CLUES UNLIMITED

A mystery bookstore
3146 E. Ft. Lowell Rd
Tucson, AZ 85716-5317
(520) 326-8533 (voice) •

Books we particularly recommend are in red

April/May 2012

New and Forthcoming in Hardcover

Adams, Jane A. Night Vision (SH, 28.95) Apr. While her husband DI Alec Friedman investigates the case of a man who is murdered in prison, Naomi Blake is home alone and begins receiving phone calls replaying a recording of her friend calling her name as she is dying in a car crash.

Allan, Barbara. Antiques Disposal (Kens, 23.00) May. The latest in this funny series finds Brandy and her mother tripping over strategically-placed corpses when they bid on the contents of an abandoned storage unit said to contain a valuable vintage cornet.

Arthurson, Wayne. A Killing Winter (STM, 24.99) Apr. The half-Cree, half-French Canadian reporter Leo Desroches goes undercover as a homeless man and finds himself investigating the disappearance of a young boy involved in a Native street gang.

Atherton, Nancy. Aunt Dimity and the Village Witch (Vik, 24.95) Apr. When a famous artist appears in Finch incognito, Lori Shepherd—and Aunt Dimity—help her discover the history of her ancestor, the Mad Witch of Finch.

Atkins, Ace. Robert B. Parker’s Lullaby (Put, 26.95) May. Spenser agrees to help a young woman whose mother was murdered in Boston’s housing projects, and who believes that the man convicted of the murder is innocent.

Bagshawe, Tilly. Sidney Sheldon’s Angel of the Dark (HC, 26.99) Apr. After an elderly art dealer is found stabbed and his young wife brutally raped, the lead detective is baffled when his entire fortune is left to charity and the wife disappears, but after joining Interpol he discovers a series of international murders with eerie similarities.

Baldacci, David. The Innocent (GC, 27.99) Apr. A freelance hit-man who works for the U.S. government breaks his cardinal rule of never becoming involved when he rescues a runaway teenaged girl, and the more he learns about her, the more he becomes convinced that she and her missing parents are at the center of a vast conspiracy.

Bass, Jefferson. The Inquisitor’s Key (HC, 25.99) May. When his protégé, working on an excavation in Avignon, uncovers a chest containing 2,000-year-old bones, Dr. Bill Brockton must help protect her and her find from the Vatican and deadly zealots out to bring about the Second Coming.

Berry, Steve. The Columbus Affair (BDD, 27.00) May. In order to protect his daughter, a disgraced journalist finds himself on a perilous quest from Florida to Prague to Jamaica that will change everything we know about the man who discovered the New World.

Bowen, Gail. Kaleidoscope (M&S, 26.99) Apr. Saskatchewan academic Joanne Kilbourne’s husband is the attorney for a controversial planned development in Regina that leads to murder.

Brown, Rita Mae. The Big Cat Nap (BDD, 25.00) Apr. In the twentieth-anniversary mystery, Harry Harristeen and her assorted feline and canine companions investigate a series of inexplicable auto accidents that get attributed to driver error.

Browne, S. G. Lucky Bastard (SS, 23.00) Apr. A funny noir fantasy set in San Francisco where a PI who has the ability to poach other people’s luck is caught between a Chinese gangster and the FBI. For fans of Christopher Moore.

Casey, Jane. The Reckoning (STM, 24.99) May. London DC Maeve Kerrigan is investigating the torture-murders of two sex offenders recently released from prison, and the most likely suspect is a man looking for his missing teenaged daughter in the second in this police procedural series.

Cash, Wiley. A Land More Kind than Home (HC, 24.99) Apr. A brilliant debut thriller set in a small North Carolina town where a young boy, charged with protecting his autistic brother, stumbles across secrets involving the fiery fundamentalist minister and his less-than-orthodox Christianity.

Cavender, Chris. Rest in Pizza (Kens, 23.00) May. When an unpleasant TV chef arrives for a book-signing in Timber Ridge, he riles all the locals including pizzeria-owner Eleanor, so when he is murdered just about everyone becomes a suspect.

Charles, Paul. A Pleasure to Do Death with You (Dufour, 29.95) May. Ulster DI Christy Kennedy investigates the hanging death of an investment banker in a case that takes him to San Francisco.

Child, Lee, ed. The Mystery Writers of America Present Vengeance (Mul, 25.99) Apr. An anthology of short stories dealing with the oldest of motives—revenge.

Clark, Carol Higgins. Gypped (SS, 25.00) Apr. While in Los Angeles on business, PI Regan Reilly and her policeman husband agree to help an old friend who suspects that she is being conned by her business manager.

Clark, Marcia. Guilt by Degrees (Mul, 25.99) May. Los Angeles ADA Rachel Clark ends up with a near-impossible case of the suspect-less homicide of an unidentified homeless man only to discover a connection to the murder of an LAPD cop a year earlier. Recommended.

Clark, Mary Higgins. The Lost Years (SS, 26.99) Apr. When her father, a noted biblical scholar is found shot, police assume that he was killed by his wife who is suffering from dementia, but his daughter believes that his death is related to a parchment manuscript that he was studying.

Cleland, Jane K. Dolled Up for Murder (STM, 24.99) Apr. Antiques dealer Josie Prescott must work against the clock when her assistant is kidnapped and the ransom demand is the doll collection she recently acquired.

Cooper, Susan Rogers. Husbands and Wives (SH, 27.95) May. Sheriff Milt Kovak is called in when a woman is murdered in a gated community only to discover that she was one of three wives of a businessman.

Corwin, Miles. Midnight Alley (Oceanview, 25.95) Apr. LAPD Det. Ash Levine is called in when the son of a city councilman is gunned down in an alley in the second in this well-written series.

DaSilva, Bruce. Cliff Walk (STM, 24.99) May. Edgar-winner DaSilva returns with an exploration of legal prostitution in Rhode Island, when reporter Liam Mulligan investigates possible political corruption tied to the thriving sex trade.

Deutermann, P.T. The Last Man (STM, 26.99) May. When a young Israeli archaeologist goes missing after explaining her explosive theory about Masada, an American engineer goes to the fortress in the Judean desert where an explosive discovery makes him the target of dark forces in Israeli intelligence.

Farnsworth, Christopher. Red, White, and Blood (Put, 25.95) May. Nathaniel Cade, the President’s vampire is called in during the 2012 election campaign when a political operative and a volunteer are found brutally murdered. This seems like the ideal way to spend the election season--wondering which political operative is really a vampire!

Farris, Peter. Last Call for the Living (STM, 24.99) May. A bank heist goes awry, with the ex-con robber and his drug-addled girlfriend taking a bank-teller hostage, on the run from both the authorities and two members of the Aryan Brotherhood that he’d double-crossed in this bleakly gritty debut.

Fletcher, Jessica and Donald Bain. Murder She Wrote: Trouble at High Tide (NAL, 23.95) Apr. A series of murders in Bermuda, bearing an eerie resemblance to London’s Jack the Ripper murders becomes personal for Jessica Fletcher when her friend’s niece is found dead on the beach after a party.

Fowler, Christopher. The Memory of Blood (BDD, 25.00) Apr. Bryant and May and the PCU are faced with a baffling locked-room mystery during a theater company’s cast party. As always Fowler delights.

French, Nicci. Blue Monday (Vik, 26.95) Apr. The first in a new series featuring a psychotherapist who goes to the police after a patient begins having nightmares involving a young boy—a boy who matches the description of a recently-abducted child.

Friedman, Daniel. Don’t Ever Get Old (STM, 24.99) May. When an 87-year-old retired Memphis cop discovers that an old adversary escaped from German with a fortune in gold, he decides to hunt down the fugitive, but his task is made more difficult by a Mississippi loan shark, a mysterious Hasidic Jew, and a murderous maniac in a very funny debut mystery.

Goldenbaum, Sally. A Fatal Fleece (NAL, 24.95) May. The Seaside Knitters are casting their net for a killer when one of them is accused of killing a local fisherman during the summer tourist season.

Grabenstein, Chris. Fun House (Peg, 25.00) May. A reality TV show takes over Seahaven and the ratings soar after three murders of the cast members, but John Ceepak decides that enough is enough and goes after the killer.

Graves, Sarah. Dead Level (BDD, 26.00) May. Jake and her friend are fixing up an old cabin in the Maine woods, but a flooded road leaves them at the mercy of an escaped killer bent on revenge.

Greaves, Chuck. Hush Money (STM, 24.99) May. A new young attorney at an exclusive Pasadena law firm is assigned the case of defending a socialite against a charge of insurance fraud when her show horse is shown to have been poisoned in a debut mystery set in the high-stakes world of professional show-jumping.

Harris, Charlaine. Deadlocked (Brk, 27.95) May. With the Vampire King of Louisiana in town, Sookie and Bill must work quickly to find the killer of a young woman whose body is found on Eric’s front lawn.

Harris, Robert. The Fear Index (Knopf, 25.95) Feb. When a sinister intruder breaches his security a secretive hedge fund manager must discover, amid growing paranoia and violence, who is trying to destroy him.

Hart, Carolyn. Death Comes Silently (Brk, 24.95) Apr. When a volunteer at the local charity shop is found dead with an axe by her side after phoning Annie Darling and leaving a message saying that she has scandalous news to share, Annie decides to investigate.

Hawley, Noah. The Good Father (DD, 25.95) Apr. A doctor discovers to his horror that his son from his first marriage is caught on video having shot the Democratic presidential candidate, and tries to discover what happened.

Jardine, Quintin. Stay of Execution (IPG, 12.95) May. When a Scottish pope returns to Edinburgh, Bob Skinner is in charge of the nightmarish job of providing security.

Johansen, Iris. What Doesn’t Kill You (STM, 27.99) Apr. A young woman who has used the skills she learned as a street kid in Hong Kong in her job as an operative for the CIA must return to stop her former mentor who has developed an untraceable poison.

Johnson, Craig. As the Crow Flies (Vik, 25.95) May. While scouting out a location for his daughter’s wedding on the Cheyenne Reservation Walt Longmire and Henry Standing Bear witness a young Crow woman plummeting from a steep cliff and find themselves shanghaied into helping with the investigation of her death.

Jones, Merry. Behind the Walls (SH, 28.95) Apr. When an archaeology graduate student is attacked while inventorying a pre-Colombian collection, fellow graduate student Harper Jennings investigates in a mystery that mixes detection with the supernatural.

Julavits, Heidi. The Vanishers (DD, 25.95) Apr. A young woman with a powerful psychic gift is recruited to track down an elusive artist with a mysterious connection to her dead mother.

Kelly, Jim. Death’s Door (SH, 29.95) May. The reopening of a cold case of a lifeguard stabbed to death on a ferry due to improved DNA technology shows that there may be links to a recent case of apparent suicide in the fourth police procedural set in West Norfolk.

Knode, Helen. Wildcat Play (HMH, 24.00) Apr. A writer who almost did not survive her last story of a Hollywood murder goes home to the San Joaquin Valley to work on an oil rig, but she is compelled to investigate the mysterious death of a co-worker.

Linnéa, Sharon. These Violent Delights (Arundel, 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp) Apr. In the first in a new movie mystery series, cast members at the twentieth reunion of a classic film in the U.K. discover that the list of former cast members who have died mysteriously since the filming is an unnaturally long one.

Lupton, Rosamund. Afterwards (Crown, 25.00) May. When her daughter dies in an arson fire at a school and her son becomes the primary suspect, a London mother is determined to find the guilty party and protect her remaining child.

Lyons, David. Ice Fire (SS, 24.00) May. A New Orleans judge becomes involved in a case that could lead to ecological disaster after a corrupt judge helps an oil company steal a scientist’s idea to extract oil from the seabed.

MacDonald, Gerard. The Prisoner’s Wife (STM, 25.99) May. A literary thriller about a forcibly-retired American spy hired to track down a suspected terrorist kidnapped by the CIA, accompanied by the enigmatic wife of the victim.

MacDonald, Patricia. Missing Child (SH, 28.95) May. When her young stepson disappears a woman discovers that the family into which she has married has many dark secrets.

Mandel, Emily St. John. The Lola Quartet (PGW, 24.95) May. A young reporter, disgraced and fired from his newspaper, returns to his Florida hometown to search for a daughter he didn’t know he had, who may be in danger.

McCarthy, Keith. Nor All Your Tears (SH, 28.95) Apr. After South London police surgeon Lance Elliot sets in motion a project that his father had championed at a local school, three teachers are killed in a bizarre string of murders.

McKevett, G.A. Buried in Buttercream (Kens, 24.00) Apr. Pi Savannah Reid’s wedding has had its share of problems when the first-choice location is burned in a brushfire and the second is buried in a mudslide, but when the wedding planner is murdered it’s just too much.

McLean, Margaret. Under Oath (STM, 25.99) Apr. Boston prosecutor Annie Fitzgerald must crack the code of silence while seeking the conviction of a gangster accused of killing a suspected informant after her chief witness is killed.

Norman, Michael. Skeleton Picnic (PP, 24.95, 14.95 tp) Apr. In the second in the series featuring BLM Law enforcement ranger, J.D. Books, he is called in when a Kaneb couple whose passion is pot hunting, scouring the desert southwest for valuable antiquities, fails to return after a weekend trip. Signing.

Olshan, Joseph. Cloudland (STM, 24.99) Apr. A literary thriller set in Vermont, where a reporter discovers the body of a woman in the woods, and when she realizes that the woman was the victim of a serial killer, she joins forces with her neighbor, a forensic psychiatrist, to investigate the killings.

Olson, Michael. Strange Flesh (SS, 25.00) Apr. A brilliant debut novel featuring a computer hacker at an elite security firm who is hired by a former love to find her missing media-artist brother who has disappeared into a decadent online world. I loved this.

Page, Katherine Hall. The Body in the Boudoir (HC, 23.99) May. Faith Fairchild recalls her wedding to the Reverend Thomas Fairchild, a wedding that included family, friends, and attempted murder.

Patterson, James and Maxine Paetro. 11^th Hour (LB, 27.99) May. Lindsay boxer is called in when two severed heads are found on display in a famous actor’s garden in a case with ties to a case of vigilante justice.

Radford, Ceri. A Surrey State of Affairs (Vik, 25.95) Apr. A very funny novel about a woman of a certain age whose perfect life in suburban Surrey begins to fall apart when the Lithuanian housekeeper’s undergarments begin to appear mysteriously in her husband’s study. I loved this.

Raichev, R.T. The Murder of Gonzago (Soho, 25.00) Apr. Mystery writer Antonia Darcy and Major Payne investigate the death of an aristocrat on stage at his private estate on a Caribbean island.

Renner, James. The Man from Primrose Lane (FSG, 26.00) Apr. A true-crime writer whose wife committed suicide returns from self-exile when he learns of the murder of a reclusive Ohio man, and his investigation into the mystery leads him to a connection with the death of his wife.

Rodriguez, Linda. Every Last Secret (STM, 24.99) May. When a half-Cherokee police officer moves to a small Kansas college town to become the chief of the campus police, she does not expect that her first case will be the murder of the editor of the college newspaper, a case that shows her the very ugly side of academic politics.

Ross, Ann B. Miss Julia to the Rescue (Vik, 25.95) Apr. With some time on her hands, Miss Julia is considering a home makeover, but the disappearance of Hazel Marie’s new husband and the appearance of a wealthy eccentric woman with what looks like a religious cult in tow means she won’t waste any time watching the paint dry.

Rucka, Greg. Alpha (Mul, 24.99) May. An ex-Delta Force operative is deployed to act as the undercover security officer for a summer theme park to protect against a terrorist attack.

Sallis, James. Driven (PP, 19.95 hc, 11.95 tp) Apr. In a terse, brutal, and beautifully-written sequel to the highly-acclaimed Drive, the enigmatic loner and his fiancée are assaulted on the streets of Phoenix—just the beginning when one team of hit-men after another come after him.

Sandford, John. Stolen Prey (Put, 27.95) May. Lucas Davenport investigates when a family in a small, upscale Midwestern town has been murdered—even the dog—and discovers dark evil hidden beneath the placid façade.

Santora, Nick. Fifteen Digits (Mul, 24.99) Apr. Five men who work in a powerful New York law firm copying and delivering the paperwork that documents millions of dollars of sensitive legal secrets are approached by an ambitious young attorney with a plan to use the secrets to make them all rich.

Scottoline, Lisa. Come Home (STM, 27.99) Apr. A woman who has created a new life for herself after a bitter divorce, is asked by her distraught former stepdaughter to look into the death of her ex-husband from an apparent overdose.

Simon, Clea. Cats Can’t Shoot (PP, 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp) Apr. In the second pet noir, Pru Marlowe must investigate a cat shooting—it appears that the Persian was the one who did the shooting!

_____. Grey Expectations (SH, 27.95) May. If you like academic, paranormal cat cozies, you will love this as graduate student Dulcie Schwartz and her telepathic cat investigate the disappearance of a visiting scholar and a missing 11^th-century manuscript.

Stacey, Lyndon. No Holds Barred (SH, 28.95) May. Former canine officer Daniel Whelan and his retired police dog take a job at Maidstone Farm to look into an attack that left the owner’s husband in a coma.

Stefan-Cole, Janyce. Hollywood Boulevard (Unbridled, 25.95) Apr. A movie actress looking out the window of her aging hotel in Hollywood realizes that she is being stalked, so she calls the police, but things spiral out of control quickly and violently.

Strange, Marc. Woman Chased by Crows (IPG, 24.95) May. An Ontario police chief investigates a series of murders involving a group of ballet dancers who defected from the USSR in 1981 unwittingly carrying with them a priceless ruby belonging to the czarina.

Stroby, Wallace. Kings of Midnight (STM, 24.99) Apr. Career criminal Crissa Stone is on the run again, and connects with a former mobster looking for a five-million-dollar stash, which would be the answer to all of their problems.

Tabor, James M. The Deep Zone (Ball, 26.00) Apr. In a debut thriller, scientists are sent to a cave in Mexico to look for the cure for a deadly pandemic, but narcotraficantes will do anything to keep the scientists away from the area.

Talton, Jon. Powers of Arrest (PP, 24.95) May. Cincinnati homicide detective Will Borders investigating the gory murder of a local policewoman joins forces with pain nurse Cheryl Beth Wilson who is investigating the murder of two of her students after a third becomes a suspect. Highly recommended. Signing.

Ufelder, Steve. The Whole Lie (STM, 24.99) May. Auto mechanic Conway Sax must deal with the fallout when a woman from his past is found murdered after threatening a billionaire with political ambitions that she will reveal the existence of a young son he didn’t know had. An excellent noir series.

Viets, Elaine. Final Sail (NAL, 23.95) May. PI Helen Hawthorne goes undercover as a stewardess on a private yacht in order to catch a jewel smuggler, a job as unpleasant as it is dangerous.

Vonnegut, Norb. The Trust (STM, 25.99) May. A stockbroker is asked to head a multimillion-dollar philanthropic fund after its founder dies, but he discovers that the funding is going not to charity, but to far more sinister organizations in a suspenseful financial thriller.

Wambaugh, Joseph. Harbor Nocturne (Mys, 27.00) Apr. A police procedural set in the southernmost Los Angeles district of San Pedro, where a young longshoreman falls in love with a Mexican dancer who runs afoul of a Hollywood club owner. Highly recommended.

West, Michael Lee. A Teeny Bit of Trouble (STM, 24.99) Apr. Charleston pastry chef witnesses a murder, but worse she discovers that her new boyfriend has been keeping a ten-year-old secret in the latest in this funny southern series.

Whellams, David. Walking into the Ocean (IPG, 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp) Apr. A retired Scotland Yard inspector is asked to assist the police in a domestic suicide-murder because the local authorities are focused on finding a serial killer of young women in a debut police procedural.

Williams, Beatriz. Overseas (Put, 25.95) May. A suspenseful and romantic story of love and time travel that begins when a young Wall Street analyst falls for a mysterious billionaire. Okay, it’s not a mystery, but the reviews make it sound so great and who can resist time travel, romance, and World War I!

Woods, Stuart. Unnatural Acts (Put, 26.95) Apr. When Stone Barrington and Holly Barker are hired by a hedge-fund billionaire to find his missing son, they find themselves face-to-face with a dangerous international criminal from their past.

Zerries, A.J. Stealing from the Dead (STM, 24.99) Apr. An NYPD detective investigating the death of an elderly Jewish woman uncovers a conspiracy involving Jewish money hidden in Swiss banks from the Nazis in the 1930s, and must go undercover an assassin bent on stopping those reclaiming their money.

New and Forthcoming in Paperback Reprint

Albert, Susan Wittig. Mourning Gloria (Brk, 7.99) Apr.

Allan, Barbara. Antiques Knock-Off (Kens, 7.99) Apr.

Alt, Madelyn. Home for a Spell (Brk, 7.99) Apr.

Bass, Jefferson. The Bone Yard (HC, 7.99) Apr.

Cavender, Chris. A Pizza to Die For (Kens, 7.99) Apr.

Clark, Carol Higgins. Mobbed (Pkt, 7.99) Apr.

Clark, Mary Higgins. I’ll Walk Alone (Pkt, 7.99) Apr

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Connelly, Michael. The Fifth Witness (GC, 9.99) May.

DeMille, Nelson. The Lion (GC, 9.99) May.

Dugoni, Robert. Murder One (Pkt, 7.99) May.

Fairstein, Linda. Silent Mercy (NAL, 9.99) May.

Farnsworth, Christopher. The President’s Vampire (Brk, 9.99) Apr.

Fowler, Earlene. Spider Web (Brk, 7.99) May.

Goldberg, Lee. Mr. Monk on Patrol (NAL, 7.99) May.

Grippando, James. When Darkness Falls (HC, 7.99) May. Reissue.

Haines, Carolyn. Bones of a Feather (STM, 7.99) Apr.

Hart, Carolyn. Dead by Midnight (HC, 7.99) Apr.

Hayes, Jonathan. A Hard Death (HC, 7.99) Apr.

Howell, Dorothy. Clutches and Curses (Kens, 7.99) May.

Hurwitz, Gregg. You’re Next (STM, 9.99) Apr.

Isaacs, Susan. As Husbands Go (Pkt, 7.99) May.

Jance, J.A. Betrayal of Trust (HC, 9.99) May. Reissue.

Jones, Darynda. Second Grave on the Left (STM, 7.99) May.

Kramer, Julie. Killing Kate (Pkt, 7.99) May.

Leotta, Allison. Law of Attraction (Pkt, 7.99) Apr.

Levine, Laura. Last Writes (Kens, 7.99) May. Reissue.

Meier, Leslie. Father’s Day Murder (Kens, 7.99) May.

Mitzner, Adam. Conflict of Interest (Pkt, 7.99) Apr.

O’Shaughnessy, Perri. Dreams of the Dead (Pkt, 7.99) May.

Page, Katherine Hall. The Body in the Gazebo (HC, 7.99) May.

Parker, Robert B. Sixkill (Brk, 9.99) Apr.

Rollins, James. The Devil Colony (HC, 9.99) Apr.

Sandford, John. Buried Prey (Brk, 9.99) May.

Tanenbaum, Robert K. Outrage (Pkt, 9.99) May.

Viets, Elaine. Pumped for Murder (NAL, 7.99) May.

Woods, Stuart. Son of Stone (NAL, 9.99) Apr.

_____. White Cargo (NAL, 9.99) May. Reissue.

New and Forthcoming in Paperback Original

Beck, Jessica. Drop Dead Chocolate (STM, 7.99) May. The town’s mayoral race turns sticky after Suzanne’s mother offers everyone free doughnuts with chocolate to die for.

Belle, Josie. 50% off Murder (Brk, 7.99) Apr. A debut mystery featuring a group of bargain hunters in a small Virginia town who investigate when a murdered man is found in the library and he turns out to be someone from the librarian’s past.

Bishop, Claudia. Dread on Arrival (Brk, 7.99) Apr. Meg and Sarah must appraise motives for murder when one of two rivals on an antique-collecting television show dies during a televised cooking competition in Hemlock Falls.

Casey, Elizabeth Lynn. Reap what you Sew (Brk, 7.99) Apr. Everyone in Sweet Briar is excited about the movie filming in town until the leading actress is found murdered and a member of the sewing circle is suspected of murder.

Cates, Bailey. Brownies and Broomsticks (NAL, 7.99) May. A young woman helping her aunt and uncle open a bakery discovers that her aunt’s recipes are actually witchcraft in this cozy, paranormal debut set in Savannah.

Chase, Erika. A Killer Read (Brk, 7.99) Apr. The first in a new series about a mystery book club group that solves an actual mystery after the scene of the meeting becomes the scene of a crime when a stranger is shot with an antique pistol belonging to one of the members. The Clues Unlimited book club tries to discourage actual murders.

DiSilverio, Laura. All Sales Fatal (Brk, 7.99) May. When a murdered teenager is found just outside the entrance after half the security cameras are sabotaged, mall cop E.J. Ferris investigates in the second in the series.

Donally, Claire. The Big Kitty (Brk, 7.99) May. A NYC reporter who returns home to Maine to care for her ailing father investigates the murder of the local cat lady whose missing lottery ticket is worth millions, with the help of a nosy stray cat in this purr-fect debut.

Grey, Alex. The Riverman (IPG, 8.99) May. A Glasgow homicide detective investigates the drowning death of a partner at a prestigious accounting firm and patient police work uncovers links to other crimes.

Hamilton, Victoria. A Deadly Grind (Brk, 7.99) May. The first in a new series featuring a collector of vintage cookware who discovers a murdered man on her porch next to a 1920s Hoosier brand kitchen cabinet.

Jackman, Mary. Spoiled Rotten (Dundurn, 11.99) May. An entertaining debut set in a cozy Toronto bistro where the owner discovers that not only has the meat distributor been dismembered, but the amazing new chef has disappeared.

Johnston, Linda O. Hounds Abound (Brk, 7.99) Apr. When a murder may close a much-needed new shelter, shelter manager Lauren must keep the critters safe from an unleashed killer.

Kaplan, Andrew. The Scorpion Betrayal (HC, 9.99) Apr. An international espionage thriller featuring an ex-CIA agent who is on the trail of a wily terrorist.

Kelly, Sofie. Copycat Killing (NAL, 7.99) May. Small-town librarian Kathleen must turn to her magical cats with their extraordinary powers of detection when a local artisan is found drowned in the basement of the artists’ co-op.

Lee, Amanda. The Long Stitch Goodnight (NAL, 7.99) Apr. When a handsomer local brewer is accused of murder on St. Patrick’s Day, embroidery shop owner Marcy is determined to unravel the case against him.

Little, Bentley. The Haunted (NAL, 7.99) Apr. A dream house turns into a nightmare for a family when a deadly evil begins to rise from the basement. Little does horror horribly well.

Purser, Ann. The Wild Wood Enquiry (Brk, 7.99) May. When one of the residents’ ex-wife arrives at the Springfields Home for the Elderly looking for a place to hide out, Ivy and her team of amateur sleuths investigate a case of foul play and missing jewels.

Ramirez, Melissa Bourbon. Bare-Naked Lola (ES, 7.99) May. Sacramento PI Lola Cruz must go to a local nudist resort to investigate the murder of a basketball cheerleader in a wonderfully funny series.

St. James, Dorothy. The Scarlet Pepper (Brk, 7.99) Apr. The second in the series set at the White House, featuring organic gardener Casey Calhoun, who is up to her elbows in dirt when an investigative reporter is found dead.

Sweeney, Leann. The Cat, the Wife, and the Weapon (NAL, 7.99) Apr. When Jillian returns and discovers that her neighbor has disappeared and his diabetic cat has escaped, she vows to find out what has happened.

Viguié, Debbie. The Thirteenth Sacrifice (NAL, 7.99) Apr. The first in a new supernatural series featuring a Boston cop, who also happens to be a witch, a background that makes her perfect to investigate a series of murders where the bodies are found with archaic symbols carved into their flesh.

Zettel, Sarah. Let Them Eat Stake (NAL, 7.99) Apr. Chef to the undead, Charlotte Caine agrees to cater a high-profile vampire wedding after the original chef bows out, but when he turns up dead and the groom’s family begins to vanish, she must investigate.

New and Forthcoming in Quality Paperback

Ace, Cathy. The Corpse with the Silver Tongue (Touchwood, 14.95) Apr. A Canadian criminology professor in Nice to deliver a paper at a conference finds her the chief suspect when her host at a dinner party is poisoned by a bowl of escargots in an engaging debut.

Atkins, Ace. The Ranger (Brk, 15.00) May. When an army ranger returns to his Mississippi home town for his uncle’s funeral, he begins to doubt that his uncle, a well-respected sheriff, committed suicide in the debut of a highly-praised new series.

Bohjalian, Chris. The Night Strangers (RH, 15.00) May. A wonderfully creepy ghost story about an airline pilot who moves his family to New Hampshire after a fatal airplane crash only to discover that their Victorian house is haunted.

Boland, John C. The Man who Knew Brecht (Perfect Crime, 15.95) May. When the chairman of the board of a Connecticut community catering to old-line leftists and Russian émigrés is murdered, the residents join together to find the killer.

Bolton, S.J. Now You See Me (STM, 14.99) Apr. A young detective constable in London stumbles across a woman who has been stabbed, the beginning of a case with echoes of the infamous case of Jack the Ripper, including taunting letters to the press. Highly recommended.

Bruen, Ken. London Boulevard (STM, 14.99). When a young man is released from prison he goes to work for an actress living in a crumbling mansion, but his attempts to break free from London’s criminal underworld are hampered by a psychotic loan shark.

Casey, Jane. The Burning (STM, 14.99) May. An ambitious detective constable is determined to find the serial killer responsible for killing four women and burning their bodies, especially after she begins investigating the fourth victim in a debut Irish police procedural.

Castillo, Linda. Breaking Silence (STM, 14.99) Apr. When the autopsy reveals foul play in the deaths of an Amish family, Police Chief Kate Burkholder, who herself grew up Amish, is determined to find the killer in a case that might be related to a string of hate crimes against the Amish.

Coben, Harlan. The Woods (NAL, 15.00) Apr. A reissue of a thriller featuring a New Jersey prosecutor whose sister disappeared twenty years ago, but new evidence linking a homicide to the disappearance gives him hope that she may still be alive.

Connolly, John. The Unquiet (SS, 15.00) Apr. A psychiatrist who has disappeared after revelations of harm done to children in his care and a father seeking the truth of his young daughter’s disappearance leave PI Charlie Parker caught in the middle.

Crum, Laura. Barnstorming (Pers, 14.95) Apr. While trying to decide whether to return to work as a vet or to retire, Gail McCarthy becomes involved in investigating the shoot death of a neighbor on a horse trail in Santa Cruz in the 12^th and final in the series.

Daly, Elizabeth. Somewhere in the House (F&M, 14.95) Feb. A family that has been waiting for years to divvy up their grandmother’s fortune is shocked when the locked room in her mansion is opened to find not just a priceless button collection, but also a grisly surprise in a case for Henry Gamadge.

Desinger, Kevin. The Descent of Man (UnBridled, 14.95) Apr. A mild-mannered wine steward impulsively steals the truck of two men trying to steal his car leading to a nightmare of violence.

Doiron, Paul. Trespasser (STM, 14.99) Apr. Maine game warden Mike Bowditch is at odds with the state prosecutors when he discovers the body of a woman brutalized in the same way as a murder victim seven years before, because the supposed killer has been convicted.

Doudera, Vicki. Deadly Offer (MidInk, 14.95) Apr. Real estate agent Darby Farr travels to California’s wine country when her assistant’s sister is found dead in a hot tub.

Doughty, Louise. Whatever You Love (HC, 14.99) Apr. After her young daughter is killed in a hit-and-run accident, a woman id determined to track down the guilty man and wreak vengeance on him.

Goldberg, Leonard. Patient One (MidInk, 14.95) May. When the president of the U.S. becomes violently ill during a state dinner with the Russian president, both are rushed to the hospital, where Chechen terrorists breach security and take over the hospital, forcing an emergency-room physician and a trauma nurse to turn commandos to save the situation.

Goldenbaum, Sally. The Wedding Shawl (NAL, 15.00) May. The Seaside Knitters rally round when the hair stylist for one of their members who is getting married is found dead, amid rumors of an unsolved murder years ago.

Grabien, Deborah. Uncle John’s Band (Plus One, 17.95) Apr. Another musical mystery featuring guitarist JP Kincaid, who investigates an arson murder at a San Rafael nightclub.

Grace, Margaret. Mix-up in Miniature (Pers, 15.95) Apr. When someone murders a wealthy romance writer after she agrees to donate her museum-quality dollhouse to a library auction, retired teacher Gerry Porter becomes the chief suspect.

Graham, Joshua. Darkroom (SS, 15.00) May. After scattering her mother’s ashes in Vietnam, an NYC photojournalist is plagued by visions of an American atrocity committed during the Vietnam War, but her attempts to find out the truth place her in danger from those who will kill to keep the secret.

Gran, Sara. Claire De Witt and the City of the Dead (HMH, 13.95) May. Investigating the disappearance of a prosecutor famous for winning convictions, PI Claire DeWitt returns to post-Katrina New Orleans in the first of a new series.

Greenland, Seth. The Angry Buddhist (Europa, 16.00) May. A savagely funny crime novel set in California’s high desert that skewers contemporary politics along with our dysfunctional criminal justice system.

Groundwater, Beth. Wicked Eddies (MidInk, 14.95) May. When a competitor in a fly fishing competition is found dead, river ranger Mandy Tanner investigates, but things get worse when his teenaged niece’s body is found in the river.

Hamilton, Steve. A Cold Day in Paradise (STM, 14.99) May. A trade paperback reissue of the first in the Alex McKnight series set in Upper Michigan. Highly recommended.

Hart, John. The Iron House (STM, 14.99) Apr. A hit man who escaped as a teenager from an orphanage after a brutal murder must return when the brother that he left behind is in trouble in a powerful story of politics and family secrets in the south. Highly recommended.

Hayder, Mo. Birdman (AtMon, 14.00) May. London’s DI Jack Caffery is called in to investigate the murder of a young woman whose body is found ritual mutilated near the Millennium Dome in Greenwich.

_____. The Treatment (AtMon, 14.00) May. When a young boy is abducted in a quiet residential area of London DI Jack Caffery finds that the case has eerie parallels to his own past.

Henry, Sara J. Learning to Swim (RH, 15.00) Jan. When a freelance writer sees a small boy fall from a ferry into Lake Champlain, she rescues him from the water and then must discover who he is and what happened in a brilliant debut novel that I loved.

Hill, Russell. Deadly Negatives (SPD, 16.00) May. When a professional photographer buys a classic Leica camera, he discovers hidden negatives that prove to be documentary evidence of American atrocities in Vietnam, and a wealthy politician is among the young soldiers.

James, Bill. Popular Crime (SS, 17.00) May. A look at the real-life crimes that have captured the American imagination.

Johnson, Craig. Hell is Empty (Png, 14.00) May. With only a battered copy of Dante’s Inferno and Indian mysticism, Sheriff Longmire must brave a blizzard in the Bighorn Mountains as he transports a murderer to retrieve the body of his victim. Johnson is excellent.

Kennedy, Douglas. Temptation (SS, 16.00) May. A screenwriter who suddenly becomes successful—and very unpleasant—gets his comeuppance when he meets a wealthy film buff.

Koomson, Dorothy. The Ice Cream Girls (GC, 14.99) Apr. Two teenaged girls who were witnesses to a high-profile murder becomes suspects, and years later after serving time in prison for the crime she didn’t commit, one of them goes searching for the other to reveal the truth.

LaPlante, Alice. Turn of Mind (Grove, 14.00) May. A brilliant literary thriller about a retired orthopedic surgeon who is accused of killing her best friend, and who, because of encroaching dementia, cannot remember what actually happened.

Le Carré, John. The Spy who Came in from the Cold (Png, 15.00) May. The award-winning spy novel of duplicity and revenge set in Cold-War Berlin.

Littlefield, Sophie. A Bad Day for Scandal (STM, 14.99) Apr. When her nemesis reappears in town with a body in her trunk and a snapshot of Stella “retraining” a woman-beater, Stella is loathe to help until Priss’s body is found and Stella looks like the ideal suspect in another funny dominatrix cozy.

Lovesey, Peter. The Last Detective (Soho, 9.99) Apr. The first in the Peter Diamond series reissued at a special price for its tenth anniversary.

Lupton, Rosamund. Sister (RH, 14.00) Apr. When her sister apparently commits suicide, a woman moves into her apartment and her life searching for her secrets and her killer. Highly recommended.

Lutz, Lisa and David Hayward. Heads You Lose (Brk, 15.00) Apr. A funny tag team mystery with the former partners (personally and professionally) writing alternate chapters, each with a different idea of how the mystery should unfold.

Marsh, Ngaio. Death in Ecstasy (F&M, 14.95) Mar. When a beautiful young woman dies after sipping from a ritual goblet, Inspector Alleyn must investigate murder in the House of the Sacred Flame.

______. Vintage Murder (F&M, 14.95) Mar. Inspector Alleyn is traveling to New Zealand in the company of a comedy troupe when the members’ operatic intrigues turn deadly and his vacation turns into an investigation.

McGreevy, Brian. Hemlock Grove (FSG, 15.00) Apr. When a young girl is found murdered and the police appear baffled, two high school students join together to find the murderer, uncovering the dark secrets under the surface in their small Pennsylvania town in a nicely-done combination of gothic horror and teenaged angst.

Morrow, Bradford. Diviner’s Tale (HMH, 14.95) Mar. In a lonely forest in upstate New York a woman finds the body of a girl hanged from a tree, but when she returns with the authorities the body is gone, leading to her being stalked by a killer in a beautifully written mystery.

O’Donahue, Clare. Life Without Parole (Png, 15.00) May. Television producer Kate Conway investigates when one of the investors in the new restaurant just opened by her dead husband’s mistress is found murdered. I loved the first in this series.

Patterson, James. Kill Alex Cross (GC, 14.99) May. Alex Cross must find the President’s abducted children and discover who has poisoned the DC water supply with the FBI, Secret Service, and CIA actively hindering his case.

Patterson, James and Michael Ledwidge. Now You See Her (GC, 14.99) Apr. A woman who has changed her identity and left Key West for New York City years before must return to Florida when an innocent man is framed for murder.

Pollero, Rhonda. Slightly Irregular (SS, 15.00) Apr. Palm Beach paralegal must track down a lawyer who has gone missing from the firm and who may be implicated in the murder of a beauty queen in the fourth in this funny series.

Rosenfelt, David. One Dog Night (STM, 14.99) May. When he is arrested for an arson murder, the man who originally rescued Tara calls on Andy Carpenter to defend him and a deadly secret he has been hiding for years.

Ross, Ann B. Miss Julia Rocks the Cradle (Png, 15.00) Apr. Miss Julia is making the effort to mind her own business until she discovers that her checks are bouncing all over town.

Sakey, Marcus. The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes (NAL, 15.00) May. When a man awakens with amnesia on an empty beach leaves town looking for the mysterious woman who may be the clue to his identity. Highly recommended.

Santora, Nick. Slip and Fall (Mul, 13.99) Apr. A New York attorney in need of money develops an insurance scheme that he takes to his Mafioso cousin, but he finds himself caught in the clutches of the Mob with the FBI on his trail.

Slan, Joanna Campbell. Ready, Scrap, Shoot (MidInk, 14.95) Apr. Kiki Lowenstein investigates when a sniper open fires into the crowd at a May Day celebration at her daughter’s school, killing a wealthy alum in the fifth in this scrap-booking series.

Spencer-Fleming, Julia. One Was a Soldier (STM, 14.99) Apr. Newly-returned from combat duty in Iraq, the Reverend Clare Fergusson is sure that the death of a member of her veteran’s group is murder in a case that pits her against Police Chief Russ Van Alstyne.

Stevens, Chevy. Never Knowing (STM, 14.99) May. A young adopted woman finds her birth mother only to discover that her mother was the only victim to escape a serial killer, leaving her terrified that her father may discover her existence.

Thayer, Terri. Monkey Wrench (MidInk, 14.95) May. When her assistant manager is implicated in the untimely demise of her boyfriend, quilt-shop owner Dewey Pellicano must take time out from the annual Quilters Crawl to catch a killer.

Tyler, L.C. Herring on the Nile (F&M, 14.95) May. Mystery writer Ethelred Tressider decides that a vacation cruising down the Nile is just what he needs to revive his imagination, but no sooner is he settled into his stateroom than dead bodies begin to appear in a witty homage to Agatha Christie.

Ufelder, Steve. Purgatory Chasm (STM, 14.99) May. A gritty debut novel featuring an auto mechanic who agrees to help a fellow AA member get back his vintage Mercedes, but after the man is killed what seemed like a simple job turns deadly serious. I loved this.

Unger, Lisa. Darkness, My Old Friend (RH, 15.00) May. A retired detective and a psychic team up to help a man find his mother, who disappeared decades before.

_____. Smoke (RH, 15.00) May. When a student disappears while trying to prove that her brother was murdered, crime writer Lydia Strong and her PI husband investigate a cult-like group with high-level security and a vengeful reputation.

Woodrell, Daniel. The Death of Sweet Mister (LB, 14.99) Apr. A brilliant example of country-fried noir set in the Ozarks by one of the finest crime writers at work today.

Zimmerman, David. Caring is Creepy (Soho, 15.00) Apr. A fifteen-year-old girl, neglected by her mother and her mother’s pill-popping boyfriend, shelters a young AWOL soldier, perhaps the only thing she can control in at out-of-control life.

New and Forthcoming in International Mysteries

Adamson, Isaac. Complication (PGW, 15.95) Apr. When a man discovers a letter from a woman in Prague about his missing brother after his father dies, he goes to investigate and tackles a serial killer, an Eastern European gangster, a soviet-era secret policeman, and a mysterious clock that runs backwards and forward at the same time. An excellent combination of espionage, mystery, and gothic with a fantastic twist at the end.

Brackmann, Lisa. Getaway (Soho, 25.00) Apr. A widow on vacation in Puerto Vallarta becomes involved with an attractive American ex-pat leading her into a covert operation involving drug runners, goons, and venture capital. I loved this.

Burdett, John. The Last Six Million Seconds (Vin, 15.00) May. In this thriller set in Hong Kong during the last days of the British rule in 1997, a Royal Hong Kong police inspector must find a murderer when three heads are found floating in the harbor, despite the fact that the incoming Chinese are hindering the investigation.

Ceder, Camilla. Frozen Moment (IPG, 14.95) May. In a debut police procedural, Swedish police inspector Christian Tell investigates the murder of a photographer killed execution-style.

Cotterill, Colin. Killed at the Whim of a Hat (STM, 14.99) May. The first in a new series featuring a young crime reporter forced to move with her family to Southern Thailand, where the murder of the abbot of a Buddhist monastery leads her to the scoop of a lifetime.

Del Arbol, Victor. The Sadness of the Samurai (HH, 26.00) May. A Madrid attorney is accused of plotting the prison escape of a man she defended in a case that has its roots in 1941 when an aristocratic woman is betrayed by her lover when she plots to kill her Fascist husband. A powerful debut.

Hellmann, Libby Fischer. A Bitter Veil (Allium, 16.99) Apr. An American college student marries an Iranian exchange student and returns with him to Tehran in 1977 only to find herself involved in a murder investigation just as the Iranian Revolution gets underway. I loved this well-researched political thriller.

Henshaw, Mark. Red Cell (SS, 24.99) May. An attack on Chinese spies in Taiwan leads to a shootout and a scramble on the part of CIA analysts to discover why China feels that it can attack the island with impunity.

Høeg, Peter. Smilla’s Sense of Snow (STM, 17.00) Apr. A reissue of the first Scandinavian crime thriller that appeared in English in 1992, where a woman investigates the death of her six-year-old neighbor.

Indriđason, Arnaldur. Operation Napoleon (Picador, 15.00) May. When her brother goes missing after volunteering to help when a WWII bomber is found crashed into a glacier a woman uncovers a deadly conspiracy to keep the plane and its contents a secret.

Johnston, Paul. The Silver Stain (SH, 28.95) May. PI Alex Mavros goes to Crete to locate a member of a production company filming a movie about the Nazi invasion and occupation of the island, a project filled with politics, corruption, and the Cretan tradition of vendettas.

Läckberg, Camilla. The Stonecutter (Peg, 25.95) May. Set in the west coast of Sweden, this excellent mystery features Det. Parik Hedström investigating the drowning death of a child in a case with ties to a decades-old case.

Larsson, Stieg. The Girl who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest (Vin, 15.95) Mar. the paperback edition of the final book in the immensely popular trilogy set in Sweden.

Leon, Donna. Beastly Things (AtMon, 25.00) Apr. Venetian Commissario Guido Brunetti is faced with a difficult case when an anonymous man is found in a canal, and his only clue is that the man was involved with an animal-rights group.

_____. Drawing Conclusions (Png, 15.00) Apr. The death of an elderly widow is ruled a heart attack, but Venice’s Commissario Brunetti is convinced that things are not that simple.

_____. Noble Radiance (AtMon, 14.00) Mar. A reissue of an earlier Commissario Brunetti mystery set in Venice.

_____. Venetian Curiosities (AtMon, 25.00) Apr. A collection of essays about the history of Venice accompanied by the music of Antonio Vivaldi on a CD. For music lovers who love Venice.

Lewis, Simon. Border Run (SS, 24.00) May. Two American tourists take a jungle trip near the Burmese border, but they discover that nothing is as they thought, and after the murder of a customs official, they are on the run in a tropical paradise turned lethal. I loved this.

Lilliefors, James. Viral (Soho, 25.00) Apr. Two brothers—one a private intelligence operative and the other a journalist—uncover a bioterrorist source for a deadly virus in Africa that is decimating the native population in an area set for development by a shadowy investment consortium. Highly recommended.

Lin, Ed. One Red Bastard (STM, 25.99) Apr. When it appears that Mao’s daughter is seeking asylum in the U. S., Chinatown detective-in-training Robert Chow must find a killer when her Chinese representative is murdered.

Mackenzie, Jassy. The Fallen (Soho, 25.00) Apr. While on a scuba-diving holiday in St. Lucia, PI Jade de Jong and her lover, Johannesburg police superintendent David Patel, find themselves investigating the murder of a diving instructor.

_____. Stolen Lives (Soho, 14.00) Apr. South African PI Jade de Jong is hired as a bodyguard by a woman whose husband has been kidnapped, but when he returns tortured and barely alive, she becomes involved in a difficult case involving human trafficking.

Marklund, Liza. Last Will (SS, 25.00) Apr. While covering the Nobel Prize dinner in Stockholm, investigative journalist Annika Bengtzon becomes part of the story when a gunman open fires on the group in a case with ties to international terrorism, multinational pharmaceutical corporations, and Alfred Nobel himself.

McCall Smith, Alexander. The Limpopo Academy of Detection (RH, 24.95) Apr. When an American detective appears in Botswana, he and PI Precious Ramotswe join forces to look into the dirty laundry of a businessman who has plans to destroy the local orphanage.

Nykänen, Harri. Nights of Awe (Bitter Lemon, 14.95) Apr. Ariel Kafka of Helsinki’s Violent Crimes Unit investigates when the body of a foreigner is found shot, stabbed, and mutilated and a second man, possibly an Arab, is found with a broken neck nearby in a debut Finnish police procedural.

Patterson, James and Liza Marklund. The Postcard Killers (GC, 9.99) Apr. An NYPD detective teams up with a Swedish reporter to find a killer who is targeting tourists in European capitals.

Robotham, Michael. The Wreckage (Mul, 13.99) May. An Iraqi-American journalist decides to discover what happened to billions of dollars missing from Iraqi banks in a suspenseful thriller.

Saunders, Mark Harrill. Ministers of Fire (OUP, 26.95) May. An intricately-plotted espionage thriller with a former CIA agent tasked with smuggling a dissident nuclear physicist out of China.

Sigurdardottir, Yrsa. Ashes to Dust (STM, 14.99) Apr. Icelandic attorney Thora Gudmundsdottir is hired to defend a man accused of killing his childhood sweetheart after bodies are found at a volcanic tourist attraction.

Wallentin, Jan. Strindberg’s Star (Vik, 28.95) May. When a Swedish cave diver is found murdered after finding a body wearing an ancient ankh, the expert who finds the body becomes the target of a sinister group that will do anything to get the ankh in a case involving arctic exploration, Nazis, and Norse mythology.

Weiss, Jan Merete. These Dark Things (Soho, 14.00) Apr. When a college student is found murdered in the catacombs of a Neapolitan monaster, a captain of the Carabinieri is assigned to investigate in a case that leads her to the brutal Napali crime organization, the Cammorra.

February/March 2012

New and Forthcoming in Hardcover

Albert, Susan Wittig. Cat’s Claw (Brk, 25.95) Mar. Pecan Springs’ Police Chief Sheila Dawson must investigate the shooting death of the town’s computer guru, challenged by the male-dominated force which sees the death as a suicide rather than murder.

Babson, Marian. No Co-operation from the Cat (STM, 24.99) Mar. Aging actresses Trixie and Evangeline, along with their Japanese bobtailed cat, are plunged into another cozy mystery when a cookbook writer is murdered by one of her own recipes.

Barden, Dan. The Next Right Thing (RH, 26.00) Mar. When his AA sponsor is found dead of a heroin overdose, a recovering alcoholic vows to avenge his death, but he discovers a trail of dirty secrets including shady real estate deals and internet pornography.

Barry, Dave and Alan Zweibel. Lunatics (Put, 25.95) Jan. I dithered about ordering this comic caper filled with murder, mayhem, and a lemur named Buddy that begins when two fathers get into a heated argument at a girls’ 10-and-under soccer championship, but then I decided that we all need to laugh—so enjoy!

Bazell, Josh. Wild Thing (LB, 25.99) Feb. Former mob hit man Peter Brnwa agrees to accept a job from a reclusive billionaire accompanying a beautiful paleontologist to Minnesota to investigate the sighting of a possible lake monster, a job that takes him among an army of murderers, mobsters, international drug dealers, and really scary politicians. This is a worthy sequel to Beat the Reaper and a brilliantly funny book. Read it.

Beaton, M.C. Death of a Kingfisher (GC, 23.99) Feb. When a wave of vandalism hits his small Highland village after the successful establishment of a tourist spot, Hamish Macbeth must investigate.

Bell, Ted. Phantom (HC, 27.99) Mar. MI6 agent Alex Hawke must learn to be a parent when he is given his three-year-old son by his Russian mother, while at the same time foiling an Iranian scientist and his almost-human computer.

Berenson, Alex. The Shadow Patrol (Put, 25.95) Feb. John Wells is called in when it appears that there is a mole in Kabul’s CIA station, but further investigation leads him to a drug smuggling ring made up of U.S. soldiers in a fast-moving thriller.

Box, C.J. Force of Nature (Put, 25.95) Mar. Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett must decide how far he can go to help a friend when his outlaw buddy Nate is targeted by his former Special Forces commander who will stop at nothing to find Nate—including coming after Joe and his family.

Brett, Simon. Guns in the Gallery (SH, 28.95) Mar. Carole and Jude overhear a lover’s spat while attending a gallery view, but when one of the quarrelling lovers commits suicide shortly afterwards, they turn to sleuthing.

Carter, Maureen. Mother Love (SH, 28.95) Feb. In this second in this police procedural series set in Birmingham, DI Sarah Quinn is faced with an abducted schoolteacher and an anonymous taunting note by someone claiming to have her.

Childs, Laura. Agony of the Leaves (Brk, 25.95) Mar. Theodosia has been hired to cater the elegant opening of Charleston’s new aquarium, and things go swimmingly until she discovers the body of her former boyfriend tangled in a net in one of the tanks.

Coben, Harlan. Stay Close (Dutton, 27.95) Mar. When a man goes missing on the same date that another man had disappeared 17 years before, both cases appear to be part of a disturbing pattern with possibly other victims in another strong domestic suspense thriller.

Coonts, Deborah. So Damn Lucky (STM, 24.99) Feb. Las Vegas “fixer” Lucky O’Toole must find a disappearing magician and deal with her vanishing personal life in the third in this funny series that embodies the tacky goofiness that is my idea of Sin City.

Cooper, Mike. Clawback (Vik, 26.95) A former black ops soldier is hired by a Wall Street money manager to investigate the suspicious deaths of several money-losing financial managers.

Crais, Robert. Taken (Put, 26.95) Jan. When a pair of students disappear after getting caught in a battle between human traffickers and “bajadores”—predators who prey on other criminals—Elvis Cole is hired by the girl’s mother to find her, leading to him becoming the prisoner of a deadly bajador.

Crawford, Isis. A Catered St. Patrick’s Day (Kens, 24.95) Feb. When a friend is found floating in a vat of green beer, catering sisters Bernie and Libby investigate, since Bernie’s boyfriend is the chief suspect.

Crombie, Deborah. No Mark upon Her (HC, 24.99) Feb. When a DCI with the Metropolitan police and an Olympic rowing hopeful drowns under suspicious circumstances, Kincaid and James investigate what becomes a murder case with two police officers coming under suspicion.

Dams, Jeanne. The Evil that Men Do (SH, 28.95) Feb. While vacationing in the Cotswolds, Dorothy and her husband stumble on a body in an abandoned quarry.

Davidson, Hilary. The Next One to Fall (STM, 24.99) Feb. When a tourist dies from a fall at the Incan fortress of Machu Picchu in Peru, travel writer Lily Moore is convinced that the death is suspicious, even though the Peruvian police are not convinced.

Dorsey, Tim. Pineapple Grenade (HC, 25.99) Feb. Serge and Coleman dress up as superheroes to kill miscreants who blight Florida while Serge continues a campaign to get hired as a spy by one of the countries with consular offices in Miami in the latest romp featuring Florida’s most lovable psychotic serial killer.

Epperson, Tom. Sailor (STM, 24.99) Mar. After years of abuse and unhappiness, wife of a mobster turns him in to the authorities and leaves with her son, but his father will stop at nothing to get his grandson back in an action-packed thriller.

Evans, Mary Anna. Plunder (PP, 24.95, 14.95 tp) Mar. Archaeologist Faye Longchamp and her husband have the job of surveying sits along the Mississippi south of New Orleans right after the BP oil spill.

Fluke, Joanne. Cinnamon Roll Murder (Kens, 24.00) Mar. When the tour bus for a jazz band coming to Lake Eden’s Jazz Festival overturns, one of the musicians is injured, but a minor injury turns deadly serious when someone at the hospital plunges a pair of surgical scissors in his chest.

Fredrickson, Jack. Hunting Sweetie Rose (STM, 24.99) Feb. Chicago PI Dek Elstrom is hired by a mysterious man to investigate the death of a clown, a death that may be tied to a philanthropic society woman.

Gardner, Lisa. Catch Me (Dutton, 26.99) Feb. Boston Det Sgt D.D. Warren is asked for help by a police dispatcher who is sure that she will be murdered in four days.

Glass, Matthew. Trigger Point (AtMon, 25.00) Mar. A financial thriller set in the near-future with a stand-off in Africa between China and the U.S. escalating into a financial rout when an investment bank whose largest shareholder is the Chinese government becomes insolvent and refuses a government bailout.

Greenwood, Kerry. Cooking the Books (PP, 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp) Mar. Melbourne baker and sometimes sleuth Corinna Chapman is recruited to help supply food for the shooting of a soap-opera pilot, and finds herself searching for the person who has been threatening the prima-donna leading lady.

Gunn, Elizabeth. Magic Line (Severn, 28.95) Feb. Tucson police officer Sarah Burke looks into a botched drug stash house raid that leaves five bodies, but a video shows that one man has escaped the house and one of the “bodies” manages to escape the ambulance. Signing.

Haddam, Jane. Blood in the Water (STM, 25.99) Mar. Gregor Demarkian is called in when a wealthy woman from the Philadelphia suburbs goes missing right after the pool house of her estate is set on fire—with two bodies found inside.

Halliday, Gemma. Play Nice (STM, 24.99) Mar. A retired assassin now living in San Francisco is the target of another gunman hired to make sure she doesn’t reveal any secrets from her past, but when someone else tries to kill her, they join forces to discover who else wants her dead and why.

Harkaway, Nick. Angelmaker (Knopf, 26.95) Mar. A mobster’s son turned clock repairman is asked to check out a complex old machine which leads to him becoming the target of rogue government agents, a suburban serial killer, a sect of technophiliac monks, and an identity shifting Asian drug lord in a funny and suspenseful send-up of end-of-the world themes.

Harris, Charlaine. Dead over Heels (Brk, 25.95) Mar. The fifth in the Aurora Teagarden series now in a hardcover edition.

Harris, Robert. The Fear Index (Knopf, 25.95) Feb. A scientist develops an artificial intelligence project that can forecast the movements of the financial markets, allowing him to found a successful hedge fund, but a series of strange occurrences suggest that either the intelligence has a mind of its own or the mental problems of its creator are affecting it.

Hood, Evelyn. Mystery in Prior’s Ford (SH, 28.95) Feb. When the drama club in the small Scottish village of Prior’s Ford decides to stage the Importance of Being Earnest, they are unprepared after one of the actors is strangled with Lady Bracknell’s feathered boa.

Harrod-Eagles, Cynthia. Kill My Darling (SH, 24.99) Mar. London DI Bill Slider is faced with more questions than answers when the alibis of the three suspects in the death of a paleontologist fall apart, even though the motive for the murder remains a mystery.

Hayder, Mo. Hanging Hill (AtMon, 25.00) Feb. When a policewoman begins to investigate the murder of a teenaged beauty who was trying to break in to the world of professional modeling, she discovers an underground world of webcam girls and amateur porn that threatens to engulf her own family. Hayder is fantastic.

Heald, Tim. Poison at the Pueblo (SH, 28.95) Mar. Simon Bognor, head of special investigations with the Board of Trade decides to travel to Madrid with his wife to look into the death of a British gang leader, poisoned by toxic mushrooms. Heald is wonderful, with a wry British wit.

Heley, Veronica. False Report (SH, 28.95) Mar. Bea Abbot accepts a case from her mentor who fears that he may have given a false alibi for an acquaintance suspected of killing an under-age girl.

Hess, Joan. Deader Homes and Gardens (STM, 24.99) Feb. The newly-married Clare Malloy goes house hunting, but the perfect house she finds comes with a few problems—the real estate agent disappears and the last owner died in mysterious circumstances.

Houston, Victoria. Dead Tease (Tyrus, 24.95 hc, 15.95 tp) Mar. When a young woman of easy virtue is stabbed to death, Loon Lake police chief Lewellyn Ferris investigates the staff of the hospital where she worked.

Jance, J.A. Left for Dead (SS, 25.99) Feb. Ali Reynolds agrees to help a Santa Cruz county sheriff’s deputy who is gunned down, and then later implicated in drug smuggling along the border in a case. Highly recommended. Signed copies available.

Jones, Darynda. Third Grave Dead Ahead (STM, 23.99) Feb. The third in the funny paranormal series finds PI Charley Davidson investigating a missing persons case and taking on a murderous motorcycle gang, all the while finding herself obsessed with the supermodel sexy son of Satan.

Kellerman, Jonathan. Victims (Ball, 28.00) Mar. LAPD homicide detective Milo Sturgis and psychologist Alex Delaware are faced with a serial killer whose pattern of killer seems to lie in his terrifying randomness.

King, Jonathon. Midnight Guardians (SH, 28.95) Mar. Florida PI Max Freeman agrees to help protect a whistle-blower nurse in a case involving Medicare and Medicaid fraud by hiding her in the Everglades.

Landay, William. Defending Jacob (Dela, 26.00) Feb. When his own son is accused of murder an Assistant District Attorney in a small Massachusetts town finds himself doubting the child he thought he knew.

Larsen, K.J. Sticks and Stones (PP, 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp) Feb. The second mystery featuring Chicago PI Cat DeLuca who goes hunting a friend’s Tibetan terrier stolen by her perfidious ex.

Laukkanen, Owen. The Professionals (Put, 25.95) Mar. In this debut thriller, four college friends decides to make money by kidnapping wealthy bankers, but their luck runs out when one of the targets is connected to the Mafia.

Leonard, Elmore. Raylan (HC, 26.99) Feb. U.S. Marshall Raylan Givens must deal with three very different kinds of female crooks—a nurse harvesting transplant organs, a poker-playing college student bank robber, and a coal company executive—in the latest comic novel set in Kentucky coal-mining country.

Livesey, Margot. The Flight of Gemma Hardy (HC, 25.99) Jan. A fascinating novel set in Scotland in the 1960s that is a retelling of the Jane Eyre story as a young orphan takes a position looking after the wild niece of a wealthy man in the Orkneys. Livesey always delights.

Lochte, Dick. Blues in the Night (SH, 28.95) Mar. When an ex-con returns to Los Angeles to help a mobster friend shadow his ex-girlfriend things turn lethal really quickly in what should be the start of a new series.

Lutz, Lisa. Trail of the Spellmans (SS, 25.00) Mar. Three surveillance operations turn out to be anything but routine in the fifth installment featuring the dysfunctional family of San Francisco PIs.

Manfredo, Lou. Rizzo’s Daughter (STM, 24.99) Mar. When his youngest daughter decides to become a cop, Brooklyn cop Joe Rizzo decides to postpone his retirement to watch over her and her career, but he finds himself assigned the sensational case of a murdered mob boss, a case that he fears could lead to an all-out gang war.

Margolin, Phillip. Capitol Murder (HC, 25.99) Mar. PI Dana Cutler and attorney Brad Miller must contend with sex scandals, an escaped murderer, and a looming terrorist attack on U.S. soil in a thriller set in Washington D.C.

Mariani, Scott. The Hope Vendetta (SS, 25.00) Mar. Ex-SAS operative Ben Hope returns to Oxford to study theology, but he agrees to help one of his professor’s whose archaeologist daughter is missing, and becomes involved with an ambitious televangelist as he hunts for the missing woman and a religious artifact she has discovered.

McCafferty, Keith. The Royal Wulff Murders (Viking, 26.95) Feb. A debut mystery set in Montana featuring sheriff Martha Ettinger who investigates when a fisherman snags a body in the river and the sharp-eyed medical examiner discovers that the body was a murder victim. Intriguing characters combined with fishing lore make this a standout.

O’Donovan, Gerard. Dublin Dead (SS, 25.00) Dublin DI Mike Mulcahy is in charge of the Garda’s drug squad and a complex case of cocaine smuggling and murder keeps him busy while his love interest, a reporter, is investigating the disappearance of a Cork accountant—two cases that converge in a violent showdown. Recommended.

Palmer, Daniel. Helpless (Kens, 25.00) Feb. A retired Navy Seal who has retired to a small New England town with his daughter to become a soccer coach becomes the chief suspect in the murder of his ex-wife as well as the target of an internet slander campaign.

Palmer, Michael. Oath of Office (STM, 27.99) Feb. When a well-respected doctor goes on a shooting spree, killing himself and others, the doctor who had championed him is shocked into investigating in a case that leads to a deadly conspiracy at the highest political levels.

Parks, Brad. The Girl Next Door (STM, 24.99) Mar. Investigative reporter Carter Ross decides to do a piece on a woman killed in a hit-and-run while delivering copies of the paper he works for, but deeper investigation reveals that the woman may not have died accidentally.

Patterson, James with Maxine Paetro. Private: #1 Suspect (GC, 27.99) Mar.The director of a powerful investigation firm called Private becomes the main suspect when a former lover is found dead in his bed and at the same time the mob is strong-arming him into recovering $30 million in stolen pharmaceuticals in the first of a new series.

Patterson, Richard North. Fall from Grace (SS, 26.00) Mar. When a world-famous writer is found dead, and his wife and one son are disinherited in his son returns to discover what happened particularly after the father’s will disinherits his mother and brother in favor of his father’s girlfriend.

Perry, Thomas. Poison Flower (Mys, 24.00) Mar. Jane Whitefield agrees to help a man unjustly convicted of his wife’s murder, but she herself is shot and captured, and put up as the prize in a multi-million dollar auction for those she has eluded over the years. This is Perry at his best and that’s as good as it gets.

Picoult, Jodi. Lone Wolf (SS, 28.00) Mar. When a man who has dedicated his life to understanding wolf behavior suffers a traumatic brain injury leaving his two children to decide his end of life as he remains in a coma.

Robb, J.D. Celebrity in Death (Put, 27.95) Feb. Eve Dallas investigates when an actress attending a party given by a Hollywood producer is found dead in the lap pool after making a drunken scene at dinner in a mystery filled with sex, murder, and blackmail.

Robinson, Peter. Before the Poison (HC, 25.99) Feb. When a recently-widowed British film composer returns to Yorkshire after years in Hollywood, he buys a country house only to discover that it was the site of a sensational crime in the early 1950s. Highly recommended.

Robotham, Michael. Bleed for Me (Hach, 25.99) Feb. Psychologist Joe O’Laughlin is puzzled by a 14-year-old girl who claims to have no memory of the brutal murder of her father, a retired cop, and must decide if she is the victim of a horrible crime—or its perpetrator.

Rose, M.J. The Book of Lost Fragrances (SS, 24.00) Mar. When a Paris parfumier discovers traces of a scent that can cause recall of previous lives he shares his find with an archaeologist and his clairvoyant sister in a novel of paranormal suspense.

Rosenfelt, David. Heart of a Killer (STM, 24.99) Feb. When a young lawyer working for a white shoe firm in Manhattan is given the pro-bono case of a woman convicted of murdering her husband who wishes to die in order to provide a healthy heart for her desperately-ill daughter, he finds himself arguing for state-assisted suicide, unless he can get the murder case reopened and the conviction thrown out. Quirky characters and a twisty plot make this a stand-out.

Schow, David J. Negative Burn (STM, 25.99) Feb. When he is kidnapped at gunpoint by a professional hit man and forced to take blackmail photos of a prominent politician, a man thinks that things have gotten as bad as they can get—but he’s very wrong as his abductor relentlessly hunts him down.

Seymour, Gerald. Timebomb (Png, 25.95) Feb. When a disgruntled KGB agent arranges to sell a suitcase-sized nuclear device to a criminal outfit with ties to a terrorist organization, western intelligence officials scramble to prevent the transaction.

Stabenow, Dana. Restless in the Grave (STM, 25.99) Feb. When an Alaskan aviation pioneer dies in a sabotaged small plane , Kate Shugak and Alaska Trooper Liam Campbell join forces to sift through the long list of people with motives for murder. Signing.

Staincliffe, Cath. Crying out Loud (SH, 27.95) Mar. Manchester PI Sal Kilkenny has her hands full when an infant is deposited on her doorstep as she is investigating a murder case where the crook who confessed has recanted in prison.

Sturges, P.G. Tribulations of the Short Cut Man (SS, 24.00) Feb. Dick Henry is hired by a pole dancer whose boyfriend, a wealthy septuagenarian land developer, has mysteriously cut off communication with her, only to find him dead in his house, so imagine his surprise when he hears that the man has recently married. A funny crime caper filled with eccentric characters. Highly recommended.

Vachss, Andrew. That’s How I Roll (RH, 25.95) Mar. A chilling tour-de-force about an assassin on death row who must plot to protect his “slow” younger brother whether he is alive or dead.

Webb, Betty. Desert Wind (PP, 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp. Phoenix PI Lena Jones and her Pima Indian partner investigate when his brother is held as a material witness in the death of a public relations expert for a uranium mine. Signing.

Westlake, Donald. The Comedy is Finished (Hard Case, 25.99) Feb. A posthumous novel by Westlake set in 1977, featuring a group of political activists who seek to reignite the passionate politics of the 1960s and ‘70s by kidnapping a comedian known for his support of the USO.

White, Kate. So Pretty it Hurts (HC, 24.99) Mar. Working for a New York gossip tabloid, reporter Bailey Wiggins is invited for a weekend at a record producer’s upstate resort where a supermodel turns up dead.

White, Randy Wayne. Chasing Midnight (BDD, 25.95) Mar. Doc Ford infiltrates a group of black market caviar smugglers at a gathering on a private Florida island estate when a group of eco-terrorists with murky motives takes over the island.

Whittle, Tina. Darker than Any Shadow (PP, 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp) Mar. Atlanta gun shop owner and a corporate security agent join forces to find a killer at a high-stakes poetry slam in the second in this quirky series.

Wilhelm, Kate. Death of an Artist (STM, 24.99) Mar. When an artist dies and her former paramour appears with a signed exclusive contract to sell her work, her mother and her daughter decide that her death was murder in an attempt to steal her artwork and enlist the help of a former NYC cop to prove it.

New and Forthcoming in Paperback Reprint

Atherton, Nancy. Aunt Dimity and the Family Tree (Png, 7.99) Mar.

Baldacci, David. The Sixth Man (GC, 9.99) Feb.

Berenson, Alex. The Secret Soldier (Brk, 9.99) Feb.

Blake, Daniel. Thou Shalt Kill (Pkt, 7.99) Mar.

Box, C.J. Cold Wind (Brk, 9.99) Mar.

Childs, Laura. Scones and Bones (Brk, 7.99) Mar.

Coben, Harlan. Live Wire (NAL, 9.99) Mar.

Cussler, Clive with Jack du Brul. The Jungle (Brk, 9.99) Mar.

Davidson, Diane Mott. Crunch Time (HC, 7.99) Feb.

Davidson, Hilary. The Damage Done (STM, 7.99) Jan.

Dekker, Ted. The Priest’s Graveyard (GC, 7.99) Mar.

Dunn, Matthew. Spycatcher (HC, 9.99) Feb.

Fielding, Joy. Now You See Her (Pkt, 7.99) Feb.

Fletcher, Jessica and Donald Bain. Murder She Wrote: Skating on Thin Ice (NAL, 7.99) Mar.

Fluke, Joanne. Devil’s Food Cake Murder (Kens, 7.99) Feb.

Lippman, Laura. In Big Trouble (HC, 9.99) Mar. Reissue.

Marshall, Michael. Killer Move (HC, 7.99) Mar.

Martinez, A. Lee. Chasing the Moon (GC, 7.99) Feb.

McKevett, G.A. A Decadent Way to Die (Kens, 7.99) Mar.

Morrison, Boyd. The Vault (Pkt, 7.99) Mar.

Patterson, James and Maxine Paetro. The Ninth Judgment (GC, 9.99) Feb.

Patterson, Richard North. The Devil’s Light (Pkt, 9.99) Mar.

Peters, Elizabeth. Night of Four Hundred Rabbits (HC, 9.99) Mar. Reissue.

Robb, J.D. New York to Dallas (Brk, 7.99) Mar.

Silva, Daniel. Portrait of a Spy (HC, 9.99) Mar.

Stabenow, Dana. Though not Dead (STM, 7.99) Jan.

White, Randy Wayne. Night Vision (Brk, 9.99) Feb.

New and Forthcoming in Paperback Original

Aames, Avery. Clobbered by Camembert (Brk, 7.99) Feb. When a friend is found dead in her assistant’s cottage and her boyfriend is suspected, cheese store owner Charlotte Besette investigates.

Arlington, Lucy. Buried in a Book (Brk, 7.99) Feb. The first in a new series set in North Carolina, featuring an intern at a literary agency who investigates when a penniless aspiring writer drops dead in the agency’s waiting room.

Bartlett, Lorraine. The Walled Flower (Brk, 7.99) Feb. When a young couple begin to renovate an old mansion, they discover the skeleton of a woman who disappeared twenty-two years ago sealed in the walls, and ask for Kate’s help to find a murderer who may still be part of Artisan’s Alley.

Becker, James. The Nosferatu Scroll (NAL, 9.99) Feb. A much-needed vacation in Venice turns into a nightmare for Chris and Angela when the discovery of a female skeleton and a centuries-old diary written in Latin lead them into the clutches of a vampire cult conspiracy.

Bourbon, Melissa. A Fitting End (NAL, 7.99) Feb. When a local golf pro is found stabbed with dressmaking shears, dressmaker Harlow Jane Cassidy and her ghostly great-grandmother must find a killer.

Brady, Jacklyn. Cake on a Hot Tin Roof (Brk, 7.99) Feb. Pastry chef Rita Lucero’s Mardi Gras party turns funereal when a guest is found dead after a fight with her uncle in the second in this tasty series set in New Orleans.

Bryan, Mollie Cox. Scrapbook of Secrets (Kens, 7.99) Feb. When she moves to a small Virginia town an investigative journalist turned stay-at-home mom joins a “crop circle” of scrap-bookers, but when one of the members commits suicide she needs to use her investigative skills once more in a crafty debut.

Byerrum, Ellen. Death on Heels (NAL, 7.99) Feb. When her former boyfriend, a cattle rancher, is accused of murder D.C. fashion reporter Lacey digs out her cowboy boots and rushes to his defense.

Carlisle, Kate. One Book in the Grave (NAL, 7.99) Feb. When San Francisco rare book expert Brooklyn finds a first edition of Beauty and the Beast, she recognizes it as having belonged to an old friend who died in a car-crash years ago.

Connolly, Sheila. Fire Engine Dead (Brk, 7.99) Mar. When the entire collection of the Fireman’s Museum ironically enough is destroyed by arson, Nell discovers that one of the charred pictures is not the original.

Copperman, E.J. Old Haunts (Brk, 7.99) Feb. The ghosts haunting Alison’s Jersey Shore guest house are looking for answers about their former loves, but Alison isn’t missing her ex—he has just showed up.

Fifield, Christy. Murder Buys a T-Shirt (Brk, 7.99) Mar. The first in a new series set in a Florida souvenir shop filled with mementos, collectibles, and ghosts, whose new owner investigates the suspicious death of a local football hero.

Gaylin, Alison. And She Was (HC, 5.99) Mar. The first in a new series featuring a woman missing-persons investigator who suffers from a memory disorder whose hunt for a missing woman is tied to the disappearance of a child years before. I loved this.

Hale, Rebecca M. Adrift on St. John (Brk, 7.99) Mar. The first of a new series set in the Virgin Islands, where a resort manager investigates the disappearance of a young woman, a disappearance that seems to be tied to an eighteenth-century slave revolt on the island.

Haywood, B.B. Town in a Wild Moose Chase (Brk, 7.99) Feb. The annual Winter Moose Fest is disturbed by sightings of a mysterious white moose and the rumor of a dead body in the woods.

Hollis, Lee. Death of a Kitchen Diva (Kens, 7.99) Mar. The office manager of a small-town newspaper is assigned the task of writing the paper’s food column, but when a rival food writer is found dead in a bowl of clam chowder, she becomes the primary suspect.

James, Miranda. File M for Murder (Brk, 7.99) Feb. Librarian Charlie Harris and his cat, Diesel, are plunged into another murder investigation when a wasp-tongued writer in residence is murdered and Charlie’s daughter is the chief suspect.

Kelly, Diane. Death, Taxes, and a No-Whip Latte (STM, 7.99) Mar. In a funny debut, a tax attorney in the Criminal Investigations Division of the U.S. Treasury is assigned the case of a tax-cheat loan shark with ties to border smuggling, but since she’s on a serious diet and not in the best of moods, he has more than met his match.

Madison, Ada. The Probability of Murder (Brk, 7.99) Mar. The second in the academic series featuring a math professor who uses math and logic to investigate the shooting death of a librarian.

McCoy, Judi. Fashion Faux Paw (NAL, 7.99) Mar. Dog walker Ellie is hired to coordinate modeling outfits for a dog-and-owner fashion competition, but when one of the models dies of anaphylactic shock, she must find a killer.

McKinlay, Jenn. Due or Die (Brk, 7.99) Mar. New England library director Lindsey Norris must discover who killed a patron before someone else is checked out for good.

Nevala-Lee, Alec. The Icon Thief (NAL, 9.99) Mar. An art buyer for a New York hedge fund is searching for a painting by Marcel Duchamp only to discover that the FBI is also searching for the same painting as part of a newly-reopened cold case in a debut set in the glamorous and deadly world of art.

Pape, Sharon. Sketch a Falling Star (Brk, 7.99) Mar. While investigating the “accidental” death of a con artist with numerous enemies, Rory finds herself on the verge of solving the cold case of the murder of her ghost partner in the third in this humorous paranormal mystery.

Perdue, Lewis. The Da Vinci Legacy (STM, 7.99) Mar. When a scholar discovers that several of the entries in the Da Vinci Codex are forgeries, his search for the genuine documents makes him the target of a centuries-old conspiracy.

Swanson, Denise. Little Shop of Homicide (NAL, 7.99) Mar. The first in a new series featuring the owner of an old-fashioned dime store in a small Missouri town whose charming store becomes a shop of horrors when a murder occurs.

New and Forthcoming in Quality Paperback

Ackerman, Hal. Stein Stung (Tyrus, 115.95) Mar. LA hippie-turned-PI Harry Stein is asked to look into the disappearance of some bees and bee boxes that belonged to an old hippie in Ojai, but he is distracted by the bones that his teenaged daughter and her friend are finding in his girlfriend’s backyard in another funny caper.

Bayard, Louis. The School of the Night (STM, 14.99) Mar. A disgraced Elizabethan scholar is hired to find a missing letter that may prove the existence of the Elizabethan School of the Night in a suspenseful literary mystery. Highly recommended.

Bennett, Jenny. Murder at the Jumpoff (Blair, 14.95) Mar. A Tennessee sheriff’s deputy investigates the death of an off-trail hiker in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

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Black, J. Carson. The Shop (T&M, 13.95) Feb. When Detective Jolie Burke investigates the death of a police chief in a seedy Florida motel, she uncovers a shocking conspiracy that reaches into the highest levels of government. Black demonstrates that women can do noir action as well as any man. Signing.

Block, Lawrence. A Drop of the Hard Stuff (Hach, 14.99) Feb. When an alcoholic childhood friend is shot while attempting to atone for past sins, Matthew Scudder is drawn into a murder investigation.

Canadeo, Anne. Till Death Do Us Purl (SS, 15.00) Mar. Maggie and her close-knit group of friends agree to help a young woman knit her wedding gown, but they are stunned to learn that the groom is killed a day after the wedding and the bride is the chief suspect in his murder.

Challinor, C.S. Murder of the Bride (Mid Ink, 14.95) Mar. A classic locked-room mystery in which Scottish barrister Rex Graves must find a killer at a wedding.

Clark, Marcia. Guilt by Association (Hach, 13.99) Mar. A debut legal thriller featuring a LA county DA who investigates when her close colleague is found dead in a motel room with a seventeen-year-old boy.

Conlon, Edward. Red on Red (Rh, 15.00) Mar. A brilliant first crime novel featuring an NYPD officer who is assigned to investigate another policeman who ultimately becomes his friend. This offers a gritty and authentic look at police work. Highly recommended.

Cumming, Charles. The Trinity Six (STM, 14.99) Mar. When an academic in need of money is contacted about newly-found evidence suggesting that the notorious Cambridge spy ring from the 1930s had a sixth member, he is plunged into danger and intrigue.

D’Amato, Barbara. Other Eyes (STM, 15.99) Feb. An archaeologist is studying ancient sites looking for evidence of the use of hallucinogens in ancient religions that may cure drug addictions becomes the target of a secret drug empire dedicated to ensuring a continuing market for illegal substances.

Fforde, Jasper. One of Our Thursdays is Missing (Png, 16.00) Feb. Thursday has disappeared from Bookworld and only she can prevent a devastating Genre War as she journeys up the mysterious Metaphoric River.

Fiedler, Chrystle. Death Drops (SS, 15.00) Feb. When her beloved aunt is murdered and the valuable recipe for her skin cream is stolen, a holistic doctor must find the killer.

Flanagan, John A. Avalanche Past (Brk, 15.00) Feb. Jesse Parker goes undercover when guests and staff are taken hostage in a snowbound Utah ski lodge in the second in the series.

Ford, Michael Thomas. Jane Vows Vengeance (Ball, 15.00) Mar. Jane Austen returns, undead in the modern world, trying to find a way to turn vampires human again in order to avoid having to turn her sweet, loyal fiancé into a vampire. Highly recommended.

Glynn, Alan. Bloodland (Picador, 16.00) Feb. A Dublin reporter agrees to write the biography of a washed-up actress killed three years earlier, but as he investigates he encounters resistence, particularly to questions about her final days.

Hardie, Titania. The House of the Wind (SS, 15.00) Mar. A San Francisco attorney working on a case involving workplace toxins goes to Tuscany to recover from the sudden death of her fiancé in a novel that brings together Etruscan legend, corporate law, and magic.

Harlick, R.J. A Green Place for Dying (Dundurn, 17.99) Feb. A woman living on the edge of a West Quebec First Nations Reserve investigates when a native friend of her teenaged daughter disappears, only to discover that the police are indifferent to the fate of missing native women.

Hayder, Mo. Gone (AtMon, 14.00) Feb. DI Jack Caffery discovers that what he had thought was a routine carjacking is more sinister—the thief was really after the eleven-year-old girl in the backseat in a clever and suspenseful police thriller. Highly recommended.

Hickam, Homer. The Dinosaur Hunter (STM, 14.99) Feb. A former homicide detective turned rancher in Montana discovers that the search for the paleontological treasure trove of dinosaur fossils leads to murder and mayhem.

Hoffman, Cara. So Much Pretty (SS, 16.00) Mar. A brilliant debut set in upstate New York. Highly recommended.

Hunter, Maddy. Dutch Me Deadly (MidInk, 14.95) Feb. As a travel escort to senior citizens with a penchant for peril, Emily hopes for a quiet, uneventful visit to Holland, but a wild night in Amsterdam’s red-light district leaves on person dead in a canal in the latest in this very funny series.

Iles, Greg. The Devil’s Punchbowl (SS, 15.00) Feb. Casino gambling has brought new jobs to Natchez, but it has also brought blood sports and dark vices, and when Penn Cage, the mayor, investigates his family becomes targeted by a sophisticated killer.

Jaffarian, Sue Ann. Gem of a Ghost (Mid, Ink, 14.95) Feb. Emma and Granny Apples agree to discover why the ghost of a film star has returned, despite their strong dislike of his widow.

Kelly, Erin. The Poison Tree (Png, 16.00) Feb. An impressive debut novel that begins in London in 1997 when a staid young woman becomes involved with a flamboyant young woman and her enigmatic brother and their life of sex and drugs in a crumbling London Mansion. Highly recommended.

Lelic, Simon. The Child Who (Png, 15.00) Mar. A provincial attorney in southern England is given the defense of a twelve-year-old child accused of murdering another child, a case that leads to threats against his own family in an absorbing psychological thriller.

Lourey, Jess. November Hunt (Mid, Ink, 14.95) Mar. Braving a shrieking blizzard, Mira James investigates the shooting death of a deer hunter in the latest in this funny series.

Loweecy, Alice. Back in the Habit (MidInk, 14.95) Feb. Former nun Giulia Falcone returns to her former convent when a young is found dead and the dioceses wants a verdict of suicide to forestall lawsuits.

March, Lucy. A Little Night Magic (STM, 14.99) Feb. A young woman living in a small upstate New York town and working at the local waffle house discovers that her magical powers have placed her on the frontlines of a mystical war to save her town from malevolence, in a story of good and evil and very good waffles.

Martin, Nancy. Sticky Fingers (STM, 14.99) Feb. Collecting debts for her uncle Carmine, a Pittsburgh mob boss, Roxy Abruzzo must draw the line at kidnapping, but when a kidnap victim is found murdered, she investigates in order to keep herself off the list of suspects in the second in this funny series.

O’Donovan, Gerard. The Priest (SS, 15.00) Feb. The first in a new police procedural series set in Dublin.

Patterson, James and Michael Ledwidge. Now You See Her (Hach, 14.99) Mar. A woman who has fled her earlier life in Florida must return to confront her past when an innocent man is framed for murder.

Pelecanos, George. What it Was (Hach, 9.99) Feb. A wonderfully-written short novel set in Washington, D.C. in 1972 when Derek Strange had recently left the police to set up his PI agency. He is asked by a beautiful woman to find a missing ring, leading him to a string of bodies and a ruthless killer named Red Fury. Highly recommended.

Rendell, Ruth. Tigerlily’s Orchids (SS, 15.00) Mar. A novel of psychological suspense about the inhabitants of a London apartment building and the secrets that they will go to any length to keep.

Rosengren, Clive. Murder Unscripted (Perfect Crime, 8.00) Feb. When a diva actress is found dead in her dressing room during a film shoot, her PI ex-husband is hired to find the killer in the first of a Hollywood series.

Scottoline, Lisa. Save Me (STM, 14.99) Feb. The mother of a child whose birthmark makes her the target of schoolyard bullies finds herself in an emergency situation where she must make a mother’s nightmarish choice.

Slinger, Joey. Nina, the Bandit Queen (Dundurn, 21.99) Mar. A Canadian mother finds that her financial straits lead her to contemplate bank robbery in this comic caper.

Sturges, P.G. Shortcut Man (SS, 15.00) Feb. A funny debut novel featuring a man who specializes in fixing things in ways that may not be legal, but are always effective, who is hired by a porn producer to spy on his wife, who is coincidentally his mistress. Highly recommended.

Swierczynski, Duane. Point and Shoot (Hach, 14.99) Mar. In the third in the trilogy featuring Charlie Hardie, he has been sent into space and must complete his one-year duty or his family will be killed, but when he realizes that he is sitting in a vault with the world’s deadliest secrets, he realizes that he has leverage against his captors.

West, Michael Lee. Gone with a Handsomer Man (STM, 14.99) Feb. A very funny mystery debut featuring a pastry chef who discovers her boyfriend playing nude badminton with two young lovelies days before the wedding, leading to murder in a small southern town. Recommended.

New and Forthcoming in International Mysteries

Ammaniti, Niccoló. Me and You (Grove, 14.00) Feb. A misfit teenager hides out in an abandoned cellar at his family’s apartment building, but things turn ugly when his estranged half-sister joins him.

Bilal, Parker. The Golden Scales (Bloomsbury, 25.00) Feb. The first in a mystery series set in Cairo, featuring PI Makana hired to find a missing star soccer player in case that leads him to a closely intertwined group of sleazy film directors, Russian mobsters, and local crimes bosses, and may be tied to the murder of an English child 17 years earlier.

Black, Cara. Murder at the Lanterne Rouge (Soho, 25.00) Mar. When the photograph of Aimée’s assistant’s girlfriend is found by the shrink-wrapped body of a young scientist, Aimée becomes involved in a case involving Chinatown sweatshops, secret medieval guilds, and botched affairs of the heart.

______. Murder in Passy (Soho, 14.00) Mar. Parisian PI Aimée Leduc encounters Basque terrorists, police corruption, and a Spanish princess as she tries to clear her godfather of murder charges.

Dryden, Alex. The Blind Spy (Ecco, 24.99) Mar. A former KGB colonel is enlisted by the CIA to discover a Russian plot to take over the Ukraine, and she must match wits with Russia’s most accomplished agent—a man blind from birth—in an intelligent, espionage thriller.

Edwardson, Åke. Sail of Stone (SS, 15.00) Mar. DCI Erik Winter of the Gothenburg police goes to Scotland to investigate the disappearance of a man looking into the drowning death of his father during WWII, while his African-Swedish colleague is investigating possible domestic abuse.

Fesperman, Dan. Lie in the Dark (Soho, 14.00) Mar. A reissue of the first in a series featuring a homicide detective in war-torn Sarajevo. Excellent.

Giuttari, Michael. A Death in Tuscany (IPG, 12.95) Feb. Florence homicide detective Michele Ferrara investigates the death of a young woman leading him to a criminal network of pedophiles, illegal immigrants, drug runners, political corruption, and the Mafia.

Gregory, Philippa. The Red Queen (Pkt, 7.99) Feb. Margaret Beaufort, the heiress to the house of Lancaster, vows to put her son Henry on the throne of England.

Hand, Elizabeth. Available Dark (STM, 23.99) Feb. A photographer already wanted by the police flees to Iceland where she is shown a trove of photos of ritual killings that leads to further murders in a suspense novel set in Scandinavia.

Higashino, Keigo. The Devotion of Suspect X (STM, 14.99) Mar. The murder of her abusive husband leaves a woman with few options until her brilliant neighbor offers to provide her with an alibi, but when the Tokyo Police detective in charge of the case finds himself with evidence that doesn’t add up, he seeks the help of a brilliant physicist leading to a battle of wits between the two men.

Jones, Chris Morgan. The Silent Oligarch (Png, 25.95) Feb. Hired by a Greek business suing the lawyer Russian oil minister, a British business investigator discovers that justice is not as black and white as he’d thought in a taut debut thriller.

Kazinski, A.J. The Last Good Man (SS, 26.00) Mar. A character-driven debut thriller featuring a Danish hostage negotiator who is asked by an Italian policeman to help him find two righteous people according to Jewish legend in order to save the world from destruction.

Kent, Graeme. Devil-Devil (Soho, 14.00) Feb. The first of a new series set in the Solomon Islands in the 1960s where a sergeant in the police teams up with an American nun to solve a series of murders that tie into a missing anthropologist searching for a pornographic icon and a cargo cult uprising.

_____. One Blood (Soho, 25.00) Feb. DS Ben Kella joins with an American nun to investigate the murder of an American tourist—a murder with ties to an upsurge of interest in JFK, who was a WWII naval officer in the Solomons, and now on the verge of becoming the president of the U.S.

Kurkov, Andrey. The Case of the General’s Thumb (Melville, 14.95) Feb. An offbeat, funny crime thriller by a Ukrainian writer that is set in Kiev where the body of a retired general, missing a thumb, is found dangling from a Coca Cola balloon in a case handled by both the local and state police.

Läckberg, Camilla. The Preacher (SS, 15.00) Feb. A series of unsolved murders in a small Swedish fishing village that occurred a generation ago are revived when the killer resumes killing.

McClure, James. The Sunday Hangman (Soho, 14.00) Feb. South African policeman Tromp Kramer and his Bantu assistant must find a killer who has murdered a fugitive bank robber. Reissue.

Meyer, Deon. Heart of the Hunter (Grove, 7.99) Mar. A former assassin and freedom fighter in South Africa is asked by the daughter of an old friend to rescue her father, held hostage after taking an incriminating hard drive. Reissue.

Nakamura. Fuminori. The Thief (Soho, 24.00) Mar. A professional pickpocket agrees to a job at the behest of his former partner, but the simple robbery turns into a political murder, and he finds himself on the run from dangerous adversaries.

Nevill, Adam. The Ritual (STM, 14.99) Feb. When four British university friends set off on a wilderness adventure in the Scandinavian forest, a shortcut leads them to an ancient habitation filled with artifacts that are the residue of old rites and pagan sacrifice in a very scary horror debut.

Ohlsson, Kristina. Unwanted (SS, 25.00) Feb. The first of an excellent new series set in Stockholm, featuring a policewoman who investigates the disappearance of a 6-year-old girl whose mother leaves her sleeping on the train that she inadvertently misses.

Pavone, Chris. The Ex-Pats (Crown, 26.00) Mar. An excellent debut spy thriller set in Luxembourg where the former-CIA wife of a financial services security expert is drawn in to investigate when she discovers that another American may be a thief wanted by Interpol and the FBI.

Persson, Lief G.W. Another Time, Another Life (RH, 26.95) Mar. The 1975 siege of the Germany embassy in Stockholm and a civil servant’s murder in 1989 are discovered to be linked in the second in a crime trilogy focused on Swedish politics.

Ross, James L. Death in Budapest (PerCrime, 9.95) Feb. A disgraced Wall Street investment banker, working for a small London investment business, is assigned to help an American looking to open a factory in Hungary, but he discovers that the client is an arms dealer in the first of a new series.

Steinhauer, Olen. An American Spy (STM, 14.99) Mar. Although the CIA’s Department of Tourism has been dismantled after a scheme by a Chinese intelligence resulted in the deaths of 33 agents, Milo Weaver’s boss, using one of his compromised aliases, disappears in London.

Thompson, James. Helsinki White (Put, 25.95) Mar. Finnish police inspector Kari Vaara is asked to head up a covert team to fight organized crime, but the murder of the minister of immigration turns him to the explosive politics of racial tension in the country.

_____. Lucifer’s Tears (Brk, 15.00) Feb. Finnish police inspector Vaara is officially working on the case of the murdered wife of a Russian businessman, but unofficially he’s looking into the secret, dark past of a national hero from WWII.

Tursten, Helene. Night Rounds (Soho, 25.00) Feb. DI Irene Huss of the Violent Crimes Unit of Göteborg, Sweden is faced with an intriguing case set in a hospital involving a ghostly apparition and the murder of one nurse and the disappearance of another.

December 2011/January 2012

New and Forthcoming in Hardcover

Andrews, Sarah. Rock Bottom (STM, 24.99) Dec. Geologist Em Hansen must investigate when her new husband is accused of murdering a fellow rafter during a white water rafting trip through the Grand Canyon.

Baer, Neal and Jonathan Greene. Kill Switch (Kens, 25.00) Dec. A suspenseful debut thriller featuring forensic psychiatrist Claire Waters, whose own traumatic past doesn’t prepare her for the murderous rage of the patient she is assigned at Riker’s Island. A very twisty plot and strong characterization make this a stand-out.

Barbieri, Maggie. Physical Education (STM, 24.99) Dec. Not only has English professor Alison Bergeron’s policeman cop gone deep undercover, but also she is chosen to coach the basketball team after the suspicious death of the regular coach.

Barnard, Robert. A Charitable Body (SS, 24.00) Jan. Policeman Charlie Peace’s wife becomes involved with country house recently donated to the state, where she discovers disturbing political activity during the 1930s, while Charlie is investigating the discovery of human bones in a nearby pond.

Barr, Nevada. The Rope (STM, 25.99) Jan. Anna Pigeon’s first case when she moves from New York to take a seasonal job at Glen Canyon National Recreational Area in 1995 and finds herself trapped in the bottom of a dry well with no supplies and no memory of how she got there. If you have been a fan of the series, you will love learning Anna’s past and if you are a newcomer, this is the place to start.

Cannell, Stephen J. Vigilante (STM, 25.99) Dec. In the final novel in the series—Cannell died last year—Shane Scully and his LAPD homicide partner are hampered in their investigation of a gang activist when a shady television host becomes involved.

Caplan, Thomas. The Spy who Jumped Off the Screen (Vik, 26.95) Jan. When an actor, a former covert operative, is asked by the US Government to investigate the theft of some nuclear devices, he uses his acting ability to solve the case.

Carr, Howie. Hard Knocks (STM, 24.99) Jan. A Boston PI discovers that someone wants him dead, and discovering who that is sends him on a hunt through thirty years of duplicity, corruption, and murder with the politicians and the mob working together.

Christie, Agatha. An Autobiography (HC, 29.99) Dec. Originally published in 1977, this new edition includes a CD of the grande dame of mystery writers talking about her life as a writer, part of the 120^th anniversary of Christie’s birth. A perfect gift for the lover of classic mysteries.

Clark, Mary Jane. The Look of Love (HC, 24.99) Jan. Cake decorator Piper Donovan is invited to an exclusive California spa to make the wedding cake for the owner’s daughter’s wedding, but someone will kill to stop the nuptials.

Clement, Blaize. The Cat Sitter’s Pajamas (STM, 24.99) Jan. Cat-sitting the cats belonging to a famous football player plunges Dixie into the world of counterfeit high fashion when a celebrity model turns up claiming to be the player’s wife.

Cook, Robin. Dark Benefit (Put, 26.95) Dec. A brilliant young doctor goes to work for a molecular geneticist who is focusing on a revolutionary program to grow organs from stem cells, but a financial company investing in buying up life insurance policies wants to stop them.

Cornwell, Patricia. Red Mist (Put, 27.95) Dec. Kay Scarpetta investigates the murder of a doctor and his family in Savannah years ago when it appears to be tied to a series of murders that has just begun in Massachusetts.

Cussler, Clive and Graham Brown. Devil’s Gate (Put, 27.95) Nov. Kurt Austin and the NUMA team are caught up when a Sierra Leone dictator has an experimental weapon tested on a cargo vessel.

Daheim, Mary. The Alpine Winter (Ball, 25.00) Nov. The discovery of a set of bones and then a decomposing corpse send Newspaperwoman Emma Lord investigating when the drug-dealing son of one of her reporters is suspected of the crime.

DiSilverio, Laura. Swift Edge (STM, 25.99) Dec. Asked by an international figure skater to find her missing pairs partner, Swift Investigations begins a search that leads to murder and mayhem in the second in this very funny cozy series.

Ellis, Robert. Murder Season (STM, 25.99) Dec. LAPD detective Lena Gamble is assigned a shocking double murder among the Hollywood celebrity world.

Ellory, R.J. A Quiet Vendetta (Overlook, 25.95) Jan. When the daughter of the Louisiana governor is kidnapped and her driver is killed, the criminal agrees to reveal her whereabouts only after telling his life story as a Mafia hit man to the New York ADA flown in to New Orleans by the FBI in a powerful tale of greed, politics, and vengeance.

Evanovich, Janet and Dorien Kelly. Love in a Nutshell (STM, 27.99) Jan. In order to get together the money she needs to turn her parents’ summer house into a B-and-B, a recent divorcee agrees to work undercover at a local brewery to find a saboteur in a new novel of romantic suspense with lots of beer.

Ferris, Monica. Threadbare (Brk, 24.95) Dec. When an elderly homeless woman is found dead with her will embroidered on her blouse Betsy must find the common thread between her death and the death of another homeless woman dead under mysterious circumstances.

Fitzhugh, Bill. The Exterminators (PP, 24.95 hc. 14.95 tp) Jan. An exterminator in Oregon working on a green alternative to pest control finds himself entangled with the DoD when he goes hunting for venture capital, and ends up in Hollywood stalked by a Bolivian drug lord in a comic mystery with a twisty plot.

Fitzpatrick, Robert and Jon Land. Betrayal (STM, 27.95 hc, 14.99 tp) Jan. The true story of the FBI agent who fought his fellow agents and corrupt politicians to bring down notorious gang lord Whitey Bulger.

Forman, Steven M. Boca Daze (STM, 25.99) Dec. Retired Boston cop Eddie Perlmutter returns to fight the bad guys—including a financial scammer and a pill mill—menacing the folks in his Florida retirement community in the latest in this comic series.

George, Elizabeth. Believing the Lie (Dut, 28.95) Jan. While DI Lynley is asked to delve secretly in the death of an industrialist’s nephew while DS Havers is untangling a web of drug addiction and online sexual predators.

Goldberg, Lee. Mr. Monk on Patrol (NAL, 23.95) Jan. After the local government is arrested for corruption, the Summit, New Jersey Chief of Police becomes mayor and calls on Monk to serve as a temporary policeman.

Gordon, Howard. Hard Target (26.00) Jan. The second thriller by the executive producer of 24, finds terrorism expert Gideon Davis infiltrating a group of white supremacists plotting to eliminate the entire top tier of the US Government during the State of the Union Address.

Gottleib, Eli. The Face Thief (HC, 24.99) Jan. Two men become obsessed with a charismatic con-woman, and the cop who is investigating an attack on her is also sure that he can reform her in a brilliant novel of psychological suspense.

Griffiths, Elly. The House at Sea’s End (HMH, 25.00) Jan. Just back from maternity leave, archaeologist Ruth Galloway is called in when a set of bones dating from World War II uncovers a possible British war crime, a secret that someone will kill to protect.

Grippando, James. Need You Now (HC, 25.99) Jan. A young financial advisor and his girl friend must find the money when a financier with a Ponzi scheme of Madoff proportions commits suicide before revealing what happened to the $60 billion dollars under his care.

Haas, Derek. Dark Men (Pegasus, 25.00) Dec. A hit man returns to the U.S. after he learns that a former friend has been kidnapped only to discover that the abduction has been orchestrated by a group of CIA operatives.

Hale, Shannon. Midnight in Austenland (STM, 24.00) Jan. Having treated herself to a two-week vacation at Austenland—an immersive Austen experience complete with attractive men who waltz—a divorcee discovers that one of the guests is planning something somewhat more sinister when a dead body is found in the attic.

Hall, James W. Dead Last (STM, 25.99) Dec. Thorn takes on the baffling case of a serial killer who chooses his victims according to obituaries in the Miami Herald, based on the plot of a popular television series.

Hall, Parnell. $10,000 in Small, Unmarked Puzzles (STM, 24.99) Jan. Puzzle Lady Cora is hired by an attorney to make a blackmail payment drop for her least favorite ex-husband, but when things go wrong when she stumbles over a corpse and loses the money.

Havill, Stephen. One Perfect Shot (PP, 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp) Jan. In a prequel to the series set in Posadas County, in 1987 Bill Gastner serves as a mentor to the newly-hired Estelle as they investigate the puzzling murder of a road grader shot dead in his vehicle.

Hechtman, Betty. Behind the Seams (Brk, 24.95) Nov. The Tarzana Hookers must clear the name of a production assistant accused of poisoning one of the producers of a television talk show in the latest crocheting mystery.

Helton, Peter. Four Below (Soho, 25.00) Jan. Bristol DI McLusky is faced with a series of seemingly unconnected murders that may be connected to the conviction of the city’s most notorious drug baron.

Higgins, Jack. A Devil is Waiting (Put, 26.95) Jan. Sean Dillon and his anti-terrorism team are on the trail of a Muslim terrorist who is inciting violence against world leaders and particularly the U.S. president who is scheduled to arrive in London.

Hoag, Tami. Down the Darkest Road (Dut, 26.95) Dec. A woman whose daughter was abducted by a creepy photographer four years ago moves to a small California community to recover from the tragedy only to have her other daughter abducted.

Hunter, Stephen. Soft Target (SS, 26.99) Dec. Retired marine sniper Ray Cruz confronts a group of nihilistic terrorists who have laid siege to the Mall of America in the latest white-knuckle thriller.

James, Peter. Dead Man’s Grip (STM, 25.99) Dec. Detective Superintendent Roy Grace must protect a woman who was in a fatal accident that killed a teenaged student at Brighton University when it becomes apparent that the victim had ties to an American organized crime family out for revenge.

Jardine, Quintin. Grievous Angel (IPG, 24.95) Dec. The latest featuring Scottish chief constable Bob Skinner takes place in the mid-1990s, providing back-story for the character as he investigates the murder of a man repeated dropped into an empty swimming pool.

_____. The Loner (IPG, 23.95) Dec. A stand-alone thriller about a Spanish-born journalist who provides the notes of his autobiography as he moves from a student to a professional football player to a crime journalist.

Jones, Solomon. The Gravedigger’s Ball (STM, 24.99) Dec. A combination crime-horror novel about a detective fighting to protect a woman targeted by a killer bent on deciphering the secret of life and death.

Karp, Larry. A Perilous Conception (PP, 24.95, 14.95 tp) Dec. The first in a new series set in the Pacific Northwest during the pioneer period of in vitro fertilization with a police detective trying to solve the murder-suicide of an embryologist and the husband of a woman successfully treated for infertility. Signing.

Kellerman, Faye. Gun Games (HC, 25.99) Jan. Peter Decker investigates the suicide of a teenager at an exclusive Los Angeles prep school.

Khoury, Raymond. The Devil’s Elixer (Dut, 26.95) Dec. A DEA agent is caught up in drug violence when it appears that her young son has a strange connection to an amazingly powerful drug known in Mexico as the Devil’s Elixer and the drug kingpin who wants to market it.

Kovacs, Ed. Storm Damage (STM, 25.99) Dec. A debut mystery set in New Orleans featuring a PI and mixed martial artist who investigates the death of a politically-connected bar owner, a case that appears to show CIA involvement. Signing.

Kuzneski, Chris. The Secret Crown (Put, 25.95) Jan. Former Special Forces friends Payne and Jones are on the trail of a hidden treasure belonging to Mad King Ludwig of Bavaria.

Lescroart, John. The Hunter (Dut, 26.95) Jan. When San Francisco PI Wyatt Hunt begins investigating the circumstances of his own birth, he discovers that his mother was murdered and his father, although never convicted, was the main suspect.

Lott, Bret. Dead Low Tide (RH, 26.00) Jan. When a man and his blind father discover a body on the grounds of an exclusive South Carolina golf club, their discovery leads them through past secrets to a terrorist plot. Lott is an exquisite writer.

McCall Smith, Alexander. The Forgotten Affairs of Youth (RH, 24.95) Dec. Edinburgh philosopher Isabel Dalhousie agrees to help a visiting Australian philosopher find her father in the latest in this quirky series.

McDermid, Val. The Retribution (AtMon, 25.00) Jan. The most deadly of all the killers that Tony Hill and Carol Jordan have captured has escaped from prison and is bent on revenge with a perfect plan that they may not be able to thwart.

McDonald, Craig. El Gavilan (Tyrus, 24.95 hc., 15.95 tp) Dec. The police chief of an Ohio town having problems with an exploding illegal immigrant population must solve the brutal rape-murder of a young latina in a searing mystery where simmering racial tensions meet sadistic violence.

Meier, Leslie. Chocolate Covered Murder (Ken, 24.00) Jan. Investigating when a man’s body is found under the ice, Lucy Stone becomes embroiled in a plot involving two rival chocolatiers, a wealthy retired couple, and lots of local gossip.

Mosley, Walter. All I Did Was Shoot My Man (Riv, 26.95) Jan. New York PI Leonid McGill tries to atone for his checkered past by getting a woman freed from prison for a robbery she didn’t commit, but no good deed goes unpunished, especially since the money is still missing.

Newton, Charlie. Start Shooting (BDD, 25.95) Jan. A gritty and complex novel of gangs, police corruption, and murder set in Chicago where police officer Bobby Vargas and his brother are implicated in the 1982 rape/murder of a young neighbor.

O’Connell, Carol. The Chalk Girl (Put, 25.95) Jan. Mallory believes that the murder of the uncle of a young girl found wandering in Central Park may be related to a couple of cold cases, but the young girl is unable to describe what she witnessed and only Mallory can connect with her.

O’Malley, Daniel. The Rook (Hach, 25.99) Jan. A woman awakens in a London park holding a letter that explains that she is part of a secret organization that protects the world from supernatural threats in a clever, genre-bending debut thriller.

Paretsky, Sara. Breakdown (Put, 26.95) Jan. V.I. Warshawski’s discovery of a number of girls in a cemetery, steps away from a recently deceased man, leads to a political firestorm when one of the girls’ father is a candidate for the U.S. Senate.

Parker, T. Jefferson. The Jaguar (Dut, 26.95) Jan. The fifth in the series featuring Charlie Hood finds him helping out a sheriff’s deputy who has been transporting drugs for a Mexican cartel after the deputy’s wife is kidnapped by a rival cartel leader. This series gets better and better as the characters and themes become deeper and richer. Highly recommended.

Patterson, James and David Ellis. Guilty Wives (Hach, 27.99) Jan. A luxurious Monte Carlo vacation turns into a nightmare for four American women when they become the chief suspects in two murders.

Penney, Steff. The Invisible Ones (Put, 25.95) Jan. An English PI with a faltering agency is offered a job by a fellow Gypsy who wants his missing daughter found, but the PI finds that while his Gypsy heritage gives him an entrée into the travelers’s community, he still is faced with stonewalling and half-truths.

Phillips, Gin. Come In and Cover Me (Riv, 26.95) Jan. A Santa Fe archaeologist studying the Mimbres tribes of the Southwest uses her gift of seeing to discover archaeological sites. This sounds as if it would be really dumb, but I found myself enjoying it in spite of myself for the author’s feel for the landscape and the Amerind culture.

Preston, Douglas and Lincoln Child. Gideon’s Corpse (LB, 26.99) Jan. Nuclear scientist Gideon Crewe is called in to help when a colleague takes an innocent family hostage, but after the situation ends badly, it is discovered that the man was suffering from severe radiation poisoning and may have been part of a terrorist cell with a stolen nuclear weapon. A dynamite thriller.

Purser, Ann. Foul Play at Four (Brk, 24.95) Dec. When her policeman son-in-law is attacked by a robber, Lois Meade must determine who’s cleaning out Long Farden and clean up the mess of a deadly crime spree.

Robards, Karen. Sleepwalker (SS, 25.00) Jan. A rookie cop and a professional crook find themselves on the same side when his crime against a powerful mob boss sends them both on the run from hired killers.

Roker, Al and Dick Lochte. The Talk Show Murders (BDD, 26.00) Dec. Talk-show host Billy Blessing has a criminal past that he is trying to hide, but a blackmail attempt and a series of murders threaten to reveal all.

Rowe, Jennifer. Love, Honour, and O’Brien (PP, 24.95 hc, tp,14.95) Jan. A jilted bride hires a seedy PI to find her missing fiancé, but when both the fiancé and the PI turn up dead, she must investigate herself in a quirky mystery set in New South Wales.

Sampson, Fay. Father Unknown (SH, 27.95) Jan. Geneaologist Suzy Fewings is helping an American widow research an English ancestor who turns out to be a “base child,” while at the same time her own teenaged daughter is pregnant under difficult circumstances.

Sharp, Zoë. Fifth Victim (Peg, 25.95) Jan. Charlie Fox is hired as a bodyguard for a wealthy twenty-year-old girl who lives in an elegant Long Island community where three young people have been abducted and held for ransom. For those who enjoy horsy mysteries with a strong female protagonist, lots of suspense, and a twisty plot, this is for you!

Smith, Mark Allen. The Inquisitor (HH, 27.00) Jan. An original thriller about a professional torturer with a strict code, a mysterious past, and a conviction that he can save the life of a child.

Terrell, Jaden. Racing the Devil (Permanent, 28.00) Jan. A debut featuring a Nashville PI who is framed for the murder of a woman he has never met, and as he seeks to clear his name he shows himself to be a savvy and sympathetic good old boy.

Theroux, Paul. Murder in Mount Holly (Mys, 22.00) Dec. A comic romp set during the Vietnam War with three elderly bank robbers who decide to rob the local bank because the manager might well be a communist.

Ward, Robert. The Best Bad Dream (Mysterious, 24.00) Jan. A funny noir featuring an FBI agent who falls in love with his snitch and then agrees to help her when her sister is kidnapped in Santa Fe, leading to a confrontation with a biker, a Mexican gang leader, and a pet razorback hog.

Woods, Stuart. D.C. Dead (Put, 26.95) Jan. Stone Barrington and his NYPD friend are asked to investigate a year-old murder that took place in the White House.

New and Forthcoming in Paperback Reprint

Beaton, M.C. Death of a Chimney Sweep (GC, 7.99) Jan.

Carter, Philip. Altar of Bones (Pkt, 7.99) Dec.

Clark, Mary Higgins. We’ll Meet Again (Pkt, 7.99) Jan Reissue.

Coonts, Deborah. Lucky Stiff (STM, 7.99) Dec.

Crais, Robert. The Sentry (Brk, 9.99) Jan.

Cussler, Clive. Skeleton Coast (Brk, 9.99) Jan.

Daheim, Mary. Alpine Vengeance (BDD, 7.99) Dec.

Dryden, Alex. Moscow Sting (HC, 9.99) Jan.

_____. Red to Black (HC, 9.99) Dec.

Ellis, David. Breach of Trust (Brk, 9.99) Jan.

Ferris, Monica. Buttons and Bones (Brk, 7.99) Dec.

Goldberg, Lee. Mr. Monk on the Couch (NAL, 7.99) Dec.

Grippando, James. Afraid of the Dark (HC, 9.99) Jan.

Higgins, Jack. The Judas Gate (Brk, 9.99) Dec.

Jance, J.A. Fatal Error (Pkt, 7.99) Jan.

_____. Payment in Kind (HC, 9.99) Jan. The Beaumont novels are all being re-issues in premium editions.

Lawson, Mike. The Second Perimeter (Black Cat, 7.99) Jan.

Lescroart, John. Damage (NAL, 9.99) Jan.

Lippman, Laura. Baltimore Blues (HC, 9.99) Dec. The first three mysteries in the Tess Monaghan series are being republished in premium editions.

Maron, Margaret. Christmas Mourning (GC, 7.99) Dec. Reissue.

Meier, Leslie. English Tea Murder (Ken, 7.99) Jan.

_____. Valentine Murder (Ken, 6.99) Jan. Reissue.

Morrison, Boyd. The Catalyst (Pkt, 5.99) Dec. Reissue.

Murphy, Shirley Rousseau. Cat Coming Home (HC, 7.99) Dec.

Parker, T. Jefferson. California Girl (HC, 9.99) Jan. The earlier mysteries by Parker are being reissued in premium editions.

Patterson, James and Neil McMahon. Toys (GC, 9.99) Dec.

Robards, Karen. Justice (SS, 7.99) Dec.

Rocha, Luis M. The Pope’s Assassin (Brk. 9.99) Dec.

Rule, Ann. In the Still of the Night (SS, 7.99) Dec.

Simmons, Dan. Black Hills (GC, 9.99) Dec.

Turow, Scott. Innocent (GC, 9.99) Jan.

Washburn, Livia J. Killer on a Hot Tin Roof (Ken, 7.99) Dec.

Woods, Stuart. Bel-Air Dead (NAL, 9.99) Dec.

New and Forthcoming in Paperback Original

Adams, Ellery. The Last Word (Brk, 7.99) Dec. Small-town writers and amateur sleuths from the Bayside Book Writers must investigate when a bestselling novelist is found dead in his rented cottage and suspicion falls on one of the group.

Allen, Jeffrey. Stay at Home Dead (Ken, 7.99) Jan. In the first of a new series a stay-at-home dad in a small Texas town finds that his life becomes very complicated when a dead body is found in his van, and he must turn to his attorney wife to help clear his name.

Battles, Brett. No Return (BDD, 7.99) Jan. A camera man with a television crew tries to help a crew member when a Navy plane crashes in the desert north of Los Angeles, but he discovers in the ensuing publicity that there is a cover up of what happened in a suspenseful stand-alone.

Beck, Jessica. Killer Crullers (STM, 7.99) Jan. After accusing the owner of a used-clothing shop of stealing from him, a man is found shot dead near Suzanne’s doughnut shop.

Blackwell, Juliet. Dead Bolt (NAL, 7.99) Dec. Contractor Mel Turner becomes the main suspect in the death of a crotchety neighbor when she takes on the job of restoring a haunted Victorian mansion in San Francisco in the second in this delightful paranormal series.

Blake, Heather. It Takes a Witch (NAL, 7.99) Jan. The first in a new paranormal series featuring a young woman who hails from a long line of Wishcrafters—witches with the power to cast spells by making a wish—but she discovers that she needs sleuthing abilities as well when she finds herself involved in a murder investigation.

Botha, Ted. The Girl with the Crooked Nose (Brk, 9.99) Jan. The true story of a sculptor who reconstructs the faces of murder victims to identify them and aid in the capture of their killers.

Brandon, Ali. Double Booked for Death (Brk, 7.99) Dec. When she inherits a bookstore in Brooklyn along with an oversized cat named Hamlet, a young woman discovers that he has crime-solving abilities after a bestselling author dies in the store during a booksigning event. Thank God things are less exciting at Clues—I don’t think that the greyhound would wake up even for murder!

Burdette, Lucy. An Appetite for Murder (NAL, 7.99) Jan. The first in a new series set in Key West where a reporter is hired as the food critic for a tourist magazine only to discover that the editor is the woman she caught in bed with her former boyfriend—and things go down hill from there when the editor is found murdered.

Christopher, Paul. Red Templar (NAL, 9.99) Jan. Historian John Holliday is drawn into the search for a long-lost Templar sword in Russia where the Templar Order has secretly wielded power for centuries.

Daniels, Casey. Wild, Wild Death (Brk, 7.99) Jan. Pepper goes to New Mexico when her cute scientist friend is kidnapped and discovers a deadly killer who wants to put her in Boot Hill for good. I hope that you notice that Tombstone, AZ has been mysteriously moved to New Mexico!

Dare, Lila. Die Job (Brk, 7.99) Jan. After an attempted murder at a supposedly haunted plantation, the ladies of Violetta’s beauty salon discover secrets that link a student, a centuries-old crime, and the roots of a very dark mystery.

Douglas, Carole Nelson. Virtual Virgin (SS, 7.99) Dec. Douglas has entered the realm of the paranormal with a series featuring Delilah Street, P(for paranormal)I in a Las Vegas ruled by evil supernatural overlords.

Hilton, Matt. Cut and Run (HC, 9.99) Dec. Former military operative Joe Hunter returns in another suspenseful novel following Slash and Burn. I love this series for its non-stop action and appealing hero.

Hyzy, Julie. Affairs of Steak (Brk, 7.99) Jan. White House chef Olivia must work with her nemesis to solve the murder of the First Lady’s assistant and the Chief of Staff in the latest in this yummy series.

Laurie, Victoria. Ghoul Interrupted (NAL, 7.99) Jan. M.J. and her crew rush to New Mexico when her spirit guide needs her help in saving his descendents from an evil demon who wants to wipe out the entire tribe.

Lavene, Joyce and Jim. A Spirited Gift (Brk, 7.99) Dec. When one of a North Carolina Mayors’ Conference Weekend is found murdered, Dee receives a vision through the victim’s ring that there’s a killer among the guests.

Lowell, Virginia. A Cookie before Dying (Brk, 7.99) Dec. Olivia and her Yorkie discover the body of a man outside her cookie cutter shop and see an intruder fleeing the local health food store in the second in this delicious series.

Mofina, Rick. The Burning Edge (Mira, 7.99) Jan. New Jersey reporter Jack Gannon is investigating an armored truck heist that left three people dead and an FBI agent taken hostage.

Reed, Hannah. Plan Bee (Brk, 7.99) Jan. The Harmony Festival is anything but harmonious when bee-keeper Story Fischer investigates when a dead body appears at the parade, and the chief suspect is dating her mother.

Rule, Ann. Don’t Look Behind You (Pkt, 7.99) Jan. A true-crime paperback original that goes to show that the only things deadlier than strangers are your friends and family.

Shelton, Paige. Crops and Robbers (Brk, 7.99) Dec. In the latest Farmer’s Market mystery, Becca has to get her mother out of a jam when she finds her in the kitchen with bloody hands and the body of the South Carolina Restaurant Association president on the floor.

_____. If Fried Chicken Could Fly (Brk, 7.99) Jan. The first in a new series featuring the owner of a country-style cooking school in in Missouri whose grandmother becomes the chief suspect when a body is found in the closet.

Swanson, Denise. Murder of a Barbie and Ken (NAL, 7.99) Jan. Skye joins the ladies’ auxiliary of Scumble River’s professional group, but she discovers that success doesn’t ensure survival when a seemingly-perfect couple is murdered.

New and Forthcoming in Quality Paperback

Allen, Sarah Addison. The Peach Keeper (Bdd, 15.00) Jan. An unlikely pair of friends in a small Southern town uncover a mystery that began almost one hundred years ago in a literary mystery with just a hint of magic.

Campbell, Drusilla. Little Girl Gone (GC, 14.99) Jan. A runaway girl who has lived in isolation with the man who rescued her is forced into action with the help of a pit bull puppy and a troubled 12-year-old boy after he kidnaps a pregnant teenager and keeps her imprisoned.

Coben, Harlan. Promise Me (Png, 15.00) Jan A trade paper reissue of a Myron Bolitar mystery.

Dorsey, Tim. Electric Barracuda (HC, 14.99) Jan. Serge and Coleman decide to help the elderly members of Serge’s grandfather’s Miami gang when a scam artist takes all their money in a case that involves Al Capone’s legendary hideout in the Everglades.

Froderberg, Susan. Old Border Road (LB, 14.99) Dec. A gothic novel set in the southern Arizona desert with a young ranching woman who must contend with a months-long drought and a distant and mysterious husband.

Griffiths, Elly. The Janus Stone (HMH, 14.95) Jan. Archaeologist Ruth Galloway is called in to investigate when construction workers demolishing a large old house in Norfolk discover the bones of a headless child beneath a doorway and she must determine if it is a Roman sacrifice or a modern crime. This is a strong follow-up to a first-rate debut mystery.

Hall, Gregory. The Dark Backward (F&M, 14.95) Jan. When her new British husband dies unexpectedly an American editor is left with a house in Norfolk and the realization that she did not really know the man she married.

Holman, Sheri. Witches on the Road Tonight (Black Cat, 14.95) Jan. A wonderful Appalachian ghost story that begins during the Great Depression and shows the long-term effects of secrets and lies on a family over the generations. I loved this.

Hore, Rachel. A Place of Secrets (HH, 15.00) Jan. A young auctioneer is dealing with the death of her husband when she is asked to value a collection of scientific instruments and manuscripts at a house in Norfolk in a nicely gothic mystery.

Jahn, Ryan David. The Dispatcher (Png, 15.00) Jan. A cross-country chase from Texas to California ensues when a man learns that his abducted daughter may still be alive in a gritty noir novel by an award-winning new writer.

Jones, Darynda. Second Grave on the Left (STM, 14.99) Dec. The second in this very funny, very sexy paranormal series finds Charley tracking down a missing woman while trying to maintain some semblance of control over her love life.

Judson, Daniel. Voyeur (STM, 14.99) Dec. A Manhattan PI forced to live anonymously in Southampton agrees to accept a missing-persons case at the behest of a friend, exposing him to the threat that has been hanging over him for six years in a powerful noir.

LaPlante, Lynda. Prime Suspect (HC, 14.99) Jan. The three novels featuring DCI Jan Tennyson are being reprinted to coincide with the premiere of a network television program.

Manfredo, Lou. Rizzo’s Fire (STM, 14.99) Jan. Veteran NYPD street cop Joe Rizzo and his partner are faced with the baffling murder of a reclusive man that could be connected to the murder of a Broadway producer in the second in this gritty and authentic police procedural series.

McCullough, Colleen. Naked Cruelty (SS, 15.00) Dec. Police captain Carmine Delmonico finds that sex and greed dominate the murders he must solve in the small university town where he works.

Moore, Graham. The Sherlockian (LB, 14.99) Jan. A newly-inducted member of the Baker Street Irregulars finds himself hunting a killer when the world’s foremost scholar of Conan Doyle is killed on the eve of a hunt for Conan Doyle’s missing diary.

Mosley, Walter. When the Thrill is Gone (Png, 15.00) Jan. New York PI Leonid McGill takes on the case of a beautiful woman married to a wealthy art collector who is in fear for her life, despite his misgivings.

Oates, Joyce Carol. Give Me Your Heart (HMH, 14.95) Jan. A collection of short stories of chilling stories of obsession and terror.

Orloff, Alan. Deadly Campaign (MidInk, 14.95) Jan. Comedy club owner Channing Hayes is asked by a friend to investigate when a political campaign event is broken up by masked thugs and it’s no laughing matter.

Parker, T. Jefferson. The Border Lords (Png, 15.00) Jan. Charlie Hood searches for an undercover agent who has gone missing, only to resurface in a series of bizarre and inexplicable videotapes. I loved this.

Parks, Brad. Eyes of the Innocent (STM, 14.99) Jan. Newark investigative reporter Carter Ross is covering a house fire that kills two boys left home alone in the second in a smart, funny series. Highly recommended.

Patterson, James and Maxine Paetro. 10^th Anniversary (LB, 14.99) Jan. The Women’s Murder Club is almost torn apart when Lindsay finds exculpatory evidence in a murder case being prosecuted by ADA Yuki Castellano.

Persons, Terri. Blind Sight (Brk, 14.00) Jan. Minneapolis FBI agent Bernadette St. Clair investigates the grisly murder of a pregnant teenager who is the daughter of a prominent senator in a mystery that combines old-fashioned police work with paranormal elements. I like this series a lot.

Read, Cornelia. Invisible Boy (GC, 13.99) Jan. When Madeline Dare discovers the skeleton of a three-year-old boy in her family cemetery across from Manhattan, she investigates the crime she begins to understand class and racial warfare in NYC in the 1990s.

Robertson, Michael. The Brothers of Baker Street (STM, 14.99) Nov. Two brothers who have their law offices at 221B Baker Street find that the letters that they receive sent to Sherlock Holmes lead them to a villain who claims to be a descendent of Professor Moriarty in an updated version of the old-fashioned puzzle mystery.

Robotham, Michael. Shatter (LB, 14.99) Jan. Psychologist Joe O’Loughlin is unsuccessful in talking a distraught woman out of jumping from a bridge over a flooded gorge and then discovers from her daughter that her actions were highly unlike her, leading him to investigate the cause that would make her do such a thing.

Roy, Lori. Bent Road (Png, 15.00) Jan. When she and her husband return to rural Florida, a woman realizes that he must face the secrets that surround his sister’s death, a realization that becomes more acute after a local girl disappears.

Shrier, Howard. Boston Cream (RH, 17.95) Jan. Toronto PI Jonah Geller is hired to discover the whereabouts of a missing transplant expert from a Boston hospital and discovers a twisted plot that involves a surgeon, mobsters, and a rabbi, (which sounds like the beginning of a bad joke).

Silvis, Randall. The Boy who Shoots Crows (Brk, 14.00) Dec. When a local boy disappears, an artist suffering from a severe migraine may have witnessed what happened but her memory is so fragmented that she hesitates to tell the sheriff what she has seen.

Sims, Michael, ed. The Dead Witness (STM, 20.00) Jan. A collection of the best Victorian detective stories written by Dickens, Poe, Wilkie Collins, and Conan Doyle, and including a story by the first woman detective story writer and the first native American detective.

Spencer-Fleming, Julia. In the Bleak Midwinter (STM, 14.99) Jan. A reissue of the first in the excellent series featuring the Reverend Clare Fergusson, vicar of a small Episcopal church in upstate New York, and Chief of Police Russ Van Alstyne. Highly recommended.

Stroby, Wallace. Cold Shot to the Heart (STM, 14.99) Dec. Career criminal Criss Stone decides to rob an illegal card game to raise money for her mentor, but the robbery turns violent and she becomes the target of a hit man.

Winston, Lois. Death by Killer Mop Doll (MidInk, 14.95) Jan. When she is booked on a daytime television show little does crafts editor Anastasia Pollack expect it to turn into a crime drama after the producer is murdered in the second in this funny, crafty series.

New and Forthcoming in International Mysteries

Bates, Quentin. Cold Comfort (Soho, 25.00) Jan. Sgt. Gunnhildur of Reykjavík’s Serious Crime Unit must track down an escaped criminal who is settling some old scores while at the same time working on the murder of a fitness guru.

_____. Frozen Assets (Soho, 14.00) Jan. When a body is found in a rural Icelandic fishing village, Officer Gunnhildur uncovers a web of political and corporate corruption in the first of a new series featuring a sardonic female cop.

Burdett, John. Vulture Peak (Knopf, 25.95) Jan. Bangkok policeman Sonchai is faced with the case of three corpses laid out on a bed in a Phuket mansion and missing all their commercially viable body parts, sending him looking for a criminal gang specializing in the market in human organs.

Carrisi, Donato. The Whisperer (LB, 25.99) Jan. When six severed arms are found in a clearing, an Italian criminologist and a policewoman work to find a mass murderer who is abducting young women in a taut debut literary thriller.

Cotterill, Colin. Slash and Burn (Soho, 25.00) Dec. The final book in the series featuring Laotian coroner and shaman, Dr. Siri, who is planning to retire after he is dragged into one last job by the government: supervising the excavation of the remains of an American pilot, a job he may not survive.

Ebersohn, Wessel. The October Killings (STM, 14.99) Dec. A South African lawyer agrees to help the soldier who protected her years before during a massacre of anti-apartheid protestors when he discovers that those involved in the massacre are being killed one by one in an intelligent and thoughtful series debut.

_____. Those Who Love Night (STM, 24.99) South African lawyer Abigail Bukula goes to Zimbabwe to help her cousin and six other activists being held in a brutal prison as terrorists.

Férey, Caryl. Utu (Europa, 15.00) Nov. The alleged suicide of his friend sends an expert in Maori culture to Auckland to investigate where he uncovers a world of occult mystery and bloody revenge. This wins best cover for the year.

Gage, Leighton. Every Bitter Thing (Soho, 14.00) Jan. Brazilian Chief Inspector Mario Silva is called in when the Foreign Minister of Venezuela is found dead in what appears to be a political murder, but a series of similar murders of passengers on the same airplane flight.

_____. A Vine in the Blood (Soho, 24.00) Jan. When the mother of a top Brazilian soccer player is kidnapped during the FIFA World Cup playoffs, Mario Silva is called in to handle the high-profile case, with suspicion turning on the nefarious Argentines.

Grindle, Lucretia. The Faces of Angels (F&M, 14.95) Dec. A suspenseful mystery set in Florence where a woman who returns after the murder of her husband discovers a string of murders of young women that indicates that her husband’s murder may still be on the loose.

Holt, Anne. 1222 (SS, 25.00) Dec. Retired police detective Hanne Wilhelmsen is trapped with fellow train passengers in a lodge during a blizzard on their way to Oslo, and when a popular priest is found dead. A Swedish retelling of Christie’s popular And Then There Were None.

Johnson, Adam. The Orphan Master’s Son (RH, 26.00) Jan. A literary thriller about an orphan who rises up through the ranks of the North Korean army to threaten the political power of the Dear Leader himself.

Kent, Christobel. The Drowning River (F&M, 14.95) Jan. Florence private investigator Sandro Cellini has two cases to look into—an elderly Jewish architect has walked into the River Arno and an American heiress has disappeared in the first of this Italian series.

Knox, Tom. The Lost Goddess (Vik, 26.95) Jan. A surprisingly original combination of scientific, social, and spiritual lore with adventure and suspense that begins with an archaeological discovery in Lascaux and moves to Laos and Cambodia.

Littell, Robert. Mother Russia (Png, 16.00) Dec. A reissue of a spy novel written at the height of the Cold War featuring a Moscow black marketer who becomes involved in the dangerous game of politics.

Limón, Martin. Mr. Kill (Soho, 24.00) Dec. When it appears that a U.S. serviceman is guilty of the brutal rape of a young Korean mother, US Army CID agents Sueño and Bascom are called in to investigate and must confront military apologist stonewalling, making their case harder to solve.

Magson, Adrian. Death on the Marais (A&B, 24.95 hc, 16.95tp) Dec. Having been moved from Paris to a small village in the provinces, DI Lucas Rocco finds that rural life is hardly uneventful when a murdered woman is found wearing a Gestapo uniform lying in a British military cemetery.

Mariani, Scott. The Mozart Conspiracy (Pkt, 7.99) Jan. A suspenseful debut that moves across continental Europe as a former SAS officer and an opera singer find themselves in a web of intrigue surrounding the death of Mozart.

Mercier, Pascal. Perlmann’s Silence (AtMon, 25.00) Jan. A prominent linguist, still reeling from the death of his beloved wife, plagiarizes the work of a Russian colleague for an important conference only to discover that the Russian will be in attendance, causing him to contemplate desperate measures.

Nesbø, Jo. The Leopard (Knopf, 26.95) Dec. Harry Hole returns from Hong Kong to Oslo both because his father is ill and because another serial killer is at work in Norway, having murdered two women and a mid-level politician.

Piñeiro, Claudia. All Yours (Bitter Lemon, 14.95) Jan. A nicely done noir set in Buenos Aires about a woman who witnesses her husband’s killing of his mistress/secretary, and decides to protect him at all costs.

Roslund, Anders and Börge Helström. Cell 8 (Sterling, 24.95) Jan. Det. Supt Grens of the Stockholm police discovers that the foreigner in their jail cell is a convicted murderer from the U.S. who supposedly died in prison.

Stevens, Taylor. The Innocent (RH, 24.00) Dec. Vanessa travels to Buenos Aires to rescue a 14-year-old girl who was kidnapped eight years earlier and hidden among a religious cult, and her work undercover causes her to relive her memories of her own childhood as the neglected daughter of American missionaries.

Tursten, Helene. Detective Inspector Huss (Soho, 9.99) Jan. A reissue of the first in this excellent police procedural series set in Sweden.

Wagner, Jan Costin. Silence (Peg, 25.00) Dec. Finnish detective Kimmo Joentaa believes that there is a link between a cold case of child murder that occurred thirty-five years before and the disappearance of a young girl in Helsinki.

October/November 2011

New and Forthcoming in Hardcover

Anderson B. Kent. Cold Glory (STM, 24.99) Oct. A debut thriller that begins with the discovery of a shocking Civil War-era document by a history professor, which leads him to join forces with a federal agent to stop a conspiracy against the United States government.

Baldacci, David. Zero Day (GC, 28.99) Nov. An investigator with the U.S. Army’s CID is called out to a remote farmhouse, the scene of the murder of an army officer and his wife who worked for a Pentagon contractor, and the more he investigates, the more he finds that no one is who he says he is.

Beaton, M.C. As the Pig Turns (STM, 24.99) Oct. Agatha is pleased to organize the post-Christmas pig roast in the village of Winter Parva, but must turn detective when the body on the spit is that of the unpleasant village policeman.

Benison, C.C. Twelve Drummers Drumming (BDD, 22.00) Oct. Escaping London with his young daughter after the murder of his wife, a parish priest in a bucolic English village must turn detective when one of his parishioners is found dead in a drum, and everyone has something to confess.

Black, Lisa. Defensive Wounds (HC, 24.99) Oct. When a defense attorney attending a legal convention in Cleveland is found bound and beaten to death, forensic scientist Theresa MacLean fears that the death is the first in a series.

Bohjalian, Chris The Night Strangers (RH, 25.00) Oct. A paranormal thriller set in a remote New England town where a pilot recuperating form a plane crash that killed most of the passengers moves with his family finds himself haunted by the crash victims.

Brockovich, Erin with CJ Lyons. Hot Water (Vgd, 25.99) Oct. West Virginia environmental investigator A.J. Palladino accepts a job working for the owner of a nuclear power plant that harvests medical isotopes, but while she is gone from home her son, fearing his grandfather’s sinister plan to gain custody of him, runs away from home.

Brown, Rita Mae. Murder Unleashed (BDD, 25.00) Oct. In the second in the series Mags, her dachshund Baxter, and her great-aunt Jeep fight to help a community of squatters living in foreclosed houses on the outskirts of Reno, but the fight with the banks turns deadly, and it’s up to them to find a killer.

Bruen, Ken. Headstone (Mysterious, 24.00) Oct. Galway PI Jack Taylor discovers that the group of thugs who have attacked an elderly priest and a special-needs boy are part of a violent organization called Headstone.

Buchanan, Edna. A Dark and Lonely Place (SS, 26.00) Oct. While a Miami police detective hunts for a woman linked to a murdered millionaire, his quest is paralleled by the story of outlawed lovers on the run in Florida over one hundred years ago.

Burke, James Lee. Feast Day for Fools (SS, 26.99) Oct. The latest in the series featuring Texas sheriff Hackberry Holland is set in a southwest border town where Hack and his deputy are faced with a man who claims to have witnessed the torture murder of a man at the hands of bandits and find themselves on the trail of a vicious serial murderer terrorizing the borderlands. This is excellent and we have signed copies available.

Carl, JoAnna. The Chocolate Castle Clue (NAL, 22.95) Oct. An unsolved murder long ago is related to a present-day murder and both are related to a dusty trophy found inside TenHuis Chocolade.

Castrique, Mark de. The Sandburg Connection (PP, 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp) Oct. A strong regional mystery set in Asheville NC where PI Sam Blackman finds that the death of a woman suspected of insurance fraud may be tied to the poet Carl Sandburg, with clues including a Civil War treasure, a missing folk song, and a pregnant goat.

Charbonneau, Joelle. Skating over the Line (STM, 25.99) Oct. Rebecca hopes to sell her skating rink and return to Chicago, but her veterinarian boy-friend and the gang at the Senior Center, including her Elvis-impersonator grandfather have other ideas in the second in this funny cozy series.

Chiaverini, Jennifer. The Wedding Quilt (Dutton, 24.95) Nov. The saga of the Elm Creek Quilters continues as Sarah’s daughter Caroline prepares for her wedding.

Child, Lee. The Affair (BDD, 28.00) Oct. Reacher’s last case when he was a military investigator, a serial murder case near an Army Ranger training base filled with political overtones when the chief suspect is the son of a senator, explains why he became the rootless vigilante he is now.

Christer, Sam. The Stonehenge Legacy (Png, 24.95) Oct. A debut thriller about an archaeologist who teams up with a British policewoman to investigate a kidnapping related to a series of ritual murders at Stonehenge.

Connelly, Michael. The Drop (GC, 27.99) Oct. LAPD detective Harry Bosch gets two cases guaranteed to keep him busy when a politician’s son is found dead under a window at the Chateau Marmont and the DNA from a twenty-year-old rape/murder matches a 29-year-old convicted rapist.

Connolly, John. The Infernals (SS, 22.00) Oct. The second in the delightful fantasy series featuring Samuel Johnson and his dachshund Boswell who are pulled through a portal into the dark realm where the demon Mrs. Abernathy lies in wait. A wonderful book for both adults and tween readers.

Craig, James. London Calling (Soho, 25.00) Oct. The debut of a series featuring a Metropolitan Police inspector whose case of murder in a luxury London hotel plunges him into the treacherous realm of the British political system as a killer stalks the man poised to be the next Prime Minister.

Crawford, Dean. Covenant (SS, 24.99) Oct. After discovering a 7000-year-old tomb in Israel filled with remains that appear to be non-human, an American archaeologist disappears, and when a former war correspondent is asked by her family to hunt for her, he finds himself in the line of fire.

Crichton, Michael and Richard Preston. Micro (HC, 27.99) Nov. A group of graduate students lured to Hawaii to work for a biotech firm are cast into the jungle with nothing but their wits to protect them.

Del Toro, Guillermo and Chuck Hogan. The Night Eternal (HC, 26.99) Oct. The third in the vampire trilogy finds the vampires in charge of earth, and only the intervention of avenging “angels” can help the human race survive.

Depoy, Phillip. A Corpse’s Nightmare (STM, 25.99) Nov. After someone in search of a small box containing a photo of an angel tries to kill him, Fever Devlin awakens from a coma and must solve the mystery before his attacker returns.

Dill, Stuart. Murder on Music Row (John Blair, 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp ) Oct. A debut mystery set in the Nashville country music world where an assistant to a manager takes over after his boss is shot during an assassination attempt on a megastar and investigates the shooting.

Dobbyn, John F. Black Diamond (Oceanview, 25.95) Oct. Boston attorney Michael Knight goes to Dublin when a jockey friend is killed in a spill, and soon finds himself involved in a case of international race fixing tied to the remnants of the IRA who are seeking to expand into the US.

Dorsey, Tim. When Elves Attack (HC, 16.99) Nov. There’s nothing like Christmas with Florida’s favorite psychopath Serge Storms who’s looking for the perfect present for those on his naughty list.

Doss, James D. Coffin Man (STM, 25.99) Nov. Tribal investigator Charlie Moon is asked to look for a missing teenager—81/2 months pregnant—who could have run away, been taken, or might not even be missing.

Duncan, Elizabeth J. A Killer’s Christmas in Wales (STM, 24.99) Nov. When an American con-man who fleeced a widowed villager of her inheritance is found dead, found with the widow’s letter opener in his back, Penny Brannigan agrees to investigate in the third in this cozy series set in a Welsh village.

Dunnant, Kaitlyn. Scotched (Kens, 22.00) Nov. A cozy mystery conference that’s being held in Moosetookalook, Maine has Liss MacCrimmon all excited, but when a nasty reviewer is killed, she realizes that all the authors attending have not only motive, but also ability to create the perfect crime.

Evanovich, Janet. Explosive Eighteen (BDD, 28.00) Nov 22. Stephanie Plum returns!

Fields, Tricia. The Territory (STM, 24.99) Nov. An award-winning debut set in a small west Texas border town where the police chief finds herself doing battle both with Mexican drug-runners and the locals.

Fishman, J.E. Primacy (Verbitrage, 24.95) Sept. A debut thriller featuring a lab tech working at an animal testing laboratory who goes on the run with one of a pair of bonobos in her care to protect them from abusive experimentation with the help of her veterinarian boyfriend and followed by a host of bad guys, including shadowy agents of the US government.

Fletcher, Jessica and Donald Bain. Murder She Wrote: The Fine Art of Murder (NAL, 22.95) Oct. While visiting a church in Italy, Jessica is in a church when two gunman steal a painting and kill an off-duty policeman, but her return to Cabot Cove is far from tranquil when a friend asks her to return to Italy to discover the murderer of his mother.

Fluke, Joanne. Joanne Fluke’s Lake Eden Cookbook (Kens, 18.95) Oct. A collection of recipes gathered from the first ten books in the Hannah Swensen series along with new recipes and stories from Lake Eden, MN.

Flynn, Vince. Kill Shot (SS, 27.99) Oct. The young Mitch Rapp is sent on a deadly mission to hunt down the men responsible for the Pan Am Lockerbie terrorist attack.

Gavin, Rick. Ranchero (STM, 24.99) Nov. A fantastic and funny backcountry noir set in the Mississippi Delta, with a repo man who will do anything to retrieve his landlady’s stolen mint-condition Ranchero. Highly recommended.

Grafton, Sue. V is for Vengeance (Put, 27.95) Nov. Kinsey Millhone is filled with remorse when a woman she helped arrest for shoplifting apparently commits suicide, but when she investigates further at the behest of the woman’s fiancé, she discovers that the woman may have had ties to a major crime lord. I am not sure whether this is coming in November or December, but I know that you are all waiting with bated breath.

Handler, David. The Blood Red Indian Summer (STM, 24.99) Oct. When the sister-in-law of a suspended NFL linebacker recently moved to Dorset washes up on the beach, barely alive, Mitch and Des are on the case.

Harrison, Jim. The Great Leader (Grove, 24.00) Oct. A blackly funny crime novel about a retired detective who investigates a hedonistic cult led by a charismatic man in a case that takes him from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to an Arizona border town to the Nebraska plains following the sinister and pedophilic cult leader.

Hart, Ellen. The Lost Women of Lost Lake (STM, 25.99) Oct. Restaurateur Jane Lawless discovers that the injured friend she is caring for is terrified by a reporter snooping around a tragic accident that took place years ago.

Haynes, Dana. Breaking Point (STM, 24.99) Nov. Three plane crash experts find themselves victims and witnesses rather than investigators when the plane they are on crashes outside of Helena, Montana.

Jagger, R.J. Lawyer Trap (Pegasus, 25.00) Nov. A Denver homicide detective investigating the murder of a young woman found in a shallow grave, an attorney looking into the disappearance of a woman in her firm, and a man planning his next abduction alternate in this crime novel.

Johansen, Iris. Bonnie (STM, 27.99) Oct. The conclusion of the trilogy has forensic sculptor closer than ever to discovering what happened to her missing young daughter, but she must join forces with her ex-husband to finally reach the truth.

Koff, Clea. Freezing (SH, 28.95) Nov. A debut crime novel featuring two female forensic anthropologists who do forensic profiles of missing persons, and who are called in when the FBI needs their help after a freeway accident spills body parts from a van, body parts that may be tied to a serial killer case.

Magee, Doug. Darkness All Around (SS, 25.00) Oct. Ten years after her alcoholic husband disappears and her best friend is murder, her former husband reappears plagued by horrific memories of the murder, convinced that he was the real killer, but when she helps him find out what happened that night, she discovers that her new husband, a politician, is somehow involved.

Maitland, Barry. Chelsea Mansions (STM, 24.99) Oct. Brock and Kolla of Scotland Yard’s Serious Crimes division discover that the killing of an American tourist at the Chelsea Flower Show was not only a premeditated murder, but also related to the killing of a wealthy Russian oligarch nearby.

Malliet, G.M. Wicked Autumn (STM, 23.99) Oct. The first in a wonderful new cozy series featuring the vicar of St. Edwold’s in the village of Nether Monkslip, whose training in the MI5 comes in handy when the president of the Women’s Institute is found dead at the Harvest Fayre. This reminds me of the early Robert Barnard, with its sharp wit and clever plotting. Highly recommended.

Maron, Margaret. Three Day Town (GC, 25.99) Nov. Deborah Knott, in New York for a visit with her new husband, is asked to deliver a package to NYPD detective Sigurd Harald, but when Harald comes to pick it up, she finds the doorman dead and the package missing.

Mayor, Archer. Tag Man (STM, 25.99) Oct. Joe Gunther and his Vermont Bureau of Investigation team are after a man who has been entering houses without taking anything and leaving a note reading “You’re it,” but it appears that the prankster has seen something dangerous and is on the run for his life.

McLaughlin, Jane. A Nice Place to Die (SH, 27.95) Nov. DCI Rachel Moody and DS Jack Reid investigate the beating death of a Somerset vicar by some teenage thugs the discover that no one from the housing estate that was the crime scene are willing to come forward, even after more deaths occur.

McMahon, Neil. L.A. Mental (HC, 24.99) Oct. After his drug-addled brother attempts suicide, a psychologist investigates a sinister film company headed by an eccentric, power-hungry physicist in a suspenseful scientific thriller.

Melton, Patrick and Marcus Dunstan. Black Light (LB, 25.99) Oct. A debut thriller that combines a noir sensibility with the supernatural featuring a PI who uses his psychic abilities to settle supernatural problems while he hunts for the murderers of his own parents.

Mortimer, John. Forever Rumpole (Vik, 26.95) Nov. A collection of short stories featuring the beloved barrister.

Muller, Marcia. City of Whispers (GC, 25.99) Oct. Sharon McCone must help her emotionally disturbed half-brother, who sent her an e-mail from a San Francisco internet café before disappearing in a case that may be tied to the unsolved murder of a bank heiress.

Neville, Stuart. Stolen Souls (Soho, 25.00) Oct. DI Jack Lennon is faced with an apparent turf war leaving bodies strewn across Belfast, but he discovers that an escaped Russian prostitute who killed one of her captors is the cause of the violence.

Oates, Joyce Carol. The Corn Maiden and Other Nightmares (Mysterious, 24.00) Nov. Six imaginative tales of suspense and terror by the award-winning master.

Palumbo, Dennis. Fever Dream (PP, 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp) Nov. Pittsburgh psychologist and trauma expert Daniel Rinaldi is caring for a woman who was a hostage in a bank robbery, but it appears that she is hiding some explosive secrets in a mix of political intrigue and murder.

Patterson, James. Kill Alex Cross (GC, 28.99) Nov. Alex Cross is faced with his most terrifying case when the President’s son and daughter are abducted, and someone high up in the government is making sure that he is sidelined from the case.

Rankin, Ian. The Impossible Dead (GC, 25.99) Nov. Malcolm Fox and his colleagues from the Internal Affairs department are asked to join a inquiry into a neighboring police department leading them back to the suicide of a prominent politician.

Ritter, Todd. Bad Moon (STM, 25.99) Oct. The case of a boy missing for 40 years explodes into the present when his brother returns to the small town of Perry Hollow to fulfill his promise to his dying mother to discover what happened to his brother.

Roberts, Les. The Strange Death of Father Candy (STM, 24.99) Nov. When a priest dies and the death is ruled a suicide, his brother returns to find the truth in a gritty suspense novel set in Youngstown.

Robinson, Cynthia. The Barbary Dogs (STM, 24.99) Nov. San Francisco opera singer Max Bravo returns to investigate the suicide of an old friend among the motley crew of crackpots, bohemians, and wily ghosts that refuse to be buried in San Francisco’s Barbary Coast past.

Rozan, S.J. Ghost Hero (STM, 25.99) Oct. PI Lydia Chin and her partner Bill Smith are hired by an art world insider to track down the rumor of a new painting by a Chinese artist who died in the 1989 Tianamen Square uprising, in a case that becomes much larger very quickly.

Russell, Kirk. A Killing in China Basin (SH, 28.95) Oct. In the first of a new police procedural series set in San Francisco, a detective investigates the strangulation of a woman found in an abandoned building while coping with the alleged suicide of a colleague.

Sandford, John. Shock Wave (Put, 27.95) Oct. Virgil Flowers investigates when controversy over the opening of a superstore in a small Minnesota river town turns violent when a bomb explodes at the construction site.

Spenser, Sally. Backlash (SH, 28.95) Oct. DCI Monica Paniatowski is called on to investigate the disappearance of her boss’s wife after he is in an auto accident and discovers that another woman—a prostitute—has also disappeared in a solid British police procedural.

Tesh, Jane. Stolen Hearts (PP, 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp) Oct. The first in a new psychic series featuring a North Carolina PI who, along with a friend with psychic power, investigates the provenance of an album of Appalachian folk music collected in the early part of the 20^th century that leads to two murders.

Thurlo, Aimée and David. Black Thunder (STM, 24.99) Nov. Navajo Tribal policewoman Ella Clah and her team must work a joint investigation with the New Mexico police when four unidentified bodies are found on the border of the Reservation in a case where all the clues become dead ends.

Turnbull, Peter. Deep Cover (SH, 27.95) Nov. The discovery of a man’s frozen body on top of the shallow grave of a savagely beaten young girl sends London DI Harry Vicary to a scruffy roominghouse owned by a respectable businessman, who is horrified when the body of another girl is found in one of the rooms.

Webb, Peggy. Elvis and the Tropical Double Trouble (Kens, 23.00) Oct. Beset with romantic troubles, Callie Valentine and her basset hound Elvis take off for an archaeological site in Cozumel, but when Elvis sniffs out a fresh skeleton, she realizes that there’s a killer on the loose.

White, Kate. The Sixes (HC, 24.99) Sept. A writer with both professional and personal problems goes to teach at a small private college in rural Pennsylvania, but the discovery of the body of a young woman plunges her into a very dangerous investigation.

Woodrell, Daniel. The Outlaw Album (GC, 24.99) Oct. A collection of short stories set in the Ozarks dealing with crime and punishment, from the author of Winter’s Bone, one of the best writers today.

New and Forthcoming in Paperback Reprint

Brown, Rita Mae. A Nose for Justice (BDD, 7.99) Oct.

Burke, James Lee. In the Electric Mist with the Confederate Dead (Pkt, 9.99) Nov. Reissue.

Carl, JoAnna. The Chocolate Pirate Plot (NAL, 7.99) Oct.

Childs, Laura. Fiber & Brimstone (Brk, 7.99) Oct.

Clark, Mary Jane. To Have and to Kill (HC, 7.99) Nov.

Coben, Harlan. Miracle Cure (NAL, 9.99) Oct. Reissue.

Crawford, Isis. A Catered Thanksgiving (Kens, 7.99) Nov.

Cussler, Clive and Dirk Cussler. Crescent Dawn (Brk, 9.99) Nov.

Dunnett, Kaitlyn. The Corpse Wore Tartan (Kens, 7.99) Oct.

Gordon, Howard. Gideon’s War (Pkt, 7.99) Oct.

Hart, Carolyn. Ghost in Trouble (HC, 7.99) Nov.

Haynes, Dana. Crashers (STM, 7.99) Oct.

Hechtman, Betty. You Better Not Die (Brk, 7.99) Nov.

Hoag, Tami. Secrets to the Grave (NAL, 9.99) Nov.

Lawson, Mike. The Inside Ring (Grove, 7.99) Nov.

Meier, Leslie. New Year’s Eve Murder (Kens, 6.99) Nov. Reissue.

_____. Turkey Day Murder (Kens, 6.99) Oct.

Meltzer, Brad. The Inner Circle (GC, 9.99) Oct.

Muller, Marcia. Coming Back (GC, 7.99) Oct.

Patterson, James. Cross Fire (GC, 9.99) Oct.

Purser, Ann. Threats at Three (Brk, 7.99) Nov.

Robinson, Peter. Bad Boy (HC, 7.99) Nov.

Roker, Al and Dick Lochte. The Midnight Show Murders (BDD, 7.99) Oct.

Sandford, John. Bad Blood (Brk, 9.99) Oct.

Thor, Brad. The Athena Project (Pkt, 9.99) Oct. Reissue.

Washburn, Livia J. The Pumpkin Muffin Murder (NAL, 7.99) Nov.

New and Forthcoming in Paperback Original

Adams, Riley. Hickory Smoked Homicide (Brk, 7.99) Nov. Memphis BBQ-joint owner Lulu investigates when the murder of a snooty pageant coach puts her in a very sticky situation.

Barrick, Ella. Dead Man Waltzing (NAL, 7.99) June. When the grande dame of ballroom dancing is poisoned at a luncheon, champion dancer Stacy Graysin quick-steps into action.

Bentley, Jennie. Flipped Out (Brk, 7.99) Oct. When the local news anchor whose house they are renovating is murderer Avery and her handyman boyfriend must nail down a killer.

Bolin, Janet. Threaded for Trouble (Brk, 7.99) June. When a sewing champion comes to Willow Vanderling’s embroidery shop to receive prize, she is found dead under her sewing table in the second in the series focusing on embroidery.

Bradford, Laura. Hearse and Buggy (Brk, 7.99) In the first in a new series set in Pennsylvania’s Amish country, a woman who retires to a simpler life finds herself involved in a murder when the former owner of the store she buys is murdered.

Cameron, Marc. National Security (Kens, 7.99) Nov. In a debut thriller written by a Washington insider three Middle Eastern terrorists have been injected with a biological weapon capable of annihilating millions, and only Special Agent Jericho Quinn can stop them.

Carlson, Alyse. The Azalea Assault (Brk, 7.99) June. The promoter of a Virginia garden tour arranges for a national magazine to feature one of the gardens, but the famous photographer sent to shoot the spread is found dead and she finds there’s no good way to spin murder.

Carroll, Grace. Shoe Done It (Brk, 6.99) Oct. First in a new series featuring a young woman whose job in a tony San Francisco boutique teaches her that there really are shoes to die for when a pair of heels becomes the clue in a murder.

Casey, Elizabeth Lynn. Dangerous Alterations (Brk, 7.99) Nov. The women from the southern sewing circle must help Tori keep her life from coming apart at the seams when her philandering ex turns up dead.

Collins, Kate. To Catch a Leaf (NAL, 7.99) Nov. Flower shop owner Abby must save her assistant who is the main suspect in the murder of a wealthy dowager, and stolen art and a missing cat are the clues that lead to the killer.

Fluke, JoAnne, Laura Levine, Leslie Meier. Gingerbread Cookie Murder (Kens, 7.99) Oct. A cozy collection of holiday murder mysteries complete with 10 seasonal recipes.

Freveletti, Jamie. The Ninth Day (HC, 9.99) Oct. Biochemist Emma Caldridge must find a vaccine for a deadly virus that kills its victims in nine days after exposure.

Hilton, Matt. Slash and Burn (HC, 9.99) Nov. The first in a new series featuring a former military operative who helps people in the manner of Jack Reacher.

Johnston, Linda O. The More the Terrier (Brk, 7.99) Oct. When shelter manager Lauren discovers that an old friend is an animal hoarder, she quickly volunteers to help find homes for the animals, but when her friend is accused of murder her dogged determination to help puts a killer on her tail.

Lipperman, Liz. Liver Let Die (Brk, 7.99) Oct. When a culinarily-challenged journalist who really wants to be a sports reporter becomes the food critic at the newspaper, her first assignment reviewing a steakhouse leads to her becoming the chief suspect in the murder of her waiter.

McDermott, Andy. Empire of Gold (BDD, 9.99) Oct. American archaeologist Nina Wilde and ex-SAS bodyguard Eddie Chase return with another globe-spanning adventure.

McKinlay, Jenn. Death by the Dozen (Brk, 6.99) Oct. When their mentor from culinary school, one of the judges in a cupcake competition, is murdered, Mel and Angie must find a killer.

Petrucha, Stefan. Dead Mann Walking (NAL, 7.99) Oct. The first in a series featuring a zombie detective—a man wrongfully executed for the murder of his wife and brought back through the miracle of modern science—whose missing-persons case leads to murder.

Rosen, Delia. One Foot in the Gravy (Kens, 7.99) Oct. When forensic accountant-turned-deli-owner Gwen Katz is hired to cater a socialite’s murder mystery party, no one expects the “murder” victim to really die.

Staab, Rochelle. Who Do, Voodoo (Brk, 7.99) Nov. The first in a new paranormal series finds a clinical psychologist embracing the occult when her psychic friend is accused of murder.

Stanton, Mary. Angel Condemned (Brk, 7.99) Nov. Brianna is representing Aunt Cissy’s fiancé in a case of fraud but when he is murdered and Aunt Cissy is arrested, she must solve the celestial case of the Cross of Justinian to clear her name.

Staub, Wendy Corsi. Hell to Pay (HC, 7.99) Oct. A scary thriller about a pregnant woman who is stalked by an escaped female convict seeking revenge.

Swanson, Denise. Murder of a Creped Suzette (NAL, 7.99) Oct. Plans to build a country-music theater are halted when a county singer is murder in a case that stretches back into the past.

Viets, Elaine. Death on a Platter (NAL, 7.99) Nov. While on a Saint Louis food tour, Josie Marcus loses her appetite after a woman is poisoned at a famous Italian restaurant, but has no reservations about hunting for a killer serving up a dish to die for.

Warner, Penny. How to Party with a Killer Vampire (NAL, 7.99) Oct. Presley Parker’s plans to hold the star-studded wrap party for a horror film in a graveyard make it quite convenient for the killer of a tabloid journalist.

New and Forthcoming in Quality Paperback

Acord, David. Success Secrets of Sherlock Holmes (NAL, 14.95) Nov. The perfect guide to personal and professional success from a master of rational deduction. The perfect gift for the person who can’t understand why anyone would read mysteries.

Allingham, Margery. Cargo of Eagles (F&M, 14.95) Oct. The last mystery in the Albert Campion series set in the coastal village of Saltey.

Anthony, Michael David. Dark Provenance (F&M, 14.95) Aug. After retiring to Canterbury, former spy Richard Harrison hopes for a quiet life, but when a woman appears bearing a message from her late father, an antiques expert who was a refuge from Nazi Germany, he finds himself investigating a murder.

Arsenault, Emily. The Broken Teaglass (BDD, 15.00) Oct. A young man and woman working on a project to update a dictionary discover that someone has been hiding clues to an unsolved murder within the dictionary files. A slyly clever literary mystery that I loved.

Atkinson, Kate. Started Early, Took my Dog (LB, 14.99) Oct. A brilliant crime novel featuring PI Jackson Brodie, whose search for the birth parents of a New Zealand woman leads him to a retired police officer guilty of a devastating rash act that will change her life forever. If you like intelligent, morally-complex, and well-written crime novels, you’ll love Atkinson.

Bell, David. Cemetery Girl (Png, 14.00) Oct. A man investigates when his 12-year-old daughter is abducted and refuses to testify against the man connected to her disappearance in a gripping debut thriller.

Boland, John C. Hominid (Perfect Crime, 15.95) Oct. An archaeologist agrees to help his mentor excavate an island in Chesapeake Bay settled by people driven from the Maryland colony in 1670 accused of Satanism, but the death of a young researcher reveals the sinister nature of the group financing the expedition.

Brod, D.C. Getting Lucky (Tyrus, 15.95 tp, 24.95 hc) Nov. Freelance writer Robyn Givens investigates the hit-and-run death of a young reporter in a case that leads her to a green housing development and scary mobster. Any mystery that has a clue based on how we walk our dogs is a hit with me, and this cozy caper gets two paws up!

Bruen, Ken. The Devil (STM, 14.99) Nov. Galway PI Jack Taylor is called in to investigate the murder of a student, which is mysteriously connected to a stranger he met at the airport while returning to Ireland from America. Noir doesn’t get much blacker than Bruen.

Chang, Henry. Red Jade (Soho, 14.00) Nov. NYPD detective Jack Yu is assigned to a case of the murder of a young man and woman in Chinatown, but when it becomes apparent that the young woman was involved with the criminal underworld in the club where she worked, Yu must travel to Seattle to find the truth.

Charles, Kate. A Drink of Deadly Wine (F&M, 14.95) Aug. When an ambitious rector of a swanky London parish is blackmailed, he turns to his erstwhile lover for help in the first of the series.

Cleeves, Ann. Blue Lightning (STM, 14.99) Nov. When Jimmy Perez takes his fiancée home to meet his family, it turns into a busman’s honeymoon when a local celebrity is murdered in the fourth of the series set in the Shetland Islands. All four are highly recommended.

Cole, Trevor. Practical Jean (HC, 13.99) Oct. A debut satirical noir that skewers suburban life by a Canadian novelist featuring an unlikely serial killer—a middle-aged, middle-class woman who decides that she will spare her friends the horrors of a drab life and the indignities of old age by murdering them. Understated and darkly funny.

Coleman, Reed Farrel. Hurt Machine (Tyrus, 14.95 tp, 24.95 hc) Nov. Moe Prager is asked by his ex-wife to investigate the murder of her estranged older sister, a New York EMT who had refused to give aid to a dying man at a fancy downtown restaurant. An excellent, atmospheric, character-driven mystery with clever plotting. Highly recommended.

_____. Innocent Monster (Tyrus, 14.95) Oct. PI Moe Prager investigates the disappearance of a young artistic prodigy in a case that reveals the not-so-pretty business side of the art world.

Conan Doyle, Arthur. The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (Png, 14.00) Oct. A collection of a number of the famous short stories.

Elias, Gerald. Danse Macabre (STM, 14.99) Oct. When a violinist is brutally murdered after a final appearance at Carnegie Hall, his rival, an African-American crossover artist, is charged with the crime the result of the eye-witness testimony of Daniel Jacobus, who later has second thoughts and investigates further.

Estleman, Loren D. Alone (STM, 15.99) Nov. Film buff Valentino hears of a juicy letter from Greta Garbo to the wife of a developer, but when he goes to the developer’s house he finds the man with a pistol and the body of a man he claims was blackmailing him in the second in this comic series.

Everett, Percival. Assumption (Graywolf, 15.00) Nov. A mixed race sheriff’s deputy in a “hick-full, redneck county” of New Mexico is faced with the murder of four people at a campsite in a noir crime novel.

Fowler, Christopher. Bryant and May Off the Rails (BDD, 15.00) Oct. When a PCU detective is murdered Bryant and May hunt for a murderer in the London Underground where they must contend with subway ghosts, phantom stations, and flash mobs.

Goldenbaum, Sally. A Holiday Yarn (NAL, 14.00) Nov. When Mary’s cousin is found dead at the house she is preparing to turn into a bed and breakfast, the seaside knitters must turn from their holiday preparations to finding a crafty murderer.

Greaney, Mark. Ballistic (Brk, 15.00) Oct. When an ex-CIA agent travels to Mexico for the funeral of a friend killed by the leader of a drug cartel, he must go on the run when the drug lord goes after him and his friend’s pregnant widow.

Groundwater, Beth. A Real Basket Case (MidInk, 14.95) Nov. When her husband is arrested for murder after a hunky massage therapist is shot and killed in her bedroom, a forty-something basket maker is determined to find the real killer.

James, Peter. Dead Like You (STM, 14.99) Nov. When a series of rapes occur shortly after New Years with the victims shoes stolen in each case, Det. Superintendent Roy Grace must hunt for an assailant who may have been quiet since 1997 when he assaulted four women and murdered a fifth. The first U.S. appearance of a best-selling British crime novelist.

Jerkins, Grant. At the End of the Road (Brk, 15.00) Nov. When a young boy on his bike causes a car accident, he flees the scene of the accident that leaves the driver badly injured, but a malevolent man who witnessed the accident sets his sights on the boy, whose only hope is the police officer in charge of the case.

Jones, Kelly. The Woman who Heard Color (Brk, 15.00) Oct. An art detective specializing in tracking down masterpieces looted by the Nazis is searching for a missing Kandinsky, and the trail leads to a woman in New York whose mother had been married to an art dealer in the 1930s and who may have been either a collaborator or a savior of modern art condemned by the Nazis.

Kennedy, Douglas. Temptation (SS, 16.00) Nov. After a Hollywood screenwriter finally achieves success, he finds himself in a Faustian pact with a multibillionaire film buff.

Klavan, Andrew. The Identity Man (HMH, 14.95) Nov. A petty thief on the run accepts the chance to start over again in a ruined city trying to rebuild, but he discovers that the city is crawling with dirty cops and crooked politicians, all of whom want him dead.

Lennon, F.J. Soul Trapper (SS, 15.00) Oct. A paranormal adventure featuring a Hollywood slacker with the ability to track down and capture ghosts and send them on to the afterlife, who falls for a woman who has been dead for fifty years.

Maitland, Barry. Dark Mirror (STM, 14.99) Oct. When a woman dies of arsenic poisoning in the London Library, DI Kolla and DCI Brock must investigate the unusual aspects of the victim’s life.

Malloy, Mary. Paradise Walk (Leapfrog, 15.95) Nov. A British scholar has inherited a reliquary holding what are said to be the bones of St. Thomas à Beckett as well as a journal by her ancestor, so she hires a young American scholar to go to Canterbury to authenticate the journal in an unconventional literary mystery that should appeal to those who enjoy literary puzzles.

Markham, Q.R. Assassin of Secrets (LB, 14.99) Nov. The CIA’s top field agent is sent to stop the Zero Directive, a mysterious group targeting seasoned secret agents across the globe, but the closer he gets to his target, the closer they get to theirs—him.

Marsh, Ngaio. A Man Lay Dead (F&M, 14.95) and The Nursing Home Murders (F&M, 14.95) Sept. Lovers of classic detective stories have reason to rejoice with the reissue of two early Inspector Roderick Alleyn mysteries set in England in the period between the two wars. Highly recommended.

McManus, Patrick F. The Huckleberry Murders (SS, 16.00) Nov. Sheriff Bo Tully of Blight County, Idaho is after a sociopath who is the chief suspect in the murder of a rancher, but he is interrupted when the bodies of three young men are found gunned down in a huckleberry patch in the latest in this comic series.

Meade, Amy Patricia. Well-Offed in Vermont (MidInk, 14.95) Nov. A debut cozy, featuring a Manhattan couple whose move to a bucolic Vermont town is ruined by the discovery of a dead man in their well, and whose subsequent investigation gives them an in-depth knowledge of their not overly-welcoming neighbors.

Meissner, Susan. A Sound Among the Trees (Waterbrook, 14.99) Oct. A gothic mystery set in the Virginia hills where a woman moves to her husband’s family’s Civil War-era mansion and discovers the ghost of the former family matriarch. Nicely creepy and well-researched.

Mosley, Walter. The last Days of Ptolemy Gray (Png, 15.00) Nov. An apartment-bound elderly man has been largely forgotten by his family, but a young man befriends him with unexpected results.

Picoult, Jodi. Sing You Home (SS, 16.00) Nov. A woman in a relationship with another woman must fight her ex-husband for custody of her unborn child when he falls under the sway of a fundamentalist minister with an anti-gay agenda.

Rankin, Ian. The Complaints (LB, 14.99) Nov. The first in a new series featuring a member of the Internal Affairs department in the Scottish Police whose investigation into a young policeman causes him to become under investigation himself.

Spillane, Mickey and Max Allan Collins. The Consummata (Hard Case, 9.95) Oct. Collins has seamless finished a novel written in the late 1960s featuring Morgan the Raider who is helped by Cuban exiles in Little Havana when he is on the run from the FBI, and in return they ask him to recover $75,000 stolen from them by a double agent.

Stuart, Sebastian. Dead by Any Other Name (MidInk, 14.95) Oct. A second-hand dealer in upstate New York agrees to buy an actress’s jewelry, but the actress dies before the sale and the dealer investigates in a case involving a bestselling author, a prostitution ring, and a mysterious eastern European.

Swierczynski, Duane. Hell & Gone (LB, 14.99) Oct. Charlie Hardie is forced to work as warden at a top-secret high-security prison, and if he leaves his psychopathic prisoners are released as well, but when his family is threatened, all bets are off in the suspenseful second in the trilogy that began with Fun & Games.

Thurlo, Aimée and David. Never-ending Snake (STM, 14.99) Oct. Ella Clah must track down a killer in a complex mystery involving Indian gambling and alternative fuel development.

Trent, Gayle. Killer Sweet Tooth (Pkt, 15.00) Oct. Cake decorator Daphne Martin stumbles over the body of a local dentist in a case involving infidelity or Elvis impersonators or both.

Titchmarsh, Alan. Folly (IPG, 11.95) When they discover that a set of Sir Alfred James Munnings paintings owned by her grandfather are fakes, two art dealers investigate revealing a long connection between their two families in an engaging look at the art world.

Washburn, Livia J. The Gingerbread Bump-off (NAL, 14.00) Nov. A Christmas killer has been icing Phyllis’s friends in the latest fresh-baked mystery.

White, Karen. The Strangers on Montague Street (NAL, 15.00) Nov. In the third in the series featuring Charleston psychic realtor Melanie Middleton, she must cope with uninvited and unwelcome visitors when a young girl comes to stay with her. An excellent paranormal series.

New and Forthcoming in International Mysteries

Blundy, Anna. The Oligarch’s Wife (IPG, 14.95) Oct. A British journalist in Russia to interview a former friend who has grown immensely wealthy through black market dealings, but despite her attraction to him, she discovers that he is hiding a dark secret and a dangerous ruthlessness.

Brooke, P.J. Death’s Other Kingdom (Soho, 25.00) Nov. DI Max Romero of the Granada police investigates the murder of a young woman whose father was killed in a military coup attempt in Spain in 1981.

Camilleri, Andrea. The Potter’s Field (Png, 15.00) Oct. Montalbano investigates when an unidentified body is found cut into 30 pieces in a remote field near a Sicilian town known for potter’s clay.

Drain, Betsy and Michael Hinden. Murder in Lascaux (UW, 24.95) Nov. A tour of Lascaux’s cave paintings, part of a trip to the Dordogne for an art historian and her antique dealer husband is cut short when one of the tour is murdered in a charming debut crime novel.

Enger, Thomas. Burned (SS, 15.00) Oct. A debut crime novel set in Oslo, featuring an investigative crime reporter who is assigned to cover the murder of a young woman who is found stoned to death in what looks like a Middle Eastern honor killing.

Flint, Shamini. Inspector Singh Investigates: A Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder (F&M, 14.95) Oct. The first in a brilliant series featuring a Singapore policeman who is sent to Malaysia to monitor the trial of a Singapore beauty accused of murdering her abusive millionaire ex-husband. Highly recommended.

Giutteri, Michele. A Florentine Death (IPG, 12.95) Oct. A debut police procedural set in Florence featuring a homicide detective who has received an anonymous letter announcing the start of a series of homicides.

Indriđason, Arnuldur. Operation Napoleon (STM, 24.99) Oct. A stand-alone thriller by Iceland’s most celebrated crime writer, featuring a young woman who investigates the disappearance of her brother after he reports seeing a group of Americans removing a plane from a glacier in a case that has its roots in a plane crash in 1945.

Jurjevics, Juris. Red Flags (HMH, 26.00) Oct. An excellent mystery that takes place in the Montagnard Highlands of Viet Nam, where a member of the US Army CID is sent to look for an opium field that is helping finance the Viet Cong war effort, but what he discovers is that someone on the small base is in league with the opium producers. An excellent, intelligent, atmospheric thriller.

Kaaberbøl, Lene and Agnete Friis. The Boy in the Suitcase (Soho, 24.00) Nov. The first in a new Danish crime series featuring a Red Cross nurse who discovers a three-year-old boy in a suitcase in a locker at the Copenhagen train station, a child she fears is the victim of a human-trafficking ring.

Kadare, Ismail. The Accident (Grove, 14.00) Nov. A brilliant literary thriller by the Man Booker Prize winner, set against the tumult of the Balkan Wars.

Lapidus, Jens. Easy Money (RH, 26.95) Nov. A debut Swedish crime novel that uses court testimony, police reports, and newspaper reports to depict Sweden’s growing underworld by focusing on three people, a Yugoslavian crime boss, a drug user tormented by the disappearance of his sister, and a vengeful Chilean prison escapee, all connected by cocaine. This received a starred review in Publisher’s Weekly.

Larsson, Ǻsa. Until Thy Wrath Be Past (Sterling, 24.95) Aug. A tale of twisted love and vengeance featuring Prosecutor Rebecka Martinsson and DI Anna-Maria Mella, who search for the killer of a 17-year-old girl.

Leonard, Elmore. Djibouti (HC, 14.99) Oct. An American journalist travels to Djibouti on the Horn of Africa to film modern-day pirates and discovers that nothing is as it seems and no one is trustworthy.

Limón, Martin. Jade Lady Burning (Soho, 9.99) Oct. A reissue of the first title published by Soho Press and the first in the series set in Korea, featuring two U.S. military policeman who investigate the murder of a young woman in the red-light district.

Royes, Gillian. The Goat Woman of Largo Bay (SS, 15.00) Oct. A debut crime novel set on a Caribbean island where a local bartender and an American hotelier attempt to protect a mysterious woman on the run.

Sacheri, Eduardo. The Secret in their Eyes (Other, 15.95) Oct. A retired clerk for Argentina’s investigative court sets out to write a novel about a case that has haunted him for decades, the rape and murder of a beautiful young woman, a case so dangerous that he was forced to flee Buenos Aires for 25 years. Excellent, complex and engaging.

Sierra, Javier. T he Lost Angel (SS, 25.99) Oct. An apocalyptic thriller featuring a Middle Eastern terror group intent on bring about the end of the world, a scientist and his psychic young wife, and US government agents who are chasing after both groups.

Vargas, Fred. An Uncertain Place (Png, 15.00) Nov. Commissaire Adamsberg’s case of ghastly murder in Paris’s seventh arrondissement is tied to the discovery of nine pairs of shoes and severed feet outside of London’s Highgate Cemetery in the latest in this excellent series.

Vidal, Bill. The Aztec (IPG, 13.95) Nov. The disappearance of $200 million in gold reserves sent by Spain to the Soviet Union in 1936 remains a mystery, but when an enigmatic Mexican revolutionary claims to know its whereabouts, he contacts a historian at the University of Salamanca, plunging him into a web of intrigue.

Vittachi, Nury. The Feng Shui Detective Goes West (F&M, 14.95) Nov. Despite his misgivings, and particularly his concerns about horrible western food, the feng shui master agrees to go to London to help the Royal Family bring balance to Buckingham Palace in the second in this comic series.

Xiaolong, Qiu. Years of Red Dust (STM, 14.99) Nov. A collection of linked short stories tracing the changes in modern China over the last fifty years from the perspective of one small street in Shanghai.

August/September 2011

New and Forthcoming in Hardcover

Adams, Jane A. The Dead of Winter (SH, 27.95) Sept. A retired actress accompanies her young friend to a magician’s conference in an historic manor house in Devon, where the murder of a spiritualist medium and a blizzard lead to the perfect manor house mystery reminiscent of Golden Age detective stories.

Bannister, Jo. Death in High Places (STM, 25.99) Aug. After the death of his friend in a climbing accident, a man must run for his life when the vengeful father unjustly blames him for his son’s death.

Barclay, Linwood. The Accident (BDD, 25.00) Sept. When a contractor whose wife was recently killed in a car accident overhears a conversation, it triggers a series of deadly confrontations in a crime novel about ordinary citizens making criminal decisions in the wake of terrible economic times.

Box, C.J. Back of Beyond ( STM, 25.99) Aug. A tense thriller about an alcoholic cop who discovers that the killer of his AA mentor may be on the Yellowstone back-packing trip that includes his son.

Brandman, Michael. Robert B. Parker’s Killing the Blues (Put, 25.95) Sept. Brandman, who collaborated with Parker on the television adaptations of the Jesse Stone series, does a brilliant job of reproducing Parker’s style in this continuation which finds Jesse dealing with an upturn in car thefts and waiting for a California ex-con who is gunning for him.

Brockovich, Erin with C.J. Lyons. Hot Water (Vgrd, 25.99) Sept. Environmental activist AJ Palladino leaves her young son at home while she goes to investigate a series of accidents at a nuclear facility designed to create medical isotopes, but her attention is drawn back home when her son disappears.

Brown, Sandra. Lethal (GC, 27.99) Sept. When a woman and her young daughter are taken hostage by a desperate armed man, she discovers that her husband is at the heart of a conspiracy that could destroy them both.

Bruce, Alison. The Calling (Soho, 25.00) Aug. DC Goodhew is faced with a conundrum when a telephone call arrives stating that a woman who has disappeared is still alive and naming the abductor in the third in this excellent police procedural set in Cambridge.

Burke, Jan. Disturbance (SS, 25.00) July. Reporter Irene Kelly is recuperating from her near-fatal run-in with serial killer Nick Parrish when it becomes apparent that someone is threatening her, a threat that becomes explicit when the body of a young woman is found near her home.

Carver, Tania. The Surrogate (Peg, 25.95) Sept. An impressive debut British police procedural, featuring DI Philip Brennan and his team investigating a killer who targets pregnant women tearing their children from their bodies. For fans of Mo Hayder.

Casey, Jane. The Burning (STM, 24.99) Sept. A series debut featuring a London detective constable who continues her investigation when the case of a murdered young woman is attributed to a serial killer who has already killed three women and set their bodies on fire, and as she finds out more about the victim, the more she wants to bring the killer to justice. A first rate police procedural series with a strong, likable protagonist.

Clemans, Judy. Flowers for her Grave (PP, 24.95 hc. 14.95 tp) Aug. Casey moves to Florida to become a fitness trainer, but with Death as her constant companion, she is soon involved in a crime when one of her clients is murdered.

Coel, Margaret. The Perfect Suspect (Brk, 25.95) Sept. Journalist Catherine McLeod receives a call from an anonymous woman who claims to have witnessed the murder of a candidate for governor, even though police have arrested his estranged wife.

Coifer, Eoin. Plugged (Overlook, 24.95) Aug. A funny crime novel debut by the author of the Artemis Fowl series, featuring an Irish army veteran working at a sleazy New Jersey casino, whose search for the murderer of a cocktail waitress causes him to go on the run from the police, a local mob boss, and a smitten psychopath. Highly recommended.

Connolly, John. The Burning Soul (SS, 26.00) Sept. Charlie Parker investigates when a fourteen-year old girl goes missing in Pastor’s Bay, Maine and suspicion settles of a man who has been tormented by anonymous letters. Excellent.

Coyle, Cleo. Murder by Mocha (Brk, 25.95) Aug. When a website editor is murdered at the launch of a new coffee billed as an aphrodisiac, Clare must find a killer who may be after the secret formula made with beans provided by Village Blend.

Crane, Cheryl. The Bad Always Die Twice (Kens, 25.00) Sept. A Hollywood realtor, daughter of a 1950s movie star, is shocked when the body of a washed-up television star is found under her business partner’s bed—especially since he died in a plane crash six months earlier. Crane is herself the daughter of Lana Turner and has first-hand experience of Hollywood.

Crosby, Ellen. The Sauvignon Secret (SS, 24.00) Aug. Unwittingly dragged into the murky past of a wine merchant when she discovers his body, Virginia vineyard owner Lucie Montgomery teams up with her former flame to discover a killer bent on vengeance for long-ago deaths.

Daheim, Mary. All the Pretty Hearses (HC, 23.99) Aug. Bed-and-breakfast owner Judith must deal with the guests from Hell when an impossible to please family wins a weekend stay at the Inn, but to make matters worse, her husband winds up in jail when a case of insurance fraud leads to murder.

Deverill, William. I’ll See You in my Dreams (M&S, 27.95) Sept. Now retired to an island near Vancouver, attorney Arthur Beauchamp revisits his first murder trial fifty years ago in which he defended a Native American, fighting against corrupt police, a skilled prosecutor, and a difficult client.

Doetsch, Richard. The Thieves of Legend (SS, 25.00) Aug. Reformed thief Michael St. Pierre is sent to China by the U.S. government to obtain a legendary diary the holds the clue to a long-forgotten mystery.

Douglas, Carole Nelson. Cat in a Vegas Gold Vendetta (STM, 24.99) Aug. Temple Barr is asked to investigate the suspicious death of a wealthy woman’s handyman, but she soon learns that the elderly woman is surrounded by greedy heirs who want to keep her from leaving her money to her cats.

Dunn, Matthew. Spycatcher (HC, 25.99) Aug. An intelligence operative is sent on a joint CIA-MI6 mission to capture a brilliant and ruthless Iranian spy in this suspenseful debut thriller.

Elias, Gerald. Death and the Maiden (STM, 25.99) Sept. Violinist Daniel Jacobus must discover who is causing the disappearance of the violinists in the New Magini String Quartet right before their performance of Schubert’s “Death and the Maiden.”

Ellis, Kate. Kissing the Bones (SH, 28.95) Aug. DI Joe Plantagenet is faced with a murder case that appears to be tied to a cursed old house in North Yorkshire with a present-day series of murders echoing a 19-century killing.

Francis, Felix. Dick Francis’s Gamble (Put, 26.95) Aug. A former jockey working for a high-risk investment firm investigates when his colleague is murdered execution style.

George, Kathleen. Hideout (STM, 24.99) Aug. In this Pittsburgh-based police procedural, detectives Greer and Christie search for two brothers implicated in a hit-and-run.

Gerst, Angela. A Crack in Everything (PP, 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp) Sept. A debut mystery featuring a Massachusetts lawyer-turned-political-consultant who accepts a client launching a run for mayor, but things turn deadly when a member of the client’s staff is murdered and she herself is attacked.

Haddam, Jane. Flowering Judas (STM, 25.99) Aug. The police turn to Gregor Demarkian when the recently-deceased body of a young man missing for twelve years is found.

Hamilton, Denise. Damage Control (SS, 26.00) Sept. A high-powered public relations executive becomes caught up in a murder and scandal involving a powerful political family in Southern California that she has known since high school. Highly recommended.

Harris, Charlaine and Toni L.P. Kelner, eds. Home Improvement: Undead Edition (Brk, 26.95) Aug. A collection of stories about the paranormal perils of Do-It-Yourself.

Harvey, Michael. We All Fall Down (Knopf, 24.95) Aug. Chicago PI Michael Kelly is asked to provide security for two scientists who have discovered evidence of a powerful bio-weapon in the subway system in a first-rate thriller that combines bio-terrorism with old-fashioned detection.

Hill, Reginald. The Woodcutter (HC, 25.99) Aug. An enchanting stand-alone thriller that is an edgy tale of betrayal and revenge about a woodcutter’s son in love with an aristocrat’s daughter who is framed and imprisoned where he plots an ingenious revenge.

Hill, Susan. The Betrayal of Trust (Overlook, 24.95) Sept. DI Simon Serrailler must solve a cold case when the skeletal remains of a teenager who disappeared twenty years ago are uncovered by flooding.

Jones, Darynda. Second Grave on the Left (STM, 21.99) Aug. The second funny, suspenseful paranormal romance featuring a Grim Reaper Extraordinaire who must find a missing woman whose friend has been murdered, save the Earth from demons, and survive hot nights with a sexy devil.

Jones, Merry. Summer Session (SH, 28.95) Aug. The first in a new series featuring a teaching assistant at Cornell dealing with PTSD from her tour of duty in Iraq who investigates when a student who was taking part in an experimental pharmaceutical treatment jumps from a classroom window.

Kaehler, Tammy. Dead Man’s Switch (PP, 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp) Aug. A debut mystery featuring an aspiring racecar driver who stumbles over a dead driver while she is looking for a full-time ride on the American Le Mans Series.

Kiely, Tracy. Murder Most Persuasive (STM, 24.99) Sept. Elizabeth decides to investigate when the new owners of her great-uncle’s house in Maryland discover the body of a man who disappeared eight years earlier, suspected of embezzling over one million dollars from the family business in the third in this elegant cozy series.

Kilmer, Nicholas. A Paradise for Fools (PP, 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp) Sept. Spying an elaborate tattoo on a hairstylist leads art expert Fred Taylor to suspect the existence of an undiscovered work by 15^th-century Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch and leads him to the strange intersection of the worlds of art collectors and tattoo artist in the eighth in the series.

Larison, John. Holding Lies (Nor, 24.95) Aug. A debut thriller set in the Oregon wilderness featuring a fishing guide who becomes a murder suspect when he discovers the bloodied boat belonging to a younger guide with whom he had argued about “river etiquette.”

Larsen, Karianne. Sticks and Stones (PP, 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp) Aug. PI Cat DeLuca specializes in cheating husbands, but when a client is accused of murdering her sleazy husband who took off with her money, her dog, and her sister, she agrees to look for a killer in the second in this funny series.

Levien, David. Thirteen Million Dollar Pop (BDD, 24.95) Aug. Indianapolis PI Frank Behr and a businessman client barely escaped an ambush in a parking garage, and despite being ordered to let it go, he discovers that the ambush was tied to a multimillion dollar real estate project headed by his client.

Levine, Laura. Pampered to Death (Kens, 22.00) Aug. Jaine and her cat Prozac go to an elegant spa owned by a friend where a B-movie actress is found strangled after behaving very badly with the staff in the latest very funny cozy mystery.

Levine, Paul. Lassiter (Ball, 25.00) Sept. Miami attorney Jake Lassiter is asked to find a woman missing for almost twenty years in a case that takes him into the dangerous world of the pornography business.

Lewis, Mitchell Scott. Murder in the 11^th House (PP, 24.95, 14.95 tp) Sept. A debut mystery featuring a New York detective who is also an astrologer and who agrees to help his defense attorney daughter discover who planted the bomb that killed a debt claims judge.

Lippman, Laura. The Most Dangerous Thing (HC, 25.99) Sept. A group of childhood friends reunites when one of their group dies and they discover that a terrible lie that they had all shared long ago may in fact be destroying their lives.

Luhning, Holly. Quiver (Peg, 25.00) Aug. A debut suspense novel of seduction and obsession featuring a forensic psychiatrist in London who is fascinated by the story of the sixteenth-century Hungarian murderess Countess Elizabeth Báthory, and who becomes involved with a Hungarian archivist who claims to have discovered Báthory’s long-lost diaries.

MacDonald, Tom. The Charlestown Connection (Midpoint, 25.95) Aug. A thriller debut featuring a former pro football player running a food pantry in Boston, who investigates when his mentor is killed and finds himself caught up in an FBI anti-terrorism task force targeting Somali extremists.

McCrumb, Sharyn. The Ballad of Tom Dooley (STM, 24.99) Sept. The folk song of the same name inspired McCrumb to track down the historical evidence behind the ballad and clear the name of Tom Dula, the man hanged for the murder of country girl Laura Foster.

McDonald, Craig. El Gavilan (Tyrus, 24.95) Sept. In an Ohio town dealing with an influx of undocumented workers violence erupts when a Mexican-American woman is raped and murdered in a crime thriller that is dark and topical.

McGrath, M.J. White Heat (Vik, 25.95) Aug. A debut set in the Canadian Arctic featuring a half-Inuit-half white Arctic guide who investigates when a man is shot and his assistant disappears in a case that leads her to a generations-old secret.

Mina, Denise. The End of the Wasp Season (LB, 25.99) Sept. Glasgow DI Alex Morrow, heavily pregnant, is assigned the case of a murdered woman whose death reverberates throughout all levels of society.

Mullen, Thomas. The Revisionists (LB, 25.99) Sept. A dystopian thriller—sort of a literary espionage novel with a little sci-fi thrown in--about a man from the future whose mission is to make sure that any cataclysm in the near-future does in fact happen to ensure a perfect long-term future.

Parshall, Sandra. Under the Dog Star (PP, 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp) Sept. Virginia veterinarian Rachel Goddard investigates when it appears that a pack of feral dogs killed a prominent citizen, but a sheriff’s deputy believes that a vicious killer used a trained fighting dog to commit murder.

Patterson, James and Marshall Karp. Kill Me if You Can (GC, 27.99) Aug. A poor art student finds a duffel bag filled with diamonds, and the two assassins on the trail consider him just collateral damage in their quest to kill one another and retrieve the diamonds.

Pelecanos, George. The Cut (GC, 25.99) Aug. The first in a new series featuring an Iraq war veteran who specializes in recovering stolen property, but when a high-profile gangster asks him to find out who’s been stealing from his operation, he tangles with men who will stop at nothing.

Penny, Louise. A Trick of the Light (STM, 25.99) Sept. When the body of a woman is found in Clara’s garden in Three Pines, Chief Inspector Gamache is called in to find a murderer hidden among the members of the art world who have gathered for Clara’s show. Highly recommended.

Preston, Douglas and Lincoln Child. Cold Vengeance (GC, 26.99) Aug. Pendergast discovers that his brother-in-law has information about his long-dead wife--that she is alive, but his search for her uncovers all sorts of secrets better left buried.

Quinn, Spencer. The Dog who Knew Too Much (SS, 25.00) Sept. Chet and Bernie are hired to find a child who’s gone missing at a wilderness camp, but personal issues intrude when a stray puppy shows up looking suspiciously like Chet. An excellent dog-lover’s mystery series.

Ramsey, Frederick. Rogue (PP, 24.95, 14.95) July. When his fiancée is severly injured in a suspicious car crash CIA op turned smalltown Virginia sheriff, Ike Schwartz, investigates even though the case is outside of his jurisdiction.

Reichs, Kathy. Flash and Bones (SS, 26.99) Aug. Forensic anthropologist Tempe Brennan is called in when a body is found in a barrel of asphalt at a North Carolina NASCAR speedway, and she realizes it is that of a teenaged girl who disappeared twelve years ago along with her fiancé who was part of a right-wing extremist group.

Rendell, Ruth. The Vault (SS, 26.00) Sept. The retired DI Wexford is called on by the London police to advise them on the unsolved murders when four bodies are discovered in an underground chamber below a picturesque London house in a sequel to A Sight for Sore Eyes.

Rimington, Stella. Rip Tide (STM, 24.00) Sept. When a British-born Pakistani is found among a gang of Somali pirates MI5 intelligence operative Liz Carlyle is brought in to investigate why he became involved such a group and what the implications are for trouble. Rimington is great.

Robb, J.D. New York to Dallas (Put, 27.95) Sept. Eve Dallas is forced to go to Dallas when a serial murderer escapes from New York and immediately resumes his depredations against young girls.

Rotella, Sebastian. Triple Crossing (LB, 24.99) Aug. A brilliant debut thriller featuring a U.S. Border Patrol agent who is recruited by the government to work undercover infiltrating a Mexican Mafia family, which takes him to the lawless border area of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. Highly recommended.

Ryan, Annelise. Frozen Stiff (Kens, 22.00) Sept. Wisconsin deputy coroner Mattie Winston investigates the murder of a beautiful woman, a Chicago reporter who had a past with her new boyfriend, so Mattie is determined to use her forensic skills to clear his name.

Shelby, Jeff. Liquid Smoke (Tyrus, 24.95 hc, 15.95 tp) Aug. San Diego surfer and PI Noah Braddock meets the father he has never known, now an inmate on death row, setting him on a journey into the bleak world of casinos, human smuggling, and contract murders his father inhabited.

Sallis, James. The Killer is Dying (Walker, 23.00) Aug. A minimalist suspense novel set in Phoenix that brings together a dying hit-man, a boy abandoned by his parents, and a burned-out detective. Sallis is excellent.

Tucker, Lisa. The Winters in Bloom (SS, 25.00) Sept. When their young son goes missing a couple fear that it is something from their past that has led to the kidnapping.

Unger, Lisa. Darkness, My Old Friend (Crown, 24.00) Aug. A man determined to solve the mystery of his mother’s disappearance 25 years before is helped by former cop Jones Cooper in the second mystery set in the secluded upstate New York town of the Hollows. I really liked the first of this series.

Wallace, Nicolle. It’s Classified (SS, 25.00) Sept. A page-turning political thriller set in the White House where the vice-president finds herself in the public crosshairs when she inserts herself into a sensational terror investigation.

Williams, Amanda Kyle. The Stranger You Seek (Ball, 25.00) Sept. A former FBI profiler is given a second chance by the Atlanta Police Department to find a serial killer in a funny, smart debut mystery.

Wood, Simon. Did Not Finish (SH, 28.95) Sept. A mystery set in the high-octane world of car racing in England where the death of a championship driver is covered up by the authorities, but a rookie driver decides to investigate, uncovering a scary world of insurance fraud, organized crime, and murder. This reminds me of the early Dick Francis mysteries.

Woods, Stuart. Son of Stone (Put, 26.95) Sept. Stone Barrington, at the behest of his lover Arrington, establishes a relationship with the teenaged son he never knew, but a New York Post reporter is after the two, investigating the relationship between them.

Zeltserman, David. A Killer’s Essence (Png, 23.95) Sept. A police procedural set in New York in 2004, featuring a police detective whose only witness to a woman’s murder is a neurologically-damaged man who can only describe the killer’s clothing.

New and Forthcoming in Paperback Reprint

Barclay, Linwood. Never Look Away (BDD, 7.99) Aug.

Berry, Steve. The Emperor’s Tomb (BDD, 9.99) Sept.

Black, Lisa. Trail of Blood (HC, 7.99) Aug.

Bourne, Sam. Final Reckoning (HC, 7.99) Sept.

Burke, James Lee. The Glass Rainbow (Pkt, 9.99) Aug.

Child, Lee. The Enemy (BDD, 9.99) Sept. Reissue.

Coel, Margaret. The Spider’s Web (Brk, 7.99) Sept.

Connelly, Michael. The Reversal (GC, 9.99) Sept.

Cook, Robin. Cure (Brk, 9.99) Aug.

Cornwell, Patricia. Port Mortuary (Brk, 9.99) Sept.

Coyle, Cleo. Roast Mortem (Brk, 7.99) Aug.

Crosby, Ellen. The Vintage Vendetta (Pkt, 7.99) Aug.

Cussler, Clive with Grant Blackwood. Lost Empire (Brk, 9.99) Sept.

Cussler, Clive with Jack Du Brul. Dark Watch (Brk, 9.99) Aug. Reissue.

Deaver, Jeffery. Edge (Pkt, 9.99) Aug.

Eisler, Barry. Inside Out (BDD, 7.99) Aug.

Evanovich, Janet. Wicked Appetite (STM, 8.99) Sept.

Fletcher, Jessica and Donald Bain. Murder She Wrote: The Queen’s Jewels (NAL, 6.99) Sept.

Flynn, Vince. American Assassin (Pkt, 9.99) Sept.

Francis, Dick and Felix Frances. Crossfire (Brk, 9.99) Aug.

Frey, Stephen. Heaven’s Fury (Pkt, 7.99) Sept.

Grisham, John. The Confession (BDD, 9.99) Aug.

Haig, Brian. The Capitol Game (GC, 7.99) Aug.

Hunter, Stephen. Dead Zero (Pkt, 9.99) Sept.

Khoury, Raymond. The Templar Salvation (NAL, 9.99) Aug.

Kipps, Charles. Crystal Death (Pkt, 7.99) Sept.

Lehane, Dennis. Moonlight Mile (HC, 9.99) Aug.

Meier, Leslie. The Birthday Party Murders (Kens, 6.99) Aug. Reissue.

_____. Wedding Day Murder (Kens, 6.99) Aug. Reissue.

_____. Wicked Witch Murder (Kens, 6.99) Aug.

Palmer, Michael. A Heartbeat Away (STM, 9.99) Aug.

Parker, Robert B. Painted Ladies (Brk, 9.99) Sept.

Patterson, James and Maxine Paetro. Private (GC, 9.99) Aug.

Pearson, Ridley. In Harm’s Way (Brk, 9.99) Aug.

Peters, Ralph. The Officers’ Club (STM, 7.99) Sept.

Poyer, David. Ghosting (STM, 7.99) Aug.

Robb, J.D. Treachery in Death (Brk, 7.99) Aug.

Rosenberg, Nancy Taylor. My Lost Daughter (STM, 7.99) Aug.

Ryan, Annelise. Scared Stiff (Kens, 7.99) Aug.

Webb, Peggy. Elvis and the Memphis Mambo Murders (Kens, 7.99) Sept.

Wells, Dan. I am Not a Serial Killer (STM, 6.99) Aug.

White, Stephen. The Last Lie (NAL, 9.99) Aug.

Wood, Tom. The Killer (STM, 9.99) Aug.

Woods, Stuart. Grass Roots (NAL, 9.99) Aug. Reissue.

_____. Strategic Moves (NAL, 9.99) Sept.

New and Forthcoming in Paperback Original

Barrick, Ella. Quickstep to Murder (NAL, 6.99) Sept. A dance instructor discovers her business partner and fiancé dead in their ballroom studio and must team up with his cousin from Argentina to find the killer before she waltzes into a murder charge in the first of a new series.

Beck, Jessica. Tragic Toppings (STM, 7.99) Sept. The fourth in the series set in Donut Hearts, where the coffee is hot and the doughnuts are to die for—sometimes literally!

Bourbon, Melissa. Pleating for Mercy (NAL, 6.99) Aug. The first in a new paranormal mystery series set in a small Texas town where a Manhattan fashion designer moves after she inherits her great-grandmother’s house, only to find herself looking for the killer of an old friend’s boss.

Brady, Jacklyn. A Sheetcake Named Desire (Brk, 7.99) Aug. In the first in a delicious new series, a New Orleans pastry chef becomes the main suspect when her almost ex-husband is killed.

Connolly, Sheila. Bitter Harvest (Brk, 7.99) Aug. Apple farmer Meg Corey fears her first harvest may be her last when a series of mishaps turn sinister.

Davis, Krista. The Diva Haunts the House (Brk, 7.99) Sept. The domestic diva discovers one of her rival’s guests dead at a spooktacular Halloween party and sees a pale, fanged partygoer running from the scene.

Davis, Pierre. Origin Unknown (BDD, 7.99) Aug. A suspenseful medical thriller.

DiSilverio, Laura. Die Buying (Brk, 7.99) Aug. The first in a new series featuring mall-cop Emma-Joy Ferris who finds her job becomes much more exciting when a python escapes from a pet shop and a mannequin turns out to be a real corpse.

Gore, Steven. Act of Deceit (HC, 7.99) Sept. The first in a new series featuring a former SFPD policeman turned PI, filled with authentic details, written by a former PI.

Kelly, Sofie. Sleight of Paw (NAL, 7.99) Sept. Small-town librarian Kathleen Paulson must trust in the abilities of her magical cats when the body of a local do-gooder is found near a local café.

Killian, Diana. Death in a Difficult Position (Brk, 7.99) Sept. When a fundamentalist preacher dies after accusing yoga-studio owner A.J. Alexander of corrupting his parishioners, she must stretch her sleuthing skills to find a killer.

Kingsley, Allison. Mind over Murder (Brk, 7.99) Sept. The debut of a new series featuring two cousins who run an occult bookstore and who must use the one cousin’s psychic abilities when a woman who claims the store is poisoning the area’s young people is found dead, killed by a bust of Edgar Allen Poe sculpted by the store’s employee.

Lavene, Joyce and Jim. Harrowing Hats (Brk, 7.99) Aug. Working as a hatter at the Renaissance Faire, Jessie finds a chocolatier drowned in a vat of chocolate—double-dipped and very dead.

Lee, Amanda. Thread Reckoning (NAL, 7.99) Sept. Marcy Singer is busy creating a wedding dress embroidered with jewels, but someone wants to stop the wedding—and will murder to do it.

Logan, Kylie. Button Holed (Brk, 7.99) Sept. First in a new series featuring the owner of a Chicago button shop who must find a killer when her shop is ransacked and a starlet customer is murdered. Logan is a pseudonym for Casey Daniels.

Lutz, John. Serial (Kens, 7.99) Aug. Detective Quinn are investigating a gruesome New York serial killer in a case that takes them to Missouri and a man eager to settle old scores.

Mayes, Casey. A Killer Column (Brk, 7.99) Aug. When her unpleasant editor is found dead, Savannah must puzzle out a killer in the second in the series.

McCoy, Judi. Till Death Do Us Bark (NAL, 7.99) Aug. Psychic dogwalker Ellie Engleman and her yorkiepoo must find a murderer at a wedding in the Hamptons.

Reed, Rick. The Coldest Fear (Kens, 7.99) Aug. Detective Jack Murphy is faced with a serial killer when the mutilated body of a woman is found at a hotel on the outskirts of Evansville, Indiana in the second in this suspenseful police procedural series.

Townsend, Kari Lee. Tempest in the Tea Leaves (Brk, 7.99) Aug. Psychic Sunshine Meadows has predictions that are lethally accurate, so when the librarian in the small upstate New York town where she lives comes for a reading, her future is steeped in murder in the first of a new series.

New and Forthcoming in Quality Paperback

Arsenault, Emily. In Search of the Rose Notes (HC, 14.99) Aug. When the remains of their teenaged babysitter are found nearly twenty years after she disappeared, two best friends find the secrets of the past reemerging as well.

Bergreen, Karen. Following Polly (STM, 14.99) Aug. A funny crime novel about a woman who is accused of murdering a college friend who was the object of her obsession over the years.

Bonanno, Bill and Gary B. Abromovitz. The Last Testament of Bill Bonanno (HC, 14.99) Aug. An insider’s look at the workings of the Mafia told by the son of the leader of one of New York’s five crime families, completed after his death by retired attorney Abromovitz. An interesting chapter in the history of Tucson.

Bork, Lisa. In Sickness and in Death (MidInk, 14.95) Sept. When her police deputy husband brings home the teenaged son a jailed car thief who is an expert in hotwiring cars, Jolene Parker is fine with it, but when he comes home in a car with a severed arm in the trunk, she sets out to find the killer.

Brown, Jeremy. Sucker Punch (Med, 14.95) Aug. The first in a new series set in the violent world of professional mixed martial arts, with a young fighter who agrees to help a friend deal with a Las Vegas loan shark on the eve of a high profile televised bout, putting both his career and his life in jeopardy.

Capuzzo, Michael. The Murder Room (Png, 17.00) Aug. A collection of true tales from a team of the world’s finest forensic investigators whose monthly lunches lead to justice in the case of unsolved crimes.

Cleave, Paul. Collecting Cooper (SS, 16.00) Aug. A former policeman is asked to help find a missing woman and discovers that all the clues point back to a mental institution that closed three years before. Very creepy.

Coben, Harlan. Just One Look (NAL, 15.00) Sept. A reissue of an early thriller about a wife who discovers a mysterious photo of her husband, who later disappears taking the photo with him.

Culver, Carol. A Good Day to Pie (MidInk, 14.95) Aug. A debut mystery featuring a woman who takes over her grandmother’s pie shop in a small California town only to find herself up to her elbows trying to clear her retired grandma’s name in a case of murder.

De Feo, Ronald. Calling Mr. King (Other Press, 14.95) Sept. A dark debut mystery featuring an assassin who develops an appreciation for art when the vapidity of his work overwhelms him.

Del Toro, Guillermo and Chuck Hogan. The Strain (HC, 16.99) Sept. A trade paperback edition of the first of the vampire trilogy. A must for those who like a scary vampire tale.

Dunlap, Susan. Power Slide (PGW, 14.95) Aug. Stuntwoman Darcy Lott is injured doing a dangerous stunt, and during her recovery she agrees to look for her missing brother at the urging of her family.

Ernst, Kathleen. The Heirloom Murders (MidInk, 14.95) Sept. When a volunteer at the museum at Old World Wisconsin is found murdered, Chloe investigates in the second in this series filled with antique lore.

Hannah, Sophie. The Cradle in the Grave (Png, 15.00) Sept. When a television producer takes over a documentary about crib-death mothers wrongly accused of murder, she receives an anonymous card with a row of numbers identical to a card found in the pocket of one of the mothers who has been found murdered. Hannah is a master of psychological suspense.

Harlow, Jennifer. Mind over Monsters (MidInk, 14.95) Sept. A schoolteacher with special powers joins a secret offshoot of the FBI that neutralizes monsters and her first case involves an invasion of zombies in this debut paranormal cozy.

Harper, Karen. Fall from Pride (Mira, 14.95) Aug. The first installment of a series set in Ohio Amish country featuring an Amish artist who teams up with the state arson investigator when a number of barns burn down.

Hill, Susan. Shadows on the Street (Png, 15.00) Sept. Chief Superintendent Simon Serrailler is called back from his break when two prostitutes are found murdered, and shortly afterward two respectable woman—one the wife of the dean of the cathedral—go missing.

Hite, Ann. Ghost on Black Mountain (Pkt, 15.00) Sept. A debut ghost story set in Georgia about five women and the man who ties them together.

Jaffarian, Sue Ann. Baited Blood (MidInk, 14.95) Sept. Madison Rose investigates when someone starts murdering vampires in Los Angeles and a femme fatale is accused of the crimes.

James, Darrell. Nazareth Child (MidInk, 14.95) Sept. A field operative for a company in Tucson specializes in tracking down missing persons and must go undercover in Kentucky to infiltrate a religious cult led by a sinister and charismatic leader.

Jenoff, Pam. A Hidden Affair (SS, 15.00) Aug. Jordan Weiss resigns from the State Department after discovering her fiancé is still alive in order to find the answers that have eluded her for the last ten years.

Johnson, Claire M. Roux Morgue (PP, 14.95) Aug. A cooking mystery set at a culinary Institute in San Francisco, where a pastry chef returns to teaching only to find herself in a stew of intrigue.

Jones, Matthew F. A Single Shot (LB, 14.99) Sept. When a man living in the backwoods accidentally shoots and kills a young woman, his guilt becomes an obsession to discover her identity, leading him to uncover a pattern of evil among the residents of the nearby town.

Karp, Marshall. Cut, Paste, and Kill (STM, 14.99) Aug. LAPD detectives Lomax and Briggs investigate a series of murders where a scrapbook is left at the scene, pointing them to a vigilante stalking unpunished criminals in another funny police procedural.

Lippman, Laura. Every Secret Thing (HC, 12.99) Sept. A reissue of Lippman’s first standalone novel about two young girls who find an abandoned baby in a stroller on an unfamiliar street, leading to a tragedy that affects three families.

Lutz, Lisa. The Spellmans Strike Again (SS, 15.00) July. The fourth installment in the saga of the dysfunctional family of San Francisco PIs.

MacBride, Stuart. Dark Blood (IPG, 12.95) Sept. DS Logan McRae of the Aberdeen police department has his hands full with the release of a sex offender convicting of raping an elderly man and the case of a man buried alive in concrete.

Mayor, Archer. Red Herring (STM, 14.99) Sept. When Joe Gunther and his team at the Vermont Bureau of Investigation are faced with a baffling case when a single drop of blood is found at the scenes of three seemingly unrelated murders.

McConkey, Jess. Love Lies Bleeding (HC, 14.99) Aug. after horrific accident a young woman is sent by her family to a small lake-side town to recuperate, but what she discovers about her family and the dark secrets of the town change her life. A nicely spooky mystery.

McDermid, Val. Trick of the Dark (Bywater, 14.95) Sept. A stand-alone thriller with a wonderfully twisted plot featuring a disgraced psychiatrist who is summoned by an old professor at Oxford to look into the death of her daughter’s husband.

McFarland, Nora. Hot, Shot, and Bothered (SS, 14.99) Aug. TV news photographer Lilly Hawkins is photographing the evacuation of a mountain area threatened by a wildfire when she learns that a woman she knew years before has died, possibly murdered. A nicely complicated protagonist and clever plotting make this series a standout.

Mina, Denise. Still Midnight (LB, 14.99) Sept. The first in a new series featuring Glasgow DI Alex Murrow who is assigned a high-profile case of a seemingly random attack on a suburban family that leaves one person dead and another kidnapped.

Morton, Kate. The Distant Hours (SS, 15.00) Aug. A wonderfully Gothic novel about a woman who goes to the moldering old house where her mother was billeted as a child during WWII to learn more about her past, but discovers that the past of the eccentric family that owns the house also needs to be revealed. Morton is fantastic.

Neville, Stuart. Collusion (Soho, 14.00) Sept, The second in the outstanding series featuring former IRA assassin Gerry Fegan, who helps a police detective inspector in Belfast to stop a vengeance-obsessed killer.

Parrish, P.J. The Killing Song (Pkt, 15.00 tp also 7.99 mm) Aug. A brilliant stand-alone novel featuring a Miami journalist who vows to track down the murderer of his young sister leading him to Paris and a sexy French detective. Excellent, with wonderful descriptions of Paris.

Patterson, James and Howard Roughan. Don’t Blink (GC, 14.99) Sept. A journalist in the restaurant where a notorious mob lawyer is gunned down has evidence that he inadvertently obtained, putting him in the midst of a mob war.

Penny, Louise. Bury Your Dead (STM, 14.99) Aug. DCI Gamache and his team are recovering from the physical and psychological wounds they received in an operation gone wrong, when he becomes involved in a case of murder in Québec that threatens the tenuous relations between the English and the French in that city. Highly recommended.

Raynor, Claire. First Blood (PGW, 10.95) Sept. The first in a series featuring pathologist Dr. George Barnabas, the first woman to serve as police surgeon at a big inner city hospital, whose first postmortem—on a well-known author—is less than a success when she can’t find a cause of death.

Rendell, Ruth. Portobello (SS, 15.00) Aug. When a man finds an envelope filled with cash in his Notting Hill neighborhood, he puts a notice up on Portobello Road, an act with serious consequences for him and his fiancée.

Rozan, S.J. On the Line (STM, 14.99) Sept. New York PI Bill Smith receives a call saying that his occasional partner Lydia Chin has been kidnapped and to rescue her he must follow directions that lead him to a dead woman.

Sharp, Deborah. Mama Sees Stars (MidInk, 14.95) Sept. Mace is working as an animal wrangler on a film shoot in Himmarshee, Fl when she discovers the executive producer dead and begins hunting for the killer aided by Mama who has become quite the diva after getting a small part in the film.

New and Forthcoming in International Mysteries

Adler-Olsen, Jussi. The Keeper of Lost Causes (Dutton, 25.95) Aug. In the U.S. debut of Denmark’s leading crime writer, a Copenhagen homicide detective is assigned to head a new unit, Department Q, tasked with resolving cases that require special scrutiny throughout the country after narrowly surviving an ambush, and begins to investigate the 2002 disappearance of an attractive female politician.

Blaedel, Sara. Call Me Princess (Peg, 25.00) Sept. The U.S. debut of a Danish crime series featuring a Copenhagen policewoman investigating a series of rapes tied to an internet dating site.

Bond, Michael. Monsieur Pamplemousse and the French Solution (A&B, 16.95) Sept and Monsieur Pamplemousse and the Carbon Footprint (A&B, 16.95) Sept. Two new cases for the sleuth whose job with France’s foremost gastronomic guide sends him and the faithful Pommes Frites hunting for malefactors while enjoying the delights of gastronomy throughout France.

Carofiglio, Gianrico. Temporary Imperfections (Ex Libris, 24.95) Sept. Defense attorney Guido Guerrieri agrees to help the parents of a college student who disappeared on her way home from Rome.

Church, James. The Man with the Baltic Stare (STM, 14.99) Aug. Inspector O is called from retirement to solve his final case—a crime of passion that could derail a tenuous détente between North and South Korea.

Cossé, Laurence. An Accident in August (Europa, 15.00) Sept. A woman who witnesses the accident that killed Princess Diana but does not stop to help is devastated by guilt and remorse when she discovers that the cause of the accident was the driver’s attempt to pass her slow-moving vehicle, and her efforts to conceal her identity have fatal consequences.

Cotterill, Colin. Love Songs from a Shallow Grave (Soho, 14.00) Aug. Dr. Siri discovers that a serial murderer is targeting Laotian woman who studied in Europe, but before he can solve the case he is sent to Cambodia on a diplomatic mission where he faces off against the Khmer Rouge.

Disher, Gary. Wyatt (Soho, 25.00) Aug. An excellent caper novel, winner of Australia’s Ned Kelly Award, set in Melbourne featuring a thief whose well-planned jewel heist goes horribly wrong. Highly recommended.

Drvenkar, Zoran. Sorry (Knopf, 25.95) Sept. Four friends, all out of work, begin a business called Sorry working with corporations and business who have injured workers and customers, making apologies and offering financial compensation, but the phenomenal success of the business comes to an abrupt halt when one of the partners finds a new client murdered in an intelligent thriller.

Ericksson, Kjell. The Hand that Trembles (STM, 24.99) 24.99) Aug. DI Ann Lindell is investigating a severed human foot in a case that is tied to the disappearance of a politician years before.

Ewan, Chris. The Good Thief’s Guide to Venice (STM, 24.99) Aug. Mystery writer and part-time “gentleman” thief Charlie goes to Venice to write, but when his prized first edition of The Maltese Falcon is stolen, he is blackmailed into committing a crime to get it back.

Ferraris, Zoë. City of Veils (LB, 14.99) Aug. A female medical doctor in Saudi Arabia investigates when the body of a badly beaten woman is found on a beach and she discovers that the young woman was a filmmaker whose enemies included an incendiary Koranic scholar.

Fossum, Karin. Bad Intentions (HMH, 24.00) Aug. Norway’s Inspector Sejer struggles to understand why the corpses of troubled young men are appearing in local lakes.

____. Broken (HMH, 13.95) Aug. A stand-alone thriller by the Norwegian author about a man who works in a gallery whose uneventful life is changed forever when a skinny, fragile young drug addict walks into his life.

Kent, Christobel. A Murder in Tuscany (STM, 24.99) Aug. In the second in this series set in Florence PI Sandro Cellini investigates the violent death of a glamorous Italian-American film director at an artist’s retreat in the nearby hills.

Knox, Tom. The Marks of Cain (Png, 15.00) Aug. The murders of two men who had been interned in a top-secret Nazi camp lead a journalist to the Basque region of Spain in search of a frightening secret.

Lindqvist, John Ajvide. Handling the Undead (STM, 14.99) Sept. The author of one of the best Swedish horror films ever has taken on the zombie menace.

Mankell, Henning. The Fifth Woman (BDD, 7.99) Sept. A reissue of an early Kurt Wallender mystery set in Sweden.

Marklund, Liza. Red Wolf (SS, 15.00) Sept. When a journalist is murdered in a northern Swedish town, crime reporter Annika Bengtzon believes that there is a connection with an attack against an airbase that occurred in the 1960s in the first U.S. installment of a best-selling Swedish series.

Meyer, Deon. Thirteen Hours (AtMon, 7.99) Sept. A suspenseful police procedural that takes place over the course of thirteen hours as Cape Town police search for a missing American tourist after her friend is found shot to death. Highly recommended.

_____. Trackers (AtMon, 24.00) Sept. A South African bodyguard is hired to smuggle a pair of rare black rhinos out of Zimbabwe to protect them from poachers, but things turn bad quickly. Highly recommended. Meyer is a must read for those who like smart, suspenseful foreign mysteries.

Nadel, Barbara. A Noble Killing (IPG, 12.95) Aug. Istanbul police inspector Cetin Ikmen investigates the death of a young woman that may be an “honor” killing, a killing that restores honor to a family after one of its members breaks Islamic law, in a case that takes him through a labyrinth of different neighborhoods in the city.

Nesbo, Jo. The Redbreast (HC, 7.99) Sept. A mass market reissue of the first of the Norwegian series featuring policeman Harry Hole.

Nunn, Malla. Blessed are the Dead (SS, 15.00) Sept. Emmanuel Cooper is sent to a small town in the Natal Midlands when a young Zulu girl disappears and discovers ties to a family of English aristocrats living on a remote farm.

Ridpath, Michael. Where the Shadows Lie (STM, 24.99) Aug. A Boston detective is sent to Iceland—where he was born--when a drug cartel puts a bounty on his head, and finds that the past is still alive when he must deal with his father’s murder in the first of a new series.

Rosen, Leonard. All Cry Chaos (Permanent, 29.00) Sept. A mixture of mathematical puzzles, international intrigue, and religious zealotry, featuring an aging Interpol agent who investigates the murder of a mathematics genius in Amsterdam in this intellectually engaging debut.

Rosnay, Tatiana de. A Secret Kept (STM, 14.99) Sept. A visit to a beach where they had spent childhood vacations leads a woman to confide in her brother a dark family secret that he must confront alone after she is in an auto accident.

Smith, Martin Cruz. Three Stations (Pkt, 15.00) Sept. Arkady Renko is technically suspended from the prosecutor’s office in Moscow, but he strives to solve one last case—the murder of an elegant young woman whose body is found in a construction trailer on the outskirts of Moscow.

Staalesen, Gunnar. Yours until Death (Dufour, 16.95) July. Bergen PI Varg Veum finds himself in the odd position of being the alibi for the chief suspect in a murder case when he helps a young boy who is bullied by a gang of vicious teenaged thugs in the second in this Norwegian series.

Stanley, Michael. Death of the Mantis (HC, 14.99) Sept. When a ranger is found dying in the southern part of the Kalahari Desert surrounded by three Bushmen, Botswana Detective Kubu Bengu is sent to investigate a case that becomes more difficult when three other men are murdered.

Stone, Robert. Damascus Gate (HMH, 15.95) Sept. An expatriate American journalist in Jerusalem discovers a deadly conspiracy involving a nightclub singer, a Kabbalist, and a mercenary while working on an article about religious fanatics in Israel.

Walker, Martin. Black Diamond (RH, 24.95) Aug. When his mentor is murdered, Périgord police chief Bruno investigates in a case that thrusts him into a conflict between France’s Vietnamese refugees and the Chinese mob in the third in this delicious crime series.

Webster, Jason. Or the Bull Kills You (STM, 24.99) Sept. A debut mystery set in Valencia, Spain, featuring a homicide detective who must investigate the grisly murder of a famous young matador in the face of the stonewalling of local politicians and suspicions of the bullfighting community.

Xiaolong, Qiu. Don’t Cry Tai Lake (STM, 4.99) Sept. DCI Chen Cao of the Shanghai Police Department is on holiday at a resort near a badly polluted lake when the director of one of the factories responsible for the pollution is found murdered and a local environmental activist is suspected of the murder.

June/July 2011

Abbott, David. The Upright Piano Player (BDD, 21.95) June. When a retired executive estranged from his family becomes the victim of an obsessed stalker he attempts to reconnect with his family in a powerful debut tinged with a subtle menace.

Abbott, Jeff. Adrenaline (GC, 24.99) July. When a CIA agent is accused of treason, he must find the unknown killer who has framed him and kidnapped his family in a suspense thriller with strong characters and relentless action.

Abbott, Megan. The End of Everything (LB, 23.99) July. When a thirteen-year-old girl disappears—last seen getting in a car—her best friend decides to find out what really happened only to discover that she really didn’t know her friend at all.

Allbritten, Esri. Chihuahua of the Baskervilles (STM, 23.99) July. The first in a new cozy paranormal series featuring the eccentric staff of a low-budget periodical of the paranormal who go to Colorado to investigate the mysterious ghostly Chihuahua that appeared to the owner of a clothing catalogue for small dogs.

Andrews, Donna. The Real Macaw (STM, 24.99) July. With her hands already full with her twins, Meg Langslow is faced with a houseful of animals after the no-kill shelter is closed and the driver transporting the animals to new homes is murdered.

Andrews, Mary Kay. Summer Rental (STM, 25.99) June. Four women, best friends since grade school, meet for a month at the beach and uncover secrets and betrayals in another funny novel.

Atkins, Ace. The Ranger (Put, 25.95) June. In the first in a new series, an Army ranger returns from Afghanistan to his Mississippi hometown to discover that his uncle, the county sheriff, dead and the town overrun with outlaws.

Berry, Steve. The Jefferson Key (BDD, 26.00) May. After thwarting an assassination attempt against the president, Cotton Malone discovers that a secret cipher formulated by Thomas Jefferson is the key to a secret group dating from the American Revolution.

Billingham, Mark. Bloodline (LB, 24.99) July. London homicide detective Tom Thorne investigates what appears to be a domestic murder, but the bloodstained x-ray found in the victim’s hand points to a more sinister motive tied to a serial killer from years before. I loved this.

Boice, James. The Good and the Ghastly (SS, 24.00) June. In this novel set in the future, a criminal overlord and the mother of one of his victims are set on an uncompromising collision course.

Bolton, S.J. Now You See Me (STM, 25.99) June. A London police constable is targeted by a Jack the Ripper copycat when she discovers the body of a fatally stabbed woman.

Bradley, Jane. You Believers (PGW, 25.95) June. A professional searcher with uncanny empathetic skill helps a family try to find their missing daughter in a brilliant crime novel with wonderfully gothic elements.

Britton, Andrew. The Operative (Kens, 25.00) July. Ex-CIA operative Ryan Kealy is recruited by the CIA director to investigate when a terrorist attack in Baltimore is found to be the work of terrorists who were all officially prisoners of the US Government and part of a program run by a rogue psychologist.

Browne, Robert. The Paradise Prophecy (Dut, 25.95) July. An investigator for a shadowy government agency on the trail of a serial killer with seemingly supernatural abilities teams up with a religious historian to fight a conspiracy with clues from the Bible and Milton’s Paradise Lost.

Burke, Alafair. Long Gone (HC, 24.99) June. A woman given a dream job as the manager of a Manhattan art gallery discovers the body of her boss one morning when she arrives and finds herself in the midst of a nightmare when nothing turns out to be what it had seemed to be.

Cameron, Bill. County Line (Tyrus, 24.95) June. A former cop recovering from a gunshot wound returns to Oregon to look up an old girlfriend, but she has disappeared and there’s a corpse in the bathtub of her apartment in the latest in this gritty noir series.

Castillo, Linda. Breaking Silence (STM, 24.99) June. When the part of an Amish family are found murdered, Police Chief Kate Burkholder must investigate whether the crimes are related to a series of hate crimes against the Amish.

Compton, Jodi. Thieves Get Rich, Saints Get Shot (RH, 23.00) July. The second to feature a woman with a terminal brain tumor who becomes involved with a Latina gang in Los Angeles after being forced out of West Point, and who is an eerily compelling, even though morally compromised, tough-as-nails female protagonist.

Cook, Thomas H. The Quest for Anna Klein (HMH, 27.00) June. A young intelligence officer is sent to interview a former agent after the attack on the Twin Towers and what he is told begins in 1939 and spans decades in a story of love, betrayal, and political upheaval. I found this compelling and look forward to talking to you about the ending.

Coulter, Catherine. Split Second (Put, 26.95) July. FBI agents Savich and Sherlock are on the trail of a female serial killer.

Crider, Bill. The Wild Hog Murders (STM, 24.99) July. The feral hogs overrunning Blacklin County are being blamed for a case of murder that Sheriff Dan Rhodes must solve even as he is dealing with angry hog hunters, a bounty hunter, and a crusading talk-show host. (Sophie was appalled that anyone would blame a hog for anything bad, much less murder).

Cruz, Melissa de la. Witches of East End (Hyp, 23.99) June. A mother and her two grown daughters living on Long Island are witches, and despite their attempts to keep their powers under wraps, the magic begins to leak out causing otherworldly creatures to appear and humans to disappear.

Cussler, Clive with Grant Blackwood. The Kingdom (Put, 27.95) June. When an investigator friend goes missing, Sam and Remi Fargo go hunting for him in a search that takes them to Tibet, Nepal, China, Italy, and Siberia.

Dietrich, William. Blood of the Reich (HC, 25.99) July. A thriller that moves between the present-day and Nazi Germany with the search for a Tibetan secret of immortality in an adventure that combines modern physics with ancient beliefs, romantic love with war and betrayal.

Doiron, Paul. Trespasser (STM, 24.99) June. Game Warden Mike Bowditch is called in when a woman disappears after hitting a deer on a lonely road in a case that casts doubt on an old murder case and reopens fissures between Maine locals and wealthy summer visitors.

Dolan, Harry. Very Bad Men (Put, 25.95) July. When David Loogan receives a manuscript on his doorstep, he becomes caught up in a case of murder tied to a notorious robbery decades before. The first in this series Bad Things Happen (Png, 15.00) was excellent.

DuBois, Brendan. Deadly Cove (STM, 24.99) July. Lewis Cole digs into the background of a murdered activist in a case tied to an anti-nuclear protest on the New Hampshire coast.

Dugoni, Robert. Murder One (SS, 24.99) June. David Sloan turns to criminal law when his new love is accused of murdering the Russian drug dealer she holds responsible for her daughter’s death. This keeps you guessing until the end.

Ellory, R.J. A Simple Act of Violence (Png, 24.95) June. In a noir police procedural, a veteran Washington D.C. homicide detective investigates the murder of a wealthy woman in what appears to be a series of murders in the same upscale neighborhood.

Estleman, Loren D. Infernal Angels (STM, 24.99) July. Detroit PI Amos Walker, although reluctant to embrace technology, takes a case involving the theft of HDTV converter boxes, but after two murders he realizes that this is an old-fashioned case of drug-smuggling.

Evanovich, Janet. Smokin’ Seventeen (BDD, 28.00) June 21. Stephanie Plum returns!

Finder, Joseph. Buried Secrets (STM, 25.99) June. Shortly after moving to Boston Nick Heller is asked by an old friend, a wealthy hedge fund manager, to find his daughter who has been kidnapped, but the investigation reveals that his friend has some very shady connections indeed.

Gardiner, Meg. The Nightmare Thief (Dutton, 25.95) July. San Francisco forensic psychiatrist Jo Beckett becomes suspicious when a birthday present for a wealthy man’s daughter—an ultimate urban adventure for her and her friends—turns into an actual kidnapping.

Gaus, P.L. Harmless as Doves (OUP, 24.95) July. All his investigative skills come into play when Ohio Sheriff Bruce Robertson must investigate a murder when a young Amish man confesses to murdering his much-older rival for the affections of the bishop’s daughter.

Gerritsen, Tess. The Silent Girl (Ball, 26.00) July. When Rizzoli and Isles analyze a hair found at the site of a grisly murder in Chinatown they discover that it isn’t human in a case that leads them to the fable of the vengeful Monkey King.

Goldberg, Lee. Mr. Monk on the Couch (NAL, 22.95) June. Monk must find a killer when three strangers are found murdered and all they have in common is a couch.

Gran, Sara. Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead (HMH, 24.00) June. PI Claire DeWitt is sent to post-Katrina New Orleans to investigate the disappearance of a celebrated prosecutor in the first of a new series featuring an eccentric heroine who uses dreams, omens, mind-expanding herbs, and brilliant deductive skills to solve her cases.

Greanias, Thomas. The 34^th Degree (SS, 24.00) July. Disgraced Israeli counterterrorism expert Sam Deker is asked to go back in time to Nazi-occupied Greece to find an ancient prophetic text and steal it before the Nazis can find its secret code in a genre-bending thriller that combines time-travel and adventure.

Gross, Andrew. Eyes Wide Open (HC, 25.99) July. When his nephew commits suicide a successful surgeon goes to California to help his distraught brother and discovers that the death has ties to a murderous cult figure with whom his brother was involved years before.

Haines, Carolyn. Bones of a Feather (STM, 24.99) June. PI Sarah Booth Delaney agrees to help two sisters who claim that a four million dollar necklace has been stolen, even though she feels that they might be committing insurance fraud, but when one of the sisters is kidnapped things become much more serious.

Harper, Paul. Pacific Heights (HH, 25.00) July. San Francisco PI uncovers a plot created by a private intelligence agency experimenting with a kind of psychological manipulation that results in a traceless form of murder.

Hart, John. Iron House (STM, 25.99) July. Two brothers are separated when one is accused of a brutal killing in the orphanage where they live and runs off to New York where he becomes involved with organized crime, but they are reunited twenty years later when he returns to help his younger brother solve the mystery of their shared past. Hart is excellent.

Hayes, J.M. English Lessons (PP, 24.95 hc, 14.95tp) July. In the seventh in this delightful series, Heather English finds the skin of the governor-elect of Arizona in a remote canyon and a note to Heather indicates that the murder is related to a drug war involving her uncle Mad Dog, while her father is dealing with trigger-happy right-wing militants in Kansas. Signing.

Hill, Suzette A. A Bedlam of Bones (Soho, 25.00) July. Maurice the cat and bouncer the dog have their paws full trying to protect the clueless Reverend Francis Oughtergard when the bishop is threatened with blackmail and a body is found in the flowerbed in the latest in this funny series.

Howell, Dorothy. Clutches and Curses (Kens, 22.00) June. Things are going well for Haley Randolph in both her personal and professional lives until she is cursed by an irate customer and things start to fall apart, including the discovery of the body of a high-school rival in the menswear department of Holt’s Department Store.

Housewright, David. Highway 61 (STM, 25.99) June. Occasional PI Rushmore McKenzie agrees to help his girlfriend’s ex-husband who’s being blackmailed, not realizing how dangerous this case can get.

Hurwitz, Gregg. You’re Next (STM, 24.99) July. A suspenseful thriller about a successful man whose past as a foster child abandoned by his parents comes back to haunt him when he begins receiving threats against him and his family.

Ignatius, David. Bloodmoney (Norton, 25.95) June. A timely thriller about the CIA’s attempts to shore up Pakistan’s shaky leadership, with an agent for a new intelligence unit focusing on controlling terrorist cells through bribery, but the CIA agents are being murdered.

Jance, J.A. Betrayal of Trust (HC, 25.99) July. J.P. Beaumont is called in to investigate a snuff film found on the phone of the grandson of the governor of Washington, but what initially appears to be a teenaged prank gone wrong turns out to be tired to the corridors of power in the state.

Jenoff, Pam. The Things We Cherished (BDD, 24.95) July. A Philadelphia attorney goes to Germany to help defend an octogenarian financier on trial for collaborating with the Nazis in the capture of his heroic anti-Nazi brother in a suspenseful novel of love and betrayal.

Johansen, Iris. Quinn (STM, 27.99) July. The second in the trilogy that deals with the disappearance of Eve Duncan’s daughter focuses on Joe Quinn whose attempt to help Eve puts him at the mercy of her former lover.

Johnson, Craig. Hell is Empty (Vik, 25.95) June. Walt Longmire sets out alone after one of a trio of convicts escapes into the wilderness of the Bighorn Mountains with a blizzard threatening in an excellent crime novel that evokes Dante’s Inferno.

Joss, Morag. Among the Missing (BDD, 25.00) June. Two women whose lives were changed by the collapse of a bridge in Scotland live bound by secrets in the latest novel of psychological suspense.

Kaufman, Thomas. Steal the Show (STM, 24.99) July. Washington PI Willis Gidney needs money to pay the lawyer to help in the adoption of a little girl so he agrees to break into a film pirating center in a case that leaves him the target of a blackmailing computer hacker, a sex-crazed actress, and members of Vietnamese and Salvadoran gangs who want to kill him. Highly recommended.

Kava, Alex. Hotwire (BDD, 24.95) July. FBI profiler Maggie O’Dell investigates the murder of two teenagers in the Nebraska Sandhills in a case that concerns bizarre cattle mutilations and mysterious attacks on other teenagers.

Kelly, Jim. Death Toll (STM, 25.99) June. When the coffin of a murdered pub owner is opened, DI Shaw discovers the twisted corpse of a young man in her place in the third in this excellent British police procedural series.

Koryta, Michael. The Ridge (GC, 24.99) June. A new creepy supernatural thriller about a journalist who receives a suicide note from the eccentric owner of a lighthouse in the Kentucky hills—miles from any substantial body of water.

Kramer, Julie. Killing Kate (SS, 23.99) June. Minneapolis TV reporter Riley Spartz is investigating a string of murders where the killer draws the outline of an angel in chalk around his victims in a case that leads her to Iowa and a cemetery with a monument to a Black Angel. Highly recommended.

Krueger, William Kent. Northwest Angle (SS, 25.00) June. Detective Cork O’Connor and his daughter discover the body of a teenaged girl in a cabin where they shelter from a devastating storm and his investigation into the death takes him to the isolated Northwest Angle on Minnesota’s Lake of the Woods.

Land, Jon. Strong at the Break (STM, 25.99) June. Texas Ranger Caitlin Strong takes on a case involving the leader of an armed anti-government militia, who has kidnapped the son of a former criminal in a fast-paced story that moves from Canada to Mexico.

LaPlante, Alice. Turn of the Mind (AtMon, 24.00) July. A fascinating and inventive crime novel featuring a woman suffering from dementia who is under suspicion for killing her friend and neighbor, and it’s not clear if her mental state is preventing her from telling the truth or helping her hide it.

Laurie, Victoria. Vision Impossible (NAL, 23.95) July. Abby Cooper, now working for the FBI as a Civilian Profiler, must turn spy when a drone aircraft is stolen carrying newly developed software that captures people’s auras.

Lavender, Will. Dominance (SS, 24.00) July. A literature professor who was part of a class that used a game to discover clues about an author from his novels and led to the exoneration of a professor convicted of murdering two graduate students discovers that the students who were in the class in 1994 are being murdered. A twisty, puzzle mystery with well-drawn characters.

Lawson, Mike. House Divided (AtMon, 23.00) July. When the National Security Agency discovers a rogue military group that has murdered two Americans through a secret surveillance operation, they decide to use illegitimate means to discover what’s going on putting them at odds with Joe DeMarco, fixer for the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Liebman, Ron. Jersey Law (SS, 25.00) June. A funny legal thriller featuring a New Jersey former cop-turned-criminal-defense lawyer whose longest standing client, a recidivist drug dealer, turns out to be tied to his newest client, an electronics dealer facing tax-evasion charges. I really enjoyed this.

Littlefield, Sophie. A Bad Day for Scandal (STM, 24.99) June. Avenger of battered women Stella Hardesty gets in deep when a big-city businesswoman returns to town with a body in her trunk and uses blackmail to force Stella to help her.

Locke, Hillary Bell. But Remember their Names (PP, 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp) July. When the 2008 recession defers her plans to work for a Wall Street firm, a newly graduated attorney returns to Pittsburgh to live with her widowed father and intern for a defense attorney, and when the body of a philanthropist is found in a museum, she finds herself defending his teenaged daughter in a case that echoes a real-life art theft from a Boston Museum.

Lovesey, Peter. Stagestruck (Soho, 25.00) June. When a make-up artist is found dead at Bath’s Theatre Royal after a pop diva is seriously burned by tainted stage make up, Peter Diamond must confront his deep-seated theater phobia to investigate.

Makkai, Rebecca. The Borrower (Vik, 25.95) June. A funny debut crime caper about a small-town librarian who impulsively decides to help a ten-year-old library patron run away from his evangelical Christian parents who censor his book choices and want to send him to a camp to “re-educate” homosexual children.

Martin, Man. Paradise Dogs (STM, 25.99) June. A picaresque comic novel set in Florida in the 1960s about a man whose delusions lead him to assume different identities and to attempt to foil a conspiracy of wealthy land developers.

Martini, Steve. Trader of Secrets (HC, 26.99) June. Paul Madriani goes on the offensive to eliminate his nemesis, Muerte Liquida, in a case that leads him to Thailand and Paris, where he becomes involved with a web of intrigue at a hidden terrorist base where stolen technological secrets could unleash devastating destruction.

Masters, Priscilla. Frozen Charlotte (SH, 24.95) June. Coroner Martha Gunn investigates when a woman brings in the desiccated remains of an infant boy that she claims to have found in her house in the third in this British series.

McCall Smith, Alexander. The Dog who Came in from the Cold (RH, 24.95) June. In the second Corduroy Mansions novel, London wine merchant William French is asked by an agent from MI6 to eavesdrop on some Russian spies along with his Pimlico terrier.

McGill, Bernie. The Butterfly Cabinet (SS, 22.99) July. A stunning debut based loosely on an Irish murder case that is told from the point of view of an old woman who worked as a servant in Castle at Oranmore and the prison diaries of her employer, convicted of killing her four-year-old daughter.

McLean, Margaret. Under Fire (STM, 24.99) June. A debut legal thriller set in Boston, where two defense attorneys face not only racial and religious prejudice, but also violence when they agree to defend a Senegalese Muslim immigrant accused of killing a firefighter.

Meier, Leslie. English Tea Murder (Kens, 24.00) July. Lucy Stone is on a tour of England when their tour leader dies of an asthma attack, but Lucy becomes suspicious when she discovers that a number of the members of the tour were victims of a financial scam perpetrated by the leader twenty years ago.

Mercer, Ken. East on Sunset (STM, 25.99) June. After his retirement from the LAPD, Will MaGowan is approached by a man he put in prison years before forcing him to confront a tragic episode from his past.

Morrison, Boyd. The Vault (SS, 24.99) July. To save his father kidnapped by terrorists, an industrial engineer must find the missing treasure of Midas, armed only with a manuscript written by Archimedes.

Myers, Amy. Classic in the Barn (SH, 27.95) July. In the first in a new series featuring a classic car restorer, who discovers a 1938 Lagonda in a Kentish barn, but the owner is found murdered and her daughter asks him to help find the murderer.

O’Shaughnessy, Perri. Dreams of the Dead (SS, 25.00) July. Lake Tahoe attorney Nina Reilly’s collaboration with a grave exhumation expert leads her to step outside the legal system when it becomes apparent that her former investigator might have had something to do with the disappearance of a young man.

Patterson, James and Michael Ledwidge. Now You See Her (GC, 27.99) June. A successful, happily married woman must return to Florida to confront the past she has hidden from her husband and daughter when an innocent man is framed for murder.

Pilgrim, Kitty. The Explorer’s Code (SS, 26.00) June. A debut international adventure centering on the quest to find a missing land deed sending a young oceanographer and an archaeologist to exotic locales as they are chased by a team of ruthless killers.

Pollen, Bella. The Summer of the Bear (AtMon, 24.00) June. After the suspicious death of her diplomat husband, a woman settles in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides with her children, the youngest of whom discovers that a bear has been marooned on the island and sees it as having a strange connection to his father. Pollen is able to combine suspense with a fairy tale quality to create magical, lyrical fiction.

Pronzini, Bill. Camouflage (STM, 24.99) June. When a woman refuses the papers that the Nameless Detective is hired to deliver, the client threatens to sue only to disappear later, leaving Nameless caught in the middle.

Rendell, Ruth. Tigerlily’s Orchids (SS, 25.00) June. The eccentric inhabitants of a London apartment building and the secrets they keep come together with unpleasant results when a new resident decides to have a housewarming party.

Richtel, Matt. Devil’s Plaything (PP, 24.95) May. A San Francisco medical reporter and his grandmother become the targets of a conspiracy involving a mysterious venture capitalist and a neurologist with suspicious connections.

Robards, Karen. Justice (SS, 25.00) July. Attorney Jessica Ford takes a position at a prestigious D.C. legal firm, but she finds herself haunted by the disappearance of her predecessor at the firm, a disappearance that may be related to a rape case she is defending.

Robotham, Michael. The Wreckage (LB, 24.99) June. When ex-cop Vincent Ruiz is robbed on a London street, he discovers that the robbery is due to a case of mistaken identity tied to the bombing of a bank in Baghdad and the disappearance of an international financier.

Rollins, James. The Devil Colony (HC, 27.99) June. The discovery of the mummified remains of hundreds of people at a site in the Rocky Mountains plunges Painter and the Sigma Force group into a deadly game when an archaeologist is killed and an activist Native American group is blamed.

Rosenfelt, David. One Dog Night (STM, 24.99) July. When Andy Carpenter is asked to defend a man accused of a five-year-old murder based on DNA testing, he is compelled to accept because this is the man who rescued Tara as a puppy.

Rotenberg, Robert. The Guilty Plea (FSG, 26.00) July. When a wealthy man is found murdered and his ex-wife is charged with the crime, Toronto homicide detective is not convinced of her guilt in the second of a Canadian police procedural series.

Sakey, Marcus. The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes (Dutton, 25.95) June. When a man wakes up on an abandoned beach and finds an empty BMW nearby with a gun and an envelope of cash, he has no memory of who he is or what happened, but it needs to figure it out quickly because the police are after him.

Sandford, John. Buried Prey (Put, 27.95) May. Lucas Davenport realizes that 25 years ago, as a young policeman, he arrested the wrong man for a murder/kidnapping case after a set of mummified bones are found—and the real killer is still out there.

Sefton, Maggie. Unraveled (Brk, 25.95) June. When a real estate client of one of the regular knitters at the House of Lambspun is murdered, Jennifer decides to unravel a tangle of clues.

Silva, Daniel. Portrait of a Spy (HC, 26.99) July. Art restorer and Israeli spy Gabriel Allon is asked by the Americans to help bring down a deadly terrorist based in Yemen who considers himself a rival to al-Qaeda, but with the same goal of shedding American blood on American soil.

Simmons, Dan. Flashback (LB, 27.99) July. A futuristic thriller about a cop in a drug-addicted America who is hired to investigate the murder of a top political advisor’s son.

Slaughter, Karin. Fallen (BDD, 26.00) June. Slaughter combines characters from her two Georgia-based series in a thriller that’s all about family when a retired police captain goes missing, leaving behind a dead man in the laundry room and a daughter fearing that her mother’s kidnapping is tied to a corruption scandal.

Smith, April. White Shotgun (RH, 24.95) June. FBI agent Ana Grey is in Siena, Italy visiting her half-sister as well as investigating the sister’s husband, a wealthy coffee importer with ties to organized crime.

Spiegelman, Peter. Thick as Thieves (Knopf, 24.95) July. A former CIA agent agrees to help a group of highly-skilled thieves who plan to steal tens of millions of dollars belonging to a financier who evaded conviction for conspiracy and money laundering in a gritty caper novel.

Stevens, Chevy. Never Knowing (STM, 24.99) July. A woman adopted as a child decides to find her birth parents only to discover that her father is an infamous serial killer in a complex novel of psychological suspense.

Tanenbaum, Robert K. Outrage (SS, 26.00) June. When his private investigator wife uncovers evidence that his office has indicted the wrong man for murder, New York DA Butch Karp must go against his own NYPD to find the psychopathic killer who is in fact guilty.

Thor, Brad. Full Black (SS, 26.99) June. A cutting edge political thriller about a plot to destroy America after a former American president becomes secretary general of the United Nations.

Tobey, Danny. The Surrogate (SS, 25.00) June. A fast-paced novel of psychological suspense about a psychiatrist who agrees to help some old friends trying to track down the surrogate who is six months pregnant with their baby in a case that leaves him doubting his own sanity.

Truman, Margaret. Monument to Murder (STM, 24.99) July. When a Savannah PI uncovers a conspiracy that threatens to bring down the US Government when he finds a secret organization whose contract killers assassinate political figures in the name of “patriotism.”

Van Rooy, Michael. Your Friendly Neighborhood Criminal (STM, 24.99) July. A former criminal working as the neighborhood day-care provider in Winnipeg comes to the attention of some local thugs and his life rapidly zooms out of control, escalating into kidnapping and torture.

Verdon, John. Shut Your Eyes Tight (Crown, 23.00) July. Retired NYPD cop Dave Gurney is given a blank check to find the missing Mexican gardener suspected of having decapitated a spoiled rich-girl bride on the grounds of her parents’ lavish Catskills mansion during the wedding reception.

Ward, Amanda Eyre. Close Your Eyes (RH, 25.00) July. After her brother dies in an accident, a woman decides to continue his investigation into the murder of their mother to exonerate their father who was convicted of the crime years before in a psychological novel of loss and redemption.

Watson, S.J. Before I Go to Sleep (HC, 25.99) June. A brilliant debut psychological thriller about a woman who has lost the ability to remember from one day to the next, but who uses a secret journal to piece together her life and begins to uncover discrepancies that undermine her ability to trust anyone.

Wiley, Michael. A Bad Night’s Sleep (STM, 24.99) June. Chicago PI Joe Kozmarski goes undercover with a burglary crew in a case to flush out corrupt cops involved in the second in the award-winning series.

Wiprud, Brian M. Ringer (STM, 25.99) July. Morty Martinez agrees to recover a missing artifact for the priest who heads up a Mexican orphanage, but the quest puts him in the cross-hairs of a New York billionaire in a funny caper novel.

New and Forthcoming in Paperback Reprint

Andrews, Donna. Stork Raving Mad (STM, 7.99) July.

Baldacci, David. Hell’s Corner (GC, 9.99) July.

Barr, Nevada. Burn (STM, 9.99) June.

Beaton, M.C. Death of a Greedy Woman (GC, 6.99) July. Reissue, originally entitled Death of a Glutton.

Black, David. The Extinction Event (STM, 7.99) June.

Carcaterra, Lorenzo. Midnight Angels (BDD, 7.99) June.

Child, Lee, ed. First Thrills (STM, 7.99) June.

Connolly, John. The Whisperers (Pkt, 7.99) July.

Cornwell, Patricia. Body of Evidence (Pkt, 9.99) July. Reissue.

Coulter, Catherine. Whiplash (Brk, 9.99) July.

Cussler, Clive and Justin Scott. The Spy (Brk, 9.99) June.

Evanovich, Janet. Sizzling Sixteen (STM, 8.99) June 21.

Finder, Joseph. The Zero Hour (STM, 9.99) June. Reissue.

Forsyth, Frederick. The Cobra (NAL, 9.99) June.

Gardiner, Meg. The Liar’s Lullaby (NAL, 7.99) June.

Greanias, Thomas. The Promised War (Pkt, 7.99) June.

Grippando, James. The Abduction (HC, 9.99) July. Reissue. (All ten novels are being reissued in the premium format).

Haddam, Jane. Wanting Sheila Dead (STM, 7.99) July.

Haines, Carolyn. Bone Appetit (STM, 7.99) June.

Howard, Linda. Veil of Night (BDD, 7.99) July.

Jacobson, Alan. Velocity (Vang, 7.99) June.

Johansen, Iris and and Roy Johansen. Shadow Zone (STM, 7.99) July.

Jordan, R.T. Set Sail for Murder (Kens, 7.99) June.

Kava, Alex. Damaged (BDD, 7.99) June.

Kramer, Julie. Silencing Sam (Brk, 7.99) June.

Land, Jon. Strong Justice (STM, 7.99) June.

Lawson, Mike. House Justice (AtMon, 7.99) July.

Levine, Laura. Death of a Trophy Wife (Kens, 7.99) July.

Meier, Leslie. Back to School Murder (Kens, 6.99) July. Reissue.

_____. Star Spangled Murder (Kens, 6.99) June. Reissue.

Paretsky, Sara. Body Work (NAL, 9.99) July.

Patterson, James and Michael Ledwidge. Worst Case (GC, 9.99) June.

Patterson, Richard North. In the Name of Honor (STM, 9.99) June.

Reichs, Kathy. Spider Bones (Pkt, 7.99) July.

Rosenfelt, David. Dog Tags (GC, 7.99) June.

Sefton, Maggie. Skein of the Crime (Brk, 7.99) June.

Silva, Daniel. The Rembrandt Affair (NAL, 9.99) July.

Thor, Brad. Foreign Influence (Pkt, 9.99) June.

Verdon, John. Think of a Number (BDD, 7.99) July.

Wambaugh, Joseph. Hollywood Hills (GC, 7.99) July.

Young, Thomas W. The Mullah’s Storm (Brk, 9.99) June.

New and Forthcoming in Paperback Original

Adams, Riley. Finger Lickin’ Dead (Brk, 6.99) June. When a vitriolic food critic is found dead, the patrons and staff at Memphis’s Aunt Pat’s barbeque restaurant face a real grilling.

Alden, Laura. Foul Play at the PTA (NAL, 6.99) July. When a parent is found strangled after a PTA meeting, secretary Beth Kennedy must find a cold-blooded killer.

Barney, James. The Genesis Key (HC, 9.99) July. A debut thriller featuring a biologist who is thrust into a conspiracy featuring the secretive society known as the “Olam Foundation,” in a mystery that combines archaeology, science, and religion.

Barrett, Lorna. Sentenced to Death (Brk, 7.99) June. Mystery bookstore owner Tricia Miles must figure out whodunit when her friend is killed in a freak accident.

Blackwell, Juliet. Hexes and Hemlines (NAL, 7.99) June. Vintage clothing store owner—and witch—Lily is asked by the San Francisco police to help them when the leader of a rationalist society is found murdered, surrounded by superstitions he discredited.

Blair, Annette. Skirting the Grave (Brk, 7.99) July. When the new intern that she hired turns up dead at the train station, Maddie is determined to iron out the wrinkles of this new mystery with a vintage flair.

Bolin, Janet. Dire Threads (Brk, 7.99) June. The first in a “deftly woven” new series set in a small Pennsylvania town focusing on embroidery and other fiber art, featuring a shop owner who’s tangled up in murder when the local zoning commissioner is murdered.

Bush, Nancy. Hush (Kens, 6.99) July. A group of high-school friends meet for a reunion that turns gruesome when the sister of one of the girls is found dead in a hot tub in a mystery with roots in the past.

Christopher, Paul. The Templar Legion (NAL, 9.99) June. In the fifth adventure thriller retired Army Ranger John Holliday helps an archaeologist friend who makes a bizarre find in Ethopia.

Connolly, Sheila. Let’s Play Dead (Brk, 7.99) July. Museum curator Nell Pratt finds that the new children’s display is shocking when one of the installers is fatally zapped with an electrical charge.

Gibbons, David. The Mask of Troy (BDD, 7.99) June. Archaeologist Jack Howard and his team must find a treasure with a dark secret stolen by the Nazis in this adventure thriller.

Hale, Rebecca. How to Moon a Cat (Brk, 7.99) July. When Rupert the cat sniffs out a dusty green vase with a toy bear inside, his owner begins another treasure hunt that sends her to Nevada City and a dangerous road trip with the two cats.

Hyzy, Julie. Grace Interrupted (Brk, 7.99) June. When Civil War re-enactors set up camp they thrive for authenticity, but nobody expects them to actually get killed in the second in the Manor House mysteries.

Lakin, Rita. Getting Old Can Kill You (BDD, 7.99) July. Florida’s senior sleuth Gladdy Gold returns with a new case of murder and mayhem among the geriatric set in the latest in this funny cozy series.

Madison, Ada. The Square Root of Murder (Brk, 6.99) July. In the first in a new series set at a college in Massachusetts, Professor Sophie Knowles uses her math and logic skills to solve the murder of a colleague.

Mariotte, Jeff. CSI: The Burning Season (Pkt, 7.99) July. The Las Vegas CSI team is investigating a blaze that cost the lives of six firefighters, but whole they are sure that it is a case of arson, they find much more than they bargained for.

McKinlay, Jenn. Books Can Be Deceiving (Brk, 6.99) July. The first in a new series set in the library of a small Connecticut town where the library director begins sleuthing when her friend’s boyfriend is found dead after an altercation with a New York literary agent.

Moody, Mary. A Killing in Antiques (NAL, 6.99) July. The first in a new series featuring the owner of an antiques shop in Cape Cod, who solves a mysterious murder at a popular antiques show in New England.

Olson, Karen E. Ink Flamingos (NAL, 6.99) June. When a rock star client is murdered, Las Vegas tattoo shop owner Brett becomes a suspect in a case that puts the dye in dying.

Pape, Sharon. To Sketch a Thief (Brk, 7.99) June. Paranormal private eye Rory McCain has a new dog—and a new case—after a stray dog leads her back to his owner’s corpse.

Peterson, Jesse. Eat, Slay, Love (GC, 7.99) July. Sarah and David have fought the zombie apocalypse, mad doctors, and bionic monsters all the while strengthening their marriage, but now they face the ultimate test—a zombie bite.

Rose, Karen. You Belong to Me (NAL, 7.99) June. The first in a new series set in Baltimore featuring a homicide detective who fears that the medical examiner might have a connection to the trail of tortured bodies showing up throughout the city.

Watson, Wendy Lyn. A Parfait Murder (NAL, 6.99) June. The third in the sweet series featuring a Texas ice cream shop owner who agrees to help her cousin after she sees her deadbeat ex-husband at the Lantana County Fair with a fat wallet and a pretty girl on his arm.

Wells, Melinda. Pie á la Murder (Brk, 7.99) July. Cooking show host Della Carmichael is shocked to learn that her sweetie pie has a teenaged daughter—who’s just moved in with him—but when the daughter’s friend is found murdered, she vows to find the killer.

Zettel, Sarah. A Taste of the Nightlife (NAL, 7.99) July. A debut paranormal mystery featuring a chef with a New York restaurant catering to the undead, whose problems are larger than life when a customer winds up dead on her doorstep and her brother comes under suspicion for the murder.

New and Forthcoming in Quality Paperback

Anthony, David. Something for Nothing (Algonquin, 13.95) June. A clever debut about the owner of a small airplane dealership in northern California who agrees to smuggle in drugs from Mexico after his business slows down and he finds himself drowning in debt.

Bacon, Charlotte. The Twisted Thread (Hyp, 14.99) June. An English teacher at an elite New England boarding school discovers the body of a student in a case that shows the tensions between the students and staff and the town’s residents.

Brundage, Elizabeth. A Stranger like You (Png, 15.00) July. When a young, hotshot executive at a major Hollywood studio nixes his screenplay, a writer flies to California to change her mind—by whatever means necessary—in a darkly funny L.A. noir.

Burke, Alafair. 212 (HC, 14.99) June. The murder of a college student in NYC after she complained of receiving cyberthreats is tied to the murder of a real estate agent leading a dangerous double life whose death in turn is tied to the death of a celebrity bodyguard.

Buzzelli, Elizabeth Kane. Dead Dogs and Englishmen (MidInk, 14.95) July. Emily Kincaid believes that a manuscript she’s editing for an eccentric English author may have a connection to the brutal murder of a woman and the bodies of dead dogs being thrown into migrant worker’s yards.

Connor, Alex. The Other Rembrandt (Sterling, 14.95) June. After his father’s torture-murder, the son of a London gallery owner discovers letters written by Rembrandt’s lover that prove that some of his important works were actually painted by his illegitimate son, and is determined to find out who among the dealers and collectors would kill for the letters.

Cook, Thomas H. The Last Talk with Lola Faye (HMH, 14.95) June. When a historian unexpectedly meets the woman he has always blamed for his father’s murder decades ago, their conversation reveals the truth of what actually happened in a brilliantly-plotted, beautifully-written, suspenseful character study. Excellent.

Crispin, Edmund. The Moving Toyshop (F&M, 14.95) June. When an Oxford scholar, entranced by the window display, enters an old-fashioned toyshop, he discovers the corpse of an old lady, but when he returns with the police, no trace of the body—or the toyshop—are to be found. Definitely a case for Gervase Fen.

DeMille, Nelson. The Lion (GC, 14.99) June. When a dangerous Libyan terrorist reappears after years in hiding, it is up to anti-terrorist expert John Corey to stop him for good.

DeSilva, Bruce. Rogue Island (STM, 14.99) June. A Rhode Island journalist decides to investigate when he realizes that a firebug is targeting his childhood Providence neighborhood in a case that sends him among mobsters, corrupt cops, and sleazy politicians in an acclaimed debut.

Ewen, Chris. The Good Thief’s Guide to Vegas (STM, 14.99) July. Charlie Howard, master thief and crime writer, goes to Las Vegas to have his revenge on the magician vying for the affections of Victoria, but the magician’s disappearance with a fortune in casino money leaves Charlie on the hook with the casino’s owners.

Franklin, Tom. Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter (HC, 14.99) June. Twenty years after the disappearance of a girl after a movie date, two friends reunite—one a constable and one the suspect in the disappearance—when another girl goes missing in a small Mississippi town.

French, Tana. Faithful Place (Png, 16.00) July. Frank Mackey of the Dublin Murder Squad must wrestle with his own past and the family, neighborhood, and lover he thought he’d left behind.

George, Kathleen. The Odds (STM, 14.99) July. When four abandoned children in Pittsburgh find a wounded man, they decide to help him avoid the drug dealer on his trail while the police join the hunt for him.

Glynn, Alan. Winterland (STM, 16.00) July. A noir mystery set in Ireland where a woman begins to ask questions when two men from the same family die on the same night even though the official verdict is that there is no connection and brings down the wrath of powerful business and political factions.

Haig, Matt. The Radleys (SS, 14.99) June. A wonderfully funny vampire story for those like their horror spiced with suburban satire. I loved this.

Hart, Maryelizabeth, ed. San Diego Noir (Akashic, 15.95) June. A collection of crime stories set in Arizonans favorite spot to spend the summer.

Hiaasen, Carl. Star Island (GC, 14.99) June. When the double for an alcohol and drug addicted pop star is kidnapped by an obsessed paparazzo, Skink decides that he will save her in a wonderfully comic spin on life in the celebrity fast lane.

Highsmith, Patricia. The Cry of the Owl and Eleven (AtMon, 14.00) July. A taut psychological thriller and a collection of short stories by a master of the crime genre.

Hill, Reginald. Under World (F&M, 14.95) June. The return of a man whose father was implicated in a child-murder case leads to a further murder sending Dalziel and Pascoe to an insular mining town.

Hillier, Jennifer. Creep (SS, 15.00) July. A fast-paced debut psychological thriller about a psychology professor who discovers that ending the fling that she’s been having with a graduate student is far from easy because she has underestimated the strength of his obsession with her and gravely overestimated his mental stability.

Jahn, Ryan David. Good Neighbors (Png, 15.00) An award-winning debut set in a Queens neighborhood in 1964 where a woman is attacked and killed as the people who hear her cries do nothing to help, all trapped in their own problems.

Johnson, Craig. Junkyard Dogs (Png, 14.00) June. Sheriff Longmire must sort out the small town of Durant after a conflict between developers of ranchettes and the owners of the local junkyard erupts into murder.

Jones, Darynda. First Grave on the Right (STM, 14.99) June. A debut novel of paranormal suspense introducing a part-time PI who is also works to help dead people “go into the light,” and if they have been murdered to bring them justice. For fans of Mary Stanton.

Krueger, William Kent. Vermilion Drift (SS, 15.00) June. A reissue of an early Cork O’Connor mystery set in Minnesota.

LaPlante, Lynda. Blind Fury (SS, 15.00) July. DI Anna Travis investigates a triple murder with no suspects until a murderer contacts her from prison, saying that he has information that he’ll only tell Anna in the latest in this first-rate police procedural series.

McCrumb, Sharyn. The Devil Amongst the Lawyers (STM, 14.99) June. A tour-de-force as well as a novel of suspense, this novel featuring Nora Bonesteel is set in 1935 as reporters from all the national newspapers come to a remote Virginia town to cover the trial of a mountain girl accused of killing her drunken, abusive father, each filing stories to suit the audience and only one looking for the truth of the story.

McGovern, Cammie. Neighborhood Watch (Png, 15.00) June. After a small town librarian is exonerated in the murder of a neighbor, having spent twelve years in prison, she discovers that she must unravel the web of denial, delusion, and secrets that led to the murder to clear her name and find a killer.

McMahon, Jennifer. Don’t Breathe a Word (HC, 14.99) June. Years after his 12-year-old sister disappeared from their small New England town a man experiences a series of eerie occurrences that make him question what really happened to her in a novel that combines family secrets and the supernatural.

McRae, Cricket. Wined and Died (MidInk, 14.95) July. In the midst of wine- making season Sophie Mae discovers a cassette recording of a therapist contemplating her patient’s murderous threats after the therapist is found dead.

O’Donahue, Clare. Missing Persons (Png, 15.00) June. The first in a new series featuring a Chicago television producer who becomes a person of interest when her soon-to-be ex-husband dies suspiciously. I really liked this cleverly plotted mystery with an appealing protagonist.

Robb, J.D. Time of Death (Brk, 16.00) July. Three novels in the Eve Dallas series together in one volume.

Robinson, Cynthia. The Dog Park Club (STM, 13.99) July. A debut comic mystery set in Berkeley, where members of a crew of dog walkers who meet at a local dog park decide to investigate when a woman in their group disappears. A wonderfully off-beat mystery for dog lovers.

Sakey, Marcus. The Amateurs (NAL, 15.00) June. Four friends take on a risky opportunity to steal a fortune in dirty money not realizes the lethal consequences when they become the target of a group of lethal professional criminals.

Sutton, Henry. Get Me out of Here (Europa, 15.00) June. Set in London in 2008, this darkly comic crime novel follows the fortunes of an investment banker with ties to Korea and Iran whose life of conspicuous consumption is filled with a trail of missing women.

Swierczynski, Duane. Fun & Games (LB, 14.99) June. An ex-cop still reeling from the revenge killing of his former partner’s family becomes a glorified baby sitter for a B-movie actress who claims that she is targeted by hit men who make murders look like accidents and unfortunately, she is not as crazy as she sounds in the first of a noir trilogy.

Thomas, Leslie. Dangerous Davies, the Last Detective (F&M, 14.95) July. A London policeman not known for his detecting abilities is assigned to very cold cases as a way of keeping him out of the way in the first in this comic series.

Tranter, Kirsten. A Common Loss (SS, 15.00) June. When one of a group of friends dies in an accident, a college professor discovers that the dead man had secrets that were never revealed.

Van Rooy, Michael. An Ordinary Decent Criminal (STM, 14.99) June. A criminal who decides to go straight finds that that’s not as easy as he’d thought in a gritty thriller about creative redemption, featuring a hard-edged anti-hero.

Wallace, Nicolle. Eighteen Acres (SS, 15.00) July. A political thriller full of drama and cut-throat politics filled with insider gossip set in the White House with the first female president.

Wolfe, Inger Ashe. The Taken (HMH, 13.95) June. Canadian DI Hazel Micallef is called in when a body is found in a nearby lake, well aware that the scenario was part of the first installment of a serialized story published by the local paper.

New and Forthcoming in International Mysteries

Aykol, Esmahan. Hotel Bosphorus (Bitter Lemon, 14.95) July. The first in a series set in Istanbul featuring the German owner of a mystery bookstore who gets to try some real sleuthing when a movie actress friend is suspected in the murder of a film director.

Burstein, Dan, Arne de Keijzer, and John-Henri Holmberg. The Tattooed Girl (STM, 14.99) July. If you loved Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy and want to learn more about the author and the issues he presented—including the possibility of a fourth book—this is a must read.

Campion, Alexander. Crime Fraiche (Kens, 24.00) July. Paris detective Capucine LeTellier and her food critic husband’s vacation in Normandie turns into a busman’s holiday when a series of suspicious hunting accidents causes her to begin investigating despite the discouraging attitude of the local police in a case of haut cuisine and low crime.

_____. The Grave Gourmet (Kens, 15.00) June. A delicious debut mystery featuring a Parisian detective assigned to the case of an automobile executive found murdered in a famous restaurant, who must enlist the help of her food-critic husband to find the killer.

Cotterill, Colin. Killed at the Whim of a Hat (STM, 24.99) July. The first of a new comic series set in rural Thailand featuring a crime reporter with a somewhat eccentric family who is thrilled when a van containing the skeletal remains of two hippies is found in a farmer’s field.

Darnton, Nina. An African Affair (Vik, 25.95) July. A debut mystery set in Nigeria with an American journalist who moves to Lagos to follow a trail of corruption, drug smuggling, and murder.

Fitzgerald, Conor. The Final Touch (STM, 25.00) June. Roman police Comissario Alec Blume takes over the case of an art forger whose death initially appeared to be linked to a spate of violent muggings, but as enemies and talk of hidden treasures emerge, the case grows increasingly more complicated.

Flint, Shamini. A Bali Conspiracy Most Foul (STM, 24.99) July. Inspector Singh returns, sent to Bali to help in anti-terrorism efforts, but when a body is found with a bullet amidst the wreckage of a bombed nightclub he’s able to do what he does best—hunt for a murderer.

Gemelin, Michael. The Magician’s Accomplice (Soho, 14.00) july. When an indigent student is killed in a hotel in Bratislava, Commander Jana Matinova investigates and uncovers an international criminal conspiracy emanating from within Europol.

_____. Requiem for a Gypsy (Soho, 25.00) July. In a case that harks back to the darkest period of Slovak history, Jana Matinova must investigate the ties between the assassination of the wife of a wealthy businessman, a dead Turk, an international network of bank accounts, and a vagabond girl.

Gómez-Jurado, Juan. The Moses Expedition (SS, 15.00) June. A Nazi war-criminal is tracked down after fifty years of hiding and a priest who is part of the Vatican’s secret service is sent to deal with him and recover a candle that contains a mysterious map.

Kennedy, Douglas. The Woman in the Fifth (SS, 16.00) July. A college professor who has lost everything moves to Paris where he works as a night watchman for a criminal organization, but just when he becomes involved with a beautiful, mysterious Hungarian woman and his life is improving, he notices that people in his past are meeting unfortunate ends.

Kepler, Lars. The Hypnotist (FSG, 27.00) July. The first in a new Swedish series featuring a homicide detective who seeks the help of a therapist who specializes in hypnotism to help unravel a triple murder that left as the only witness a boy suffering from multiple stab wounds.

Longworth, M.L. Death at the Chateau Bremont (Png, 14.00) July. A charming mystery set in Aix-en-Provence, featuring Antoine Verlaque who investigates when a local nobleman falls to his death from the family chateau. This debut will leave you feeling as if you’ve spent time in this atmospheric region. I loved this.

McClure, James. The Gooseberry Fool (Soho, 14.00) June. A reissue of the third in this police procedural series set in South Africa featuring Lieutenant Kramer who investigates the killing a an upstanding citizen right before Christmas, and while suspicion immediately falls on his missing black servant, Kramer discovers that things are not as they seem.

Nesbø, Jo. The Snowman (RH, 25.95) May. Oslo Inspector Harry Hole is faced with a chilling case when a headless corpse is found inside a snowman in a suburban yard after a woman disappears.

Nesser, Håkan. The Inspector and Silence (RH, 24.95) June. Swedish police inspector Van Veeteren investigates the murder of a teenaged girl at a camp run by a religious group.

Patterson, James and Liza Marklund. The Postcard Killers (GC, 14.99) July. A NYPD detective goes to Europe after his daughter and her husband were murdered in Rome and teams up with a Swedish journalist to hunt a killer who is targeting young couples in European capitals.

Quartey, Kwei. Children of the Street (RH, 15.00) July. DI Darko Dawson searches for a serial killer of children in streets of Accra, Ghana, and must turn to an expert in ritual murder to help.

Vittachi, Nury. The Feng Shui Detective Goes West (F&M, 14.95) Despite the fact that the West is full of unpleasant Westerners with their awful food, the feng shui master agrees to go to London to help out the Royal Family at Buckingham Palace in the second in this comic series.

Winterbach, Ingrid. The Book of Happenstance (PGW, 14.95) June. A literary mystery set in Cape Town featuring a lexicographer who is assisting an expert in compiling a dictionary of old Afrikaans, but the theft of her collection of conch shells leads to a police investigation and a series of disturbing incidents.

Zouroudi, Anne. The Messenger of Athens (LB, 14.99) July. The death of a young woman on the Greek island of Thiminos is dismissed as an accident until a mysterious investigator arrives from Athens determined to find the truth.

_____. The Taint of Midas (LB, 23.99) July. When a caretaker of a ruined Temple of Apollo on the idyllic island of Arcadia is found murdered shortly after signing away his interest to greedy land developers, his friend Hermes vows to find the killer and avenge his death.

April/May 2011

New and Forthcoming in Hardcover

Albert, Susan Wittig. Mourning Gloria (Brk, 25.95) Apr. When the journalist investigating the arson death of a woman disappears, China Bayles searches for her before she becomes the headline.

Allison, Will. Long Drive Home (Free Press, 22.00) May. An ordinary man, an accountant in New Jersey, is set on a path of deception and self-destruction when he gives in to a fit of road rage culminating in a car accident in a brilliant psychological thriller.

Anable, Stephen. A Pinchbeck Bride (PP, 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp) Mar. After becoming a new trustee of a private museum in Boston’s Back Bay, gay comedian Mark Winslow discovers the body of a docent dressed in vintage clothing.

Arthurson, Wayne. Fall from Grace (STM, 25.99) Apr. A first-rate debut by a Canadian writer, featuring a newspaperman in Edmonton, himself part Cree, who is assigned to cover the murder of a young native prostitute found in a cold Alberta field, and who realizes that the police have missed a serial killer who targets marginalized women whose deaths will not be vigorously investigated.

Baldacci, David. The Sixth Man (GC, 27.99) Apr. After alleged serial killer Edgar Roy is captured, his attorney hires PIs Sean King and Michelle Maxwell to look into the case, and the rash of murders and assaults that occur make their search for the truth very dangerous indeed.

Blake, Daniel. Thou Shalt Kill (SS, 25.00) May. A Pittsburgh homicide detective is forced to hunt a serial killer in a case that uncovers a series of scandals—high-class prostitution rings, medical scams, and religious obsession—related to the victims, giving the murderer a plethora of motives and for the detective too many clues.

Block, Lawrence. A Drop of the Hard Stuff (Mulholland, 25.99) May. Matthew Scudder investigates the death of an old friend from the Bronx who is shot down while attempting to follow Alcoholics Anonymous’ 12 steps, in particular tracking down old friends to atone for past sins.

Box, C.J. Cold Wind (Put, 25.95) Apr. Joe Pickett is caught in a very unpleasant situation when his mother-in-law is arrested for murder, and his wife urges him to help even though the evidence all points to her guilt.

Brown, Rita Mae. Hiss of Death (BDD, 26.00) Apr. Harry Haristeen is coping with a breast cancer diagnosis, when she and her pets find the body of a well-liked OR nurse, in a case with a surprising killer.

Cavender, Chris. Pizza to Die For (Kens, 22.00) May. After a public confrontation with the nasty owner of a new pizzeria, the sisters who own A Slice of Murder come under suspicion when he is found dead in a spicy case of southern secrets.

Clark, Carol Higgins. Mobbed (SS, 25.00) Apr. PI Regan Reilly is involved in a case that takes her all over New Jersey, including the shore where Regan summered as a child, where she meets up with an old acquaintance who may be involved in the new case.

Clark, Marcia. Guilt by Association (Hach, 25.99) Apr. When her colleague is found dead at a grisly crime scene, a Los Angeles DA must take over his case: the assault of a young woman from a prominent family in a debut written by the lead prosecutor in the O.J. Simpson murder case.

Clark, Mary Higgins. I’ll Walk Alone (SS, 25.99) Apr. A successful interior designer still reeling from the disappearance of her toddler son two years before is accused of identity theft and considered a suspect in the murder of a woman she barely knows.

Cleland, Jane. Deadly Threads (STM, 24.99) Apr. When a guest lecturer on vintage clothing is found dead in her store, antiques dealer Josie Prescott must team up with the local police chief to save an employee from a murder charge.

Cole, Julian. Felicity’s Gate (STM, 25.99) May. A York homicide inspector investigating the murder of a woman is surprised when his private investigator brother is hired to prove the innocence of his chief suspect in the second in the British police procedural series.

Conlon, Edward. Red on Red (RH, 26.00) Apr. When a NYC detective slipping into mid-career burnout agrees to work for Internal Affairs to investigate a suspected dirty cop, he and his new detective partner investigate a variety of cases, including gangland slayings of rival drug dealers, in a literary crime novel that shows the emotional tolls and shades of gray inherent in police work. Excellent.

Connelly, Michael. The Fifth Witness (Hach, 27.99) Apr. Lincoln Lawyer Micky Haller has moved into foreclosure defense when one of his clients is accused of murdering a banker, in a suspenseful legal thriller with a fantastic twist at the end. Highly recommended.

Corleone, Douglas. Night on Fire (STM, 24.99) May. A transplanted New York attorney overhears an argument at a Hawaiian resort between a pair of newlyweds, but dismisses it until the wife is accused of murdering her husband and becomes his newest client in a scorching legal thriller by an award-winning author.

Daheim, Mary. The Alpine Vengeance (BDD, 25.00) Apr. A series of anonymous letters to the sheriff suggesting the innocence of a man convicted of killing his sister years before causes Emma to investigate to see if any family members can exonerate him.

Davidson, Diane Mott. Crunch Time (HC, 26.99) Apr. When Goldy tries to help a fellow chef whose house is destroyed by arson, she finds herself with four human house guests and nine beagle puppies and must rush to find a killer before they are all toast.

Delaney, Vicki. Among the Departed (PP, 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp) May. Constable Molly Smith of Trafalgar, B.C. investigates a murder when the remains of a man missing for 15 years are found in the fourth in this police procedural series set in a small western Canadian town.

DeMille, Nelson, ed. MWA Presents the Rich and the Dead (GC, 24.99 hc, 15.99 tp) May. A collection of short stories by contemporary masters, including Michael Connelly and Lee Child that show that even when it comes to murder, the rich are different from the rest of us.

Duffy, David. Last to Fold (STM, 24.99) Apr. A debut thriller featuring a former KGB operative now in NYC who runs a business finding things for people, whose past crashes into his present when he discovers that his new client is connected to the Russian mob.

Edwards, Martin. The Hanging Wood (PP, 24.95hc, 14.95tp) Apr. When a woman whose brother disappeared twenty years earlier is found dead after an unsuccessful attempt to contact DCI Hannah Scarlett, leader of the Cumbria cold case unit, Scarlett reopens the case.

Eglin, Anthony. Garden of Secrets Past (STM, 24.99) May. An ancient code inscribed on a garden monument at an English country house holds the clue to a murder in the latest in this gardening series.

Elkins, Aaron. The Worst Thing (Brk, 25.95) May. A designer of hostage negotiation programs for corporate clients is asked to travel to Iceland to put on a seminar, but the trip forces him to confront a terrifying experience from his past that he’s unsure he can overcome in a taut stand-alone thriller.

Ephron, Hallie. Come and Find Me (HC, 24.99) Apr. A recluse who lives and works online must force herself out into the world when her sister goes missing in a new novel of psychological suspense.

Evans, Justin. The White Devil (HC, 24.99) May. A brilliantly scary and very disturbing gothic thriller set at Harrow with a jealous ghost threatening a young man’s life.

Fletcher, Jessica and Donald Bain. Murder She Wrote: Skating on Thin Ice (NAL, 22.95) Apr. Jessica is determined to help a young figure skater whose dreams of competition turn to a nightmare after a series of “accidents” that lead to murder ruins her practice sessions.

Fowler, Earlene. Spider Web (Brk, 25.95) May. When a policeman is wounded by a sniper during a crafts fair, Bennie Harper vows to make her hometown—and her policeman husband—safe.

Freeman, Brian. The Bone House (STM, 24.99) Apr. When a teenaged girl is found dead on a deserted beach of a remote Michigan island, the wife of the chief suspect, a college professor fired for having an affair with a young student, vows to discover the truth of the murder that may be related to a horrific crime from years ago.

Goldenbaum, Sally. The Wedding Shawl (NAL, 24.95) May. The wedding plans of a local woman are disrupted when the wedding party’s hair stylist is found murdered, so the Seaside Knitters look into her connection to a long-ago unsolved murder.

Graves, Sarah. Knockdown (BDD, 25.00) May. Jake Triptree is preparing for the upcoming Fourth of July celebrations in Maine, when she begins receiving threatening anonymous notes in this unsettling cozy filled with helpful household tips.

Grippando, James. Afraid of the Dark (HC, 25.99) Apr. Trying to save a man accused of murder and terrorist activity, Miami defense attorney Jack Swyteck finds himself caught up in an international case involving illegal internet sites and very dangerous people.

Gulli, Andrew F. and Lamia Gulli, eds. No Rest for the Dead (SS, 24.99) Apr. An all-star lineup of authors including a number who were at the Tucson Book Festival, in a collaborative crime novel about the reopening of the case of the murder of a San Francisco art curator, whose wife was convicted and executed for the crime ten years ago. The copies are signed by the authors—all 25 of them, with the royalty proceeds going to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Hall, M.R. The Redeemed (SS, 25.00) May. Forensic pathologist Jenny Cooper delves into the workings of the largest mega-church in England to solve the murder of the church’s most celebrated convert—an ex-porn star.

Hamill, Pete. Tabloid City (Hach, 6.99) May. A thriller whose main character is really Manhattan itself features the murder of a wealthy socialite and her secretary and the flurry of activity that follows in the next 24 hours.

Hamilton, Steve. Misery Bay (STM, 24.99) May. A suicide on a snowy night in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula leads to a case of violence and bloody revenge for Alex McKnight in a return to his Edgar-winning series. Signing.

Hamrick, Janice. Death on Tour (STM, 24.99) May. An award-winning debut cozy, featuring a Texas high school teacher whose once-in-a-lifetime Egyptian tour is marred by murder when a disagreeable tourist takes a fall off a pyramid.

Harrod-Eagles, Cynthia. Body Line (SH, 28.95) Apr. Bill Slider and his team investigate the shooting death of a womanizing doctor in his posh London home.

Hart, Carolyn. Dead by Midnight (HC, 24.99) Apr. Bookstore owner Annie Darling and her PI husband investigate a recent suicide that looks like a murder after they discover a towel hidden at midnight in a gazebo.

Harris, Rosemary. Slugfest (STM, 24.99) May. Horticulturalist Paula Holliday has to get her hands dirty when a murder occurs at an annual NYC flower show in a case where the garden gloves come off.

Hayes, Jonathan. A Hard Death (HC, 25.99) Apr. Forensic pathologist Edward Jenner moves to a small coastal town in Florida where he discovers that nothing is as it seems when he receives an anonymous phone call about four hanged bodies in the Everglades.

James, Bill. Popular Crime (SS, 30.00) May. A brilliant exploration of the most important crimes in America and the way crime both reflects and impacts American society.

Janes, Diana. Why Didn’t You Come for Me? (Soho, 25.00) May. A scary novel of psychological suspense about a woman whose infant daughter was abducted twelve years ago, but who has been receiving photos of a child with notes scribbled on the back over the years, and who now feels that someone is watching her every move.

Johansen, Iris. Eve (STM, 27.99) Apr. The first in a trilogy that examines the central tragedy in the life of forensic sculptor, Eve Duncan, whose daughter was taken years before, after Eve is given the first clue in the case, the name of a man from her past.

Kellerman, Jonathan. Mystery (BDD, 28.00) Apr. When LAPD detective Milo Sturges asks psychologist Alex Delaware to view the corpse of a young woman, he is shocked to find that she was someone that he had seen the night before in a restaurant, in a case that leads to an online service linking sugar daddies to beautiful girls.

Loehfelm, Bill. The Devil she Knows (FSG, 26.00) May. When a Staten Island barmaid catches her boss in a tryst with a local politician she is determined to put it out of her mind, until he is found dead and the murderer begins to threaten her in a suspenseful look at the seedier parts of Staten Island.

Lustbader, Eric van. Blood Trust (STM, 25.99) May. A murder at the FBI training center leads Jack McClure and Alli Carson into a complex web of lies, deceit, and terrorism headed by a sinister Albanian crime lord.

Lutz, Lisa and David Hayward. Heads You Lose (Put, 24.95) Apr. Lutz and Hayward (her ex-boyfriend) collaborate on a mystery set in Northern California about a brother-and-sister marijuana operation, complete with footnotes and memos in a black-comic narrative complicated by inter-author tensions.

Marshall, Michael. Killer Move (HC, 24.99) May. A very scary thriller about a Florida real estate agent who finds his perfect life unraveling when he begins receiving mysterious note saying only “modified.” I loved this.

Martin, Nancy. Sticky Fingers (STM, 24.99) Apr. Short of money, with a daughter about to start college, Roxy Abruzzo has been accepting some small-time jobs from her mob boss uncle, but when she’s asked to kidnap a woman she refuses, only to find herself the chief suspect when the woman gets killed in the second in this funny series set in Pittsburgh.

Martinez, A. Lee. Chasing the Moon (Orbit, 19.98) May. Diana thought her new apartment was too good to be true, but she never expected that roommate wants to devour the universe in the latest comic fantasy.

Michaels, Anna. The Tender Mercy of Roses (SS, 22.99) May. In a debut mystery with supernatural overtones, a disgraced police detective returns to her southern hometown, where she discovers the body of a young rodeo star whose murder she vows to solve, aided by the father of the dead girl, in a case that leads them to discover dark family secrets.

Miller, Susan Cummins. Fracture (TTUP, 24.95) Mar. Geologist Frankie MacFarlane becomes Philo Dain’s partner in a treasure hunt in the Bay Area after Dain’s uncle’s wife is murdered days after taking a coin collection worth millions.

Mizner, Adam. A Conflict of Interest (SS, 26.00) May. A debut legal thriller with strong characterization and a wonderful twist at the end, featuring a young Manhattan attorney at a white-shoe firm who agrees to defend a family friend in a securities case only to find that he is questioning everything he thought he knew about himself and his family.

Moody, Bill. Fade to Blue (PP, 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp) Apr. Hired by a Hollywood studio to score a movie about a jazz pianist while at the same time he teaches the star how to pretend to be a jazz pianist, Evan Horne finds the gig is too good to be true, and is plunged into a maelstrom of greed and murder.

Morrison, Boyd. The Vault (SS, 24.99) May. Industrial engineer Tyler Locke must join forces with a classics professor in order to track down the treasure of King Midas based on a three-dimensional treasure map built by the ancient Greek inventor Archimedes and save it from falling into the hands of a terrorist cell. Great fun.

Narea, H.T. The Fund (STM, 24.99) May. A debut thriller featuring an intelligence operative who discovers a plot involving financial terrorism, perpetrated by a Middle Eastern hedge fund mogul who plans to bring the global economy to its knees.

Page, Katherine Hall. The Body in the Gazebo (HC, 23.99) May. Faith Fairchild must solve a mystery that leads her to a crime committed seventy years ago and save her minister husband from suspicion of embezzling church funds in the latest in this cozy series.

Parker, Robert B. Sixkill (Put, 26.95) May. The last Spenser novel finds the PI hired to investigate the murder by apparent asphyxiation of a starlet after having sex with a mega-movie star in his hotel room.

Patterson, James and Maxine Paetro. 10^th Anniversary (Hach, 27.99) May. Detective Lindsay Boxer discovers evidence that could exculpate a woman accused of murdering her husband, prosecuted by her friend Yuki Castellano, but Yuki’s career rests on a guilty verdict in the latest Women’s Murder Club mystery.

Patterson, Richard North. The Devil’s Light (Scribner, 26.00) May. A scary thriller about a retired CIA agent who discovers that Osama bin Laden is planning an attack with a nuclear bomb on Tel Aviv on September 11, 2011.

Pattison, Eliot. Ashes of the Earth (PGW, 26.00) Apr. A murder mystery set in a post-apocalypse America, ravaged by a nuclear weapon, that begins with a survivor, an original founder of the colony who vows to investigate the murder of his mentor, another of the original founders.

Perry, Thomas. The Informant (HMH, 27.00) May. The professional killer known as the Butcher’s Boy returns after an attack by a Mafia hit team pulls him from peaceful retirement, offering to help Justice Department official Elizabeth Waring crack an unsolved murder in an uneasy alliance that he hopes will give him the information to save his life. I loved this.

Raichev, R.T. Murder at the Villa Byzantine (Soho, 25.00) Apr. Mystery writer Antonia Darcy and Major Hugh Payne investigate when a guest is murdered at a birthday party for one of their Hampstead neighbors in the latest in this cozy series that hearkens back to Golden Age detection.

Riggs, Cynthia. The Bee Balm Murders (STM, 24.99) May. In the tenth in the cozy series set on Martha’s Vineyard featuring nonagenarian sleuth Victoria the discovery of the body in a trench where a fiber optic cable is being laid leads to a murder investigation.

Rosett, Sara. Mimosas, Mischief, and Murder (Kens, 22.00) Apr. When Ellie Avery and her husband travel to Alabama for his grandfather’s funeral, they discover that things are not well after the grandfather’s body disappears from the funeral home.

Rush, Jonathan. Due Diligence (STM, 25.99) May. A young investment banker is assigned to work on an international deal, but when he discovers financial irregularities, he and his girlfriend are forced to go on the run in a debut financial thriller.

Sandford, John. Buried Prey (Put, 27.95) May. Lucas Davenport must go back to his very first case after the discovery of the mummified remains of two girls convinces him that he put away the wrong man in 1985 and now must find the real predator.

Scottoline, Lisa. Save Me (STM, 27.99) Apr. A novel of psychological suspense about a young mother who tries to save both her own daughter and a girl bullying her daughter when an explosion occurs at school and becomes the villain when bully is hurt.

Schaffert, Timothy. The Coffins of Little Hope (PGW, 24.95) May. A wonderfully offbeat novel about an 83-year-old obituary writer for a newspaper in a small Nebraska town who gets a tip about a missing woman, while at the same time the newspaper is under national scrutiny when a New York publisher contracts for it to print part of the print run for the final installment of a wildly popular YA series, which is then leaked.

Shannon, John. A Little Too Much (SH, 28.95) Apr. Jack Liffey is asked by a movie studio to find a black movie star who’s gone off his meds and on a search for his father, a search made more complicated when a Colombian drug-runner shows up. As always, Shannon’s knowledge of southern California history and, here, movie lore, gives depth to the mystery.

Simon, Clea. Dogs Don’t Lie (PP, 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp) Apr. The first in a new series featuring a pet behaviorist with the ability to hear what animals are saying, who investigates when her client is fatally mauled to save his pit bull from being euthanized.

Smith, Wilbur. Those in Peril (STM, 27.99) May. A contemporary tale of piracy, terrorism, and revenge that begins when a young woman is kidnapped by African Muslim pirates in the Indian Ocean, and her mother joins forces with the head of a security firm to rescue her daughter.

Speart, Jessica. Winged Obsession (HC, 25.99) Apr. The true story of the world’s most wanted butterfly smuggler and the rookie U.S. Fish and Wildlife agent who brings him down.

Spencer-Fleming, Julia. One Was a Soldier (STM, 24.99) Apr. Police Chief Russ van Alstyne and the Reverend Claire Fergusson find themselves on opposite sides when he rules an Iraq veteran’s death a suicide over the strenuous objections of the local veteran’s support group in a mystery that moves from upstate New York to the streets of Baghdad.

Spillane, Mickey and Max Allan Collins. Kiss Her Goodbye (HMH, 25.00) May. Mike Hammeris in Florida recovering from a gunshot wound, when the suicide of an old New York friend brings him back to investigate, in a case that sends him tracking down a fortune in Nazi diamonds and a disco-era drug trade.

Spindler, Erica. Watch me Die (STM, 24.99) Apr. In this novel of psychological suspense, a widow begins to think that her husband who was killed during Hurricane Katrina is still alive when she begins receiving mysterious phone calls, and when her assistant is murdered, she must race to prove that she is neither a murderer nor losing her sanity.

Thomson, Keith. Twice a Spy (BDD, 25.95) Mar. The second in this quirky action series finds Charlie Clark on the lam in Switzerland with his retired CIA agent father who is suffering from the onset of Alzheimer’s, when they stumble on a plot to sell terrorists a small nuclear bomb disguised as a washing machine.

Thompson, Larry D. The Trial (STM, 25.99) May. A suspenseful legal thriller about a man who goes after the pharmaceutical company whose clinical trials of a new drug have left his daughter with potentially fatal complications.

Ulfelder, Steve. Purgatory Chasm (STM, 23.99) May. A debut mystery featuring an alcoholic car mechanic with a gritty blue-collar voice who agrees to help a fellow alcoholic, but when the man is found dead, he becomes the chief suspect and must solve the crime to save himself.

Viets, Elaine. Pumped for Murder (NAL, 23.95) May. Helen and her new husband open a PI agency and their first case is following a cheating husband, who spends all his time a local fitness club, where Helen goes to work undercover, but a murder gives her more of a workout than she expected.

Vonnegut, Norb. The Gods of Greenwich (STM, 24.99) Apr. A tough Wall Street trader whose hedge fund has collapsed goes to work for a fund allegedly impervious to capital market woes, but he discovers that his troubles are just beginning in a timely financial thriller with a great villain.

Vorhaus, John. The Albuquerque Turkey (RH, 23.00) Apr. In a funny caper, grafter Radar Hoverlander finds himself reunited with his conman father who has taken $23,000 from a Las Vegas casino boss in exchange for steering a nonexistent Saudi prince to the casino.

Wall, Kathryn R. Jericho Cay (STM, 24.99) May. Bay Tanner agrees to investigate the disappearance of a wealthy man and his personal assistant from his private island right after the suicide of his housekeeper in the latest in this sultry South Carolina series.

West, Michael Lee. Gone with a Handsomer Man (STM, 24.99) May. A funny debut mystery featuring an out-of-work Charleston pastry chef who calls off her engagement after finding her fiancé playing naked badminton with two other women, and when he is found murdered, she has to turn to an old boyfriend, an attorney, to clear her name. This looks very good.

Woods, Stuart. Bel-Air Dead (Put, 25.95) Apr. Stone Barrington goes to Los Angeles to help the widowed Arrington Calder who is trying to keep control of a movie studio that is threatened by an investor who wants the prime Bel-Air acreage the studio occupies.

New and Forthcoming in Paperback Reprint

Albert, Susan Wittig. Holly Blues (Brk, 7.99) Apr.

Bennett, Robert Jackson. Mr. Shivers (GC, 7.99) Apr.

Box, C. J. Nowhere to Run (Brk, 7.99) Apr.

Cavender, Chris. Pepperoni Pizza can be Murder (Kens, 6.99) Apr.

Child, Lee. Worth Dying For (BDD, 9.99) May.

Clark, Carol Higgins. Wrecked (Pkt, 7.99) Apr.

Clark, Mary Higgins. The Shadow of your Smile (Pkt, 7.99) Apr.

Coben, Harlan. The Final Detail (BDD, 9.99) Apr. Reissue.

Connolly, John. The Lovers (Pkt, 7.99) Apr.

Crichton, Michael. Sphere (HC, 9.99) Apr. Reissue.

Crusie, Jennifer and Bob Mayer. Wild Ride (STM, 7.99) Apr.

Daheim, Mary. Loco Motive (HC, 7.99) May.

Deaver, Jeffery. The Burning Wire (Pkt, 9.99) May.

Dugoni, Robert. Bodily Harm (Pkt, 7.99) Apr.

Duncan, Elizabeth J. A Brush with Death (STM, 7.99) May.

Forman, Steven M. Boca Mournings (STM, 7.99) Apr.

Fowler, Earlene. State Fair (Brk, 7.99) May.

Freveletti, Jamie. Running Dark (HC, 7.99) May.

Gerritsen, Tess. Ice Cold (BDD, 7.99) May.

Goldberg, Lee. Mr. Monk on the Road (7.99) May.

Grant, Andrew. Die Twice (STM, 9.99) Apr.

Graves, Sarah. Crawlspace (BDD, 7.99) Apr.

Harris, Charlaine. Dead in the Family (Brk, 7.99) Apr.

Harris, Rosemary. Dead Head (STM, 7.99) Apr.

Hart, Caroline. Laughed ‘til he Died (HC, 7.99) Apr.

Harvey, Michael. The Third Rail (BDD, 7.99) Apr.

Hoffman, Jilliane. Pretty Little Things (Vgd, 7.99) May.

Hogan, Chuck. Devils in Exile (Pkt, 7.99) May.

Howell, Dorothy. Shoulder Bags and Shootings (Kens, 6.99) May.

Hurwitz, Gregg. They’re Watching (STM, 9.99) May.

Jance, J.A. Queen of the Night (HC, 9.99) Apr.

Jaros, James. Burn Down the Sky (HC, 7.99) May.

Johansen, Iris. Chasing the Night (STM, 7.99) Apr.

Kellerman, Faye. Hangman (HC, 7.99) May.

Lustbader, Eric van. Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Objective (GC, 9.99) May.

Martinez, A. Lee. Divine Misfortune (GC, 7.99) Apr.

Martini, Steve. The Rule of Nine (HC, 9.99) May.

Mitchard, Jacquelyn. Still Summer (GC, 7.99) May.

Nasaw, Jonathan. The Boys from Santa Cruz (Pkt, 7.99) May.

Patterson, James. Four Blind Mice (GC, 7.99) Apr. Reissue.

Patterson, James and Michael Ledwidge. Run for your Life (GC, 5.99) May. Reissue.
Preston, Douglas and Lincoln Child. Fever Dream (GC, 9.99) Apr.

Rector, John. The Cold Kiss (STM, 7.99) May.

Reich, Christopher. Rules of Betrayal (BDD, 7.99) May.

Robards, Karen. Shattered (NAL, 7.99) Apr.

Robb, J.D. Indulgence in Death (Brk, 7.99) Apr.

Rollins, James. Sandstorm (HC, 9.99) May. Reissue.

Rucka, Greg. The Last Run (BDD, 7.99) May.

Sanford, John. Storm Prey (Brk, 9.99) May.

Stone, David. The Skorpion Directive (Brk, 9.99) Apr.

Tanenbaum, Robert K. Betrayed (Pkt, 9.99) May.

Thor, Brad. The First Commandment (Pkt, 9.99) May. Reissue.

Tracy, P.J. Shoot to Thrill (NAL, 7.99) May.

Viets, Elaine. Half-Price Homicide (NAL, 7.99) May.

Woods, Stuart. Santa Fe Edge (NAL, 9.99) Apr.

_____. Under the Lake (NAL, 9.99) May. Reissue.

New and Forthcoming in Paperback Original

Aames, Avery. Lost and Fondue (Brk, 7.99) May. When a body is found in a long-abandoned winery, cheese shop owner Charlotte Bessette must start sleuthing to clear a friend’s niece of suspicion.

Beck, Jessica. Evil Eclairs (STM, 7.99) May. Revenge is sweet—especially served warm with coffee—at Donut Hearts where owner Suzanne Hart finds her day sprinkled with detective work.

Carlisle, Kate. Murder Under Cover (NAL, 7.99) May. When San Francisco antiquarian book restorer Brooklyn Wainwright receives an exquisite copy of the Kama Sutra to restore, she is thinking about spicing up her love life, but when she finds the great guy she recently met murdered in her bed, she has to turn her thoughts to saving herself from a murder charge.

Casey, Elizabeth Lynn. Deadly Notions (Brk, 7.99) Apr. Tori and the ladies of the Southern Sewing Circle need to find out who murdered a self-important pageant mom before their friendship unravels.

Collins, Kate. Night of the Living Dandelion (NAL, Apr. Flower shop owner Abby Knight and her fiancé must counter the rumors flying about their Transylvanian friend Vlad, whose life really starts to suck after a woman is found dead with all the blood drained from her body.

Copperman, E.J. An Uninvited Ghost (Brk, 7.99) Apr. Alison and her resident gumshoe ghost must find the murderer of a guest while dealing with the arrival of a reality television crew.

Daniels, Casey. A Hard Day’s Fright (Brk, 7.99) Apr. Pepper is asked by the ghost of a teenager who disappeared in 1966 to help find her body so that she can rest in peace in the seventh of this funny paranormal series.

James, Miranda. Classified as Murder (Brk, 7.99) May. While Charlie the librarian is helping an elderly man catalogue his library of rare books, he finds his dead body in the stacks and must count on his Maine Coon cat to paw for clues in the second in this cozy series.

Lowell, Virginia. Cookie Dough or Die (Brk, 7.99) Apr. The owner of a quaint shop that specializes in all things related to cookies must take a break from baking and find a killer in the first of a new series.

Maffini, Mary Jane. The Busy Woman’s Guide to Murder (Brk, 7.99) Apr. When the local 911 operator tells Charlotte that she could kill the high school bully who’s coming back to the reunion, Charlotte doesn’t take her seriously until a woman is killed in a hit-and-run.

McDermott, Andy. The Sacred Vault (BDD, 7.99) Apr. American archaeologist Nina Wilde and bodyguard Eddie Chase return in another globe-spanning adventure.

Ostrovsky, Victor. Black Ghosts (Brk, 9.99) May. A former commander reactivates an elite unit of the KGB in order to restore the greatness of Russia by making plans to kidnap the president of the US in this thriller written by a former Mossad agent.

Oust, Gail. Shake, Murder, and Roll (NAL, 7.99) May. The Bunco Babes have a landscape of suspects to weed through, when a gardening expert gets sick and her husband dies during a gardening club banquet.

Purser, Ann. The Measby Murder Enquiry (Brk, 7.99) May. Cantankerous spinster Ivy Beasley is asked to take time out from the activities at her assisted living facility to look into a mysterious death in the village of Measby.

Reed, Hannah. Mind your own Beeswax (Brk, 7.99) May. When beekeeper Story Fisher finds the body of a local woman with a checkered past right near her hive, she’s in a sticky situation.

St. James, Dorothy. Flowerbed of State (Brk, 7.99) May. The first in a new series featuring a gardener working at the grounds of the White House, who finds a dead body in a trash can and must root out a killer before she is planted herself.

Sweeney, Leann. The Cat, the Lady, and the Liar (NAL, 6.99) Apr. Cat quilter Jillian must solve a mystery with decades-old roots with the help of her cats when a wealthy woman who thinks she is being drugged is found beside a dead body.

New and Forthcoming in Quality Paperback

Allen, Robin. If You Can’t Stand the Heat (Midink, 14.95) May. A public health inspector agrees to help out at the grand re-opening of her father’s Austin restaurant, but when the famous French chef that he’s hired is fatally stabbed, she must investigate in the first in a yummy new series.

Allingham, Margery. The Mind Readers (F&M, 14.95) May. Albert Campion’s young nephew, a child who has the ability to read minds, tells his uncle a story that sends Campion on a quest to find out how the unrelated pieces fit together.

Arnoldi, Katie. Point Dume (Overlook, 15.00) May. A fast-moving novel of suspense set in the surf culture of Southern California, a tale of human trafficking, the Mexican drug cartels, and environmental destruction.

Bauer, Brenda. Darkside (SS, 15.00) May. When a paralyzed woman is found murdered, the local village cop is pushed aside by an abrasive detective, but as the killings of the infirm and elderly continue, the policeman’s guilt drives him to become more isolated in a brilliant psychological thriller.

Bolton, S.J. Blood Harvest (STM, 14.99) May. When a new family moves into a rural English village, they discover curious customs, but it’s not until their two younger children go missing that they tie this to the mysterious deaths of three toddlers. Very scary and great fun.

Cash, Dixie. I Can’t Make you Love Me, but I Can Make You Leave (HC, 13.99) Apr. When the erstwhile Queen of Country Music’s tour bus breaks down outside of Salt Like, Texas, the Domestic Equalizers take on the case of the murder of an upstart back-up singer in the latest in this funny series.

Castillo, Linda. Pray for Silence (STM, 14.99) May. Police Chief Kate Burkholder has no clues in the savage murder of an entire Amish family in a small Ohio town until she comes across the diary of the teenaged daughter, who may have been living a lurid double life in the second in this powerful series.

Chandler, Jessie. Bingo Barge Murders (Midink, 14.95) May. A debut mystery featuring the owner of a Minneapolis coffee shop who helps a friend suspected of killing the sleazy owner of a Mississippi River gambling barge.

Coben, Harlan. No Second Chance (NAL, 15.00) May. A reissue of a thriller about a man who must find his kidnapped infant daughter after his wife is murdered.

Daley, Elizabeth. Any Shape or Form (F&M, 14.95) Mar. Henry Gammadge has a case with too many suspects when a California woman with pretensions to mysticism is killed during an elegant party in New York.

Dawson, Janet. Bit Player (Perserverence, 14.95) Apr. Jeri Howard decides to investigate the past of her grandmother, a starlet in 1930s Hollywood, who may have had a role in the unsolved murder of a British actor in 1942 in a welcome return of the northern California sleuth.

Doiron, Paul. The Poacher’s Son (STM, 14.99) Apr. A game warden whose estranged poacher father is accused of murdering a beloved local cop believes that he is innocent and sets out to find the real killer in a debut novel of suspense set in Maine that has garnered wonderful reviews.

Doudera, Vickie. Killer Listing (Midink, 14.95) Apr. Realtor Darby Farr is in Florida when the business partner of her hostess is murdered at an open house in the second in the series.

Frayn, Rebecca. Deceptions (SS, 15.00) May. When her son disappears shortly after she announces her forthcoming marriage, a woman is sure that he is still alive, so when she receives a call three years later, she is ill-prepared for the way her life will change. I enjoyed this very disturbing novel that questions how well we know the ones we love.

Goldenbaum, Sally. Moon Spinners (NAL, 14.00) May. When the aunt of one of their members is murdered, the Seaside Knitters try to figure out the killer’s strange pattern in the latest in this charmingly crafty cozy series.

Goodwillie, David. American Subversive (SS, 15.00) Apr. A debut thriller about two young Americans who are seduced by radicalism and become involved in a terrorist attack in New York.

Grabien, Deborah. Graceland (Plus One, 16.95) Apr. British session guitarist JP Kinkade asks a blues critic to help him nominate an early blues guitarist to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but shortly thereafter the critic is found dead, so Kinkade investigates.

Hall, James W. Silencer (STM, 14.99) Apr. Thorn is imprisoned by a pair of deviant brothers after a wealthy Florida rancher is shot dead before he can deed his ranch to an environmental group in a case that leads from the 1930s to present-day greed and corruption.

Hall, M.R. The Disappeared (SS, 16.00) Apr. An excellent debut featuring a young British forensic pathologist who becomes involved with a highly-charged political case when an inquiry into the presumed death of a long-missing university student reveals a far-reaching cover-up. I loved this for the complex plotting and the wonderfully human protagonist. Highly recommended.

Harris, Charlaine, ed. Crimes by Moonlight (Brk, 15.00) Apr. A collection of mysteries from the dark side by writers such as Margaret Maron and Carolyn Hart.

Hart, John. Down River (STM, 14.99) Apr. A reissue of Hart’s excellent, Edgar-winning first legal thriller.

Hoklotubbe, Sara Sue. The American Café (UA, 16.95) Apr. Sadie Walela returns to Cherokee country and buys a café only to discover that the former owner has been shot, so Sadie helps the local police investigate.

Isaacs, Susan. As Husbands Go (SS, 16.00) Apr. When her husband is found dead in the apartment of a second-rate “escort,” his wife is devastated, but with the help of her feisty grandmother, she decides to prove to everyone that their life together was not a sham. I loved this.

Lehane, Dennis. A Drink before the War (HC, 14.99) May. A reissue of the first in the Boston PI series.

Lippmann, Laura. I’d Know You Anywhere (HC, 14.99) May. A brilliant crime novel about a woman who receives a letter from the man who had kidnapped her when she was 15, now on death row for the murder of another teenager he abducted.

Littlefield, Sophie. A Bad Day for Pretty (STM, 13.99) May. Avenger of wronged women in her Missouri small town, Stella Hardesty agrees to help a man accused of the murder of a woman whose body has just been found years after her disappearance in the second in this clever series.

Lourey, Jess. October Fest (Midink, 14.95) May. To kick off the Octoberfest party, the town of Battle Lake hosts a debate between the two congressional candidates, but when a political blogger is found dead, Mira must polka her way through a political minefield to find a killer.

Magee, Doug. Never Wave Goodbye (SS, 15.00) May. When four children are kidnapped on their way to summer camp, the parents become pitted against one another and the police, while the children are forced to fend for themselves after the kidnapper is incapacitated.

Maines, Bethany. Compact with the Devil (SS, 15.00) May. Nikki Lanier, top-secret agent, returns to track down a Basque anarchist who may be planning to kill another Carrie Mae operative or her very attractive rock-star son in the second in this funny series that combines James Bond and Stephanie Plum.

Mandel, Emily St. John. The Singer’s Gun (PGW, 14.95) May. A brilliant novel about a man who must choose between the criminal family in which he has lived all his life and a different sort of life that he finds on the island of Ischia off the coast of Italy, but his past will not let him go so easily. I loved this.

Mould, Philip. The Art Detective (Png, 16.00) May. The star of the original Antiques Roadshow recounts his most interesting tales of discovering lost masterpieces and unmasking fakes.

Nisbet, Jim. Dark Companion (Plume, 12.95) Apr. An Indian-American scientist who founded a California pharmaceutical company finds himself a fugitive from justice after becoming involved with his drug-dealing neighbor in a gritty noir.

Ockley, Martha. The Reluctant Detective (Mon, 14.99) Apr. The first in a new cozy series featuring Faith Morgan a former policewoman and newly ordained Anglican priest who investigates when a parish priest is poisoned while celebrating the service, after the bishop asks her to stay to assist the parish.

Orloff, Alan. Killer Routine (Midink, 14.95) Apr. The owner of a small comedy club hunts for a young woman performer who disappeared right before her first solo routine, fearing that her disappearance is tied to a series of murders in an entertaining debut mystery.

Patterson, James and Maxine Paetro. The 9^th Judgment (GC, 14.99) Apr. The Women’s Murder Club investigates when a young mother and her infant child are gunned down in a shopping mall garage.

Penny, Louise. The Cruelest Month (STM, 14.99) May. A reissue of the Agatha Award-winning mystery set in Quebec.

Perry, Thomas. Strip (HMH, 14.95) May. When a formidable strip club owner is robbed he fingers the wrong man as the robber, and finds himself in a world of hurt as the innocent man fights back even as the real robbers decide to make a career of robbing the strip club. Vintage Perry with a great female villain.

Pickard, Nancy. The Scent of Rain and Lightning (Ball, 15.00) Mar. When an English teacher in a small Kansas town learns that the man convicted of murdering her father and presumably her mother is being released from prison and returning to town, she agrees to face the tragedy of her past at the behest of his attorney son.

Rayne, Sarah. A Dark Dividing (F&M, 14.95) May. A very scary novel of psychological suspense about two sets of twins born one hundred years apart and their connections to the eerie ruined mansion on the Welsh border. Highly recommended.

Ross, Ann B. Miss Julia Renews her Vows (Png, 15.00) Apr. Miss Julia has her hands full with a wedding and babies, when she must spring Etta Mae from jail when she is accused of assaulting another woman.

Slan, Joanna Campbell. Make, Take, Murder (Midink, 14.95) May. In the latest scrapbooking mystery, Kiki Lowenstein finds a severed leg in her dumpster, along with a note with a warning to the store’s “rich and snotty” customers.

Spillane, Mickey and Max Allan Collins. The Big Bang (HMH, 13.95) May. PI Mike Hammer dispenses justice in Manhattan only to find himself targeted by the kingpins of the narcotics trade in a novel outlined by Spillane before his death. Great fun.

Stevens, Chevy. Still Missing (STM, 14.99) May. A debut thriller of incredible suspense about a real estate agent abducted and held captive for over a year, but even though she manages to escape her captor, she knows that her ordeal is far from over.

Swann, Thomas. The DaVinci Deception (PGW, 14.95) May. The three novels in this art mystery series, including The Cézanne Chase and The Final Fabergé and featuring New Scotland Yard’s Inspector Jack Oxby of the Art and Antiquities Squad are being reissued. If you like your police procedurals well-decorated with objets d’art, you’ll love these.

Tobey, Danny. The Faculty Club (SS, 15.00) Apr. A scary novel set at the law school of a prestigious university where the students vie to join a mysterious club that promises them unimaginable success.

Turow, Scott. Innocent (GC, 14.99) May. In this brilliant sequel to Presumed Innocent, Rusty Sabich is accused of murder when his wife is found dead under mysterious circumstances.

Tyler, L.C. The Herring in the Library (F&M, 14.95) May. When he and Elsie go to dinner at the stately home of Ethelred’s pal and his titled wife, they don’t expect that the final course will be a murder in the library in the third in this funny series.

Uviller, Daphne. Hotel No Tell (BDD, 15.00) May. NYC Special Investigations agent Zephyr Zuckerman is assigned to work undercover at a Greenwich Village hotel that may be involved in a money laundering scam in a funny and refreshingly smart caper.

Wait, Lea. Shadows of a Down East Summer (Perserverance, 14.95) Apr. Antique print dealer Maggie Summer in Maine is enlisted to examine a recently discovered diary written by a young woman who posed for Winslow Homer, but the owner of the diary is murdered, so she turns amateur sleuth.

Winslow, Don. Savages (SS, 15.00) Mar. A funny, smart mega-cool novel about three southern California friends whose designer marijuana business puts them in the cross-hairs of a violent Mexican cartel. Highly recommended.

Woodrell, Daniel. The Bayou Trilogy (Hach, 16.99) Apr. The first three mysteries by the renowned master of chicken-fried noir are a Cajun stew of crime and corruption set in Louisiana. Highly recommended.

New and Forthcoming in International Mysteries

Brackmann, Lisa. Rock, Paper, Tiger (Soho, 14.00) May. A thriller set in Beijing, where a young American finds herself being hounded by various security organizations after a close friend, a political performance artist, disappears.

Carofiglio, Gianrico. A Walk in the Dark (Bitter lemon, 14.95) Apr. Attorney Guido Guerrieri accepts the case of a woman who accuses the son of a powerful local judge of assault after other lawyers refuse to represent her in a new legal thriller set in southern Italy.

Carter, Philip. The Alter of Bones (SS, 25.00) Apr. A fast-paced adventure that begins in Siberia during the Stalinist purges and moves forward to present-day San Francisco where a resourceful young woman is plunged into the search for a secret that takes her to Paris, Budapest, and Mongolia. I am skeptical of Da Vinci Code-clones, but this had me enthralled from the first-page to the last.

Dahl, K.O. The Last Fix (STM, 15.99) Apr. The latest in this Norwegian police procedural series features the murder of a recovering drug addict, whose past makes her the easy prey both for fellow addicts and the self-deluding people treating them.

Fitzgerald, Conor. The Dogs of Rome (STM, 16.00) May. A debut crime novel set in Rome, featuring an expatriate American who is an Italian police commissario investigating a politically-charged murder that forces him to deal with people on all sides of the law.

Ghelfi, Brent. The Burning Lake (PP, 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp) May. Russian spy Alexei Volkovoy decides to investigate the shooting death of a journalist who was working on a story about contamination from a reservoir holding radioactive waste in the fourth in this excellent series.

Hallinan, Timothy. The Queen of Patpong (HC, 14.99) May. When a mysterious and dangerous figure from her past working in Bangkok’s notorious redlight district returns to threaten Poke Rafferty’s wife, Poke must investigate her past to provide her with a future.

Hewson, David. City of Fear (BDD, 7.99) Apr. Nic Costa and the members of the Questura must protect the city of Rome from a conspiracy that reaches to the top levels of government.

_____. The Fallen Angel (BDD, 25.00) May. Roman detective Nic Costa investigates when an eccentric English scholar is found dead from a fall with his 17-year-old daughter kneeling by the body in a case that may echo the story of Beatrice Cenci executed centuries earlier for killing the father who molested her.

Läckberg, Camilla. The Ice Princess (Pkt, 15.00) Apr. A tale of love, betrayal, and dark secrets set in a Swedish seaside village where a writer returns to discover that her best friend has committed suicide, but when she teams up with a police detective, she discovers that her friend was murdered.

_____. The Preacher (Pegasus, 25.95) May. When the naked corpse of a German tourist is found atop the skeletons of two young women whose disappearance was linked to the leader of a local religious clan, Det. Patrick Hedström and his team investigate a case of twisted family relationships.

Leon, Donna. Drawing Conclusions (Grove, 24.00) May. Commissario Guido Brunetti is called to investigate the death of an elderly widow, but while the medical examiner rules the death a heart attack, Brunetti feels that there is something more going on in the latest in the Venetian series.

_____. A Question of Belief (Png, 15.00) Apr. Commissario Guido Brunetti is trying to leave Venice to join his family on vacation, but a brutal crime shocks the city and he’s forced to investigate.

Mackenzie, Jassy. Random Violence (Soho, 14.00) Apr. PI Jade de Jong returns to her South African home after ten years in England, and agrees to help a former police colleague of her father’s in the investigationof a fatal car-jacking in the first of a gritty new series.

_____. Stolen Lives (Soho, 25.00) Apr. Johannesburg PI Jade de Jong is hired as a bodyguard by a wealthy woman after her husband disappears, but when he is found horrifically tortured and barely alive, Jade realizes that the case is more dangerous than she had first thought.

Manchette, Jean-Patrick. Fatale (NYRB, 12.95) May. A tense and blackly funny noir thriller about a young hit-woman who has killed seven men plus her husband.

McCall Smith, Alexander. The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party (RH, 24.95) Mar. Mma Ramotswe’s case–finding the identity of the culprit who maimed two of her client’s cattle—takes backseat to the preparations for Grace Makutsi’ wedding in the latest in the charming series set in Botswana.

Nesbø, Jo. The Snowman (RH, 25.95) May. Oslo Inspector Harry Hole is faced with a chilling case when a headless corpse is found inside a snowman in a suburban yard after a woman disappears.

Temple, Peter. Truth (STM, 15.00) May. The head of homicide in Melbourne has a full agenda, including family problems, but he finds himself immersed in an unfamiliar world of political scandal. Highly recommended.

Weiss, Jan Merete. These Dark Things (Soho, 25.00) May. A debut mystery set in Naples, where the discovery of the body of a college student found in the catacombs among the bones, leads to an investigation by Captain Natalia Monte of the Carabinieri, who finds links between the death, a lecherous professor, religious shrines, and the Camorra, the brutal Neapolitan criminal organization.

Zimmerman, David. The Sand Box (Soho, 14.00) Apr. When a deadly ambush touches off events that put him in the center of a wide-reaching conspiracy, a young soldier in a remote fortress in Iraq must figure out the links between an abandoned toy factory, a feral child, a secretive member of military intelligence, and a group of insurgents in order to survive.

February/March 2011

New and Forthcoming in Hardcover

Aird, Catherine. Past Tense (STM, 25.99) Mar. DCI Sloan and DC Crosby investigate the murder of a young girl that is connected to the recent death of a respectable woman with dark secrets.

Allan, Barbara. Antiques Knock-Off (Kens, 22.00) Mar. Brandy Borne knows that her eccentric mother didn’t kill the busy-body woman at the clock shop, but she doesn’t know that her mother is protecting someone else.

Alpert, Mark. The Armageddon Theory (SS, 24.99) In the second scientific thriller in the high-action, high-IQ series, a science historian and his quantum physicist wife must rescue their genius adopted son who has been kidnapped by a cult militia looking for the knowledge of Einstein’s Final Theory, a set of equations that explains the forces of nature in creation—and destruction.

Atherton, Nancy. Aunt Dimity and the Family Tree (Vik, 24.95) Feb. In this charming portrayal of English village life, the estate that Lori Shepherd’s Boston father-in-law has renovated appears to be haunted, and Lori must call on Aunt Dimity’s help to solve the mystery.

Atkinson, Kate. Started Early, Took my Dog (LB, 24.99) Mar. A retired police detective makes a sudden decision to save a small child from an abusive situation, but her action has grave consequences for both her and the child. Atkinson is fantastic, and this is highly recommended.

Bass, Jefferson. The Bone Yard (HC, 24.99) Mar. Dr. Bill Brockton is called in to investigate human remains on the grounds of a Florida reform school for boys.

Beaton, M.C. Death of a Chimney Sweep (GC, 24.99) Feb. When a body is found stuffed in a chimney, the local chimney sweep becomes the chief suspect, but Hamish Macbeth is doubtful, especially when he comes across the chimney sweep’s body on the Scottish moors.

Boyd, Noah. Agent X (Morrow, 24.99) Feb. Steve Vail is asked by the FBI Director to come back to find a Russian mole in the Agency in a suspenseful and clever game of cat-and-mouse. I really enjoyed this.

Brockovich, Erin with C.J. Lyons. Rock Bottom (Vngd, 25.95) Mar. An environmental activist attorney returns to the West Virginia hometown she left as a pregnant teenager to work against the large mining companies that are destroying the area, but when her new boss is found dead and his daughter is threatened she must save herself and her child.

Brockmann, Suzanne. Breaking the Rules (Ball, 26.00) Mar. A Navy Seal and his estranged wife reconcile to rescue her teenaged brother from an abusive situation and soon find themselves rescuing another boy from a dangerous Las Vegas crime ring.

Cain, Chelsea. The Night Season (STM, 24.99) Mar. Portland detective Archie Sheridan is faced with a new serial killer when what appeared to be accidental drownings turn out to be murders—someone had poisoned the victims before their bodies entered the water.

Childs, Laura. Scones and Bones (Brk, 25.95) Mar. During a Heritage Society fundraiser an intern is murdered during the theft of an antique diamond ring in the shape of a skull, so Theodosia investigates.

Coben, Harlan. Live Wire (Dutton, 27.95) Mar. Sports agent Myron Bolitar is asked by his very pregnant tennis star client to find her missing husband, fearing that vicious Internet rumors about the baby’s parentage have driven him away.

Coonts, Deborah. Lucky Stiff (STM, 24.99) Feb. Lucky O’Toole, head of Customer Relations at a mega-resort on the Las Vegas Strip, is dealing with business as usual—a naked DA in the laundry room, an eccentric French chef—when she discovers the body of a bookie in the shark tank in the second in this funny series.

Cumming, Charles. The Trinity Six (STM, 24.99) Mar. When an academic with a speciality in modern Russian history is left an uncompleted manuscript by a colleague who dies suddenly, he is plunged into the mystery of the unknown sixth man who was part of the Cambridge Spy Ring along with Kim Philby, a mystery that becomes increasingly dangerous to him and to those few remaining who have a direct connection to the sixth man.

Cussler, Clive with Jack du Brul. The Jungle (Put, 27.95) Mar. Cabrillo and his crew become involved in the disappearance of a woman in northern Thailand that is tied to a devastating new weapon developed by the Chinese.

Cutler, Judith. Ring of Guilt (SH, 28.95) Feb. Antique dealer Lina Townend discovers the body of a man while driving, but when the police arrive, the body has disappeared in the third of this entertaining series.

Dorsey, Tim. Electric Barracuda (HC, 24.99) Feb. Serge Storms and Coleman leave a string of artistically murdered bodies as they try to help Serge’s grandfather’s gang find their missing money in an adventure that leads them to Al Capone’s trail in the Everglades. A funny series, filled with Florida trivia.

Ellis, David. Breach of Trust (Put, 25.95) Feb. In the second legal thriller to feature Jason Kolarich, he is blackmailed into working undercover on a dangerous case of local government corruption. A smart, compelling page turner.

Fairstein, Linda. Silent Mercy (Dutton, 26.95) Mar. NYC assistant DA Alex Cooper is faced with a series of murders taking place at major religious sites all over the city.

Fforde, Jasper. One of Our Thursdays is Missing (Vik, 25.95) Mar. The fictional Thursday takes the place of the real Thursday to deal with a border dispute between Racy Novel and Women’s Fiction in the latest punny Book World novel.

Gardner, Lisa. Love You More (BDD, 26.00) Mar. Boston PD Sgt. D.D. Warren looks into what appears to be a clear-cut homicide case--a state trooper shot and killed her abusive husband--but D.D finds that nothing is straightforward and the trooper isn’t talking.

Fielding, Joy. Now You See Her (SS, 25.99) Feb. A recently-divorced woman visiting Ireland thinks that she has seen her daughter who was killed in a canoe accident two years before, and goes on a search to find the truth of what happened.

Fluke, Joanne. The Devil’s Food Cake Murder (Kens, 24.00) Mar. Hannah Swenson investigates when the substitute minister is found dead, and she discovers that he’s much less of an angel than he led people to believe.

Goldberg, Lee. Mr. Monk on the Road (NAL, 22.95) Jan. Monk decides to help his agoraphobic brother by taking him on a road trip, but as crimes pop up along the way, Monk can’t help becoming involved until a murderer decides to turn their trip into a highway to hell.

Grimes, Martha. Fadeaway Girl (Vik, 26.95) Feb. When 12-year-old cub reporter Emma Graham decides to look into a 20-year-old kidnapping with overtones of the Lindbergh case, she doesn’t realize that her investigation will lead to sudden death for one of the principals.

Harris, Charlaine. A Bone to Pick (Brk, 25.95) Mar. A hardcover reissue of the second in the series featuring Aurora Teagarden.

Harrison, Kim. Pale Demon (HC, 24.99) Mar. Bounty hunter Rachel Morgan must overturn a death sentence, outwit a demon assassin, and endure a cross-country road trip with a vampire, an elf, and a pixie in the latest in this kick-ass fantasy series.

Hayder, Mo. Gone (Grove, 23.00) Feb. DI Jack Cafferty’s newest case appears to be a simple car-jacking until he realizes that the thief was after the eleven-year-old girl in the backseat, and as police diver Flea Marley investigates an abandoned, half submerged tunnel, she finds evidence that the thief will strike again.

Henry, Sara. J. Learning to Swim (RH, 24.00) Feb. When a writer sees a little boy fall from a ferry boat on Lake Champlain, she dives in to rescue him and discovers that he and his mother were victims of a kidnapping in which his mother was killed in an impressive debut with an engaging protagonist.

Higgins, Jack. The Judas Gate (Put, 26.95) Jan. A former IRA terrorist is sent to Afghanistan when it appears that British-born Muslims are joining the jihad using IRA tactics against the enemies of the Taliban.

Hinger, Charlotte. Lethal Lineage (PP, 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp) Mar. In the second in this series set in western Kansas, undersheriff Lottie Albright is faced the poisoning death of the local Episcopal rector in an investigation that causes ill will among the local society families.

Hoffman, Cara. So Much Pretty (SS, 25.00) Mar. A compelling novel of violence and vengeance set in a small upstate New York town, told from the point of view of an investigative reporter and a family of environmental activists. Strong characters, controversial issues, and lyrical writing make this debut a standout that will leave you thinking about it long after you’ve finished.

Holman, Sheri. Witches on the Road Tonight (Grove, 24.00) Mar. A man whose mother was known for sorcery in the rural Appalachian town where he grows up, moves to New York, where his daughter begins to show signs that the family legacy is still in force in a wonderfully scary gothic story.

Houston, Victoria. Dead Deceiver (Tyrus, 24.95) Feb. When a Loon Lake resident finds his wife dead from a gunshot, the sheriff and her retired dentist boyfriend search for the killer while hunting for the person who is stalking the president of the local college.

Jance, J. A. Fatal Error (SS, 25.99) Feb 1. When a cyber-sociopath is murdered all the women who were his victims become suspects, including Ali Reynolds’ old friend from her California broadcasting days, so Ali takes leave from her job with the Yavapai Sheriff’s Department to prevent a miscarriage of justice, putting herself in the sights of a remorseless killer.

Knopf, Chris. Bad Bird (STM, 25.99) Feb. In the second case for attorney Jackie Swaitkowski, she investigates the death of a female pilot whose passenger list is filled with Hamptons high society.

Lansdale, Joe R. Hyenas (Subterranean, 25.00) Feb. A novella and a short story featuring East Texas knights-errant Leonard and Hap with the two rescuing a young man who is part of a gang of bank robbers who are being murdered. Lansdale is wonderfully funny and wonderfully violent.

_____. Devil Red (Knopf, 24.95) Mar. The East Texas crime-fighting duo of Hap (white and straight) and Leonard (black and gay) look into a series of unsolved murders and discover a devil’s head scrawled in blood at the crime scene, the tag of a serial killer know as Devil Red, who comes hunting them. I love this series that will keep you laughing through the blood spatters.

Manfredo, Lou. Rizzo’s Fire (STM, 24.99) Mar. Brooklyn PD investigator Joe Rizzo and his new partner are assigned the case of a murdered man whose solitary existence provides them few clues until they find a connection to the high-profile murder of a Broadway producer.

Mariani, Scott. The Mozart Conspiracy (SS, 24.99) Mar. A debut thriller featuring a British SAS officer who is asked by an opera singer to investigate the death of her brother who was working on a new book about Mozart that revealed that Mozart may have been killed by a shadowy splinter group of Freemasons, a still-extant group that will stop at nothing to hide the truth of its existence.

McEuen, Paul. Spiral (Dial, 25.00) Mar. When a Nobel-Prize winning Cornell biology professor jumps into a gorge, his granddaughter and colleague discover that he was murdered by a ruthless killer who plots to unleash a doomsday weapon based on his research. A taut thriller with cutting edge science and a cast of appealing characters.

McKevett, G. A. A Decadent Way to Die (Kens, 24.00) Feb. PI Savannah Reid is hired to protect an octogenarian businesswoman who is the target of murder attempts, and when two of the many friends and family members who want her dead are found murdered, the case becomes more complex.

McLean, Russel D. The Lost Sister (STM, 24.99) Mar. In the second in this Scottish noir series, PI J. McNee is called in to find a missing teenaged girl whose godfather is a known criminal and whose mother is hiding a dark secret.

Mosley, Walter. When the Thrill is Gone (Png, 26.95) Mar. NYC PI Leonid McGill accepts a case from the wife of a billionaire who claims to be afraid that her husband is having an affair and wants to kill her, even though he is sure the woman is lying in another complex mystery rich in characterization.

O’Donovan, Gerard. The Priest (SS, 25.00) Mar. The first in a new series featuring Dublin police inspector Mike Mulcahy who returns after a posting with Europol in Spain to a case where an attack on the daughter of a foreign politician is the first in a series of increasingly violent attacks on young women culminating in murder as he searches for a religion-obsessed serial killer.

Palmer, Daniel. Delirious (Kens, 25.00) Feb. A debut suspense thriller about a techno-genius who becomes a murder suspect as his employers are picked off one by one, and finds himself enlisting the help of his schizophrenic brother.

Palmer, Michael. A Heartbeat Away (STM, 27.99) Feb. When the President and his cabinet are infected by a virus unleashed by a terrorist group, a virologist is called in to help save the government in a suspenseful medical thriller.

Parks, Brad. Eyes of the Innocent (STM, 24.99) Feb. Investigative reporter is assigned the story of an arson fire in Newark that kills two young boys, but the story is not what it first appears, and he uncovers evidence of political corruption and urban house flipping.

Patterson, James and Michael Ledwidge. Mercedes Blue (LB, 27.99) Mar. NYPD detective Michael Bennett is facing a serious problem when a bomber targets Manhattan, and he must join forces with an FBI agent to stop the destruction.

Pearson, A.Scott. Public Anatomy (Oceanview, 25.95) Mar. In this medical thriller, a surgeon working at a community hospital in Memphis is asked by the FBI to look into two deaths from robotic surgery done by a doctor who had interned with him a decade before.

Picoult, Jodi. Sing You Home (SS, 28.00) Mar. A music therapist and her lover want to use frozen embryos from her and her ex-husband, but he has joined a strongly anti-homosexual church and refuses his permission in a readable page-turner complete with music.

Pittard, Hannah. The Fates Will Find their Way (HC, 24.99) Feb. A fascinating and beguiling debut about the disappearance of a sixteen-year-old girl, imagining possible scenarios and ultimately focusing on the effect the disappearance has had on those who knew her. This is not a whodunit as much as a look at the consequences of crime on those nearby.

Preston, Douglas and Lincoln Child. Gideon’s Sword (GC, 26.99) Feb. The first in a new series featuring a man whose act of vengeance against his father’s killer catapults him into the life of a rogue operative whose mission is to find a Chinese scientist and steal the plans he is carrying for a new weapon of mass destruction.

Rankin, Ian. The Complaints (LB, 24.99) Mar. The first in a new series featuring a cop who works in the department that investigates other policemen whose new case involves a dirty cop and a vicious murder.

Robb, J.D. Treachery in Death (Put, 26.95) Feb. NYPD Lt. Eve Dallas and her squad take on corrupt cops in a fast-paced dance of well-matched opponents in the 33^rd in the series.

Robertson, Michael. The Brothers of Baker Street (STM, 24.99) Mar. In the second in this series, the two barristers at 21 Baker Street who keep getting mail addressed to Sherlock Holmes are helping a cabdriver accused of murdering two American tourists when a letter arrives from a man claiming to be the descendent of Professor Moriarty.

Rosenfelt, David. On Borrowed Time (STM, 24.99) Feb. When his fiancée disappears after an accident, a man finds that she has vanished without a trace of having existed at all.

Sharp, Zoë. Fourth Day (Peg, 25.00) Feb. Charlie Fox agrees to go undercover in a California cult after an attempt to extricate a cult member goes very wrong leading to the death of three men. If you like smart, tough-as-nails female protagonists, this is the series for you. Highly recommended.

Stabenow, Dana. Though Not Dead (STM, 25.99) Feb. The latest in the Kate Shugak series features scenes from Alaska history as Kate is tasked by her uncle’s will to find his father, a man who disappeared with a priceless tribal artifact, a search that leads her into danger.

Stuckey-French, Elizabeth. The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady (BDD, 24.95) Feb. A wildly funny novel featuring a 77-year-old would be assassin who, with her Welsh corgi, Buster, decides to kill the scientist who gave her a radioactive cocktail fifty years earlier, but when she goes undercover, she gets to know his eccentric family and begins to have doubts about taking revenge.

Sturges, P.G. Shortcut Man (SS, 24.00) Feb. An intelligent, darkly funny debut novel set in Los Angeles featuring a man who specializes in solving problems in ways that might not be legal, and who when asked to discover if a porn producer’s wife is cheating on him is surprised to find that she is in fact his girlfriend. Highly recommended.

Tapply, William G, The Nomination (Skyhorse, 24.95) Feb. Tapply’s final novel is a thriller about a man nominated for the Supreme Court who decides that the best way to deal with a dirty secret in his past—a wife and daughter he abandoned in Vietnam—is to eliminate it by having them both killed.

Taylor, Brad. One Rough Man (Png, 25.95) Feb. A debut thriller that begins when one of a secret government anti-terror force rescues a college student from two mysterious hitmen, only to discover that her archaeologist uncle is in danger in Guatemala where Arab terrorists are after an ancient Mayan weapon of mass destruction he has discovered.

Waite, Urban. The Terror of Living (LB, 24.99) Feb. A debut literary thriller set in the state of Washington where a horse dealer who engages in a little smuggling and the lawman who is after him find themselves joining forces when a delivery goes awry and a hired killer comes after them both.

White, Randy Wayne. Night Vision (Put, 25.95) Feb. When a young Guatemalan girl with miraculous abilities is kidnapped by a Florida trailer-park owner fearing that she can implicate him in murder, Doc Ford and Tomlinson search for the two, but a menacing gangbanger stands in the way.

Whittle, Tina. The Dangerous Edge of Things (PP, 24.95 hc, 14.95tp) Feb. A debut cozy mystery set in Atlanta, where a recent Savannah transplant discovers a dead young woman in a car parked across the street from her psychologist brother’s house, with his card clutched in her hand.

Wilhelm, Kate. Heaven is High (STM, 24.99) Feb. A first-rate legal thriller about an attorney who goes to Belize to help out an illegal immigrant woman married to a former pro football player who is facing deportation.

Wimberley, Darryl. Devil’s Slew (STM, 25.99) Mar. Special Agent Raines is called in when a diver in the Gulf of Mexico finds a canvas bag containing two severed heads in the latest in this southern noir series set in the Florida panhandle.

Yancey, Richard. The Highly Effective Detective Crosses the Line (STM, 24.99) Feb. In the fourth in this comic series PI Teddy Ruzak is faced with an impossible dilemma when a psychopath targets his Gal Friday.

New and Forthcoming in Paperback Reprint

Allan, Barbara. Antiques Bizarre (Kens, 6.99) Feb.

Atherton, Nancy. Aunt Dimity Down Under (Png, 7.99) Feb.

Bass, Jefferson. The Bone Thief (HC, 9.99) Feb.

Berenson, Alex. The Midnight House (Brk, 9.99) Feb.

Bernhardt, William. Capitol Betrayal (Ball, 7.99) Mar.

Brockmann, Suzanne. Hot Pursuit (Ball, 7.99) Mar.

Brown, Rita Mae. Cat of the Century (BDD, 7.99) Feb.

Burke, Jan. The Messenger (Pkt, 7.99) Mar.

Childs, Laura. The Teaberry Strangler (Brk, 7.99) Mar.

Coben, Harlan. Caught (NAL, 9.99) Mar.

Conant-Park, Jessica and Susan Conant. Cook the Books (Brk, 7.99) Feb.

Coonts, Deborah. Wanna Get Lucky? (STM, 7.99) Feb.

Cussler, Clive with Jack Du Brul. The Silent Sea (Brk, 9.99) Mar.

Daheim, Mary. The Alpine Uproar (Ball, 7.99) Mar. Finally!

Dekker, Ted. The Bride Collector (GC, 7.99) Mar.

Doetsch, Richard. The Thieves of Darkness (Pkt, 7.99) Mar.

Fairstein, Linda. Hell Gate (NAL, 9.99) Mar.

Finder, Joseph. High Crimes (STM, 9.99) Mar. Reissue.

Fielding, Joy. The Wild Zone (Pkt, 7.99) Feb.

Fletcher, Jessica and Donald Bain. Murder She Wrote: Nashville Noir (NAL, 6.99) Mar.

Fluke, Joanne. Apple Turnover Murder (Kens, 6.99) Feb.

Freeman, Brian. The Burying Place (STM, 7.99) Mar.

George, Elizabeth. This Body of Death (HC, 9.99) Feb.

Graysmith, Robert. The Girl in Alfred Hitchcock’s Shower (Brk, 7.99) Feb.

Green, Tim. False Convictions (GC, 7.99) Feb.

Grippando, James. Money to Burn (HC, 9.99) Feb.

Gross, Andrew. Reckless (HC, 9.99) Mar.

Grimes, Martha. The Black Cat (NAL, 9.99) Feb.

Hess, Joan. The Merry Wives of Maggody (STM, 7.99) Feb.

Higgins, Jack. The Wolf at the Door (Brk, 9.99) Feb.

Hogan, Chuck. Devils in Exile (Pkt, 7.99) Feb.

Kellerman, Jesse. The Executor (Brk, 9.99) Mar.

Kellerman, Jonathan. Deception (Ball, 9.99) Mar.

Levine, Paul. Illegal (BDD, 7.99) Feb.

Lowell, Elizabeth. Death Echo (HC, 7.99) Feb.

Lustbader, Eric van. Last Snow (STM, 9.99) Mar.

Lutz, Lisa. The Spellmans Strike Again (Pkt, 7.99) Feb.

Lynds, Gayle. The Book of Spies (STM, 9.99) Mar.

Margolin, Phillip. Supreme Justice (HC, 9.99) Feb.

Meier, Leslie. The St Patrick’s Day Murder (Kens, 6.99) Mar. Reissue.

Morrison, Boyd. The Ark (Pkt, 7.99) Feb.

Parker, Robert B. Split Image (Brk, 9.99) Feb.

Patterson, James and Maxine Paetro. Swimsuit (GC, 9.99) Feb.

Patterson, Richard North. Silent Witness (STM, 9.99) Feb. Reissue.

Rosenfelt, David. Down to the Wire (STM, 9.99) Feb.

Rosett, Sara. Mint Juleps, Mayhem, and Murder (Kens, 6.99) Mar.

Slaughter, Karin. Broken (BDD, 7.99) Feb.

Spindler, Erica. Blood Vines (STM, 7.99) Feb.

Thompson, Keith. Once a Spy (BDD, 7.99) Feb.

White, Randy Wayne. Deep Shadow (Brk, 9.99) Mar.

Williams, Walter Jon. This is not a Game (GC, 7.99) Feb.

New and Forthcoming in Paperback Original

Aaronovitch, Ben. Midnight Riot (Ball, 7.99) Feb and Moon Over Soho (Ball, 7.99) Mar. Two fun and funny paranormal urban fantasies featuring a rookie London policeman with a magical ability apprenticed to the last wizard in England.

Adams, Ellery. A Deadly Cliché (Brk, 7.99) Mar. In the second cozy mystery featuring a sleuthing writer’s group investigating when a dead body is tied to a series of burglaries with odd tableaux set up at the crime scenes, each representing a cliché.

Adams, Will. The Moses Quest (GC, 7.99) Mar. While searching for the Dead Sea Scrolls in Alexandria, archaeologist Daniel Knox is accused of the violent murder of a senior Egyptian archaeologist, and while he languishes in a jail cell, he receives word that his partner has been kidnapped in Amarna. An entertaining thriller that combines action and archaeology.

Alderman, P.J. Ghost Ship (BDD, 7.99) Mar. A paranormal mystery featuring a woman who only wants to remodel her coastal Washington house, but finds herself investigating the long-ago murder of an infamous pirate. The first in the series was Haunting Jordan.

Bartlett, Lorraine. A Crafty Killing (Brk, 7.99) Feb. The first in a new cozy series set in a city artisan section, featuring Katie Bonner who becomes the manager of the struggling Victoria Square after her business partner is murdered. As Lorna Barrett the author writes the Booktown series.

Battles, Brett. The Silenced (BDD, 7.99) Mar. Quinn, who cleans up crime scene and disposes of dead bodies, is hired by a London-based client to clean up after several assassinations, he finds himself the target of a group trying to stop the killings, causing him to doubt his client’s motives.

Brennan, Allison. Kiss Me, Kill Me (Ball, 7.99) Mar. The second in the FBI trilogy featuring Lucy Kincaid.

Byerrum, Ellen. Shot Through Velvet (NAL, 6.99) Feb. After fashion reporter Lacey finds the body of one of the owners of a velvet factory while researching a story on the closing of the factory, she becomes the target of someone who leaves blue velvet ribbons all over.

Dare, Lila. Polished Off (Brk, 7.99) Feb. When the organizer of the Miss Magnolia Blossom beauty pageant is murdered in Grace Terhune’s beauty salon with a nail file, Grace must save her manicurist from a murder charge even as she fends off frantic contestants, their hysterical mothers, and anti-pageant protestors in the second in a funny, cozy series.

Evans, Christy. Drip Dead (Brk, 6.99) Feb. When plumber’s apprentice Georgiana Neverall crawls under her mother’s house to check the pipes, she discovers the body of her mother’s real estate tycoon fiancé, and soon her mother is trading a diamond ring for handcuffs when she is accused of his murder.

Haywood, B.B. Town in a Lobster Stew (Brk, 7.99) Feb. In the second of this food-themed cozy set in Maine, Candy must discover who has stolen the winning recipe in the annual Lobster Stew Cook-Off, a search that becomes more serious when the seven-time champion disappears.

Johnston, Linda O. Beaglemania (Brk, 7.99) Mar. The first book in a new cozy series featuring the head of a no-kill animal rescue north of Los Angeles who rescues four beagle puppies from a notorious puppy mill, only to be threatened by one of the mill’s employees who is later found dead.

Kelly, Sofie. Curiosity Thrilled the Cat (NAL, 6.99) Feb. In the first in a new cat cozy, a small-town Minnesota librarian adopts two stray cats, but when she is accused of murder during the Music Festival, she discovers that the cats are magical and they will solve the purr-fect murder.

Kelner, Toni L.P. Blast from the Past (Brk, 6.99) Feb. When an action star is almost run down, his former partner on a Saturday morning kid’s show—who is now driving a limo—becomes the chief suspect in the third in this fun celebrity series featuring Tilda Harper.

Lavene, Joyce and Jim. A Touch of Gold (Brk, 7.99) Mar. In the second in the series, a museum curator with a gift for finding lost things uses her gift and the help of an ex-FBI agent to find the murderer of the head curator, killed by a buccaneer out to steal a treasure chest of gold.

Lawrence, Lucy. Sealed with a Kill (Brk, 6.99) Mar. When decoupager Brenna Miller gets stuck as a tour guide for a group of leaf peepers, things go from bad to worse when they discover a dead body.

Lee, Amanda. Stitch Me Deadly (NAL, 6.99) Feb. When an elderly woman brings a piece of antique embroidery into the shop and promptly dies of unnatural causes, Maggie must stitch together the clues to catch a crafty killer.

McCoy, Judi. Begging for Trouble (NAL, 6.99) Mar. NYC dog walker Ellie must use her psychic powers when the only witness to a backstage murder is a dog named Bitsy.

Myers, Tamar. The Glass is Always Greener (HC, 7.99) Feb. The final installment of the Den of Antiquity series finds Abby in more trouble than ever before.

Orgain, Diana. Formula for Murder (Brk, 7.99) Mar. When sleuth Kate Connolly and her baby are the victims of a hit-and-run, she discovers that the car had French diplomatic plates and that something dirty and deadly is going on at the French consulate.

Rayne, Sarah. House of the Lost (IPG, 9.99) Mar. A brilliant psychological thriller about a novelist who moves to the isolated cottage her inherited from his murdered cousin, but the cottage is haunted, both by his cousin and a young boy whose story begins influencing the novel that he is writing.

Shelton, Paige. Fruit of all Evil (Brk, 7.99) Mar. In the second in the cozy Farmer’s Market series, Becca must shut the lid on a canny killer when a murder takes place in the market during a wedding.

Stanton, Mary. Angel’s Verdict (Brk, 7.99) Feb. Celestial advocate Brianna Winston-Beaufort is ready to get back to practicing law in the land of the living, but her newest client, an elderly actress who wants to change her will drags her right back into other-worldly problems.

Swanson, Denise. Murder of a Bookstore Babe (NAL, 6.99) Mar. School psychologist Skye Dennison discovers a body crushed by a fallen bookcase in Scumble River’s new bookstore.

Warner, Penny. How to Survive a Killer Séance (NAL, 6.99) Mar. San Francisco party planner Presley Parker investigates a murder at a séance party and doesn’t need a Quija board to know that someone is trying to scare her to death.

Webber, Heather. Absolutely, Positively (STM, 7.99) Feb. Lucy Valentine, matchmaker extraordinaire, returns in another clever paranormal mystery.

New and Forthcoming in Quality Paperback

Aaronovitch, David. Voodoo Histories (Png, 16.00) Jan. A well-researched and often hilarious look at the century’s major conspiracy theorists and their theories, from Pearl Harbor to 9/11 to the Birthers.

Ault, Sandi. Wild Penance (Brk, 14.00) Feb. BLM agent Jamaica Wild becomes involved with the New Mexico group known as Los Penitentes when she sees a crucified man fall to his death.

Boyajian, Michelle. Lies of the Heart (Png, 15.00) Mar. A tale of psychological suspense centering on a woman whose husband was shot to death by one of his mentally handicapped students.

Challinor, C.S. Murder on the Moor (MidInk, 14.95) Mar. Scottish barrister Rex Graves is entertaining at his Victorian lodge on a loch near where a serial killer is targeting young girls, and when his guests are trapped by a storm, a drowned body surfaces in the loch in a classic detective puzzler.

Childers, Erskine. The Riddle of the Sands (Png, 12.00) Feb. A classic story of espionage and adventure set in the early part of the twentieth century featuring a Secret Service agent who must thwart the Kaiser’s plan to invade England.

Dorsey, Tim. Gator A Go-Go (HC, 14.99) Feb. Serge Storms and Coleman take on Florida’s Spring Break in another loony adventure.

Fforde, Jasper. Shades of Grey (Png, 15.00) Mar. A fascinating and funny story set in a near-future where everyone’s social status is regulated by the ability to perceive color, and the cruelty of the regime is hidden behind a gaily painted façade. I loved this.

Ford, Michael Thomas. Jane Goes Batty (Ball, 14.00) Things go from bad to worse for poor Jane Austen when a Hollywood film crew arrives in her small upstate New York town to begin filming her new novel, and then the Jane Austen society decides to meet there too in the second in this funny series featuring Jane Austen, vampire bookseller.

Goddard, Robert. Found Wanting (BDD, 15.00) Mar. When his ex-wife asks him to deliver an attaché case to her “other” ex, a London civil servant finds himself embroiled in an adventure that sends him all over Europe dodging assassins while trying to protect the satchel that may contain secret documents related to the Romanovs.

Goodman, Carol. Arcadia Falls (Ball, 15.00) Mar. When a recently-widowed woman moves with her teen-aged daughter to teach at an isolated private school, she discovers dark secrets, secrets that lead to murder in a nicely-spooky academic mystery.

Groundwater, Beth. Deadly Currents (MidInk, 14.95) Mar. A debut cozy featuring a seasonal river ranger in Colorado, who investigates when two people are swept overboard on a whitewater rafting trip, threatening her uncle’s outfitting business.

Hamilton, Steve. The Lock Artist (STM, 14.99) Mar. A damaged young man who hasn’t spoken a single word in ten years and who has an uncanny ability to open even the most impossible locks decides to confront the secret of his past. Highly recommended.

Hart, Erin. The False Mermaid (SS, 15.00) Mar. Pathologist Nora Gavin returns to Minnesota to re-open the case of her murdered sister, but the case of a young woman who died a century ago in Ireland offers uncanny parallels.

Hart, John. The King of Lies (STM, 14.99) Feb. A reissue of the first-rate debut novel, an atmospheric southern mystery.

Hayder, Mo. Skin (Grove, 13.00) Feb. DI Jack Cafferty is investigating a series of deaths that appear to be suicides, but he finds that they all have a connection to a network of flooded quarries outside of the city, so he calls in police diver Flea Marley to help. Excellent.

Hill, Joe. Horns (HC, 14.99) Mar. A man whose beloved fiancée was murdered awakes after a drunken night to discover that he has horns growing out of his forehead, horns that give him special powers that he’ll use to find the killer.

Hill, Susan. The Vows of Silence (Png, 13.95) Feb. The latest in the excellent police procedural series featuring DI Simon Serrailler.

Houston, Charlie. Sleepless (Ball, 15.00) Jan. An LA cop trying to stop the black-market trafficking in a drug to stop sleeplessness, a grave affliction that is often fatal suffered by his own wife, discovers a conspiracy on the part of the company that manufactures the drug in a thriller set in the near future.

Jaffarian, Sue Anne. Ghost in the Polka Dot Bikini (MidInk, 14.95) Feb. In the second paranormal cozy to feature ghost whisperer Emma Whitecastle and her ghostly granny, she is visited by the ghost of a young starlet who died on Catalina Island in 1968, and her attempts to find out more about the death leads to a murder.

Kasischke, Laura. The Raising (HC, 14.99) Mar. The accidental death of a young college student has left her teachers, her sorority sisters, and the young student involved all devastated, including the fellow student who calls the local paper claiming that the girl is not dead.

Lelic, Simon. A Thousand Cuts (Png, 15.00) Feb. A powerful debut novel about a Birmingham police officer investigating a horrific school shooting in which a teacher killed three students, another teacher, and himself.

Loweecey, Alice. Force of Habit (MidInk, 14.95) Feb. A former nun, now working for a PI firm is assigned to discover who is stalking a wealthy man and his socialite fiancée in a case with five former girlfriends as suspects, one of whom will murder to stop the nuptials.

McCarry, Charles. Shelley’s Heart (Png, 14.95) Feb. A scary political thriller that is eerily prescient when the first presidential election of the twenty-first century is stolen through computer fraud, creating life-or-death struggles for the political soul of America.

Meyers, Randy Susan. The Murderer’s Daughters (STm, 14.99) Feb. A powerful debut novel about two sisters who must deal with emotional impact of their father’s murder of their mother when they were children and the possibility that he will be paroled from prison.

Moore, Christopher. Bite Me (HC, 15.00) Mar. A giant shaved vampire cat named Chet is menacing San Francisco and only Goth girl Abby Normal and her love-monkey boyfriend can save the city in the latest hilarious adventure.

Mosley, Walter. Known to Evil (Png, 15.00) Feb. NYC PI Leonid McGill is hired to check up on a vulnerable woman, but when he finds her missing and a bloody crime scene, his client suddenly doesn’t want her found.

O’Grady, Rohan. Let’s Kill Uncle (STM, 14.00) Mar. When a recently orphaned boy is sent to live with his uncle on a remote island off the Canadian coast, he soon realizes that his uncle has millions of reasons to want him dead for his inheritance, so he joins forces with a local girl who suggests that the best defense is a good offense in a sinisterly funny classic.

Parks, Brad. Faces of the Gone (STM, 14.99) Feb. A hard-boiled debut with a nice sense of humor set in Newark, featuring investigative reporter Carter Ross, who together with his city editor, a gay Cuban intern, and a local stripper investigates when four bodies are found.

Penny, Louise. A Fatal Grace (STM, 13.99) Feb. A reissue of the second in the wonderful series set in Quebec. Highly recommended.

Rice, Christopher. The Moonlit Earth (SS, 15.00) Feb. A psychological thriller about a woman who must save her brother’s life and reputation when he accused of being involved in a terrorist act.

Scottoline, Lisa. Think Twice (STM, 14.99) Feb. Bennie Rosato’s identical twin takes over her life—going as far as seducing her boyfriend—but Bennie vows to stop her, and in so doing realizes that she herself is more like her evil sister than she ever wanted to realize.

Sharp, Zoë. Road Kill (Busted Flush, 15.00) Feb. Charlie Fox, recuperating from her first bodyguard assignment in the US, returns home to England where she is immediately caught up in a friend’s fatal bike crash.

Smith, Craig. Cold Rain (IPG, 12.95) Feb. An English college professor returns from his sabbatical to discover that he has been accused of sexually harassing two of his students, and when he begins to investigate, one of the alleged victims is found dead.

Thurlo, Aimée and David. Earthway (STM, 14.99) Mar. Ella Clah vows to do what she must when a fellow Navajo police officer is injured in a violent attack by environmental activists against a nuclear power plant being built on the Reservation.

Trent, Gayle. Murder Takes the Cake (SS, 15.00) Feb. In a debut mystery set in a small town in Virginia, a cake decorator must find a murderer after she goes to deliver a spice cake to the town’s biggest gossip and discovers her murdered body.

Wendelboe, C.M. Death Along the Spirit Road (Brk, 14.00) Mar. The first in a new series featuring a Native American FBI agent who is sent to the Pine Ridge Reservation where he grew up when a land developer is found murdered. Highly recommended.

White, Kate. Hush (HC, 14.99) Feb. A woman involved in a vicious custody case with her ex-husband goes to work for a fertility clinic as a marketing director, and after she has a one-night stand with the director, she discovers his murdered body and herself in big trouble. Highly recommended.

Woodrell, Daniel. The Death of Sweet Mister (Busted Flush, 15.00) Mar. The reissue of a classic evocation of innocence lost by the master of chicken-fried noir.

Zeltserman, Dave. Outsourced (Serpent’s Tail, 14.95) Feb. Four unemployed software programmers in Massachusetts decides to take advantage of a glitch in a bank’s alarm system to pull a heist, but things go wrong when it turns out that one of the safe deposit boxes they robbed belonged to a member of the Russian mafia.

New and Forthcoming in International Mysteries

Berenson, Alex. The Secret Soldier (Put, 25.95) Feb. Former CIA agent John Wells is hired by the king of Saudi Arabia, who fears that the force behind the recent attack on a bar in Bahrain popular with Americans might be his own brother.

Berney, Lou. Gutshot Straight (HC, 14.99) Feb. A fresh and funny caper noel set in Panama, where a gambler and a mysterious—and not entirely trustworthy woman—hunt for a missing treasure worth millions. I loved this.

Black, Cara. Murder in the Palais Royal (Soho, 14.00) Mar. Paris private detective Aimée Leduc is the victim of identity theft when she comes under suspicion for the near-fatal shooting of her business partner and a large sum of money mysteriously appears in her business account in a case that is tied to her first case.

_____. Murder in Passy (Soho, 25.00) Mar. When Aimée is visiting her godfather’s girlfriend in Passy, an upscale Paris neighborhood, the woman is killed in a case with ties to the Basque terrorist group, ETA, and a kidnapped Spanish princess.

Cumming, Charles. Typhoon (STM, 14.99) Mar. A British SIS officer is in China trying to thwart the CIA in their plan to use an Islamic group to destabilize the country on the eve of the Olympics, and runs into his old nemesis, a CIA agent who had stolen his girlfriend years before.

Egeland, Tom. Relic (IPG, 19.95) Feb. The discovery of a Greek document that contains suppressed sayings of Jesus found at an archaeological dig in Norway is the catalyst for adventure when the site inspector takes the relic to keep it from being illegally shipped out of the country.

Gruber, Michael. The Good Son (STM, 14.99) Feb. When a group at a peace symposium are kidnapped by terrorists in Pakistan, a Jungian therapist becomes the de facto leader of the victims as she awaits rescue from her son, an ex-Delta soldier. Highly recommended.

Higashino, Keigo. The Devotion of Suspect X (STM, 24.99) Feb. The first English translation of a bestselling Japanese writer is a brilliant crime novel featuring a homicide detective who must match wits with a mathematics teacher who engineered the cover-up of a murder, a cover-up so brilliantly conceived and executed that the detective must call in a physics professor to puzzle out the truth.

Karapanou, Margarita. The Sleepwalker (IPG, 16.00) Jan. A police officer governs a Greek island filled with ex-patriot foreign artists as well as deception, intrigue, and mysticism in this prizewinning novel.

Kent, Graeme. Die Finish (Soho, 25.00) Feb. The first in a new series set in the Solomon Islands, featuring policeman Ben Kella who joins forces with a rebellious American nun when a series of bizarre murders strikes the islands. For fans of Colin Cotterill.

Mankell, Henning. Faceless Killers (BDD, 7.99) Feb. The first of the Swedish police procedural series featuring Kurt Wallander now in mass market.

_____. The Troubled Man (Knopf, 25.95) Mar. The final in the Kurt Wallander series is part detective story and part spy thriller as Wallander investigates the disappearance of an elderly man who had recently confided in him about a Cold War naval incident.

Marklund, Liza. Red Wolf (SS, 25.99) Feb. Swedish crime reporter Annika Bengtzon suspects that the murder of a journalist in a northern town is linked to an attack at an isolated air base, but further murders occur and her investigation leads her to suspect the honesty of her own husband. Marklund is great!

Myers, Tamar. The Headhunter’s Daughter (HC, 15.00) Feb. When a white girl is reportedly living among the Bashilele headhunters in the Belgian Congo, young American missionary Amanda Brown decides to investigate to see if the girl is the same Belgian who vanished as an infant in an engagingly devious mystery.

Nesbø, Jo. Devil’s Star (HC, 14.99) Feb. Oslo homicide detective Harry Hole is faced with a puzzling case of a killer who is killing and mutilating young woman, a case that appears to have a connection with a crooked colleague.

Obreht, Téa. The Tiger’s Wife (RH, 25.00) Mar. In a war-ravaged Balkan country a young doctor struggles to discover why her grandfather chose to die far from home and why he was searching for a mysterious man from his past, with her only clue a copy of Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book.

Rees, Matt Beynon. The Fourth Assassin (Soho, 14.00) Feb. While visiting his son in Brooklyn, Omar Yussaf discovers the beheaded body of a friend, and must investigate to save his son who is arrested for the murder.

Roslund, Anders and Börge Hellström. Three Seconds (Sterling, 24.95) Jan. Swedish police detective Ewart Grens takes the case when a member of the Polish mafia is murdered in a maximum security prison, putting in jeopardy police informer Piet Hoffmann who has gone in undercover to stop meth trafficking. For those who haven’t forgiven Stieg Larsson for dying.

Seymour, Gerald. The Collaborator (Png, 25.95) Feb. A Neapolitan woman decides to cooperate with the Italian authorities to bring to justice her criminal family, but when they kidnap a British friend and hold him hostage to stop her testimony, she must find him before he is murdered.

Shapiro, Elena Mauli. 13, rue Thérèse (Lb, 23.99) Feb. A wonderful debut novel that is an imaginative rendering of a Parisian woman’s life through a box of her possessions sent to a young American scholar working at a university in Paris, with postcards and letters allowing him to imagine her life against the background of WWI.

Small, Jeffrey. The Breath of God (PGW, 15.95) Mar. An adventure story set in the Himalayas featuring a graduate student of theology hunting for a manuscript that may change the face of religion, who encounters murders and kidnappings in a desperate chase through a cliffside monastery.

Solana, Teresa. A Short Cut to Paradise (Bitter Lemon, 14.95) Mar. When a bestselling author and media figure is battered to death with her trophy after winning a literary prize, the twin detectives are immersed in the murky waters of bookish Barcelona in another funny noir.

Steinhauer, Olen. The Nearest Exit (STM, 14.99) Mar. Reluctant CIA agent Milo Weaver is sent to Berlin with the assignment of killing the teenaged daughter of Moldavian immigrants, an assignment that he doesn’t want to carry out putting him at odds with his handlers.

Stevens, Taylor. The Informationist (RH, 23.00) Mar. A debut thriller featuring a young woman who specializes in gathering information about developing countries and who is asked to return to Africa to find a missing girl, a quest that forces her to confront the violent incident that forced her to flee Cameroon fifteen years before.

Thompson, James. Lucifer’s Tears (Png, 24.95) Mar. Finland’s Inspector Kari Vaara returns in an investigation of a 90-year-old national hero for war crimes committed during WWII, a case interrupted when the philandering wife of a Russian businessman is murdered.

____. Snow Angels (Brk, 14.00) Feb. The first in an excellent series set in Finland, featuring Inspector Kari Vaara who investigates the death of a beautiful Somali woman whose body is found in the snow.

Yates, Alexander. Moondogs (BDD, 25.95) Mar. A debut thriller set in the Philippines about the kidnapping of an American that leads to an explosive response by the American Embassy that sees the crime as part of the war on terror.

December 2010/January 2011

New and Forthcoming in Hardcover

Alan, Douglas. Circle of Lies (STM, 24.99) Dec. An Atlanta policeman-turned-lawyer and his lawyer-wife have a baffling case involving corporate chicanery and the NSA when a childhood friend is accused of the torture and murder of a law partner.

Allen, Glen Scott. The Shadow War (STM, 25.99) Dec. A thriller about an American colonial historian who is plunged into a conspiracy filled with secret codes, forged documents, and family histories after an old school friend researching war-game theory is found dead.

Alt, Madelyn. Home for a Spell (Brk, 24.95) Jan. Novice witch Maggie has to move to a new apartment, but before she can even sign the lease, she finds her new landlord dead in a bewitching new mystery.

Armstrong, Lori. Mercy Kill (SS, 25.00) Jan. Army sniper and South Dakota rancher Mercy Gunderson is caught up in the murder of a former army buddy working for a Canadian oil company, and when she looks in to the case she discovers ugly secrets about her friend and her community. Signing.

Ayoob, Michael. In Search of Mercy (STM, 24.99) Dec. The winner of the PWA Competition features an ex-hockey goalie who agrees to help a terminally-ill man by finding his lost love, an actress who disappeared decades before.

Barbieri, Maggie. Third Degree (STM, 24.99) Dec. College professor Alison Bergeron is a witness to the death of a local blogger in a brawl at a coffee shop, but when the victim’s car explodes, the death begins to look premeditated.

Bourne, Sam. The Final Reckoning (HC, 26.99) Dec. A former UN lawyer is called in to investigate after a guard shoots a man suspected of being a terrorist bomber, who instead turns out to be an elderly Holocaust victim, but further digging turns up a secret from the end of World War II and a victim who is not what he seems.

Bruns, Don. Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff (Oceanview, 25.95) Dec. The two slacker roommates of More or Less investigations are hired by the owner of a carnival who wants them to find who’s sabotaging the rides that led to the death of a woman in the latest in this funny series.

Burton, Milton T. Nights of the Red Moon (STM, 24.99) Dec. Small-town Texas sheriff Bo Handel gets tangled in the web of the drug scene after the local minister’s wife is murdered in the latest in this funny, down-home series.

Clark, Mary Jane. To Have and to Kill (Morrow, 24.99) Jan. First in a cozy new series featuring unemployed actress Piper Donovan who returns home to New Jersey to help out in her mother’s bakery, but while helping with the wedding cake for a friend, a soap-opera star, she finds a member of the wedding party murdered by cyanide poisoning and must find a killer.

Clement, Blaize. Cat Sitter Among the Pigeons (STM, 24.99) Jan. Dixie’s job housesitting a cat for an elderly man becomes complicated when his granddaughter shows up with a young baby in tow and a group of murderous con-men ready to kill to protect the millions that they stole from naïve investors.

Clinch, Wendy. Fade to White (STM, 24.99) Jan. Ski diva Stacey must investigate when an actor in the small Vermont town is murdered and the chief suspect is Stacey’s jealous ex-fiancé.

Crais, Robert. The Sentry (Put, 26.95) Jan. When Joe Pike tries to help a young woman and her uncle who had fled to L.A. to escape Katrina five years ago, he discovers that everything they had told him about their past is a lie.

Crawford, Isis. A Catered Thanksgiving (Kens, 22.00) Nov. When caterers Bernie and Libby Simmons are catering a Thanksgiving feast at the mansion of a wealthy fireworks manufacturer, an exploding turkey kills the Scrooge-like owner, but with all the guests snowbound, the sisters go to work to find the killer.

Cussler, Clive and Dirk Cussler. Crescent Dawn (Put, 27.95) Nov. both Dirk Pitt and two Middle Eastern terrorist are on the trail of lost religious artifacts whose discovery could badly embarrass certain powerful members of the British establishment.

D’Amato, Barbara. Other Eyes (STM, 25.99) Jan. A forensic archaeologist studying the use of hallucinogens in ancient peoples theorizes that psilocybin can prevent or cure drug addiction, but a pharmaceutical company that facilitates the international distribution of illegal drugs will stop at nothing to stop her research.

Doetsch, Richard. Half-Past Dawn (SS, 25.99) Jan. A district attorney wakes up with no memory of the previous night, only to discover that he has made the front page of the newspaper—as a murder victim, and now he must discover what happened to him and his missing wife.

Estleman, Loren D. The Left-Handed Dollar (STM, 24.99) Dec. Detroit PI Amos Walker is hired to look into an old case of attempted murder against a journalist friend by a mobster who is determined to get his previous convictions set aside, but the investigation leads to further murders.

Fanning, Diane. Twisted Reason (SH, 28.95) Jan. Virginia homicide detective Lucinda Pearce discovers the body of her father-in-law, an Alzheimer’s patient missing for five months, on the front porch, and soon two more missing dementia sufferers turn up dead in a mystery that skillfully illuminates the challenges facing Alzheimer’s patients and their families.

Ferris, Monica. Buttons and Bones (Brk, 24.95) Dec. While renovating an old house in the Minnesota north woods, Betsy makes a gruesome discovery—the skeleton of a Nazi—leading her to the investigation of a decades-old crime at the site of a former German POW camp.

Fiffer, Sharon. Backstage Stuff (STM, 24.99) Jan. PI and antiques picker Jane Wheel is helping her friend produce a murder mystery play that he has found, but the play may be cursed when a series of threatening warnings leads to the suspicious death of a stage worker.

Gordon, Howard. The Obelisk (SS, 26.00) Jan. A debut thriller by the producer of 24 about an agent who is called on to chaperone a rogue agent who happens to be his brother in an adventure that culminates on a high-tech oil rig that has been captured by terrorists.

Gore, Steven. Absolute Risk (PP, 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp) Nov. San Francisco PI Graham Gage’s investigation into the death of former FBI agent puts him on the track of an MIT economist deported under suspicion of funneling money to foreign terrorists.

Griffiths, Elly. The Janus Stone (HMH, 25.00) Jan. When construction workers demolishing an old house in Norwich discover a child’s bones, archaeologist Ruth Galloway is called in to examine the remains that turn out to be more than fifty years old, but someone doesn’t want the past exhumed and Ruth finds herself in danger.

Gunn, Elizabeth. Kissing Arizona (SH, 28.95) Nov. Tucson police detective Sarah Burke is faced with a difficult case, the murder-suicide of a well-known family whose façade of respectability is ripped off by the uncovering of dark family secrets, while at the same time coping with problems of immigration and smuggling along the Arizona-Mexico border.

Guttridge, Peter. City of Dreadful Night (SH, 28.95) Dec. The first of a trilogy set in Brighton features a chief constable who assault team enters the wrong house and guns down four people, and when it is revealed that he was having an affair with one of the policewomen on the team, he is assigned to help a reporter reopen a case from 1934 when some long-lost papers resurface. Gutteridge is a favorite of mine.

Haig, Matt. The Radleys (SS, 25.00) Dec. A funny and touching novel about a typical modern dysfunctional family—of vampires, whose children find out only after one of them is driven to commit a shocking crime. Very enjoyable.

Hall, Parnell. The KenKen Killings (STM, 24.99) Jan. The Puzzle Lady is up to her eyes in an alimony hearing, when the chief witness is murdered and it looks like her ex-husband may be involved in a case where the clues are puzzles.

Hart, Ellen. The Cruel Ever After (STM, 25.99) Dec. Jane Lawless must help her ex-husband after he wakes up next to the dead body of an art collector.

Havill, Steven F. Double Prey (PP, 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp) Jan. Retired Posadas County undersheriff Bill Gastner helps current undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman investigate the death of a young man who apparently drove his ATV off the bank of an arroyo while at the same time they investigate the skeletal remains of a murder victim.

Helton, Peter. Falling More Slowly (Soho, 25.00) Jan. DI Liam McLusky, newly transferred from Southampton to Bristol is assigned to a major case of improvised explosive devices that have been maiming or killing the unsuspecting people who pick them up in a well-plotted debut.

Higgins, Joanna. Dead Center (Perm, 28.00) Jan. The re-opening of an investigation into supposedly accidental shooting that took place years before almost tears a family apart when the second husband of the widow and loving stepfather of the daughters is charged with murder.

Hollihan, Keith. The Four Stages of Cruelty (STM, 25.99) Dec. A powerful debut about a female corrections officer who works with a young inmate to uncover a criminal organization that has taken control of a maximum security prison.

Hunter, Stephen. Dead Zero (SS, 26.00) Jan. Master sniper Bob Lee Swagger must travel to Afghanistan to take track down an AWOL Marine sniper in a suspenseful thriller.

Iles, Greg. Unwritten Laws (SS, 26.99) Jan. Penn Cage’s father is accused of murder, and when Penn undertakes his defense he discovers shocking new secrets about his father’s past. Iles is great at showing the darkness lurking under the genteel southern façade.

James, Peter. Dead Like You (STM, 25.99) Dec. The American debut of a British police procedural series featuring DS Roy Grace who investigates a series of rapes that have striking similarities to an unsolved case of serial rape that culminated in murder over a decade ago. Highly recommended.

Jardine, Quintin. A Rush of Blood (IPG, 24.95) Dec. Policeman Bob Skinner, now Scotland’s chief constable investigates when the body of an entrepreneurial thug is found outside of Edinburgh. For fans of Ian Rankin.

Jones, Solomon. The Last Confession (STM, 24.99) Dec. On the eve of his retirement a South Philadelphia homicide detective agrees to reopen a decades-old case of a killer who calls himself the Angel of Death to save a priest from execution for a crime he didn’t commit.

Kelly, Erin. The Poison Tree (Vik, 26.95) Jan. A debut novel of psychological suspense about three London college students whose happy life is upset by the intrusion of a hostile lover, leading to a double homicide.

Lescroart, John. Damage (Dut, 26.95) Jan. When the scion of a San Francisco newspaper family is released from prison on a technicality after serving ten years in prison for rape and murder, homicide chief Abe Glitsky and Dismas Hardy are stymied at every turn to get him incarcerated before he can follow through on his threats against Glitsky’s family. Excellent.

Magson, Adrian. Red Station (SH, 28.95) Dec. The first in a new espionage series features an MI5 agent whose superiors post him to a remote station near South Ossetia after an operation he led goes horribly wrong, where he discovers that the new station is like a roach motel—agents who try to leave end up dead.

McCullough, Colleen. Naked Cruelty (SS, 26.00) Dec. In the second in this police procedural series set in the late 1960s in a Connecticut university town , Captain Carmine Delmonico is faced with two murders motivated by sex and greed as well as an increasingly violent serial rapist..

Meltzer, Brad. The Inner Circle (GC, 26.99) Jan. A suspenseful thriller set in Washington where a young archivist’s discovery of a dictionary belonging to George Washington plunges him into a sea of deception, conspiracy, and murder.

Moore, Graham. The Sherlockian (GC, 24.99) Dec. In a suspenseful debut featuring a literary researcher who must find the connection between the death of a fellow member of the Baker Street Irregulars and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s search for a serial killer in 1890s London.

Morrow, Bradford. The Diviner’s Tale (HMH, 26.00) Jan. An unorthodox mystery about a woman with supernatural gifts who sees a young girl hanged from a tree in the woods, but when she returns with the sheriff the same girl walks out of the woods, dazed and mute.

Oates, Joyce Carol. Give me your Heart (HMH, 25.00) Jan. A collection of macabre tales by a master.

Parker, T. Jefferson. The Border Lords (Dut, 26.95) Jan. L.A. sheriff’s deputy Charlie Hood is faced with the most puzzling case of his career when a friend working as an undercover ATF agent goes rogue and fatally kills four members of a Mexican drug cartel. A wonderfully twisty plot makes this examination of the porous nature of the U.S.-Mexico border a standout.

Patterson, James and Michael Ledwidge. Now You See Her (Hach, 27.99) Jan. A suspenseful thriller about a woman who escapes her life and that of her unborn child when she confronts a terrible secret, but years later she is forced to return, risking everything she has.

Penzler, Otto. The Greatest Russian Stories of Crime and Suspense (Pegasus, 25.00) Dec. An anthology comprised primarily of 19^th century Russian crime stories including selections from Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment.

Peters, Ralph. The Officer’s Club (STM, 25.99) Jan. A military mystery set at Fort Huachuca, where the discovery of the body of a beautiful army officer leads to an investigation of her death, a mysterious death that could have been caused by a jealous lover or even by a border drug gang.

Purser, Ann. Threats at Three (Brk, 23.95) Dec. In the latest in this English village series featuring housecleaner Lois Meade, the discovery of a body may be related to a suspicious fire and a heated dispute over saving the village hall.

Randisi, Robert. I’m a Fool to Kill You (SH, 28.95) Jan. In the latest in this nostalgic Rat Pack mystery, Ava Gardner shows up in Las Vegas distraught because she woke up after a drunken binge covered in blood, so discreet fixer, pit boss Eddie Gianelli, sorts things out in a case that involves mob murders in L.A., Las Vegas, and Chicago.

Stroby, Wallace. Cold Shot to the Heart (STM, 24.99) Jan. Knowing that her mentor is up for parole and needs money, a criminal decides to rob a high-stakes poker game, but when one of her crew shoots a player with ties to a Mafia hit man, the stakes get much higher.

Thompson, Larry D. The Trial (STM, 25.99) Dec. When his teenaged daughter becomes seriously ill after volunteering in clinical trials of a new drug, a Houston lawyer fights against both the pharmaceutical company and the FDA in an effort to save her only to discover that murder, bribery, and kidnapping are the result.

Thor, Brad. The Athena Project (SS, 26.99) Dec. The first of a new series featuring an elite group of secret anti-terrorist forces—all women—who are deployed internationally.

Vasquez, Ian. Mr. Hooligan (STM, 25.99) Dec. A small-time criminal finds himself in debt to large-scale drug dealers who insist that he do one last drug run in a moody, evocative crime novel.

Washburn, Livia J. Killer on a Hot Tin Roof (Kens, 22.00) Dec. Delilah Dickinson is leading a tour for a group of professors to the Tennessee Williams Literary Festival in New Orleans, but academic infighting leads to murder and a group of suspects with a menagerie of motives.

Woods, Stuart. Strategic Moves (Put, 25.95) Jan. Stone Barrington is asked to transport a fugitive from Spain to stand trial in the U.S. by the CIA, a fugitive who claims to know the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden.

New and Forthcoming in Paperback Reprint

Acevedo, Mario. Werewolf Smackdown (HC, 7.99) Dec.

Alt, Madelyn. A Witch in Time (Brk, 7.99) Jan.

Armstrong, Lori. No Mercy (pkt, 7.99) Dec.

Baldacci, David. Deliver Us from Evil (GC, 9.99) Jan.

Barbieri, Maggie. Final Exam (STM, 7.99) Dec.

Beaton, M.C. Death of a Valentine (GC, 7.99) Jan.

Brown, Dan. The Lost Symbol (BDD, 9.99) Oct.

Burke, James Lee. A Stained White Radiance (SS, 9.99) Dec. Reissue.

Child, Lee. Persuader (BDD, 9.99) Dec. Reissue.

Clark, Mary Higgins. Let Me Call You Sweetheart (Pkt, 7.99) Dec.

Clement, Blaize. Raining Cats and Dogs (STM, 7.99) Jan.

Colley, Barbara. Dusted to Death (Kens, 6.99) Dec.

Crais, Robert. The First Rule (Brk, 9.99) Jan.

Deaver, Jeffery. The Devil’s Teardrop (Pkt, 9.99) Jan. Reissue.

Ellis, David. The Hidden Man (Brk, 9.99) Jan.

Folsom, Alan. The Hadrian Memorandum (STM, 9.99) Dec.

Gardner, Lisa. Live to Tell (BDD, 7.99) Jan.

Goldberg, Lee. Mr. Monk is Cleaned Out (NAL, 7.99) Dec.

Grafton, Sue. U is for Undertow (Brk, 7.99) Dec.

Harrison, Kim. Black Magic Sanction (HC, 7.99) Jan.

Hosp, David. Among Thieves (GC, 7.99) Jan.

Jance, J.A. Trial by Fire (SS, 7.99) Jan.

Lescroart, John. Treasure Hunt (NAL, 9.99) Jan.

Marshall, Michael. Bad Things (HC, 7.99) Dec

McKevett, G.A. Wicked Craving (Kens, 6.99) Jan.

Meier, Leslie. The Bake Sale Murder (Kens, 6.99) Dec. Reissue.

Murphy, Shirley Rousseau. Cat Striking Back (HC, 7.99) Dec.

Myers, Tamar. Butter Safe than Sorry (NAL, 6.99) Dec.

Palmer, Michael. The Last Surgeon (STM, 9.99) Jan.

Patterson, James and Richard DiLallo. Alex Cross’s Trial (GC, 9.99) Dec.

Preston, Douglas. Impact (STM, 9.99) Jan.

Purser, Ann. Tragedy at Two (Brk, 7.99) Dec.

Rollins, James. Alter of Eden (HC, 7.99) Jan.

Stabenow, Dana. A Night Too Dark (STM, 7.99) Dec.

_____, ed. Unusual Suspects (Brk, 7.99) Dec.

Thor, Brad. Lions of Lucerne (Pkt, 9.99) Jan. Reissue.

Vonnegut, Norb. Top Producer (STM, 9.99) Jan.

Woods, Stuart. Lucid Intervals (NAL, 9.99) Dec.

New and Forthcoming in Paperback Original

Beck, Jessica. Sinister Sprinkles (STM, 7.99) Dec. The latest in the fun, cozy series featuring the owner of a doughnut shop who serves up coffee, pastries and justice. This may be the only calorie-free way to enjoy doughnuts!

Becker, James. The Messiah Secret (NAL, 9.99) Dec. When museum curator Angela Lewis discovers ancient pottery jars containing parchment scrolls with references to Jesus of Nazareth in an English country house, she and her husband must save themselves from those who want to keep the discovery secret.

Bentley, Jennie. Mortar and Murder (Brk, 7.99) Jan. When home renovator Avery Baker finds a mystery behind the walls of a centuries-old cottage on a remote island, she must uncover a deadly secret.

Brennan, Alison. Kiss Me, Kill Me (BDD, 7.99) Jan. and Love me to Death (BDD, 7.99) Dec. FBI agent Lucy Kincaid returns in another adventure as she tracks down a ruthless killer.

Callow, Pamela. Indefensible (Mira, 7.99) Jan. When her boss is accused of murdering his ex-wife in Halifax, Nova Scotia, lawyer Kate Lange agrees to mount his defense, even though his own children believe him guilty.

Carey, Mike. The Naming of the Beasts (IPG, 8.99) Jan. Exorcist Felix Castor must help his closest friend who is possessed by the demon Asmodeus, and whose friends and family members are systematically being killed while he sits in jail. A fun supernatural series á la Jim Butcher.

Childs, Laura. Bedevilled Eggs (Brk, 7.99) Dec. The Cackleberry Club has to sniff out a bad egg when a mayoral candidate is shot by a crossbow arrow right before Halloween in the third of this cozy series.

Christopher, Paul. The Templar Conspiracy (NAL, 9.99) Jan. Retired Army Ranger John Holliday uncovers the true motive behind the assassination of the Pope in a case that leads him to a Templar conspiracy to wrest power from the Catholic Church.

Connolly, Sheila. A Killer Crop (Brk, 7.99) Dec. After an English professor friend of her mother is found dead in a cider house, orchard owner Meg Corey begins to wonder if her own mother could be guilty.

Connor, Beverly. One Grave Less (NAL, 7.99) Dec. Forensic anthropologist Diane Fallon is working in a museum when she finds an injured man with whom she worked on human rights violations in South America, plunging her into a dangerous case with roots in the past.

Cox, Greg. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Shock Treatment (Pkt, 7.99) Dec. The Las Vegas CSI unit investigates when a staged prank for a reality television show goes horribly wrong, killing an actor.

Davis, Krista. The Diva Cooks a Goose (Brk, 7.99) Dec. Christmas is not merry when someone steals the presents from under the tree, but when a murder occurs, Sophie must find a killer and restore the Christmas spirit.

Dennison, Hannah. Thieves (Brk, 7.99) Jan. Aspiring investigative journalist Vicky Hill decides to investigate when she suspects a connection between a murder and a string of silver thefts in the small town of Gipping-on-Plym in the latest in this funny English village series.

Graham, C.S. The Babylonian Codex (HC, 7.99) Dec. CIA agent Jax Alexander and remote viewer Tobie Guinness must solve a riddle involving an ancient missing codex in a thriller that combines action and romantic suspense.

Haney, Eric L. Low Country (Brk, 7.99) Dec. A man who lives on a skiff in the Savannah River becomes involved with stopping the sex trade among Georgia’s rural poor after he discovers the body of a young girl.

Hyzy, Julie. Buffalo West Wing (Brk, 7.99) Jan. White House executive chef Olivia Paras saves the new first kids from eating some poisoned fried chicken that appears mysteriously in the White House kitchen.

Kennedy, Mary. Stay Tuned for Murder (NAL, 6.99) Jan. Clairvoyant Mme. Chantal has boosted the ratings for Maggie’s radio show, but when two women are killed after a séance, it’s up to Maggie to investigate.

Laurie, Victoria. Ghouls, Ghouls, Ghouls (NAL, 7.99) Jan. M J Hilliday and the crew of her cable television show travel to haunted Dunlow Castle in Ireland where the resident phantom is more than menacing.

Lovelace, Merline. Catch Her if You Can (Brk, 7.99) Jan. USAF Lt. Samantha Spade is testing a sniffer robot when they come across a truck in the desert with cooler containing three human heads and after killing the driver in a shootout, her troubles begin when his confederates come after her.

McKinlay, Jenn. Buttercream Bump Off (Brk, 6.99) Jan. The cupcake bakery is gearing up for Valentine’s Day when Mel’s mother’s date is iced and it’s time to find out who served him his just desserts.

Morgan, Kaye. Celebrity Sudoku (Brk, 6.99) Dec. Sudoku expert Liza Kelly has a serious puzzle to solve when a celebrity is found dead before a television show.

Morrison, Boyd. Rogue Wave (Pkt, 5.99) Dec. The new director of Honolulu’s Pacific Tsunami Warning Center discovers that an unexpected tsunami is threatening Honolulu in an early thriller.

Peterson, Jesse. Flip this Zombie (GC, 7.99) Jan. Sarah and David turn from their successful zombie extermination service to capturing live zombies for a doctor who is working on a cure for the zombie plague, but they soon realize that the good doctor is not who he seems in the second in this funny trilogy that combines marriage counseling with zombie killing.

Staub, Wendy Corsi. Scared to Death (HC, 7.99) Jan. Two mothers are bound together unwittingly by a long-lost child and a fragile strand of maternal hope, but both are being watched by someone out for revenge in a chilling new thriller.

Tope, Rebecca. Fear in the Cotswolds (A&B, 16.95) Dec. House sitter Thea Osbourne is apprehensive about taking care of an isolated farmhouse and the animals in the winter, and when she discovers a man’s body in a frozen field her fears are confirmed.

New and Forthcoming in Quality Paperback

Allingham, Margery. The China Governess (F&M, 14.95) Nov. An aristocratic young man finds his troubles multiplying when his fiancée’s family opposes the wedding and then he becomes a suspect in a housebreaking and suspicious death, so it’s up to Campion to discover what’s going on.

______. Hide My Eyes (F&M, 14.95) Oct. Albert Campion and Sergeant Luke are hunting a serial killer in London’s theater district.

Caldwell, Joseph. The Pig Goes to Hog Heaven (HC, 15.99) Nov. The infamous Irish pig who has unburied bones and dug up family secrets returns in the final book of this funny trilogy.

Canadeo, Anne. A Stitch Before Dying (Pkt, 15.00) Jan. Knitting shop owner Maggie is hired to teach a class on meditative knitting at a spa in the Berkshires, but when a murder occurs during a midnight meditation class, she and her friends investigate.

Carter, Maureen. Death Line (Dufour, 14.95) Jan. In this British police procedural set in Birmingham a policewoman hunts for the murderer of a young boy, the first of many child murders that link to a previous series of murders years ago.

Chapman, Brenda. In Winter’s Grip (Rendez-Vous, 16.95) Dec. An atmospheric thriller set in a small Canadian village.

Chiaverini, Jennifer. The Aloha Quilt (SS, 15.00) Jan. Bonnie heads to Maui to help launch a quilter’s retreat, but her ex-husband tries to get a stake in Elm Creek Quilts by any means possible.

Forsyth, Neil. Let Them Come Through (Serpent’s Tail, 15.95) Dec. Spirit medium Nick Santini needs all the help he can get when his TV show is cancelled under murky circumstances with a crew member dead and the police on his trail.

Fradkin, Barbara. Beautiful Lie the Dead (Rendez-Vous, 16.95) Dec. Ottawa’s Inspector Green investigates the disappearance of the young fiancée of a social activist from a powerful and wealthy family in a case that is based on dark family secrets.

Gaus, P.L. Cast a Blue Shadow (Png, 13.00) Jan. When a wealthy donor to Millersburg College is found murdered, a young Mennonite college student appears to hold the key to the mystery, but she isn’t talking.

Greenwood, T. This Glittering World (Kens, 15.00) Jan. When a history professor in Flagstaff discovers a young Navajo man badly beaten and dying in his front yard, his quest to find the truth of the death with the young man’s sister leads him to question his lives and relationships.

Hill, Reginald. Child’s Play (F&M, 14.95) Nov. Dalziel becomes suspicious when a stranger appears at the graveside of an elderly widow claiming to be her long-lost son—and heir.

______. Exit Lines (F&M, 14.95) Oct. When three elderly men die on the same night, only Andy Dalziel sees a connection with an investigation into police corruption in Yorkshire.

Jones, Stan. Village of the Ghost Bears (Soho, 14.00) Jan. In the fourth in this Alaska series State Trooper Nathan Active must figure out the connection between a dead hunter, a plane crash, and a case of arson in a remote Arctic village known for twins, polar bears, and schizophrenia.

Koryta, Michael. So Cold the River (Hach, 14.99) Jan. A wonderfully creepy thriller set in southern Indiana at a historic resort that hosted celebrities from the 1920s and 30s, and where an investigator’s search for a 95-year-old man’s past leads him to arouse inadvertently a dormant evil. Highly recommended.

Kostova, Elizabeth. The Swan Thieves (Hach, 15.99) Dec. When a painter attacks a canvas, a psychiatrist struggles to understand the terrible secret that is the motive for his patient’s violent act.

Lippmann, Laura. The Girl in the Green Raincoat (HC, 13.99) Jan. Baltimore PI Tess Managhan is confined to her house during a difficult pregnancy, but that doesn’t stop her from investigating the disappearance of a neighborhood dogwalker and from taking in her abandoned Italian greyhound from hell.

Manfredo, Lou. Rizzo’s War (STM, 14.99) Jan. An authentic debut police procedural set in Brooklyn, where a veteran NYPD cop and his rookie partner are assigned the case of a missing city councilman’s daughter.

Martin, Nancy. Foxy Roxy (STM, 14.99) Jan. The first in a funny new series featuring a sexy Pittsburgh sleuth whose good deed swiping a statue for its elderly owner embroils her in a case of murder. Highly recommended.

Murphy, Shirley Rousseau. Cat Coming Home (HC, 16.99) Dec. A wise yellow tomcat recently returned from Soledad Prison helps Joe Grey and Kit protect a woman and her orphaned grandson who are in danger from the malefactors who killed the child’s parents in a heart-warming Christmas mystery.

Oates, Joyce Carol. Fair Maiden (HMH, 13.95) Jan. When a young babysitter is approached by a wealthy elderly man, she has no idea where their relationship will lead in a creepy novel of suspense.

Parker, T. Jefferson. Iron River (NAL, 14.00) Jan. After Sheriff’s Deputy Charlie Hood’s team kills the son of the head of Mexico’s Gulf Cartel, he must confront the drug dealer’s plan for brutal vengeance in the border town of Buenavista.

Patten, Louise. Bad Money (IPG, 12.95) Dec. A financial thriller about a partner at a City of London bank who is asked to investigate suspicious hedge fund dealings, but she realizes that she has uncovered a hornet’s nest when her young daughter is hospitalized after a fall from her horse and a threatening note is found tucked in her jodhpur pocket.

Pelecanos, George. The Way Home (Hach, 14.99) Jan. A young man who finally is turning his life around with a steady job and a relationship finds himself tempted by a crime, and even when he resists his new life is threatened by sudden treachery and violence. Pelecanos is great!

Porter, Henry. The Bell Ringers (Grove, 14.95) Jan. A very scary political thriller set in the near future, where Britain has become an Orwellian state in response to terrorism, and when the prime minister’s head of intelligence is killed he leaves his estate to his former lover—as well as his dangerous secrets

Rankin, Ian. A Good Hanging (STM, 15.99) Dec. Twelve short stories featuring Edinburgh detective John Rebus.

Reynolds, Bonnie Jones. The Truth about Unicorns (F&M, 14.95) Nov. Set in upstate New York in the 1920s, this fantasy ties together families and witchcraft, set in a small town where red-haired women always bring trouble.

Smith, Cynthia. Silver and Guilt (Busted Flush, 13.00) Jan. The Duchess of Wytheham asks for Emma Rhodes’ help in solving a delicate problem in the fourth in this high-society mystery series. These are lots of fun.

Stroby, Wallace. Gone ‘til November (STM, 14.99) Jan. When a Florida sheriff’s deputy comes upon another deputy who has killed a suspect, but as more details emerge the case becomes murkier and she soon finds herself in danger.

Welsh, Louise. Naming the Bones (F&M, 14.95) Jan. A professor studying a poet who died tragically 30 years ago goes to the remote Scottish coast where he was drowned only to find an ever-deepening morass of sex, lies, and death in a suspenseful literary mystery.

Winslow, Don. A Cool Breeze on the Underground (Busted Flush, 15.00) A reprint of the first of the Neal Carey series about a Columbia graduate student who goes to work for a shadowy company that keeps wealthy clients happy and out of trouble. His first assignment is to find the rebellious daughter of a prominent senator who has disappeared in London’s underground punk scene. Highly recommended.

Winston, Lois. Assault with a Deadly Glue Gun (MidInk, 14.95) Jan. A widow left penniless when her gambling-addicted husband dies finds a job as crafts editor of a magazine and must save herself when the witchy editor-in-chief is found glued to her office chair, making her suspect-in-chief.

Wright, L.R. Fall from Grace (F&M, 14.95) Oct. Vacationing in British Columbia, Police Chief Karl Alberg finds a body on the beach in the third of this excellent Canadian police procedural series.

New and Forthcoming in International Mysteries

Adam, Paul. Paganini’s Ghost (F&M, 14.95) Dec. When a sponsor of a conert in Cremona is found dead, the police chief must turn to Gianni Castiglione, a charming, slightly larcenous expert in violins in the second in this charming series.

Bates, Quentin. Frozen Assets (Soho, 25.00) Jan. The first in a new series featuring a female Icelandic cop who investigates a murder in a rural fishing village, a case with ties to the corruption in Iceland’s business and banking communities that led to the country’s financial crisis.

Ebersohn, Wessel. The October Killings (STM, 24.99) Jan. The first of a new South African series featuring an attorney who teams up with a retired prison psychologist to save the life of the soldier who spared her life during an anti-apartheid rally twenty years ago.

Gage, Leighton. Dying Gasp (Soho, 14.00) Dec. Looking for the missing granddaughter of a prominent politician, Brazilian Chief Inspector Mario Silva go to the Amazonian hellhole of Manaus, where they discover an evil female doctor making gory snuff films.

_____. Every Bitter Thing (Soho, 25.00) Dec. When the son of the Foreign Minister of Venezuela is found murdered. Silva’s investigation uncovers a link between a series of murders and a TAB flight from Miami to São Paulo.

Kaminsky, Stuart M. A Whisper for the Living (STM, 13.99) Jan. Inspector Rostnikov and his team are searching for a serial killer in post-Soviet Russia, a task made more difficult when the trail leads to a source too high up to be held accountable.

Ramsey, Frederick. Reapers (PP, 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp) Dec. A dark view of Botswana as a female game ranger and an American-trained police officer investigate the murder in a man in the Chobe National Park.

Reading, Mario. The Nostradamus Prophecies (STM, 24.99) Dec. The murder of a Parisian Gypsy man who may know the whereabouts of the lost prophecies of Nostradamus sends an American writer on the run through France and Spain accompanied by the dead man’s sister in this thriller that is the first of a trilogy.

Sarid, Yishai. Limassol (Europa, 15.00) Dec. When an Israeli secret service officer goes undercover to befriend an Israeli writer and her friend, a renowned Palestinian poet, his objective is to arrange for the assassination of the poet’s son, but he finds that he is conflicted between his professional loyalties and the friendships he has made in a spellbinding thriller.

Schlink, Bernhard. The Gordian Knot (Rh, 15.95) Dec. A mildmannered German translator living in France discovers that his new lover is photographing plans for a new military helicopter, plunging him into a trail of intrigue leading to pre-9/11 New York.

Siger, Jeffrey. Prey on Patmos (PP, 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp) Jan. Chief Insp. Andreus Kaldis investigates the murder of a beloved monk on the island of Patmos, a case involving a mysterious document and upheaval in the Orthodox Church.

Smith, Roger. Wake up Dead (STM, 15.00) Jan. A gritty thriller about an American woman and her gunrunner husband who are carjacked in Cape Town, where she is caught up in an escalating wave of racial tension and violence.

Theroux, Paul. The Dead Hand (HMH, 14.95) Jan. A travel writer in Calcutta is asked by a wealthy philanthropist to help avert a scandal when a friend of her son is found dead in a seedy hotel room. Highly recommended.

October/November 2010

New and Forthcoming in Hardcover

Bakker, R Scott. Disciple of the Dog (STM, 24.99) Nov. An offbeat detective who has total recall is asked to find a missing girl, leading him to a western Pennsylvania town ruled by members of an apocalyptic cult and a neo-Nazi group.

Baldacci, David. Hell’s Corner (Hach, 27.99) Nov. Oliver Stone joins forces with a British MI-5 agent when a bomb goes off in the British Prime Minister’s motorcade after a state dinner at the White House, and they discover a terrorist plot that may have had a different target in this political thriller.

Beaton, M. C. Busy Body (STM, 24.99) Oct. Agatha’s detective agency is on the case when the self-important officer with the Health and Safety Board who wants to curtail the Christmas festivities in the cozy English village of Carsely is found dead.

Berry, Steve. The Emperor’s Tomb (Ball, 26.00) Nov. Cotton Malone is hired to retrieve a priceless ancient Chinese lamp that contains the secret of how modern China can reduce its dependence on foreign oil in a fast-moving thriller.

Brady, Rachel. Dead Lift (PP, 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp) Dec. When a Houston socialite is accused of murdering a top cosmetic surgeon, PI Emily Locke goes undercover at an exclusive spa to find the real killer.

Brown, Rita Mae. A Nose for Justice (Ball, 25.00) Oct. The first of a new canine-centered series set in Nevada, featuring an elderly sleuth and her wire-haired dachshund who find a human skeleton with a Russian “Star of Guard” ring buried in the barn.

Bruce, Alison. The Siren (Soho, 25.00) Oct. Cambridge DC Gary Goodhew investigates when two women’s lives spin out of control in a case of arson and kidnapping in this police procedural.

Campbell, Liza. The Dissemblers (Perm, 26.00) A young painter moves to Santa Fé, becoming a forger of Georgia O’Keefe paintings after her neighbor reveals that she is a dealer in art forgery, but soon she finds herself in over her head when a mysterious stranger begins questioning the cozy operation.

Cannell, Stephen J. The Prostitutes’ Ball (STM, 25.99) Oct. Detective Shane Scully responds to a call in the Hollywood Hills where two prostitutes and a film producer have been found shot, but what appears to be a simple case of revenge is actually based on a decades-old case of murder, suicide, and financial fraud.

Carl, Joanna. The Chocolate Pirate Plot (NAL, 21.95) Oct. Pirate fever has hit Warner Pier with a mischievous group of pirates boarding resident’s pleasure boats, but when a body washes up on shore, Lee has to find a killer before someone ends up walking the plank.

Casey, Kathryn. The Killing Storm (STM, 24.99) Nov. Texas Ranger Sarah Armstrong is investigating a case of slaughtered longhorn bulls, left with symbols drawn on their hide, a symbol that dates back to the era of plantations and slavery.

Castrique, Mark de. Fatal Undertaking (PP, 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp ) Oct. Undertaker and police officer Barry Clayton investigates when the body of a local businessman turns up in a coffin during a Halloween haunted house fundraiser.

Chang, Henry. Red Jade (Soho, 25.00) Nov. NYPD Detective Jack Yu is sent to Seattle in pursuit of a cold-blooded Chinese-American gangster and a Hong Kong femme fatale after two bodies are found in New York’s Chinatown.

Charbonneau, Joelle. Skating around the Law (STM, 24.99) Oct. A debut cozy about a woman who inherits an ice skating rink in her rural hometown, but before she can sell it and return to Chicago, she finds a dead body in the rink bathroom and a local police department that knows more about gardening than detecting.

Child, Lee. Worth Dying For (BDD, 28.00) Nov. Jack Reacher becomes the target of an unpleasant clan of illegal traffickers in Nebraska when he rescues a woman from her abusive husband in the latest in this action-packed series.

Childs, Laura. Fiber & Brimstone (Brk, 24.95) Oct. Carmela is building a giant monster puppet for the Halloween parade when she overhears an argument between two acquaintances, only to find the dead body of one of them shortly afterward.

Cleeves, Ann. Blue Lightning (STM, 24.99) Oct. The final installment in the police procedural quartet set on the Shetland Islands begins when DI Jimmy Perez returns to his home on Fair Isle, where a local celebrity with an eye for the lads is found murdered.

Coleman, Reed Farrel. Innocent Monster (Tyrus, 24.95) Oct. Moe Prager is asked to investigate when a young girl goes missing, but it is not the usual case of a missing child—this girl is an art prodigy and the search takes Prager into the New York art scene. Highly recommended.

Connelly, Michael. The Reversal (LB, 27.99) Oct. Defense attorney Mickey Heller agrees to change sides and prosecute the high profile retrial of a brutal child murder if he can use LAPD Detective Harry Bosch as his investigator in a case that is fraught with political and personal danger. Highly recommended.

Corwin, Miles. Kind of Blue (Oceanview, 25.95) Nov. An LAPD detective who resigned after he failed to protect a witness, but who is recalled to lead the investigation into an ex-cop’s murder investigates in the midst of corruption and misdirection. An engaging protagonist and a realistic depiction of police work in Los Angeles make this a strong debut.

Cussler, Clive with Grant Blackwood. Lost Empire (Put, 27.95) Sept. The second adventure to feature a husband-wife team of treasure hunters who discover a huge ship’s bell off the Tanzanian coast, believed to be from a Confederate ship that was sunk after the Civil War containing a piece of a Mexican statue of Quetzalcoatl, leading to an adventure in Africa and Mexico.

Daheim, Mary. Loco Motive (HC, 23.99) Sept. Innkeeper Judith and her cousin Renie take the train from Washington to Boston, but their mini-vacation turns serious when the body of an aging daredevil is found after a train-stopping accident occurs.

DaSilva, Bruce. Rogue Island (STM, 24.99) Oct. A Rhode Island journalist investigates a suspicious fire that leads to sleazy politicians, brutal cops, and colorful mobsters in a funny noir debut.

Davidson, Hilary. The Damage Done (STM, 24.99) Oct. In this clever debut, a successful travel writer returns from a Spanish vacation when her sister is found dead, but when she visits the morgue, she discovers the body of a stranger who has been using her sister’s identity. Now she must find her sister.

Davidson, Maryjanice. Me, Myself, and Why? (STM, 24.99) Oct. The first in a blackly comic trilogy introducing a federal agent with multiple personality disorder who, along with her colleagues, an assortment of sociopaths, pyromaniacs, kleptomaniacs, and paranoid psychotics, is hunting for a serial killer in Minneapolis.

Deaver, Jeffery. Edge (SS, 26.99) Nov. When a Washington D.C. police detective is targeted by a criminal whose gruesome specialty is extracting information by whatever means necessary, including torture, kidnapping, and murder, a federal protection officer is assigned to the case, a man with mysteries of his own in a twisty tale of suspense.

Delany, Vicki. Negative Image (PP, 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp) Nov. Constable Molly Smith of the bucolic village of Trafalgar B.C. is faced with a plethora of suspects when a visiting fashion photographer is murdered, and when her boss is taken off the case because his wife becomes a suspect, she must face a hostile RCMP detective as well.

Del Toro, Guillermo and Chuck Hogan. The Fall (HC, 26.99) Oct. The second in the vampire trilogy finds epidemiologists Ephraim Goodweather and Nora Martinez hunting for a 17^th-century grimoire in an effort to stop the undead. This could be very stupid, but is actually lots of fun, filled with thrills and dark humor.

Dershowitz, Alan. The Trials of Zion (Hach, 26.99) Oct. This thriller set in Israel, featuring a father-son legal team defending a Palestinian accused of a terror attack was announced for spring, but will be releasing in October.

DiSilverio, Laura. Swift Justice (STM, 24.99) Oct. When her silent partner in a detective agency flees the country PI Charlotte Swift finds herself saddled with an amazing amount of debt and his airhead former wife who decides to become an active partner in a very funny debut.

Doss, James D. A Dead Man’s Tale (STM, 24.99) Nov. Charlie Moon is facing financial troubles on his ranch, but making a bet with a wealthy investor who claims that he knows the future—and the date and time of his death—that he can keep him alive leads to two homicides and an uncertain future indeed for Charlie.

Dunn, Adam. Rivers of Gold (STM, 25.00) Oct. A gritty debut novel set in New York City in the near future, a city wracked with racial tension, unemployment, and rampant crime, where a policeman attempts to stop an immigrant crime boss.

Dunnett, Kaitlyn. The Corpse Wore Tartan (Kens, 22.00) Nov. When the hotel hosting the Scottish Heritage Appreciation Society’s annual Burns Night Supper is snowed in with a murderer inside Liss McCrimmon must find a killer in a cozy that will remind you of Agatha Christie.

Evans, Nicholas. The Brave (Hach, 26.99) Oct. When his son, a soldier in Iraq is charged with murder, a divorced, retired Hollywood cowboy star living in Montana must confront his past and the shocking act of violence that changed his life.

Fletcher, Jessica and Donald Bain. Murder She Wrote: The Queen’s Jewels (NAL, 22.95) Oct. Jessica is enjoying a cruise on the Queen Mary II from London to New York when she discovers that a murderous jewel thief is cruising with her.

Fluke, Joanne, Laura Levine, Leslie Meier. Gingerbread Cookie Murder (Kens, 23.00) Oct. Three Yuletide mysteries by three cozy writers.

Flynn, Vince. American Assassin (SS, 27.99) Oct. The story of Mitch Rapp’s first assignment, recruited when he was still in college and sent to Istanbul to assassinate the Turkish arms merchant who sold the explosives used in the Lockerbie bombing, but he realizes that revenge has serious consequences when jihadists capture a fellow recruit.

Fowler, Christopher. Bryant and May off the Rails (BDD, 25.00) Oct. The Peculiar Crimes Unit is charged with recapturing the elusive Mr. Fox who escaped at the end of the previous mystery, and two murders in the London Underground may be his work as well. Fowler not only is a master of creating intricate and ingenious plots, but a lover of London, ferreting out fascinating socio-historical information. Highly Recommended.

Goldenbaum, Sally. A Holiday Yarn (NAL, 23.95) Nov. The Seaside Knitter’s come to the rescue to unravel a crime when one of the members finds her cousin murdered during a family weekend to discuss her grandfather’s will.

Gorman, Ed. Stranglehold (STM, 24.99) Oct. Political consultant Dev agrees to work on the reelection campaign of a congresswoman, not knowing that she is determined to guard a secret at the expense of her campaign, but the murder of another scandal-plagued consultant threatens to reveal all.

Gussin, Patricia. And Then There Was One (Oceanview, 25.95) Oct. When two of three identical triplets are abducted from a suburban Detroit movie theater, their parents try to figure out who would want to harm them while the FBI leads the search for the children in a suspenseful thriller.

Handler, David. The Shimmering Blond Sister (STM, 24.99) Oct. When a man suspected of being the Dorset Flasher who has been terrorizing the wealthy dowagers every weekend is found dead shortly after arguing with police officer Desiree Mitry, she must call on Mitch Berger’s help to prove that she isn’t guilty of murder.

Hart, Carolyn. Ghost in Trouble (HC, 19.99) Oct. Ghost Bailey Raeburn returns to help a former acquaintance whose former boyfriend may have been murdered, and who herself is in danger in another Topper-esque cozy .

Harwood, Seth. Young Junius (Tyrus, 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp) Oct. A powerful and disturbing crime novel set in Boston’s low-income housing towers featuring a fourteen-year-old boy whose search for his brother’s killer in a drug deal gone wrong leads to violent consequences. This is a harrowing read.

Hechtman, Betty. You Better Knot Die (Brk, 24.95) Nov. Molly Pink decides to investigate when her neighbor’s husband is missing, and when a suicide note arrives saying that he jumped off the Catalina Ferry, she smells something fishy.

Heffernan, William. The Dead Detective (Akashic, 24.95) Oct. A Florida homicide detective is assigned the case of a disgraced teacher who had a relationship with a student whose body is found in a nature preserve.

Houston, Victoria. Dead Deceiver (Tyrus, 24.95) Nov. Loon Lake police chief, Lewellyn Ferris investigates when a woman’s body is found on a ski trail during the International Ice Fishing Festival.

Irwin, Stephen M. The Dead Path (BDD, 26.00) Oct. A debut supernatural thriller by an Australian author about a man who has been cursed with the ability to see people at the moment of their often violent deaths, and who sees the ghost of a childhood playmate replaying a murder that almost took his life as well. Nicely creepy.

Jacobson, Alan. Velocity (Per, 25.95) Oct. FBI profiler Karen Vail returns in a case that is personal when her boyfriend, Detective Robby Hernandez, disappears in Napa Valley, and she must accept the grudgingly-given help of a covert Defense Department operative to help her find him.

James, David. Three Bedrooms, Two Baths, One Very Dead Corpse (Ken, 22.00) Oct. The first in a funny new series featuring a newly-divorced Palm Springs realtor whose first showing of a major listing is a disaster when she discovers the corpse of an environmentalist in the house.

Johansen, Iris. Chasing the Night (STM, 27.99) Oct. Forensic sculptor Eve Duncan agrees to help a mother whose toddler son was abducted eight years ago in a case that brings her back in contact with her own daughter’s killer.

Judson, Daniel. Voyeur (STM, 24.99) Oct. A PI who has been in hiding in Southampton is asked to take a missing persons case that may offer him the opportunity to resolve the problems that have threatened him.

Kilmer, Nicholas. A Butterfly in Flame (PP, 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp) Nov. Fred Taylor is asked to fill in for an instructor who has disappeared along with a wealthy student at a struggling Boston art school, and he discovers that there are many dark secrets at the school.

Klavan, Andrew. The Identity Man (HmH, 25.00) Nov. A thriller set in an apocalyptic near-future city where a thief on the run is offered a new face and a new identity in a new city, but what appears to be too good to be true, is and soon he’s on the run from corrupt cops, gangsters, and crooked politicians.

LeCarré, John. Our Kind of Traitor (Vik, 27.95) Oct. After meeting a Russian businessman while on vacation in Antigua, an Oxford tutor is asked to carry a message to MI6 in England that the Russian wishes to defect, and it turns out that he is not only a member of the mafia, but also one of the world’s biggest money launderers.

Lehane, Dennis. Moonlight Mile (HC, 26.99) Nov. Boston PIs Patrick kenzie and Angie Gennaro, now married with a small daughter, are asked to find the 16-year-old Amanda McCready who has gone missing twelve years after Patrick returned her to her neglectful mother.

Leonard, Elmore. Djbouti (HC, 26.99) Oct. A filmmaker and her friend stumble into a thicket of intrigue while in Africa to make a film about pirates, including a charming pirate, a crooked diplomat, and two al-Qaeda operatives.

Leotta, Allison. Law of Attraction (SS, 25.00) Oct. A young Assistant U.S. Attorney in Washington D.C. is horrified when a domestic violence case results in murder after her client refuses to testify against her abusive boyfriend in a case that becomes a nightmare for the young attorney as both her personal and professional lives spin out of control.

Lippman, Laura. I’d Know You Anywhere (HC, 25.99) Sept. A novel of psychological suspense about a woman who is contacted by the kidnapper who abducted her twenty years ago, and who is now awaiting execution for the murder of another young girl.

Maron, Margaret. Christmas Mourning (Hach, 25.99) Nov. Judge Deborah Knott is planning the family holiday festivities, a celebration that is clouded by the death of a cheerleader in a car accident, and further investigation reveals that it was, in fact, no accident.

Mayor, Archer. Red Herring (STM, 24.99) Oct. Joe Gunther and the VBI investigate a string of seemingly unrelated deaths all linked by an unexplained drop of blood found at the crime scenes.

McCall Smith, Alexander. The Charming Quirks of Others (RH, 24.95) Oct. Scottish philosopher Isabel Dalhousie is asked to investigate three candidates for headmaster of an Edinburgh boy’s school after an anonymous letter accuses one of them of having a skeleton in his closet.

McManus, Patrick F. The Huckleberry Murders (SS, 25.00) Nov. When an elderly rancher disappears from Blight County, Idaho, Sheriff Bo Tully investigates, and when four bodies are discovered in a huckleberry patch, Bo has his hands full in the fourth of this very funny series.

Morton, Kate. The Distant Hours (SS, 26.00) Nov. When a long lost letter arrives in the post, a woman travels to Middlehurst Castle, a moldering ruin of a place owned by three eccentric sisters where her mother was sent during WWII.

Mosley, Walter. The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey (Png, 25.95) Nov. When a 91-year-old man is given the chance to regain his mental function, he decides to investigate the mystery of the drive-by shooting death of his great-nephew and render justice as well as he can.

Muller, Marcia. Coming Back (Hach, 24.99) Oct. Sharon McCone is still recovering from the injuries that caused her to suffer locked-in syndrome. But when a friend from physical therapy goes missing, she must call on her husband and colleagues to help her begin detecting again.

Nadelson, Reggie. Blood Count (STM, 25.00) Oct. New York City detective Artie Cohen gets a call from an old girlfriend when she finds a Russian neighbor dead in her apartment house in Harlem, the first in a series of deaths there.

Neville, Stuart. Collusion (Soho, 25.00) Oct. Belfast DI Jack Lennon is trying to find his former lover and their daughter, but the trail leads to a conspiracy that links his daughter to a killer, and his superiors want him to back off.

Parker, Robert B. Painted Ladies (Put, 26.95) Oct. Spenser is asked to protect an art historian during the exchange of cash for a 17^th-century Dutch painting held for ransom, but the exchange is botched when a bomb goes off, and Spenser’s probing of the painting’s history and provenance leads to violent reactions. This is likely the last of the Spenser novels.

Penny, Louise. Bury Your Dead (STM, 24.99) Oct. Quebec Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is investigating the death of an historian who was searching for the remains of Samuel de Champlain, the founder of Quebec, but he receives a flurry of letters from Three Pines questioning the conviction of Olivier. Highly recommended.

Penzler, Otto, ed. Christmas at the Mysterious Bookshop (Per, 24.95) Oct. A collection of Christmas mysteries commissioned by the owner of New York’s Mysterious Bookshop, with each having part of the action set in the bookstore.

Poyer, David. Ghosting (STM, 24.99) Nov. When a prominent neurosurgeon buys a sailing yacht for a family cruise to Bermuda, he faces mounting dangers from both his disintegrating family and from a group of smugglers who wish to commandeer the yacht.

Pronzini, Bill. The Hidden (STM, 24.00) Nov. A spine-tingling novel of psychological suspense set on the rugged northern California coast where a serial murder collides with three couples whose relationships are alive with menace.

Quinn, Spencer. To Fetch a Thief (SS, 25.00) Oct. Chet the dog and his partner PI Bernie Little investigate the disappearance of an elephant and his trainer when the traveling circus comes to town in a case that involves the smuggling of exotic animals. If my hound could speak English, he would sound a lot like Chet—that’s how well done this series is. (Signed, but not by Chet).

Ritter, Todd. Death Notice (STM, 24.99) Oct. A debut featuring a small-town sheriff whose first murder is a doozy—a farmer found in a homemade coffin with his lips sewn shut and the blood drained from his body.

Robb, J.D. Indulgence in Death (Put, 26.95) Nov. NYPD detective Eve Dallas and her team must find a killer whose macabre game results in people all over the city being killed with old-fashioned weapons—a bayonet, a harpoon, a crossbow, and a bullwhip.

Roker, Al and Dick Lochte. The Midnight Show Murders (BDD, 26.00) Nov. TV personality Billy Blessing is sent to Los Angeles to be guest announcer for a new show, but when a bomb explosion kills a cast member, he turns sleuth in a case that awakens unpleasant memories of the murder of a failed starlet at the beginning of his career.

Rozan, S.J. On the Line (STM, 24.99) Oct. PI Bill Smith must find his sometimes partner Lydia Chin while himself running from the police after the corpse of a Chinese woman is found in an abandoned building.

Sampson, Fay. Those in Peril (Severn, 27.95) Oct. In the third genealogical mystery Nick Fewings and his family visit a seaside village where an ancestor had lived, but when his daughter spots suspicious activity in the water, and then disappears, the family uncovers serious criminal activity in the area.

Sandford, John. Bad Blood (Put, 27.95) Sept. Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension agent Virgil Flowers investigates the possible jailhouse suicide of a young man accused of murder in a case that leads him to members of a small church with exceedingly strange ways.

Stock, Jon. Dead Spy Running (STM, 25.99) Nov. A brilliant debut spy thriller that begins with a bomb threat in London, races to a CIA black site in Poland, and ends with a spectacular assassination plot in India.

Talton, Jon. South Phoenix Rules (PP, 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp) Dec. Historian David Mapstone resigns as a deputy after the election, but when his sister receives a package containing the head of an old boyfriend he is back in the line of fire in a case involving Mexican gangs, multinational drug cartels, and weapons smuggling—in other words, everything our governor has convinced the rest of the world is business as usual in Arizona.

Tapply, William G. Outwitting Trolls (STM, 24.99) Nov. When Boston attorney Brady Coyne receives a call from an old friend to have a drink, he is surprised to get a call the next day that his friend has been found dead in his hotel room, the latest in a series of murders dogging his family.

Tope, Rebecca. Grave in the Cotswolds (A&B, 29.95) Nov. An undertaker becomes the chief suspect when a council worker who opposed a burial is found dead, but housesitter Thea Osbourne who is caring for the house of the deceased agrees to help him clear his name.

Wambaugh, Joseph. Hollywood Hills (Hach, 26.99) Nov. When an art dealer with financial problems decides to replace the valuable paintings owned by a wealthy Hollywood widow with replicas in order to sell the originals, he doesn’t reckon with a gang of thieves who catch him in the act in another funny caper featuring the eccentric cops from Hollywood Station.

Webb, Peggy. Elvis and the Memphis Mambo Murders (Kens, 22.00) Oct. Murders at a Memphis dance contest sends beautician Callie Valentine Jones and her cousin Lovie into sleuth mode, with the help of Elvis, the detecting basset hound in the third in this funny southern cozy series.

New and Forthcoming in Paperback Reprint

Armstrong, Lori. No Mercy (Pkt, 7.99) Nov.

Barr, Nevada. Liberty Falling (Brk, 7.99) Oct. Reissue.

____. 13 ½ (Per, 7.99) Nov.

Bear, Greg. Mariposa (Per, 7.99) Nov.

Berry, Steve. The Paris Vendetta (BDD, 9.99) Oct.

Billingham, Mark. Death Message (HC, 7.99) Oct.

Cannell, Stephen J. The Pallbearers (STM, 9.99) Oct.

Carl, JoAnna. The Chocolate Cupid Killings (NAL, 7.99) Oct.

Child, Lee. 61 Hours (BDD, 9.99) Oct.

Child, Lincoln. Death Match (BDD, 7.99) Nov.

Childs, Laura. Tragic Magic (Brk, 7.99) Oct.

Coben, Harlan. Play Dead (NAL, 9.99) Oct.

Coyle, Cleo. Holiday Grind (Brk, 7.99) Nov.

Crawford, Isis. A Catered Birthday Body (Kens, 6.99) Nov.

Decker, Ted. Thr3e (GC, 7.99) Nov.

DeMille, Nelson. The Gate House (GC, 9.99) Nov.

Doss, James. The Widow’s Revenge (STM, 7.99) Nov.

Dunnett, Kaitlyn. A Wee Christmas Homicide (Kens, 6.99) Oct.

Ferris, Monica. Blackwork (Brk, 7.99) Oct.

Fluke, Joanne. The Plum Pudding Murder (Kens, 6.99) Oct.

Harris, Charlaine. Grave Secret (Brk, 7.99) Nov.

Hart, Carolyn. Merry, Merry Ghost (HC, 7.99) Nov.

Hess, Joan. Tickled to Death (STM, 7.99) Nov. Reissue.

Hill, Reginald. Midnight Fugue (HC, 7.99) Nov.

Hoag, Tami. Deeper than Dead (NAL, 9.99) Nov.

Hunter, Stephen. I, Sniper (Pkt, 9.99) Oct.

Johansen, Iris. Eight Days to Live (STM, 7.99) Oct.

Kipps, Charles. Hell’s Kitchen Homicide (Pkt, 7.99) Oct.

Kenner, Julie. Demon Ex Machina (Brk, 7.99) Nov.

Maron, Margaret. Sand Sharks (GC, 7.99) Nov.

Mayor, Archer. The Price of Malice (STM, 7.99) Oct.

Muller, Marcia. Locked In (GC, 7.99) Oct.

Page, Katherine Hall. The Body in the Sleigh (HC, 7.99) Nov.

Parrish, P.J. Dead of Winter (Kens, 4.99) Oct. Reissue.

Patterson, James. I, Alex Cross (GC, 9.99) Oct.

Perry, Thomas. Fidelity (Per, 7.99) Sept.

Pronzini, Bill. Savages (STM, 7.99) Nov.

Robbins, Harold and Junius Podrug. The Shroud (STM, 7.99) Oct.

Rucka, Greg. Walking Dead (BDD, 7.99) Oct.

Sandford, John. Rough Country (Brk, 9.99) Oct.

Washburn, Livia J. Huckleberry Finished (Kens, 6.99) Nov.

_____. Killer Crab Cakes (NAL, 6.99) Nov.

Willig, Lauren. The Secret History of the Pink Carnation (NAL, 7.99) Oct.

Wilson, F. Paul. Ground Zero (STM, 7.99) Oct.

New and Forthcoming in Paperback Original

Alden, Laura. Murder at the PTA (NAL, 6.99) Oct. In the first in a new series, PTA secretary and mother of two Beth Kennedy must learn the ABCs of crime solving when the unpopular school principal is killed.

Carlisle, Kate. The Lies that Bind (NAL, 7.99) Nov. Book restoration expert Brooklyn Wainwright returns home to teach a bookbinding class, but when the unpleasant director of the program is found dead, she must turn to sleuthing.

Carey, Mike. Thicker than Water (IPG, 8.99) Nov. London exorcist Felix Castor is implicated in a murder when the body of a old enemy is found with his name written in blood. Carey does a wonderful job of integrating paranormal with real urban settings and problems.

Casey, Elizabeth Lynn. Pinned for Murder (Brk, 6.99) Oct. When the richest and meanest woman in the small South Carolina town turns up murdered the close-knit members of the Sweet Briar Ladies Society sewing circle must find a killer.

Collins, Kate. Dirty Rotten Tendrils (NAL, 6.99) Oct. When a high-powered lawyer is found dead of a suspicious overdose, florist Abby Knight must take to sleuthing to protect her former boss.

Connolly, Sheila. Fundraising for the Dead (Brk, 6.99) Oct. The first in a new series featuring a fundraiser for a Pennsylvania museum who takes up crime solving when a collection of George Washington’s letters is lost on the same day that an archivist is found dead.

Hauka, Donald J. She Demons (Midpoint, 11.99) A crusading crime reporter in Vancouver, who happens to be an Ismaili Muslim, investigates a bizarre beheading in a case that involves a southern California drug cartel trying to infiltrate western Canada and a New Age cult that is attracting teenagers in the Indo-Canadian community.

Lane, Vicki. The Day of Small Things (BDD, 7.99) Oct. A suspenseful novel set in Appalachia about a woman who changes her life and her name three times, but fights to remain true to herself and her powers.

Lief, Katia. You Are Next (HC, 7.99) Oct. After a serial killer murders her husband and daughter, a New Jersey detective vows to use herself as bait to find the psycho after he escapes from prison, but when he kidnaps her young niece, she must join forces with an old friend to find her before it’s too late in a spine-tingling novel of suspense.

_____. Next Time You See Me (HC, 7.99) Nov. When her new husband disappears, Detective Karin Schaeffer discovers that he had dark secret, leading her to a Mexican drug queen pin and her psycho son.

Palov, C.M. The Templar’s Code (Brk, 7.99) Nov. A suspenseful thriller about the search for a sacred Ancient Egyptian text said to contain the secret of creation, a secret worth killing for.

Pawson, Stuart. A Very Private Murder (A&B, 16.95) Oct. DI Charlie Priest is asked by a horrified Chief Constable to discover who defaced a plaque at an opening of local shopping center presided over by a minor royal, but soon the matter turns serious when the mayor is found dead.

Richards, Emilie. A Truth for a Truth (Brk, 7.99) Oct. Minister’s wife Aggie Sloan-Wilcox investigates when a former minister dies suddenly after returning to Emerald Springs.

Rosen, Delia. A Brisket, A Casket (Kens, 6.99) Oct. When a forensic accountant inherits her uncle’s deli in Nashville, she doesn’t realize the problems she will face, especially when a customer drops dead at Kosher Karaoke Night in a funny debut mystery.

Viets, Elaine. An Uplifting Murder (NAL, 7.99) Nov. When a customer is found murdered in a lingerie shop, mystery shopper Josie Marcus agrees to go undercover to help out a former teacher who is in need of some serious support.

Wiehl, Liz and April Henry. Face of Betrayal (STM, 7.99) Nov. Three powerful women—a reporter, a federal prosecutor, and an FBI agent—join together to find a teenaged Senate page who disappeared while walking her dog, a case that leads to her blog and a mysterious relationship with an older man.

New and Forthcoming in Quality Paperback

Andrews, Donna. Six Geese a-Slaying (STM, 13.99) Nov. A delightful Christmas cozy, featuring Meg and Chief Burke, who investigate when the Santa Claus in Caerphilly’s Christmas parade is found dead.

Atkins, Ace. Dark End of the Street (Per, 15.00) Oct. A reissue of the noir novel featuring New Orleans professor Nick Travers who travels to Memphis to track down a friend’s brother.

Bauer, Brenda. Blacklands (SS, 14.00) Nov. Two decades after a young boy disappeared, his twelve-year-old uncle is obsessed with finding the body for the sake of his mother and grandmother in the desolate expanse of Exmoor, a search that leads to a correspondence with the killer.

Belzer, Richard. I Am Not a Psychic (SS, 14.00) Oct. The second in this funny meta-fiction series is set in Las Vegas where a journalist who claims to have found the solution to the decades-old murder of a starlet is himself murdered and Belzer is pressured by a psychic to find the killer.

Bruce, Alison. Cambridge Blue (Soho, 15.00) Oct. A debut police procedural set in Cambridge featuring a young DC who is assigned his first murder case, that of a young woman who seemingly has no enemies, but further investigation—and a second murder—prove this false.

Child, Lee, ed. The Best American Mystery Stories 2010 (HmH, 14.95) Oct. A collection of “gritty tales told with panache.”

Cleeves, Ann. Red Bones (STM, 14.99) Oct. Inspector Jimmy Perez is called in when an elderly woman is fatally shot, a crime that may be related to the archaeological discovery of a set of human remains.

Connell, Rebecca. The Art of Losing (Europa, 15.00) Oct. In a novel of psychological suspense a woman who lost her mother insinuates herself into the life of the Oxford professor she believes is responsible for her mother’s death.

Connolly, John. The Gates (SS, 15.00) Oct. A very funny novel that is suited to young adult as well as adult readers about a boy and his dachshund who discover a dark force in the house next door, a force that calls forth demonic forces and opens the very gates of Hell. Highly recommended.

Crider, Bill, ed. Damn Near Dead 2 (Per, 18.00) Nov. Watch senior citizens kick ass in the second anthology of “geezer noir.”

Ernst, Kathleen. Old World Murder (MidInk, 14.95) Oct. A clever, cozy debut mystery featuring the curator of collections at an outdoor museum in Wisconsin, who is approached by a woman asking for the return of a family heirloom, a hand-painted Norwegian bowl, but when the woman dies in a suspicious accident, the curator decides she must investigate.

Fowler, Christopher. Bryant and May on the Loose (RH, 15.00) Oct. The Peculiar Crimes Unit has been disbanded, but just as detectives Bryant and May are settling in to a dismal retirement, the discovery of a body on the site of the 2012 London Olympics leads to a revival of the Unit with a week to solve a crime with gangland ties and a mysterious half-man, half-stag creature that’s carrying off young women. Highly recommended.

Gaus, P.L. Blood of the Prodigal (Png, 13.00) Oct. A professor at a small college, a local pastor, and the county sheriff investigate the kidnapping of a young Amish child in the Ohio hill country. Signing.

_____. Broken English (Png, 13.00) Nov. When his English daughter is murdered, a man who has sought refuge in the quiet of the Ohio Amish community must confront the demons of his past.

Gowers, Rebecca. The Twisted Heart (IPG, 12.95) Nov. A graduate student at Oxford discovers reports of an 1838 murder case where a prostitute was mutilated and murdered, and believing that the murder may have been influenced by Dickens’ Oliver Twist begins to investigate.

Hannah, Sophie. The Truth-Teller’s Lie (Png, 15.00) Oct. When her married lover vanishes without explanation, a woman with a terrible secret in her past tries to convince the police to look for him, but the man’s wife claims that he is not missing in a powerful and shocking crime novel with a very twisty ending. Highly recommended.

Harris, Charlaine and Toni L.P. Kelner, eds. Wolfsbane and Mistletoe (Brk, 15.00) Nov. A collection of hair-raising holiday tales featuring werewolves.

Herbert, Rosemary. Front Page Teaser (NBN, 14.95) Oct. A feature reporter for a Boston newspaper is given the opportunity to cover the disappearance of a suburban woman in Christmastime, 2000, whose blood-spattered kitchen and conflicting clues lead to a satisfyingly unexpected outcome in an intelligent debut.

Jerkins, Grant. A Very Simple Crime (Brk, 14.00) Nov. An Assistant DA is assigned a case that seems very simple—a murdered woman, her grieving husband, and their mentally handicapped son given to violent outbursts—but further investigation reveals that things are not so simple in a powerful debut mystery.

Judson, Daniel. The Violet Hour (STM, 14.99) Oct. In the latest from the award-winning writer set on Long Island, a Bridgehampton auto mechanic discovers that his friend who is also his boss has dark secrets that he has been hiding for years.

MacInerney, Karen. Berried to the Hilt (MidInk, 14.95) Nov. Innkeeper Natalie Barnes finds the Grey Whale Inn filled with archaeologists and treasure hunters when a piece of an old sunken ship is found, but soon she must find a murderer when one of the treasure hunters is found dead.

McCullough, Colleen. Too Many Murders (SS, 15.00) Oct. A police procedural set in a sleepy New England college town where the local detective is faced with twelve murders in one day, in a case that may be tied to Cold War espionage.

McDermid, Val. Fever of the Bone (HC, 14.99) Sept. When a new chief constable decides that he is too expensive, Tony Hill returns to Worcester where he is faced with a grisly case involving of murder and mutilation of teenagers lured to their deaths by a killer who uses the Internet to find his victims.

McManus, Patrick F. The Double-Jack Murders (SS, 14.00) Nov. Sheriff Bo Tully is the target of a mentally-unstable man who has escaped from prison in the latest comic mystery set in Idaho.

Moore, Donna. Old Dogs (Per, 15.00) Sept. A brilliant, award-winning comic caper set in Glasgow, where two sisters, formerly streetwalkers, who have redefined themselves as Italian nobility conspire to steal a set of golden, jewel-encrusted Tibetan dog statues. This made me laugh out loud.

Mortimer, John. A Rumpole Christmas (Png, 12.00) Nov. Five tales of the beleaguered barrister facing that most disturbing of holidays with She Who Must Be Obeyed dragging him through the customary rituals.

Nadelson, Reggie. Londongrad (STM, 15.00) Oct. Brooklyn detective Artie Cohen realizes that the dead girl he finds was murdered by mistake—the real target was the daughter of his best friend--in a case that takes him to London and ultimately to Moscow.

Neville, Stuart. The Ghosts of Belfast (Soho, 14.00) Oct. A stunning debut crime novel about a former IRA hit man who is haunted by the ghosts of the twelve people he killed during the troubles in Northern Ireland, and whose spirits must be appeased by his killing his former bosses.

Nisbet, Jim. The Damned Don’t Die (Png, 13.95) Oct. A San Francisco PI is working on a horrific sex murder in a case that peels back the genteel surface of suburbia. Nisbet is an undiscovered gem of a noir writer.

O’Donohue, Clare. The Double Cross (Png, 14.00) Oct. Nell Fitzgerald must investigate when a body is found in the woods near the bed and breakfast where she is leading a quilting workshop and her friend becomes a suspect.

Picoult, Jodi. House Rules (SS, 16.00) Nov. A powerful novel of suspense about a teenager with Asperger’s Syndrome who is falsely accused of the murder of his tutor, and his mother who must convince the law enforcement authorities that her son’s suspicious behavior is not a sign of guilt.

Schwartz, Stephen Jay. Beat (STM, 14.99) Oct. LAPD Detective Hayden Glass is still trying to control his sex addiction, but while he is no longer trolling the streets for prostitutes, he has discovered the Internet, leading him to San Francisco and a massive sex slave ring run by the Russian mafya.

Sefton, Maggie. Double Knit Murders (Brk, 14.00) Nov. The first two knitting mysteries in one volume.

Spillane, Mickey. The Mike Hammer Collection Volume III (NAL, 16.00) Oct. Three classic crime novels from the 1950s by the “king of hardboiled crime fiction.”

Stanley, J.B. Black Beans & Vice (MidInk, 14.95) Nov. At a fresh food festival, head librarian and Supper Club member James Henry discovers the body of a city councilman, and later at another food festival a militant vegan is murdered in an enjoyable tale of high-cal crime.

Washburn, Livia J. The Pumpkin Muffin Murder (NAL, 14.00) Nov. During a baking competition at a fall festival, Phyllis discovers the body of one of the organizers hidden in a scarecrow, and must dish out some justice to keep her friend from being arrested for murder.

Williams, Michelle. Down Among the Dead Men (Per, 14.95) Sept. A fascinating look behind the scenes at the life of a mortuary technician in an English city. Everything you wanted to know about dead bodies and more!

New and Forthcoming in International Mysteries

Arjouni, Jakob. Kismet (Con, 15.00) Oct. The U.S. debut of a popular German noir series featuring Turkish immigrant PI who is hired not only to find a wealthy woman’s missing dog, but also to protect a Bosnian immigrant girl.

Birkegaard, Mikkel. The Library of Shadows (IPG, 14.95) Nov. When his father, the owner of an antiquarian bookstore dies under mysterious circumstances, an attorney inherits everything and discovers that his father was involved in a secret group that influenced politicians and other public figures, and that his knowledge puts him at risk.

Brownlee, Nick. Blood and Fire (STM, 25.99) Nov. The second in the series set in Kenya, where a series of murders has rocked Mombasa, bringing together Inspector Daniel Jouma and fishing boat skipper Jake Moore.

Camilleri, Andrea. The Track of Sand (Png, 14.00) Nov. Montalbano awakes to find a horse carcass in front of his seaside home in a case that leads him to the glittering underworld of horseracing and the Mafia’s connection to it.

Carlotto, Massimo. Bandit Love (Europa, 15.00) Oct. An ex-con plans on retiring, but his plans of spending the rest of his days in a nightclub drinking Calvados and listening to blues go awry when a gangster friend’s girlfriend is kidnapped and he is forced into the underworld of international drug dealing once again in the latest gritty crime novel by the Italian writer.

Edwardson, Ǻke. The Shadow Woman (Png, 15.00) Oct. Chief Inspector Erik Winter is called out when a woman is found murdered and a child goes missing during Gothenburg’s annual summer bacchanalian blowout in a case filled with ethnic discord and nativist gangs. For those who love Stieg Larsson.

Franck, Julia. The Blindness of the Heart (Grove, 24.95) Oct. The winner of the German Book Prize, this is a dark family saga set during and after the two wars that define the nature of the German consciousness and the blindness to the implications of what was happening that allowed ordinary citizens to survive.

Kadare, Ismail. The Accident (Grove, 24.00) Nov. A psychological thriller about twisted passions, dual identities, and political subterfuge by the Man Booker International Prize winner that begins with an automobile accident on the Viennese autobahn and the death of a mysterious couple.

Hettche, Thomas. What We Are Made Of (IPG, 12.95) Oct. When his wife disappears during a trip to New York, a German biographer must provide information about the subject of his latest work, an obscure German physicist who immigrated to the U.S. in 1941.

Magnan, Pierre. The Murdered House (STM, 13.99) Nov. A young man returns to his Provençal home twenty years after his entire family was murdered there in a quest for revenge.

Moore, Christopher G. Paying Back Jack (Grove, 14.00) Nov. The latest in this series set in Bangkok finds PI Vincent Calvino hired by an American mourning his idealistic son who wants Calvino to follow the wife of a minor Thai politician, a simple surveillance job that leads to murder.

Nothomb, Amélie. Hygiene and the Assassin (Europa, 15.00) Nov. At the news of the impending death of a Nobel laureate, an intrepid journalist seeks to interview the misanthropic novelist about his work in a brilliant novel by a prizewinning French author.

Persson, Leif G.W. Between Summer’s Longing and Winter’s End: The Story of a Crime (RH, 27.95) Sept. This English debut by a Swedish writer is the first of a trilogy that begins with the suicide of an American journalist in 1970s Stockholm which is investigated by a police detective who discovers a political conspiracy that goes back to an American OSS agent who operated in Sweden in the years after WWII.

Roslund, Anders and Börge Hellström. Box 21 (STM, 15.00) Oct. An intense Swedish thriller about a Lithuanian woman, sold into sex slavery, who unexpectedly gets the chance to extract payback from her captors and reclaim her life.

Schlink, Bernhard. The Weekend (RH, 24.95) Oct. A convicted murderer and terrorist of the radical left who is unexpectedly pardoned reunites with old friends at an isolated German estate, where tensions and betrayals from the past are resolved in a story of not-easily achieved redemption.

Scudamore, James. Heliopolis (Europa, 15.00) Nov. A young São Paulo businessman who was rescued from life in a shantytown by a wealthy family becomes involved in the launch of a supermarket in a poor favela that risks involving him in the world of violence and brutality that he thought he had escaped.

Tremain, Rose. Trespass (Nor, 24.95) Oct. A dark look at two pairs of siblings and their twisted pasts in a mystery set in southern France’s Cévennes region where an English art dealer’s decision to move to the area impacts a French brother and sister, and leads to a grim and tragic dénoument. Tremain writes wonderfully literate mysteries.

Xiaolong, Qiu. Years of Red Dust (STM, 24.99) Oct. A collection of linked short stories set in Shanghai by the author of the mystery series featuring Inspector Chen, spanning fifty years of changes in China from the Communist revolution in 1949 to the modernization movement of the late nineties.

August/September 2010

New and Forthcoming in Hardcover

Andrews, Donna. Stork Raving Mad (STM, 24.99) Aug. When a college dean is found murdered in her house during the production of a play by a Spanish playwright, a very pregnant Meg must solve the murders in time to make sure that the father of her twins doesn’t lose his tenure.

Barr, Nevada. Burn (STM, 25.99) Aug. Anna Pigeon goes to visit a Park Service friend in New Orleans, but she finds that there are some very dark doings in post-Katrina New Orleans.

Black, Lisa. Trail of Blood (Morrow, 24.99) Sept. Cleveland forensic scientist Theresa MacLean is faced with two serial murder cases that occurred 75 years apart, as a copycat killer appears who uses the MO of the real-life Torso Killer from the 1930s.

Bowen, Gail. The Nesting Dolls (M&S, 26.95) Aug. Canadian academic and amateur sleuth Joanna Kilbourn becomes involved in a convoluted custody case and murder when she goes home to Saskatchewan for Christmas in the latest in this excellent cozy series.

Brown, Sandra. Tough Customer (SS, 26.99) Aug. The second crime thriller to feature investigator Dodge Hanley, who must track down a deranged man obsessed with the daughter of his former girlfriend.

Bruen, Ken. The Devil (STM, 24.99) Sept. Irish PI Jack Taylor is refused entry to the U.S. and returns to his life in Galway, investigating the murder of a student, but a mysterious man he met at the airport bar keeps surfacing in his investigation.

Cavender, Chris. Pepperoni Pizza Can Be Murder (Kens, 22.00) Aug. When the nasty brother of the delivery man for Eleanor Swift’s small town pizzeria is found dead, Eleanor decides to investigate and finds a mass of unsavory secrets topped with too many suspects.

Chan, Cassandra. A Spider on the Stairs (STM, 25.99) Aug. This entertaining cozy was slated for 2009 and is finally being released. Bored while spending Christmas at his parent’s house in Yorkshire, Phillip Bethancourt agrees to help his friend from Scotland Yard in a murder case that may be the work of a notorious serial killer, but both men turn their sights on the staff of the bookstore where the crime took place when the clues point toward a killer who knew the victim.

Childs, Craig. Finders Keepers: A Tale of Archaeological Plunder and Obsession. (Hach, 24.99) Aug. An exploration of the controversial nature of archaeological excavation and a tale of crime and detection delving into the question of who, in fact, owns the past.

Clemens, Judy. The Grim Reaper’s Dance (PP, 24.95 hc., 14.95 tp.) Aug. When the semi in which she has hitched a ride crashes in Kansas, Casey discovers a secret stash in the truck and must hide out in the cornfields when a group of desperate men come after her.

Coel, Margaret. The Spider’s Web (Brk, 24.95) Sept. Arapaho attorney Vicki Holden agrees to defend a woman accused of murdering her fiancé, putting her at odds with Father John, who doubts the woman’s innocence, but when the Arapaho troublemakers the woman has accused of the murder are themselves found murdered Vicky and Father John realize that they are caught in a web of deception.

Cook, Robin. Cure (Put, 26.95) Aug. The scarily close ties between the world of biotech and the mob provide the thrills in this mystery featuring husband-and-wife medical examiners Montgomery and /Stapleton.

Cook, Thomas H. The Last Talk with Lola Faye (HMH, 25.00) Aug. A taut literary thriller about a man who unexpectedly meets up with the woman he has always blamed for his father’s murder years ago, but as he listens to her story, he realizes that their perspectives are so different and he may not know the truth of the violent crime of passion in a tiny southern town. Cook is a master at revealing the truth gradually and inexorably.

Cottam, F.G. Dark Echo (STM, 25.99) Aug. A scary mixture of detective story and ghost story about a man who buys a yacht and prepares to sail across the Atlantic, despite knowing its dark history.

Coyle, Cleo. Roast Mortem (Brk, 24.95) Aug. NYC coffeehouse owner Clare decides to investigate when a series of fires in cafés and the suspicious deaths of firefighters culminate in a false accusation against her detective boyfriend.

Crider, Bill. Murder in the Air (STM, 24.99) Aug. Sheriff Dan Rhodes has to deal with complaints about an unpleasant odor from a local chicken farm, but when the farmer is found dead, it looks like a case of murder most fowl.

Crosby, Ellen. The Viognier Vendetta (SS, 24.00) Aug. Winemaker Lucie Montgomery is in Washington, D.C visiting a friend who works for a billionaire investment banker, but when the friend disappears along with an historic wine cooler, Lucie must find her friend by learning the secrets of the investment company.

Crusie, Jennifer. Maybe This Time (STM, 24.99) Sept. A woman is asked by her former husband to help him with two young cousins who have been left in his care and she finds herself with two out-of-control kids in a haunted house with a housekeeper who makes Mrs. Danvers look like a sweetheart in a novel of love and exorcism.

Deaver, Jeffery and others. Watchlist (Vang, 25.99) Aug. Two novellas in one volume that are a collaboration of 22 thriller writers including Lee Child, Joseph Finder, and David Corbett.

Depp, Daniel. Babylon Nights (SS, 24.00) Aug. Hollywood PI David Spandau is asked to protect an over-the-hill actress from a deranged stalker who follows them to the Cannes Film Festival. Good characterizations, twisty plotting, and insider knowledge of showbiz make this series a standout.

Douglas, Carole Nelson. Cat in an Ultramarine Scheme (STM, 24.99) Aug. Las Vegas publicist Temple Barr accepts the job putting together an extravaganza for a mob museum/casino, but she has to call on Midnight Louie and his posse of cats to solve some mob murders both contemporary and vintage when a body is found during a media event.

Elias, Gerald. Danse Macabre (STM, 24.99) Sept. Reclusive blind concert master Daniel Jacobus investigates when a beloved violinist is murdered and a young African-American violinist is found standing over the body.

Evanovich, Janet. Wicked Appetite (STM, 27.99) Sept. The first of a new series set on the North Shore of Boston, featuring two characters from the Plum series—Carl the Monkey and Diesel, who partners with pastry chef Lizzie Tucker to find a collection of relics representing the Seven Deadly Sins before his criminal mastermind cousin does.

Ewan, Chris. The Good Thief’s Guide to Vegas (STM, 24.99) Aug. Part-time crime writer/part-time thief Charlie Howard goes to Las Vegas to steal $60,000 in casino chips from his rival, but he discovers a body in the bathtub and the casino accuses him of scamming them, so he finds himself in big trouble.

Finder, Joseph. Buried Secrets (STM, 25.99) Aug. Private spy Nick Heller is hired by a Boston hedge-fund manager whose daughter has been kidnapped and is buried alive in an underground crypt to investigate, but he discovers that not only is the father guilty of financial chicanery, but also that there is a conspiracy that reaches up to the highest levels of government.

Forsyth, Frederick. The Cobra (Put, 26.95) Aug. A political thriller about a president who decides to destroy illegal drug-trafficking by redefining it as terrorism and making an ex-CIA director the head of the new group tasked to stop the cartels.

Freemantle, Brian. Red Star Rising (STM, 25.99) Aug. Special agent Charlie Muffin is sent from London when the body of a tortured, murdered Russian is found on the lawn of the British Embassy in Moscow, and while investigating he discovers that post-Soviet Russia is no less dangerous than its Cold War counterpart.

Freveletti, Jamie. Running Dark (HC, 24.99) July. Chemist Emma Caldridge returns in a thriller that begins in South Africa where she is running a marathon and finishes on a cruise liner under siege from Somali pirates.

Gardner, Lisa. Live to Tell (BDD, 26.00) Aug. Detective D. D. Warren is involved in a case of two grisly family annihilations that leads her to a Boston psychiatric facility that specializes in sick children—and a pediatric nurse who is herself the survivor of a family bloodbath.

Gerritsen, Tess. Ice Cold (Ball, 26.00) Aug. Boston medical examiner Maura Isles, at a conference in Wyoming, is stuck in an abandoned village home to a religious cult and, when what appears to be her charred body is found, homicide detective Jane Rizzoli flies to investigate.

Haddam, Jane. Wanting Sheila Dead (STM, 25.99) Aug. Demarkian is in Connecticut to appear on a reality show hosted by a universally-disliked celebrity, but he ends up consulting with the police to solve the crime when she’s discovered unconscious next to the body of a murdered girl.

Haig, Brian. The Capitol Game (Hach, 25.99) Aug. A financial thriller about an investment banker who plans the takeover of a small company that has discovered a miraculous polymer that has the strength of 30 inches of steel and could change the course of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but things fall about and soon big government and big business are at odds.

Harris, Charlaine, Katie MacAlister, Jeaniene Frost, et. al. Death’s Excellent Vacation (Brk, 24.95) Aug. A collection of paranormal short stories, including a new Sookie Stackhouse story.

Henry, Sue. Cold as Ice (NAL, 23.95) Sept. Dogsled racer Jesse Arnold finds that even a getaway with her fiancé to Prince Island Sound is dangerous when they discover a dead body while kayaking in the latest in the Alaska-based series.

Hill, Suzette A. Bones in High Places (Soho, 25.00) Aug. The hapless Reverend Oughterard is lured to France by the man who is blackmailing him, unaware that his faithful dog and cat have stowed away to accompany him and save him from the murderous thugs who are on his tail.

Hilton, Matt. Judgment and Wrath (HC, 24.99) Aug. Ex-Special Forces operative is hired by a distraught father to extricate his 17-year-old daughter from the clutches of a Miami playboy, who is himself the target of a talented hit man.

Hoffman, Jilliane. Pretty Little Things (Vang, 25.95) Sept. When a thirteen-year-old girl goes missing from her south Florida home, the detective in charge of the case discovers that she was involved in a secret Internet relationship and may be the victim of an online predator.

Jance, J.A. Queen of the Night (HC, 25.99) July 27. The fourth in the series set in Tucson and the Tohono O’odham Reservation spans fifty years and moves from California to Tucson in a mystery that demonstrates the intricate web of relationships that spans generations, all the while interweaving the crimes with Tohono O’odham legends. Highly recommended.

Kellerman, Faye. Hangman (HC, 25.99) Aug. The Deckers agree to take in a young boy when his mother disappears, but it appears that a body found hanged at a construction site may be the missing mother.

Kiely, Tracy. Murder on the Bride’s Side (STM, 24.99) Sept. Elizabeth Parker, the Jane Austen-quoting sleuth returns to solve another murder, this time the murder of a bride’s universally-disliked aunt in the second in this nicely old-fashioned series.

Kipps, Charles. Crystal Death (SS, 26.00) Sept. The second in the police procedural series to feature NYPD detective Conor Bard, whose latest case begins with a robbery and murder of an Israeli diamond merchant, a case that soon becomes international in scope when a South African policeman arrives from Johannesburg.

Krueger, William Kent. Vermilion Drift (SS, 25.00) Sept. A wealthy mine owner hires PI Cork O’Connor to find his missing sister, but in the course of the investigation Cork finds six bodies in one of the mines, and one body is recent.

Larsen, K.J. Liar, Liar (PP, 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp) Sept. A comic, sexy debut featuring the owner of a Chicago detective agency who specializes in nailing cheating spouses, but when a client turns up dead, someone wants her off the case permanently. For fans of Evanovich and Lutz.

Lewis, Peter. Dead in the Dregs (Per, 25.00) Aug. A debut mystery introducing Babe Stern a bar owner in Napa Valley who agrees to help his ex-wife when her brother-in-law goes missing, only to turn up in a nearby winery, dead in a series of gruesome murders.

Lindsay, Jeff. Dexter is Delicious (BDD, 25.95) 25.95) Sept. After the birth of his first child, Dexter considers giving up his secret life as killer of serial killers, but when a killer leaves the cannibalized corpse of a young girl—and it looks like he may escape justice—Dexter decides to turn over a new leaf later.

Lupoff, Richard A. The Emerald Cat Killer (STM, 24.99) Sept. Hobart Lindsey is called back to San Francisco for his final case—chicanery in the world of literature.

McCall Smith, Alexander. Corduroy Mansions (RH, 24.95) July. A humorous look at the eccentric residents of an apartment building in London and their offbeat doings.

McGilloway, Brian. Bleed a River Deep (STM, 24.99) Sept. Inspector Devlin investigates when a U.S. diplomat is attacked, and later the shooter is found dead as well in this solid police procedural series.

Meier, Leslie. The Wicked Witch Murder (Kens, 22.00) Sept. When Lucy Stone finds a woman murdered right before Halloween, a local farmer blames a newcomer to the small Maine town, a psychic who has opened a shop.

Murray, Paul. Skippy Dies (FSG, 28.00) Sept. A darkly funny novel set in a haunted boarding school in Dublin that combines a story of love, violence, adolescent angst, and string theory. Highly recommended.

Palumbo, Dennis. Mirror Image (PP, 24.95 hc., 14.95 tp.) Aug. A debut mystery featuring a psychologist who consults for the police, who realizes after a young patient is killed, that he was the intended victim.

Paretsky, Sara. Body Work (Put, 26.95) Sept. When an avant-garde artist is shot outside of a Chicago club, VI Warshawski is hired by the parents of the chief suspect, a troubled Iraqi war veteran. A first-rate entry in a first-rate series.

Patterson, James and Howard Roughan. Don’t Blink (Hach, 27.99) Sept. A reporter at a restaurant when an infamous mob lawyer is gunned down has accidentally and unwittingly captured a key piece of evidence, placing him in the crossfire of an all-out mob war.

Patterson, James and Liza Marklund. Postcard Killer (Hach, 27.99) Aug. When his daughter and her boyfriend are murdered on a European tour, NYPD detective Jack Kanon teams up with a Swedish reporter to investigate a serial killer who has targeted young couples in major European cities, sending a postcard to the local newspaper before each murder.

Peacock, Justin. Blind Man’s Alley (BDD, 25.95) Aug. When a young lawyer at a New York firm accepts a pro-bono eviction case, he is taken aback when it becomes a murder case after his client is accused of murdering a security guard.

Reichs, Kathy. Spider Bones (SS, 26.99) Aug. 24. When Tempe Brennan is called in to the scene of a drowning in Quebec, she finds that the victim is identified as a man reported killed four decades earlier in Vietnam, so she flies to Honolulu with the exhumed bones of the soldier to solve the puzzle.

Rendell, Ruth. Portobello (SS, 26.00) Sept. A novel of psychological suspense set in London’s gentrified Notting Hill neighborhood, where the discovery of an envelope bulging with cash is the catalyst for dangerous changes in the residents’ lives.

Riggs, Cynthia. Touch-Me-Not (STM, 24.99) Sept. Victoria Trumbull of Martha’ Vineyard, a 92-year-old sleuth, investigates when her environmentally-friendly granddaughter begins getting scary calls from a telephone stalker.

Robinson, Peter. Bad Boy (Morrow, 25.99) Sept. Inspector Banks’ daughter is the main character for the first half of this excellent police procedural as a friend’s bad-boy boyfriend whisks her off on an adventure that turns sour when she discovers just how bad he really is, and her father must balance his role as policeman and father to free her.

Roman, A. E. The Superman Project (STM, 25.99) Aug. NYC PI Chico Santana is called to investigate the suspicious death of an old friend who ended up involved with a self-improvement cult in Brooklyn, and after a second murder he begins to believe that someone may be out to destroy the group.

Rosenberg, Nancy Taylor. My Lost Daughter (STM, 25.99) Sept. When a California judge admits her troubled daughter to a treatment facility for patients with mental disorders, she discovers that she has inadvertently exposed her to danger from a sociopath who has taken refuge there.

Rosenfelt, David. Dog Tags (Hach, 24.99) Aug. Andy Carpenter represents a German Shepherd police dog who witnessed a murder, and who is in danger of being put down if his owner is convicted of the crime. If you love dogs, you must try Rosenfelt—he’s great.

Rosnay, Tatiana de. A Secret Kept (STM, 24.99) Sept. When a man and his sister return to the island where they had spent many family vacations before the death of their mother, he finds that his version of the past and his mother’s death is false and he must confront the shocking truth.

Ryan, Anneliese. Scared Stiff (Kens, 22.00) Sept. Deputy coroner Mattie Winston has her hands full on Halloween when a woman is found dead, and she must use all her detecting skills to save the dead woman’s husband who is the chief suspect.

Sims, Elizabeth. On Location (STM, 25.99) Aug. When her sister doesn’t return from scouting for film sets in the wilds of Washington state, actress and single mom Rita Farmer sets off to find her.

Slaughter, Karin. Broken (BDD, 26.00) July. Sara Linton returns home to Grant County, Georgia for Thanksgiving, but the murder of a college student and the later death of the suspect in custody leads her to agree to consult with the police department, uncovering dark secrets.

Thornton, Betsy. Dream Queen (STM, 25.99) Aug. Victim’s advocate Chloe Newcombe travels to Arizona in the sixth of the series that is set before she moves to Arizona, where she investigates when her brother disappears and his girlfriend is murdered, in a killing that seems related to drugs. This strong, well-plotted literary whodunit got a starred review in PW. Signing.

Thurlo, Aimée and David. Never-ending Snake (STM, 24.99) Sept. Navajo police officer Ella Clah returns from a trip to Washington DC when a shooting at an airfield leads her into a complex mystery involving gambling and alternative fuel development.

Unger, Lisa. Fragile (RH, 24.00) Aug. When their son’s girlfriend disappears and he becomes a suspect, an upstate New York couple—she a psychologist and he a police detective—begin investigating and discover a murder that occurred twenty years before that appears related.

Vance, Lee. The Garden of Betrayal (RH, 24.95) Aug. A financial thriller set in NYC about an independent energy analyst whose son disappeared seven years before who is given secret data about the rate of depletion of Saudi oil, and whose verification of the information leads him into a maze of murder and even the fate of his missing son.

Webb, Betty. The Koala of Death (PP, 24.95 hc. And 14.95 tp.) Aug. When zookeeper Teddy Bentley finds the body of a fellow zoo keeper, she realizes that all the clues implicate other animal keepers, including the woman’s ex-boyfriend, the Aussie marsupial keeper, but someone doesn’t want her in investigate further. Signing.

White, Stephen. The Last Lie (Dut, 26.95) Aug. Boulder psychologist Alan Gregory becomes involved when his neighbor is accused of raping a young woman who is the patient of a young therapist that Gregory is supervising.

Woods, Stuart. Santa Fe Edge (Put, 25.95) Sept. Santa Fe lawyer Barbara Eagle Keeler escapes from a Mexican jail to finish off her ex-husband and meets up with CIA agent Holly Barker, in Santa Fe to find a rogue CIA agent.

New and Forthcoming in Paperback Reprint

Andrews, Donna. Swan for the Money (STM, 7.99) Aug.

Baldacci, David. True Blue (GC, 9.99) Sept.

Beaton, M.C. There Goes the Bride (STM, 7.99) Sept.

Black, Lisa. Evidence of Murder (HC, 7.99) Sept.

Boyd, Noah. The Bricklayer (HC, 7.99) Sept.

Brown, Sandra. Smash Cut (Pkt, 9.99) Aug.

Burke, Jan. The Messenger (Pkt, 7.99) Aug.

Carey, Mike. Dead Men’s Boots (GC, 7.99) Aug.

Clark, Mary Jane. Dying for Mercy (HC, 7.99) Sept.

Child, Lee. The Hard Way (BDD, 9.99) Aug. Reissue.

Coben, Harlan. Fade Away (BDD, 9.99) Sept.

Coel, Margaret. The Silent Spirit (Brk, 7.99) Sept.

Connelly, Michael. 9 Dragons (GC, 9.99) Aug.

Cornwell, Patricia. The Scarpetta Factor (Brk, 9.99) Sept.

Crawford, Isis. A Catered Halloween (Kens, 6.99) Sept.

Crosby, Ellen. The Riesling Retribution (Pkt, 7.99) Aug.

Cussler, Clive with Grant Blackwood. Spartan Gold (Brk, 9.99) Sept.

Elkins, Aaron. Skull Duggery (Brk, 7.99) Aug.

Ferrigno, Robert. Heart of the Assassin (Pkt, 7.99) Sept.

Finder, Joseph. Vanished (STM, 9.99) Aug.

Fletcher, Jessica. Murder She Wrote: A Fatal Feast (NAL, 6.99) Sept.

Flynn, Vince. Pursuit of Honor (Pkt, 9.99) Sept.

Francis, Dick and Felix Francis. Even Money (Brk, 9.99) Aug.

Frey, Stephen. Hell’s Gate (Pkt, 7.99) Aug.

Goodkind, Terry. The Law of Nines (Brk, 9.99) Sept.

Haig, Brian. The Hunted (GC, 7.99) Aug.

Henry, Sue. The End of the Road (NAL, 6.99) Sept.

Hoffman, Jilliane. Plea of Insanity (Vang, 7.99) Aug.

Hogan, Chuck. The Town (Pkt, 7.99) Aug. Reissue of The Prince of Thieves.

Hooper, Kay. Blood Ties (BDD, 7.99) Sept.

Howard, Linda. Burn (BDD, 7.99) Aug.

Jacobson, Alan. Crush (Vang, 7.99) Aug.

James, Steven. The Knight (NAL, 7.99) Sept.

Johansen, Iris and Roy Johansen. Storm Cycle (STM, 7.99) Aug.

Kellerman, Faye. Blindman’s Bluff (HC, 7.99) Aug.

Koryta, Michael. The Silent Hour (STM, 7.99) Aug.

Leonard, Peter. Trust Me (STM, 7.99) Sept.

Mayor, Archer. The Price of Malice (STM, 7.99) Sept.

McFadyen, Cody. Abandoned (BDD, 7.99) Aug.

Meier, Leslie. Wedding Day Murder (Ken, 6.99) Aug.

Morrell, David. Shimmer (Vang, 7.99) Aug.

Paretsky, Sara. Hardball (NAL, 9.99) Aug.

Parker, Robert B. The Professional (Brk, 9.99) Sept.

Perry, Thomas. Fidelity (Vang, 7.99) Sept.

Robb, J.D. Fantasy in Death (Brk, 7.99) Aug.

Roker, Al. The Morning Show Murders (BDD, 7.99) Sept.

Rollins, David. Hard Rain (BDD, 7.99) Sept.

Ryan, Annelise. Working Stiff (Ken, 6.99) Aug.

Shreve, Anita. Testimony (GC, 7.99) Sept.

Spillane, Mickey with Max Allan Collins. The Goliath Bone (Vang, 7.99) Aug.

Twining, James. Geneva Deception (HC, 7.99) Aug.

Unger, Lisa. Die for You (BDD, 7.99) Aug.

Wambaugh, Joseph. Hollywood Moon (GC, 7.99) Sept.

Webb, Peggy. Elvis and the Grateful Dead (Kens, 6.99) Sept.

White, Stephen. The Siege (NAL, 9.99) Aug.

Woods, Stuart. Kisser (NAL, 9.99) Sept.

New and Forthcoming in Paperback Original

Barrett, Lorna. Chapter and Hearse (Brk, 7.99) Aug. Mystery bookstore owner Tricia Miles turns from reading whodunits to solving them when the owner of the history bookstore dies in a gas explosion that also injures her sister’s boyfriend.

Baxter, Cynthia. Crossing the Lion (BDD, 7.99) Sept. Veterinarian and amateur sleuth Jessica Popper must solve the murder of her landlady’s wealthy friend in the latest in this cozy series.

Beck, Jessica. Fatally Frosted (STM, 7.99) Aug. Doughnut-shop owner Suzanne Hart has forensic people sifting through the ingredients after the local busy body drops dead after eating one of her tasty treats in the series that lets you enjoy doughnuts without any calories.

Brady, Kate. Last to Die (GC, 6.99) Sept. When her investigation into the murder of six women leads her to a photography foundation and a former lover, a renowned photographer, a detective finds the killer is closer to her than she ever imagined.

Brown, Graham. Black Sun (BDD, 7.99) Sept. A researcher and her intrepid team are on the trail of a Mayan legend that takes them from Mexico to Hong Kong. Signing.

Eden, Cynthia. Deadly Fear (GC, 6.99) Aug. The first in a new romantic suspense series featuring an FBI Special Agent who has the ability to get inside the mind of a murderer, and whose hunt for a serial killer in a small Mississippi town turns the killer’s focus on her.

James, Miranda. Murder Past Due (Brk, 7.99) Aug. A Mississippi librarian and his Maine coon cat turned sleuths when his former classmate-turned-bestselling novelist is killed, apparently for the secrets hidden in the small town’s past in the first in a new series.

Lavene, Joyce and Jim. Deadly Daggers (Brk, 7.99) Sept. When a professional dueler is murdered at the Renaissance Faire, Jessie needs to keep a sharp eye out to catch the killer.

Lee, Amanda. The Quick and the Thread (NAL, 6.99) Aug. The first in a new needlework series, featuring the owner of an embroidery specialty shop in Oregon, who discovers the shop’s previous tenant dead in the storeroom with a message scratched on the wall with a tapestry needle.

Little, Bentley. Disappearance (NAL, 7.99) Sept. When his girlfriend disappears and there is no evidence that she even existed, he finds a tantalizing clue leading to a mysterious cult. Little is a master of horror.

Mayes, Casey. A Deadly Row (Brk, 7.99) Sept. The first in a new series featuring a math whiz who makes KenKen puzzles in rural North Carolina and who agrees to solve the puzzle when the mayor begins getting death threats.

McGee, Chaz. Angel Interrupted (Brk, 6.99) Sept. In the second in the paranormal series featuring a former detective, now a dead soul in limbo, who decides to help the detective who replaced him.

Olson, Karen E. Driven to Ink (NAL, 6.99) Sept. After discovering the body of a Dean Martin impersonator, Las Vegas tattoo artist Brett infiltrates a drive-through wedding chapel to find the killer.

Pape, Sharon. Sketch Me if You Can (Brk, 7.99) Aug. When a police sketch artist inherits her uncle’s private detective business and his old house, she discovers that she has the ghost of a dead lawman as a housemate, a ghost who helps her out when she is drawn into an unsolved case in the first of a new paranormal series.

Perez, Henry. Mourn the Living (Ken, 6.99) Aug. A thriller set in Chicago, featuring a newspaper reporter hunting for the serial killer who has murdered a colleague.

Petersen, Jesse. Married with Zombies (GC, 7.99) Sept. The first in a new series that kept me laughing all through it about an unhappy married couple fighting for survival during a zombie uprising and the surprising marriage survival tips they come up with after finding their marriage counselor ripping out a client’s throat. Yes, I admit it’s dumb, but it’s also really funny.

Preisler, Jerome. CSI: Skin Deep (Pkt, 7.99) Sept. When a criminal judge is found murdered with an intricate tattoo on his face, the case is the first in a series of bizarre murders facing the crime scene investigators.

Rabkin, William. Psych (NAL, 6.99) Aug. Novice sleuth—and fake psychic—Shawn must find the killer of a Santa Barbara museum curator in a case that leads them to a dangerous cabal desperate to hide a terrible secret. Based on the USA Network series.

Reed, Hannah. Buzz Off (Brk, 7.99) Sept. The first mystery featuring beekeeper Story Fischer who investigates when her mentor in the honey business is found suspiciously stung to death in his apiary.

Serrano, Daniel. Boogiedown (GC, 7.99) Aug. When a rap impresario is murdered on the eve of a corporate merger, NYPD homicide detective Cassandra Maldonado investigates the main suspect, the victim’s gambling-addicted lawyer, who knows all the players—and all their dirty secrets in a gritty noir thriller by an award-winning latino writer.

Thayer, Terri. False Impressions (Brk, 7.99) Aug. One of the Stamping Sisters faked his own death, only to really die in a car accident, but when Abby discovers that it was no accident, she vows to find the killer.

Warner, Penny. How to Crash a Killer Bash (NAL, 6.99) Aug. When a guest at a Murder Mystery party is found dead, party planner Presley Parker sleuths in earnest to find the killer.

Watson, Wendy Lyn. Scoop to Kill (NAL, 6.99) Sept. When a graduate student is killed, the owner of an ice-cream shop decides to clear the name of the professor suspected of the murder before anyone else is put on ice.

Webber, Heather. Deeply, Desperately (STM, 7.99) Aug. The second in the romantic paranormal series featuring Lucy Valentine.

New and Forthcoming in Quality Paperback

Brod, D.C. Getting Sassy (Tyrus, 14.95) Sept. After her elderly mother loses her money in a scam, a journalist realizes that she has to do something to keep her mother from moving in with her, so she decides to kidnap a goat and hold her for ransom in this funny caper set in the world of horse-racing. Highly recommended.

Cain, Chelsea. Evil at Heart (STM, 14.99) Sept. Portland detective Archie Sheridan must go after serial killer Gretchen Lowell when a new body is found with her trademark heart, but he wonders if perhaps it is the work of a copycat killer inspired by her fan club. The first two books in this series that shows that serial killing is not just for men anymore—Heartsick and Sweetheart—are being reprinted in trade paper as well.

Carkeet, David. The Full Catastrophe (Png, 13.95) Aug. When linguist Jeremy Cook gets a job with a St. Louis marriage counseling firm, he is uncomfortable, a feeling that grows more acute when he must move in with a suburban couple plagued by a “linguistically troubled marriage. A very funny book.

Clemens, Judy. Embrace the Grim Reaper (PP, 14.95) Aug. A woman who almost dies in a car accident finds that Death will not leave her alone, especially when she stops in a small town wrapped in tragedy and discovers that a murderer will not leave.

Dicks, Matthew. Unexpectedly, Milo (RH, 14.99) Aug. A Connecticut home nurse and OCD sufferer takes to the road after separating from his wife when he discovers a mysterious woman’s video diary where she talks about the guilt she feels over the disappearance of a childhood friend who she believes is dead.

Elias, Gerald. Devil’s Trill (STM, 14.99) Sept. A debut mystery set in the world of classical music, featuring a reclusive blind musician who is accused of the theft of a priceless violin and the murder of a rival. Highly recommended.

Ellory, R. J. A Quiet Belief in Angels (Png, 14.95) Aug. A man who is haunted by a series of murder and kidnappings of children in 1939 in a small town in Georgia finds that history repeats itself fifty years later when a series of murders with the same gruesome signatures occurs.

Estleman, Loren D. Frames (STM, 14.99) Sept. The first in a wonderful, funny new series featuring a Hollywood film researcher turned detective who buys a decrepit old theatre and discovers long-lost reels of film within the walls. Highly recommended.

Griffiths, Elly. The Crossing Places (HMH, 14.95) Sept. An archaeologist working in a remote are of Norfolk on an Iron Age site is asked by the local police inspector to help identify a child’s bones that he belives are those of a little girl who went missing ten years ago. A first-rate debut mystery with well-drawn characters and a fascinating sense of place.

Gruley, Brian. The Hanging Tree (SS, 15.00) Aug. The second in the critically-acclaimed series set in a small town in Michigan features the editor of the local newspaper and the sheriff’s deputy who is his girlfriend investigating when a the apparent suicide of a former wild child shortly after her homecoming begins to look a lot like murder. Highly recommended. Signing.

Hill, Suzette. A Load of Old Bones (Soho, 14.00) Aug. A funny debut set in a peaceful English village where the new vicar becomes entangled in a nightmare world of predatory female parishioners, officious policeman, blackmail, and murder, told from the point of view of the dog and cat who decide to save him. I loved this.

Hornsby, Wendy. The Paramour’s Daughter (Pers, 14.95) Sept. When filmmaker Maggie MacGowen receives notice that she has been left a sizable inheritance by an unknown French relative, she is plunged into danger as the rest of the family fights for their share.

Jaffarian, Sue Ann. Murder in Vein (MidInk, 14.95) Sept. The first in a new vampire cozy series, featuring a young waitress who is rescued from the clutches of a serial killer by a couple of elderly vampires.

Lind, Hailey. Arsenic and Old Paint (Pers, 14.95) Sept. Former art forger Annie Kincaid is asked to find a stolen erotic painting after she stumbles across a body in an exclusive Nob Hill men’s club in the latest in this San Francisco art mystery series.

Littlewood, Ann. Night Kill (PP, 14.95) Aug. A debut set in a zoo in Washington state, where a zookeeper’s alcoholic ex-husband is found dead in the lion exhibit, but it turns out the lioness is innocent of the crime, after a series of near-fatal “accidents” attests.

Loehfelm, Bill. Bloodroot (Brk, 15.00) Sept. An atmospheric mystery set on Staten Island about a pair of Irish-American brothers who become involved in an underworld plot involving the abandoned Bloodroot Children’s Hospital. Highly recommended.

Lovesey, Peter. Skeleton Hill (Soho, 14.00) Sept. English Civil War re-enactors discover a headless skeleton and soon after, one is found murdered, leading Peter Diamond to one of his most puzzling cases.

McFarland, Nora. A Bad Day’s Work (SS, 14.99) Aug. A debut mystery featuring a TV camerawoman who gets an early morning call about shooting a local crime scene, but could be a big break turns into a nightmare when the footage disappears and she is attacked by two cops, accusing her of blackmailing a powerful man in the area. I liked this for an interesting, not-so-nice protagonist, a slew of eccentric minor characters, and the creation of a nicely-realized sense of paranoia.

Patterson, James and Michael Ledwidge. Worst Case (Hach, 14.99) Sept. A NYPD detective teams up with an FBI agent when the children of New York’s powerful families are abducted and held hostage.

Penny, Louise. The Brutal Telling (STM, 13.99) Sept. Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is summoned to Three Pines from Quebec when a stranger is found murdered in Olivier’s bistro, and no one admits to knowing who he is. A stellar entry in an outstanding series.

Pollero, Rhonda. Slightly Irregular (Pkt, 15.00) Aug. Florida paralegal Finley Tanner needs an escort to her sister’s wedding in Atlanta, so she decides to use her legal connections when PI Liam McGarrity is the primary suspect in the murder of his former partner in the police department in the latest in this funny series.

Pynchon, Thomas. Inherent Vice (Png, 16.00) A noir, psychedelic romp set in 1960s Los Angeles with a PI who is asked by a former girlfriend to find her missing boyfriend, a billionaire land developer.

Rankin, Ian. Doors Open (Hach, 14.99) Sept. A suspenseful thriller about three middle-aged, middle-class friends, bored with their lives, who decide to “liberate” several paintings from the National Gallery, ill-prepared for the double crosses that a life of crime entails.

_____. The Falls (STM, 16.99) Aug. A reissue of an Inspector Rebus mystery set in Edinburgh where an Internet role-playing game and a doll in a tiny coffin are the clues to a student’s disappearance.

Ransom, Christopher. The Birthing House (STM, 14.99) Aug. A chilling combination of supernatural horror and psychological suspense about young couple who buy a Victorian house that was once a home for unwed mothers and the ways past crimes are re-enacted in the present. Very scary.

Rendell, Ruth. The Monster in the Box (SS, 15.00) Aug. When a man that Wexford has always suspected is a serial killer after seeing him at his first murder investigation years ago returns to Kingsmarkham, he suspects that the murder rate will go up.

Robertson, Michael. The Baker Street Letters (STM, 13.99) Sept. When an attorney and his brother rent space in an office building on London’s Baker Street, they begin receiving letters addressed to Sherlock Holmes, and then one of the brothers disappears leaving a dead body in his wake… What would Sherlock do?

Rotter, Gabe. The Human Bobby (SS, 15.00) Aug. A young Hollywood screenwriter who seems to have it all loses everything in an instant with just one kiss, and must struggle to regain his life again after his son is kidnapped.

Rozan, S.J. The Shanghai Moon (STM, 14.99) Sept. When a cache of jewelry hidden by European Jews fleeing Hitler’s Europe is excavated in Shanghai and then promptly stolen, New York PI Lydia Chin is called in to find the missing jewels, including a fabulous gem known as the Shanghai Moon.

Schwartz, Stephen Jay. Boulevard (STM, 14.99) Aug. A powerful debut novel set in Los Angeles featuring an LAPD homicide detective who is a sex addict, whose addiction is both a help and a hindrance when he is called in to investigate a heinous crime involving the daughter of a politician.

Sharpe, Matthew. You Were Wrong (STM, 14.00) Sept. A high-school math teacher living with his stepfather finds his life is changed when he discovers a beautiful woman robbing his house, a mysterious woman who pleads for his protection.

Smith, Mark Haskell. Baked (Grove, 14.00) Aug. When the winner of the Cannabis Cup in Amsterdam is shot when he returns to Los Angeles and someone steals his seed supply, he leaves the hospital searching for vengeance and finding a batch of eccentrics.

Smith is one of my favorite authors for his nicely eccentric sense of humor.

Tranter, Kristen. The Legacy (SS, 15.00) Aug. An wealthy Australian college student visits Venice and after a whirlwind courtship marries an art dealer to the dismay of her family, and when she dies in the attacks on the World Trade Center, her cousin goes to New York to find out what happened. A brilliant debut that echoes both Patricia Highsmith and Henry James’ Portrait of a Lady.

Webb, Betty. The Anteater of Death (PP, 14.95) Aug. The first in a new series featuring a zookeeper in a small zoo in California who investigates when the anteater is the chief suspect when a caretaker is found dead in the enclosure. This is a much cozier read than Webb’s Scottsdale-based PI series, and is lots of fun.

Wong, David. John Dies at the End (STM, 14.99) Sept. A darkly, grossly funny combination of humor and horror as two slackers from the Midwest attempt to save the world from a silent otherworldly invasion.

New and Forthcoming in International Mysteries

Baantjer, A.C. DeKok and the Corpse by Return (Fulcrum, 24.00) Aug. While driving a teenaged girl home after work, DeKok stops to help a stranded motorist, and his passenger notices a woman in the car—a dead woman.

Bond, Michael. Monsieur Pamplemousse and the Carbon Footprint (A&B, 29.95) Sept. Pamplemousse and Pommes Frites are tasked with improving Le Guide’s fortunes with Americans by ingratiating themselves with a feared food critic, but things change for the worse when the critic is kidnapped and the mob is involved.

_____. Monsieur Pamplemousse and the French Solution (A&B, 16.95) Sept. Pamplemousse and Pommes Frites must stop a smear campaign targetting Le Guide, with someone infiltrating the company files and awarding hotels prizes for bedbugs, an attack that escalates to an assault on Pommes Frites.

Booth, Martin. A Very Private Gentleman (STM, 14.00) Sept. An Englishman who lives in a small Italian village falls in love with a local woman and decides to retire from his profession—making custom guns for assassins—but discovers that is not so easy.

Brooke, P.J. Blood Wedding (Soho, 15.00) Sept. In this debut mystery set in Granad, Spain, a police detective investigates the death of a Muslim girl, and after the chief suspect commits suicide, he becomes part of an anti-terrorist operation.

Bunn, Davis. The Black Madonna (SS, 14.99) Sept. A blend of murder and archaeology as art historian Storm Syrrell and treasure hunter Harry Bennett travel to exotic locales in search of the famed Black Madonna, a quest that puts their lives in danger.

Carofiglio, Gianrico. The Past is a Foreign Country (STM, 24.99) Aug. A prize-winning novel of psychological suspense about a young attorney who is befriended by a charismatic man who leads him into a corrupt world of casual violence.

Chakraborti, Rajorshi. Shadow Play (STM, 24.99) Aug. An internationally renowned novelist, who has disappeared after the murder of a young journalist, claims to explain everything in chapters from his latest novel about a serial-killer-turned-assassin in a brilliant tour-de-force thriller.

Church, James. The Man with the Baltic Stare (STM, 24.99) Aug. North Korean Police Inspector O is called out of retirement to deal with a crime of passion committed by the best possible leader of a transition government in Pyongyang, but politicians, foreign powers, and rival gangs all threaten him if he does his job.

Cossé, Laurence. A Novel Bookstore (Europa, 15.00) Sept. When a couple opens a bookstore in Paris dedicated to literary masterpieces chosen by a secret committee of connoisseurs, things go extremely well until they begin to receive anonymous threats that culminate in an attack on one of the committee members.

Cotterill, Colin. Love Songs from a Shallow Grave (Soho, 25.00) Aug. Laotian coroner Dr. Siri is lured to Cambodia where he is accused of spying for the Vietnamese, and given his age, it is touch and go, if he can escape.

_____. The Merry Misogynist (Soho, 14.00) Aug. Laotian coroner Dr. Siri is convinced that peaceful, Buddhist Laos has a serial killer who is killing young women from rural areas, strangling them and tying them to trees.

Dryden, Alex. Moscow Sting (HC, 24.99) Aug. The KGB colonel who forsook her country to marry an American is on the run because of what she knows about a ghostlike double agent with close ties to Vladimir Putin in a clever and suspenseful thriller.

Elliot, Jason. The Network (STM, 24.00) Sept. An authentic and riveting espionage novel set in the months before 9/11 featuring a British MI6 agent who is sent to Afghanistan to destroy a cache of missiles before they can fall into the hands of al-Qaeda.

Ferreris, Zoë. City of Veils ( Hach, 23.99) Aug. When the body of a brutally beaten woman is found in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Detective Ibrahim is helped by a female coroner who is able to identify the woman as a controversial filmmaker.

Fossum, Karin. Broken (HMH, 25.00) Aug. An author finds that one of her characters demands to have his story told, the story of a man who works in an art gallery whose ordered life is disturbed when a young addict walks into the gallery and later appears on his doorstep. A genre-bending mystery that is as disturbing as it is unconventional.

_____. The Water’s Edge (HMH, 13.95) Aug. Inspector Sejer investigates when a couple discovers the body of a young boy while out for a Sunday walk, and the investigation becomes more intense when a second boy disappears from the small Norwegian town.

Ghelfi, Brent. The Venona Cable (STM, 14.00) Aug. Alexei Volkovoy is arrested when a Hollywood filmmaker is found dead in Moscow, carrying papers that seem to implicate Volk’s father as a spy, and to clear the family name, Volk must find investigate the murder, despite violent opposition.

Gómez-Jurado, Juan. The Moses Expedition (SS, 24.99) Aug. Fr. Anthony Fowler, CIA operative and member of the Vatican’s secret service, is sent to Vienna to capture a notorious WWII war criminal, but he finds a candelabra with a fragment of an ancient map inside, sending him to Jordan to search for a missing treasure.

Ibe, Adimchinma. Treachery in the Yard (STM, 22.99) Aug. A debut police procedural set in Nigeria featuring a police detective who finds himself drawn into a morass of political corruption when a bomb goes off in a politician’s house.

Indriđason, Arnaldur. Arctic Chill (STM, 15.00) Sept. Reykjavik police inspector Erlandur is called to investigate when the body of a young boy is found in the garden of an apartment block.

______. Hypothermia (STM, 24.99) Sept. The hanging death of a woman causes Inspector Erlandur to reinvestigate a case of the disappearance of two young people twenty years ago, a case with ties to his own past.

LeCarré, John. A Most Wanted Man (Pkt, 9.99) Aug. A German civil rights lawyer in Hamburg is determined to save a mysterious young Russian who’s been smuggled into the city and faces deportation, so she joins forces with the scion of a failing British bank as spies from Germany, Britain, and America circle around them scenting an easy kill in the “War on Terror.”

Leon, Donna. Willful Behavior (Png, 14.00) Sept. When Venice’s Commissario Brunetti is asked to help a student clear her grandfather’s name, he dredges up long-buried secrets from Italy’s Nazi collaboration and unleashes a murderer.

Mallo, Ernesto. Needle in a Hay Stack (Bitter Lemon, 14.95) Sept. Set in Buenos Aires in the 1970s, this crime novel features a police detective who is sent to investigate a triple murder, apparently the work of political death squads, but one of the bodies turns out to be that of an Auschwitz survivor, and the investigation turns deadly.

Meyer, Deon. Blood Safari (Grove, 7.99) Sept. When a young Cape Town woman sees on TV that her brother is suspected of the murder of some poachers, she is more than surprised since he died twenty years ago. After she is attacked in her home, she hires a freelance bodyguard to accompany her to the countryside to investigate. Highly recommended.

_____. Thirteen Hours (Grove, 24.00) Sept. A prizewinning thriller featuring a Cape Town homicide detective who is trying to find a missing young American woman whose friend has been murdered and who is on the run from the killers.

Rocha, Luis M. The Holy Bullet (Brk, 9.99) Aug. British journalist Sarah Monteiro is drawn into a dangerous international conspiracy after the suspicious death of Pope John Paul I, and must join forces with a mysterious priest/assassin.

Smith, Martin Cruz. Three Stations (SS, 25.99) Aug. Moscow police investigator Arkady Renko returns in a mystery involving a kidnapped baby and her mysterious teenaged mother, in a complex case of corruption and danger in post Soviet Russia.

Sussman, Paul. The Hidden Oasis (Grove, 14.95) Sept. When her sister dies mysteriously in Egypt, a woman who has traveled to Cairo to investigate joins forces with her sister’s friend an authority on pre-dynastic Egypt who is searching for a mythic hidden oasis.

Swarup, Vikas. Six Suspects (STM, 14.99) Aug. When a playboy is acquitted of murder after killing a bartender who refused to serve him a drink, he is shot to death at a celebratory party, and police must unravel the motives and opportunity of the six guests who have guns in their possession.

June/July 2010

New and Forthcoming in Hardcover

Barber, Christine. The Bone Fire (STM, 24.99) July. Santa Fe Detective Sergeant Gilbert Montoya, with the help of journalist Lucy Newroe, must discover the identity of a skull found in the ashes of the burning of a gigantic puppet at the Fiesta de Santa Fe celebration.

Barnard, Robert. A Stranger in the Family (SS, 24.00) June. When a man discovers that he was adopted, he begins investigating and finds that he was in fact abducted when he was a baby, but as he digs deeper, he uncovers secrets too dark to reveal. Vintage Barnard.

Bergreen, Karen. Following Polly (STM, 24.99) June. A neurotic woman obsessed by a college acquaintance who appears to have it all becomes the chief suspect when the woman is found murdered in a funny debut novel set in Manhattan.

Bolton, S.J. The Blood Harvest (STM, 25.99) June. When a family with three young children moves to a small village on the moors, they become the targets of a series of what may be pranks until the two younger children go missing—and they learn of the “accidental” deaths of three young children in the last ten years. Bolton is one of my favorite new writers for the way in which she combines the traditional mystery with very creepy supernatural elements.

Burke, James Lee. The Glass Rainbow (SS, 25.99) July. Dave Robicheaux returns to New Iberia on the trail of a killer, but when his best friend is accused of murder and his daughter becomes involved in some shady business, he becomes entangled in a series of murders.

Castillo, Linda. Pray for Silence (STM, 24.99) June. The second in the series set in Amish Country featuring Police Chief Kate Burkholder who investigates the murder of a farm family that may be tied to a teenaged daughter who led a lurid double life or her estranged brother out for revenge. This is not a cozy read despite the setting, but combines fast-paced suspense with bizarre crime scenes and psychological twists.

Cohen, Gabriel. The Ninth Step (STM, 24.99) June. Brooklyn detective Jack Leightner receives an anonymous tip about his brother’s death in 1965, but before he can act on it, he is assigned the case of a murdered Pakistani man, a case that becomes very complicated when Homeland Security becomes involved.

Cole, Julian. The Amateur Historian (STM, 23.99) July. When a man returns to his hometown as a PI, he and his policeman brother are both drawn into the case of a missing girl in a case that has its roots in the death of a young girl who died 100 years ago.

Compton, Jodi. Hailey’s War (RH, 22.99) June. A San Francisco bicycle messenger becomes involved with a Latina gang and agrees to escort a young woman back to Mexico not knowing that the woman is carrying some dangerous baggage—emotionally and literally.

Connolly, John. The Whisperers (SS, 26.00) When Charlie Parker looks into the suicide of an Iraq War veteran he discovers that he may have been involved with smuggling looted treasures into the US; furthermore, many members of his unit have killed themselves, leading Parker to a truly evil killer known as the Collector. Highly recommended.

Coulter, Catherine. Whiplash (Put, 26.95) June. In the latest paranormal romantic thriller Savich and Sherlock are helping a US senator haunted by his dead wife, but the more earthly problem of nefarious doings at a pharmaceutical company also occupy their time.

Crouch, Blake. Snowbound (STM, 25.99) July. A new thriller about a man who is on the run with his daughter after the disappearance of his wife, but things change when an FBI agent finds him and tells him that his wife is one of several women who have disappeared.

Cutler, Judith. Silver Guilt (Severn, 27.95) June. The second romantic cozy set in the British antiques world involves a seventeenth-century Hungarian silver dish that may be stolen from Kent’s Bossingham Hall.

Deaver, Jeffery. The Burning Wire (SS, 26.99) June. Lincoln Rhyme, the quadriplegic forensic criminalist reappears, hunting for a killer whose weapon of choice is the energy that powers our lives. You’ll think twice about changing a light bulb after reading this! (Signed).

Demas, Corinne. The Writing Circle (Hyp, 23.99) July. A convoluted tale of professional jealousy and literary theft that begins when a woman working on a first novel is invited to join an exclusive Massachusetts writer’s group and later discovers troubling signs that all is not well with the members.

DeMille, Nelson. The Lion (GC, 27.99) June. A former NYPD homicide detective and an FBI agent join forces to hunt down a bloodthirsty Libyan terrorist who has returned to the US bent on bloody revenge.

Duncan, Elizabeth J. A Brush with Death (STM, 23.99) June. In the second in this prize-winning cozy series set in a charming Welsh village, Penny Brannigan discovers what she believes is an unsolved murder in the hit-and-run death of an artist in the 1970’s, a death that may have been motivated by art theft.

Dunn, Carola. A Colourful Death (STM, 24.95) June. Recently-retired widow Eleanor Trewynn finds herself involved in another mystery in the small Cornish village where she lives when an artist friend’s paintings are found slashed and he is charged with the death of a rival artist.

Eisler, Barry. Inside Out (Ball, 25.00) July. Black ops assassin Ben Treven returns in a timely thriller when he is forced by his former boss to find the rogue agent who has stolen 92 tapes showing extreme torture, instigated and sanctioned by the vice-president of the US, and who will exchange them for $100 million in uncut diamonds. The ending promises to unite Treven with John Rain. Highly recommended.

Ellroy, R.J. The Anniversary Man (Png, 24.95) June. The NYPD struggles to track down a serial killer who restages famous murders with new victims, and the detective assigned to work with the lone survivor of a previous serial killer begins to question the reliability of his expert.

Evanovich, Janet. Sizzling Sixteen (STM, 27.99) June 22. If June comes, can a new Stephanie Plum be far behind?

French, Tana. Faithful Place (Vik, 25.95) July. A member of the Dublin murder squad returns to his childhood neighborhood when a suitcase belonging to the girl he almost eloped with 25 years ago is found in an abandoned house, leading him to wonder if someone stopped her from leaving. Highly recommended.

Gardiner, Meg. The Liar’s Lullaby (Dut, 25.95) June. When a country singer, who happens to be the US president’s ex-wife is shot during a concert, SFPD asks forensic psychiatrist Jo Beckett to investigate since ballistics evidence is not clear whether the death was suicide or murder.

Goldberg, Lee. Mr. Monk is Cleaned Out (NAL, 22.95) July. Laid off from his consulting job with the SFPD, Mr. Monk plans to live on his savings, but then he discovers that he has lost everything by investing with a charismatic fraud, and when the chief witness is murdered, Monk has all the time in the world to solve the mystery.

Gonzales, Laurence. Lucy (RH, 24.95) July. When an anthropologist brings back home to Chicago from the Congo the teenaged daughter of a murdered colleague, she discovers that the girl is half human, half bonobo, which leads her to become the subject of controversy as well as danger when a clandestine military think tank wants to abduct her in a thoughtful biological thriller.

Greenwood, Kerry. Forbidden Fruit (PP, 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp) June. Australian bakery owner Corinna Chapman agrees to help her very attractive friend hunt down two runaways who’ve become entangled with a sinister religious cult and a band of Romanies out for revenge.

Haines, Carolyn. Bone Appetit (STM, 24.99) July. A depressed and dispirited Sarah Booth Delaney is whisked away to a spa/cooking school by her best friend Tinkie, but the death of a contestant in the beauty contest/cook-off sponsored by the spa forces her to investigate once again.

Hall, Parnell. Caper (Peg, 25.00) July. Inept PI Stanley Hastings gets involved in a multiple-murder case when he agrees to help a woman who’s afraid her teenaged daughter is working as a call girl.

Harvey, John. Far Cry (HMH, 26.00) June. Detective Inspectors Helen Walker and Will Grayson investigate when a woman whose daughter died years ago after going missing is facing the same situation when a second daughter disappears. A powerful police procedural with a strong character-driven plot. Highly recommended.

Hasler, Susan. Intelligence (STM, 24.99) June. A debut thriller written by a former CIA agent about a group of analysts who fight government bureaucracy and stupid politicians in order to reveal the truth about a terrorist attack. Blackly funny.

Hayman, James. The Chill of Night (STM, 24.99) July. The death of a glamorous Portland attorney and the disappearance of a mentally disturbed young woman sends homicide detective Michael McCabe on the trail of a clever and relentless killer.

Haynes, Dana. Crashers (STM, 24.99) July. A fast-moving debut thriller about a team of investigators with the NTSB who must investigate the crash of a plane outside of Portland, Oregon before the person who brought it down can strike again. This is definitely not a book to read on a flight, but it is compelling and well-researched for those who enjoy CSI-style investigations.

Herron, Mick. Slow Horses (Soho, 25.00) June. When a young man is abducted and his kidnappers threaten to broadcast his beheading on the Internet, a British Intelligence agent who screwed up a case sees an opportunity to redeem himself.

Housewright, David. The Taking of Libbie, SD (STM, 24.95) June. Retired cop and sometimes PI Rushmore McKenzie is kidnapped and taken to a small South Dakota town where a con man using his name has stolen all the money from the local bank, leaving the townspeople devastated.

Howell, Dorothy. Shoulder Bags and Shootings (Kens, 22.00) July. Fashionista Haley Randolph finds the body of her nemesis in the trunk of her boyfriend’s car, and to save herself from a murder charge, she investigates in a case that takes her from LA’s Garment District to Malibu to the Queen Mary.

Hunt, James Patrick. The Silent Places (STM, 25.99) June. St. Louis Police Lt. George Hastings races to catch an escaped convict bent on killing the senator who put him away in the latest in this police procedural series.

Hurwitz, Gregg. They’re Watching (STM, 24.99) July. A very scary thriller about a man whose life is crumbling around him, but things only get worse when he receives a DVD showing that he and his wife are being stalked by a camera hidden in their house. Don’t read this when you’re home alone!

Isaacs, Susan. As Husbands Go (SS, 26.00) July. When her plastic-surgeon husband is found murdered in a prostitute’s apartment, his wife sets out to prove, with the help of her tough, stylish grandmother, that their seemingly happy marriage was no lie. Isaacs is great at creating suburban heroines who can take on anyone—the cops, the prosecutors, in-laws—to find the truth.

Jackson, Joshilyn. Backseat Saints (GC, 24.99) June. When an abused wife is told by a Gypsy fortuneteller that her abusive husband will kill her unless she kills him first, she gathers together a gun and her dog and leaves her Texas home on a journey that forces her to unearth the family secrets that have kept her victimized.

James, Rebecca. Beautiful Malice (BDD, 25.00) July. A brilliant debut psychological thriller set in Australia about the relationship between two teenaged girls—one still traumatized by the murder of her sister, the other beautiful, popular, and manipulative—that ends in death.

Jardine, Quintin. Blood Red (IPG, 24.95) June. Primavera Blackstone gets involved in a murder on the Catalan coast when a key member of the town council of L’Escala who objects to a wine fair falls to his death.

Johansen, Iris and Roy Johansen. Shadow Zone (STM, 26.99) July. A submersible designing mapping a mysterious Atlantean city uncovers a secret to the city’s demise, but someone will stop at nothing to keep her from revealing the truth.

Jordan, R.T. Set Sail for Murder (Kens, 22.00) June. Polly Pepper, musical comedy star of yesteryear, agrees to a Polly Pepper Playhouse reunion cruise after a financial dry spell, but one of the cast members is found murdered, and Polly must sort out the obsessed fans from the backstabbing cast mates to find a murderer.

Karp, Marshall. Cut, Paste, Kill (STM, 24.99) June. LAPD detectives Lomax and Briggs are on the track of a vigilante stalking unpublished criminals who leaves a scrapbook at each murder scene meticulously documenting each victim’s crime in a scrapbook filled with lurid detail. Karp successfully combines a well-plotted mystery with lots of humor.

Kava, Alex. Damaged (BDD, 24.95) July. FBI special agent Maggie O’Dell investigates when a cooler filled with body parts washes up in Pensacola Bay and meets up with a cold-blooded murderer who is a body-parts broker.

Kelly, Jim. Death Watch (STM, 25.99) June. The second in the excellent British police procedural series featuring rookie detective Peter Shaw.

Koryta, Michael. So Cold the River (GC, 24.99) June. When a documentary filmmaker is asked by the daughter of a mysterious billionaire to discover the secrets of his past, he finds that the recently-renovated luxury hotel in the billionaire’s hometown is filled with an evil out to settle a decades-old score in a terrifying supernatural thriller. Highly recommended.

Kramer, Julie. Silencing Sam (SS, 23.99) June. Minneapolis TV reporter Riley Spartz becomes the chief suspect when a venomous gossip columnist is found murdered, but this is the least of her problems when the station hires a handsome young Texan whose stories about a decapitated corpse are ratings gold.

Lake, Deryn. The Mills of God (Severn, 27.95) July. First in a contemporary cozy series set in a Sussex village where the newly-arrived vicar and the local policeman join forces to discover who murdered the couple who ran the local supermarket.

Land, Jon. Strong Justice (STM, 24.99) June. Texas Ranger Caitlin Strong returns to take on the case of a Mexican girl on the run from white-slavers, a case that pits her against a serial killer who’s left a trail of bodies along the Mexican border. This is an excellent series set in the borderlands and featuring a strong, convincing female protagonist.

Lawson, Mike. House Justice (AtlMon, 22.00) July. When a CIA agent undercover in Iran is killed after a secret briefing to congressional leaders is leaked to the press, Joe DeMarco is tasked with finding the leaker.

Levinson, Barbara. Justice in June (Oceanview, 24.95) June. Miami criminal defense attorney Mary Katz is defending a suspected Argentine terrorist and a judge who is under investigation for allegedly fixing drug cases in the second in this provocative and appealing series.

Littlefield, Sophie. A Bad Day for Pretty (STM, 24.99) June. The sequel to one of my favorite mysteries of 2009 begins with a tornado that unearths a woman’s body at the demolition derby track and avenger of wronged women, Stella Hardesty, agrees to look into the matter when the wife of the main suspect asks for her help. A rare second mystery that is better than the first.

Littlewood, Ann. Night Kill (PP, 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp) July. Vancouver zoo keeper Iris Oakley has reluctantly agreed to reconcile with her husband, but when his body is found in the lion exhibit, she must find out who killed him with some help from the lioness, whose behavior shows what happened that night.

Logue, Mary. Frozen Stiff (Tyrus, 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp) June. Claire Watkins investigates when a car mogul is found frozen after spending New Year’s Eve in a sauna. Logue’s police procedurals are beautifully written character studies as well as page turning mysteries.

Lowell, Elizabeth. Death Echo (HC, 24.99) June. Manhattan operative Emma Cross joins forces with a sea captain in a dangerous sea journey when a yacht purported to contain explosives is off-loaded in Seattle.

Lustbader, Eric van. Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Objective (GC, 27.99) June. Jason Bourne is hunting the brilliant Russian assassin who has been trying to kill him, and he discovers that the two of them had both been part of an ultra-secret CIA operation that trained both of them.

Magee, Doug. Never Wave Goodbye (SS, 25.00) June. A suspenseful family drama about the kidnapping of children on their way to summer camp, with the parents pitted against each other and the police while the children struggle to find their way home after an accident incapacitates the kidnapper.

Margolin, Phillip. Supreme Justice (HC, 25.99) June. A PI and a law clerk investigate dastardly doings in Washington DC when a supreme court justice is targeted for assassination to prevent the hearing of a case that may implicate the CIA in a criminal plot.

Martini, Steve. The Rule of Nine (HC, 26.99) June. Attorney Paul Madriani joins forces with a weapons control expert when it appears that a leftist terrorist out to attack the right-wing establishment may have joined forces with a shadowy hired assassin to attack the US government.

Matthews, Jeanne. Bones of Contention (PP, 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp) June. A mystery set in the Australian outback, where a dying American summons his entire family to a remote lodge, but when his niece arrives, she discovers more than one family secret and must unravel two bizarre murders.

McCrumb, Sharyn. The Devil Amongst the Lawyers (STM, 24.99) June. After way too many years, finally a new novel in the Appalachian ballad series featuring Nora Bonesteel, here a young woman who must help her journalist cousin and a mountain girl accused of murdering her drunken father.

McGovern, Cammie. Neighborhood Watch (Vik, 24.95) June. After 12 years in prison for a murder she didn’t commit, a suburban woman returns home resolved to find the real murderer of thee sexy divorcee who was having an affair with a married man.

Morrison, Boyd. The Ark (SS, 24.99) June. A debut thriller featuring a young archaeologist whose search for her missing father leads her to a mysterious man who agrees to help uncover the secret behind Noah’s Ark.

O’Laughlin, Ed. Not Untrue and Not Unkind (Png, 26.95) June. When a newpaperman finds himself in possession of his dead colleague’s files he discovers a secret that goes back to his time reporting in Africa.

Parkhurst, Caroline. The Nobodies Album (BDD, 25.95) June. When a NYC novelist learns that her estranged son has been arrested for the murder of his girlfriend, she travels to the West Coast to find the killer and save her son.

Patterson, Richard North. Honor (HH, 26.00) June. A fascinating and compelling legal thriller with a great twist at the end set on a Virginia military base where a JAG officer defends a young officer accused of killing his commanding officer, claiming self-defense. Highly recommended.

Pizzolatto, Nic. Galveston (SS, 25.00) June. A stellar noir debut by an award-winning writer that tells the tale of an ex-con diagnosed with a terminal illness who goes on the run after his boss puts a hit out on him with a young prostitute from New Orleans to Galveston.

Pronzini, Bill. Betrayers (STM, 24.99) July. The “Nameless Detective’s” agency is faced with three cases that explore the various kinds of betrayal facing the victims, including an elderly woman who is being driven mad by fear.

Ramsay, Frederick. The Eye of the Virgin (PP, 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp) July. A murder and a break-in at a professor’s house appear to be tied to an icon, the Virgin of Tenderness, but Sheriff Ike Schwartz’s problems are only beginning when some spycraft is found on the icon linking it to Israel’s Mossad.

Rector, John. The Cold Kiss (STM, 24.99) July. A brilliant noir debut thriller about a couple from Omaha who give a ride to a man during a snowstorm, only to have him die in the backseat, leaving them with a body and a bag containing two million dollars in cash.

Reich, Christopher. Rules of Betrayal (BDD, 26.95) July. Jonathan Ransom is still in the dark about his wife’s employers—she could be a Russian or US spy--but when she is captured by a Taliban warrior at the behest of an arms dealer he goes to Afghanistan to rescue her.

Rimington, Stella. Dead Line (RH, 25.95) July. MI5 officer Liz Carlyle takes the lead in investigating intelligence that a plot is afoot to disrupt an upcoming Middle East peace conference in Scotland, but the more she investigates the more she believes that it may be disinformation, hiding another conspiracy.

Robinson, Cynthia. The Dog Park Club (STM, 24.99) July. A funny, cozy debut about the people who walk their dogs in the same Berkeley dog park every day, who band together to find one of the group who has disappeared.

Rooy, Michael van. An Ordinary Decent Criminal (STM, 24.99) July. An ex-con who wants to go straight and settle down with his wife and baby, but when he kills a robber in his home, he finds that both the local crime boss and the police have him in their sites in this compelling debut.

Ruffin, Gary. Hot Shot (Png, 24.95) July. A debut police procedural set in the Florida panhandle, where the discovery of the body of a senator’s daughter presents the police chief with his first homicide in eleven years, and it’s a doozy with a connection to a New Orleans crime boss.

Schow, David J. Internecine (STM, 24.99) July. A businessman finds a cache of money and guns in a briefcase in a rental car and his life suddenly turns upside down as he is plunged into a world of black ops, betrayal, and murder.

Sefton, Maggie. Skein of the Crime (Brk, 24.95) June. Fall brings an influx of students for knitting classes at her shop, but when a student is found murdered, Kelly decides to investigate in a case that has more twists and tangles than a ball of yarn.

Shannon, John. On the Nickle (Severn, 28.95) July. Recovering from the accident he suffered in the previous case, LA PI Jack Liffey must save his daughter Maeve when she becomes involved in the clash between developers and the skid row area known as “the Nickle.”

Sokoloff, Alexandra. Book of Shadows (STM, 24.99) June. When a college student is ritualistically murdered, Boston PD detectives arrest a troubled student in a Goth band, but when a woman arrives saying that she has had psychic visions of a psychotic killer murdering other women, they are forced to investigate further.

Stacy, Lyndon. No Going Back (Severn, 27.95) June. The first in an excellent series featuring a former policeman and his retired police dog who have moved to Devon where they join the hunt for two missing teenaged sisters. Even non-dog lovers will love this.

Stevens, Chevy. Still Missing (STM, 24.99) July. A terrifying debut thriller about a woman who is abducted and held by a madman for one year only to find within herself the determination and cunning to escape her captor.

Tafoya, Dennis. Wolves of Fairmount Park (STM, 25.99) July. A crime novel set in Philadelphia about a drive-by shooting that leaves the son of a policeman in a coma told from the points of view of the four people involved in the case.

Tanenbaum, Robert K. Betrayed (Pkt, 26.00) July. Marlene Ciampi finds herself investigating the sordid world of escort services when she agrees to help the criminal court newspaper vendor accused of murder, while Butch Karp works to convict the man accused of attacking the New York Stock Exchange, despite the fact that powerful political figures want the case to go away.

Thurlo, Aimée and David. Bad Samaritan (STM, 24.95) July. Sister Agatha sets out to clear her college boyfriend of a murder in the latest in this New Mexico series. This was announced for last summer and didn’t appear, so there are no guarantees.

Tobey, Danny. The Faculty Club (SS, 25.00) June. A spooky debut novel set at a high-powered Ivy League law school where a young student from Texas discovers that a secretive club is an all-powerful cabal controlling world events, and that this knowledge can get him killed.

Verdon, John. Think of a Number (RH, 25.00) July. When a friend asks a recently-retired NYPD homicide detective to help when he begins receiving threatening messages for crimes he can’t remember committing in a puzzle-driven mystery debut.

Winslow, Don. Savages (SS, 25.000 July. A brilliant novel that pits two young independent Orange County-based marijuana dealers against a Mexican drug cartel. A funny and suspenseful read that is truly hard to put down. Highly Recommended. Signed copies.

Wiprud, Brian. Buy Back (STM, 24.99) June. A Brooklyn insurance investigator is in trouble with just about everybody after he arranges an art theft to cover a debt—only to find that the art has been stolen from him in a fast-moving comic caper novel.

Wolfe, Inger Ash. The Taken (HMH, 25.00) July. Despite a myriad of personal problems, DI Hazel Micallef is called in when a body is found by tourists in a lake near Port Dundas and the situation is identical to that of a serialized story just published in the local paper in the second in this Canadian police procedural series.

New and Forthcoming in Paperback Reprint

Burke, James Lee. Rain Gods (Pkt, 9.99) June.

Castillo, Linda. Sworn to Silence (STM, 7.99) June.

Cavender, Chris. A Slice of Murder (Kens, 6.99) July.

Cook, Robin. Intervention (Brk, 9.99) July.

Coulter, Catherine. Knock Out (Brk, 9.99) July.

Crosby, Ellen. The Riesling Retribution (Pkt, 7.99) July.

Cussler, Clive with Paul Kemprecos. Medusa (Brk, 9.99) June.

Daheim, Mary. Alpine Uproar (BDD, 7.99) June.

Del Toro, Guillermo and Chuck Hogan. The Strain (HC, 7.99) July.

Douglas, Carole Nelson. Cat in a Topaz Tango (STM, 7.99) July.

Duncan, Elizabeth J. The Cold Light of Mourning (STM, 7.99) July.

Ellis, Robert. The Lost Witness (STM, 7.99) June.

Evanovich, Janet. Finger Lickin’ Fifteen (STM, 8.99) July.

Freveletti, Jamie. Running from the Devil (HC, 7.99) June.

Gardiner, Meg. The Memory Collector (NAL, 7.99) June.

Gardner, Lisa. The Neighbor (BDD, 7.99) July.

Goldberg, Lee. Mr. Monk in Trouble (NAL, 7.99) June.

Grippando, James. Intent to Kill (HC, 7.99) July.

Haines, Carolyn. Greedy Bones (STM, 7.99) July.

Harrigan, M.E. 9800 Savage Road (STM, 7.99) July.

Hayman, James. The Cutting (STM, 7.99) June.

Howell, Dorothy. Purses and Poison (Kens, 6.99) June.

Hurwitz, Gregg. Trust No One (STM, 9.99) July.

Kramer. Julie. Missing Mark (BDD, 7.99) July.

Kuzneski, Chris. The Lost Throne (Brk, 9.99) July.

Lescroart, John. A Plague of Secrets (NAL, 9.99) June.

Levien, David. Where the Dead Lay (BDD, 7.99) July.

Lustbader, Eric van. Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Deception (GC, 9.99) June.

Paretsky, Sara. Bitter Medicine (NAL, 9.99) June. Reissue.

Pearson, Ridley. Killer Summer (Brk, 9.99) July.

Reich, Christopher. Rules of Vengeance (BDD, 7.99) June.

Reichs, Kathy. 206 Bones (Pkt. 7.99) July.

Rollins, James. The Doomsday Key (HC, 7.99) June.

Rosenberg, Nancy Taylor. The Cheater (STM, 7.99) June.

Rosenfelt, David. New Tricks (GC, 7.99) July.

Schwegal, Theresa. Last Known Address (STM, 7.99) July.

Shuman, George D. Second Sight (Pkt, 7.99) July.

Silva, Daniel. The Defector (NAL, 9.99) July.

Slaughter, Karin. Undone (BDD, 7.99) June.

Sokoloff, Alexandra. The Unseen (STM, 7.99) June.

Swain, James. The Night Monster (BDD, 7.99) June.

Truman, Margaret. Murder inside the Beltway (BDD, 7.99) July.

Westlake, Donald. Get Real (GC, 7.99) June.

New and Forthcoming in Paperback Original

Aames, Avery. The Long Quiche Goodbye (Brk, 7.99) July. The first in a delicious new series featuring a woman who must investigate when the grand opening of her new cheese shop is marred when she finds a murder victim right outside of her shop door.

Adams, Ellory. A Killer Plot (Brk, 7.99) June. The first in a new series set in a small coastal town in South Carolina where the members of a writer’s group become amateur sleuths when townspeople turn up dead with haiku poems on their bodies.

Adams, Riley. Delicious and Suspicious (Brk, 6.99) July. When a Cooking Channel critic is done in while hunting down Memphis’s best BBQ, Lulu Taylor must fire up her investigative skills in order to clear the name of her family barbecue restaurant in the finger-licking first in a new series.

Bishop, Claudia. Toast Mortem (Brk, 6.99) June. The owners of the Inn at Hemlock Falls are losing clientele to a newly-opened, multi-million dollar cooking school, but when its unpleasant owner is taken off the menu for good, Meg and Sarah investigate.

Blackwell, Juliet. A Cast-off Coven (NAL, 6.99) June. Vintage clothing store owner—and witch—Lily Ivory is called in when students at the San Francisco School for the Arts are spooked, and she finds a dead body and a closet full of old clothes with some very bad vibes in the second in this enchanting series.

Blair, Annette. Death by Diamonds (Brk, 7.99) July. The third Vintage Magic mystery finds Madiera investigating the death of an actress whose bejeweled dress is sent anonymously to the store.

Brennan, Allison. Carnal Sin (BDD, 7.99) July. The second in the paranormal suspense series featuring the Seven Deadly Sins.

Browne, Robert Gregory. Down Among the Dead Men (STM, 7.99) June. A disgraced reporter goes to Mexico to investigate when the bodies of five murdered nuns are found in an abandoned house in the desert in a psychological thriller with supernatural elements.

Christopher, Paul. The Templar Throne (NAL, 9.99) July. An army ranger turned medieval historian and a beautiful nun research the life of a fourteenth-century Templar in their dangerous quest for a sacred relic.

Collett, Chris. Stalked by Shadows (IPG, 8.99) July. DI Tom Mariner is assigned to two apparently unrelated cases—one a newlywed who begins receiving threatening e-mails and the other the murder of a ballet instructor staged to look like a suicide, but with Collet’s clever plotting you know that the cases will connect in unexpected ways.

Copperman, E.J. Night of the Living Deed (Brk, 7.99) June. When a divorced mother buys a Victorian mansion to fix up as a guest house, she discovers that the house is haunted—and the two ghosts want her to find out who killed them.

Daniels, Casey. Tomb with a View (Brk, 7.99) July. Pepper Martin, tour guide at a Cleveland cemetery and a reluctant medium, is assigned to help plan the upcoming James Garfield commemoration, but her irritating co-worker is murdered.

Davidson, Eileen. Diva Las Vegas (NAL, 6.99) July. Soap opera star Alexis Peterson investigates when a friend is killed at the Playboy Mansion during the Halloween Party, and the trail leads her to a soap opera convention in Las Vegas.

Dekker, Ted. Adam (GC, 7.99) July. The first in the series featuring FBI psychologist Daniel Clark who is on the trail of a serial killer known as Eve, but as he gets closer, he suffers amnesia from a gunshot wound to the head, and must recreate his experience in order to rescue Eve’s latest victim—his ex-wife.

Emley, Dianne. Love Kills (BDD, 7.99) June. Pasadena homicide detective Nan Vining has a case that involves the glitterati of Hollywood in the fourth in this first-rate police procedural series.

Hale, Rebecca M. Nine Lives Last Forever (Brk, 7.99) July. The second in the series set in San Francisco, featuring an antiques shop owner and her two cats, who investigate when frogs begin appearing in the shop.

Hyzy, Julie. Grace Under Pressure (Brk, 7.99) June. In the first in a new series the assistant curator of a museum in Marshfield Manor finds the head curator murdered in the study. When the owner of the Manor reveals that he’s been getting threatening letters, Grace investigates uncovering a local Ponzi scheme.

Johnston, Linda O. Feline Fatale (Brk, 7.99) July. Kendra investigates after an anti-pet member of the homeowner’s association is found murdered in her pet-loving friend’s apartment.

Kennedy, Mary. Reel Murder (NAL, 6.99) June. The second in the Florida-based series featuring radio psychologist Maggie Walsh finds her involved with a movie production—and a dead leading lady.

Lakin, Rita. Getting Old is Tres Dangereux (BDD, 7.99) July. Senior sleuth Gladdy Gold returns in another funny outing in this cozy series set in a retirement community in Florida.

Laurie, Victoria. A Glimpse of Evil (NAL, 7.99) July. Psychic Abby Cooper, now working for the FBI as a Civilian Profiler is assigned to look into a backlog of cold cases, but when she becomes convinced that several cases are related, she must use her intuitive powers to solve the crimes before she becomes the latest victim.

Lowe, Sheila. Last Writes (NAL, 6.99) July. Handwriting expert Claudia Rose discovers that she has a niece when the child disappears from an isolated compound owned by a secretive religious cult, and her estranged sister pleads for her help in finding the youngster and her father.

Maffini, Mary Jane. Closet Confidential (Brk, 6.99) July. When a friend hires professional organizer and amateur sleuth Charlotte Adams to organize her closets, she also wants help proving that her daughter’s death was murder in the latest in this Canadian series.

McCoy, Judi. Death in Show (NAL, 6.99) June. Professional dog walker Ellie Engleman learns that dog shows are a dog-eat-dog business when a handler is killed, and she investigates with her detective boyfriend.

O’Brien, Kevin. Vicious (Kens, 7.99) June. A young woman goes to a remote lake house for a weekend getaway with her fiancé, but when he disappears, she realizes that she is alone with a psychopathic killer.

Rose, Karen. Silent Scream (GC, 7.99) June. Homicide detective Olivia Sutherland must join forces with a firefighter as she tracks down four young arsonists responsible for a fire that killed a teenage girl in a spine-tingling novel of romantic suspense.

New and Forthcoming in Quality Paperback

Ashworth, Jenn. A Kind of Intimacy (Europa, 15.00) June. A debut psychological thriller by a young author compared to Ruth Rendell about an overweight and socially awkward young woman who leaves behind her husband and child and starts over in a new neighborhood, where a new neighbor’s friendliness is misinterpreted as infatuation, leading to a bloody and disastrous finale.

Barber, Christine. The Replacement Child (STM, 14.99) July. A stellar debut set in Santa Fe NM where a journalist and a homicide detective find that their two investigations into two deaths dovetail in ways they never expected.

Bishop, Claudia. Death in Two Courses (Brk, 15.00) July. The third and fourth mysteries in the Hemlock falls series together in one volume.

Bolton, S.J. Awakening (STM, 14.99) June. A veterinarian in a small English village discovers that the death of a man who died of snake bite was murder, so she joins forces with an eccentric reptile expert as they uncover an ancient ritual and a fifty-year-old family tragedy. Wonderfully creepy.

Bruen, Ken. Blitz (STM, 13.99) July. A police procedural set in Southeast London, where the cops must deal with a brutal serial killer. Bruen is a noir master.

Cleave, Paul. Blood Men (SS, 16.00) July. The US debut of a New Zealand writer focusing on the son of a serial killer, whose wife is killed in a bank heist, and who finds himself seeking revenge at the behest of his imprisoned father.

Crispin, Edmund. The Long Divorce (F&M, 14.95) June. Gervase Fen is undercover in a small English village investigated an epidemic of ugly anonymous letters, where he helped a clumsy cat with remarkable psychic powers.

Davis, Kyra. Vows, Vendetta, and a Little Black Dress (Mira, 13.95) June. San Francisco mystery author Sophie Katz sets out to avenge the death of her best friend, the proprietor of an upscale sex shop who was killed by a bullet in her cousin’s apartment.

Dolan, Harry. Bad Things Happen (Brk, 15.00) July. A witty and sophisticated mystery about the editor of a noir mystery magazine who becomes involved with the publisher’s wife, a problem when the publisher turns up murdered. Highly recommended.

Duns, Jeremy. Free Agent (Png, 14.00) July. A young MI6 recruit joins with his father in 1945 to hunt down and execute Nazi war criminals, but 25 years later he learns from a defecting KGB agent that everything he thought he knew about the operation was a lie, sending him to Nigeria and a confrontation with the woman who also shared the assignment.

Green, George Daws. Ravens (GC, 13.99) July. When two young men escaping their mind-numbing tech-support jobs discover that a Georgia family has just won $318 million in the lottery, they decide to kidnap the family and force them to give up half their prize, but the violence soon escalates as the tension between the kidnappers and the family intensifies.

Hannah, Sophie. The Dead Lie Down (Png, 15.00) July. A brilliant novel of psychological suspense featuring DS Charlie Zailer and DC Simon Waterhouse who investigate when a clearly unbalanced woman with a secret in her past discovers that her lover also confesses to a secret—he killed someone years ago—but the woman is very much alive. Highly recommended.

Herron, Mick. Smoke and Whispers (Soho, 14.00) June. Amateur sleuth Sarah Tucker heads to Newcastle when a private detective’s body is pulled from the River Tyne.

Hill, Reginald. Deadheads (F&M, 14.95) June. Dalziel and Pascoe are suspicious of a quiet accountant whose only passion is his rose garden when the senior executives at the toilet company where he works have a habit of dying, just as he is poised to take their place.

Huneven, Michelle. Blame (STM, 15.00) July. A literary thriller about an alcoholic woman who accepts her guilt when she awakens to find a mother and daughter dead in her driveway after a blackout, serves her time in prison, and years later finds that new evidence casts doubt on her crime, causing her to re-evaluate her life.

Johnson, Craig. Dark Horse (Png, 14.00) June. Wyoming sheriff Walt Longmire investigates undercover when a wife confesses to murdering her rancher husband after he burned her horses in the barn, and discovers that everyone in the area had reason to want the man dead.

Kaminsky, Stuart. Double Shot (STM, 18.99) July. Two novels by the MWA Grandmaster, one featuring Chicago cop Abe Lieberman, and the other featuring Florida PI Lou Fonseca.

Langer, Adam. The Thieves of Manhattan (RH, 15.00) July. A delicious satire of the publishing world with an author who can’t get his work published passing off another man’s novel about a valuable manuscript as his own, but this con game takes a deadly turn when he realizes that he doesn’t understand the fatal ramifications of the purloined work.

La Plante, Lynda. Silent Scream (SS, 16.00) July. DI Anna Travis is up for promotion, despite the fact that her boss is blocking her, and the high-profile murder case of a hot, young British film actress whose life was filled with drugs, public misbehavior, and enemies turns the spotlight on Anna’s professional conduct. An outstanding British police procedural series.

Littlefield, Sophie. A Bad Day for Sorry (STM, 13.99) June. A wonderful debut about a middle-aged woman who dedicates herself to helping women caught in abusive relationships, who agrees to help a young mother whose child has been stolen by her abusive husband. This dominatrix cozy is highly recommended.

Lowry, Elizabeth. The Bellini Madonna (STM, 15.00) June. On the trail of a lost masterpiece, an art historian insinuates himself into a crumbling English manor house, only to find that he becomes a pawn in an elaborate game in an old-fashioned mystery.

McAdam, Colin. Fall (Png, 15.00) June. A page-turning literary thriller set at an elite boarding school where a young man becomes obsessed with his popular roommate and his girlfriend.

McDermid, Val. A Darker Place (HC, 14.99) June. A Scottish police detective assigned to the Cold Case Review team looks into the death of a labor activist missing since the 1980’s and the kidnapping of an heiress from the same time.

McKinty, Adrian. Fifty Grand (STM, 15.00) July. A first-rate thriller about a Cuban police detective who smuggles herself into the US to investigate her father’s death in a mysterious hit-and-run accident in an affluent Colorado town, where amidst indentured Latino servants, visiting celebrities, drug dealers, and a sadistic sheriff and his henchmen, she has seven days to find a killer. Highly recommended.

McNamara, Mary. The Starlet (SS, 14.00) June. An insider’s look at life on a film set in Tuscany, complete with a messed-up young actress, her stage mother, her rehab guru, and plenty of drugs, a mix that fuels mayhem and murder. This is a great combination of humor, gossip, and great mystery plotting. Highly recommended.

McRae, Cricket. Something Borrowed, Something Bleu (MidInk, 14.95) July. Sophie Mae returns to her hometown after her mother finds a cryptic suicide note her brother left twenty years earlier, but as she investigates—and learns the finer points of artisanal cheese-making—another murder occurs.

O’Flynn, Catherine. The News Where You Are (HH, 15.00) July. A British television anchorman suffering a mid-life crisis becomes obsessed with investigating the mysterious hit-and-run accident that killed his predecessor. O’Flynn is brilliant at combining suspense with appealing characters.

Patterson, James and Maxine Paetro. Swimsuit (GC, 14.99) June. When a beautiful supermodel disappears on a photo shoot in Hawaii, her parents join with an investigative reporter to find her in a scary thriller.

Rankin, Ian. Set in Darkness (STM, 16.99) July. Set on the eve of Scottish independence, this police procedural finds Rebus investigating when a long-dead body is found in the fireplace of the parliament house. Reissue.

Salisbury, Laney and Aly Sujo. Provenance (Png, 16.00) June A fascinating true story of a con man and an art forger who exploited the archives in order to legitimatize hundreds of art works that they had forged, many of which are still considered genuine and hang in museums and private collections.

Santlofer, Jonathan and S.J. Rozan, eds. The Dark End of the Street (STM, 16.00) May. A collection of original short stories on the subject of sex and crime by top crime writers.

Sharp, Deborah. Mama Gets Hitched (MidInk, 14.95) July. A Gone with the Wind-themed wedding seems just right for her fifth trip down the aisle, but Mama finds that things go awry when the caterer is murdered and it takes her gator-wrestling daughter to find a killer in the small Florida town, before the ring-bearing Pomeranian is the next victim. The third in this funny Southern cozy series.

Shepherd, Kandy. Home Is Where the Bark Is (Brk, 14.00) July. A novel of romance, mystery, and dogs with a San Francisco doggy-spa owner who is suspicious when a handsome man comes in with a yorki-poo, not realizing that he is a PI tracking down a case of identity fraud. The first of these dog mysteries is Love is a Four-Legged Word.

Strohmeyer, Sarah. The Penny Pincher’s Club (NAL, 15.00) July. When a suburban woman fears her husband is considering divorce because of her spendthrift ways, she vows to change her ways in a funny, family-centric romp that is the perfect beach read.

Tyler, L.C. Ten Little Herrings (F&M, 14.95) June. When mediocre mystery writer Ethelred Tressider abandons his career to go to a rundown French hotel, his intrepid agent tracks him down, only to plunge both of them into a murder in a very funny parody of classic British crime fiction.

Urrea, Luis Alberto. Into the Beautiful North (GC, 14.99) June. A magical novel written by a former Tucsonan about a young Mexican woman, inspired by The Magnificent Seven, who goes to the United States to find seven men to defend her village from a group of drug-dealing bandidos. Highly recommended.

New and Forthcoming in International Mysteries

Adiga, Aravind. Between the Assassinations (SS, 15.00) June. A series of sketches loosely organized around a six-day walking tour of the fictional town of Kittur, India, this shows the poverty and desperation of the people and the tragic consequences that can ensue.

Brackmann, Lisa. Rock Paper Tiger (Soho, 25.00) June. An Iraq war veteran suffering from PTSD is abandoned in Beijing by her husband, but when she meets a Uigher—a member of a Chinese Muslim minority group—through a friend her life becomes even more complicated when her friend disappears and multiple security organizations are hounding her for information about both her friend and the Uigher.

Campion, Alexander. The Grave Gourmet (Kens, 22.00) July. The first in a fun new series set in Paris, featuring a detective specializing in white collar crime, who is assigned to a meatier case when the body of an automotive executive is found murdered in the kitchen of a famous restaurant; so, enlisting her food-critic husband and her secret-agent cousin, she investigates the trade in illicit delicacies in a savory tale of murder.

Carcaterra, Lorenzo. Midnight Angels (Ball, 25.00) July. An American art historian in Florence locates the three Michelangelo statues known as the Midnight Angels, but then must fight to prevent them from being stolen by a group of ruthless mater thieves.

Duncker, Patricia. The Strange Case of the Composer and his Judge (STM, 15.00) July. A novel that sweeps from southern France to northern Germany as a judge known as the “sect hunter” investigates the case of sixteen people whose bodies are found in a circle in the snow in a case that leads to a mysterious composer and a book of ancient cosmic beliefs.

Fesperman, Dan. Arms Maker of Berlin (Rh,14.95) June. An American professor specializing in the history of Nazi Germany is hired by the FBI to track down four missing documents from WWII that implicate a German industrialist in Nazi-era crimes.

_____. Layover in Dubai (RH, 25.95) July. An American businessman in Dubai gets caught up in competing criminal interests—corrupt cops, Russian mobsters, and malefactors within the pharmaceutical company where he works—when a colleague is murdered and he is on the run with no one to help him but the one honest cop in the country.

Flint, Shamani. Inspector Singh Investigates: A Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder (STM, 24.99) July. Inspector Singh is sent from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur to investigate the shooting death of the husband of a beautiful model who claims that she is innocent despite the almost overwhelming evidence against her in the first of a new series.

Garcia-Roza, Luiz Alfredo. Alone in the Crowd (STM, 15.00) June. Inspector Espinosa investigates when an elderly lady is killed by a bus hours after she appeared in the Copacabana police station demanding to speak to him in the latest in this excellent police procedural series set in Rio de Janeiro.

Genelin, Michael. Dark Dreams (Soho, 14.00) July. A Commander in the Slovak police force becomes entangled in an international crime when her best friend asks for her help.

_____. The Magician’s Accomplice (Soho, 25.00) July. Transferred from Bratislava to Europol headquarters in the Hague, Slovak Police Commander Jana Matinova discovers that her lover’s death in an explosion and the shooting death of an indigent student may be connected.

Hall, Tarquin. The Case of the Man who Died Laughing (SS, 24.00) June. Indian detective Vish Puri sends an undercover operative to the sacred town of Haridwar, disguised as the bratty daughter of a businessman, when a Hindu ascetic is accused of the murder of a “guru buster” who specialized in unmasking religious frauds. The second in a wonderful cozy series set in India.

Kent, Christobel. The Drowning River (STM, 24.99) July. A disgraced policeman recently become a PI is asked by the widow of a Holocaust survivor who killed himself in the River Arno to investigate his motivation, but the case turns more complicated when he finds a connection between the suicide and the disappearance of a young English art student.

McClure, James. The Steam Pig (Soho, 14.00) July. A welcome reissue of the first of a South African police procedual series from the 1970’s. Highly recommended.

Moore, Christopher G. Asia Hand (Grove, 14.00) July. American ex-pat Vincent Calvino looks into the death of a freelance American cameraman in Bangkok in a case that looks more like spycraft than entertainment.

Pattison, Eliot. The Lord of Death (Soho, 14.00) June. When the Chinese Minister of Tourism is assassinated on the slope of Everest, former Beijing investigator Shan must save the man accused of the crime because he is the only person who can save his son.

Solares, Martín. The Black Minutes (Grove, 14.00) Mexican journalist Bernardo Blanco is killed while investigating a 20-year-old case involving the serial torture murders of young girls, the two police detectives who are assigned the case must investigate both the present-day murder and those in the past to find the killer in a haunting debut set in a fictional Mexican port city.

Steiner, Peter. The Terrorist (STM, 23.99) June. When his young friend Zaharia, in the U.S. studying, disappears, ex-CIA operative Louis Morgan must track him down before his fate is tragically sealed.

Vásquez, Juan Gabriel. The Informers (Png, 16.00) July. A brilliant and original literary thriller that follows the history of Colombia from the influx of Jewish immigrants in the 1930’s to the Medellín cartels of the 1990’s.

Vittachi, Nury. The Feng Shui Detective (F&M, 14.95) June. A wonderfully funny series debut about an elderly, curmudgeonly Feng Shui master in Singapore whose clients see him as a general problem solver, able to find a missing person as easily as he can correct pernicious influences. Highly recommended.

Walker, Martin. Bruno, Chief of Police (RH, 14.99) June. The peaceful life of a policeman in a small village in the South of France is shaken up when a North African is murdered and he and a Parisian policewoman must find the killer. While she suspects anti-immigrant militants, he thinks that the case is more complex. A stellar debut.

_____. The Dark Vineyard (RH, 23.95) July. Age-old French traditions collide with global commerce in peaceful Saint-Denis when a winemaker and his adopted son die mysteriously, and the suspects include a beautiful woman, daughter of an American winemaker looking to buy of tracts of land in the area. Walker evokes village life with great affection but without sentimentality.

Wilson, Robert. The Ignorance of Blood (HMH, 13.95) June. Seville detective Inspector Javiér Falcón is involved in a case implicating the Russian mafia, even as Seville recovers from a deadly terror attack in the fourth and final of this series.

Zouroudi, Anne. The Messenger of Athens (GC, 23.99) July. A debut crime thriller set on a remote Greek island where a mysterious investigator arrives after the body of a young woman is found at the foot of a cliff and discovers a tale of passion, corruption, and murder in the seemingly idyllic area, but questions begin to arise about his motivation in investigating.

April/May 2010

Albert, Susan Wittig. Holly Blues (Brk, 24.95) Apr. China Bayles grudgingly accepts her husband’s troubled ex-wife when she shows up with nowhere to go, but when she begins to receive calls related to the death of her parents years ago, she must work fast to keep them both out of danger.

Alt, Madelyn. A Witch in Time (Brk, 23.95) Apr. Witch Maggie O’Neill overhears a conversation in the hospital cafeteria when she is visiting her sister and her two new babies that sends chills down her spine, and sure enough the next night, there are two deaths in the hospital.

Baldacci, David. Deliver us from Evil (Hach, 27.99) Apr. The shadowy operative from The Whole Truth appears again, joining forces with photojournalist Katie James who is kidnapped and held by forces that are murdering men with murky pasts in a suspenseful thriller.

Barclay, Linwood. Never Look Away (BDD, 25.00) Mar. A twisty thriller about a man who loses his wife in an amusement park and then discovers after digging into her past that he really didn’t know her at all.

Black, David. The Extinction Event (STM, 25.99) May. A chase thriller filled with violent suspense as an attorney and a beautiful woman are on the run after his law partner’s death in an apparent drug/sex killing.

Box, C.J. Nowhere to Run (Put, 25.95) Apr. Joe Pickett last patrol in a remote mountainous area leads to a brush with death at the hands of sinister mountain-man twin brothers in an outstanding novel of human greed and government corruption.

Boyajian, Michelle. Lies of the Heart (Vik, 25.95) Apr. A powerful debut novel of psychological suspense as a woman whose speech-therapist husband was killed by a mentally handicapped patient, and, while sitting in the courtroom, she must come to terms with the hidden fault lines in her marriage.

Brown, Rita Mae. Cat of the Century (BDD, 26.00) Apr. Aunt Talley is looking forward to celebrating her 100^th birthday at her alma mater, but shady money dealings lead to a murder that Mary Minor Haristeen and her furry friends must solve.

Brown, Ryan. Play Dead (Pkt, 25.00) May. A debut supernatural thriller filled with dark humor featuring a Texas high school football player who calls his fellow teammates back from the dead to seek revenge against the Elmwood Heights Badgers who were responsible for the crash that killed the team. A funny combination of football and zombies.

Burke, Alafair. 212 (HC, 24.99) Apr. NYPD Detective Ellie Hatcher and her partner are investigating the murder of an NYU student who was the target of threatening posts on a college social networking web-site, when the murder of the bodyguard of a real estate developer occurs, leading them to a link between the student and a real estate agent.

Cannell, Stephen J. The Pallbearers (STM, 25.99) Mar. When the director of the group home where the orphan Shane Scully spent his childhood commits suicide, but LAPD detective Scully is forced to investigate when others from the home voice their doubts about the suicide verdict.

Carrell, Jennifer Lee. Haunt Me Still (Dut, 25.95) Apr. The second in the series written by a Tucsonan and featuring Shakespearean scholar Kate Stanley who investigates when a woman is found dead on Scotland’s Dunsinnan Hill, where a new production of Macbeth is being staged amid fears that the infamous curse is at work.

Charleson, Susannah. Scent of the Missing (HMH, 26.00) Apr. A fascinating look at the human-canine partnership as the author recounts her experiences as the handler of a search-and-rescue dog, and the adventures they have had in pursuit and recovery of people who have fallen prey to crime, misadventure, and catastrophe.

Chiaverini, Jennifer. The Aloha Quilt (SS, 24.00) Apr. Bonnie travels to Maui to help her friend launch a quilter’s retreat, but when her soon-to-be ex-husband decides he wants a stake in Elm Creek Quilts, she finds that life is not all sunsets over sparkling water.

Child, Lee. 61 Hours (BDD, 28.00) May. Reacher is in a small South Dakota town where a methamphetamine lab operated by a vicious Mexican drug cartel has begun operating, and the beleaguered local cops ask for his help.

Clark, Carol Higgins. Wracked (SS, 25.00) Apr. Regan and Jack join his family for a vacation at Cape Cod, but the vacation is anything but restful when a murder occurs.

Clark, Mary Higgins. The Shadow of your Smile (SS, 25.95) Apr. When one of a set of identical twins is murdered his sister-in-law begins to suspect that her husband is actually his brother, and her search for the truth plunges her into life-threatening danger.

Cleland, Jane K. Silent Auction (STM, 24.99) Apr. Antiques dealer Josie Prescott discovers the body of the lighthouse keeper when she shows up to give an appraisal, a death that appears to be linked to the theft of a valuable scrimshaw tooth.

Cole, Meredith. Dead in the Water (STM, 24.99) May. When photographer Lydia McKenzie begins a project photographing prostitutes along the waterfront, her first subject is murdered and Lydia suspects her shiftless husband.

Coonts, Deborah. Wanna Get Lucky? (STM, 24.99) May. The first in a funny new series set in Las Vegas, featuring Lucky O’Toole, head of customer relations for an opulent mega-hotel/casino on the Strip who is investigating a suspicious suicide even as she is coping with a wife-swapping convention, the Adult Film Industry’s annual awards, and a convention for the hi-tech pocket protector crowd.

Corleone, Douglas. One Man’s Paradise (STM, 24.99) May. A debut mystery featuring a disgraced New York attorney who flees to Hawaii, where his first client is a law student accused of killing his girlfriend—a client he knows is innocent.

Crouch, Katie. Men and Dogs (Hach, 23.99) Apr. A funny and moving novel about a young woman who returns to her Charleston home after the breakup of her marriage and decides to solve the mystery of her missing father, who disappeared while on a fishing trip twenty years, a quest that opens up all kinds of family secrets.

Curzon, Clare. Off Track (STM, 24.99) Apr. Mike Yeadings and the Thames Valley CID team investigate a shocking act of violence committed by a train driver that creates further violence involving a man who’s spent his life developing chemical weapons. A solid British police procedural.

Dekker, Ted. The Bride Collector (Hach, 24.99) Apr. FBI agent Brad Raines enlists the help of a schizophrenic young woman who has the ability to experience the last few minutes of a person’s life in an attempt to capture a serial killer who targets women leaving a bridal veil at the scene.

Dugoni, Robert. False Justice (SS, 25.00) Apr. Attorney David Sloane gains a medical malpractice verdict against a pediatrician only to discover that another child has died in the same manner in a case that leads him into the cutthroat world of toy manufacturing.

Finger, Gerrie Ferris. The End Game (STM, 24.99) An ex-policewoman who works tracing missing children is hired to investigate two sisters who have disappeared after their foster parents’ house burns down in a case that leads her to a smuggling ring in Costa Rica in a prize-winning debut.

Fister, Barbara. Through the Cracks (STM, 24.99) May. Chicago PI Anni Koskinen is investigating a serial rapist and discovers connections to the politically ambitious DA who prosecuted a rape twenty years ago.

Fitch, Stona. Give + Take (STM, 22.99) May. A funny caper novel about a jazz pianist who moonlights as a thief, stealing diamonds from wealthy women he seduces after his gigs, his teenage nephew who is a blackmailer, and a beautiful singer with her own shady sideline.

Fletcher, Jessica and Donald Bain. Murder, She Wrote: Nashville Noir (NAL, 22.95) Apr. A young singer-songwriter who received a grant for a scholarship trip to Nashville from the Cabot Cove citizens committee is implicated in the murder of a country music publisher, so Jessica heads to the country music capital to discover what really happened.

Fowler, Earlene. State Fair (Brk, 24.95) May. Bennie Harper returns in a mystery that finds her attending the San Celina Mid-State Fair where quilts and 4-H calves are joined by murder.

Freeman, Brian. The Burying Place (STM, 24.99) Apr. Duluth police detective Jonathan Stride investigates the kidnapping of the infant daughter of a surgeon while his partner is working on a serial killer case.

French, Nicci. The Other Side of the Door (STM, 25.99) May. A desperate woman covers up the murder of her secret lover and then must live with the consequences in a new novel of psychological suspense.

George, Elizabeth. This Body of Death (HC, 27.99) May. Lynley has been lured back from Cornwall to investigate the murder case of a woman found in a London cemetery, with suspects in both London and Hampshire where she used to live.

Goldenbaum, Sally. Moon Spinners (NAL, 23.95) May. The Seaside Knitters investigate when a woman goes flying off a cliff in a red Ferrari—and it’s clearly no accident. A charming cozy series with a strong sense of place.

Goodwillie, David. American Subversive (SS, 25.00) Apr. A failed journalist receives an anonymous e-mail with the picture of a young American woman after an act of domestic terrorism in NYC, and his investigation leads him into the dark heart of American insurrection in a timely crime novel.

Gore, Steven. Final Target (PP, 24.95) May. A private investigator from San Francisco is in a race against the FBI and Ukrainian gangsters to clear his friend’s name in an intricate stock swindle and arms deal in a case that takes him to London, Geneva, and finally Kiev.

Grant, Andrew. Die Twice (STM, 24.99) May. British intelligence agent David Trevellyan is sent to Chicago where he must find a rogue agent who shot and killed a member of the British Consulate staff.

Grimes, Martha. The Black Cat (Vik, 25.95) Apr. Richard Jury is sent to investigate a case in an outlying village where a young woman has been murdered behind a local pub, and the only witness is the pub’s black cat.

Gross, Andrew. Reckless (HC, 25.99) Apr. Former policeman Ty Hauck teams up with a Treasury agent in order to investigate the murder of an equities trader and his family that may be tied to the dealings of a shady financier in a non-stop action thriller.

Harris, Charlaine, ed. Crimes by Moonlight (Brk, 24.95) Apr. A collection of short stories with a supernatural theme, featuring some of today’s best mystery writers.

_____. Dead in the Family (Brk, 25.95) May. Sookie Stackhouse is ready to kick back and enjoy her relationship with the vampire love of her life, but there are still some Faeries who are out for revenge.

Harris, Rosemary. Dead Head (STM, 24.99) May. When it is revealed in screaming tabloid headlines that one of the suburban moms in Springfield Connecticut is an escaped convict, Paula is hired to find out who it is and why the secret has come out.

Hart, Carolyn. Laughed ‘til he Died (HC, 24.99) Apr. In the latest Death on Demand mystery Annie and Max investigate when an obnoxious member of the board of a local teen activity center is killed.

Harvey, Michael. The Third Rail (RH, 24.95) Apr. Ex-Chicago cop Michael Kelly pursues a nasty killer in a thriller set in the world of Chicago’s transit system.

Hawke, Richard. House of Secrets (RH, 25.00) May. An extra-marital affair leads a New York senator into major trouble in this stand-alone thriller filled with mobsters, blackmailers, and politicians with evil agendas.

Hermans, Danielle. The Tulip Virus (STM, 24.99) May. A debut mystery set in London, where the murder of a Dutchman found clutching a 17^th-century book about tulips is tied to the collapse of the tulip bubble in Holland three-and-a-half centuries earlier.

Hinshelwood, Tom. The Killer (STM, 25.99) Apr. A brilliant, action-packed thriller debut that begins with a hired assassin in Paris who kills a man and steals a small flash drive, but the job turns south and soon he is fleeing a gang of hit men who want him dead.

Hughes, Declan. City of Lost Girls (HC, 24.99) Apr. A film-maker hires Dublin PI Ed Loy after he receives threatening letters during a film shoot, but when two extras are murdered the case echoes problems that the director had on a prior film shoot.

Janes, Diane. The Pull of the Moon (Soho, 25.00) May. When she receives a letter from a dying woman, a young woman is forced to confront her past of love, lies and murder in a British novel of psychological suspense.

Jenoff, Pam. Elegy (SS, 25.00) May. Jordan Weiss resigns from her State Department post and goes to find her college boyfriend thought to have been killed years before, but her hunt throughout Europe brings her an unexpected ally—an Israeli agent.

Johansen, Iris. Eight Days to Live (STM, 27.99) Apr. Forensic sculptor Eve Duncan goes to Paris for a gallery showing of her adopted daughter’s art, but one of the pieces incurs the wrath of a dangerous religious cult and leads to the murder of a friend.

Johnson, Craig. Junkyard Dogs (Vik, 25.95) May 27th. A missing thumb and dead developers are only the beginning of his problems for Wyoming Sheriff Walt Longmire.

Kellerman, Jesse. The Executor (Put, 25.95) Apr. A brilliant and darkly funny crime story about a Harvard graduate student who is hired by an elderly woman to discuss philosophy with her, but the discussions soon lead to more….

Kellerman, Jonathan. Deception (Ball, 28.00) Apr. LAPD detective Milo Sturgis is assigned the particularly sensitive murder case of a teacher at an exclusive prep school in Brentwood, who left a DVD accusing three fellow teachers of sexual harassment. When Alex Delaware becomes involved in the investigation they find that the school and its students, teachers, and administrators have lots to hide.

Levine, Laura. Death of a Trophy Wife (Kens, 22.00) May. Freelance writer Jaine Austen agrees to help out her neighbor who becomes the chief suspect in the murder of a local tycoon’s wife, killed when someone laced her dirty martini with weed killer. I love this very funny series.

Long, Jeff. The Ascent (SS, 25.00) Apr. An apocalyptic thriller set in a world where everyone has gone underground to escape devastating man-made and natural calamities except for a small band of adventurers led by a primatologist.

Lynds, Gayle. The Book of Spies (STM, 25.99) Apr. Rare book expert Eva Blake and a former intelligence agent join forces in the search for a legendary library containing written works dating back to ancient Greece and Rome, in a suspense thriller that finds the two racing through Europe to find the prize before the bad guys do.

McEvoy, John. The Significant Seven (PP, 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp) Apr. In 2002, seven friends win a large prize after a day at the horse races and use part of the money to buy a race horse, who becomes a winner as well, and they agree that if one member of the group dies, the others will inherit his share, down to the last survivor. Now in 2009, the members begin to die and Jack Doyle becomes involved, protecting the daughter of one of the men in the latest in this very horsy racing series.

McInerny, Ralph. Sham Rock (STM, 24.99) Apr. The Knight brothers look into the 20-year-old disappearance of a classmate at Notre Dame after a priest alumnus donates a box of papers relating to the mystery. McInerny died in January.

Morton, Kate. The Distant Hours (SS, 26.00) May. A fascinating weaving together of history and mystery that opens at a castle outside of the Weald of Kent in September 1940 when an enemy plane crashes into the wood, and the pilot, who survives, will profoundly influence the family members who have saved him.

Munson, Sam. The November Criminals (BDD, 23.95) Apr. A funny debut novel about a high school student who stumbles through the Washington D.C. teenage underworld to solve the murder of a classmate, but he manages to become himself caught up in danger after a stoned call to his chief suspect.

Nisbet, Jim. Windward Passage (Png, 25.95) Apr. A mystery that is set in a parallel near-future with a sunken ship, a murdered captain, a brick of cocaine, presidential DNA, and an unfinished novel. A funny, well-written crime novel that hearkens back to James M. Cain.

Patterson, James and Maxine Paetro. 9^th Judgment (Hach, 27.99) Apr. In the Women’s Murder Club’s most terrifying case, a deranged killer is targeting women and their children.

Perry, Thomas. Strip (HMH, 26.00) May. When his strip club is robbed, a Los Angeles gangster believes that a new man who has just shown up is the culprit, but he doesn’t realize that the real thief is a lowlife who, along with his psycho girlfriend, has decided on a whole new career—robbing his strip club. This is vintage Perry with a wily protagonist, funny subplots, and a villainess who is wonderful to watch. Highly recommended.

Pickard, Nancy. The Scent of Rain and Lightning (Ball, 25.00) May. When the man who was convicted of the murder of a Kansas rancher and his young wife is released from prison 25 years later, the rancher’s family including his daughter must finally confront the truth of what happened so long ago and deal with the consequences.

Preston, Douglas and Lincoln Child. Fever Dream (GC, 26.99) May. Special Agent Pendergast has returned to the family manse in Louisiana and is putting away items related to his wife’s tragic death when he discovers that her death—mauled by a vicious lion in Africa was not tragic accident—her rifle was loaded with blanks.

Raichev, R.T. The Curious Incident at Claridge’s (Soho, 25.00) Apr. Mystery writer Antonia Darcy and her companion Major Payne are faced with a plethora of suspects when the elderly Lord Tradescant is poisoned in the latest in this series that hearkens back to the Golden Age of detective novels.

Rice, Christopher. The Moonlit Earth (SS, 25.00) Apr. A young woman who returns home after she loses her job is shocked to see her younger brother implicated in a terrorist act in Hong Kong, and in helping him, she uncovers some shocking secrets in her family’s past.

Rosett, Sara. Mint Juleps, Mayhem, and Murder (Kens, 22.00) Apr. Military wife Ellie Avery is called away from her husband’s family reunion when the squadron commander has been murdered and his wife, her best friend, is the prime suspect.

Ross, Ann B. Miss Julia Renews her Vows (Vik, 24.95) Apr. Miss Julia’s new husband wants her to go to marriage enrichment classes, but she’s busy playing detective after the assault of a local woman in the latest in this funny southern series.

Rudolph, Penny. Eye of the Mountain God (STM, 24.99) Apr. A photographer with a young daughter moves to New Mexico, where the disappearance of her paperboy plunges her into a mystery that includes five arrowheads made of emerald that she finds rolled in a newspaper.

Sandford, John. Storm Prey (Put, 27.95) May. Lucas Davenport’s wife becomes a witness to an armed robbery, and he must protect her against the crooks who want to cover their crime.

Spillane, Mickey and Max Allan Collins. The Big Bang (HMH, 25.00) May. Begun in the 1960s and finished by Collins, this lost Mike Hammer novel finds the PI and his beautiful partner Velda confronting the drug culture of the time from its glitzy discotheques and swinging bachelor pads to hippie chicks and drug addicts.

Steinbeck, Thomas. In the Shadow of the Cypress (Pkt, 26.00) Apr. A hundred years after jade relics found in California’s Monterrey Peninsula were lost at sea on their way to China, two young scholars join forces to find the sunken treasure and what it represents for the group of Chinese immigrants who had originally found them.

Steinhauer, Olen. The Nearest Exit (STM, 25.99) May. Reluctant spy Milo Weaver returns to his old job, but his new CIA bosses know little about him, and he is caught between them and someone who has betrayed is country and has nothing left to lose. Highly recommended, along with The Tourist, the first Milo Weaver novel.

Stone, David. The Skorpion Directive (Put, 25.95) May. CIA cleaner Micah Dalton is in Vienna when he realizes that he is being followed by a team of agents of unknown origin, and must call in an old buddy with the reputation as a crazed killer and a drunk when it appears that even his CIA handlers are after him.

Strange, Marc. Follow Me Down (ECW, 24.95) May. The first in a Canadian police procedural series set in a rural town in Ontario where the local police chief finds a man pinned to a tree with two arrows in his belly.

Talton, Jon. Deadline Man (PP, 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp.) May. A journalist’s quiet, compartmentalized life is up-ended when a mundane assignment plunges him into a maze of murder, intrigue, and deadly secrets.

Tracy, PJ. Shoot to Thrill (Put, 24.95) May. An FBI agent seeks the help of the Monkeewrench gang to solve a horrible string of murders filmed for the Web. Highly recommended.

Trow, M.J. Maxwell’s Retirement (A&B, 29.95) Apr. Schoolmaster Peter Maxwell must learn how to use the latest technology now that he’s on the verge of retirement when his female pupils began to receive threatening e-mails and texts, but it’s old-fashioned sleuthing that stands him in good stead when two girls go missing.

Turow, Scott. Innocent (GC, 27.99) May. Twenty years after Presumed Innocent, Rusty Sabich returns—now an appellate court judge, but once again the suspect in a murder case when his wife dies under mysterious circumstances. Turow is wonderful.

Viets, Elaine. Half-Price Homicide (NAL, 22.95) May. In the latest in the Dead-End job series, Helen goes to work for a high-end designer consignment shop, but when a gorgeous customer is found dead in a dressing room, Helen must investigate to save herself from suspicion of murder.

Wall, Kathryn R. Canaan’s Gate (STM, 24.99) May. A bank employee asks Bay Tanner to investigate when she suspects that a colleague may be scamming a very wealthy elderly couple, but when the wife dies suddenly the case becomes lethal.

Wells, Shirley. The Broken Circle (Soho, 25.00) May. Forensic psychologist Jill Kennedy is called in when a man with a dark past is murdered shortly after he moves from London to the quiet Lancashire village in this latest in this police procedural series.

Winslow, Emily. The Whole World (BDD, 25.00) May. In this debut novel, a research project at Cambridge turns deadly when two American students help a blind professor organize photographs of her novelist mother.

Woods, Stuart. Lucid Intervals (Put, 25.95) Apr. Stone Barrington has a number of irons in the fire in the most recent in the series: his unstable ex-wife returns, he’s hired to keep a wealthy “walking catastrophe” out of trouble, and he’s hired to find a missing British agent recently spotted in New York.

Yessayan, Raffi. 2 in the Hat (Ball, 25.00) Apr. The discovery of the bodies of a man and a woman dressed in formal clothes signals the return of a serial killer thought dead or in prison by the Boston police, and homicide detective Angel Alves must use closely held information from the initial investigation to track down the killer.

Zimmerman, David. The Sand Box (Soho, 25.00) Apr. A powerful debut novel set at a remote outpost in Iraq where an American soldier is propelled into a vast conspiracy that threatens his life after a roadside ambush, when he is asked to sit in on an interrogation where the two Iraqi prisoners are killed.

New and Forthcoming in Paperback Reprint

Abbott, Jeff. Trust Me (NAL, 7.99) Apr.

Albert, Susan Wittig. Wormwood (Brk, 7.99) Apr.

Baldacci, David. First Family (GC, 9.99) Mar.

Barr, Nevada. Borderline (Brk, 9.99) Apr.

Bourne, Sam. The Last Testament (HC, 7.99) Apr.

Box, C.J. Below Zero (Brk, 7.99) Apr.

Burke, Jan. The Messenger (Pkt, 7.99) May.

Cannell, Dorothy. She Shoots to Conquer (STM, 7.99) Apr.

Child, Lee. Gone Tomorrow (BDD, 9.99) Apr.

Clark, Carol Higgins. Cursed (Pkt, 7.99) Apr.

Clark, Mary Higgins. Just Take My Heart (pkt, 7.99) Apr.

Cole, Martina. Faces (GC, 7.99) Mar.

Davidson, Diane Mott. Fatally Flaky (HC, 7.99) Apr.

Deaver, Jeffery. Roadside Crosses (Pkt, 9.99) May.

DeJonge, Peter. Shadows Still Remain (HC, 7.99) May.

Dekker, Ted. Boneman’s Daughter (GC, 7.99) Mar.

DeMille, Nelson. The Lion’s Game (GC, 7.99) May.

Deutermann, P.T. Nightwalkers (STM, 7.99) May.

Eisler, Barry. Fault Line (BDD, 7.99) May.

Emley, Dianne. The Deepest Cut (BDD, 7.99) May.

Fowler, Earlene. Love Mercy (Brk, 7.99) May.

Francis, Dick. Longshot (Brk, 7.99) May. Reissue.

Gabbay, Tom. The Tehran Connection (HC, 7.99) Apr.

Gardner, Lisa. Alone (BDD, 7.99) Apr.

Graham, Mitchell. Dead Docket (STM, 7.99) May.

Gross, Andrew. Don’t Look Twice (HC, 7.99) Apr.

Harris, Charlaine. Dead and Gone (Brk, 7.99) Apr.

Hart, Carolyn. Dare to Die (HC, 7.99) Apr.

Higgins, Jack. A Darker Place (Brk, 9.99) Apr.

Hilton, Matt. Dead Man’s Dust (HC, 7.99) May.

Johansen, Iris. Blood Game (STM, 7.99) May.

Jordan, R.T. A Talent for Murder (Kens, 6.99) May.

Khoury, Raymond. The Sign (NAL, 9.99) Apr.

Land, Jon. Strong Enough to Die (STM, 7.99) Apr.

Levine, Laura. Killer Cruise (Kens, 6.99) Apr.

Loomis, Jon. Mating Season (STM, 7.99) May.

Martini, Steve. Guardian of Lies (HC, 9.99) May.

Meier, Leslie. Mother’s Day Murder (Kens, 6.99) May.

_____. Tippy Toe Murder (Kens, 6.99) May. Reissue.

Patterson, James & Michael Ledwidge. Run for your Life (GC, 9.99) May.

Patterson, Richard North. The Spire (STM, 9.99) May.

Preston, Douglas and Lincoln Childs. Cemetery Dance (GC, 9.99) Apr.

Robb, J.D. Kindred in Death (Brk, 7.99) Apr.

Rose, Karen. I Can See You (GC, 7.99) May.

Sanford, John. Wicked Prey (Brk, 9.99) May.

Smith, Wilbur. Assegai (STM, 9.99) Apr.

Stone, David. The Venetian Judgment (Brk, 9.99) Apr.

Tanenbaum, Robert K. Capture (Pkt, 9.99) May.

Viets, Elaine. Killer Cuts (NAL, 6.99) May.

Woods, Stuart. Hothouse Orchid (NAL, 9.99) May.

Yessayan, Raffi. 8 in the Box (BDD, 7.99) Apr.

New and Forthcoming in Paperback Original

Andrus, James. The Perfect Woman (Kens, 6.99) Apr. A debut serial-killer thriller set in Florida, featuring a homicide detective haunted by his own daughter’s disappearance, who becomes consumed with capturing “the Bagman” who murders young women and stuffs their bodies into duffle bags.

Beck, Jessica. Glazed Murder (STM, 7.99) Apr. The first in a new chocolate-sprinkled series set in a doughnut shop, where the owner discovers the body of her favorite customer—and he didn’t die from an overdose of trans-fats.

Connor, Beverly. The Night Killer (NAL, 7.99) Apr. After a tree falls on her car during a storm, Forensic Investigator Diane Fallon discovers a human skeleton in the hollow trunk, and finds herself on the run from a killer on a remote mountain road, where only her wits can save her.

Dare, Lila. Tressed to Kill (Brk, 7.99) May. When the most difficult of their high-society clients in a small Georgia town is found murdered, a hairdresser and her mother become all snarled up in murder—truly a bad-hair day in the first of a new series.

Evanovich, Janet. Hero at Large (HC, 7.99) Apr. The first published book by Evanovich newly reissued, this is a romantic screwball comedy.

Evans, Christy. Lead-Pipe Cinch (Brk, 6.99) Apr. In the second in the series, plumber’s apprentice Georgiana Neverall discovers the body of an ex-boyfriend floating in the moat she is building for the castle of a dotcom millionaire.

Grace, Margaret. Monster in Miniature (Brk, 7.99) Apr. Miniaturist Geraldine Potter and her granddaughter are creating a festive Hallowe’en haunted dollhouse, but fun turns to fear when they discover that a neighborhood scarecrow is a bloody corpse.

Greiman, Lois. Not One Clue (BDD, 7.99) May. The first in a funny new cozy series set in Los Angeles.

Hirsch, Reece. The Insider (Brk, 7.99) May. When a colleague plummets to his death from his office window, a corporate attorney finds himself not only a suspect in the murder, but also target of an SEC insider trading investigation. Things only get more difficult when he becomes a pawn in a complex scheme involving the Russian mafia and a terrorist group.

Hyatt, Elise. French Polished Murder (Brk, 6.99) May. The owner of a furniture refinishing store discovers a decades-old letter in a piano she is refinishing, a letter that leads her to an investigation into the past of a powerful local family.

Killian, Diana. Murder on the Eightfold Path (Brk, 6.99) Apr. In the third in this yoga mystery series, A.J. stumbles over the body of her mother’s beau in the garden, and is tied in knots trying to find the killer.

Lamb, Amanda. Evil Next Door (Brk, 7.99) Apr. The true crime story of a the murder of a young North Carolina woman, and the main suspect in the case who kept the police at bay for more than three years by refusing to hand over a DNA sample. For fans of Ann Rule.

Lavene, Joyce and Jim. A Timely Vision (Brk, 7.99) May. First in a new paranormal series featuring a woman with a gift for finding lost things, who is asked by the town matriarch to find a missing watch, leading to the discovery of a dead body.

Lawrence, Lucy. Cut to the Corpse (Brk, 6.99) Apr. The second in the series featuring Decoupage teacher Brenna Miller who finds a student with her fiancé’s dead best friend, holding the murder weapon.

Lovelace, Merline. Now You See Her (Brk, 7.99) May. While testing the latest experimental goggles, USAF officer Samantha Spade spots a sniper targeting a non-commissioned officer.

Manning, John. The Killing Room (Kens, 6.99) May. A private detective is hired by a Maine family that is the target of a vengeful killer who has picked off its members one by one over the years.

Oust, Gail. ‘Til Dice Do Us Part (NAL, 6.99) Apr. In the second in the Bunco Babes series, the Babes are shocked when one of their members returns from Vegas with a new husband, an actor who wants to direct, produce, and star in a play he’s written.

Pratt, Scott. Injustice for All (NAL, 7.99) May. The second in a first-rate legal thriller series featuring prosecutor Joe Dillard, who investigates when a friend and fellow lawyer is under suspicion when a judge known for his harsh treatment of attorneys is found swinging from a tree.

Purser, Ann. The Hangman’s Row Enquiry (Brk, 7.99) May. The cantankerous spinster Ivy Beasley from the Lois Meade series joins forces with a mysterious newcomer to the village of Barrington to solve the mystery of his neighbor’s murder.

Scott, Michele. A Toast to Murder (Brk, 7.99) Apr. Nikki Sands, manager of a Napa Valley winery, and her fiancé are planning their wedding, but a series of cryptic messages questioning their belief in fate leads to a fatal turn.

Shelton, Paige. Farm Fresh Murder (Brk, 7.99) Apr. The first in a new series featuring a woman who makes and sells preserves on her farm, and who must defend her friend’s innocence when a murder occurs in the quaint little town where she lives.

Stanley, Jennifer. Path of the Wicked (STM, 7.99) May. In the second in the cozy Hope Street Church mystery series, Cooper Lee finds both fellowship and murder.

Swanson, Denise. Murder of a Wedding Belle (NAL, 6.99) Apr. School psychologist Skye Dennison agrees to help her California cousin with her lavish wedding, but when the control-freak wedding planner is found murdered, Skye is working double-duty to keep the wedding on track and find a killer.

Sweeney, Leann. The Cat, the Professor, and the Poison (NAL, 6.99) May. In the second of this charming, cozy series, cat-loving quilter Jill agrees to help a friend find her missing milk cow and discovers fifty stray cats and a dead body.

New and Forthcoming in Quality Paperback

Alcorn, Alfred. The Counterfeit Murder in the Museum of Man (RH, 14.99) May. Norman de Ratour, the director of the museum discovers the body of the museum’s main donor and it appears he’s been shot with Norman’s pistol in the third in this funny academic series.

Allingham, Margery. The Tiger in the Smoke (F&M, 14.95) Apr. My favorite of all the Campions is set in post-war London and has an air of tense suspense that has made it a classic of 20^th-century detective novels.

Bruen, Ken. Sanctuary (STM, 13.99) May. PI Jack Taylor receives an anonymous letter containing a list of victims, and he begins to investigate despite his personal demons.

Bunn, Davis. The Gold of Kings (SS, 14.99) May. After the death of her grandfather, an art historian discovers family secrets that link ancient relics to the highest levels of business and government and sends her on a thrilling treasure hunt. Solid history and great intrigue make this a winner.

Buzzelli, Elizabeth Kane. Dead Sleeping Shaman (MidInk, 14.95) May. The third in the series set in Northern Michigan finds Leetsville inundated by end-of-the-world cultists, and when the eccentric psychic is found dead, Emily Kincaid vows to solve the mystery and expose the killer.

Cook, Thomas H. The Fate of Katherine Carr (HMH, 13.95) Apr. A former travel writer whose son was murdered joins with a retired policeman who is obsessed with the unsolved case of Katherine Carr, a writer who has left behind a story about a woman being stalked before disappearing herself. Highly recommended.

Crum, Laura. Going, Gone (Pers, 14.95) Apr. Horse vet Gail McCarthy decides to investigate when an old boyfriend is arrested for murder and she uncovers evidence exonerating him after two more murders occur, but the murderer comes after her in the tenth of this series set on the central California coast.

Daly, Elizabeth. The Book of the Dead (F&M, 14.95) Apr. Henry Gammadge combines his interest in rare books with his sleuthing skills when he is given a battered old edition of The Tempest by the acquaintance of a man who died somewhat mysteriously.

DeMille, Nelson. The Lion’s Game (GC, 14.99) May. A reissue of an early thriller featuring Federal Task Force agent John Corey who is following the trail of smoke and blood left by a terrorist whose cunning and bloodlust are almost superhuman.

Depp, Daniel. Loser’s Town (SS, 14.00) Apr. A debut mystery novel featuring PI David Spandau who is hired by a rising Hollywood actor at the center of a blackmailing scheme gone wrong. Highly recommended.

Flanagan, John A. Storm Peak (Brk, 14.00) Feb. The first in a new mystery series set in the Colorado Rockies, where a former Denver police detective is asked by the local sheriff to help in a murder investigation.

Goldenbaum, Sally. Patterns in the Sand (NAL, 14.00) Apr. When the owner of a popular art gallery is found dead, the Seaside knitters discover that he has a number of dark secrets, secrets that impact a young fiber artist that the group has sponsored.

Green, Anna Katherine. The Leavenworth Case (Png, 16.00) May. The reissue of a classic American detective story first published in 1878, a classic locked-room mystery investigated by Ebenezer Gryce.

Hart, John. The Last Child (STM, 14.99) May. A powerful and intricately plotted crime novel about a boy who explores the dark side of his hometown after his twin sister disappears. Highly recommended.

Higgins, George V. The Friends of Eddie Coyle (STM, 13.00) May. A reissue of the classic crime novel set in Boston.

Johnson, Craig. Dark Horse (Png, 14.00) May 25. Sheriff Walt Longmire must put his election campaign on hold while he goes undercover to investigate the murder of a man who was shot by his wife after burning her horses alive in the barn because Walt has trouble believing the wife’s confession.

Johnson, Denis. Nobody Move (STM, 14.00) May. A sexy, suspenseful thriller set in Bakersfield where a group of grifters attempts to get away with a 2.3 million dollar prize.

Kerr, Philip. A Philosophical Investigation (Png, 15.00) May. The reissue of an early crime novel set in London in 2013, where a police detective must stop a killer, code-named Wittgenstein, who has taken it upon himself to eliminate any man who tests positive for violent tendencies, even if he has never committed a crime.

Lange, Richard. This Wicked World (Hach, 14.99) May. A brilliant debut novel set in Los Angeles and the desert east of there featuring a paroled ex-con who agrees to help a buddy look into a mysterious death plunging him into a world of drug dealers, a dog-fighting ring, a beautiful ex-cop, and a vicious crime boss. This is excellent.

Listfield, Emily. Best Intentions (SS, 15.00) May. Four college friends reunite—with fatal consequences in a suspenseful novel that questions whether we can really know the ones we love.

Neme, Laurel. Animal Investigators (SS, 15.00) Apr. The true story of the world’s first wildlife forensic lab that is using modern science to protect endangered species against poaching—a fascinating mix of mystery, science, and wildlife conservation.

Orloff, Alan. Diamonds for the Dead (Midink, 14.95) Apr. A man is shocked to discover that his late father was a secret multimillionaire who generously helped out many causes including the Reston Hebrew Home, and that his death from a fall may not have been an accident in a thought-provoking debut.

Patterson, James and Richard Dilallo. Alex Cross’s Trial (GC, 14.99) Apr. Detective Alex Cross tells the story of his ancestor who fought the racism and violence of the Ku Klux Klan in the early 1900s.

Phillips, Christi. The Devlin Diary (Pkt, 15.00) Apr. When a Cambridge history professor is found murdered, two historian colleagues decide that the murder is related to the research that he was doing on the diaries of the physician to the court of Charles II, diaries that hold the key to the solution to a series of brutal murders in Restoration-era London.

Ross, Ann B. Miss Julia Delivers the Goods (Png, 15.00) Apr. After the doctor tells Hazel Marie that she is pregnant with twins, Miss Julia decides that a robbery at Sam’s house can only be solved by Hazel Marie’s decamped beau.

Slan, Joanna Campbell. Photo, Snap, Shot (MidInk, 14.95) May. Kiki Lowenstein finds one of her daughter’s teachers at the exclusive St. Louis prep school she attends murdered in the latest in this crafty cozy series.

Talton, Jon. The Pain Nurse (PP, 14.95) May. When a nurse at a Cincinnati hospital finds a doctor murdered, she teams up with a policeman who views the murder as the latest in a serial killer case he supposedly solved years ago.

Turow, Scott. Presumed Innocent (GC, 14.99) Apr. A reissue of the classic legal thriller about a lawyer who is handed the case of his murdered former lover, only to find himself the chief suspect in the murder.

White, Karen. On Folly Beach (NAL, 15.00) May. A Afghan war widow who buys a bookstore in the South Carolina low country finds a cache of old love letters that reveal details of a possible murder and a disappearance during WWII. White is wonderful.

New and Forthcoming in International Mysteries

Adams, Will. The Alexander Cipher (GC, 7.99) Mar. An Egyptologist working in Alexandria discovers what may be the tomb of Alexander the Great, but he is not alone in seeking its treasures—others will kill to win it.

_____. The Exodus Quest (Hach, 24.99) Apr. When an archaeologist is murdered near the site of a theft in an ancient temple near Alexandria, David Knox becomes a suspect and is thrown in jail, powerless to help his colleague who has been kidnapped outside of Amarna.

Agarwal, Shilpa. Haunting Bombay (Soho, 14.00) Apr. A motherless girl living with her grandmother in a bungalow in 1960s Bombay inadvertently unleashes a ghost, forcing the family to confront the shocking truth behind a death that occurred years earlier.

Bronsky, Alina. Broken Glass Park (Europa, 15.00) Apr. A seventeen-year-old Russian girl living in Berlin dreams of killing the man who murdered her mother in a remarkable debut novel.

Cain, Tom. No Survivors (Png, 15.00) Apr. Samuel Carver—a man hired to make bad things happen—is back in a case that takes him throughout Europe, from Norway to Serbia, as he fights to extricate his Russian lover from her spymaster even as he discovers a Texas billionaire’s messianic plot to destroy the world.

Disher, Garry. Blood Moon (Soho, 14.00) Apr. An attack on a politically-connected chaplain, the murder of a planning official, Christian fundamentalists, and racist bloggers bedevil Inspector Challis and his team in this series set on Australia’s Mornington Peninsula.

Férey, Caryl. Zulu (Europa, 15.00) May. A powerful and horrifying crime novel set in South Africa, where homicide detective in Cape Town must solve a series of murders of white women, whose corpses bear the marks of a Zulu ritual, but whose blood contains traces of an unknown narcotic. This novel won numerous prizes in Férey’s native France.

Gavron, Assaf. Almost Dead (HC, 14.99) Apr. An offbeat political thriller by an Israeli author about a Tel Aviv consultant who survives three terror attacks and the Palestinian bomber hospitalized after an attack plots his revenge. An evenhanded look at an intractable situation.

Gruber, Michael. The Good Son (HHolt, 26.00) May. A thriller set in Pakistan where a Jungian psychologist along with eight members of a peace symposium are being held captive by terrorists while her son, an ex-Delta soldier, uses his military connections in order to rescue them.

Hammesfahr, Petra. The Lie (Bitter Lemon, 14.95) May. Two women who look enough alike to be twins trade places so that the one can go out of town with her lover while the other stays with the husband, but the first woman is being stalked by an unhappy investor and disappears, leaving the other tuck in an increasingly dangerous role.

Hewson, David. City of Fear (BDD, 25.00) May. Roman police detective Nic Costa must investigate a strange terrorist group fascinated with Etruscan civilization that is threatening attacks during the G8 conference in a smart political thriller.

_____. The Dante Killings (BDD, 7.99) May. When a series of grisly murders in Rome proves to be related to an antiquarian edition of The Divine Comedy, Roman detective Nic Costa is sent to San Francisco to unravel a tangle of clues from Dante’s Inferno to Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo.

Hyland, Adrian. Gunshot Road (Soho, 25.00) May. Half-aboriginal Emily Tempest is appointed Aboriginal Community Police Officer for Moonlight Downs and must investigate the possible murder of an elderly geologist in the second in this prize-winning Australian series.

Klein, Zoë. Drawing in the Dust (Pkt, 15.00) May. An archaeologist digging in Israel agrees to help an Arab couple who claim that the grounds beneath their house are haunted, and while on her “psychic dig,” the archaeologist discovers the tomb of an ancient Israelite who might be the prophet Jeremiah, buried next to a woman with a set of scrolls that reveal a great romance.

Knox, Tom. The Genesis Secret (Png, 15.00) May. A war reporter is sent to Kurdistan to cover the news of the discovery of the world’s oldest civilization, but soon he is covering sabotage and murder, and meanwhile a Scotland Yard detective investigating a series of grisly murders discovers a link with what is happening in Kurdistan. A sinister debut.

_____. Marks of Cain (Vik, 26.95) May. A series of brutal murders involving victims from the Basque regions of Spain and France leads an American studying his family history and an English investigator to a conspiracy involving a Basque terror cell supported by the Catholic Church.

Larsson, Stieg. The Girl Who Played with Fire (RH, 7.99) Apr. The second in the excellent Scandinavian trilogy.

Larsson, Stieg. The Girl Kicked the Hornet’s Nest (RH, 26.95) May 25. Computer hacker Lisbeth is still alive and still the prime suspect in three murders in Stockholm, and while she convalesces in the hospital journalist Mikael Blomkvist works to unravel the cover-up surrounding the man who shot her, a Soviet intelligence defector and long-time asst to the Swedish security police.

Leon, Donna. About Face (Png, 14.00) Apr. Brunetti is plunged into murder and dangerous corruption when he agrees to help a Carabiniere investigator look into a case of illegal garbage hauling.

Leon, Donna. A Question of Belief (AtMon, 24.00) May. Brunetti is presented with two puzzles by his colleagues: an elderly woman who is involved with an astrologer and a criminal court judge who is capriciously postponing cases—puzzles that lead him to question his beliefs.

Levin, Daniel. The Last Ember (Png, 16.00) May. An American lawyer is sent to Rome for a case and stumbles on a message hidden inside an ancient stone fragment that deals with the sacking of Jerusalem by the Romans with terrifying implications today. This is not just another DaVinci Code knock-off, but an exciting thriller with a convincing sense of place and time.

Mackenzie, Jassy. Random Violence (Soho, 25.00) Apr. A Johannesburg PI agrees to help the Police Superintendent who was her father’s assistant when the murder of a wealthy woman in what appears to be a car-jacking gone wrong, but the clues lead to her father’s murder ten years before.

McCall Smith, Alexander. The Double Comfort Safari Club (RH, 23.95) Apr. Precious Ramotswe is hired to help the executor of an American woman who wanted to leave money to a tour guide, but was unable to remember his name, and on a more personal note help her assistant who has been unable to see her fiancé in the hospital after an accident.

Miyabe, Miyuki. The Devil’s Whisper (Kodansha, 11.95) Mar. A sixteen-year-old boy decides to help his uncle, a taxi driver charged with killing a young girl, and discovers a devious plot that has led to the death of three girls already, with four more in danger.

_____. The Sleeping Dragon (Kodansha, 24.95) Apr. A struggling journalist joins forces with two young men who may have psychic powers after a child is missing in the aftermath of a typhoon that has struck Tokyo.

Temple, Peter. Truth (STM, 26.00) May. The head of homicide in Melbourne has a full agenda with a woman murdered in a penthouse, three men butchered in a sadistic rampage, and personal problems with his wife and daughter, but he finds that these all come together, plunging him into an unfamiliar world of political scandal and ethical ambiguity. Temple has won Australia’s Ned Kelly Award for Crime Fiction.

February/March 2010

New and Forthcoming in Hardcover

Allan, Barbara. Antiques Bizarre (Kens, 22.00) Mar. Mississippi antiques dealer Vivian Borne and her daughter investigate when the donor of a Fabergé egg at a charity auction for flood victims is poisoned at the auction and the highest bidder for the piece is pushed down a flight of stairs in the fourth in this comic cozy series.

Ault, Sandi. Wild Penance (Brk, 24.95) Feb. BLM agent Jamaica Wild believes that a dramatic death that she witnesses may be the result of Los Penitentes, a New Mexico religious group that practices ritual penance in re-enactments of the death of Christ.

Atherton, Nancy. Aunt Dimity Down Under (Vik, 24.95) Feb. Lori Shepherd travels to New Zealand to track down her dying neighbors’ scapegrace brother who was banished to the Antipodes long ago.

Banks, Ray. No More Heroes (HMH, 25.00) Mar. Manchester PI Cal Innes must deal with a case of arson that may be related to the English National Socialists in the latest in this terrific hardboiled series.

Bass, Jefferson. The Bone Thief (HC, 24.99) Mar. Bill Brockton, the head of the human decomposition team known as the Body Farm is asked by the FBI to work undercover in a case against an unscrupulous tissue bank.

Bartulin, Lenny. Death by the Book (STM, 24.99) Jan. A used-book dealer in Sydney who is asked to find copies of the work of an obscure poet is the hero of this first in a hard-boiled series, and when bodies begin to turn up, the police see him as the ideal suspect given his shady past.

Berenson, Alex. The Midnight House (Put, 25.95) Feb. CIA agent John Wells gets a call when two agents are gunned down after participating in an interrogation team investigating Islamic terrorists operating out of a secret base in Poland, and what he discovers is that security has been compromised from within.

Bernhardt, William. Capitol Betrayal (Ball, 26.00) Mar. Oklahoma attorney Ben Kincaid has lost his senate bid and is working on legal issue for the newly-elected president when news of an impending missle attack sends everyone to an underground shelter, where the vice president makes a bid to replace the president and Kincaid must defend him against the charge of acting erratically.

Boyd, William. Ordinary Thunderstorms (HC, 26.99) Feb. A tale of criminal and corporate skullduggery set in London, where a climatologist interviewing for a job meets an immunologist, whose body he happens across later, and fearing that he may be the target of the murderers, he takes the man’s papers and goes into hiding. A well-written Hitchcockian wrong-man whodunit.

Carkeet, David. From Away (Vik, 25.95) Mar. A comic mystery set in a small Vermont town where a stranger stranded in the town assumes the identity of a local man who had disappeared years before only to find himself the chief suspect in the murder of a woman.

Childs, Laura. The Teaberry Strangler (Brk, 24.95) Mar. Charleston shop owners sponsor a Dickensian evening, but when the night is over tea-shop owner Theodosia Browning discovers the body of another shop owner in the alley and the police think the murder may have been a case of mistaken identity.

Coben, Harlan. Caught (Dut, 27.95) Mar. After a tabloid TV reporter accuses a man of being a sexual predator, she discovers a link between the father of one of his victims and others felled by scandal and realizes not only that he may be innocent, but also that she may be a killer’s next victim.

Compton, Julie. Rescuing Olivia (STM, 25.99) Feb. When his girlfriend is left in a coma after a hit-and-run motorcycle accident, a man journeys to Kenya to uncover a horrifying cover-up involving a pharmaceutical company and the discovery of a powerful new drug.

Conant-Park, Jessica and Susan Conant. Cook the Books (Brk, 23.95) Mar. Chloe Carter needs money, so she goes to work for a famous Boston cookbook writer, but in the process of compiling recipes from the city’s top chefs, she find the body of her ex’s best friend.

Cussler, Clive with Jack du Brul. The Silent Sea (Put, 27.95) Mar. Cabrillo and the crew of the USS Oregon are chasing the remnants of a crashed satellite in the Argentine jungle when they stumble across an artifact left by an ancient Chinese expedition to South America, an artifact that appears to be cursed.

Cutler, Judith. Staging Death (A&B, 29.95) Mar. Retired actress Vena Burford has been working part-time for her estate agent brother showing potential buyers around expensive country houses near Stratford-upon-Avon, but when a series of couples who don’t fit the usual client profile demand to explore every nook and cranny of the elegant homes, she becomes alarmed and turns amateur sleuth.

Dorsey, Tim. Gator A-Go-Go (HC, 24.99) Feb. Vigilante serial killer Serge A. Storms decides to enjoy spring break in Florida, and must protect an innocent college student who is the target of vengeful drug dealers and federal agents in another romp that combines tidbits of Florida history with over-the-top humor.

Edwards, Martin. The Serpent Pool (PP, 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp) Feb. DCI Hannah Scarlett of the Cold Case Squad has a case that involves antiquarian booksellers and the brilliant nineteenth-century writer Thomas de Quincey in the latest in this excellent British police procedural series.

Fairstein, Linda. Hell Gate (Dut, 26.95) Mar. New York ADA Alexandra Cooper is investigating the sex scandal of a rising politician who has fallen from grace, when the shipwreck of a freighter carrying contraband cargo of female sex slaves from Asia and the appearance of a tattoo shows that the two cases are connected.

Fielding, Joy. The Wild Zone (SS, 25.00) Mar. In this intense thriller set in Miami, two brothers tangle with a beautiful woman who is looking for someone to kill her abusive husband. This has a great surprise ending.

Fluke, JoAnne. Apple Turnover Murder (Kens, 24.00) Mar. When Hannah Swensen reluctantly agrees to set up an apple turnover stand at a massive three-day fundraising event and agrees to stand in as a magician’s assistant for the talent show as well, little does she know that she must add sleuthing to her duties when she stumbles over the body of the local community college professor who is host for the show.

Goodman, Carol. Arcadia Falls (Ball, 25.00) Mar. An atmospheric gothic tale set in an upstate New York boarding school where a widow accepts a teaching job along with her teenaged daughter, but her research into the death of one of the founders of the school reveals secrets, secrets that are behind the ghost sightings and the mysterious death of a bright student.

Graysmith, Robert. The Girl in Alfred Hitchcock’s Shower (Brk, 25.95) Feb. A true crime thriller about the mysterious murder of the actress/model who was the body double for Janet Leigh in the movie Psycho, who faded into obscurity only to be murdered by a serial killer in 1988. An intriguing unsolved show-biz murder.

Graves, Sarah. Crawlspace (BDD, 25.00) Jan. Jake Tiptree’s son is snatched by a psychopathic killer who may have murdered both his wife and his sister-in-law in this latest in this home repair series set in Maine.

Green, Norman. Sick Like That (STM, 24.99) Mar. Brooklyn detective Alessandra Martillo turns the routine work over to another woman while she is taking over for her boss who’s recuperating from a gunshot wound, and while the new woman tries to locate the estranged stepson for a wealthy client, Martillo hunts for a missing husband in the second in this cleverly-plotted series.

Green, Tim. False Convictions (GC, 24.99) Feb. On her first assignment for the Freedom Project, defense attorney Casey Jordan takes on the case of a black man whom she believes has been falsely convicted of a brutal rape and murder, but her investigation in the small upstate New York town creates savage resistance from the locals who are hiding dirty political secrets of blackmail and violence.

Grippando, James. Money to Burn (HC, 25.99) Mar. When the star performer at a premier Wall Street investment firm becomes the victim of identity theft, it rocks his marriage and almost destroys his firm as well as his life, but why he specifically is targeted is the question—and the answer goes back seven years to the death of his first wife in a taut thriller filled with timely references to subprime loans and Ponzi Schemes.

Hall, Parnell. The Puzzle Lady vs. the Sudoku Lady (STM, 24.99) Jan. A Japanese bestselling author of sudoku puzzles arrives in Connecticut to challenge Cora that she can solve crimes just as well, and when a local woman is found dead, she gets her chance to show Cora up—or will she?

Hart, Erin. False Mermaid (SS, 26.00) Mar. The third in the series set in Ireland that combines history, archaeology, and forensics finds Nora Gavin returning home to try to bring her brother-in-law to justice for the murder of her sister, while her partner in Ireland must deal with the return of his dying father and a fisherman’s wife who disappeared a century ago.

Hill, Joe. Horns (HC, 25.99) Mar. When a man wakes up one morning to discover a pair of satanic horns sprouting from his forehead, he also discovers that he has the ability to know the private thoughts of anyone he touches, an ability that he uses to hunt for the murderer of his girlfriend.

Hirahara, Naomi. Blood Hina (STM, 24.99) Mar. Los Angeles gardener Mas Arai, who survived the attack on Hiroshima when he was a boy, must help the elderly fiancé of an old friend find two missing hina dolls used in purification ceremonies, an inquiry that leads him to drug runners and several murders in the latest in this excellent series with memorable characters and a fascinating look at Japanese-American subculture.

Hogan, Chuck. Devils in Exile (SS, 25.00) Feb. A fast-moving crime novel about an Iraq war veteran in Boston who joins a group of veterans who rip-off drug dealers, but things start to unravel quickly when he begins an affair with the girlfriend of the group’s leader.

GKaufman, Thomas. Drink the Tea (STM, 24.99) Mar. An impressive debut crime novel featuring a DC Pi who is asked by a famous jazz musician to locate his missing daughter, but the case attracts the interest of an ambitious right-wing politician in a taut tale of violence and corruption.

Kostova, Elizabeth. The Swan Thieves (LB, 26.99) Jan. A novel of obsession about a psychiatrist whose patient, a renowned painter, has been hospitalized since attempting to slash a painting in the National Gallery. Although the patient is uncooperative, he gives the psychiatrist permission to talk to anyone in his life, and as the psychiatrist digs further into his patient’s motives, he himself becomes obsessed.

Lelic, Simon. A Thousand Cuts (Vik, 24.95) Mar. DI Lucia May investigates a school shooting that becomes more complex as she pieces together the testimony of various witnesses in a debut police procedural set in Brighton.

Lin, Ed. Snakes Can’t Run (STM, 24.99) Mar. NYPD detective Robert Chow investigates the murder of two Asian men shot and dumped under a Manhattan bridge in a case that sets him on the trail of the head of a ring of human smugglers in the second of this police procedural series set in Chinatown.

Lowe, Tom. The 24^th Letter (STM, 25.99) Mar. A former Miami homicide detective must race to save a man he helped send to death row when another convict names the real killer, who tries to cover his tracks by committing more murders.

Lutz, Lisa. The Spellmans Strike Again (SS, 25.00) Mar. The final installment in the funny series about a family of PIs in San Francisco finds Izzy blackmailed into dating lawyers by her mother while at the same time she works on a case that involves hunting through the garbage to find evidence of plagiarism.

Martin, Nancy. Our Lady of Immaculate Deception (STM, 24.99) Mar. The first in a new series set in Pittsburgh, featuring a sexy sleuth who gets into trouble when a wealthy philanthropist is killed and his mother’s house is torched, and she takes an ancient Greek garden statue to protect it from the killer.

Martinez, A. Lee. Divine Misfortune (Orbit, 19.99) Mar. In a second comic fantasy, two slackers looking for some divine assistance settle on Lucky, a raccoon god of good fortune, but Lucky had a falling out with another ancient god and the two find that the world of divine powers is no walk in the park.

McCrery, Nigel. Tooth and Claw (RH, 24.95) Feb. DCI Mark Lapslie, who suffers from synesthesia, is assigned to the murder of a television newscaster whose body was found with the left arm completely stripped of flesh.

McFetridge, John. Let it Ride (STM, 24.99) Feb. A veteran of the war in Afghanistan joins forces with a Toronto whore with big plans to steal a jackpot in gold as they maneuver through crime-ridden Toronto, filled with warring gangs and corrupt cops.

McKevett, G.A. Wicked Craving (Kens, 22.00) Feb. When the unpopular wife of a philandering diet guru is found dead, plus-size sleuth Savannah Reid and her policeman beau discover a major secret about the couple and a host of suspects.

Mercer, Ken. Slow Fire (STM, 24.99) Feb. A debut about a former LAPD narcotics officer, an ex-heroin addict, who takes the job as police chief of a small California town, but he hasn’t left drugs behind him, because the town has a thriving meth industry.

Mina, Denise. Midnight (LB, 24.99) Mar. A police detective in Glasgow is faced with her most puzzling case when armed men enter a suburban house demanding an unknown man, and in the ensuing confusion shoot one family member and abduct another.

Mosley, Walter. Known to Evil (Png, 25.95) Mar. NYC PI Leonid McGill is asked by the power-behind-the-throne at City Hall to help him find a young girl who has disappeared, leaving murder in her wake in the second in Mosley’s powerful new series.

Nasaw, Jonathan. The Boys from Santa Cruz (SS, 25.00) Feb. There are times when nothing will do but a grisly serial killer mystery, and Nasaw’s most recent one is first rate. His rumpled, endearingly flawed investigator is a delight and provides a comic counterpoint to the psychotic villains.

Norman, Michael. On Deadly Ground (PP, 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp) Mar. When an environmentalist is found shot in Kaneb, Utah, Law Enforcement Ranger J.D Books discovers that the physical evidence points to a personal rather than political motive.

Palmer, Michael. The Last Surgeon (STM, 26.99) Feb. A medical thriller featuring a doctor who runs a mobile clinic in Baltimore, offering medical aid to the homeless, investigates when several homeless men go missing in a plot involving high-level politicians and a secret CIA program.

Parker, Robert B. Split Image (Put, 25.95) Feb. Jesse Stone and Sunny Randall join forces when a low-level mob hit proves to be anything but low-level when a high-ranking crime boss is found dead on Paradise Beach. Parker died in January while working on a new mystery.

Parshall, Sandra. Broken Places (PP, 24.95hc, 14.95tp) Feb. When veterinarian Rachel Goddard hears the murder of two 1960’s activists in a case that may have repercussions on her relationship with the local sheriff, whose former girlfriend was the dead couple’s daughter.

Patterson, James. Worst Case (LB, 27.99) Feb. NYPD Detective Michael Bennett teams up with an FBI agent when children from privileged families are being kidnapped.

Picoult, Jodi. House Rules (SS, 28.00) Mar. A young man with Asperger’s Syndrome (a kind of autism whose victims have trouble expressing themselves and reading social cues) is fascinated by forensic science and shows up a crime scenes, often helping the police, is accused of murder when his tutor is found dead and his disease makes him look like someone with a guilty secret.

Porter, Henry. The Bell Ringers (AtlM, 24.00) Feb. A scary thriller set in the near future in the UK where the former lover of the prime minister’s head of intelligence inherits his estate when he dies and with it the dangerous secrets about a new program that keeps tabs on every facet of the citizens’ lives.

Ramirez, Misa. Hasta La Vista, Lola! (STM, 23.95) Feb. Sacramento PI Lola Cruz is the victim of identity theft, which she discovers when a woman identified as Lola is found dead, but even more disturbing is that the woman left behind a missing child wham Lola is determined to find. I really liked the first of this funny series.

Read, Cornelia. Invisible Boy (GC, 23.99) Mar. Former socialite Madeline is shocked to discover the skeleton of a three-year-old boy in her family cemetery across the East River from Manhattan, and her attempt to find out his identity forces her to confront serious questions about the huge gap between rich and poor in New York.

Regan, Mararet. The Death of Josseline (HMH, 25.95) Feb. A real-life look at the border issues facing us in southern Arizona by a writer who lives and works here in Tucson.

Robb, J.D. Fantasy in Death (Put, 26.95) Feb. Eve Dallas is faced with a locked-room mystery when the founder of a computer-gaming company is found dead in his private playroom.

Rollins, David. Hard Rain (BDD, 26.00) Mar. In an exciting thriller special agents Vin Cooper and Anna Masters are sent to Istanbul to investigate the murder of a U.S. air attaché to Turkey who’s been chopped in little pieces, and as they investigate they discover a plot on the part of a number of countries that do not have the best interests of the U.S. at heart.

Rosenfelt, David. Down to the Wire (STM, 24.99) Mar. A New Jersey reporter is on the trail of a psychopathic killer on a killing spree using remotely detonated bombs and poisoned darts in a stand-alone thriller with terrific plot twists.

Scottoline, Lisa. Think Twice (STM, 26.99) Mar. After her evil identical twin leaves Bennie Rosato to die in a field, she takes over her sister’s identity, her job at the all-female Philadelphia legal firm, and even her boyfriend.

Seeber, Claire. Lullaby (STM, 24.99) Jan. A debut thriller set in London about an abducted baby and a distraught mother, filled with a host of possible suspects from the husband, to his ex-wife, to a sexy French nanny, to a brother with a serious drug problem. Well-written and well-plotted.

Stabenow, Dana. A Night Too Dark (STM, 24.99) Feb. Alaska PI Kate Shugak investigates when the bear-eaten remains of a man are found near the site of a recently-opened gold mine on leased land within the Iqaluk Wildlife Refuge.

Stansberry, Domenic. Naked Moon (STM, 24.99) Mar. San Francisco PI Dante Mancuso is caught in a vise when his cousin is threatened by a policewoman investigating a Chinatown secret society and his former employer, a shadowy intelligence agency, offers to stop the investigation if he will help them find out who has leaked secrets.

Thomson, Keith. Once a Spy (BDD, 24.95) Mar. A darkly funny debut thriller featuring a father-son spy duo on the run from CIA assassins without knowing why they are being targeted in an action-packed novel of international intrigue with poignant themes of love and redemption.

Tope, Rebecca. Fear in the Cotswolds (A&B, 29.95) Mar. House-sitter Thea Osborne is caring for an isolated house deep in the countryside when she finds a body of a man in a field after a winter storm, but the body disappears before the police arrive.

Torres, Steven. Blackout in Precinct Puerto Rico (STM, 23.99) Mar. Sheriff Gonzales must find the man who assaulted a beautiful high school girl in the small town of Angustias, a case made more difficult by the girl’s inability to describe her attacker.

Vorhaus, John. The California Roll (RH, 23.00) Mar. A comic thriller about the misadventures of a Los Angeles con-man who is looking for the perfect con that will set him up for life, but even he is no match for a sexy con-woman who lures him into a con of her own.

White, Kate. Hush (HC, 24.99) Feb. A newly-divorced marketing consultant is being sued by her ex-husband for custody of the children, and when a one-night-stand is murdered in his penthouse, she must investigate in order to clear her name, only to discover that someone is stalking her. Very suspenseful with a twisty plot.

White, Randy Wayne. Deep Shadow (Put, 25.95) Mar. Escaping from a dive accident that has trapped his two friends, Doc Ford is captured by two men who need his expertise in finding the remains of a legendary plane wreck supposedly filled with gold from the Cuban treasury. A stunning masterpiece of suspense as Ford struggles to save himself and his friends.

Wiley, Michael. The Bad Kitty Lounge (STM, 24.99) Mar. The second in the series featuring Chicago PI Joe Kozmarski whose latest client unleashes a torrent of crimes when he suspects his wife is unfaithful.

Wilson, Dolores J. Dark Secrets of the Old Oak Tree (Med., 24.95) Mar. After a bitter divorce a woman returns to her hometown in Georgia, and while sitting in her childhood tree house she sees a mentally challenged man burying the nude body of her high school friend, and after she reports the murder to the police, more bodies pile up in a novel that examines the deadly nature of secrets and lies.

Yancey, Richard. The Highly Effective Detective Plays the Fool (STM, 24.99) Mar. In the third in this funny series featuring eccentric PI Teddy Ruzak, he is hired to track down an unfaithful husband, and when his client disappears, he suspects foul play, even as he fights with the licensing commission charging him with practicing detection without a license and his landlord about his pet dog.

New and Forthcoming in Paperback Reprint

Atherton, Nancy. Aunt Dimity Slays the Dragon (Png, 7.99) Feb.

Barclay, Linwood. Fear the Worst (BDD, 7.99) Mar.

Berenson, Alex. The Silent Man (Brk, 9.99) Feb.

Bernhard, William. Capitol Offense (BB, 7.99) Mar.

Brown, Sandra. Exclusive (GC, 7.99) Feb.

Carrington, Tori. Working Stiff (STM, 7.99) Mar.

Childs, Laura. Oolong Dead (Brk, 7.99) Mar.

Coben, Harlan. Long Lost (NAL, 9.99) Mar.

Connelly, Michel. Scarecrow (GC, 9.99) Feb.

Connolly, John. The Lovers (Pkt, 7.99) Mar.

Cussler, Clive with Jack Du Brul. Corsair (Brk, 9.99) Mar.

Dugoni, Robert. Wrongful Death (Pkt, 7.99) Mar.

Emerson, Earl. Cape Disappointment (BB, 7.99) Feb.

Fielding, Joy. Still Life (Pkt, 7.99) Feb.

Fletcher, Jessica and Donald Bain. Murder She Wrote: Madison Avenue Shoot (NAL, 6.99) Mar.

Fluke, JoAnne. Carrot Cake Murders (Kens, 6.99) Feb.

Francis, Dick. Comeback (Brk, 7.99) Mar.

Green, Tim. Above the Law (GC, 7.99) Feb.

Haddam, Jane. Living Witness (STM, 7.99) Feb.

Harris, Rosemary. The Big Dirt Nap (STM, 7.99) Feb.

Kellerman, Jonathan. Evidence (BB, 9.99) Mar.

Margolin, Philip. Fugitive (HC, 9.99) Feb.

Martinez, A. Lee. Monster (LB, 7.99) Feb.

Parker, Robert B. Night and Day (Brk, 9.99) Feb.

Parker, T. Jefferson. The Renegades (NAL, 9.99) Feb.

Patterson, Richard North. Degree of Guilt (STM, 9.99) Feb. Reissue.

Peters, Elizabeth. The Falcon at the Portal (HC, 7.99) Mar. Reissue.

Rice, Christopher. Blind Fall (Pkt, 7.99) Feb.

Rivers, Joan with Jerrilyn Farmer. Murder at the Academy Awards (Pkt, 7.99) Feb.

Robards, Karen. Pursuit (NAL, 7.99) Feb.

Robinson, Peter. All the Colors of Darkness (HC, 7.99) Mar.

Rossett, Sara. Magnolias, Moonlight, and Murder (Kens, 6.99) Mar.

Spindler, Erica. Breakneck (STM, 7.99) Feb.

White, Randy Wayne. Dead Silence (Brk, 9.99) Mar.

New and Forthcoming in Paperback Original

Bentley, Jennie. Plaster and Poison (Brk, 6.99) Mar. Home renovator Avery Baker is hired to renovate a Maine carriage house for a soon-to-be-married friend, but when she stumbles over a dead body, she must unravel a matrimonial murder.

Brennan, Alison. Original Sin (BB, 7.99) Feb. The first in a seven-book paranormal series based on the seven deadly sins.

Carlisle, Kate. If Books Could Kill (NAL, 6.99) Feb. The second in the series set in an antiquarian bookstore in San Francisco finds book restoration expert at the Edinburgh Book Fair where her ex shows her a scandalous text that could humiliate the British monarchy and then becomes a murder victim.

Casey, Elizabeth Lynn. Death Threads (Brk, 6.99) Mar. The second in the Southern Sewing Circle mysteries finds librarian Tori Sinclair investigating when a local author reveals an unflattering secret about the town’s history and then disappears, leaving a bloody trail behind.

Collins, Kate. Sleeping with Anemone (NAL, 6.99) Feb. Florist Abby Knight finds that her protests against a large agro-biz corporation are met with violent retaliation when she is almost abducted three times—and then the stakes are raised to murder.

Connolly, Sheila. Red Delicious Death (Brk, 6.99) Mar. Orchard-owner Meg Corey is pleased when two chefs plan to open a restaurant specializing in local foods, but when she discovers one of the chefs dead in a pig wallow, she must find a homegrown killer.

Damsgaard, Shirley. The Seventh Witch (HC, 7.99) Feb. Ophelia and her grandmother Abby travel to North Carolina for her great-aunt’s 100^th birthday celebration, but things turn deadly when another witch wants Abby dead in a case of magic and mystery.

Davis, Krista. The Diva Paints the Town (Brk, 6.99) Feb. Sophie, the Domestic Diva, honors the final wish of her neighbor, a reclusive professor, who wanted a dinner party as his send-off, but she doesn’t count on the corpse of a student that she finds in his house.

Haywood, B.B. Town in a Blueberry Jam (Brk, 6.99) Feb. The first in a new series set in a seaside village in Maine, where a woman who has a small farm investigates when an aging playboy and the newly-crowned Blueberry Queen are found dead.

Hechtman, Betty. A Stitch in Crime (Brk, 7.99) Feb. Crochet maven Molly and her Tarzana Hookers must find a new instructor and a murderer when one of the teachers for a creative retreat on the Monterey Peninsula is found dead.

Laurie, Victoria. Ghouls Gone Wild (NAL, 6.99) Mar. Psychic M J Holliday and her friends go to a small town in Scotland to film the first installment of their new cable TV show, when a maintenance worker is murdered in a way reminiscent of an old legend involving a witch’s curse.

Marriotte, Jeff. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Blood Quantum (Pkt, 7.99) Mar. The chairman of the Paiute Tribe is found dead after a free-spending night at a Las Vegas nightclub, and the investigators find themselves investigating what could be a crime of revenge—but no one from the tribe is talking.

McKinlay, Jenn. Sprinkle with Murder (Brk, 6.99) Mar. Two owners of a cupcake bakery are the chief suspects when a bridezilla who’d ordered five hundred wedding cupcakes is found dead after eating a sample cupcake.

Olson, Karen E. Pretty in Ink (NAL, 6.99) Mar. Las Vegas tattoo artist Brett Kavanaugh investigates when someone begins targeting the city’s flamboyant drag queens.

Orgain, Diana. Motherhood is Murder (Brk, 6.99) Mar. New mother and detective Kate Connelly and her husband are invited to a dinner cruise, but the death of the group’s leader forces Kate to play sleuth on her night out in the second in this San Francisco-based series.

Parrish, P.J. The Little Death (Pkt, 7.99) Feb. Louis Kincaid has a high-profile case when the headless corpse of a young man washes ashore in Palm Beach and the most likely suspect is a female U.S. Senator with a penchant for sadistic and dangerous sex.

Prentiss, Alex. Night Tides (BDD, 7.99) Feb. A diner-owner falls in love with a lake spirit who grants her visions—including a vision of the man who is going to kill her—in a sexy paranormal debut thriller.

Stanton, Mary. Avenging Angels (Brk, 7.99) Feb. Attorney Bree Beaufort has inherited her great-uncle’s haunted law firm, so when a banker who supposedly committed suicide asks for her help, she notices that the evidence is mounting that it was murder—and that if she’s not careful she may be joining him.

Warner, Penny. How to Host a Killer Party (NAL, 6.99) Feb. The first in a new series by a veteran mystery writer featuring a San Francisco party planner whose first big booking—the mayor’s surprise wedding for his socialite fiancée set on Alcatraz—turns into major headache when the fiancée is found dead and the original party planner murdered.

Webber, Heather. Truly, Madly (STM, 7.99) Feb. The first in a funny, new paranormal mystery series featuring a psychic matchmaker who is hired by a new client with a skeleton in his past—literally.

Wells, Melinda. The Proof Is in the Pudding (Brk, 7.99) Feb. Cable cooking show star Della Carmichael is one of three judges for a celebrity cook-off, but the celebrities are getting bumped off.

New and Forthcoming in Quality Paperback

Bell, James Scott. Try Darkness (LB, 11.99) Feb. Los Angeles attorney Ty Buchanan agrees to help a mother being illegally evicted from a transient hotel, but when she is murdered, he must protect her six-year-old daughter while he tries to find the killer. The second in a first-rate legal series.

Berry, Jedediah. The Manual of Detection (Png, 15.00) Feb. When the most illustrious detective is murdered, a lowly clerk at a huge detective agency is promoted and embarks on a bizarre quest to solve the crime in a noir debut.

Brady, Joan. Venom (SS, 15.00) Mar. A gripping tale of international corporate intrigue about a physicist who becomes the target of a major pharmaceutical company intent on stopping her development of a new medication to cure radiation poisoning, and who must join forces with an ex-con to save her life.

Burke, James Lee. Lay Down my Sword and Shield (SS, 15.00) Feb. The reissue of an early crime novel set in Texas where an attorney attempts to overturn the conviction of an old army buddy and finds himself embroiled in the seamy side of Texas politics.

Carkeet, David. Double Negative (Png, 14.95) Mar. A funny mystery set at the Wabash Institute, dedicated to the study of toddlers and the development of linguistic ability, where one of the academics is found bludgeoned to death and the chief suspect must take time off from teaching imaginary words to little children in order to hunt for a murderer.

Carl, JoAnna. Chocolate to Die For (NAL, 14.00) Mar. The first two chocoholic mysteries together in one volume. All you need is a cup of hot cocoa….

Carmichael, Kathy. Diary of a Confessions Queen (IPG, 15.95) Feb. A funny cozy filled with eccentric characters featuring a true confessions author who is blackmailed just as she is about to have her missing husband officially declared dead, but when a friend who is helping her is killed, she becomes a suspect in his murder.

Challinor, C.S. Phi Beta Murder (MidInk, 14.95) Mar. Scottish barrister Rex Graves is visiting his son at college in Florida when a student is found dead in his locked dorm room in the third in this cozy series.

Christofano, David. The Girl She Used to Be (GC, 13.99) Mar. A young girl who has been in the Witness Protection Program with her family since she was six is horrified and intrigued when the dangerous Mafioso hit man sent by the crime family to hunt her down recognizes her and promises to help her and her family.

Corbett, David. Do They Know I’m Running? (Ball, 15.00) Mar. After his uncle is deported to El Salvador, a young man journeys to smuggle him back along with a mysterious Palestinian asylum seeker, but when he agrees to help a young girl escape being delivered to a vicious border crime leader, things become dangerous as they are pursued by narcos, police, and the FBI. An excellent, hard-hitting look at the violence of Mexico and Central America and the plight of the border crossers.

D’Amato, Brian. In the Courts of the Sun (NAL, 16.00) Mar. An inventive novel that brings together Mayan history, modern science, game theory, and the apocalypse of December 12, 2012 foretold by the Mayan calendar. This had the potential to be mind-numbingly stupid, but is, in fact, an imaginative adventure through time.

Fulmer, David. The Fall (5 Stones, 14.00) Mar. A stand-alone thriller about a New York City actor who returns to his Pennsylvania hometown when his best friend falls to his death from a cliff, a death that he is convinced is a murder.

Gordon, David. The Serialist (SS, 14.00) Mar. A darkly funny debut mystery about a New York writer who is forced to play detective in a real-life murder mystery after he is hired by a convicted serial killer to write his memoirs—and three women with connections to the earlier cases turn up dead. I really enjoyed this.

Harris, Charlaine. From Dead to Worse (Brk, 14.00) Mar. The early Sookie Stackhouse mysteries are being reissued in trade paperback format, so replace your tattered old books!

Hill, Susan. The Risk of Darkness (Png, 13.95) Mar. DI Simon Serrailler must find the murderer of a woman whose widowed husband is becoming deranged while at the same time dealing with his unexpected feelings for the new female priest on the Cathedral staff.

Jenoff, Pam. Almost Home (SS, 15.00) Feb. A young intelligence officer who returns to London for the first time in years after the drowning death of her lover discovers that his death was, in fact, murder. Furthermore she discovers that his research into dark secrets of WWII had made him the target of dark forces bent on keeping the past dark.

Lutz, Lisa. Revenge of the Spellmans (SS, 25.00) Mar. The third in the hilarious saga of a family of dysfunctional PIs in San Francisco may be the best with the focus on a dark secret kept hidden by the only sane member of the family, attorney David Spellman.

Maines, Bethany. Bulletproof Mascara (SS, 15.00) Mar. A funny debut about a desperate young woman who accepts a job selling cosmetics door-to-door only to find herself working for an intelligence agency whose sole purpose is helping women, and soon she is armed with weapons disguised as cosmetics and hunting for a missing human-rights activist.

McCarry, Charles. The Better Angels (Png, 14.95) Feb. A scary political thriller originally published thirty years ago about a hotly-contested presidential race where the right-wing candidate is tied to the energy industry and an oil-rich Arab prince who uses suicide bombings within the US to further his anti-Israel agenda.

Mina, Denise. Slip of the Knife (LB, 13.99) Mar. When her former boyfriend is killed, reporter Paddy Meehan inherits his notes and discovers that he was working on the case that made his death inevitable.

Morton, Kate. The Forgotten Garden (SS, 15.00) Mar. When a young woman visits Cornwall, she discovers a cottage with a secret garden that contains the answers to her grandmother’s mysterious past.

Mosley, Walter. The Long Fall (NAL, 14.00) Feb. The first of a new series set in contemporary New York, featuring an old-school PI, not afraid to bend the rules a little, he finds himself in over his head in a case that proves that the newly-cleaned up city is far more corrupt and dangerous than before.

Myers, Tamar. Butter Safe than Sorry (NAL, 14.00) Feb. Pennsylvania Dutch innkeeper Magdalena Yoder is in the bank with her young son when three armed Amish men burst in to rob it, but a sharp observation from her son sets Magdalena on the trail of some criminals who are anything but Amish.

Perrin, Kayla. Spring Break (STM, 14.99) Mar. Set during spring break on the Caribbean island of Artula, this romantic thriller centers on the hunt for a missing college student by a New York journalist researching a story on human trafficking, who has discovered that 19 woman have disappeared in the last seven years.

Perry, Thomas. Runner (HMH, 14.95) Jan. Jane Whitefield, a woman who specializes in helping people disappear, returns in a suspenseful thriller that begins when a young pregnant girl tracked by a team of hired killers.

Ramsland, Katherine. The Forensic Psychology of Criminal Minds (Brk, 15.00) Feb. A behind-the-scenes look at the real-life cases that have inspired the hit television series.

Read, Cornelia. The Crazy School (GC, 13.99) Feb. Former socialite Madeline Dare is teaching at a boarding school for disturbed teenagers in the Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts where she discovers that the founder’s bizarre therapeutic methods lead to a murder, and she must join forces with the students in order to save her life. The second mystery in this series confirms the promise of the first. This is excellent.

Sewell, Kitty. Blood print (SS, 16.00) Feb. A psychotherapist who flees Florida after the death of her husband for the tranquility of the English city of Bath finds that an abused patient with a young daughter has a terrifying connection to her in a tale of black magic, human traffickers, and murder.

Swierczynski, Duane. Expiration Date (STM, 13.99) Mar. A time-travel thriller about a man who moves into his grandfather’s apartment in a seedy part of Philadelphia after he loses his job, and wakes to find himself in 1972, the day he was born, trying to prevent the murder of his musician father.

Taylor, Andrew. A Stain on the Silence (Hyp, 15.99) Feb. When the daughter that he never knew he had turns up wanted for murder, a man who has spent years creating the perfect life for himself finds his past secrets on the verge of being exposed.

Terrell, Heather. Brigid of Kildare (Ball, 15.00) Mar. A mystery that interweaves past and present as an appraiser asked to assess the value of the relics of the convent of St. Brigid discovers an ancient illuminated manuscript that surpasses the beauty of the Book of Kells, and as she and a Trinity college professor investigate the manuscript’s origins, the author traces the life of Brigid and her faithful scribe.

Tremblay, Paul. No Sleep Till Wonderland (STM, 14.00) Feb. Boston PI Mark Genevich who suffers from narcolepsy is asked by a fellow member of his therapy group to protect a female bartender from a stalker, an assignment that places him on the police radar as a suspect in an arson.

Zollinger, Norman. Riders to Cibola (Png, 13.95) Jan. The return to print of a classic adventure story set in New Mexico from the raid by Pancho Villa to WWII, where a young Mexican orphan lives through the beginning of the modern west.

New and Forthcoming in International Mysteries

Becker, James. The Moses Stone (NAL, 9.99) Mar. Detective Chris Bronson is called to Morocco when an English couple is murdered after discovering a clay tablet, plunging him into a mystery from biblical times.

Black, Cara. Murder in the Latin Quarter (SOHO, 14.00) Mar. When a Haitian woman arrives at the office of Leduc Investigations claiming to be Aimée’s sister, she is plunged into murky Haitian politics leading to murder.

_____. Murder in the Palais Royal (SOHO, 24.00) Mar. Parisian investigator Aimée Leduc is the chief suspect when her partner is shot, in a case of revenge that is tied to her first case when her testimony sent a young man to jail.

Brooke, P.J. A Darker Night (SOHO, 24.00) Feb. Max Romero, half-Scots, half-Spanish inspector in the Spanish National Police is called in to a case of the murder of a gypsy ex-convict outside of Granada in the second in this police procedural series.

Dahl, K.O. The Last Fix (STM, 24.99) Mar. In the third in this excellent Norwegian police procedural series, intense DI Gunnarstranda and his easygoing aide must solve the murder of a recovering drug addict, who arrived at a party with one man and left with another.

Dershowitz, Alan. The Trials of Zion (GC, 26.99) Mar. A gripping thriller set in Israel, where a Jewish-American lawyer joins the defense team of an accused Palestinian terrorist, whose guilt is by no means a foregone conclusion.

Djian, Phillipe. Impardonnables (SS, 24.00) Mar. The English translation of a prize-winning French crime novel about a writer who must find his daughter, a famous actress who has suddenly disappeared, while at the same time his marriage is collapsing.

Fitzgerald, Conor. The Dogs of Rome (STM, 25.00) Mar. The first in a new series featuring police commissioner Alec Blume, an expatriate American who has been living in Rome since he was a teenager, and who investigates the murder of a prominent animal-rights activist who is the husband of a politician.

Gómez-Jurado, Juan. The Moses Expedition (SS, 15.00) Mar. Fr. Anthony fowler, a member of the Vatican’s secret service tracks down a Nazi war criminal, who has in his possession a stolen Jewish relic that sends the priest to Jordan based on an ancient map where he must fight Islamic terrorists who are also looking for the treasure.

Liang, DianeWei. Paper Butterfly (SS, 15.00) Mar. The second in the Beijing-based series to feature female PI Mei Wang who is hired to unravel the disappearance of a Chinese pop star in a case that has its roots in the past of the forced labor camps.

Mankell, Henning. The Man from Beijing (RH, 25.95) Feb. A massacre in a remote Swedish village of 19 mostly elderly people is tied to a kidnapping of a Chinese immigrant in the U.S. in the nineteenth century according to a diary uncovered by the investigating judge, who journeys to Beijing to test her theory that the motive for the horrific murder is tied to the past.

May, Peter. Blacklight Blue (PP, 14.95) Mar. Enzo MacLeod has bet that he can solve ten cold cases, but as he is investigating the third he becomes the target of someone intent on destroying his relationships and getting him arrested for murder.

_____. Freeze Frame (PP, 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp) Mar. Forensics expert Enzo Macleod is working on the fourth of the ten cold cases that he bet he could solve, a case that takes place on an island off the coast of Brittany, where the locals are not happy with his reopening a case they’d prefer to leave alone.

_____. The Killing Room (PP, 14.95) Feb. American pathologist Margaret Campbell goes to Shanghai when the mutilated bodies of eighteen woman are discovered in a mass grave and Investigator Li Yan asks for her help.

_____. The Runner (PP, 24.95 hc, tp) Feb. When two Chinese Olympic-level athletes die in accidents, Beijing Detective Li Yan asks his retired American pathologist friend to autopsy the bodies to see if perhaps they were unnatural deaths that threaten international athletics.

Nesbø, Jo. The Devil’s Star (HC, 25.99) Mar. Oslo police inspector Harry Hole returns in the case of a woman whose finger has been amputated and a red diamond stuck under her eyelid, a murder that appears to be random until more bodies appear, each with an identical five-pointed diamond left at the scene. A first-rate series.

Rees, Matt Beynon. The Fourth Assassin (SOHO, 24.00) Feb. Visiting his son in Brooklyn, Palestinian schoolteacher Omar Youssef must investigate when his son is arrested for the beheading of his roommate.

_____. The Samaritan’s Secret (HMH, 13.95) Feb. Palestinian schoolteacher Omar Yussef is pulled into the investigation into the murder of a Samaritan man who worked for the Palestinian Authority, controlling hundreds of millions of dollars—now missing.

Smith, Martin Cruz. The Golden Mile (SS, 25.95) Mar. Moscow police investigator Arkady Renko returns in a case involving a mysterious teenaged mother, a dead prostitute, and as always in Moscow, police corruption.

Taibo, Paco Ignacio, ed. Mexico City Noir (Akashic, 15.95) Feb. An introduction to a number of Mexican crime writers little known here in the U.S. as well as an introduction to the rampant violence and cynicism of a city where the police cannot be trusted to keep the citizens safe.

Smith, Roger. Wake Up Dead (STM, 25.00) Feb. A stellar thriller set in Cape Town where a car hijacking leads to an unexpectedly violent revenge on the part of the American wife of the victim, as an honest policeman tries to protect the hijacker from her as well as a sociopathic killer and a corrupt cop.

Theroux, Paul. A Dead Hand (HMH, 26.00) Feb. Theroux’s first mystery is a tale of murder and obsession set in Calcutta where an American travel journalist is asked by a mysterious devotee of the goddess Kali to help solve the murder of a young boy. Beautifully written.

Vásquez Montabán, Manuel. Tattoo (Serpent’s Tail, 14.95) Feb. Barcelona PI Pepe Carvalho is asked to investigate when the corpse of an unknown man with a tattoo is found off the coast of Barcelona in a case that takes him to Amsterdam in a quest to discover the victim’s identity.

Walters, Michael. Shadow Walkers (Brk, 7.99) Mar. A mass market reissue of the first in a series set in Ulan Baatar, Mongolia, where the Serious Crimes Team calls in a senior British investigator to help find a killer who is leaving his victims in remote areas with their head and hands cut off.

December 2009/January 2010

Armstrong, Lori. No Mercy (SS, 25.00) Jan. In the first in a new series, a former Army sniper returns from Iraq to her family farm in South Dakota after the death of her father, and while she’s deciding what to do, the body of a Native American is found on her land and she begins to investigate.

Barbieri, Maggie. Final Exam (STM, 24.99) Dec. College professor Alison Bergeron is stuck working in a student dormitory when the Resident Director disappears, and must call on her NYPD boyfriend to help when she discovers drugs in his room. I really like this series for its smart protagonist and humorous touches.

Bauer, Belinda. Blacklands (SS, 24.00) Jan. A debut psychological thriller by a British writer short-listed for the CWA Debut Dagger award, featuring a young boy who writes to a convicted child-killer seeking information about the disappearance of his uncle on Exmoor years before.

Beaton, M.C. Death of a Valentine (GC, 23.99) Jan. Hamish MacBeth is getting married to a woman he got to know during the investigation of the murder of a woman in the neighboring village who received a mysterious Valentine’s Day card shortly before her death.

Berry, Steve. The Paris Vendetta (Ball, 26.00) Dec. US Justice Department operative Cotton Malone is asked by a Danish billionaire to discover who masterminded the shooting outside a Mexico City courtroom that killed his son, and he discovers that a wealthy British aristocrat and a cabal of financiers are plotting to destabilize the world economy

Bourney, Lou. Gutshot Straight (HC, 24.99) Jan. A fast moving caper novel about an ex-con who resolves to stay “free and clear,” only to find himself involved with a powerful Armenian crime boss and an exotic and very dangerous con-woman within 48 hours, searching for extremely rare, highly unusual religious artifacts and seeking to extricate himself from a complex and deadly situation.

Bruen, Ken. London Boulevard (STM, 24.99) Dec. A newly-released convict finds a job working at the Holland Park mansion of an aging movie actress, but his dark past catches up with him in a dark twist on the classic Sunset Boulevard.

Cardieri, Anthony J. Luck of the Draw (STM, 24.99) Dec. A debut police procedural set in New York at Christmastime with an NYPD detective faced with a vicious killer who wipes out entire families leaving no forensic evidence.

Charles, Paul. Family Life (Dufour, 29.95) Jan. Irish DI Starrett and his team investigate the drowning death of a farmer whose corpse turned up in a warehouse with his hair dry and combed.

Clement, Blaize. Raining Cat Sitters and Dogs (STM, 23.99) Jan. Pet sitter Dixie Hemingway meets a young mixed-race girl at the vet where she is bringing in a wild rabbit hit by the car, but later the girl disappears, and Dixie must find her before three young thugs do.

Clinch, Wendy. Double Black: A Ski Diva Mystery (STM, 24.99) Jan. In the first of a funny, cozy series set in Vermont, grad student turned ski bum Stacy Curtis discovers the body of a dead man strangled by the chain of a chain saw on the slopes, and turns amateur sleuth with the help of a hunky ski patroller.

Colley, Barbara. Dusted to Death (Kens, 22.00) Jan. New Orleans housecleaner Charlotte is hired to care for a gorgeous Victorian home while a Hollywood studio uses it for a movie shoot, but she must dig up the dirt when a man is found dead in the dressing room of the film’s difficult star.

Crawford, Isis. A Catered Birthday Party (Kens, 22.00) Dec. When caterers Libby and Bernie are hired by a wealthy woman to cater a birthday party for her pug, all goes well—or as well as can be with five pugs around the table—until the woman is poisoned by a glass of wine, and the sisters must investigate in the world of the super-rich.

Crais, Robert. The First Rule (Put, 26.95) Jan. Joe Pike agrees to help an old friend who is suspected of murdering his whole family in a case that entangles him in a web of ancient grudges and cutthroat criminality.

D’Amato, Barbara, Jeanne Dams, and Mark Richard Zubro. Foolproof (STM, 24.99) Dec. A global thriller that exposes a terrorist plot to topple democracies worldwide, as two software entrepreneurs establish a clandestine division inside their company that covertly tracks terrorists.

Dobson, Joanne. Death Without Tenure (PP, 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp) Jan. Karen Pelletier is up for tenure after six years in the English Department at exclusive Enfield College, but when her rival for the position is found dead, she must focus her attention on saving herself from a murder charge in the latest in this first-rate academic series.

Doetsch, Richard. The 13^th Hour (SS, 25.99) Jan. A man accused of murdering his wife is given a mysterious device by a stranger that allows him to change the past by allowing him to go back in time, but what he discovers is that saving his wife means untangling a plot that includes a robbery committed by corrupt cops, a plan crash, and a family secret—and that his tampering with the past brings death to friends and allies.

Estleman, Loren D. Alone (STM, 24.99) Dec. The second in the wonderful series featuring film archivist and movie-palace owner Valentino finds him scrambling to keep the Oracle from being condemned before it can be reopened while at the same time he agrees to help a real estate developer who is accused of killing his assistant who was blackmailing him over a steamy letter from Greta Garbo to the developer’s wife. I loved the first in this series and was very unhappy when the paperback was cancelled.

Fforde, Jasper. Shades of Grey (Vik, 25.95) Jan. A satire that envisions a terrifying dystopia where an employee of the Color Control Agency who can see only red and shades of gray joins forces with a woman who is a Grey Nightseer to plan revolutionary action against the rulers of a world where the black and white of moral certainty have been reduced to shades of gray.

Fowler, Christopher. Bryant & May on the Loose (BDD, 25.00) Dec. When a beheaded corpse is found in the heart of London’s King’s Cross neighborhood, May uses the discovery to gain the disbanded Peculiar Crimes Unit a new lease on life, arguing that unsolved gang activity could negatively impact the 2012 Olympic Games. A very welcome reprieve for one of the best crime series around with its unique blend of the comic and the grotesque.

Gash, Jonathan. The Faces in the Pool (STM, 24.99) Dec. Lovejoy is released from jail with the help of a millionairess who runs a speed dating agency and needs his help in tracking down her former husband.

Glynn, Alan. Winterland (STM, 24.99) Dec. A noir novel of suspense set in contemporary Dublin where the death of two men with the same name on the same night—one a gangland killing and one in a road accident—leads a family member to investigate despite threats from powerful people.

Grafton, Sue. U is for Undertow (Put, 27.95) Dec. The twenty-first book in the series features a mystery that moves between the 1960’s and the 1980’s when Kinsey accepts a job helping a young man who believes that he witnessed a murder when he was seven and wants Kinsey to look for the body of a four-year-old girl.

Griffiths, Ely. The Crossing Places (HM, 25.00) Jan. A first mystery featuring an archaeologist living in Norfolk’s Saltmarsh region, who is asked by DCI Nelson to use her expertise in identifying human remains found in the marsh, hoping to find the body of a child kidnapped ten years ago.

Gunn, Elizabeth. Ten-Mile Trials (Severn, 27.95) Dec. When a dead man is found in a suburban house used as a drug lab, Jake Hines investigates in a case indicating that a ruthless Eastern European gang is operating in Minnesota.

Hall, M.R. The Disappeared (SS, 23.00) Dec. A debut thriller featuring coroner Jenny Cooper whose inquiry into the presumed death of a long-missing university student escalates into a far-reaching cover-up of desperate crimes.

Hamilton, Steve. The Lock Artist (STM, 24.99) Jan. An offbeat stand-alone thriller about a man who has been mute since a traumatic incident at the age of eight and who is known for his two talents: art and lock-picking.

Harrod-Eagles, Cynthia. Fell Purpose (Severn, 28.95) Jan. Bill Slider returns to investigate when a student at an all-girls church school is found dead, and her father’s unsavory past makes him a prime suspect.

Hayder, Mo. Skin (Grove, 22.00) Jan. Bristol’s DI Jack Caffery looks into the case of the missing wife of a football player, but meanwhile police diver DS Flea Marley uncovers two alleged suicides that appear to be related to case, and possibly to African black magic. Hayder is always creepy and always good.

Hess, Joan. The Merry Wives of Maggody (STM, 24.99) Jan. Arly Hanks must investigate when the winner of the first Maggody Charity Golf Tournament is found dead, his head bashed in by a golf club.

Higgins, Jack. The Wolf at the Door (Put, 26.95) Jan. Sean Dillon investigates when someone targets an elite intelligence unit known as “the Prime Minister’s private army.”

Hime, James. Where Armadillos Go to Die (STM, 25.99) Dec. Retired Texas Ranger Jeremiah Spur investigates the disappearance of a generally-unpleasant restaurant owner who has recently invented a machine that big-time venture capitalists are looking to invest in.

Hoag, Tami. Deeper than the Dead (Dut, 26.95) Jan. An intense thriller set in 1984, when the discovery of a woman’s body by three schoolchildren and their teacher marks the end of the innocence of a small California community when an FBI agent arrives with a new forensic technique—profiling.

Hosp, David. Among Thieves (GC, 24.99) Jan. Boston attorney Scott Finn learns that one of his clients was part of a twenty-year-old heist of artwork from a museum when members of the criminal underground turn up dead, killed in ways that suggest someone trained by the IRA. Hosp is excellent.

Houston, Charlie. Sleepless (Ball, 25.00) Jan. Set in a postapocalyptic Los Angeles where people are dying from an ailment that causes insomnia, where an LAPD detective investigating an online game into which people are retreating, tries to halt the lawlessness and crime of the city and save himself and his family.

Hunter, Stephen. I, Sniper (SS, 26.00) Dec. When a sniper kills four people associated with the 1960s peace movement, the FBI suspects that the killer is a famous sniper, but Bob Lee Swagger sets out to prove the man’s innocence and find the real sniper who is using cutting-edge electronic sniper gear.

James, Bill. In the Absence of Iles (Countryman, 23.95) Jan. ACC Davidson decides that the only way to bring down a criminal gang disguised as a legal guild is to have an undercover police officer inside, but when things go wrong she must make a life-or-death decision.

Jance, J.A. Trial by Fire (SS, 25.99) Dec. Ali Reynolds has taken a position with the Yavapai County Police Department in media relations, and when a fire that engulfs a subdivision leaves an unknown victim injured in the fire, Ali realizes that her attempts to track down the woman’s identity may be exposing the victim to a killer bent on finishing the job.

Jones, Stan. Village of the Ghost Bears (Soho, 24.00) Dec. The latest featuring Alaska State Trooper Nathan Active, an Inupiat raised in Anchorage and returned to his native village, who must find the connection between the death of a hunter and a fatal plane crash that killed eight people, a connection that involves the lucrative poaching of polar bears.

Knopf, Chris. Short Squeeze (STM, 24.99) Jan. Lawyer Jackie Saitkowski takes center stage in this mystery set in the Hamptons, after her client is found beaten to death shortly after retaining her to help him in a battle with his sister-in-law over the house where he lived with his deceased wife.

Lescroart, John. Treasure Hunt (Dut, 26.95) Jan. A young investigator for Wyatt Hunt’s private investigative service learns the hard lessons of life when he investigates the death of a charismatic fundraiser for various San Francisco charities, a man whose death reveals some shady secrets in the glamorous charity circuit.

May, Peter.Virtually Dead (PP, 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp) Jan. A crime scene photographer enters into a virtual world called Second Life as a form of therapy discovers that murder is not confined to the real world, and when he investigates he discovers a series of killings that is part of a scam netting millions for the murderer.

McLean, Russel D. The Good Son (STM, 24.99) Dec. A Scottish debut novel that has had wide acclaim featuring a Dundonian PI who investigates the death of a farmer’s brother in a case that becomes more difficult when two vicious London gangsters appear and more people are dying.

Murphy, Shirley Rousseau. Cat Striking Back (HC, 19.95) Dec.

Morris, Bob. Baja Florida (STM, 24.99) Jan. Zack Chasteen agrees to hunt for the daughter of a dying friend who disappeared while sailing her boat from Charleston to the Bahamas.

O’Shaughnessy, Perri. Dreams of the Dead (Pkt, 25.00) Jan. Lake Tahoe attorney Nina Reilly hires a grave exhumation expert to help locate a client’s missing son in a case that triggers a cat-and-mouse game between her former investigator and a brilliant killer.

Parker, T. Jefferson. Iron River (Dut, 26.95) Jan. LA sheriff’s deputy Charlie Hood is working on an operation to halt—or at least, slow—the flow of money and guns across the US-Mexican border, but when the son of the head of a powerful drug cartel is killed during a botched weapons buy, he becomes the target of cartel soldiers seeking revenge.

Parks, Brad. Faces of the Gone (STM, 24.99) Dec. A debut mystery set in Newark with an investigative reporter who looks for help from a stripper and a gay intern to find the truth when four people are found dead in a vacant lot.

Preston, Douglas. Impact (STM, 25.99) Jan. Former CIA operative Wyman Ford is asked to look into the sudden appearance of radioactive gemstones in Cambodia while a professor discovers evidence of gamma rays emanating from Mars in a scientific thriller with an engaging setup.

Purser, Ann. Tragedy at Two (Brk, 23.95) Dec. Lois Meade is asked by Inspector Cowgill to help out when her daughter’s boyfriend is found beaten to death and suspicion falls on gypsies camped in a local field.

Quinn, Spencer. Thereby Hangs a Tail (SS, 25.00) Jan. Private investigators Chet and Bernie are called to investigate threats to a pampered show dog, and what seems like a joke turns serious when both the dog and her owner are abducted. A must for dog lovers and fans of classic mysteries.

Rankin, Ian. Doors Open (LB, 24.99) Jan. Three friends, bored with their lives and interested in art, decide to “liberate” several paintings from the National Gallery after making the acquaintance of a London crime boss.

Reilly, Matthew. 5 Greatest Warriors (SS, 25.00) Jan. In another fast-paced international adventure Jack West and his team must uncover the secrets of the five greatest warriors to rescue us all from Armageddon. As PW describes the series: “…Screams. Splashing. Crunching. Blood.” Who could ask for more?

Roker, Al and Dick Lochte. The Morning Show Murders (BDD, 26.00) Dec. A television chef turns sleuth after the executive producer of his reality food show is murdered after eating poisoned coq-au-vin in a solidly-plotted debut mystery set in the world of network television.

Stroby, Wallace. Gone ‘til November (STM, 24.99) Jan. A powerful thriller featuring the lone female sheriff’s deputy in a rural Florida county who arrives on the scene after her former lover has just shot a young black man for allegedly fleeing a traffic stop, but further investigation reveals that things are not so simple.

Wambaugh, Joseph. Hollywood Moon (LB, 26.99) Dec. The eccentric detectives at the Hollywood station are involved in various cases that all lead to a dangerous and deadly web of high-tech crime.

Webb, Betty. Desert Lost (PP, 24.95) Dec. Scottsdale PI Lena Jones investigates when a group of polygamous Mormons establishes a stronghold in Phoenix in a case that demonstrates the kinds of child abuse that come from this practice, including the expulsion of adolescent boys from the communities to live as best they can on the street.

West, Eugenia Lovett. Overkill (STM, 25.99) Dec. When Emma Streat brings her niece back to Boston from Venice, her niece is stricken by a case of Avian flu and Emma must deal with a dangerous international network that sells stolen viruses.

Woods, Stuart. Kisser (Put, 25.95) Jan. Stone Barrington returns to New York and becomes involved with a Broadway actress whose shady past is coming back to haunt her.

Zellerbach, Merla. Mystery of the Mermaid (Firefall, 27.95) Dec. An old-fashioned romantic mystery set aboard a luxury liner on a South American cruise where a breast cancer survivor and a journalist work to solve the murder of passenger amid a plethora of eccentric suspects.

New and Forthcoming in Paperback Reprint

Acevedo, Mario. Jailbait Zombie (HC, 7.99) Dec.

Andrews, Mary Kay. Blue Christmas (HC, 7.99) Dec.

Bass, Jefferson. Bones of Betrayal (HC, 7.99) Jan.

Beaton, M.C. Death of a Witch (GC, 6.99) Jan.

Berry, Steve. The Charlemagne Pursuit (BDD, 9.99) Dec.

Brown, Rita Mae. Santa Clawed (BDD, 7.99) Dec.

Byrnes, Michael. The Sacred Blood (HC, 7.99) Dec.

Cannell, Stephen J. On the Grind (STM, 7.99) Jan.

Child, Lincoln. Terminal Freeze (BDD, 7.99) Jan.

Clement, Blaize. Cat Sitter on a Hot Tin Roof (STM, 7.99) Dec.

Conant-Park, Jessica and Susan Conant. Fed Up (Brk, 7.99) Jan.

Cussler, Clive and Dirk Cussler. Artic Drift (Brk, 9.99) Dec.

Ephron, Hallie. Never Tell a Lie (HC, 7.99) Jan.

Evanovich, Janet. Plum Spooky (STM, 7.99) Jan.

Fairstein, Linda. Lethal Legacy (BDD, 7.99) Dec.

Ferris, Monica. Thai Die (Brk, 7.99) Dec.

Goldberg, Lee. Mr. Monk and the Dirty Cop (NAL, 7.99) Dec.

Graves, Sarah. A Face at the Window (BDD, 7.99) Dec.

Greeley, Andrew M. Irish Tweed (STM, 6.99) Jan.

Grippando, James. Born to Run (HC, 7.99) Dec.

Harrison, Kim. White Witch, Black Curse (HC, 7.99) Dec.

Hosp, David. Innocence (GC, 7.99) Jan.

Iles, Greg. The Devil’s Punchbowl (Pkt, 9.99) Jan.

McKevett, G.A. A Body to Die For (Kens, 6.99) Jan.

Morris, Bob. A Deadly Silver Sea (STM, 7.99) Dec.

Murphy, Shirley Rousseau. Cat Playing Cupid (HC, 7.99) Jan.

Myers, Tamar. Batter off Dead (NAL, 6.99) Jan.

Palmer, Michael. The Second Opinion (STM, 9.99) Jan.

Patterson, James and Maxine Paetro. 7^th Heaven (GC, 7.99) Dec.

Pollero, Rhonda. Fat Chance (Pkt, 7.99) Dec.

Rankin, Ian. Exit Music (GC, 7.99) Dec.

Rollins, David. A Knife Edge (BDD, 7.99) Jan.

Woods, Stuart. Loitering with Intent (NAL, 9.99) Dec.

Yessayan, Raffi. Eight in the Box (BDD, 7.99) Jan.

New and Forthcoming in Paperback Original

Barton, Mary. Dying Scream (Kens, 6.99) Jan. When a woman receives an anniversary card from her dead husband, she at first thinks that it is a ghastly joke, but when women’s grisly remains are found on his property, she joins forces with a detective investigating the case.

Birken, Gary, MD. Code 15 (Brk, 7.99) Dec. When a series of deaths due to preventable medical errors rise at a large urban hospital, the chief of emergency medicine decides to investigate and discovers a plot by a vengeful madman that threatens her own life.

Bliss, Miranda. Murder Has a Sweet Tooth (Brk, 6.99) Dec. In the latest Cooking Class mystery, Annie and Eve are planning for Annie’s big day with her former cooking instructor when murder takes the cake.

Burcell, Robin. Bone Chamber (HC, 7.99) Jan. FBI forensic artist Sydney Fitzpatrick investigates the Freemasons and their connection to a map leading to the lost Templar treasure. This is also available in a hardcover edition ($24.95) from Poisoned Pen Press.

Childs, Laura. Eggs Benedict Arnold (Brk, 7.99) Dec. When one of the Cackleberry Club delivers a pie to the local undertaker, she discovers him dead on the embalming table, and then she herself is drugged with chloroform.

Christopher, Paul. The Templar Cross (NAL, 9.99) Jan. A retired Army Ranger officer teaching at West Point is asked by a young Israeli archaeologist to help find his niece who has been kdnapped in a case that takes them across the globe following a conspiracy involving the Knights Templar.

Dennison, Hannah. Exposé (Brk, 6.99) Dec. Vicky Hill, obituary writer for the newspaper in a small English town, is covering the death of a local celebrity when she learns of the woman’s shaky finances and marriage.

Griffin, Laura. Untraceable (Pkt, 7.99) Dec. A private investigator specializing in helping people disappear is asked to track down a former client who has inherited money and discovers that she has really disappeared.

Hale, Rebecca M. How to Wash a Cat (Brk, 6.99) Jan. First in a new series featuring a San Francisco curio shop owner and her two curious cats, who investigate when an uncle leaves them a surprising inheritance that leads to a trail of deception going back to Gold Rush days.

Holt, Hazel. Mrs. Malory and Any Man’s Death (NAL, 6.99) Dec. Sheila Malory realizes that the death of the village’s local busybody from a nasty case of mushroom poisoning is tied to the secrets that she has uncovered while compiling the history of Mere Barton in the latest in this charming British cozy series.

Hughes, Charlotte. High Anxiety (Brk, 7.99) Jan. When therapist Kate Holly needs a temporary secretary, she hires a woman with more issues than a subscription to Psychology Today in the latest in this funny series.

Hyzy, Julie. Eggsecutive Orders (Brk, 7.99) Jan. Preparations for the annual Easter Egg Roll on the White House lawn are interrupted when an NSA bigshot dies after eating dinner at the White House, and the Secret Service arrives to find out what’s being cooked up in the kitchen in the latest in this series featuring executive chef Olivia Paras.

Johnston, Linda O. Howl Deadly (Brk, 7.99) Dec. Pet Sitter Kendra must find a mother she-wolf that disappears from a millionaire’s animal sanctuary in a case where pet-napping turns to murder.

Kelner, Toni L. P. Who Killed the Pinup Queen? (Brk, 6.99) Jan. In the second in the series that focuses on classic television shows, entertainment reporter Tilda Harper is working on two articles simultaneously—one about a former pinup model and one about an old western show—but when she finds the model brutally murdered, she finds that the two stories have some disturbing connections.

Kennedy, Mary. Dead Air (NAL, 6.99) Jan. First in a new series featuring a Florida talk-show psychologist who investigates the death of a new-age prophet after her roommate becomes the chief suspect.

Morgan, Kaye. Ghost Sudoku (Brk, 6.99) Jan. Puzzle master Liza Kelly must uncover the clues in the puzzles left behind by a murdered classmate in a case that involves dirty politics.

Palov, C. M. Ark of Fire (Brk, 7.99) Dec. When a photographer witnesses a murder and the theft of an ancient Hebrew relic, she turns to a historian for help, not realizing that both will become the targets of a murderous conspiracy.

Rabkin, William. Psych: The Call of the Mild (NAL, 6.99) Jan. Sham psychic investigator Shawn Spencer is hired to solve a baffling case of industrial espionage in a case that takes him on a grueling backpacking mountain trek. Based on the television series.

Resnick, Laura. Doppelgangster (DAW, 7.99) Jan. In the second in this funny series, singing waitress Esther Diamond teams up with Max the Magician and his slobbering canine familiar Nelli to discover how and why New York mobsters are being duplicated before a gang war is triggered, while her hunky detective friend would prefer a case with less magic.

Roberts, Wendy. Dead and Kicking (NAL, 6.99) Dec. Psychic Sadie Novak cleans up crime scenes for a living and while cleaning out the house of a compulsive hoarder, she comes across an angry ghost and dark secrets hidden in the mess.

Robinson, Gina. Spy Games (Ken, 5.99) Jan. A new novel of romantic suspense by a writer who combines humor and intrigue.

Stanley, Jennifer. Stirring up Strife (STM, 7.99) Jan. The first in a charming new series featuring a woman grappling with the end of a five-year romance who is invited to Hope Street Church by a client, but when she goes, she discovers that the woman has been murdered and her husband has been arrested, and gets caught up in the faith-based detecting by the Bible study group.

New and Forthcoming in Quality Paperback

Allingham, Margery. More Work for the Undertaker (F&M, 14.95) Jan. The police are unable to help protect the inhabitants of a Dickensian corner of London from a crime boss, so Albert Campion goes undercover to help out.

Atkinson, Kate. When Will There Be Good News? (LB, 13.99) Jan. Past crimes and present problems collide in a novel that brings together four people, including PI Jackson Brodie, all affected by an appalling crime that took place in the English countryside thirty years ago. Highly recommended.

Ault, Sandi. Wild Sorrow (Brk, 14.00) Forced to seek refuge in an abandoned Indian School, BLM agent Jamaica Wild discovers the body of a woman frozen to the floor in the latest in this series set in New Mexico.

Berkeley, Anthony. The Case of the Poisoned Chocolates (F&M, 14.95) Jan. A classic detective story first published in 1929, this is a brilliant puzzle taken up by the Crime Circle, a group of society intellectuals who feel they can succeed where the police are baffled, after a caddish nobleman is poisoned and the list of suspects could fill the London phone book. This affirms why we all started reading mysteries.

Berkowitz, Ira. Sinner’s Ball (RH, 14.00) Dec. Former NYPD detective Jackson Steeg must help out his mob-connected brother when a warehouse catches fire killing three squatters and two firefighters, but it is the discovery of six sexually-mutilated bodies in the basement that impels his search for the real culprit.

Campbell, Duncan. If It Bleeds (F&M, 14.95) Jan. In the U.S. debut of a satire of the London Mob, the last of the English Mobster decides to write a tell-all memoir with the help of a ghost writer, but is murdered leaving the ghost writer in deep trouble.

Canadeo, Anne. Knit, Purl, Die (Pkt, 14.00) Jan. When one of the Black Sheep knitters discovers the town’s merry—and very wealthy--widow dead in her swimming pool shortly after her marriage to a much younger man, she and the other Black Sheep decide to untangle the real story behind the death in the second in this charming series set in small-town Massachusetts.

Connelly, Michael, ed. In the Shadow of the Master (HC, 14.99) Jan. A collection of stories by Edgar Allan Poe with commentary from contemporary mystery writers.

Connor, John. Unsafe (IPG, 14.95) Dec. West Yorkshire DS Karen Sharpe has her hands full with her personal life when a new trainee who is attracted to her teenaged daughter as well as her own relationship with a criminal she is investigating while at the same time investigating the murder of a young woman.

Dorsey, Tim. Nuclear Jellyfish (HC, 13.99) Jan. Florida booster and psychopathic killer Serge A, Storms discovers the Internet—and it may never recover—in the latest in this comic series.

Erhart, Margaret. The Butterflies of Grand Canyon (Plume, 15.00) Dec. An charming mystery set in Northern Arizona, where a young woman from St.Louis visiting her husband’s family becomes involved in solving a thirteen-year-old mystery. I really enjoyed this.

Ferris, Monica. Sew Far, So Good (Brk, 14.00) Dec. The first three mysteries featuring needlework-shop owner Betsy Devonshire collected in one volume.

Ford, Michael Thomas. Jane Bites Back (Ball, 14.00) Jan. Jane Austen, undead and now a bookseller in upstate New York, is upset by all the Pride and Prejudice knockoffs that fly out her store, but when she finally gets a manuscript accepted she is appalled by the publishing world and the attacks she is sujected to by a blogger who accuses her of stealing a manuscript. Very funny!

Havill, Steven. Dead Weight (PP, 14.95) Dec. A reissue of an early Bill Gastner, who investigates when a backhoe crushes a man to death.

Hiaasen, Carl. Skin Tight (Brk, 14.00) Jan. A reissue of a very funny mystery that has long been out of print.

Malliet, G.M. Death at the Alma Mater (MidInk, 14.95) Jan. Inspector St. Just is called in when a wealthy and beautiful alumna of a prestigious--but impecunious—college is found strangled during a fundraising weekend in the third in this award-winning series.

McCall Smith, Alexander. The Unbearable Lightness of Scones (RH, 15.00) Jan. The latest chronicle of life at 44 Scotland Street finds Bertie’s parents engaged in a parental power struggle as they argue about whether his becoming a scout is a good thing.

McGarrity, Michael. Dead or Alive (NAL, 15.00) Dec. Kevin Kerney returns to New Mexico when an escaped prisoner cuts a murderous path through the state, and he and his half-Apache son must hunt down the psychotic killer.

Morgan, Brooke. Tainted (HC, 14.99) Dec. A debut mystery set on Cape Cod about a single mother who impulsively marries an Englishman who is not at all what he seems, and whose interest in her daughter is suspect.

Morgenroth, Kate. Through the Heart (Plume, 15.00) Jan. A crime novel told in the two voices of a Kansas waitress and a Manhattan millionaire who meet and fall in love in a fairy-tale story complete with a dead body.

O’Neal, Barbara. The Secret of Everything (BDD, 15.00) Jan. When a woman returns to her birthplace in New Mexico after a traumatic accident, she plans on leaving soon, but while looking through the town history she discovers a secret that calls into question everything she believes about her parents.

Rankin, Ian. Black and Blue (STM, 14.99) and Let it Bleed (STM, 14.99) Dec. The latest in the re-issues of the early Inspector Rebus novels set in Glasgow.

Regan, Linda. Dead Like Her (Dufour, 14.95) Dec. The third in a fine British police procedural series finds DCI Banham investigating a London crime lord when Marilyn Monroe look-alikes working at his nightclub start meeting untimely ends.

Sansom, Ian. The Bad Book Affair (HC, 14.99) Jan. The fourth in the series featuring Israel Armstrong, librarian for the mobile-book library in a small town in Northern Ireland.

Stone, Nick. King of Swords (HC, 14.99) Dec. A very creepy mystery set in Miami where the bodies of Haitian immigrants are found in murderous tableaux in a series of crimes that have their roots in voodoo. I love this series.

New and Forthcoming in International Mysteries

Adam, Paul. Paganini’s Ghost (STM, 24.99) Jan. In the second mystery featuring luthier Gianni Castiglione, he agrees to help out his policeman friend after an art dealer is murdered and some mysterious Paganini artifacts appear, in a case that takes the two around Europe searching for a killer. A fascinating plot, well-researched historical details, and strong characterization make this a standout.

Alvtegan, Karin. Shame (F&M, 14.95) Jan. Two very different Swedish women are tormented by their bad memories, and when they come together by chance the past leads to startling violence in a brilliant novel of psychological suspense.

Benoit, Charles. Noble Lies (PP, 14.95) Dec. A Desert Storm veteran working as a bouncer in a bar in Phuket, Thailand agrees to help an American woman track down her missing brother.

Camilleri, Andrea. The Wings of the Sphinx (Png, 14.00) Jan. Inspector Montalban investigates the murder of a young woman linked to the underworld sex-trade in the latest in this charming series set in Sicily.

Cappellani, Ottavio. Sicilian Tragedee (STM, 15.00) Dec. A hilarious novel set in present-day Sicily where a mid-level Mafioso falls in love with the daughter of a rival gangster, and the arrival of a flamboyant theatrical director turns a Romeo-and-Juliet tragedy into comic opera.

Gage, Leighton. Buried Strangers (Soho, 13.00) Jan. Brazilian police detective Mario Silva and his team investigate when hundreds of corpses are found in the jungle outside of São Paulo, many would-be travelers to North America.

______. Dying Gasp (Soho, 24.00) Jan. When the granddaughter of a prominent politician disappears, Mario Silva finds her in Manaus where an evil female doctor is making gory snuff films.

Kaminsky, Stuart. A Whisper to the Living (STM, 23.99) Jan. Rostnikov pursues a serial killer named after the Moscow park where his elderly victims have been bludgeoned to death in the sixteenth of this Russian-based series.

Piñiero, Claudia. Thursday Night Widows (Bitter Lemon, 14.95) Jan. The discovery of three bodies lying at the bottom of a swimming pool in a gated country estate near Buenos Aires is the beginning of a novel of psychological suspense that dissects a society of despair by an award-winning Argentine writer.

Ramsay, Frederick. Predators (PP, 24.95) Dec. The first in a new series set in Botswana with a corporate CEO looking to find peace and a dying lion that crosses his path, in a crime investigated by a female game warden.

Siger, Jeffrey. Assassins of Athens (PP, 24.95 hc, 14.95 tp) Jan. The second in the series featuring Chief Inspector Kaldis of the Greek Police’s Special Crimes Division finds him investigating when the body of a boy from one of Athens’ most prominent families turns up in one of the city’s worst neighborhoods. The first in this series, Murder in Mykonos (PP, 14.95) will be available in December.

Thompson, James. Snow Angels (Put, 24.95) Jan. A debut thriller set in Finland where a small-town policeman investigates a murder of a beautiful Somali immigrant in Lapland, a case that could be a hate crime or a sex crime or both.

Verhoef, Esther. Close-Up (F&M, 14.95) Jan. In this psychological thriller by an award-winning Dutch writer, a recently divorced woman is persuaded to go on a weekend trip to London, where much to her surprise she is taken up by a sexy photographer, but little does she imagine what he has in store for her.

New and Forthcoming in Historical Mysteries

Ash, Maureen. Murder at Christ’s Mass (Brk, 7.99) Dec. The fourth in the series featuring Templar Knight Bascot de Marins who discovers that the murder of the clerk of the mint in the town of Lincoln is part of a plot against King Stephen.

Atkins, Ace. White Shadow (Brk, 15.00) Dec. Set in Tampa in 1955, a city filled with Sicilian and Cuban gangsters, this is a powerful novel of revenge and greed where the murder of a retired kingpin threatens to reveal secrets that could destroy a criminal empire.

Bennett, Robert Jackson. Mr. Shivers (LB, 19.99) Jan. A very creepy horror novel that takes place during the Great Depression as a man hunts for the mysterious scarred man responsible for the death of his daughter, and comes to suspect that he is hunting something more than human.

Chevalier, Tracy. Remarkable Creatures (Dut, 26.95) Jan. Two young women in nineteenth-century England must join together to achieve recognition for their scientific discoveries that support Darwin’s theories.

Clark, Cassandra. The Red Velvet Turnshoe (STM, 24.99) Dec. The second in the series set in fourteenth-century Yorkshire featuring Abbess Hildegard, who embarks on the quest for a precious relic with the English Crown at stake and many enemies set to stop her.

Davis, Lindsey. Rebels and Traitors (STM, 27.99) Jan. A sprawling epic of the English Civil War that begins in 1634 at the beginning of the events that culminate with the beheading of Charles the First in 1649, seen through the eyes of a London printer who takes up arms against the king.

Frazer, Margaret. A Play of Treachery (Brk, 7.99) Dec. Joliffe journeys to France to act as a servant to the widowed Duchess of Bedford—while actually training in spycraft—but when a member of the household is murdered, he must put his training in practice.

Gordon, Alan. The Parisian Prodigal (STM, 25.99) Jan. Theophilos the Fool is asked to investigate when a swashbuckling stranger shows up at the chateau of the ruler of Toulouse claiming to be the count’s brother in the latest in this engaging thirteenth-century series.

Harper, Karen. Mistress Shakespeare (NAL, 15.00) Jan. A lively tale spanning half a century of Elizabethan and Jacobean history and moving from the lowest reaches of society to the royal court, this is the narrative of Anne Whately, the woman that William Shakespeare loved, even though he was forced to marry the pregnant Anne Hathaway.

Harrison, Cora. A Secret and Unlawful Killing (STM, 14.99) Dec. The second in the series set in sixteenth-century Ireland where a female Brehon Judge is called in when a steward’s body is found during the Michaelmas Fair.

_____. Sting of Justice (STM, 25.99) Dec. Set in western Ireland in the sixteenth century, a Brehon judge investigates when the body of a man stung to death by bees is found on the church steps after the funeral of a local priest.

_____. Writ in Stone (Severn, 27.95) Dec. This is a first for this newsletter: three books by the same author in one month! When the Irish King’s cousin is bludgeon to death, Brehon Mara investigates in a mystery that combines accurate historical detail, a well-characterized detective, and a clever puzzle plot.

Jones, J. Sydney. Requiem in Vienna (STM, 24.99) Jan. The second in the series set in Vienna in 1899 where an attorney teams up with a criminologist when Gustav Mahler becomes the target of a series of “accidents” that kill a soprano during a rehearsal at the Vienna Court Opera.

Kent, Rebecca. Murder Has No Class (Brk, 6.99) Jan. In the third in this cozy series set in Edwardian England, the headmistress of Bellhaven House, a school for girls, is haunted by the ghost of an earl who was hanged for the murder of his father despite his claims of innocence.

Kurland, Michael, ed. Sherlock Holmes: the American Years (STM, 24.99) Jan. Ten all-new original tales chronicle the sleuth before he established himself in London’s Baker Street, written by Steve Hockensmith, Peter Tremayne, Rhys Bowen, and others.

Lee, Janice Y.K. The Piano Teacher (Png, 15.00) Dec. An exquisite tale of love and betrayal set in war-torn Hong Kong where an Englishman has an affair with a beautiful Eurasian socialite from whom he is separated by the Japanese invasion, and ten years later, when a woman arrives in Hong Kong to work as a piano teacher, the past influences the present as she embarks on a fateful affair.

Littell, Robert. The Revolutionist (Png, 16.00) Jan. An epic saga of the first decades of the Soviet Union, that begins with the idealism of the October Revolution in 1917 and ends with the brutal rise of Josef Stalin.

Nayman, Shira. The Listener (SS, 25.00) Jan. A riveting first novel set in a psychiatric hospital just after World War II where the psychiatrist treating a charismatic soldier suffering from severe Battle Fatigue finds his own sanity under attack.

Parker, Robert B. Appaloosa (Brk, 14.00) Jan. When two lawmen arrive in the small New Mexico town of Appaloosa they discover that that villainy has taken over and that loyalties are tested.

Pearce, Michael. A Dead Man in Naples (Soho, 25.00) Dec. Seymour of the Special Branch is sent to Naples when the British consul is stabbed to death in the latest in this amusing series set in Europe in the period before WWI. In addition, all of the early mysteries in the series will be appearing in December in paperback beginning with A Dead Man in Trieste (Soho, 14.00) and ending with A Dead Man in Barcelona (Soho, 14.00).

Ramsay, Frederick. Judas: The Gospel of Betrayal (PP, 14.95) Jan. A religious historical mystery focused on Judas Iscariot, the illegitimate son of a Jewish woman and a Roman soldier, who struggles to find himself amid the revolutionary fervor of first century Jerusalem, joining a group led by a revolutionary Rabbi Jesus.

Roberts, David. Sweet Poison (Soho, 14.00) Jan. The first in a charming series set between the two World Wars features Lord Edward Corinth, the young son of a duke, and Verity Browne, a leftist journalist, who join forces to discover who murdered a decorated general at a country house in 1935. Highly recommended.

_____. Sweet Sorrow (Soho, 25.00) Jan. A self-absorbed poet—and friend of Virginia Woolf--moves to the countryside to escape the bombing in London at the outset of WWII to a cottage near where Lord Edward Corinth and Verity Browne live and is beheaded during a pageant put on by his children

Roberts, John Maddox. SPQR XII: Oracle of the Dead (STM, 14.99) Dec. When Decius Caecilius Metellus visits a pre-Roman cult site with a party of friends, he stumbles on a murder that threatens to explode in religious and ethnic violence that underlies the pax romana.

Simonsen, Mary Lydon. Searching for Pemberley (SB, 14.99) Dec. A literary mystery set in post-WWII London featuring an American woman who goes to work in London and comes to know the families said to be the real-life basis for Elizabeth Bennett and Fitzwilliam Darcy, whose letters and diary entries provide the mystery.

Stuckart, Diana A. S. A Bolt from the Blue (Brk, 14.00) Jan. In the third in the series set in fifteenth-century Milan, and featuring Leonardo da Vinci as sleuth, one of the apprentices helping Leonardo develop a flying machine is murdered and he and his favorite apprentice hunt for the killer.

Taylor, Andrew. Bleeding Heart Square (Hyp, 15.99) Jan. A wonderfully Dickension mystery set in a small section of London filled with eccentric chara