SEATTLE MYSTERY BOOKSHOP

Winter 2007/2008 Newsletter

117 Cherry St, Seattle, WA  98104 / 206-587-5737 

staff@seattlemystery.com  www.seattlemystery.com

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

Fran Fuller - Janine Wilson - Gretchen Brevoort

Crime – Mystery – Cops - Whodunnit – Courtroom Thriller – Suspense – Espionage

True Crime – Biography –Reference

New – Used – Collectables – Signed – Softcover – Hardcover

Mon – Sat 10am – 5pm / Sun 12pm – 5pm

 

New from the Northwest

Maureen Ash, Death of a Squire (Jan., Berkley pbo, 6.99). 2nd from this British Columbia author, set at the end of the 12th C. Templar Bascot de Marins is told to find the truth behind the hanging murder of a squire before an important meeting of Royals at Lincoln Castle.

Lowen Clausen, River (Jan., Silo Press tpo, 14.95). Lowen Clausen has written an exquisitely heart-breaking novel, with a soul as big as the eponymous River. After the death of his son, a father takes the river voyage he has always dreamed of. Starting out from his family farm on the headwaters in the Sandhills of Nebraska, his inner voyage takes him to new acceptance of the son he never said goodbye to in life, while he faces the solitude and challenges of the river itself. The land plays as large a part of the story as do the people on the river. This elegiac story will resonate with everyone who takes its journey for a long time. Signing. Tammy highly recommends.

Mary Daheim, The Alpine Traitor (Feb., Ballantine hc, 23.95). Incredibly, Alpine’s paper, The Advocate, is the target of a hostile takeover. If that isn’t bad enough, the person behind the action is found dead and Emma Lord becomes the prime suspect. Signing. In paper, The Alpine Scandal (Feb., Ballantine, 6.99).

Earl Emerson, Primal Threat (Feb., Ballantine hc, 24.95). A relaxing trip into the mountains on a cycling vacation degenerates into a battle for survival. Zak’s former girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend has followed the cyclers and is out to cause trouble. When one of his buddies dies in a fall, it all turns deadly. Signing. In paper, Firetrap (Dec., Ballantine, 7.99). Tammy recommends.

Robert Ferrigno, Sins of the Assassin (Feb., Scribner hc, 24.95). Rakkim Epps is sent on a mission vital to the health of the Islamic Republic; word is that the Bible Belt is on the trail of a super weapon hidden years before by the extinct US government. Rakkim’s mission is to find it first, if it does exist. Signing. Tammy recommends.

G.M. Ford, Nameless Night (Feb., Morrow hc, 23.95). For the last seven years, the man known as Paul Hardy has been living in a home for disabled adults and has rarely communicated or reacted to anyone. After being injured in an accident, he regains some ability to speak as well as some memories – enough to know his name isn’t Paul Hardy. Off he heads to seek answers, unaware that others follow him, and the answers lie at the center of a famous conspiracy. Signing.

Yasmine Galenorn, Darkling (Jan., Berkley pbo, 7.99). 3rd of the D’Artigo sisters, told from Menolly’s point of view. As the otherworld conflict builds, Menolly is forced to confront the vampires who made here, to revisit the horror of her turning.  Signing.

J.A. Jance, Hand of Evil (Dec., Touchstone hc, 25.95). In her 3rd appearance, Ali Reynolds gets involved when a shady developer is dragged to his death on a remote mountain road. Signing.

Jayne Ann Krentz, Sizzle and Burn (Jan., Putnam hc, 24.95). Raine Tallentyre heads to Washington State to clean out the house of her recently deceased aunt. Unknown to her, the Arcane Society has dispatched an agent to enlist her help – and she falls for Zack Jones immediately. Signing. In paper, White Lies (Feb., Jove, 9.99).

Gary McKinney, Slipknot (Nov., Kearney Street tpo, 14.95). Set in Southwestern Washington State, the recently elected sheriff, a confirmed Deadhead, must meld his philosophies to the job. His first big case is the death of a noted ecologist. A variety of interests want his environmental impact statement about a swath of old-growth forest. Third novel but first mystery by this writer and musician. Signed Copies Available.

Sharan Newman, The Shanghai Tunnel (Feb., Forge hc, 24.95). A young widow and son return to Portland in 1868 wealthier than either could imagine but far from comfortable. Neither have ever been to the dead man’s hometown and, while money will help their adjustment, others will work against her. She is one of the few people to know of her late husband’s schemes and his partners are set on carrying them out. Signing?

Kevin O’Brien, One Last Scream (Jan., Pinnacle pbo, 6.99). A beautiful and brainy woman is not what she seems; she suffers blackouts, which seem to coincide with a series of murders. She begins to believe that she is somehow involved – is she the killer or someone’s pawn? Signing.

Linda L. Richards, Death Was the Other Woman (Jan., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). During the depression in LA, there are only two ways to make a living: committing crime or fighting it. Kitty Pangborn becomes the secretary to a PI, deciding to fight the creeps. What she will find is that it is often difficult to know which are which. Signing?

Candace Robb, A Vigil of Spies (Jan., Arrow hc, price to be determined). The Archbishop of York lies dying at his palace of Bishopthorpe. Owen Archer’s efforts to ensure him a peaceful death go astray after the Archbishop agrees to a visit by the Princess of Wales. Her party was beset by trouble en route and Archer fears that one of his own men may have been compromised. Signed Copies Available.

Wendy Roberts, The Remains of the Dead (Dec., Obsidian pbo, 6.99). Debut from a Surrey, BC writer. Sadie Novak is a crime scene cleaner who is also a medium who can see the victim’s ghosts. In this first case, the crime scene – and the ghost – don’t fit the crime’s solution. Signing.

Ann Rule, Smoke, Mirrors, and Murder: Crime File Vol. 12, (Dec., Pocket pbo, 7.99). Signing.

Dana Stabenow, Prepared for Rage (Feb., St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). Three members of the US government – an astronaut, a FBI agent and a Coast Guard captain work together to thwart the plans of a terrorist who is aiming his hatred of all things American at a shuttle launch. Not only is the craft taking a newsworthy payload into space, also on board will be a wealthy ‘passenger’ and a successful attack would be devastating. Signing? In paper, A Deeper Sleep (Jan., St. Martin’s, 6.99). Kate.

Frank Zafiro, Heroes Often Fail (Nov., Aisling Press, hc 24.95, tp 13.95), his second set in Eastern Washington’s River City. A daylight kidnapping of a young girl from her residential street has the city on edge and the cops working every lead to find her – fast. Signed Copies Available.

 

Now in Paperback

Cherry Adair, White Heat (Feb., Ballantine, 6.99)

William Dietrich, Napoleon’s Pyramids (Jan., Harper, 7.99).

Robert Dugoni, Damage Control (Feb., Grand Central, 7.99). Fran & Tammy recommends.

Jonathan Raban, Surveillance (Feb., Vintage, 13.95). Tammy recommends.

 

Coming This Spring

William Dietrich, The Rosetta Key, April

Elizabeth George, Careless in Red, May

Sue Henry & Jessie Arnold, April

Lisa Jackson, Lost Souls, April

Mike Lawson, House Rules (DeMarco and Emma) Spring (month not yet set)

Steve Martini, Shadow of Power, April

 

Books that have their dates underlined are already in stock.

 

New from the Rest

Alina Adams, Skate Crime (Dec., Berkley pbo, 6.99). 5th in the Figure Skating series.

Madelyn Alt, Hex Marks the Spot (Dec., Berkley pbo, 6.99). 3rd in the Bewitching series. Maggie looks into the death of a woodworker when she finds out a strange hex symbol was near his body.

Nancy Atherton, Aunt Dimity, Vampire Hunter (Feb., Viking hc, 22.95). 13th in the series. With her twins in school, Lori thinks life will quiet down. Reports from school stop that: a pale figure with blood-red lips has been seen in the woods nearby. In paper, Aunt Dimity Goes West (Feb., Penguin, 7.99).

Sandi Ault, Wild Inferno (Feb., Berkley hc, 23.95). Bureau of Land Management agent Jamaica Wild is sent to the Southern Ute reservation where a wildfire has been raging. A severely burned man whispers a strange request with his last breath, a phrase that points to worse trouble. Signed Copies Available. In paper, Wild Indigo (Feb., Berkley, 6.99).

William Bernhardt, Capitol Conspiracy (Jan., Ballantine hc, 25.95). Sen. Ben Kincaid attends an event where a sniper opens fire and a bomb tears through the crowd. The First Lady is killed and the country moves quickly to tighten security. Ben thinks it is moving too fast. In paper, Capitol Threat (Dec., Ballantine, 7.99), the 15th in the series.

Russell Banks, The Reserve (Feb., Harper, 24.95). In the unstable 1930s, an adopted heiress becomes destabilized herself after the death of her father. Anyone who comes near is drawn into her spiral of troubles.

Jefferson Bass, The Devil’s Bones (Feb., Morrow hc, 24.95). Forensic anthropologist Bill Brockton uses his expertise with two sets of charred bones – one found in a neglected crematorium and one in an incinerated car.  In paper, Flesh and Bone (Jan., Harper, 7.99). Fran recommends.

M.C. Beaton, Death of a Gentle Lady (Feb., Grand Central hc, 23.99). 24th with Constable Hamish MacBeth. In paper, Death of a Maid (Jan., Grand Central, 6.99).

Elizabeth Becka, Unknown Means (Feb., Hyperion hc, 22.95). Cleveland forensic specialist Evelyn James is called to a murder scene that has all the earmarks of a locked-room mystery. A wealthy woman is found dead in her penthouse in a building with the latest security systems and no sign that anyone entered the building or her apartment. Signed Copies Available. In paper, Trace Evidence (Jan., Grand Central, 7.99). Fran recommends.

Alex Berenson, The Ghost War (Feb., Putnam hc, 24.95). Sequel to his Edgar-winning debut (The Faithful Spy, Jan., 9.99). CIA agent John Wells barely survived his time inside al-Queda and, at least physically, is nearly healed. But the intelligence community is picking up heightened Taliban activity in Afganistan and Wells is dispatched to investigate. What he finds once there is not what anyone expected. Signed Copies Available.

Steve Berry, The Venetian Betrayal (Nov., Ballantine hc, 25.95). Bookdealer Cotton Malone is dragged into the search for answers about Alexander the Great’s death: what caused the fever that killed him and, more importantly, where is he buried? In paper, The Alexandria Link (Feb., Ballantine, 7.99).

Miranda Bliss, Dead Men Don’t get the Munchies (Dec., Berkley pbo, 6.99). 3rd in the Cooking Class series.

Charles Bock, Beautiful Children (Jan., Random House hc, 24.95). Debut novel. In Las Vegas, a 12 year old boy heads out to meet a friend and never returns. The book follows his parents during the next year, as they search for answers and the raft of odd characters their search turns up, providing a crystalline portrait of the city and the people who call it home.

Jay Bonansinga, Shattered (Dec., Pinnacle pbo, 6.99). FBI profiler Ulysses Grove is hunting a serial killer who is using the Mississippi River as a dumping site, making the trail difficult to trace.

James O. Born, Burn Zone (Feb., Putnam hc, 25.95). In New Orleans for a routine bust that he hopes will aid in his advancement, ATF agent Alex Duarte is stunned by the magnitude of the crime he wades into. In paper, Field of Fire (Feb., Berkley, 7.99).

C.J. Box, Blue Heaven (Jan., St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). In Northern Idaho, two young children hide from a group of men who they witnesses commit murder. In a world filled with strangers – who all seem to be retired cops from LA – the 12 year-old girl and her younger brother do not know who to trust. And that’s smart because the bad guys look just like the good guys. Something different from Joe Pickett’s creator. Signing?

Geraldine Brooks, People of the Book (Jan., Viking hc, 25.95). Australian rare-book expert Hanna Heath is given the chance of a lifetime: analyze and conserve the earliest known illustrated Jewish text, the Sarahevo Haggadah, saved from destruction during the Bosnian War. As she looks at it, it begins to reveal its history and its secrets. Both are dangerous. The author, a retired reporter, won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2006.

Rita Mae Brown, The Purrfect Murder (Feb., Bantam hc, 25.00). 16th Mrs. Murphy. In paper, Puss ‘N Boots (Feb., Bantam, 7.50).

Edward Bunker, Stark (Jan., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). Ex-con, actor (Mr. Blue in Reservoir Dogs) and crime writer Ed Bunker died in 2002. This is his first book, not published during his lifetime, an unremitting story of drifter, hop-head and petty criminal Ernie Stark who is on the look-out in Southern California in 1962 for the easy score.

Tom Cain, The Accident Man (Feb., Viking hc, 24.95). Samuel Carver is a assassin specialist – he will guarantee that the victim will appear to have died in an accident. His latest client wants someone driving through a traffic tunnel in Paris to die ‘in an accident’. When this successfully happens, his client wants him to retire… against his will.  Signed Copies Available.

Stephen J. Cannell, Three Shirt Deal (Jan., St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). 7th with Det. Sean Scully.

Sammi Carter, Peppermint Twisted (Dec., Berkley pbo, 6.99). 3rd in the Candy Shop series.

Jackie Chance, Hold ‘em Hostage (Feb., Berkley pbo, 6.99). 3rd in the poker series.

Susan Choi, A Person of Interest (Feb., Viking hc, 24.95). A bombing at a college campus kills a beloved computer professor and puts suspicion on another, an Asian-American math professor named Lee. The authorities suspect is the ‘Brain Bomber’ who has been targeting academicians for years. Lee suspects this latest attack has been engineered by someone from his past as revenge and, as a result, his behavior only increases the suspicion about him.

Blaize Clement, Even Cat Sitters Get the Blues (Jan., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). 3rd with Floridian pet-sitter Dixie Hemingway.

Nancy J. Cohen, Killer Knots (Dec., Kensington hc, 22.00). 9th in the Bad Hair Day series.

Barbara Colley, Wash and Die (Feb., Kensington hc, 22.00).7th with Charlotte LaRue. In paper, Scrub-a-Dub-Dead (Dec., Kensington, 6.99).

Kate Collins, A Rose from the Dead (Dec., Obsidian pbo, 6.99). 6th in the Flower Shop series.

Beverly Connor, Dead Heat (Feb., Obsidian pbo, 7.99). 5th with forensic investigator Diane Fallon.

Philip R. Craig and William G. Tapply, Third Strike (Dec., Scribner hc, 24.00). 3rd joint effort with their series characters Brady Coyne and JW Jackson set on Martha’s Vineyard.

Isis Crawford, A Catered Valentine’s Day (Jan., Kensington pbo, 6.99). 4th with catering and sleuthing sisters Bernadette and Libby Simmons.

Bill Crider, Of All Sad Words (Feb., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). 15th with Sheriff Dan Rhodes.

Tim Dorsey, Atomic Lobster (Feb., Morrow hc, 24.95, Signed Copies 25.95). Deserving a little R & R to go with his mayhem, Serge Storm takes a cruise. Where else but aboard the SS Serendipity can you find blue-haired drug mules, tourist trinkets filled with coke, a killer named Tex and a crew of feds aiming to take down Serge’s pal Coleman? In paper, Hurricane Punch (Jan., Harper, 7.99).

Carol Nelson Douglas, Dancing with Werewolves (Nov., Juno pbo, 6.99). 13 years since the millennium and the world is still accepting the idea that the supernatural is real. Vegas reporter Delilah Street is in the thick of it in a town controlled by the werewolf mob.

Loren D. Estleman, Gas City (Jan., Forge hc, 24.95, Signed Copies 25.95). Three powerful forces collide in a major blue-collar city that is powered by greed, corruption and ambitious power. A reporter has the scent of a major story while the police chief has had enough of the crime and the local mob boss is not about to give up power. Something is gonna give.

Janet Evanovich, Plum Lucky (Jan., St. Martin’s hc, 17.95). 2nd between the numbers Plum. In paper, Plum Lovin’ (Jan., St. Martin’s, 6.99).

Jimmie Ruth Evans, Bring Your Own Poison (Jan., Berkley pbo, 6.99). 4th in the Trailer Park series with waitress Wanda Nell Culpepper. The author is AKA Dean James.

Monica Ferris, Knitting Bones (Dec., Berkley hc, 23.95). 11th in the knitting series. The embezzlement of money raised for charity by the Embroiderers Guild cannot be accepted.

Brian Freeman, Stalked (Feb., St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). In his 3rd book, Lt. Jonathan Stride is unnerved. His partner Maggie Bei reports a brutal and bloody crime in the middle of a long, winter night and he is convinced she hasn’t told all she knows about the crime to the investigating officers or to him. Signing. Fran recommends.

David Fulmer, The Blue Door (Jan., Harcourt hc, 25.00). At the time when Philadelphia rocked to its own sound, a boxer helps an older man during a mugging. Invited into the man’s detective business, he finds he is good at it. In the early days, he picks up on the cold case of a missing soul singer and is drawn into a dark and decadent world. In paper, The Dying Crapshooter’s Blues (Jan., Harcourt, 14.00).  Favorite author of Janine and JB.

Lee Goldberg, Mr. Monk in Outer Space (Dec., Obsidian hc, 19.95). The publisher’s catalog gives no plot info. In paper, Mr. Monk and the Two Assistants (Jan., Obsidian, 6.99).

Eli Gottlieb, Now You See Him (Feb., Morrow hc, 23.95). The murder/suicide involving a celebrated young writer causes unsuspected secrets to tear an upstate New York town apart.

Margaret Grace, Murder in Miniature (Feb., Berkley pbo, 6.99). First in a series set in the world of dollhouses and miniatures.

Sue Grafton, T is for Trespass (Dec., Putnam hc, 26.95). Set in the 80s, the story switches from the point of view of Kinsey to a sociopath who goes by the name Solana Rojas. Signed Copies Available.

Sarah Graves, The Book of Old Houses (Jan., Bantam hc, 22.00). 11th in the Home Repair is Homicide series involves the death of an antiquarian book expert. In paper, Trap Door (Dec., Bantam, 6.99).

Martha Grimes, Dakota (Feb., Viking hc, 25.95). In a sequel to Biting the Moon, amnesiac Andi Oliver takes a job on a large North Dakota farm, unaware that men are looking for her and mean to do her harm. In paper, Dust (Dec., Signet, 9.99). Jury.

James Grippando, Last Call (Jan., Harper hc, 24.95). Miami attorney Jack Swyteck tries to help a friend who grew up on the streets and wants to stay away from them. But an ex-con claims to know who killed this friend’s mother years ago. In paper,When Darkness Falls (Dec., Harper, 7.99). Swyteck.

John Grisham, The Appeal (Feb., Doubleday hc, 27.95).

James W. Hall, Hell’s Bay (Feb., St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). The drowning of an aristocratic and wealthy matriarch ignites a spiral of death and crime, a spiral that engulfs Thorn, and surrounds him with people who claim him as one of their own. Who are these people, why do they believe Thorn is related to them, and why is a killer after them all – including Thorn? Signed Copies Available. In paper, Magic City (Feb., St. Martin’s, 6.99).

Rosemary Harris, Pushing Up Daisies (Feb., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). Debut botanical mystery by a certified master gardener and arboretum docent.

Ellen Hart, Mortal Groove (Dec., St. Martin’s hc, 25.95) Jane Lawless’ father is asked to run for governor and old secrets will emerge. In paper, Night Vision (Dec., Griffin, 14.95).

Joe L. Hensley, Snowbird’s Blood (Feb., St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). An elderly couple is in trouble: Martha was on her way to Florida to find a place for her to retire and Cannert to die when she seems to have simply vanished; Cannert, meanwhile, is out of the hospital and looking for her.

Craig Holden, Matala (Jan., Simon & Schuster hc, 22.00). In Italy, a con that two guys try to run on a American woman turns into something unexpected and complicated as a love triangle developes en route to a smuggling scheme. We’re told that it is ‘The Maltese Falcon” by way of The Story of O.” Favorite author of JB’s.

Tom Holland, KIA (Jan., Simon & Schuster hc, 25.00). Dr. Kel McKelvey is trying to verify that the remains just repatriated by the Viet Namese are those of Master Sergeant Jimmy Lee Tenkiller, a Native American soldier who went missing in the chaos of Saigon during the summer of 1970. Strangely, the case begins to show ties to a contemporary series of killings on military bases in Kentucky and Tennessee.

Nairne Holtz, The Skin Beneath (Feb., Insomniac Press tpo, 16.95). Debut novel from a Canadian writer. A woman receives an anonymous postcard stating that her sister’s suicide five years ago in the Chelsea Hotel in NYC was instead murder and tied to a political story that she was investigating.

Charlie Huston, Half the Blood in Brooklyn (Jan., Del Ray tpo, 13.95). As tensions build between the Vampyre Clans, PI Joe Pitt is sent across the East River to probe the death of a blood dealer. 3rd in this series. Favorite author of Janine’s.

Julie Hyzy, The State of the Onion (Jan., Berkley pbo, 7.99). 1st with assistant White House Chef Olivia Paras. Includes recipes for a complete presidential menu.

Roberta Isleib, Preaching to the Corpse (Dec., Berkley pbo, 6.99). 2nd in the Advice Column series.

R.T. Jordan, Final Curtain (Feb., Kensington hc, 22.00). 2nd comic/cozy with TV veteran Polly Pepper. Signing.

Chip Kidd, The Learners (Feb., Scribner hc, 25.00). A first mystery by novelist and noted graphic designer (trust us, you know his work – he did the recent Ellroy reissues amongst others). In 1961, a young college graduate lands his dream job just out of school. The ad agency that hires him is crammed with odd people and odd jobs. Besides holding onto their potato chip account and the new buckle shoe account, the young man is given the job of designing a newspaper ad for a Yale psychology department project. Before he knows it, he is drawn into a kaleidoscope of giant dogs, dispair, chips and shoes, powdered milk, electro-shock and, of course, murder.

Rita Lakin, Getting Old is To Die For (Jan., Dell pbo, 6.99). 4th with Florida’s oldest private eye Gladdy Gold.

John Lescroart, Betrayal (Jan., Dutton hc, 26.95). Dismas Hardy accepts the caseload of another lawyer who disappeared. What at first seems to be some easy work may end up explaining why the attorney vanished. In paper, The Suspect (Jan., Signet, 9.99).

Rett MacPherson, The Blood Ballad (Feb., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). 10th with genealogist Torie O’Shea.

Peg Marberg, Decorated to Death (Feb., Berkley pbo, 6.99). 2nd in this interior decorating series.

Lee Martinez, The Automatic Detective (Feb., Tor tpo, 14.95). Mack Megaton is just your average robot trying to get along with his fellow men. He’s got no plans for World Domination. When one of his neighbors is kidnapped, Mack decides to prove his value by bringing him home.

Susan McBride, Too Pretty to Die (Feb., Avon pbo, 6.99). 5th in the sassy ex-debutante series.

Michael McGarrity, Death Song (Jan., Dutton hc, 24.95). With Chief Kerney set to retire at the end of the month, a double homicide kicks up dust. A Lincoln County deputy sheriff was ambushed and another deputy’s wife was murdered. Kerney unites with his son, Apache Sgt. Clayton Itsee, to work the cases.

Leslie Meier, St. Patrick’s Day Murder (Jan., Kensington hc, 22.00). 13th in the holiday series with Maine housewife and mother Lucy Stone. In paper, Bake Sale Murder (Dec., Kensington, 6.99).

Kaye Morgan, Murder By Numbers (Jan., Berkley pbo, 6.99). 2nd with puzzle master Liza Kelly.

Kate Morgenroth, They Did It With Love (Jan., Plume tpo, 14.00). A family leaves Manhattan for the tranquil life in the Connecticut suburbs only to find the trouble, secrets and crimes are still there, just hidden under the sheen of contentment. The first thing she encounters is the murder of a member of her neighborhood book group – and things go downhill from there. 

Walter Mosley, Diablerie (Jan., Bloomsbury hc, 23.95). A successful man feels hollow in spite of his good fortune. Years before, as an alcoholic, he’d had blackouts and he’s been worried that events from that time would catch up with him. They’re about to. In paper, Killing Johnny Fry (Jan., Bloomsbury, 14.95).

Tamar Myers, As the World Churns (Feb., Obsidian hc, 21.95). 16th Pennsylvania Dutch mystery. Murder at the Hernia Holstein Competition! In paper, Hell Hath No Curry (Jan., Obsidian, 6.99).

Rick Nelson, Bound by Blood (Feb., St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). Debut. New Orleans homicide cop Jack Brenner’s hopes of repairing his marriage are derailed by two cases from his past: a man who once beat him in a high school track meet is gunned down at a pay phone, and a convicted murderer claims to have information about Jack’s cousin’s unsolved murder back in ’72.

Michael Palmer, The First Patient (Feb., St. Martin’s hc, 25.95). Cutting edge medicine with cutting edge politics.

Sara Paretsky, Bleeding Kansas (Jan., Putnam hc, 25.95). The uneasy quiet that has existed in the Kaw River valley since the Civil War years is threatened when a young woman rents an empty farmhouse. She’s a Wiccan and her pagan rites destabilize the area. Sara grew up in this area around Lawrence, a town that has had periods of great violence, both in the days of Quantrill and in the anti-war 1970s, when this story is set. Signed Copies Available. Gretchen recommends.

Robert B. Parker, Stranger in Paradise (Feb., Putnam hc, 25.95). Paradise is in trouble when Apache hit man Crow walks into Jesse Stone’s office and asks for help. Signed Copies Available?

T. Jefferson Parker, L.A. Outlaws (Feb., Dutton hc, 25.95). The LA area is caught up in the growing media circus around a modern-day Robin Hood, the glamorous ‘Allison Murietta’ who stages outrageous heists and then gives away the loot. Rookie Deputy Charlie Hood happens to be on the scene when her latest caper goes wrong and very bloody.  Signed Copies Available. In paper, Storm Runners (Feb., Harper, 7.99). Janine HIGHLY recommends.

James Patterson, 7th Heaven (Feb., Little Brown hc, 27.99). Latest in the Women’s Murder Club.

Cathy Pickens, Hush My Mouth (Feb., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95).  4th Southern Fried mystery. In paper, Hog Wild (Jan., St. Martin’s, 6.99).

Robert J. Randisi, Luck Be a Lady, Don’t Die (Dec., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). 2nd Rat Pack mystery, as the gang comes back to Vegas for the premiere of Ocean’s 11.

Cornelia Read, The Crazy School (Jan., Grand Central hc, 23.99). Maddie Dare (first seen in Field of Darkness, Grand Central, 12.99) has escaped Syracuse by taking a position at an academy for disturbed children. Quickly, she begins to see that the head of the school is as disturbed as the students – and the other teachers follow his lead. Isolated from the outside world, she finds her only allies are some of the rebellious students. Signing?

J.D. Robb, Strangers in Death (Feb., Putnam hc, 25.95), a new novel, AND, in paper, Three in Death (Feb., Berkley pbo, 7.99), a collection of three new short Eve Dallas stories: “Interlude in Death”, “Midnight in Death” and “Haunted in Death”.

Marcus Sakey, At the City’s Edge (Jan., St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). Home from Iraq, Jason Palmer finds Chicago in an uproar from corruption, racial strife, gang warfare and arson. More personal, his brother is murdered and Jason seems to be the only person who can protect his 8 year-old nephew from the killers who are part of the insanity. Janine and Gretchen recommend this author. In paper, The Blade Itself (Dec., St. Martin’s, 6.99). Signing.

Theresa Schwegel, Person of Interest (Dec., St. Martin’s hc, 24.95). An undercover Chicago cop’s wife is tired of her life – he is distracted with his ‘other’ life, their daughter is out of control with a troublesome boyfriend and money is missing from their joint account. Suddenly it all crashes, as the boyfriend is implicated in the cop’s case. A cop novel from the point of view of the wife, from the Edgar Winning author. Signed Copies Available. In paper, Probable Cause (Nov., St. Martin’s, 6.99).

Michelle Scott, Tacked to Death (Feb., Berkley pbo, 6.99). 3rd in the Horse Lovers series.

Lisa Scottoline, Lady Killer (Feb., Harper hc, 25.95). Mary DiNunzio is a big money-maker for her law firm and is used to having things go her way. When Trish Gambone walks into her office, everything spins out of sync: Trish was the head ‘bad girl’ in Mary’s high school and her current boyfriend has become abusive. The problem is he’s a top Philadelphia drug dealer and Mary had a major crush on him in high school. It is a tiny world after all and it gets ugly when Trish vanishes. Signed Copies Available. In paper, Daddy’s Girl (Feb., Harper, 7.99).

April Smith, Judas Horse (Feb., Knopf hc, 23.95). LA FBI Special Agent Ana Grey goes undercover to get inside a radical domestic terrorist group. Once in, she’s alarmed to find that the leader is a former FBI agent who went ‘off the reservation’ in the 70s and is far more dangerous than anyone suspected.

Susan Arnout Smith, The Timer Game (Jan., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). Debut thriller. Years before, Grace suspended her medical training to work in a Guatemala clinic. What happened to her there is something she still will not discuss. But it forced her to hit bottom. Now, five years later and a single mom, she’s a crime scene technician and she’s antagonized the wrong lunatic: he’s kidnapped her daughter and is sending her on a psychotic scavenger hunt to find the girl and to bring Grace to him.

Alexandra Sokoloff, The Price (Feb., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). An ambitious politician’s world is derailed when a tumor is found in his daughter’s stomach. The medical center where she is being treated is odd, at the very least. Some patients are doing miraculously well while others are not, the counselors are strange and then his wife’s appearance begins to change. His daughter improves but the cost is looking steep.

Patricia Sprinkle, What are You Wearing to Die? (Feb., Obsidian pbo, 6.99). 8th in this Southern series with magistrate MacLaren Yarbrough.

James Swain, Midnight Rambler (Dec., Ballantine hc, 24.95). Years ago, Jack Carpenter was a Florida cop who let a case get to him. He beat the crap out of a murder suspect and lost his job and wife. He kept working cases dealing with missing teens as a private cop. The guy who cost him his job is about to get out of jail and Jack is determined to find the evidence to put him back inside forever. The only problem is that the evidence points to a much larger, and more nauseating conspiracy. Something different from Swain’s gambling novels.

Leann Sweeney, Pushing Up Bluebonnets (Jan., Obsidian pbo, 6.99). 5th with Texas adoption PI Abby Rose.  

Pari Noskin Taichert, The Socorro Blast (Jan., Univ. of New Mexico Press hc, 24.95). New Mexico PR pro Sasha Solomon is in town to visit her sister and niece. Her niece is studying explosives at the local tech school. When Sasha’s sister is injured by an exploding mailbox, Sasha sets out to decide if her niece set the device or is being set up.

Steven M. Thomas, Criminal Paradise (Feb., Ballantine hc, 24.95). A relatively honest burglar, Rivers takes down small coastal businesses that are apt to have lots of cash. In one safe, he finds a photo that will take him down a dark path. A darkly comic debut.

Louise Ure, The Fault Tree (Jan., St. Martin’s hc, 23.95). 8 years ago, Arizona mechanic Cadence Moran was blinded in a car accident. Heading home from work one day, she’s nearly run-down by a car. The driver has just killed Moran’s neighbor and now believes Cadence saw the car and can help the police. Signing. Janine recommends and you can bet Fran will too just as soon as she reads it.

Melinda Wells, Killer Mousse (Feb., Berkley pbo, 7.99). 1st in a new culinary series, set at a cooking school in Santa Monica.

Valerie Wilson Wesley, Of Blood and Sorrow (Jan., One World hc, 23.95). In her 8th book, PI Tamara Hayle’s stable present is disrupted by folks from her past.

Stuart Woods, Beverly Hills Dead (Jan., Putnam hc, 25.95). A thriller set in LA during the paranoia of the 1950s.

 

Now in Paperback

Megan Abbott, The Song is You (Feb., Simon & Schuster, 14.00). Janine recommends.

Alex Barclay, Darkhouse (Feb., Dell, 6.99).

Chris Bohjalian, The Double Bind (Feb., Vintage, 14.95).

Lillian Jackson Braun, The Cat Who Had 60 Whiskers (Jan., Jove, 7.99).

Jim Butcher, White Night (Feb., Roc, 7.99).

Jill Churchill, The Accidental Florist (Dec., Harper, 7.99). Jane Jeffrey.

Carol Higgins Clark, Laced (Feb., Pocket, 7.99).

Michael Connelly, The Overlook (Jan., Vision, 6.99). Staff recommend.

Robert Crais, The Watchman (Jan., Pocket, 10.99). Janine recommends.

Deborah Crombie, Water Like a Stone (Jan., Avon, 7.99).

Richard Flanagan, The Unknown Terrorist (Feb., Grove, 14.00). Janine recommends.

Joanne Fluke, Key Lime Pie Murder (Feb., Kensington, 6.99).

Alan Folsom, The Machiavelli Covenant (Jan., St. Martin’s, 9.99). Gretchen recommends.

Patry Francis, The Liar’s Diary (Feb., Plume, 14.00).

Andrew Gross, The Blue Zone (Feb., Harper, 7.99).

Lyn Hamilton, The Chinese Alchemist (Jan., Berkley, 7.99).

Reginald Hill, Death Comes for the Fat Man (Feb., Harper, 7.99).

Tony Hillerman, The Shape Shifter (Jan., Harper, 9.99).

Chuck Hogan, The Killing Moon (Jan., Scribner, 14.00). JB recommends.

Stuart Kaminsky, Always Say Goodbye (Dec., Forge, 13.95). Janine recommends.

Christine Kling, Wrecker’s Key (Dec., Ballantine, 6.99).

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

William Landay, The Strangler (Jan., Bantam, 7.50). Bill recommends.

Robert Littell, Vicious Circle (Dec., Penguin, 14.00).</