"A book, too, can be a star, a living fire to lighten the darkness, leading out into the expanding universe." ~ Madeleine L’Engle (1918-2007), American author |
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New and Recently Released!
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| The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches: A Flavia de Luce Novel by Alan BradleyHistorical Mystery. In this excellent 6th entry in an award-winning, bestselling series, 11-year-old Flavia de Luce's long-missing mother, who disappeared after going mountaineering, arrives home via funeral train. While her devastated father and her self-centered older sisters mourn in their own way, charming amateur detective and aspiring chemist Flavia investigates the murder of a mysterious man who is killed after whispering a secret message to her at the train station. Readers new to Flavia will want to start with the 1st book, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. Agatha Christie fans will appreciate author Alan Bradley's details about post-World War II English village life as well as his tight plotting. Flavia fans who'd be interested in another precocious young sleuth and don't mind changing locales to contemporary Appalachia can try Martha Grimes’ Emma Graham mysteries. |
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| Billionaire Blend: A Coffeehouse Mystery by Cleo CoyleCozy Mystery. The Village Blend in New York's Greenwich Village is a favorite of locals, but when a car bomb goes off outside the shop, it's a mysterious new customer whom manager Clare Cosi must help...and he turns out to be Eric Thomas, a billionaire tech genius whom someone might be trying to kill. Meanwhile, Clare's boyfriend, NYPD detective Mike Quinn, is on special assignment in DC and doesn't trust Eric when he starts flying Clare all over the world searching for the best coffee in order to make a blend that only the rich can afford. Pour yourself a cup of your favorite java and settle down with this 13th novel featuring Clare; it is "one of her best" (Kirkus Reviews). Haven't read this series before? Not to worry, newcomers can start with this book and still enjoy the frothy fun (recipes included!).
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| The Funeral Owl by Jim KellyMystery. A rare sighting of a Boreal or "funeral" owl, said to be an omen of death, occurs in the Cambridgeshire fens. The old saying just may have some truth to it after newly appointed newspaper editor Philip Dryden finds the body of a Chinese man hanging from a cross in a churchyard and then two victims of moonshine poisoning are found drowned in a ditch. Add to this a terrible dust storm, a 10-year-old stolen painting case, the missing daughter of a local cabbie, strange wind turbine noises, a series of metal thefts, a vicar trying to evict a blind man, and more. Library Journal says Jim Kelly "showcases his trademark multiple plotlines to perfection" in this 7th entry in his Philip Dryden series. |
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| Dead Man's Fancy: A Sean Stranahan Mystery by Keith McCaffertyMystery. A missing red-haired river guide nicknamed the "Fly Fishing Venus" leads to all sorts of complications. Involved in wolf conservation efforts, the 25-year-old beauty had several suitors, one of whom is discovered dead in the woods, fatally pierced by an elk antler. More trouble occurs when groups of wolf supporters and wolf haters collide and the missing woman's sister comes to town. Montana sheriff Martha Ettinger calls on part-time private detective/fisherman/artist Sean Stranahan for help sorting it all out. Those who appreciate mystery novels set in the great outdoors and featuring well-drawn characters such as those written by C.J. Box, Craig Johnson, Nevada Barr, William Kent Krueger, and Paul Doiron will appreciate this well-written, richly detailed series by Keith McCafferty, a Field & Stream editor. New readers may want to start with the 1st book, The Royal Wulff Murders. |
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| Bad Wolf: A Novel by Nele Neuhaus; translated by Steven T. MurrayMystery. In the middle of a June heat wave, German police investigators Pia Kirchhoff and Oliver von Bodenstein learn that an unpopular and vengeful colleague -- who holds a grudge against Bodenstein -- has been assigned to internal affairs. Meanwhile, they discover a link between the murder of an unidentified teenage girl, whose body indicates she had been abused for years, and the brutal beating and rape of an ambitious TV reporter who was working on a story about child welfare issues. When the cops learn that there might be a pedophile ring at work, they seek out the truth...and what they learn will impact their personal lives. This is the 2nd outing for the Kommissariat 11 investigators to be translated into English; the 1st is the international bestseller Snow White Must Die. Readers looking for another compelling, mystery-in-translation series may like Lars Kepler's Swedish-set novels starring Detective Inspector Joona Linna. |
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Books You Might Have Missed
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| Breaking Point: A Joe Pickett Novel by C.J. BoxMystery. Has Wyoming Game Warden Joe Pickett reached his breaking point? He just might have as the Environmental Protection Agency goes after Butch Roberson, a local man and the father of Joe's daughter's best friend, for dubious reasons. After two armed EPA agents are killed while delivering bad news to Butch, he disappears. Joe, an honest man, leads one group on a mountain manhunt, even as he suspects that things aren't what they appear. But there are other groups looking for Butch who don't care about the truth. This 13th book in the wonderful Joe Pickett series is "another must-read" (Library Journal); the 14th, Stone Cold, comes out in March. Fans who haven't met Joe before will want to start with his award-winning 1st book, Open Season. |
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| Light of the World: A Dave Robicheaux Novel by James Lee BurkeMystery. Over the course of 19 novels, troubled Louisiana Sheriff's Detective Dave Robicheaux has battled evil in the form of bad guys many times. In his 20th book, he comes up against the most nefarious villain of his life. While on a Montana vacation with his journalist daughter, Alafair, his best friend Cletus Purcel, and Cletus' recently discovered daughter, Gretchen, the group faces all kinds of trouble, including an abusive cop, a crazy rodeo clown, and a presumed-dead serial killer whom Alafair once interviewed. With his lyrical writing, compelling story, and fascinating characters, James Lee Burke provides fans plenty to enjoy. Want more books with introspective characters, detailed and bleak settings, and suspenseful situations? Try Lawrence Block's Matthew Scudder books. |
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| Lucky Bastard by Deborah CoontsHumorous Mystery. Death by Jimmy Choo? Anything can happen in Vegas, but when Lucky O’Toole, the vice president of customer relations at the Babylon Casino, sees a beautiful woman splayed across a Ferrari with a stiletto heel in her carotid artery, it's a first. During the ensuing investigation, Lucky wonders if a former co-worker is telling all he knows. Relationship-wise, Lucky's musician ex is making it big with a song about her while she ponders a relationship with a French chef. Meanwhile, her mother, a former madam, is pregnant. Fans of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum will appreciate the slightly over-the-top plot, eccentric characters, and sexy goings-on. |
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| A Dying Fall: A Ruth Galloway Mystery by Elly GriffithsMystery. The day after she learns that an old university friend and fellow archaeologist has died in a house fire, forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway gets a letter from him. He asks for her help with a big discovery, bones that may belong to the Raven King (aka King Arthur)...and says that he is afraid. Ruth, a single mum to 18-month-old Kate who was fathered during her short relationship with DCI Harry Nelson, eventually makes her way to the north of England to examine the bones, but she also can't help looking for answers about what happened to her friend. What she discovers is a campus living in fear of a sinister neo-Nazi group. With help from Harry and a Druid friend, Ruth just might sort it all out. This 5th in a series is "packed with offbeat, well-developed characters and a quirky, challenging mystery" (Kirkus Reviews); the next, The Outcast Dead, will be published in March. |
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| The Good Cop by Brad ParksMystery. Amiable 32-year-old Newark Eagle-Examiner reporter Carter Ross talks to the widow of a local policeman for a tribute, but the story is pulled by his bosses after the top brass say the cop committed suicide. Carter doubts the official ruling and the widow, who's also a new mother, argues that her husband would never kill himself. Resolving to uncover the truth, Carter investigates, but his inquiries are repeatedly blocked, someone makes attempts on his life, and then another cop dies. An eager newspaper intern and romantic complications (his sort-of ex is now his boss) also vie for his attention. If you're looking for a smartly funny yet deadly serious mystery, check out this series 4th; in March, look for the next Carter Ross mystery, The Player. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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