The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
The Unforgiving Eye
Beth Andrews
Robert Hale
9780709085720, $37.22, www (dot) halebooks (dot) com
An aristocrat is found dead and a stablehand's life is on the line.
"The Unforgiving Eye" follows John and Lydia Savidage as they try to
uncover the murderer of Sir Bendict Stanbury. Everyone seems to be a
suspect and everyone seems to have done it. How does one find the
culprit when no one appears remotely innocent? A treat for mystery
fans everywhere, "The Unforgiving Eye" is highly recommended for
community library mystery collections.
Super Detective
John Grange
Off Trail Publications
2036 Elkhorn Road, Castroville, CA 95012
9780978683696, $18.00
It's hard to beat a two for one special. "Super Detective: An Off-
Trail Flip Book" is a combination of two old school pulp novels by
John Grange. 'Murder's Migrants' and 'Legion of Robots' follow so-
called 'Super Detective' Jim Anthony as he faces all sorts of
antagonists in good old-fa****oned, fast-paced and fun pieces of
writing. "Super Detective: An Off-Trail Flip Book" is a top pick for
anyone seeking a bit of nostalgia for older pulpy novels and for
community library mystery collections.
Unholy Domain
Dan Ronco
Kunati
6901 Bryan Dairy Road, Suite 150, Largo, FL 33777
9781601640215, $24.95, www (dot) kunati (dot) com
Technology has been both the savior and destroyer of millions of
lives. "Unholy Domain" is the tale of a computer virus that was the
destroyer, and its aftermath. David Brown is the son of the virus'
supposed creator; as the world begins to fall apart, he tries to clear
his father's name, thinking that the virus was not as responsible as
it was pointed out. Faced with threats from religious fanatics as well
as those trying to restore the world to its technological state,
"Unholy Domain" is a gripping thriller all the way through. Highly
recommended for community library thriller collections.
Fatal Encryption
Debra Purdy Kong
Gypsy Moon Press
3313 Henry Street, ****t Moody, B.C., Canada, V3H 2K4
9780969921110, $19.95, www (dot) debrapurdykong (dot) com
Held hostage for ten million dollars =96 only Alex Bellamy can save the
company from giving into the demands and going bankrupt. "Fatal
Encryption" is the story of a sudden murder and its strange link to
McKinley's department store in which Alex agreed to assist, believing
that the murder and the ransom plot against the store's computer
information are connected somehow. He must find the connection, the
killer, and the extortionist or face unemployment, among other
unpleasantness. A riveting mystery, "Fatal Encryption" is highly
recommended for community library mystery collections.
Sleuth Slayer
Jeffery B. Burton & Bruce W. Burton
Pocol Press
6023 Pocol Drive, Clifton, VA 20124
9781929763320, $17.95, www (dot) pocolpress (dot) com
"Poetic injustice" is a term one could use. Mystery writers begin to
turn up dead, and a mystery sits on who is responsible. "Sleuth
Slayer" follows Guy Davitt, a lesser known mystery writer who notices
the pattern of the mystery writers turning up dead from methods are
pulled right out of their novels. Faced with the disbelief from law
enforcement, and the entanglement of bureaucracy as he himself
realizes that he may be a target, Guy must unravel the mystery before
he joins his fellow practitioners of the mystery writing craft.
"Sleuth Slayer" is a top pick for community library mystery
collections and for mystery fans in general.
The Oasis Project
Art Adkins
Dorrance Publi****ng
701 Smithfield Street, Third Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
0805976043, $23.95
A motive can be the hardest thing to figure out when investigating a
homicide. "The Oasis Project" follows ****rley Waterbury as she deals
with the catastrophe of her family's death. Although the tragedy is
ruled an accident, she refuses to believe it and wants to bring those
responsible to justice. She finds sup****t in a grizzled old cop who
needs answers to why he does what he does anymore, and who thinks
there may be something to ****rley's theory. A riveting mystery all the
way through, "The Oasis Project" is a grade-A pick for community
library mystery collections.
Vita Nuova
Magdalen Nabb
Soho Crime
853 Broadway, New York, NY 10003
9781569474938, $24.00, www (dot) sohopress (dot) com
A studious single mother is well on the way to setting her life
straight when the unspeakable occurs. "Vita Nuova: A Marshal
Guarnaccia" follows the Marshal as she tries to solve a baffling crime
where no one has a clear motive, though there has been plenty of
op****tunity; the only thing that sticks out is the strange behavior of
prosecutor. An exciting story for mystery readers to sink their teeth
into, "Vita Nuova: A Marshal Guarnaccia Investigation" is a top pick
for community library collections.
Shadow on the Wall
H.C. Bailey
Rue Morgue Press
87 Lone Tree Lane, Lyons, CO 80540
9781601870193, $14.95, www (dot) ruemorguepress (dot) com
Two dead, and one attempted murder. What exactly is going on? "Shadows
on the Wall" follows Reginald Fortune, a country doctor, as he tries
to answer these befuddling questions. First, Lady Rosnay falls down a
set of stairs; Reginald suspects foul play, but the Lady will hear
none of it, and seems too calm about what has happened. Two murders
follow, and Reginald, advisor to Scotland Yard, must solve the
problem. A treat for old fa****oned mystery fans, "Shadow on the Wall"
is highly recommended for community library collections.
=46rom Crime to Crime
Dennis Palumbo
Tallfellow Press
9454 Wil****re Blvd, Suite 550, Beverly Hills, CA 90212
9781931290609, $24.95, www (dot) tallfellow (dot) com
The appeal of the mystery novel has always been their built-in game =96
figuring out who the culprit is before the protagonist does. "From
Crime to Crime: Mind-Boggling Tales of Mystery and Murder" invites
readers to play that game once more with an anthology of short mystery
stories following love-starved husbands, deadly psychotherapy
sessions, and the gritty world at the turn of the century. All of the
tales are as intriguing as they are entertaining, making "From Crime
to Crime: Mind-Boggling Tales of Mystery and Murder" highly
recommended for community library mystery collections.
Murder in A-Major
Morley Torgov
Rendezvous Crime
c/o Napoleon and Company
178 Willowdale Avenue, Suite 201, Toronto, ON, Canada, M2N 4Y8
9781894917650, $20.95, www (dot) napoleonandcompany (dot) com
While skill at music is truly a magnificent thing, there are downsides
to everything. "Murder in A-Major" is a story about a musical genius,
blessed with great talent and cursed with jealous rivals who lust
after his wife. When the musician is murdered well before his time,
Inspector Hermann Priess is charged with finding out exactly who is
responsible for this heinous crime, in this riveting mystery set in
1800's Germany. A top pick for mystery collections.
Tree Huggers
Judy Nichols
Zumaya Publications
Camden Briar Oaks, 3209 S. IH35, #1086, Austin, TX 78741-6905
9781934135235, $15.99, www (dot) zumayapublications (dot) com
Not all tree huggers fit into the stereotype of the peaceful
environmentalist. "Tree Huggers" follows Kate, a fresh re****ter who
follows the story of an environmental terrorist group and their
alleged arson. She covers the trial of the man who is directly
charged, but soon finds that what the public believes may not be the
truth, and that the truth is far more deadly than the accepted
fiction. A gripping mystery and thriller, "Tree Huggers" is a must for
mystery fans everywhere and libraries catering to them.
Pariah
Thomas Zigal
Toby Press
PO Box 8531, New Milford, CT 06776-8531
9781592641611, $9.95, www (dot) tobypress (dot) com
To state that one is being stalked by someone one was accused of
killing two decades ago is odd. To turn up dead anyway is flat out
bizarre. "Pariah" is the story of Sheriff Kurt Muller as he
investigates the conundrum of Nicole Bauer and her relation****p with
Rocky Rhodes =96 a man who died twenty years earlier. Nicole claims
Rocky is after her despite this impossibility and soon turns up dead;
the rap is placed on Kurt. To clear his own name, he has to dig to the
bottom of this enigma. "Pariah" is an intriguing mystery-thriller all
the way through, and a top pick for community library collections.
The Streets of Babylon
Carina Burman
Marion Boyars Publishers
9780714531380, $16.95, www (dot) marionboyars (dot) co (dot) uk
1851, London, England - a land of pimps, mollies, and waifs. "The
Streets of Babylon: A London Mystery" is the story of a few people's
attempts to dig their way through the hordes of ne'er-do-wells that
infest the London underworld as they search for Agnes, someone they
fear may already be dead. A deftly composed crime drama set in a grimy
yet intriguing setting, "The Streets of Babylon" is a top pick for any
looking for a good mystery.
Dot.Dead
Keith Raffel
Midnight Ink
2143 Wooddale Drive, Dept. 073870833X, Woodbury, MN 55125-2989
Anita Halton Associates
559 Alta Vista Way, Laguna Beach, CA 92651
9780738708331, $13.95, www (dot) midnightinkbooks (dot) com
There are things that one never wants one's maid to do =96 such as being
dead in one's bed. "Dot.Dead: A Silicon Valley Mystery" follows Ian
Michaels as he happens upon this situation and immediately finds
himself the top suspect in the investigation. With the help of his
maid's sister, he tries to clear his name, find out who framed him for
it all, and glean the answer to the most im****tant question of all =96
why? "Dot.Dead: A Silicon Valley Mystery" is a top pick for mystery
fans and community library collections catering to them.
EDITOR'S NOTE:
The Midwest Book Review is an organization of volunteers committed to
promoting literacy, library usage, and small press publi****ng. We
accept no funds from authors or publishers. Full permission is given
to post any of these reviews on thematically appropriate websites,
newsgroups, listserves, internet discussion groups, organizational
newsletters, or to interested individuals. Please give the Midwest
Book Review a credit line when doing so.
The Midwest Book Review publishes the monthly book review magazines
"California Bookwatch", "Internet Bookwatch", "Children's Bookwatch",
"MBR Bookwatch", "Reviewer's Bookwatch", and "Small Press Bookwatch".
All are available for free on the Midwest Book Review website at www
(dot) midwestbookreview (dot) com
Anyone wanting to submit books for review consideration can send them
to:
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
To submit reviews of any fiction or non-fiction books, email them to
Frugalmuse (at) aol (dot) com (Be sure to include the book title,
author, publisher, publisher address, publisher website/phone number,
13-digit ISBN number, and list price).
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
|
