Climb into Precious Ramotswe's little white van and be carried into the charmingly traditional, yet changing, land of Botswana in Alexander McCall Smith's latest No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency mystery.

A large hooded cobra isn't the only alarming thing to find its way into the tiny office of Precious Ramotswe and her newly-engaged-to-be-married assistant, Grace Makutsi. A student suspects a superior of pilfering food, a young nurse is witness to fraud, there's a paralyzing feeling of dread that's come over everyone at the Mokolodi game reserve, and Aunty Emang, the local paper's new advice columnist, may be dispensing more than words to live by. However, armed with a copy of Clovis Andersen's Principles of Private Detection, a generous helping of common sense, and a hot cup of bush tea, there isn't much Mma Ramotswe can't handle.

Smith again presents a light, entertaining story that flows with affection for the people and land of Botswana. The mysteries presented are lightweight vehicles in which to follow Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi about their business--no blood, no bodies.

Precious Ramotswe, sensible and balanced--except on matters regarding her "traditional build" or her little white van--continues to embrace an ever-growing audience within her substantial arms as this delightful series continues.

In Carolyn Haines' Bones to Pick, her sixth series novel with a supernatural tinge, the vivacious Sarah Booth Delaney, Mississippi belle and partner in a detective agency, returns to the scene of crime. Loss haunts Sarah Booth's Delta town, as murder and unresolved romance challenge her skills of detection and affection. In addition, Dahlia House, the plantation that Sarah Booth has inherited, is haunted by Jitty, a ghost who functions as a sort of parent-figure and/or superego for Sarah Booth.

Sarah Booth's newest case involves the death of a home-town author who, accompanied by her female lover, has returned to town to do a reading at the local bookstore. Unfortunately, the book is a threat to many of the locals because it exposes dark family secrets, and so it is not entirely surprising when the author is killed. What makes no sense, however, is the arrest of the author's loving partner. Sarah Booth is hired to pinpoint the real killer and links the murder with other deaths that have been deemed accidental. The commonality is that each death has been preceded by a note admonishing its recipient to refrain from some sort of objectionable behavior. Luckily, Sarah Booth pieces clues together and simultaneously resurrects her stalled relationship with the man she loves.

Haines mixes all of these ingredients to yield a potent, and very readable, concoction of mysterious elements that will make you glad you are an honorary citizen of the Mississippi Delta.

Following on the heels (or paws, as the case may be) of Cat in a Hot Pink Pursuit, Carole Nelson Douglas presents Cat in a Quicksilver Caper, the eighteenth entry in her highly entertaining series featuring sexy Temple Barr and her opinionated feline companion-detective, Midnight Louie. Set in Las Vegas amidst glitz and grit, this series provides romance and crime in equal measures. In this one, Temple Barr equivocates in accepting the advances of several lovers, one of whom has offered marriage and the other of whom is attractive but employed in questionable practices. Ultimately, her choice is decided by circumstance, but you'll need to finish the book to find out who and how.

Meanwhile, there's a crime to be solved, and that's where Midnight Louie comes into the picture. This hardboiled PI with a tough-guy approach perfectly counterbalances the softer elements of the book featuring Temple. In intermittent chapters that shift narrative viewpoint, Louie tells it as he sees it, from his unique feline vantage point. When a body appears at a museum opening in a casino where Temple is doing public relations work, Midnight Louie investigates by doing his own snooping. As an undercover investigator, Louie is unparalleled, solving the crime--at least in his own eyes.

Cat in a Quicksilver Caper is another insuperable genre-bending Carole Nelson Douglas spoof that, with a twist of the postmodern, cleverly incorporates elements of multiple genres while parodying them. If you're looking for entertainment, look no further: Midnight Louie is back.

Before he became a bestselling novelist, Michael Connelly was a newspaper crime reporter for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and the Los Angeles Times. This collection, first published in 2004 by Steven C. Vascik as Crime Beat: Selected Journalism 1984-1992, is now directed to a larger audience with a new subtitle.

A compilation of news stories, whoever the author, may seem a dubious candidate for book publication, but this volume makes riveting reading. A great storyteller is a great storyteller, and outstanding true crime writing can be immediate as well as reflective.

The book is divided into three parts, depending on the story's emphasis: The Cops, The Killers, and The Cases. The stories appear in their original form, with occasional notes on later outcomes appended. Where several stories concern a single case, basic facts are repeated to bring the original daily reader up to speed. Nearly every piece has the kind of fascinating elements that with a tweak here and there, could be molded into fiction: an LAPD unit concerns itself with getting foreign nationals who commit crimes in the United States prosecuted in their own countries; a cross-country serial killer claims young female victims in Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Nevada; an inept ring of killers for hire subtly advertise their services in the magazine Soldiers of Fortune; a career criminal known to be dangerous evades substantial prison time until he finally commits murder; a killer is charged and convicted but the victim's identity remains a mystery.

Connelly's abilities as a writer and his professional standards as a journalist may best be illustrated by a Los Angeles case followed in eight articles over two and a half years. In February 1990, members of the LAPD's secret Special Investigations Section, charged with getting the goods on serial offenders, watched a group of four men break into a McDonald's, where they robbed the manager at gunpoint. When the gang left the restaurant and got into their car, the officers opened fire, killing three and wounding the fourth. The police claimed one of the robbers had pointed a gun at them. The one survivor and relatives of the decedents brought a federal civil-rights suit against the police, alleging that the robbers had put their weapons in the trunk of the car and were in fact unarmed. The case introduced a wealth of legal, moral, and evidentiary issues. Were the police justified in waiting until after the robbery was over to attempt an arrest? Could an FBI agent investigating the SIS be subpoenaed to testify in the trial? Would the robbers have threatened the police with a shootout when the weapons they carried were actually unloaded pellet guns? In best reportorial fashion, Connelly gives all sides of each question full expression. If he has an opinion on the merits, he doesn't express it overtly but may imply it by the order in which he presents the facts.

The book begins with an autobiographical introduction in which Connelly traces the beginnings of his interest in crime and police work. It ends with an afterword by Michael Carlson about Connelly's development from reporter to novelist. The roles are not all that different.

The disappearance of Lincoln Bowe, controversial Republican ex-senator, sends shock waves straight to the heart of Washington power: the Oval Office. Chief of Staff Bill Danzig immediately calls in his consultant on matters of extreme partisan intrigue: Jake Winters, a bureaucracy maven with keen investigative skill and absolute discretion.

Finding Bowe is anything but routine. The convolutions of political interests and cover-ups are thick with potential incrimination. For one, Bowe's arch political rival Governor Arlo Goodman has surrounded himself with "Watchmen," his volunteer militia. Did the governor have Bowe silenced after his public insults?

Jake is captivated when he meets Bowe's beautiful wife Madison for an interview. But that doesn't mean he can't recognize her lies. More mixed feelings flare up when he learns she hasn't been intimate with her husband in years and that the reason, hubby's alternative preferences, is germane to the investigation. And, then, the senator's body shows up burned and headless, barb-wired to a tree.

Author Sandford's 22nd novel ably integrates a love story into a complex political thriller--with ambushes, animosities, a few good belly laughs, and a wrap-up that's a dish of dramatic and romantic satisfaction.

Still reeling after the events of Dead as a Doornail, Sookee Stackhouse yearns for a return to relative normalcy. Unfortunately, the psychic waitress lives in a complicated world, one that includes vampires, were-creatures, witches, and fairies. She also must cope with past events, such as her cousin Hadley's recent death. Besides her possessions, Hadley's apartment, magically sealed since her death, contains clues that might help solve her murder. Once uncovered these clues could lead to the downfall of one of the most powerful vampires in the region. Aided and abetted by a bevy of magical creatures, Sookee, Hadley's sole heir, seeks answers, even as she tries to evade those who wish to kill her.

The sixth book in Harris' successful Dead series finds Harris at the top of her game--she's one of the rare authors who understands the close relationship between humor and horror, and one of the even rarer writers who can effectively exploit it. Although Harris takes her time in getting to the real meat of her story, it's time pleasantly spent, as Sookee interacts with the colorful denizens of her strange world. Once the mayhem begins, however, readers will only put the book down with great reluctance--like Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum, a character with whom Sookee shares many characteristics, Harris' heroine easily captures both the hearts and minds of her audience. Note to readers: keep an eye peeled for Harris' nod to her favorite novel, The Three Musketeers.

Acclaimed Spanish mystery writer Alicia Gimenez-Bartlett, winner of the 1997 Feminino Lumen Prize for best female writer in Spain, offers a stunning novel in Dog Day. While this is apparently part of a series featuring the unique voice and perspective of police detective Petra Delicado, Dog Day seems to be the first English translation of Gimenez-Bartlett's series novels. That is truly unfortunate because this book is so good that the first thing I did after finishing it was to see what other Gimenez-Bartlett titles were available In English. Alas, Dog Day is the only one, at this point.

What's so good about this book? Quite simply, everything. The plot, set in contemporary Spain, is compelling, probing the illegal trade of dognapping and its unsavory corollary of providing canine subjects for vivisectionists. The characters, too, are so real that one feels that they are acquaintances. In particular, Petra--from whose vantage point the narrative proceeds--is a vivid presence, with keen observational powers, a wry sense of humor and a healthy sexual appetite. Petra's descriptions of her city and its denizens are riveting, as is her approach to solving the mystery of why a man was beaten to death. Along the way, Petra employs clever strategies of detection, with ingenuity that is entertaining, as well as effective. Gimenez-Bartlett keeps readers guessing as they follow Petra and her assistant in their quest to fathom the reasons underlying the victim's death. Here's hoping that we will see more of Petra very soon.