Winter 2003-04

AUTHOR APPEARANCES

Tues, Dec 2, noon, local author Stella Cameron signs Kiss Them Goodbye

Sat, Dec 6, noon, Jane Isenberg signs Hot and Bothered

Fri, Dec 12, noon, Donna Anders signs Night Stalker

Sat, Dec 13, noon, Katy King signs City of Suspects

Wed, Dec 17, noon, Meg O’Brien signs The Last Cheerleader

Sat, Jan 24, noon, Jayne Ann Krentz signs Truth or Dare

Thurs, Jan 29, noon, Nancy Atherton signs Aunt Dimity Snowbound

Tues, Feb 10, noon, Brad Thor signs State of the Union

Thurs, Mar 11, noon, John Dunning signs The Bookman’s Promise

For additional information contact Tammy Domike, 206-587-5737.

NEW FROM THE NORTHWEST

Donna Anders, Night Stalker (Dec., Pocket pbo, 6.99). Recovering from a disastrous marriage, Julia Farley thinks she’s met a perfect man. Has she? Signing.

Michael Dibdin, Medusa (Feb., Pantheon hc, 23.00). Cavers find human remains in long-abandoned military tunnels in the Alps, only to have the remains stolen from the morgue. When the Defense Ministry puts a black-out on the case and a bombing occurs in a tiny tax haven nearby, Aurelio Zen’s boss smells corruption and sends him in to investigate. Signing.

Aaron Elkins, Good Blood (Feb. 3rd, Berkley hc, 23.95). GIDEON OLIVER RETURNS!!! Signing.

April Henry, Buried Diamonds (Dec., St. Martin's hc, 23.95). When Claire Montrose finds a diamond ring that has been missing for 50 years, she finds that trouble follows it. Signed Copies Available.

Jayne Ann Krentz, Truth or Dare (Dec., Putnam hc, 24.95). Sequel to Light in Shadow. A shadowy figure from Zoe’s past intrudes on the newlyweds at home in Arizona. Signing.

Steve Martini, Double Tap (Dec., Putnam hc, 25.95). Madriani defends a career soldier accused of shooting a business woman who had ties to the military. Signing.

Tom Mitcheltree, Blink of an Eye (Jan., Intrigue hc, 24.95). Grant Reynolds’ new job is to investigate crimes against Americans in Paris. On his first day, two are murdered. Oregon author.

Kris Nelscott, Stone Cribs (Feb., St. Martin's hc, 24.95). In 1969 Chicago, Smokey Dalton is entangled in a rape, a botched illegal abortion, and the murder of the woman’s husband – a black homicide detective. And in pb, Thin Walls (Feb., St. Martin's, 13.95). Signing?

Sharan Newman, The Outcast Dove (Dec., Forge hc, 25.95). Catherine LeVendeur’s cousin Solomon travels to the Spanish city of Almeria on a rescue mission, and family troubles and secrets threaten those he loves. Signed Copies Available.

Mark Nykanen, The Bone Parade (Feb., Hyperion hc, 24.95). Ashley Stassler is gaining critical praise for his chillingly lifelike sculptures of families in pain. How does he get them to be so realistic? Signing.

Meg O’Brien, The Last Cheerleader (Dec., Mira pbo, 6.50). After her ex-husband and a bestselling author are killed, a successful LA literary agent finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation. Signing.

JR Parker, A Kind of Justice (2003, Hard Shell Word Factory tpo, 10.95). An anthology of mystery, suspense and horror short stories with the theme of justice—which can come in different forms.

Candace Robb, Fire in the Flint (Oct., UK import hc, 26.95). Margaret Kerr, living in Edinburgh with her uncle, is beset by attacks on their property and the feeling that she can’t trust the men who surround her. Signed Copies Available.

Ann Rule, Without Pity: Crime Files #1-8 (Dec., Pocket pbo, 7.99). Selections from earlier case files, along with updates to those cases, and brand new cases. Signing?

Coming this Spring

Mary Daheim, The Alpine Pursuit, March

Sue Henry, Serpent’s Trail, April

Now in Paperback:

Robert Ferrigno, Scavenger Hunt (Feb., Vintage, 13.00).

Michael Gruber, Tropic of Night (Feb., Harper, 7.50).

Erik Larson, The Devil in the White City (Feb., Vintage, 14.95). National Book Award Nominee.

Greg Rucka, A Fistful of Rain (Feb., Bantam, 6.99).

NEW FROM THE REST

Catherine Aird, Chapter and Hearse (Feb., St. Martin's hc, 23.95). 17 stories that feature her beloved characters – Detective Chief Inspector C.D. Sloan, Cosby, and the mysterious Venebles. Classic and classy English crime writing.

Boris Akunin, Murder on the Leviathan (Feb., Random House hc, 21.95). A prequel: in Paris of 1878, renowned police commissioner “Papa” Gauche investigates the murder of Lord Littleby and his household, and the case takes him aboard ship and into the company of a young Russian diplomat, Erast Fandorin (The Winter Queen, 12.95).

Susan Wittig Albert, A Dilly of a Death (Jan., Berkley hc, 23.95). China Bayles’ husband has decided on a career change, one that may lead them both into danger. Signed Copies Available. In paper, Indigo Dying (Jan., Berkley, 6.99).

Conrad Allen, Murder on the Marmora (Jan., St. Martin's hc, 23.95). A leisurely cruise to Egypt is marked by murder. (An alias of Edward Marston.)

James Anderson, The Affair of the 39 Cufflinks (Dec., Poisoned Pen hc, 24.95). An English manor house comic mystery, sequel to The Affair of the Mutilated Mink and Affair of the Bloodstained Egg Cozy (tps, 11.95 and 14.95).

Donna Andrews, We’ll Always Have Parrots (Feb., St. Martin's hc, 23.95). Meg Langslow travels with her fiancé Michael to a fan convention for a cult TV show in which he had a minor role. In paper, Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon (Feb., St. Martin's, 6.99).

Nancy Atherton, Aunt Dimity Snowbound (Feb., Viking hc, 22.95). Lori Shepherd, fleeing a raging winter storm, takes refuge in an old Abbey along with others and, hearing of a plan to steal a valuable heirloom, takes steps to foil the plot. Signing. In paper, Aunt Dimity Takes a Holiday (Feb., Penguin, 6.99).

Jo Bannister, Reflections (Dec., St. Martin's hc, 22.95). Brodie Farrell tries to avoid missing-persons cases, but when her friend asks her to locate the long-lost aunt of two girls whose mother was murdered, she can’t say no.

Robert Barnard, A Cry from the Dark (Feb., Scribner hc, 24.00). Famous novelist Bettina Whitelaw is writing her memoirs when someone breaks in and rifles her desk; is it related to an event from her youth in 1938 Australia? Signed Copies Available. Sandy recommends.

Nevada Barr, High Country (Feb., Putnam hc, 24.95). Anna Pigeon is undercover, slinging hash at Yosemite Park after four young park employees go missing and a search turns up nothing. As an outsider, she investigates. Signed Copies Available. In paper, Flashback (Feb., 7.99).

Louis Bayard, Mr. Timothy (Nov., Harper hc, 24.95). Tammy writes, "While it took me awhile to get into the Victorian prose, it was worth it for this sequel to Dickens's A Christmas Carol--it's a skillful recreation of the characters and takes them further into their lives. Mr. Timothy, no longer tiny, is drawn into London's underbelly and searches for a Ripperesque killer that Scotland Yard has no interest in finding. Highly recommended."

Claudia Bishop, A Puree of Poison (Dec., Berkley pbo, 6.50). Murder occurs during the 133rd anniversary of the Battle of Hemlock Falls. 11th in the series.

William Carlos Blake, Handsome Harry (Feb., Morrow hc, 24.95). At the center of the Dillinger Gang was Harry Pierpont, and this is his tale. Signed Copies? In paper, Under the Skin (13.95). Tammy and JB HIGHLY recommend this author for beautifully crafted crime novels.

Eleanor Bland, Fatal Remains (Dec., St. Martin's hc, 23.95). Marti MacAlister investigates a centuries-old murder that surfaces during a land development deal.

Gerry Boyle, Pretty Dead (Dec., Berkley hc, 23.95). After a long hiatus, reporter Jack McMorrow returns for his 8th appearance and looks into the death of a woman who had ties to a prominent Boston family.

Rhys Bowen, For the Love of Mike (Dec., St. Martin's hc, 23.95). Two cases come up for 1900s investigator Molly Murphy: find the daughter of a rich Irish family, who seems to have run off to NY with her boyfriend; and an undercover job in the garment district. In paper, Death of Riley (Dec., St. Martin's, 6.99), AND Evan only Knows (Jan., Berkley, 6.50).

Lillian Jackson Braun, The Cat Who Talked Turkey (Jan., Putnam hc, 23.95). 27th adventure in the popular Cat Who… series. In paper, The Cat Who Brought Down the House (Jan., Jove, 6.99).

Emily Brightwell, Mrs. Jeffries Sweeps the Chimney (Jan., Berkley pbo, 6.50). 18th in the series with the redoubtable Mrs. Jeffries who helps in a case of a dead man dressed up like a vicar.

Ken Bruen, The Killing of the Tinkers (Jan., St. Martin's hc, 22.95). A year after leaving town, in The Guards (Jan., St. Martin's, 12.95), Jack Taylor is back in Galway, back to his old tricks and looking into the deaths of some gypsies.

Fiona Buckley, The Fugitive Queen (Dec., Scribner hc, 24.00). 7th adventure for Ursula Blanchard in Queen Elizabeth I’s court. In paper, A Pawn for a Queen (Nov., Pocket, 6.99).

Robin Burcell, Cold Case (Feb., Avon pbo, 6.99). 4th case for San Francisco Homicide detective Kate Gillespie, who looks into a 3-year-old case that nearly got her killed the first time around.

Stephen J. Cannell, Vertical Coffin (Jan., St. Martin's hc, 24.95). A series of events sucks LAPD’s Shane Scully into an enormous jurisdictional nightmare.

JoAnna Carl, The Chocolate Frog Frame-Up (Dec., Signet pbo, 5.99). 3rd in the Chocoholic series finds the town crank leaving only a chocolate clue to his disappearance.

Laura Childs, Photo Finish (Jan., Berkley pbo, 5.99). 2nd in the scrapbooking series, by the author of the popular Tea Shop series.

Beverly Connor, One Grave Too Many (Dec., Onyx pbo, 6.99). Noted author of the Lindsay Chamberlain series gives us the debut of another forensic anthropologist, Daine Fallon, who has taken a job as director of a natural history museum in Georgia and is called back into the field to investigate a murder.

Thomas H. Cook, Peril (Feb., Bantam hc, 23.95). A woman with secrets runs away, hoping to start a new life and escape her past. Six men are on her trail and none of them suspects that she leads them into peril.

Robert Crais, The Forgotten Man (Feb., Doubleday hc, 24.95). The LAPD summon Elvis Cole to a death scene in a seedy LA motel. They ask him if he knows the dead man and watch his reaction as he replies that he does not. But just before he died, the man had claimed that Elvis Cole was his son. With Joe Pike's help, Elvis begins a dramatic search for his identity. Signing? In paper, The Last Detective (Feb., Ballantine, 7.99).

Isis Crawford, A Catered Murder (Dec., Kensington hc, 22.00). Leaving LA to work with her sister in upstate NY, Bernadette Simmons finds her first catering job to be double duty – the Dracula-themed party begins with the host dropping dead after drinking a glass of water. Debut that includes 7 recipes.

Blake Crouch, Desert Places (Jan., St. Martin's hc, 23.95). On a tranquil May night, a man finds a note in his mailbox. It informs him that there is a woman’s body buried on his property, the body is covered with his blood and there is a note in her pocket with a phone number. He has one day to find the body and call the number. He finds out this is no hoax. Debut thriller. Signing?

Clive Cussler, Trojan Odyssey (Nov., Putnam hc, 27.95). Dirk Pitt teams with the grown children he didn’t know existed, twins who work for NUMA. [Publisher’s catalogs arrived too late to include this in the Fall newsletter.]

Tim Dorsey, Cadillac Beach (Feb., Morrow hc, 24.95). To find out the truth about his grandfather’s death, Storm must return to the South Florida of 1964 – the Beatles, Cassius Clay, Goldfinger, Jackie Gleason, and the Murph the Surf heist. Signing. In paper, The Stingray Shuffle (Jan., Harper, 7.50).

Grace Edwards, The Viaduct (Dec., Doubleday hc, 22.95). A Viet Nam vet is attacked on the Harlem Viaduct and stabbed. He throws one of the attackers to his death. The other, the dead man’s brother, vows revenge, while the attack awakens the vet’s war nightmares.

Kit Erhman, Dead Man’s Touch (Nov., Poisoned Pen 24.95). In the sequel to At Risk, Steve Cline is recruited by a newly discovered relation to figure out who has been drugging racing horses.

James Ellroy, Destination Morgue (Nov., UK Import hc, 26.99). Collection of short pieces.

Nancy Fairbanks, The Perils of Paella (Jan., Berkley pbo, 5.99). 5th with food writer Carolyn Blue, as she’s scooped into a case in Barcelona.

Linda Fairstein, The Kills (Jan., Scribner hc, 25.00. A couple of cases bedevil DA Alexandra Cooper, including the murder of an elderly woman who was once the mistress of King Farouk of Egypt. In paper, The Bone Vault (Jan., Pocket, 7.99).

Jerrilyn Farmer, Perfect Sax (Jan., Morrow hc, 22.95). Madeline Bean has a full plate of trouble at a charity auction for a prestigious music school: a priceless saxophone is stolen and a body is discovered. Signing? In paper, Mumbo Gumbo (Jan., Avon, 6.99).

Monica Ferris, Cutwork (Jan., Berkley pbo, 6.99). 7th in the popular needlework mystery series, includes a pattern – as usual.

Jasper Fforde, The Well of Lost Plots (Feb., Viking hc, 24.95). In her 3rd adventure, Literary detective Thursday Next is hiding in the Well of Lost Plots—the place where all fiction is created—as she awaits the birth of her child and tries to escape from the clutches of the Goliath Corporation. The clever Mr. Fforde promises his American fans that there is new material, not published in the UK edition, in this book. Signed Copies Available.

Jane Finnis, Get Out or Die (Dec., Poisoned Pen Press hc, 24.95). As Roman immigrants flood the newly established British colony, a young innkeeper finds herself the target of rebel natives.

Charles Fleming, After Havana (Jan., St. Martin's hc, 24.95) A sultry thriller set in the 1958 Cuban jazz world. In paper, The Ivory Coast (Jan., St. Martin's, 14.00).

Margaret Frazer, The Hunter’s Tale (Jan., Berkley hc, 22.95). 12th medieval mystery with Dame Frevisse. In paper, The Bastard’s Tale (Dec., Berkley, 6.99).

Jonathan Gash, The Ten Word Game (Jan., St. Martin's hc, 23.95). Lovejoy is shanghaied into a plan to pinch the famed Amber Room panels and sell them back for ransom. 23rd Lovejoy. We can’t explain this, but the last Lovejoy wasn’t published in the US – Every Last Cent (UK import pb, 10.95), published in 2001.

Victor Gischler, The Pistol Poets (Feb., Delacorte hc, 22.95). The author of the Edgar-nominated Gun Monkeys presents a tale of identity assumption, academic pitfalls and poetic justice.

Alan Gordon, An Antic Disposition (Jan., St. Martin's hc, 23.95). A story is told at the Fool’s Guild – about a bloody battle for the Danish crown witnessed by Terence of York, who was called Yorick by the King’s young son Amleth.

Deborah Grabien, The Weaver and the Factory Maid (Dec., St. Martin's hc, 22.95). British folk musician Ringan Laine, an expert on the restoration of period architecture, has moved into an 18th country cottage. It's beautiful—and it's haunted. Billed as the first in a series bringing old English mystery ballards into the modern world.

John Grisham, “…………” (Feb., Doubleday hc, 27.95). No title or plot given by the publisher.

Parnell Hall, With this Puzzle, I Thee Wed (Dec., Bantam hc, 23.95). Crime and cryptography in the 4th Puzzle Lady mystery.

Laurell K. Hamilton, Seduced by Moonlight (Feb., Ballantine hc, 23.95). 3rd with Meredith Gentry, private eye and Fairy princess.

Lee Harris, The Bar Mitzvah Murder (Feb., Ballantine pbo, 6.99). Latest in the holiday mystery series with former nun Christine Bennett.

Janis Harrison, Reap a Wicked Harvest (Jan., St. Martin's hc, 23.95). Florist Bretta Solomon’s day off isn’t very restful—there's a violent murder at a greenhouse during Customer Appreciation Day. In paper, A Deadly Bouquet (Feb., St. Martin's, 6.50).

Joan Hess, Muletrain to Maggody (Feb., Simon & Schuster hc, 23.00). Postponed from Aug ’03.

Kathleen Hills, Hunter’s Dance (Jan., Poisoned Pen Press hc, 24.95). In the second John McIntire book, the sheriff investigates the murder of the son of eccentric socialites.

Hadley Hury, The Edge of the Gulf (Nov., Poisoned Pen 24.95). A film scholar trying to escape from his past becomes caught up in scandal in a small Florida town.

P.D. James, The Murder Room (Dec., Random House hc, 25.95). In a small private London museum, trustees argue over whether the museum should close permanently. Someone takes this very hard and a murder occurs that mimics one of the displays in the museum’s Murder Room. As Commander Dalgliesh leads the investigation, it begins to take a toll on his relationship with Emma Lavenham. Signed Copies Available.

Stuart Kaminsky, Midnight Pass (Dec., Forge hc, 23.95). 3rd Lew Fonesca, set in sunny Sarasota. In paper, Not Quite Kosher (Dec., Forge, 6.99), 7th in the Lieberman series.

Alice Kimberly, The Ghost and Mrs. McClure (Feb., Berkley pbo, 5.99). The owner of a Rhode Island bookshop gets help solving crimes from the ghost of a PI murdered there decades ago.

Harley Jane Kozak, Dating Dead Men (Jan., Doubleday hc, 22.95). First book by the actress; and Mary Daheim blurbs the author as having produced “a doozy of a debut, starring cards, cads, clothes and an LA world gone hilariously mad.”

William Kent Krueger, Blood Hollow (Feb., Atria hc, 24.00). Cork O’Connor is involved in a racially charged murder in a small town, and a religious vision makes the case trickier.

Joe R. Lansdale, Sunset and Sawdust (Feb., Knopf hc, 22.00). In Depression-era East Texas, Sunset Jones has just become constable—surprisingly, since she has just killed her husband while he was raping her. Her first case deals with the murders of a woman and her unborn baby, and may implicate her dead husband. It's a case that will test and shock her to her core. Favorite author of Tammy and Erin.

Jose Latour, Havana World Series (Feb., Grove hc, 23.00). During the World Series in ’58, the betting is heavy in Havana and rival mobsters are after the piles of cash. A heist goes bad. Latour’s Outcast (Harper, 12.95) was nominated for the Best Paperback Original Edgar in 2000.

John Lawton, Bluffing Mr. Churchill (Jan., Grove hc, 24.00). 3rd Insp Troy, from a writer being compared to Alan Furst. An American spy flees Nazi Germany with secret plans and, as the English pursue him through the bombing of London, they discover a string of murders that may be tied to the chase. But are the deaths to help them or hinder their cause? In paper, Old Flames (Jan., Penguin, 6.99).

John LeCarre, Absolute Friends (Jan., Little, Brown hc, 26.95). Two old friends, spies from the Cold War days now down on their luck, may have found a benefactor. But Dimitri seems too good to be true, and as his money flows into Middle Eastern banks, the shifting alliances of modern terrorism brings them into their familiar world of treachery and fear.

Elmore Leonard, Mr. Paradise (Jan., Morrow hc, 25.95). After more than 20 years, a Detroit crime novel: a lingerie model, an escort, a die-hard Michigan football fan, two angry hit-men and a deposit box full of cash…and one overworked cop. In paper, When the Women Come Out to Dance (Jan., Harper, 13.95).

David Liss, A Spectacle of Corruption (Mar., Random House hc, 24.95). Moments after being convicted of murder, Benjamin Weaver (A Conspiracy of Paper, 14.95, and the Edgar-Award-winner), someone slips a set of lock picks into his pocket. This he knows: someone has gone to a great deal of trouble to frame him, and someone has gone to equal lengths to free him. In paper, The Coffee Trader (Feb., 14.95).

Henning Mankell, The Return of the Dancing Master (Feb., New Press hc, 24.95). The hanging of Nazi war criminals and the slaughter of a retired Swedish inspector somehow tie together, as do the bloody footprints left at the scene of his murder - which seem to show that his killer did a tango. A new crime novel by the acclaimed author of the Kurt Wallander series. More Wallander pbs will coming in April '04.

Ed McBain, The Fruminous Bandersnatch (Jan., Simon & Schuster hc, 25.00). 87th Precinct. In paper, Fat Ollie’s Book (Dec., Pocket, 7.99).

GA McKevett, Cereal Killer (Jan., Kensington hc, 22.00). Plus-size PI Savannah Reid looks into the death of some minus-sized models. 9th in the series. In paper, Death by Chocolate (Dec., Kensington, 6.50).

PJ Parrish, Island of Bones (Jan., Pinnacle pbo, 6.99). During a hurricane, a skull washes up on the beach in front of Det. Louis Kindaid’s cottage. 4th in the Edgar-nominated series.

Tim Myers, At Wick’s End (Feb., Berkley pbo, 5.99). Author of the lighthouse series begins a new one, set in the danger-filled world of candle making.

Tamar Myers, Thou Shalt Not Grill (Feb., NAL hc, 19.95). 12th Pennsylvania Dutch mystery, and the first to be released in hardcover. A half-dozen sizzling recipes included. Signed Copies Available. In paper, Custard’s Last Stand (Jan., Signet, 5.99).

Scott Phillips, Cottonwood (Feb., Ballantine hc, 23.95). The third novel of this present-day noir master is set in Southwest Kansas in the late 1800s, where a frontier town may have been the site of the first serial killers in US history. A novel about a true historical mystery and a family of deadly eccentrics: The Bloody Benders.

Thom Racina, Deadly Games (Dec., Signet pbo, 7.50). A new computer game, and its creator, are being hailed. But a series of murders of those addicted to the game raise questions.

J.D. Robb, Divided in Death (Jan., Putnam hc, 2.95). 19th with NYC Lt. Eve Dallas, and the first in hardcover. In March ’04, Putnam will release the first Eve Dallas, Naked in Death, in hardcover for the first time, 19.95.

John Maddox Roberts, SPQR VIII: The River God’s Vengeance (Jan., St. Martin's hc, 23.95). Decius investigates the collapse of a tenement building in Ancient Rome.

Peter Robinson, Playing with Fire (Feb., Morrow hc, 23.95). Banks is confronted with a double crime when a body is found on each of two barges that were torched. Signed Copies Available. In paper, Close to Home (Feb., Avon, 7.50).

Priscilla Royal, Wine of Violence (Dec., Poisoned Pen 24.95). In the year 1270, a young Prioress must struggle against political intrigue within her order as well as solve the brutal murder of a monk.

Ray Shannon [aka Gar Anthony Haywood], Firecracker (Feb., Putnam hc, 23.95). A dark, dangerous and funny mix on the Vegas Strip: a resourceful and pregnant PR woman, the pro football player who refuses to acknowledge paternity and betting slips worth a million, and a white sadist who thinks he’s black, all colliding during Super Bowl weekend. In paper, Maneater (Dec., Jove, 6.99).

Jenny Siler, Flash Back (Feb., Holt hc, 24.00). Found in a ditch in France with a bullet in her brain, a young woman’s only clues to her identity are the US dentistry in her mouth and a ticket with Arabic notes in her pocket. When the nuns who helped her are wiped out, she knows something from her past is deadly and her search takes her to Morocco. In paper, Shot (Jan., St. Martin's, 6.99). Signing? Tammy & JB recommend this author.

Daniel Silva, A Death in Vienna (Feb., Putnam hc, 25.95). Art restorer and sometime-agent Gabriel Allon is called to Vienna to authenticate a painting. While there, he discovers a photo that may tie to family scars from WWII. Signed Copies Available.

Susan Slater, Five O’Clock Shadow (Jan., Poisoned Pen Press hc, 24.95). A New Mexican woman hides out among her carnival relatives after her husband’s shady death leaves her with mysterious wealth. In pb, Flash Flood (Nov., St. Martin's, 6.99).

Barbara Burnett Smith, Skeletons in Purple Sage (Jan., Worldwide pbo, 5.99). After a two year absence, trouble returns to the Texas town of Purple Sage when a doctor is found dead after a flash flood.

Mickey Spillane, Something’s Down There (Dec., Simon & Schuster hc, 24.00). No one would think that grizzled fishing-boat captain Mako Hooker is a retired Spook. When other captains begin to vanish, rumored to be falling prey to a mysterious creature, Hooker suspects more to be going on and knows that no one really retires from the espionage game.

Brad Thor, State of the Union (Jan., Atria hc, 25.00). Third international thriller with ex-Seal and Secret Service agent Scot Harvath, who investigates the murder of Americans in Prague. Signing.

Judith Van Geison, The Shadow of Venus (Feb., Signet pbo, 5.99). 5th with Albuquerque’s antiquarian book sleuth Claire Reynier.

Elaine Viets, Murder Between the Covers (Dec., Signet pbo, 5.99). Second in the “dead-end job” series finds Helen working in a bookstore whose owner gets killed. We’re not sure why working in a bookstore is considered “dead-end”…

Stephen White, Blinded (Feb., Delacorte hc, 24.95). A confession forces psychologist Alan Gregory to chose between saving those who may fall prey to a killer in the future, or himself now. In paper, The Best Revenge (Dec., Dell, 7.99).

Coming this Spring

Lawrence Block & Bernie, March

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John Dunning & the long-awaited Cliff Janeway mystery, The Bookman's Promise, announced for March but may be early. SIGNING!!

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Bill Fitzhugh, Radio Activity, April

Laurie R. King & Mary Russell, April

Robert B. Parker & Spenser, March

George P. Pelecanos & Derek Strange, March

Elliot Pattison, Beautiful Ghosts, April

Elizabeth Peters & Amelia Peabody, April

Andrew Vachss & Burke, April

Now in Paperback

MC Beaton, Death of a Village (Jan, Warner, 6.99)

Jan Burke, 18 (Jan, Pocket, 6.99) 18 short stories.

Joanne Fluke, Lemon Meringue Pie Murder (Feb., Kensington, 6.50)

Dorothy Gilman, Kaleidoscope (Dec, 6.99)

WEB Griffin, Final Justice (Dec, Jove, 7.99)

Charlaine Harris, Last Scene Alive (Dec, Worldwide, 5.99). Teagarden

Libby Fischer Hellman, An Image of Death (Feb, 6.50)

Jonathan Kellerman, A Cold Heart (Jan, 7.99)

Ross King, Domino (Jan, Penguin, 14.00)

Helen Knode, The Ticket Out (Jan, Harcourt, 13.00)

John Lescroart, The First Law (Jan, Signet, 7.99)

Camille Minichino, The Helium Murder (Jan, Worldwide, 5.99) 2nd in the series, from ’98.

John Mortimer, Rumpole Rests His Case (Dec, 13.00)

George Pelecanos, Soul Circus (Feb, Warner, 6.99)

Ian Rankin, Resurrection Men (Jan, Little Brown, 6.99), AND A Good Hanging (Jan, St. Martin's, 6.99) a collection from ’92.

Alexander McCall Smith, The Kalahari Typing School for Men (Feb, Anchor, 11.95) 4th of the #1 Ladies series.

Martin Cruz Smith, December 6 (Dec, Pocket, 7.99)

Carsten Stroud, Cuba Strait (Dec, Pocket, 7.99)

Minette Walters, Fox Evil (Feb, Berkley, 7.99)

Robert Wilson, The Blind Man of Seville (Jan, 14.00)

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Crippen and Landru Update

It’s time once again for a listing of forthcoming titles from the masters of vintage, Crippen and Landru. There are no dates or prices to go along with these releases as yet, but we’re always taking reservations. Please specify whether you want trade paperback or collectible hardcover.

New titles:

Margaret Maron, Suitable for Hanging: Selected Mystery Stories.

Edward D. Hoch, Hoch’s Ladies. Three short stories with female protagonists.

Amy Myers, Murder! 'Orrible Murder! Historical detective stories from ancient Greece to Victorian England.

James Powell, A Pocketful of Noses: Stories of One Ganelon or Another.

Edward D. Hoch, More Things Impossible: The Second Casebook of Dr. Sam Hawthorne.

Michael Collins, Slot-Machine Kelly, Early Private Eye Stories,.

Terence Faherty, The Confessions of Owen Keane.

Kathy Lynn Emerson, Murders and Other Confusions: The Chronicles of Susana, Lady Appleton, Sixteenth-Century Gentlewoman, Herbalist, and Sleuth.

Edward Marston, Murder Ancient and Modern. First historical mystery short-story collection.

From the Black Mask:

Paul Cain, 14 Slayers. The complete pulp mysteries.

Norbert Davis, You'll Die Laughing.

Frederick Nebel, Tough as Nails.

New "Lost Classics":

William L. DeAndrea, Murder - All Kinds. Collected short stories.

Anthony Berkeley, The Avenging Chance and Other Mysteries from Roger Sheringham's Casebook.

Gladys Mitchell, Sleuth's Alchemy: Cases of Mrs. Bradley and Others.

Margaret Millar, The Couple Next Door: Collected Short Mysteries.

T. S. Stribling, Dr. Poggioli: Criminologist by T. S. Stribling. Uncollected stories by the Pulitzer Prize winner.

Phillip S. Warne, Who Was Guilty?: Three Dime Novels. The first detective stories by an African-American author.

Rafael Sabatini, The Evidence of the Sword: The Mystery Stories of Rafael Sabatini.

Julian Symons, The Detections of Francis Quarles.

Lloyd Biggle Jr, The Grandfather Rastin Mysteries by Lloyd Biggle Jr.

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SHERLOCKIANA

Thomas Wheeler, The Arcanum (Dec., Bantam hc, 21.95. A group of learned people – scientists and writers – have banded together to stop a series of mutilation murders in 1919 NYC. When the founder of the group, The Arcanum, is murdered, senior member Sir Arthur Conan Doyle comes in to investigate, aided by other members-- Lovecraft, Houdini and Laveau.

Now in Paper

Michael Kurland, My Sherlock Holmes (Jan., St. Martin's, 14.95).

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BRITISH IMPORTS

Paul Doherty, Murder Imperial (Dec., UK pb 12.95). New novel of ancient Roman intrigue.

David Crackenthorp, This Time the Fire (Dec., UK pb 12.95). A mystery of race, religion and identity.

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REISSUES OF NOTE

Eric Ambler, The Schirmer Inheritance and State of Siege (Dec., Vintage, 12.00 ea). Classic early espionage from one of the masters.

Dan Brown, Digital Fortress (Jan., St. Martin's, 7.99). 1st time in paperback for the author’s first book. A diabolical code holds the NSA’s computer system hostage.

Stanley Ellin, Eighth Circle (Jan., UK pb 12.95). Winner of the 1958 Edgar award for best novel.

Jacques Futrelle, The Problem of Cell 13 (Nov., Modern Library tp, 14.95). Classic stories, too long out of print, by the author hailed as America’s Conan Doyle. Futrelle went down with the Titanic, but his stories of Professor Augustus S.F.X. Van Dusen are some of the best “impossible crime” stories ever penned. This selection of “Thinking Machine” stories is edited by Harlan Ellison, who also provides an introduction.

Elisabeth Sanxay Holding, Lady Killer / Miasma (Oct., Stark House Press tp, 19.95). Classics from 1942 and 1929. Raymond Chandler wrote that “She’s the top suspense writer of them all.”

Gwen and Constance Little, The Black Goatee (Dec., Rue Morgue pb, 14.00). Next reissue in this classic cozy comedy series.

Peter Rabe, The Box/Journey into Terror (Dec., Stark House Press, tp, 19.95). Classics from 1962 and 1957, from a respected noir novelist who published spare, hardboiled books, mostly paperback originals, in the 50s and 60s.

Ian Rankin, The Watchman (Dec., UK hc 23.95). Available for the first time in fifteen years.

Ross Thomas, Twilight at Mac’s Place and The Fourth Durango (Dec., St. Martin's, 13.95 ea).

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Donald E. Westlake, God Save the Mark (Jan., Forge hc, 24.95/ tp 14.95). Winner of the Edgar Award for Best Novel in 1967. St. Martin's promises this will be the first of a 3-per-year reissue program of Edgar Winners. GOOD FOR THEM!

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Night and Fear: Twenty Stories by Cornell Woolrich, Francis M. Nevins, ed. (Jan., Carroll & Graf hc, 26.00). 20 previously uncollected short stories gathered from the pulps and written at the height of his power and the depth of his gloom.

SPECIAL ITEMS

Nicholas Basbanes, A Splendor of Letters: The Permanence of Books in an Impermanent World (Dec., Harper hc, 29.95). The latest meditation on the meaning and role of books in our lives, on the destruction of libraries in wartime, and the move to switch to electronic media over printed volumes.

Shades of Black: Crime and Mystery Stories by African-American Authors, Eleanor Taylor Bland, ed. (Jan., Berkley hc, 23.95). Collection of short works by a group of African American mystery authors, including Greer, Grimes, Bland, Coleman, Edwards, Haywood, Mosley, Phillips and others. Twenty-two stories.

Future Crimes, Dann & Dozois, eds. (Dec., Ace pbo, 5.99). Anthology of classic and critically acclaimed short stories dealing with crime and punishment in the future.

James Frey, How to Write a Damn Good Mystery (Feb., St. Martin's hc, 22.95). Advice and pointers from a bestselling author and Edgar nominee.

Atomic Renaissance: Woman Mystery Authors of the 1940s and 1950s, Jeffrey Marks (Nov., Delphi hc, 21.95). A collective biography of seven innovative and influential mystery writers: Margaret Millar, Patricia Highsmith, Leslie Ford, Charlotte Armstrong, Dorothy B. Hughes, Mignon Eberhart and Phoebe Atwood Taylor.

GIFT SUGGESTIONS & HOLIDAY BOOKS

Our shop gift certificates are an annual and reliable winner. You can get them in any denomination; they can be used at any time, don’t expire, and are perfect for stocking stuffers and for those mystery fans on your shopping list whose taste you are unsure of. We also have T-shirts, sweatshirts, bags and caps. This issue, as well as past Newsletters, is posted on our website if you want to scan back for more gift ideas. A signed book makes a memorable gift, and you will find an extensive list of signed hardcovers posted on our website.

Booklust (tp, 16.95) by Nancy Pearl, Seattle Librarian, and the remarkable Librarian Action Figure (9.95), a statuette modeled on Nancy herself, who raises her arm in a dramatic "shushing!" gesture. In Booklust Nancy recommends books for all occasions. Combine the book & action figure and you have a killer gift for the booklover on your list. Signed by Nancy Pearl!

A Box of Alexander McCall Smith (Random House, 35.85). This box set of the first three No. 1 Ladies’ books is a pretty package and will delight someone who hasn’t tried him. Included is a special edition booklet of the African folktale Milk Bird, retold by Smith. The story, in this form, is only available in the boxed set.

Amelia Peabody's Egypt: A Compendium, edited by Elizabeth Peabody and Kristen Whitbread (Nov., Morrow hc, 29.95). A handsome volume, lavishly illustrated with black & white photographs, engravings and drawings, providing a lively historical and cultural reference volume for the life and times of the beloved archeologist.

Books into Film: the Stuff that Dreams are Made of, Robin H. Smiley (2003, Capra hc, 29.95). The author is the publisher of Firsts magazine, a must-read for book-collectors and enjoyable for any booklover. This is a collection of his magazine columns on the subject of books made into movies, each accompanied by a black & white reproduction of the original hard-cover book. Naturally, a number of these masterpieces were mysteries.

The Cat Who Killed Lillian Jackson Braun, by Robert Kaplow (2003, New Millennium hc, 18.00). We special ordered this for a customer who couldn't get it elsewhere, and ordered another for the shop that sold within an hour. Tammy: "It is a very wickedly sarcastic parody, and I try to warn people there is a lot of cussing! If you know a Cat Who fan with a sense of humor, this is the perfect gift.".

Madame Bovary, C’est Moi, Andre Bernard (Dec, Norton hc, 19.95). Anecdotes about the origins of over 75 leading characters in modern literature. Nearly one-third (23) are from mystery fiction (from Sherlock Holmes to Kinsey Milhone and Harry Bosch), which says something right there. A delightful browse for book lovers. Bill recommends.

A Second Helping of Murder: More Diabolically Delicious Recipes from Contemporary Mystery Writers, Joe Grossman & Robert Weibezahl eds. (Poisoned Pen Press hc, 19.95). Over 130 recipes, separated into sections and courses.

Stout Fellow, O. E. McBride (iUniverse, tp, 19.95, introduced in our Fall newsletter). A compendium, seemingly, of everyone who ever appeared, and everything that ever happened, in the Nero Wolfe novels. A must-have for the many fans of this wonderful mystery series. Bill recommends.

2004 CALENDARS!

Years ago, we had some nifty noir wall calendars. We’ve been looking for something like that since and, finally, we’ve got some:

VICIOUS AND DELICIOUS: Posters from the Film Noir Era, 12.95. Films included are “The Blue Dahlia”,”Out of the Past”, “Kiss Me Deadly”, and some we’ve never heard of—all great and in full color.

PULP ATTACK, 12.95. 16 month calendar. These are movie posters, some crime, some not— “Attack of the 50 ft Woman." “Barbarella," “High School Hellcats”—all in gloriously lurid color. (The extra four months are the end of ’03, just as simple grids.)

EDWARD GOREY: The Glorious Nosebleed, 13.99. This one features two black and white Gorey drawings for each month.

THE READING WOMAN, 13.99. This 12 month calendar features paintings of women reading from the 17th/18th, and 19th Century. The color reproductions are crisp and the color sharp and images charming, capturing women reading in their gardens, on their couches and even at the beach.

And for the smaller readers -

LEMONY SNICKET’S CALENDAR OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS, 12.99. “Thirteen Alarming Months!” Illustrations from some of the books, literary quotes, birthday and holiday notations, as well as Lemony’s sayings. Jan 2, ‘04 says this: “New Year’s Resolutions are like arms and legs: easily broken”. A must for the Snicket fan in your house.

Quantities, as they say, are limited, so let us know – sooooon! – JB

Gift Delivery: If you order any in-stock title by Dec. 11 for Hanukkah, or Dec. 16 for Christmas, we can get it to your loved one in time for the holiday. Allow for earlier ordering if we have to get it from a distributor.

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OUR ANNUAL BEST OF THE YEAR LISTS

JB's List

It was a terrific year for first novels and I recommend these four: Lono Waiwaiole’s Wiley’s Lament, Helen Knode’s Ticket Out, Edward Wright’s Clea’s Moon and William Landay’s Mission Flats.

Great books from masters of their crafts: two from James Lee Burke, White Doves at Morning and Last Car to Elysian Fields, George P. Pelecanos’ Soul Circus and Shoedog, April Smith’s Good Morning, Killer, Lawrence Block’s Small Town, Lee Child's Persuader, Robert Littel’s The Company, T. Jefferson Parker’s Silent Joe, Carol O’Connell’s Crime School, and Laurence Gough’s A Cloud of Suspects. For sheer, compulsive fun, Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code. Smoothest read of the year: Lowen Clausen’s Second Watch.

Most welcomed Return: Timothy Watt's Grand Theft — a close second to the…

Best book: Lee Child's Persuader.

Tammy's List

Last year it seemed a struggle to come up with nine titles...this year ... (oh, who's keeping track?).

In the order that they were read:

Lowen Clausen, Second Watch

James W. Hall, Off The Charts

Bill Fitzhugh, Heart Seizure

Dennis Lehane, Shutter Island

Randy Wayne White, Everglades

Thomas Sanchez, King Bongo

William Brodrick, 6th Lamentation

Greg Rucka, Fistful of Rain

Thomas Perry, Metzger's Dog

Lono Waiwaiole, Wiley's Lament

Edward Wright, Clea's Moon

Tim Dorsey, Cadillac Beach

Ayelet Waldman, Daughter's Keeper

Pete Dexter, Train

James Carlos Blake, Handsome Harry

Kathrine Beck, Opal

Wait-wait—I didn't mention Child Connelly Ferrigno Emerson Ford, can I have a longer piece of paper?

Sandy's Favorites

My favorites this year, in the order I read them:

Death in the Family, Jill McGown

The Mistress of Alderley, Robert Barnard

Fell of Dark, Reginald Hill (1971)

Persuader, Lee Child

In the Bleak Midwinter, Julia Spencer-Fleming

Clea's Moon, Edward Wright

Shutter Island, Dennis Lehane

Good Morning, Killer, April Smith

Bangkok 8, John Burdett

Foul Matter, Martha Grimes

Death by Water, and Death in Practice, Hazel Holt

Now May You Weep, Deborah Crombie

Bill's Best of 2003

Comic crimes worthy of serious consideration:

The Middle of Nowhere, Bob Sloan

Tricky Business, Dave Barry

Foul Matter, Martha Grimes

Grand Theft, Timothy Watts

Contemporary cases with historical bases:

Ghost Riders, Sharyn McCrumb

Harvard Yard, William Martin

The Bookman’s Promise, John Dunning

Masterpieces of misdirection:

Shutter Island, Dennis Lehane

Mission Flats, William Landay

Breakthrough, Jonathan Stone

And the best Harry Bosch novel yet:

Lost Light, by Michael Connelly

Erin's Best of the Year list:

Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane and

The Distant Echo by Val Mc Dermid led the pack for the best of the brilliantly horrifying.

Devil in the White City by Erik Larson is a tight true-crime story of turn-of-the-century Chicago, but I'm a little biased because one of my distant killer in-laws steals the show...

Getaway Man by Andrew Vachss is a bleak and wonderful throw-back to the classic pulps.

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown is a nice nail-biting thriller, along with his previous book, Angels and Demons.

No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith, along with the rest of this charming series, because sometimes you just have to cleanse your palate.

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Mail and phone orders for these or any other books are welcome. We often have signed copies of Northwest authors, and other authors who visit the shop. Prices subject to change without notice. Seattle Mystery Bookshop, 117 Cherry St., Seattle, WA 98104. Phone: (206) 587-5737.

Email: staff@seattlemystery.com

  WEBSITE: seattlemystery.com

SEATTLE MYSTERY BOOKSHOP NEWS is composed and produced by JB Dickey and Sandy Goodrick. The online version is brought to you by Cathie van Veen.

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