Deadly Pleasures Deadly Pleasures

$4.50
Fall/Winter, 2006��Issue 49
Deadly Pleasures
Mystery Magazine
John Hart’s
Remarkable
First Novel
THE KING OF LIES
Mike Ripley
on the
British Crime
Fiction Scene
FIRST NOVELS 2006
The Best of the Best
Reviews�� Reviewed to Death�� Columns ��New Books ��What’s New in U.K. ��Articles
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John Hart's
THE KING OF LIES
J
ohn Hart has hit a home run with his first novel THE
KING OF LIES, which has garnered universal and
well-deserved rave reviews. Many new writers keep
their day jobs because only a small percentage of fiction
writers can afford to write full time. But John Hart took
time off from earning a living to do just that.
In his own words, “I was living in Salisbury, North
Carolina. Nothing is secret in a small town like that, so it
was very public when I quit my law practice to write the
book. It took most of a year, I had a new baby, and there
were plenty of people around willing to tell me that I was
insane to try it. Keeping a positive attitude was probably
the hardest part. I couldn’t have done it without my wife.
"I was born in Durham, North Carolina in 1965,
the son of a young surgeon and a French teacher who quit
teaching to raise her children. Eventually, I moved to
Rowan County, where THE KING OF LIES is set. My
favorite memory of childhood is a five hundred acre farm
that has since fallen to the sweeping tide of development
that is slowly devouring much of North Carolina.
"I attended Davidson College, a marvelous school
just north of Charlotte, where I studied French literature.
Afterward, I earned graduate degrees in accounting and
law. I have worked as a banker, stockbroker and attorney.
I have also spent long days sanding teak on the Carolina
coast, working on helicopters in Alaska and drawing pints
in a London pub. I think I liked the pub job best.
"My only real dream has been to write well and to
be published well. I admire those that are able to write at
four in the morning and still function in the real world. After
two failed novels, I decided that I lacked that particular
talent. So, with a young daughter and another in the works,
I quit everything to take a stab at chasing the dream. I spent
the better part of a year in a carrel at the Rowan County
Public Library. THE KING OF LIES is the result.
"I used to sail, fly helicopters and play a lot of golf,
but those pastimes have fallen by the wayside. My children
are young and the writing demands much of me. Really, I
have three great passions: my family, my writing, and the
protection of North Carolina’s open spaces. In time, I hope
to make room for more. For now, however, that’s it; and
it’s enough. “
Opening Paragraph of THE KING OF LIES
“I’ve heard it said that jail stinks of despair. What a load.
If jail stinks of any emotion, it’s fear: fear of the guards, fear
of being beaten or gang-raped, fear of being forgotten by
those who once loved you and may or may not anymore.
But mostly, I think, it’s fear of time and of those dark things
that dwell in the unexplored corners of the mind. Doing
time, they call it – what
a joke. I’ve been
around long enough to
know the reality: It’s the
time that does you.”
THE KING
OF LIES by John Hart
(St. Martin’s Press,
$22.95). Rating: A
[Reviewed by Larry
Gandle]. Work Pickens
is a lawyer in a North
Carolina town. His
domineering father,
Ezra, disappeared several months ago and
his murdered body has
just been found in an
abandoned shopping
mall. When the will is read, Work stands to inherit $15
million if he fulfills certain conditions which his controlfreak father has imposed from beyond the grave. The
suspicion naturally falls on him as the person with the most
to gain from his father’s death. But Work doesn’t mind this
if it means his emotionally unstable sister, Jean, can remain
in the clear, for he strongly suspects that she is the killer.
They come from a highly dysfunctional family. [Plot spoiler
alert] Point in fact — the night Ezra disappeared, he also
killed their mother, apparently by accident, but perhaps
not.
Told with quiet authority and filled with poetic
descriptions, THE KING OF LIES is one of the most
remarkable debuts of this year or any year. Characters are
so well created and appear so realistic that the reader
enters seamlessly into their world. The writing has the
sophistication of a well-heeled veteran. There is little doubt
that John Hart will go far as a writer. If that is his desire,
then the sky is the limit. Highly recommended.
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George Easter opines: This is the best of the
first novels I’ve read this year and although I often disagree
with Larry Gandle’s take on certain books, I think he is
right-on with his analysis of THE KING OF LIES (We both
considered IMMORAL by Brian Freeman the best first
novel last year, so I guess we tend to agree on what is best).
John Hart’s masterful use of language was a joy to read
and add to that sterling characterization and a suspenseful,
surprising plot and you’ve got a winner – and I mean an
award-winner. Rating: A
And Maggie Mason adds these thoughts:
I’d give this wonderful debut novel an A. I liked the
protagonist and the supporting characters. The ending
was especially well done.
FIRST AND FOREMOST
2006
An Exceptional Year
For First Novels
By George Easter
and the DP Staff
W
e usually do a cover article on first novels every other
year. One was done last year, so we were going to
skip that topic this year. But that was before I started
noticing one excellent debut after another. In fact, I can’t
remember another year with this many fine first mystery/
crime/thriller novels – period. Our DP List monitors the
starred reviews that mystery/crime novels receive in the
four prominent U.S. library journals – Publishers Weekly,
Kirkus, Booklist and Library Journal -- in search of what the
critics believe are the best books of the year. It is unusual
for an excellent first novel to garner more than one or two
starred reviews. This year there have been five first novels
that each have received three starred reviews: THE KING
OF LIES by John Hart; HOLMES ON THE RANGE by
Steven Hockensmith; STILL LIFE by Louise Penny, A
FIELD OF DARKNESS by Cornelia Read, and A
CORPSE IN THE KORYO by James Church. I don’t
remember this happening before. These five novels will
appear on many award nomination lists, but there are
others which you also are likely to see there.
One factor for this large number of strong first
novels is the globalization of mystery fiction, which is giving
us in the U.S. some excellent translated fiction that
publishers pre-Henning Mankell wouldn’t have considered
publishing here. But I also think that serendipity has
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something to do with this year’s phenomenon – 2006 just
happens to be the year that these books got published.
Please Remember: one reviewer’s “A” could
be another reviewer’s “B” and vice versa, so I have
included any title reviewed with a “B” or above. With that
said, here are some of the titles that we consider the best
of 2006. I envision the Barry Award Nominating Committee having a devil of a time coming up with a list of only six
nominees for Best First Novel 2006 -- but I’m not complaining.
THE MARK OF THE LION by Suzanne Arruda
(NAL $23.95). Rating: A [Reviewed by Maggie Mason].
Jade Del Cameron grew up on a ranch near Cimmaron,
New Mexico, and volunteered to be an ambulance driver
in Europe in WWI. She met and fell for pilot David Worthy,
though she didn’t initially accept his proposal of marriage.
Sadly, she is a first-hand observer of his fatal air fight with
a German ace. She reaches the plane, and pulls him out,
and hears his last words. He asks her to find his brother and
solve the murder of his father. David’s father was mauled
by a hyena in Africa some years before, and David was an
only child.
After the war, her fellow ambulance driver, Beverly,
marries her pilot, Lord Avery Dunbury. They assist Jade in
getting a job with The Traveler Magazine as a writer and
photographer. Jade visits David’s mother and is repulsed
by her lack of concern about the possibility of the existence
of a child of her late husband. Jade is able to find out the
name and address of the family attorney, and has a better
meeting with him.
The attorney has a package for the missing son,
and a bit of information. Mr. Worthy had been looking for
his son, Abel, when he’d been killed by the Hyena. Mr.
Worthy gives Jade a ring, matching the one David gave her
on his death. He gives her all the information he has about
where Mr. Worthy had been.
With the help of the attorney and Lord Dunbury,
Jade is able to combine her assignment to write about a
safari and life in Africa with her search for David’s brother.
She meets Madeline and Neville Thompson, a couple who
are trying to make a go of a coffee plantation, as well as
Lord Colridge, a well established planter. She also meets
Harry Hascombe and Roger Forster, men who are attempting to establish their own businesses in Africa.
Undermining Jade’s search for Abel is a witch
doctor, who can take over an animal or assume the shape
of a four legged predator. Jade is up to any challenge,
from shooting an attacking hyena or lion to fixing the fliver
she has rented. Helping her are a couple of natives, as well
as the Dunburys and Thompsons, who go on the safari with
Jade. Jade does solve the mysteries, but there is a bit of a
cliff-hanger which gives me hope for a sequel.
This is a very promising debut novel. It held my
interest all the way through, and even the woo-woo factor
was believable. One thing that was done extremely well
was to show why Jade was so competent doing things
women didn’t normally do in that period. The sense of
place was very well drawn, and the characters were
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realistically portrayed. I really can’t say enough about this
stunning debut. Read it.
CARVED IN BONE by Jefferson Bass ($24.95,
Morrow, debut novel, pseudonym of Dr. Bill Bass and Jon
Jefferson). Rating: A [Reviewed by Maggie Mason]. Dr.
Bill Brockton is the proprietor of the Body Farm in
Tennessee, a place where forensic types can study decomposition of bodies, damage done by “critters,” and other
information necessary to forensic science and criminology.
He’s called to a neighboring county by the local sheriff.
Tom Kitchings had been a local football star until an injury
destroyed his career and he entered the field of law
enforcement. His brother is a deputy who could serve as
an illustration for evil in a dictionary.
Kitchings has another deputy, Williams, take
Brockton to a cave in Cooke County. A body has been
found there in a fascinating state, covered by grave wax.
Brockton is able to determine the identity of the body, a
relative of Kitchings missing for many years. She was
wearing dog tags of another resident, Jim O’Connor. Jim
had been engaged to Leena, and was devastated when he
thought she ran out on him when he was serving in Viet
Nam.
Helping Brockton solve the crime are colleagues
and students, as well as a friend of Jim O’Connor, Waylon,
who is one of the most interesting characters in the book,
a mountain of a man with a heart of gold. He gets Brockton
into some of the most dangerous and ego-busting circumstances of his career.
Brockton’s investigation uncovers more than just
unsavory human relationships. He also finds what he needs
to heal his own relationship with his son and learns how to
deal with the grief of losing his wife. He also finds that
people aren’t always what they seem, and help can come
from many different sources.
This is a very strong novel. I highly recommend it,
and am already impatient for the next in the series.
BILLY BOYLE: A World War II Mystery by
James R. Benn (Soho, $23.00, September, 2006). Rating: B+ [Reviewed by George Easter]. Billy Boyle is a 22year-old Boston Irish rookie cop who made detective just
before December 7, 1941. Finding himself in the army
soon thereafter, Billy is shipped off to England, assigned to
the staff of a general married to a distant cousin, Mamie
(Mom pulled some strings). The general is Dwight D.
Eisenhower and he assigns Billy to Beardsley Hall where
the Norwegian government in exile holds court. Billy’s job
is to ferret out a Norwegian spy for the Germans, but
before he can get far along on that line of enquiry, a
murder occurs (which looks like a suicide) and Billy is off
and running.
It took me a little while to get acclimated to this
story and its protagonist. Billy is portrayed as a wide-eyed
innocent and the writing style is simple and straight
forward. For a while I thought I was reading something
aimed at a young adult audience, but once I got in the spirit
of the story, which is well-told, I fell prey to the innocent
charm of the novel. There are other good reasons to read
this: the author has
fleshed out the story with
lots of insightful information about what it was
like to live in the England
of 1942; and, the plot is
reminiscent of the
Golden Age puzzle mysteries.
Maggie Mason delivers the following opinion: I enjoyed
this look at WWII through
the eyes of a young Yank.
Billy is sharp enough to
realize how to get along
with the British people,
even though his family is
Irish, with ties to the IRA.
Billy takes people as they come, and is able to make jokes
as well as laugh at himself, and the Boston Tea Party. I’ll
look for another book about Billy Boyle, with pleasure.
Rating: ATHE FAITHFUL SPY by Alex Berenson (Random House, $24.95). Rating: B [Reviewed by Larry
Gandle]. John Wells is a CIA operative who has managed
to infiltrate Al Quaeda well before the horrific events of 911. He lives among radical Islamists as a trusted brother,
but it has taken many, many years (and a few deaths) to
develop that trust.
Now he is being sent back to the United States to
help with the latest planned attack. Wells is not told any of
the details of this attack, so he must continue his charade
if he has any hope of preventing it. But his CIA minders
are concerned that Wells has gone over to the other side
and doubt his loyalties. Wells will need to prove himself
before disaster strikes.
Alex Berenson is a reporter from The New York
Times who has spent time in Iraq. He draws on his
experience in writing this taut and quite chilling thriller. It
is the plausibility of the story and the planned attack that
provides the feeling of immediacy and, of course, adds to
the increasing tension. Some of the characters appear
stereotypic – especially the villains – but heck, don’t we all
think of Al Quaeda in stereotypic terms. The plot lags at
times, and the climax is a bit too rushed. This is in contrast
to the overall sense of dreaded reality that the rest of the
novel conveys. Alex Berenson has written a solid debut
novel notable for its relevancy and great sense of reality.
George Easter’s opinion: The Arab terrorist
novel is taking the place that was once held by the Cold
War novel. This type of fiction appeals to businessmen
getting onto airplanes who want a few hours of exciting
reading that deals with current events and threats to our
security. And Alex Berenson delivers that in spades. One
of the mantras that came out of the 9/11 hearings was that
the CIA did not have any human intelligence agents within
the radical Islamic movement and that lack of intelligence
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was a major factor in the success of the 9/11 attacks. Well,
THE FAITHFUL SPY indicates how human intelligence
could have been accomplished pre-9/11. Berenson is a
talented story teller – much better than another first-time
novelist who treats the same subject – Robert Baer, whose
BLOW THE HOUSE DOWN was somewhat negatively
reviewed by me in DP #48. Rating: AANONYMOUS LAWYER by Jeremy Blachman
(Henry Holt, $25.00). Rating: A-[Reviewed by Larry
Gandle]. The Anonymous Lawyer of the title is a hiring
partner of a large law firm in Los Angeles. He has started
writing a blog on the Internet in which he divulges many of
the secrets of his law firm’s policies on hiring new associates and the correct behavior of those who want to be
partners in the future. He also comments on the day-to-day
activities of the firm as the reader gets to know such
characters as The Jerk, who is his main competition for the
future role of chairman, The Suck Up, a summer intern
who does everything possible to ingratiate himself with the
main bosses and The Musician, another summer intern
who realizes who the Anonymous Lawyer really is and tries
to help him. The result is a wonderfully hysterical look at
the inner workings of a major law firm. Here are the details
you would never discover anywhere else.
The premise of this inspired debut novel is both
original and ingenious in the way it is carried out. E-mails
provide the means of rounding out the story. The narrator
is an anti-hero who really should be completely unsympathetic to the reader, but there is a certain charm to his
sleaziness. In the end, one has to wonder why anyone would
ever want to become an attorney in a large law firm. There
has to be a better way to make a lot of money. Isn’t there?
ANONYMOUS LAWYER is a fast, furious and funny
read.
CRIPPEN by John Boyne (St. Martin’s Press,
$24.95). Rating: B+ [Reviewed by Jay Waggoner].
CRIPPEN is a novel by John Boyne that hits close to home
– my home, that is. Crippen was from Ann Arbor,
Michigan and I’m close by in northern Ohio.
The novel is based upon the real and infamous
“Dr.” Crippen, from whom Doug Green derives part of his
Crippen and Landru Publishers name. Crippen was born
in Ann Arbor in 1863, and spent some time in New York
City before moving to London, England and gaining his
infamy. Boyne has taken some liberties with a few of the
facts, introduced some characters/personalities, and given
Crippen a sensitivity that he may, or may not, have actually
had, but the resultant story is captivating.
So captivating was it that I searched the web to
find newspaper stories and photographs of the key players
and discovered that Boyne really didn’t have to fabricate
a lot. His characters, both real and fictional, are well drawn
and he brings to life both Dr. Crippen and his unfortunate
wife, Cora. You may well find yourself empathizing with
one or the other. You will definitely notice the improved
methods of travel (flight) and communication (chase) we’ve
made in a hundred years.
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THE AMERICANS by Andrew Britton
(Kensington, $24.00). Rating: B+ [Reviewed by Larry
Gandle]. Ryan Kealey, a thirty three-year-old CIA agent,
has a Herculean task ahead of him. There is an Al-Qaeda
plot to cause massive damage to the United States. Jason
March, ex-military, who was previously trained by Ryan, is
an expert in explosives and assassinations. For some
unknown reason, March wants to see the destruction of the
United States and has offered his valuable talents to Al
Qaeda. Ryan must discover what the plot is and how to stop
his old student. With the fate of the free world in his hands,
Ryan and his partner, agent Naomi Kharmai, relentlessly
pursue March.
Andrew Britton is an astute student of the political
thriller as evidenced by this very well written and exciting
debut novel. THE AMERICANS is reminiscent of the
work of Vince Flynn, one of the finest political thriller
writers working today. Ryan is a typical thriller hero -- a
loner with a military background, dedicated to his job and
willing to face down any opponent to save the country he
loves. Political intrigue plays a major role and Ryan’s
dealings go all the way to the President. The excitement
and suspense are well maintained throughout the work,
making this very promising debut thriller perfect escape
reading. In future books I would like to see a bit more
originality as I could never quite shake the feeling that I had
read something similar to this before. Yet, I would not
hesitate to recommend this work.
THE JURY MASTER by Robert Dugoni (Warner,
$24.95). Rating: B
David Sloan is a brilliant defense
attorney -- the jury master able to manipulate juries in any
direction he chooses. He receives a phone message from
Joe Branick, a friend of the President of the U.S. Soon
after leaving the message, Branick kills himself. Sloan is
determined to find out why. To get at the answers Sloan
must investigate the highest levels of power including the
President and his chilling chief of staff General Parker
Madsen. Most difficult of all is that he must look into his own
past where the answers may challenge his own knowledge
of who he is. Of course,
the deeper he gets embroiled into the mystery,
the greater the danger.
THE JURY
MASTER is a promising debut. In spite of the
title, this is most certainly not a legal thriller.
It is more of a political
thriller. There are several impressive techniques this writer uses to
move the plot along
nicely. Chapters are
short and told in alternate points of view. Frequently, there is a
cliffhanger ending to a
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chapter and we may not know what happens until several
chapters later. The main characters are solid creations
but, as seems to be the case with so many authors, the
villains are stereotypes. A problem with the book is that the
plot is a bit too complex for the rollicking thriller that it is.
There are too many subplots and they might be difficult to
follow. To the author’s credit, he does manage to bring
everything together nicely at the end.
ERRORS AND OMISSIONS by Paul Goldstein
(Doubleday, $24.95). Rating: B [Reviewed by Larry
Gandle]. Michael Seeley is a highly successful attorney who
specializes in artists’ rights. But unfortunately his alcoholism is putting him in danger of losing his job with a large
New York law firm. As a last chance for redemption, he is
sent to Los Angeles to help United Studios obtain the
copyright to their Spymaster series, a real cash cow for the
studios. Michael soon discovers the writer is actually a front
for another writer who was blacklisted in the 1950s.
Michael must locate this other writer and have him sign the
release to the studio. Things are
never that easy, of course. There
are personal issues involved that
prevents Michael from accomplishing his task. More importantly, there
are those who physically want to
prevent him from doing his job -even if it takes deadly force.
I am most impressed with
the voice of this author. From the
first page it is evident he can write
well. Paul Goldstein is a lawyer
whose work is similar to that of
Michael Seeley, a charaxter who is
well developed with just enough
idealism to make him vulnerable. In
the descriptions of locales, the author would use not only sight, but
sound and especially smell. This
gives each scene a unique realism.
But I could have done without the
needlessly long passages describing the Octoberfest in
Munich.
This is a solid, complex debut novel by a gifted
writer who writes from experience. Check it out.
ONE DROP OF BLOOD by Thomas Holland
($24, Simon & Schuster). Rating A[Reviewed by
Maggie Mason]. I’m going to say right up front that I can’t
do a very thorough review of this book, as I’m afraid to give
something away. Consider this a potential spoiler alert.
This debut novel is a meeting of two strong
characters, men not destined to be lifelong friends, not to
mention work amicably together. ‘Kel’ McKelvey is a
civilian forensic anthropologist working for the Army in
Hawaii. Identifying bodies of soldiers using the most up-todate forensic methods. Back from a trip to Korea, Kel is
trying to get over both jet lag and burnout when he’s sent
to Split Tree Arkansas. There he works with FBI agent in
disgrace Michael Levine.
ThereStand-alone
is a discrepancy
in a TOKYO
couple of(2004)
bodies, which
Latest
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makes no sense. The body of a man who acted heroically
in Vietnam doesn’t Jeremiah
seem to Healy
match his DNA, and the
discovery
of
a
civil
rights
activist
and John
each
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Devane
other
in
Arkansas
complicate
the
matter.
Kel
and
Levine
Stand-alone Novel: THE STALKING OF SHEILAH
are
charged
with finding the truth, and this may be the
QUINN
(1998)
outspoken Levine’s last chance to salvage his career.
One solution might be that soldier Jimmy Carl
Tony Hillerman
Trimble was adopted. When Kel and Levine approach his
Series: Navaho policemen Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn
mother with that suggestion, they are disabused of that
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theory,
and feel
theFINDING
wrath of the
town (1995)
sheriff. The sheriff’s
father, and former sheriff, was in love with Jimmy Carl’s
Faye
mother, though when
he Kellerman
returned from WWII, she was
LAPDman.
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marriedSeries:
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became
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father
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Carl, and
a good
friend
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family.
I’m going to stop right now, because I guessed the
Kellerman
solution very early Jonathan
in the book.
I am not rating the book
lower
because
of that, and
have
to saychild
it is psychologist
an impressive
Series:
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Angeles
debut.
There
was
a
very
poignant
description
of CLUB
the way
Latest Stand-alone Novel: THE CONSPIRACY
different
generations
feel
about
monu(2003)
ments to our fallen soldiers. The characters are well-drawn,
realistic,
Laurie R.
King and intriguing.
The
small
town
setting
seemed
very
Series: Mary Russell, wife to
Sherlock
authentic.
Holmes; SFPD Kate Martinelli
WHAT IS MINE by Anne Holt,
Latest Stand-alone Novel: KEEPING
translated by Kari Dickson (Warner Books,
WATCH (2003)
$24.99). Rating: A
[Reviewed by
George Easter]. Someone is kidnapping
children in Norway. Police Inspector Adam
Stubo joins forces with researcher Johanne
Vik to try to track down the abductor.
Each has strengths and together they
become a powerful investigative team.
And each comes to the case with lots of
baggage, which make them real and interesting. At the same time, Johanne is
investigating a very old case of injustice at
the request of a dying woman.
The plot of this novel (children in danger)
breaks no new ground although it is satisfyingly puzzling and complex. But the author really
distinguishes herself with the depth of each of her characters and the fluidity of her prose (the translator is also to be
credited here). I would have rated it A+ but for a very slight
disappointment with the denouement. WHAT IS MINE
is billed as the first of a series (not sure it is the author’s first
novel, but I believe it is her first published in the U.S.) and
I’m already anxious to get my hands on the sequel.
We should all be aware by now of the wave of
Scandinavian crime writing that is coming our way of late.
Anne Holt (with that deceptively American-sounding name)
should be ranked right up there with Henning Mankell,
Karin Fossum and Arnaldur Indridason at the crest of that
wave.
THE WRONG KIND OF BLOOD by Declan
Hughes (Morrow, $23.95). Rating A [Reviewed by
Maggie Mason]. Ed Loy has been working in Los Angeles
as a private detective for many years. So when he returns
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to his native Ireland for
his mother’s
Rochelle
Krich funeral, he doesn’t
expect
to
be
called
on
by
an
old
seeking
help.
Series: LAPD Jessica Drake; L.A. friend
reporter
Mollyhis
Blume
Linda
Dawson
needs
Ed
to
find
her
husband,
Peter,
who
Latest Stand-alone Novel: FERTILE GROUND (1998)
has been missing for several days. Peter is the son of a
wealthy man whoWilliam
is tryingKent
to prove
his worth, if not to
Krueger
himself Series:
and hisMinnesota
father, then
to
his
mother.
Ed also reSheriff Cork O’Connor
connects
with
Tommy
Owens,
another
old
friend
who has
Stand-alone Novel: THE DEVIL’S BED (2003)
been unsuccessful in anything but crime.
Ed discovers a picture of his father on Peter
Joe R. Lansdale
Dawson’s boat, which makes him wonder if the Dawsons
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ol’
boys
Collins
& his
were good enough friends in
to East
haveTexas
kept inHap
contact
with
Leonard
father when he left home.
AlongPine
the way Ed finds that the
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SUNSET
SAWDUST
Dublin
his youth has
changed
from AND
a small
town with a
(2004)
lot
of people, to a major city with all the crime you’d
expect. Ed meets up with the local criminal element, also
Dennis
from his past, and solves
bothLehane
a current mystery as well as
Series:
Boston
one out
of his
past. P.I.’s Patrick Kenzie and Angela
I can’t say enough
about this book and had a hard
Gennaro
time
believing
it
was
a
debut
novel, it was
so polished
Latest Stand-alone Novel: SHUTTER
ISLAND
(2003)and
smooth. I’m of Irish descent, but feel
anyone whoLaura
likesLippman
a good read would
have
a
ball
with
this.
Look for Tess
this on
Series: Baltimore reporter
many short lists
for
awards.
Yes,
it’s
Monaghan
that
good.
Stand-alone Novel: EVERY SECRET
George Easter agrees:
THING (2003)
Another stunning debut by a very talented writer. I especially liked Ed Loy’s
David Liss
voice – world-weary,
but still hopeful.
Series:
18th-century
London
ThiefAs a character, Loy is quite
flawed,
but
takerhelp
Benjamin
Weaver
one can’t
but like
the rogue.
LatestAStand-alone Novel: THE
Rating:
COFFEE
(2003)
THE TRADER
CHINATOWN
DEATH CLOUD PERIL by Paul
Peter&Lovesey
Malmont (Simon
Schuster, $24.00).
Rating:
B Police
[Reviewed
byPeter
Jay
Series: British
Detective
Waggoner]. This
is
a
must
read
for
all
Diamond
whoLatest
haveStand-alone
wondered about
the
pulp
Novel: THE
era of adventure
fiction.
Malmont has
REAPER
(2000)
written a novel in pulp style, showcasing as his protagonists three of the
major pulp writers of the thirties and forties – Walter
Gibson (Maxwell Grant) creator of The Shadow, Lester
Dent (Kenneth Robeson) creator of Doc Savage and The
Avenger, and Lafayette Ron Hubbard creator of . . . many
pulp stories and a philosophy.
Cameo appearances are
also made by several other well-known authors of the
period. The beauty of the book is the integration of a pulplike story with the introduction, for many of us, to the
masters of this genre.
Whether their desire to make it into the glossies, or to
pen a “real” novel, was as great as Malmont implies, is real
or pulp, is up to the reader to determine. What you will
definitely get is a fantastic story, some necessary background, and the desire to know and experience more.
SHADOW MAN by Cody McFadyen (Bantam,
$24.00). Rating: B [Reviewed by Larry Gandle]. FBI
Special Agent Smoky Barrett has suffered a terrible
personal tragedy. Her husband and daughter were killed
7
by a serial killer whom she was hunting. She managed to
kill the criminal but bears a scar on her face and body as
a result of that encounter. Smoky is now back to work
hunting another serial killer. This one targets women who
model nude on the John
internet.
The victims are brutally
Malcolm
tortured while
theirBritish
bodiesart
areexpert
cut upTim
andSimson
organs removed.
Series:
The
killer, known
as MORTAL
Jack Jr.-- INSTRUMENTS
a supposed descendant
Stand-alone
Novel:
(2004)of
Jack the Ripper, specifically has targeted Smoky as his
opponent. He will killMargaret
until he is
caught and he challenges
Maron
her to catch him. The stakes get elevated as Jack Jr. moves
Series: North Carolina Judge Deborah Knott
on from the models to those near and dear to Smokey.
Latest Stand-alone Novel: LAST LESSONS OF SUMCody McFadyen is a fine writer. The book, in first
MER (2003)
person narrative form, moves quickly from one violent
scene to another. Rarely are characters so brutalized as
Priscilla
Masters
these realistic, damaged
souls.
Smokey is no shrinking
Series:
British
Policewoman
Piercy
violet and is quite capable of handlingJoanna
herself in
spite of the
Latest
Stand-alone
Novel:
DISTURBING
GROUND
horrors she has suffered in the past. Yet, there have been
(2002)
so many serial killer novels
written in the near past with
well crafted characters, that this novel could hardly be
considered
a work
of originality.
Francine
Matthews
Hence,
the Massachusetts
climax and so much
Series:
Policethat
preceded
it, Meredith
is predictable.
NonetheDetective
Folger;
also
less,
is aseries
great,
Janethis
Austen
as page-turning
Stephanie
summer read. Barron
BORKMANN’S
POINT
Latest
Stand-alone Novel:
THE by
Hakan SECRET
Nesser AGENT
(Pantheon,
$22.95).
(2002)
Rating: A[Reviewed by George
Easter]. Swept in on the tide of
Ed McBain
Scandanavian crime
fiction being inSeries:
87TH Precinct
troduced into the United States, is this
Latest
Novel:
DRIVING
first
of Stand-alone
a series by one
of Sweden’s
top
LESSONS
(2000)
writers.
A serial killer is on the loose
Val McDermid
seemingly picking
his victims at ranSeries:
Clinical
psychologist
Dr Tony
dom. Chief
Inspector
Van Veeteren
is
Hillto
and
Chief
sent
theDetective
small town
of Inspector
Kaalbringen
Carolpolice
Jordan
to help the local
force solve the
crimes,
butStand-alone
he is as puzzled
by THE
the lack
Latest
Novel:
of clues as ECHO
they are.
But eventually he
DISTANT
(2003)
gets there. “Just as he suspected
from the start, it was hardly the result of laborious
routine investigations. Just as he’d thought, the
solution had come to him more or less out of the blue.
It felt a little odd, he had to concede; unfair almost,
although there again, it was hardly the first time this
kind of thing had happened. He’d seen it all before,
and had realized long ago that if there was any
profession in which virtue never got its due reward, it
was that of police officer.”
Usually I don’t care for police procedurals that
solve the crimes by anything less than good detection, but
I’ll have to make an exception for BORKMANN’S
POINT. The intriguing plot, interesting characters and
boffo ending, make this one a winner.
Larry Gandle opines: The major strength of
this work is the character of Van Veeteren. He is a likable
detective and highly competent at what he does. The
minor characters are also solid creations. This mystery is so
8
Deadly Pleasures
character-driven thatDenise
despite
the somewhat simple
Mina
solution,
the
book,
as
a
whole,
works
remarkably
well.
Series: Maureen O’Donnell (the
Garnethill
Trilogy)
Rating:
B+
Latest Stand-alone Novel: FIELD OF BLOOD (2005)
STILL LIFE by Louise Penny ( St. Martin’s
Minotaur, $22.95, July 2006) Rating B+ [Reviewed
by Bev DeWeese]. Three
Pines
is so small it’s not even
Marcia
Muller
on a Series:
lot of Canadian
maps.
So,
when aMcCone
beloved, 76San Francisco P.I. Sharon
year-old spinster, Miss Jane Neal, is found murdered
Latest Stand-alone Novel: CYANIDE WELLS (2003)
with an arrow, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the
Surete’ du Quebec is sent for. Gamache is immediately
Margaret
Murphy
charmed by this small
village
and its friendly, though
Series: British
quirky residents,
but theBarrister
murder isClara
reallyPascal
puzzling. At
Latest
Stand-alone
THE DISPOSSED
(July,
first,
Gamache’s
teamNovel:
can’t even
find the weapon,
and
2004 in no
U.K.)
there seems to be absolutely
one who had motive or
opportunity. But of course things are not always what
Carol
they seem. He soon
findsO’Connell
out, in Three Pines, people
NYC
Police Sergeant
clingSeries:
to their
memories
and theirKathleen
hurts for Mallory
years.
The characters
this charming
mystery are
Stand-alone
Novel:inJUDAS
CHILD (1998)
delightful. For example, Janet Neal, the victim, had
never ever let anyone
seeParetsky
her living room. If people
Sara
came over
for
dinner,
they
ateV.I.
in the
kitchen. No one
Series: Chicago P.I.
Warshawski
knew
she
was
a
painter,
until
she
entered
a very
Stand-alone Novel: GHOST COUNTRY
(1998)
striking, controversial painting in the local art show
right before her death.
The gayParker
owners of the local bed
T. Jefferson
and breakfast have price tags on everything in their
Series: Police detective Merci Rayborn
establishment, including, of course, the delicious mufStand-alone Novel: COLD PURSUIT (2003)
fins and croissants, as well as the beds, tables, and
chairs. After the murder, some local church ladies go
Iain Pears
into the woods and dedicate
a prayer stick to Janet.
Series: money-grubbing
British art dealerniece,
Jonathan
Even Janet’s
who Argyll
is fairly unLatest Stand-alone
OF SCIPIO
sympathetic,
makes us Novel:
smile. DREAM
And it seems
everyone
(2002)
knows how to hunt with bows
and arrows, from the local
juvenile delinquents to private school girls.
Pearson
ProtagonistRidley
Armand
Gamache is a quiet, intelligent,Series:
and very
effective
cop Detective
with a veryLou
specific
Seattle
Police
Boldtcrimesolving
approach.
He
believes
in
constant
courtesy
and
Latest Stand-alone Novel: PARALLEL LIES (2001)
quiet listening. Though he talks little, he is constantly
thinking and putting Thomas
together Perry
what he has heard. He is
slightly
reminiscent
of
Poirot,
but muchGuide
more Jane
likeable.
Series: NY State Native American
Only one of the interesting
sidelights
in
this
mystery
is
Whitefield
his unsuccessful
attempt
to
teach
and
mentor
a
young
Latest Stand-alone Novel: DEAD AIM (2002)
female cop in this method.
Bill Pronzini
Throughout the story, there are lovely descripSeries: The Nameless Detective in San Francisco
tions of the beautiful surroundings, the sometimes
Latest Stand-alone
THE
ALIAS flowers.
MAN (June,
unusual
houses, and Novel:
the late
blooming
The
2004)
relationships among the villagers are perhaps unusual,
but very perceptive and believable. At times, the
Ruth Rendell
setting and the characters
reminded me of Hitchcock’s
Series:with
British
Chief
Inspector
Wesford
Trouble
Harry.
And
that’s a Reginald
compliment.
Latest Stand-alone
ROTTWEILER
Finally, the Novel:
plottingTHE
is quite
clever and the(2003
story
in U.K.)
has a number of totally unexpected
twists. STILL LIFE
may look like a cozy village mystery, but it is much more
than that. It has memorable
characters, a very tricky
Rick Riordan
plot, a beautiful
setting,
a
more
subtle
sense of humor,
Series: Texas P.I. Tres
Navarre
and some
excellent
writing.
This
won
the(2003)
Arthur Ellis
Stand-alone Novel: COLD SPRINGS
Award for Best Canadian First Novel.
Maggie Mason’s
review: This is a stellar
S.J. Rozan
debut Series:
novel. The
setting
was
NYC P.I.’s Lydiaentrancing,
Chin & Billmaking
Smith a trip
to
Three Pines
a must.
The towns
people (September,
and police were
very
Stand-alone
Novel:
ABSENT
FRIENDS
2004)
well done, as were the interactions. I especially like how Penny
showed the difference of how Gamache and Nichol perceive
their interactions. There Greg
wereRucka
a few characters you’d really
like to know, and
one
you
wonder
why theKodiak
village tolerates, just
Series: Bodyguard Atticus
like real
life.
Well
Done!!
Rating:
A
Stand-alone Novel: A FISTFUL OF RAIN (2003)
SMOKED by Patrick Quinlan (St. Martin’s, $23.95).
Rating: B+ [Reviewed by Larry Gandle].Smoke Dugan is
Alan Russell
living a life in hiding. As a former explosives expert for the
Series: San Francisco detectives Am Caulfield & Stuart
Mob, he is on the lam for stealing $2.5 million from a mob boss
Winter
before killing him. But Smoke
is a good guy. He was angry
Stand-alone
POLITICAL
SUICIDE
(2003)
because
the bombNovel:
he created
was used
to bring
down a
commercial airline. Now he is living in Portland, Maine and has
James
Sallis
a girlfriend – Lola Bell. The
Mob
has caught up with Smoke
Series:
Orleans
P.I.Lola
Lewcould
Griffin
in the form
of a Black
trio ofNew
deadly
hit men.
be used as
Stand-alone
Novel:
GROVE
(2003)
a pawn-so they think.
TheyCYPRESS
are just not
aware that
she is well
versed in martial arts. What ensues is a thrilling semi-comic
bloodbath.
John Sandford
characterization
is Davenport;
what SMOKED
is all
Series: In-depth
Minnesota
Policeman Lucas
computer
about-- in the same vein whiz
as anKidd
Elmore Leonard novel. Sure
there isStand-alone
a decent and
rollicking
plot. But
the strength
Novel:
THE NIGHT
CREW
(1997) is the
portrayals of both the good and the bad as real people with
their own sets of problems.
EvenSaylor
the most wicked come off as
Steven
semi-human
instead
of
the
usual
cartoonish
stereotypes.
Series: Gordianus the Finder
– Ancient
Rome And
Patrick Quinlan knows how to pace his stories for maximum
Stand-alone Novel: HAVE YOU SEEN DAWN? (2003)
enjoyment. From this reader’s standpoint the book is pure fun.
This is an impressive debut and should be widely read.
Shannon
(Gar AnthonybyHaywood)
A Ray
FIELD
OF DARKNESS
Cornelia Read (MysPrincipal
Series:
Black,
Los Angeles
P.I. Aaron by
Gunner
terious Press, $22.95). Rating
A
[Reviewed
Maggie
Latest
Stand-alone
FIRECRACKER
Mason].
Madeline
Dare Novel:
is a woman
making the(2004)
best of her
current situation. She comes from a very wealthy family,
Martin
though as she says “the
moneyCruz
is soSmith
old, there’s none left.” She
Russian Inspector
Arkady
is marriedSeries:
to a wonderful
man, Dean,
who isRenko
working on an
Latest
DECEMBER
(2002)
invention
thatStand-alone
may make Novel:
a fortune.
Until then,6they
live near
his family in Syracuse New York circa 1988. Maddie works on
a local small newspaper,
and Spring
while she feels the lack of
Michelle
excitement,
she
is
devoted
to
her
Series: British Female P.I.husband.
Laura Principal
Suddenly,
her
Stand-alone Novel:
world
is turned
upside
THE NIGHT
LAWYER
down
when
she
learns
(January, 2005)
about a twenty year old
crime, one that may hit
Andrew Taylor
close to her family. A
Series: Lymouth,
couple of young women
England
(DI Richard
were
murdered
and left
Thornhill)
in a local farm. One of
Latestrelatives
Stand-alone
Dean’s
found
Novel:
THE AMERIsome
dogtags
near the
CAN BOY
in
bodies,
and (2003)
the name
U.S.
ANis UNPARon
theas
tags
Lapthorne
DONABLE
CRIME
Townsend,
not
a common name
at all. It is
(2004)
the name of one of
Maddie’s
fewTodd
relatives
Charles
she
actually
Series: Inspectorlikes.
Ian
Lapthorne’s
Rutledge,branch
WWI of
the family
held onto
veteran
their money and pres-
Deadly Pleasures
tige,Stand-alone
but he’s aNovel:
nice THE
guy. MURDER
Unlike hisSTONE
mother(2003)
with the
unprintable nickname, Lapthorne could pass for a regular
Joe.
Leonard Tourney
doesn’tTown
want Constable
to turn theMatthew
tags overStock
to the
Series:Maddie
17th Century
cops Stand-alone
until she can
determine
for
herself
if
Lapthorne
Novel: TIME’S FOOL (June, 2004) is
involved in the crime, so she convinces her mom to throw
a party for all the
relatives.
Maddie reconnects with
Donald
E. Westlake
Lapthorne, and her good friend Ellis even begins an affair
Series: NYC thief Dortmunder and others
with him.
Latest Stand-alone Novel: MONEY FOR NOTHING
Maddie gets into the heart of the investigation,
(2003)
which leads to a couple more
deaths, one that hits her very
hard. The ending was a stunner. I can’t say much more
Robert
about it without risking
givingWilson
something away. I will say
Series:
BruceThere
Medway
that this book
is a African
brilliant “Fixer”
debut novel.
were so many
Latest
Stand-alone
THE for
BLIND
MAN
OF
phrases
I found
myselfNovel:
rereading
sheer
enjoyment.
SEVILLE
(2003) characters, and an
Perfect turns of phrases,
engaging
exciting ending make for a surefire list of award nominations for Read. Lee Don
ChildWinslow
has really gotten behind this
author
and
thinks
she
will
be
star before
very long.
Series: New Englander NealaCarey,
employee
of The
MR CLARINET by
Nick
Stone
(Penguin/Michael
Bank
Joseph,
Rating:
A CALIFORNIA
[Reviewed by Jay
Waggoner].
Latest£12.99).
Stand-alone
Novel:
FIRE
AND
Remember
these
names:
Max
Mingus
and
Nick
Stone.
LIFE (1999)
You’ll be hearing/reading/seeing them with more and
more frequency over the next several years. MR CLARINET, Nick Stone’s debut novel, introduces ex-con, exThis list is to prove a point: that there is a trend of
policeman, private detective Max Mingus to the world.
series authors writing stand-alone novels. We’ll leave
What an introduction! Hired by a billionaire Haitian
the subjecttoof find
mystery
writers who
only
write
stand-for
businessman
his grandson
who’s
been
missing
alones
for
another
article.
Now,
on
to
some
comments
two years, Mingus is offered five million dollars to find out
on the topic
the
trenches:
what happened
to thefrom
threethose
year in
old,
and
ten million if he
brings him back alive. Quite an enticement. But Mingus
is not the first detective to have been hired. The others are
Charles
now
either Todd
dead . (the
. . orwriting
worse. team of Charles and
Caroline
onMax
Writing
a Stand-alone
THE
Subtitled Todd)
The First
Mingus
Thriller, MR CLARINET is exactly that. MURDER
I’m not aSTONE
particularly fast reader, but
560 Charles
pages flew
Set, for
the most part,
Haitiwhich
in the
andby.
I wrote
a stand-alone
lastinyear,
1990s,
Stone
weaves
a
bit
of
history,
geography,
voodoo,
came out in November, 2003. We are back to Rutledge
black
magic,
spirituality,
andhow
socio-economics
into
this
for 2004.
It was
interesting
the stand-alone
came
riveting
tale.
Villains
are
truly
dastardly,
heroes
have
about—in a publishing house board meeting it was
values
we cherish
and flaws wewould
can tolerate.
short, an
suggested
that a stand-alone
broadenIninterest
in
unbelievably
believable
debut
novel.
the Rutledge novels by incorporating the homefront
Ali Karim considers MR. CLARINET to be
rather than post-war-1919 or the war years in France.
“brilliant” and his favorite first novel of 2006. And his
And as the homefront was really about how women
opinion seems to be ratified by the CWA committee who
coped,
from the
andFirst
voted
MR. thrust
CLARINET
theprotective
winner of Edwardian
the new Best
Victorian
years
into
doing
everything
from
driving
to
Novel Award. Rating: A+
managing
finances, this
like a great
idea
to us.
BRETHREN
by seemed
Robyn Young
(Dutton,
$25.95;
So Francesca
Hatton £10.00,
and THEDutton,
MURDER
STONERating:
were
Hodder
& Stoughton,
$25.95).
It’s 1916,
andWaggoner].
she’s just buried
male of
Aborn.
[Reviewed
by Jay
I’m notthe
surelast
whether
I’m
her name—her
grandfather—in
themy
aftermath
of theor
over-rating
BRETHREN
because of
own biases,
Battle ofit the
took
from
whether
is Somme.
simply a That
greatbloodbath
book by also
more
objective
standards.
In of
spite
mymale
seeming
lack and
of self
knowledge,
her the last
heroffive
cousins
precipitated
it his
is a death.
book I’llAnd
be so
recommending
to anyone
will listen.
there isn’t anyone
elsewho
to face
the
BRETHREN
centers
around
a
topic
that
vultures at the funeral who accuse her family Iofhave
always
been she’d
curious
about,
but of.
never
managed
to learn
dealings
never
heard
Including
murder.
about . . . the
Crusades.
This
is
Robyn
Young’s
debut
It owes more to Daphne Du Maurier thannovel
to
and
also
the
first in abecause
planned revenge
trilogy. The
Crusade,
romantic suspense,
is theFirst
theme,
not
urged
bythe
Pope
Urban
II tookheroine.
place inShe
about
1098toA.defend
D. and
saving
poor
afflicted
learns
9
was initiated to cleanse
the Holy Land of Muslims and get it back in
herself
the
handsvery
of well,
Christhank
you,
in spite
tians. It is now
1260
of coming
late to
and
the Moslems,
mostlyfilling
underher
the miligrandfather’s
shoes.
tary
leadership
of
DP reviewer
Baybars,
haveLarry
been
Gandle liked
In
capturing
backit.many
of fact
the
Christian
he gave
it a
sglowing
t r o n review.
g h o l dAnd
s.
BRETHREN
is
the
the publisher was
story
of both
pleased.
WillBaybars
they
and
some
of
his We’ll
camwant another?
paign
as
well
as
see when the the
beginnings
a Chriscontract isofrenewed
tian movement to do
later this year. It
something about it.
was interesting to
Young maintry other
characters
and is
other
themes,
and
to write
in
tains
that one
of her goals
to tell
the story
from
both the
a
different
style.
And
readers
who
were
RutledgeChristian and the Moslem perspectives. Though a majority
were follows
at first very
upset thatfrom
Rutledge
would
be
ofphiles
this book
Will Campbell
a young,
novice
two years
in returning—and
told
us that they
had
sergeant
in the
Knights Templarthen
to his
attainment
of knight
been so
absorbed
by the STONE
they
forgave
us.
status,
it does
give enough
Moslem that
history
and
philosophy
So that’s
our tale.
we have
ideas for other
that
the reader
doesDobegin
to understand
a lotstandof the
alones??
bet.behind
It opened
interesting
canhaving
of
emotion
and You
hatred
theiranactions.
From
visited Young’s web-site
it appears
as if the next two books
worms
creatively!
will provide an even closer look.
BRETHREN
is LAST
far from
just aOF
story
about an
Margaret
Maron on
LESSON
SUMMER
evolvement from contest
“battlefields”
with
wooden
swords
(from an interview on
to a full-fledged
medieval
siege.
There’s
also
intrigue,
murderandmayhembookclub.com)
double-crossing,
secretinhabiting
cabals, anddifferent
even love
and lust. This
I do enjoy
personalities,
could
grow
to
be
an
epic
series,
but
regardless
it will
be one
but it’s normally within the encapsulated
experithat I’ll be reading. At long last I’m beginning to underence gained by writing short stories, my usual
stand the emotions and political underpinnings of both
vehicle for series variation. This time I got to
major sides in this region that is always in the news. And I’m
explore a new character in depth. As always
really enjoying the crusade while doing so.
when writing of an amateur sleuth, though,
there’s the difficulty of making it “real.” Why
**does
********this
*******non-professional
****************************get
******involved?
*****************What
********
can she logically do when she isn’t a police
P Contributor
adds her
voice
with
officer,
a PI, or Sarah
even Weinman
a judge with
police
conthese short
reviews
(some
of which
corroborate
the
nections?
In this
book,
I also
wanted
to show
opinions
expressed
by
other
DP
reviewers
herein)
of
the
how a sheltered and protected young woman
following
excellent
first
mystery/crime/thriller
novels.
finally finishes growing up by solving longTheseburied
and others
may
be found on
on her
her website,
Confesfamily
mysteries
own. She
sions
of
an
Idiosyncratic
Mind
(www.sarahweinman.com):
doesn’t threaten anyone with a gun or get
THE CHINATOWN DEATH CLOUD PERIL
knocked
around physically, but in the course of
by Paul Malmont (Simon & Schuster, $24.00). What
the book, she asks pointed questions, steals
happens when pulp meets reality, when lies trump the
information, deduces the secret hiding place of
truth and when the written word blurs with the writers
some important
methodically
responsible?
You get papers,
the rollicking,
oh-so-fun figures
adventure
out
the
motive
for
her
grandmother’s
that is Paul Malmont’s debut novel, which hadmurder,
me at the
then sets
a trap
for the
herself
as
murder
of H.P.
Lovecraft
andkiller
gets with
weirder
and more
bait — bizarre
all within
the realm
of plausibility.
wonderfully
thereafter.
If you’re
a diehard fan of
D
the old pulps or brand new to the concept, this is a book
to enjoy and adore.
Steve Hamilton’s comments on the subject:
10
Deadly Pleasures
BRETHREN:
An alone
EpiconAdventure
the
As far as standing
the issue ofof
standKnights
Templar
by
Robyn
Young
(Dutton,
$25.95).
It’s
alones, I think Lee Child is gonna be the last remaining
ahold-out,
good thing
I
didn’t
trust
my
instincts
and
dismiss
this
at least among the hard-boiled writers I canas
“just
another
Templar”
book. Did
Otherwise
have
think of. (Maybe
Ian Rankin?
he everIdowould
a standmissed
out
on
a
sweeping
historical
adventure
with
strong
alone?) After ICE RUN comes out this year, it feels like
characters
andtoserious
obviously
loves this
Alex is going
need averve.
break,Young
and I might
be feeling
a
time
period
-the
13th
century
preceding
the
last
crusade
little regionalized with the Michigan thing, too...
So
-- and hits all the big emotional points (love, honor, valor,
yeah, the next one is a stand-alone, set in the Hudson
loyalty, betrayal) in grand fashion. Can’t wait for the next
Valley of New York. [Editor’s Note: Ian Rankin wrote a
two volumes in this trilogy!
spy novel
ago that
justLarsson
been reprinted
in
SUNyears
STORM
byhas
Asa
(Delacorte,
hardcover
in the
U.K. –continues
WATCHMEN]
$22.95). The
Swedish
invasion
with this moody,
ice-cold thriller set in the most rural regions of Sweden.
There’s murder, there’s cultish tendencies, and there’s a
Michelle
writing
first stand-alone
scrappy
tax Spring
attorneyon
who
must her
go home
to help an old
novel
childhood friend and reopen
long-dormant wounds. It’s a
next novelthriller
is a stand-alone.
Before
you ask,
well-done,Mywell-paced
that’s long on
character
and
atmosphere.
Laura Principal, P.I. — the central character of the
SUNSTROKE
by Jesse
Kellerman
(Putnam,
series that
began with EVERY
BREATH
YOU TAKE
—
$24.95).
A
long
time
ago
I
imposed
a
moratorium
certainly isn’t ready to retire. In fact, she and her on
reading
anySonny
futureMendlowitz,
Kellerman novels,
but I couldn’t
resist
partner
her right-hand
woman
reading
the
debut
by
Faye
and
Jonathan’s
eldest
-Stevi, and her circle of women friends are about towho
be
writes
plays
primarily
-- andbeI’m
I did.
It isn’tcase
quiteofthe
drawn
into
what could
theglad
most
thrilling
big thriller that Putnam
wants career.
it to be, because Kellerman’s
Laura’s
style is nicely understated and the writing and character
But for several years now, I’ve had a story up
development is more interesting than the action, but that
my sleeve that requires a completely new cast of
bodes really well for his future, to be frank.
characters.
It requires
a dramatically by
different
setting.
A FIELD
OF DARKNESS
Cornelia
Read.
It
requires
each
major
character
to
speak
in
his
or her
Considering the advance hype, the blurbs, the attention,
voice,
whereas
in true
P.I.
someown
might
wonder
if thisLaura
debut Principal,
lives up. Well,
duh.
It’s an
tradition,difficult
alwaysjob
insists
on tellingsmartass
the storyhumor
herself.
incredibly
to balance
and
THE NIGHT
setainplot
thethat
most
heartfelt emotion,
depth ofLAWYER
character is
and
really
extraordinary
partdoes
of the
cityline,
of London
surprises,
but Read
it extraordinary
-- almost line by
actually.
— aispeninsula
in the
the best
River
Thames
called
the
Isle
of
This
easily among
debuts
this year
and
one
would
be remiss
in leaving
it aside
when it’sworld
released..
Dogs, where
a bright
skyscraper
is rapidly
THE KING
OF LIES
by John
Hart. Speaking
displacing
a traditional
dockside
community.
The of
wonderful
debuts,
John
Hart
has
such
a
lovely
writing
style
central character is Ellie Porter who works the night
that’s
full-bodied
and
lyrical
that
it
almost
gets
in
the
way
shift for a tabloid newspaper in Canary Wharf. We
of
this
tale
of
twisted
family
ties,
murder,
and
the
slow
watch as the young lawyer’s carefully-controlled life is
redemption
of Work Pickens
from weak
sontotocrime
his own
thrown off-course
by a stalker.
(I came
man
-but
that’s
only
because
there
are
so
many
gems
writing as a result of being stalked myself by a student
worth noting that one has to stop and marvel. What’s
who planned to murder my family, so the topic is one
especially exciting is that Hart is bound to improve in future
about which I have passionate feelings.)
books, with whatever subjects he tackles next.
THE NIGHT LAWYER is not the usual stalker-
**cum-serial-killer
************************novel.
*********It***includes
*************muggings,
***************murder,
************
karate and a teenage girl who poses as a creature of
And here are some other titles which are garnering
the night.
It is areviews
psychological
that tries to get
strongly
positive
in otherthriller
publications:
under the
skinJANISSARY
of the experience
of being
stalked,
and
THE
TREE
by Jason
Goodwin
to tell how
Ellie
Porter’sItpursuit
by Europe
a stranger,
whose
(Farrar,
Straus,
$25.00).
is 1836.
is modernizmotive
to understand,
forces
her suit.
to confront
ing,
and she
the fails
Ottoman
Empire must
follow
But just
demons
her own.
before theofSultan
announces sweeping changes, a wave of
NIGHT
will be of
published
murders THE
threatens
theLAWYER
fragile balance
power in
inthe
his
by Ballantine
in early
court. Who U.S.
is behind
them? Only
one 2005.
intelligence agent
can be trusted to find out: Yashim Lastname, a man both
brilliant and near-invisible in this world. You see, Yashim
is British
a eunuch.
(See review
of this
in Larry
column
newcomer
Chris
Simms
on Gandle’s
why he only
on CWA Ellis
Peters
Awards
herein).
writes stand-alone crime novels
SEQUENCE
by Lori to
Andrews
(St. Martin’s
I think my tendency
write stand-alones
Minotaur,
$23.95).
Dr.
Alexandra
Blake
has
job of
comes from the fact that, in their very early the
stages,
mya
lifetime.
As
a
cutting-edge
geneticist
at
AFIP---the
Armed
novels are very much idea - and not character - driven.
Forces
Institute of
D.C.---Alex
For instance,
thePathology
premise in
of Washington,
OUTSIDE THE
WHITE is
charged
with
using
her
research
into
the
genetics
of viruses
LINES was this: what if someone starts masquerading
to
find
a
vaccine
against
bioterrorism.
The
institute’s
new
as the driver of a recovery vehicle to kill people broken
director,
James
Wiatt,
wants
to
turn
the
AFIP
into
a
minidown on the hard shoulder of the motorway?
FBI by directing its resources toward crime solving---an
Therefore,
I find myself
theWhen
story a
effort to rival
the Bureau’s
forensicstructuring
department.
line first
— especially
action
and the
series
of related
murdershow
fallsthe
under
hisunfolds
jurisdiction,
Alex
onceonthehold
structure
worked
istension
forced increases.
to put her Only
research
so sheiscan
cover
forensics
themy
case,
which to
involves
a killer
whocharacmurders
out do Ion
turn
attention
fleshing
out the
women
near
military
bases
across
the
country
and
then
ters. Having said that, the novel I’m currently working
tattoos
their
corpses.
At
first
she
resents
being
distracted
on is the start of a series with a central character who
from
her alab
work,role
but inaseach
she becomes
immersed
theI
will play
pivotal
story. That’s
not to in
say
case,
studying
the
forensic
evidence,
viewing
the
crime
won’t be writing stand-alones too — there’s something
scenes,
and piecing
together
victims’
last moments,
satisfyingly
tidy about
a bookthe
when
you know
that its
Alex resolves tofinal
catch
the
killer.
(Larry
Gandle
gives this
page really is the end.
a B-, hence it wasn’t included in the reviews above).
THE PRINCESS OF BURUNDI by Kjell Eriksson
Susanne
veteran
editor
ofPublishers
mystery fiction
(St.
Martin’s Kirk,
Minotaur,
$23.95).
From
Weekly
at
Scribner,
on
how
she
feels
about
stand-alone
(Starred Review). “When the badly mutilated
body of John
novels
vs. seriesfamily
fiction.
Harald Jonsson—a
working-class
man and an expert on theDo
tropical
fishwhen
known
as cichlids—is
found in the
I groan
a successful
series-writing
snow
in the
provincial
Swedish
of alone!”?
Libro, homicide
author
tells
me “I want
to do town
a stand
I’m
detective
Ola Haver
and his
colleague,
Lindell,
quickly
embarrassed
to admit
it, but,
yes, I Ann
usually
do groan.
identify
a suspect,
an embittered
sociopath.every
The other
brilliance
I’ve had
the experience
that probably
of
Eriksson’s
detailed
crimea novel,
second
(after
crime
editor richly
has had
of seeing
career his
ruined
by such
THE
ILLUMINATED
his first
to author
be translated
a step.
The computerPATH)
can bebut
a killer.
The
sells
into
English,
in its of
psychological
and even
sociological
a solid
7,000lies
copies
a mid-list series
but only
4,000
insights. Eriksson not only reveals a deep, sympathetic
of the stand-alone. Next time out, it will take a lot of
understanding for his large cast of characters but also
hand-holding on the part of the publisher’s sales reps
evokes a pervasive sense of despair, reminiscent of Henning
to get the
up to the
seriesnature
level. of
Mankell’s,
in accounts
the face to
of order
the violent,
amoral
Often,
the
accounts
decline.
They
order
at
the
contemporary society and the challenges it placesstandon the
aloneThe
sales
Youfrom
can the
quickly
find yourself
police.
titlelevel.
derives
common
name of on
onea of
downward
spiral.
Jonsson’s beloved cichlids, and the aquarium is a neat
the voice
gloom, let
quickly
metaphorHaving
for thebeen
dynamics
of of
smalltown
life.meThis
susadd
that
I
urge
my
authors
to
write
the
book
that’s
penseful, intelligent and perceptive book is terrific.” in
them. Sometimes,
that FACTORY
means takingbya rest
from Karp
the
THE RABBIT
Marshall
(MacAdam
Cage, $25.00).
From
series. Of course,
it’s much less
of aBooklist
risk if the (Starred
author
Review).
“ In achieved
the early apages
of level
Karp’s
and
has already
certain
of irrepressible
success. Such
often
novel,
was poignant
the case debut
with John
L.A.Dunning
homicide
andcop
TWOMike
Lomax
and EASTERN
his partner,
O’CLOCK,
Terry
Biggs, are He
investigatWARTIME.
had
ing
the violent
of the
started
TWO death
O’CLOCK
actor portraying Rambuncsome years ago, and it
tious Rabbit, the beloved
was something that he
furry mascot at a popular
had
always
dreamed
of
Southern
California
theme
finishing..
He
has
a
park, Familyland (“Fella was
passion
old-timefeet,
wearing
twoforrabbit’s
radio,
not
to
mention
an
and he still got iced,” quips
encyclopedic
knowledge
a sheriff at the scene of the
(literally
– he
also wrote
crime).
The
park’s
parent
the
revised
edition
of ON
company, Lamaar Studios,
has
finger
in ENCYCLOa lot of piesTHEitsAIR:
THE
Deadly Pleasures
-movies, music, television, video games--and the last thing
the top brass needs is word of the murder to get out.
Lamaar’s bubbly, voluptuous PR director, Amy Cheever,
is called in to run interference, and detectives Lomax and
Biggs are determined to deter her, if only they can avert
their eyes from her 38Ds. Soon there’s another murder-a Lamaar Studios leading man--and it’s clear the killer (a
mobster, perhaps, or a vengeful employee?) is hell-bent on
bringing the entertainment conglomerate to its knees...
Like the best of Donald Westlake and Carl Hiaasen, THE
RABBIT FACTORY is deftly plotted and deliciously
askew.” Allison Block
HOLMES ON THE RANGE by Steven
Hockensmith (St. Martin’s Minotaur, $22.95). From Publishers Weekly (Starred Review). Sherlockians, western
fans and mystery lovers who enjoy their whodunits leavened with humor should all be delighted by Hockensmith’s
captivating debut, which features Montana cowboys and
brothers Gustav and Otto Amlingmeyer (better known as
Old Red and Big Red, respectively). One night in 1892,
Old Red becomes smitten with Sherlock Holmes on hearing his brother read “The Red-Headed League” around
the campfire during a cattle drive. Determined to follow in
his hero’s footsteps, Old Red gets the chance to apply the
master’s methods after some unsavory characters hire the
pair to work at a ranch, whose general manager is soon
found dead after a stampede. Another man turns up dead,
apparently a suicide, just before the British aristocrats who
own the ranch arrive to inspect their property. The
melding of genres will remind some of the late Bill
DeAndrea’s western Nero Wolfe pastiches, while the
skillful plotting and characterization augur well for the
sequel.
THE INTERPRETATION OF MURDER by
Jed Rubenfeld (Henry Holt, $26.00). From Booklist
(Starred Review). “Sigmund Freud’s singular visit to the
U.S.--which prompted him to label Americans “savages”–
provides the premise for Rubenfeld’s provocative mystery
debut. As the novel opens, Freud, along with rival and
protege Carl Jung, arrives in America in the steamy
summer of 1909 to deliver a series of university lectures.
He is soon enlisted by psychologist Stratham Younger to
help solve the case of two New York debutantes preyed
upon by a sadistic killer...He deftly blends fiction and fact
(a detailed author’s note draws clear lines between the
two), and his brisk, sinuous plot makes room for playful
interpretations of the world according to Freud. When a
dinner-party guest inquires as to the ramifications of her
runny nose, Freud replies: ‘Sometimes a catarrh, I’m
afraid, is just a catarrh.’” Allison Block
LOST ANGEL by Mike Doogan (Putnam,
$24.95). From Booklist (Starred Review): “A whiteknuckle flight in a bush plane over the Alaskan wilderness
jump-starts this debut novel, establishing both the unforgiving setting and the desperate resolve of the main character. Nik Kane spent 25 years with the Anchorage police,
15 as a detective. He has just been released from a 7-year
prison term resulting from a false conviction and is on his
11
own,
adrift
the poPEDIA
OFfrom
OLD-TIME
liceRADIO
and from
his
wife.
in between
Kane,
forced
into
private
THE BOOKMAN’S
investigation,
headed
WAKE andisTHE
for
Rejoice,
a
fundamenBOOKMAN’S PROMtalist
commuISE).Christian
TWO O’CLOCK
nity
in
the
harsh,
was a book he just high
had
desert of the interior. One
to write, and both he
of the daughters of the
and I – and lots of
Elders, an 18-year-old
readers
– areFaith,
glad that
girl named
has
he did
so. He did
gone
missing;
no all
one
thisifwith
knows
she the
has full
simply
knowledge
thatthe
he rebroken
free from
could have
moreor
strictive
life atsold
Rejoice
copies
a new
has
met of
with
foul Cliff
play.
Janeway
“Bookman”
This
is a richly
textured
novel
on
several
novel. Fortunately
for
counts...”Connie
Fletcher
John, the Janeway
audience is extremely loyal. It was
A CORPSE
IN THE
KORYO by
JamesinChurch
nine years
between THE
BOOKMAN’S
WAKE
1995
(St.
Martin’s
Minotaur,
$23.95).
This
is
the
next
and THE BOOKMAN’S PROMISE in 2004, but Reviewed
PROMto
Death
title.
From
(Starred
ISE
is the
book
that Booklist
finally got John
on Review).
The New"InspecYork
torTimes
O, a bestseller
North Korean
state
police
officer,
is given
list. And, miracle of miracles,
Johnan
unusual
assignment:
to a certain
of a certain
road
has finished
a newgo
Janeway
novelpart
for next
year. He’s
at dawn and photograph a certain vehicle. Little does he
making up for lost time. And, for the moment, sticking
suspect that this seemingly inconsequential task will escawith the series.
late into a case that will lead him to risk his job, and his life.
I
do
have
some
notable
non-series
authors
on
The (pseudonymous) author,
a veteran
intelligence
officer,
my
list.
Greg
Iles
has
achieved
major
bestseller
has intimate knowledge of Asian life and politics, and it
success by writing
writing is
something
totallyrichly
new each
time.
shows...The
superb, too...
layered
and
Severalevocative."
of his novels
havePitt
a unity in their Deep South
visually
David
settings,
butMEANING
he has also OF
oftenNIGHT
ventured
THE
by outside
Michaelthe
Cox
South,$25.95).
and the characters
are alwaysWeekly
unique. (Starred
THE
(Norton,
From Publishers
FOOTPRINTS
OFwith
GODechoes
took him
new and
exciting
Review).
Resonant
ofinWilkie
Collins
and
Charles
Dickens,
richly imagined
thrillera combinafeatures an
directions,
bothCox’s
in geography
and theme,
unreliable
narrator,
Glyver,
who
opens
his about
chilling
tion of thriller
andEdward
theology,
but his
next
novel,
“confession”
with
a
cold-blooded
account
of
an
anonymous
which I’m very excited, will again be set in familiar
murder
that in
heNatchez,
commitsMississippi.
one night on
thementioned
streets of the
1854
territory,
I’ve
London.
That
killing
is
mere
training
for
his
planned
series possibility to Greg, but he likes the challenge of
assassination
Phoebus
Daunt,
an And,
acquaintance
creating thatof
new
world each
time.
for him, Glyver
it has
blames for virtually
every
downturn
in
his
worked magnificently. life...Cox’s tale
abounds with startling surprises that are made credible by
I guess my advice to authors is, if you want to
its scrupulously researched background and details of
do a stand-alone, make sure it’s something really
everyday Victorian life. Its exemplary blend of intrigue,
special.
A routine
do. Yetliterary
another
serial
history
and
romancethriller
mark won’t
a stand-out
debut."
killer won’t
bring
you
fame
and
fortune.
But
if
you
SPECIAL TOPICS IN CALAMITY PHYSICS
a great
concept,
if it’s
a novel From
you believe
in, go
byhave
Marisha
Pessl
(Viking,
$25.95).
Publishers
for it. I may
groan.
I probably
will stunning
groan. But
you is
just
Weekly
(Starred
Review).
“Pessl’s
debut
an
may prove
me wrong!
elaborate construction
modeled
after the syllabus of a
college literature course—36 chapters are named after
everything from Othello to Paradise Lost to The Big
Sleep—that culminates with a final exam. It comes as no
surprise, then, that teen narrator Blue Van Meer, the
daughter of an itinerant academic, has an impressive
vocabulary and a knack for esoteric citation that makes
Salinger’s Seymour Glass look like a dunce. Following the
mysterious death of her butterfly-obsessed mother, Blue
and her father, Gareth, embark, in another nod to Nabokov,
A Stand-Alone Novel is only
one book away from being a
Series Novel.
12
Deadly Pleasures
on a tour of picturesque college towns, never staying
anyplace longer than a semester. This doesn’t bode well
for Blue’s social life, but when the Van Meers settle in
Stockton, N.C., for the entirety of Blue’s senior year, she
befriends—sort of—a group of eccentric geniuses (referred to by their classmates as the Bluebloods) and their
ringleader, film studies teacher Hannah Schneider. As
Blue becomes enmeshed with Hannah and the Bluebloods,
the novel becomes a murder mystery so intricately plotted
that, after absorbing the late-chapter revelations, readers
will be tempted to start again at the beginning in order to
watch the tiny clues fall into place...”
CRITIQUE OF CRIMINAL REASON by
Michael Gregorio (St. Martin’s Minotaur, $23.95). From
Booklist (Starred Review). “Sherlock Holmes himself
would struggle to keep up with the master sleuth Gregorio
brings to life. For it is none other than Immanuel Kant-apostle of reason--who emerges from his study to combat
crime in this compelling historical mystery. To be sure, the
Kant of 1803 is too old to take on principal responsibility
for a murder investigation, especially one involving an
elusive serial killer. That daunting task falls to the narrator,
one of Kant’s former students: the magistrate Hanno
Stiffeniis. As Stiffeniis struggles to unmask the killer
terrorizing Konigsberg, he finds himself increasingly reliant
upon the great philosopher. Yet he is puzzled by the way
the pioneering rationalist opens the door to mysticism and
even to the demonic... As befits this cast of characters,
Gregorio leads the reader deep into philosophical ruminations on the limits of logic and on the nature of evil--all the
while spinning a plot as taut as any mystery lover could
want! Only a killjoy would reveal the denouement, but
readers can expect stunning--and thought-provoking-reversals before the last clue is deciphered.” Bryce
Christensen
L.A. REX by Will Beall (Riverhead Books, $24.95).
A Wambaugh-like police novel set in South Central Los
Angeles. Bookpage: "The pace is breathtaking, the
dialogue snappy and street-savvy."
The DP staff
usually winds up a Best
First Novel article with
our picks of our favorites, but this year the
whole article constitutes
that list. Dive in anywhere and enjoy.
There is always some
fall-out with first-time
novelists, but I’ll bet that
we will look back at
2006 from some distance and remark on
the relatively large number of these authors
who have gone on to
successful careers. At
least that is my hope.
THE TALENT OF
D. DANIEL JUDSON
PROVES THERE IS ALWAYS
SOMETHING NEW
IN CRIME FICTION
by Gar
y W
ar
Gary
War
arrren
Niebuhr
THE BONE ORCHARD (Bantam, 2002)
THE POISONED ROSE (Bantam, 2002)
THE DARKEST PLACE (Minotaur, 2006)
I
am never short of opinions and here are some for you
to ponder:
• The assertion that the private eye novel is dead has
never been true.
• Paperback original writers have the same talents as
those published in hardcover.
• Always be nice to first-book authors if you have a
chance to meet them: they are our future.
A couple of years ago Mystery News suggested
that I interview a new paperback original writer named D.
Daniel Judson. The result was the interview, "An Opportunity to Continue to Successfully Walk the Razor's Edge
Between Nobility and Savagery," in its Summer 2002
issue. Since that chance encounter, all my theories have
been proven true – at least where Daniel Judson is
concerned.
The private eye novel never died
There are some authors who commit the cardinal
sin of all genre writing: repetition without skill. A genre
reader needs repetition, for it is the appeal of the anticipated elements of a genre that make a reader keep
coming back for more. But what thrills a reader when
picking up a new title is the way an author uses the
anticipated contrivances of the genre in a surprising
manner.
What are some of the expected genre contrivances of the private eye?
Lone wolf detective
Defective detective
Unfaithful client
Opposition to the forces of law and order
Corruption within all institutions
Violence
Dangerous sex
In his first two books, Judson’s character is Declan
“Mac” MacManus, a troubled man whose life in the tourist
Deadly Pleasures
13
town of Southampton, New York, has led him to a spiraling
path of despair and to take some work as an unlicensed
private investigator. Through circumstances too revealing
to mention, by book three Mac has become the owner of
a private detective agency (with the African American
character Reggie Clay) that also includes a name change
to Edmond “Ned” Gregor. All of this maneuvering makes
Mac one of the most fascinating P. I. characters to appear
on the contemporary scene and proves there is always
something new in the minds of good P. I. writers.
Paperback original writers have the same
Laura
Laura
Lippman
Laura
lippman
talent
as
those published in hardcover
The first two books in this series were published in
paperback by Bantam. Each book, in my estimation, is a
classic in the field of private eye fiction.
The first, THE BONE ORCHARD, begins when
a father wants his son-in-law tailed, and he turns to the
slightly disreputable Southampton P. I. Frank Gannon for
help. Gannon decides to put Augie Hartsell on the case.
Augie is a retired DEA agent recovering from a beating
received on a previous case. Because Frank does not trust
Augie, he coaxes Augie’s best friend, freelancer Mac, to
baby-sit Augie during the case. Mac will not accept the
money from Frank, but he does accept the responsibility,
and is with Augie when the two witness an accident that
may have been arranged by the police. This is bad news
for Mac, who has a blood feud with the Chief of Police. But
it is worse news for Augie when he is arrested for the
murder of a hit man sent to eliminate him as a witness.
When things go bad, even Augie and Mac fight and their
friendship shatters.
So much information is provided as background in
this novel that the reader cannot help but feel there have
been previous novels in this series that have been missed.
Play the game with the author, for Judson is creating
literature in an uncharted sea. He is writing his series
backwards. Readers who enjoyed THE BONE ORCHARD will know what is going to happen in THE
POISONED ROSE. But knowing is not understanding,
and that is one of the strengths that Judson has. He is able
to give away the plot to the readers in the previous book
as back-story, yet this second novel never flags in its
energy.
When we met Mac in the first book, we knew he
had a history with Augie Hartsell on a previous case. THE
POISONED ROSE is the previous case, and it shows how
Mac and Augie were reluctantly teamed by P. I. Frank
Gannon, the evil puppet master in the lives of both the
criminals and cops on the East End of Long Island. The
boys were sent to scare a young man away from a rich
man’s daughter, but instead Mac and Augie witness the
murder of the man. This incident begins a spiral of events,
double-cross, mistaken identities and murders worthy of
any convoluted film noir. Everything takes place in the
darkness of Southampton, and the wild ride that Judson
creates is the equal to his first effort. Judson is a superior
writer, who can be both literary and scary in the same
paragraph. His skills are tested on each page because of
the unique chronological challenge he has set for himself,
and he is equal to the task.
Always be nice to first book authors if you
have a chance to meet them:
they are our future
THE BONE ORCHARD was nominated by the
Private Eye Writers of America in 2003 for the Shamus
Award as the Best First P. I. Novel of the previous year, but
it lost to Eddie Muller’s THE DISTANCE. THE POISONED ROSE won the Shamus Award as the best
paperback original of 2002.
Unfortunately, there was no Edgar or Anthony
nomination and my comments on the limited ability of that
portion of the mystery community to recognize Judson will
be reserved. However, the point in this section is that as
a reader I was willing to invest time and money in a new
author and I was richly rewarded. First-time authors and
paperback original writers deserve the same attention as
any hardcover effort. And now Judson has made the jump
to hardcover at St. Martin’s Minotaur.
THE DARKEST PLACE is set in Judson’s
territory, the East End of Long Island. Southampton is
trying to survive another winter while it waits for the return
of the tourists and summer residents who feed its economy.
During these extremely bitter winter days, someone has
begun to dump the dead bodies of young men in various
bodies of water around the small communities. The police
are unable to define what killed the boys and so they write
14
Deadly Pleasures
their deaths off as
suicide or accident.
This novel tells
this story from
four main points
of view. The first
is Deacon Kane,
an instructor at
South-ampton
College who is still
suffering depression over the
death of his son
(not related to the
current murders)
and who finds himself the most likely
suspect for the
third boy’s death.
Reggie Clay
gets on the case
when the parents of the third victim turn to a private
investigator to prove that their son did not commit suicide.
Tommy Miller is the son of the former Chief of
Police of Southampton, and he is seeking redemption for
past acts by auditioning for Clay’s agency.
The last point of view may be the most interesting:
it is Edmond “Ned” Gregor who may just be the resurrected character Mac.
As all four of these men’s stories are revealed, the
facts behind the killings are slowly uncovered. To support
this complex story, Judson has layered in a great supporting cast of minor characters, each with a superbly developed back story that makes them as interesting and real
as the main characters.
As with his previous stories about this area, Judson
sets it during the winter months when the resort area is
bitterly cold and populated only by the residents dependent on the seasonal people for their livelihoods. Everything in this novel takes place in the dark, whether it is the
fog of the investigation or the late night misdeeds of the
characters.
It is a sordid noir tale, yet it carries nobility within
some of the characters that raises them far above our pity.
The complex use of time, with overlapping points of view,
gives this novel a pace that would qualify it for a thriller, yet
it does not suspend our disbelief with wild car chases or
other easy devices. Instead, the characters do what they
have to do to survive, and the reader is taken down the
same dark path they go toward the bittersweet and
powerful conclusion. This novel should appeal to all fans
of noir writing and film noir, as well as those who enjoyed
THE LONG GOODBYE and MYSTIC RIVER. It
should find itself nominated for awards as one of the best
novels of 2006.
Now all I have to do is sit back and wait for D.
Daniel Judson to write book four. Long may he live -- and
write!
2006 Bar
war
d
Barrr y A
Aw
ard
Winners
BEST NOVEL
RED LEAVES, Thomas H. Cook
BLOODLINES, Jan Burke
MERCY FALLS, William Kent Krueger
SUDDEN DEATH, David Rosenfelt
MR. LUCKY, James Swain
THE POWER OF THE DOG, Don Winslow
BEST FIRST NOVEL
COLD GRANITE, Stuart MacBride
DIE A LITTLE, Megan Abbott
IMMORAL, Brian Freeman
BABY GAME, Randall Hicks
DARK HARBOR, David Hosp
BEST BRITISH NOVEL
THE FIELD OF BLOOD, Denise Mina
BLOOD-DIMMED TIDE, Rennie Airth
LIFELESS, Mark Billingham
SILENCE OF THE GRAVE, Arnaldur Indridason
A GOOD DAY TO DIE, Simon Kernick
LOST, Michael Robotham
BEST THRILLER
COMPANY MAN, Joseph Finder
CONSENT TO KILL, Vince Flynn
THE INSIDE RING, Michael Lawson
SEVEN DEADLY WONDERS, Matthew Reilly
MAP OF BONES, James Rollins
PRIVATE WARS, Greg Rucka
BEST PAPERBACK NOVEL
THE JAMES DEANS, Reed Farrell Coleman
SIX BAD THINGS, Charlie Huston
NIGHT’S CHILD, Maureen Jennings
NOW YOU SEE ME, Rochelle Krich
THE DEAD DON’T GET OUT MUCH, M.J.Maffini
INSIDE OUT, John Ramsey Miller
BEST SHORT STORY
Nancy Pickard “There Is No Crime on Easter
Island”
Steve Hockensmith “The Big Road”
Peter Lovesey “Needle Match”
Joan Richter “Love and Death in Africa”
Tom Savage “The Method in Her Madness”
DON SANDSTROM MYSTERY FANDOM
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Janet Rudolph
Deadly Pleasures
IT’S ABOUT CRIME
by Mar
v Lac
hman
Marv
Lachman
The Short Stop
A
lfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine started in
1956 as a spin-off of an enormously successful TV
show featuring introductions by the maestro. Five decades
later it survives, providing a steady and varied diet of crime
stories ten times a year. FIFTY YEARS OF CRIME AND
SUSPENSE, edited by Linda Landrigan (Pegasus Books,
trade paperback, $16.95), is one of the best bargains I’ve
come across lately. It has 542 pages and 34 stories from
the magazine. It’s not only quantity that makes this collection special. There are many big names, including Jim
Thompson, Ed McBain, Donald E. Westlake, Sara Paretsky,
and Lawrence Block. I found many stories to be special,
and, surprisingly, they weren’t always by the biggest stars
of the mystery firmament. There’s an excellent Rob
Kantner private eye story, one of William Bankier’s stories
that uses music artfully, a Jeffry Scott story that, though
originally published in1990, is as timely as recent newspapers because it is set in Beirut. Then there is a Stephen
Wasylyk story that is hard to classify but should not be
missed. Another half-dozen stories in the book are almost
as good, but best of all in the collection is one of Edward
D. Hoch’s impossible crime stories, “The Long Way
Down,” about a man who falls out of a 21st floor window
but disappears before his body reaches the sidewalk. If you
can avoid reading that story, after my brief description, you
have more will power than I.
Otto Penzler has edited good anthologies in the
past and written well and wisely about the mystery. He’s
apparently now in a slump. First, in his column in the New
York Sun he criticizes Freeman Wills Crofts for being
boring, which he is not. Then he edits an anthology of
basketball stories, MURDER AT THE FOUL LINE
(Mysterious Press, $24.95), in which some of the stories
are as boring as anything I’ve read recently. They have
little mystery plot and are mostly given over to basketball
players talking trash. (In his well-written introduction,
Penzler claims that many current players are jerks, thus
proving my point in advance.) Even the good stories in the
15
book, such as a Keller story by Lawrence Block and one by
Michael Malone, the best in the anthology, are there under
false pretenses. They are not really about basketball,
which seems dragged in, apparently so they could be used
in this book. Crofts is not boring, nor was he “hum-drum”
as Julian Symons alleged. He unfailingly provided escape
as he plotted intricate stories that appeal to the minds of
readers and make them want to compete with his detective. Crofts would be out of place in this anthology.
The short novel (or long novelet) is a rarity. An
exception is Katherine John’s THE CORPSE’S TALE
(2006, published in England by Accent Press Ltd. and in
the U.S. by Dufour Editions, Inc. $6.95). It part of a series
labeled “Quick Reads” and comes in at 115 pages, and
with large print to boot. It tells a poignant tale about a
village beauty in mid-Wales who is murdered as she is
about to go away to drama school. Ten years later, three
Scotland Yard detectives are sent to reexamine the case.
(The examination of “cold cases” is becoming a bit of a
cliché in mystery fiction and on TV.) They are two men and
a woman, and one of the men is not a male chauvinist,
avoiding another cliché. The telling is crisp, with no wasted
words, and the Welsh scene makes for an uncommon
setting. Unfortunately, the solution is too abrupt (and not
especially fair), almost as if the author realized that she was
in danger of approaching novel length and had better
make it a “quick read.”
On September 24, 2006 I read an Associated
Press article in my local paper about Vinnie Williams, the
86-year-old publisher of a weekly newspaper in Oconee
County, Georgia. It reminded me of the three short stories
she had published in EQMM between 1949 and 1957.
(She also wrote four non-mystery novels.) I especially
remember her first story, the prize-winning “A Matter of
the Tax Payers’ Money,” published in EQMM October
1949. Set in rural Florida, it has an unusual amateur
detective, a welfare worker, a job that Williams once held.
Her second story, “Dodie and the Boogerman” (EQMM
June 1955), is set in rural Georgia, where some of the local
place names are “Diddy-Wah-Diddy,” “Ginny Gall,” “Lake
Now’n Again,” and “West Hell.” Her descriptive detail was
outstanding, including “fern-frowsy oaks,” “white-exploding cotton fields,” and “winds stretching their legs over the
tree tops.” I was pleased to read that Vinnie Williams is still
alive, well, and busy.
Notes on Novels Recently Read
MANHATTAN LOVE SONG (Pegasus Books,
trade paperback, $13.95) is a 1932 book that was the last
Woolrich novel published during his relatively short career
as a writer of mainstream fiction in the F. Scott Fitzgerald
mode. It contains enough crime elements to justify calling
it a mystery, and since it has long been unavailable, this
reprint is most welcome. It’s a book about a love triangle.
Wade is bored with his wife, Maxine, who reminds him of
the 1920s. He says, “The jazz age had been deplorable
enough as I remembered it, but to have to live with a leftover from it was asking too much.” He meets and falls in
16
Deadly Pleasures
love with Berenice, though he knows she is promiscuous
and mixed up with gangsters.
This book has many of the weaknesses of Woolrich,
but it also has the strengths. The plot is unlikely, depending
on coincidence, and there is little depth to the overly
emotional characters. They fall in love at first sight, but it
is never clear why. Scenes are overwritten, and yet it is
often Woolrich’s purple prose that is so effective. For
example, Maxine, on the subway, is trying to dissuade
Wade from running away with Berenice. Wade observes,
“. . . she hadn’t much time – the stations went dropping us
like beads on a steel–and–electric rosary and she must win
me over, get me to listen, get me to turn back, before I got
to the end of the line.” To a true Woolrich fan, it is easy to
suspend disbelief over plot weaknesses and to appreciate
lines such as that. The book is full of word pictures of the
neon lights and noise of 1932 New York, especially the
subways.
There is also great suspense as
Wade struggles to raise $100 to keep
Berenice from going away with another
man. Then there is danger as a joking
comment by Wade puts both Berenice
and him in danger of being killed by the
mob. Don’t ask what motivates the characters because Woolrich will not provide
cogent answers. Just be swept along in
the tide of his suspenseful writing, which
others have likened to being on a roller
coaster.
I’ve been a fan of Dick Francis
for almost 45 years. Once, I made it a
point to save his latest book to read for
extra pleasure during my vacation. Other
priorities, including reading short stories
and many American regional mysteries,
put me off that schedule, so I’m obviously
behind and only recently read DRIVING FORCE (1992).
(I still read his books in chronological order.) Francis
remains a marvelous storyteller, and the more I read him
the more I appreciate his wonderful insights into human
nature. At one point he has his hero wisely say, “ On the
whole people accused others of doing what they would do
themselves. Dishonesty begins at home.”
In this book, Francis rings another variation on his
string of horse race-related mysteries. This time his hero,
Freddie Croft, is an ex-jockey who has an occupation very
necessary to the sport: transporting horses to racing
meets. The book starts with the usual Francis grabber. Two
of Freddie’s drivers show up on his door step with a dead
body. “So they’d brought him to my doorstep like cats
bring home a dead bird.” Freddie is a realistic hero, not one
who is perfect. He has his limitations. He doesn’t know who
Dr. Ehrlich was, but he knows who won the 1915 English
Derby. As usual, Francis’s protagonist comes face to face
with unadulterated evil and in danger says, in understatement, “I protested furiously, vainly, against being murdered.” There are many murder suspects, perhaps too
many among the large cast of about two dozen people.
Still, Francis does a good job of managing his human
traffic, though the behavior of some of them seems to have
been governed by his need to end this 367 page book.
Simon Brett, in his Charles Paris series, writes
better theatre mysteries than anyone else I know. STAR
TRAP (1976), the third in the series, is a good example.
Because of his past detective successes, actor Paris has
been given a supporting role in the musical version of
Oliver Goldsmith’s She Stoops to Conquer (to be called
Lumpkin after an important character in the play), on the
condition that he look into possible sabotage designed to
ruin the production. Brett knows theatre and captures the
backstage maneuvering whereby the television star playing Lumpkin works to change Goldsmith’s play into a star
turn for him. We get discussion of Paris’s personal life,
including his marital status and heavy drinking, but I found
Brett says only enough to make his protagonist interesting. Paris loves traditional
theatre and is uninformed regarding television and its current argot, claiming, though
he is only 48, “Some of us age quicker than
others.” The book’s ending is nicely ironic,
but the solution unfair since it depends on
Paris recognizing the killer from a picture
only he has seen.
Perhaps it was the announcement that
PBS was televising a new series featuring
Sgt. (later Inspector) Lewis, the longtime
assistant to Inspector Morse, that lead me
to start reading Colin Dexter again. I had
only read the first Morse book, so I resumed
with the second, LAST SEEN WEARING
(1976). I never found Morse as interesting
a character on TV as some did. In this book
we again have his eccentric and often
wrong detective methods as he tries to
solve a missing teenager case. Yet, Morse’s famous love of
opera makes him interesting to me and gives me confidence in him. I admit it's pure prejudice, but I can’t believe
detectives who like rock and roll or heavy metal can solve
anything. I wouldn’t even read a book about a detective
who is a fan of rap music.
While this book moves well and is well worth
reading, there were annoying flaws in Dexter’s writing. He
has a literary quote with each chapter, and they are not
only unnecessary but give away too much of the plot. My
advice: skip those. On page 123 of the Ivy paperback
edition, Dexter suddenly shifts to the criminal’s viewpoint.
For no reason I can determine, he tells us on page 130 that
one of three suspects will be dead soon. Still, the story
moves well, and many of the characters are well limned.
Once again, the ending disappoints, with unfair clues not
made available to the reader until too near the end.
One of the staples of the Southern California
mystery has been the short story or novel about religious
cults that bilk the gullible and unsuspecting. I once wrote
of mysteries with cults for a book called SYNOD OF
Deadly Pleasures
SLEUTHS, mentioning among others the best of these,
NINE TIMES NINE (1940), which Anthony Boucher
wrote as H.H. Holmes. It combined a bizarre cult with a fine
locked room mystery. Ross Macdonald, Richard Prather,
Arthur Lyons, Roger L. Simon, Jonathan Kellerman and
Margaret Millar are others who have used this subject, but
recently it has not been a popular one. Now comes Jon L.
Breen, editor of SYNOD OF SLEUTHS, with his EYE
OF GOD (Perseverance Press/ John Daniel & Co.,
paperback original $13.95) a book that is up to date
because it is about a popular televangelist/faith healer.
His group is blander than, say, Holmes’s Temple of Light,
but Breen makes them and his other characters more
realistic, perhaps by allowing characters to use vulgar
language not permitted Holmes.
Breen’s story is about a pair of private eyes,
whose partnership is threatened when one is “born again”
and decides to leave that profession. However, his religious fervor makes him perfect for one last job: infiltrating
the cult to find out who is trying to discredit it from within,
an assignment not unlike the one that Charles Paris has.
Discussions of religion add an extra dimension to the book,
with Breen basically fair to those in favor and those
opposed. The dialogue about religion is lively, with some
good lines. The climax is at a religious gathering where
people sing, among other songs, “Give Me That Old-Time
Religion.” (I usually sing as I read current books, “Give Me
That Old-Time Detection.”) The solution is better clued
than most books, though Breen missed a great opportunity
in not having his private eye reveal it as part of the
“testimony” he gives in being accepted into the religion. If
there is a fault in the ending it is that the clues are not
inescapable but instead are subject to several interpretations. A sub-plot involving a professional basketball team
seems an unnecessary addition, though Breen certainly
knows that sport.
Normally, I like my detective fiction to be serious,
relishing the opportunity to compete against the detectives
of authors who plant clues fairly and plot logically. What a
delightful change of pace I found in THE WOODEN
OVERCOAT (1951; reprinted by Rue Morgue Press in
trade paperback, $14.95)! This is the first of four novel by
Pamela Branch, who died far too early at age 47, and is
its first U.S. publication. The introduction by Tom and Enid
Schantz provides a splendid mini-biography of this
undeservedly little-known author.
There are many disparate elements in this wild
book which features the Asterisk Club, whose members
are murderers who were acquitted in trials. There are also
two bright young, artistic couples, a devoted rat-catcher,
a ballet dancer, and a dog named “Croydon.” Bodies
appear, but no one seems to want to call the police and
stop the fun. That is because there is an inner logic to the
actions of the characters that trumps what we normally
think of as rational behavior. The action is almost constant,
and there are hilarious scenes of attempted body disposal.
This book is full of fun, but it is with the humor of funny
situations, not gags and puns
17
Doom with a View
It was probably the Broadway success of Angel
Street (filmed as Gaslight) that led to the small sub-genre
of mysteries about creepy husbands threatening their
wives. One example was Virginia Perdue’s 1943 novel He
Fell Down Dead, filmed as a “B” picture by Warner
Brothrs as Shadow of a Woman (1946). Helmut Dantine,
an Austrian actor, had one of his few starring roles, as the
husband. He had been playing German soldiers during
World War II, including his role as the flier who lands in Mrs.
Miniver’s backyard. As his wife, Andrea King was attractive but not especially convincing as a woman in possible
danger. The film adaptation sticks pretty closely to the
novel, though changing the names of some characters and
the location from Southern California to the Monterey
Peninsula and San Francisco. I suspect Warners had some
location shots left over from Dark Passage, filmed around
this time, and didn’t want them to go to waste. The ending
is also somewhat changed, but it is a satisfying conclusion
to a fast-moving film.
MGM didn’t trust its audience – at least in the
1930s – so they added unfortunate attempts at comedy in
filming mystery novels that had interesting backgrounds.
Two of these were films from novels by Courtland
Fitzsimmons. Death on the Diamond (1934) is one of the
better baseball films ever made, involving serial killing of
the members of the St. Louis Cardinals. It could have done
without the juvenile antics of Ted Healy as an umpire.
Healy originally appeared with the Three Stooges, so that
should tell you how funny he was.
Healy is also in The Longest Night, the 1936 film
version of Fitzsimmons’s The Whispering Window. Again,
the background, in this case a department store at night,
is a good one. However, the allegedly comic padding
almost destroys the movie, turning a detective story into a
farce. Healy is worst as a police sergeant, but Sidney Toler,
not yet Charlie Chan, is little better as Captain Holt. This
is a short film, under an hour, and that may be why the
revelation of the identity of the murderer is so abrupt.
DEATH FROM A TOP HAT was a fine novel by
Clayton Rawson, but the
1939 film version,
Miracles for Sale, is not
nearly as good. Again,
had MGM been willing to
stress the background of
magic that so enhanced
the book and cut some of
the silly attempts at comedy, they’d have had a
good little movie. Robert
Young was the biggest
victim of the studio’s lack
of judgment. He appeared in all three of the
films I’ve mentioned. Father wasn’t always allowed
to know best.
18
Deadly Pleasures
Email: [email protected]
THE DP C
ALENDAR
CALENDAR
LEFT COAST CRIME 2007
February 1-4, 2007
Seattle, Washington
Guest of Honor: Gayle Lynds and Dennis Lynds (in
memorium)
Fan Guests of Honor: Diane Kovacs and Kara Robinson
Toastmaster: Gary Phillips
Fee: $190
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://lcc2007.com/
LOVE IS MURDER
February 2-5, 2007
Rosemont, Illinois (Chicago area)
Local Guest of Honor: David Walker
Other featured guests include Anne Perry, Max Allan
Collins, Ken Bruen, Nancy Pickard, Charlaine Harris and
Carolyn Haines
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.loveismurder.net
SLEUTHFEST 2007
April 19-22, 2007
Seattle, Washington
Special speakers: Linda Fairstein and
Rene Balcer (of Law & Order)
E-Mail: [email protected]
Website: www.mwa-florida.org/sleuthfest
MALICE DOMESTIC XIX
May 4 – May 6, 2007
Arlington, Virginia
Guest of Honor: Rochelle Krich
Lifetime Achievement: Carolyn Hart
Toastmaster: Elaine Viets
Ghost of Honor: Georgette Heyer
Fan Guest of Honor: Kay McCarty
Poirot Award Honoree: Doug Greene
Email: [email protected]/
MAYHEM IN THE MIDLANDS
May 25-27, 2007
Omaha, Nebraska
Guest of Honor: Margaret Maron
Toastmaster: Nancy Pickard
MURDER IN THE GROVE
May 6-8, 2007
Boise, Idaho
Guest of Honor: Robert Crais
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.murderinthegrove.com
BOUCHERCON 2007
September 27 – 30, 2007
Anchorage, Alaska
American Guest of Honor: Ann Rule
British Guest of Honor: Alexander McCall Smith
Special Guest of Honor: Jayne Anne Krentz, (Amanda
Quick, Jayne Castle)
Fan Guest of Honor: Barbara Peters
Fee: $200 prior to July 1, 2007, thereafter $250
Website: bouchercon2007.com
BOUCHERCON 2008
CHARMED TO DEATH
October 9 – October 12, 2008
Baltimore, Maryland
US Guest of Honor: Laura Lippman
International Guest of Honor: John Harvey
Toastmaster: Mark Billingham
GoH - Contribution to the Genre: Barbara Peters
GoH - Contribution to the Genre: Rob Rosenwald
Fan Guest of Honor: Thalia Proctor
Email: [email protected]
Blog: http://bouchercon2008.blogspot.com
Deadly Pleasures
19
REVIEWED TO DEATH
AN AIR THA
T KILL
S and DO EVIL IN RETURN
THAT
KILLS
by Mar
gar
et Millar (S
k House, $1
9.95)
are
(Sttar
ark
$19.95)
Marg
Holt,
$23.00,
Bev
DeWeese
Jul
y. 2003)
July
Four friends – Canadian men who are considered
successful, solid citizens – plan to gather at a wilderness lodge
for their annual fishing trip. They intend to relax, talk, drink,
and maybe even fish. But one of them, Ron Galloway, never
arrives. His car has gone over a cliff – a possible suicide. Or
is it? And now the remaining friends have to break the news
to his wife Esther. But what is more disturbing is that Thelma
Bream, the wife of one of the remaining friends, has been
having an affair with Ron and is pregnant.
It seems
unbelievable to everyone. Though Ron, Esther, Harry and
Thelma gradually reveal their versions of what happened, I
think few readers could have predicted the shocking and
surprising ending. Millar’s plots are always ingenious and
elegant, filled with unexpected, but ultimately logical twists.
That’s one of the pleasures of reading Millar.
Traditionally, many of Millar’s characters have inner personas quite unlike their
outward appearances. Her women characters are especially intriguing. Esther, who has been
aware of her husband’s adultery, remains very sensible and self reliant. Thelma, who seems
at first to be a flake, is no one to mess with. In fact, both men and women in this book live in
a fairly sexist 1950’s world, but many of the women prove they have their own ways of rising
above it.
Of course, Millar is also known for her acute insights into why her characters are
victims, or murderers, or survivors. It’s as though she has an almost telepathic insight into
human nature. And for those of us who are always interested in the why of murder, she is a
delight to read, even if she does sometimes leave you with a disquieting feeling.
In later books, Miller has a fair amount of sly humor, which is not as evident in this one.
But Miller had already developed an impressive writing style often highlighted by precise
images and carefully chosen words. In this book, a character says: “He smelled the air. It
carried the scent of wind and water, delusion and betrayal.”
I think Millar’s mysteries stand up very well. The occasional dated touches are more
than balanced by her extraordinary plotting, her excellent writing, and characters that seem
totally real. Though she is often thought of as the originator of psychological suspense novels,
no one really quite duplicates her work. An original. Rating B+
Marv Lachman
As in the prior book, Millar selected her title for AN AIR THAT KILLS from a poem,
in this case one by A.E. Housman. (Because this is a mystery about adultery, an equally good
title might have been AN AFFAIR THAT KILLS.) Though her characters are deceptively
ordinary, there is a subtle literary quality in much of their speech and observations, as when
one uses a variation on a famous Emerson quote, saying that punctuality is “the hobgoblin of
small minds.” One of the book’s faults is that in addition to being ordinary, most of the
characters, with only a few exceptions, are unlikable. As a result, our emotional involvement
is less than it could be, despite her sound, imaginative insights into them.
The settings are well described, following as they do Millar’s own travels from Ontario
Province in Canada to Santa Barbara in California. The ending is strong, combining neat
misdirection with poignancy. Rating: B+
JUDGM
CAL
by
Alafa
Burk
(Hen
20
Deadly Pleasures
good as(a these
books
are, Millar
wrote
strongAs
language
lot of two
it) and
a plethora
of legal
better
ones.
Three
of
her
novels
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details. Alafair, like her literary creation, worked asmy
a
ten favorite mysteries. If you found these books worthdeputy district attorney in Portland, Oregon. The New
while, I suggest VANISH IN AN INSTANT (1952),
York-based
author(1955),
now teaches
Hofstra School
of
BEAST
IN VIEW
and A atSTRANGER
IN MY
Law.
GRAVE (1960).
DO EVIL IN RETURN by Margaret Millar (Stark House
Mystery Classics, $ 19.95, October 2006).
Bev DeWeese
When young Violet O’Gorman comes to Dr.
Charlotte Keating for an illegal abortion, Charlotte refuses. But she does feel uneasy about her decision. Then
Violet is found dead – an apparent suicide, or maybe
murder. Now Charlotte really feels guilty. To add to her
distress, she is also becoming very uncomfortable treating
Gwen Ballard, the invalid wife of Lewis Ballard, her lover.
Only Charlotte can solve that problem.
This early novel ( 1950) has many of Millar’s
standard trademarks: unhappy marriages, close dog/
human bonds, and the unthinking sexist attitudes of cops,
husbands, and boyfriends. Still, her novels also often
include women who turn out to be much stronger than they
appear. Charlotte may feel guilty, but she acts according
to her own sense of integrity.
This novel also showcases Millar’s other great
strength: her understanding of the inner fears and the
strong, though hidden emotions of her characters. The
outer facades of her main characters often cover raging
hatred. Finally, this novel also has Millar’s usual clever plot
with her usual surprise ending.
Though this writing is not quite as polished as that
in her later mysteries and some of the man-woman
relationships seem a bit dated, this early Millar is definitely
worth reading. Rating B
Marv Lachman
Unless it was her husband Ross Macdonald (Kenneth Millar), I can’t think of a mystery writer more adept
at probing the psychology of sick minds than Margaret
Millar. In her first three books, her series detective is Paul
Prye, a psychiatrist. It was with her sixth book, THE IRON
GATES (1945), that she achieved real recognition as a
mystery writer, and in it psychology is very important. She
was one of the leaders in the use of psychology in the
mystery, a trend that began in World War II and continued
in the post-war years.
DO EVIL IN RETURN takes as its title a wise line
from a poem by W.H. Auden:
Those to Whom Evil is Done
Do Evil in Return
Millar’s protagonist is Dr. Charlotte Keating, a
California G.P. She is visited by an unhappy, pregnant
young woman who says, “I only want to be the way I was
before, with nothing growing inside of me.” Charlotte is a
marvelously complex character whose generous impulse
to help the young woman (not by performing an abortion)
leads to trouble for her and several murders. Along the way
to a solution she meets a cynical police lieutenant named
Easter (!), who tells her, “I’ve never met anyone I can trust
completely. . .”
Some of Millar’s language is superb, leading me
to read lines again to savor them, for example her
description of the slums in her Southern California city:
“The slums had pushed ahead like an army of grasshoppers destroying everything that grew in its path. Nothing
would ever grow again in that concrete wilderness except
people.”
This is not a standard detective mystery, with
physical clues and many suspects, but one with many
psychological clues. The ending, as in so many Millar
mysteries, is unexpected and satisfying. Rating: A
Larry Gandle
Dr. Charlotte Keating is a physician who is visited
one late afternoon by Violet O’Gorman, a young woman
in distress. She wants Charlotte to perform an illegal
abortion. When Charlotte refuses, Violet flees. Charlotte
proceeds to hunt Violet down by the address on her
registration form. When she arrives at the house at the
address, she confronts some unsavory characters who
claim that Violet is not there. When Violet turns up dead,
Charlotte, of course, investigates.
Implausible is the word that immediately comes
into my mind when I try to criticize the plot. Why would
Charlotte, a physician, try to interject herself into the
personal life of a troubled young woman who did not even
agree to be her patient? The house at the address Violet
gives her appears foreboding, the characters she meets
there are belligerent. Yet, Charlotte enters looking for
Violet. I simply can’t buy it. The villains are idiots asking
Charlotte for money to not implicate her in Violet’s death.
What did Charlotte do wrong? Violet fled her office without
ever agreeing to be her patient. Charlotte is nasty and
uncooperative with Lt. Easter, the policeman. Yet, he falls
for her and, in fact, takes her into his confidence. Why? It
is all illogical. The solution is contrived and the story is
dated. In this current age of hyper-realism and truly
plausible psychological suspense novels, DO EVIL IN
RETURN comes off as stale and moldy with age. Rating:
C-
Elorise Holstad
To read a mystery is to travel back in time. Millar’s
suspenseful novel was originally published in 1950, a time
when doctors made house calls, and telephone numbers
were a total of five digits. People could light up cigarettes
anytime and anywhere they pleased. Also, in that era, it
Deadly Pleasures
was impossible for a woman to have an unwanted pregnancy terminated, however horrible the circumstances.
Unfortunately, the latter situation is what brings Violet
O’Gorman to the office of Dr. Charlotte Keating.
Violet is about twenty years old and separated
from her husband. During the short consultation with Dr.
Keating, she blurts out that her husband is not responsible
for her unborn child. The biological father is a married
man. With no job and no husband, Violet is desperate. But
of course, Charlotte refuses to perform an illegal abortion.
But she continues to be concerned about the girl’s mental
and physical well being. When Charlotte winds up dead,
an apparent suicide, Dr. Keating is satisfied.
As characterized, Charlotte has the attributes of
an independent, professional woman. She’s intelligent
and self-assured. But, in my opinion, some of her decisions
are irrational. Case in point: she’s the physician on call for
Lewis Ballard’s neurotic wife, Gwen. Yet, she is having an
affair with Lewis. At times, Charlotte behaves like the
heroine in a Gothic romance, which, come to think of it,
might be fitting, considering that Detective Easter, the
investigating policeman, has fallen in love with her.
Fans of vintage crime fiction will find Millar’s
tense, psychological mystery worthy of note. This one has
clear prose and is a fast read. Rating: B+
George Easter
I chose this title to get something that Marv
Lachman would like and also to spotlight what Stark House
is doing in re-printing some wonderful authors from the
past -- all in trade paperbacks with two novels per book.
Mini-Reviewed to
Death
LOVE, DEATH AND THE TOYMAN by
Robert S. Napier ($25.95, Five Star Press)
Maggie Mason
Although Jake Lorentz is now a collectible toy
dealer, he is able to put his skills as a soldier and
investigative reporter to good use when an old flame asks
him to help her husband’s family. A body has been found
on the grounds of the Howard family’s lakefront vacation
property, and it could cause a scandal which would
threaten to ruin Michael Howard’s fledgling political career before it begins. Amanda Howard left Jake to marry
Michael, and Jake isn’t inclined to take the job.
When the antique co-op where Jake has a stall is
threatened with closure, Jake finds the Howard family
owns the property, and feels pressured to take the case for
the sake of the others in the co-op. He doesn’t get a lot of
21
help from the Howards,
and has a run in with
Amanda’s nephew who
is a real psychopath.
Jake calls in his friend
Waldo to help him out.
Jake saved Waldo’s life
in Viet Nam, and can
call on him. Waldo is a
crude person who rubs
many people the wrong
way, including Beth, the
woman who clerks at
the co-op.
Using his investigative skills, Jake is able
to solve the mystery of both the identity of the body and his
murderer. That the book takes place in 1983, prior to the
use of computers shows a lot about Jake’s skill. The
characters are well drawn, and for the most part made for
a great read. I liked Jake and his attitude, and felt this book
was a bit of an homage to the old private eye novels. I have
one quote I really liked, about dealing with junk mail. “I
took a batch of junk mail from her left hand and dropped
it into my trash can. It thumped like the final heartbeat of
an old growth forest.” I didn’t warm at all to Waldo and
hope he won’t be a big part of the next book. Don’t let the
uninspired cover put you off the book, it’s a grand debut.
Rating B+
George Easter
I approached TOYMAN with some trepidation
since it was written by an old friend of mine (the first fan I
ever met at my first Bouchercon). How could I review it
without some bias? Well, the fact that the novel was pretty
well written certainly helped allay my fears. It didn’t take
long for me to get “into” the book and it raced along until
the end. Jake encounters the old male dilemma: do you
choose the woman who you find most physically attractive
or the one who is best for you (and who you genuinely like)?
The mystery elements were well handled, but I found the
motivation for the Howard family to use Jake in the
beginning of the book to be rather weak. Nevertheless,
overall I quite enjoyed this outing. My congratulations to
you, Bob, for an engaging read. Rating B+
he Next Reviewed to Death title
is A CORPSE IN THE KORYO (St. Martin’s
Minotaur/Dunne, $23.95, 288p. This book has
received three (out of four) starred reviews from the
library journals, which is quite impressive. Let’s see
what our panel of reviewers do with it. You are
invited to read with us. I am only requiring my staff
to read one or the other.
T
22
Deadly Pleasures
THE DP LIST
Best Mystery-Crime
Novels of 2006
T
he following is a list of 2006 titles which have received
excellent reviews from critics and library journals. If
any of the books received a glowing review in Deadly
Pleasures or a starred review in Publisher's Weekly,
Kirkus, Booklist or Library Journal, it is indicated at
the end of each entry.
Best Novels
**WHITE SHADOW, Atkins, Ace (Putnam $24.95).
Tampa, Florida, 1955: a city pulsing with Sicilian and
Cuban gangsters, cigar factories, sweet rum, and violence. The bludgeoning death of retired kingpin Charlie
Wall shocks the city and sends cops and reporters and
associates scrambling to discover the truth. LJ & Kirkus
**THE PALE BLUE EYE, Bayard, Louis (HarperCollins,
$24.95). In this ingenious tale of murder and revenge at
West Point, a retired New York City detective recruits a
young cadet named Edgar Allan Poe to help him narrow
down the suspects, even as they deal with their own
personal demons. PW & Kirkus
**THE CHEMISTRY OF DEATH, Beckett, Simon
(Delacorte, $22.00). (See description under Best British
Novels). LJ & DP
**HARD WAY, Child, Lee (Delacorte $25.00, May,
2006; in the U.K., £14.99, July, 2006). While at a
sidewalk restaurant, Jack Reacher watches a man cross
the street to a parked Mercedes and drive it away. He later
finds out that the car contained one million dollars in
ransom money. And Edward Lane, the man who paid it,
will pay even more to get his family back. Booklist, LJ,
PW & DP
**BEE’S KISS, Cleverly, Barbara (Carroll & Graf $25.00).
It’s 1926, and against the background of a looming
general strike and pressure from an unseen governmental
presence, Joe Sandilands struggles to solve four murders,
picking his way through the political panic and rebelling
against authority. PW & LJ
**ECHO PARK, Connelly, Michael (LittleBrown $26.99).
Detective Harry Bosch reopens one of his own unsolved
cases and comes face to face with a psychotic killer he has
been seeking for years. Kirkus, Booklist & DP
**SEE DELPHI AND DIE, Davis, Lindsey (St Martin’s
Minotaur, $24.95). Humor, surprises, and domestic irony
await Roman sleuth Falco as he attempts to solve the
disappearance of two newlyweds on their honeymoon trip
to Ancient Greece. Kirkus, Booklist & LJ
**FOOLISH UNDERTAKING, De Castrique, Mark (Poisoned Pen $24.95). The night before a funeral that will
thrust the mountain town of
Gainesboro, North Carolina, into the
national spotlight, the body is stolen
from the embalming room and funeral
director Barry Clayton is knocked unconscious. LJ & Booklist
**THE LAST ASSASSIN, Eisler,
Barry (Putnam, $24.95). When Japanese/American contract killer John
Rain learns that his former lover,
Midori, has been raising their child in New York, he senses
a chance for reconciliation, perhaps even for redemption.
But Midori is being watched by Rain’s enemies, and his
sudden appearance puts mother and child in terrible
danger. DP
**DEATH DANCE, Fairstein, Linda A. (Scribner $26.00).
The author of Entombed goes behind the scenes of New
York City’s theater world--from Broadway to Lincoln
Center--in this riveting Alexandra Cooper thriller rich with
authenticity, history, and suspense. Booklist & LJ
**THE PRISONER OF GUANTANAMO, Fesperman,
Dan (Knopf $24.00). Revere Falk--an FBI veteran and
Arabic speaker--is an interrogator at “Gitmo,” assigned to
a Yemeni prisoner who may have valuable information
about al Qaeda operatives. But these duties are temporarily suspended when the body of an American soldier is
found washed ashore in Cuban territory. LJ & DP
**TEN SECOND STAIRCASE, Fowler, Christopher
(Bantam $24.00). A bizarre killer nicknamed “The Highwayman” has turned London’s blazing-hot summer into a
ticking time bomb, but never fear, detectives John May and
Arthur Bryant are on the case! “ Christopher Fowler is a
new master of the classical detective story.”--”The Denver
Post” Booklist & PW
**THE SADDLEMAKER’S WIFE, Fowler, Earlene
(Berkley $23.95). After the death of her husband, Ruby
McGavin is shocked to learn she’s inherited part of a cattle
ranch in California. She’s even more shocked to learn the
family he claimed died years ago is very much alive. Driven
to discover the whole story, Ruby discovers a legacy of pain
and denial. PW & Kirkus
**UNDER ORDERS, Francis, Dick (Putnam $25.95).
Sid Halley, former jockey-turned-detective, returns. Death
at the races is not uncommon, but three in one day-including a winning horse and champion jockey--are more
than enough to raise Halley’s suspicions. Booklist, LJ &
DP
**CITY OF SHADOWS, Franklin, Ariana (Morrow,
$24.95). Berlin, 1922 -- one of this troubled city’s growing
number of refugees, Esther Solomonova, survives by
working as secretary to her fellow Russian émigré,
“Prince”Nick, a scheming adventurer and cabaret owner.
Always on the prowl for a deal, Nick smells money when he
hears of a woman in an asylum claiming to be a daughter
of the Czar, who escaped the assassination of the rest of her
family by the Bolsheviks. Enlisting a highly suspicious
Esther, Nick plans to prepare the woman to claim the
Romanov fortune. (Not a first novel – written by a veteran
writer under a pen name). LJ & DP
Deadly Pleasures
**NEVER FEAR, Frost, Scott (Putnam $24.95). Seventeen years ago, three women were killed, their bodies
dumped in the wasteland of the L.A. River. The serial killer
was never found, and the case was mysteriously closed.
Now, all these years later, Detective Alex Delillo reopens
the River Killer case to help solve her own brother’s
murder. Booklist, PW & Kirkus
**THE FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT, Furst, Alan
(Random House, $24.95). “The greatest living writer of
espionage fiction” (“Houston Chronicle”) returns with his
most suspenseful and stylish novel yet, in which an international news correspondent’s secret life leads him to become a target for assassination. PW, Booklist, LJ &
Kirkus
**MATTO’S REALM, Glauser, Friedrich (Bitter Lemon
$13.95). A child-murderer escapes from a Swiss insane
asylum. The stakes get higher when Detective Sergeant
Studer discovers the director’s body, neck broken, in the
boiler room of the madhouse. PW & Booklist
**WHAT CAME BEFORE HE SHOT HER, George,
Elizabeth (HarperCollins $26.95). In her compelling new
stand-alone mystery, George explores the unforgettable
events leading up to a murder. Kirkus, Booklist & LJ
**HARDSCRABBLE ROAD, Haddam, Jane (St Martin’s
Minotaur $24.95). When a right-wing radio show host is
arrested for illegal possession of prescription drugs, the
incident sets into motion a deadly series of events. Leading
the investigation is Gregor Demarkian, a retired FBI agent
hired to stop a killer from striking again. Kirkus, LJ & PW
**WHEN GOD DIES, Harris, C.S. (New American
$23.95). Following What Angels Fear comes the second
masterful historical mystery featuring “troubled but compelling antihero” Sebastian St. Cyr. Kirkus & PW
**GENTLEMEN AND PLAYERS, Harris, Joanne (Morrow $24.95). Friendship, murder, revenge, and class
conflict collide in an upper-crust English school. As a new
term gets under way, a number of annoying incidents befall
students and faculty, escalating to murder. PW, Booklist
& LJ
**ASH & BONE, Harvey, John (Harcourt $25.00). Detective Sergeant Maddy Birch and retired Detective Inspector Frank reconnect when a phone call persuades the
unsettled, unhappy Elder out of retirement--to find that a
cold case has a devastating present-day impact. LJ &
Booklist
**SACRED CUT, Hewson, David (Delacorte $22.00).
When Detective Nic Costa arrives on a murder scene, he
isn’t prepared for what he finds--nor for the ambush that
sends his only witness vanishing into the night. As the first
murder leads to more grisly slayings, he uncovers a trail of
deception that might lead to the U.S. government. Booklist
**SILENCE OF THE GRAVE, Indridason, Arnaldur (St.
Martin’s Minotaur $22.95). Gold Dagger Winner. Downtrodden detective Erlendur and his team must once again
look into Reykjavik’s hidden past to unravel a case of
human nastiness. Alive with tension and atmosphere and
disturbingly real, this is an outstanding continuation of the
Reykjavik Murder Mysteries. PW & DP
23
**WOLVES OF MEMORY, James, Bill (Norton $23.95)A
large, carefully plotted “cash-in-transit” raid goes hopelessly awry when armed policemen intervene to seize the
perpetrators. Relatives and friends of the incarcerated are
convinced that information--the date, the time--was leaked
by the only man to escape before his arrest. Deputy
Constable Colin Harpur and Assistant Constable Desmond
Iles are delegated the job of hiding and protecting the
informant and his family. Booklist & Kirkus
**DEATH WITHOUT COMPANY, Johnson, Craig (Viking, $23.95). This riveting tale of the unspeakable
viciousness that can lurk in the most unlikely of places is a
new Sheriff Walt Longmire mystery from the author of the
acclaimed The Cold Dish. Kirkus & Booklist
**THE ONE FROM THE OTHER, Kerr, Philip (Putnam
$26.95). Bernie Gunther, Kerr’s best-loved protagonist,
takes center stage in this fast-paced, twist-filled thriller that
turns his acclaimed German trilogy into a surprise-laden
quartet. PW, LJ & DP
**TWO TIME, Knopf, Chris (Permanent $28.00). Sam
Acquillo is enjoying a drink with a lady friend at an East
Hampton restaurant when a nearby car and its driver are
firebombed out of existence. In the aftermath, Sam,
assisted by his old buddy, retired cop Joe Sullivan, looks
into who might have had it in for the victim, wealthy
consultant Jonathan Eldridge. PW, LJ & DP
**DO-RE-MI, Kuhlken, Ken (Poisoned Press $24.95).
Clifford Hickey, scheduled to perform a guitar gig at a
music festival, arrives at his brother Alvaro’s peaceful
woodland campsite, and within moments their camp is
stormed by armed men who arrest the brothers for
murder. Soon they are pitched into not just a murder but
a duel between the Hickeys and a motorcycle gang.
Kirkus & DP
**THE SHADOW OF THE LORDS, Levack, Simon (St.
Martin’s Minotaur $24.95). Before he can solve the
mystery of his son’s disappearance, Yaotl discovers a
murder and must use all his wits to stay alive for Lord
Feathered-in-Black and his henchmen are never far away.
PW & DP
**VICIOUS CIRCLE, Littell, Robert (Harcourt $24.95).
A well-known fundamentalist rabbi is taken hostage by a
kidnapper who demands the release of several Palestinian
prisoners. As Israel coaxes an aging Mossad officer out of
retirement, the prisoner and captor find themselves building an extraordinary relationship. Kirkus, Booklist &
DP
**DYING LIGHT, MacBride, Stuart (St. Martin’s Minotaur
$24.95). MacBride’s impressive debut Cold Granite
took reviewers by storm, but this follow-up realizes all of its
potential--and more. LJ & Booklist
**NO TRACE, Maitland, Barry (St. Martin’s Minotaur
$24.95). In a London neighborhood six-year old Tracey
Rudd is abducted from her home without any warning, or
sign of violence. DCI. David Brock and Detective Sergeant
Kathy Kolla hunt for the missing girls’ kidnapper, who is
suspiciously connected to the eccentric community of
artists, dealers, and collectors in the neighborhood. PW,
LJ & DP
24
Deadly Pleasures
**HAVE YOUR CAKE AND KILL HIM TOO, Martin,
Nancy (NAL, $19.95). Heiress-go-lightly Nora Blackbird
and her two sisters are back in this rollicking mystery about
a sports bar with hot wings and hotter waitresses, explosive political secrets, former rock stars, a dangerous fameand-fortune-hungry aristo-brat, and, of course, a case of
blue-blooded murder that only Nora can solve. DP
**EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE, May, Peter (Poisoned
Pen $24.95). What has happened to Jacques Gaillard,
the brilliant teacher who vanished ten years ago? The
mystery inspires a bet, one that Enzo Macleod, a biologist
teaching in Toulouse instead of pursuing a brilliant career
in forensics back home in Scotland can ill afford to lose.
The wager is that Enzo can find out what happened to
Jacques Gaillard by applying new science to an old case.
Kirkus & DP
**BLUE SHOES AND HAPPINESS, McCall Smith,
Alexander (Pantheon, $21.95). This newest entry in the
No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series continues the
adventures of Precious Ramotswe, Botswana’s leading,
and only, female private detective. Her personal life, busy
agency, and unusual cases are always fascinating--and
highly entertaining. Kirkus & Booklist
**DEAD BEFORE DYING, Meyer, Deon (Little Brown,
$24.95). Captain Mat Joubert of Capetown, South Africa, has several problems he must solve. First of all, there
is a polite bandit holding up the Premier Banks. He always
compliments the bank clerks as he is robs them. Second,
and more pressing, is the seemingly random murders of
various men in town -- all killed by an old German
handgun. LJ & DP
**DEAD HOUR, Mina, Denise (Little Brown $24.99).
Responding to a late night-call, reporter Paddy Meehan
arrives at an elegant villa, where a calm blonde with blood
running from her mouth answers the door. She has
already convinced the police to leave and soon Paddy
realizes how--she slips 50 bucks into Paddy’s hands and
begs her to keep the incident, whatever it is, out of the
press. The next day the woman is dead. PW & Kirkus
**DAYS OF RAGE, Nelscott, Kris (St. Martin’s Minotaur
$22.95). As racial tensions mount during the 1969
celebrity trial of the Chicago Eight, African American PI
Smokey Dalton is keeping a low profile with his son,
Jimmy, who knows a dark secret about the assassination
of Martin Luther King, Jr. When Smokey finds a group of
skeletons hidden in the wall of a building he’s inspecting for
investor Lara Hathaway, his investigation leads him into
Chicago’s racist past. PW & Kirkus
**THE FALLEN, Parker, T. Jefferson (Morrow $24.95).
Parker plumbs the depths of the human heart in this
electrifying new novel of suspense. Kirkus, BL & PW
**THE NIGHT GARDENER, Pelecanos, George P.
(Little Brown $24.99). Three policemen worked together
15 years earlier on a still-unsolved case involving a series
of murdered teenagers. Now, with another teenager
murdered--his body found, as were those of the previous
victims, in one of the city’s community gardens--the old
case has resurfaced, and the three cops find themselves
thrown together, each hoping to exorcise their very
different personal demons. Booklist, PW, LJ & DP
**BRANDENBURG GATE, Porter, Henry (Atlantic,
$24.00). In this “accomplished retro thriller” (“The Sunday
Telegraph”), Porter captures the tense final moments of
the Berlin Wall in the multilayered story of a former foreign
agent faced with unbearable choices. PW & LJ
**MOURNERS: Nameless, Pronzini, Bill (Forge $24.95).
Pronzini’s series continues, as Nameless tails a man who
has been attending the funerals for women who had died
violently. Was he responsible for their deaths? One woman
thinks the man killed her sister, and her insistence is
becoming a problem. Kirkus, Booklist & DP
**LOST, Robotham, Michael (Doubleday $24.95). London detective Vincent Ruiz (Suspect) returns and is accused
of faking amnesia when he’s found shot in the leg, but with
no memory of how. Ruiz turns to psychologist Joe
O’Loughlin, and soon a twisted trail of grief, vengeance,
and the search for redemption is revealed. LJ & DP
**CRIPPLE CREEK, Sallis, James (Walker, $23.00). In
the sequel to Cypress Grove, deputy sheriff Turner
returns to Memphis, the city that formed him, and confronts
his ghosts and sets in motion a tempest that threatens to
destroy his newfound sanctuary. PW, Kirkus, Booklist &
LJ
**UNACCEPTABLE DEATH, Seranella, Barbara
(Minotaur $23.95). Munch Mancini refuses to believe the
explanation that her fiance’ was killed by fellow cops in a
drug bust gone wrong. Booklist, PW & DP
**STONE KILLER, Spencer, Sally (Severn $27.95).
Prove my wife is innocent or the hostages die! Never before
has DCI Woodend had to work under such terrible and
terrifying pressure. He has just a few days, at the most, to
find a flaw in the weighty evidence which led to Judith
Maitland’s conviction as a stone-cold killer
Booklist,
Kirkus & DP
**ALL MORTAL FLESH, Spencer-Fleming, Julia (St.
Martin’s Minotaur $22.95). One horrible murder. Two
people destined for love or tragedy. Emotions explode in
Spencer-Fleming’s most accomplished mystery yet. LJ,
PW & Kirkus
**THE BIG BOOM, Stansberry, Domenic (St. Martin’s
Minotaur $23.95). In Stansberry’s second North Beach
novel, Dante Mancuso must face down demons of his past
as well as new adversaries. The result is an intense read
from one of the best writers of hardboiled noir working
today. LJ & Booklist
**LIBERATION MOVEMENTS, Steinhauer, Olen (St.
Martin’s Minotaur $24.95). Brano Sev supervises the
investigation by two junior agents of a murder in Russianoccupied Prague in 1968 that’s later tied to a plane
hijacked by Armenian terrorists on its way to Istanbul in
1975. PW & LJ
**A LONG SHADOW, Todd, Charles (Morrow $23.95).
Scotland Yard Inspector Ian Rutledge begins to find engraved brass cartridges that seem to point to unfinished
business involving the war. A man with a dark secret,
Rutledge already walks on the edge of sanity. Now,
someone is hunting him, but who? PW & DP
**BEAUTIFUL LIES, Unger, Lisa (pen name for Lisa
Miscione) (Crown, $23.00). In this sexy, fast-paced literary
Deadly Pleasures
thriller,
Unger
takes readers on a
breathtaking ride
in which a young
New York writer’s
good deed has terrible consequences
and leaves her running for her life.
PW & Booklist
**MERCY SEAT,
Waites, Martyn
(Pegasus, $25.00).
His heart broken
by the disappearance of his sixyear-old son two
years earlier--a
case that remains
unsolved--former
investigative journalist Joe Donovan is wrested from seclusion in Newcastle
and finds his destiny entwined with that of a streetwise but
vulnerable and frightened teenager. PW, LJ & DP
**THE DEVIL’S FEATHER, Walters, Minette (Knopf
$24.00). When five woman are brutally murdered in
Sierra Leone, Reuters correspondent Connie Burns suspects a British mercenary who seems to be using the chaos
of war to act out sadistic, misogynist fantasies. Connie’s
suspicions fall on deaf ears, but she’s determined to
expose the man and his secret--a choice that causes
devastating consequences. Kirkus & PW
**KILL ME, White, Stephen (Dutton $25.95). In this
“thinking person’s thriller” (Jeffery Deaver), Stephen
White throws out everything readers think they know about
twists, turns, and surprises as he introduces the Death
Angels. LJ & DP
**WINTER’S BONE, Woodrell, Daniel (Little Brown
$22.99). Recently arrested on drug charges, Jessup
bonded out of jail by using the family home as collateral,
but with a court date set in one week’s time and Jessup
nowhere to be found, Ree has to find him—dead or alive—
or she will lose the house. Booklist, Kirkus & LJ
**THE HIGHLY EFFECTIVE DETECTIVE, Yancey,
Rick (St. Martin’s Minotaur $23.95). A bumbling but
determined detective employs the help of his loyal secretary--formerly his favorite waitress at the diner--to unravel
his first case, a hit-and-run of a family of geese. What can
only be called a wild goose chase quickly evolves into an
investigation of a vicious murder. PW & LJ
Best First Novels
**THE MARK OF THE LION, Arruda, Suzanne (NAL
$23.95). Still suffering lingering trauma from the Great
War, Jade del Cameron sets off for Africa, determined to
fulfill a man’s dying a wish . . . and never expecting to
become involved in murder. LJ & DP
25
**CARVED IN BONE, Bass, Jefferon (Morrow, $24.95,
pseudonym of Dr. Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson). A woman’s
corpse lies hidden in a cave in the mountains of East
Tennessee. Undiscovered for thirty years, her body has
been transformed by the cave’s chemistry into a nearperfect mummy -- one that discloses an explosive secret to
renowned anthropologist Bill Brockton. Dr. Brockton has
spent his career surrounded by death and decay at the
Body Farm, but even he is baffled by this case unfolding in
a unique environment where nothing is quite what it seems.
DP
**THE FAITHFUL SPY, Berenson, Alex (Random House,
$24.95). A New York Times reporter has drawn upon his
experience covering the occupation in Iraq to write the
most gripping and chillingly plausible thriller of the post-9/
11 era. Alex Berenson’s debut novel of suspense, The
Faithful Spy, is a sharp, explosive story that takes
readers inside the war on terror as fiction has never done
before. Kirkus, Booklist & DP
**CRIPPEN, Boyne, John (St. Martin’s Minotaur $24.95).
This beautifully drawn novel re-creates the amazing escape attempt of one of history’s most notorious killers
PW, LJ & DP
**A CORPSE IN THE KORYO, Church, James (St.
Martin’s Minotaur $23.95). A Corpse in the Koryo
introduces an unfamiliar world (North Korea), a perplexing universe seemingly so alien that the rules are an
enigma to the reader and even, sometimes, to Inspector O.
PW, LJ & Booklist
**LOST ANGEL, Doogan, Mike (Putnam, $24.95). Moses
Wright founded the Christian commune of Rejoice. Two
decades later Moses granddaughter, Faith, is the star of
the younger generation. Pretty and intelligent, she’s the
first teenager in the town to choose to experience the
outside world. When Faith disappears, the elders of
Rejoice look beyond their village for help – to ex-cop/bush
pilot Nik Kane. Booklist
**THE PRINCESS OF BURUNDI, Eriksson, Kjell (St.
Martin’s Minotaur $23.95).
A morning jog turns deadly
when the jogger finds a mutilated body in the snow. The
victim is soon identified as the town's reformed troublemaker and an expert on tropical fish. Inspector Ann
Lindell, despite being on maternity leave, is determined to
find the brutal killer. PW & LJ
**THE JANISSARY TREE, Goodwin, Jason (Farrar,
Straus, $25.00). It is 1836. Europe is modernizing, and
the Ottoman Empire must follow suit. But just before the
Sultan announces sweeping changes, a wave of murders
threatens the fragile balance of power in his court.
**THE KING OF LIES, Hart, John (St. Martin’s Minotaur,
$22.95). When North Carolina lawyer Work Pickens finds
his father murdered, the investigation pushes a repressed
family history to the surface and he sees his own carefully
constructed façade begin to crack. LJ, BL, PW & DP
**HOLMES ON THE RANGE, Hockensmith, Steve (St.
Martin’s Minotaur $22.95). Somewhere due west of
Deadwood, a pair of unlikely cowboy sleuths investigate
murder just like their hero, Sherlock Holmes, who they
26
Deadly Pleasures
come to know by scouring Harper’s Weekly for the
detective stories. LJ, BL & PW
**WHAT IS MINE, Holt, Anne (Warner $24.99). This
gripping American debut from the most popular crime
writer in Norway delves into the twisted psyche of a child
killer and follows in the tradition of thrillers by Ian Rankin
and Thomas Harris. First novel published in the U.S. – may
not be the author’s first novel. Kirkus, Booklist & DP
**THE WRONG KIND OF BLOOD, Hughes, Declan
(Morrow, $23.95). After more than two decades away,
private detective Ed Loy returns from L.A. to his hometown of Dublin for his mother’s funeral. But his grieving
soon takes an unexpected turn when his old classmate
Linda Dawson pleads with him to find her missing husband,
Peter. DP
**RABBIT FACTORY, Karp, Marshall (Macadam Cage,
$25.00). Rambunctious Rabbit--Rambo to his fans--is an
American icon and a theme park’s biggest draw. When the
actor inside the Rambo costume and two other theme park
employees are murdered, LAPD detectives must catch the
madman before he brings the family entertainment giant
to its knees. Booklist & PW
**SUNSTROKE, Kellerman, Jesse (Putnam $24.95).
When her boss of 10 years disappears in Mexico, Gloria
Mendez travels the twisted road into his backstory, discovering that Carl Perriera was not who she thought he was-nor was he anything she could have imagined--and she
ends up fighting for her own life. Kirkus
**SUN STORM, Larsson, Asa (Delacorte $22.00). When
a young Swedish lawyer is summoned back to her hometown after a body is discovered, she is soon pulled into a
vortex of suspicion and religious fanaticism. Winner of
Sweden’s “Best First Crime Novel” award. LJ
**STILL LIFE, Penny, Louise (St. Martin’s Minotaur
$22.95). Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Surêté
du Québec is called to the scene of a suspicious death in
a rural village south of Montreal. Jane Neal, a local fixture
in the tiny hamlet of Three Pines, just north of the U.S.
border, has been found dead in the woods. The locals are
certain it’s a tragic hunting accident and nothing more, but
Gamache smells something foul in these remote woods.
PW, Kirkus, Booklist & DP
**SMOKED, Quinlan, Patrick (St. Martin’s, $23.95).
Smoke Dugan is on the run. An aging bomb-maker, he was
a prized asset to organized crime for most of his life. But
when he finds out that one of his bombs was used to take
down a plane with innocent women and children aboard,
he is furious. He takes his revenge, killing the mafia boss
and taking his 2.5 million. Now he’s the most wanted man
on the east coast. DP
**A FIELD OF DARKNESS, Read, Cornelia (Mysterious
Press, $22.95). Madeline Dare isn’t your average detective. Born into a blue-blood family, she followed her heart
to marry Dean, a farmboy-genius inventor who’s as far
from high society as humanly possible. Now Maddie’s stuck
in the post-industrial wasteland of Syracuse, New York,
while her husband spends weeks on the road perfecting
railway equipment. When a set of long-buried dog tags link
her favorite cousin to the scene of a vicious double
homicide, Maddie uncovers a startling web of intrigue and
family secrets. BL, LJ & Kirkus
**THE INTERPRETATION OF MURDER, Rubenfeld,
Jed (Holt $26.00). In this ingenious, suspenseful historical
thriller, Sigmund Freud is drawn into the mind of a sadistic
killer who is savagely attacking Manhattan’s wealthiest
heiresses. Booklist
**BRETHREN, Young, Robin (Dutton, $25.95). Novel
of the Crusades and the Knights Templar.
Best British Novels
**THE CHEMISTRY OF DEATH, Beckett, Simon (Bantam Press, £10.00).
Because of personal tragedy, Dr.
David Hunter left the bustle of London and a very successful occupation to become a small-town doctor with a family
practice. But when decomposing bodies of young ladies
are discovered in remote woodlands, he finds it difficult to
deny the police the benefit of his training as an expert in
the decaying of dead bodies.
**THE PRIEST, Bruen, Ken (Bantam Press, £16.99).
After suffering what used to be called a nervous breakdown, Jack Taylor slowly starts putting the pieces of his
abjectly sad life back together again. He finds that he is the
beneficiary of an unexpected inheritance, which affords
him some leeway to snoop into two matters that come his
way.
**A CHILD’S GAME, Connor, John (Orion, £9.99). The
opening is brutal – A man is beaten, doused in petrol and
thrown from a luxury penthouse apartment by two psychopaths in the gentrified and exclusive end of Leeds [a
Northern British City]. The body is identified as Nicholas
Hanley a property developer but he could be far, far more.
Investigating the murder is DS Pete Bains, still hollow
inside after Karen Sharpe left him and his world.
**GRAVE DOUBTS, Corley, Elizabeth (Allison & Busby,
£18.99). Sergeant Louise Nightingale is left psychologically shattered when she barely escapes being raped while
on undercover duty. The rapist goes to jail, but his mentor
zeroes in on Sgt. Nightingale.
**SCAR TISSUE, Cutler, Judith (Allison & Busby, in U.S.
$9.95). Caffy Taylor, former prostitute and drug addict, is
in the process of making a new life for herself. Now sober
and high on responsibility and learning and working as a
house painter in an all-woman firm, she spies a dead body
through a window. Despite all her previous bad experiences, she reports this to the police.
**DARKNESS & LIGHT, Harvey, John (£12.99; in U.S.
July, 2006 from Harcourt). Former cop Frank Elder is
drawn out of retirement by a request from his ex-wife to
look into the disappearance of Claire, her friend’s older,
widowed sister. When Claire is found dead at home-unmarked and carefully dressed--Elder is surprised by the
similarities to an old case. Booklist
**RELENTLESS, Kernick, Simon (Bantam Press, £12.99,
June, 2006). Tom gets a phone call from an old friend who
is in danger. While he hears his friend being killed, he also
hears his address as the last words spoken before the
Deadly Pleasures
connection is broken. He
doesn’t know why, but
knows with total certainty
that the killers will arrive
at his house in a matter of
minutes. Fantastic rollercoaster ride.
**WINGS OVER THE
WATCHER, Masters,
Priscilla (Allison & Busby,
£18.99, in the U.S,
$25.95). When Arthur
Pennington enters DI
Joanna Piercy’s office to
report his missing wife,
Joanna isn’t very concerned. She is sure there
is a logical answer for the
frumpy Beatrice’s absence. But days pass and Joanna is
forced to change her mind and look into the matter with
some depth.
**THE GRAVE TATTOO, McDermid, Val (HarperCollins,
£17.99). A psychological thriller in which present-day
murder has its roots in the eighteenth century and the
mutiny on the Bounty.
**SINS OF THE FATHERS, Spencer, Sally (Severn
House, £18.99, in the U.S. $27.95). Bradley Pine is
prominent local businessman and soon-to-be member of
Parliament when his life is cut short and his body is found
in a deserted lay-by. DCI Woodend’s boss (and archnemesis) takes Pine’s place in the up-coming election and
wants a quick result on this case and even though he hates
to admit it, DCI Woodend is his only hope for that.
**MR. CLARINET, Stone, Nick (Penguin/Michael Joseph, £12.99). Set in Miami and Haiti ex-cop, ex-con, now
P.I Max Mingus is hired to find the missing grandson of the
mega-rich Carver family in voodoo-dominated Haiti, where
children have been disappearing for decades, but is it the
mythical pied-piper like figure Mr Clarinet luring them
away from their families or is the truth far, far more
shocking.
**THE MERCY SEAT by Martyn Waites (Simon and
Schuster UK, £6-99). Stumbling upon a mini-disc containing valuable information, Jamal thinks it will release him
from his world of degradation. But before long Jamal
realises that the mini-disc is linked to a world more
dangerous than even his own and so seeks help from
former journalist Joe Donovan who is somehow linked to
the mini-disc. Very dark novel.
**RED SKY LAMENT, Wright, Edward (Orion, £18.99).
Third John Ray Horn mystery involving the House UnAmerican Activities Committee and the Red Scare. Published only in the U.K. so far.
Best Paperback Originals
**BUST, Bruen, Ken & Jason Starr (HardCaseCrime
$6.99). Two of crime fiction’s hottest rising stars collabo-
27
rate for the first time in this suspenseful story. Everything
goes wrong when cheating husband Max Fisher hires a
psychotic hitman to murder his wife. PW
**SIZE 12 IS NOT FAT, Cabot, Meg (Avon, $12.95).
Meg Cabot strikes gold once more with a new series
featuring a pop star-turned-girl detective in a mystery that
rocks. PW & LJ
**THE LAST QUARRY, Collins, Max Allan
(HardCaseCrime, $6.99, August, 2006). Former hit man
Quarry comes out of retirement to save the lives of a pair
of sisters.
**RAIN DOGS, Doolittle, Sean (Dell, $6.99). Chicago
newspaperman Tom Coleman is drinking his way out of a
broken marriage, grieving for his deceased daughter,
when he inherits a backwater canoe-rental business near
Valentine, Nebraska. There, Coleman confronts family
issues, small-town politics, a crooked cop, his first sweetheart, and the challenge of running a business while
passed out drunk on the lawn.
**THE CLEANUP, Doolittle, Sean (Dell $6.99). Busted
to night patrol at a robbery-prone Omaha supermarket,
Matthew Worth is doing penance, wearing his uniform,
and asking shoppers if they want paper or plastic. He falls
for Gwen, the shy checkout girl who may be an even bigger
mess than he is. When Gwen comes to him one night
scared and desperate for help, Worth discovers just how
far he’s willing to go to protect and serve. Booklist
**SHOTGUN OPERA, Gischler, Victor (Dell, $6.99).
Mike Foley can never forget the night he tagged along with
his brother on a job for the mob that ended in a hail of
bullets. Now his brother is dead, Mike’s making wine in
Oklahoma, and life is almost as good as it gets when you’ve
been hiding out for forty years. Until Mike’s nephew
Andrew needs to disappear, and he needs to do it
yesterday.
**THE PROP, Hautman, Pete (Simon & Schuster $14.00).
A National Book Award winner pens a fast-paced mystery
featuring a professional poker player who ups the ante in
a deadly game of winner-take-all. Booklist
**THE DEEP BLUE ALIBI, Paul Levine (Bantam, $6.99).
What do you get when you mix beautiful people, family
secrets, and a yacht washed up on Sunset Key with a
hundred grand in cash and a dying man? If you’re Steve
Solomon, you see a case that can get Solomon & Lord off
the ground. If you’re Victoria Lord, you see a golden
opportunity to go out on your own.
**LIVE WIRE, MacLarty, Jay (Pocket, $7.99). Faced with
the dire news that North Korea intends to sell its nuclear
weapons indiscriminately on the black market, the American President must resort to the unthinkable: he secretly
offers to support a North Korean faction intent on overthrowing the government. To facilitate this deadly covert
operation, professional courier Simon Leonidovich is
recruited to deliver vital CIA documents to the North
Korean dissidents. But Simon finds himself trapped behind enemy lines with a briefcase full of incriminating
evidence.
**DEADMAN’S POKER, Swain, Jim (Ballantine, $6.99).
A poker tournament in Las Vegas, brings Tony Valentine
28
Deadly Pleasures
and his son to investigate. Many elements of the plot are
wrapped up by the end, but the mystery of cheating at the
poker tournament is continued in DEADMAN’S BLUFF.
**DEADMAN’S BLUFF, Swain, Jim (Ballantine, $6.99).
Sequel to DEADMAN’S POKER.
Best Thrillers
**HARD WAY, Child, Lee (Delacorte $25.00, May,
2006; in the U.K., £14.99, July, 2006). See listing under
Best Novels. Booklist, LJ, PW & DP
**WILD FIRE, DeMille, Nelson (Warner $26.99). Detective John Corey seeks to thwart an all-too-plausible
conspiracy to detonate a nuclear bomb in two major cities.
PW & LJ
**KILLER INSTINCT, Finder, Joseph (St. Martin’s Press,
$24.95). Jason Steadman, successful salesman at an
multi-national electronics company, drives into a ditch
near his office outside Boston while talking to his wife on
his cellphone. Jason befriends the tow-truck driver who
comes to his rescue, Kurt Semko, an ex–Special Forces
soldier, and recommends him for a position at Entronics.
In gratitude, Kurt begins performing fiendish little jobs for
Jason that boost his sales and fortunes with the company.
But Kurt eventually gets carried away, and people begin
to die.
**ACT OF TREASON, Flynn, Vince (Atria, $25.95).
When presidential candidate Josh Alexander’s motorcade
is ambushed by a group of terrorists, the nation is thrown
into turmoil. Two weeks following the attack, Alexander is
carried to victory by a sympathy vote, but his assailants
have not been found. Enter Mitch Rapp, the one man
reckless enough to follow the evidence to its explosive
conclusion. His journey takes him through the shadowy
world of contract killers, into the darkest corners of the
globe, and eventually back to Washington.
**THE BERLIN CONSPIRACY, Gabbay, Tom (Morrow, $24.95). The year is 1963. Jack Teller, an ex-CIA
agent, is called out of retirement to meet with a Stasi
officer who claims to have vital information which he will
only pass on to Jack and no one else. After much
subterfuge, the two finally manage to meet and the
message is passed on. It simply states that there is a plot
to assassinate President Kennedy in Berlin.
**THE HOSTAGE, Griffin, W.E.B. (Putnam $26.95). An
American diplomat’s wife is kidnapped, and her husband
murdered before her eyes. Her children will be next, if she
doesn’t tell the kidnappers where her brother is—a brother
who may know quite a bit about the burgeoning UN/Iraq
oil-for-food scandal. There is an awful lot of money flying
around, an awful lot of hands reaching out to grab it—and
some of those hands don’t mind shedding as much blood
as it takes. PW
**RELENTLESS, Kernick, Simon (Bantam Press, £12.99,
June, 2006). See listing under Best British Novels
**THE ONE FROM THE OTHER, Kerr, Philip (Putnam
$26.95). Bernie Gunther, Kerr’s best-loved protagonist,
takes center stage in this fast-paced, twist-filled thriller that
turns his acclaimed German trilogy into a surprise-laden
quartet.
PW,
LJ
&
DP
**7 DEADLY WONDERS, Reilly, Matthew (Simon &
Schuster $23.00). The “pedal-to-the-medal action novelist” (“Publishers Weekly”) is back in high gear on the
greatest treasure hunt of all time—a headlong race to find
the seven wonders of the ancient world. Booklist
**THE MESSENGER, Silva, Daniel (Putnam, $25.95).
A terrorist bombing in St. Peter’s Square leaves hundreds
dead, the Pope injured, and the Basilica severely damaged. This tragedy confirms what began in London weeks
before when a traffic accident killed a talent scout for alQaeda, leaving his briefcase, filled with surveillance photos
of the Vatican, in the hands of Israeli agents. Silva’s series
hero, Gabriel Allon, is at the center of this fast-paced,
completely absorbing international spy thriller. BL
**BLINDFOLD GAME, Stabenow, Dana (Minotaur
$23.95.). A CIA analyst traces the sale of black market
plutonium, realizing that a terrorist attack is under way on
a valuable American target. He also sees that the Coast
Guard cutter his estranged wife serves on is sailing right
into the attack and the heart of an international crisis. PW
& DP
**CONTACT ZERO By David Wolstencroft (Hodder &
Stoughton, £10.00; in U.S., Dutton, $24.95). CONTACT ZERO opens with disaster for four first year
probationary British Intelligence agents whose operations
are compromised in different parts of the world. Suddenly
they are cut adrift by their controls and left to defend for
themselves. Their only hope seems to lie in joining forces
and searching for the rumored Contact Zero, the mythical
last hope for betrayed British agents. DP
The Shamus Award Winners
The Eye Award for Lifetime Achievement:
Max Allan Collins
Best Hardcover: THE LINCOLN LAWYER by
Michael Connelly (Little, Brown)
Best Paperback Original: THE JAMES
DEANS by Reed Farrel Coleman (Plume)
Best First Novel: FORCING AMARYLLIS by
Louise Ure (Mysterious Press)
Best Short Story: “A Death in Ueno” by
Michael Wiecek (Alfred Hitchcock’s M.M.)
Magazine, March, 2005)
Deadly Pleasures
29
2009 LCC convention. It never ends, but I love it!
LETTERS
Marv Lachman, Santa Fe, New Mexico
You may have noticed a trend toward positive
reviews in my column. Lest anyone think that I write it in
the guise of Dr. Jekyll – while my “Reviewed to Death”
opinions are penned by Mr. Hyde – allow me to explain.
In my column I have the luxury of selecting the books I want
to review. There are many current books I start and never
finish, so I don’t review them. I had a similar experience
during the ten years I was reviewing first novels for The
Armchair Detective. Many books I started were so poor
that I never finished them. I worked hard to find books
about which I could find something positive to say. Was I
being entirely fair to readers? Probably not, but then, old
softy that I am, I didn’t want to be too negative to first-time
authors. On the other hand, I regard “Reviewed to Death”
as an assignment, without any need for equivocation, and
so I tell it as it is there.
In your column you call yourself a “thriller snob,”
or say you were until you went to ThrillerFest. You’re not
a snob compared to me. I saw no reason for that convention, though I missed seeing friends, many of whom write
for Deadly Pleasures. There is so much room under the
mystery umbrella for so-called “thrillers” that one doesn’t
need a separate convention or even a separate anthology.
I’ve just finished THRILLER, and I found no great (or even
very good) stories among the 30 included. Too often the
plot was unlikely and ended with shooting or some other
form of action. There was little use of the protagonists’
brains, let alone detection. I don’t know about anyone else,
but I find the detective work of Freeman Wills Crofts’
Inspector French, to cite one example, more “thrilling”
than the books labeled “thrillers.” [Perhaps the quality
suffered because the author/contributors to THRILLER
donated their stories and got no payment for them.]
Kris Schorer, Lakewood, Colorado
I just finished Elizabeth George’s book, WHAT
CAME BEFORE HE SHOT HER. Wow! I think that this
is her best yet. So far I am torn between KING OF LIES,
STILL LIFE and this one for best book of the year.
Janet Rudolph, Oakland, California
Just wanted to thank you for the very meaningful
Don Sandstrom Memorial Award for Lifetime Achievement in Mystery Fandom. It is such an honor to be placed
in the ranks of mystery fandom and to follow in Don’s
footsteps, although my footsteps are so much smaller. So,
Lifetime Achievement--does that mean my Lifetime is
over? Guess not because I’m already working on the next
Mystery Readers Journal, publicity for LCC 2007, and the
Stuart McBride, Scotland, U.K.
Dear George, and everyone else at Deadly Pleasures, I’ve just got my plaque in the post for best first novel
Barry award and I wanted to thank you all for shortlisting
me, and forcing all those poor souls to vote for COLD
GRANITE.
I haven’t won anything since I was about nine, so
I’m extremely pleased and proud to be honoured with a
Barry. It’s going up on my study wall where I can use it to
impress the cat, and anyone else who ventures out to the
back of beyond where I live. It’s a lovely award and one of
the real high-points of my writing career. Thank you again.
Sylvia Ulan, Tucson, Arizona
Had to tell you that the issue from last year on
globalization of mystery writers energized my Brandeis
Mystery Group to read a number of the writers listed in that
article for this next (2006-07) year. Love the magazine.
Ed Gorman, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
[In letter renewing subscription] I’m trying to get
back in the game here. Was just fatigued out until about
five months ago. Right now my cancer’s holding steady
(lots of ups and downs over the past two years – 4 trips to
Mayo, etc.) For all my travails with incurable cancer, I’m
lucky--75% of people diagnosed with multiple myleoma
the same day I was, died within the first three years. I’m on
year five and hope for another 4-5 years if the luck holds.
I have a new Sam McCain mystery coming out in February,
2007 – and a 7-volume collection of my short fiction.
[Great to hear from you, Ed. Good news on the health
front – may it continue to be for many years to come.
And I’m happy for the new Sam McCain, a series I’ve
heartily enjoyed.]
T. Kent Morgan, Winnipeg, Manitoba,
Canada
I can recommend highly the Norwegian crime
novel, THE DEVIL’S STAR by Jo Nesbo. It’s his first
book translated into English. Also read a couple of historical mysteries by John MacLachlan Gray and Andrew
Martin, which aren’t my cup of tea, but found them in thrift
stores in Yorkshire. Doncaster where I was visiting isn’t the
best place to find books as the WH Smith and Ottakar’s
stores basically carry the top sellers and not much British
stuff other than Rankin, etc. Did however find a copy of
GET CARTER, which is set in Doncaster as well as one of
Zoe Sharp’s early books, HARD KNOCKS, and Frank
Lean’s second Manchester PI novel. Haven’t read them
yet.
In London, my first stop was Murder One on
Charing Cross Road. Don’t think it’s quite as large or good
since it moved across the road and Maxim Jakubowski
never makes customers seem welcome. I mentioned about
it being the new store and he responded in his typical
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Deadly Pleasures
manner, “We’ve been here a year and one half” and then
turned away.
I bought two Johnny Ace paperbacks by Ron Ellis
that never reached Winnipeg. This is a somewhat hard-tofind series set in Liverpool that I like. Also found John
Harvey’s standalone, IN A TRUE LIGHT, that he wrote
between his two series. I finished it last night and think
Harvey is one of the best.
Bill Crider had told me that I should read Austin
musician/mystery writer Jesse Sublett’s memoir and I was
surprised to find a hardcover copy in Murder One. Probably would have missed it except that it was mixed among
a group of American mysteries on a clearance table.
Down the street in a Book Ends clearance store,
I picked up the UK TPBO of Jose Latour’s HAVANA
WORLD SERIES. His novel, OUTCAST, is one of my
favourites from the past few years. I’m a big fan of David
Peace, whose new novel, THE DAMNED UTD, is about
football in Leeds, not crime. It wasn’t due out until
tomorrow, but one Doncaster store put out its only copy in
error and I was lucky to grab it. It certainly wasn’t on the
shelves in the large stores in London.
Have you read William Deverell’s sequel to your
favourite novel of the 1990s, TRIAL OF PASSION? [No,
I’m saving it for a special moment.]
Charles Todd (Carolyn Todd), Greenville,
Delaware
Charles came back from one solo signing with a
broken leg from helping an elderly woman across some
construction debris, and he wound up falling instead. And
he went on with his panel as if nothing had happened,
blood running down his leg and his shin twice normal size,
the pain overwhelming, but his mind concentrating on
what he was doing and saying. No one guessed. I told him
it was actors who were to break a leg, not authors. He was
still aching in Orlando and St. Louis, where I saw him.
The reviews are starting to come in for A FALSE
MIRROR, and Kirkus liked the book. They are so hard
to please that a kind word from them brings out the puppy
syndrome
I love you, I love you, I love you!
Meanwhile, A PALE HORSE is taking shape.
Would we were farther along at this date, but on the other
hand, we’ve reached the stage where we need to be
watchful and careful drawing everything to its logical
conclusion. Since we don’t outline, we must pick up on
what the characters are saying to us. We had a character
in A FALSE MIRROR who worked against us in an
attempt to throw us off the scent. Even as far as the copy
editing, this one person was striving to hide clues. I was sure
they were there, Charles was sure they were there, but
somehow that particular text turned up garbled or missing
or unclear. Not just once, but several times! I was beginning
to think we’d been wrong in how we saw the characters -they run themselves, but there are developments in the
course of the story that when put together towards the end
signal to us whodunit. This time, this person could have
escaped scot-free, and we’d have been helpless to prevent
it. I wonder what Rutledge would have made of that!
Here is the new subscription, and we are looking
forward to more Deadly Pleasures. You certainly
provide them, issue by issue! [Ed. Note: Just in case some
of you are unaware, the author Charles Todd, who
writes about a psychologically damaged Scotland Yard
detective just after the end of World War I, is a mother
(Carolyn Todd) and son (Charles Todd) writing team.]
THE ANTHONY AWARD
WINNERS
Lifetime Achievement Award:
Robert B. Parker
Best Mystery Novel: MERCY
FALLS by William Kent Krueger
(Atria)
Best First Mystery: TILT-AWHIRL by Chris Grabenstein
(Carroll & Graf)
Best Paperback Original: THE
JAMES DEANS by Reed Farrel
Coleman (Plume)
Best Short Story: “Misdirection”
by Barbara Seranella (Greatest Hits,
Carroll & Graf)
Best Critical/Nonfiction: The Heirs
of Anthony Boucher by Marv
Lachman (Poisoned Pen Press)
Best Fan Publication: Crimespree
Magazine, edited by Jon and Ruth
Jordan
Special Service to the Field:
Janet Rudolph
Deadly Pleasures
From the Editor
New Column. It’s been a year or so since the last Mat
Coward column and I’ve been missing his special brand of
British humor. Ali Karim is always telling me about this and
that(mostly his contributions) published in the e-zine Shots
and on a recent visit to that site (www.shotsmag.co.uk),
I noticed a new column by long-time British crime writer
and reviewer Mike Ripley. As I started to read it I was
especially impressed by two things: his wicked humor and
the many, many British crime fiction news items of which
I was unaware. Since we do as much as we can in DP to
shed light on the British crime fiction scene, I felt this
column would be not only a natural addition to this
magazine, but a most welcome one. I contacted Ali, then
Mike and with permission gracefully granted by Mike and
his editor at Shots, Mike Stotter, we are now in business.
The column is published on-line every other month
and is quite long, so what you see in DP is an abridged
version of the things I think would be of most interest here
in the States. For the complete columns, go to the abovecited link. I’m personally very excited about this addition
and am amazed at Mike Ripley’s writing ability and nose
for news. Thanks Mike. Needless to say, reviews of your
books will receive a more prominent place in these pages
as well.
Website. I have been neglectful of the website of late due
to some non-DP related business concerns and a desire to
create a completely new look for the website with
Dreamweaver software (the current site is done in
Frontpage). But the learning curve is pretty big, so I
wouldn’t expect anything new until after the first of the
year.
News From Bouchercon.
1. If popularity can be judged by length of signing lines
(some “old-timers” may have signed so many books at
prior conventions that their lines were of reasonable length
this time), then, from my perspective, the most popular
authors at the convention as measured by their lines were:
Jan Burke, Denise Mina, Arnarldur Indrisason and Ken
Bruen
2. Got to spend quite a bit of time with some of my
favorite writers:
Barry-Award winner Denise Mina (we shared a
shuttle ride to the airport and had a nice, lengthy chat
earlier in the convention) who told me that J.K. Rowling’s
first novel after the completion of the Harry Potter series
will be a mystery. She was anxious to get home to her
young children.
Barry-Award winner Tom Cook (RED LEAVES)
and I had three enjoyable talks over the length of the
convention. What a nice, humorous and gracious person
31
he is! I mentioned that it was so appropriate that he
received a Barry Award inasmuch as his BREAKHEART
HILL was among Barry Gardner’s five favorite mysteries
of all time.
Louise Penny (taller than I expected) – a sweeter,
nicer person you will not meet in the crime fiction world.
It’s nice when that is combined with talent.
Rhys Bowen mentioned that her son just moved
to Salt Lake City, so I may be seeing her here from time
to time.
Barry Award nominee Megan Abbott blew me
away--sharp and personable in a pixie-ish sort of way. I
will spend more time with her in future conventions. Her
upcoming hard-boiled novel THE SONG IS YOU will be
out in January, 2007. She is one of a growing list of young
female authors whose demure, wholesome looks hide the
dark prose they produce. Others on my short list are Karin
Slaughter, Teresa Schwegel, Denise Mina and Danielle
Girard -- my Dark Angels.
The beautiful and talented Tasha Alexander
(her cover photo on DP #46 doesn’t do her justice) caused
a few heads to turn including mine. Her next book, A
POISONED SEASON, will be out in April, 2007. It
continues the adventures of Lady Emily Ashton.
Barry-award nominee Michael Robotham (LOST)
proved charming. He and Barry-award nominee Brian
Freeman (IMMORAL) told me about their both being
chosen by some international book club (a combination of
12 or more book clubs in various countries) and selling
copies of their books in the hundreds of thousands.
Robotham’s next book, THE NIGHT FERRY, will feature Ali Barba, a female Sikh detective with the Metropolitan Police, who was dropped from a wall and seriously
injured in the last book, LOST.
3. I’m going to charge a fee for
future Anthony Award nominees
to sit next to me or near me at the
awards ceremony from now on.
Barbara Seranella was sitting on
my right (she won an Anthony for
Best Short Story). Marv Lachman
was sitting on my left (he won an
Anthony for Best Critical/Nonfiction) and Jon and Ruth Jordan
were sitting directly in back of me
Marv Lachman
(they won for Best Fan Publication
with his Anthony
– Crimespree Magazine). I
was sitting on the front row so no one was sitting in front of
me – or they would have won too! By the way, Barbara
Seranella’s next book, DEADMAN’S SWITCH, is either
a stand-alone or the beginning of a new series.
4. One of my goals was to meet Maddy Van Hertbruggen,
the host of 4 Mystery Addicts, the wonderful website I told
you about in the last issue. And it was a delight to interact
with her over the few days we were there. On Wednesday
night I went to a dinner with many of the 4MA regulars and
got to put faces to names such as Dame Judith, Em,
Gumshoe Carl (an interesting dinner companion), Barfly,
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Deadly Pleasures
and others who use their own names such as Mary Saums,
Fran Read (a down-under Australian dynamo of enthusiasm), Dave Magayna and British writer Donna Moore (an
especial delight as we sat together at dinner), to name a
few.
5. Gary Niebuhr and I have been lamenting the lack of
time spent together at recent conventions, so we made it
a point to go to lunch. Ted Hertel and Larry Gandle were
invited along and we had a wonderful time catching up on
each other's lives. I consider Gary a brother (we refer to
each other as each other’s “evil twin.”) and I love spending
time with him. He has a pied-piper quality.
6. Also had a nice lunch with Chris Knopf, the author of
the excellent Sam Acquillo/Long Island series. He is a
somewhat rare example of a small press author who
deserves to be published by one of the majors.
7. Val McDermid gave me grief for putting her photo on
the cover of DP #47 with the cover article title “Big, FAT
Mysteries – Are They Worth It?” Purely unintended
inference. We did have a good-natured chuckle over it
though (as Val does pack a few extra pounds -- by way of
explanation to those who may not have met her).
8. Barbara Peters and hubby put on one of the nicer
shindigs to celebrate the publication of A MERRY BAND
OF MURDERERS, a short story collection about music
and mystery that includes a compact disc of music performed by the authors. Jim Fusilli was a virtuoso on blues
guitar and Val McDermid brought the house down with her
performance of “Long Black Veil,” which she reprised in
the book dealer’s room on Sunday to similar applause.
Others who performed well were Don Bruns (the producer
of the event), Nathan Walpow and professional drummer
Bill Moody, mystery writers all.
9. The Sisters in Crime bash to celebrate their 20th
anniversary was a delight especially when it was capped by
a vintage Parnell Hall song.
10. Another favorite Selina Walker, editor for Transworld/
Bantam Press in the U.K., attended -- which took me by
surprise because I could have sworn she told me she wasn't
coming. We went out for some refreshment and Thomas
H. Cook came along for fun. We talked quite a bit about
new U.K. publisher Quercus, which is quickly establising a
reputation for quality crime fiction. Besides Tom Cook,
they also publish up-and-coming Peter Temple, Andrew
Klavan, Robert Daly and Joe Gores, who are published by
Harcourt in the U.S. Selina was excited about a couple of
new writers she is representing, whose books will be out
next year. Stay tuned -- I'll be reporting on them. Tom's
next is out first in the U.K. and is reviewed herein by Ali
Karim.
11. The Barry Awards presentation is always a highlight
for me. I was pleased to announce that henceforth the
Barry Awards will be sponsored not only by Deadly
Pleasures but also by Mystery News. I had been
considering this for quite a long time and it makes sense on
a number of levels. Barry Gardner and Don Sandstrom
wrote for both publications. This will give the Barrys a
wider audience and a wider voter pool. Lynn and Chris will
be in charge of the Barry Awards for 2007.
Tuckerization. From time to time we’ve talked about
this practice of using real people’s names as characters in
fictional works. It was named after Wilson “Bob” Tucker,
a mystery and science fiction writer who used this technique often. I’m sad to report that Wilson Tucker passed
away recently. Although I’m sure he would prefer to be
remembered for his fiction, my guess is that his immortality
will rest with the term “tuckerization.”
Assistant Editorship. Russ Isabella has resigned as my
Assistant Editor (even though he will still do some proofreading for the magazine). His interests are taking him in
a different direction and I wish him well. I thank him for all
that he has done in the past to make Deadly Pleasures
better than it would have been without his efforts. His
reviews, in particular, were some of the best ever published in these pages. He continues to be a good friend and
I hope at some point his interest in mystery fiction will
return.
I have asked Larry Gandle to assume the mantle
of Assistant Editor and he has accepted. His enthusiasm
for crime fiction is infectious and I continue to greatly
appreciate all he does for DP.
The PWA Hammer Award. The Private Eye Writers of
America announced the creation of a new award to be
called simply “The Hammer.” The award acknowledges
the major contribution to the private eye genre by Mickey
Spillane through his creation of Mike Hammer. Unlike
other awards, which go to the writer, this award will go to
a character, i.e., a Private Eye who has exhibited quality
and endurance in a field where many characters have
come and gone.
New Publishers of Note. Creme de la Crime is a twoyear- old publishing house based near London, England.
Focusing on emerging talent in crime fiction, they specialize in new authors and first-time crime works from authors
established in other genres. Their red-spined trade paperback editions are also sold here in the U.S. through Defour
Editions. I'm reading one of their series right now and am
quite impressed. Will report more in next issue.
Another new publisher comes by way of Val
McDermid. In her own words, " I have become the Editorial
Director of Bloody Brits Press, a new American imprint
specialising in bringing the work of British writers across
the Atlantic. The imprint is the brainchild of my partner,
American publisher Kelly Smith, who moved to England
last year. 'I’ve always loved mysteries,” she said. 'But when
I arrived in the UK, I was surprised to discover that the
British mysteries that are already published in the US are
just the tip of the iceberg. Many writers of quality mystery
fiction are still unknown to American readers, and I
decided it was time to change that. Our list will present the
US trade and the public with some of the finest British
authors writing today, hand-picked for style and excellence.' And my job is to pick those titles. Which seems to
me to be about as good a job as it’s possible to have.
And check us out on www.bloodybritspress.com.
BBP will publish writers new to the US, but we’ll also be
bringing back into print books that we think should be
available to US readers."
Deadly Pleasures
33
Reviews
A BEVY OF
MYSTERIES
by Bev
DeWeese
CALIBRE by Ken Bruen ( St. Martin’s Minotaur,
$12.95, August 2006). Rating B+
In Southeast
London, a seemingly mild man has had enough of all the
public rudeness he sees and hears. In fact, he is so upset,
he starts killing some of the worst offenders. Of course, the
murders look like accidents, so he gets away with it for
awhile, until he starts mailing taunting notes to the local
police. But the killer has not counted on the often
obnoxious, sometimes unprincipled Sergeant Jack Brant.
Brant doesn’t always follow the rules and he can be very
rude. If a man is a petty thief, Brant might just blackmail
him for a bit of extra cash. But, if he is a murderer, Brant
will catch him and possibly kill him himself, probably
legally. This “manners killer” truly does not realize what
he’s got himself into.
CALIBRE is vintage Bruen. The sly, witty
dialogue tells the story, and one can hear the Irish
cadence, especially if you read a bit of it aloud. Some of
the most enjoyable parts of this novel are the many
references to classic noir mystery writers, such as Ed
McBain, Elmore Leonard, and Charles Willeford. But the
key dead writer is Jim Thompson, as in THE KILLER
INSIED ME. And, interspersed with the lovely dialogue,
are the lists. Somehow, the combination adds up to poetry
that makes the reader smile.
The characters are vividly drawn.
Sergeant
Brant is clever and tough. He often acts like an Irish pig,
but he does know what class is. He just prefers to pretend
to be someone else. In some ways, Brant reminds me of
Reginald Hill’s Andy Dalziel. And his morals are all over
the spectrum. He accepts the gay cop, Porter Nash,
because he is smart. Though Brant constantly makes
sexist remarks, he still admires the way copper Elizabeth
Falls ignores obstacles and gets the job done. And he even
has a grudging respect for a prostitute. But who cannot
smile at the idea of Jack Brant writing a book about his cop
adventures, adventures that actually happened to another
cop. But Brant figures it means money and maybe a bit
of sex with the editor who is interested in buying it. After
all, if Ed McBain’s Ollie could do this in Ollie’s Book, then
Jack can do it too.
This mystery does have some good detecting, but,
more than that, the writing is breezy, funny, and very
entertaining.
KIDNAPPED ( An Irene Kelly Novel) by Jan
Burke ( Simon and Schuster, $24.00, October 2006).
Rating B+
Richard Fletcher, a member of the wealthy,
charitable Fletcher family, is found bludgeoned to death in
his office. His adopted son Mason is a logical suspect, since
the two have not gotten along, and he is convicted. A few
years later, reporter Irene Kelly is researching a series of
articles on kidnapped children, especially those stolen by a
disgruntled spouse. And then bones are discovered on a
nearby farm. The old and new investigations intertwine and
eventually lead to a lot more than just a murder.
This mystery is competently plotted, though there
are a myriad of characters, particularly in the Fletcher
family, whose stories and back stories crisscross throughout
the book. Sometimes, a reader could use a list of names.
Adding to the complexity are the references to specific
children in Irene’s “abducted children” articles that could
be meaningful in the murder investigation. Interestingly,
a big percentage of the major players in this mystery are
young, unusually bright children whom Burke makes very
credible and appealing. For example, Carrie and Genie
are delightful children, though they are surprisingly mature
for their years.
The detectives ( Irene, her husband Frank, her
forensic anthropologist friend Ben, and assorted cops) are
familiar to readers of Burke’s other books and their
personalities are not developed further. The use of search
and rescue dogs, and the jealousies between the dog
trainers, is fascinating. However, the major character here
is really the Fletcher family. The Fletcher family code is that
they believe strongly in raising and educating children who
otherwise would not have a chance. As proof, the elder
Fletchers have adopted and or fostered over twenty children. Many of these children, when grown, have also
adopted/fostered children themselves. But, are all of
these transactions above board? Is the adoption always best
for the child? This ambiguity adds a lot of twists, turns, and
reversals to the plot and engenders discussion.
In addition to a well crafted plot and a coterie of
good characters, there is a thoughtful look at the many
children who need a lot of nurturing and love. But does this
nurturing have to come from a blood parent? Does the
same kind of education work for every child? What about
the memories of adopted/foster children? What about
their emotional needs? These questions add an interesting
subtext to the mystery.
This is readable and provocative. Recommended.
SLAY RIDE by Chris Grabenstein ( Carroll and
Graf, $14.95, Nov 2006). Rating B This thriller does not
have the tongue-in-cheek humor of Grabenstein’s earlier
books, but it is a well paced suspense story with some very
memorable characters. Scott Wilkinson, an ultra- successful advertising executive and control freak, meticulously
plans everything. He’s asked the cab service to pick him
up at 7 a.m. precisely, so he can make his plane connections. So, when the cab arrives late and the cabbie has to
drive like a maniac to get to the airport, Scott is furious,
rude and obnoxious. He complains to the company, and
cabbie Nicolai Kyzetsoff gets fired. Well, Nicolai will not
forget this, and, after Scott is kidnapped, neither will he.
34
Deadly Pleasures
Reviews
On the other hand, FBI
agent Chris Miller is sitting
pretty, with a loving wife
and a beautiful child he
adores.
However, his
much publicized heroism
and case closures have
gotten him into trouble .
No boss wants an employee to look that much
better than he does. So
now Chris has been taken
out of the field, stuck in
the office, and given only
minor cases, like that of a
Russian immigrant grandmother who reports she
has been burgled.
The kidnapping plot (sprinkled with some intense
hostage scenes) races along, and the investigation proceeds logically.
However, Chris’s investigation of the
robbery of the Russian grandmother’s nested dolls is more
intricate and ultimately more interesting. First, Chris is
puzzled by the assignment of the case. Why would
someone from Washington D.C. be interested in having
this case handled by the FBI? But Chris always knows he
must do the right thing, so he investigates with his usual
thoroughness. Then, when some brutal Russian mobsters
show up, he knows definitely the grandmother may not be
what she seems, and he wonders why his boss didn’t tell him
the whole story.
Chris is a very likeable character, and somewhat
of an innocent in office politics. As often happens, Nicolai,
one of the major villains, is more colorful. He’s cynical,
proud, and psychotic, though he can project kindness and
charm. Certainly he does not let anyone disrespect him.
Since he seems very aware of just what will cause the most
distress to people, he is also an excellent manipulator of
everyone he meets.
The Russian grandmother does bring a light touch
to some of the more violent scenes. Though she seems a
bit addled to the police and to Chris, she insists she has
powerful connections. Could she be right? It’s always risky
to ignore old ladies.
This mystery is filled with action, vivid characters,
and traces of some very black humor. It’s a fun read.
DEATH AND JUDGMENT by Donna Leon
(Penguin Books, $7.99, Oct 2006). Rating B+
A truck
loaded with young women slides off an icy mountainous
road. A prominent lawyer is shot in a virtually empty
railroad car. An international businessman, drugged, is
found dead in a garage with the car running. Commissario
Guido Brunetti of the Venetian police soon suspects these
murders may be connected. And, before he can solve the
cases, he has to find the connections. But, as he gets close
to the answer, which is a fairly ugly conspiracy, he may
even have to protect his family.
The details of Brunetti’s police work seem believable, at least believable in the Venetian milieu, since much
of the detection involves working around the pervasive
corruption of the Venetian government. Autopsy notes
disappear. Prisoners are suddenly transferred, without
Brunetti’s approval. Files are lost, and there are always
political pressures on him to just forget about these cases.
However, one of the charms of this series is that Brunetti,
always affable and polite, knows how to get results, even
within this malfunctioning system. And his sly comments
about the system are very funny.
The graft and corruption in Venice could have
made this a dark mystery. But Brunetti has a few tricks of
his own. Since he is such a likeable person and since he
has done favors for many over the years, he is able to
dredge information out of reluctant witnesses, such as
snippy female doctors and crotchety widows, and he is able
to gently blackmail difficult government officials. He, of
course, has a fabulous source of information in Signorina
Elettra, who knows all of the local gossip and who, with
help from her friends, can hack into any data base in Italy.
It’s always fun to see someone outwit a corrupt system.
Because of the many books in this series, we
already know Brunetti loves his wife, his children, and good
food.
He loves Venice and knows its geography intimately. Furthermore, as Brunetti trolls for facts, it is
obvious he has sympathy for citizens who get caught in
minor scrapes. Basically, he’s one of the best-liked cops
around.
The book, DEATH AND JUDGMENT, is about
just that: deaths and the justice at least some of the
murderers finally get. A comfortable, satisfying read.
LIBERATION MOVEMENTS by Olen
Steinhauer ( St. Martin’s Minotaur, $24.95, Aug 2006).
Rating B+ In LIBERATION MOVEMENTS, Steinhauer
brings the reader into the gray, dirty world of Eastern
European espionage.
There are two stories here. One
tells of a young man whose jealousy and fear dragged him
into the shadows with informants and secret police. The
other centers on a plane that explodes in mid-air, killing an
Eastern European policeman going to a crime conference
in Istanbul. As the police try to figure out what happened,
it is soon apparent that the explosion is much more
complex than they thought. Who were the targets? Why
didn’t the Armenian terrorists let the negotiations continue
before they pulled the pin. Later, when detective Katya
Drdova goes to Istanbul to investigate more thoroughly,
the situation becomes even more complicated. Naturally,
no one is what he or she seems to be. And secret
government projects and shadowy figures from the past
further confuse the issue.
The overall atmosphere of this book is quite dark,
and people are killed suddenly, violently, and without
apparent reason. However, all of the characters are well
drawn. Katya is trapped in a loveless marriage, and she
has a past that no one knows about that affects everything
she does. Ludvik Mas, who is quickly introduced as a killer,
also has a tormented past that we learn about eventually
Deadly Pleasures
35
Reviews
but that he has apparently willed himself to forget. Or has
he? Policemen Colonel Brano and Captain Garva seem
to be overseeing the investigation, but neither of them
understands the other. Garva especially is surprised when
he finds out just how much power and knowledge Brano
has. Two of the most interesting characters are Zrinka and
Adrian Martrich – brother and sister. Zrinka, who has an
unusual mind, has been forced into a special government
project, which supposedly was bait to draw other spies to
the hospital where she lives. But does Zrinka have real
extrasensory powers? And the childhood stories we hear
from Zrinka and Adrian differ dramatically! Are these
siblings victims or manipulators? Until the end, the reader
is not sure.
This is a fast-moving, appropriately complex
story with some riveting characters. Well written, disquieting spy story.
SNOW BLIND by P.J. Tracy ( Penguin Books,
$24.95, Aug 2006). Rating AWith a major January
blizzard on the way, Twin City detectives Leo Magozzi and
Gino Rolseth are not too thrilled to be the honchos at the
department’s annual snowman building contest, especially
when two dead cops are found inside two of the snowmen.
Could this be the work of recently released con Kurt
Weinbeck ( alias the Snowman)? But then the brand new
sheriff from rural Dundas, Iris Rikker, finds a dead man
inside a snowman too. Obviously, there is a connection, but
what is it? With the expert help of some eccentric
computer geniuses called the Monkeewrench gang ( the
paranoid Grace MacBride, the skinny Lycra-wearing
Roadrunner, the gargantuan Harley Davidson, and the
lovely, large Annie), Detectives Magozzi, Rolseth, and
Sheriff Iris Rikker eventually realize that all of their
puzzling clues lead to Bitteroot, a secretive community in
Dundas that virtually no one knows about. What kind of
place is Bitteroot, and what is its connection to the snow
encrusted bodies?
P.J. Tracy has written a fourth, very clever, laughout-loud mystery that absolutely bubbles over sharp tongued
repartee, unusual characters, and a unique plot. The
cynical, worrywart Magozzi and the home loving Rolseth
may be opposites in personality, but they are crackerjack
cops in spite of one another. Iris Rikker is a petite, Englishteacher-turned sheriff, but she is willing to learn and she is
not afraid to defend herself if she has to. She and her
deputy, Sampson, believe they know their small community well, but even Rikker does not know about Bitteroot.
In fact, almost no one knows about Bitteroot.
As the cops, the sheriff, and the helpful computer
geeks slowly unravel these puzzling murders, they encounter snow, sleet, ice, and bitter cold, all expertly described,
which are as dangerous as the killer they are tracking. This
combination creates a number of very scary, suspenseful
situations. And the secrets of Bitteroot are equally dangerous.
This carefully constructed plot is intricate, though
I thought every scene and character was necessary. The
solution is bizarre, but the author makes it believable. Vivid
characters, good pacing, lots of suspense,
and an intriguing plot
make this mystery a very
entertaining read. And
women
especially
should enjoy this.
S H O R T
STRAW by Stuart
Woods ( Putnam,
$25.95, Oct 2006).
Rating B+ Ed Eagle,
a Santa Fe attorney, is
not having a good day.
His wife, Barbara
Kennerly, has just secretly emptied all of his
bank accounts and flown
the coop. But Ed is a tough, smart, big ( 6 feet, 7 inches)
lawyer, with many important and unusual contacts. He
swears he’ll get the money back, and his wife too, so he can
divorce her.
This plot is like a runaway train going at least 100
miles per hour. And the train track is full of wild curves,
with a surprise at each turn. In fact, this story is almost
nonstop action, from Mexico to Nevada to California.
What’s more, the story seems logical and believable – at
least while you are reading it.
Though the characters generally are only developed enough to carry the story, they are actually fascinating. Ed himself is a fighter, a dirty one if need be, and he
is not used to being tricked. He quickly proves he knows
how to manipulate the law enforcement and legal agencies
both in the United States and in Mexico, though he is very
careful never to do anything illegal himself. He lets others
do that.
The two private eyes Ed hires are also highly
competent. Cupie Dalton, an ex-LAPD cop, knows every
trick in the book, even if Barbara did manage to wing him.
He wasn’t expecting that from Barbara, but he’ll know
better next time. Vittorio, an Apache shamus, is another
tough hombre. His real love is guns. He always carries
several, but he does have a few weaknesses that Barbara
takes advantage of. Even Barbara has a secret past that
neither Ed nor Cupie nor Vittorio knows about. This is one
beautiful, dangerous lady.
There is a clever subplot in which Ed defends Joe
Bear, convinced he is innocent, and then realizes that Joe
is probably guilty. But, several double crosses later, justice
does prevail.
This mystery is not very realistic, but, as the plot
twists and turns at breakneck speed, with no excess
verbiage, the reader probably won’t care.
Overall, this
is an entertaining, engrossing, fun read.
WHEN THE DEVIL HOLDS THE CANDLE
by Karin Fossum ( Harcourt, $24.00, July 2006) Rating
A
How could two minor crimes committed by a couple
of thoughtless teens in a small Norwegian town lead to a
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Reviews
shocking murder? As the title says, “when the devil holds
the candle,” any of us could become a murderer or a
victim. Zipp and Andreas just wanted some money from
the young mother to buy beer. It was the panicky mother
who left the brakes of the baby carriage unlocked so it
rolled down a cliff, tossing the baby out. Then, when the
two boys needed more drinking money, Andreas decided
he was just going to break quickly into the old lady’s house,
grab the cash, and leave. But Andreas never came out.
After a few days, Andreas’ mother asks the police for help.
Naturally, Inspector Konrad Sejer and policeman Jacob
Skarre are concerned, but not too worried. Teenagers do
run away.
But, as they investigate this disappearance,
they soon fear something terrible has happened. They just
don’t know what.
This mystery is meticulously plotted, as the author
explores the lives of these two, unambitious teens. Interspersed with Andreas’ story, the life of Irma, the old lady
is also slowly revealed. As Fossum details the inner demons
of her characters, she also provides a detailed portrait of
their outward lives. Zipp is slow, definitely a follower, and
he has only one friend, Andreas. Andreas is bright, but he
is also somewhat of an outsider. In fact, his only friend is
Zipp. Andreas and Zipp spend a lot of time drinking and
watching Bladerunner. They do little else. The older
woman, Irma, also leads a very quiet, circumscribed life.
She too is a loner and fearful of any changes. But she
bothers no one, and she is not unkind.
Unlike the reader, at first the police know nothing
about the personalities of Zipp, Andreas, or Irma. However, Sejer and Skarre are intelligent and curious, so they
do make some small advances in the investigation. But this
is not primarily a police procedural. Instead, it is an
insightful look at why and how murders occur. Her
approach is certainly reminiscent of Ruth Rendell.
This has a suspenseful plot, an interesting Norwegian setting, and precisely defined characters. But what
will fascinate most readers is the perceptive look at the
monsters inside us that can lead to murder.
Cool W
ebsite
Website
www.shotsmag.co.uk
Lots of interesting interviews, reviews
and information about crime fiction in
the U.K.-- and more from DP
contributors Ali Karim and Mike Ripley
I COVER THE
L AKEFR
ONT
AKEFRONT
by T
ed Her
Ted
Herttel
T
HE DARKEST PLACE by Daniel Judson ($23.95,
St. Martin’s Minotaur, June 2006) Rating: A
Several young men are found drowned in the frigid
waters of Southampton during the bitter winter months.
Without bothering to undertake any investigation, the
police and coroner rule the deaths either accidental or
suicide so as not to discourage the tourist trade when the
weather finally warms. But one man’s parents refuse to
accept these findings and hire Edmund “Ned” Gregor to
prove that their son was murdered. The prime suspect is
Deacon Kane, a professor at the local college, whose son
had drowned years earlier in unrelated circumstances.
Kane and the victim were tangled up with the beautiful
Collette who is being pursued by demons from her own
past. Gregor and his agents must act quickly to prevent the
killer from striking again.
This is Shamus Award-winning author Judson’s
third book. The first two, THE BONE ORCHARD and
THE POISONED ROSE, tell the story of “Mac.” “Mac”
has now become the “Ned” of this book (note how the two
names are only one consonant and one vowel “up” from
each other) and continues his story, though one need not
have read the earlier books to understand this one. But it
is not only Ned’s story. Judson skillfully weaves into the
narrative several other points of view: that of Kane; of
Clay, the African-American partner of Ned; and of Miller,
son of the former corrupt chief of police, who wants to be
brought into Ned’s inner circle. Each of these has his own
story to be told and Judson accomplishes this without any
of it getting in the way of the drive of the book. Even the
minor characters, some moral and some not, are fully
drawn.
There is sudden and often extreme violence in this
dark tale (the book is not called THE DARKEST PLACE
for no reason) as the killer’s motives are revealed. Every
character is seeking some form of redemption for past
deeds and it all rings true. Further, Judson is able to make
the extremely cold winter an integral part of the novel. I
confess that never before has a piece of fiction made me
feel the type of teeth-chattering conditions that the author
creates here. I was frankly glad to be reading this on a
warm summer day.
This is an impressive noir novel of great depth and
emotion. Judson is at the top of his game in this bleak and
engrossing tale. If you have not read the first two books, get
them if you can. But do not miss this one. It will be labeled
a classic.
Deadly Pleasures
37
Reviews
HUNDRED-DOLLAR
BABY by Robert B. Parker
($24.95, G. P. Putnam’s
Sons, October 2006) Rating: BApril Kyle once
again turns to street-smart
Boston private investigator
Spenser for help. Originally
encountered
in
CEREMONY (1982) and TAMING A SEA-HORSE (1986)
as a young runaway who
turned to prostitution, April
is now a well-established
madam overseeing an upscale and very successful allwoman run organization. But someone has hired thugs to
threaten her and the operation. Spenser enlists the aid of
Hawk and a few others to safeguard the women and the
mansion April is using. Eventually Spenser learns that
April is not telling him the truth about the people behind the
takeover plans. He runs into organized crime figures and
discovers that April is seeking to franchise the call-girl
operation around the country. Along the way a few people
wind up dead, although unusually enough not at the hands
of Spenser or Hawk. Spenser is left to sort out the liars
from the killers.
This is another mildly entertaining entry in the
long-running Spenser string. Now in its thirty-third year,
this series is showing signs of wear. Short chapters (sixtyfour of them in a three hundred page book) with lots of
white space on each page indicate that not a lot is really
happening. The formula is there: someone needs Spenser’s
help (and often can not pay for it); he gets Hawk to push
some people around; he finds out his client is lying; he is
kicked off the case; he persists and solves it anyhow; he and
Susan have dinner and sex, not necessarily in that order.
Yet I find myself reading each book when it comes
out. Even though the characters’ lives are so static, readers
still seem to want to follow each new episode as it appears.
This one, while no exception to that rule, is one of the
weaker entries in recent years. Frankly, the entire idea of
franchising a call-girl operation struck me as bizarre and
unrealistic, at least with April Kyle in charge. A woman who
seduces men to get her way, yet wants to run an all-female
sex operation without any men backing her, just did not
compute, Susan’s psychiatric mumbo-jumbo justifications
notwithstanding.
Still the book has its humorous moments and
MWA Grand Master Parker manages to get to the end,
which I could not accept either, with a minimum of
mayhem. There’s only a little action and not much true
detection. Next time around I hope Hawk shoots some
people.
THE RUINS by Scott Smith ($24.95, Knopf,
August 2006) Rating: D This is the long-awaited followup to Scott Smith’s wonderfully entertaining thriller A
Simple Plan (1993) and what a disappointment it turns
out to be. While partying in Cancun, two young American
couples meet a German tourist named Mathias. His
brother Henrich has gone off with a female archeologist he
met and Mathias is worried because Henrich has not
returned. So, along with a Greek who speaks neither
English nor German, they journey into the jungles of
Mexico with just a hand-drawn map to guide them. Not
one of them speaks a word of Spanish. Still, in spite of
broken-English warnings they receive from their driver
and hand gestures (with guns) from local Mayans telling
them to go away, the six head toward the ruins, only to find
themselves trapped in a huge nest of flowering vines.
When they try to leave, a group of Mayans is guarding the
paths out, preventing them from going. They discover that
the vines hold the bodies of the archeological team as well
as Henrich, whose body is shot full of arrows. Then things
get worse.
Smith should have stuck to his original “Plan”
brand and called this book “A Stupid Plan.” These dumb
Americans, along with their equally stupid friends, venture
into the wilds of Mexico, failing to heed every warning
thrown at them. Frankly, they deserve what they get here.
There is absolutely nothing plausible in this book. Whereas
A SIMPLE PLAN was credible with well-developed
characters, THE RUINS has jettisoned both believability
and characterization in favor of a gimmicky horror tale.
The vines can make noises like cell phones. They
can mimic voices. They can give off smells like baking
bread. They can set traps for the idiots who get caught in
them. They can ooze acid. They can eat human flesh.
They can bore the reader to death. This story is so
repetitious in its agonies and revels so much in the pain and
blood and gore of the six travelers as they wait for rescue
that one just wants Smith to hurry up and get it over with.
As an added bonus the reader is treated to a never-ending
series of extremely unpleasant bodily functions described
in nauseating detail. Further the characters are mere
cardboard, indistinguishable from each other.
What little suspense there might be is ruined by
the frequent and meaningless asides of the characters as
their thoughts constantly flashback to better days and
times, along with the oft-mentioned “I wish we’d never left
Cancun” comments. If you liked A Simple Plan, you
won’t like this book. If you like well-crafted horror, you
won’t like this book. But I can still see it hitting the
bestseller lists and being made into a movie, which is
probably why the book was written in the first place.
We waited thirteen years for this?
THE PALE BLUE EYE by Louis Bayard ($24.95,
Harper Collins, June 2006) Rating: C The year is 1830.
A young West Point Cadet has been hanged. Shortly after
the body is taken down, it disappears. When it is located,
the man’s heart has been cut from his chest. Former police
office Augustus Landor is brought in to solve the murder
and prevent any further problems, mostly political fallout.
In order to be able to get inside the corps, Landor enlists
the aid of young cadet named Edgar Allan Poe, who
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Deadly Pleasures
Reviews
proceeds to do Landor’s investigation for him. More
deaths occur before Landor
makes the connections, while
Poe romances the lovely sister of an older cadet.
While the book starts
off quickly enough with the
first killing and the body’s
disappearance, it almost immediately grinds to a halt and
stays in that one place for
most of its 400 pages. In fact
even the characters recognize this well over one hundred pages before the book’s
finish:
Kemble smiled to see me dive in [to the snuffbox].
“Thayer always declines,” he said.
“Well, it’s his nature. Renouncing.”
“He’s not renounced you, has he?”
“He may soon,” I said, “the way this inquiry drags on. Who
knows when it will end?”
Who indeed?
Poe’s investigations are generally presented to
the reader in the form of written reports, many of which do
little to advance the story. In a similar vein Landor’s
comments are mostly in the form of his diary. The reader
thus has little sense of the immediacy of the events. The
tedium is occasionally broken by Poe getting beaten or
another body found mutilated and murdered. But then it
is right back to where we were, which is to say nowhere.
But the writing itself is wonderful. Bayard, the
author of the well-received MR. TIMOTHY, knows how
to construct a sentence and how to place the reader
convincing into the timeframe of the book. Poe was a
cadet at West Point in 1830 and the historical descriptions
certainly seem accurate. Poe’s inclusion and some of the
puzzles introduced or solved through him are the highlights
of this novel. But getting to end of the journey here
requires a great deal of patience. Had I not been reviewing
the book, I would have quit early on.
VIOLENCE IS MY BUSINESS and TURN
LEFT FOR MURDER by Stephen Marlowe ($19.95,
Stark House Press, February 2006) Rating: B + This
two-for-the-price-of-one volume contains two of Stephen
Marlowe’s well-constructed stories, filled with violence and
murder (as one might guess from the titles). First up is one
of the early Chester Drum private investigator novels, one
of only two that take place entirely within North America.
Drum was well-known for tracking cases around the world,
but this one has a decidedly American flavor. Duncan
Lord, a respected professor, jumps to his death in front of
a crowd of on-lookers, including Drum. The private eye
had been hired to find out with whom Lord was sleeping.
Since Drum had some inside knowledge of what the
professor was doing, he is accused of blackmailing the
man, causing his investigator’s license to be revoked. This,
of course, does not stop him from trying to find out why
Lord jumped. This search takes him to the bone-chilling
cold of Canada to discover the answers he seeks. Naturally, we have the stock cast of characters, including a
sadistic sheriff, a crooked investigator, vengeful “friends,”
and the hooker with a heart of gold. But Marlowe does a
fine job of driving the hard-boiled plot along swiftly to its
conclusion. Filled with double-crosses and twists, this is a
thoroughly entertaining novel, first published in 1958.
Atmospheric and not in the least dated, it stands as an
excellent example of the Gold Medal school of writing.
TURN LEFT FOR MURDER, published three
years before VIOLENCE IS MY BUSINESS, on the
other hand does not involve series character Drum. But it
is just as good, if not better, in its own way. Teenager Norm
Fisher witnessed a brutal gangland execution, then drove
the getaway car for the killers. After Fisher finished a stint
in the Army, he is again approached by one of his
murderous acquaintances, threatened with exposure for
his part in the earlier killing, and dragged unwillingly into
a hit on a prosecutor who is vigorously pursuing the
acquaintance. But other gangland figures do not want the
killing to take place and they also contact Fisher and
threaten him if he participates. Caught between two sets
of killers, and now with a wife and baby to protect, Fisher
sees no way out. This genuinely tense book grips the
reader from its opening chapter and does not let go until
the final pages. This is true edge of the seat suspense with
characters the reader comes to care about. Further, it
moves like a rocket sled on rails, a true not-to-be-put-down
book.
Marlowe is the author of nearly forty books under
his own name and more than a dozen additional ones under
pseudonyms. In an interesting foreword Marlowe tells how
he himself was not even certain how many books he wrote
because his manuscripts and bound copies, kept in his
stepmother’s attic while he traveled, vanished when she
moved. Stark House is to be commended for bringing this
writer back to the attention of the reading public.
DAMNATION STREET by Andrew Klavan
($24.00, Harcourt, Inc., September 2006) Rating: C
Private investigator Scott Weiss and “the man who called
himself John Foy” (as he annoying refers to himself
throughout much of the book) are both after the same
woman: Julie Wyant, a hooker Foy has become obsessed
with after one particularly brutal session with her. Foy, a
psychotic killer that the papers call the Shadowman, thinks
he’s in love with her, while she wants nothing to do with
him. Meanwhile, Weiss wants Foy and believes that the
way to catch him is to use Wyant as bait, which task she
wants nothing to do with. She runs. Weiss, an expert at
finding people, chases her. Foy chases Weiss hoping he
will lead Foy to Wyant.
This thriller reads like a parody of thrillers, which
is not any sort of praise. There are many elements in it that
just bordered on spoof. For example, on just one page, in
the space of six lines, there are references to “the
Deadly Pleasures
39
Reviews
Frenchman,” “the Belgian guy,” “a specialist,” and “a
whack guy.” There’s the fight in the dojo against “the
Frenchman’s bully boys” that seemed like it is right out of
a Jackie Chan movie. There’s the obligatory love story
between Weiss’ associate and the woman he’s been hired
to tail (and the secret she is hiding turns out to be almost
laughable). There’s even the dream sequence that the
reader doesn’t know is a dream. And of course the
Shadowman is a master of disguise, so much so that he can
walk up to anyone and kill without the victim even
suspecting who he is. A little of this went a very long way.
While there is some humor and the story is fastpaced, the writing is generally stilted. The whole “I’m
chasing you so he’ll chase me to catch you so I can kill him”
scenario stretched belief, as did the rather unrealistically
high level of violence done to people who managed to
more or less walk away from it.
In its favor, the suspense does stick around through
the end of the story. It is just too bad that the story wasn’t
more compelling.
DVD REVIEW
WRITING KILLER MYSTERIES WITH KRIS
NERI—A KILLER FICTION WORKSHOP produced by
T2G Productions ($89.99) Rating: A This is the first in
a series of Killer Fiction Workshop DVDs produced by
sisters Sharlyn and Shannon Harley. They are off to a
terrific start with this professionally created set.
Kris Neri has presented her Writing Killer Mysteries workshop for a number of years through the UCLA
Extension program. In addition to owning and operating
The Well Red Coyote bookstore in Sedona, Arizona, she is
also an Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity nominated author.
So Neri knows not only how to craft a solid mystery novel,
she also knows what sells. Equally important, though, she
knows how to teach and it shows in this three disk DVD set.
Set against the backdrop of shelves loaded with
books on writing, Neri takes the viewer through every step
of the writing process, from “Creating Sleuths That Sizzle”
to “Endings and Resolutions” in eight lessons on the first two
DVDs. She discusses theme, character (not only protagonist, victim, and villain, but also how to create memorable
minor characters), setting, plot, and point of view (what to
use and what to avoid, including the subtleties of avoiding
breaking point of view). Neri teaches dozens of other topics
of vital importance to anyone who ever wanted to put a
story on paper, such as dialogue and manners of speech,
conflicts, the “three and one-half act” structure, back-story
and the correct way of using it, prologues, clues and red
herrings. None of these topics are covered superficially,
either. Neri goes into great depth using concrete examples from her writing, as well as the work of other wellknown authors.
In front of the camera Neri is calm and collected.
She speaks authoritatively and with little hesitancy. It is as
if she has an actual class in front of her as she moves from
one side to another, occasionally making her points on
paper as well as verbally. The producers have chosen to
use two cameras so that the viewer does not have a static,
one-directional, portrait of the speaker. In fact this is such
a realistic classroom that there were a few times I wanted
to raise my hand and ask a question. At the end of each
session (they range in length from around fifteen minutes
to well over a half-hour), Neri provides a helpful troubleshooting tip for the writer. These are coupled with other
ideas and suggestions throughout the lessons.
The third DVD in this set is a series of interviews
with Neri in a more informal setting. She discusses her
writing life, her books, and her life outside of writing. But
the real gem of this final DVD is the set of forms that are
on it. Tied in to the lectures, these forms are usable over
and over again (Adobe Reader is required to access them).
They include resources and submission guidelines as well as
forms used in the course itself for character profiles,
manuscript format, structure, plotlines, and the like.
So, at $89.99 is this a worthwhile purchase? The
answer, for anyone interested in writing a mystery, is
clearly “yes.”
Neri teaches this same class at a cost of
between $400 and $500 per student. The benefit of the
DVDs, of course, is that the viewer can watch again and
again or stop and back up to clarify something missed while
taking notes. In fact most of what Neri says is worth jotting
down, so pausing to catch the full flavor of her comments
is a great benefit. The only difference between this and her
actual class would appear to be the inability to ask her
direct questions. But she has packed so much information
into this that it should not be a concern. Further, the
production values of the set are very high. This is quality
work all around.
While this set is geared to the novice writer, all
interested in how to write a killer mystery will benefit from
it. This is an excellent start to the Killer Workshop series.
I hope to see more soon from T2G Productions.
T
he Mystery Writers of America has announced
that the recipients of the 2007 Raven Awards
for outstanding achievement in the mystery field
outside the realm of creative writing are Kathy
Harig, owner of Mystery Loves Company (Baltimore, MD and Oxford, MD), and Mitchell Kaplan,
owner of Books & Books (various locations in FL)
and co-founder of Miami Book Fair International.
The MWA also announced the results of their annual
election. The new national President is Nelson
DeMille; six new members were elected to MWA’s
Board, one from within commuting distance of New
York, and five at-large directors. The new board
members are Linda Fairstein, Sandy Balzo, Lee
Goldberg, Jeremiah Healy, D.P. Lyle and Michele
Martinez.
40
Deadly Pleasures
Reviews
MAGGIE’S MYSTERY
CAFE’
by Mar
y Mason
Mary
Focusing on tthe
he
Cozy My
s ter
y
Mys
ery
S
HADOW OF THE LORDS by Simon Levack St.
Martin’s, $24.95). Second in the Aztec Mystery
series. Rating: A
In the Aztec empire in 1517
Mexico, disgraced priest Yaotl escapes his slavery to look
for his son. He is captured but is surprised to be sent on the
same mission for his master, the Chief Minister. His master
doesn’t know the man he believes to be a murderer is
Yaotl’s son, so is unaware to what lengths Yaotl will go to
save him. The fact that the authorities are looking for two
men make it easier for Yaotl to steer them the wrong way.
Yaotl goes into the feather workers’ community to
solve the mystery of the appearance of the God
Quetzalcoatl. The God did not appear, instead it was a
mortal wearing a feathered cape and that leads Yaotl into
another mystery.
This book had so much information on the way of
life for the Aztec empire that it’s hard to describe it. I found
the most common things, such as the methods of law
enforcement, description of religious ceremonies, what
clothing each level of society wore among the most
fascinating parts of this book. A look at Emperor
Montezuma’s zoo was a real eye-opener. Excellent read.
MURDER ON THE BALLARAT TRAIN by
Kerry Greenwood (Poisoned Pen Press, $22.95). Third in
the Phryne Fisher series. Rating: B Phryne Fisher is on
her way to visit relatives when she smells chloroform.
Though she is on a train and in unfamiliar surroundings, she
has enough presence of mind to get to her purse and shoot
a hole in the window of her compartment. The air that
flows in revives her enough to allow her to open the rest of
the windows, and to go through the rest of the first class
compartments opening windows and saving lives.
One life she couldn’t save was an elderly woman,
who was quite simply a nasty person. Mrs. Henderson is not
in her compartment, though her daughter is unconscious,
and may be scarred for life due to the chloroform-soaked
cloth found on her face. That is enough to absolve her of
suspicion of any harm to her mother, who is later found
dead, with many broken bones, on the side of the tracks.
A young girl is found on the train suffering from
memory loss. The police intend to contact the welfare
authorities until Phryne offers the girl a place in her home.
That gives Phryne two mysteries to solve, the murder of
Mrs. Henderson and what happened to “Jane.” Phryne is
easily up to the task, with the help of her maid/companion
Dot, and Bert and Cec, her two taxi-drivers/all-around
helpers.
I confess that I wish the books were being published in order, as it would have been better for my poor
brain to meet all the characters as Phryne does, not just
having to remember what happened in a later book I read
over a year ago.
DEATH AT VICTORIA DOCK by Kerry Greenwood (Poisoned Pen Press, $24.95). Fourth in the Phryne
Fisher series. Rating: B Phryne Fisher is driving along
minding her own business when her windshield is shattered
by a bullet. Not one to take such an assault meekly, Phryne
goes looking for her assailant. She finds a young man who
had also been shot. He has an unusual tattoo, but there are
no other clues as to his identity. He lives long enough to
utter a few words in French, which make no sense to
Phryne.
While busy with this pro-bono case, she is hired to
find a teenage runaway. The young girl’s mother died
some years ago, and her father recently married a much
younger woman.
Phryne’s investigation into the murder reveals
that the young man was an anarchist, a member of a group
planning to use a machine gun to rob a bank.
It’s always entertaining to read about Phryne’s adventures,
and this was no exception.
STALKING IVORY by Suzanne Arruda (NAL,
$23.95). Second in the Jade del Cameron series Rating:
A American Jade del Cameron returns to Africa in 1920
for her second adventure, and I do mean adventure. While
in the vicinity of Mount Marsabit, Jade is trying to photograph as many elephants as she can. She is accompanied
by her friends, Beverly and Avery Dunbury. Sadly, they
discover the corpses of many elephants, tusks removed,
along with a policeman’s body.
They report the slaughter to the proper authorities, but Jade is not content to stop at that. She runs into
Harry Hascombe, a guide who has a group of Germans
with him. Something about the group sets Jade’s teeth on
edge, and makes her wonder if they have any involvement
in the slaughter of a man and the proud, elegant animals.
Jade is introduced to Sam Featherstone, an injured pilot
who walks with a limp. Sam wants to make a motion
picture of the elephant herds from an airplane, and is in
Africa to scout.
While seeking to capture the elephant’s grandeur
on film, Jade discovers a cache of rifles. This type of rifle
is not suited for hunting, which makes Jade very curious.
She hides as many of the rifles as she can, and is helped
by an elderly native who springs up when she needs his
help the most. Boguli is a mysterious character whose
nature is revealed at the end of the book.
I’ve never wanted to go to Africa, but reading this
series may make me change my mind. I love the interaction
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between Jade and Jelani and Biscuit. I sometimes find have some chemistry. Sadly, Vinnie has a fiance, and a
myself being skeptical of women who act as Jade does in mother who isn’t in favor of a romance with Annie.
eras where that is not accepted behavior. But Arruda sets Underfoot in Annie’s investigation is a new reporter, Dick
an excellent groundwork for Jade’s skill and gumption.
Whitfield, who may just blow a good lead with his heavy
There was a scene with the elephants that brought handed questioning.
tears to my eyes, and made me admire Jade’s restraint
Annie also has to contend with her mother’s
when dealing with the poachers. There is a bit of a “woo- relationship with the publisher of her newspaper, and if
woo” element that was very much a natural part of this that weren’t enough, she may have lost her source in the
wonderful, inspiring book.
police department. All in all, it’s a wonder Annie gets to the
BONE VALLEY by Claire Matturro ($23.95, bottom of the mystery, but she does with flair and style.
Morrow). Third in the Lilly Cleary series. Rating: A Lilly
DON OF THE DEAD by Casey Daniels (Avon,
Cleary probably has the cleanest house in her neighbor- $6.99). First in the Pepper Martin series. Rating: B
hood, thanks to her quirky nature and fear of germs. Her When Pepper Martin’s father was convicted of Medicare
latest adventure is a warning of what might really happen fraud, her life changed drastically. Her mother took off to
with an environmental disaster just waiting to happen in Florida while her father went to prison, and her fiancee
Florida.
went AWOL. Pepper is unsuited for most employment, but
Lilly takes on the case of a couple of men who are has hopes of getting a job at Saks, her old stomping
being sued by an orange grower for defamation of the fruit, ground. She is waiting to hear from them, and takes a job
something I haven’t yet heard of happening in California. as a cemetery tour guide for the Cleveland cemetery near
One of her new clients is a drop-dead gorgeous man, her new apartment.
capable of making Lilly almost forget about her possible
As luck would have it, she stumbles and hits her
fiance Phillip. To Lilly’s credit, she had already taken the head when she falls into the mausoleum of a mafia don.
case before she met Miguel. Lilly hears about the death of
Gus Scarpetti was gunned down
a developer with no conscience,
years ago, and now he is appearing
which may be connected to her
to Pepper wanting to find his killer.
clients.
Pepper is at first unable to believe
While Lilly is trying to get
her eyes, but soon comes to find she
a handle on the potential devastais the only one who sees Gus, though
tion phosphate mining can bring to
later she discovers people near death
the environment and what it may
are able to see him as well. Gus just
have done already to the defamed
won’t leave her alone, and even
orange grove, she has to deal with
ruins her chance at a job she actually
elderly Jimmie Rogers. Jimmie has
wants.
sort of moved into Lilly’s house and
Gus hid some cash prior to his
talks about all the work he will do,
murder, and when Pepper follows
while drinking her wine and avoidhis instructions and finds it, she fiing her healthy food.
nally commits to helping him out.
This series is a winner. I
The fact that he won’t leave her
like Lilly, and her unique friends
alone makes her want to find the
Claire Matturro
and relatives. Delvon is a hoot, as
truth and get on with her life.
is Jimmie. While presenting a seriEven though her life is threatened, Pepper gets
ous subject, Matturro makes the book very entertaining. down to business and finds the truth that Gus has been
I’m always waiting for the next one, not always patiently. waiting years to learn. The ending is a cliff hanger, with
SECONDHAND SMOKE by Karen E. Olson another “ghost” named Dan, with a mystery all his own,
(Mysterious Press, $22.99). Second in Annie Seymour appearing to Pepper. Hopefully Dan’s secret will be
series. Rating: B+
Newspaper reporter Annie revealed in the next in the series.
Seymour is awakened by the smell of smoke at 6 a.m., and
I GAVE YOU MY HEART, BUT YOU SOLD
is horrified to see one of the best restaurants in her IT ONLINE by Dixie Cash (Morrow, $21.95). Third in the
neighborhood up in flames. A body is found in the ruins, Domestic Equalizers series. Rating: ADebbie Sue and
and as the owner is missing, it is presumed to be that of Sal Edwina are the owners of a beauty shop in Salt Lick,
Amato. When the body is determined to be a woman, Texas. They have a sideline working as investigators for
everyone is relieved it isn’t Sal, but wonders where he is women who want evidence that their spouses are unfaithand whose body was found in the wreckage.
ful. They sometimes get involved in murder, and this case
Annie meets an elderly man who is upset about is no exception.
some missing chickens and she sets out to investigate the
Rodeo star Quint Matthews comes to town to
fire and learn more about the chickens. On her heels, or meet a woman he met via an online dating service. What
even ahead of her in the investigation is P.I. Vinnie he is clueless about is that Allison Barker isn’t the woman
DeLucia. Vinnie is an attractive man, and he and Annie
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he has been talking to online. It is her preteen daughter Jill,
who is intent on getting her mom back into the dating pool.
Debbie Sue could give Allison some good advice about Quint,
as he broke her heart years ago. Quint also has business with
the Equalizers, and is staying with friend Tag Freeman near
Midland Texas.
Allison, who is unaware of Quint’s fame, agrees to
go out with him after Jill sets up the date. Quint is easy on the
eyes, and Allison is lonely. They go to Midland to a restaurant
owned by Tag, a friend of Quint. Quint gets drunk, and Tag
drives Allison home. Tag and Allison are a much better match
for each other and an interest is generated.
Quint’s business with the Equalizers is a bit embarrassing. Quint has lived down the embarrassment he suffered
when a woman he dated turned out to be a cross dresser.
Now, he is the victim of identity theft by a woman he was
attracted to big time. He asks the Equalizers to find her.
Before they can get started, she is found dead at her home.
It takes the entire cast of the book, as well as a surprise
character, to solve the murder.
This series is a lot of fun. I have spent
a bit of time in Midland, and would have gladly
gone to Tag’s restaurant. The Equalizers are
a couple of big-hearted women who make life
in a small town a lot more fun than you could
expect. The characters are engaging, and I
really liked the epilogue which brings the
reader up to date on the actions after the book
ends. This begs to be made into a rip-roaring
movie.
SLEEP WITH THE FISHES by
Brian Wiprud (Dell, $6.99). Reprint of author’s
first book, revised, PB. Rating: B+
Sid
Bifulco has found a bit of peace living in the
woods. Sid was a mob hit man who got his
nickname, Sleep, because he liked to put his
victims to sleep before whacking them.
He worked out a deal to rat out a mob family, but
also arranged for the mob to be taken care of, so he wouldn’t
be pursued. Now he lives by a river, and is able to pursue his
new hobby, fishing. Sid became an expert in fishing while
reading about the pastime in the joint. And his knowledge
of the sport is improved by his neighbor Russ.
Word gets out that Sid is in town, and when a
mobster escapes from prison and heads to Sid’s hideaway,
Russ accidentally kills him in an auto accident. There are a
couple of local characters nearby when the accident takes
place, and all efforts to hide the body and destroy a tape
accidentally made of the event turn into a real stooge-like
shindig.
Sid can be very likable, and his ingenuity is flawless.
Russ is a man going through a rough patch, but you just know
he’ll be OK. The supporting cast is varied and entertaining,
and one that you won’t soon forget. Wiprud shows his
versatility, and that he knows what he’s doing when it comes
to fishing.
YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT
by Parnell Hall (Bantam, $24.00). Eighth in the Puzzle Lady
series. Rating: B+ Though Cora Felton may try, the
Puzzle Lady just cannot stay out of trouble. When a young
wife approaches her with a request that she create a
puzzle to apologize to her husband for wrecking the car,
Cora agrees. Sadly, her niece Sherry, the real puzzle
expert, wasn’t there to voice her opinion. Sherry is
overwhelmed by the pressure to get married, having to
deal with her ex-husband now married to her best friend,
and all the other distractions in life.
Sherry does something she will regret: she takes
another puzzle and changes it around a bit. That leaves
Cora open to a lawsuit by Benny Southstreet, the original
constructor of the puzzle.
Cora also agrees to help the police chief with a
stolen property case. A junk -- er, antique dealer reports
the theft of 4 chairs, and the police investigation goes
nowhere. Cora does her best to start a new investigation,
but isn’t given much help by the victim.
Amazingly, when Benny Southstreet is found
dead of a gunshot wound, Cora’s prints
are on the gun, and she was on the scene
at the time of death. The two cases are
intertwined, and it’s up to Cora to solve
the mystery. I had my doubts that Cora
could pull it off this time, but I was glad
to be mistaken. In addition to the ingenious puzzle of the murder, there are
crossword puzzles to die for in the book.
This series is aimed at adults, but I think
they also would be good for a budding
teenage reader on my gift list.
VANITY FIRE by John M. Daniel
(Poisoned Pen Press, $22.95) .Second
in the Guy Mallon series. Rating: D+
Guy Mallon is still living in Santa Barbara
with his girlfriend, Carol. He has been
approached by a retired businessman
who wants to invest in their publishing business. It seems
wealthy Fritz Marburger wants to publish his girlfriend
Sweet Lorraine Evan’s novel. Guy then has to lease a
warehouse, which Fritz has purchased. It’s too big for
Guy’s business so Fritz subleases part of it to another
book publisher, without checking with Guy. Roger
Herndon is an adult film maker who is branching out into
vanity publishing. He uses some of his film stars as staff
in the book business.
Guy has a lesson in getting everything in a
contract when Lorraine freaks out at her first book
signing. Most of the many books that were ordered were
for signed copies, so Guy needs a big break. Sadly,
Lorraine also refuses to do publicity, including cancelling
a interview for People magazine and the Oprah show.
When things don’t seem to be getting better,
Guy agrees to publish another celebrity book, but does
so using the nearly dishonest methods Roger uses. Carol
is very upset at this, and takes off. While she is gone, the
warehouse burns, and a body is found in the ashes.
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Carol’s car was seen on the grounds shortly before the fire,
and Guy doesn’t know what to think.
This book was a big disappointment to me, as I
enjoyed the author’s first title so much. Guy does so many
incredibly stupid things, such as not getting Lorraine to
come to the warehouse to sign stock after she freaks out
at the public book signing. He didn’t even try. He also
mentions, more than once, that his objective in tracking
down Roger is to collect the cost of 4 pieces of pizza, even
though this had already been paid for in labor. There are
also some very raunchy scenes, which just seemed out of
place.
BUBBLES ALL THE WAY by Sarah Strohmeyer
(Onyx, $7.99, PBO). Sixth in the Bubbles series. Rating:
B+
Intrepid Lehigh Pennsylvania newspaper reporter
Bubbles Yablonksy is right on top of a huge story. Sadly,
it seems while she was putting hair extensions on Debbie
Shatsky, her client dropped dead. Bubbles was just helping out Sandy, her former employer and
friend, during the holiday rush.
The police are convinced Sandy
murdered Debbie. Bubbles knows Debbie
was obnoxious, but knows Sandy is innocent, and sets out to prove it. She finds
Debbie was involved in at least one shady
scheme, and is upset to find the story is
given to a rookie reporter. Bubbles is
ordered to stop her investigation, which
makes her wonder what is going on at the
paper.
While I enjoyed the book, the
ending left me a bit perplexed. I’m hoping
there will be another book soon, to explain
the ending of this one, and to see if all turns
out well for our sparkling Bubbles.
A SAFE PLACE FOR DYING
by Jack Fredrickson (St. Martin’s, $23.95).
Series debut. Rating: B Dek Ekstrom is a man with a life
that has turned out differently than he planned.. He had
been in business for himself, but due to a scandal is now
scrounging for work. He had been living in a very upscale,
gated community with his now estranged wife. Now, he
lives in a turret, part of a castle his grandfather was
building, but didn’t finish. Dek is trying to finish the turret,
and just keep his life from unraveling further.
He is sucked into an investigation of a bombing at
Crystal Waters, the community where he once lived. Dek
gets more involved in the investigation than is expected,
and he turns out to have a good instinct for the nefarious
goings on. When Dek suspects his wife is in danger, he puts
his life on the line to save her, and bring justice to the
community.
While I enjoyed this book and its characters, I
thought the author should have revealed the reason for
Dek’s separation sooner. It didn’t create a reasonable
suspense for me, and would have made me enjoy the book
more. But I’ll still look forward to the next in the series.
THE MANGLER OF MALIBU CANYON by
Jennifer Colt (Broadway Books, trade paperback, $11.95).
Second in the McAfee twins series. Rating: B+ Kerry and
Terry McAfee return in their second rollicking adventure.
The twins’ wealthy Aunt Reba calls them to her new home
on the beach in Malibu when she has found a body rolled
up in a carpet. It’s a little hard to identify the body without
the head, but the twins are smart enough to call friendly
detective John Boatwright, someone Kerry dated.
Boatwright doesn’t have jurisdiction, but he contacts the proper authorities. Sadly, Reba’s son Robert
shows up after being missing from the rehab facility where
he had been living. That he has a bag with a woman’s head
in it makes it hard for him to claim innocence.
This is a fun read, with lots of quirky people and
scenes. Colt seems to have a good sense of the absurd,
though I’m sure much of it could or has happened at some
point in the laid back area she knows so well.
HIGH HEELS ARE MURDER by
Elaine Viets (Signet, $6.99, PBO). Second
in the Josie Marcus Mystery Shopper series. Rating: B+ Mystery shopper Josie
Marcus has a new assignment, one many
women would kill for: shoe shopping. Sadly,
she has to return what she buys, which is
another job, checking out how individual
stores stick to the chain’s return policy.
Josie confirms what the Soft Shoe chain
has heard, that they have a salesman who
has a foot fetish. Josie catches him in time
.
to rescue her own pair of Pradas. Mel
Poulaine is the salesman, and Josie is
surprised when she reads a notice of his
death in a very, very posh part of St. Louis.
She wonders how a shoe salesman can
afford to live there.
I had wanted to be a mystery shopper
until I read the first book in this series. It goes to show you
that a dream job for one person can be another’s dreaded
job. Viets gives you the good and bad of mystery shopping,
and makes the characters real and believable. There’s a
bit of shoe talk at the end of the book for people unafraid
of wearing stiletto heels, or spending a fortune on shoes.
Viets does give tips on bargains for the rest of us. I’m
waiting to see what Josie will show us next.
MURDER PASSES THE BUCK by Deb Baker
(Midnight Ink.$12.95). First in series. Rating: B+ Sixtysomething Widow Gertie Johnson may best be described
as a pistol. One of her children, Blaze, is the sheriff in their
Michigan Upper Peninsula hometown, and they have
problems understanding and relating to each other.
Chester Lampi is shot the opening day of deer
hunting season, and Gertie decides it’s murder. She is
proven right, but not before she gets in a few jams. Gertie’s
heart is in the right place, and even though she’s never
driven before, she uses her husband’s truck to get around.
She suspects many people of Chester’s murder, including
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an estranged son and daughter-in-law. Gertie doesn’t think
Blaze is up to the job, and she and her gang of live wires go
on a detecting rampage.
Luckily everything resolves itself and Gertie will be
around for many more adventures. I’ll be there waiting for
the next one, as Gertie is a lot like Evanovich’s Granny
Mazur, but with more freedom to misbehave. An enjoyable
romp in the country.
G’DAY TO DIE by Maddy Hunter (Pocket Books,
PBO, $6.99). Fifth in the Passport to Peril series. Rating:
B Emily Andrews hasn’t learned from past experience, so
she’s destined to repeat at least some of her travel
adventures. Employed as a travel escort for a group of
senior citizens from Iowa, she has her hands full. Luckily her
Nana is on the tour, and at times she is one of the voices of
reason. This trip is to Australia, a land filled with adventure
and some dangerous critters. Early in the trip, one of the
many pictures Nana takes with her Polaroid insta-matic
camera captures a picture of a plant that
may have been extinct for many years.
There are several people on the tour with
an interest in botany for research products, and when one of them dies, foul play
is suspected by Emily and Nana.
This book had a lot of untranslated
foreign phrases, which drove me crazy. It
also had a lot of dialogue written phonetically to show the Australian speech. That
would normally drive me crazy, but this
time it worked. Guess I’m a pushover for
all things from Down Under. Nana is a
great character, and most of the other
seniors are very entertaining in small
doses.
THE BELLS OF OLD BAILEY
by Dorothy Bowers (Rue Morgue Press,
$14.95). Trade Paperback. Rating: B+
After five people in the English village of Long Greeting
have taken their own lives, Bertha Tidy decides to go to the
police. Her action is spurred by the receipt of two poison
pen letters. Bertha is a woman of means, though mean
could also describe her. She owns a Tea, Hat, and Beauty
shop, though lately she has dismissed the employees of the
Beauty shop. The police are polite to her, though it is
wondered whether she is the author of the letters. When a
local mystery novelist, Kate Beaton, also brings in a similar
letter, the police are only slightly more interested. Not
everyone feels that the suicides were murdered, but why
would a young woman excited about her upcoming marriage to a nice, wealthy young man kill herself?
Ms. Tidy doesn’t own a car, and rides her bike to
work each day. During inclement weather, she stays the
night at the shop. Lately, she has been staying at the shop
even during fine weather. One morning when her staff
arrive and the door is locked, they decide to break in. Ms.
Tidy had announced she was staying at the shop, and the
lights are still on. Ms. Tidy is found dead, and the police are
called in. When one of her staff is also murdered, after
declaring she knew something she wanted to clarify, a
close look is taken at Ms. Tidy’s business.
This is a nice village mystery, with local color and
flavor. Set in a gentler day, it shows violence has always
been around, just not as prevalent as it is today. Rue
Morgue Press has once again uncovered a classic mystery
to entertain readers. As always I appreciate the cast of
characters list.
LOVE, LIES, & LIQUOR by M. C. Beaton (St.
Martin’s, $22.95). Seventeenth in the Agatha Raisin
series. Rating: B Agatha Raisin will never be an easy
woman to get along with for some people. She does have
a good heart in many ways, though it doesn’t always show.
She is still interested in her ex-husband, James Lacey, and
when he invites her to go on a trip to a mystery location,
she accepts. James won’t tell her where they are going,
so her suitcase ends up filled with clothes unsuitable to the
climate at Snoth-on-Sea. James had been
to the town as a child, and his fond
memories are proved out-dated.
The once grand hotel has seen much
better days, and the small charming shops
have vanished, replaced by chain stores
and seedy shops. While eating dinner,
Agatha and Geraldine Jankers have a bit
of a yelling match.. Later Geraldine is
found dead on the beach, with Agatha’s
lost scarf the apparent murder weapon.
Agatha is a suspect until Geraldine’s friend
Cyril admits that Geraldine found the scarf
and kept it. He said he hadn’t told the
police as he didn’t want to sully her name.
That ship sailed long ago, and much is
learned about her seedy past.
It’s always nice to have a new Agatha
Raisin book to read. It’s hard to believe
there have been so many books in the series. The series
is kept fresh by taking place in different locales, with new
characters.
THE CAT WHO REUNION COOKBOOK by
Julie Murphy & Sally Abney Stempinski (Berkley, $23.95).
Rating: A This cookbook is an homage to Lillian Jackson
Braun’s THE CAT WHO series of mysteries. The authors
also are responsible for THE CAT WHO COOKBOOK,
which I’ll have to get a copy of soon.
The recipes are listed per different family reunions for characters in the Cat Who series, and range
from easy, one-ingredient recipes to the more complicated ones.
I enjoyed the ‘Just for Fun’ section, which had a
lot of cute things that children will enjoy eating -- if not
cooking. I am ready to make the Mango-Peach Pork Loin
Roast, and the Honey Chicken. For fall, the Dublin Coddle
and Sweet Potato Loaf will hit the spot. The Tartan cake
is one of the most amazing recipes I’ve seen. I also confess
to having drooled over the Red Velvet Cake recipe.
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All in all, this will make a wonderful addition to my and is convinced a villainous competitor in the art world is
cookbook collection. Now if the weather would cool off, I’ll out to steal it from him, so he has major security systems,
light up my oven and get started.
and even guards in the house. Bob is desperate to keep
And some non-cozy mystery crime novels
Jesse, and decides to steal Emile’s treasure. He enlists the
HOSE MONKEY by Tony Spinosa (Bleak House aid of a old acquaintance who has lived a life of crime.
Books, $23.95). Pseudonym of Reed Farrell Coleman.
Ray assembles a team of crooks to steal the
Rating: B+
If ex-cop Joe Serpe isn’t at rock bottom, artifact, and Bob is approached by Emile’s nemesis. The
he’s pretty close to it. He lost his kid brother in the events team is successful in stealing the item, though not so
of 9-11, he’s no longer a cop as he didn’t squeal on his successful in staying alive. There is a very bloody and
partner, and he’s divorced – living in his brother’s violent scene which almost had me ducking for cover.
apartment. He is working as a hose monkey, a guy who
I had high hopes for this book, as it has been
delivers heating oil.
praised by writers I admire and read. Dark humor was
One of Joe’s co-workers is a kid with disabilities mentioned, but I didn’t see the humor. This is a good
who lives in a care facility. The kid does his job without a example of why so many types of fiction exist: if it doesn’t
problem, but can be a little distracting. Joe asks the boss suit you, it will suit someone else.
to have the kid assigned someplace else, which hurts the
Though I don’t rate it as highly as the book’s
kid’s feelings.
blurbs, I can see where it will make the top of many
One day, Joe is ready to go home after a long day people’s list. It was very well written. I did notice that kind
doing deliveries in bad weather, when he
of like ICE HARVEST, I really didn’t like
gets one last assignment. It turns out to be
any of the characters. I’m not panning it,
for a retired cop. Internal Affairs detecjust saying it wasn’t my cup of tea.
tive Bob Healy had made Joe’s life miserable when he was on the job, and now
THE FIRST CUT by Dianne Emley
he’s doing the same thing with the new
(formerly known as Dianne Pugh)
job.
(Ballantine, $23.95). First in series. RatWhen the Kid, Cain, is found
ing: B+
Nan Vining is a Detective on
dead at the oil company, Joe feels guilty.
the Pasadena Police Dept. and had been
In an intriguing turn of events Joe and
working in the Homicide division when
Bob Healy join forces to solve Cain’s
she was brutally attacked while working
murder. In doing so, Joe meets a woman
overtime. She’d been responding to a call
who he becomes involved with, and genand went into a home for sale as the
erally re-joins the human race.
Realtor thought someone had broken
The investigation is an interestinto the house. The man wasn’t a Realtor,
ing one. There is a well-balanced look at
and Nan barely escaped with her life. A
the immigration issue facing this country,
year later, she is just back on the job when
and a lot of information about the heating
a woman’s body is discovered on a hilloil business. Not using heating oil, it was
side. The woman turns out to be LAPD
very interesting to me.
policewoman Frankie Lynde, daughter of
Dianne Emley
While Joe may not be the most
a Pasadena cop. She’d been brutalized
personable of men, he really grows on you. You feel his prior to her murder.
pain and understand why he distances himself from the
Nan sees a similarity in the murder and what
world. You hope he can come back, and I’ll look forward happened to her. Her superiors try to keep her off the
to the next book to check on him.
case, but she convinces them she is up to its harsh realities.
FOUR KINDS OF RAIN by Robert Ward (St. The killer is a man who is very wealthy. He uses his wife,
Martin’s, $22.95). Rating: C+ Bob Wells is a Baltimore Pussycat, to help him trap his next victim. As the book
psychiatrist who is almost regretting his past as an activist. progresses, we get flashbacks to the torture and murder of
He is happy with how he helps people, but his friends from Frankie, as well as the new victim. Nan is still traumatized
“back in the day” are all financially secure while he by her attacker, who she and her daughter refer to as T.
struggles to make the mortgage payments. His personal B. Mann for ‘the bad man.’
life is also at a low. His ex-wife left him to live with a pop
Nan is an important part of the investigation, and
doc, one whom Bob just doesn’t respect. The one high her insights bring a fresh approach to the task. Some of
point in Bob’s life is playing with his band, though the band Nan’s insights are a bit on the “woo-woo” side, but not
needs a singer. A young woman escaping a bleak life in enough to put me off. The end of the book is thrilling.
West Virginia auditions for the job. Jesse blows the audience away, and steals Bob’s heart.
Bob has one paying client, Emile Bardan. Emile
is a man with a problem. He has a very valuable artifact,
46
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JUST IN CRIME
by Norma Dancis
S
TATUTE OF LIMITATIONS by Steven Havill (St.
Martin’s Press 2006 $23.95). Rating: A
It’s
Christmas Eve, and Undersheriff Estelle ReyesGuzman and the town of Posadas, New Mexico, receive a
gift of violence that doesn’t quit. A retired Chief of Police
has a heart attack while confronting car thieves. The next
day, Sheriff Robert Torrez suffers a pulmonary embolism
as a result from neglecting rehab from a previous injury.
That afternoon, a deputy’s fiancée is murdered. Former
sheriff Bill Gastner, the original protagonist of this series,
is attacked at his front door later that day. More members
of the police force are down than are able to work on these
calamities, let alone visit the sick, console the bereaved,
and, in Estelle’s case, be with family.
As Estelle and her few troops try to cover the
investigations, they seem to converge, and the answers
seem to lie in the past. It is hard to keep separate all the
different law enforcement agencies (the police and sheriff’s
office have just recently been merged, so there are three
separate staffs to understand), but each individual is drawn
with clarity. Estelle’s handling of the investigations is so
inspired, her questioning so compassionate, that she
hardly seems real, yet the police work is meticulous
enough for the most demanding of fans of police procedural.
Convoluted as it seems at first, the string of crimes
reveals itself as simple and believable as it unravels.
Steven Havill is one of my favorite writers today. Every
element, but particularly writing style, characterization,
and portrayal of place, is realized to the fullest. I only wish
Estelle weren’t so perfect.
THE ENDLESS KNOT by Gail Bowen
(McClelland & Stewart 2006, $22.95). Rating: AJournalist Kathryn Morrissey has written a book revealing
the secrets of a number of children of legislators. Joanna
Kilbourn knows both the parents and many of the children.
A radio commentator Joanna dislikes shoots and wounds
Morrissey, whom Joanna also knows. Joanna has been
asked to provide television commentary pf the trial. She
is further involved in this tangle because her lover is the
defense attorney. While Joanna is tiptoeing through this
moral and emotional battlefield, she is trying to decide
whether to marry the lover. Is his defense too vicious? Her
11-year-old daughter has befriended a lost and rather
strange 13-year-old boy. Is he stalking her, or just lonely?
This book is mostly courtroom drama and love
story, with a mystery thrown in at the end. Bowen writes
with her usual skill, but the highlight is her thoughtful
exploration of ethics as applied in journalism and the
courtroom, and how far friends can legitimately go in
supporting the accused. These questions inevitably arise
in mysteries and thrillers. Bowen uses the story well to
present her smart and thought-provoking answers. The
mysteries are rather predictable. It is the ideas and the
interpersonal relationships that will linger in the reader’s
memory. Bowen has won many awards for her mysteries,
and she is one of Canada’s most popular crime writers,
according to the blurb. Here, she pleases as a writer rather
than a crime writer.
PARTY TO MURDER by Betty Rowlands (Severn
House, 2005, $27.95) Rating: B+ Sir Digby Kirtling has
commissioned a copy of an Impressionist painting for his
renovated manor house, replacing the original painted
figures with those of himself and his employees. During the
celebratory unveiling party, however, his estate manager,
Una May, is found strangled with her own necklace. Since
Una was pregnant and Sir Digby was the father, he
becomes the prime suspect. Sir Digby’s wife and housekeeper beg at Crime Scene Investigator Sukey Reynolds
until she promises to investigate further to prove Sir
Digby’s innocence. This is particularly tricky, since the
assigned detective, her lover, Jim Castle, does not want
her to become involved. Sukey begins to agrees with them
by the time of the second murder. Then she becomes a
target herself. This is an interesting cross between a cozy
and a police procedural. Sukey is a seasoned crime scene
investigator, not a detective, working partially on the
outside, hiding her role from Jim and her supervisor as
much as possible, but still privy to a lot of police knowledge.
There is a limited cast of characters, but Sukey is not really
part of that manor house community. She works without
police backup. This tension between Sukey’s roles provides a good deal of the book’s interest. The plot and
characters are interesting but not compelling, and the tone
is rather dispassionate. Nonetheless, Sukey and her
handling of the investigation is enough to hold the reader’s
interest.
MEMORY BOOK by Howard Engel, (Carroll &
Graf 2006, $13.95) Rating: A- PI Benny Cooperman
awakens in the hospital after being hit on the head, unable
at first to remember his name. He has very little short-term
memory of any kind and is able to write but not read. He
comes to rely on the now all-important memory book, in
which he writes everything he needs to remember. As he
recovers, with help from visitors, particularly a girl friend,
he attempts to find out how, he had come to be in a
dumpster with a dead female professor. Chance comments, a delivery of roses, and dreams become keys to
unlocking memories. Engel suffers from the condition that
he has assigned to Benny: alexia sine agraphia. Even
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without the Afterward by Oliver
Sachs, the story
of Benny’s recovery convinces the
reader of its realism.
Although the
traditional mystery and its detection are only
m e d i o c r e ,
M E M O R Y
BOOK is a gripping exploration
of the mysteries
of thought. Particularly fascinating was seeing
Benny try to
come to detect
when he could
not depend on remembering anything he could not write
down, and he could even not read that without enormous
effort. The book is well worth reading as long as you aren’t
looking for thrills.
THE SWEET GOLDEN PARACHUTE by David
Handler (St. Martin’s Minotaur 2006, $23.95) Rating:
A- Dorset, Connecticut, is brimming with trouble at both
ends of the social spectrum. Poochie Vickers, the local
aristocrat, is shoplifting and driving recklessly. Her daughter Claudia may be trying to take control of the family
money. Two lower class troublemakers are being released
from prison. The families are feuding, and Poochie’s
grandson is in love with the prisoner’s sister. Add to all
these problems a young woman who has written a novel
based on sexual abuse that seems rooted in fact, and Mitch
and Des have too much to worry about. Trooper Des Mitry
is trying to keep the lid on trouble as well as to decide
whether or not to marry Mitch. Then a harmless old man
is murdered. Mitch wants to help Des, and Des wants to
avoid that help. The combination of bumbling but perceptive Mitch and skillful police professional Des, in love but
often working at cross-purposes, is fairly standard, but
Edgar winner David Handler makes the situation seem
fresh. The situation is tweaked only by the reversal of the
usual sex roles and interracial romance.
THE SWEET GOLDEN PARACHUTE is an
excellent example both of Handler’s skill and the charm of
the series. Highly individual characters, particularly Des,
are the biggest reason. Des is a trooper with sass and
attitude, albeit one concerned with preventing crime,
rescuing cats, and painting victims. The solution is not as
surprising as Handler hopes, but the book is thoroughly
enjoyable.
DEAR DEPARTED by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
(Thomas Dunne Books 2005 $24.95; British paperback
Time Warner Books £6.99) Rating: B+ When Chattie
Cornfield is killed during her morning run, Bill Slider and
Jim Atherton at first believe she is a victim of the serial
killer called the Park Killer. However, the killing method
is different. Instead, Chattie’s death seems to arise
because she was too honest and upright. The detectives
have plenty of suspects. In the family alone are Chattie’s
half sister and her drug-dealing boyfriend and their father,
who is President of a major drug company. There isn’t a
huge amount of action in this book. It is largely a series of
interviews, held together with scenes of Slider and
Atherton’s personal life. A delightful new black female
DC, Tony Hart, joins the pair, and adds immeasurably both
to the investigation and to the enjoyment of the book. She
fills the void left by sidelining Joanna, Slider’s lover, to the
role of muse. The killer’s identity is rather predictable.
This is not one of Harrod-Eagles’ best mysteries,
but she provides enough plot twists and interesting characters to maintain the reader’s interest.
George Easter’s Favorite
Crime Novels of 2006
THE CHEMISTRY OF DEATH by Simon Beckett
ECHO PARK by Michael Connelly
THE LAST ASSASSIN by Barry Eisler
THE PRISONER OF GUANTANAMO by Dan
Fesperman
THE ONE FROM THE OTHER by Philip Kerr
VICIOUS CIRCLE by Robert Littell
NO TRACE by Barry Maitland
MOURNERS by Bill Pronzini
LOST by Michael Robotham
UNACCEPTABLE DEATH by Barbara Seranella
STONE KILLER by Sally Spencer
THE KING OF LIES by John Hart
WHAT IS MINE by Anne Holt
THE WRONG KIND OF BLOOD by Declan
Hughes
GRAVE DOUBTS by Elizabeth Corley
DARKNESS & LIGHT by John Harvey
RELENTLESS by Simon Kernick
RED SKY LAMENT by Edward Wright
THE LAST QUARRY by Max Allan Collins
LIVE WIRE by Jay MacLarty
DEADMAN’S POKER and DEADMAN’S
BLUFF by Jim Swain
HARD WAY by Lee Child
ASK THE PARROT by Richard Stark
There were a bunch of others that I just
didn't have time to read, which I wish I could have
but that happens every year. What is clear is that
I've got to read more female writers. It's not that I
don't like them, it's just that I often put favorite male
writers ahead of them. And where is Mary Willis
Walker anyway?
48
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plot moves at a surprisingly leisurely pace. The result
is a book that seems almost endless.
ALL MORTAL FLESH by Julia Spenser-Fleming
(St. Martin’s Minotaur, $22.95). Rating: B In
Miller’s Kill, New York, Police Chief Russ Van
Alstyne has a major problem. He is recently separated from his wife, Linda, who threw him out of the
house after discovering his love for Clare Ferguson,
a local minister. Unfortunately, Linda is found dead
in their home, brutally killed and Russ is the obvious
ELENTLESS by Simon Kernick (Bantam Reviews
Press, prime suspect. An outsider is brought in to investigate the
£10.00). Rating: A- Tom Meron, a salesman, is murder and Russ is removed from his position in the police
spending a normal Saturday at home with his kids force. Russ, with the help of Clare, must solve the crime
when out of the blue he receives a frantic phone call from and clear his name.
Julia Spenser-Fleming is a fine writer who can
an old friend, Jack Calley. Jack is in trouble and initially
asks for help, then yells Tom’s address to his attackers. create some powerful characters to inhabit her compelTom knows he must flee but has no idea why. He grabs his ling, yet languid plots. Russ and Clare are complicated
kids and the chase is on! Tom knows his life and most likely characters and not always sympathetic to the reader. They
his wife’s life is in danger. He must discover why. In the are essentially emotionally cheating on Linda who seems
meantime, DI Mike Bolt must investigate what is happen- like a fine person. This latest book in the series has several
ing as the body count increases. Tom and his wife Kathy are twists which really appear quite improbable. Even the
at the top of the list of suspects because deaths seem to ending is a bit contrived. The frigid winter landscape of this
occur when they are around. Tom must use all his wits to small town is brilliantly depicted. I would have liked a plot
more lively paced with fewer improbable twists and turns.
stay alive as the killers are going after him.
THE NIGHT GARDENER by George Pelecanos
RELENTLESS is a combination of the suburban
noir novel reminiscent of the work of Harlan Coben, and (Little, Brown, $24.99). Rating: A-The body of a black
the police procedural novel, which Simon Kernick has youth is found in one of the rougher sections of Washingsome experience writing. The juxtaposition of these two ton, D.C. The killing is eerily similar to that of a series of
sub genres gives this novel its singular feeling. The plot unsolved killings that dogged the police in 1985. Detective
never slows down and races to the final scene. This superb Gus Ramone was a young patrol officer at that time. He
worked with Dan Holiday, who currently owns a limousine
thriller is recommended with no hesitation.
WILD FIRE by Nelson DeMille (Warner, $26.99). service while spending his off time drinking in a local
Rating: C- John Corey of the Federal Anti-Terrorist Task watering hole. T.C. Cook is a retired detective who tried
Force is assigned to investigate the death of his fellow to solve the decades-old murders. The most recent murder
agent, Harry Muller, a victim of an apparent hunting brings the three of them together again as they try to
accident. Muller had been assigned the task of photo- unravel the current killing while solving the old murders
graphing visitors to a heavily guarded, rustic lodge in and preventing any future deaths.
George Pelecanos does not write simple crime
upstate New York.
Corey is accompanied by his wife, FBI agent Kate novels. His trademark is deep and rich characterizations.
Mayfield. What John and Kate don’t know is that Muller For example, Gus has a family he must struggle to support
was given a preview of an upcoming catastrophe involving -- a black wife and a racially mixed son who is subjected to
nuclear bombs in the US triggering the nuclear attack on prejudice at his school. Dan is haunted by demons from his
the Arab world by the U.S. This conspiracy involves some past and T. C. wants one last attempt to give some sense
members at the highest level of the U.S. government. Can of meaning to his final days by investigating the murder.
Along with wonderful characterization is dialogue that is
Corey discover the plot and stop it?
Nelson DeMille brings back his character of John both authentic and realistic. The author writes screenplays
Corey, who was in several of his previous books, including for TV (The Wire) and his knack for the spoken word is well
NIGHT FALL, DeMille’s superb previous novel. This one, demonstrated here. THE NIGHT GARDENER tranunfortunately, falls a bit flat. US citizens involved in scends the genre of crime fiction. It is simply a superb
initiating a war with the Arab world by detonating nuclear novel.
STRIPPED by Brian Freeman (St. Martin’s
bombs in this country is not an original one. (Season two of
Minotaur,
$24.95). Rating: B Detective Jonathan Stride
the TV show 24 comes immediately to mind) The story
has
moved
from Minnesota to Las Vegas. He is now faced
really doesn’t move anywhere after the initial revelation of
the plot to Agent Muller. Corey’s persistent and obnoxious with a brutal crime in which a celebrity has been killed in
wisecracks become increasingly irritating, especially when the street. He and his partner Amanda are also asked to
the fate of the world hangs in the balance. It is difficult to look into a hit and run accident in which a young boy was
take the book seriously with all the joking. For a thriller, the killed. They soon discover the two crimes are linked. Their
ORIGINAL SINS
by Lar
Larrry Gandle
R
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49
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investigation takes
them higher and
higher into the social strata of this
city of sin where
danger becomes
increasingly
prevalent.
I am not quite
certain what type
of book Brian
Freeman was trying to write. His
last book, IMMORAL, is a superior suspense
thriller. This, his
second work, is
more of a complex and, at times,
confusing police
procedural through the first half of the book. Once we
know who is responsible for the murders, it becomes more
of a serial killer novel similar to IMMORAL. For those
reasons I found the book to be a bit uneven. The story
eventually becomes a fun and exciting read once the
reader has trudged through the first part of the book. Brian
Freeman has a talent for creating sympathetic, complex
and realistic characters. Stride loves Serena who is not
quite sure of her sexual orientation. Amanda is a transsexual who is accepted by her coworker, Stride, as a
respected member of the police force for the first time.
The villains are a superficial sniveling bunch of psychopaths. I would consider Brian Freeman to be in a bit of a
sophomore slump with STRIPPED, his second book. It is
an entertaining work but just not up to the very high
standards he set for himself with his excellent first novel.
SOUTH BEACH SHAKEDOWN by Don Bruns
(Oceanview, $24.95). Rating: C+Mick Sever is an entertainment reporter who is trying to find songwriter and
singing superstar, Gideon Pike. It appears Pike is hiding
out from the Korean mobster, Jimmy Shinn, who holds the
legal rights to his music. Pike has apparently written a diary
which threatens to expose many of the unscrupulous
individuals in the Miami music industry.
The strength of this relatively routine amateur
sleuth novel is the depiction of the Miami locale. There is
also much information on the inner workings of the music
industry. Don Bruns has a relatively easy writing style,
which is a pleasure to read. As an amateur sleuth (quasiprivate eye) novel, there is no new ground in the construction or execution of the plot. It is the voice of the writer who
knows about what he writes that makes SOUTH BEACH
SHAKEDOWN a cut above the ordinary.
THE DEVIL’S FEATHER by Minette Walters
(Knopf, $24.00). Rating: C- Minette Walters is considered by many to be one of the finest practitioners of
psychological suspense novels in Great Britain. Her work
is often compared to Ruth Rendall and P.D. James. She
has been honored with just about every major award of
mystery fiction including the Edgar award from the Mystery
Writers of America. Her masterpiece, THE SCULPTRESS, is one of the most brutal portraits of a mentally
deranged woman in crime fiction. The book’s major
power being the humanizing of this killer. Since the
publication of THE SCULPTRESS, Ms. Walters’ books
have been somewhat uneven over the years. Some are
excellent and others by comparison mediocre. Unfortunately, THE DEVIL’S FEATHER will not go down as one
of the high points in her career.
Connie Burns is a Reuters correspondent who is
in Sierra Leone when five women are viciously murdered.
She suspects that Keith MacKenzie, a British mercenary,
is responsible. Two years later she sees him again and is
subsequently abducted, but released after two days, claiming nothing happened to her. Connie moves to a remote
British village where she hopes to hide from MacKenzie.
She gets involved with her landlady’s family, which has its
own problems, while awaiting the inevitable return of
MacKenzie.
The premise of the novel is a good one and of
course it’s been done before – most notably in 1939 in
ROGUE MALE by Geoffrey Household. The problem is
that the story of the landlady and her family is not
compelling enough to keep up a high level of suspense. By
the time the inevitable confrontation occurs, I had little
interest in the outcome. The vivid and fully realized
characterizations are a trademark of Minette Walters’
writing and they are in full evidence here. Yet, the banal
plot sinks the novel as a whole.
THE MESSENGER by Daniel Silva (Putnam,
$25.95). Rating: B+ Gabriel Allon, an agent for Mossad,
is charged with locating and taking down one of the most
dangerous spies in the world. When an al-Quaeda operative is killed, his computer indicates the organization is
plotting a major attack against the Vatican. At the heart of
this conspiracy is a shadowy Saudi business giant. The only
way to get at him is through an undercover agent, in this
case a beautiful art expert, who will supposedly deliver this
man into the cross hairs of the U.S. and Israeli assassins.
The problem is that even the most carefully thought-out
plans can go awry.
Daniel Silva has been writing some of the best spy
fiction in the world. over the last decade. As an art restorer
and Israeli spy, Gabriel Allon is one of the more interesting
international thriller heroes. The books are filled with trade
craft material lending them a definite sense of realism that
might be lacking in so many over-the-top thrillers that fill
today’s bookstore shelves. Reality is also reflected in the
villain and, after 9/11, the target of the al-Quaeda
terrorist plot. Action and exposition are well balanced out
to keep the pages flying in this very entertaining thriller.
THE MESSENGER should please the fans of this talented writer and continue to bring him avid new readers.
50
Deadly Pleasures
Reviews
DEADL
Y PLEASURES
DEADLY
by George Easter
THE NIGHT LAWYER by Michelle Spring
(Ballantine, $24.95). Rating: A- After a hiatus of a few
years, Michelle Spring is back with this stand-alone psychological suspense novel. Ellie Porter is recovering from a
breakdown after being dumped by her married lover. She
accepts a job as a “night lawyer” for a tabloid newspaper
– checking stories for possible legal problems. Her new
job, her affinity for karate and her new shapely body all
add to her self confidence. But one by one problems arise,
not the least of which is a stalker and Ellie finds her new
assurance eroding.
Michelle Spring’s tale of psychological suspense is
told with a sure hand because some of the plot is apparently autobiographical. Even though more of a “what
happens next” type of thriller, THE NIGHT LAWYER
does contain a few mysteries to be solved, including the
circumstances surrounding the death of Ellie’s father when
she was a young child. Spring is a real pro at fleshing out
a character and Ellie is now someone I think I know very
well and am glad for that experience. Welcome back,
Michelle.
THE DO-RE-MI by Ken Kuhlken (Poisoned Pen
Press, $24.95). Rating: B+ Ken Kuhlken is chronicling
the lives of the Hickey family and this novel is the fourth in
the series, but the first in many years. Clifford Hickey is a
young man in the early 1970s who would rather sing and
play his guitar than go to law school as his father wishes.
His plan is to meet up with his Vietnam-vet brother and
perform in a folk music festival, but things go wrong when
his brother is accused of murdering a local and then goes
on the run. In a town filled with vengeful bikers, crooked
cops, pot-growing hippies, and a rogue federal agent,
Clifford must try to prove his brother’s innocence – with a
little help from his father.
I probably would have given this book a pass, but
Barbara Peters (the publisher) told me that she had the
same inclination until she read it – and it blew her away. So
I just had to read it to find out what was so special. It was
an enjoyable read, but 100 pages in I still hadn’t been
“blown away.” But it's a book that grows on you. I just wish
there had been a bit more on the folk music background.
THE SECOND HORSEMAN by Kyle Mills (St.
Martin’s Press, $24.95). Rating: B Brandon Vale is a
genius and a thief – and presently residing in prison, having
been framed for something he didn’t do. But someone on
the outside needs his expertise so an escape against his will
is accomplished. His former boss Scanlon needs him to
steal $200 million of Las Vegas casino money in order to
buy twelve nuclear warheads before terrorists can get a
hold of them. With me so far? He teams up with a beautiful
woman (now, there’s a surprise!), but things don’t go
according to schedule and Brandon and Catherine are
unaware of the strings being pulled by the high government official who has a diabolical solution to the ArabIsraeli conflict.
O.K., the plot is highly implausible and some of
the characters are right out of central casting, but as I got
into the book and suspended disbelief, I started having a
good time. This is pure escapist fiction, but as such, it is
pretty good.
EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE by Peter May
(Poisoned Pen, $22.95). Rating: A- Enzo Macleod was
once Scotland’s preeminent forensic expert. But somewhere along the line his career got waylaid and for years
he has been teaching in Toulouse, France. He becomes
involved in a bet to find out what happened to Jacques
Gailard, a brilliant teacher who disappeared ten years
before. Following new clues he goes on a Da-Vinci codelike scavenger hunt (without the religious overtones) which
uncovers more than one murder victim. At one point
Macleod muses, “I don’t understand it. Why? I mean, who
did they leave these clues for? And why are they giving
themselves away, one by one? What kind of game were
they playing?” These are the key questions in this wellwritten mystery that is full of ingenious detection, not only
by Enzo, but also by a small team of colorful helpers. Mixed
in with the narrative are developments in his relationships
with his two daughters (by two different women), one
estranged and one in love with a young man who is slowly
winning Macleod’s approval.
As a long-time fan of Peter May’s China series, I
was predisposed to like EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE
and I did, even though the style of this novel is quite
different than that of his other work. This is very much a
puzzle mystery with plot taking precedence over characterization and as such it succeeds.
FEAR OF THE DARK by Walter Mosley (Little,
Brown, $25.99). Rating: B- South L.A. bookseller Paris
Minton is a self-proclaimed coward who only wants to be
left alone so he can read his beloved books. But his friends,
relatives and acquaintances just won’t leave him alone and
his amorous adventures always seem to get him in trouble
(he’s something of a chick magnet because of his renowned
bedroom abilities). His low-life cousin Ulysses (“Useless”)
S. Grant asks for help and then quickly disappears. Paris
can’t say “no” to his aunt who wants him to find her son.
So with the help of Fearless Jones. They quickly become
embroiled in what is later revealed as a blackmailing
scheme.
I know Easy Rawlins and Paris Minton is no Easy
Rawlins – and that is the only problem I had with this novel.
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It is written with Mosley’s trademark colorful characters,
beautiful prose and unexpected action. But Paris, and
even more so Fearless, just don’t have the depth, smarts
and likeability of Easy Rawlins and that is the rub. Mosley
is one of my top five favorite American crime writers and
has set a high standard. This one just missed the mark by
a little.
JAR CITY by Arnaldur Indridason (St. Martin’s
Minotaur, $21.95, Picador Trade, $14.00). Rating: A I
read this going to and coming back from Bouchercon,
where I met the laconic Icelandic author. I’d been hearing
so much about him from other DPers that I just had to see
what all of the hype was about. Well, he certainly lives up
to the hype, if that is what it is – probably better described
as deserved praise. Indridason has a similar style and
setting to those of Henning Mankell, but he uses about half
the words, so his works are a bit easier to read.
When a lonely old man is found murdered in his
Reykjavik apartment, the only clues are a cryptic note left
by the killer and a photograph of a young girl’s grave.
Inspector Erleendur discovers that many years ago the
victim was accused but not convicted of a rape. Was this
a revenge killing? As the sad-sack detective follows
obscure clues and digs into old cases, he also confronts
personal trials – in particular his drug-addicted, pregnant
daughter’s return to his home.
Kudos to Indridason for first-rate plotting and
settings. His career in the States is taking off like a rocket
and before long I expect that he will be the most popular
of the Scandinavian crime writers here. Even though quite
shy (possibly due to his halting English), he was a big hit at
the recent Bouchercon. And of course he won a Gold
Dagger Award in the U.K. last year for the second in the
series, which is now out in hardcover in the U.S.
THE ONE FROM THE OTHER by Philip Kerr
(Putnam, $26.95). Rating: A A number of years ago
Philip Kerr burst onto the scene with a trilogy of novels set
in Germany: MARCH VIOLETS in pre-WWII, THE
PALE CRIMINAL during early days of Nazi imperialist
aggression (1938), and A GERMAN REQUIEM in postWWII. All feature the world-weary P.I. Bernhard Gunther.
These books are considered by many to be classics in the
genre and, in my opinion, the later works of Philip Kerr
haven’t lived up to these early ones. Now, 15 years since
the last one, we fans of this series have gotten a new
Bernhard Gunther (quite a surprise since I seem to recall
the author stating that the trilogy was complete and
wouldn’t be added to) -- THE ONE FROM THE OTHER.
I have a sentimental attachment to this series. In
the early 1990s I had my Uncle Fred (Taylor) read the
series and comment on them. At the time (he has since
passed away) he was retired from foreign service with the
State Department, having spent most of his adult life in
Europe. He lived for over three years in pre-WWII Germany, was a captain in the U.S. Army who interrogated
German prisoners of war during WWII and was with the
first U.S. troops who entered Berlin in 1945. Later he
worked to rehabilitate a German city after WWII. So, much
of the time span of the Philip Kerr series coincided with his
time in Germany and I was curious as to how accurate Kerr
was in his depiction. Well, Fred said that the author was
remarkably accurate, considering that he was describing
events that occurred before Kerr was even born -- and his
description of settings was right on also. I just wish my uncle
were still here to read this latest since he enjoyed the others
so much.
With his wife slipping away into severe mental
illness, Bernie Gunther decides to move back to Munich
and set up shop once again as a private investigator. The
year is 1949 and the city is just starting to see some
progress after the devastation of the Allied victory. His
cases all seem to involve ex-Nazis in one way or another
and certainly his most interesting one is that of a wife trying
to authenticate the death of her husband so she can marry
again in the Catholic Church. Bernie’s search ruffles some
feathers with the underground responsible for getting top
Nazi officials out of Europe and he is beaten near to death
and has one of his fingers cut off. Months pass as he
recovers and he is befriended by his doctor who offers him
a place in his second home for purposes of recuperation.
This simple, idyllic period presages some pretty horrific
events that follow as the story takes a sudden, dramatic and
surprising turn. Then the story races through the last third
to its satisfying end. But is it the end? There is a hint that
Bernie may be back. I certainly hope so.
Fine storytelling with fascinating historical insight.
One of my favorite reads of the year.
ASK THE PARROT by Richard Stark (Mysterious Press, $23.99). Rating: A At the end of the last book
in the series, NOBODY RUNS FOREVER, Parker is on
the run from a botched robbery. That is exactly where
ASK THE PARROT picks up. The police are closing in
on Parker when he is befriended by a embittered whistleblower who thinks Parker can help him exact revenge on
the company that did him wrong (a big coincidence, but
one quickly forgotten as one comes under the spell of this
wizard of a storyteller). As Ed Smith, Parker tries to fit in
with the local community and even goes out with townsmen
who are searching for him (classic Westlake).
He tries to avoid being discovered as he and his
benefactor plan to rob the local racetrack. And it's a close
call as he comes under more and more scrutiny by the
townsfolk. As with most entries in this series, this novel
ends with somewhat of a cliff-hanger.
There are a number of reasons why I like this
series which sets a high standard for excellence. There is
the amoral Parker who lives by his wits and survival
instincts. And there is the realistic and believable storytelling.
But what I like the most is the very fast pacing and relatively
short length of each story. I can read each book in a good
evening and what an enjoyable evening it is when I have
that opportunity.
Take a look at this page of reviews. You'll have a
hard time finding better mysteries to read than these
reviewed. Enjoy.
52
Deadly Pleasures
Reviews
HISTORY MYSTERY
POTPOURI
by Sally Sugarman,
Jay Waggoner
Sally Sugarman Reviews
IRON TIES by Ann Parker (Poisoned Pen Press,
$25.95). Rating B+ Set in Leadville Colorado in 1880,
this story literally has an explosive opening as the newly
built railroad is sabotaged. The action settles down a little
as the reader gets acquainted with Inez Stannert, a most
complex and intriguing heroine. Co-owner of the Silver
Queen Saloon, she has a number of problems besides
making the saloon profitable. Her husband has deserted
her, her son is back East being cared for by her upper crust
and proper family and her relationship with her current
lover seems in jeopardy. Besides that no one seems to take
seriously her concern about the fate of the owners of the
two horses she has found abandoned. Parker does a fine
job recreating the sense of a frontier town, bursting with
possibilities and filled with intrigues of all sorts. Although
there is an extensive cast of characters, Parker individuates them so well that there is no trouble understanding
their deeds in relationship to the drama that is unfolding.
The aftermath of the Civil War looms large in the lives of
the townspeople as does the changing role of women who
tread the line between respectability and independence.
The action gains momentum as the story progresses,
culminating in a satisfactorily action packed conclusion.
TROUBLED MIDNIGHT by John Gardner (St
Martin’s Press, $23.95). Rating C
With characters as
diverse as James Bond and Professor Moriarity, Gardner
has demonstrated his skill as a prolific writer who utilizes a
variety of styles appropriate to the particular books that he
is writing.
This is the fourth in the Suzie Mountford series.
The second one, THE STREETS OF TOWN, was
particularly engaging in terms of the world that Gardner
created. Unfortunately, the current contribution to Suzie’s
saga is not up to his usual standard.
Suzie is back on a case with her boss and lover
Tommy Livermore. They are investigating the brutal
torture and murder of the commanding officer of the
Glider Pilot Regiment. One of the officer’s many loves was
killed with him. Although we are privy to the murderer’s
thoughts, suspense is generated because we don’t know
his identity as an officer attached to the regiment. The
secret the spy is trying to uncover concerns the details of
the anticipated Allied invasion of Europe. Despite some
narrow escapes from attempts on her life,
Suzie seems more preoccupied with her growing awareness of Tommy’s limitations and his
irritating mannerisms than with the problem of
capturing the spy.
She is also enamored of a younger intelligence agent with whom she is working. The
issues of class endemic to British society are
evident and displayed in linguistic mannerisms
that get in the way of the narrative. Eccentricity
as part of the charm of the ruling class seems
a literary affectation if not more fully developed than it is in this account. Style undercuts
substance although by the end of the book, there is the
suggestion that Suzie will be back to her own self by the
next installment.
FLYING TOO HIGH by Kerry Greenwood (Poisoned Pen Press, $24.95). Rating A
Phryne Fisher
comes close to being a fantasy figure as she walks on the
wings of airplanes and solves two mysteries at a time, but
primarily she is a unique detective whose adventures are
a delight to follow. This is the second in the newly issued
series in the United States. Following on COCAINE
BLUES, this story provides an opportunity to see how her
entourage develops. One of the appeals of these books is
that all of the characters are individual. For a mystery to
hold our interest, whether in a book or on television, a
strong supporting team is needed in addition to the
charismatic-leading figure. Not only are Phryne’s assistants singular, but even her villains are intriguing. Hired to
prevent the murder of her client’s husband, Phrynne then
has to absolve the son of a crime while pursuing the
kidnappers of a little girl in possession of those characteristics known to drive kidnappers quite mad. Despite some
of the fun and games involved, the reality of danger and
death is never ignored. The blending of all these diverse
elements is impressive.
THE STUART SAPPHIRE by Alana Knight
(Allison& Busby, £17.99) Rating B
Combining time
travel with an historical mystery is an intriguing idea.
Knight keeps one interested in the story because her main
character is engaging. We appreciate his dilemma, as it
becomes necessary for him to survive but also to fulfill his
mission during his stay in Regency England. Tam Eildor is
never quite sure what that mission is, nor does the reader
have much better luck in deciphering it. However, the
people Tam meets along the way more than make up for
that bewilderment. They are an intriguing group, both as
individuals and in the plots that they are hatching. There
is murder, robbery and general confusion around the
Prince Regent. The complexities of the monarchy are
evident, as are the concerns of John Townsend, the head
of the Bow Street Runners. Tam may be a convenient
scapegoat for the Prince and Townsend, but he has no
intention of playing that role. Tam finds surprising allies in
his attempt to clear up the various mysteries. Knight
involves the reader in each aspect of the story. Stronger on
atmosphere and character than on plot, the story still is
Deadly Pleasures
53
Reviews
worth the trip as readers enter this carefully recreated
world on their own time travel journey to Regency England.
DEATH CALLED TO THE BAR by David
Dickinson (Carroll & Graf Publishers, $25.00). Rating
B+ For readers who enjoy a literate and leisurely mystery,
this is their cup of tea. The fifth Lord Powerscourt novel will
encourage those new to the series to seek out the first four.
Set in London in 1902, the book evokes a time before two
World Wars when Britain’s empire seemed to be threatened only by malefactors within its imperial order. When
a barrister falls dead into his soup at a celebratory banquet,
Powerscourt is called in by the barristers as they consider
the police inspector too young and too lower class to
conduct the investigation appropriately. The inspector
and Powerscourt work well together despite the secretive
nature of the members of the firm. Recently the father of
twins, Powerscourt enlists his wife’s aid in uncovering some
of the family secrets of the deceased. Many of the inquiries
in this civilized milieu are conducted over cups of tea, but
the pace does not lag as more suspects are revealed. A
romantic sub-plot involving two young people who work at
the Inns of Court not only advances the investigation, but
further enhances the sense of time and place in which the
events occur. Dickiinson writes well, effortlessly integrating the various elements. Paintings, poetry, historic homes
and efficient baby nurses are as intriguing as the solution
to the crime and the final chase as Powerscourt tries to
elude the killer pursuing him. The plot is solid, but it is the
characters and the atmosphere that are the major pleasures of this historical mystery.
MURDER ON THE BALLARAT TRAIN by
Kerry Greenwood (Poisoned Pen Press, 2006) Rating B+
A Phryne Fisher mystery always opens dramatically. In this
instance, the reader and Phryne quickly become alert
when Phryne shoots through a train window to dispel the
effect of chloroform
fumes. Finding the
entire car engulfed
in the noxious gas,
Phryne opens all the
windows in the train
corridor and then of
the compartments.
However, she is not
quick enough to
save an old woman
from being murdered. Several mysteries entwine as
Phryne finds an orphaned girl with
amnesia. In her
usual take-chargefashion
Phryne
bundles the victim’s
grown daughter and
the lost girl off to 221B the Esplande where loyal and
efficient Mr. and Mrs. Butler see to their needs and Phryne
works on solving their individual mysteries. Along the way,
as is also her custom, she picks up a handsome young man
to seduce. The ingredients are familiar, but they still work
their magic as the story quickly unfolds. Despite the luxury
of Phryne’s life style and her focus on the fashionable in
clothes and cars, the griminess of death and the darker
aspects of human behavior are confronted directly. It is this
unflinching attitude that balances the romantic quality of
the stories. Just as fairy tales have their witches and ogres,
these tales have depraved and truly despicable villains.
Poisoned Pen Press has done mystery readers a
service by introducing this unique Australian sleuth and her
entourage to a wider audience.
Jay Waggoner Reviews
ATLANTIS by David Gibbins (Headline, £17.99;
US ppbk $6.95). Rating: B+ ATLANTIS by David
Gibbins is a modern-day thriller with a pseudo-historic
base, supported by archaeological and geological fact.
Though some might be put off with the occasional technical
discussions and explanations, any one with an interest in
archaeology and the equipment that is currently available
under water will savor the depth. Marine archaeologist,
Jack Howard and his team find evidence in an old shipwreck that seems to confirm the existence of Atlantis as
well as direct them to its site. Unfortunately for his team,
but fortunately for readers, terrorists threaten their mission, and what was a leisurely sea hunt becomes a constant
fight for survival. What was once pedantic becomes
perilous.
Gibbins shows expertise in many areas. Sometimes the technicalities do become Clancyesque, but in the
end ATLANTIS is both a thrilling read and a plausible
possibility. It is well researched and the threads of
conjecture are weaved together nicely to create a tapestry
enjoyable to any one with patience and willing to think and
envision. Perhaps that explains why First Edition copies of
the book are currently in the $100.00 range. Descriptions
of Gibbins’ second novel, CRUSADER GOLD, piqued
my interest, so I thought it best to read his debut novel first.
It was a good move and my interest in reading CRUSADER GOLD is now very high.
THE MERCHANT’S MARK by Pat McIntosh
(Carroll and Graf). Rating: B
Gil Cunningham travels
Scotland’s medieval countryside in search of the truth
behind a barrel of missing books and the bobbing head that
replaced them. While Cunningham retraces the path of
the barrel, his sister and fiancée stay in Glasgow to
interrogate all the people involved with the situation. Both
efforts help the truth materialize for the reader and
perhaps this is the way the author, Pat McIntosh, reasserts
the necessity of both male and female investigators.
Regardless, the separate investigations create a more
dangerous and exciting story.
54
Deadly Pleasures
Reviews
THE MERCHANT’S MARK is the third novel
by McIntosh in her Cunningham mystery series (following
HARPER’S QUINE, 2004 and THE NICHOLAS
FEAST, 2005). She is picking up the pace since her
fourth in the series, ST. MUNGO’S ROBIN, will also
come out this year.
I had a rather bumpy start because the medieval
Scottish lingo was new to me but once acquainted with
several commonly used words throughout the book I
enjoyed “Merchant’s” enough to look forward to reading
others in the series. Not only was the mystery intriguing,
there was also love and hope in the story line. The novel
was plot-driven with the perfect amount of character
development and action to keep me invested in the story.
(by Jennifer Waggoner)
THE LAST WITCHFINDER by James Morrow
(Weidenfeld & Nicolson, £12.99; William Morrow, $25.00).
Rating: A
It might be argued that THE LAST
WITCHFINDER by James Morrow ought not be reviewed in a magazine devoted to mystery books and
thrillers. There is some credence to the argument, in that
most libraries probably won’t put a little detective sticker
on the lower eighth of the spine. But within this story you’ll
find more murders than in most mainstream mysteries and
enough mystery to keep any puzzle-addict satisfied. More
importantly, though, it’s a book in which every one of us
can learn something and simply one of the best books I’ve
read in the last twenty years.
WITCHFINDER is a story of epic portions. It’s
a story of hate, fear, and the all too gradual transformation
of a belief system, told through the life of a girl/woman on
a mission. We follow a precocious, pre-teen Jennet
Stearne from being schooled by an aunt who is a disciple
of the scientific method, through youth, and into adulthood. Her father is a witchfinder in England in the late
1600s. Even as a girl of eight Jennet questions the
practice, but as events unfold she comes to despise witch
hunting and determines to rid the world of the activity.
When her father is relocated to the colonies to clean up
that mess Jennet and her brother follow, and so begins an
American adventure.
The Salem Witchcraft Trials play only a minor role
in the story. Along the way you will, however, spend time
with Robert Hooke, Sir Isaac Newton, the Algonquin
Indians, and even Benjamin Franklin. You will experience
wit, sarcasm, humor, logic, history, word play, and even a
clever literary device.
Though most readers will not have heard of James
Morrow, this is far from his debut novel. Though it is his
first historical novel, he has several other books under his
belt. It is also his self-described “magnum opus.” I believe
it. The major story line, the sub-plots, the historical facts
and relevance, and every character in the book (both
fictional and real) are well crafted. It does exactly what a
historical novel (mystery?) should do, teach and captivate.
The Macavity Award Winners
Best Novel
THE LINCOLN LAWYER by Michael Connelly
(Little, Brown)
Best First Novel
IMMORAL by Brian Freeman (St. Martin’s)
Best Nonfiction
GIRL SLEUTH: NANCY DREW AND THE
WOMEN WHO CREATED HER by Melanie
Rehak (Harcourt)
Best Short Story
“There Is No Crime on Easter Island” by
Nancy Pickard (EQMM, Sept-Oct 2005)
Sue Feder Historical Mystery Award
PARDONABLE LIES by Jacqueline Winspear
(Henry Holt)
Short
NEWS Items
T
he Bouchercon Standing Committee has given Jim
Huang and Mike Bursaw (Mystery Mike) the go-ahead
to pursue an Indianapolis, Indiana location for Bouchercon
2009. Tentative dates: September 10 - 13, 2009. I have
talked with Mike about this and they are planning to do
some very creative things – especially with programming.
The second annual Quill Awards were presented
in October, 2006. The winner and nominees in the
Mystery/Suspense/Thriller category were:
TWELVE SHARP by Janet Evanovich -- Winner
The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly
The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes by Arthur
Conan Doyle (edited by Leslie S. Klinger)
Promise Me by Harlan Coben
Tomb of the Golden Bird by Elizabeth Peters
Tess Gerritsen is the winner of this year’s Nero
Wolfe Award for her book VANISH.
The next Lee Child novel will be BAD LUCK
AND TROUBLE out in April. Someone has killed a
member of Reacher's old Army unit, so they gather to find
the killer.
Deadly Pleasures
55
Reviews
two isn’t bad. Of Mick Sever and Don Bruns at least one
of them appears to be maturing. In SOUTH BEACH
SHAKEDOWN Bruns continues to hone his storytelling
and writing skills. Both the dialogue and the action of
SHAKEDOWN show growth from his previous two Sever
escapades. Also the plot is tighter and the insight into
Steele Curry Review
abuses and pitfalls within the rock industry are much more
THE FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT by Allen revealing. It’s obvious that Bruns is growing and maturing
Furst (Random House, $24.95; Weidenfeld & Nicolson, with every book. Too bad the same can’t be said for Sever.
£12.99). Rating: A+ Alan Furst again writes brilliantly
In this outing Mick is called upon by his ex-wife,
of resistance, espionage and dangerous romance in his Ginny, to help her find one of his old friends, Gideon Pike,
latest novel set mainly in Paris, Berlin and Genoa during an Elton John-ish type who’s gone missing. Ginny has been
1938 – 1939. The forces of freedom are fighting a losing hired to edit Pike's diary that is to be part memoir and part
battle as Hitler is extending Nazi Germany’s control over expose. Unfortunately for Ginny, Pike can’t be found, the
Europe. The Republicans have lost the civil war in Spain. diary can, and she’s left holding bits and pieces of Pike’s
Mussolini and his fascist party have ruthlessly run Italy since past. Enter Sever. Still pining for his ex in one thought, and
1922. The English and French governments are still in lusting after the closest babe in the next, it’s a good thing
denial hoping that war with Germany is somehow avoid- Sever is a decent rock journalist and has the capacity to
able.
detect.
The central character in this novel, Carlo Weisz,
Bruns is a musician himself, and toured for ten
has been forced to flee his native Italy and take refuge in years. When characters are painted as shallow, pretenParis, along with hundreds of other opponents of Mussolini’s tious, and quick to indulge in excesses, it’s because he’s
fascist regime. During the day, Carlo is a foreign corre- been there, seen that, and, as I understand it, not necesspondent with the Reuters bureau stationed in Paris. At sarily done that.SHAKEDOWN's pace and blend of fact
night, Carlo works with a
and fiction are top notch
small Italian émigré resisand will play with your
tance group as the editor of
mind like a tune that
a clandestine newspaper,
won’t go away.
Liberazione, published to
Eleven artists, who
keep the spirit of freedom
are anything but shallow
alive in Italy and distributed
and pretentious, are the
there by antifascists.
eleven that Bruns and
Carlo’s “on the
Claudia Bishop collaboscene” reporting assignrate with in A MERRY
ments for Reuters have him
BAND OF MURDERcovering the Spanish civil
Some authors will go to great lengths to publicize
ERS (Poisoned Pen
war, the German invasion
their books as evidenced by Don Bruns' van
Press, $24.95). Rating:
of Czechoslovakia, and conA This collection of short
ferences in Berlin where he continues his affair with the stories by thirteen professional musicians succeeds on
wife of a Prussian aristocrat. Back in Paris, Carlos and his several levels. First, the stories are simply darn good ones,
émigré friends are hunted by the OVRA, Mussolini’s secret some, perhaps, potential award-winners. Second, the
police, whose tactics include murder and brutal beatings. book includes a CD upon which each of the authors has
At the same time, the French Sûreté wants to closely follow written and/or performed a song that uses the story he/
the activities of Carlos while the British Secret Intelligence she wrote as its theme. Third, at the end of each story is
Service decides to pursue its own agenda for him.
an interview with the author/artist who penned the story
Furst is a master at describing the life of émigrés that provides a reader insight into background and inspiin Paris who are struggling to survive and fighting against rations. Finally, the book was published by Poisoned Pen
the tyranny of Nazi Germany and Mussolini’s Fascists in the Press, which not only puts together great books, but also
late 1930s. The author also skillfully depicts the conflicting does so in a very finite number . . . nice for collectors.
roles of the different intelligence services and the underPerhaps you’ll recognize one of your favorite
ground resistance. The Foreign Correspondent is also authors amongst: Claudia Bishop, Rhys Bowen, Don
about a doomed romance whose love scenes are subtly Bruns, Tom Corcoran, Jeffery Deaver, Mary Anna Evans,
erotic without being graphic. In my opinion, this book Jim Fusilli, Rupert Holmes, John Lescroat, Val McDermid,
represents Furst’s finest novel to date.
Bill Moody, Peter Robinson, and Nathan Walpow. If
there’s no author there that you know and like before
having read the book and hearing the CD, I’m betting
Jay Waggoner Reviews
SOUTH BEACH SHAKEDOWN by Don Bruns there will be after you’ve done both. Very cool and
(Oceanview Publishing; $24.95). Rating: A- One out of collectible collection!
GUEST REVIEWS
56
Deadly Pleasures
REREADING
ANT
ONIA FRASER
ANTONIA
By Norma Dancis
I
n 1977, Lady Antonia Fraser, already acclaimed for her
biographies and historical studies, introduced mysteries
featuring Jemina Shore. Jemima hosts a TV talk show that
features investigative reporting on serious topics. As
“Jemima Shore, Investigator”, she is thrown into situations
where she is expected to solve mysteries.
More than 25 years later, her three earliest
mysteries have been republished in an omnibus volume
entitled ANTONIA FRASER: THREE GREAT NOVELS (Orion 2005, £12.99). The volume contains QUIET
AS A NUN (1977), TARTAN TRAGEDY (also published as THE WILD ISLAND) (1978) and A SPLASH
OF RED (1981). I received a review copy with mixed
feelings. I had read each book when it was published,
shelved it for rereading, but never touched it since. Would
I feel the same on rereading?
In QUIET AS A NUN, Jemina is called back to
her convent school to discover how Sister Miriam, a former
classmate, died. Jemima decides to go for the weekend
because her married lover is busy. She learns that Sister
Miriam was an heiress who owned the land on which the
convent was built. A political crusader may have convinced
Sister Miriam to sell the convent’s land and give the money
directly to the poor. The students are more concerned
about a strange nun, perhaps a ghost, that has been
walking the halls at night. Antonia solves a part of the
mystery while nearly being killed after a chase through the
crypt. This is a combination traditional gothic (heroine in
distress in gloomily picturesque setting) plus locked room
mystery. The book is fun to read, but the mystery has huge
holes in it, and some developments are telegraphed.
When the crypt is introduced and Jemima is afraid, the
reader knows that she will be soon be shut in there. This
is the best of the three mysteries, though, for its range of
interesting characters and shrewd observations.
TARTAN TRAGEDY is pure gothic. Jemima
has rented a house in the Highlands, making sure that
nobody knows where she is going so she can have a
complete rest. When she arrives, she discovers that her
landlord, Charles Beauregard, has just died. Nobody else
knows that she is coming. Jemima finds herself in the
middle of the Beauregard family feud involving politics as
well as land. The Beauregards consider themselves the
rightful kings of Scotland. Both plots--the Beauregard’s
plot and Fraser’s--are sheer nonsense, but Fraser almost
carries it off. Jemima, as an observer, views the Red Rose
(the Beauregards’ “secret” society) with appalled amuse-
ment, laying the blame for their antics on the
characters themselves. Jemima’s detection
only uncovers some of the answer, and then
only when she is menaced with death.
Jemima sublets a friend’s flat in A SPLASH
OF RED. Once again, nobody knows where
she is. The friend, novelist Chloe Fontaine,
disappears. Chloe had recently broken up
with her former lover, brutish but talented
painter Kevin John Athlone. The next day,
Chloe is murdered, and Kevin John is charged. Even
despising him, Jemima believes the artist to be innocent,
so she sets out to find the murderer. A SPLASH OF RED
is a traditional mystery, with clues and a convoluted plot.
The plot is far more convincing than either of the other two,
probably showing five years more experience in writing
mysteries.
How does Fraser hold up?
Except for the Catholic girls’ boarding school fully staffed
by nuns in traditional habits in QUIET AS A NUN, the
books could have been newly written. The characteristics
that makes Fraser such a great writer of history carry over
into her mysteries. A historian must understand motives
and must successfully persuade the reader that the character actually believes what he says he believes, no matter
how unlikely. (And in TARTAN TRAGEDY. the motives
are odd indeed.) Fraser does so masterfully. She brings
as much authenticity to her imaginary locations and characters as she did to Cromwell and Mary Queen of Scots.
She has won several prizes for her writing, which is clear,
forceful, and generally delightful. For a gothic to work, the
writer must manipulate the reader into the proper frame
of mind. Fraser succeeds effortlessly.
On the other hand, historians work with established facts. They do not need to create plots. While she
creates wonderful initial scenarios, Fraser doesn’t have the
skill to exploit them fully. She improves with time, but it
is not her strength. Jemima is an incompetent investigator,
which is acceptable only if you love damsels in distress.
Only in A SPLASH OF RED does Jemima understand
what happens. In the others, she cannot bring the matter
to a conclusion. Fraser gets very little value out of that
crypt. She hurries less in each successive book, but still
does not build as much suspense as she could have done.
In places, the books echo Fraser’s life as well as
her craft. Her conversion to Catholicism is reflected in the
frequent religious themes. Jemima shares the public
messiness of Fraser’s love life. Fraser left her husband for
the also married Harold Pinter and was pilloried for it in the
press. Fraser’s own biography, her private life and other
works, is highly relevant to the mysteries.
The omnibus presentation allowed me to see how
Fraser progressed in her skills and made the individual
works more enjoyable. I won’t shelve the omnibus: twice
is enough. But once is worthwhile, especially for the
pleasure of Fraser’s wonderful prose, characterization,
and scene-setting.
Deadly Pleasures
Ann Cleeves and
RA
VEN BL
ACK
RAVEN
BLA
by Martin Edwards
T
he Duncan Lawrie Dagger (formerly the CWA Gold
Dagger) is said to be ‘the biggest crime fiction prize
in the world.’ It is worth £20,000, a hefty sum by any
reckoning, and the first recipient of the sponsor’s cheque
was Ann Cleeves, whose novel RAVEN BLACK was
announced as the winner at a glitzy awards ceremony at
London’s Waldorf Hilton in June.
The judges described the book in glowing terms:
‘Superb sense of place. A depiction of an enclosed
community with modern and entrenched values constantly
competing. A thrilling read.’ And this triumph is all the
more impressive bearing in mind the competition, which
included Thomas H. Cook’s RED LEAVES (a book which
is every bit as good as Larry Gandle suggested in the last
issue of Deadly Pleasures).
Ann Cleeves is the first to admit that she has not
until now been regarded as one of Britain’s highest profile
crime writers, but her work has long been familiar to keen
mystery fans. Norma Dancis described her, in the same
issue of Deadly Pleasures, as ‘queen of the birdwatching
mysteries,’ although it is a good many years since the
appearance of the last novel featuring Cleeves’ original
detective duo, George and Molly Palmer-Jones. It was,
however, good to see the couple emerge from sleuthing
retirement in ‘Owl Wars’, which Cleeves contributed to a
CWA anthology I edited last year, CRIME ON THE
MOVE. Her occasional short stories are well worth seeking out: ‘Games for Winter’, which appeared in GREEN
FOR DANGER: crimes in the countryside, is especially
memorable and has a terrific Alaskan backdrop, while
‘The Plater’ was nominated for a CWA Dagger. It was
published in MURDER SQUAD, an anthology put together by a seven-strong writers’ collective of which both
she and I are members.
However, her reputation rests primarily on her
novels. After she decided to give ornithological mysteries
a rest, her work developed further with a first rate series
set in Northumberland and featuring Inspector Stephen
Ramsey. MURDER IN MY BACKYARD, THE HEALERS and THE BABY-SNATCHER are among the
strongest entries. In recent years she has concentrated on
novels of psychological suspense, such as the splendid
THE SLEEPING AND THE DEAD, which are essentially stand-alones (although Vera Stanhope, a detective
who appears in THE CROW TRAP, is such a splendid
character that Cleeves has wisely decided to bring her back
for further investigations.)
RAVEN BLACK is set in Shetland, and benefits
enormously from the atmospheric backdrop. Fans of the
57
book will be delighted to learn
that,
although
Cleeves’
next
book, HIDDEN
DEPTHS, is set
in England, she has
now contracted to
write three more
Shetland books.
Her love of the
Scottish islands is
by no means new:
‘I dropped out
of university a long
time ago, having
decided, with the
arrogance
of
youth, that there
was no point doing
a literature degree. After all, you
can read books
anywhere. I was working as a child care officer in Camden
when the chance came to work as a cook in Fair Isle Bird
Observatory. I had a bed-sit in the same building in Putney
as a guy who was going off to be Assistant Warden. So I set
off to Fair Isle not knowing exactly where it was, not being
able to cook and knowing nothing about birds.
‘I fell in love with Fair Isle, found I enjoyed cooking,
met Tim, the man whom I was to marry, and went back
there the next year. I spent my days off down the island,
listening to stories. I tried lots of new things -- clipping
sheep, hand-milking a cow, dancing an eightsome reel,
climbing down cliffs in the middle of the night to ring storm
petrels. All experiences which might come in handy writing
the Shetland books, though of course things in the islands
have changed a lot since my first visit.
‘We kept in touch with Fair Isle friends and visited
often over the years. The idea for RAVEN BLACK came
after day-tripping Shetland between Christmas and New
Year in search of the American Coot -- the trip was my
Christmas present to Tim, who is a professional ornithologist. It was snowy and very cold and clear. We saw three
ravens against the white snow. I thought if there were blood
too, it would be like a fairy story. The idea grew from
there.’
This account seems to me to capture one of the
essential ingredients of Cleeves’ success. Her imagination
is fired by vivid visual images of the rural life – and death.
The success of RAVEN BLACK confirms her as Britain’s
most gifted contemporary chronicler of crime in the
countryside.
Martin Edwards’ latest Lake District Mysteries are THE
COFFIN TRAIL, short-listed for the Theakston prize
for best crime novel of 2006, THE CIPHER GARDEN,
and upcoming THE ARSENIC LABYRINTH (Jan,
2007), available in the U.K. and the U.S.
58
Deadly Pleasures
Reviews
MY TAKE ON THIS YEAR'S
DAGGER NOMINEES -Part Two
by Larry Gandle
2006 CWA DUNCAN LAURIE
INTERNATIONAL DAGGER
A
fter last year’s debacle when five out of the six
best novel nominees were authors from outside
the U.K., the CWA decided to eliminate translated work from best novel consideration. They created
the new category for such works and dubbed it the
International Dagger Award. The CWA would be well
advised to reconsider this extremely dubious category
(unless better nominees can be found) and revert back to
the old system where the best five or six novels would be
nominated no matter where in the world the book is
found.
BORKMANN’S POINT by Hakan Nesser
(Macmillan, £16.99; Pantheon, $22.95). Rating: B+
In Kaalbringen, a quaint seaside town in Sweden, the
population lives in fear. Two men have been killed by an
ax murderer. One victim is an ex-con, while the other is
a wealthy businessman. Chief Inspector Van Veeteren is
assigned to help with the case. Van Veeteren is one of
those relentless detectives who will not give up until the
case is solved. The stakes get higher when another body
is found. Can Van Veeteren and the local police solve the
crimes before more lives are lost?
Hakan Nesser is a well known crime fiction
writer in Europe. He has written a series of bestselling
novels starring Inspector Van Veeteren. BORKMANN’S
POINT is the first to be translated into English. The major
strength of this work is the character of Van Veeteren. He
is a likable detective and is highly competent at what he
does. The minor characters are also solid creations. The
book as a whole works remarkably well despite it's
simple, yet surprising resolution. The setting of the
seaside village is also described with great care.
BORKMANN’S POINT won the best novel award for
the Swedish Crime Writers’ Academy in 1994. It is quite
easy to see why. This is my pick for the CWA International
Dagger.
THE THREE EVANGELISTS by Fred Vargas
(Harvill, £11.99). Rating: B- A tree mysteriously
appears in the garden of Sophia Simonidis, a Greek
opera singer. She is worried that it might be the work of
a crazed fan. Her husband brushes her off as needlessly
worrying. She turns for help to her neighbors, a retired
police officer and three historians with the names Mathias,
Marc and Lucien -- the three evangelists of the title.
Initially they dig around the tree but find nothing. Later
things heat up when Sofia disappears.
Fred Vargas, author of the 2005 CWA Gold Dagger nominee, SEEKING WHOM HE MAY DEVOUR,
has succeeded in writing another tantalizing mystery full of
red herrings. The strength of this work lies in its numerous
odd characters. The puzzle is clever and the solution satisfactory. The plot does lag a bit. Overall, this is a mildly
recommended, but forgettable work.
Nonetheless, it won the first International Dagger
Award. Simon and Schuster is now publishing her works in
the U.S. in trade paperback editions.
AUTUMN OF THE PHANTOMS by Yasmina
Khadra (Toby Press, £7.99; in U.S. $12.95). Rating: BBrahmin Llob is a detective in the Algerian police. He has
turned to writing mystery fiction and his books are filled with
indictments against the Algerian government and society as
a whole. As a result of this, he is fired from his position as an
inspector. The rest of the book is filled with vignettes of
Llob’s interaction with friends and acquaintances both
friendly and adversarial. More importantly, the vignettes
reveal much about Algerian society -- the dangers and the
joys.
Is this book a mystery? Not really -- it is barely a
crime novel. Any crime is peripheral to the various noncriminous scenes that are really the main focus of the book.
The writing and translation are superb as the reader gets a
strong sense of what is wrong in Algeria. The author
becomes the character in that Llob writes crime fiction and
is castigated for it.
Yasmina Khadra is the pseudonym of Mohammed
Moulessehoul who was an officer in the Algerian army. He
has since fled to France where he writes these books highly
critical of the politics of his native land. Is this book crime
fiction? That point is debatable.
EXCURSION TO TINDARI by Andrea Camilleri
(Picador, £12.99, Penguin, $13.00). Rating: C+ Sicilian
detective Inspector Montalbano must solve a murder and a
disappearance. A young man is gunned down in front of his
apartment building and an elderly couple has disappeared.
They lived in the same apartment building as the young man.
On the surface, there is no connection between the couple
and the dead man. Montalbano must delve beneath the
surface to get at the truth. The answer lies in an excursion
the elderly couple took to Tindari. It was where they were
last seen.
The slow pacing of the droll plot did not endear this
book to me. The major characters are well developed but
there are too many minor characters to keep track of. There
is a fairly good sense of place. The solution is clever. This is
a forgettable book of mild entertainment worth.
DEAD HORSEMEAT by Dominique Manotti
(Arcadia, $15.00). Rating: C
In 1989, in France, horses
are mysteriously dying. A woman is killed when she contacts
authorities that gangsters are meeting at a racetrack. It is up
to Daquin, the police chief, and his staff to get to the bottom
of these occurrences. Some others will die before the truth
is known.
Deadly Pleasures
DEAD HORSEMEAT is another insipid choice
of the new International Dagger. The plot is slow paced
and tedious. The characters are an unsympathetic bunch
and there is a poor sense of place. For me, this was a hard
book to get through.
BLOOD ON THE SADDLE by Rafael Reig
(Serpent’s Tale, $16.00). Rating: D In the Madrid of the
near future, Carlos Clot, of the detective agency Dickens
and Clot, searches for missing people and takes photographs of cheating spouses. The firm also helps authors
who have lost their characters while taking on Manex
Chopeitia, a genetic-engineering company that rules the
capital. Clot, an alcoholic, chubby guy, moves around the
capital city in search of the bad guys -- both real and
imaginary.
Does the plot sound a bit confusing? It was to me.
I couldn’t really follow it and, to be honest, after 50 pages
I didn’t really care. Yet this book garnered a nomination
for the CWA International dagger. I don’t really understand why.
My choice: BORKMANN’S POINT by Hakan Nesser
The winner: THE THREE EVANGELISTS by Fred
Vargas
CWA ELLIS PETERS
HISTORICAL DAGGER
This year’s nominated list covers a wide range of historical
eras -- from ancient Egypt to the witch hunt for communists
in Hollywood during the 1950s. I like certain historical
periods and settings more than others and I’m sure that is
reflected to a certain extent in my ratings. For example,
there are two novels that are set in Istanbul in the 1800s,
which is not of great interest to me. I am not sure what the
fascination is with this city to warrant two nominees.
NEFERTITI: The Book of the Dead by Nick
Drake (Harper Collins, $24.95) Rating: A- Well written
historical novels can successfully transform the reader to
another time and another civilization. If carefully researched and full of detail, they can be excellent learning
tools as well. In this instance, Nick Drake has written a
superb, fully engrossing detective novel with the setting of
Akhenaten, the new capital of the pharaoh of the same
name, in the year 1335 B.C.
Rai Rahotep is a detective working in the Thebes
Medjay division. He is called upon by the Pharaoh
Akhenaten to travel north to his new capital for assistance
with a difficult problem. It seems his wife Nefertiti has
disappeared. He wants Rahotep to find out if she is alive
and if so, deliver her to him. He must do this within ten days,
on or before the date of a major festival. If he fails, Rahotep
and his family will be killed. Rahotep must search the
neighborhoods of both the very rich and very poor to get
at the truth. He is distracted by those who want him to fail
and some who want him dead.
In the course of the investigation we meet many
historical personages from nobles to family members--
59
many of whom are depicted in artwork that can be seen
today.
The historical detail is both striking and appears
quite accurate based on current knowledge. The story is
exciting and well paced. This is an example of what is right
about historical mysteries.
SOVEREIGN by C.J. Sansom (Macmillan,
£16.99). Rating: A- C.J. Sansom has written two
previous novels about the hunchback lawyer Matthew
Shardlake. These novels take place in England during the
reign of King Henry VIII. They are long, yet engrossing
works that effectively bring Tufor England to life. SOVEREIGN is the third in the series and every bit as good as
its predecessors -- maybe even better.
Henry VIII is on a progression to visit York in
1541. He wants to awe his subjects there after a failed
rebellion. The progression is huge by middle-age standards-- over two thousand people who all have to be
accommodated and fed.
Matthew Shardlake and his assistant, Jack Barak,
are sent on a mission by Archbishop Cranmer to guard a
rebel prisoner in York and accompany him back to London
after the King leaves York. Shardlake and Barak arrive
ahead of the progression and soon come upon a grisly
murder. The murder might be related to the rebels.
Shardlake is asked to look into the matter. Unfortunately,
this places him directly into the path of danger, as attempts
are made on his life.
60
Deadly Pleasures
SOVEREIGN is another example of what an
excellent historical mystery can be – painless learning
about an important era of history. It is meticulously
researched and full of accurate detail. It has a compelling
plot, with a protagonist both interesting and sympathetic.
The narrative envelopes the reader and transports him
back to another age in time. The mystery is engaging and
the solution is clever. This is an excellent historical novel
and most worthy of the Ellis Peters Historical Dagger
nomination.
THE PALE BLUE EYE by Louis Bayard (Harper
Collins, $24.95). Rating: B+ At West Point Academy in
1830, the body of a cadet is found hung on a tree. Was it
murder? Soon after being found, the body disappears and
turns up later -- but missing its heart. The officials of the
Academy call upon a local resident, Augustus Landor, an
ex-detective who worked in New York City, to help them.
Lander asks for assistance from an eager young cadet who
has an aptitude for poetry and mysteries. His name is
Edgar Allan Poe. Together they attempt to make sense of
the murder and mutilation. Things get more desperate
when another cadet’s body is found.
Louis Bayard cleverly uses Poe’s presence at
West Point as the basis of this detailed and historically rich
novel. Characterizations reign supreme as we get to know
Landor, Poe and others. There is definite padding in the
story as the plot occasionally goes off on unnecessary
tangents. But the solution is one of the best I have read in
quite sometime making the whole book a worthwhile
reading experience.
THE SULTAN’S SEAL by Jenny White (Norton,
$24.95). Rating: B
Kamil Pasha is a magistrate in
Istanbul during the Ottoman empire in the late 19th
century. He is assigned to look into the death of a young
British governess working for the Royal Harem. He is
teamed with Sybil, the daughter of the ambassador, who,
it is felt, would have an easier time investigating the harem.
Their investigation brings them into contact with danger
and possible death.
The Ottoman Istanbul is sketched out in meticulous detail in this talent-laden debut. In a sense, there might
be too much detail, as the story sometimes gets lost among
seemingly endless description. Personally, I found myself
more engaged by the secondary plot of the trials and
tribulations of a young Turkish woman being pursued by an
unscrupulous suitor. I am not certain why there seems to
be a plethora of mysteries set in Turkey during this time
period. This is not a place or time I am attracted to.
Therefore, the book, overall, did not enthrall me. Well
written, nonetheless.
THE JANISSARY TREE by Jason Goodwin
(Ferrar, Straus and Giroux, $25.00). Rating: B- In
Istanbul, 1836, several young soldiers of the sultan of the
Ottoman Empire have disappeared and their bodies begin
turning up around the city. The sultan calls for Yashim, the
eunuch, to help solve the crime. Yashim wanders the
palace halls and the city streets introducing us to the place
and the time, as well as a whole host of characters from the
highest realm of society to the lowest criminal element. It
CWA Winner
Louise Penny
Tells Us About Herself
seems that there is a realistic danger of an uprising of the
Janissary troops, the sultan’s elite guard who had become
too powerful to control until their overthrow several years
before. Perhaps they want power once again.
Jason Goodwin does a good job of portraying the
city, the people and the time of Istanbul in the mid
nineteenth century. The plot never quite engaged me and
the pacing is a bit too erratic to draw me into the story. This
is a good historic novel -- just not a great one.
RED SKY LAMENT by Edward Wright (Orion,
£18.99) Rating: C+ John Ray Horn is an actor turned
P.I. in Los Angeles of the 1950s. The communist witch
hunts are just starting in Congress. Lives and livelihoods
are being ruined, while wildfires are burning on the
periphery of the city suburbs. Horn is asked to help Owen
Bruder, a writer, who has been accused (by an unknown
accuser) of being a communist. Horn is set the task of
finding the identity of Owen’s accuser. His search takes
him to all segments of Hollywood society and then murder
rears its ugly head.
Edward Wright has written a a complex and
wordy P.I. novel. The era is fairly well depicted but the
congressional meetings are really peripheral to the story
while its implications are directly at its heart. The plot is so
complex that several expositions are necessary including
the obligatory villain holding the gun over the hero. The
story failed to grab me.
It did grab the Ellis Peters committee, who gave
this book the prize.
Deadly Pleasures
DEADL
Y
DEADLY
AUDIO
PLEASURES
George Easter Reviews
VANISHING POINT by Marcia Muller (Brilliance Audio, Unabridged 7 discs, $32.95, Read by Susan
Ericksen). Book Rating: A-. Reading: A- Sharon has
finally married her long-time sweetheart, Hi Ripinsky.
After a very short honeymoon and a visit with relatives,
she’s back at work at her burgeoning detective agency. A
wealthy client brings in a dandy of a case: find out what
happened to his wife’s mother who disappeared 22 years
before. Was she killed? Or did she intentionally disappear
and assume another identity? Sharon’s crew goes to work
and uncovers enough dirty linen to fill two normal mysteries. Her idyllic marriage (it is after all in the honeymoon
stage) is juxtaposed next to a couple of dysfunctional
unions.
Sharon McCone’s investigation (with the help of a
very able staff) is the private eye equivalent of a police
procedural. The reader is privy to every nuance of every
investigative technique of Sharon’s nitty-gritty investigation. Muller’s skill makes all of this minutia fascinating and
the storytelling never lags. Fans of this series will be glad
to catch up on the lives of Sharon’s family and friends which
seem to grow with each book.
Muller’s books are heavy on dialogue and hence
Susan Ericksen’s talent with different voices is put to the
test and I’m happy to report that she performs very well.
It’s been a while for me since I’ve read (heard) a Marcia
Muller novel, but I won’t let such a gap occur again. I’d
forgotten how good she is.
SNOW BLIND by P.J. Tracy (Brilliance Audio,
Unabridged 7 discs, $32.95, Read by Mel Foster). Book
Rating: A-. Reading: B+ A children’s snowman building
contest is marred by the discovery of two murdered
policemen encased in two of the snowmen. Then another
body in a snowman is discovered in a rural county upstate,
where a new female sheriff is clearly in over her head.
Detectives Magozzi and Rolseth are front and center in this
third novel by the mother/daughter team known as P.J.
Tracy. The Monkeewrench gang, so prominent in the first
two books, only makes occasional appearances in this one,
so SNOW BLIND is much more of a police procedural
than an amateur detective novel. The plot takes us into
unexpected areas and the authors get high marks for
creativity.
The reader Mel Foster has his hands full with the
large number and wide variety of characters he has to deal
with. At times I got a little confused as to which character
61
was talking, but that might have been more the fault of the
writing than the reader -- or perhaps the listener.
THE COPPER SCROLL by Joel C. Rosenberg
(Brilliance Audio, Unabridged 9 discs, $36.95, Read by
Jeff Woodman). Book Rating: B+. Reading: A-. The
fourth in the series which follows cataclysmic events that
occurred in THE EZEKIEL OPTION. Much of the Middle
East is in ashes and Iraq and Israel emerge as the powers
of the region. The holy Dome of the Rock mosque has been
destroyed, an event that all Jews have been waiting for so
that they can rebuild their temple on the site of Solomon’s
Temple. But the Iraquis are secretly engaged in a counter
plan. Some scholars have been following clues they found
in the Copper Scroll, one of the Dead Sea Scrolls found in
1956, which they believe will lead them to the temple
treasure from Solomon’s Temple and perhaps even the
Ark of the Covenant. But these scholars are being murdered one by one. Enter the scene Jon Bennett and Erin
McCoy,’ fresh off of their honeymoon, who follow the clues
to an exciting climax.
This is the first of the series that I’ve read (heard)
and was surprised that there is a lot more here than just an
international thriller. This novel is infused with religious
prophecy and Christian beliefs. Some might find that offputting, but I did not because I found nothing contrary to
my belief system – even though I am not an evangelical
Christian, which seems to be the target consumer of this
type of story (the book publisher, Tyndale House, is the
same one that has published the hugely successful Left
Behind series). The thriller elements are indeed exciting,
but between them there are large passages of historical
and religious explanation that slowed the pace at times to
a crawl. Some may also find the Bennetts just a little too
good to be true – and certainly lucky (or blessed). Overall
I enjoyed this experience, which was enhanced by an
excellent reading by Jeff Woodman.
Larry Gandle Reviews
RUSTY NAIL by J.A.Konrath (Brilliance Audio,
Unabridged, Read by
Susie Breck and Dick
Hill, $32.95). Book:
A. Reading: A. Lt.
Jacqueline Daniels
a.k.a. Jack Daniels of
the Chicago Police Department is chasing a
serial killer. She is sent
snuff videos with the
implication that she
may become one of
the victims. As she investigates, she realizes
that the killer might
very well be related to
one of her previous
cases -- a particularly
nasty one. With the
62
Deadly Pleasures
help of her colleagues, she attempts to discover who is
doing the killing and why.
Joe Konrath has brilliantly managed to combine
several elements of the modern detective novel. First of all,
Jack Daniels comes across as the typical heroine of a chick
lit mystery novel. This is the type of character who worries
about what designer shoes to wear, perfume to put on or
what to eat for breakfast before heading out the door.
However, Jack is genuinely funny and that helps to
counteract all the chick stuff. Second, this is a particularly
gruesome serial killer novel. I actually had to shut off the
CD player as the descriptions got increasingly graphic.
The villains are way over the top but also very funny. Third,
the humor is very possibly the best I have come across in
years. Of course, it is black humor, but truly hysterical. Joe
Konrath is a very sick man. I loved it!
Susie Breck and Dick Hill are both very talented
narrators with repertoires of voices that bring each of the
characters to life. The narration alters with dialogue and
chapters. Ms. Breck reads all the first person Jack Daniels
text while Dick Hill reads the other chapters. They also
alternate with dialogue. This made the narration very
engaging for me.
GHOST DANCE by John Case (Brilliance Audio, $39.95) Rating: Audio: A-, Story: B- Photojournalist Mike Burke has lost the love of his life. He drifts without
any purpose until he takes it upon himself to look for a man
who appears to pose a hazard to mankind. Jack Wilson is
a brilliant ex-con who lost a promising future when he was
set up for a crime he didn’t commit. He now has plans for
revenge using a device inspired by the work of the great
physicist, Tesla. This device, if workable, can render the
United States a third-world country while causing the
deaths of many thousands. Burke must try to stop him.
GHOST DANCE is a well thought out “what if”
novel. The authors examine the potential of using Tesla’s
principles to create a very powerful and deadly weapon.
Interestingly, the actual confrontation and chase really
doesn’t take off until almost 80% of the novel is complete.
There is much background information. For example, it
takes almost half the book to describe the circuitous route
Wilson uses to acquire enough money to finance his plans.
This involves swindling an Arab terrorist by functioning as
a smuggler of guns, diamonds and slaves. This is all very
interesting but it felt almost peripheral to the main plot
line. Once all the pieces are in place, the pacing of the
story rapidly picks up to the climactic conclusion.
The audiobook is skillfully narrated by Dick Hill
who masters many different voices bringing both variety
and realism to the narration. Interestingly, Arabic music is
used to indicate the end and the beginning of subsequent
CDs. The Arab terrorist played a small role in the novel and
I question whether the producer actually read the entire
book because at times the music didn’t seem appropriate.
Maggie Mason Review
THE POWER BROKER by Stephen Frey (Audio Partners, $37.95, 9 CD’s, unabridged) Read by Holter
Graham. Book Rating: B+, Reader Rating: A Christian Gillette is a very wealthy self-made man, who owns a
large investment firm. He is in the process of building a
Casino in Las Vegas for his expansion NFL team, and also
trying to sell an oil company for five billion dollars.
Somehow, things are not going well. The reader
knows that there is a group of very wealthy men who are
pulling a lot of strings to stop the deals going through, but
Gillette is in the dark. When the SEC begins an investigation of Everest Capital, Gillette’s company, Christian is
sure they will find nothing. Sadly, the group has fingers in
many pies, and can do just about anything they want to
anyone. Gillette is not aware how vulnerable he is.
He is approached by Jesse Wood, a black Senator
and former tennis player who is sure to be the Democratic
Presidential candidate. Jesse is another successful man
who has someone pulling at his strings.
Christian has a good staff, and he uses them and
their strengths to find out just what is going on in his life.
There is a very exciting climax, and many details are
clarified.
I made the mistake of “reading” this book before
the previous book about Gillette, THE PROTEGE. I’m
listening to that one now, and sadly have information that
will not make the book as suspenseful as it could have
been.
The reader, Holter Graham, is wonderful. I think
he is one of the best readers I’ve heard recently. He does
a British voice that is veddy good, indeed. I’m glad I
discovered Frey, just wish I had the money Gillette does.
Deadly Pleasures
SNEAK PREVIEWS
Upcoming Mysteries
November 2006
Barbieri, Maggie, Murder 101 $23.95 Minotaur (First
Alison Bergeron/Bobby Crawford)
Bliss, Miranda, Cooking Up Murder $6.99 Berkley (First
Cooking Class)
Chan, Cassandra, Village Affairs $23.95 Minotaur
(Bethancourt/Gibbons)
Chang, Henry, Chinatown Beat $22.00 Soho (1st - Jack
Yu)
Coggins, Mark, Candy From Strangers $23.95 Bleak
House (August Riordan)
Daniel, John M., Vanity Fire $24.95 Poisoned Pen (Guy
Mallon)
Daley, Robert, Pictures $24.00 Harcourt
Doolittle, Sean, The Cleanup $6.99 Dell
Fredrickson, Jack, A Safe Place for Dying $23.95
Minotaur (First Novel, Dek Elstrom)
Gadziola, Rick, Drawing Dead $24.95 ECW (Jake
Morgan)
Gregorio, Michael, Critique of Criminal Reason $24.95
Minotaur
Hall, Parnell, You Have the Right to Remain Puzzled
$24.00 Bantam (Cora Felton)
Harris, C. S., When Gods Die $23.95 NAL (Sebastian
St. Cyr)
Harris, Charlaine, Grave Surprise $23.95 Prime Crime
(Harper Connelly)
Hiaasen, Carl, Nature Girl $25.95 Knopf
Hillerman, Tony, The Shape Shifter $26.95
HarperCollins (Leaphorn/Chee)
Holt, Hazel, Mrs. Malory and a Death in the Family
$6.99 Signet (Sheila Malory)
Hunter, Maddy, G’Day to Die $6.99 Pocket (Passport to
Peril)
Kingsbury, Kate, Slay Bells $13.00 Prime Crime
(Pennyfoot Hotel)
Kunzmann, Richard, Bloody Harvests $23.95 Minotaur
Lange, John, Grave Descend $6.99 Hard Case
Lutz, John, Chill of Night $6.99 Pinnacle
Markowitz, Jeff, A Minor Case of Murder $25.95 Five
Star (Cassie O’Malley)
Matetsky, Amanda, Murder on a Hot Tin Roof $6.99
Prime Crime (Paige Turner)
Matturro, Claire, Bone Valley $23.95 Morrow (Lilly
Rose Cleary)
Michaels, Kasey, High Heels and Holidays
$14.00 Kensington (Maggie Kelly)
Mitcheltree, Tom, Death of a Carpenter $24.00
Intrigue (Grant Reynolds)
63
Mortimer, John, Rumpole and the Reign of
Terror $23.95 Viking (Horace Rumpole)
O’Shaughnessy, Perri, Keeper of the Keys $25.00
Delacorte (stand-alone)
Patterson, James, Cross $27.99 Little, Brown
(Alex Cross)
Perry, Anne, A Christmas Secret $16.95
Ballantine (stand-alone)
Rankin, Ian, Bleeding Hearts $24.99 Little, Brown
(stand-alone)
Ripley, Ann, Death in the Orchid Garden $22.00
Kensington (Louise Eldredge)
Robb, J. D., Born in Death $24.95 Putnam (Eve Dallas)
Rowland, Laura Joh, The Red Chrysanthemum $24.95
Minotaur (Sano Ichiro)
Stark, Richard, Ask the Parrot $23.99 Mysterious
(Parker)
Swierczynski, Duane, The Blonde $23.95 Minotaur
Thornton, Betsy, A Whole New Life $23.95 Minotaur
(stand-alone)
Tremayne, Peter, Master of Souls $24.95 Minotaur
(Sister Fidelma)
Truman, Margaret, Murder at the Opera $24.95
Ballantine (Capital Crimes)
Turow, Scott, Limitations $13.00 Picador
Vargas, Fred, Seeking Whom He May Devour $14.00
Simon & Schuster (Commissaire Adamsberg)
December 2006
Alt, Madelyn, A Charmed Death $6.99 Prime Crime
(Bewitching)
Anders, Donna, Death Waits for You $7.99 Pocket
Arsenault, Mark, Gravewriter $23.95 Minotaur
Avocato, Lori, Nip, Tuck, Dead $6.99 Avon (Pauline
Sokol)
Ball, Donna, Rapid Fire $6.99 Signet (Raine Stockton)
Ballard, Mignon F., The Angel and the Jabberwocky
Murders $23.95 Minotaur (Augusta Goodnight)
Bannister, Jo, Requiem for a Dealer $23.95 Minotaur
(Brodie Farrell)
Barron, Stephanie, Jane and the Barque of Frailty
$24.95 Bantam (Jane Austen)
Bright, Elizabeth, Murder and Salutations $6.99 Signet (Jennifer Shane)
Curzon, Clare, The Glass Wall $23.95 Minotaur (Mike
Yeadings)
Fairstein, Linda, Bad Blood $26.00 Scribner (Alex
Cooper)
Hart, Ellen, Night Vision $24.95 Minotaur (Jane Law
less)
Highland, Frederick, Night Falls in Damascus $23.95
Minotaur
Kaminsky, Stuart M., Always Say Goodbye $23.95
Forge (Lew Fonesca)
May, Peter, Extraordinary People $24.95 Poisoned
Pen (First in new series - Enzo Macleod)
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Deadly Pleasures
McInerny, Ralph, The Letter Killeth $23.95 Minotaur
(Notre Dame)
McIntyre, Hope, How to Marry a Ghost $24.99 Myste
rious (Lee Bartholomew)
Mooney, Chris, The Missing $25.00 Atria
Napier, Robert S., Love, Death and the Toyman
$25.95 Five Star (First novel, Jack Lorentz)
O’Hehir, Diana, Erased from Memory $23.95 Prime
Crime (Carla Day)
Pyper, Andrew, The Wildfire Season $23.95 Minotaur
Schwegel, Theresa, Probable Cause $23.95 Minotaur
Siverling, Michael, The Sorcerer’s Circle $23.95
Minotaur (Jason Wilder)
Spring, Michelle, The Night Lawyer $24.95 Ballantine
Weir, Charlene, Edge of Midnight $23.95 Minotaur
(Susan Wren)
January 2007
Abbott, Megan, The Song is You $23.00 Simon &
Schuster
Arruda, Suzanne, Stalking Ivory $23.95 NAL (Jade del
Cameron)
Braun, Lilian Jackson, The Cat Who Had 60 Whiskers
$23.95 Putnam (Jim Qwilleran)
Cavanaugh, Thomas B., Head Games $24.95 Minotaur
Cook, Thomas H., The Cloud of Unknowing $24.00
Harcourt
Cooper, Natasha, Evil is Done $24.95 Minotaur (Trish
Maguire)
Cortez, Donn, Harm for the Holidays: New Fears
$7.99 Pocket (CSI: Miami)
Crawford, Isis, A Catered Valentine’s Day $22.00
Kensington (Simmons Sisters)
Crider, Bill, Murder Among the O.W.L.S. $23.95
Minotaur (Dan Rhodes)
Davies, David Stuart, Forests of the Night $23.95
Minotaur (First novel - Johnny Hawke)
Deutermann, P. T., Spider Mountain $24.95 St.
Martin’s (Cam Richter)
Evanovich, Janet, Plum Love $16.95 St. Martin’s
Frazer, Margaret, The Traitor’s Tale $24.95 Prime
Crime (Joliffe)
Harper, Karen, The Hooded Hawke $23.95 Minotaur
(Elizabeth I)
Hogan, Chuck, The Killing Moon $25.00 Scribner
Johnson, Dolores, Dressed to Kill $23.95 Minotaur
(Mandy Dyer)
Kelly, Jim, The Coldest Blood $24.95 Minotaur
O’Connell, Carol, Find Me $24.95 Putnam (Kathleen
Mallory)
Sakey, Marcus, The Blade Itself $22.95 Minotaur
Stabenow, Dana, A Deeper Sleep $24.95 Minotaur
(Kate Shugak)
February 2007
Allen, Conrad, Murder on the Celtic $23.95 Minotaur
(George Porter Dillman)
Beaton, M. C., Death of a Maid $23.99 Mysterious
(Hamish Macbeth)
Bland, Eleanor Taylor, Suddenly a Stranger $23.95
Minotaur (Marti MacAlister)
Blunt, Giles, By the Time You Read This $19.95 Holt
(John Cardinal/Lisa Delorme)
Born, James O., Field of Fire $25.95 Putnam (Bill
Tasker)
Borthwick, J. S., Foiled Again $24.95 Minotaur (Sarah
Deane)
Browne, Robert Gregory, Kiss Her Goodbye $23.95
St. Martin’s
Crais, Robert, The Watchman $25.95 Simon & Schuster
(Joe Pike)
Dugoni, Robert, Damage Control $24.99 Warner
Haines, Carolyn, Fever Moon $23.95 Minotaur
Hockensmith, Steve, On the Wrong Track $23.95
Minotaur (Big Red & Old Red Amlingmeyer)
May, Peter, The Fourth Sacrifice $24.95 Minotaur
(Margaret Campbell/Li Yan)
McDermid, Val, The Grave Tattoo $24.95 Minotaur
Morris, Bob, Bermuda Schwartz $23.95 Minotaur
(Zack Chasteen)
Parker, Robert B., High Profile $24.95 Putnam (Jesse
Stone)
Pastor, Ben, The Water Thief $23.95 Minotaur
Spiegelman, Peter, Red Cat $22.95 Knopf (John March)
Sundstrand, David, Shadow of the Raven $24.95
Minotaur
Deadly Pleasures
WHA
T’S NEW IN
WHAT’S
THE U.K. ?
T
he following information was obtained from the
PostMortem Book website: www.postmortem.co.uk
All amounts are in pounds that have an exchange
rate of approximately $1.80 per pound.
AKUNIN, Boris, SPECIAL ASSIGNMENTS
(Weidenfeld and Nicholson, February 2007). Two new
adventures for Boris Akunin’s well-loved, inimitable hero
in which Erast Fandorin faces two very different adversaries: one, a deft, comedic swindler and master of disguise,
whose machinations send ripples spreading through the
carefully maintained calm of Moscow in 1886, and the
other a brutal serial killer, driven by an insane, maniacal
obsession, who strikes terror into the heart of the Moscow
slums in 1889 -- and who may have more in common with
London’s own Jack the Ripper than simply a taste for
women of easy virtue. 12.99
BARNARD, Robert, A FALL FROM GRACE
(Allison & Busby, February 2007). DC Charlie Peace
wants to begin a new life with his family in the tranquil
village of Slepton Edge, but finds his desire can only be
realised with financial assistance of his vainglorious fatherin-law Rupert Coggenhoe, midselling novelist and the
district’s most popular widower. Worse still, he’ll only
receive such help on the condition Rupert moves with
them. With a heavy heart Charlie accepts the offer and
they set up home, a frosty family in a cosy community. His
new life, however, will not merely test his sense of personal
duty but also his professional integrity, for when a mysterious death disturbs the village calm, the network of
neighbourhood gossip emerges as both his greatest ally
and crucial obstacle to solving the case. 18.99
CLEEVES, Ann, HIDDEN DEPTHS (Macmillan,
February 2007). Winner of this year’s Gold Dagger Award
(after many years of quietly plugging away), Ann Cleeves
is back with a tale of murder set on the wild Nothumberland
coast. Julie Armstrong arrives home from a night out to
find that her son Luke has been strangled, laid out in a bath
of water and covered with wild flowers. This stylized
murder scene has Inspector Vera Stanhope and her team
intrigued. But then a second body -- that of beautiful young
teacher Lily Marsh -- is discovered laid out in a rock pool,
the water strewn with flowers. 12.99
COOPER, Natasha A GREATER EVIL (Simon
& Schuster February 2007). When one of barrister Trish
Maguire’s first child clients comes back into her life as an
adult she has no idea of the chain of coincidence and horror
that will be revealed. Now a brilliant sculptor, Sam is
married to one of Trish’s fellow professionals on an
insurance case involving the London Arrow, a ravishing
new building that has shown sinister cracks since the day it
65
was unveiled. Violent death is followed by psychological
torment and a painful revisiting of the past by everyone
involved. If Trish did not have the security of her life with
solicitor George and her young half brother, David, she too
might be dangerously destabilized. 11.99
CUTLER, Judith, COLD PURSUIT (Allison &
Busby, February 2007). When a colleague becomes
seriously ill, Chief Superintendent Frances Harman has to
delay her impending retirement to oversee an investigation into a recent spate of ‘happy slappings’ and minor
assaults in the Kent area. The wave of assaults has ignited
a media furor and Fran is concerned that an unnecessary
atmosphere of mass hysteria is being generated in the
area. As the crimes gradually escalate and the line between ‘happy slapping’ and serious sexual assault becomes blurred, all mention of retirement is postponed until
Fran can resolve the nightmare that has enveloped around
her. 18.99
DAVIS, Lindsey, SATURNALIA (Century, February 2007). After a year’s break, it's nice to see Lindsey
back with a new Falco mystery. It is the Roman holiday of
Saturnalia. The days are short, the nights are for wild
parties. A general has captured a famous enemy of Rome,
and brings her home to adorn his Triumph as a ritual
sacrifice. The logistics go wrong; she acquires a mysterious
illness -- then a young man is horrendously murdered and
she escapes from house arrest. Marcus Didius Falco is
pitted against his old rival, the Chief Spy Anacrites, in a
race to find the fugitive before her presence angers the
public and makes the government look stupid. 17.99
EDWARDS, Martin, THE ARSENIC LABYRINTH (Allison & Busby, February 2007). Historian
Daniel Kind is finding the winter months at Brackdale
tough, especially so as his relationship with Miranda is also
going through a dark time. Far from the bright lights of
London and with the renovations behind schedule and
over-budget, Miranda has a bad case of itchy feet. She
wouldn’t be the first to leave: years ago a solitary woman
called Emma Beswick left her cottage nearby and never
came back. Her disappearance went unaccounted for,
and the unresolved case always irked DCI Hannah Scarlett.
Someone knows something though; someone who keeps
calling the local newspaper and dropping hints about
Emma’s death. With the case reopened, Hannah and
Daniel are drawn together again. 18.99
GREGORY, Susanna, BLOOD ON THE SAND
Time Warner January 2007). Rebellion is in the air of
London in the spring of 1663. Thomas Chaloner, spy for
the King’s intelligence service, has just returned from
thwarting a planned revolt in Dublin, but soon realises that
England’s capital is no haven of peace. He is ordered to
investigate the shooting of a beggar during a royal procession. He soon learns the man is no vagrant, but someone
with links to the powerful Company of Barber-Surgeons.
He master, the Earl of Clarendon, is locked in a deadly
feud with the Earl of Bristol, and an innocent man is about
to be hanged in Newgate. Chaloner is embroiled in a
desperate race against time to protect Clarendon, to
discover the true identity of the beggar’s murderer, and to
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Deadly Pleasures
save a blameless man from the executioner’s noose.
17.99
HALL, Patricia, DEATH IN A FAR COUNTRY
(Allison & Busby, March 2007). Two girls are running for
their lives. Terrified, one falls, and unable to get up, she
forces her friend to go on without her, to save herself. For
her there is no escape as their attackers close in. The
following morning the body of a young girl is found in the
canal. DCI Thackeray, recently returned to the force after
a bungled kidnapping operation left him near death, is put
on the case. But with the entire town’s attention focused on
the football team’s upcoming match against Chelsea, no
one seems to be able to tell the police anything about how
the girl died, let alone identify her. Thackeray’s girlfriend,
reporter Laura Ackroyd, also has much to investigate.
18.99
HARVEY, John, GONE TO GROUND
(Heinemann, February 2007). When police detective Will
Grayson and his partner, Helen Walker, are called upon
to investigate the violent death of
Stephen Bryan, a gay Cambridge academic, their first thoughts are off an illjudged sexual encounter, of rough trade
gone wrong. But as their investigation
widens, their attention focuses on the
biography Bryan was writing about the
life and death of fifties film star, Stella
Leonard, whose death from drowning
uncannily echoed the climax of her most
notorious film, Shattered Glass.12.99
HEWSON, David, THE SEVENTH SACRAMENT (Macmillan,
January 2007). Back in Rome after
their dramatic adventures in Venice,
Costa, Peroni and Leo Falcone are rebuilding their lives. But they team up
once again when faced with the sudden
appearance of fresh bloodstains on a
missing young boy’s T-shirt in a small
museum exhibit displaying supposed evidence of communication from souls in Purgatory. Soon they find themselves
embroiled in a mystery involving both the ancient cult of
Mithras and a sinister ossuary, the House of Bones. 12.99
HURLEY, Graham, ONE UNDER (Orion, January 2007). A man has been killed -- his body found in the
sea at the base of cliffs on the Isle of Whight. With fingers
and face eaten by crabs and fish, identification proves
tricky but eventually the body is identified as that of a
journalist -- a man who was writing a book on a private
security firm. A firm used by the government in the murky
world of ‘non-attributable operations.’ Faraday’s investigation takes him deep into the world of immigration and
international nuclear trading and right up against the
stonewall of MI5. Just how accountable are our leaders?
9.99
LAWRENCE, David, DOWN INTO DARKNESS
(Michael Joseph February 2007). The naked body of a
young woman is found hanging from a tree on a London
roadside. Scrawled across her back, are the words dirty
girl. Detective Sergeant Stella Mooney and the AMIP 5
squad are faced with a murder as baffling as it is chilling.
With no means to identify the victim and no apparent
motive, the case is blocked, until ...a man is found on a
bench by the river, his throat cut back to the vertebrae.
And, as before, the killer has left a trademark comment:
Filthy Coward. Stella and her team can see there’s a
connection: but what? More evidence is needed. And soon
enough, it comes: another death; another message. 10.99
NADEL, Barbara, A PASSION FOR KILLING
(Headline, January 2007). A serial killer is stalking the
streets of Istanbul. A man is found dead in a hotel room,
with a single stab wound in his heart. Could he be a victim
of the ‘Peeper’, a murderer whose target up until now has
been gay men? The body of the man is delivered to
forensics, but it is entirely clean. Has someone tampered
with it? Inspector Mehmet Suleyman finds himself under
increasing pressure from his contact at the Turkish Secret
Service to keep his findings to himself. Meanwhile, a young carpet dealer, on the brink of
a huge sale, is found dead in the mangled
remains of his Jeep. The carpet he wanted to
sell used to belong to Lawrence of Arabia.
Inspector Cetin Ikmen finds out that just as
the carpet’s rich history is stained by bloodshed, so the young man hides a sinister and
deadly secret. 19.99
RIPLEY, Mike, ANGEL’S SHARE
(Allison & Busby, November 2006). Roy
Angel is slowly adjusting to the pressures
of working at Rudgard & Blugden Confidential Investigations, although his
Raymond Chandler ‘training manuals’ still
haven’t reconciled him to going to work
every day. It would seem that Angel could
take it easy with his latest case however;
finding the retired Mr. Ellrington’s long
lost loves shouldn’t be too demanding,
should it? Handling his partner Amy May, fashionista
turned fearsome, nesting mother-to-be, as well as his
ailing father and his Page 3 girlfriend, might be
another matter though. 18.99
WALTERS, Michael, THE SHADOW WALKER
(Quercus, November 2006). Set in a country struggling to
come to terms with the legacy of its past and the promise
of its future, THE SHADOW WALKER is a gripping
thriller that introduces Inspector Nergui of the Mongolian
Serious Crime squad. As winter’s first snows fall on Ulaan
Bataar, the mutilated body of a British geologist is found
in the city’s most expensive hotel, apparently the fourth
victim of a serial killer. With political pressure to solve the
crimes mounting, Nergui, ex-head of the Serious Crime
squad, is ordered back to his former role, building an
uneasy working relationship with his successor and protege, Doripalam, and with Drew McLeish, a senior British
CID officer sent out to support the investigation. 12.99
Deadly Pleasures
REVIEWS FROM THE
UNITED KINGDOM
George Easter Reviews
GRAVE DOUBTS by Elizabeth Corley (Allison &
Busby, £18.99; trade £11.99). Rating: A
Viciously
attacked by a serial rapist while working undercover,
Sergeant Louise Nightingale is relieved when the man is
jailed. But she is unaware that the jailed rapist is only a
student of a much more deadly opponent. She begins to
see signs that she is being stalked so she escapes to a
remote family home to put her life back together. There
she also uncovers long buried family secrets.
Meanwhile, other rape/murder
victims are showing up and the modus
operandi of the rapist is quite similar to
that of the one already jailed. The police
suspect a copy cat, but want to find this
criminal before the convicted one uses this
as a reason for appeal. Then Sgt.
Nightingale’s boss DCI Andrew Fenwick
begins to worry that she may be the next
victim – but no one seems to know where
she is. Can he find her before the murderer does?
Elizabeth Corley’s writing is somewhat reminiscent of Val McDermid’s in her
Wire in the Blood series. There is a lot of
graphic violence and some passages are
quite difficult to read without the temptation to skip over the torture and violence.
But, like McDermid, she weaves a convincing story with very sympathetic characters.
“Who is Elizabeth Corley?” you might ask. She is
a British writer who published two crime novels several
years ago (only one -- FATAL LEGACY was published in
the U.S. by St. Martin’s -- to some critical acclaim). Her first
novel -- REQUIEM MASS -- had a very small print run in
the U.K. and is highly collectible. I met Elizabeth at the
Washington, D.C. Bouchercon and found her quite engaging. I was hoping for great things from her, but she quickly
disappeared from the scene. Imagine my delight when I
saw that Allison & Busby was coming out with a new book
from her, the third in the Andrew Fenwick series.
FAKING IT by Marianne Macdonald (Severn
House, £18.99, in U.S., $27.95). Rating: B Bookseller
Dido Hoare receives a surprise visit from book scout
Gabriel Steen, who hasn’t been around for a couple of
years (rumored to be living in Amsterdam). After buying
a few books from him, he takes a call on his cell phone that
seems to rattle him. He digs into his bag and presents Dido
with an illuminated manuscript which he offers to sell to
her, with half of the profits to be split between them. But
67
he needs £2000 cash right away. The deal is struck and
he quickly leaves. A few days later she hears that Steen
was the victim of a hit-and-run accident and that his body
had no cash on it. It seems that he was killed within a short
time of leaving Dido’s store.
The manuscript is written in an unintelligible script
and defies decoding by experts. But there are some
shadowy people who are interested in it and are apparently willing to do anything to get it, even if it proves to be
a forgery.
Likeable characters saved this book for me.
There was a bit too much description of everyday life that
interfered with the story flow.
SPIDER TRAP by Barry Maitland (Allen &
Unwin, A$29.95). Rating: A+ The bodies of two teenaged black girls are found in the heart of the West Indian
community of south London – the apparent victims of a
gangland shooting. And nearby the bones of two other
corpses are uncovered because of the actions of a curious
schoolboy. Have the police uncovered
a mini-killing field? DCI David Brock
and DS Kathy Kolla of Scotland Yard’s
Serious Crimes Branch are assigned
and their investigation uncovers clues
that lead back to Cockpit Lane, a neighborhood that Brock worked as a young
copper, and to his former arch nemesis,
Spider Roach. Will Brock have another
shot at the old, slippery crook? The
title, SPIDER TRAP, could have dual
meanings: Brock’s trap for Spider, or
Spider’s trap for Brock.
Let me put this simply: this is the
best crime novel I’ve read this year. The
complexity of plotting and the continual
growth of Brock and Kolla really hit the
spot with me – especially a “light bulb”
moment that Brock experiences as he
learns more about his long-ago split with his then wife.
Unfortunately this is only available in Australia as of yet, but
St. Martin’s has it in hand and I heard they have it
scheduled for 2007. Technically not a British edition, but
an Australian one, but I don’t have a separate section for
Australian crime fiction, so here it is for lack of a better
place to put it. And besides, all of the books in the series
are set in the U.K. Maitland is no secret among the British
crime enthusiasts, but he should be much “hotter” and
more widely read than he is. It is hoped that his greater
exposure here in the U.S. with his St. Martin’s Minotaur
contract will accomplish that. In the meantime, read his
NO TRACE recently published by St. Martin’s which I
gave an A+ too as well.
SINS OF THE FATHERS by Sally Spencer
(pen name of Alan Rustage) (Severn House, £18.99, in
U.S., $27.95). Rating: A Bradley Pine is prominent local
businessman and soon-to-be member of Parliament when
his life is cut short and his body is found in a deserted layby. Chief Constable Marlowe, DCI Woodend’s boss (and
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Deadly Pleasures
arch-nemesis) takes Pine’s place in the up-coming election
and wants a quick result on this case and, even though he
hates to admit it, DCI Woodend is his only hope for finding
the killer quickly.
His team of Sergeant Monika Paniatowski and
Inspector Bob Rutter are the two most interesting characters in this series. In SINS, Monika is coming to terms with
her lost faith in Catholicism and Bob is back on the job after
recovering from the aftermath of the death of his blind
wife. There is still a tension between them because of their
long-ago affair and they are still attracted to each other,
but they don’t talk and think any relationship is impossible.
Rutter’s wife and his guilt are just too great to overcome.
But Spencer keeps us on edge just enough in each
successive book to give us hope that something can
eventually be worked out.
This is the most underrated series in mystery
fiction. Excellent in every way. If your local mystery
bookstore doesn’t carry it, encourage them to do so.
Amazon.com is a source. And if all
else fails, go to your library. If the
library doesn’t have some of these
books, they can get them through
inter-library loan.
PSYCHO ALLEY by Nick
Oldham (Severn House, £18.99, in
U.S., $27.95). Rating: A- The case
of a series of increasingly violent
assaults on young girls in the happygo-lucky resort of Blackpool is assigned to DCI Henry Christie, who
suspects that his bosses are hoping
that he will fail and they will have an
excuse to fire or demote him. With the
discovery of a young girl’s body, and
the abduction of another, Henry finds
himself heading a high-profile, nationally scrutinized investigation which endangers his reputation. Soon he finds
himself pitted against a devious killer from his past.
Many of you may not have heard of Nick Oldham
nor read one of his books. That is a shame. This veteran
crime writer (who is a working policeman) has nine novels
under his belt and has created a lively, realistic and
provocative series with the flawed, but likeable DCI Henry
Christie. PSYCHO ALLEY is a cleverly plotted police
procedural with several mysteries to solve. But beware, it
does have as its central crime to be solved that of
pedophilia, though thankfully most abuse occurs offscreen.
FREE FALL by John Francome (Headline,
£17.99). Rating: B+ Two couples are center stage in this
horse-racing novel of deceit and possibly murder. One
couple is that of veteran jockey Pat Vincent and his lover
Zoe, a talented apprentice jockey. The other couple is
assistant trainer Andy Burns and his unhappy and unfaithful wife Harriet, Zoe’s sister. The two men have been
engaged in fixing races (keeping talented horses from
winning until odds escalate and then betting on them to
win, which they do easily). They have accumulated over
£200,000 doing this and Andy has all the money in his
account. Neither Zoe nor Harriet are aware what is going
on, but then Andy takes a header off a coastal cliff and
Harriet finds that she is a wealthy widow. No one but a nosy
young female policewoman suspects that Andy’s death is
anything but suicide. But there are other people who
would benefit from Andy’s death, so she continues her
investigation. One who would not benefit is Pat, who is
trying to figure out how to get his share of the money from
a reluctant Harriet.
Francome has often been compared with Dick
Francis as he should be, but he seems to add more moral
ambiguity to his characters than does the Grandmaster.
The protagonists (except Zoe) are all morally flawed, yet
quite likeable. We know that bad things are going to
happen to them because of their flaws and I for one, was
uncomfortable reading this tale because I liked the characters and didn’t want those “bad things” to
occur. But this Greek tragedy set in
modern British horse racing circles demanded that.
Ali Karim Review
THE MURMUR OF STONES by Thomas H Cook (Quercus, £12.99, October,
2006; in U.S. THE CLOUD OF UNKNOWING, Harcourt, $24.00, January,
2007). Rating: A I must thank Quercus
for releasing the new book by Cook in the
U.K., after the tour de force that was the
CWA Gold Dagger-nominated and Barry
Award-winning RED LEAVES. THE
MURMUR OF STONES is a tremendously well crafted work; which thematically shares a similar structure to RED
LEAVES; the secrets hidden in the families of the dysfunctional and fractured. The narrative
unfolds from David Sears’ perspective – a divorce lawyer
coming to terms with the loss of his father and his young
nephew, who both suffered from schizophrenia. The
chapters are divided by an exchange between Sears and
Detective Petrie, because the deaths of his father and
nephew Jason may or may not have been of natural
causes.
When the young Jason is found drowned in a deep
pond in the garden; being cared for by his brilliant but
distracted father, the scientist Mark Regan, David Sears
watches his sister Diana slowly unravel. She suspects that
her husband Mark had a hand in her son’s death, but there
is no tangible proof. David has to confront the past and
wonder if there is madness in their family gene-pool;
something that David can’t bring himself to accept; because his own sanity is at stake.
As Diana’s behaviour becomes more and more
bizarre, her brother fears for his own daughter Patty’s life
as Diana starts to form a bizarre bond with her. David’s
Deadly Pleasures
wife Abby watches from the sidelines as does David’s
business partner Charlie.
The short chapters are filled with dark insight, but
you really can not trust the relaying of events by either
David who narrates the tale, nor any of the other protagonists because there is the smell of madness rippled throughout the story. It becomes clear that many of the characters
start to hear voices, and perhaps there is something behind
these voices, and soon it’s impossible to differentiate the
mad from the sane; as the trail leads back to Brigham
Mental Hospital where David’s father was held, before
being discharged into Diana’s care.
It is an uneasy story, and perhaps the ending was
telegraphed a little, but even so it still shocks as the reader
has started to care for the characters. It does pose one
interesting point that I often ponder upon -- how insane are
the people who hear these voices in their head? Cook calls
these whispers ‘The Murmur of Stones,’ so where do these
voices come from? Expect this novel to feature heavily in
the award nominations next year, such is
the strength of the narrative
Jeff Popple Reviews
THE EXCEPTION by Christian Jungersen (Weidenfeld & Nicolson,
£12.99). Rating B+
The current
enthusiasm for European crime novels
shows no signs of waning with a steady
flow of translated novels from France,
Sweden, Finland and even Iceland. One
of the latest is THE EXCEPTION, an
intriguing second novel by Danish writer
Christian Jungersen, which has been a
huge success across Europe.
The novel contrasts the safety
of an academic concern with genocide
with the real personal terror of being
stalked by a killer. When four women
working at the Danish Centre for Genocide are sent death
threats they suspect that they are being targeted by a
Serbian war criminal. The threats gradually escalate and
the women begin to turn on each other as it becomes clear
that the person behind the threats is much closer than they
expected.
This is an interesting and unusual thriller that
twists its way through a few good surprises. The
characterisations and the settings are interesting, but the
story takes too long to unfold and the pace often lags.
Nevertheless it is quite enjoyable for its European perspective and the fascinating background information.
DYING LIGHT by Stuart MacBride (Harper
Collins, £10.00). Rating: B+ Stuart MacBride’s first
novel COLD GRANITE was one of the best debuts of
2005 (a Barry Award winner) and took the reader on a
bleak tour of Aberdeen’s seedy underbelly. In his second
novel MacBride again introduces the reader to the slightly
maverick DS Logan McRae, also known as Lazarus to his
colleagues. The book starts with the discovery of the
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beaten, naked body of an aging prostitute, but before long
McRae has other bodies to deal with, including the six
victims of an arson attack who were burnt to death in their
petrol-soaked squat.
Crime fiction does not come much grittier than
this. The plotting is tough and uncompromising and there
are also plenty of atmospheric descriptions of Aberdeen,
although they are unlikely to inspire many tourists to visit
the “coldest, wettest city in Scotland.” The book is not as
engaging as COLD GRANITE, but is still quite good and
produces some good surprises. A solid, hard-hitting police
thriller, although not one for the faint hearted or those put
off by excessive and unnecessary foul language.
VISIBILITY by Boris Starling (Harper Collins,
£12.99). Rating: A
In December 1952 London was
enveloped in a thick smog of smoke fumes and pollution,
which brought the city to a stand still for several days. It was
known as the ‘Great Fog’ and killed over 10,000 people
and was the impetus for changing the air pollution laws in
London.
The darkness and chaos of the ‘Great
Fog’ serves as an apt setting for Boris
Starling’s fourth novel, VISIBILITY, and
also acts as a fitting metaphor for the
activities of the various intelligence agencies during the early years of the Cold
War.
Herbert Smith used to a spy, but after an
unfortunate incident is now working as a
detective at Scotland Yard. The murder
of a scientist on the verge of an important
breakthrough, however, pulls Smith back
into the world of espionage as he tries to
sort his way through an array of double
dealing British, American and Russian
spies in order to find the killer.
This is easily Starling’s best novel to date.
Unlike his last novel, the overweight and
drawn-out VODKA, VISIBILITY gallops along at a brisk pace and keeps the reader happily
entertained trying to work out who is doing what and why.
Taut and atmospheric, with plenty of surprises and a
fascinating setting, it breathes some much needed life into
the classic British espionage novel. Highly recommended.
THE RED DAHLIA by Lynda La Plante (Simon
& Schuster, £17.99). Rating: AThe brutal murder and mutilation of Elizabeth Short in Los
Angeles in the 1940s became famous as the ‘The Black
Dahlia’ case. The killer was never found, but sixty years
later a disturbingly similar murder occurs in London. When
a second body is found it is clear that someone is trying to
replicate the killings attributed to the ‘Black Dahlia Killer.’
It is up to DI Anna Travis and her brilliant, but volatile,
mentor and former lover Chief Inspector James Langton
to stop the killer before he strikes again.
La Plante, who rose to fame as the creator of the
Prime Suspect series is a skilled exponent of the police
novel and her latest book displays the usual convincing
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grasp of police detail and politics. The pacing is a little
uneven, but the book builds to a taut climax and is well
served by its convincing forensic descriptions. (See Mike
Ripley’s column herein for further insight).
GLASS TIGER by Joe Gores (Quercus, £10.99;
in U.S. Harcourt, $24.00). Rating: B+
Hardboiled
veteran Joe Gores serves up a deadly duel between two
master snipers in his latest book. Brendan Thorne used to
be a CIA sniper, but is now living a more peaceful life as
a game warden at a Kenyan safari park. His idyllic
existence, however, is disturbed when he is persuaded by
the FBI to help stop Hal Goodwin, a Vietnam veteran and
renowned sniper who is gunning for the new American
President. As is usually the case in thrillers, however,
things are more complicated than they first appear and
Thorne finds that everyone involved has an agenda and
that those closest to the President pose the greatest risk.
This fast-paced novel skilfully shifts perspective
between the hunter and the hunted as Goodwin moves
closer to his target and Thorne doubts
about the mission increase. Despite
requiring a considerable suspension of
disbelief, GLASS TIGER provides plenty
of action and excitement and a satisfying
conclusion.
Jay Waggoner Reviews
THREE BAGS FULL by Leonie
Swann (Doubleday, £12.99). Rating:
B+ Here’s a book for anyone interested
in trying something different that, if not in
left field, is certainly in deep center. A
somewhat traditional murder apparently
happens to a shepherd; he’s poisoned
then stabbed with a spade. The body is
first discovered by his sheep, then it’s
stumbled upon by members of the small
local village. Though the reader is occasionally privy to some of the conversations of the townsfolk,
for the most part, the reader is forced into solving the
mystery along with, and through, the observations of his
sheep. Each of the sheep has his/her special capabilities,
identified in a cast of sheep characters at the beginning of
the book. The reader, in piecing together conjectures
from sheep conversations, must separate sheep gossip,
sheep philosophy, sheep lore, and sheep fact from sheep
. . . scat.
As one might surmise, the pace is not frenetic,
hence it’s not a fast read. If you want a chase scene there’s
not even a wolf in this lea to provide that. It is, however,
a fascinating, sometimes thought-provoking read. Expect
quirkiness but not the in-your-face, flat-out humor, satire
and irony of a Jasper Fforde romp but rather a more
subtle, cud in cheek.
THE RIGHTEOUS MEN by Sam Bourne
(HarperCollins, £6.99; HarperCollins,$24.95). Rating:
B+
For those who read THE DAVINCI CODE and
enjoyed it, in part, for what they learned about the Catholic
faith (once fact is separated from fiction), Sam Bourne’s
(Jonathan Freedland) THE RIGHTEOUS MEN affords a
similar look at the Jewish faith. It’s been argued that
Bourne copied Brown’s formula to success, and it can’t be
denied that some of the same devices that Brown used do
reoccur. Even so “Righteous” is a really good read. I have
this fear that, henceforth, whenever any one pens a
mystery centered about the mysticism of religion they’ll be
labeled a copycat. That’s a shame. Any time an author
can get us to slow down and begin thinking beyond the
realm of the here-and-now is a plus. If it piques and we
explore/think that’s good. And THE RIGHTEOUS
MEN does just that.
Will Monroe is a rookie reporter trying to make it
with the New York Times. Sent to cover an apparent turf
war murder, the article he writes notes some goodness in
a supposedly bad person. When he’s assigned to the West
Coast he stumbles upon a similar death and questions the
coincidence. As the frequency of more such deaths occur
so also do conjectures and the pace of the
book. Though at times predictable (and
American publishers thought the ending
of the British edition so predictable they
changed it) it is, nevertheless, an interesting, fast read where most readers will
now have to sort Jewish fact from Jewish
fiction.
Maggie Mason Review
LIAR, LIAR by Deborah Nicholson
(Severn House, £18.99, $27.95). Fifth
in the Kate Carpenter series. Rating: BKate Carpenter manages the Calgary
Arts Complex’s Centenary Theater. She
has a lot of friends, and her love, Cam,
who she lives with. The loft apartment
they have is being demolished, and Kate
has her head stuck in the sand about
buying a new house. House hunting is proving a lot more
difficult than any real estate agent could have expected.
It’s getting to be a joke with their friends.
While trying to find a new house, Kate is helping
her young assistant Graham deal with some crisis in his
life.. He lost out of a part in THE SOUND OF MUSIC, and
his mom is dying of cancer. When an accident to the man
cast in his part happens, Graham is pleased to take over
the part. Sadly, his mom is taken to the hospital at this
time. Kate proves what a true friend she is when she has
the performance taped, and taken directly to the hospital.
Kate has pulled a lot of strings to get a VCR ready for the
show. Graham’s mom dies shortly after seeing the show,
and Graham goes into a tailspin.
There is an arsonist in Calgary, burning apartments being converted to condos, and when Kate’s dad
shows up, a cop asks her about her dad. He has been in
many cities where at arsonist is at work.
To complicate her life even more, Cam announces he has purchased a house for them. It turns out to
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be an ex fire house, and will need a lot of work. Luckily,
they have a lot of friends who help out, as does Kate’s dad.
When a mystery man contacts Kate about her dad, she
unwittingly gets involved in the investigation. From what I
gather, this is not a unique occurrence. Thankfully all
works out, and Cam has managed to give Kate her dream
house.
I liked this book, though felt I should have read
previous books in the series first for a background in Kate’s
life. She was very honest in the way she looked at her
dragging her feet on house hunting: She knew she was
being stupid, but couldn’t help it. I would have given this
book a bit higher rating, but there was a cliff hanger at the
end, and though I don’t mind a minor delay in hearing
about choices in life, this seemed like it was much too
pertinent to the next book to be left hanging.
Martin Edwards Review
NAKED TO THE HANGMAN by Andrew Taylor (Hodder & Stoughton, £16.99). Andrew Taylor is
remarkably prolific – it doesn’t seem five minutes since his
last stand-alone novel appeared – but what is even more
remarkable is that his productivity does not have the least
adverse effect on the quality of his writing. On the contrary,
this latest entry in the excellent Lydmouth series is arguably even stronger than its predecessor, the admirable
CALL FOR THE DYING. In this book, Richard Thornhill
comes under pressure as never before when a tragedy
from his brief service as a police officer in Palestine comes
71
back to haunt him. The mystery element of the story is
handled with Taylor’s usual skill, and there are a couple of
neat twists, but what I found striking was the way this
talented writer made me care a great deal about such
questions as who would accompany whom at the local
charity dance. He draws us completely into the remote
world of 1950s rural England and makes what happens
there matter very much. A considerable achievement.
(This review first appeared on the Tangled Web website).
Cath Staincliffe Review
TOMBSTONING by Doug Johnstone (Michael
Joseph, £7.99). A chance e-mail from old flame Nicola
persuades David Lindsay to return to Arbroath for the
High School Reunion. David has avoided the place since
his friend Colin fell from the cliffs to his death. When
another old school-friend dies in similar circumstances,
David becomes an unwilling sleuth in an effort to stay alive
and get at the true facts. Written with a large helping of
humour and with a perceptive description of the ‘friends
reunited’ phenomena and the horrors of returning ‘home’
after having escaped, TOMBSTONING is a promising
debut. While the story and the romantic element are a little
predictable, there is much to enjoy along the way: concise
descriptions of the weather-beaten landscapes and of
contemporary life, dialogue that zips along and laugh-outloud moments.
(This review first appeared on the Tangled Web website).
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Deadly Pleasures
GETTIN
G AWAY WITH
GETTING
MURDER
by Mike Ripley
This column contains excerpts from Mike Ripley's
humorous bi-monthly look at British crime fiction which
appears in SHOTS, the Crime and Thriller Ezine which
can be found at www.shotsmag.co.uk/
Lewis
T
wo of my oldest and most distinguished friends,
Colin Dexter and TV producer Ted Childs both
seem to be well-pleased with the response to the
first episode of Inspector Morse spin-off Lewis. At least
three more episodes are to be filmed this autumn for
transmission early in 2007.
Party Time
I attended the inaugural Duncan Lawrie Dagger
awards dinner where the guest-speaker, Radio 4’s James
Naughtie, went on far longer than he would ever have
allowed a politician interviewee and then, the next morning, there he was on the radio, still talking. Spooky!
One of the main problems on a hot, humid
evening was that the Waldorf Hilton seemed to have run
out of ice, which was bloody ironic considering some of the
interiors for Titanic were shot there. Even the bottled
water served at the dinner was room temperature, although Mark Timlin did suggest to a passing waiter that it
was warm enough to shave in.
Being hot and thirsty made it difficult to concentrate on the new vocabulary needed for Dagger ceremonies these days.
There is now a Debut dagger, for unpublished
work (surely some mistake, Ed?) whereas the best published debut novel gets the New Blood Dagger, which used
to be called the John Creasey Dagger (though booksellers,
who get younger every year, don’t have a clue who
Creasey was) and must not be confused with the First
Blood award of 1995, awarded by crime reviewers and
critics when the Crime Writers Association’s judges decided there was nothing good enough to give a Creasey to
that year, despite drawing up a short-list of candidates and,
cruelly, making that list public.
And of course, the famous Gold Dagger is now the
Duncan Lawrie Dagger, though more people at the dinner
knew who John Creasey was rather than Mr Lawrie, and
there is no Silver Dagger any more.
For thrillers, there is of course the relatively new
Ian Fleming Steel Dagger, though eyebrows were raised
(in true Roger Moore fashion) as to why Michael Connelly’s
LINCOLN LAWYER (a Richard & Judy favourite) and
indeed Martyn ‘Big Man’ Waites’ MERCY SEAT were
short-listed for the Fleming Dagger but not the Lawrie.
Which comes down, of course, to what you regard as a
‘thriller’ and what you think is a ‘crime novel.’
In the days before anyone thought of the term
‘crime novel’ and the terminology revolved around ‘the
detective story’ or the ‘whodunit?’ Dorothy L. Sayers, then
crime fiction critic for The Sunday Times had three goes
over successive months trying to define the difference
between detective story and thriller.
The best she came up with went something like
this: In a crime story, it is what has happened before which
is the most important aspect; with the thriller it is what
happens next.
More than 70 years on, that’s still not a bad
definition. I’d be interested to hear the judges’ definition,
if they have one.
And then it was to Cambridge on a hot and sultry
night for the annual ‘Bodies in the Bookshop’ thrash run
by esteemed crime fan Richard Reynolds in the famous
Heffer’s bookshop.
It was alphabetical listing
which placed
me next to
Roman history-mystery
expert Rosemary Rowe,
though it was
an absolute
delight
to
meet her and
we spent the
Rosemary Rowe and Mike Ripley
evening insulting people in Latin. Due to the tragic decline in educational
standards in this country, no-one understood us and so we
were able to get away scot-free.
I’d Like To Thank…
Time to get on my high horse again, in pursuit of
author’s acknowledgements which could double as Oscaracceptance speeches, my latest nominee is American
thriller writer Vince Flynn.
In CONSENT TO KILL, Vince spends the first
two pages thanking 27 different people, including a US
Senator, the Directorate of Operations of the CIA and his
aunty Maureen.
However, the ultimate dedication must come in
Kathleen McGowan’s THE EXPECTED ONE. This is the
first in a predicted series which involves sacred scrolls,
religious secrets buried in the south of France not far from
Carcassonne, the Gospel according to Mary Magdalene
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and historic clues involving, among others, Leonardo da
Vinci. (Does any of this sound familiar?)
The book is dedicated to “Mary Magdalene, my
muse, my ancestor.”
I wonder who’s going to top that?
Inspector Norse
At the risk of sounding non-PC and adding to the
under-swell of moans about ‘bloody foreigners’ winning all
the crime writing awards, I did raise an eyebrow when I
received another copy of ROSEANNA for review, as less
than two years ago I was welcoming the reissue of this
1960’s classic from the Orion Crime Masterworks series.
But then, you can’t have too much of a good thing.
The crime scene here has absorbed several waves
of Viking crime writers in recent years (were Vikings the
first illegal immigrants?) but the original ‘Inspector Norse’
was undoubtedly Martin Beck, the Swedish cop hero of a
series of ten novels written by husband-and-wife team of
Maj Swjowall and Per Wahloo (or ‘Madge and Pete’ as we
used to call them).
Although incredibly young and probably still in
short trousers, I remember the arrival of the Martin Beck
books in the UK in the late Sixties. They were Swedish,
which was unusual and faintly exotic and the authors were
dedicated Marxists, which gave an edge to the perspective
they brought to the crime table.
ROSEANNA was the first in what was always
planned as a series of ten novels, though THE LAUGHING POLICEMAN was probably the best known and the
one which went on to win the Mystery Writers of America’s
Edgar Award.
In the year 2000, when The Times asked Harry
Keating and I to select the ‘Top 100 crime thrillers of the
20th Century’, we chose ROSEANNA without any debate to represent the Beck series.
Harper Perennial are republishing all ten (in
order)as paperbacks between now and December 2007,
with introductions by the likes of Henning Mankell, Val
McDermid, Andrew Taylor and Michael Connelly, so new
readers can get the whole set without having to scour
second-hand bookshops as I did on a schoolboy’s pocket
money.
Per Wahloo died in 1975, shortly after completing the last novel in the series, THE TERRORISTS, but
Maj Sjowall, is still alive and in an interview quoted in the
new Harper Perennial edition, she claims that the ten
Martin Beck thrillers were always conceived as: ‘A single
book of 300 chapters.’
Now that was quite an ambition and none would
deny that the Martin Beck series was an outstanding
achievement.
Little Englanders can rest easy, for Sjowall and
Wahloo never won a crime writing prize in Britain, though
much honoured and respected just about everywhere else.
Indeed at the time, Maj claims they never expected to get
translated into English – “that was for Strindberg, not us.”
73
The Beck books are rightly regarded as classics of
the genre, but the dour Stockholm detective’s real legacy
is in the waves of Viking writers arriving from not only
Sweden, but Denmark, Iceland and Norway.
And it is from Norway that ‘the next big thing’
comes, in the shape of Jo Nesbo, the author of THE
REDBREAST which is published here (in September) by
Harvill Secker.
As one who has not been totally sold on rather
gloomy Nordic policemen (Beck apart) in the past, I have
to say that THE REDBREAST seems, at first glance, to
do the business for me.
The Outing of Justin
About ten years ago, I lost touch with American
writer Justin Scott. We had been Collins Crime Club
authors in happier times, before the axe fell with the
coming of HarperCollins.
Justin had made his name writing rip-roaring
ocean-going adventures such as THE SHIPKILLER and
historical thrillers like A PRIDE OF KINGS before turning
his hand to a very cultured, witty series of crime novels set
in New England, featuring Ben Abbott, possibly the only
estate agent/private eye in fiction.
I became a great fan of Ben Abbott mysteries such
as HARDSCAPE and FROSTLINE, but then we both
got chopped by Collins and Justin’s visits to London
became fewer.
However, thanks to some genuine detective work
on my part (and an e-mail to Bill Crider, who knows
everything) I have made contact with Justin again and I can
proudly out him.
For the last few years he has been working under
deep cover producing a series of sailing/high seas adventures such as SEA HUNTER and FIRE AND ICE under
the pen-name Paul Garrison.
In January, Garrison reverts to Scott and Ben
Abbott makes a very welcome return in MCMANSION
published in the US by Poisoned Pen Press. Set once more
in Newbury, Connecticut, Justin’s return to mainstream
mysteries involves a good swipe at ‘McMansions’ – identikit
oversized, wasteful houses – and venal property developers.
If the book gets picked up by a UK publisher, he’ll
have to come up with another title as Murder in a Barrett
Homes Executive Mansion probably won’t cut it.
Caught on Camera
The normally shy and retiring Rodney Wingfield,
creator of Inspector Jack Frost, famously avoids the
intrusive lenses of the paparazzi, however I can exclusively
reveal he has finally been caught on camera.
Rumour has it that his Italian publishers demanded a picture of the author for the back jacket of the
latest Frost they had translated and had to resort to landing
a crack team of photographers from a helicopter on to the
offshore Napoleonic fort on which Rodney lives and breeds
attack dogs.
74
Deadly Pleasures
Their efforts clearly paid off.
The really good news for Frost
fans is that Rodney is working on a
new novel with working titles of
AUTUMN FROST or possibly A
KILLING FROST due for publication in 2007.
The Name’s Bond
My spies tell me that the hot
favourite to be the next author appointed to write the James Bond novels is none other than
Mr. Peter Guttridge, long known in literary circles as ‘The
King of Comedy Crime’. (Just hearing that brings a smile
to my lips.)
Naturally, Peter has to deny the rumours as the
official announcement from the estate of Ian Fleming is not
due until 2007 and will be tied in to the centenary
celebrations of Fleming’s birth.
All of us who have attended one of Mr. Guttridge’s
master classes will agree that this is an inspired choice for
he is truly a writer who is never shaken and only rarely
stirred, and here I am trying to pick up a few tips on
comedy.
Size isn’t everything
Last time, I mentioned Vikram Chandra’s forthcoming SACRED GAMES from Faber which, at almost
twice the length of THE MOONSTONE, puts it up there
as possibly the longest crime novel in print, if not ever.
The finished book, and very handsome it is too,
comes in at exactly 900 pages and apart from being very
long, this tale of gangsters and utter corruption in modern
Mumbai is also very, very good. In fact it is the most
outstandingly well-written piece of fiction I’ve read this
year, so hats off to Faber for taking a risk on a 900-page
thriller with a Sikh detective.
Under the latest edict from the Crime Writers
Association, any book making it on to the shortlist for the
Duncan Lawrie (the old Gold) Dagger will now have to pay
a £500 quality tax for being good enough to get there.
I trust Faber & Faber have stashed away £500 in
an investment account somewhere. I’ve a feeling that
SACRED GAMES will be needing it by next June.
Deighton Confidential
I have finally managed to catch up with the BBC4
film The Truth About Len Deighton on a late-night
repeat showing, which is timely as a re-mastered print of
THE IPCRESS FILE is about to be released.
The BBC film trapped the elusive Len Deighton
into what was billed as his first television interview in over
twenty years. A sprightly 76, Deighton was filmed in his
southern California home and talked about his early career
as a commercial artist, his almost accidental career as a
best-selling thriller writer, his legendary cooking skills and
his fascination with most things German.
He was hardly pushed or probed as to why he left
England “for good” in 1969, shortly after producing the
movie version of Oh What A Lovely War. Or on why none
of his books since then have been filmed with the exception
of the forgettable Harry Palmer clones Bullet To Beijing
and Midnight In St Petersburg in the 1990s. Or what
ever happened to his aborted Viet Nam novel, a tantalising
snippet of which appeared as the story First Base in his
wonderful short story collection DECLARATIONS OF
WAR. Or why he hasn’t published anything for over ten
years now, when surely even his notes to the milkman (if
they have them in southern California) would find an
audience.
I have always proudly admitted that Deighton was
a key influence on my own writing (along with Raymond
Chandler and Nigel Molesworth) and remember getting his
new hardback, BILLION DOLLAR BRAIN, for my 14th
birthday. (It cost 21 shillings – that’s £1.05 to you young
whippersnappers.) And I have long lobbied for him to be
awarded the Cartier Diamond Dagger for lifetime achievement.
Whenever I raise this topic, I am told that Mr
Deighton does not accept prizes and awards. Well if not,
why not? The film didn’t ask that either.
I suppose it’s his way of remaining enigmatic and
you have to feel that Harry Palmer would have approved.
Partners in Crime
To
delightful
and
sparsely-populated
Buckinghamshire (during the Tory Party Conference) for
an evening in Beaconsfield Library with my dear friend
Baroness Cohen of Pimlico, who adopts the nom-deguerre of Janet Neel when dealing with the reading public.
And what a treat it was to meet genuine readers once
more.
Janet and I launched our touring double-act “Partners In Crime” in 2005 to coincide with the publication of
my ANGEL IN THE HOUSE and Janet’s TICKET TO
RIDE by those wonderfully people at Allison & Busby,
publishers to the stars. Having toured venues in London,
Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire and Essex (and Janet even
has the official tour t-shirt), we were tempted out for our
first farewell tour to celebrate both books appearing in
paperback.
Any writer who ignores, or underestimates, a
library audience, does so at their peril, although local
librarians have a tough time these days with stretched
budgets, “value added” targets and idiotic management
Janet Neel and Mike Ripley
Deadly Pleasures
strictures which seem to ignore the basic point that people
who use libraries like books.
Everyone’s A Critic
I started reviewing crime fiction in 1989, on the
Sunday Telegraph, then did ten years on the Daily
Telegraph and am in my sixth year on the Birmingham
Post, which I am told holds the record for British newspapers as it has covered crime fiction continuously since
1936.
In my career, I reckon I have read about 3,000
crime novels; some of them all the way through. Yet I am
always being accosted by crime writers who announce
themselves and then say “You haven’t reviewed my new
book” to which I usually answer “There’s no need to thank
me”.
Of course you can’t read everything, or even a
decent fraction of the 500+ new titles published each
year. (Yes, that’s over 500 NEW titles published for the
first time in the UK and doesn’t include paperback
editions, reprints or re-issues.) But sometimes, just occasionally, my heart goes out to writers who firmly believe
their books have been sent out for review and feel they are
being ignored when no review appears.
So, to set the record strait in advance of the
Christmas party season (and yes, that’s a hint) I want to
make it clear that I have not been deliberately ignoring any
crime writers published this year by Heinemann, Little
Brown, Hutchinson, Michael Joseph and Penguin/Viking,
I have just not been sent any. Naturally, most writers don’t
believe this and will blame me, usually insisting: “Oh, I
never read reviews anyway.” Yeah; right.
Sometimes you try to help and it feels like you’re
bashing your head against a wall. Take for example the
case of Michael Cox’s debut novel THE MEANING OF
NIGHT, which supposedly took thirty years to write. A
very attractive ‘taster’ proof of the opening 90 pages of
this Victorian melodrama was sent out at the start of 2006
by publishers John Murray to publicise the book’s launch
in September, stating that full proofs would be available
in March. When no proof had arrived by July, I contacted
the publishers and asked for one because I was quite
intrigued by the taster sample and this was a debut novel
and one always tries to help new writers.
Further e-mails in August revealed that the publishers ‘did not have’ my address (even though they had
sent me the original sampler and I had just received and
reviewed thriller-writer Guy Walters’ fascinating BERLIN
GAMES published by them). As the deadline for my
September column approached and I had still only seen
90 of the proposed 600 pages of this book, but was
beginning to notice the marketing campaign, more emails followed and I was assured a copy was on its way. (It
was already on sale in my local Ottastones).
Publication day came and went and so did my
deadline without a book and I began to feel sorry for
debutant author Michael Cox, especially when I read a
review of MEANING OF NIGHT in the Daily Tele-
75
graph where Alistair Sooke concluded “if I had taken
three decades to pen such a baggy potboiler, I would have
kept schtum.” Sooke’s review appeared a tad harsh,
calling the book “substandard, ersatz hokem”, citing a plot
which “unfurls in tediously linear fashion”, “clunking”
revelations, “schlocky” love scenes “which would make a
Mills and Boon copy-editor wince” and an “insultingly
obvious (final) twist.”
All this and more taking up almost a whole page
in the Telegraph’s tabloid book review section. My heart
sank and I yearned for the days when the Telegraph used
to get crime fiction reviewed by people who actually liked
crime fiction and recommended good books rather than
taking up valuable space trashing bad ones. I also felt badly
for the poor first-time author and frustrated because I might
have been able to give him a more equitable review. Such
are the things which keep a crime critic awake into the wee
hours.
Then I read that the advance for this debut novel
was £430,000 and stopped worrying.
Good News, Very Bad News
Flipping through some of the publishers’ catalogues for 2007, my heart leapt at HarperCollins’ announcement of a new Dalziel and Pascoe novel, scheduled
for March, from the elegant pen of my old and distinguished
friend, Reginald Hill.
A new Reginald Hill novel is always good news; a
new Dalziel and Pascoe novel is invariably brilliant news.
But what’s this? Can it really be that his 2007 title is THE
DEATH OF DALZIEL?
Surely not, this must be a cruel joke, mustn’t it? I
mean, characters as good as Fat Andy Dalziel simply don’t
One of crime fiction's most
entertaining covers
76
Deadly Pleasures
die, do they? Not somebody who made his first appearance (37 years ago in A CLUBBABLE WOMAN) thus:
Superintendent Andrew Dalziel was a big man. When
he took his jacket off and dropped it over the back of
a chair it was like a Bedouin pitching camp.
I have known Reg since our days together in the
legendary Collins Crime Club, of which Reg remains the
sole survivor still within the HarperCollins empire, and his
was eminently civilised company to be in whenever he
could be tempted out of his scenic Cumbrian retreat.
Reg has never made any secret of a small speech
impediment which makes it difficult for him to pronounce
the letter “R”. He has often joked that it was consequently
unfortunate to be called “Reginald” and downright masochistic to adopt the pen-name “Patrick Ruell.”
And I can assure you that his difficulty with Rs has
never stopped him from marching into his local bookshop
(Oxfam, Cockermouth) to demand “the latest Ruth Rendell”
or, I am delighted and honoured to say, “the latest Mike
Ripley.”
Oddly enough, though, he’s never read an Ian
Rankin.
Add a Dash of Vitriol
The Daily Telegraph is starting to corner the
market in bitchy reviews of crime fiction (though not, one
must emphasize, the Sunday Telegraph).
Earlier this month, Lynda La Plante’s THE RED
DAHLIA (Simon & Schuster) came in for a roasting from
Toby Clements who said that “If you can ignore the
predictability... the leaden dialogue, the writing-by-numbers prose, the flat-pack plotting... the utter banality of it
all” then the book “is just about all right.”
I do hope the Telegraph employs Lynda La
Plante next month to review THE NO 2 GLOBAL
DETECTIVE by a certain Toby Clements.
Pip! Pip
The Ripster.
The foregoing was gleaned from the online magazine
Shots (www.shotsmag.co.uk) by permission of its
editor and the author. This is the first of many
humorous, informative columns to follow. Mike Ripley
is the author of 14 comic thrillers in the ‘Angel’ series,
which have twice won the Crime Writers’ Last Laugh
award, and a former scriptwriter on the “Lovejoy”
series. He has recently turned to historical thrillers set
in Roman and Medieval England, based on his professional career as an archaeologist. Between 1990 and
2000 he was crime critic for the Daily Telegraph, the
largest-circulation quality newspaper in the UK, and
now reviews for The Birmingham Post and various
magazines. He is one of the co-presenters of the UK TV
series “Super Sleuths” which looks at how mystery
novels are adapted for television. His recently published titles are: JUST ANOTHER ANGEL/ANGEL
TOUCH/ANGEL HUNT reissues [Telos Books, August];
ANGEL IN THE HOUSE [A&B paperback,
September];THE ANGEL’S SHARE [Allison & Busby,
November]; and the soon-to-be-published THE LEGEND
OF HEREWARD [Severn House, 2007].
SC
AVEN
GER AND
SCA
VENGER
TIME CAPSULES:
LOST MESSAGES
FR
OM THE P
AS
T
FROM
PAS
AST
by David Morrell
W
hen it comes to ideas for novels, I’m a packrat.
My office shelves are crammed with file folders
dating back several decades. Scribbled summaries of radio reports and TV interviews are bundled with
yellowing pages ripped from magazines and newspapers.
Stacks of them. Anytime something grabs my interest, a
part of my imagination wonders why. The theory is that, if
a topic catches my attention, maybe it will catch the
attention of my readers. Over the years, I put together so
many files that I never had time to organize them into
categories, let alone develop their contents into novels.
On occasion, curiosity makes me explore them.
With great expectation, I put some on the floor, blow away
dust, and read them. But nearly always, the brittle pages
in my hands refer to issues and events that seemed
important at the time but now are lifeless. The narrative
themes and situations they suggest no longer speak to my
imagination. Musty artifacts of the mind, they show me the
gap of years between the person who put those fragments
into file folders and the changed person who now reads
them.
In rare instances, however, a topic clings to my
imagination so insistently that I keep returning to it, trying
to find a way to dramatize the emotions it arouses in me.
For example, my previous novel, CREEPERS, was inspired by a Los Angeles Times article about urban
explorers: history and architecture enthusiasts who infiltrate old buildings that have been sealed and abandoned
for decades. The page sat under accumulating file folders,
but it kept rising to the top of my imagination, and I couldn’t
help wondering why it insisted. The breakthrough came
when I suddenly remembered an abandoned apartment
building I explored when I was a child. I used it as an escape
from unrelenting arguments between my mother and stepfather that left me afraid to remain at home. The memory
of my fear and the need to retreat into the past made me
want to write a novel in which urban explorers obsessed
with the past discover that it no longer soothes but instead
terrifies them.
A similar article that kept nagging at my subconscious led me to write SCAVENGER. In fact, it sat under
accumulating file folders for eight years, silently shouting,
until I finally surrendered. This time, the newspaper was
the New York Times. The date was April 8, 1998, the
place West New York, New Jersey. I love the off-balancing
idea that a town called West New York is so far west that
it’s in the neighboring state of New Jersey. But for me, the
Deadly Pleasures
contents of the article were far
more unbalancing. “From Time
Capsule to Buried Treasure,”
the title announced. “Somewhere in West New York may
be a slice of town life in 1948.”
1 learned that as West New
York planned celebrations for
its hundredth anniversary,
someone suggested burying a
time capsule. “Great idea,”
everyone agreed. Then a retiree remembered that the
same thing had been done for
David Morrell
the town’s fiftieth anniversary.
Whatever happened to it? they wondered. Where was it
buried? Searchers spread through the town. They pored
through cobwebbed community ledgers and tracked down
people old enough to have witnessed the 1948 semicentennial. At last, they found a possible answer in the
town’s library, where an out-of-print volume by a local
historian referred to “a copper box containing documents
and souvenirs.”
That box supposedly was deposited under a
bronze fire bell outside the town hall, but there the search
ended in frustration, for the bell honored community
firefighters who died while protecting West New York, and
no one would sanction tampering with it. Moreover, the
bell was attached to several tons of granite. Moving it would
be costly and difficult, and what if, after desecrating the
monument, the time capsule wasn’t under it? In the end,
nothing was done.
That must have been frustrating because, as the
New York Times reporter indicated, the town had a
powerful need to be inspired by a message from the glory
days of fifty years earlier. Back in 1948, the area was
prosperous. By 1998, however, the railroad and the
factories were gone, and the streets were silent and bleak.
Moved in ways that I didn’t understand, I added this article
to my chaotic collection. I forgot it, remembered it, and
forgot it again, but never for long. Finally, after eight years,
I dug through a stack of files, took yet another look, and
made a commitment to try to understand the article’s hold
on me by writing a novel that involves a time capsule. That
the time capsule would be a hundred years old and that the
hunt for the past would involve modern instruments such
as global positioning satellite receivers, BIackBerry internet
capability, and holographic rifle sights hadn’t yet occurred
to me. 1 needed to do my customary research and learn
everything I could about the subject.
My first step was to go to the World Wide Web.
When researching my previous novel, CREEPERS, I
typed “urban explorers” into Google and was amazed to
find over 300,000 hits. Now I did the same with “time
capsules.” Imagine my astonishment whenI got over 18
million hits. Clearly, this was a topic that obsessed a lot of
other people, and with each discovery, my fascination
intensified. I learned (as Professor Murdock explains in
77
SCAVENGER) that, although what we call time capsules
are as old as history, the actual expression didn’t exist until
1939 when the Westinghouse corporation created a
torpedo-shaped container and filled it with contemporary
objects that its designers believed would be fascinating to
the future.
As gongs were struck, the capsule was buried in
Flushing Meadows, New York, where a World’s Fair was
taking place. Intended to be opened five thousand years in
the future, the capsule is still fifty feet underground but
largely forgotten. If you have a GPS receiver like those
used in SCAVENGER, you can insert the capsule’s map
coordinates and let a red needle guide you to the capsule’s
marker. But to learn those map coordinates, you need to
find a copy of THE BOOK OF THE RECORD OF THE
TIME CAPSULE. In 1939, copies were sent to every
major library in the world, including that of the Dalai Lama.
These days, however, locating that book requires a scavenger hunt of its own.
I learned that the Westinghouse time capsule was
inspired by the eerily titled Crypt of Civilization, begun in
1936 at Oglethorpe University in Atlanta. Disturbed by
the increasing Nazi domination of Europe, Oglethorpe’s
president believed that civilization was on the verge of
collapse. To preserve what he could, he drained an indoor
swimming pool and filled it with objects that he believed
were essential to an understanding of 1930s culture.
Among these is a copy of GONE WITH THE WIND, an
apt title inasmuch as the Crypt, which isn’t scheduled to be
opened for almost six thousand years, was nearly as
forgotten as the Westinghouse capsule. If not for a student,
Paul Hudson, who explored the basement of a campus
building in 1970, the Crypt would have faded from
memory. After his flashlight reflected off a stainless-steel
door, the student asked questions that eventually led to the
basement being turned into a public area, where a book
store was established and people could pass the Crypt’s
sealed entrance every day. Eventually, Paul Hudson became Oglethorpe’s registrar and the president of the
International Time Capsule Society.
I found this lore so fascinating that I couldn’t stop
telling friends about it. Usually, at this point, they said,
“The Crypt of Civilization? The International Time Capsule
Society? You’re making this up!” But I’m not. The Doomsday Vault in the Arctic Circle is real also, as is the Hall of
Records under Mt. Rushmore and the millions of copies of
the ill-fated E.T. video game buried under concrete in the
New Mexico desert. The weirdness wouldn’t stop. I learned
about the town that buried 17 time capsules and forgot
every one of them ... and the college students who buried
a capsule and then suffered a group blackout as if the
event never occurred ... and the town committee that
buried a time capsule in honor of the community’s centennial, only to die before any of them thought to make a
record of where they put the capsule.
Who would have thought that there was a list of
the most-wanted time capsules or that thousands of capsules have been misplaced, many more than have ever
78
Deadly Pleasures
been found? Even if located, they often create a further
mystery, for the containers frequently fail to keep out
moisture and insects, with the result that these messages
to the future that we open in the present to learn about the
past are nothing but indecipherable scraps.
As I tried to understand my fascination with time
capsules, I thought of the pride that motivates people to
create them, the assumption that a particular moment is
important enough to be frozen in time for the eyes of the
future. Against the background of the Doomsday Vault in
which millions of agricultural seeds are supposedly protected from a global catastrophe, the optimism of time
capsules astonishes me. But it’s not just pride or optimism.
As a character in SCAVENGER says, the obsessive
thoroughness with which some capsules are prepared
implies that the designers are afraid they’ll be forgotten.
“World Enough And Time.” That’s the title of the
time-capsule lecture Professor Murdock delivers in SCAVENGER. It’s a quotation from Andrew Marvell’s seventeenth century poem, “To His Coy Mistress.” The poem
expresses the emotions of a young man who feels time
speeding by and wants to persuade a lady friend to help
him embrace life fully while they can. If we cut some lines
and juxtapose others, the poem applies to one motivation
for preserving time capsules.
Had we but world enough, and time ...
But at my back I always hear
Time’s winged chariot hurrying near;
And yonder all before us lie
Deserts of vast eternity.
Maybe it’s not the future that prompts us to create
time capsules. Maybe it’s the pressure of time itself, the
speed with which it passes, the awareness of our mortality.
Prior to 1939, time capsules were called boxes and
caskets: funereal metaphors. That same metaphor is in
the title of the Crypt of Civilization. Could it be that the
emotion implied in time capsules isn’t hope, optimism, or
even fear, but rather sorrow that everyone dies? Again, I’m
reminded of Marvell’s poem.
The grave’s a fine and private place,
But none, I think, do there embrace.
A community buries what it sees as the ingredients for a
golden moment, a distillation of its world. Many years later,
another community digs up the capsule, if the capsule can
be located. People gather eagerly around. “What’s the
secret?” they want to know. “What important message did
the past want to send us?” They open the casket or the
crypt or, if you prefer, the capsule and find that the
contents have decayed or that the objects are so quaint that
they’re meaningless. “It’s hard to believe they thought this
stuff was important,” someone murmurs. In the end, that
might be the message of every time capsule. From the
long-dead past, they warn us that the here-and-now
doesn’t endure, that the objects around us aren’t as
important as we think, that what matters isn’t the promise
of the future but the value of each passing moment. As the
Game Master notes in this novel, “Time is the true
scavenger.”
My stacks of file folders are time capsules, I
suppose, representing the interests of the person I no
longer am. So are my novels, preserving how I felt and
thought in the past, just as novels by my favorite authors
are time capsules, taking me back to Dickens’s fogenshrouded London or Edith Wharton’s old New York or
Hemingway’s Paris in the 1920s. Those books not only
transport me to the past that those authors experienced
but also to My past and what it was like to experience those
books for the first time.
Researching SCAVENGER, I walked through its
Manhattan locations to verify physical details. When I
reached Washington Square, l was certain 1’d come to the
wrong place. The last time I visited there was the mid1980s. In those days, Washington Square’s arch was
covered with graffiti while junkies bought drugs in a park
so treeless that the buildings on the neighboring streets
were clearly visible. But now those buildings are obscured
by massive, sheltering trees beneath which parents and
children play while, in a park of their own, dogs scamper
with their owners. Impressed by the gleam of the nowspotless arch, I was suddenly reminded that twenty whole
years had passed, that I’d gotten older. But instead of
depressing me, that realization made me feel alive with the
fullness of my memories. Nothing passes as long as we
remember it. Each of us is a time capsule.
A T
alk wit
h Da
vid
Talk
with
David
Morrell about his
Latest Thriller
SC
AVEN
GER
SCA
VENGER
W
b
hat makes the search for the time capsule in
SCAVENGERS “high tech”?
I liked the idea of the contrast between the new
and the old, of modern devices uncovering the past. My
research led me to a new, increasingly popular scavenger
game called geocaching. The sky is filled with global
positioning satellites that help the military locate targets.
Until 2000, civilian GPS receivers were accurate only to
25 feet. But that year, President Clinton signed legislation
that allowed civilian receivers to be accurate within 10
feet. Almost immediately, the game of geocaching was
invented. The idea is to hide something small, a dime-store
trinket, for example, and then post the object’s map
coordinates
on
an
Internet
site
called
www.geocachin.com. The game player enters the coordinates into a GPS receiver, then follows the direction a red
needle indicates on the receiver. Sounds easy until you
realize that all sorts of obstacles get in the way: buildings,
fences, freeways, rivers. The player needs to figure out
how to get around the obstacles. But even when the site is
Deadly Pleasures
located, the cache is often so well hidden in plain sight that
it’s hard to find. There’s a parallel game called letterboxing
that uses clues instead of map coordinates. Although
invented recently, these games have grown extremely fast
and are played in almost every country in the world.
SCAVENGER also uses the Internet capability of
BlackBerry phones. Via a program called Surveillance
LIVE, BlackBerry owners can call home and watch their
living room via a webcam, or else they can watch webcam
images broadcast from anywhere in the world. This device
allows characters in SCAVENGER to view separate
portions of the search.
The term “high tech” can also apply to video games,
which figure prominently in SCAVENGER. What
drew you to them?
The virtual world of video games is fascinating. At
this moment, two million people are playing a “massively
multi-player game” called ANARCHY ONLINE, in which
players lead alternate lives on the planet of Rubi-Ka. They
work on Rubi-Ka and buy homes and have careers. Many
of them have much better lives in that alternate reality than
they do in so-called real life. Half the male players choose
to be women on Rubi-Ka. Precious imaginary objects that
a player fails to obtain on Rubi-Ka are sometimes auctioned on eBay. This merging of realities is mind spinning.
Time becomes relative. If a game has a timer, the chances
are that the seconds don’t count down in conventional
time. One minute in a game might be two minutes in the
conventional world. The effect can be disorienting. Using
video games as a metaphor, I decided to make SCAVENGER a combination of the two most popular types of
games: a God game and a first-person shooter game.
SCAVENGER uses the characters of Balenger and
Amanda from your previous novel CREEPERS.
What made you revisit them?
I hardly ever return to earlier novels, but in this
case, the characters so fascinated me that I knew there was
a lot more to say. As their ordeal in CREEPERS showed,
Balenger and Amanda are extraordinary survivors, and I
thought it would be interesting to write a novel in which they
and a handful of others are put in peril precisely because
they’re survivors. I loved the paradox that their strength
and resourcefulness are what make them targets. Also
Amanda resembles Balenger’s dead wife, and I thought
the psychological implications deserved to be analyzed.
“He no longer called her by his dead wife’s name.” That’s
SCAVENGER’s first sentence, and it sets the tone for the
complex relationship between Balenger and Amanda.
She may be the strongest female character in all my
novels.
While SCAVENGER shares characters with CREEPERS, isn’t it also the opposite of your previous
novel?
The primary emotion of CREEPERS was claustrophobia, all those tiny enclosed spaces within the long-
79
abandoned Paragon Hotel. In contrast, SCAVENGER
dramatizes agoraphobia. I’m reminded of the reason
Alfred Hitchcock made North by Northwest. In the
1950s, he directed several films that emphasized the
confines of the set. Nearly all of Rear Window occurs in the
living room of one apartment, for example. Vertigo has all
those narrow staircases and gloomy shadows. And of
course, later, Hitchcock worked with claustrophobia in
Psycho. But in North by Northwest, he set himself the
opposite goal of making wide-open spaces feel threatening. I’m reminded of the famous scene involving Cary
Grant and the cropduster in the cornfield or the climax in
which Grant and Eva Marie Saint race across Mt. Rushmore.
In SCAVENGER, characters are placed in a
mysterious valley with a sky so wide that it makes them feel
small and vulnerable. As Amanda notes, all her life she has
lived in cities. Buildings and trees constantly obscured the
sky. Now, for the first time, she encounters an overwhelming expanse while threats lurk everywhere around her.
Fans of claustrophobia need not feel slighted, however.
SCAVENGER has plenty of enclosed spaces, also.
In the novel, Balenger and Amanda are trapped in
a deadly game called SCAVENGER. Is there any
further significance to the title?
I’m a fan of novelist, John Barth, who once said
that the most ancient sports, the obstacle race and the
scavenger hunt, are also the oldest and most basic elements of story telling. I thought that would make a good
definition for a thriller--an obstacle race and a scavenger
hunt. For years, that idea stayed with me until finally in
SCAVENGER I decided to make those two elements my
central plot devices.
80
Deadly Pleasures
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Bonner, Hilary, WHEN THE DEAD CRY OUT
(Leisure, $6.99). When Clara Marshall and her two
children disappeared 27 years ago, suspicion fell on her
husband, but without bodies no prosecution ensued. Now
bones have been fished out of the sea and the investigation
is re-opened. U.S. PBO
Christopher, Paul, THE LUCIFER GOSPEL
(Onyx, $7.99). Young archeologist Finn Ryan and charismatic pilot/photographer Virgil Hilts are scouring the
Sahara for the long-lost tomb of an apostle. What they find
are signs of a decades-old murder. PBO
Max Allan Collins, CSI: SNAKE EYES (Pocket
Star, $7.99). When war between two biker gangs erupts
on a casino floor, there are only two fatalities -- miraculously. But the CSI team uncover anomolies in the
accepted facts. PBO
Dodge, David, THE LAST MATCH (Hard Case
Crime, $6.99). Never before published story by author of
To Catch a Thief. When a handsome swindler working
the French Riviera meets a beautiful heiress on the beach
at Cannes, sparks fly – and also bullets. PBO
Cussler, Clive & Jack Du Brul, SKELETON
COAST (Berkley, $16.00). Juan Cabrillo and the crew of
the covert combat ship Oregon intercept a mayday from
a defenseless boat under fire off the African coast. Cabrillo
takes action, saving the beautiful Sloane Macintyre-who’s
looking for a long-submerged ship that may hold a fortune
in diamonds.
Doolittle, Sean, THE CLEANUP (Dell, $6.99).
The life of policeman Matthew Worth is spiraling down.
Assigned night watch at a robbery-prone Omaha supermarket, he soon finds himself driving a stolen car with a
81
corpse in the trunk, a pistol in the glove box and no way
to turn back. PBO
Dublin, D.H., BODY TRACE (Berkley, $7.99).
Rookie crime scene unit investigator Madison Cross gets a
chance to prove herself when two women are discovered
dead at a University of Pennsylvania sorority house.
Accidental drug overdoses? Madison doesn’t think so.
PBO
Gibbins, David, ATLANTIS (Dell, $6.99). An
extraordinary discovery in a remote desert oasis leads to
a furious hunt for the famed city of Atlantis. U.S. PBO
Grippando, James, GOT THE LOOK (Harper,
$7.99). Jack Swyteck's new girlfriend has some shocking
secrets in her background which she is determined to keep
from Jack. Later she is kidnapped and the ransom note
states, "Pay me what she's worth."
Hill, Reginald, THE STRANGER HOUSE (Avon,
$7.99). For over 500 years travelers have visited Stranger
House in a tiny Cumbria village. Now two very different
visitors have arrived here on the same day, each one driven
by curiosity and perilous purpose.
Horvitz, Leslie, CAUSES UNKNOWN (Leisure,
$6.99). Michael Friedlander can’t accept the conclusions
regarding his brother’s death. So as he digs into the
circumstances surrounding his brother’s last days, he
uncovers a cover-up in the NYC Medical Examiner’s
office.
Housewright, David, TIN CITY (Leisure, $6.99).
An elderly beekeeper asks Mac McKenzie to find out why
his bees are suddenly dying. When the beekeeper’s
neighbor is questioned, Mac is threatened. Then the
neighbor disappears, leaving behind a dead body.
Indridason, Arnaldur, JAR CITY (Picador,
$14.00). The new, hot Scandinavian writer and book.
Inspector Erlendur looks into the murder of an old man. A
complex case hiding as a simple one.
Johansen, Iris, ON THE RUN ($7.99). A stalker
has found Grace Archer in a remote Alabama horse farm,
where she and her daughter went to hide. Her only ally is
also a dangerous man.
Kent, David, THE TRIANGLE CONSPIRACY
(Pocket, $7.99). Faith Kelly's job is to protect criminals in
exchange for information. Daryn McDermott, the activist
daughter of a powerful senator, is linked to a terrorist
bombing and Faith's brother Sean is assigned to find her.
PBO
Largent, R. Karl, THE JAKARTA PLOT (Leisure, $6.99). Many leading heads of state including the
Vice President of the United States are captured and held
hostage. One by one the hostages will be killed unless the
World Economic Council stops interfering in the Third
World.
Light, Lawrence, FEAR & GREED (Leisure,
$6.99). Two sisters have developed a computer program
that predicts the ups and downs of the stock market. One
sister is found murdered and the other is missing. Reporter
Karen Glick investigates. PBO
82
Deadly Pleasures
Lutz, John, CHILL OF LIGHT (Pinnacle, $6.99).
Retired cop Artemis Beam is called in to catch a killer of
jurors surving in some of NYC's most infamous cases. PBO
MacGregor, T.J., COLD AS DEATH (Pinnacle,
$6.99). Mira Morales has visions of a burning house, a
ghostly woman running away from the fire and a car with
a boy in it speeding away as well. It's up to her to save the
boy. PBO
Miller, John Ramsey, TOO FAR GONE (Dell,
$6.99). Alexa Keen is the best at finding kidnap victims
before they are killed. She is in the area of New Orleans
as Hurricane Katrina is bearing down, looking for the
husband of a wealthy heiress. PBO
Rand, Naomi, IT'S RAINING MEN (Avon,
$6.99). Investigator Emma Price is savagely beaten and
her boss Dawn Prescott is murdered. She is convinced that
the two events are connected, but no one will believe her.
Santlofer, Jonathan, THE KILLING ART
(Harper, $7.99). Someone is defacing famous paintings
and the police call in former cop, socialite and art historian
Kate McKinnon to help.
Stieffel, Vicki, THE GRIEF SHOP (Leisure,
$6.99). During the night, someone breaks into the Office
of the Chief Medical Examiner, aka the Grief Shop, and
leaves behind a body of a young girl. PBO
Strohmeyer, Sarah, BUBBLES ALL THE WAY
(Onyx, $7.99). Debbie Shatsky dies from a lethal reaction
to the glue during the installation of hair extensions at the
House of Beauty. Bubbles Yablonsky’s friend is held liable
so Bubbles investigates to find who was really responsible.
PBO
Talley, Marcia, THROUGH THE DARKNESS
(Avon, $6.99). The kidnapping of Hannah Ives’ innocent
grandson does not result in a ransom note. Hannah
investigates because she simply cannot sit still while the boy
is missing. PBO
Mystery Writers of America
2007 Grand Master
The Mystery Writers of America announced that
Stephen King has been named the 2007 Grand
Master. The award, which represents the pinnacle
of achievement in the mystery field and was established to recognize important contributions to the
mystery field over time as well as a significant output
of consistently high quality, will be presented at the
MWA’s Edgar Awards Banquet in New York City on
April 26, 2007. I find this a curious choice inasmuch
I believe most readers would classify Stephen King
as a horror writer rather than a mystery writer.
What little I’ve read of his work I have generally liked
and I admire his skill as a writer, but calling him a
Grandmaster of mystery fiction doesn’t seem right.
Vargas, Fred, SEEKING WHOM HE MAY
DEVOUR (Simon & Schuster trade, $14.00). It is
believed that dead sheep with torn throats are being killed
by wolves. But when a villager dies in a similar manner
focus is shifted to Massart, a loner living on the edge of the
French Alps town. PBO
Wiprud, Brian M., SLEEP WITH THE FISHES
(Dell, $6.99). Mobster-turned-snitch Sid Bifulco has served
his time and is hiding out in a rural fishing heaven full of
trout. But the local yokels won’t leave him alone and he
is tempted to use some of his former talents.
Wood, William P., THE BRIBE (Leisure, $6.99).
Sacramento police detectives look into the murder of a
local Congressman.
Woodworth, Stephen, FROM BLACK ROOMS
(Dell, $6.99). Natalie Lindstrom uses her paranormal
abilities to channel the dead and help catch killers. PBO
History Mystery
D’Almeida, Sarah, DEATH OF A MUSKETEER (Berkley, $6.99). A dead musketeer turns out to be
a woman with a startling resemblance to Ann of Austria.
Why would the queen’s double, dressed as a man, be
murdered? The four musketeers investigate. PBO
Churchill, Jill, WHO'S SORRY NOW? (Avon,
$6.99). It's the Great Depression and the penny-less
brother/sister duo Lily and Robert Brewster look into the
murder of a friendly railroad porter.
Collins, Max Allan, ROAD TO PARADISE
(HarperTorch, $7.99). The end of the Road to Perdition
Trilogy. In middle age Michael Satariano runs a mob
casino in Lake Tahoe. It is 1973 and Michael believes the
killing is behind him. But he finds himself in the middle of
a gangland war and framed for murder.
Elliott, Chris, THE SHROUD OF THE
THWACKER (Miramax, $13.95). NYC 1882. Police
Chief Caleb Spencer aids mayor Teddy Roosevelt unravel
the mystery of the world’s first (and most bizarre) serial
killer.
Jecks, Michael, THE LEPER’S RETURN (Avon,
$7.50). The murder of a Crediton gold merchant happens
with the backdrop of a civil war looming. Sir Baldwin
Furnshill and Simon Puttock investigate the rumor that the
lepers who reside in a local hospital are the culprits. USA
PBO
Leonard, Elmore, THE HOT KID (HarperTorch,
$9.99). Carl Webster is the new “kid” of the U.S. Marshals
Service, but he’s no shrinking flower, but a cold-blooded
killer with a goal to be the most famous lawman in
America. Depression-era U.S. is depicted with great
accuracy.
Ryan, P.B., MURDER IN THE NORTH END
(Berkley, $6.99). Boston, 1870. Colin Cook was the only
officer in the city’s Detective Bureau not found guilty of
corruption. But now he is a fugitive accused of murdering
a petty crook. The police think that governess Nell
Sweeney knows where he is. PBO
Deadly Pleasures
THE FRANCHISE AFF
AIR
AFFAIR
Josephine Tey's
Finest Novel
by Philip L. Scowcroft
S
ome years ago I discussed, in a series of articles for
Deadly Pleasures and the English counterpart
CADS, the crime novels of Josephine Tey (18961952, real name Elizabeth MacKintosh) but for neither
publication did I write a piece on THE FRANCHISE
AFFAIR (Davies, 1948) which, ever since I first read it
over 50 years ago, I have unhesitatingly reckoned as her
best. I now remedy this omission.
For her inspiration Tey often turned to history.
PRIVATEER
was a pure historical novel.
CLAVERHOUSE was straight history. THE DAUGHTER OF TIME, so individual and memorable in its
treatment, played no inconsiderable part in rehabilitating
King Richard III. And the play, Richard of Bordeaux
(Richard II), produced in London in 1932 under her other
pseudonym Gordon Daviot, was a signal success. And
THE FRANCHISE AFFAIR is yet another example as it
is an updated, slightly altered, version of an 18th Century
cause celebre, the Elizabeth Canning case. And in case we
had missed the connection, the name of Tey’s principal
female protagonist, the schoolgirl Elisabeth (Betty) Kane,
underlines it for us.
The story is a simple one. A middle-aged woman
and her mother who keep themselves to themselves and
live at The Franchise – an isolated house in its own grounds
near a Midlands town, “Milford,” which I identify with some
confidence as Kenilworth – are accused of kidnapping and
ill-treating a young girl (Betty Kane), who identifies them to
the police and describes them and their home in persuasive detail. Investigations do not immediately lead to
prosecution, but they do when the police feel they have
corroboration. The climax comes at the Assizes.
That brief summary shows that THE FRANCHISE AFFAIR is no conventional whodunit (indeed few
of Tey’s crimes novels are). Its memorable qualities are its
fascinating interplay of character and maybe the descriptions of “Milford” itself:
“In it’s unselfconscious fashion it typified....life in
England for the last three hundred years...the High Street
flowed south in a gentle slope – Georgian brick, Elizabethan timber-and-plaster, Victorian stone, Regency stucco
– to the Edwardian villas behind their elm trees at the other
end...a busy little street punctuated with lime trees growing out of the pavement.”
Tey’s usual series detective, Inspector Alan Grant
83
of Scotland Yard, appears, but he is ill at ease
and bereft of his usual
flair, which normally
would have enabled him
to see through Betty Kane
and her (unconscious) collaborators. The book’s
detective hero is an unlikely one, Robert Blair, a
middle-aged country lawyer – kind, set in his ways,
doggedly determined and
with no previous experience in criminal work. He
is no superman but because of that we can all
the more easily identify
with him. His associates –
Rock Star Blondie
his office staff, his Aunt
(Deborah Harry) is the
Lin (actually his cousin)
model for this cover
who keeps house for him,
the ex-army garage mechanics who service his car and his
young cousin Nevil, for whom the case is a steep learning
curve – all are beautifully observed, with engaging humour.
Larger than life is the barrister (attorney) whom Robert
persuades to represent his lady clients, Kevin Macdermott
– who also appears in Tey’s BRAT FARRAR – in whom
Irish charm and piercing shrewdness are neatly intertwined. The accused ladies are fascinating rather than
sympathetic, though this does not prevent Robert falling in
love with the younger one.
Tey was never one to hide her likes and dislikes
when writing fiction. This book, like BRAT FARRAR,
reveals her love of England, stronger than her feelings for
her native Scotland. It also shows her distaste for the
popular press of the time (she would like modern tabloids
even less) and for “do-gooders.”
THE FRANCHISE AFFAIR has been criticized
for it slow pace, but the critics ignores consideration that
this allows Tey’s characters the opportunity to develop
naturally. It is set in the immediate post-World War II era;
recollections of the war are frequent. The importance of
newspapers in shaping public opinion (TV had scarcely
established itself then) is often stressed. Press coverage
critically appears to work against the accused but in the
end it plays the vital part in reaching the truth. In those
years people generally assumed that right and justice
would prevail in the end. Not always, perhaps not often,
is this the case in more recent times and as a result we get
a different type of crime fiction from that which Tey and
many of her contemporaries sough to write.
The book has been televised twice and filmed
once (1950) for the large screen (three other Tey novels
have had one screen adaption each). Perhaps it does not
have the inbuilt tension of BRAT FARRAR, but in all
three versions the treatment was sensitive and satisfying.
And for the reader, the book remains, almost sixty years
after its first publication, immensely rewarding.
84
Deadly Pleasures
Editor/Publisher
Table of Contents
Jonathan Hart’s KING OF LIES
First Novels 2006
D. Daniel Judson by
Gary Warren Niebuhr
The 2006 Barry Award Winners
It’s About Crime
by Marvin Lachman
The DP Convention Calendar
Reviewed to Death
Mini-Reviewed to Death
DP List 2006,
Best Novels of the Year
Shamus Award Winners
Letters
Anthony Award Winners
From the Editor
Reviews
Bev DeWeese
Ted Hertel
Mary Mason
Norma Dancis
Larry Gandle
George Easter
History Mystery Potpourri
Guest Reviews
Deadly Audio Pleasures
Macavity Award Winners
Short News Items
ReReading Antonia Fraser,
N. Dancis
Ann Cleeves and RAVEN BLACK,
by Martin Edwards
Larry Gandle’s Take on the
Daggers II
Sneak Previews
News and Reviews From the U.K.
New Books
Reviews
ThrillerFest
Getting Away with Murder,
Mike Ripley
Time Capsules, SCAVENGERS,
David Morrell
Recent Paperbacks of Note
Josephine Tey’s Finest Novel,
Philip Scowcroft
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George A. Easter
[email protected]
Associate Editor
Larry Gandle
[email protected]
Contributors
Marvin Lachman
Mary Mason
Russ Isabella
Bev DeWeese
Jay Waggoner
Ted Hertel, Jr.
Norma Dancis
Ali Karim
Jeff Popple
Sally Sugarman
Mike Ripley
Cath Staincliffe
Martin Edwards
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