Books we particularly recommend are in red

New and Forthcoming in Hardcover

Albert, Susan Wittig. Nightshade (Brk, 23.95) Apr. China Bayles is forced by her husband and half-brother to confront the motives for her father’s death, but the farther the investigation goes, the more it appears that her half-brother has a lot to hide.

Alexander, Lawrence. Rubicon (HC, 24.95) May. A timely political thriller about a young California senator who discovers an assassination plot code-named Rubicon that will take place just before the presidential election.

Anable, Stephen. The Fisher Boy (PP, 24.95) May. A debut mystery set in seaside Provincetown, where a comedian playing on the club circuit finds himself the prime suspect in the grisly murder of a Boston blueblood. This got a starred review from Publisher's Weekly.

Baldacci, David. The Whole Truth(GC, 26.99) Apr. A terrifying thriller with an international backdrop featuring a powerful defense contractor who loves war for what it does for his bottom line, and the journalist and intelligence agency operative who discover to just what lengths he will go to in order to promote wars.

Barnard, Robert. Last Post (SS, 24.00) May. When a woman receives a letter addressed to her deceased mother hinting at an illicit passion between the two, she sets out on an inquiry into her mother’s past, a quest that can be very dangerous indeed.

Barr, Nevada. Winter Study (Putnam, 24.95) Apr. Park ranger Anna Pigeon returns in case that finds her at odds with the Department of Homeland Security who want to shut down the fifty-year study of wolves and wolf management on Isle Royale in Lake Superior to man a tiny section of the border with Canada. (Signed copies).

Botha, Ted. The Girl with the Crooked Nose (RH, 25.00) May. The true story of a forensic artist called by the authorities to Ciudad Juárez, Mexico to help with the case of the hundreds of missing—probably murdered—women, a killing spree that has continued for more than a decade.

Box, C.J. Blood Trail (Putnam, 24.95) May. When a hunter is found strung up, flayed, and gutted at the beginning of elk season, the governor calls in Joe Pickett to investigate whether the murder is due to an anti-hunting activist or is more personal.

Buffett, Jimmy. Swine Not? (LB, 23.99) May. The postponed novel that asks the question “Can a pet pig from Tennessee find happiness living in New York City? Can she outwit the chef at the restaurant in the posh hotel where she lives who sees her as an appetizing entrée? Will the stress be too much for a sensitive pig?” Find out here!

Cannell, Dorothy. Goodbye, Ms. Chips (STM, 23.95) Apr. Ellie Haskell must confront a dark secret from her past when she returns to her old boarding school to investigate a robbery and her beloved games mistress is murdered.

Chan, Cassandra. Trick of the Mind (STM, 24.95) Apr. The third in the series that is a contemporary homage to Dorothy Sayers’ Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries finds aristocratic investigator Philip Bethancourt retracing the steps of his friend, Scotland Yard Detective Sergeant Jack Gibbons, who has amnesia after having been shot.

Chiaverini, Jennifer. The Winding Ways Quilt (SS, 24.00) Apr. The Elm Creek Quilters must deal with the arrival of newcomers to their circle.

Clark, Carol Higgins. Zapped (SS, 24.00) Apr. Regan and Jack Reilly uncover some disturbing secrets when they renovate their lower-Manhattan apartment.

Cleland, Jane K. Antiques to Die For (STM, 23.95) Apr. Antiques appraiser Josie Prescott finds that her new life in New Hampshire is going well, except for the dead bodies that cross her path, the latest of which is that of a friend who died after telling her sister that she was leaving a secret treasure.

Coben, Harlan. Hold Tight (Dut, 26.95) Apr. After the suicide of a classmate, the suburban parents of a teenager find themselves checking up on their son’s computer and when their son disappears they must confront a sinister force in their community.

Compton, Julie. Tell No Lies (STM, 24.95) May. An up and coming District Attorney in St. Louis, known as a strong family man, gives in to the obsessive lust he feels for a colleague only to find that he is her alibi when she is accused of murdering one of her clients in a sexy and compelling debut thriller.

Cornwell, Patricia. The Front (Put, 22.95) May. A new mystery featuring the team introduced in At Risk, a mixed-race Massachusetts state investigator, his wise grandmother, and an ambitious DA, who work together on a new public relations campaign showing the dangers of declining neighborhoods.

Corwin, C.R. The Unraveling of Violeta Bell (PP, 24.95) Apr. The murder of a woman attending a garage sale with three other women sends newspaper librarian Maddy Sprowls investigating the group which includes a retired stripper and an eccentric philanthropist.

Dymmoch, Michael Allen. MIA (STM, 24.95) Apr. A woman whose husband’s death leaves her and her teenaged son adrift is grateful for the help of their new neighbor, but the neighbor is not what he seems, and the teenager’s desire to learn more about his father’s estranged family opens up secrets from the past.

Edwards, Martin. Waterloo Sunset (PP, 24.95) Apr. Liverpool criminal barrister Harry Devlin sees an announcement of his death within the week and decides that it isn’t a sick joke when a close friend is savagely attacked. Edwards is great.

Erdrich, Louise. The Plague of Doves (HC, 25.95) May. The lives of those living in a small North Dakota town near an Ojibwe reservation are forever changed by a horrific crime that took place in 1911, and the descendents of the victims and the criminals must come to grips with this history of violence, greed, and injustice.

Estleman, Loren D. Frames (STM, 23.95) May. A mild-mannered film archivist at UCLA buys a decrepit movie palace only to discover not only a skeleton, but also the director’s cut of Erich von Stroheim’s Greed. If you are as fascinated by the Golden Age of Hollywood as I am, you’ll love this witty romp.

Fletcher, Jessica and Donald Bain. Murder She Wrote: Murder on Parade (NAL, 19.95) Apr. The Fourth of July celebrations at Cabot Cove and interrupted by the discovery of the body of the town’s newest resident, a corporate mogul who is trying to change the town’s characteristic charm.

Fowler, Karen Joy. Wit’s End (Putnam, 24.95) Apr. A wonderful novel about the relationship between fact and fiction featuring a mystery writer whose character is becoming more real than she is to her fans, who are trying to take over his life and her plots. Think of the Baker Street Irregulars.

French, Nicci. Losing You (STM, 23.95) Apr. A woman preparing to go on vacation discovers that her daughter is missing and no one—not the police, her ex-husband, or her friends—will take the disappearance seriously.

George, Elizabeth. Careless in Red (HC, 26.95) May. Having resigned his badge and returned to Cornwall after the death of his wife, Lynley witnesses a murder that brings him back to the world of crime—first as a witness and possible suspect, and then as a helper to his former associate Barbara Havers when Scotland Yard is called in. Signed copies.

Gorman, Ed. Sleeping Dogs (STM, 23.95) Apr. Political consultant Dev Conrad is called in to help the re-election campaign of a senator with a “zipper problem” whose problems are only compounded when a man trying to blackmail him is murdered.

Gruber, Michael. The Forgery of Venus (HC, 24.95) Apr. A talented artist with a sick son who has had limited commercial success agrees to “restore” an antique fresco in a European castle, and produces a brilliant recreation—or forgery—that leads to financial success and a patron with a dark past. Gruber is one of my favorite writers—his books are a successful combination of intelligence and suspense.

Haddam, Jane. Cheating at Solitaire (STM, 24.95) Apr. Former FBI agent Gregor Demarkian is hired to investigate when an aging teen pop idol is accused of murdering her latest boy toy.

Hall, Parnell. The Sudoku Puzzle Murders (STM, 23.95) Apr. The Puzzle Lady may be bad at crosswords, but she’s a whiz at sudoku, and when she signs with a Japanese publisher to do a book, she is surprised when two Japanese men—bitter enemies--show up claiming to be her publisher.

Harris, Charlaine. From Dead to Worse (Brk, 24.95) May. Sookie Stackhouse faces danger, death, and betrayal from werewolves and vampires when her boyfriend Quinn goes missing in the latest in this addicting fantasy series.

Harrison, Colin. The Finder (FSG, 25.00) Apr. A beautiful Chinese woman becomes involved in a scheme to steal valuable information from the corporations in New York City, and her former lover is on her trail to save her from the powerful men who will stop at nothing to regain their secrets and their fortunes.

Hart, Carolyn. Death Walked In (HC, 23.95) Apr. Bookseller Annie Darling and her husband Max are in the crosshairs of a killer when a mysterious woman hides something in the antebellum house that the Darlings are restoring and then is found murdered, in a case that is tied to the theft of a million-dollar coin collection.

Hathaway, Robin. Sleight of Hand (STM, 23.95) Apr. When she stumbles across a printer in a dilapidated barn, Dr. Jo Banks ends up having to do emergency surgery on his kitchen table--and that is not the least of her troubles as she becomes more involved with him and his mentally-disabled daughter.

Henry, Sue. Degrees of Separation (NAL, 23.95) Apr. While training for Alaska’s Iditarod, Jesse Arnold uncovers a dead body hidden under the snow, and she and her Alaska State Trooper must discover who actually murdered a supposed earthquake victim.

Herron, Mick. Reconstruction (SOHO, 24.95) Apr. An armed man breaks into a preschool with a gun trying to find his lover who has disappeared together with a large sum of money intended for reconstruction work in Iraq.

Hess, Joan. Mummy Dearest (STM, 24.95) Apr. Claire Malloy and her new husband are on vacation in Egypt, along with her teenaged daughter, and when a college student tourist is kidnapped by mysterious horsemen, they are drawn in to the mystery.

Hiaasen, Carl. The Downhill Lie (BDD, 22.00) May. Okay, it’s a golf memoir not a mystery, but hey it’s Hiaasen.

Housewright, David. Madman on a Drum (STM, 24.95) May. Minnesota PI McKenzie agrees to help when the daughter of a childhood friend is kidnapped by yet another childhood friend who is found dead after the girl is returned.

Hustvedt, Siri. The Sorrows of an American (HH, 25.00) Apr. Two adult children believe that their deceased father may have been implicated in a mysterious death after they discover a letter from an unknown woman among his papers, and their investigation reveals the mysteries within their lives as well as that of their father.

Johansen, Iris. Quicksand (STM, 26.95) Apr. Forensic sculptor Eve Duncan returns joining forces with the mysterious Dr. Megan Blair in an obsessive search for her daughter, as she seeks to bring an elusive killer to justice.

Johnson, Claire M. Roux Morgue (PP, 24.95) Apr. When San Francisco pastry chef Mary Ryan takes a teaching job at her alma mater she doesn’t expect to have to deal with murder among the faculty and students.

Kalla, Daniel. Cold Plague (STM, 24.95) Apr. A scary medical thriller about the spread of a deadly prion disease—the protein responsible for Mad Cow—that spreads through France and is linked to the discovery of a lake of pristine water found under Antarctica.

Kennealy, Jerry. Still Shot (STM, 23.95) Apr. The second in the series featuring an entertainment critic who at his mother’s behest investigates the supposed suicide of a movie starlet from thirty years ago. If you like Hollywood, you’ll love this series.

Keating, H.R.F. Rules, Regs, and Rotten Eggs (STM, 23.95) Apr. DS Harriet Martins must shelve her desire to quit the force when a pro-hunting politician collapses during an anti-hunting demonstration and it becomes clear that someone tried to murder him.

Kellerman, Jesse. Genius (Putnam, 24.95) Apr. An art dealer who stumbles across a cache of original artwork by an unknown genius feels that his future is assured until the police arrive to question him about the paintings, which could be evidence in a case of murder.

Kellerman, Jonathan. Compulsion (RH, 26.95) Apr. LAPD detective Milo Sturgis and psychologist Alex Delaware team up to stop a serial killer whose crimes are tied to a 20-year-old multiple slaying in a small California town and the long-ago disappearance of couple in New York.

Leonard, Peter. Quiver (STM, 23.95) May. A  debut thriller set in and around Detroit with a strong female protagonist, a widow whose husband was killed in a hunting accident by their teenaged son, and a gang of killers whose path she inadvertently crosses. Leonard is the son of Elmore Leonard and clearly has inherited his father’s talent.

Lewis, Roy. Guardians of the Dead (A&B, 25.95) May. Archaeologist Eric Ward agrees to deliver an Anubis statuette to the Foreign Office as executor of a friend’s estate, but he finds himself in the middle of a dangerous assignment when Israelis and others in the Middle East want the statuette.

Lindsay, Frederic. The Stranger From Home (A&B, 25.95) Apr. DI Jim Meldrum is working on a case in Edinburgh involving the disappearance of the wife of a powerful businessman, but he is distracted by his daughter’s whirlwind courtship by a Scot in America, a man who appears to have a sinister past .

Logan, Chuck. South of Shiloh (HC, 24.95) Apr. When a Civil War re-enactor is killed by a sniper’s bullet, his widow sends her former lover to the Mississippi border country to investigate the death where he finds himself in a showdown with a killer.

Lovesey, Peter. The Headhunters (SOHO, 24.00) Apr. An outbreak of drownings occurs after two couples jokingly discuss forming a mutual murder society—someone in the group doesn’t know how to take a joke.

Malcolm, John. The Chippendale Factor (A&B, 25.95) Apr. When an old school friend who is the host of a television antique show is murdered, antiques dealer Bill Franklin investigates and becomes involved in a dangerous world of murder, forgery, and Chippendale furniture.

Martini, Steve. Shadow of Power (HC, 26.95) Apr. A provocative legal scholar is found murdered and Paul Madriani agrees to defend the young man with connections to hate groups who is accused of the crime in a case that leads him to the Supreme Court.

McKevett, G.A. Poisoned Tarts (Kens, 22.00) May. Plus-sized PI Savannah Reid investigates the disappearance of one of a trio of skinny, rich celebutantes, suspecting that one of them is responsible—until another one disappears.

McMahon, Neil. Dead Silver (HC, 24.95) May. Montana cowboy Hugh Davoren and his friend Madbird agree to help a professor’s daughter reopen the unsolved murder case of her stepmother, killed after protesting the opening of a controversial silver mine, a case that leads them from a state legislator, to a vagabond, to a real estate mogul, and to the owner of the mine.

Norman, Michael. Silent Witness (PP, 24.95) May. The second in the series set in Salt Lake City has Sam Kincaid investigating when a witness to a crime spree by a breakaway fundamentalist group is murdered right before the arraignment hearing for the leader.

Page, Katherine Hall. The Body in the Gallery (HC, 23.95) May. Faith Fairchild takes a job working in a museum café to help a friend who’s convinced that a valuable painting on loan to the museum has been stolen, but the discovery of a body convinces her that the murder and the theft may be related.

Persons, Terri. Blind Rage (BDD, 24.95) May. Twin Cities FBI agent Bernadette Saint Clare investigates a spate of suicides of young woman, but her best lead is the uncooperative psychiatrist of one of the women who has some dirty secrets. I liked the first in this series.

Raichev, R.T. Assassins at Ospreys (SOHO, 24.95) Apr. When mystery Antonia Darcy and her husband go to visit one of her fans, they are shocked that a dying neighbor leaves his fortune to her in the third English country house mystery.

Rehder, Ben. Holy Moly (STM, 24.95) May. Blanco County Game Warden John Marlin is called in to investigate when a backhoe operator is killed right after he digs up a dinosaur fossil on the building site of a televangelist’s new megachurch. If you haven’t tried this funny series, you’re in for a treat.

Robards, Karen. Guilty (Put, 24.95) Apr. A woman who participated in a robbery resulting in a policeman being killed years ago is working as a prosecutor when she realizes that she must prosecute one of her friends from the robbery, placing her in a dilemma that is compounded when he is found dead in her apartment.

Ross, Ann B. Miss Julia Paints the Town (Vik, 24.95) Apr. Miss Julia must fight against the developers who want to bulldoze the historic old courthouse, even while the town husbands are disappearing in the latest in the very southern series.

Rusch, Sheldon. Separated at Death (Brk, 23.95) Apr. Illinois State Special Agent Elizabeth Hewitt is assigned the horrifying case of a series murders of estranged couples, beheaded by someone with a very twisted agenda and a strong belief in the sanctity of marriage.

Sandford, John. Phantom Prey (Put, 26.95) May. Lucas Davenport investigates the disappearance of a teenaged Goth girl, and later the murder of two more Goths in a case that goes from bad to worse.

Scott, Manda. The Crystal Skull (BDD, 25.00) Apr. A spellbinding thriller that hinges on the Mayan prophecy of the apocalypse that moves across continents, from ancient times, to the Elizabethan period, to the present day. I enjoyed every thrill and chill immensely.

Sidor, Steven. The Mirror’s Edge (STM, 24.95) Apr. A novel of psychological suspense about the lingering effects of a kidnapping years before on the people who were involved—the parents, the babysitter, and even the reporter who covered the case—as new details of the events come to light.

Stansberry, Dominic. The Ancient Rain (STM, 24.95) Apr. North Beach PI Dante Mancuso agrees to help a fellow investigator when he is accused in a notorious thirty-year-old killing.

Stark, Richard. Dirty Money (GC, 23.99) Apr. Master thief Parker returns to claim the loot that he left behind when he stole the assets of a bank in transit, but people on both sides of the law are after him—and the money. Parker is the edgier, darker brother to Dortmunder.

Stewart, Mariah. Mercy Street (RH, 22.00) May. The first of a new series featuring a former police detective who is asked to join a team of experts who concentrate on cold cases, bankrolled by a billionaire philanthropist. Her first case is the murder of two teenagers and the disappearance of two others, a case that has baffled the local cops.

Unger, Lisa. Black Out (RH, 23.00) May. A suspenseful thriller about a woman with a perfect life who must disappear when her violent past—a past she cannot fully recall—catches up with her. Highly recommended.

Viets, Elaine. Clubbed to Death (NAL, 21.95) May. Helen Hawthorne has a new dead-end job working in the complaint department of country club. When her ex-husband shows up with his new lady and then disappears, Helen and the new love uneasily join forces to discover what happened, especially after another club member is murdered.

Wall, Kathryn R. The Mercy Oak (STM, 24.95) May. Low-country PI Bay Tanner is asked by her housekeeper’s son to investigate when a pro-immigrant activist is killed in a suspicious hit-and-run.

Wambaugh, Joseph. Hollywood Crows (LB, 26.99) May. LAPD cops Hollywood Nate and Bix Rumstead are caught up with the gorgeous wife of a sleazy nightclub owner whose nasty divorce may just lead to murder in a tightly plotted, darkly funny police procedural.

Woods, Inger. The Calling (Har, 24.00) May. The first of a new Canadian police procedural series features a police inspector closing in on her retirement who investigates a series of gruesome murders of terminally-ill inhabitants of the small town of Port Dundas. Highly recommended.

Woods, Stuart. Santa Fe Dead (Putnam, 25.95) Apr. Santa Fe attorney Ed Eagle must worry that his life and that of his new girlfriend are in danger from his former wife at the same time as he is preparing the defense of a new client who is accused of murdering his wife and child.

Zelvin, Elizabeth. Death Will Get You Sober (STM, 23.95) Apr. A debut mystery set in New York with a recovering alcoholic who uses his investigation into the death of a fellow Bowery denizen to keep his mind off drinking. Signing.

New and Forthcoming in Paperback Reprint

New and Forthcoming in Paperback Original

Collins, Max Allan. Criminal Minds: Killer Profile (NAL, 6.99) May. An elite team of FBI profilers is called to Chicago to hunt for a killer who is modeling his grisly tableaux on notorious serial killers—Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, and David Berkowitz.

Coyle, Cleo. French Pressed (Brk, 6.99) Apr. Clare’s daughter becomes a murder suspect when the top New York chef she is interning with is murdered, so Clare must find a killer before she is really in hot water.

FDane, Jordan. No One Heard Her Scream (HC, 6.99) Apr. A debut thriller of romantic suspense featuring detective Rebecca Montgomery who must team up with a man she doesn’t trust in order to track down a predator who is killing young women.

_____. No One Left to Tell (HC, 6.99) May. Detective Raven Mackenzie is drawn to a stranger while investigating a grisly murder in this romantic thriller.

DeCandido, Keith. CSI: NY: Four Walls (Pkt, 7.99) May. The CSI team is called in to investigate a double homicide at a medium security prison on Staten Island.

Dereske, Jo. Index to Murder (HC, 6.99) May. Librarian/sleuth Miss Zukas returns to solve more crimes.

Eichler, Selma. Murder Can Crash Your Party (NAL, 6.99) May. Full-figured PI Desiree Shapiro is at a mystery writer’s convention giving a talk, when she is offered $24,950.00 to solve the murder in an unpublished manuscript.

Englert, J.F. A Dog Among Diplomats (BDD, 6.99) May. Randolph, the Labrador Retriever, enters the cloak and dagger world of diplomats and political intrigue in order to find his master’s long-lost love. A funny series for dog lovers.

Glazer, Melissa. The Cracked Pot (Brk, 6.99) May. When the body of a potter with a mysterious past is found in a firing pit, the pottery club decides to crack the case.

Hechtman, Betty. Hooked on Murder (Brk, 6.99) May. A debut crochet-based mystery series starring a bookstore event coordinator who stumbles upon the body of a crochet group leader, a woman with whom she has had a very complicated past, making her the prime suspect.

Killian, Diana. Corpse Pose (Brk, 6.99) Apr. The first in a new yoga mystery series begins when a woman is named the sole heir of her wealthy aunt, including her lucrative yoga studio, and must look for a murderer before she can look for inner peace.

Kimberly, Alice. The Ghost and the Femme Fatale (Brk, 6.99) May. Bookstore owner Penelope must turn to her ghostly PI when a legendary femme fatale is nearly killed during a local Film Noir festival in the latest in this appealing series.

Lavene, Joyce and Jim. Perfect Poison (Brk, 7.99) May. Forensic botanist Peggy Lee is on the case when drowned bodies are surfacing with an unusual plant caught in the victims’ hair.

Lowe, Sheila. Poison Pen (NAL, 6.99) Apr. A forensic handwriting expert decides to investigate when it appears that her ex-friend, a ruthless, manipulative publicist is found dead in her Jacuzzi in the first in a fast-paced, well-written mystery that draws on the author’s personal experience. Recommended.

Maffini, Mary Jane. The Cluttered Corpse (Brk, 6.99) Apr. Professional organizer Charlotte Adams is trying to help a woman organize her stuffed animal collection, but pranksters are making things very difficult.

Roberts, Natalie M. Pointe and Shoot (Brk, 6.99) May. Ballet studio owner Jenny must keep on her toes to avoid being murdered during the Ultimate Dance Championship.

Swanson, Denise. Murder of a Chocolate-Covered Cherry (NAL, 6.99) Apr. Skye Denison enters a Cooking Challenge, but finds that she must solve a mystery when another contestant is found drowned in a chocolate fountain.

Thompson, Carlene. If You Ever Tell (STM, 6.99) Apr. A woman must face the horrors of her past to prove her innocence in this novel of romantic suspense.

New and Forthcoming in Quality Paperback

Buckley, Christopher. Boomsday (GC, 13.99) May. Buckley may be one of the funniest satirists writing today and this political thriller of generational warfare is a gem.

Chabon, Michael. The Yiddish Policeman’s Union (HC, 15.95) May. An alternate history murder mystery set in Alaska, where the Jews were resettled in 1948 and have created a Jewish state set to revert to Alaskan control, where a homicide detective must solve a murder in the fleabag hotel where he lives.

Crum, Laura. Chasing Cans (Perserv, 14.95) Apr. When a mysterious series of seeming accidents occurs at a barrel-racing training stable, veterinarian Gail McCarthy agrees to help her detective friend and ends up the target of a desperate villain in the latest in this equine series.

Edwards, Ruth Dudley. Clubbed to Death (PP, 14.95) Apr. Robert Amiss is persuaded by his friend at Scotland Yard to go undercover as a waiter at an exclusive gentleman’s club where the club secretary may have been murdered by defenestration.

Emerson, Kathy Lynn. How to Write Killer Historical Mysteries (Perserv, 14.95) Apr. The only book on how to write historical mystery fiction by a veteran writer of the genre.

Evans, Justin. A Good and Happy Child (RH, 13.95) May. A young father is haunted by his childhood memories of strange visions and erratic behavior in a dazzling debut that will send a chill up your spine.

Francis, Dick. Decider (Brk, 13.95) May. Reissue in trade paper of an early mystery.

_____. Slay Ride (Brk, 13.95) May. Reissue

_____. Wild Horses (Brk, 13.95) May. Reissue.

Goodman, Carol. The Sonnet Lover (RH, 13.95) Apr. When one of her star pupil’s writes in a letter that he has found evidence that Shakespeare penned a series of unknown sonnets and then plunges to his death, a literature professor travels to Italy to look for the missing folio.

Gowdy, Barbara. Helpless (STM, 14.00) Apr. This novel of psychological suspense about the kidnapping of a young girl in Toronto moves from the point of view of the frantic mother, the kidnapper, and the kidnapper’s accomplice who could free the child before it is too late.

Griffith, Nicola. Always (Brk, 15.00) Apr. Martial artist Aud Tovingen begins investigating a case of real estate fraud in Seattle that turns violent and dangerous. In Aud, Griffith has created a female action character every bit as capable as any man.

Harvey, John. Wasted Years (Cons, 14.95) May. A series of armed robberies bears an uncanny resemblance to similar crimes that Resnick investigated ten years before. If you haven’t tried this police procedural series, you’re in for a treat.

Hay, Sheridan. The Secret of Lost Things (RH, 14.95) Apr. A NYC bookstore clerk finds herself at the center of a major literary uproar when she receives a letter from someone selling a lost manuscript by Herman Melville.

Hellmann, Libby Fischer. A Picture of Guilt (PP, 14.95) May. The third in the series featuring Chicago filmmaker Ellie Foreman, who becomes involved with the case of a dock worker whose girlfriend has been killed. A great cozy series.

Hill, Reginald. An Advancement of Learning (F&M, 14.95) Apr. The second in the series featuring Yorkshire policemen Dalziel and Pascoe, and the book that introduces the young woman who becomes Ellie Pascoe is set in the halls of academe. Very enjoyable.

Hill,Susan. The Various Haunts of Men (Png, 13.95) Apr. The second in the first-rate police procedural series featuring DCI Simon Serrallier who investigates the disappearance of a woman on her morning run. Highly recommended.

Johnson, Claire M. Beat Until Stiff (PP, 14.95) Apr. San Francisco pastry chef Mary Ryan finds a dead body stuffed into a laundry bag when she arrives at the restaurant in the morning and her investigation reveals the dirty secrets that lurk in the kitchen.

Kerasote, Ted. Merle’s Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog (Har, 14.00) A wonderful book for anyone who shares life with a dog, using the latest research in animal consciousness, this is a fascinating look at the human-dog relationship. Signing.

Langton, Jane. The Transcendental Murders (F&M, 14.95) Apr. First in the classic series featuring Professor Homer Kelly who arrives in Concord to check out a manuscript that may have been written by Thoreau and finds himself engaged in criminal, rather than academic sleuthing when a murder occurs.

Le Carré, John. The Secret Pilgrim (RH, 15.00) May. The reissue of the most reflective of Le Carré’s spy novels as one of the Circus veterans recounts forty years of Cold War espionage.

Lehane, Cornelius. Beware the Solitary Drinker (PP, 14.95) May. When one of his customers is murdered and another charged with the crime, bartender Brian McNulty begins to investigate.

Littell, Robert. Walking Back the Cat (Png, 14.00) May. A KGB agent who has been living under deep cover is reactivated to commit a murder, but suspecting a double-cross, he begins investigating in a search that leads him to an Apache casino where he meets up with CIA operatives and a disillusioned Gulf War veteran.

Lovesey, Peter. The Secret Hangman (SOHO, 13.00) Apr. A serial killer who targets couples is loose in Bath, and Peter Diamond must find him even as he himself is being pursued by a secret admirer.

McAuley, Roisin. Meeting Point (HC, 14.95) Apr. When an Irish crime scene investigator meets a man who was the subject of an investigation into the death of his wife a decade earlier, she finds herself intensely attracted to him, but must assure herself that he was in fact innocent of the death in page-turning novel of suspense.

McLarty, Ron. Traveler (Png, 14.00) Apr. A middle-aged Manhattan bartender returns to the working class neighborhood where he grew up to solve the mystery of several shootings that  occurred in the 1960’s in a beautifully-written ode to friendship.

McMahon, Jennifer. Island of Lost Girls (HC, 13.95) May. A woman sees a person dressed as a rabbit snatch a child at a gas station, but by the time she recovers from her surprise, the child is gone, and she joins in the investigation.

McMahon, Neil. Lone Creek (HC, 14.95) Apr. The first of a Montana series featuring Hugh Davoren, handyman and sometimes sleuth whose discovery of two dead horses at the ranch of a wealthy man leads him to unravel a host of past secrets about the death of his first love. Highly recommended.

McManus, Patrick F. Avalanche (SS, 14.00) Apr. Sheriff Bo Tully is caught in an avalanche at a remote mountain lodge while investigating the murder of a victim who appears to have been in two places at once. A funny series with a western flavor.

Pyper, Andrew. The Wildfire Season (STM, 14.00) Apr. A man badly scarred in a wildfire moves to a remote Yukon town, and when an old girlfriend arrives with a daughter he didn’t know he had, he must protect them from a wildfire threatening the town.

Reavill, Gil. Aftermath: Cleaning Up After CSI Goes Home (Dut, 15.00) May. If you ever wondered what happens to the scenes of gruesome murders and suicides, now you can find out.

Rimington, Stella. Secret Asset (RH, 13.95) May. MI-5 operative Liz Carlyle suspects that a spy may have infiltrated British Intelligence, a spy who must be found before he can upset plans to avert a potential terrorist strike. Intelligent and authentic.

Ross, Ann B. Miss Julia Strikes Back (Png, 14.00) Apr. Miss Julia packs up Little Lloyd and goes after a gang of jewel thieves operating in the south who’ve stolen Miss Julia’s diamond engagement ring—the one that’s an exact replica of Princess Di’s.

Smith, Anthony Neil. Yellow Medicine (BH, 14.95) Apr. A veteran cop from Mississippi takes a job in Minnesota when he is kicked off the force, and finds himself tracking a terrorist cell after he agrees to help find the drug-dealing boyfriend of a cute member of a psycho-billy band.

Tovey, Doreen. Cats in May (STM, 16.95) May. The reissue of a funny memoir about life with a pair of eccentric Siamese cats, who resent mightily when they are moved to a country cottage in Somerset.

White, Kate. Lethally Blonde (GC, 13.99) May. New Yorker Bailey Wiggins, crime reporter for a gossip magazine is called by a former fling, now the star of a popular television show who wants her to find a fellow actor who’s gone missing. A deliciously fun, gossipy series written by the editor of Cosmopolitan.

New and Forthcoming in International Mysteries

_____. Vodka Neat (STM, 24.95) May. The second of a new series is set in Moscow featuring Faith Zanetti whose Russian ex-husband confesses to a murder that he committed while they were still together, leading the police to believe that she was his accomplice. Interesting protagonist, great setting.

Brophy, Grace. A Deadly Paradise (SOHO, 24.00) May. Italian State Police Inspector Alessandro Cenni investigates the death of an elderly German woman in Umbria and he is faced with a plethora of motives since the victim was a bisexual swinger who had a tendency toward blackmail, with secrets dating back to WWII.

_____. The Last Enemy (SOHO, 13.00) May. Commissario Cenni is sent to investigate the murder of an American relative of a powerful right-wing aristocratic family in Assisi, and no one wants him to find the truth.

Cataldo, Giancarlo de. Crimini (BL, 14.95) Apr. This collection of Italian crime stories shows that there’s lots more crime in Italy than just in Donna Leon’s Venice.

Duarte, Stella Pope. If I Die in Juárez (UA Press, 16.95) Apr. A novel set in Ciudad Juárez, where the bodies of more than 350 women have been found, and due to police corruption that has tainted much of the evidence the murders have gone unsolved, featuring three women—a street girl, a maquiladora worker, and a Tarahumara Indian woman—who bring the murderous secrets of Juárez to life.

Eriksson, Kjell. The Demon of Dakar (STM, 24.95) May. Police detective Ann Lindell investigates when a partner in an elegant restaurant named Dakar is murdered and suspicion falls on his business partner in a new Swedish police procedural.

Ghelfi, Brent. Volk’s Game (STM, 14.00) May. A veteran of the conflict in Chechnya, now a mercenary for Russian gangsters, Volk is hired to steal a lost painting by Leonardo from the Hermitage. An outstanding debut.

Kretser, Michelle de. The Lost Dog (LB, 24.99) Apr. An Indian-Australian professor is finishing up his book on Henry James when his dog is lost in the Australian bush, and while he is searching for the dog he meets a mysterious artist. An award-winning cross between Susan Sontag and Daphne du Maurier that makes use of suspense conventions to present intellectual questions.

Leon, Donna. The Girl of His Dreams (AtlM, 24.00) May. When a gypsy girl falls off a rooftop, Venice’s Commissario Brunetti must inform the distrustful parents, and finds himself haunted by the child’s death which is dismissed by his colleagues.

Lucarelli, Carlo. Via delle Oche (Europa, 14.95) May. A murder in Bologna’s red light district leads directly to local politicians and upper echelons of the police.

Mankell, Henning. Depths (RH, 14.95) Apr. Set during WWI, a Swedish naval engineer discovers a beautiful, feral woman living on a remote island, and is soon living a double life in this haunting story of psychological suspense.

Martínez, Guillermo. La Muerte Lenta de Luciana B. (HC, 14.95)
Apr. The Spanish-language version of the latest intellectual thriller by the Argentine writer. Look under British mysteries for more information.

McCall Smith, Alexander. Miracle at Speedy Motors (RH, 21.95) Apr. Mma Ramotswe goes to a game preserve to uncover the truth about an elderly American tourist whose safari was his last journey.

Mills, Mark. The Savage Garden (Brk, 14.00) May. A romantic literary puzzle set in Tuscany where a young Cambridge scholar studying a Renaissance garden discovers the key to a murder. I loved this.

Moore, Christopher G. Spirit House (Grove, 13.00) May. Bangkok PI Vincent Calvino returns, hired to find the killer of an expat Brit in a case that plunges him into the underworld of addicts, dealers, fortune tellers, and professional bar girls.

Mosse, Kate. Sepulchre (Putnam, 25.95) Apr. An American graduate student in France to work on her thesis on Claude Debussy is haunted by visions and strange dreams after she arrives at an old hotel that was once the estate of a man who was said to have disappeared in the late nineteenth century while summoning a demon.

Murray, Sabina. Forgery (Grove, 13.00) Apr. In 1963 an American travels to Athens to collect classical pieces for his uncle’s art collection, but he discovers that Athens is filled with political subterfuge, forgeries, and even murder.

Murray, Yxta Maya. The King’s Gold (HC, 13.95) Apr. The second to feature Lola Sanchez, bibliophile and adventurer who discovers a manuscript detailing the legend of a Spanish conquistador who stole a vast amount of Montezuma’s gold and hid it in an Italian city, and off she goes to Italy to search for the treasure. Great fun.

Navarro, Julia. The Bible of Clay (BDD, 24.00) Apr. An archaeologist must battle a murderous group of conspirators as they vie for a treasure that will rewrite history as they search throughout Mesopotamia for an account of the world’s creation in the legendary Bible of Clay..

Petterson, Per. Out Stealing Horses (STM, 14.00) May. An award-winning, gripping novel set in Norway, about a man whose meeting with his neighbors forces him to reflect on his youth and the turbulent years that followed.

FStanley, Michael. A Carrion Death (HC, 23.95) Apr. A debut police procedural set in Africa where Assistant Superintendent David Bengu must track down a killer who is happy to let the hyenas do the work of hiding his victim’s identity. A compelling new voice in international mystery.

Stasiuk, Andrej. Nine (Har, 14.00) May. Set in Warsaw, this crime novel is also a study of the bleakness of post-communist Eastern Europe as a man flees the loan sharks who are after him.

Sussman, Paul. The Lost Army of Cambyses (Grove, 14.00) Apr. When a corpse is found at Luxor, an antique dealer is murdered in Cairo, and a British archaeologist is murdered in Saqqara,  Inspector Yusuf Khalifa of the Luxor police believes that there is a connection between the murders and a mythic lost tomb.

Tursten, Helene. The Glass Devil (SOHO, 13.00) Apr. Swedish Detective Inspector Irene Huss is faced with what appears to be a murder by Satanists when a pastor and his family are shot to death in Götenborg in the latest in this first-rate police procedural series.
 
 
 
 
 

February/March 2008

                                    New and Forthcoming in Hardcover

Alvtegan, Karin. Missing (F&M, 24.00) Jan. A Stockholm woman, who has left her life of privilege to live on the streets is implicated in two murders, forcing her take the steps necessary to return to her old life. This is the first US publication of a prize-winning Scandinavian writer of crime novels.

Andrews, Mary Kay. Deep Dish (HC, 24.95) Mar. A tasty romp by mystery writer Kathy Hogan Trochek, featuring a young hostess of a public television cooking show in Georgia whose main competition is the ultimate redneck host of a show called Vittles. Expect lots of laughs and Southern charm.

Atherton, Nancy. Aunt Dimity, Vampire Hunter (Viking, 22.95) Feb. When her twins report a pale, cloaked figure hanging out in the woods around their school, Lori Shepherd decides to investigate and finds a trail that leads to a charismatic vagabond, a bitter crone, and to Aldercot Hall, the site of a murder forty years ago.

Ault, Sandi. Wild Inferno (Brk, 23.95) Feb. BLM agent Jamaica Wild is deployed to a wildfire on the Southern Ute reservation where she discovers a mystery more menacing than murder in the second in the acclaimed Southwestern series. Signing.

Bass, Jefferson. The Devil’s Bones (HC, 24.95) Feb. Forensic anthropologist Bill Brockton is working on a case of suspected arson and murder when he learns that his nemesis has escaped from prison and is out for vengeance.

Beaton, M.C. Death of a Gentle Lady (Hach, 23.99) Feb. Hamish McBeth has always been suspicious of a lady that everyone in Lochdubh admires, and when she dies under mysterious circumstances, he feels that it’s time to confirm his suspicions.

Becka, Elizabeth. Unknown Means (Hyperion, 22.95) Feb. A forensic specialist with the Cleveland Medical Examiner’s office is faced with what appears to be a classic locked-room murder—a wealthy woman is killed in the penthouse of a high-security building, and the surveillance cameras didn’t pick up anything suspicious and her husband has an airtight alibi. A likeable protagonist and a baffling plot make this a series to read.

Berenson, Alex. The Ghost War (Put, 24.95) Feb. CIA agent John Wells is sent to Afghanistan to investigate when a surge in Taliban activity leads to an international conspiracy headed by someone in the CIA.

Berry, Steve. The Venetian Betrayal (Ball, 25.95) Feb. Cotton Malone is pitted against a ruthless Central Asian dictator who will do anything to possess the truth about the death of Alexander the Great and where he was buried.

Born, James O. Burn Zone (Put, 25.95) Feb. ATF agent Alex Duarte is on the trail of a Panamanian suspected of smuggling guns and drugs, but these are the least of the problems with the case.

Brown, Rita Mae. The Purrfect Murder (BDD, 25.00) Feb. Harry with help from the animals must help out an architect friend when he is found standing over the body of a difficult—and very wealthy woman.

Bruen, Ken. Cross (STM, 23.95) Mar. Jack Taylor is hired to investigate the gruesome crucifixion of a boy in Galway, and is tempted to give up until the boy’s sister is burned to death.

Burnside, John. The Devil’s Footprint (BDD, 23.95) Feb. Driven mad by her abusive husband a woman kills herself and her two sons, sparing her teenaged daughter. A man who had a brief romance with the dead woman becomes obsessed with the girl who convinces him to take her away from her father and the small Scottish village where they both live.

Childs, Laura. The Silver Needle Murder (Brk, 23.95) Mar. The Charleston Film Festival opens with a bang when a famous director is shot on his way to the podium, and teashop owner Theodosia Browning investigates.

Choi, Susan. A Person of Interest (Viking, 24.95) Feb. An Asian-American math professor comes under suspicion when a bomb explodes in an office on the campus of a Midwestern university in a thriller that is a psychological study of the impact of scrutiny and suspicion in the age of terror.

Clark, Mary Higgins. Where Are You Now? (SS, 25.95) Mar. A young attorney is driven to solve the mystery of her older brother’s disappearance ten years ago, and what she discovers leads her to a strange world of people who choose to disappear from their lives.

Colley, Barbara. Wash and Die (Ken, 22.00) Feb. Charlotte LaRue, New Orleans house cleaner, must clean up a mess when an uninvited guest brings murder into her home.

Conant-Park, Jessica and Susan Conant. Turn Up the Heat (Brk, 23.95) Mar. An unpleasant waitress at Simmer is found dead, and Chloe wonders if she was intentionally killed or the victim of a prank turned lethal in the latest in this cozy Boston cooking series.

Crider, Bill. Of All Sad Words (STM, 23.95) Bucklin County Sheriff Dan Rhodes has serious administrative problems as he faces the county commissioners, particularly when the citizen’s patrol that he starts is suspected when a mobile home blows up.

Daheim, Mary. The Alpine Traitor (Ball, 23.95) Mar. Emma Lord is at the top of the suspect list when the newspaper The Advocate is the subject of a very hostile takeover and the investor at the head of the takeover is found dead.

Dorsey, Tim. Atomic Lobster (HC, 24.95) Feb. Psychopath and booster for the Sunshine State, Serge A. Storms, returns in another funny caper filled with drugs, violence, and elderly ladies.

Emley, Dianne. Cut to the Quick (Ball, 23.95) Feb. Pasadena homicide detective Nan Vining is working on a case involving the death of a tycoon and his girlfriend when a derelict is arrested who appears to have knowledge about the attack on her two years ago. I liked the first in the series alot.

Emerson, Earl. Primal Threat (Ball, 24.95) Feb. A thrilling outdoor adventure when a cycling trip on a mountain turns into a fight for survival when one of the group is stalked by a jealous ex-boyfriend from the city.

Fairstein, Linda. Killer Heat (BDD, 25.00) Mar. NYC Assistant District Attorney Alex Cooper must find the killer preying on women in a case that takes her to the islands surrounding Manhattan. Fairstein’s mysteries always explore fascinating little-known aspects of New York, with plotting that is well-thought-out, interesting New York history, and appealing characters. Highly recommended.

Farmer, Jerrilyn. Desperately Seeking Sushi (HC, 23.95) Mar. This has been postponed so many times that I’m afraid to announce it again, but the latest mystery featuring LA caterer Madeline Bean and the killer real estate market is scheduled for this month.

Fielding, Joy. Charley’s Web (SS, 24.95) Mar. An ambitious writer who agrees to write a biography of a woman who murdered her three children places her own family in jeopardy.

Floyd, Bill. The Killer’s Wife (STM, 23.95) Mar. A powerful debut novel of suspense told from the point of view of a convicted serial killer’s wife who finds herself and her son stalked by someone whose methods are frighteningly similar to those of her ex-husband.

Fluke, Joanne. Carrot Cake Murder (Ken, 22.00) Mar. Hannah Swenson investigates when her business partner’s long lost uncle is murdered during a family reunion, two pieces of her famous carrot cake at his side.

Ford, G.M. Nameless Night (HC, 23.95) Feb. A man who has lived for seven years in a group home for disabled adults, unable to speak, wakes up after a car accident with his memory gone and a sense that he must recover his lost identity in a thriller that is a cross-country chase as he searches for his identity one step ahead of those who want to stop him.

Freeman, Brian. Stalked (STM, 24.95) Feb. Duluth homicide detective Jonathan Stride must confront a predatory killer when a young woman disappears in a case that involves violence and voyeurism.

Greeley, Andrew M. Irish Tiger (STM, 24.95) Feb. Nuala McGrail and Dermot must protect a pair of elderly lovers whose families oppose their marriage and will do anything to destroy it.

Grimes, Martha. Dakota (Viking, 25.95) Feb. Andi Oliver, the young amnesiac who woke up in Santa Fé not knowing who she is, goes to work for a pig farm in North Dakota only to find out how dark modern factory farming is and to discover a secret about the farm and a related slaughterhouse that puts her in the sights of a killer.

Grisham, John. The Appeal (BDD, 27.95) Feb. In most states justice is for sale and only the rich can afford it in the newest legal thriller by my favorite guilty pleasure.

Gunn, Elizabeth. Cool in Tucson (Severn, 27.95) Jan. The first of a new police procedural series set in Tucson, featuring homicide detective Sarah Burke who is working on a murder when her troubled young niece disappears in a case involving--hey, it’s Tucson--drug smuggling. I liked this a lot.

Haig, Matt. The Labrador Pact (Viking, 23.95) Mar. A normal middle-class family whose worst enemies are themselves, have left their black Labrador, Prince, with a lot to do to protect and defend them, as he himself narrates in this poignant novel that was a best-seller in the UK.

Hall, James W. Hell’s Bay (STM, 24.95) Feb. Thorn learns that he is part of an aristocratic Florida family when the matriarch is murdered and a killer comes after him and the remaining members in a thriller that is so filled with south Florida atmosphere that you’ll be swatting mosquitoes as you’re reading.

Harris, Rosemary. Pushing Up Daisies (STM, 23.95) Feb. A Connecticut landscape gardener must dig up the dirt and sift for clues in a small town when a friend is accused of impaling someone on a gardening tool in a debut cozy complete with gardening tips.

Harvey, John. Gone to Ground (Har, 25.00) Feb. When a gay academic is found murdered, police detective Will Grayson and his partner Helen Walker discover that the murder is tied to the book he was writing about the life and mysterious death of a fifties film star.

Hellmann, Libby Fischer. Easy Innocence (Bleak House, 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp) Mar. A former Chicago cop, now a private investigator is asked to take the case when a teenaged girl is bludgeoned to death, and what she finds is that preppy schoolgirls from Chicago’s toney North Shore have discovered the intense power their youth and innocence has for businessmen willing to pay, but are only beginning to understand the risks of their little business venture. Signing.

Hensley, Joe L. Snowbird’s Blood (STM, 24.95) Feb. When his wife disappears while hunting for a Florida retirement home for them, a man with terminal cancer vows to find her, especially after he hears rumors of elderly snowbirds disappearing all over the state.

Hughes, Declan. The Price of Blood (HC, 24.95) Mar. Irish PI Ed Loy agrees to help out a priest who wants him to find a missing person in a case that centers on a horse trainer preparing for a four-day racing event.

Hunt, James Patrick. Goodbye Sister Disco (STM, 23.95) Mar. The second in a police procedural series set in St. Louis is a classic of the genre as Lt. George Hastings handles a murder/kidnapping that may be politically motivated.

Jordan, R.T. Final Curtain (Ken, 22.00) Feb. Television actress of a certain age and sometime sleuth Polly Pepper returns to save a star from a murder rap in the second in this funny series.

Joss, Morag. The Night Following (BDD, 22.00) Mar. A brilliant novel of psychological suspense about a doctor’s wife who, distracted by just having learned that her husband is having an affair, kills a bicyclist and drives away.

Lavender, Will. Obedience (RH, 24.00) Feb. The students in a college course in logic and reasoning are given an assignment to find a girl who will be murdered if she is not found in six weeks, causing them to wonder what is real and what is a class assignment in a gripping debut thriller.

Levien, David. City of the Sun (BDD, 24.95) Mar. A fantastic suspense debut featuring a former Indianapolis cop turned PI who agrees to take on the case of boy missing for more than a year. I usually don’t care for mysteries with missing children, but I think that this first novel is outstanding and I look forward to seeing the protagonist again.

Lippman, Laura. Another Thing to Fall (HC, 24.95) Mar. Baltimore PI Tess Monaghan returns in a murder case that is as filled with artifice and deception as the Hollywood actors who make up the list of suspects. Signed copies.

Lutz, Lisa. The Curse of the Spellmans (SS, 25.00) Mar. Izzy, junior partner of the private investigator family firm has been arrested again, and her octogenarian lawyer isn’t sure he can save her PI license in the latest in the funny adventures of the dysfunctional family.

MacPherson, Rett. The Blood Ballad (STM, 23.95) Feb. Genealogist Torie O’Shea learns that her grandfather wrote songs for a well-known group of country singers—something she had not known about her family in the latest in this cozy Midwestern series.

Martin, Nancy. Murder Melts in Your Mouth (NAL, 22.95) Mar. All three Blackbird sisters are thrown in a panic when their feckless parents reappear, plotting more scandalous goings-on, while Nora must deal with Philadelphia’s Chocolate festival, and a nasty murder.

Martinez, Michele. Notorious (HC, 24.95) Mar. Federal prosecutor Melanie Vargas is the only witness when a car bomb kills a defense attorney, and is determined to hunt down his killer only to discover that the charismatic attorney had lots of dangerous secrets.

McCarry, Charles. The Better Angels (Overlook, 25.95) Mar. A prescient thriller written thirty years ago, with a deeply polarized America on the eve of a presidential election between a liberal and a far-right businessman with strong ties to the energy industry, in an America threatened by Islamic terrorists, who want to use their oil riches to acquire nuclear weapons. Scary.

McEvoy, John. Close Call (PP, 24.95) Mar. The publicity director for a rundown suburban Chicago racetrack must help the owner keep things going until the passage of a law allowing slot machines at racetracks will turn business around in the third horse-racing mystery.

Mina, Denise. Slip of the Knife (Hach, 24.99) Feb. Glasgow journalist Paddy Meehan begins investigating when her former boyfriend is found murdered, leaving her both his house and stacks of notes for the story he was working on. Paddy is a strong, interesting character and the setting and plotting are superb.

Moody, Bill. Shades of Blue (PP, 24.95) Feb. Musician Evan Horne is the beneficiary of a former mentor, and is soon investigating the relationship between his mentor and his mother as well as the relationship between his mentor and jazz great Miles Davis.

Myers, Tamar. As the World Churns (NAL, 21.95) Feb. Magdalena Yoder is the emcee for the first annual Hernia Holstein Competition, but the originator of the competition is clobbered while viewing the bovines, and her husband goes missing in a case that has her investigating until the cows all come home.

Nelson, Rick. Bound by Blood (STM, 24.95) Feb. A debut novel set in Louisiana featuring an NOPD detective who learns that a convicted killer has information about the unsolved murder of his cousin, a civil rights worker, killed thirty years ago.

Palmer, Michael. The First Patient (STM, 25.95) Feb. A political thriller with a medical twist when a country doctor is called in to help his old friend who is president of the US and appears to be going insane.

Parker, Robert B. Stranger in Paradise (Put, 25.95) Feb. An Apache hit man asks for Jesse Stone’s help in finding a missing teenager who is involved with Latino gangs.

Parker, T. Jefferson. L.A. Outlaws (Dutton, 25.95) Feb. A deputy sheriff falls for an eyewitness that he finds at the scene of a robbery/murder committed by a celebrity gangster famous for her Robin-Hood capers, but he finds himself torn between love and honor when it becomes clear that she knows more than she is saying.

Patterson, James with Maxine Paetro. 7th Heaven (Hach, 27.99) Feb. San Francisco detective Lindsay Boxer and the Woman’s Murder Club work to find the arsonist responsible for house fires in wealthy neighborhoods that kill the inhabitants.

Penny, Louise. The Cruelest Month (STM, 23.95) Mar. An impromptu séance at the local haunted house turns deadly and CDI Armande Gamache must find a killer in the idyllic village of Three Pines in Canada. Penny re-creates the English village mystery in the New World with strong delineations of secondary characters and a wonderful detective in Gamache. Highly recommended.

Pickens, Cathy. Hush my Mouth (STM, 23.95) Feb. Carolina attorney Avery Andrews get her first paying case when she is asked to investigate the disappearance of a young woman whose aunt was murdered twenty years ago in the latest in this funny series with a strong southern accent.

Picoult, Jodi. Change of Heart (SS, 26.95) Mar. A suspenseful tale of a mother’s tragic loss and a criminal’s last chance for redemption.

Pollero, Rhonda. Knock ‘em Dead (Ken, 19.95) Mar. The second in the stylish series that is a hilarious mix of sex, shopping, and sleuthing set in south Florida.

Roberts, Nora. Strangers in Death (Put, 25.95) Feb. NYPD police lieutenant Eve Dallas investigates when a successful businessman is killed in his apartment in what looks like a case of kinky sex gone wrong.

Saums, Mary. Mighty Old Bones (STM, 23.95) Mar. When a thunderstorm uproots a tree on Jane’s property and reveals a skeleton, she and her friend Phoebe find that their sleepy little Alabama town hides a wide-awake murderer in the second in this cozy series.

Scottoline, Lisa. Lady Killer (HC, 25.95) Feb. Philadelphia attorney Mary DiNunzio is surprised when her rival from high school asks her for help because she's afraid of her abusive live-in boyfriend, and even more surprised when she disappears and a dead body turns up in an alley. Scottoline is a favorite of mine because she creates believable female characters who are smart and competent.

Sewell, Kitty. Ice Trap (SS, 24.95) Feb. A British surgeon’s life is torn apart when he receives the news that fifteen years before when he worked in the Canadian arctic he fathered twins in a debut novel of suspense that will have you putting on a sweater.

Smith, April. Judas Horse (RH, 23.95) Feb. FBI agent Ana Grey goes undercover to infiltrate a violent animal rights group and discovers that the charismatic leader is a rogue agent who left the FBI in the 1970’s, and who is planning an act of terrorism.

Sokoloff, Alexandra. The Price (STM, 23.95) Feb. A tale of psychological suspense with a supernatural twist as parents cope with their daughter’s cancer and the strange goings-on in the hospital where she is being cared for.

Stabenow, Dana. Prepared for Rage (STM, 24.95) Feb. A renegade terrorist targets the most visible symbol of American power—the Space Shuttle launch—in a nail-biting novel of suspense featuring an FBI agent and a Coast Guard Captain.

Stone, David. The Orpheus Deception (Putnam, 25.95) Mar. The second thriller to feature CIA cleaner Micah Dalton begins in Venice where an assassination attempt sets him on a collision course with a Serbian warlord and sends him on an international chase from Venice to Bangkok to Washington D.C. I loved the first in this series.

Thomas, Steven M. Criminal Paradise (Ball, 24.95) Mar. A Southern California thief stumbles across the photograph of a young Vietnamese girl during one of his heists, and is so haunted by her face that he decides to investigate in a case that becomes increasingly dark in this debut thriller.

Way, Camilla. The Dead of Summer (Har, 23.00) Feb. A startling debut set in Greenwich narrated by a woman who as a child who witnessed the murder of three children and reveals the truth of what happened.

Webb, Betty. Desert Cut (PP, 24.95) Feb. Scottsdale PI Lena Jones and her friend are scouting locations for a film on Arizona's Apache Wars when they come across the mutilated body of a young girl, leading to an investigation of a small town with a large number of foreign workers--and a dark secret. Signing.

Wesley, Valerie Wilson. Of Blood and Sorrow (RH, 23.95) Feb. Tamara Hayle has her life together when a friend asks her to find a missing child, a case that puts both her and her teen-aged son in jeopardy.

White, Randy Wayne. Black Widow (Put, 24.95) Mar. Doc Ford agrees to help his god-daughter when someone videotapes her out-of control bachelorette party and tries to blackmail her with it. When extortion turns to murder, Ford vows to find the extortionist and discovers that she is his most formidable opponent.

White, Stephen. Dead Time (Dutton, 25.95) Mar. Alan Gregory is asked by his former wife to help locate the missing surrogate mother of her soon-to-be-born child in a case that reaches far into the past.

Willig, Lauren. The Seduction of the Crimson Rose (Dutton, 24.95) Feb. Present-day scholar Eloise Kelly digs deeper into England’s Napoleonic-era espionage in a continuation of the story of Lord Vaughn and Mary Alsworthy, who is asked to infiltrate the ranks of the dreaded French spy, the Black Tulip. If you enjoy a combination of adventure, romance, and well-researched history, this series is for you.
 
 

New and Forthcoming in Paperback Reprint

New and Forthcoming in Paperback Original

Cassidy, Carla. Every Move You Make (NAL, 6.99) Mar. The owner of a company that makes handcrafted dolls is horrified when she discovers that someone is killing women and dressing them up as dolls from her company.

Chance, Jackie. Hold ‘Em Hostage (Brk, 6.99) Feb. Back in Las Vegas for a poker tournament, Bee Cooley is under pressure when a sinister stranger kidnaps her goddaughter and threatens to kill her if Bee doesn’t win the tournament.

Connor, Beverly. Dead Hunt (NAL, 7.99) Feb. Forensic scientist Diane Fallon is pleased to help convict a woman who killed one husband and may have killed others, until the woman escapes from prison and vows vengeance.

Cortez, Donn. CSI: Miami: Cut and Run (Pkt, 7.99) Mar. The CSI team is confronted with three cases—a murdered novelist, a downed plane filled with priceless Cuban art and a possible suicide found in the basket of a hot-air balloon—just another day in Miami.

Cutler, Judith. Cold Pursuit (A&B, 11.95) Mar. On the verge of retirement, CS Frances Harmon takes over for a seriously ill colleague in a case of minor assault that has caused a media furor in Kent, a furor that increases when the assaults escalate to become much more serious.

Gaffney, Ed. Enemy Combatant (BDD, 6.99) Mar. A New York attorney is thrust into the spotlight when he is forced to defend an alleged terrorist in a case that is close to impossible.

Grace, Margaret. Murder in Miniature (Brk, 6.99) Feb. The first in a new series featuring a grandmother whose hobby is making miniature furniture and accessories for dollhouses, who turns sleuth when a fellow miniature aficionado is murdered.

Harris, Charlaine. A Bone to Pick (Brk, 7.99) Feb. In this reissue of the second in the Aurora Teagarden series, a small-town librarian is left a substantial inheritance and a mystery to solve.

_____. Three Bedrooms, One Corpse (Brk, 7.99) Mar. In the third in the series Roe decides to go into real estate, but when a naked corpse is found in the bedroom of a house she is showing.

Hirahara, Naomi. Summer of the Big Bachi (BDD, 6.99) Feb. The first of a delightful series set in L.A. featuring Mas Arai, an elderly gardener and Hiroshima survivor who must confront his past when long-buried secrets come to light. Highly recommended.

Laurie, Victoria. Demons Are a Ghoul’s Best Friend (NAL, 6.99) Mar. The second in this ghoulishly good series finds ghost hunter M.J. Halliday and her associates hired to rid a boarding school of a resident demon known as Hatchet Jack.

Marberg, Peg. Decorated to Death (Brk, 6.99) Feb. The second in the interior design series finds one of Jean Hastings’ new clients murdered, and Jean coping with the fact that blood-red is such a difficult color to accessorize.

Marsh, Kate. Ghost of a Chance (NAL, 6.99) Feb. This paranormal mystery debut is a locked-house puzzle when exorcist Karma Marx finds her ex-husband dead in a locked mansion with her, her foster daughter, and a batch of suspects—who may or not be human.

McBride, Susan. Too Pretty To Die (HC, 6.99) Feb. Ex-debutante Andy Kendrick reveals more than just beauty secrets of Dallas society in the fifth in this sassy series.

Robb, J.D. Three in Death (Brk, 7.99) Feb. A collection of three stories featuring futuristic detective Eve Dallas.

Scott, Michele. Tacked to Death (Brk, 6.99) Feb. On the day of her tack shop opening, horse trainer Michaela Bancroft must solve the murder of a polo player.

Sprinkle, Patricia. What Are You Wearing to Die? (NAL, 6.99) Feb. Georgia magistrate McLaren Yarborough can’t resist meddling in murder when a young mother is killed, dressed in an uncharacteristically sedate manner, and then a second woman is murdered…. A charmingly southern series.

Wainscott, Tina. What Lies in Shadow (STM, 6.99) Feb. A woman is stalked by a man from an Internet chat room who discovers her real identity and comes after her in the latest from a writer of romantic suspense who is compared to Kay Hooper.

Webb, Debra. Nameless (STM, 6.99) Feb. A former FBI agent teams up with a rookie cop in an effort to track down a ruthless kidnapper of children.

Wells, Melinda. Killer Mousse (Brk, 6.99) Feb. The first in a delicious new cooking series, featuring a Southern California cooking school owner with a new cable cooking show who’s about to learn all about murder.
 

New and Forthcoming in Quality Paperback

Anthony, Michael David. The Becket Factor (F&M, 14.95) Jan. A retired government worker doing volunteer work at the Canterbury Cathedral is plunged into ecclesiastical politics when an investigation into murder and blackmail at the close explodes into a media circus when a tomb that may be the final resting place of Thomas à Becket is uncovered.

Barrett, Jo. This Is How It Happened (HC, 13.95) Feb. Even with the help of a bumbling hitman and arsenic brownies, a woman who has vowed revenge on her lying, cheating, scumbag ex-boyfriend  discovers that murder is not as easy as it looks on TV.

Bruen, Ken. Priest (STM, 13.95) Feb.PI Jack Taylor is called in to investigate when a Galway priest is decapitated in the confessional. Bruen is a master of Celtic noir.

Cullen, Robert. Dispatch from a Cold Country (F&M, 14.95) Jan. A reporter is sent to Russia to investigate the death of an old friend, a death that is linked to the Hermitage and a plot to steal priceless art works.

Daly, Elizabeth. Nothing Can Rescue Me (F&M, 14.95) Jan. When a socialite begins receiving threatening messages in the pages of a frightfully bad novel she is writing, messages that could be from the Spirit World, her nephew asks former schoolmate Henry Gamadge to investigate.

Evans, Colin. Blood on the Table (Brk, 15.00) Mar. A behind the scenes look at death in New York City by examining the work of the Office of the Chief Medical Officer, which has dealt with gang wars, 9/11, and violent or unexplained death in cases that have made history.

Francis, Patry. The Liar’s Diary (NAL, 14.00) Feb. A new music teacher at the local high school creates serious disruptions in the life of a suburban town, disruptions that lead to murder. I loved this novel of psychological suspense for its haunting qua