Bowen from Minotaur Books (eligible for Best Novel). 

The Nature of the Beast by Louise Penny

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


How does Louise Penny continue to make each book in the Armand Gamache series so thrilling? The answer lies in her brilliant storytelling, her fascinating characters, and a setting that has become home to all the multitude of fans who imagine themselves sitting in the Bistro in Three Pines. The story lines are complex, but not confusing. Penny trusts the intelligence of her readers, and they are rewarded with deep pockets of a story that could have world altering effects. That The Nature of the Beast has its origins in fact, an actual historical happening, was a surprise to me, and I wasn't aware of its historical connection until after reading the book. What Louise Penny was able to do with that obscure piece of fact reinforces what an amazing weaver of stories she is. Her ability to combine the best and worst of human beings into a single tale turns the fantastic into the plausible. And nobody is better than Penny at dissecting and revealing the emotions of characters so bare-faced and tangible.

Armand Gamache and his wife Reine-Marie have retired to Three Pines, the village that offers peace and sanity from the insanity and violence to which Gamache dealt with in the Surete. It is a place where adults and children can explore their beautiful surroundings in an isolated haven. It is where nine-year-old Laurent Lepage runs through the forest and reports back to the villagers his findings of mythical and extinct creatures roaming freely. Much akin to the boy who cried wolf, nobody pays Laurent's stories any mind, including the last one about a giant gun with a monster atop it. And, then, Laurent goes missing, is found in the woods dead, and is determined to be a murder victim. His death leads quickly to the discovery of the giant gun and monster atop it, too. Laurent had been truthful in his last story from the woods. Now, the new Chief Inspector, Isabelle Lacoste, and Gamache's son-in-law, Jean-Guy Beauvoir, must investigate the boy's murder and uncover whether it is tied to the mass weapon hiding in the hills behind Three Pines. As is so often the case with a murder, the answers lie in the past, and finding those answers will once again bring Gamache back into a world he had hoped to leave behind. What is especially heinous about Laurent's murder is that it puts the whole village of Three Pines under suspicion. Who knew about the gun or the men who created it? Who has had secrets for decades that must now come out if the killing is to stop? Just when you think you've gotten through the layers of subterfuge and horror, there is yet another layer that ensnares you.

Louise Penny fans will enjoy this dark tale of secrets with great appreciation for the masterful writing that fully engages and never disappoints. The eleventh book in the Armand Gamache series is the work of an author who cares deeply for her characters and her readers, and we, the readers, benefit greatly from that care. 


The Fatal Flame by Lyndsay Faye

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Gripping! First word that comes to mind to describe Lyndsay Faye's The Fatal Flame, the third and last installment of the Timothy Wilde series. Nobody can enfold you into the reality of New York City in the late 1840s like the brilliant Ms. Faye. It's a complete immersion in which one can see, feel, hear, and taste the city where the police department is a newly minted endeavor and where people must meet the harshness of life head-on. And, young Copper Star Timothy Wilde must at last deal with his demons and fears, facing truth and trying to survive its harshness. Timothy's life has been defined by fire, and it is fire by which he finds himself surrounded in this story. Can fire that has crippled him free him, or will it at last destroy him?

In the spring of 1848, New York City is spilling over with people and poverty, with more immigrants arriving daily and finding their promise land yet another hardship in their struggles to survive. Timothy is involved with an investigation to obliterate one danger to young Irish girls who are met as they soon as they depart their ship and hoodwinked into prostitution by an insidious purveyor of fresh flesh to the ever hungry market for such. While in pursuit of this particular evil, Timothy is pulled into another troubling investigation by his larger-than-life brother Valentine. Someone is threatening to set fires to occupied buildings belonging to the 8th Ward's alderman, owner of a major textile company and many other properties. When an actual fire does occur, killing two women, it becomes imperative that Timothy uncover the many layers of deceit and power play before more deaths. Of course, brother Valentine, chooses this time to challenge said alderman in the upcoming election, which proves dangerous for anyone with ties to Valentine or Timothy. Throw into the mix a woman's rights activist, our dear Bird Daly coming of age, Timothy's precious Mercy Underhill showing up again, Timothy's landlady and her affection, and the power players of Tammany Hall taking an interest in the Wildes. It's definitely a melting pot of disastrous proportions.

Now, how do you keep a book of 456 pages gripping? Well, first you get Lyndsay Faye to write it. The attention to detail, the exquisite pacing of the story, the captivating characters, the ensconcing setting, and the historical significance. Gripped you will be. Oh, and then there is even the relevance to today's history, looking at the beginning practices of the NYPD, which were often brutal and tortuous, and comparing the fear that certain groups of people had of the police to our present-day situation of police abuse of power. Well, it makes for an interesting discovery of how things began and how they are now. Of course, the whole book is one fascinating historical adventure after another, and as I mentioned, Lyndsay's attention to detail is well researched and well written. The snippets of newspaper reports on events of that time appear at the beginning of each chapter, and I found these to be parts I marked as readily with my post-its as other parts of the story. I'm sorry that this amazing series has come to an end, but it has gone out with a bang for sure. My nerves can now relax, as I no longer have to guess the fates of my friends/characters, and even though not everyone and everything turned out as I wanted, I will forever consider this series a favorite.


Burnt River by Karin Salvalaggio

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


When you've read the first book in a series and loved it, there is great anticipation and some worry about the second book and its continued excellence. Last year, Bone Dust White by Karin Salvalaggio was the author's debut novel, a fact that I found extraordinary due to its complex array of story and characters. The main character, Detective Macy Greeley, is eight months pregnant and unmarried when the story begins. Who starts the story of someone when she's eight months pregnant? Well, Karin Salvalaggio does and does it brilliantly. I stated at the time that Macy Greeley is a promise of layers to come. So, we come to book #2, Burnt River, and Macy, with her flaws, strengths, and struggles becomes more whole, more solid, more fantastic to the readers. Second book jitters for the reader evaporate. Like its title suggests, this book (and this series) is on fire.

We catch up with Macy eighteen months after the birth of her son, Luke. She has been sent by her boss, State Police Captain Ray Davidson, to Wilmington Creek in northern Montana where a veteran of the Afghanistan wars has been murdered. Macy isn't happy to be leaving her home in Helena and her son, and her personal relationship with Davidson continues to be a tangled web of promises and let downs. However, if Maggie is confused about her personal life, she is the consummate state police detective, dedicated to uncovering the intricacies of murder. John Dalton, the recently returned Afghanistan veteran, seems an unlikely victim of a dark alley homicide, but secrets can obscure motives, and John had secrets that his sister Jessie and friends Dylan and Tyler are desperately trying keep hidden. With the area experiencing an especially harsh heat wave and wildfires flaming, Police Chief Aiden Marsh already has his hands full, but he proves invaluable to Macy in her pursuit of local knowledge and connections. As the heat intensifies from the temperature, the wildfires, and the investigation, Macy starts piecing together confusion into answers, but will she arrive at those answers in time to prevent more loss.

Thank you, Karin Salvalaggio for providing me with a book that I didn't want to end and ensuring that the Macy Greeley series is the real thing in outstanding mystery fiction. The only request I have now is to please write book #3 like a bat out of hell. Please! 


The Edge of Dreams by Rhys Bowen

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The Edge of Dreams kept me on the edge of my seat in constant anticipation. I spent the whole book looking over my shoulder for the next danger or villainous act. How great is that! Rhys Bowen has given us a story that does exactly what a mystery/suspense book is supposed to do, keep us on that edge where we are afraid of what might happen next, but we must know. Every time I read a Molly Murphy mystery, I wonder just how Rhys can make each book so fresh, so titillating, so un-put-downable. She is simply and deeply one of the best at her craft. The characters, the plot, the setting, the themes draw the reader into the world of the early 1900s, 1905 in this particular tale, and absolutely captivate from beginning to end. After finishing this book, you will have to re-acclimate to the present day, and you will do so reluctantly.

In Molly's latest adventure or as is often the case, misadventure, she is only a few months back from Paris and her amazing murder solving there. She and husband Daniel, a New York City police captain, are moving back into their home on Patchin Place in Greenwich Village. It has been mostly restored from the fire that devastated it and Molly's family before her Paris trip. Molly is thrilled to be back on Patchin Place, across from her dear friends Gus and Sid, even if it means that Molly's mother-in-law will be staying for a bit. A most welcome surprise is the arrival of Bridie, the young girl who accompanied Molly to America from Ireland, with Daniel's mother. The extra help is needed, as Molly and her one-year-old son Liam have just survived a train crash, which has left Molly with cracked ribs and a substantial bump on the head. Liam is unscathed from the ordeal, and his rambunctious activity is much more manageable with Bridie around. Daniel, who is working on what appears to be a serial murder case, is grateful to have Molly and Liam in good hands while Molly recuperates.

Sid and Gus, as usual, are involved in a new interest that becomes crucial to both Daniel's case and Molly's survival. Dream analysis is a new area of study, and Gus has recently studied it some with Dr. Sigmund Freud in Europe. Gus is eager to pursue this interest in America, but America is somewhat behind in the studies of the mind. Molly, having grown up with the Irish tales of dream significance and the sixth sense, is open to this new line of inquiry into the human psyche, and she develops a personal interest when a recurring dream leaves her worried. Before long, there is the inevitable collision of Molly's world and Daniel's case. Daniel has come to appreciate Molly's detective skills, even if he doesn't want her to resume her detective career. The murderer whom Daniel seeks is a new kind of monster, killing in what seems a randomness and senselessness among the average, unassuming population of a simple-minded woman, a judge's wife, and a tutor's mother. But, as Molly and Daniel have too often discovered, there are few coincidences where murder is concerned and links don't always pop out to announce themselves. Dream analysis, hard digging into connections, and dangerous surprises will carry Molly and the reader from random to related with a flow of non-stop action and unrelenting pursuit.

Thank you, Rhys Bowen for another great addition to the Molly Murphy series. You deliver with every book, and I always think that the current one is my favorite until, of course, the next one. To read a series in which each entry is a favorite is the best of reading pleasure and the most masterful of the art of writing.

 



 






 

Anthony Awards, Nominee Considerations, Reviews, Part 2

In this second addition to my review of various authors and books eligible for the Bouchercon Anthony Awards, nominations for which are due on April 30th from Bouchercon attendees, I thought it might be helpful to remind those nominating of the different categories.  These categories include the following: Best Novel, Best First Novel, Best Paperback Original, Best Critical or Nonfiction Book, Best Short Story, Best Anthology or Collection, Best Young Adult Novel, and Best Crime Fiction Audiobook.  And, remember that to be eligible for this year's (2016) Anthony, these titles must have a first time publication date of 2015 for North America.  There are instances, especially some British titles that have an earlier publication date for that country, but if their first publication date in North America is 2015, then they are eligible.  So, here are four more reviews of eligible books for the current Anthony nomination ballot.  They include What You See by Hank Phillippi Ryan from Forge Books (eligible for Best Novel), Mrs. Roosevelt's Confidante by Susan Elia MacNeal from Bantam (eligible for Best Paperback Original), The Child Garden by Catriona McPherson from Midnight Ink (eligible for Best Novel), and A Killing at the Creek by Nancy Allen.


What You See by Hank Phillippi Ryan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Author Hank Phillippi Ryan consistently wins awards for her writing--the Agatha, the Anthony, the Macavity, the Daphne du Maurier, and the Mary Higgins Clark awards. She has also won awards as the on-air investigative reporter for Boston's NBC affiliate--33 Emmys and 13 Edward R. Murrows, as well as others. So, you really don't have to take my word for it that Hank is brilliant, and her writing reflects that. However, that won't stop me from bragging on this favorite author who provides me with some of my best reading every year. She masterfully sets up plots and characters that will engage you in the perfect timing and complexity of connections. You won't get lost in these layers, except in the best possible way of relishing their relevance. What You See is the fourth book in the Jane Ryland series set in Boston, and it will please mightily the established fans of the series, and it will have first time readers racing back to the previous three novels.

In What You See, Jane Ryland is between jobs, after quitting her newspaper reporter's position due to the paper's lack of ethics, which Jane couldn't live with. She is in the middle of an interview with television station Channel 2 when a story breaks in front of City Hall, a stabbing. As no one else is available at the station, the news director sends Jane, an on-the-spot try-out. With Jane trying to work out the whole work conflict with boyfriend Detective Jake Brogan, it's a mixed blessing. The scene at City Hall is frantic with the stabbing victim pronounced dead and bystanders being detained for possible eye witness accounts or cellphone video/pictures. It's both a plethora of possibility and a dearth of decipherability. Finding the proverbial needle in the haystack. Jake and his partner Paul DeLuca are already on the scene giving out assignments and trying to keep control when Jane arrives on the fringes of the activity. A young man who has renamed himself Bobby Land and is hoping to make a name for himself as a photographer latches onto Jane and steers her toward an alley where Jake and DeLuca have engaged with two men, one claiming to have captured the killer and the supposed suspect unconscious from being beaten. Jane and Jake inevitably meet up in this alley, and the old question of maintaining a relationship with conflicting interests is back in play. And, in the middle of it all, Jane receives a call from her sister informing Jane that the nine-year-old daughter of her fiancé is missing with her step-father, with just days to go before the wedding.

Then, it gets complicated. Neither the murder victim or the injured man in the alley have any ID on them, making motive and solving the case that much harder. Jane is juggling trying to establish a toe-hold with Channel 2 while her family situation escalates into a possible kidnapping of young Gracie by the stepdad. Jake is finding a murder in broad daylight in front of City Hall is full of challenges and directions of interest that have far reaching connections and consequences. And, how do Jane and Jake fit in a relationship in two worlds at odds with one another? The answers will take readers on a thrilling, great paced trek of family secrets, merciless ambition, and deceitful maneuverings.

Thanks, Hank Phillippi Ryan for another absorbing story featuring Jane Ryland. What You See is a vision of great writing and entertainment.


Mrs. Roosevelt’s Confidante by Susan Elia MacNeal

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


There is lots going on in Susan Elia MacNeal's fifth Maggie Hope book, but then, it is December 1941, only weeks after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and the United States has entered this second war to end all wars. Maggie Hope has traveled to Washington, D.C. with Prime Minster Winston Churchill and his two aides, Maggie's close friend David Green and Maggie's old/new boyfriend John Sterling, on a mission to shore up America's support for the war and ensure that President Roosevelt is committed to a campaign in Europe first and foremost. Although Maggie has become a highly skilled spy, she is posing as Churchill's secretary on this trip, a trip that brings her back to the country in which she was raised by her aunt. Born to British parents, whose twisted history has been revealed in previous books, Maggie was spirited out of England as a baby to be raised by an aunt who could give her a stable environment. So, it is with much excitement that this British/American/British young woman embraces the nation's capital.

MacNeal has captured the personalities and machinations of this historic meeting between Roosevelt and Churchill with the aplomb of the proverbial fly on the wall. A meeting of such importance required the social graces as well as the diplomatic skills, and the author brings both the seriousness and the entertainment aspects of the White House during this time brilliantly to life. Diplomacy and social graces were indeed in play together when during the Children's Hour, Roosevelt's cocktail hour, the President and the Prime Minister had quite different ideas about the perfect martini. Descriptions of the interior of the White House reflect the keeping up appearances of the Presidency part of the building as opposed to the family's quarters, where the shabbiness of the previous lean, economic years is evident. Eleanor Roosevelt plays a prominent role in this book (hence, Mrs. Roosevelt's Confidante), and the development of her as an historical character with the grace and dutiful First Lady and as a passionate, compassionate social activist was achieved by carefully distributed dialogue and interactions with Maggie.

The Churchill party has only just arrived when Maggie becomes entrenched in the problems of Mrs. Roosevelt, as it appears someone is trying to drag the First Lady into a scandalous situation involving murder and accusations directed at Eleanor's decency. When the temporary secretary for Mrs. Roosevelt fails to appear for work and Maggie and Mrs. Roosevelt find the young woman dead in the woman's apartment, Maggie knows that not only is the First Lady's reputation at stake, but that a scandal of this proportion would damage the President's effectiveness and efforts to get Americans behind their entrance into the war. Maggie must now use her code-breaking, analytical, and even physical skills of espionage to uncover who is behind the attack on Mrs. Roosevelt. Churchill, realizing the importance of what's at stake, releases Maggie from his schedule to concentrate on Mrs. Roosevelt's and, in essence, America's must-solve problem.

There are other subplots weaving in and out of Maggie's activities. As author MacNeal usually does with great finesse, she brings in fascinating back story, this time the story of the impending execution of a young black man in Virginia. Mrs. Roosevelt is involved in trying to stop the execution, and, thus, Maggie becomes involved in it also. And, as usual, this story, which is based on actual events, connects to the larger story, with the feelings of Southerners in American being a thin line that President Roosevelt must walk in order to keep the South on the side of America's involvement in the war. It's an ugly look at politics, which, unfortunately, isn't a thing of the past today. Maggie's and John's relationship is at a tipping point during this trip, too. Whether or not they can overcome their pasts, which have left deep emotional scarring, is the unspoken question that must be answered. There is a most unexpected character in the book that brings Hollywood into the novel, as Walt Disney is gearing his company to make war-time movies of support for the country.

This novel is so rich with historical matter and allusions that, as a fan of historical fiction, I was thrilled. It is Susan Elia MacNeal's particular genius that blends these fascinating facts with a story of captivating consequence.

The Child Garden by Catriona McPherson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Catriona McPherson is a multi-talented author, first gaining a wide following with her Dandy Gilver series, and, while still carrying on that entertaining line of books, she has racked up numerous awards in the last few years with her suspenseful, thrilling standalone novels. Her fourth standalone, The Child Garden, is just out and already receiving high praise, and I expect it to garner award attention, too. Nobody sets up a an atmospheric thriller better than Catriona, and she then weaves into this perfect setting a story with chilling twists and turns, populated with characters who may or may not be trustworthy. As a reader, you want to know the answers as much as the main character who is desperately trying to gain these answers before more death or bloodshed. I always seem to become completely ensconced in that character in Catriona's novels who is unraveling the lies and deceits to get to the person who perpetuates evil and murder.

In The Child Garden, Gloria Harkness is a single,divorced mother living in an isolated area of Scottish countryside, inhabiting a house aptly named Rough House on a neglected estate, where a care home also is located. The care home is a residence for Gloria's son afflicted with PKAN and the elderly woman, Mrs. Drume, who owns the estate, including Rough House. Gloria's life is uneventful with a routine of going to work as a registrar, registering births, weddings, and deaths; visiting her son and Mrs. Drume in the care home; and reading books. In exchange for paying no rent, Gloria has agreed to take care of Mrs. Drume's senior dog and to rock the "rocking stone" in the backyard of Rough House twelve times a day to keep what her elderly landlady says is the devil imprisoned within. Thus has life continued for Gloria Harkness over the past ten years.

On the perfect dark and stormy night, Gloria's life is turned upside down. A chance recognition by a grade school friend results in that friend knocking on her door that moonless evening, and as she opens the door to Stephen "Stig" Tarrant, she is letting in danger and evil. Her life and the lives of those she knows will never be the same. Stig Tarrant is being chased by a past from 28 years ago when he was one of twelve students at a private school named Eden. Eden occupied the large estate house where the care home now operates. In the one and only year the school existed, a young boy lost his life there, and the children who attended school at Eden, including Stig, have had unkind fates ever since. Now, someone has set up Stig to look like the murderer of one of his old classmates, or that's what Gloria has chosen to believe when she agrees to help Stig. As Gloria investigates the lives of the other students and tries to piece together just what happened that tragic night that one student died on the grounds of the school, she uncovers far too many coincidences and encounters lie after lie, some from Stig himself. There are plenty of suspects as to who's behind the nefarious doings of past and present. Even the Devil is high on the list.

Catriona McPherson has once again given readers an on-the-edge-of-your-seat mystery thriller to fray the nerves and tax the brain. It is unpredictable, but never unfairly so. Readers will enjoy every creepy moment and probably won't mind that it haunts them afterward. 


A Killing at the Creek: An Ozarks Mystery by Nancy Allen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I don't normally start with the second book in a thus-far two book series, but A Killing at the Creek was recommended to me, and Nancy Allen and this book appeared on a favorite blog, so I jumped into the sequel first. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel with the setting of the Ozarks being a new one for me. It's always interesting to explore new areas through novel reading, and Allen now has me hooked on the Ozarks and this series. I'll be ordering the first book after I finish my review of the first.

The main character of this story is Elsie Arnold, an assistant prosecutor in McCown County, Missouri. She's highly adept at her job, but not so much at her personal life. Struggling with the head prosecutor, Madeline Thompson, who seems to throw obstacles in Elsie's career track often and with malice of forethought, Elsie is hoping for a big case in which Madeline can't ignore the younger attorney's competence. And, then a rare murder case lands in McCown County, and Elsie manages to attach herself as a co-counsel, next to 2nd chair and newcomer, chief assistant Chuck Harris. Also involved in the investigation and case is Elsie's current amour, Chief Detective Bob Ashlock. The accused is not what Elsie expected in her first murder case, as the person charged with cutting a middle-aged woman's throat is a fifteen-year-old boy. And, the victim had been driving a bright yellow school bus, which the boy kept driving after the body was dumped. Though the boy is found on the bloody bus, he claims he is innocent of the murder. So, Elsie has all she can handle in determining whether the prosecution office has the right perpetrator, and when Chuck Harris loads Elsie down with more and more responsibility in the case, she must prove herself indefatigable in the face of the burden.

Author Nancy Allen has created an intriguing series, and I'm delighted to have found her at the beginning of it. I'll be reading The Code of the Hills, first book in the series, very soon, and I'll be waiting for the next installment with heightened anticipation.

Anthony Awards, Nominee Considerations, Reviews Post 1

The Anthony Awards are given out at Bouchercon World Mystery Conference.  For those of us who have experienced the wonder of this conference, we know how exciting it is to see authors rewarded for their hard work and talent.  And, what's especially fun and satisfying for readers is that if we're attending Bouchercon, we get to be part of the nominating and voting process.  It's a privilege and responsibility that requires careful consideration.  Attendees can nominate five books for each category on their nominating ballots, and with all the great works for each year, five doesn't seem nearly enough.  But, five is the limit, and so we think back over the eligible books, books from the previous year, that we've read and diligently fill out and send in our ballot.  For the 2016 Bouchercon to be held in September in New Orleans (already dancing to the beat), the Anthony nomination ballots are due April 30th.  

There are so many amazing recommendations for this ballot, and the word is circulating on social media about what books are eligible (original publication date in U.S. must be 2015) in what category, and this information is extremely helpful to those filling out their ballots.  As is typical of the mystery/crime community, sharing information and resources is a natural part of loving this genre.  So, a list is started and others add on, trying to ensure all authors get their due consideration.  I've decided to use my blog to further get the word out on the authors I've read or am reading for these nominations.  It is but a small piece of the information available, but as I pointed out, with everyone sharing information, the chances are that no one will be left out.   

So, I am going to post reviews of books that are up for consideration in hopes that if you haven't read the book, you still have time to do so and give it some thought on your Anthony nomination ballot.  These reviews are not necessarily campaigns for your vote, just ones I want to make sure readers don't miss.  Today's reviews include Anne Cleeland's Murder in Hindsight from Kensington (eligible for Best Novel), Elly Griffith's The Ghost Fields from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (eligible for Best Novel), Jennifer Kincheloe's The Secret Life of Anna Blanc from Seventh Street Books (eligible for Best First Novel), and James Ziskins' Stone Cold Dead from Seventh Street Books (eligible for Best Paperback Original). 


Murder in Hindsight by Anne Cleeland
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


There are those book series with which I’m so besotted that a new book in the series has me fairly dancing to begin. Of course, the down side is that the book only has a countable number of pages. So it began when I received my advanced reader’s copy of Anne Cleeland’s latest New Scotland Yard Mystery starring Chief Inspector Michael Acton and Detective Sergeant Kathleen Doyle, Murder in Hindsight. Euphoria upon opening the cover and reading this fascinating story and dreading the end, where you long for just one more scene, one more glimpse at one of mystery’s most unique duos.

Murder in Hindsight presents Detective Sergeant Kathleen Doyle with a real connect-the-dots case. Trying to ease Chief Inspector Acton’s worries over his trouble prone wife, she has taken up the job of reviewing cold cases. But, Doyle becomes involved despite her best intentions and her husband’s over protectiveness in an apparent serial murder case. Someone is meting out justice that didn’t get served in the courtroom by putting a bullet in the guilty party’s head, and the murder victims are all related to different cold cases. Acton is also on the scene to investigate, but he has his own set of problems to solve, which involve a reporter whose intentions go far beyond getting the latest scoop. Doyle slowly discovers Acton’s perilous position that has him dodging scandal and ruin. Unwittingly, Doyle becomes entwined in the conspiracy against Acton as she begins communications with a man who, after he rescues her from an attack, proves to be an associate of a criminal serving time because of Acton. Doyle must figure out who she can trust if she is to stop the vigilante killings and keep Acton’s secrets, of which he has many, from destroying him and their life together. Doyle’s strong sense of loyalty and intuition will serve her well in her tasks.

There are few series that have engaged me to the point that Anne Cleeland’s New Scotland Yard Mysteries. Cleeland has the ability to bring characters to your heart and bind you to them. Kathleen Doyle is so full of wit and devotion to the people she loves that she continues to delight and charm in each book, making Acton’s obsession with her completely reasonable. Lord Michael Acton never disappoints in his commitment to Doyle and to a system of justice that serves up the guilty to their just desserts. Doyle and Acton have such a complete understanding of one another that the reader will develop strong protective instincts of his/her own. The supporting characters of the ever irritating DS Isabel Munoz and Doyle’s could-have-been boyfriend, now friend, DS Thomas Williams add so much to the narrative and the life of Doyle. The stories are so intricately plotted and layered that the action is always moving forward at just the right pace.


The Ghost Fields by Elly Griffiths
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


2013 was one of my best reading years ever. It was the year that I discovered Elly Griffiths' Ruth Galloway series and got to read the first five Ruth Galloway novels one right after the other. It was a blissful reading spring that year. But, once you're up to speed in a series, there is the yearly wait for the next book, and in a favorite series such as this one by Elly Griffiths, it's a hard wait. Once again, it was worth the wait. The Ghost Fields brought to life those characters I missed so much. Archeologist/professor/ Dr.Ruth Galloway, DCI Harry Nelson, Cathbad the Druid, Ruth's daughter Kate, DS Judy Johnson, DS David Clough/Cloughie, American academic/TV presenter Frank Barker, and even Phil Trent, Ruth's weasel boss. These characters have been developed with skilled care by the author, and it is little wonder that they have become like family to readers of the series.

When the remains of a man, later to be identified as those of a member of a prominent family named Blackstock, are unearthed inside an American WWII plane in Norfolk , Dr. Ruth Galloway is called in by DCI Harry Nelson to help discover the chain of events leading to the dead man's death and subsequent placement in the plane, as her first pronouncement is that the victim had been shot in the head and couldn't possibly be the pilot. Thus begins an investigation into the death of Fred Blackstock, originally thought to have died as a part of an American flight crew in the waters off of Norfolk. The connection to what are called the "ghost fields" in the area is a step back into the days of WWII when there were American airfields established in Norfolk.

DCI Nelson has his work cut out for him in dealing with the Blackstock family members who remain at Blackstock Manor, as buried secrets of missing family members and order of inheritance must be sorted. To further frustrate Nelson is the arrival of a television company that is doing a film on the American ghost fields with the focus being on Fred Blackstock who early in his life relocated to America and ironically ended up dying so near his British ancestral home as a part of the American forces. As well as the professional frustration, there is the added personal distraction with the American academic Frank Barker, who will narrate the film. Frank and Ruth have a past together, but before that Nelson and Ruth had a past, and there are a lot of emotions running amok. When another present day murder occurs, the urgency to solve the mysteries of the past is full on.

Griffiths gives us the intensity that always accompanies her stories, as dark secrets come undone and twists of fates surface. There is never a lull in the flow of action and suspense. The author masterfully lets the reader know that danger is right around the corner, but we are wonderfully surprised with it when it strikes. The interplay of the characters and the growth of relationships and understandings throughout the series is a thing of beauty to watch. Ruth Galloway is strong and competent, but she is human, and human have their frailties, too. She is one of my absolute favorite fictional characters. This book in the series is rather a crossroads for Ruth's personal life, and readers will be grateful for Ruth confronting some of her feelings for others.

Fans of Elly Griffiths and this series are going to be most thrilled with this well-plotted mystery that answers so many questions on so many fronts.


The Secret Life of Anna Blanc by Jennifer Kincheloe
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I think it's a fair assessment that most readers enjoy learning, and fiction readers are some of the most curious. So, when a book gives me a great story connected to a fascinating time in history that I haven't read much about, I'm one happy reader. I do admit a fondness for turn of the century, 20th, settings, but I had no experience with the Los Angeles Police Department of 1907 and the fact that women did work there, as matrons. I wasn't sure about the place setting at first, as Los Angeles doesn't immediately get my reading juices bubbling, but author Jennifer Kincheloe won me over with her deft descriptions and constant adventure running through the scenery. From the seedy prostitution establishments to the main character Anna Blanc's mansion residence, it was all so interesting and authentic, due to the author's meticulous research. I often felt as if I were sitting watching a play with the dress, scenery, characters, and extras all on cue, even the cats.

Anna Blanc is the privileged daughter of a well-known Los Angeles banker, and we first see her eloping with a somewhat dandy of a man, hoping to escape the confines of her strict father and excited about learning the ways of womanhood. Her attempt at liberation is thwarted, and her father has her returned home to round-the-clock supervision. Of course, Anna is a most clever girl, and she is able to slip into a women's vote rally, where she meets a police matron and becomes interested in finding out more about police work. Anna is quite spoiled and naive, but she is also highly intelligent and resourceful, and she is definitely bored with being a socialite. Her father has hired a brute of a minder for her, but
her minder is a most greedy woman, so they come to an understanding. This understanding allows Anna to become involved with the LAPD of 1907. She enters into this new world as a series of young prostitutes have been murdered. It is these murders that will take Anna to places no debutante would ever dream of going, but Anna is an exception to so much of her expected life. Her secret life, while fulfilling and exciting, threatens to turn her whole life upside down if her father and fiance discover her subterfuge.

The characters in The Secret Life of Anna Blanc are marvelous, and so they deserve a mention of their own. Anna is at first defined by the restrictive world in which she lives, so she appears rather superficial and self-centered in the beginning. But, Kincheloe is brilliant at character development, and Anna grows into her own, discovering along with the reader just how smart and strong she is. The men in her life--her original intended, her father, her fiance, and the police officers with whom she works--are a varied and fascinating lot and run the gambit from scoundrel to hero. Anna's best friend is a young woman who believes strongly in her role as a society woman in 1907 and tries hard to understand Anna's unconventional ways. The prostitutes with whom Anna comes into contact are a captivating group of women with a common goal of trying to survive a world that can be unkind to women without a man to help her. Lulu, the madam of one establishment is wonderfully colorful and plays an important part in the story. All the characters help to depict both a time when the roles of men and women were clearly defined and when the entry into the Twentieth Century was bringing changes.

The Secret Life of Anna Blanc is Jennifer Kincheloe's debut novel, and it is a remarkable one. Full of history, wit, humor, tragedy, it promises to kick off this author's career with a force of success. I was fortunate to receive a copy of the book from the author at the 2015 Bouchercon, and it is one of the best I scored.



Stone Cold Dead by James W. Ziskin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Starting with #3 in a series is always a risk that you will feel behind on the characters and sometimes confused. Well, I felt right in the game with the amazing Ellie Stone, newspaper reporter in New Holland, New York in 1960. OK, I just have to say it. I absolutely love Ellie Stone. She is smart and sassy and curious. In the men's world of the 1960s, she holds her own, both with her work and her personal life. With an eye for detail that others miss, she makes an outstanding reporter and also a great detective, although the latter is spurred by curiosity and not vocation. She also knows how to hold her whiskey and get around in the romance department.

Stone Cold Dead begins in January of 1961 when the mother of fifteen-year-old Darleen Hicks asks Ellie to look into the disappearance of Darleen, who has been missing since before Christmas. Darleen was supposed to be on the school bus, but she never got home. Ellie promises the mother that she will do what she can, and since Ellie has a high level of curiosity, she digs and digs deeply into the disappearance of this young girl. The official police line of thinking is that Darleen has just run off, but Ellie starts discovering information that makes her doubt that solution, or at least feel the need to explore other scenarios. There is no lack of people who are connected to Darleen and seem to be withholding information that could shed some unfavorable light on themselves or others. Teachers, friends, family, and neighbors. They all seem to have pieces that Ellie needs to figure out where Darleen is, and since Ellie is relentless as an investigator, she will leave no (yes I have to say it) stone unturned.

Stone Cold Dead has made me a fan of Ellie Stone and James Ziskin. Ziskin successfully meets the challenge of writing a story set in the 1960 time frame, blending in references to the time period with Ellie's taste in music, brands, events, people, and the limitations of communication, which is of some importance. Ziskin provides fascinating plot and characters, and the witty dialogue that Ellie engages in is still bringing a smile to my face. I can't wait to read the first two in this series, starting after I finish this review. Now.

Finally February!

February is one of my favorite months, with its red and pink and white candy hearts scattered all over.  Valentine's Day is, well, just sweet and happens to be my older granddaughter's birthday, so especially sweet.  February is also the month of my birthday and two out of my three siblings.  And, it is color after a drab January.  February just pops!  This year, I've decided to start my year and my reading year in February.  January was a bad one this year, with my husband being in a burn unit for the first two weeks of the month and then home recuperating.  So, I'm moving my Happy New Year to February, the month I began.  Of course, missing the month of January did horrible things to my reading life, which is always running behind anyway.  But, today, I will do a bit of catching up and talk about what came out in January and what's coming out soon.

First up, and one I am truly champing at the bit to get to is Peter May's new book, Coffin Road, from Quercus Publishing.  The link here is for Book Depository, as it is a direct buying transaction for this book and only $18.92 with free world-wide shipping.  Amazon has third party buying for Coffin Road, with Book Depository being one of the choices.  Peter's books come out in the UK first, and I usually buy his through Book Depository, ahead of the U.S. publication dates.  Coffin Road takes readers back to the setting of the Hebrides, the Scottish Islands featured in May's amazing Lewis Trilogy books.   I can't wait to return there and see what mystery Peter has for us in those wild and unpredictable islands.  Here's a teaser for the book:   "A man is washed up on a deserted beach on the Hebridean Isle of Harris, barely alive and borderline hypothermic. He has no idea who he is or how he got there. The only clue to his identity is a map tracing a track called the Coffin Road. He does not know where it will lead him, but filled with dread, fear and uncertainty he knows he must follow it."   And, here is the official trailer:  https://youtu.be/XuFxztvKwvY       

Next up is Orphan X by Gregg Hurwitz.  This book is one I feel guilty about.  I received it from the publishers,  Minotaur Books, as an ARC to read and review.  I had not read Gregg Hurwitz and was so excited to be able to read such an acclaimed author and review him.  Well, my husband's accident changed any plans I had for January reads and reviews, so the bad news is that I haven't been able to read it yet, but the good news is that I still have it to look forward to, and the reviews coming in from other sources are great.  Tess Gerritsen, successful author of the Rizzoli and Isles series and a favorite author of mine, describes Orphan X as, " 'the most gripping, high-octane thriller I've read in a long, long time.' "  Evan Smoak, spoken of in legendary terms as the "Nowhere Man," is a character that promises to be unforgettable.

The Good Goodbye by Carla Buckley is another January release that is gathering praise and pleasing her multitude of fans.  I've been one of those fans since Carla's first book,  The Things That Keep Us Here, a book that showed writing brilliance in dealing with the deep intricacies and emotions of family dynamics, a theme that Buckley continues to be a masterful storyteller of.  In The Good Goodbye, the mystery of a tragic fire brings two related families confronting the secrets of the past that have slipped into the present.  Award-winning and another favorite author of mine, Hank Phillippi Ryan, says of The Good Goodbye, " 'Relentlessly suspenseful and instantly riveting, this heartbreaking page-turner probes the darkest secrets a family tries to protect.' "  I'm certainly ready to begin my reading year with a sure-hit from Carla.  Her publisher, Minotaur Books, is home to many of my favorite mystery authors. 

The end of January brought a sigh of relief to me and another exciting book to readers to add to their list for a great reading year.  I met Jonathan Moore at Bouchercon in Raleigh last fall as a result of my friendship with and adoration of Elly Griffiths, who writes one of my favorite series, the Ruth Galloway series.  Putting together a dinner with Elly (Domenica de Rosa) and some other authors and readers, I met Katrina Kruse, who is with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishers and works with both Jonathan and Elly.  Katrina and Jonathan joined us at dinner, and the rest, as they say, is history.  I had a new author to follow and read.  The Poison Artist was just chosen by Amazon as a best book for the month of February in the category of Mystery, Thriller, and Suspense.  The book has a blurb from Stephen King, for goodness sakes.  King says, " 'an electrifying read… I haven’t read anything so terrifying since Red Dragon.' "  A description from the book jacket is even further evidence that you don't want to miss this book:
"Dr. Caleb Maddox is a San Francisco toxicologist studying the chemical effects of pain. After a bruising breakup with his girlfriend, he’s out drinking whiskey when a hauntingly seductive woman appears by his side. Emmeline whispers to Caleb over absinthe, gets his blood on her fingers and then brushes his ear with her lips as she says goodbye. He must find her.  As his search begins, Caleb becomes entangled in a serial-murder investigation. The police have been fishing men from the bay, and the postmortems are inconclusive. One of the victims vanished from the bar the night Caleb met Emmeline. When questioned, Caleb can’t offer any information, nor does he tell them he’s been secretly helping the city’s medical examiner, an old friend, study the chemical evidence on the victims’ remains. The search for the killer soon entwines with Caleb’s hunt for Emmeline, and the closer he gets to each, the more dangerous his world becomes."


As if the four books above aren't enough to bring cheers from readers for a bang-up start to 2016, here are some others that will convince you that we're heading into a spectacular year of reading.

River Road: A Novel by Carol Goodman (Jan. 19th)
The Ex: A Novel by Alafair Burke (Jan. 26th)
Where It Hurts by Reed Farrel Coleman (Jan. 26th)
Jane and the Waterloo Map by Stephanie Barron (Feb. 2nd)
The Highest Mountains of Portugal by Yann Martel (Feb. 2nd)




 

My Christmas Book Bag

Every Christmas I do something for myself.  I buy books to fill a Christmas gift bag with, sit it under the tree, and on Christmas Eve, I get to take the books out and officially make them mine.  Yes, I already know what the books are, but it's fun for me to fill the bag and get to fawn over them on that special night of the year.  So, what is in my bag this year?  Take a peek.

Favorite Reads of 2015

I've picked fifteen favorite reads of 2015, and I feel like maybe I should have picked all the books I read.  Because, I did enjoy every book I read this year, and because it was a slow reading year for me, and so I really did only read books I thought I would love.  In fact, this year has been the slowest reading year I can remember since I began keeping track of how many books a year I read.  I blame my reading slump on my house being torn apart for the year, up until about a month ago, as major interior work was transforming my drab house into a beautiful, new living space.  So, I plan to do a post before the year is out on the many books I would have normally read and plan on catching up on.  2016 will hopefully see me back on track and reading up a storm.  The fifteen books I have chosen to feature from the 2015 wonderful world of books represents an amazing wealth of great reading, with three new authors whom I am delighted to have discovered.  There is one 2016 book that I've included as a bonus book.  Lyndsay Faye's Jane Steele isn't out until April 7th, but how could I not include mention of this book that I was lucky enough to read an advanced copy of and couldn't put down.  Links to all my reviews, except for Jane Steele, are listed below all of the pictures.  (Lyndsay wanted to hold off on putting the reviews out there too soon, so I'm respecting that.)  I hope you will enjoy these amazing books as much as I did.  If you've already read them or some of them, then you know why they're on the list.

 
 

  

Reviews:
The Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust
Dreaming Spies
The Edge of Dreams
Murder in Hindsight
The Ghost Fields
The Fatal Flame
Burnt River
Little Pretty Things
No Other Darkness
The Nature of the Beast
What You See
The Child Garden
Mrs. Roosevelt's Confidante
Entry Island
The Secret Life of Anna Blanc

New Molly Murphy Out Today

Away in a Manger by Rhys Bowen

My Review:

My Rating: 5 of 5 stars


I was especially thrilled when I learned earlier this year that there would be two Molly Murphy books out in 2015, The Edge of Dreams last spring and Away in a Manger this November. I truly cannot get enough of Molly, her family, her friends, and the city of New York City at the beginning of the 20th Century. Rhys Bowen has gifted readers with a Christmas story bonus that I wasn't able to wait until Christmas to read. Having been lucky enough to receive an ARC, I even got in a bit early before the November 17th publication date. This series is such a favorite for so many readers, and fans will be delighted with Away in a Manger. It's Molly at her detecting best, clever and resourceful with a maturing confidence in herself and her abilities. The author's meticulous research is evident in the historical details of New York City coming into a new century, where the newness of motor cars is in high contrast to the struggling problems of the immigrants, especially the untended children of the poor.

Molly is preparing for Daniel's mother, the other Mrs. Sullivan, to visit for the Christmas holidays, and while running errands with her baby son and twelve-year-old Bridie, two young immigrant children catch their attention. Under-dressed and obviously underfed, the two children, whose names are Tig and Emmy, are brother and sister out on the cold streets trying to earn money, as are many children at that time. First Bridie, then Molly are drawn to these children in particular, the very young Emmy with an angelic singing voice and the well-spoken Tig. They are not the usual children of the street encountered. So, Molly is pulled in by her heartstrings and Bridie's concern to see that Tig and Emmy have some warm clothes and food. It, of course, gets much more complicated, with the mystery of their missing mother and an "aunt" who isn't really an aunt, who lets them stay at her boarding house, but only at nighttime. Molly is determined to find out who these children are and what has happened to their mother, and her best friends Gus and Sid become involved and enchanted with the two beggar children. Molly's investigation will take her from the dregs of society to the upper echelon of it, and will reveal a dark, twisted plan of greed and heinous acts.

And, there is Christmas. Molly and her mother-in-law have never been completely comfortable with one another, and the Christmas that Molly hoped would show Daniel's mother how happy Daniel was with his family turns chaotic. Even the steady Daniel presents a major problem with which Molly must deal. There is much to do to save Christmas for everyone, the Sullivans and the two orphaned children, and a happy ending seems a desperate reach indeed. Much is at stake for many in Maggie's latest challenge.

Great characters, fascinating plot, and Christmas magic. Rhys Bowen never fails to deliver a fascinating, thrilling tale. This Christmas season she gives readers a gift that is sure to please.

November Books to Fall Into

Fall is definitely in the air now, with leaves painting the trees a magnificent blend of orange, red, and gold.  And, with the quickly falling leaves, it's a time for homemade soup and pumpkin pie and snuggling down with a good book.  November is blowing in some reads that will definitely help to make the darker days and inside stays alive with action. Some of the ones that I'm looking forward to the most are here for your perusal and consideration.  There is the fourth Gabriella Giovanni Mystery from Kristi Belcamino, whose series comes highly recommended by so many in the mystery/crime community, and a series I have scheduled as a catch-up series.  Jennifer Kincheloe's debut novel has been making a lot of noise, and its historical connection is fascinating.  Fate of the Union by Max Allan Collins and Matthew Clemens is a follow-up novel to Supreme Justice, and it promises to be intensely riveting.  The 5th Headlines in High Heels mystery by LynDee Walker will without a doubt demonstrate just how much fun a murder mystery can be.  Charles Finch has his 9th Charles Lenox novel coming out, a series known for its mystery and historical touches.  Anne Perry's Christmas novella will be out on November 10th, and I'll probably save this one for closer to Christmas to read.  Rhys Bowen is giving those of us who are Molly Murphy fans an extra treat this year, a Molly Christmas novel.  I doubt I can even wait for the publication date on this bonus book, as I have an ARC waiting for me now.  And, Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke have their second collaborative novel in the Under Suspicion series arriving in time for the long Thanksgiving weekend, much to the delight of fans (count me in) of their first collaboration, The Cinderella Murder.  So, here's a great start to late fall reading.  Grab a blanket and enjoy! 

Blessed Are Those Who Mourn (Gabriella Giovanni, #4) by Kristi Belcamino  (Nov. 3rd)
     Jacket Description:

San Francisco Bay Area reporter Gabriella Giovanni has finally got it all together: a devoted and loving boyfriend, Detective Sean Donovan; a beautiful little girl with him; and her dream job as the cops' reporter for the Bay Herald. But her success has been hard-won and has left her with debilitating paranoia. When a string of young co-eds starts to show up dead with suspicious Biblical verses left on their bodies--the same verses that the man she suspects kidnapped and murdered her sister twenty years ago had sent to her--she begins to question if the killer is trying to send her a message.
It is not until evil strikes Gabriella's own family that her worst fears are confirmed. As the clock begins to tick, every passing hour means the difference between life and death to those Gabriella loves...

The Secret Life of Anna Blanc by Jennifer Kincheloe  (Nov. 3rd)           
     Jacket Description: 

It's 1907 Los Angeles. Mischievous socialite Anna Blanc is the kind of young woman who devours purloined crime novels—but must disguise them behind covers of more domestically-appropriate reading. She could match wits with Sherlock Holmes, but in her world women are not allowed to hunt criminals.

Determined to break free of the era's rigid social roles, Anna buys off the chaperone assigned by her domineering father and, using an alias, takes a job as a police matron with the Los Angeles Police Department. There she discovers a string of brothel murders, which the cops are unwilling to investigate. Seizing her one chance to solve a crime, she takes on the investigation herself.

If the police find out, she'll get fired; if her father finds out, he'll disown her; and if her fiancé finds out, he'll cancel the wedding and stop pouring money into her father's collapsing bank. Midway into her investigation, the police chief's son, Joe Singer, learns her true identity. And shortly thereafter she learns about blackmail.

Anna must choose—either hunt the villain and risk losing her father, fiancé, and wealth, or abandon her dream and leave the killer on the loose.

Fate of the Union by Max Allan Collins and Matthew V. Clemens  (Nov. 10th)
     Jacket Description:

When a retired colleague dies of an apparent suicide, ex–Secret Service agent Joe Reeder knows there must be far more to the story. Why did the man leave a desperate message for Reeder moments before dying? And what could possibly make such a seasoned veteran fear for his life?
FBI Special Agent Patti Rogers has a mystery of her own to solve: she’s leading a task force investigating a brutal series of similar but seemingly unconnected murders across the DC area. Are they serial killings or something even more sinister?
Could Reeder and Rogers be tracking down different facets of the same conspiracy? And how do the continued assassination attempts on a presidential hopeful figure into an unprecedented attack on the heart of government?
The answers to these questions are uncovered in this riveting sequel to the bestselling Supreme Justice.

 Cover Shot (#5, Headlines in High Heels Mystery) by LynDee Walker
     Jacket Description:

“Will keep you hooked until the very last page. The storyline and plot will keep you guessing until the end, but you’ll end up wanting the best for one of the characters. Highly recommended.” – Obsessed Book Reviews
“The plot kept me guessing, and I was rooting for Nichelle the entire time. I read this book in one sitting, as I could not put it down until the very last page. Now I am quite happily looking forward to reading all of the other books in the series!” – Librarian at Jefferson-Madison Regional Library System
It’s been a slow news month in Richmond, and crime reporter Nichelle Clarke is enjoying the downtime when ominous messages and a dead body kick things into high gear. And that’s before the guy with the rifle takes a hospital full of people hostage.
Up to the top of her knee-high Prada boots in leads, Nichelle finds her favorite detectives under pressure to make an arrest, but it doesn’t add up—and ignoring the “why” of this story could cost Nichelle the most important person in her life.
With too much to lose, a shot at the story of a lifetime, and a missing bullet that might be the key, landing this headline could save the day, but can Nichelle dig up the truth before the killer buries her with it?

 

Home by Nightfall (Charles Lenox #9) by Charles Finch (Nov. 10th)

It's London in 1876, and the whole city is abuzz with the enigmatic disappearance of a famous foreign pianist. Lenox has an eye on the matter – as a partner in a now-thriving detective agency, he's a natural choice to investigate. Just when he's tempted to turn his focus to it entirely, however, his grieving brother asks him to come down to Sussex, and Lenox leaves the metropolis behind for the quieter country life of his boyhood. Or so he thinks. In fact, something strange is afoot in Markethouse: small thefts, books, blankets, animals, and more alarmingly a break-in at the house of a local insurance agent. As he and his brother to investigate this small accumulation of mysteries, Lenox realizes that something very strange and serious indeed may be happening, more than just local mischief. Soon, he's racing to solve two cases at once, one in London and one in the country, before either turns deadly. Blending Charles Finch's trademark wit, elegance, and depth of research, this new mystery, equal parts Jane Austen and Charles Dickens, may be the finest in the series.  

  

 A Christmas Escape by Anne Perry (Nov. 10th)
     Jacket Description:

For countless readers, Christmastime means a delicious new holiday mystery from New York Times bestselling author Anne Perry. A Christmas Escape, her thirteenth noel to the season, transports us to the Mediterranean island of Stromboli for an unconventional Yuletide adventure—and an unforgettable volcanic encounter.

Lonely Charles Latterly arrives at his small hotel hoping that the island’s blue skies and gentle breezes will brighten his spirits. Unfortunately, there’s no holiday cheer to be found among his fellow guests, who include a pompous novelist, a stuffy colonel, a dangerously ill-matched married couple, and an ailing old man. The one charming exception is orphaned teenager Candace Finbar, who takes Charles under her wing and introduces him to the island’s beauty. But the tranquility of the holiday is swiftly disrupted by a violent quarrel, an unpleasant gentleman’s shocking claims of being stalked, and the ominous stirrings of the local volcano. Then events take an even darker turn: A body is found, and Charles quickly realizes that the killer must be among the group of guests.

Captivating in its depiction of untamed nature in all its awesome power, and of the human heart in the throes of transformation, A Christmas Escape gifts readers with Anne Perry’s talent for making the season brighter—and more thrilling.

Away in a Manger (A Molly Murphy Mystery) by Rhys Bowen  (Nov. 17th)

     Jacket Description:

It''s Christmastime in 1905 New York City, and for once, Molly Murphy Sullivan is looking forward to the approaching holidays. She has a family of her own now: she and Daniel have a baby son and twelve-year-old Bridie is living with them as their ward. As Molly and the children listen to carolers in the street, they hear a lovely voice, the voice of an angel, and see a beggar girl huddled in a doorway, singing "Away in a Manger." Bridie is touched by the girl's ragged clothes and wants to help her out if they can. They give her a quarter, only to watch a bigger boy take it from her. But Molly discovers the boy is the girl's older brother. They've come from England and their mother has disappeared, and they're living with an aunt who mistreats them terribly.
Molly quickly realizes that these children are not the usual city waifs. They are well-spoken and clearly used to better things. So who are they? And what's happened to their mother? As Molly looks for a way to help the children and for the answers to these questions, she gets drawn into an investigation that will take her up to the highest levels of New York society.
This is another compelling and richly drawn mystery from New York Times bestseller Rhys Bowen.

  

All Dressed in White by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke (Nov. 17th)
     Jacket Description:

The second thrilling novel in the New York Times bestselling Under Suspicion series following The Cinderella Murder, featuring intrepid television producer Laurie Moran as she investigates the case of a missing bride.

Five years ago Amanda Pierce was excitedly preparing to marry her college sweetheart in a lavish ceremony at The Grand Victoria Hotel in Palm Beach. Then, with their guests and families on site, Amanda disappeared.

In present-day New York City, Laurie Moran realizes a missing bride is the perfect cold case for her investigative television series, Under Suspicion. She and her team set out to recreate the night of the disappearance at the Florida resort with Amanda’s friends and family in attendance, hoping to shed new light on the mystery as the series has done in past episodes. With a jealous sister, playboy groomsmen, Amanda’s former fiancé now married to a bridesmaid, and rumors about the “beloved” bride herself, Laurie and Under Suspicion host Alex Buckley quickly realize everyone has a theory about why Amanda vanished into thin air.

One thing is certain: whoever was behind Amanda’s disappearance plans to keep the truth hidden “until death do they part…”

The bestselling Under Suspicion series from Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke offers “plenty of intrigue and excitement” (Publishers Weekly, on The Cinderella Murder). Featuring the chilling suspense and elegant settings readers have come to love, All Dressed in White is not to be missed.