SEATTLE MYSTERY BOOKSHOP

Spring 2008

117 Cherry St. Seattle, WA 98104

Hours: 10-5 Mon – Sat, 12-5 Sun

Bill Farley, Founder / JB Dickey, Owner

Tammy Domike, Manager /Fran Fuller, Bookkeeper

Janine Wilson, Bookseller / Gretchen Brevoort, Co-op

Marie Ary-Almojuela

staff@seattlemystery.com 206-587-5737 www.seattlemystery.com

cops — private eyes — courtroom – thrillers — suspense — espionage — true crime — reference

New from the Northwest

Marc Acito, Attack of the Theatre People (April, Broadway tpo, 11.95). Aspiring actor Edward Zanni has just been kicked out of drama school for being too “jazz” in 1986’s NYC. He takes gigs as party motivator and stealth guest to make ends meet. At one of the corporate parties, he meets Chad, a handsome stockbroker. Before he knows it, he’s caught up in an insider trading case. Only with the help of old friends from How I Paid for College (Broadway, 9.95, recommended by Fran and Tammy) can he get out of suspicion. Comic crime from a Portland, OR author. Signing.

Megan Chance, The Spiritualist (May, Three Rivers Press tpo, 14.95). Evelyn Atherton’s husband is found murdered on a cold NYC morning in 1856. She’s the prime suspect, having ‘married up’ in society. To clear her name, she undertakes an investigation into his last days. That leads her into the murky world of séances and the charismatic spiritualist Michel Jourdain.

Jo Dereske, Index to Murder (May, Avon pbo, 6.99). 11^th in the fabulously fun and popular Miss Zukas series. When Helma Zukas suggests to her brokenhearted artist friend, Ruth Winthrop, that she regain her equilibrium by painting scenes from her past, Ruth stirs up Bellehaven by exposing romantic secrets, and painting mysteriously dead men. Throw in an angry ex-wife, jealous artists and a secret society of tree-mad do-gooders, not to mention the mysterious injury of scheming library director, Ms. Moon, and Helma is facing not just murder, but mayhem. Signing.

William Dietrich, The Rosetta Key (April, Harper hc, 25.95). As Bonaparte begins his invasion of the Holy Land in 1799, American adventurer Ethan Gage is once again immersed in intrigue as the hunt for a fabled Egyptian scroll said to have magical powers. Signing.

Christina Dodd, Thigh High (Mar., Signet pbo, 7.99). A handsome investigator looks for two women who are robbing banks while wearing Mardi Gras masks.

Elizabeth George, Careless in Red (May, Harper hc, 26.95). Thomas Lynley has left Scotland Yard and gone home to Cornwall. Out walking, he sees a man fall to his death. Torn between wanting nothing to do with the event and feeling the pull of the investigation, he is at first a suspect. Soon, however, the local cops seek his help and London sends Barbara Havers to assist – but also to watch Lynley and, if possible, get him back on the force. Signing.

Michael Gruber, The Forgery of Venus (April, Morrow hc, 24.95). A talented young painter needs more money than he can make selling his own work. His son is ill, his wife distant, and he needs more money to make his family whole. He accepts the job of restoring a fresco, which becomes more of a recreation. This goes well and leads to another job, a commission that reeks of Faust. Signing. In paper, The Book of Air and Shadows (Mar., Harper, 14.95). Tammy, Fran and Gretchen recommend.

Sue Henry, Degrees of Separation (April, Obsidian hc, 23.95). Believing her knee injury has healed, musher Jessie Arnold is back on the sled, training for the upcoming Iditarod. On the trail one day, she hits a bump that has never been there before – a body in the snow. In paper, The Refuge (Mar., Obsidian, 6.99), her 3^rd Maxie. Signing.

Lisa Jackson, Lost Souls (April, Kensington hc, 22.00). A young woman wants to be a true crime writer. She enrolls in a New Orleans college where coeds have been vanishing. The killer discovers her plan and she doesn’t realize she’s being drawn into his game. In paper, Absolute Fear (Mar., Kensington, 7.99).

Daniel Kalla, Cold Plague (April, Forge hc, 24.95). Powerful, worldwide forces are arrayed against a World Health official who sees the recent discovery of an ancient and pristine water in the Antarctic as a way to stop a marauding disease. The cabal has its own plans for the miraculous discovery. In paper, Blood Lies (Mar., Forge, 7.99).

Steve Martini, Shadow of Power (April, Morrow hc, 26.95). Paul Madriani takes the case of a young man charged with murdering a legal scholar who stayed in the spotlight with a constant flow of controversy. The scholar’s latest book had claimed the Constitution and writings by Jefferson support legal discrimination. Madriani’s case will take him into the quiet halls of the Supreme Court.

Gregg Olsen, A Cold Dark Place (April, Kensington pbo, 6.99). At their remote Washington State farm, nearly everyone in the family has been murdered, slaughtered. The exception is one son and the cops see him as their prime suspect. The daughter of the lead cop knows the boy, doesn’t believe he’s a killer and is ahead of the cops in their search for him. Signing.

Amanda Quick, The Third Circle (April, Putnam hc, 24.95). The Arcane Society sends mesmerist Thaddeus Ware to secure a valuable and dangerous crystal. Leona Hewitt beats him to it. She must be careful; Ware is said to be able to control the mind of a young woman and rob her of her virtue without her knowing it. The crystal is a key to an elite and mysterious group, the Third Circle. In paper, The River Knows (Jove, April, 7.99). Signing.

John Straley, The Big Both Ways (May, Graphic Arts Center hc, 25.95, tp 16.95). After a 7 year wait, a new mystery from Alaska’s Writer Laureate. Set in 1935, times are tough and jobs are scarce. A man leaves a logging camp, helps a woman get her car out of a ditch only to find out there’s a dead body in the trunk and finds his life taking a course he never would have planned. Eventually the various characters will take a journey through the Inside Passage to Alaska as everyone searches for a new and better life. Signing.

Allen Wyler, Deadly Errors (May, Tor pbo, 7.99). A brain surgeon raises concerns with the hospital’s new computerized records system after experienced medical personnel have made a series of fatal mistakes with patients. With millions of dollars at stake, his concerns are not well received and threats are soon coming at him. Signing.

Now in Paperback

Diana Abu-Jaber, Origin (May, Norton, 13.95).

Greg Bear, Quantico (Mar., Vanguard, 7.99). Fran recommends.

Michael Chabon, The Yiddish Policemen’s Union (May, Harper, 15.95). Tammy HIGHLY recommends.

Nicola Griffith, Always (April, Riverhead, 15.00). High Staff Recommendation!

Mark Lindquist, The King of Methlehem (May, Simon & Schuster, 13.00). Tammy and Fran recommend.

Elizabeth Lowell, Innocent as Sin (May, Avon, 7.99).

Patrick McManus, Avalanche (Mar., Simon & Schuster, 14.00).

Mysterious Youth

Ridley Pearson, Steel Trapp: The Challenge (Mar., Hyperion hc, 16.99). Steven “Steel” Trapp is headed to the National Science Competition aboard a train when he begins to notice strange things going on. And once he notices things, he remembers them. The Feds are already on the case characters from Cut and Run (2006, Hyperion, 7.99)] and notice his interest. The trouble is, so have the bad guys.

Coming This Summer

Stella Cameron, Cypress Nights, Aug.

Mary Daheim, Vi Agra Falls (B&B), Aug.

Aaron Elkins & Gideon Oliver, July

J.A. Jance & Joanna Brady, Aug.

Mike Lawson, House Rules, June

Elizabeth Lowell, Blue Smoke and Murder, June

Phillip Margolin, Executive Priviledge, June

Ridley Pearson & Sheriff Walt Fleming, Aug.

Kat Richardson, Underground, Aug.

Kate Wilhelm & Barbara Holloway, Aug.

Entries in Blue do not appear in the printed version of our newsletter.

New from the Rest

Peter Abrahams, Delusion (April, Morrow hc, 24.95). 20 years ago, a woman’s testimony helped to put a man in prison and introduced her to her future husband, the detective on the case. New evidence frees that man. Could she have been that wrong? In paper, Nerve Damage (April, Harper, 7.99).

Susan Wittig Albert, Nightshade (April, Berkley hc, 23.95). 16^th with herbalist China Bayles. Her father’s recent death has knocked China askew. Those around her want it investigated and she, strangely, seems to be the only one not interested. In paper, Spanish Dagger (April, Berkley, 7.99).

Ace Atkins, Wicked City (April, Putnam hc, 24.95). In the mid-1950s, Phenix City, Alabama was known for its corruption and organized crime. Into this setting, using real people, comes a fictional tale about everyday citizens who band together to fight the wickedness after an honest attorney is murdered in the Spring of 1954. What they start will be dangerous and unstoppable.

Sarah Atwell, Through a Glass, Deadly (Mar., Berkley pbo, 6.99). 1^st in a new craft series, glassblowing, with recipes and resources.

Deb Baker, Dolly Departed (Mar., Berkley pbo, 6.99). 3^rd in the collectable doll series.

David Baldacci, The Whole Truth (April, Grand Central hc, 26.99). A set of individuals collide, all while doing their jobs: a defense contractor has sent his henchmen to drum up trouble and get some business, a shadowy man travels the world for a secretive multi-national intelligence agency squelching trouble, and a woman reporter searches for a big story to get her back into the top tier of her profession. For all of them to get what they want and need, someone will have to suffer. In paper, Simple Genius (April, Vision, 9.99).

Nevada Barr, Winter Study (April, Putnam hc, 24.95). Sent to Upper Michigan to study wolves before their reintroduction to the Rockies, Anna Pidgeon becomes aware of odd elements. First, scat shows that there is non-wolf DNA in the pack, and then one of her fellow rangers is attacked. Evil is afoot in the bitter cold of the Canadian border. First book since 2003 – you haven’t missed one. Signed Copies Available.

Lorna Barrett, Murder is Binding (April, Berkley pbo, 6.99). 1^st in a new bibliomystery series, set in a Maine mystery bookshop, complete with a cat named Miss Marple. Big city bookseller Tricia Miles moves to a small town to open her shop. Not long after, the owner of a cookbook shop is murdered. The locals suspect Tricia.

Anthony Bidulka, Sundowner Ubuntu (April, Insomniac Press tpo, 15.95). In his 5^th case, Russell Quant is hired to find a son missing for 20 years. His search will take him from the Canadian prairies to the African savannahs and he’ll be faced with bringing back a man who doesn’t wish to return.

C.J. Box, Blood Trail (May, Putnam hc, 24.95). During elk season in the Rockies, a hunter is found strung up and gutted in his hunting camp, an empty bullet casing and a poker chip nearby. The Governor ends the hunting season early and turns to Joe Pickett for help. His investigation takes him smack into the center of the hunting vs. anti-hunting controversy. Signed Copies Available. In paper, Free Fire (May, Berkley, 7.99).

Andrew Britton, The Invisible (Mar., Kensington hc, 24.00). International intrigue, but no plot provided.

Jim Butcher, Small Favor (April, Roc hc, 23.95). 10^th in the Dresden Files series. Harry’s marker of an old debt is called by a powerful woman and he can in no way refuse her request.

Dorothy Cannell, Goodbye, Ms. Chips (April, St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). 13^th Ellie Haskell. Returning to her old boarding school to investigate a robbery, Ellie is faced with a murder and secrets from her own past. In paper, Withering Heights (April, St. Martin’s, 6.99).

Alex Carr, The Prince of Bagram Prison (Mar., Mortalis tpo, 13.95). Arabic specialist and Army reservist Katherine Caldwell is called back to duty and given the task of finding a Moroccan boy who claims to have seen a high-level terrorist in Madrid. Can she find him before the bad guys do? AKA Jenny Siler. Tammy recommends.

Cassandra Chan, Trick of the Mind (April, St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). 3^rd novel with Scotland Yard DS Jack Gibbons. Recovering from a gunshot wound, Gibbons cannot remember what happened.

Laura Childs, The Silver Needle Murder (Mar., Berkley hc, 23.95). The staff of the Indigo Tea Shop is busier than bees during the Charleston Film Festival. When a famous director is murdered in one of the theatres, they witness the events. In paper, Dragonwell Dead (Mar., Berkley, 7.99).

Carol Higgins Clark, Zapped (April, Scribner hc, 24.00). Newlywed Regan Reilly makes an awful discovery while remodeling her new apartment.

Mary Higgins Clark, Where Are You Now (Mar., Simon & Schuster hc, 25.95). A woman’s search into a family tragedy will put her in danger. In paper, I Heard That Song Before (Mar., Pocket, 7.99).

Jane K. Cleland, Antiques to Die For (April, St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). In her third mystery, antiques appraiser Josie Prescott’s life is far from the quiet time she envisioned. A new friend has been murdered, having told Josie of a secret but not the same one the dead woman’s sister knows about a rumored treasure. In paper, Deadly Appraisal (April, St. Martin’s, 6.99).

Harlan Coben, Hold Tight (April, Dutton hc, 26.95). Parents are drawn into a nightmarish web of surveillance after one teen commits suicide. One set of parents finds an alarming message on their son’s computer that seems to support a ruling of suicide while the mother of the dead boy finds a photo on his computer that seems to implicate the other family’s son. In paper, The Woods (April, Signet, 9.99).

Max Allan Collins, Strip for Murder (May, Berkley tpo, 14.00). 2^nd hard-boiled, comic-strip mystery, with art by Terry Beatty. In paper, as by Patrick Culhane, Black Hats (May, Harper, 7.99), Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson in NYC vs. Al Capone – JB Recommends.

Julie Compton, Tell No Lies (May, St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). Jack Hilliard appears to have, and really does have, a perfect life. He’s recently been elected District Attorney and has a great family. But, recently, he gave in to an obsession with a colleague and slept with Jenny Dodson. What might have been simply a guilt-ridden one-night fling turns into something else. Dodson has been accused of murder and her only alibi is Hilliard. Debut novel set in St. Louis.

Susan Conant & Jessica Conant-Park, Turn Up the Heat (Mar., Berkley hc, 23.95). 3^rd Gourmet Girl mystery. In paper, Simmer Down (Mar., Berkley, 7.99).

Patricia Cornwell, The Front (May, Putnam hc, 22.95). 2^nd with the At Risk gang.

Cleo Coyle, French Pressed (April, Berkley pbo, 6.99). 6^th in the popular coffeehouse series.

Laura Crum, Chasing Cans (Mar., Perseverance Press tpo, 14.95). 10^th with equine vet Gail McCarthy.

Hannah Dennison, A Vicky Hill Exclusive (Mar., Berkley pbo, 6.99). Debut with likeable Brit reporter Hill, a small town and, small talented, single gal.

Michael Allen Dymmoch, MIA (April, St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). A man’s death results in the release of family secrets that endanger his wife and son.

Selma Eichler, Murder Can Crash Your Party (May, Obsidian pbo, 6.99). 15^th with full-figured PI Desiree Shapiro.

Loren D. Estleman, Frames (May, Forge hc, 23.95). A new, soft-boiled series steeped in Hollywood and whodunits. Valentino is an LA film archivist who buys a run-down old theatre to showcase the films of Hollywood’s golden age. In the basement, he finds a goldmine – reels of Eric von Stroheim’s missing masterpiece Greed. The problem is that there are human remains down there as well.

Linda Fairstein, Killer Heat (Mar., Doubleday hc, 26.00). ADA Alex Cooper barely walks out of one court victory when she’s sent out to stop another killer – one who is leaving the bodies of young women on the islands that surround the big one of Manhattan.

Jerrilyn Farmer, Desperately Seeking Sushi (Mar., Morrow hc, 23.95). Postponed from Mar., 2007. Maddie Bean looks into the death of two obnoxious brothers who were trying to buy the building into which she’s just moved.

Joy Fielding, Charley’s Web (Mar., Atria hc, 24.95). Florida columnist Charley Webb has her emotionally walled-off life shaken by a mother on death row who wants Charley to write her story. In paper, Heartstopper (Feb., Pocket, 9.99).

Jessica Fletcher & Donald Bain, Murder She Wrote: Murder on Parade (April, Obsidian hc, 19.95). 29^th with mystery writer Fletcher who, once again, stumbles into a murder case, this time at a 4^th of July celebration in Maine.

Bill Floyd, The Killer’s Wife (Mar., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). Leigh Wren has worked hard to put the past behind her – her ex-husband was convicted 6 years ago for a string of horrendous murders. Though she was the one who exposed him, leading to his arrest, she’s haunted by her life with him. Now, when she’s beginning to feel free of it all, a new series of murders begins, one that appears related to the earlier crimes for which her ex was convicted. Gretchen recommends.

Joanne Fluke, Carrot Cake Murder (Mar., Kensington hc, 22.00). Baker Hannah Swenson gets involved with her business partner’s family reunion. The unexpected Uncle Gus is the surprise troublemaker. Signing.

Jeffrey Ford, The Shadow Year (Mar., Morrow hc, 25.95). In a Long Island suburb in the 1960s, strange events occur at one school, in one town and two young brothers begin to track them. Winner of the Best Paperback Original Edgar Award in 2006 for The Girl in the Glass (Harper, 13.95).

Melissa Glazer, The Cracked Pot (May, Berkley pbo, 6.99). 2^nd in this pottery mystery series.

Ed Gorman, Sleeping Dogs (April, St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). Political consultant Dev Conrad’s ideals have been destroyed over the years. When he’s asked to help a senator with ‘zipper problems’, he’s far from enthusiastic. And then a blackmailer who knows about the bimbos is murdered.

Andrew Gross, The Dark Tide (Mar., Morrow hc, 25.95). A series of events shatters a woman’s perfect life: her husband is lost in a spectacular attack on Grand Central Station; a hit and run death in her home town in Connecticut leaves a clue that connects it to her husband; and two men visit her home, claiming that her husband’s investment business had a massive amount of their money and they want it back now.

Jane Haddam, Cheating at Solitaire (April, St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). On a small island off Massachusetts, in a raging snowstorm, an aging pop star is accused of murdering her latest boy toy. Gregor Demarkian is asked to review the case against her. In paper, Glass Houses (April, St. Martin’s, 6.99)

Parnell Hall, The Sudoku Puzzle Murders (April, St. Martin’s, 23.95). The Puzzle Lady takes on a new challenge.

Charlaine Harris, From Dead to Worse (May, Ace hc, 24.95). 8^th with Sookie Stackhouse. In paper, All Together Dead (April, Ace, 7.99).

Colin Harrison, The Finder (April, FSG hc, 25.00). A young Chinese woman has been stealing the secrets of NYC’s powerful people and corporations. When the problem is discovered, she lams it. A former lover has recently returned to the US with secrets of his own – such as why he left the US for a number of years. Now he is sent after her by those whose secrets she possesses.

Carolyn Hart, Death Walked In (April, Morrow hc, 23.95). 18^th in one of Fran’s all-time favorite series – the Death on Demand books with bookstore owner Annie Darling. A stolen coin collection, strange phone calls and, of course, murder. In paper, Set Sail for Murder (April, Harper, 6.99).

Betty Hechtman, Hooked on Murder (May, Berkley pbo, 6.99). 1^st in a new crochet series, with recipes (?!?) and patterns.

Joan Hess, Mummy Dearest (April, St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). A honeymoon in Luxor, Egypt, is not the dream-like trip of a lifetime for Claire Malloy. In paper, Damsels in Distress (Mar., St. Martin’s, 6.99).

David Housewright, Madman on a Drum (May, St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). 5^th with former Minneapolis cop and unlicensed PI MacKenzie.

Joshilyn Jackson, The Girl Who Stopped Swimming (Mar., Grand Central hc, 23.99). Laurel’s life is finally fitting into place, a suburbanite’s dream. But one night, she’s approached by the ghost of her teenage neighbor. The girl is found dead in her swimming pool, an inexplicable mystery that Laurel cannot leave alone. Favorite author of the shop’s ladies. Signing.

Iris Johansen, Quicksand (April, St. Martin’s hc, 26.95). 7^th with forensic sculptor Eve Duncan. In paper, Pandora’s Daughter (May, St. Martin’s, 7.99).

Joan Johnston, A Stranger’s Game (Mar., Pocket hc, 25.00). In Texas, a woman who just got out of prison for killing her police officer father and stepmother poses as different people while searching for the real killer.

Andrea Kane, Twisted (April, Morrow hc, 23.95). Start of a new series with former FBI special agent Sloane Burbank.

Jesse Kellerman, Stop (April, Putnam hc, 24.95). A young art dealer thinks he’s found the treasure trove he’s needed to make his name. Ethan Muller finds a life-time of work in a decaying NYC slum and the artist, Victor Cracke, has disappeared. One moral question is to whom does the work belong and can Muller legally display it. When he does, the cops show up; the drawings, they think, are evidence of crimes from Cracke’s past.

Jonathan Kellerman, Compulsion (Mar., Ballantine hc, 26.95). 22^nd with psychologist Alex Delaware. In paper, Obsession (Mar., Ballantine, 9.99).

Jerry Kennealy, Still Shot (April, St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). 2^nd with entertainment critic and film noir author Carroll Quint.

Diana Killian, Corpse Pose (April, Berkley pbo, 6.99). 1^st in a yoga/mystery series.

Alice Kimberly, The Ghost and the Femme Fatale (May, Berkley pbo, 6.99). 4^th in the Haunted Bookshop series. The curtain comes down on the Film Noir series when the guest of honor – a legendary femme fatale – is murdered.

Dean Koontz, Odd Hours (May, Bantam hc, 27.00). 4^th with Odd Thomas, a favorite series of Janine’s.

Victoria Laurie, Demons Are a Ghoul’s Best Friend (Mar., Obsidian pbo, 6.99). 2^nd with ghost hunter and PI M.M. Holliday.

Joyce and Jim Lavene, Perfect Poison (May, Berkley pbo, 7.99). 4^th in this gardening series.

Peter Leonard, Quiver (May, St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). Like father like son? We’ll soon see. Debut novel from Elmore’s son. Her husband’s accidental death during a hunting accident – at the hand of their son – unleashes a series of events that will include the wife’s first love, an ex-con who is trying to persuade his former gang that he really didn’t make off with their heist swag. Set around Detroit, this will be a story of kidnapping and extortion, distrust and betrayal and, above all, a memorable mix of characters.

David Levien, City of the Sun (Mar., Doubleday hc, 24.95). Debut by a Hollywood screenwriter being compared to Lehane, Connelly and Crais: over a year ago, a paperboy vanished early one morning. His parents are close to abandoning hope when they learn about retired cop and PI Frank Behr. Behr isn’t sure this will end well but the case gets under his skin.

Pam Lewis, The Perfect Family (April, Simon & Schuster hc, 25.00). Outsiders view the prominent Carteret family as being ideal. When the young daughter drowns, that façade is destroyed, as is the family itself. Her brother can’t accept the ruling of accidental and his probing will cause the family further trouble.

Laura Lippman, Another Thing to Fall (Mar., Morrow hc, 24.95). In her tenth book, Baltimore PI Tess Monaghan looks for a needle in a haystack; a movie production company is in town and a killer is amongst the personnel. Where else could it be as difficult to find a criminal as in the midst of a group of people who are professionals at hiding their true nature? In paper, What the Dead Know (Mar., Harper, 7.99). Signing.

Chuck Logan, South of Shiloh (April, Harper hc, 24.95). The widow of a Civil War reenactor who was killed by a sniper during a battle staged in Mississippi learns that the bullet that killed her husband was intended for the man who was next to him – a cop.

Lisa Lutz, Curse of the Spellmans (Mar., Simon & Schuster hc, 25.00). Izzy Spellman has just been arrested – for the fourth time – and her lawyer and family are concerned that she may lose her private eye license. That would be bad for her and bad for the family business. Signing. Fran and Janine HIGHLY recommend these funny books.

Mary Jane Maffini, The Cluttered Corpse (April, Berkley pbo, 6.99). 2^nd with professional organizer Charlotte Adams.

Nancy Martin, Murder Melts in Your Mouth (Mar., Obsidian hc, 22.95). 7^th Blackbird Sisters mystery. During Philadelphia’s Chocolate Festival, a noted philanthropist dies in a fall and one of the sisters’ friends is accused of murder. In paper, A Crazy Little Thing Called Death (Mar., Obsidian, 6.99).

Michele Martinez, Notorious (Mar., Morrow hc, 24.95). NYC federal prosecutor Melanie Vargas is the only witness to the murder of a lawyer – the defense attorney for the famous rapper she’s about to take to trial.

G.A. McKevett, Poisoned Tarts (May, Kensington hc, 22.00). Plus-sized PI Savannah Reid deals with a Hollywood murder in her 13^th mystery. In paper, Fat Free and Fatal (April, Kensington, 6.99).

Jennifer McMahon, Island of Lost Girls (May, Harper tpo, 13.95). In the middle of a regular day, a woman witnesses a kidnapping. Before she can react, the victim is gone. As a witness, Rhonda finds herself involved in the case and, as the case proceeds, it brings back more memories of a similar event in her childhood.

Neil McMahon, Dead Silver (May, Harper hc, 24.95). A silver mine, a cache of photos, earrings and a double homicide figure into a case for Helena, MT, investigator Hugh Davoren and his buddy Madbird.

Charlie Newton, Calumet City (Mar., Touchstone tpo, 14.00). A decorated Chicago cop has spent her life putting her childhood behind her. A number of seemingly unrelated cases all point towards her, and her past, she discovers, is never too far away. JB recommends this debut.

Katherine Hall Page, The Body in the Gallery (May, Morrow hc, 23.95). 17^th mystery with caterer and sleuth Faith Fairchild.

Neil S. Plakcy, Mahu Fire (April, Alyson tpo, 14.95). What starts as a shooting quickly escalates into something bigger, taking Honolulu Det. Kimo Kanpa’aka into a religious cult that violently opposes same-sex marriage.

Louise Penny, The Cruelest Month (Mar., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). The small, peaceful town of Three Pines is thrown into chaos at Easter time when a séance at a supposedly haunted house becomes bloody. 3^rd in the series. In paper, A Fatal Grace (Feb., St. Martin’s, 6.99).

Terri Persons, Blind Rage (May, Doubleday hc, 24.95). In her second story, FBI agent Bernadette Saint Clare finds a string of suicides by young women in the Twin Cities to be suspicious. In paper, Blind Spot (April, Berkley, 7.99).

Jodi Picoult, Change of Heart (Mar., Atria hc, 26.95). Two adults find themselves at a crossroads: a woman who had lived a charmed life faces a parent’s worst nightmare while a career criminal finds himself with a chance to redeem himself.

Rhonda Pollero, Knock ‘Em Dead (Mar., Kensington hc, 19.95). 2^nd with Floridian paralegal Finley Anderson Tanner and a light mix of sex, shopping and murder.

Richard Price, Lush Life (Mar., FSG hc, 26.00). Two New Yorkers, surprised to find themselves nearing middle age and going nowhere despite their dreams and talk, are pulled into a crack in the veneer of Big City life when one of them is attacked by young punks.

Ben Rehder, Holy Moly (May, St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). A televangelist comes to Blanco County, aiming to build a mega-church, but things go awry. First, the backhoes dig up dinosaur bones and the discovery is hidden so that the construction won’t be stopped. Then someone shoots the preacher in the back with an arrow. Game Warden John Marlin is brought in to help. 6^th in this comic Texan series. In paper, Gun Shy (May, St. Martin’s, 6.99).

Christopher Rice, Blind Fall (Mar., Scribner hc, 26.00). A mistake caused a military man dishonor and disgrace and ended his promising career. He now travels to the home of his former superior in hopes of redeeming himself. On arrival, he finds the man murdered and his lover leaving the scene. Neither knows what happened but both know they must help each other to find the answer.

Fran Rizer, Hey Diddle Diddle, the Corpse and the Fiddle (Mar., Berkley pbo, 6.99). 2^nd with mortuary cosmetologist Callie Parrish.

Natalie M. Roberts, Pointe and Shoot (May, Berkley pbo, 6.99). 3^rd in the dance mystery series. Jenny T. Partridge is banking on her students to win a dance competition. She needs the money to expand her studio. Fran recommends this author.

Karen Rose, Scream for Me (May, Grand Central hc, 16.99). Hardcover debut from this romantic suspense writer. Special Agent Daniel Vartanian hunts a cleaver serial killer.

John Sandford, Phantom Prey (May, Putnam hc, 26.95). 18^th Lucas Davenport. In paper, Invisible Prey (May, Berkley, 9.99).

Mary Saums, Mighty Old Bones (Mar., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). 2^nd with Jane Thistle and Phoebe Twigg, set in Alabama. Miss Twigg has never left her hometown whereas Mrs. Thistle has traveled the world as a military wife. A storm knocks over a tree, exposing a skeleton. The dissimilar sleuths dig into it. In paper, Thistle and Twigg (Feb., St. Martin’s, 6.99).

John Shannon, The Devils of Bakersfield (April, Pegasus hc, 25.00). PI Jack Liffey and his daughter Maeve move out of LA for the calmer climes of Bakersfield. Once there they find the town in an uproar due to an evangelical group, a book burning, accusations of Satanism, plans for an exorcism – and then Maeve disappears. 10^th in this pointedly and politically leftist series. In paper, The Dark Streets (April, Pegasus, 13.95).

James Sheehan, The Law of Second Chances (Mar., St. Martin’s hc, $24.95). Jack Tobin represents convicts on death row. He’s got two that he is sure are innocent.

Sharon Short, Tie Dyed and Dead (Mar., Harper pbo, 6.99). 6^th in the Stain-Busting series with laundromat owner Josie Toadfern.

Steven Sidor, The Mirror’s Edge (April, St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). Years before, two brothers were stolen away from their home and babysitter, destroying the lives of all involved – parents, sitter, even the reporter who covered the story. In the present, new details will bring back all of the horrors.

Sheldon Siegel, Judgment Day (May, MacAdam Cage hc, 26.00). Ex-spouses Mike Daley and Rosie Fernandez work to stop the execution of a former mob lawyer convicted of a triple murder in a Chinatown gambling den.

Domenic Stansberry, The Ancient Rain (April, St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). 3^rd from the Edgar Winning author with North Beach PI Dante Mancuso. A 30 year-old murder ensnares a fellow investigator. Mancuso goes back into the case to clear him. Signing.

Richard Stark, Dirty Money (April, Grand Central hc, 23.99). Some time has passed since Parker and his gang escaped from the armored car heist with their freedom but not the money. They plan to fix that problem now. In paper, as Donald E. Westlake, What’s So Funny? (Mar., Grand Central, 7.99), Dortmunder. Bill recommends them all.

Wendy Corsi Staub, Dying Breath (May, Zebra pbo, 6.99). The calm and playfulness of a Jersey Shore beach belie the trouble nearby. A serial killer is looking for his next victim.

Mariah Stewart, Mercy Street (May, Ballantine hc, 22.00). After a scandal pushes her off the police force, Mallory Russo uses what she knows to become a successful true crime writer. She’s then asked to join a group that will investigate cold cases.

Denise Swanson, Murder of a Chocolate-Covered Cherry (April, Obsidian pbo, 6.99). 10^th in the Scumble River series. A cooking competition comes to town.

Robert Tanenbaum, Escape (May, Vanguard hc, 25.95). 20^th with Butch Karp. The insanity of the insanity defense.

Steven M. Thomas, Criminal Paradise (Mar., Ballantine hc, 24.95). Debut thriller involving the redemption of a professional thief. During the course of the hold-up of a steakjoint, Robert Rivers and his partner take a locked box out of the safe, along with the cash. Inside, they find a stash of $100 bills and the photograph of a young girl. She haunts Rivers and when he searches for answers, he finds evidence of crimes far worse than his own. Signing.

Lisa Unger, Black Out (May, Shaye Arehart hc, 23.00). A woman’s perfect life unravels as she begins to see demons from her past around her on the beach, and memories once blotted out due to a dissociative state emerge. Gretchen recommends. In paper, Sliver of Truth, (Mar., Three Rivers, 13.95).

Elaine Viets, Clubbed to Death (May, Obsidian hc, 21.95). 7^th in the Dead-End Job series. Helen’s latest gig is with the complaint department at a country club. In paper, Murder with Reservations (May, Obsidian, 6.99).

Kathryn R. Wall, The Mercy Oak (May, St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). 8^th set in South Carolina’s Lowcountry. PI Bay Tanner hears that a recent hit-and-run might not have been an accident.

Joseph Wambaugh, Hollywood Crows (May, Little Brown hc, 26.99). Two cops get caught in the web a femme fatale, Margo Aziz. To them, she’s a helpless socialite in the middle of a nasty divorce from her shady nightclub-owner husband. She’s far more devious than they suspect. The problem is, she’s not the only one scheming.

Randy Wayne White, Black Widow (Mar., Putnam hc, 24.95). Doc Ford agrees to act as go-between when his goddaughter’s bachelorette party leads to blackmail. In paper, Hunter’s Moon (Mar., Berkley, 9.99). And, as a reissue, Assassin’s Shadow (April, Signet, 6.99), his 5^th Randy Striker, from 1981. One of Tammy’s favorite authors.

Stephen White, Dead Time (Mar., Dutton hc, 25.95). Alan Gregory is swamped by mothers and children; while trying to establish a new family, his ex-wife asks for his help. In paper, Dry Ice (Mar., Signet, 9.99).

Inger Wolfe, The Calling (May, Harcourt hc, 24.00). Small town policewoman Hazel Micallef is 61, recently divorced, tired and aching and heading toward retirement. The brutal murder of a terminally ill woman sets the town on edge and worse is coming their way. Hazel has to pull everything and everyone together to end the horrors. Pseudonym of ‘a prominent North American literary novelist’ says the condescending publisher’s catalog.

Stuart Wood, Santa Fe Dead (April, Putnam hc, 25.95).

Elizabeth Zelvin, Death Will Get You Sober (April, St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). Bruce Kohler is trying to get his life back together after waking up in a Bowery Detox on December 25^th. To stay sober, he knows he must stay busy and one of the ways he chooses to do that is to investigate the death of a fellow drunk. Debut mystery by a psychotherapist. Signing.

Now in Paperback

Edna Buchanan, Love Kills (April, Pocket, 7.99).

Sean Chercover, Big City Bad Blood (Mar., Harper, 7.99). Janine recommends.

Lee Child, Bad Luck and Trouble (April, Dell, 7.99). All Staff recommendation – as usual.

John Connolly, The Unquiet (April, Pocket, 7.99). Charlie Parker. Janine and Fran recommend.

Carol Nelson Douglas, Cat in a Red Hot Rage (Mar., Forge, 6.99).

Barry Eisler, Requiem for an Assassin (May, Onyx, 7.99). Janine recommends.

Joseph Finder, Power Play (Mar., St. Martin’s, 7.99).

Earlene Fowler, Tumbling Blocks (May, Berkley, 7.99).

Stephen Frey, The Successor (Mar., Ballantine, 7.99).

Carol Goodman, The Sonnet Lover, (Mar., Ballantine, 13.95).

Robert Greer, The Fourth Perspective (May, Frog Ltd, 14.95).

Laurell K. Hamilton, The Harlequin (May, Jove, 7.99).

Sheridan Hay, The Secret of Lost Things (April, Anchor, 14.95).

Tami Hoag, The Alibi Man (Mar., Bantam, 7.99).

Linda Howard, Up Close and Personal (May, Ballantine, 7.99).

Craig Johnson, Kindness Goes Unpunished (Mar., Penguin, 14.00).

Marshall Karp, Bloodthirsty (April, MacAdam Cage, 14.00).

Christine Kling, Wreckers’ Key (Mar., Ballantine, 6.99).

Mark Lecard, Vinnie’s Head (Mar., St. Martin’s, 13.95).

Elmore Leonard, Up in Honey’s Room (May, Harper, 9.99).

Laura Levine, Death by Pantyhose (May, Kensington, 6.99).

Val McDermid, The Grave Tattoo (May