Article With Intro

Winter's Child

Verna Suit

Judge Deborah Knott has been married to Chief Deputy Dwight Bryant for one month when Dwight is summoned to Shaysville, Virginia by his 8-year-old son Cal. Dwight's ex-wife Jonna hasn't been seen since the day before, uncharacteristically leaving Cal to fend for himself. Dwight is about to take Cal back with him to North Carolina when Jonna appears, only to disappear again their son. Dwight is frantic to find Cal while trying to keep abreast of a murder case back home in Colleton County. Deborah comes to Shaysville to support and help him.

Winter's Child artfully reveals subtle parallels between the situations in Shaysville and Colleton County, with underlying themes of pride and family. It also includes a wonderful Gothic episode involving Jonna's family home. As always, Maron's characters and settings are so real they feel familiar, and the crises they face become the reader's own. This 12th book in the Deborah Knott series confirms that Margaret Maron never disappoints.

A Dead Man in Athens

Lynda E. Rucker

It's autumn, 1912, and suspicious events within the household of an exiled Sultan in Athens, Greece just might be the prelude to murder. The case has fallen to the Brits as the best of a bad lot of nationalities who all have reason to want the Sultan dead; an investigator named Seymour has landed the dubious assignment as a result of his East End immigrant upbringing, where a knack for languages made him a polyglot. But Seymour's entirely unprepared for the stew in which he finds himself; a pawn in harem politics, stonewalled by eunuchs, caught up in the Greek fervor for mounting a war against their former Ottoman oppressors, and confounded by the lovely medical student Aphrodite Metaxas (who appears to be one of those "New Women" he's read about back in England). All the while Bl?riot flying machines buzz overhead, piloted by young men delirious with dreams of the new, aerial form of warfare.

Within the Sultan's household, and among the harem women in particular, a comic absurdity effectively counterbalances a grim sense of oppression. The novel's tone is deceptively light throughout--with grace and subtlety Pearce exploits his readers' foreknowledge of the devastating war which lies in his characters' futures, anchoring but never burdening his tale with a gravity that goes beyond its likeable surface. A charming novel, poignant, well-researched, and told in clean infallible prose. Highly recommended.

A Death at the Rose Paperworks

Sue Reider

Portland, Oregon, paperworks owner Hiram Rose confronts a continuing series of attempts on his life, after a servant dies in what the police think was a trap for him. Libby Seale, a dressmaker for the family, teams up with her former boyfriend, reporter Peter Eberle, to investigate. There is no shortage of suspects, as Hiram is a domineering employer, husband and father.

Libby is a fascinating study--a contradictory mixture of modern thought and Victorian manners. Having fled across the continent from an abusive husband in New York, she is unable to divorce for religious reasons and because it would pain her family. Libby is an excellent seamstress and enjoys her work, however she resents being treated at times as a nonentity by her employers. She has changed her name to hide her Jewish origins, and misses practicing her religion. Her internal conflicts are both thought-provoking and poignant.

This multi-layered story is stylistically interesting. The author presents a nub of information, and then explores it from many angles. The dialogue is reminiscent of novels from the late nineteenth century, but without the wordiness of many Victorian works. The characters speak in a tenor appropriate to their station in life--yet their thoughts are much more modern.

The plot is noteworthy because of its complexity. Several times in the course of the story it appears a resolution of the investigation is near, only to have the story take a new--but logical--direction.

A False Mirror

Dianne Day

This is the tenth in Charles Todd's historical mystery/suspense series featuring Inspector Ian Rutledge of Scotland Yard. In late winter 1920, Rutledge is summoned to a seaside village on England's southeast coast, Hampton Regis, to aid Stephen Mallory, who fought with him in WWI. Mallory is accused of beating Matthew Hamilton into a coma, the suspicions arising from a love triangle of Mallory, Hamilton, and Felicity, wife of the latter but fiancee of the former before the war. When Hamilton disappears from his sickbed and his doctor's wife is found murdered nearby, the mystery deepens and the investigation escalates.

The atmosphere of the coastal village is almost a character unto its own. Todd does his usual excellent job of presenting historical details from this period in English history, never allowing the details to overwhelm the plot, but rather using them to illuminate characters, their behaviors and motivations. As always in this series, it is Rutledge himself who drives the story and sustains interest, and the mystery of who killed Hamilton and the doctor's wife is not easy to unravel. Rutledge's combination of strength and vulnerability is irresistible. May he solve the crime and successfully banish Hamish's ghost.

A Mass for the Dead

Linda Piwowarczyk

It's late fourteenth century Scotland and Crispinus MacPhee, the head of the Oronnsay Priory, is found dead--and it looks like murder. The overlord assigns Crispinus's eldest son, Muirteach, the unwelcome task of ferreting out the murderer. Muirteach holds no kind feelings for his philandering father who leaves behind a mistress, bastard children like himself, and a legacy of a less than honorable man of God. In his task, he is assisted by Fearchar Beaton, a highly esteemed healer, and his intriguing and outspoken daughter, Mariota. When a second murder occurs, uncovering the perpetrator becomes more urgent, even as the investigation becomes more emotionally entangling.

Susan McDuffie writes a fine mystery, full of deception, personal turmoil, treachery, and romantic attraction. It is a comfortable story, rich with Celtic culture, with a grammar and diction that effortlessly catches the tone of its time, location, and people. The plot moves quickly and the characters are well-introduced, garnering emotional appeal with the reader. Her conclusion is satisfying, offering a medieval mirror to current criminal news. McDuffie previously published several short stories. This is her debut novel. She is currently at work on her second Muirteach mystery.

A Safe Place for Dying

Jeff Siegel

In Raymond Chandler's final, unfinished novel, he married Philip Marlowe off to a rich heiress and moved them to a wealthy community. In A Safe Place for Dying, the first Dek Elstrom novel, Jack Frederickson picks up where Chandler left off. Ellstrom, an ex-PI whose family had a bit of a past in Al Capone's Chicago, divorces the rich wife and gets thrown out of the wealthy community.

But he goes back, because someone blew up one of the McMansions on the street where he used to live. This is the most tenuous part of the book; of all the private eyes in all the cities in all the world, why pick Elstrom? And not tell the cops what's going on? But Chandler used to complain about his plotting woes, too.

Frederickson writes comfortably, and he understands the hardboiled style well enough to update it to the 21st century, complete with wisecracks. His commentary--both spoken and implied--on wealthy, gated communities, home renovation, and the like is spot on. If some of the characters aren't drawn as fully as they could be, Frederickson makes up for it with zest and enthusiasm. Give Elstrom a few more times around the block to work out the kinks, and he should be a dependable series character.

All Mortal Flesh

Lynne Maxwell

Wow! Julia Spencer-Fleming has deservedly garnered Agatha, Anthony, Dilys, Barry and Macavity awards for the previous four books in this series featuring Reverend Clare Fergusson and Chief Russ Van Alstyne, but she has outdone herself in All Mortal Flesh, her new offering. Not only is the prose excellent, marrying intelligence and psychological acumen, but the plot is thoroughly engrossing with unrelenting twists that persist to the final shocking page.

Nobody does tortured romantic relationships like Spencer-Fleming, and in this novel she is at her peak. Episcopal priest and ex-Army helicopter pilot Clare Fergusson and upstate New York police chief Russ Van Alstyne have just arrived at the wrenching decision to terminate their affair, even though Russ has divulged his feelings to his wife Linda, who has decided to separate from him. Amidst this heartbreak, murder intrudes. When Linda's mutilated body is discovered in the kitchen of the Van Alstyne homestead, the police, with the assistance of an outside investigator, finger Russ. Another police officer is convinced that Clare is the culprit, since she had adequate motive and opportunity to eliminate her competition. Clare and Russ must solve the mystery in order to exonerate themselves. Their race to justice propels All Mortal Flesh to its startling conclusion.

Always Say Goodbye

James Siegel

Lew Fonesca is an acquired taste. There are times when he is so whiny and self-pitying that any sensible reader will want to slap him. Having said that, Always Say Goodbye, the fifth novel about the DA's investigator, who turned recluse after his wife's murder, makes up for a lot.

Fonesca, in exile as a process server in Florida, returns to his native Chicago to find out who killed his wife and why. In the telling, Kaminsky adds all of the touches that have distinguished his books over the past 30 years--the old film references, the pop culture asides, and the quirky characters (in this case, Fonesca's brother-in-law, a tow truck driver who never met a meal he couldn't eat, and a Greek hit man and his dowager mother, who spends her time baking when she isn't telling her son to kill Fonesca). He also adds an incredibly taut plot that keeps twisting back on itself and a genuine feel for Chicago's wonderfully ethnic neighborhoods. This is the kind of book that shows why Kaminsky has been named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America, the group's highest honor.

Bake Sale Murder

Sue Reider

Lucy Stone, part-time newspaper reporter and full-time mother, is deeply involved in the goings-on in Tinker's Cove, Maine. When she is picking up goodies for a bake sale, she finds one of the participants stabbed to death. Unable to resist her reportorial instincts, she tries to solve the case.

This novel features two main story lines. The intricate tale of the murder itself portrays a dark side of modern life, depicting the intense pressures put on adults and children alike to always be successful. The author neatly lays out all the clues, but the denouement--and the motive--comes as a complete surprise.

The narrative dealing with the bake sale is a completely hilarious depiction of how Lucy and her cohorts adapt to change. In Lucy's case, the reader would have to say, "not very well." Lucy experiences a deep sense of loss after realizing that many of the people she knew so well haven't been a part of her life for several years. To her dismay, the newer residents apply modern business and organizational techniques to a formerly casual arrangement.Unfortunately for Lucy's self-esteem, she feels used, old, and unwanted.

Although much of the book focuses on Lucy and her feelings, the other characters are also well-drawn and interesting. The author's ability to shift between the murder and Lucy's personal issues--from dark to light--makes this a captivating book.

Bloody Harvests

Barbara Fister

Though US blockbusters clutter the shelves of bookstores around the world, American readers have suffered from a parochial attitude towards international crime fiction. Kudos to St. Martin's Minotaur, along with Soho, Bitter Lemon, and a handful of other venturesome publishers, for bringing international crime fiction to our shores.

Bloody Harvest is a debut novel rich with local color and the turbulent cross-currents of race and culture in the new South Africa. Two detectives, confronted with the brutal ritualistic murder of a young girl, are determined to find out who's responsible. One cop is a British immigrant skeptical of traditional African religion; the other is a Zulu who has abandoned his family's "sangoma" cult beliefs for Christianity, but is still wary of the power of witchcraft. They learn the girl's murder is connected to the drug kingpin in Johannesburg, an Albino Yoruba believed to have extraordinary powers. Soon, they're engaged in a struggle of mythic proportions, fought in the gritty, high-rise slums of an African metropolis.

The story depicts the rich mosaic of South African culture, seen through the complex relationship of detectives from two different worlds, each of whom must confront personal demons in order to take on the real thing. This sprawling and atmospheric thriller combines the familiar brutality of street-level drug dealing and cross-border trafficking with traditional African religious practices and modern-day policing. It's a powerful addition to the diversity of crime fiction today.

Borderline

Hank Wagner

Disturbed by the death of a client he treated brusquely a few days before, psychologist Brian Hanson tries to make sense of what the police have deemed a suicide. As he digs deeper into the activities preceding her demise, he becomes convinced that she's been murdered and that someone is trying to cover it up. He also begins to suspect that the recent precipitous drop in his hometown's crime rate may be the result of extreme measures taken by the current city administration. Never absolutely sure of himself because of his past history with drugs and alcohol, Hanson nevertheless persists, placing himself in the sights of powerful men who have everything to lose if the truth is revealed.Although he deftly juggles a number of intriguing sub plots and characters, Schorr's primary focus is on troubled Vietnam vet Hanson, an addict who helps other addicts. Hanson in action is truly fascinating--kind and empathetic, he's also capable of sudden violence. He's too introspective for his own good, constantly questioning whether his actions are motivated by his desire to learn the truth, guilt, or an alcoholic's pathetic need to control his environment.One of the most involving mysteries to come along in some time, Borderline is an intimate, engaging novel in which a troubled hero struggles against overwhelming odds to uncover the truth. Beautifully written, tightly plotted, and carefully crafted, Borderline deserves your immediate and complete attention.

Candy From Strangers

Derek Hill

A young woman, Caroline, goes missing, and private detective/jazz musician August Riordan is hired by the woman's mother to find her. Pretty standard stuff for a mystery novel in general and Riordan in particular. But before the Bay Area PI can start investigating, Caroline returns and effectively shuts down her own case.

A happy ending, right? Riordan isn't quite satisfied with Caroline's explanations--especially when the bodies start piling up--and thus begins his descent into the world of sex, drugs, Neo-Nazi tattoo artists, wing-nut New Age gurus, and way too much blood and death for a guy who only wants to play his bass guitar.

This third in the series is a breezy page-turner that doesn't exactly shake up the PI genre with anything new, but when you have characters this engaging and dialogue this crackling and whip smart, who needs innovation? Though the storyline occasionally dips into the fetid sleaze of its characters' private lives, Coggins wisely keeps things from getting too dark. Firmly within the Chandler tradition, Coggins' novel reincarnates the heady excesses of earlier chroniclers of debauchery in the Golden State, such as Roger L. Simon and Arthur Lyons. Good stuff.

Chinatown Beat

Beverly J. DeWeese

Jack Yu, a Chinese-American cop, is a tormented character. Though he got out of Chinatown and likes being a cop, he knows that the NYPD isn't ever going to welcome him. Now he has been transferred back to his old neighborhood to investigate the rape of a child. But Chinatown is rife with violence--soon several crime lords are murdered, one of whom is Jack's boyhood friend.

The main character in this dark mystery is really Chinatown. There, various tongs (gangs) control everything. No one asks cops for help, even a Chinese cop, and no one offers help. Murders, beatings, drugs, gambling, and prostitution flourish in an atmosphere of violence.

Sometimes the various plots get buried under this vivid, meticulous depiction of New York City's Chinatown. But the somewhat slow pacing is counterbalanced by the colorful locale and realistic characters.

Chinatown Beat is well-written and should appeal to readers who love noir settings and characters.

Chow Down

Mary Elizabeth Devine

Without her knowledge, Melanie Travis' son has entered her standard poodle, Faith, in a competition to become spokesdog for a new dog food, Chow Down. Melanie is dismayed to learn that Faith is a finalist and that the contract her son made on the Internet is binding. So much for her relaxing summer. When Melanie and Faith leave their first finalists' meeting, Melanie hears an altercation at the top of the stairs and the owner of one of the finalists is pushed to his death. Melanie is sure that the murderer must be one of the other competitors, trying to eliminate a rival for the $100,000 prize.

Berenson's style is crisp and sure, whether she's describing the behind-the-scenes preparation for a dog show (at the center, Melanie's indomitable Aunt Peg) or the sometimes underhanded behavior of the competitors and judges in the contest.

One more tribute to Berenson's skill is that the ending is both startling and sad.

Deadly Interest

Lynne Maxwell

For a relative newcomer to the mystery scene, Julie Hyzy delivers a surprisingly solid, intricately plotted sophomore entry in her series featuring Chicago journalist Alex St. James. Deadly Interest, worthy successor to Deadly Blessings, is hefty, running almost 400 pages, but Hyzy utilizes every one of them effectively in developing a captivating narrative with well-defined characters and an exceedingly likable heroine who already feels like an old friend.

When an elderly neighbor requests her help in disentangling perplexing bank records, Alex hasn't time to investigate immediately because she's on her way to an awards ceremony. This proves to be a humiliating event when her ex-boyfriend wins the coveted journalism award for material he stole from Alex. By the time she returns home, her beloved neighbor has been murdered. Alex uses her journalistic skills to investigate and to ultimately solve the murder. It helps that her boss at the television station, along with the attractive bank owner and former employer of her neighbor, ask for her investigative assistance. Alex establishes a temporary office in the bank and proceeds to pore over financial records. Meanwhile, her neighbor's prodigal son arrives to claim the inheritance his mother promised. Did this sleazy man murder his mother to pay off his gambling debts, or is there another explanation for the murder perhaps linked to the financial anomalies? Even if you guess the killer's identity, you'll still find rewarding surprises aplenty.

Death in the Orchid Garden

Linda Piwowarczyk

Louise Eldridge, the forty-seven-year-old host of a popular public television gardening show, is filming a few episodes in the lush tropical setting of Kauai, where an elite botanical conference is being held. Her program's guests include three of the conference's most outstanding botanists, each of whom is at odds with the other when it comes to issues concerning the preservation of native habitat and the discovery and marketing of new plant species. When Louise finds one of the botanists murdered, she wonders if the ethical conflicts of the battling botanists have turned deadly. As Louise tries to weed out the murderer, she finds herself a target.

Ann Ripley writes a well thought out mystery that juggles several suspects, a handful of believable murderous scenarios, and a thoughtful look at the ethics of new plant discovery and marketing. It's a light murder mystery that will likely keep the gardening set leisurely turning pages when not pruning or repotting. Other readers may be inclined to skim, finding Ripley's characters less than engaging. Still, her setting is lovely, and while the story's pace begins slowly, it does gain momentum as the body count doubles and the suspects and motives multiply. Ripley began her gardening mystery series in 1994 with Mulch.

Death of a Carpenter

Ed Lynskey

This second title in the Grant Reynolds thriller series (the first was Blink of an Eye) finds Reynolds based in Paris investigating the murders of American tourists, including an enigmatic carpenter with a probable Middle East terrorist link. Reynolds, a tough but fair-minded boss of the US government's Legat office based in Paris, comes across as a likable, complex hero who juggles dating two very different women. Reynolds also lights candles to say prayers for the living and dead. A well-rounded supporting cast, particularly Reynolds' motley staff, lends a gritty, authentic edge to the twisty investigation. The constant surveillance of suspected terrorists leaves the Legat office always on high alert. Events (thankfully with only passing references to 9/11) clip along at a brisk pace to converge for an appealing climax. Clean, crisp prose describes the pleasant Parisian locale featuring fine caf?s and reluctant but useful French police officials. This first-rate international thriller delivers a satisfying blend of romance, action, and intrigue while generating enough power and interest to sustain the series for the subsequent titles sure to come.

Death of a Department Chair

Jeff Siegel

Lynn Miller, who teaches at the University of Texas, has fashioned a nifty little whodunit that is part Jane Austen, part Agatha Christie, and part academic insider silliness.

It features Miriam Held, a professor at a school amazingly like the University of Texas, as the prime suspect in the murder of one Isabel Vittorio. That Held used to be the dead woman's lover adds another layer of complexity. So does the fact that everyone in the department, and more than a few people outside of it, also wanted to murder Vittorio. So Held, faced with the usual assortment of cops who couldn't care less, must solve the crime herself, armed with Earl Grey tea, the New York Times, and a penchant for making everyone sound like they're in the 18th century.It's often difficult to read mysteries written by academics and figure out just how serious they really are. Are they making fun of the form? Is it some kind of parody or pastiche? And, beyond that, can they actually write? In this case, the answer to all of the above is "Yes!," and pretty successfully, too.

Deuce's Wild

Charles L.P. Silet

John Shannon--ex-NYPD, ex-con, ex-husband, and current father--works as a contract operative of the Office of Municipal Security, New York City's branch of the Office of Homeland Security. He has just moved into his own apartment and is trying to re-connect with his fourteen-year-old son JJ. He gets a chance to do so when JJ's favorite rap artist, Yousef al-Salaam, and the subject of an OMS investigation, is shot to death in a feud with fellow rapper T-Mo. JJ believes otherwise, and he convinces his dad to investigate the case farther.

Shannon finds himself in the middle of sectarian strife within New York's Islamic communities, on T-Mo's hit list, and unsuccessfully trying to develop a taste for tofu at the Sigma Center in upstateNew York where he goes to protect a visiting guru from a would-be assassin. All in all, Shannon lives a busy life. Throw in Sam Adams, a beautiful Sufi, Nora Daniels, his lawyer friend, and Liz, his soon-to-be ex-wife, and it gets downright complicated.

With his second John Shannon novel (following The Long Mile), Clyde Ford has a very promising series going. Deuce's Wild delivers a strong plot, fast action, and engaging characters. Here's one author to watch.

Electric Blue

Lynne Maxwell

Lake Chinook, Oregon "information specialist" (private detective) Jane Kelly reappears in this worthy successor to last year's Candy Apple Red, Nancy Bush's first entry in this sexy and highly entertaining series. Apprenticed to stud-muffin Dwayne Durbin, Jane is learning the business of detection the hard way: By immersion. When Dwayne assigns her to infiltrate the wealthy and eccentric Purcell clan by becoming caretaker to the possibly demented, cantankerous matriarch, Orchid, Jane imagines that she has embarked upon a short, straightforward mission. Nothing could be further from reality. Immediately, she becomes enmeshed in dysfunctional family politics as the Purcells scheme to get their hands on the family fortune by forcing Orchid to sign a power of attorney and relinquish her control over the purse-strings. That's not even the worst of it. Someone is targeting family members by running them off the road, causing serious injuries. And, finally, poor Orchid is murdered. Jane takes it upon herself to investigate and get to the bottom of the pernicious secrets haunting the family. In the case of the Purcells, the past is definitely the key to the present.

Investigation does not stand in the way of romance, though, as strikingly handsome Jazz Purcell "of the electric blue eyes"courts Jane. Is Jazz the one for her? What is the basis for romantic attraction, anyway? Read the witty, cleverly plotted Electric Blue for the answers. You're sure to love the refreshing perspective of Jane Kelly, burgeoning "information specialist.

Everybody Kills Somebody Sometime

Hank Wagner

The word on the street in Las Vegas is that if you need something done on the q.t., you call Eddie Gianelli. That's precisely why Frank Sinatra, in town to film Ocean's 11, reaches out to the Sands Casino pit boss when his fellow Rat Packer Dean Martin receives some threatening notes in the mail. Worried, Sinatra asks Eddie G. to investigate. Happy to do a favor for the singer, Eddie agrees, little realizing how his life is about to change. Shortly after he starts asking questions, he's visited by two thugs who inflict a savage beating on him. Battered, but not deterred, Eddie digs deeper into the matter, putting his life on the line.

Perfectly blending nostalgia and noir, Randisi's latest should appeal to fans of Max Allan Collins and Ed Gorman's historical novels. Eddie G. is the perfect narrator; savvy, cynical, and tough, yet in some ways an innocent, based on his reactions to the many celebrities he meets (among them Joey Bishop, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and George Raft) over the course of the novel. Randisi captures the locale and the era perfectly, dropping readers into a 1960 Las Vegas as dangerous as it is seductive. Although he's careful not to judge people of the time, he also manages to insert some telling social commentary into his narrative, as when he portrays the prejudice experienced by Sammy Davis Jr. over his pending interracial marriage, and by a black Las Vegas police officer, whose own subordinates treat him disrespectfully.

Faking It

Verna Suit

When book scout Gabriel Steen brings Dido Hoare a curious old volume, she senses it's valuable enough to pay him 2,000 pounds cash and sign a consignment agreement. Her father Barnabas studies the manuscript and decides it's in code, but isn't certain whether it's genuine and consults an expert at the British Museum. Meanwhile, Gabriel Steen is murdered and both his partner Ishmael and thuggish agents of a Texas book collector come looking for the manuscript. Dido consults the police.

Faking It is filled with details about Dido's life and the business of bookselling. Fans of the character will enjoy reading about an old friend, and fans of the book trade will be rewarded with lots of info on the store. The story itself is based on a real-life enigma, the Voynich manuscript. Readers familiar with that arcane document will delight in this fictional treatment. Those who aren't can learn about the original in the author's afterword. The plot's obscure parallels and the continuation of the cryptologic undercurrents seen elsewhere in the series do make Faking It intellectually challenging at times. But all in all, it is an ambitious and welcome addition to the Dido Hoare saga, with something for everyone.

Find Me

Verna Suit

In this ninth episode of NYPD detective Kathy Mallory (or just "Mallory", as she greatly prefers), the detective is driving old Route 66 in search of a father she's never met. Somewhere on the same historic highway is a caravan of parents looking for missing children--children who are probably already dead. Mallory's personal quest becomes tied up with the caravan's when dead bodies start appearing along the route.

Meanwhile, a dead body who was either a murder or a suicide is found in her NYC apartment. Her loyal partner Riker is unsure which it is, and puzzled by her unannounced departure, sets out to find her. Soon the FBI gets involved and the investigation becomes a contest between cops and Feds.

Find Me grips you from page one and doesn't let go. The book is rich with psychological depth, black humor, and the horror of a serial killer who gets his kicks on Route 66 targeting little girls. Through it all strides the larger-than-life figure of Mallory herself, "a sociopath with the eyes of a stone killer" and a character you won't soon forget. This is a thriller that will keep you reading late into the night.

First Murder in Advent

Joseph Scarpato Jr.

It's late November in the year 1972. Many recently-returned Vietnam veterans are having trouble re-adjusting to civilian life. One of these is Military Police Captain Avivah Rosen, whose experiences in Nam have left her traumatized and shaky. To avoid the glare of publicity after she disarmed and captured a robber in Central Park, she and her friend, Special Forces First Sergeant Benny Kirkpatrick, move to a convent in Missouri. Benny asks their mutual friend, Captain Elizabeth "Pepper" Pepperhawk, a nurse, to come and help care for Avivah.

Pepper arrives during a snowstorm and finds that the convent is about to be sold. Only a handful of nuns are in residence, along with a civilian pseudo-military group calling itself the Saratoga Patriotic Foundation, which plans to take over the convent in a short time. Before long, one of the members of this group is found garroted in the convent basement. Isolated by the storm, Avivah, because of her M.P. experience and despite recurring flashbacks, takes over the investigation.

What follows is very much a traditional mystery, albeit with non-traditional characters. This is the second mystery featuring the three main characters as detectives. Three more are planned. The author is herself a former Army Nurse who served in Vietnam and is currently a Gerontological Nurse.

Gaits of Heaven

Lynne Maxwell

In Gaits of Heaven, the marvelously prolific Susan Conant demonstrates why she's repeatedly taken "best in show" when it comes to writing mysteries involving dogs and their human companions. In her eleventh novel featuring Cambridge, Massachusetts dog trainer Holly Winter, Conant dispenses her customary wisdom about canines and their training, along with commentary about the foibles of humans. Conant cleverly pokes fun at psychotherapy-obsessed Cambridge, where therapists (and their dogs) seem to be ubiquitous. This wryly amusing novel finds Holly and her husband Steve, a veterinarian, assisting psychotherapists Ted and Eumie in training their dog Dolfo, sold over the Internet to the gullible couple as a rare breed. In reality, Dolfo is a rather homely mutt. Holly's work is cut out for her, as Ted and Eumie extend their New Age-based permissiveness to Dolfo, who hasn't even been housebroken because such restraint might thwart his native spirit. Holly has barely begun her Herculean task, when Eumie dies, in what at first appears to be suicide, but is ultimately unmasked as murder. Dolfo ultimately proves to be the sanest member of the household. If you love dogs and hate psychobabble, this one is for you.

Page 26 of 276

Most Popular

Our Awards