SEATTLE MYSTERY BOOKSHOP

WINTER 2006- 2007 NEWSLETTER

117 Cherry St.  Seattle, WA  98104

OPEN 10-5 Mon – Sat, 12-5 Sun

Bill Farley, Founder / JB Dickey, Owner/Tammy Domike, Manager

Sandy Goodrick / Fran Fuller / Janine Wilson

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

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

 

The annual Left Coast Crime Convention will be held in Seattle over the first weekend in Feb., 2007. On the Sat. and Sun. of that weekend, we’ll be having a Cavalcade of Authors in to sign books and say hello. The lists and times will be put together as the weeks pass and we’ll be posting the lists as they develop on our website. Stay tuned! For now, you’ll

notice some authors marked as Signing LCC. Expect copies to be signed then and during a separate, regular tour signing.

 

                   New from the Northwest

William Dietrich, Napoleon’s Pyramid (Feb., Harper hc, 24.95). A young assistant to Ben Franklin wins an old and reportedly cursed medallion in a card game. That night, he’s framed for murder. He’s able to escape France by agreeing to join Emperor Napoleon’s invasion of Egypt. There he finds a secret reason for the expedition: the medallion may hold secrets to the creation of the pyramids. Signing?

Deborah Donnelly, Bride and Doom (Jan., Dell pbo, 6.99). Somehow, mixed into her own wedding, Seattle ceremonial planner Carnegie Kincaid finds baseball, bimbos and murder. 6th in this light-hearted series. Signing.

Robert Dugoni, Damage Control (Feb., Warner hc, 24.99). Seattle attorney Dana Hill’s stresses have amplified: her husband is having an affair, she’s been diagnosed with breast cancer, and her twin brother has been killed in a robbery. To distract herself from the other horrors, she throws herself into searching for her brother’s killer only to find that someone is working ahead of her to erase any traces. Signing. In paper, The Jury Master (Jan., Warner, 7.99).

Alan Gold, True Faith (Jan., Berkley pbo, 6.99). 2nd Portland mystery based on a true crime: journalist and critic Lou Tedesco is accused of the murder of a philandering rabbi. He sets out to clear his name.

Frederick Highland, Night Falls on Damascus (Dec., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). In 1930s Syria, Insp. Nikolai Faroun is captivated by the beautiful Vera Tamiri and perplexed by the murder investigation where he meets her. He begins to grasp that this case has unseen depths and may reach to past terrors. Signing.

India Ink, Glossed and Found (Jan., Berkley pbo, 6.99). 3rd Bath and Body mystery from Yasmine Galenorn: the shop’s new make-up artist drowns and Persia senses foul play. Signing.

J.A. Jance, Web of Evil (Jan., Touchstone hc, 25.95). In her second appearance, Ali Reynolds is establishing her new life in Sedona when her soon-to-be ex is found murdered, leaving a big estate and a pregnant girlfriend. Ali is the sole heir and, it seems, the prime suspect. Signing.

Jayne Ann Krentz, White Lies (Jan., Putnam hc, 24.95). Clare Lancaster is a “Level Ten para-sensitive…a human lie detector”. Seven months ago she found out she is part of a large and important family in California. Her talents are making it very difficult to fit in. Signing. In paper, All Night Long (Feb., Jove, 7.99).

Kevin O’Brien, Killing Spree (Jan., Pinnacle pbo, 6.99). In Seattle, a string of murders happened years ago and was never solved. Virtually forgotten, a new murder brings it alive and makes a Seattle woman feel that she’s somehow a piece of the puzzle. Signing. Tammy recommends.

David Ossman, The Ronald Regan Murder Case (Dec., Bear Manor Media tpo, 19.95). A new comedy-mystery novel by a founding member of the legendary Firesign Theatre.  The book is set in Malibu, Mulholland and Musso’s and in CBS Radio’s Studio A during 1945, and introduces George Tirebiter, then a 25-year-old comedy star, in his first “celebrity detective” role. Signing.

Jonathan Raban, Surveillance (Jan., Pantheon hc, 24.00). In the not too distant future, Seattle residents are caught in a web of intrigue, fear and fraud as the government’s ever-present surveillance takes it’ toll on the citizens it is designed to protect.

Candace Robb, The Guilt of Innocents (Jan., Heineman UK hc, 36.50 est.). In York’s winter, 1372, Owen Archer is brought into a strange case by his adoptive son Jasper. A river pilot has been found dead in a river, but he didn’t drown. The local                                                             Vicar, master of a small grammar school, is distrusted due to his unpopular beliefs. How does all this fit and will Jasper find investigation as glamorous as he’d imagined? Signing.

Dana Stabenow, A Deeper Sleep (Jan., St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). A man who has gotten away with crimes before has literally gotten away with murder. Kate Shugak is determined to see that he never does again. But is that a promise she can keep? 15th in this Edgar-winning series. Signing LCC. In paper, Blindfold Game (Dec., St. Martin’s, 6.99), her stand-alone novel of national security.

Allen Wyler, Dead Head (Feb., Tor pbo, 7.99). A brain surgeon is kidnapped by terrorists and told to do what they demand or his daughter will die. He can’t believe they think he can do their bidding, but he must try. Signing.

 

     Now in Paperback

Patrick McManus, The Blight Way (Jan., Simon & Schuster, 14.00).

Bill Merritt, A Fool’s Gold (Jan., Bloomsbury, 14.95). Tammy recommends.

 

Audio: Mysteries for your Ears and Mind

Local audio wizards are out with a number of new CD sets that would make great stocking stuffers:

   The History of Harry Nile, vol.17 (15.95). Seattle PI’s latest set of 5 adventures, covering the end of 1954 and the early months of 1955. The latest of the locally written and produced life radio programs.

   Movies for Your Mind: 6 exciting Tales of Mystery and Suspense (15.95). A compilation of stories to hold your attention to the very last sound affect.

   The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Box Sets (29.95).

Box #1 contains vols. 1-4 and provides 10 of their radio shows, and box #2 holds vols. 5-9 with 11 episodes.

   The Classic Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, vol. 1 and 2 (10.95 ea.). Each set contains two BBC radio adaptations from the original Doyle works. The Further Adventures are contemporary pastiches.

 

     Coming This Spring

Nicola Griffith & Aud Torvingen, April !!!

Michael Gruber, The Book of Air and Shadows, April

Patrick McManus & Sheriff Bo Tully, Mar.

Ann Rule, Too Late to Say Goodbye, April

 

New from the Rest

Meg Abbott, The Song is You (Jan., Simon & Schuster hc, 23.00). Just 16 months after the infamous Black Dahlia murder, actress Jean Spangler was killed. The case immediately drew comparisons to the Dahlia. The second crime novel by the Edgar nominated writer (Die a Little, nominated for Best First, not yet in pb) takes this case as its basis, a case that is still open. Signing LCC.

Boris Akunin, Sister Pelagia and the White Bulldog (Jan., Random House tpo, 9.95). 1st in a new series with the clever Sister Pelagia who investigates when the Bishop of her remote Russian province finds his aunt’s rare dogs have been poisoned.

Conrad Allen, Murder on the Celtic (Feb., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). 8th with ship’s detectives George Porter Dillman and Genevive Masefield. While they’re used to dignitaries, aboard this crossing is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Pseudonym of Keith Miles, who also writes as Edward Marston.

Suzanne Arruda, Stalking Ivory (Jan., NAL hc, 23.95). On a photographic safari in 1920s Africa, Jade del Cameron stumbles into a quagmire of murder, poaching and German arms caches. In paper, Mark of the Lion (Dec., 14.00), the debut of the series.

Nancy Atherton, Aunt Dimity Goes West (Feb., Viking hc, 22.95). In her 12th adventure, Lori Sheppard heads to Colorado. In paperback, Aunt Dimity and the Deep Blue Sea (Feb., Penguin, 7.99). We hope that they will soon go back to the original artwork and leave these new, artless covers behind.

Sandi Ault, Wild Indigo (Jan., Berkley, hc, 23.95). Debut. Bureau of Land Management Agent Jamaica Wild witnesses the death of a man by stampeding buffalo. Was the stampede accidental and so the death was as well, or was it planned, meaning the death was murder? A vivid cast of Southwestern characters in this catchy crime case. Signing.

Donna Ball, Rapid Fire (Dec., Signet pbo, 6.99). 2nd with kennel owner Raine Stockton and her gold lab Cisco. Raine is asked to help track an old boyfriend who is now an eco-terrorist and back in the area.

Jo Bannister, Requiem for a Dealer (Dec., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). 6th with finder of lost things Brodie Farrell.

Jefferson Bass, Flesh and Bone (Feb., Morrow hc, 24.95). 2nd Body Farm Novel, written by forensics expert Bill Bass and journalist Jon Jefferson. In paper, Carved in Bone (Jan., Harper, 7.99), their debut, both recommended by Fran.

M.C. Beaton, Death of a Maid (Feb., Mysterious Press hc, 23.99). 23rd with Hamish MacBeth. In paper, Death of a Dreamer (Jan., Warner, 6.99).

Ronan Bennett, Zugzwang (Jan., Bloomsbury hc, 24.95). In the Spring of 1914, St. Petersburg’s peace is shattered by more than just political upheaval. A series of murders brings a celebrated psychoanalyst into the fray. He’s implicated in one of the crimes. While dealing with his clients and his spirited daughter, he begins to suspect that they’re all pawns in a match even more critical than the chess tournament that holds the city’s attention.

William Bernhardt, Capitol Threat (Feb., Ballantine hc, 25.95). 15th with attorney Ben Kincaid. In paper, Capitol Murder (Feb., Ballantine, 7.99).

Steve Berry, The Alexandria Link (Feb., Ballantine hc, 25.95). Rare bookdealer Cotton Malon’s son is kidnapped and his shop attacked because he is the only man who knows where the link to the Library of Alexandria – which still exists – can be found. In paper, The Templar Legacy (Feb., Ballantine, 7.99).

Cordelia Frances Biddle, The Conjurer (Feb., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). The co-author of the popular Nero Blanc series (with her husband Steve Zettler) pens a novel set in the world in which she lives: the Biddles are one of Philadelphia’s oldest families. In her book, it is 1842, and the only daughter of a wealthy financier searches for him. She meets a young assistant to the mayor who is investigating a string of murders. Young prostitutes are being killed and both of them think a local celebrity is involved.

Claudia Bishop, Ground to a Halt (Feb., Berkley pbo, 6.99). 14th in the Inn at Hemlock Falls series.

Eleanor Taylor Bland, Suddenly a Stranger (Feb., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). 14th with Chicago Det. Marty MacAlister. 

Giles Blunt, By the Time You Read This (Feb., Holt hc, 19.95). Grieving his wife’s suicide, Det. John Cardinal is drawn into a case that involves the strange and unsavory photos on the internet of a young girl who has ties to Algonquin Bay. As the case begins, Cardinal begins to receive anonymous letters about his wife’s death. Signing.

James O. Born, Field of Fire (Feb., Putnam hc, 25.95). What seems to begin in Florida with the explosion of a gun-runner’s car turns into a national hunt for a serial bomber. ATF agent Alex “Rocket” Duarte joins the hunt that takes him to sites of similar bombings in Virginia and Seattle.

J.S. Borthwick, Foiled Again (Feb., St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). 13th mystery from the coast of Maine with English professor Sarah Deane.

Lillian Jackson Braun, The Cat Who Had 60 Whiskers (Jan., Putnam hc, 23.95). In paper, The Cat Who Dropped a Bombshell (Jan., Jove, 7.99).

Elizabeth Bright, Murder and Salutations (Dec., Signet pbo, 6.99). 3rd in the card, craft and crime series.

Vikram Chandra, Sacred Games (Jan., Harper hc, 27.95). An epic novel – 912 pages! – of the battle between a cynical veteran Bombay detective and the criminal overlord of Mumbai. A chance phone call brings them closer together and shows them that their struggle is larger than the two of them and the implications are global. Signing?

Nora Charles, Hurricane Homicide (Dec., Berkley pbo, 6.99). 4th in the Florida series with “sleuth of a certain age” Kate Kennedy. The author has also published as Nora Wald.

Sean Chercover, Big City, Bad Blood (Jan., Morrow hc, 23.95). Debut by a Chicago PI. Ex-reporter turned PI Ray Dudgeon takes a bodyguard gig for a film producer who saw something on the streets of the Windy City that he wasn’t meant to see. The case turns on a cache of blackmail files that everyone wants to get their hands on.

Lincoln Child, Deep Storm (Jan., Doubleday hc, 24.95). Deep below the Atlantic is a super-secret research facility. A mysterious illness is sweeping through those who work there, as well as the oil workers who give it cover on the surface. Does it have to do with the discovery that warranted the facility’s creation, or something even more sinister?

Underlined dates mean the book arrived earlier than expected, earlier than their catalog dates.

Nancy J. Cohen, Perish by Pedicure (Dec., Kensington hc, 22.00). 8th with Florida beauty salon owner Marla Shore.

Natalie R. Collins, Behind Closed Doors (Jan., St. Martin’s pbo, 6.99). Melissa and Jannie have been best friends ever since childhood, and only Melissa knew Jannie's secret.  Now Jannie has a box entrusted to her by her friend who has disappeared, and Jannie is terrified that it is tied into her secret, especially since someone is ready to kill for it. Fran recommends.

Beverly Connor, Dead Past (Feb., Onyx pbo, 7.99). 4th with forensic investigator Diane Fallon.

Thomas H. Cook, The Cloud of Unknowing (Jan., Harcourt hc, 23.00). A family’s history of schizophrenia, a horrible drowning, and a distraught mother’s ramblings about ancient crimes form a cloud of trouble.

Natasha Cooper, Evil is Done (Jan., St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). 8th with barrister Trish Maguire.

Robert Crais, The Watchman (Jan., Simon & Schuster hc, 25.95). A favor that Joe Pike owes is called in: protect a spoiled young girl who is set to be a federal witness against the mob. Taking her into the lurid LA underground to hide, the bodies begin to fall. Though Elvis helps to plan security, Joe begins to see that the girl herself is the biggest risk they have. Signing? In paper, The Two-Minute Rule (Jan, Pocket, 7.99).

Bill Crider, Murder Among the O.W.L.S. (Jan., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). 14th with Texas Sheriff Dan Rhodes.

Deborah Crombie, Water Like a Stone (Feb., Morrow hc, 24.95). On holiday, Duncan and Kincaid are faced with three murders of varying ages and begin to see connections. 11th in this popular series. Signing!

Clare Curzon, The Glass Wall (Dec., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). 19th with Superintendent Mike Yeadings.

Clive and Dirk Cussler, Treasure of Khan (Dec., Putnam hc, 27.95). 19th Dirk Pitt.

David Stuart Davies, Forests of the Night (Jan., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). When an accident leaves him blind in one eye and he’s discharged from the Army, John Hawke opens a private detective agency. In 1940s London, there is no shortage of mischief. Davies is an internationally known expert on Doyle and Holmes, and author of several pastiches. This is his first non-Holmes novel.

Keith Dixon, The Art of Losing (Feb., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). Himself heavily in debt after his 3rd film bombs, Michael Jacobs agrees to help his producer, a man who can fix a horse race but needs a “face” for the scam. Jacobs is the one who places the bet. When the horse loses, both of them are in deep trouble with a violent underworld.

Tim Dorsey, Hurricane Punch (Feb., Morrow hc, 24.95). Returning to the comfort of Florida lunacy, Serge is faced with a rival serial killer and an approaching storm. Signed Copies Available? Tammy recommends.

Laura Durham, To Love and to Perish (Feb., Avon pbo, 6.99). 3rd in this Agatha winning series with DC wedding planner Annabelle Archer.

Martin Edwards, The Arsenic Labyrinth (Feb., Poisoned Pen hc, 24.95). In England’s Lake District, a 10 year-old disappearance is reopened and clues lead to the creepy tunnels dug as part of a tin mine. A cop, a historian and newspaperman and a drifter intersect in the case whose solution lays in the isolated labyrinth. 3rd in the series. Signing LCC.

Kit Ehrman, Triple Cross (Jan., Poisoned Pen hc, 24.95). In his 4th book, horse barn manager Steve Cline is working to become a licensed PI. His father asks for help in Louisville during the lead-up to the Derby and his duties are light. Working on his final PI course project, he inadvertently stirs up trouble. Signing LCC.

Selma Eichler, Murder Can Depress your Dachshund (Feb., Signet pbo, 6.99). 14th with NYC PI Desiree Shapiro.

Janet Evanovich, Plum Love (Jan., St. Martin’s hc, 16.95). 160 pages of fun!

Mary Anna Evans, Effigies (Feb., Poisoned Pen hc, 24.95). In her 3rd story, archaeologist Faye Longchamp travels to Mississippi to examine a Native American mound. Once there, she finds the farmer who owns the land is set to bulldoze it. Murder stops him. Signing LCC. In paper, Relics (Feb., Poisoned Pen, 14.95). Fran recommends this series.

Nancy Fairbanks, French Fried (Dec., Berkley pbo, 6.99). The 9th in this culinary series travels to Paris. 

Linda Fairstein, Bad Blood (Jan., Scribner hc, 26.00). An explosion deep underneath NYC’s streets, in one of the huge water tunnels, takes Alexandra Çooper deep underground. In paper, Death Dance (Jan., Pocket, 9.99).

Jerrilyn Farmer, Desperately Seeking Sushi (Dec., Morrow hc, 23.95). 8th culinary mystery with Maddie Bean.

Ariana Franklin, Mistress of the Art of Death (Feb., Putnam hc, 25.95). In medieval Cambridge, the local Jews are being blamed for the deaths of four children. Henry I needs the crimes solved so that tax revenues can once again flow. He turns to his cousin, the King of Sicily, to send one of his medical experts to help resolve the murders. The finest practitioner of the “art of death” is Adelia, who travels there with her colleagues, Simon, a Jew, and Mansur, a Moor. Janine Recommends.

Margaret Frazer, The Traitor’s Tale (Feb., Berkley hc, 24.95). 16th in the medieval series with Dame Frevisse. In paper, The Sempster’s Tale (Jan., Berkley, 7.99).

David Fulmer, The Dying Crapshooter’s Blues (Jan., Harcourt hc, 23.00). A departure from his Storyville series: On a cold December night in Atlanta, in the 20s, professional thief and gambler Joe Rose hits town and is swept into a triangle of danger when a drunken white cop shoots a black sporting man, Jewels go missing, a vicious cop called “The Captain” and a evil beauty named Pearl encircle him. In paper, Rampart Street (Jan, Harcourt, 14.00), 3rd in his Shamus winning St. Cyr series. Janine and JB recommend this author.

Lisa Gardner, Hide (Jan., Bantam hc, 25.00). A woman opens the morning paper and reads that she’s dead.  In paper, Gone (Dec., Bantam, 7.99).

Robert Goddard, Sight Unseen (Jan., Delta tpo, 12.00).1st US publication. 17 years ago a child was snatched. A witness and the nanny met due to the crime and wed, but the crime eventually divided them. A recently received letter will bring the events of 17 years ago into question and leave those involved thinking that some mysteries are best left unsolved.

Lee Goldberg, Mr. Monk and the Blue Flu (Jan., Signet pbo, 6.99). A police strike gives Monk the willies. He doesn’t like the sound of “blue flu”, nor the idea that by crossing the labor lines he’ll be called a ‘scab’.  3rd in the series of novels.

Sarah Graves, Trap Door (Jan., Bantam hc, 22.00). 9th Home Repair is Homicide series.

Martha Grimes, Dust (Jan., Viking hc, 25.95). That this is a Richard Jury with a title that doesn’t sound like a pub is the only info we got about the 23rd book in the series.

James Grippando, When Darkness Falls (Jan., Harper hc, 24.95). Miami attorney Jack Swyteck accepts a homeless man as a client and from there nothing goes as expected. Signing. In paper, Got the Look (Dec., Harper, 7.99). 

Brian Haig, Man in the Middle (Jan., Warner hc, 25.99). Army lawyer Sean Drummond is dispatched to investigate the death of an influential official in the defense world. From there, Drummond is torn between what he finds and his loyalties to his fellow soldiers fighting and dying overseas. Janine and Bill recommend this series.

Carolyn Haines, Fever Moon (Feb., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). In the 1940s, in New Iberia, LA, a wealthy plantation owner has been savagely murdered. Some say it is the loup garon, the legend of a Cajun shape shifter. The murders continue, screwing down the lid on a small town already under the pressure of wartime poverty. 

Laurell K. Hamilton, Mistral’s Kiss (Dec., Ballantine hc, 24.95). Faerie princess and private eye Meredith Gentry faces court intrigue, sabotage and heinous crimes.

Karen Harper, The Hooded Hawke (Jan., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). 9th in her Elizabeth I mystery series. In paper, The Fatal Fashione (Dec., St. Martin’s, 6.99).

Thomas Harris, Hannibal Rising (Dec., Random House hc, 27.95). The early year’s of the famous cannibal, from his youth on the Eastern Front of WWII to being the youngest admittee to the French medical school, when he recognizes that he is, and becomes, ‘death’s prodigy’.

Ellen Hart, Night Vision (Dec., St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). Jane Lawless investigates for a reclusive actress who believes that the stalker who drove her from the pictures is back.

Steve Hockensmith, On the Wrong Track (Feb., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). Reluctantly, Old Red agrees to sign on with his brother Big Red to guard a train. The brothers would have been wise to adhere to their family’s distrust of “farm-stealin’, cattle-killin’, money-grubbin’ railroads”; the rails will take them into trouble on the way to San Francisco. In paper, Holmes on the Range (Feb., St. Martin’s, 12.95). Sandy and Tammy highly recommend these charmin’ galoots.

Chuck Hogan, The Killing Moon (Jan., Scribner hc, 25.00). Don Maddox is a man who always raised fears in his hometown. Everyone is puzzled about why he’s come home, why he’s joined the police, and why he’s asking so many questions about his fellow cops in his off-hours. Then a murder brings in the Mass. State Police.

Linda Howard, Drop Dead Gorgeous (Dec., Ballantine pbo, 7.99). 2nd Blair Mallory.

Charlie Huston, No Dominion (Dec., Del Rey tpo, 13.95). 2nd with NYC Vampyre PI Joe Pitt. Classic Huston writing – touch, dark noir with gallows humor - with a bite. Janine recommends. Signing.

Greg Iles, True Evil (Dec., Scribner hc, 25.95). The quiet life of a doctor in Natchez, MS, is about to end. An undercover FBI agent comes to him to tell him that his wife has visited a divorce attorney. Worse still, the feds have been watching the lawyer because the spouses of many of his clients have died under mysterious circumstances.

Susan Isaacs, Past Perfect (Feb., Scribner hc, 25.00). Katie Schottland had a dream job 15 years ago as an analyst for the CIA. Mysteriously fired after two years, she’s gone on to write a successful novel about espionage and now writes for a TV version from the story. One day a former colleague calls and asks for help and, in return, promises to tell Katie why she was fired. Can Katie return to that world, even for the answers she needs?

Iris Johansen, Stalemate (Jan., Bantam hc, 26.00). Forensic sculptor Eve Duncan returns. In paper, On the Run (Dec., Bantam, 7.99).

Dolores Johnson, Pressed to Kill (Jan., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). 8th with dry cleaner Mandy Dyer.

Linda O. Johnston, Meow is for Murder (Feb., Berkley pbo, 6.99). 4th with pet-sitter/sleuth Kendra Ballantyne.

Stuart Kaminsky, Always Say Goodbye (Dec., Forge hc, 23.95). 5th with Lew Fonesca. In paper, Denial (Feb., Forge, 6.99). Janine recommends this series. See also Small Mystery Presses/Felony & Mayhem.

Jesse Kellerman, Trouble (Jan., Putnam hc, 24.95). An impulsive act to stop a crime lands a NYC med student in the glare of publicity. The mugger is dead and the DA wants to talk about it, his co-workers are abuzz, and the woman he saved is alarmingly grateful and not quite what she seemed to be when he stopped her from being stabbed to death. All in all, this fellow is in deep trouble. Signed Copies Available. In paper, his praised debut, Sunstroke (Dec., Berkley, 7.99).

Christine Kling, Wrecker’s Key (Feb., Ballantine hc, 24.95). 4th mystery with Florida Keys tugboat captain Seychelle Sullivan.

William Landay, The Strangler (Feb., Delacorte hc, 24.00). In the Fall of 1963, Boston is in an uproar: JFK has been assassinated, a gang war erupts, and The Strangler is terrorizing the city. In this atmosphere operate the three Daley brothers. One is a cop, one is a prosecutor and one a master thief. When the Strangler hits too close to what they share, it forces them to peer deeply into the crimes around them – those of a killer and those of their family. Landay’s masterful debut, Mission Flats (Dell, 7.50) is a staff favorite.

Clare Langley-Hawthorne, Consequences of Sin (Feb., Viking hc, 22.95). Edwardian England is seeing some social changes. Ursula Marlow is a young heiress, an Oxford graduate, aspiring journalist and a suffragette. When a good friend is accused of murdering her lover, Ursula simply cannot buy the charges and resolves to find the truth. Her charmed life is darkened by villainy.

Joe R. Lansdale, Lost Echoes (Feb., Vintage tpo, 13.95). All his life, Harry has seen visions of violent crimes. As a college student, only alcohol helps him escape them. One night, he sees a man defeat three muggers. In this guy’s strength, Harry hopes to find answers. When an old flame asks his help to find out who killed her father, the three join forces. Edgar Winner and favorite author of Tammy’s. See also, Special Interest.

Lisa Lawrence, Strip Poker (Feb., Delta tpo, 13.00). Debut erotic thriller. The London’s elite’s new craze is strip poker, which can be great illicit fun – until blackmail becomes involved. From there, professional troublemaker Teresa Knight sees the progression to corporate and international intrigue, and murder.

John Lescroart, The Suspect (Jan., Dutton hc, 26.95). A lawyer in Dismas Hardy’s firm, Gina Roake, takes on a high profile case that seems relatively simple. All she needs to do is prove her client could not have possibly killed his wife at their mountain cabin. Then the guy runs. Signed Copies Available. In paper, The Hunt Club (Jan., Signet, 9.99).

Jay MacLarty, Choke Point (Jan., Pocket pbo, 7.99). In his 4th appearance, courier Simon Leonidovich is asked to return a rare Chinese artifact as part of a diplomatic action. Many forces don’t want the delivery – or the diplomacy – to succeed. Favorite series of Janine’s.

Val McDermid, The Grave Tattoo (Feb., St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). Heavy rains uncover a body with strange tattoos in an English bog. An old wives’ tale had said that Fletcher Christian had returned to this area of England and told his tale to Wordsworth who had penned a secret, epic poem about the events surrounding the HMS Bounty. A literary specialist becomes involved, wondering if the poem’s manuscript might be real after all. But 200 years of secrets are not easily surrendered by some. Fran recommends. Signed Copies Available.

Leslie Meier, Bake Sale Murder (Dec., Kensington hc, 22.00). 13th with reporter Lucy Stone as a community bake sale cooks up murder.

Chris Mooney, Missing (Jan., Atria hc, 25.00). After a near brush with a killer as a girl, Darby has made a profession out of hunting criminals. Her latest case has disturbing echoes to that case from her youth and she begins to suspect that the past is not finished with her.

John Mortimer, Rumpole and the Reign of Terror (Dec., Viking hc, 24.95). While battling anti-terrorist laws and their effects on defending a client, Rumpole deals with his wife’s plans to write her memoirs and detail their love life!

Tamar Myers, Hell Hath No Curry (Feb., NAL hc, 21.95). 15th in the Pennsylvania Dutch series. In paper, Grape Expectations (Jan., Signet, 6.99).

I.J. Parker, Black Arrow (Dec., Penguin tpo, 13.00). 3rd mystery set in 11th C. Japan.

Robert B. Parker, High Profile (Feb., Putnam hc, 24.95). 6th with Jesse Stone, who is dealing with a media circus after a controversial radio host is found hanging from a tree in Paradise.

Ben Pastor, The Water Thief (Feb., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). In 304 AD, Spartianus is looking to an historical mystery dealing with Hadrian. A letter from Hadrian is said to be involved and the historian is perplexed that someone is still interested in protecting what may be a 200 year-old crime. Crimes ancient and past merge.

James Patterson, Step on a Crack (Feb., Little Brown hc, 27.99). Masked gunmen take over the funeral for the beloved First Lady, trapping 100 of the most powerful people in the US inside. The kidnappers’ seem to know what the authorities are trying to do. Is someone on the outside helping?

Richard North Patterson, Exile (Jan., Holt hc, 26.00). A Jewish lawyer in San Francisco faces the dilemma of defending a lover from law school who is accused of being the mastermind of the assassination of the Prime Minister of Israel. The lawyer has been contemplating a run for Congress but she’s Palestinian and everything will get political – and messy.

Arturo Perez-Reverte, The Sun Over Breda (Dec., Putnam hc, 24.95). 3rd with swordsman-for-hire, Captain Alatriste of 17th C. Spain. In paper, Purity of Blood (Dec., Plume, 14.00).

Andrew Pyper, The Wildfire Season (Dec., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). Scarred inside and out by a fire, haunted by death, fire chief McEwan lives far outside his Yukon town. Someone is about to ignite a new blaze, forcing him back into the world that he’s left.

Carol O’Connell, Find Me (Jan., Putnam hc, 24.95). Mallory travels Route 66, hunting a killer who has buried the bodies of children along that byway. Mallory not only seeks him, but part of her own past as well. Favorite series of JB and Janine, who calls this entry BRILLIANT!  Signing!

Matt Beynon Rees, The Collaborator of Bethlehem (Feb., Soho hc, 22.00). When a former student is arrested as collaborating in the murder of a Palestinian guerilla, History professor Omar Yussef knows the young man will be executed unless the true culprit is found. He suspects that man is in the guerilla’s own violent group. All are afraid of these men so it is up to Yussef to investigate.

Emilie Richards, Let There Be Suspects (Dec., Berkley pbo, 6.99). 2nd in the Ministry is Murder series, set in small town Ohio.

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J.D. Robb, Innocent in Death (Feb., Putnam hc, 25.95). 24th with NYPD Lt.Eve Diamond. Signed Copies Available.

Gillian Roberts, All’s Well that Ends (Jan., Ballantine hc, 23.95). The last book in the Amanda Pepper series! Amanda is quitting her teaching job and moving on. In paper, A Hole in Juan (Feb., Ballantine, 6.99).

S.J. Rozan, In This Rain (Jan., Delacorte hc, 24.00). After three years in prison for a murder he didn’t commit, New York City building inspector Joe Cole becomes involved in another murder, investigating into the dark shadows of the city where the rich and powerful people evade justice. Perhaps he can regain his place in the city he loves. Bill recommends.

Marcus Sakey, The Blade Itself (Jan., St. Martin’s hc, 22.95). Debut that has been praised by writers such as Child, Bruen and Pelecanos. Growing up in the Irish section of Chicago, you had to be tough and have a tough reputation. Danny and Evan were reckless armed thieves until a job went bad and Evan went to prison. Danny straightened himself out and is proud of the life he now leads. But Evan is released early and, figuring Danny owes him, wants help on a job. Janine HIGHLY recommends.

Ian Sansom, The Case of the Missing Books (Jan., Harper tpo, 12.95). 1st in a new series featuring a bookmobile attendant as an amateur sleuth. Arriving in Ireland, Israel Armstrong finds that all of the books are gone. Now, who would have stolen 15,000 books, and why?

Theresa Schwegal, Probable Cause (Dec., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). 2nd novel from the most recent winner of the Edgar Award for Best First Novel. Chicago rookie Ray Weiss has always wanted to be a cop. The hazing has left him with doubts, as has finding a corpse in place of his promised reward. Is this a sick joke on a young kid or something more sinister? Signing LCC. In paper, the winner, Officer Down (Nov., St. Martin’s, 23.95).

Michele Scott, Saddled with Trouble (Dec., Berkley pbo, 6.99). 1st in a new Horse Lover’s series. Quarter horse trainer Michaela Bancroft is being divorced by her husband when her uncle is murdered. Events lead her to believe she’s next.

John Shannon, The Dark Streets (Dec., Pegasus hc, 25.00). 9th with LA private eye Jack Liffey. He’s looking for a young film student who vanished from Koreatown. The problem is that others are looking for her too. Reissued in trade paper, The Concrete River (Dec., Pegagsus,  12.95). Liffey’s first appearance, from 1996.

David Skibbins, The Star (Feb., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). Warren Ritter is again confronted by trouble. His daughter has separated from her cop husband and a custody dispute turns deadly.  In paper, High Priestess (Feb., St. Martin’s, 6.99). One of Fran’s favorite series.

Peter Spiegelman, Red Cat (Feb., Knopf hc, 22.95). In the 3rd book in this award winning series, John March takes the case of a surprising client – his brother. March is treated with kind pity by his family and his smug older brother has become entangled in a steamy affair and he asks March’s help to end it.  Signing?

Patricia Sprinkle, Guess Who’s Coming to Die? (Feb., Signet pbo, 6.99). 7th with Southern magistrate MacLaren Yarbourgh.

David Stone, The Echelon Vendetta (Feb., Putnam hc, 25.95). When the CIA needs a messed settled, Micah Dalton is dispatched. When a friend appears to have committed suicide, Dalton is suspicious. When the man’s family is slaughtered, he begins to look for answers. What he learns leads him to a dangerous group of operatives working under the ECHELON project. Debut written under a pen name by a man with long  experience in the military, the intelligence world and street-level law enforcement.

Leann Sweeney, Shoot from the Lip (Jan., Signet pbo, 6.99). 4th with Houston PI Abby Rose.

Charles Todd, A False Mirror (Jan., Morrow hc, 23.95). A love triangle turns deadly, requiring Insp. Rutledge to head to the south coast. In paper, A Long Shadow (Jan., Harper, 6.99), the 7th. Signed Copies Available. The first book in the series,

A Test of Wills, is back in print (Avon, 6.99).

Lisa Unger, Sliver of Truth (Jan., Shaye Areheart hc, 23.00). Once again, an innocent and common act puts Ridley Jones in the crosshairs. After picking up photos from a lab she’s swept into a global web of crime. In paper, the first Jones, Beautiful Lies (Jan., Three Rivers, 13.95).

Ann Waldron, The Princeton Imposter (Jan., Berkley pbo, 7.99). 5th academic mystery.

Derek Watson, Unquiet Spirit (Dec., Carroll & Graf hc, 25.95). A spirit haunts a school’s staircase, splitting the school’s students and may have caused one professor to die from a heart attack. Once the press gets into the mix, things get ugly – and then accusations are made that the death that left the ghost may not have been suicide.