Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss
August 2017 MBR The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
0 views
Skip to first unread message
Midwest Book Review
Nov 29, 2017, 10:10:46 PM11/29/17
to
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Only Skein Deep
Maggie Sefton
Berkley Prime Crime
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, 4th floor, New York, NY 10014
9780425282526, $26.00, www.penguin.com
Only Skein Deep adds another knitting-based mystery to Maggie Sefton's series and includes a recipe and a knitting pattern along with an intriguing story of fiber arts crafters, a forthcoming baby, and a young wife who is a social climber. When she's found dead, Kelly and her crew become involved in finding the killer - and all before Kelly's due date. As it becomes clearer that the killer is mentally ill, a race against time ensues in a fine addition to an engrossing series.
Atlanta Noir
Tayari Jones, editor
Akashic Books
232 Third Street, #A115, Brooklyn, NY 11215
www.akashicbooks.com
9781617755378, $15.95, PB, 280pp, www.amazon.com
Akashic Books continues its award-winning series of original noir anthologies with the publication of "Atlanta Noir". Each book in this outstanding series comprises all new stories, each one set in a distinct neighborhood or location within the respective city. Compiled and edited by Tayari Jones, "Atlanta Noir" is comprised of fourteen original noir short stories deftly organized into three major sections: The Devil Went Down to Georgia; Kin Folks & Skin Folks; Nose Wide Open. All of these original and inherently fascinating tales are set in particular city of Atlanta settings ranging from Grant Park, to Cascade Heights, to East Lake Terrace. An absolute 'must' for dedicated mystery fans, and making an enduringly popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that, like all Akashic Books titles in their Noir series, "Atlanta Noir" is also available in a digital book format ($10.30).
Give Up the Dead
Joe Clifford
Oceanview Publishing
595 Bay Isles Road, 120-G, Longboat Key, FL 34228
www.oceanviewpub.com
9781608092048, $26.95, HC, 320pp, www.amazon.com
Three years have passed since estate-clearing handyman Jay Porter almost lost his life following a devastating accident on the thin ice of Echo Lake. His investigative work uncovering a kids-for-cash scandal may have made his hometown of Ashton, New Hampshire, a safer place, but nothing comes without a price. The traumatic, uncredited events cost Jay his wife and his son, and left him with a permanent leg injury. Jay is just putting his life back together when a mysterious stranger stops by with an offer too good to be true: a large sum of cash in exchange for finding a missing teenage boy who may have been abducted by a radical recovery group in the northern New Hampshire wilds. Skeptical of gift horses and weary of reenlisting in the local drug war, Jay passes on the offer. The next day his boss is found beaten and left for dead, painting Jay the main suspect. As clues begin to tie the two cases together, Jay finds himself back on the job and back in the line of fire. Another riveting novel by a master of the noir fiction genre, Joe Clifford's "Give Up The Dead" is the third and latest volume in the outstanding 'Jay Porter Series'. A simply riveting read from first page to last, "Give Up The Dead" is highly recommended and will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "Give Up The Dead" is also available in a digital book format ($9.99).
Death at Gills Rock
Patricia Skalka
University of Wisconsin Press
1930 Monroe Street, Third Floor, Madison, WI 53711-2059
www.uwpress.wisc.edu
9780299304508, $26.95, HC, 248pp, www.amazon.com
Park ranger and former Chicago homicide detective Dave Cubiak is elected Door County sheriff and finds himself confronted with unexpected deaths in the isolated fishing village of Gills Rock. Three prominent World War II veterans who are about to be honored for their military heroics die from carbon monoxide poisoning during a weekly card game. Blame falls to a faulty heater but Cubiak puzzles over details. When one of the widows receives a message claiming the men "got what they deserved," he realizes that there may be more to the deaths than a simple accident. Investigating, Cubiak discovers that the men's veneer of success and respectability hides a trail of lies and betrayal that stems from a single, desperate act of treachery and eventually spreads a web of deceit across the peninsula. Author Patricia Skalka is a master of the genre and in this second book of her outstanding 'Dave Cubiak Door County Mystery Series' has once again penned a simply riveting read with a deftly created story replete with unexpected twists and turns. An absolutely absorbing novel from cover to cover, "Death at Gills Rock" is unreservedly recommended and certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "Death at Gills Rock" is also available in a paperback edition (9780299304546, $16.95) and in a digital book format ($9.49).
Another Man's Ground
Claire Booth
Minotaur Books
c/o St. Martin's Publishing Group
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
www.minotaurbooks.com
9781250084415, $25.99, HC, 320pp, www.amazon.com
Sheriff Hank Worth is called out to look at stands of trees that have been stripped of their bark, which the property owner had planned to harvest for the booming herbal supplement market. At first, Hank easily balances the demands of the investigation with his fledging political career. He was appointed several months earlier to the vacant sheriff position in Branson, Missouri, but he needs to win the fast-approaching election in order to keep his job. He thinks the campaign will go well, as long as he's able to keep secret the fact that a group of undocumented immigrants (hired to cut down the stripped trees) have fled into the forest and he's deliberately not looking for them. But then the discovery of a murder victim deep in the Ozark backwoods sets him in the middle of a generations-old feud that explodes into danger not only for him, but also for the immigrants, his deputies, and his family. He must rush to find a murderer before election day, and protect the vulnerable in Branson County, where politicking is hell and trespassing can get you killed. An original and deftly crafted novel by a true master of the genre, "Another Man's Ground" by Claire Booth is a consistently riveting read from cover to cover. While very highly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "Another Man's Ground" is also available in a digital book format ($12.99).
KNOLL: The Last JFK Conspiracist
Stephen Hillard
SelectBooks, Inc.
87 Walker Street, Suite B1, New York City, NY 10013
www.selectbooks.com
9781590794210, $23.95, HC, 256pp, www.amazon.com
A young protege of Edward Snowden flees the NSA after she learns that her project (KNOLL) is designed to detect and destroy any person with new facts about the conspiracy to assassinate JFK. The project's latest target: a small-town attorney, son of a mysteriously murdered cop, who has just discovered his family's involvement with deceased Mafia Kingpin Carlos Marcello, and the events that day in Dallas. All paths lead to a small Louisiana town that still hides its secrets, and converge on the doorstep of Marcello's still-active savant of assassins. He is unstoppable. His creed: Omerta Is Forever. A deftly crafted and inherently fascinating suspense thriller, "KNOLL: The Last JFK Conspiracist" reveals novelist Stephen Hillard's mastery of the genre and genuine flair for creating an unfailingly entertaining read from cover to cover. While very highly recommended, especially for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "KNOLL: The Last JFK Conspiracist" is also available in a digital book format ($9.99).
Cold Hearted River
Keith McCafferty
Viking Books
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
www.penguin.com
9780525429609, $26.00, HC, 320pp, www.amazon.com
When a woman goes missing in a spring snowstorm and is found dead in a bear's den, Sheriff Martha Ettinger reunites with her once-again lover Sean Stranahan to investigate. In a pannier of the dead woman's horse, they find a wallet of old trout flies, the leather engraved with the initials EH. Only a few days before, Patrick Willoughby, the president of the Madison River Liars and Fly Tiers Club, had been approached by a man selling fishing gear that he claimed once belonged to Ernest Hemingway. A coincidence? Sean doesn't think so, and he soon finds himself on the trail of a stolen trunk rumored to contain not only the famous writer's valuable fly fishing gear but priceless pages of unpublished work. The investigation will take Sean through extraordinary chapters in Hemingway's life. Another superbly crafted mystery by a true master of the genre, "Cold Hearted River" is a consistently compelling and unfailingly entertaining read from cover to cover. While strongly recommended and certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "Cold Hearted River" (the sixth title in Keith McCafferty's outstanding Sean Stranahan Mystery Series) is also available in a digital book format ($12.99).
Ten Dead Comedians
Fred Van Lente
Quirk Books
215 Church Street, Philadelphia PA 19106
www.quirkbooks.com
9781594749742, $24.99, HC, 288pp, www.amazon.com
Nine comedians of various acclaim are summoned to the island retreat of legendary Hollywood funnyman Dustin Walker. The group includes a former late-night TV host, a washed-up improv instructor, a ridiculously wealthy "blue collar" comic, and a past-her-prime Vegas icon. All nine arrive via boat to find that every building on the island is completely deserted. Marooned without cell phone service or wifi signals, they soon find themselves being murdered one by one. But who is doing the killing, and why? A deftly crafted and inherently fascinating 'who done it' novel by a master of the genre, Fred Van Lente's "Ten Dead Comedians" is an ingeniously plotted puzzler with classically unanticipated twist ending. While unreservedly and enthusiastically recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "Ten Dead Comedians" is also available in a paperback edition (9781683690221, $12.99) and in a digital book format ($12.99).
Murder on Black Swan Lane
Andrea Penrose
Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street, Floor 21, New York, NY 10018-2522
www.kensingtonbooks.com
9781496710772, $25.00, HC, 304pp, www.amazon.com
The Earl of Wrexford possesses a brilliant scientific mind, but boredom and pride lead him to reckless behavior. He does not suffer fools gladly. So when pompous, pious Reverend Josiah Holworthy publicly condemns him for debauchery, Wrexford unsheathes his rapier-sharp wit and strikes back. As their war of words escalates, London's most popular satirical cartoonist, A.J. Quill, skewers them both. But then the clergyman is found slain in a church with his face burned by chemicals, his throat slashed ear to ear -- and Wrexford finds himself the chief suspect. An artist in her own right, Charlotte Sloane has secretly slipped into the persona of her late husband, using his nom de plume A.J. Quill. When Wrexford discovers her true identity, she fears it will be her undoing. But he has a proposal -- use her sources to unveil the clergyman's clandestine involvement in questionable scientific practices, and unmask the real murderer. Soon Lord Wrexford and the mysterious Mrs. Sloane plunge into a dangerous shadow world hidden among London's intellectual enclaves to trap a cunning adversary before they fall victim to the next experiment in villainy. A Regency era mystery, "Murder on Black Swan Lane" is an extraordinary and deftly crafted read by a master of the genre, making this simply outstanding novel an unreservedly recommended addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections. For the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs it should be noted that "Murder on Black Swan Lane" is also available in a paperback edition (9781496713346, $15.95) and in a digital book format ($11.99).
Where Dead Men Meet
Mark Mills
Blackstone Publishing
31 Mistletoe Road, Ashland, OR 97520
www.BlackstoneAudio.com
9781504779739, $26.99, HC, 332pp, www.amazon.com
It's Paris in 1937 and Luke Hamilton (a junior air intelligence officer at the British Embassy) finds himself the target of an assassination attempt. This first appears to be simply a case of mistaken identity -- or so it seems. As Luke is hunted across a continent sliding toward war, he comes to learn that the answers lie deep in a past that predates his abandonment as a baby on the steps of an orphanage twenty-five years ago. Set against a terrific backdrop of Europe on the cusp of the Second World War, "Where Dead Men Meet" is a compelling and deftly crafted novel by a master of the genre. Rich in adventure, espionage, secrets, and lies, "Where Dead Men Meet" is a highly entertaining adventure thriller that will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections. For the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs it should be noted that "Where Dead Men Meet" is available in a digital book format ($1.99).
The Paris Spy
Susan Elia MacNeal
Bantam Books
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
www.randomhouse.com
9780399593802, $26.00, HC, 320pp, www.amazon.com
Maggie Hope has come a long way since serving as a typist for Winston Churchill. Now she's working undercover for the Special Operations Executive in the elegant but eerily silent city of Paris, where SS officers prowl the streets in their Mercedes and the Ritz is draped with swastika banners. Walking among the enemy is tense and terrifying, and even though she's disguised in chic Chanel, Maggie can't help longing for home. But her missions come first. Maggie's half sister, Elise, has disappeared after being saved from a concentration camp, and Maggie is desperate to find her -- that is, if Elise even wants to be found. Equally urgent, Churchill is planning the Allied invasion of France, and SOE agent Erica Calvert has been captured, the whereabouts of her vital research regarding Normandy unknown. Maggie must risk her life to penetrate powerful circles and employ all her talents for deception and spycraft to root out a traitor, find her sister, and locate the reports crucial to planning D-Day in a deadly game of wits with the Nazi intelligence elite. "The Paris Spy" is another simply riveting read by a master of the genre and showcases author Susan MacNeal's genuine flair for compelling and deftly crafted storytelling. While unreservedly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Paris Spy" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Dead Certain
Adam Mitzner
Thomas & Mercer
9781477822593, $15.95, PB, 348pp, www.amazon.com
Ella Broden is living a double life. By day, Ella works as a buttoned-up attorney on some of the city's most grueling cases. By night, she pursues her passion for singing in the darkest clubs of Manhattan. No one knows her secret, not even Charlotte, the younger sister she practically raised. But it seems she's not the only one in the family with something to hide. When Charlotte announces she's sold her first novel, Ella couldn't be more thrilled... until she gets a call that her sister's gone missing. Ella starts investigating with the help of Detective Gabriel Velasquez, an old flame in the NYPD, and what she finds is shocking. If art imitates life, then her sister's novel may contain details of her real-life affairs. And any one of her lovers could be involved in her disappearance. Desperate to bring Charlotte home, Ella works through her list of suspects, matching fictitious characters with flesh-and-blood men. But will it be too late to save the sister she only thought she knew? "Dead Certain" is a simply riveting read from beginning to end and clearly reveals author Adam Mitzner as a deftly skilled novelist with an impressive mastery of the mystery suspense genre. While very highly recommended and certain to be a popular addition to community library collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "Dead Certain" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
The Fifth Reflection
Ellen Kirschman
Oceanview Publishing
595 Bay Isles Road, 120-G, Longboat Key, FL 34228
www.oceanviewpub.com
9781608092505, $26.95, HC, 272pp, www.amazon.com
Police psychologist Dr. Dot Meyerhoff is pulled into the vortex of a terrible crime involving an eccentric photographer whose images of nude children make her a prime suspect in the disappearance of her own daughter. The principal investigator in the case is a young officer whose dedication to work and obsession with finding the missing child is tearing his own family apart. Trapped between her allegiance to the investigator, her complicated connections to the photographer, and her unstable relationship with the police chief, Dot must find a way to help everyone involved. As Dot's psychological expertise and determination contribute to solving the mystery, her involvement with the missing child's extended, dysfunctional family brings her face-to-face with painful psychological issues of her own. "The Fifth Reflection" delivers a chilling, up-close look at the psychological strain of investigating Internet crimes against children, the complexities of being married to a cop, and the deadliness of jealousy. A deftly crafted and riveting read from beginning to end, "The Fifth Reflection" clearly reveals author Ellen Kirschman's genuine flair for originality and mastery of the genre. While very highly recommended, especially for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "The Fifth Reflection" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Cast the First Stone
James W. Ziskin
Seventh Street Books
c/o Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228
www.prometheusbooks.com
9781633882812, $15.95, www.seventhstreetbooks.com
Cast the First Stone provides another Ellie Stone mystery in the 2017 Edgar Award-nominated series, and is set in 1962, when one Tony Eberle has just finished his first acting job in a Hollywood movie. A reporter is sent to Los Angeles to interview the upstate small town boy who made a name for himself, but when Ellie arrives in town, it's only to find that the subject of her report has vanished. Now she's involved in not just a search for him, but a search for the truth that uncovers the seedier side of Hollywood and some dangerous actors who would do anything for success - even murder. A powerful story evolves, steeped in the evocative atmosphere of Hollywood drama.
Berkley Prime Crime
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
www.us.penguingroup.com
Two excellent new books are recommended picks for mystery readers who especially enjoy a literary approach to their mystery reads. Kate Carlisle's Once Upon A Spine (9780451477729, $25.00) provides a new addition to the 'Bibliophile Mystery' series, exploring a San Francisco bookbinder's move from the world of rare books to the atmosphere of murder. Protagonist Brooklyn's future in-laws are coming from England to meet her, just as she and her fiance become embroiled in a threat to their neighborhood's atmosphere. A rare book, petty thefts, and a dead juice bar owner contribute to a series of events that threaten more than atmosphere, and which are intrinsically tied to rare books. Lorna Barrett's A Just Clause (9780399585913, $26.00) tells of Tricia and Angelica, who receive a shocking visitor from the past which engages the bookstore owner and sleuth in a family conflict and a crime. Is her father really a murderer as well as a con man, and who can Tricia trust? Add a thriller author's involvement and the plot thickens, resting heavily on book themes as it evolves a satisfying twist mystery fans will relish.
The Irrationalist
Andrew Pessin
www.andrewpessin.com
Open Books
www.open-bks.com
9780998427447 $19.95 pbk / $8.99 Kindle amazon.com
Synopsis: Who would want to murder the world's most famous philosopher? Turns out: nearly everyone.
In 1649, Descartes was invited by the Queen of Sweden to become her Court Philosopher. Though he was the world's leading philosopher, his life had by this point fallen apart. He was 53, penniless, living in exile in the United Provinces, alone. With much trepidation but not much choice, he arrived in Stockholm in mid-October.
Shortly thereafter he was dead.
Enter Adrien Baillet. A likeable misfit with a mysterious backstory, he arrives just as the French Ambassador desperately needs an impartial Frenchman to prove that Descartes died of natural causes.
But solving the mystery of Descartes's death (Baillet soon learns) requires first solving the mystery of Descartes's life, with all its dangerous secrets ... None of it is easy, as nearly everyone is a suspect and no one can be trusted.
Critique: A historical fiction whodunnit based on the storied life and death of master mathematician Rene Descartes (1596-1650), The Irrationalist draws the reader into the world of the 17th century (in the middle of the Thirty Years War, no less). Sharply written, with twists, turns, and tangled cast of people harboring deadly secrets, The Irrationalist is a "must-read" for connoisseurs of historical mysteries, highly recommended. It should be noted for personal reading lists that The Irrationalist is also available in a Kindle edition ($8.99).
The Fourth Pularchek
Samuel Marquis
Mount Sopris Publishing
9781943593156, $14.99, PB, 294pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: In "The Fourth Pularchek", Nick Lassiter and femme fatal Italian assassin Skyler quickly become embroiled in an international case involving Lassiter's newly discovered biological father, the Polish billionaire and intelligence commander Stanislaw Pularchek, and buried secrets from Europe's World War II past. Their perilous journey takes them from the American capitol to the streets of Warsaw to the murderous gates of Auschwitz to the salt mines and snow-dusted mountain peaks of Austria. But can Lassiter, his adoptive father Brewbaker of the CIA, and his Polish biological father Pularchek work together as a team, and are they prepared for the consequences of stirring up the past? Furthermore, will Skyler be brought to justice for her multiple killings on U.S soil, or will she escape yet again?
Critique: This is the third book in the author Nick Lassiter-Skyler's outstanding 'International Espionage Series', "The Fourth Pularchek" is still another riveting novel by a master of the genre and very highly recommended, especially for community library Suspense/Thriller fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Fourth Pularchek" is also available in a digital book format ($3.99).
One In A Million
Tony Faggioli
Atticus Creative, Inc.
www.tonyfaggioli.com
9780997897401, $10.99, PB, 372pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Kyle Fasano has it all: a loving wife, two children and a house on the hill. Still, for one night, it's not enough. Risking everything, he has a fling with a woman from the office. He knows better, but she offers a simple temptation.
Napoleon Villa has very little: No real family or home. A veteran detective for the LAPD, he is a gray wolf in an ever darkening world. When the call comes in that a young woman has plummeted to her death at the Los Angeles Hilton, it seems like just another case.
Both are running from something: Fleeing his affair at the Hilton, Kyle runs into a stranger dressed in gray, with heavenly powers, who tells him something he never expected to hear. In order to save his soul, he must now prevent his first love, who he hasn't seen in over twenty years, from making the same mistake he has. For Napoleon, it all comes down to a case long closed, but forever open in his mind, of a child murderer that he failed to stop in time.
And both are on a collision course: As he runs from the law with everything to lose while being pursued by a detective from East L.A. with nothing to lose, Kyle Fasano is about to learn that with every choice there are consequences. Sometimes there can be hell to pay. Literally.
Critique: Original, absorbing, exceptional, and a thoroughly entertaining read from beginning to end, "One In A Million" is the first volume of author Tony Faggioli's three volume supernatural thriller series 'The Millionth Trilogy'. "One In A Million" is a compelling novel that is very highly recommended for community library Paranormal Fiction collections. Also very highly recommended is the second volume of this outstanding series "A Million To One" (9780997897432, $10.99, PB), as well as the third and concluding volume "One Plus One" (9780997897432, $10.99, PB). It should be noted for personal reading lists that all three volumes are also available in a digital book format ($5.99 each).
EDITOR'S NOTE:
The Midwest Book Review is an organization of volunteers committed to promoting literacy, library usage, and small press publishing. We accept no funds from authors or publishers. Full permission is given to post any of these reviews on thematically appropriate websites, newsgroups, listserves, internet discussion groups, organizational newsletters, or to interested individuals. Please give the Midwest Book Review a credit line when doing so.
The Midwest Book Review publishes the monthly book review magazines "California Bookwatch", "Internet Bookwatch", "Children's Bookwatch", "MBR Bookwatch", "Reviewer's Bookwatch", and "Small Press Bookwatch". All are available for free on the Midwest Book Review website at
www.midwestbookreview.com
Anyone wanting to submit books for review consideration can send them to:
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
To submit reviews of any fiction or non-fiction books, email them to MWBOOKREVW (at) AOL (dot) COM (Be sure to include the book title, author, publisher, publisher address, publisher website/phone number, 13-digit ISBN number, and list price).
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
Only Skein Deep
Maggie Sefton
Berkley Prime Crime
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, 4th floor, New York, NY 10014
9780425282526, $26.00, www.penguin.com
Only Skein Deep adds another knitting-based mystery to Maggie Sefton's series and includes a recipe and a knitting pattern along with an intriguing story of fiber arts crafters, a forthcoming baby, and a young wife who is a social climber. When she's found dead, Kelly and her crew become involved in finding the killer - and all before Kelly's due date. As it becomes clearer that the killer is mentally ill, a race against time ensues in a fine addition to an engrossing series.
Atlanta Noir
Tayari Jones, editor
Akashic Books
232 Third Street, #A115, Brooklyn, NY 11215
www.akashicbooks.com
9781617755378, $15.95, PB, 280pp, www.amazon.com
Akashic Books continues its award-winning series of original noir anthologies with the publication of "Atlanta Noir". Each book in this outstanding series comprises all new stories, each one set in a distinct neighborhood or location within the respective city. Compiled and edited by Tayari Jones, "Atlanta Noir" is comprised of fourteen original noir short stories deftly organized into three major sections: The Devil Went Down to Georgia; Kin Folks & Skin Folks; Nose Wide Open. All of these original and inherently fascinating tales are set in particular city of Atlanta settings ranging from Grant Park, to Cascade Heights, to East Lake Terrace. An absolute 'must' for dedicated mystery fans, and making an enduringly popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that, like all Akashic Books titles in their Noir series, "Atlanta Noir" is also available in a digital book format ($10.30).
Give Up the Dead
Joe Clifford
Oceanview Publishing
595 Bay Isles Road, 120-G, Longboat Key, FL 34228
www.oceanviewpub.com
9781608092048, $26.95, HC, 320pp, www.amazon.com
Three years have passed since estate-clearing handyman Jay Porter almost lost his life following a devastating accident on the thin ice of Echo Lake. His investigative work uncovering a kids-for-cash scandal may have made his hometown of Ashton, New Hampshire, a safer place, but nothing comes without a price. The traumatic, uncredited events cost Jay his wife and his son, and left him with a permanent leg injury. Jay is just putting his life back together when a mysterious stranger stops by with an offer too good to be true: a large sum of cash in exchange for finding a missing teenage boy who may have been abducted by a radical recovery group in the northern New Hampshire wilds. Skeptical of gift horses and weary of reenlisting in the local drug war, Jay passes on the offer. The next day his boss is found beaten and left for dead, painting Jay the main suspect. As clues begin to tie the two cases together, Jay finds himself back on the job and back in the line of fire. Another riveting novel by a master of the noir fiction genre, Joe Clifford's "Give Up The Dead" is the third and latest volume in the outstanding 'Jay Porter Series'. A simply riveting read from first page to last, "Give Up The Dead" is highly recommended and will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "Give Up The Dead" is also available in a digital book format ($9.99).
Death at Gills Rock
Patricia Skalka
University of Wisconsin Press
1930 Monroe Street, Third Floor, Madison, WI 53711-2059
www.uwpress.wisc.edu
9780299304508, $26.95, HC, 248pp, www.amazon.com
Park ranger and former Chicago homicide detective Dave Cubiak is elected Door County sheriff and finds himself confronted with unexpected deaths in the isolated fishing village of Gills Rock. Three prominent World War II veterans who are about to be honored for their military heroics die from carbon monoxide poisoning during a weekly card game. Blame falls to a faulty heater but Cubiak puzzles over details. When one of the widows receives a message claiming the men "got what they deserved," he realizes that there may be more to the deaths than a simple accident. Investigating, Cubiak discovers that the men's veneer of success and respectability hides a trail of lies and betrayal that stems from a single, desperate act of treachery and eventually spreads a web of deceit across the peninsula. Author Patricia Skalka is a master of the genre and in this second book of her outstanding 'Dave Cubiak Door County Mystery Series' has once again penned a simply riveting read with a deftly created story replete with unexpected twists and turns. An absolutely absorbing novel from cover to cover, "Death at Gills Rock" is unreservedly recommended and certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "Death at Gills Rock" is also available in a paperback edition (9780299304546, $16.95) and in a digital book format ($9.49).
Another Man's Ground
Claire Booth
Minotaur Books
c/o St. Martin's Publishing Group
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
www.minotaurbooks.com
9781250084415, $25.99, HC, 320pp, www.amazon.com
Sheriff Hank Worth is called out to look at stands of trees that have been stripped of their bark, which the property owner had planned to harvest for the booming herbal supplement market. At first, Hank easily balances the demands of the investigation with his fledging political career. He was appointed several months earlier to the vacant sheriff position in Branson, Missouri, but he needs to win the fast-approaching election in order to keep his job. He thinks the campaign will go well, as long as he's able to keep secret the fact that a group of undocumented immigrants (hired to cut down the stripped trees) have fled into the forest and he's deliberately not looking for them. But then the discovery of a murder victim deep in the Ozark backwoods sets him in the middle of a generations-old feud that explodes into danger not only for him, but also for the immigrants, his deputies, and his family. He must rush to find a murderer before election day, and protect the vulnerable in Branson County, where politicking is hell and trespassing can get you killed. An original and deftly crafted novel by a true master of the genre, "Another Man's Ground" by Claire Booth is a consistently riveting read from cover to cover. While very highly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "Another Man's Ground" is also available in a digital book format ($12.99).
KNOLL: The Last JFK Conspiracist
Stephen Hillard
SelectBooks, Inc.
87 Walker Street, Suite B1, New York City, NY 10013
www.selectbooks.com
9781590794210, $23.95, HC, 256pp, www.amazon.com
A young protege of Edward Snowden flees the NSA after she learns that her project (KNOLL) is designed to detect and destroy any person with new facts about the conspiracy to assassinate JFK. The project's latest target: a small-town attorney, son of a mysteriously murdered cop, who has just discovered his family's involvement with deceased Mafia Kingpin Carlos Marcello, and the events that day in Dallas. All paths lead to a small Louisiana town that still hides its secrets, and converge on the doorstep of Marcello's still-active savant of assassins. He is unstoppable. His creed: Omerta Is Forever. A deftly crafted and inherently fascinating suspense thriller, "KNOLL: The Last JFK Conspiracist" reveals novelist Stephen Hillard's mastery of the genre and genuine flair for creating an unfailingly entertaining read from cover to cover. While very highly recommended, especially for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "KNOLL: The Last JFK Conspiracist" is also available in a digital book format ($9.99).
Cold Hearted River
Keith McCafferty
Viking Books
c/o Penguin Group USA
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
www.penguin.com
9780525429609, $26.00, HC, 320pp, www.amazon.com
When a woman goes missing in a spring snowstorm and is found dead in a bear's den, Sheriff Martha Ettinger reunites with her once-again lover Sean Stranahan to investigate. In a pannier of the dead woman's horse, they find a wallet of old trout flies, the leather engraved with the initials EH. Only a few days before, Patrick Willoughby, the president of the Madison River Liars and Fly Tiers Club, had been approached by a man selling fishing gear that he claimed once belonged to Ernest Hemingway. A coincidence? Sean doesn't think so, and he soon finds himself on the trail of a stolen trunk rumored to contain not only the famous writer's valuable fly fishing gear but priceless pages of unpublished work. The investigation will take Sean through extraordinary chapters in Hemingway's life. Another superbly crafted mystery by a true master of the genre, "Cold Hearted River" is a consistently compelling and unfailingly entertaining read from cover to cover. While strongly recommended and certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "Cold Hearted River" (the sixth title in Keith McCafferty's outstanding Sean Stranahan Mystery Series) is also available in a digital book format ($12.99).
Ten Dead Comedians
Fred Van Lente
Quirk Books
215 Church Street, Philadelphia PA 19106
www.quirkbooks.com
9781594749742, $24.99, HC, 288pp, www.amazon.com
Nine comedians of various acclaim are summoned to the island retreat of legendary Hollywood funnyman Dustin Walker. The group includes a former late-night TV host, a washed-up improv instructor, a ridiculously wealthy "blue collar" comic, and a past-her-prime Vegas icon. All nine arrive via boat to find that every building on the island is completely deserted. Marooned without cell phone service or wifi signals, they soon find themselves being murdered one by one. But who is doing the killing, and why? A deftly crafted and inherently fascinating 'who done it' novel by a master of the genre, Fred Van Lente's "Ten Dead Comedians" is an ingeniously plotted puzzler with classically unanticipated twist ending. While unreservedly and enthusiastically recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "Ten Dead Comedians" is also available in a paperback edition (9781683690221, $12.99) and in a digital book format ($12.99).
Murder on Black Swan Lane
Andrea Penrose
Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street, Floor 21, New York, NY 10018-2522
www.kensingtonbooks.com
9781496710772, $25.00, HC, 304pp, www.amazon.com
The Earl of Wrexford possesses a brilliant scientific mind, but boredom and pride lead him to reckless behavior. He does not suffer fools gladly. So when pompous, pious Reverend Josiah Holworthy publicly condemns him for debauchery, Wrexford unsheathes his rapier-sharp wit and strikes back. As their war of words escalates, London's most popular satirical cartoonist, A.J. Quill, skewers them both. But then the clergyman is found slain in a church with his face burned by chemicals, his throat slashed ear to ear -- and Wrexford finds himself the chief suspect. An artist in her own right, Charlotte Sloane has secretly slipped into the persona of her late husband, using his nom de plume A.J. Quill. When Wrexford discovers her true identity, she fears it will be her undoing. But he has a proposal -- use her sources to unveil the clergyman's clandestine involvement in questionable scientific practices, and unmask the real murderer. Soon Lord Wrexford and the mysterious Mrs. Sloane plunge into a dangerous shadow world hidden among London's intellectual enclaves to trap a cunning adversary before they fall victim to the next experiment in villainy. A Regency era mystery, "Murder on Black Swan Lane" is an extraordinary and deftly crafted read by a master of the genre, making this simply outstanding novel an unreservedly recommended addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections. For the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs it should be noted that "Murder on Black Swan Lane" is also available in a paperback edition (9781496713346, $15.95) and in a digital book format ($11.99).
Where Dead Men Meet
Mark Mills
Blackstone Publishing
31 Mistletoe Road, Ashland, OR 97520
www.BlackstoneAudio.com
9781504779739, $26.99, HC, 332pp, www.amazon.com
It's Paris in 1937 and Luke Hamilton (a junior air intelligence officer at the British Embassy) finds himself the target of an assassination attempt. This first appears to be simply a case of mistaken identity -- or so it seems. As Luke is hunted across a continent sliding toward war, he comes to learn that the answers lie deep in a past that predates his abandonment as a baby on the steps of an orphanage twenty-five years ago. Set against a terrific backdrop of Europe on the cusp of the Second World War, "Where Dead Men Meet" is a compelling and deftly crafted novel by a master of the genre. Rich in adventure, espionage, secrets, and lies, "Where Dead Men Meet" is a highly entertaining adventure thriller that will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections. For the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs it should be noted that "Where Dead Men Meet" is available in a digital book format ($1.99).
The Paris Spy
Susan Elia MacNeal
Bantam Books
c/o The Random House Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
www.randomhouse.com
9780399593802, $26.00, HC, 320pp, www.amazon.com
Maggie Hope has come a long way since serving as a typist for Winston Churchill. Now she's working undercover for the Special Operations Executive in the elegant but eerily silent city of Paris, where SS officers prowl the streets in their Mercedes and the Ritz is draped with swastika banners. Walking among the enemy is tense and terrifying, and even though she's disguised in chic Chanel, Maggie can't help longing for home. But her missions come first. Maggie's half sister, Elise, has disappeared after being saved from a concentration camp, and Maggie is desperate to find her -- that is, if Elise even wants to be found. Equally urgent, Churchill is planning the Allied invasion of France, and SOE agent Erica Calvert has been captured, the whereabouts of her vital research regarding Normandy unknown. Maggie must risk her life to penetrate powerful circles and employ all her talents for deception and spycraft to root out a traitor, find her sister, and locate the reports crucial to planning D-Day in a deadly game of wits with the Nazi intelligence elite. "The Paris Spy" is another simply riveting read by a master of the genre and showcases author Susan MacNeal's genuine flair for compelling and deftly crafted storytelling. While unreservedly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Paris Spy" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Dead Certain
Adam Mitzner
Thomas & Mercer
9781477822593, $15.95, PB, 348pp, www.amazon.com
Ella Broden is living a double life. By day, Ella works as a buttoned-up attorney on some of the city's most grueling cases. By night, she pursues her passion for singing in the darkest clubs of Manhattan. No one knows her secret, not even Charlotte, the younger sister she practically raised. But it seems she's not the only one in the family with something to hide. When Charlotte announces she's sold her first novel, Ella couldn't be more thrilled... until she gets a call that her sister's gone missing. Ella starts investigating with the help of Detective Gabriel Velasquez, an old flame in the NYPD, and what she finds is shocking. If art imitates life, then her sister's novel may contain details of her real-life affairs. And any one of her lovers could be involved in her disappearance. Desperate to bring Charlotte home, Ella works through her list of suspects, matching fictitious characters with flesh-and-blood men. But will it be too late to save the sister she only thought she knew? "Dead Certain" is a simply riveting read from beginning to end and clearly reveals author Adam Mitzner as a deftly skilled novelist with an impressive mastery of the mystery suspense genre. While very highly recommended and certain to be a popular addition to community library collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "Dead Certain" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
The Fifth Reflection
Ellen Kirschman
Oceanview Publishing
595 Bay Isles Road, 120-G, Longboat Key, FL 34228
www.oceanviewpub.com
9781608092505, $26.95, HC, 272pp, www.amazon.com
Police psychologist Dr. Dot Meyerhoff is pulled into the vortex of a terrible crime involving an eccentric photographer whose images of nude children make her a prime suspect in the disappearance of her own daughter. The principal investigator in the case is a young officer whose dedication to work and obsession with finding the missing child is tearing his own family apart. Trapped between her allegiance to the investigator, her complicated connections to the photographer, and her unstable relationship with the police chief, Dot must find a way to help everyone involved. As Dot's psychological expertise and determination contribute to solving the mystery, her involvement with the missing child's extended, dysfunctional family brings her face-to-face with painful psychological issues of her own. "The Fifth Reflection" delivers a chilling, up-close look at the psychological strain of investigating Internet crimes against children, the complexities of being married to a cop, and the deadliness of jealousy. A deftly crafted and riveting read from beginning to end, "The Fifth Reflection" clearly reveals author Ellen Kirschman's genuine flair for originality and mastery of the genre. While very highly recommended, especially for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated mystery buffs that "The Fifth Reflection" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Cast the First Stone
James W. Ziskin
Seventh Street Books
c/o Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228
www.prometheusbooks.com
9781633882812, $15.95, www.seventhstreetbooks.com
Cast the First Stone provides another Ellie Stone mystery in the 2017 Edgar Award-nominated series, and is set in 1962, when one Tony Eberle has just finished his first acting job in a Hollywood movie. A reporter is sent to Los Angeles to interview the upstate small town boy who made a name for himself, but when Ellie arrives in town, it's only to find that the subject of her report has vanished. Now she's involved in not just a search for him, but a search for the truth that uncovers the seedier side of Hollywood and some dangerous actors who would do anything for success - even murder. A powerful story evolves, steeped in the evocative atmosphere of Hollywood drama.
Berkley Prime Crime
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
www.us.penguingroup.com
Two excellent new books are recommended picks for mystery readers who especially enjoy a literary approach to their mystery reads. Kate Carlisle's Once Upon A Spine (9780451477729, $25.00) provides a new addition to the 'Bibliophile Mystery' series, exploring a San Francisco bookbinder's move from the world of rare books to the atmosphere of murder. Protagonist Brooklyn's future in-laws are coming from England to meet her, just as she and her fiance become embroiled in a threat to their neighborhood's atmosphere. A rare book, petty thefts, and a dead juice bar owner contribute to a series of events that threaten more than atmosphere, and which are intrinsically tied to rare books. Lorna Barrett's A Just Clause (9780399585913, $26.00) tells of Tricia and Angelica, who receive a shocking visitor from the past which engages the bookstore owner and sleuth in a family conflict and a crime. Is her father really a murderer as well as a con man, and who can Tricia trust? Add a thriller author's involvement and the plot thickens, resting heavily on book themes as it evolves a satisfying twist mystery fans will relish.
The Irrationalist
Andrew Pessin
www.andrewpessin.com
Open Books
www.open-bks.com
9780998427447 $19.95 pbk / $8.99 Kindle amazon.com
Synopsis: Who would want to murder the world's most famous philosopher? Turns out: nearly everyone.
In 1649, Descartes was invited by the Queen of Sweden to become her Court Philosopher. Though he was the world's leading philosopher, his life had by this point fallen apart. He was 53, penniless, living in exile in the United Provinces, alone. With much trepidation but not much choice, he arrived in Stockholm in mid-October.
Shortly thereafter he was dead.
Enter Adrien Baillet. A likeable misfit with a mysterious backstory, he arrives just as the French Ambassador desperately needs an impartial Frenchman to prove that Descartes died of natural causes.
But solving the mystery of Descartes's death (Baillet soon learns) requires first solving the mystery of Descartes's life, with all its dangerous secrets ... None of it is easy, as nearly everyone is a suspect and no one can be trusted.
Critique: A historical fiction whodunnit based on the storied life and death of master mathematician Rene Descartes (1596-1650), The Irrationalist draws the reader into the world of the 17th century (in the middle of the Thirty Years War, no less). Sharply written, with twists, turns, and tangled cast of people harboring deadly secrets, The Irrationalist is a "must-read" for connoisseurs of historical mysteries, highly recommended. It should be noted for personal reading lists that The Irrationalist is also available in a Kindle edition ($8.99).
The Fourth Pularchek
Samuel Marquis
Mount Sopris Publishing
9781943593156, $14.99, PB, 294pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: In "The Fourth Pularchek", Nick Lassiter and femme fatal Italian assassin Skyler quickly become embroiled in an international case involving Lassiter's newly discovered biological father, the Polish billionaire and intelligence commander Stanislaw Pularchek, and buried secrets from Europe's World War II past. Their perilous journey takes them from the American capitol to the streets of Warsaw to the murderous gates of Auschwitz to the salt mines and snow-dusted mountain peaks of Austria. But can Lassiter, his adoptive father Brewbaker of the CIA, and his Polish biological father Pularchek work together as a team, and are they prepared for the consequences of stirring up the past? Furthermore, will Skyler be brought to justice for her multiple killings on U.S soil, or will she escape yet again?
Critique: This is the third book in the author Nick Lassiter-Skyler's outstanding 'International Espionage Series', "The Fourth Pularchek" is still another riveting novel by a master of the genre and very highly recommended, especially for community library Suspense/Thriller fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Fourth Pularchek" is also available in a digital book format ($3.99).
One In A Million
Tony Faggioli
Atticus Creative, Inc.
www.tonyfaggioli.com
9780997897401, $10.99, PB, 372pp, www.amazon.com
Synopsis: Kyle Fasano has it all: a loving wife, two children and a house on the hill. Still, for one night, it's not enough. Risking everything, he has a fling with a woman from the office. He knows better, but she offers a simple temptation.
Napoleon Villa has very little: No real family or home. A veteran detective for the LAPD, he is a gray wolf in an ever darkening world. When the call comes in that a young woman has plummeted to her death at the Los Angeles Hilton, it seems like just another case.
Both are running from something: Fleeing his affair at the Hilton, Kyle runs into a stranger dressed in gray, with heavenly powers, who tells him something he never expected to hear. In order to save his soul, he must now prevent his first love, who he hasn't seen in over twenty years, from making the same mistake he has. For Napoleon, it all comes down to a case long closed, but forever open in his mind, of a child murderer that he failed to stop in time.
And both are on a collision course: As he runs from the law with everything to lose while being pursued by a detective from East L.A. with nothing to lose, Kyle Fasano is about to learn that with every choice there are consequences. Sometimes there can be hell to pay. Literally.
Critique: Original, absorbing, exceptional, and a thoroughly entertaining read from beginning to end, "One In A Million" is the first volume of author Tony Faggioli's three volume supernatural thriller series 'The Millionth Trilogy'. "One In A Million" is a compelling novel that is very highly recommended for community library Paranormal Fiction collections. Also very highly recommended is the second volume of this outstanding series "A Million To One" (9780997897432, $10.99, PB), as well as the third and concluding volume "One Plus One" (9780997897432, $10.99, PB). It should be noted for personal reading lists that all three volumes are also available in a digital book format ($5.99 each).
EDITOR'S NOTE:
The Midwest Book Review is an organization of volunteers committed to promoting literacy, library usage, and small press publishing. We accept no funds from authors or publishers. Full permission is given to post any of these reviews on thematically appropriate websites, newsgroups, listserves, internet discussion groups, organizational newsletters, or to interested individuals. Please give the Midwest Book Review a credit line when doing so.
The Midwest Book Review publishes the monthly book review magazines "California Bookwatch", "Internet Bookwatch", "Children's Bookwatch", "MBR Bookwatch", "Reviewer's Bookwatch", and "Small Press Bookwatch". All are available for free on the Midwest Book Review website at
www.midwestbookreview.com
Anyone wanting to submit books for review consideration can send them to:
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
To submit reviews of any fiction or non-fiction books, email them to MWBOOKREVW (at) AOL (dot) COM (Be sure to include the book title, author, publisher, publisher address, publisher website/phone number, 13-digit ISBN number, and list price).
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
0 new messages