Tom and Enid Schantz used to have a mystery bookstore in Boulder, CO, They sold that and turned to publishing classic British mysteries that had gone out of print. I haven't read this particular book but I have read others by Catherine Aird and they were wonderful! Here is a synopsis of the book from the Rue Morgue Press web site.

"When a heart attack forces Thomas Harding to retire with his wife Dora to a Tudor manor house in Calleshire County, he soon discovers that it comes complete with a priest hole, built by a clever Elizabethan craftsman and containing -quite unfortunately- a skeleton from a much earlier time. The local doctor says it's a clear case of murder but the police, pointing out that by now the murderer was long dead, decline to investigate. Totally bored by his new life but determined to learn more about "his" murder, Thomas begins to question the villagers, who are currently more concerned with the murder of a young wife and the disappearance of her well-liked husband. But in his efforts to solve a centuries-old crime, Thomas inadvertently contributes to the solution of the modern one and begins to take his place in the village of Easterbrook. Fans of Josephine Tey's Daughter of Time will embrace this tale first published in 1967 and the only novel by Aird not to feature Inspector Sloan."

There are several reasons that I like the China Bayles mysteries by Susan Wittig Albert. One is the herb lore that I learn through reading the book. I'm not a gardener (as some of you know) but I do enjoy reading about it.

Another reason is the Texas setting. My mom, sister, etc. live near Austin. The setting for the fictitious Pecan Springs, setting for the mysteries, is supposed to be near there -- in the hill country which is a beautiful part of Texas.

Mostly I like her stories. This one starts with a murder and possible drug dealing. Susan plays fair with her readers. We get all the clues that China has but I never seem to beat China through the unraveling of the crime. This one was a good one.

By the way, this book brings in a new character -- one I hope to see in further books set in Pecan Springs. Can't tell you who it is because I'll give away some of the story but I'll tell you that he can be mean and ferocious or sweet and loving. (grin)

Information on the China Bayles series can be found at: the author's website.

AND ONLY TO DECEIVE by Tasha Alexander ($13.95) The first in Alexander's historical series. Set in the late Victorian era, Emily's husband, Viscount Ashton is killed on an African hunting expedition. Emily decides to learn more about her late husband when she realizes that she is not as grief stricken as she should be. This engaging, witty mix of Victorian cozy and suspense thriller draws its dramatic spark from the endearingly headstrong heroine's growth in life and love.

"A Treasury of Regrets is the sequel to my first historical mystery novel, Game of Patience, also featuring Aristide Ravel, freelance investigator and part-time agent of the Paris police (please don't call him a spy) during the French Revolution. In Treasury, Aristide comes to the aid of a young servant girl who is accused of poisoning her employer, and has to find the truth while coping with egotistical actors, sleazy con artists, and a houseful of squabbling relatives."
For more info, including an excerpt, check out the author's site.

Daniel Arenson's new fantasy book is getting some excellent reviews. Daniel had this to say when I asked him for information about the book:

Firefly Island is a new epic fantasy novel by Daniel Arenson.

A cruel king, his flesh made of stone, tyrannizes the enchanted Firefly Island. No sword or arrow can harm him. Aeolia, a servant girl, can magically share feelings and senses - even pain. Only she, by hurting herself, can hurt the mad monarch. But can she save the island from his grasp?

Booklist recently reviewed the novel, saying it "is filled with interesting details and cultures". They added that Daniel Arenson "is an author to watch". One reviewer at ReaderViews.com said, "this is the most excited I have ever been about a science fiction / fantasy novel."

"I wrote Firefly Island while living in Israel," Daniel said when asked about his book's release. "It began as a distraction during wartime, and I'm obviously delighted that the book found a top-notch publisher like Thomson Gale. The response so far has been very encouraging. I've always loved fantasy literature, and I wrote the kind of book that I'd like to read - a fantasy novel that's not only filled with action and adventure, but also with a lot of emotion and heart. I hope readers enjoy reading Firefly Island as much as I've enjoyed writing it."

To learn more about the book, visit:

www.DanielArenson.com

The name of the book intrigued me so I was glad to receive an email from Anne telling me more about the book.

My first mystery was nominated for an Edgar for best paperback original of 2005. An ordinary foot cop and his partner stumble upon a cold case which he comes to recognize as his own murder in a previous life. Homicide My Own (Pleasure Boat Studio, trade paperback, $16)

The new book, which follows Quinn, the female partner and the narrator of the first book, is Walla Walla Suite(A Room with No View) and it was in bookstores starting in September from Ballantine.

When a young secretary from her office building goes missing, Quinn is hired by the girl's boss to find her. It turns into what looks like an open and shut murder case, but Quinn's investigation takes her into the dangerous dark corners of the human psyche, where no one is innocent.

"Walla Walla Suite surprised me, in a way that few books do, sticking in my brain like a melancholic song that I can't forget, don't want to forget. Quinn is an original, a word I don't use lightly." -- Laura Lippman

In Right From the Gecko, the fifth book in the "Reigning Cats & Dogs" mystery series, veterinarian Jessica Popper heads to Maui with her boyfriend Nick for a conference. But when an ambitious young reporter she meets at her hotel is murdered, she finds herself trying to figure out hula-done it. Jessie travels all over the beautiful Hawaiian island, questioning suspects who include the victim's secretive boyfriend, one of her journalistic rivals, an eccentric beachcomber, and a governor's aide who seems overly involved with a controversial new biotech firm that's brining progress to paradise. In addition to juggling her investigation with her professional conference, Jessie tries to make her visit to paradise a romantic getaway. That's no easy feat, especially when she and Nick meet up with some harrowing situations that she suspects the murderer has planned. Will Jessie solve the crime before she ends up saying aloha ... permanently?

Cynthia Baxter
CynthiaBaxter.com

Simon Beckett's first book, The Chemistry of Death, is a book that I always recommend to readers who want forensics and a good story and I feel the same way about Written in Bone:

"When I sat down to write a sequel to The Chemistry of Death (Dell Reprint, paperback, $6.99), my first novel to feature British forensic anthropologist Dr David Hunter, my main aim was not to disappoint readers. I knew I had to deliver the same elements that people enjoyed in Hunter's debut: forensics, mystery, shocks and twists. But at the same time I didn't want the second book to be too much like the first.

Years ago, I could remember reading about something called 'Spontaneous Human Combustion', where victims have somehow been incinerated without any of their surroundings being burned. So I began playing with the idea of having Hunter confronted with this apparently inexplicable phenomenon. How could he explain it? How could I, come to that?

That left the question of where the story should be set. I've visited several Scottish islands, and been struck by how the small communities that live on them survive amongst all that bleak, windswept beauty. They're wild and atmospheric, especially in winter, and the idea of Hunter finding himself stranded on one of them with a crazed killer seemed too good to miss. The result was Written in Bone. Hopefully readers will enjoy it just as much as David Hunter's first outing. And perhaps feel a little shiver the next time they stare into the embers of a dying fire.."

Rhys Bowen writes two series that have done very well -- the Molly Murphy series set in early 20th century New York and the Constable Evans series set in Wales and now she has written the first in her new series which features Lady Victoria Georgiana Charlotte Eugenie, 34th in the line for the crown. The story is set in the 1930's -- both England and Lady Georgiana (Georgie) are in dire need of money. So Georgie sets out to earn money without allowing her acquaintances in the nobility know that she is flat broke which leads to some interesting consequences and a murder.

Her Royal Spyness is a Killer Book for August.

WORLD WAR Z ($24.95) is written by Max Brooks, who is the son of Mel Brooks. The subtitle for the book is An Oral History of the Zombie War. A must-have for all zombie fans on your list along with the companion volume ZOMBIE SURVIVAL GUIDE.

BLOODLINES by Jan Burke ($7.99) This story about the kidnapping of an infant who might or might not have been the child of a wealthy couple found dead under somewhat clouded circumstances received a starred review from Publishers Weekly. This is the paperback version of the original hardcover published in 2005.

Jim Butcher's new book has generated great pre-publication reviews.

Professional wizard Harry Dresden is investigating a series of deaths in Chicago. Someone is killing practitioners of magic, those incapable of becoming full-fledged wizards. Shockingly, all the evidence points to Harry's half-brother, Thomas, as the murderer. Determined to clear his sibling's name, Harry uncovers a conspiracy within the White Council of Wizards that threatens not only him, but his nearest and dearest, too...

In case you were waiting for the paperback of the previous book -- Proven Guilty -- it's out now. Let us know if we can order either one for you.

Check out Jim's web site -- it has a LOT of information.

Ray Dudgeon used to be a reporter but now he's a PI. He's finding that being a reporter was a lot safer. He's hired to provide protection for a locations manager for a Hollywood film that is shooting in Chicago -- and Ray quickly finds out that 'shooting' is not only the word for what a camera does but is also what a membe of organized crime wants to do to his client -- with a gun. The author has been a PI in Chicago for many years -- which shows in his writing.

Jeff is the author of the Aaron Tucker series which I loved. This is book is the first in a new series for Jeff and it sounds like a good one:

"Some Like It Hot-Buttered is the first in the Double Feature Mystery series from Berkley Prime Crime. It centers on Elliot Freed, a recovering writer who comes into some money and buys himself a dilapidated movie theatre in central New Jersey. He renames it Comedy Tonight, and shows only comedies - one classic, one contemporary each week. But when a man turns up dead after the evening's showing of Young Frankenstein, and the cause is determined to be poisoned popcorn, Elliot takes it personally, and begins to investigate.

It's always been a dream of mine to do just that: buy a small theatre and show only comedies. Through Elliot, I get to indulge my tastes (the Marx Brothers are prominently showcased in Hot-Buttered) without the financial burden of having to compete in a multiplexed world. Fans of the Aaron Tucker series might recognize a character or two (both series take place in the fictional town of Midland Heights), and everyone will (hopefully) get a kick out of Elliot and his extended family of characters. But when someone realizes Elliot's getting a little too close... well, it gets a tad uncomfortable for the new theatre owner.

Chris Grabenstein (author of the John Ceepak novels) was kind enough to give Hot-Buttered "two buttery thumbs up," and comedy writing legend Larry Gelbart said: 'Knock, knock. Who's there? Cohen. Cohen who? Cohen buy yourself this most entertaining book.'"

Publisher's Weekly had this to say about the book:
"The pseudonymous Culhane (aka Max Allen Collins) once again shows himself a master at the historical thriller. In 1920, 70-year-old Wyatt Earp, who's working as a PI in Los Angeles, is hired by "Big Nosed Kate" Elder, the widow of his best friend, Doc Holliday. Kate wants Wyatt to go to New York and help her speakeasy-owning son, John (fathered by Doc as he was dying), who has fallen afoul of a local tough guy, the young Alphonse Capone. In New York, Wyatt teams with another old pal, Morning Telegraph sportswriter Bat Masterson. It's a fabulous setup, and Culhane has all the skills and experience to bring these great characters leaping off the page. The bad guys may have organized gangs and tommy guns, but in the end these whippersnappers are no match for Wyatt's cunning and 10-inch-long-barreled .45. The exigencies of historical fact force Culhane into a tamer ending than some readers might like, but the sheer fun of riding along with the two old lawmen and their memories will run roughshod over any quibbles or complaints. (Apr.)"
I haven't read it yet -- in fact it's not on shelves until March 27. Let us know if you'd like to have us order one for you. Here's a link to more information about Patrick and a list of his other books.

I received this from the author:

My new book, INVISIBLE SHIELD, was released April 18 with Five Star Publishing. It's a paranormal mystery where a homicide detective has to solve her own murder.
ISBN# 1-594145458.

Homicide Detective, Lindsay Frost's calendar has been cleared. Permanently. In an effort to solve her own murder, she discovers evil forces lurk on both sides of eternity, as she fights to save her family from a murderer while battling a supernatural stalker waging a private war against her.

Devastated by her older sister's death, police officer, Kate Frost, sees their good-natured competition come to an end. Their sibling rivalry is unexpectedly resurrected when Lindsay's ghost appears, forcing the two sisters to work as partners against malevolent human and paranormal forces that threaten to end both of their worlds.

Let me know if you need anything else.

Thanks!
Scarlett Dean Website: ScarlettDean.com

Since I am a fan of Jack the Ripper books and information (and Lizzie Borden stuff too) I found the following book description very interesting:

In the alleys of the decrepit Boston neighborhood known as the Weird, fairy prostitutes are turning up dead. The crime scenes show signs of residual magic, but the Guild, which polices the fey, has more "important" crimes to investigate and dumps the case on human law enforcement.

Boston police call in Connor Grey, a druid and former hotshot Guild investigator -whose magical abilities were crippled after a run-in with a radical environmentalist elf. As Connor battles red tape and his own shortcomings, he realizes that the murders are not random, but part of an ancient magical ritual. And if Connor can't figure out the killer's M.O., the culmination of the spell might just bring about a worldwide cataclysm.

Check out Marc's website and journal

Kentucky Literary Award nominee
ForeWord magazine Book-of-the-Year finalist
Great Lakes Book Award nominee
Book Sense Notable Book, February '07
Author's Website

"There's nothing like meshing a mystery plot with a real-life, big time event with its own inherent calendar and mystique. Writing TRIPLE CROSS, my Kentucky Derby mystery, was loads of fun as well as challenging. Since the Steve Cline mystery series is equine oriented, getting Steve to the Derby was almost a given. Coming up with a mystery for him wasn't too hard, either. Dealing with the pressure of "getting it right" was a bit daunting, but once I began plotting backwards from the story's climax, blending my plotline with the Derby Festival calendar of events, it came together amazingly well. And the book has borne this out: being named a Kentucky Literary Award nominee, ForeWord magazine Book-of-the-Year finalist, a Great Lakes Book Award nominee, and a BookSense Notable Book for February '07."

In TRIPLE CROSS, barn manager Steve Cline is in Louisville for the running of the Kentucky Derby. Although he doesn't expect to stray far from the horse world, he has enrolled in a private investigations course and is working on the final project--a simple record's search. But the very act of initiating the project sets a series of events in motion that spiral out of control and plunges Steve into the world of the ultra rich where greed and revenge and ambition drive some men to commit unspeakable acts in a power play that culminates in a bloody triple cross . . .

Mary Anna Evans was one of the first authors to sign at Aliens & Alibis Books when she came to promote her first book, Artifacts. To my dismay, there were very few readers who came to the signing. Mary Anna was more than gracious about the lack of readers. The good news was that we had quite a bit of time to chat so I found out that she's not just a good author, she's an intelligent and charming lady.

Her newest book, Effigies, is the third in the Faye Longchamp series and is getting great reviews. In this book, Faye and her Native American assistant, Joe Wolf Mantooth, leave Joyeuse Island, Fla., for a dig in rural Mississippi at the site of a proposed highway which will endanger Nanih Waiya, the sacred mound where tradition says that the Choctaw nation was born. There are arguments between the highway builders and the archeologists which culminate in a murder.

The characters in the book are so believable that I hated to finish the book and leave people that I had grown to like. The mystery is well done and held my attention -- in fact, I got nothing done around the house until I reached the last page of the book.

Though Mary Anna has been compared to Tony Hillerman, her sympathetic characters and fascinating archeological lore add up to a style all her own. Tony Hillerman did give her a very nice comment on this book which is included on the dust jacket.

You can start with the first book in the series, Artifacts, or jump in with this book. I like to start with the first of a series -- I understand the relationships of the characters that way.

Her web site has sample chapters from the books -- and more.

While I enjoyed the Nursery Crimes books, The Big Over Easy (Viking Penguin, trade paperback, $14.00) and The Fourth Bear (Viking Penguin, Trade Paperback, $14.00), I have to admit that I'm very glad Fforde is back to writing about Thursday Next. In this book Thursday must find the serial killer on the loose in Bookworld and, at the same time, deal with Goliath Corporation who is trying to deregulate book travel. All this and a teenaged son, Friday, makes for interesting -- and funny -- reading. Oops, almost forgot about the Cheese Enforcement Agency trying to bust Next for smuggling killer curd and the malicious apprentice who begins making classic works of literature into reality book shows (Pride and Prejudice becomes The Bennets).

When reading the Thursday Next books, the reader needs to throw out any semblance of belief in reality. There is quite a bit of literary humor but Fforde sets it up well enough that even those who haven't read the book in question at the time will get the joke.

And don't forget to check out Ffordes's website. It's one of the most creative websites that I've seen for an author. It's a marvelous place to spend time -- probably more time than you originally planned. And you can see the UK cover which I like so much better than the US cover. Wonder why we don't get the good ones?

Lynda sent me information about her new book which is set in the late 1960s:

Newspaper reporter Christie O'Kelly has always valued honesty and truth above all else. Now she suspects that one of the people she loves the most may be guilty of murder. Her profession and her nature make it impossible for her to look the other way, and she begins searching for the truth, even though she knows that finding it may cost her everything.

Advance praise for If Truth Be Told:

"If Truth Be Told is an incredibly written story. The author incorporates romance, suspense and mystery into an excellent plot. Because there are no slow moments in the story, I had a hard time putting it down. Not having Ms. Fitzgerald's talent for words, I cannot give this book the kind of review that it best deserves; I can only tell you that you should not miss out on the chance to read it. This is a great choice for a women's reader group." ReaderViews

Did you know that in 12th century Salerno, Italy women were respected as doctors but that was not the case in 12th century Britian? Did you know that in 12th century Salerno doctors who could 'speak for the dead' were asked to look at crime scenes as a way of determining how the person died and find clues as to who the killer was? I certainly didn't know either of these facts until I read MISTRESS OF THE ART OF DEATH. Ariana Franklin has put together a good mix of fact and fiction and come up with a book that I couldn't put down. If you like the books by Kathy Reichs or are drawn to books on forensics, read this book. The characters are well drawn and the story is compelling. And the learning is painless.

I do have to warn you that the crimes are not pleasant to read about since they are the murder of children. In fact the first chapter of the book has turned some readers off. I am not comfortable with books that cite crimes against children but in my opinion, Ariana has taken a very delicate approach to her story. There is no gratuitious violence in the book.

I love the title -- and really enjoyed the book. Gwen sent us this information:.

"I wrote Murder...Suicide...Whatever...to entice 20 and 30-somethings to the comfort of the cozy, the fun of the "fair play" mystery, the lure of the locked-door puzzle.

Fifi Cutter is a young woman, the bi-racial daughter of a charismatic, ambitious father and a cold, self-absorbed mother. She has recently been fired from a boring, but safe, job as an insurance adjustor. Working well with others is not one of the tools in Fifi's skill set. The action begins with the arrival in L.A. of Fifi's half brother, Bosco, a charming wastrel, intent on mooching. Against her better judgment, Bosco involves Fifi in the mysterious death of Ted Heffernan, insurance broker to the stars. (That would be porn stars.) The circle of suspects include Ted's partners, his soon-to-be-ex wife, his mistress. And his other mistress.

The dialogue is snappy --Fifi and Bosco are the Inspector Queen and Ellery of the eyebrow piercing crowd. But I hope all traditional mystery lovers can enjoy the book. I firmly believe that the more the world darkens, the more we need the laughs."

Gwen Freeman's home page

I have to admit that a mystery with a dog catches my eye every time. Christy piqued my curiosity further with the following comments....

"The Bodyguard and the Show Dog, Book 2 of the Bodyguard Series is recipient of the CataNetwork 2006 Single Titles Reviewers' Choice Award and finalist in the Dog Writers Association of America 2006 Writing Competition (Book: Fiction). Professional reviewers are comparing this series to Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series.

I am a volunteer with Wolf Creek Weimaraner Rescue and my Bodyguard series features a rescued Weimaraner named Brutus and black cat named Cat. As a dog lover, I thought it would be fun to pair a young, female bodyguard with an obnoxious show dog whose life has been threatened.

Protection specialist Natasha Chamberlain is a bit disappointed her official job as a bodyguard is to protect a champion Pug named Chumley. But Chumley's life has been threatened if he participates in an upcoming dog show and Natasha can't resist the chance to unofficially investigate who could be threatening the Pug. Although Natasha thinks there shouldn't be much danger guarding a show dog, after she ends up in the emergency room several times, tangles with a criminal biker, is beaten up by a state employee and faces off with an animal abuser, she changes her mind."

Christy

Find out more about Christy Tillery French

Melke is a wraith, which means she has the ability to walk unseen. After being forced to steal a necklace, she is hunted down by the victim of the crime, Bastian sal Vere. He explains that the necklace was strung with tears, and that without it, Bastian cannot break the curse that is destroying his family. He orders Melke to regain the necklace, in exchange for her brother to be healed. But she had given the necklace to the salamanders, the fire breathing creatures that live underground. She must risk her own life. Meanwhile, Bastian becomes involved in solving a brutal murder of a young pregnant girl in the town of Theirry. This is a strong character-based fantasy, full of romantic tension and gritty storylines.

Emily is the daughter of award winning New Zealand author Maurice Gee. you can find out more about her here.

A new book from a relatively new author who sent this information:

"Shane Gericke follows his national bestselling debut, Blown Away (Pinnacle, paperback, $6.99), with a serial-killer-meets-the-electric-chair thriller called Cut to the Bone. It's the second in a series starring police detectives Emily Thompson and Martin Benedetti, and draws the highest praise from such New York Times bestsellers as Lee Child, John J. Nance, Douglas Preston, and Gayle Lynds, who enthuses, "Shane Gericke writes with the clear eye of a hard-nosed reporter and the sweet soul of an artist. His power is visceral and unforgettable.

A steel-eyed killing machine known as the Executioner loves to draw sharp blades across innocent throats. A dozen souls are gone, yet the monster wants more. Police detectives Martin Benedetti and Emily Thompson have just seven days to hunt and destroy him before he slices apart his next victims: Marty and Emily.

I loved writing this book because it's the ultimate expression of good and evil. Brave cops who face a horrible death, a sinister killer wanting to inflict it, all eyes on the upcoming electrocution. Plus, good cop jokes!"

With warmest regards to your readers,
Shane Gericke

Visit Shane's website

The setting is 1920s Melbourne, Australia. In this, the newest of the series that Poisoned Pen Press is publishing, Phryne (pronounced fry-nee) is investigating the poisoning of a young man in a bookshop at the Eastern Market, and the wrongful arrest of one Miss Sylvia Lee. As she follows the clues, Phryne is plunged into a world of Jewish politics, alchemy, poison and chicken soup. The series is delightful and pulls the reader right into the Roaring '20s.

So far, Poisoned Pen Press has published fourteen of the nineteen books written by Kerry Greenwood and starring Phryne Fisher. Check out the Poisoned Pen Press web site for more information on this series and others.

If you are a fan of recorded books, you can download two of the books (Death by Water and Ruddy Gore) from Audible.com and either listen to them on your PC or burn them to CDs to listen to in your car or wherever you enjoy audio books. You might also check your local public library for the books and / or the audio books. Stephanie Daniel is the reader of the books and she does a great job.

Pine County Sheriff Cas Larkin is concerned when local celebrity Mattie Carrington's kitchen explodes several minutes after she and her sister Katie leave home. Mattie and Katie are cousins of Miss Mayme and Miss Minnie Anderson, the two sisters who run their small town's floral shop. However, Cass's instincts kick into high gear when he learns that Mattie has had several accidents in lately and had planned to be home the day of the explosion.

When Mattie leases a lakeside cabin in their county to finish a cookbook she is writing, Cas makes it a point to keep checking on her. During one of his visits, he finds Mattie unconscious and takes her to the hospital, where the doctor discloses she has been poisoned. All eyes point to Miss Minnie, the last person to visit Mattie, but Cas has other suspicions.

Fans of this series will feel as if they are spending time with old friends and new readers will quickly fall under the spell of all the warm characters in this sequel to The Nelson Scandal (Airleaf Publishing, trade paperback, $14.95), from Cas's wife Connie, the perpetual matchmaker, to Miss Mayme and Miss Minnie and several others. Griffey enfolds the reader in an engaging mystery that takes place in a charming locale, with spine-tingling suspense, a demented killer, and more than a few charismatic characters, including a psychic and faith healer.

I was so glad to find out that Carolyn had a new Sarah Booth Delaney book coming out the end of June. The series is wonderful.

Southern gal Sarah Booth Delaney packs up her hound dog and her P.I. business and sets off for Hollywood to take a shot at stardom. No stranger to acting, she aces the screen test for a racy remake of the movie Body Heat alongside leading man Graf Miliau. The chemistry between them is undeniable, and why not? Graf has already starred in one of Sarah’s previous affairs and is well on his way to landing a big part in the sequel.

Thrilled as Sarah is, her dream come true comes at a price. She has to leave behind her family’s ancestral home in Mississippi, her closest friends, and the possibility of settling down with her longtime love to film on location in Costa Rica. And it’s not long before rivalries flare, mysterious accidents occur, and this leading lady finds herself in some steamy tabloids without turning up in a single frame of film

Carolyn Haines’s Wishbones takes the sultry romance and colorful friendships of this delightfully Southern series and heads out west for a mystery that is as thrilling off camera as it is on.

A mystery set in an oil refinery -- a very different and interesting setting. Here are Karen's comments about the book and the setting:

"I published my first mystery/thriller, Unreasonable Risk (hardcover, $27.99), with ArcheBooks Publishing in August 2006. What sets it apart from other books is its remarkably unique setting -- in a Minnesota oil refinery. Unreasonable Risk features a strong female protagonist, Hannah Morrison, a young environmental engineer working in what has long been a man's world. When an explosion rocks the refinery, she discovers evidence that the incident was deliberately caused. In a place where nearly everything is either flammable or -- worse -- explosive, the prospect of a saboteur is terrifying. Hannah is determined to discover who's doing the dirty work before the surrounding neighborhood is poisoned and people all over Minneapolis / St. Paul begin to die.

I'm an environmental engineer myself, and several years ago, while I was working at a refinery, a kid coming home from a bar in the middle of the afternoon decided he wanted to see what the inside of a refinery looked like. He crashed through the main gate and led the security force on a crazy chase for nearly an hour before he was caught. That incident made me consider the issue of personal safety, which, since 9/11, is something many of us think about.

Lots of us live near, work near or even drive past industrial facilities every day, but few of us understand the risks we take when we do. While the people who work in those facilities are skilled at keeping things safe on a day to day basis, how easy would it be for an insider -- or a determined outsider -- to cause significant death and destruction? The answer, I think, will surprise you."

Napoleon Publishing is a Canadian publisher which has produced some excellent books from some excellent writers. R. J. Harlick was new to me but once I read her first book, I was hooked on the series. I asked her to give me something that I could put in the newsletter. She sent the following:

The Meg Harris Mystery series by R.J. Harlick

This unique series is set in the wilds of West Quebec, where trees outnumber people a million to one and lakes a thousand to one. The main protagonist, Meg Harris, fled the big city and a failed marriage to heal her bruised soul on the idyllic shores of Echo Lake, where her struggles to establish a new life are helped by her new friends, the Migiskin Algonquin. But as the seasons change, her much sought for peace is invariably interrupted by injustice and murder. Unable to ignore it, she becomes enmeshed in a quagmire of murderous intrigue and finds herself racing to catch the real killer before it’s too late. The first two books in the series are Death’s Golden Whisper and Red Ice for a Shroud

.

In the 3rd book, The River Runs Orange, Meg Harris discovers the remains of a woman whose very existence takes the archeological world by storm. But when her neighbours, the Migiskin Algonquin, declare their rights to the ancient bones, Meg becomes embroiled in a fight that pits ancient beliefs against modern ones and can only lead to murder. As Meg races to catch the killer, she finds herself once more daring the river’s fury, this time with an added danger, a raging forest fire.

.

When I set out to write the Meg Harris series, I wanted to make the setting an integral part of the story. I chose a setting I know and love well, the endless lakes, rivers and forests of West Quebec that stretch northward from the shores of the Ottawa River.

I wanted a series character that did more than solve murders. I wanted someone to whom readers could late, someone who faced the same obstacles we all do in our daily lives and didn’t always deal with them effectively. Thus Meg Harris was born. She drinks a little too much, is afraid of the dark, yet she lives alone at Three Deer Point, the isolated Victorian cottage she inherited from her Great-aunt Agatha. Her only companion is Sergei, a giant poodle and a wimpy one at that.

With this series I also wanted to bring alive to my readers the culture of the Algonquin, a people that have inhabited this land for thousands of years. And so the Fishhook People or Migiskan Anishinabeg, as they prefer to call themselves, came into being. I explore the challenges facing the Algonquin today and the ancient customs that help to root them to the land the Creator gave in their care.

WHEN GODS DIE by C. S. Harris ($23.95) is a continuation of the series started in WHAT ANGELS FEAR. Set in Regency England, Sebastian St. Cyr, the Viscount Devlin, is once more pulled into a murder investigation. The author deftly combines political intrigue, cleverly concealed clues and vivid characters for a fast-moving story that will have readers eagerly anticipating future volumes in the series. I had a hard time putting this book down and I definitely look forward to the next book in the series!.

I am a fan of archaeological mysteries and was pleased to find out that A. J. Hartley has written another exciting thriller:

"On the Fifth Day, like my first novel The Mask of Atreus (Berkley, paperback, $7.99), actually began as at least two separate stories which some how turned out to be the same story! I really wanted to write something involving the archaeology of the Roman sites at the foot of Vesuvius, Pompeii and Herculaneum, places I had visited as a kid and which had been crucial to my subsequent fascination with ancient cultural monuments.

But I was also trying to write a Da Vinci code-esque mystery which turned a lot of the assumptions of that particular sub-genre on their heads. As a literature professor and as a writer I get depressed about the reduction of any art work to a code which contains a single, secret meaning. For me, the meaning of art is very much in the eye of the beholder, and always has been, which is not to say that it can simply mean anything and serious thought or investigation is therefore pointless. I wanted to tell a story in which the very uncertainty about what a piece of art meant was the core of the narrative, where the villains were those who insisted upon a certain and singular meaning.

I retraced my steps through southern Italy, specifically in the Naples area, and the place began to dictate changes to the story, both in terms of plot and in terms of atmosphere. The key moment was when I stumbled (during on-line research) on an ancient underground cemetery where human skulls were stacked floor to ceiling. It was closed to the public, but I managed to reach someone involved in an engineering project to render the place safe. 'I am Fulvio of Naples,' he wrote to me. 'I will lead you under the earth.'

Even thriller writers couldn't make up a sentence like that. How could I not go?"

Super Mom Saves the World is now out in stores, I'm happy to say! Just wanted to drop y'all a note about that, with a subtle hint (or shameless plea, however you want to view it) that if you bought it, I'd be very grateful. And if you told lots of people about it, I'd be even more grateful! And if you bought it, liked it, bought more for your friends, and left an Amazon review about it, I'd even consider coming to your house and cleaning the floors!!

I'm running a new contest on my blog and giving away some prizes, in celebration! So please stop over at my website to find out about the contest, the appearances, and even to - ahem - order the book, if you're so inclined!

Thanks for all your support, and I hope you enjoy the book!

PS - My friend Stacey Ballis has a book out today, too; THE SPINSTER SISTERS is the first book in a new series for her!

Melanie Lynne Hauser
Confessions of Super Mom - Available in paperback August 1, 2006 Super Mom Saves the World - March 2007
"For every soccer mom who dreams of leaping tall buildings in a single bound - introducing a superhero for the Swiffer generation." MelanieLynnHauser.com

L. C. Hayden has a new entry in the Harry Bronson mystery series. She sent the following information:

"I had a wonderful time writing this book. I wanted to write about something new, something different. I had just gotten involved with geocaching --that's a form of treasure seeking or as they say in their website "the sport where you are the search engine." I thought why not incorporate geocaching in my book? The end result is Why Casey Had to Die, a 2007 Agatha Award Finalist for Best Novel.

Here's a glimpse of the story: Retired Detective Harry Bronson thought he had solved his first case, but now twenty years later, new evidence surfaces and Bronson is forced to start a journey filled with terror --one that places not only him in mortal danger, but also his beloved wife, Carol. Bronson, in order to save Carol, must race against time to solve a series of geocache puzzles. If he fails, Carol dies. But before he can do this, he must figure out Why Casey Had to Die. You can read an excerpt of the novel at L. C.'s website."

An Eye for Murder, the first (and Anthony-nominated) installment of the Ellie Foreman series is back. Poisoned Pen Press has reprinted it as a trade paperback in 2007. Here's what reviewers had to say about it:

Publisher's Weekly: "A masterful blend of politics, history and suspense, this novel is well worth reading...sharp humor and vivid language... Ellie is an engaging amateur sleuth whose wisdom grows. Readers will hope they won't have to wait too long for Ellie's return.

Chicago Tribune: "Complicated... fascinating... Hellmann has a beautifully tuned ear... which makes many of her scenes seriously funny ... her film-editor instincts tell her when to let a scene run on and when to cut away."

Chicago Blues
by Libby Fischer Hellman
(Bleak House Books, trade paperback, $15.95) Chicago Blues: A dark crime fiction anthology featuring 21 stories by Chicago authors including: Stuart Kaminsky, Sara Paretsky, Max Allan Collins, Barbara D'Amato, Libby Hellmann, Marcus Sakey, Sean Chercover, Sam Reaves, and others was released in October by Bleak House Books. The jacket copy in part reads: "Blue is the new Noir, and nobody does Blues like Chicago... Whether it's the back alleys of Lower Wacker, the Blues clubs of yesteryear, or even the baseline at Wrigley Field, these stunning edgy tales of desperation, deceit, love gone bad, and revenge will haunt you like the riff of a Muddy Waters tune you can't get our of your head. Read these stories and see why the heart of Chicago throbs to the beat of the Blues....and why the Blues are made for Chicago."

HEART-SHAPED BOX has gotten rave reviews including a starred review from Publisher's Weekly which calls the book a truly remarkable debut. The story starts when middle-aged rock star Judas Coyne, who collects morbid curios for fun, doesn't think twice about buying a suit advertised at an online auction site as haunted by its dead owner's ghost. What he doesn't realize is that the suit belonged to Craddock McDermott, the stepfather of one of Coyne's discarded groupies, and that the old man's ghost is a malignant spirit determined to kill Judas in revenge for his stepdaughter's suicide. Be certain to read this one with the lights on.

We have Tony Hillerman's new book, SHAPE SHIFTER ($26.95). It received a starred review from Publisher's Weekly and they had this to say about it: "Only Hillerman could so masterfully connect such disparate elements as an ancient cursed weaving, two stolen buckets of piñon sap and the Vietnam War. The conclusion is sure to startle longtime fans of this acclaimed mystery series." And if you are a Tony Hillerman fan, also check out the books by Margaret Coel and James D. Doss.

For the young ones on your list or the young at heart, we have mysteries and fantasies such as GOBLINQUEST by Jim C. Hines ($6.99) -- Jig is a scrawny little nearsighted goblin -- a runt even among his puny species. Captured by a party of adventurers searching for a magical artifact, and forced to guide them, Jig encounters every peril ever faced on a fantasy quest.

Jim Hines has written a sequel to the delightful Goblin Quest (DAW, paperback, $6.99) and sent this about the new book:

"The lovable underdog from Goblin Quest returns in Goblin Hero, by Jim C. Hines. Jig the goblin is now called Jig Dragonslayer, to his great dismay. And when an ogre comes seeking help against an unknown enemy, the goblins turn to Jig and his pet fire-spider Smudge. This time, Jig will have the help of a large, exceptionally dumb warrior, a crotchety nursery worker, and a muckworker determined to become a true hero, even if it kills her . . . and everyone around her. Like its predecessor, Goblin Hero continues to turn fantasy conventions upside down as Jig faces the ogres' magical enemy and the plotting of his so-called friends.

So where did the idea for Jig come from? 'I've always been fond of underdogs,' says Hines. 'These aren't the first stories from a monster's point of view, but usually you end up with a monster who's big and strong and misunderstood, like Shrek. I say if you're going to write the underdog, why not go all the way? Goblins are small and weak, and Jig's the runt of the lair. But he's clever, and I believe brains can conquer brawn nine times out of ten. For that tenth time, well, Jig has a pet spider who can set things on fire. What more do you need?'

Speaking of Shrek, the manuscript for Goblin Quest was finished four months before Shrek came out in theaters. At one point, Dreamworks was actually discussing the possibility of a Goblin Quest movie. In the end, they decided to stick with Shrek rather than try another monster-centric film. So if ogres get a bit of a raw deal in Goblin Hero, you know why.

Described by Ed Greenwood as 'even greater and funnier than the first,' Goblin Hero is a fun read for all ages. The first chapter is available as a free download from the author's web site."

THE SENSE OF PAPER by Taylor Holden ($14.00) Charlotte "Charlie" Hudson, a former reporter suffering from physical and psychological wounds incurred while covering the war in Kosovo, decides to give up on the book she's writing about Kosovo and begin one on her new passion - handmade art papers and the use thereof by the great 19th-century British painter, J.M.W. Turner.

Roberta sent this when I asked about any new books from her:

"Dear friends,

DEADLY ADVICE (Berkley Prime Crime), the first in my new advice column mystery series, is now available in bookstores and online! Dr. Rebecca Butterman traces the footsteps of a suicidal neighbor into the world of speed-dating and weblogging where no one is who they claim to be.

She's about to find out that when it comes to murder, everyone can use a little help...

Please stop into my website where you can read the first chapter of Deadly Advice, read a sample of Dr. Butterman (AKA Dr. Aster)'s advice, or even submit a question yourself! While you're there, check out my schedule. I have quite a few speaking engagements lined up--hope you'll come by and say hello.

Thanks for reading!

Roberta Isleib
RobertaIsleib.com

PS: "Disturbance in the Field," a short story featuring Dr. Butterman and her sidekick detective, has been nominated for an Agatha award. You can read the story on my website--awards are announced at the annual Malice Domestic mystery convention in May"

Walt has been the sheriff in Wyoming's Absaroka County for twenty-four years, where his wit and charm have helped him solve many crimes. But that can't prepare him for the savage attack on his daughter, Cady, a Philadelphia lawyer who has unwittingly become embroiled in a political cover-up. As Walt and his best friend, Henry Standing Bear, scour the city for clues, he gets help from his deputy Victoria Moretti and her family of Philly police. But Longmire wasn't born yesterday. He's willing to pull out all the stops to find Cady's attacker and show the big city that this old-timer has a few moves left in his saddlebag of tricks. Those who enjoy Tony Hillerman and James Lee Burke will delight in Johnson's newest Sheriff Longmire adventure.

As many of you know, I lived in Wyoming for a couple of years and it's a treat to go back there in Craig's great series.

More information about Craig and his books is at his website. .

After Dave, her fiance, dies, Francie Starzel leaves Chicago for a new job in Denver -- along with Dave's son, Mac. After Dave died, she found out that she was named as Mac's guardian in spite of the fact that she knows nothing about being a mother.

Her new position is a financial analyst with TechLaw, a company that Helene, her college roommate, owns. After several months in the position, Helene fires Francie over what she terms 'discrepancies' in a report. In order to make ends meet, Francie takes a job as a telemarketer selling funerals.

Francie decides that she is going to find out why Helene fired her but, before she can make a start, she discovers a dead body in her car trunk. The police are called -- including Detective Dominic Wolfe who sees Francie as the primary suspect.

I've read many mysteries where I have been required to suspend belief about why the main character should be investigating the murder -- but not in this case. Francie's investigation makes sense all the way through. The characters are well drawn and the humor is just right. Francie's concerns about being a good mother to Mac are valid and ring true. In fact, this is a good book for Mother's Day for mothers who like cozies with a little edge.

I've searched for a web page for Christine but haven't found one. If anyone knows where I might find it, please let me know -- and I'll share it with the list in the next newsletter.

A few years back, Larry Karp wrote a mystery series that centered around music boxes. I loved that series. In this series he's set his book in 1899 Sedalia, Missouri. He sent me this about the book:

"How did I come to write THE RAGTIME KID? Though no person on earth is less possessed than I of musical abilities, I'm a big-time listener, and I've loved ragtime for many years. When I read the landmark book, THEY ALL PLAYED RAGTIME, by Blesh and Janis, I learned that in August, 1899, a white man named John Stark had given a royalties contract to Scott Joplin to publish Maple Leaf Rag, and that struck me as extraordinary. At that time and in that place, a young Black composer could have expected, at best, a small lump-sum payment; at worst, he'd have had his music stolen outright. Yet, everyone the authors had interviewed told a different story as to how Joplin and Stark happened to get together at all, and no one offered an explanation for the royalties contract. Being a writer of mystery novels, I thought this sounded suspicious. Like maybe they were trying to cover something up. Something like a murder?

Then I read about Brun Campbell, a 15-year-old white boy who'd run away to Sedalia to persuade Scott Joplin to give him piano lessons...in the summer of 1899. Brun was clearly an impulsive lad, and I could easily see him stumbling over a corpse, and, without thinking, making off with some valuable items that might have been clues. My story was off and running. By the time I was finished, two years later, the murder solved and the contract signed, I felt as if John Stark, Scott Joplin and Brun Campbell were good friends of mine.

What's next? I'm working on the second book in what I hope will be a ragtime mystery trilogy, centering on notable events in the early history of the form. This story will take place in New York City, in 1916, and should be out in Fall, 2008."

Larry's website is at: LarryKarp.com

I wanted this book to be another in the Poetic Death series which starts with High Rhymes and Misdemeanors. When I found out that it was the first in another series I didn’t want to read this book - but I realized I was being childish. So I started this book - and was I ever glad that I did!! It's a keeper. The mystery is written well - the clues are more than fair but I still didn’t figure out who did it until the end of the book. All of the characters are believable and when I finished the book, I felt like I had read about real people.

Ever since Andy (her husband) ditched her - for another man - A.J. Alexander hasn't exactly been on the road to inner peace. Then Dianta Mason, her yoga-guru aunt, is found dead, and A.J. is named the sole heir to her lucrative yoga studio-making her a multimillionaire, a prime suspect, and the killer's next target.

A new book in the Poetic Death series will be out in spring of 2009. If you haven't read the series, now is the time to start with High Rhymes and Misdemeanors and while you are waiting read the start of a great new series.

Many of you know that I highly recommend Vicki's books. The series is set in the Appalachians and evokes the spirit of the mountains and the people so very well. Old Wounds is the third in the Elizabeth Goodweather series and, after being out for just a week, has gone to a second printing.

Elizabeth is a widow who lives in the Appalachian mountains and throughout the books, it's clear that she has great affection for the area and its people. The language and stories of the mountains weave in and out of the books. The characters are complex and interesting and pull the reader into the story and the surrounding emotions.

In this third book of the series, Elizabeth's daughter, Rosemary, an Assistant Professor of English at UNC-Chapel Hill, returns home to solve the riddle of the disappearance of her best friend, Maythorn Mullins, which occurred when the girls were ten years old. The investigation will lead Rosemary and Elizabeth into confronting a complex web of relationships which include magic and Cherokee legend.

The first two Elizabeth Goodweather books are Signs in the Blood (Dell, paperback, $6.99) and Art's Blood (Dell, paperback, $6.99). You can read more about Vicki and the series at her web site. The web site includes excerpts from each of the books in the series.

Many of you know how much I like the Elizabeth Goodweather series. And I know that many of you who were uncertain about the first book, Signs in the Blood., returned for book 2 and then book 3, etc, This is the fourth book to bring the reader into the Appalachians and Elizabeth’s family and friends. I read this one in one sitting. The great news is that the book was #7 for May on the Southern Impendent Bookseller list - and the book just came out the middle of May!.

A description of the book:

In a North Carolina winter, new vistas appear through the bare trees. For Elizabeth Goodweather of Full Circle Farm, still a newcomer after more than twenty years, one terrible glimpse ignites a mystery that reaches back years into these hills, drawing together dozens of seemingly unconnected lives. Elizabeth sees a frail old woman on a high porch where dolls hang by twine. When the woman jumps, and Elizabeth reacts, there is no turning back.

Nola Barrett’s ancient, sprawling house is spewing a dark past: of depravity, scandal and murder. Her land is at the center of multiple mysteries, ranging from a suspicious death to the brutal rape of a young woman to the legend of a handsome youth hanged for murder. But with Nola recovering from her self-inflicted wounds, Elizabeth has inherited her mad, violent drama ­ while a killer has a perfect view of it all...

If you haven’t tried her books and you like mysteries set in the Appalachian Mountains, you are in for a treat with this series.

When I started reading the first book in this series (this is the third book) I wasn’t certain I would like it since I don’t normally read ‘thrillers’. I was very wrong in hesitating because the book grabbed my attention at the beginning and didn’t let go until the end!

Joe DeMarco’s title is "Counsel Pro Tem for Liaison Affairs," but he really works for John Fitzpatrick Mahoney, Speaker of the House, on any projects that can’t be traced back to Mahoney. All the stock government types are here, but Lawson's craft, intelligence and humor turn these ho-hum regulars into characters worth savoring. DeMarco himself is perfectly human, prey to all the species' frailties and tremendously appealing. The bad guys are sufficiently evil, the plot properly labyrinthine, the solution to the mystery completely satisfying.

The first book is The Inside Ring and the second is The Second Perimeter. I suggest reading the series in order. Highly recommended!

Con Lehane's Bartender Mysteries are doing well -- the first two in the series are Beware the Solitary Drinker (Poisoned Pen Press,hardcover, $24.95) and What Goes Around, Comes Around (St. Martin's Minotaur, hardcover, $23.95). When I asked for information about the new book, Con sent me the following:

"As per your request on Dorothy L, here's a description of my new book, out June 12 from Thomas Dunne Books / St. Martin's Minotaur. Its title: Death at the Old Hotel, a Bartender Brian McNulty Mystery.

In this third installment of the series that features the brave, perhaps foolhardy, but definitely likable bartender Brian McNulty, Christmas festivities are marred by murder. Brian's buddy sets his eye on one of the luscious waitresses at work. But when it turns out she's married to a cop with a mean temper, an unnecessary distraction turns to murder. Next their nasty boss is killed, and it falls to Brian to solve the murder before he ends up behind bars in more ways than one.

The question why a bartender as sleuth has many answers. McNulty came about as a kind of composite of bartenders I'd known over the years -- especially in New York. There was a kind of bartender's code and New York working class sensibility around the people I knew when I was working the stick that I thought it would be great to try to capture. Then there's this intangible thing that led me to want to write novels and stories in the first place. I still don't know what it is, but it's the same drive for me whether it's to write "serious" literature or crime fiction. Crime fiction is serious literature to me. The idea of mystery writing came about when I realized I could do all that I wanted to do as a writer and take a shot at being entertaining at the same time. The series allows me to write on big canvas, so to speak, but to do it in bite-sized pieces."

Thanks.

Con Lehane

ConLehane.com

SHADOW OF THE LORDS by Simon Levack ($24.95) This is a sequel to DEMON OF THE AIR, a wonderful mystery set in the heyday of the Aztec empire two years before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors. This book picks up where the first book left off -- but anyone who has not read the first book will still find this one very satisfying.

"LADYKILLER is a dark thriller my husband Larry and I wrote together -- and we had a ball doing it. It's very dark and violent but we wrote it with great glee. Another odd contradictory fact is that Larry and I adore living in New York, but the book depicts a horrible noir city where murder stalks the mean streets. Go figure." -- Meredith Anthony

The book has been receiving very good reviews and I understand that the signings they have done have been a lot of fun. Take a look at Meredith's page and Larry's.

This is from N. J. Lindquist:

This is the second in the Manziuk and Ryan Mystery series (First was Shaded Light, MurderWillOut Mysteries, $12.95)

After Stasey Simon, an outspoken sports talk-show host, asks on-air for a volunteer to knock some sense into the home team's temperamental new pitcher, Manziuk and Ryan hustle to catch a murderer swinging a lethal bat before the case escalates into an international incident.

While keeping the characters and plot in the forefront, Lindquist also manages to explore the intricate, almost symbiotic relationships between the management, players, fans, and media that make Major League Baseball a vital part of the North American culture.

As the crime threatens to escalate into an international incident, Manziuk draws on his own knowledge of baseball while his partner, Jacquie Ryan, tries to understand a game she's never watched.

You can read chapter 1 at Murderwillout.com

I received the following from Gail. I recommend the book highly.

I saw your posting on Dorothy L. and I'd like to tell you about my debut mystery, Destroying Angels, which was published by Five Star/an imprint of Thomson Gale in 2006. KIRKUS REVIEWS called Destroying Angels "a riveting debut thriller."

Destroying Angels

An amateur naturalist dies of mushroom poisoning, a day later the Egg Harbor librarian kills herself, then the buried bones of an infant are discovered. Chicago native Leigh Girard is finding life in a small town can be fatal. Determined to start a new life after breast cancer turns her world upside down, Leigh leaves Chicago and flees to Wisconsin's Door County peninsula, where she takes a job as a reporter for the local newspaper. Her first assignment, the naturalist's obituary, turns into a hunt for a murderer.

Thanks,

Gail Lukasik

Gail Lukasik's home page

I received this from Ed:

P.I. Frank Johnson has moved to Scarab, West Virginia, drawn by the promise of lazy days and the lure of its tranquil mountains.

What he finds instead is a Stinger rocket exploding over his back yard. His ensuing investigation uncovers a cult called the Blue Cheer, a racist group with ugly terrorist plans. As events heat up, blood starts to spill, and for Frank it all gets real personal real quick. With the help of his bounty hunter pal, he sets out to bring the Blue Cheer to justice - any way he can.

"Lynskey has a sure hand . . . top-of-the-line hard-boiled fare." -- BOOKLIST (Starred review)

"Gritty contemporary detective novel . . . will remind many of such masters of hard-boiled prose as Loren Estleman . . .first-rate writing." -- PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

This is the first in Mary Jane's new series. She sent the following information about it:

"When thirty-year-old Charlotte Adams returns home to set up her personal organizing business in the historic town of Woodbridge, New York, she's expecting to find clients who need professional help sorting out their clutter, collections and just plain junk. She's expecting to reconnect with her old school friends, the lovable misfits: Sally, Margaret and Jack. She's expecting that her two rescued miniature dachshunds will help her forget her lying, cheating ex-fiance and the square-cut diamond she's just tossed into the Hudson. She's not expecting to find her first client dead in the debris of a historic home. Not even a little bit. The death of the tyrannical retired teacher Helen "Hellfire" Henley makes the news in a big way. That's got to be bad for business. Naturally things get worse when the police find Charlotte's pen under the body. This is particularly tricky since Charlotte's former friend and current nemesis, Sgt. Pepper Monahan, is in charge of the investigation. Try organizing your way out of that, lady. The first of three Charlotte Adams mysteries, Organize Your Corpses was out in May 2007 from Berkley Prime Crime. It will be followed by Toying With Death in May 2008."

Malmont's debut thriller reads like pages torn from the pulp magazines to which it pays nostalgic homage. It's 1937, and the nation's two top pulp writers - William Gibson, author of novels featuring caped crime fighter "The Shadow," and Lester Dent, the creator of do-gooder hero Doc Savage - are trying to solve real-life mysteries that each hopes will give him bragging rights as the world's best yarn spinner. If you are a pulp fan, be certain to take a look at this book.

The description says it's for ages four through eight but I'll bet there are adults who would enjoy this also.

With the new Harry Potter book coming out in July, there is enough time for the kids you know to make their own wands. The book description says: "Become a wandmaker's apprentice. This guidebook covers every aspect of making your own wand, from the type of wood to the powers that you can create with natural elements like sand, herbs, feathers and more. Your personal powers can be placed in the twist off handle. What kind of wand will you make? Kit includes: 24 pp book with pull-out drawer; wooden wand with removable handle; 3 different feathers; 3 vials with different colored sand; vial of multi-colored stones."

The description says it's for ages four through eight but I'll bet there are adults who would enjoy this also.

Molly MacRae has written the first in a new series set in Tennessee. I received the following from her about the book:

A shady museum curator, a small Blue Ridge Mountain town, burglary, rumors, and murder . . .

Wilder Rumors is the first in a new cozy series featuring Lewis Wilder who thinks he's found an uncomplicated life when he takes the job as curator of the history museum in tiny Nolichucky, Tennessee. Poor Lewis, he's wrong in so many ways.

I was the museum curator in Jonesborough, Tennessee, home of the International Storytelling Center, and a town full of tales, tall and otherwise. While tending the history there, it seemed only natural to turn my hand to writing my own tales. Seven stories in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine are the result, so far, and Wilder Rumors, which Kirkus Reviews calls 'an intriguing debut sure to hold the reader's attention from start to finish.'"

To read more about Wilder Rumors and Molly MacRae, visit her website.

Amy writes a series in which wheelchair-bound Peter Marsh - a former policeman invalided out of the force - and his daughter Georgia base their investigations on unsolved past murders. She sent the following about the newest entry in that series:

"My Murder and the Golden Goblet due out from Severn House in July is the fourth in my Marsh & Daughter series - Peter and Georgia are operating in today's Kent in England, but their cases stem from Kent's past. And King Arthur is quite some way in the past. He's usually associated with the west or north of Britain, but not Kent, and that's probably what drew me to the story in the first place. There's a legend, with quite a bit of substantiating evidence (and isn't that what we crime writers like?), that Sir Gawain died in King Arthur's presence in the church at Dover Castle.

Peter and Georgia work on a 'fingerprints on time' basis, the theory that savage crime or injustice can imprint itself on the atmosphere, and in Murder and the Golden Goblet this centres on a golden goblet from which Sir Gawain might have drunk. A goblet that is mysteriously bound up with the loss at sea of a local man, Laurence Venyon, in 1961. When father and daughter investigate, however, the danger is firmly in the twenty-first century and all too close at hand."

This isn’t a mystery - but it is a book that I thought about a lot after I read it. Publisher’s Weekly can tell you about the book better than I could:

Neches presents in her appealingly unorthodox debut a heaven where angels lust, drink and follow terrestrial celebrity gossip. Skye Sebring is a greeter in the Hospitality Department of Heaven who finds herself drawn to the Earthly Pleasures TV channel (reality TV for Heaven dwellers) after she welcomes the handsome, reformed playboy Ryan Bad Boy Blaine to the pearly gates. The lawyer son of a former president, Ryan's stay in heaven is cut short (his death is more of the brush-with-death variety), but he can't forget Skye, who reminds him of someone he knew. The feeling is mutual for Skye, who follows Ryan back to Earth, where it's pretty apparent there's something strange going on with Ryan's wife, Susan, who is planning a huge gala wedding follow-up to their earlier low-key impromptu nuptials. As Skye investigates her connection with Ryan and Ryan looks into what's causing his wife's strange behavior (he also forms a radio call-in show habit), a tangled story of cold ambition and true love unspools. Neches's funny and sweet novel shows that to err is human and angelic as well.

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

When I asked Karen Neches how she got the idea for this book, she sent me the following:

"One day this crazy thought came to me 'Bridget Jones meets Lovely Bones.' In other words, I wanted to write a lighthearted novel set in Heaven. Also when I wrote the novel I'd just gotten married so I was intrigued by the idea of a love that reaches across the dimensions. I loved designing my very own Heaven with bathtubs that fill up with Perrier and rose petals, an unlimited supply of nonfattening chocolate, and champagne without consequences."

I highly recommend the book!.

Check out her web site at KarenNeches.com.

This came when I sent an email to DorothyL which asked authors to give me information for the newsletter:

"I read your message on DorothyL asking to hear about authors' next books. My newest book is called Reduced Circumstances, and will be published by St. Martin's Minotaur in July of this year. Reduced Circumstances is the sequel to my debut novel, Murder in Exile (St. Martin's Minotaur, hardcover, $22.95), which won the St. Martin's Press Malice Domestic Award in 2005 and was published in 2006. (The first chapters of both books, along with The New York Times review of Murder in Exile, are posted on my website.

Both books follow amateur sleuth Frank Cole, a bankrupt northerner trying to restart his life in the Panhandle town of Exile, Florida. In Murder in Exile, Frank was asked to review an insurance claim for a hit-and-run fatality that was no accident. When someone leaves a threatening message on his kitchen table, Frank realizes that he has to find out what happened in that hit-and-run before something similar happens to him.

In Reduced Circumstances, Frank has taken a second job as the night dispatcher for a local taxi service. One of the drivers tells him about giving a lift to a nervous teen aged boy near the site of a police drug bust, and then the driver disappears. Right after that, suspicious people begin coming by the cabstand asking Frank about the ride, the teenager, and the driver. In other words, Frank is once again forced to find the answers when he doesn't even know the questions.

I got the idea for both books while working in a bank in Providence. Murder in Exile, with its back story of a ruinous bankruptcy, came from my financial services training, while Reduced Circumstances was inspired by a group of flamboyant taxi drivers that I saw each morning as I walked to work. The series is told in the first person singular, from Frank Cole's perspective, because I wanted to show that Frank, as an amateur, is frequently wrong in his initial impressions but never gives up until he gets it right."

When I asked [Jana] what the book was about, she answered "Shape shifters, time travel and Jack the Ripper". It's a good book and is a lot of fun. It's the first in a series. It's also a book that can be shelved under mysteries or science fiction.

Island Of Exiles is the fourth of the Akitada novels (the correct sequence is Dragon Scroll, Rashomon Gate, Black Arrow, Island Of Exiles, and Hell Screen) and was released by Penguin as a trade paperback September 25, 2007.

For a peek at the cover see www.ijparker.com

When the exiled Prince Okisada, the most illustrious prisoner of the penal colony on Sado Island, is poisoned, Sugawara Akitada is called upon by the emperor's envoys to investigate incognito. The accused murderer is the son of the governor of the island, but Akitada suspects greater treachery. Posing as a prisoner, Akitada discovers a deadly conspiracy, only to fall into the hands of brutal guards and disappear. It falls to Tora, Akitada's devoted assistant, to begin his own dangerous search of the island for his lost friend and the truth.

"A sense of mystery, magic and perfectly placed characters, the mystical quality of A Find Through Time lingers in your mind long after you've read the last word." Astrid Kinn: Romance Reviews Today

Across the sweeping plains of Montana, back to the Battle of the Little Big Horn, comes a heartfelt story of self-discovery, reclaimed heritage and eternal love.

Connected by love...destined by fate, forensic artist Gabrielle Camden immerses herself in sculpting the face of a young Native American woman whose parallel life takes her on an incredible journey back in time to Custer's Last Stand. The path leads her deep into the heart of the Sioux Nation and into the arms of a Lakota warrior named Two Moons. But before she can give her love to one man, she must lose the love of another....

News reporter Roy Prescott knows there's a story just itching to be told surrounding Ms. Camden's latest project. But before he can soothe her skeptical heart and unveil her secret, she disappears without a trace leaving him to search for her in the most unlikely place --- his past.

Visit my website to read more"

"Elizabeth Rose believes her greatest fear has come true; the villagers think she is bewitched and the music from her glass armonica can wake the dead. Thrust into a strange household with a man she fears, and tormented by the presence of his dead wife, will her secret past get her tossed penniless onto the streets?

Lord Philip Ablington is celibate. Madness runs in his family. Long devoted to his wife's memory, when the enchanting Elizabeth disrupts his orderly household he is torn between feelings of betrayal and the new awakening of his desires.

When Elizabeth is faced with murder charges, she makes a devastating decision, destroying any chance for happiness and Philip is forced to rethink his life's ambition for revenge and celibacy.

A note about the glass armonica instrument:

Some people believed that the sharp, penetrating tone of the glass armonica, an instrument created by Ben Franklin, "ran like a spark through the entire nervous system, forcibly shaking it up and causing nervous disorders." Some believed it woke the dead and drove people mad.

In 1788 people were warned that: 'If you have been upset by harmful novels, false friends, or perhaps a deceiving girl, then abstain from playing the armonica, for it will upset you even more.'

Some armonica players did become ill. It was believed that the lead from the crystal bowls, some which were painted with different colors, was absorbed into the musician's fingers; however, there is no proof of this.

When I heard the sound of the glass armonica and learned of its mystical elements, I couldn't help but write about this amazing instrument.

If you'd like to play the armonica and find out more about the book, visit my website."

I really like legal mystery series and Twist Phelan has a good one. She sent me this:

In May, the second edition of Heir Apparent -the title that launched Twist Phelan's critically-acclaimed Pinnacle Peak legal mystery series- will be released by Poisoned Pen Press.

Joe McGuinness, lawyer and team roper, has landed a job with one of Pinnacle Peak's top firms. But then his boss is killed, putting Joe's legal career in jeopardy. Soon much more is at stake when two more bodies turn up, and Joe must untangle a web of secrets to find out who is hiding killer ambition.

In September, look for False Fortune (Poisoned Pen Press, no price yet), the fourth book in the series. Attorney/kayaker Hannah Dain is in deep water. The chance rescue of a drowning woman leads to Hannah's appointment as lead trial counsel in her sister Shelby's case. Then a new friend pulls her into a treasure hunt -or is it fraud?- while a recently-discovered family member threatens Hannah's relationship with Shelby. Only by taking a gutsy chance can Hannah unravel the scheme and unite both halves of her family.

Find out more about Twist and her books at her web site which has has sample chapters from the books -- and more.

Cathy Pickens, who lives in Charlotte, NC, sent me this information from a press release for her newest book:

"Attorney Avery Andrews has returned to her small hometown in South Carolina, where the biggest news is a pig on the loose. As she has discovered in the past though, this period of relative calm does not last for long.

A native plant rescue is on-going, in which volunteers try to beat the bulldozers about to clear land for a new development. Before the new owner can kick the volunteers off the property, a dead body is found crammed into an abandoned mine hole and the model home and office on the development explode. Add to that one brutal murder and Avery's plate is full.

This is the third in a distinctly charming series that keeps getting stronger and funnier with every book. Pickens's voice is nothing short of delightful as she develops these characters, all the more endearing for their eccentricities. Whether moonpies are a staple of one's diet or not, readers will feel right at home. In the best of ways."

Cathy's website is at: CathyPickens.com.

GREYWALKER by Kat Richardson ($14) could be shelved in the fantasy or mystery section. After being dead for two minutes as a result of a clobbering by an angry perp, PI Harper Blaine discovers icky side effects complicate her Seattle life in unexpected ways - she sees ghosts and attracts otherworldly business as she pops in and out of a shadowy overlapping world. A fun book that is hard to put down. It would appeal to readers of Jim Butcher or Charlaine Harris.

Ellie Avery is an Air Force wife who works part-time as a closet organizer -- when she isn't coping with her husband or their toddler daughter. Someone is killing or trying to kill military wives on Greenly Air Force Base in eastern Washington State. Ellie's part-time job is a great way for her to get into homes to do some sleuthing. But sometimes she finds out that sleuthing is more dangerous than she thought.

The prior book in the series, Moving Is Murder, is out in paperback. You don't have to start with the first book but I would recommend it -- just to understand the characters better.

As an Army brat, I can sympathize with what Ellie has to deal with as an Air Force wife -- particularly the moving. Our moves were at least every two years if not more often. Reading this series gives me an idea of what my mom went through. All I had to do in the new school was make friends -- again.

Sara Rosett's home page

A ghost haunts ancient Amesbury Priory, and the monastery's prized Psalter, a work by the famous Sarum Illuminator, is in danger.

Prioress Eleanor has returned to her beloved childhood home in 1272 for the May Feast of Saint Melor. Her body weakened by a near-fatal winter fever and her soul exhausted from its battle with lust, she seeks peace and strength from her loving aunt. Accompanying her is Brother Thomas, silently grieving over his father's recent death, yet sent by his spymaster to trap a thief before the Psalter is stolen.

Neither Death nor the Prince of Darkness will grant the pair mercy, however, as they join hands against them. The ghost turns murderous, and a man is decapitated near the River Avon where the grim figure walks. As others fall victim to the vengeful spirit, Eleanor struggles to put a face on the restless phantom, while Brother Thomas seeks a thief but finds instead that his own demons have taken on a very human form.

Corpses grow in number. Death dances with glee. All hope of sweet Spring begins to die, and even love takes on a somber hue.

I received the following from Penny Rudolph:

Book Title: Listen to the Mockingbird
Genre: Historical Mystery/Thriller
ISBN: 978-1-59058-348-5 Trade Paperback 306 pages
Price $14.95
Author Name: Penny Rudolph
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: Sept. 2007

My somewhat feminist, historical mystery/suspense novel takes place in 1861 in New Mexico Territory where the Civil War is about to have a startling impact on a woman who calls herself Matty Summerhayes. A stranger dies in her barn, a rumor of a lost gold mine on her land emerges, and soon someone is trying to run her off her ranch.

It was seeing an old tombstone that made ideas begin to spew every which way in my head: 'Here lies a woman who owned a ranch and held up a stagecoach.' I blended the life of a real Army wife of the period with what I imagined the woman beneath the tombstone might have been like, and Listen to the Mockingbird came to life.

What early reviewers say....
Southwest BookViews: "Occasionally one of the thousands of books published each year just grabs the reader and won't let go. This is one of those rare finds...entertaining, informative, and beautifully written..." All About Murder: "Well written, researched, and edited...." Roundup Magazine: "From authentic sounding dialogue to historical accuracy ... an unforgettable treat, with characters you cry with."

THE CASE OF THE MISSING BOOKS begins when Israel Armstrong, a nervous, chubby, Jewish vegitarian, arrives in Tumdrum, Northern Ireland to become the town's librarian. He finds that loaning books to patrons will be difficult as all the library books, 15,000 of them, are missing. His task of finding the missing books is hampered by the citizens of Tumdrum who are quirky, to say the least. It's difficult to explain the humor -- it's a case of having to be there. A sequel to this book, MR. DIXON DISAPPEARS will be on the shelves in July.

I enjoyed Mary Saums' earlier Willi Taft series. Here's the information that she sent me on her new series

Mary Saums has a new novel out from St. Martin's Minotaur. Thistle & Twigg, the first in a new series, is a cozy mystery that features two ladies in their sixties, one British and one Southern. Jane Thistle and Phoebe Twigg join forces to save a privately-owned uncut forest, one full of natural and historical wonders, by taking on paramilitary bad guys. It's set at the edge of Bankhead National Forest in northwest Alabama.

Some comments on the series:

"Thistle & Twigg, the most entertaining and innovative series debut in many years, brims with intelligence, humor and insightfulness. Sheer delight." ~Carolyn Hart

"Saums ably weaves humor, suspense and a dash of the supernatural in this winning twist on the Southern cozy." ~Publishers Weekly

"Thistle & Twigg mixes mystery, fantasy and fairy dust into a delightful concoction." ~Cozy Library

John Scalzi is an up-and-coming new writer. OLD MAN'S WAR and GHOST BRIGADES, his first two Heinleinesque SF books, were best sellers at the store -- and elsewhere. Now he turns to satire and does it equally well.

The Earth is faced with certain destruction after a diplomatic faux pas with the alien race, the Nidu. In order to save the world, Harry Creek must find and deliver the Android's Dream, an electric-blue breed of sheep, to the Nidu for their coronation ceremony. This will not be an easy task as disciples of the Church of the Evolved Lamb -founded by an early 21st-century SF writer of "modest talents" are also on the trail of the sheep. Publisher's Weekly calls it "an effervescent but intelligent romp."

CHANNELING CLEOPATRA ($10.99) is the first in a two-book series by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough. Soon, through genetic "blending," any woman will be able to share her secrets, her wiles, her way with men. First, though, her genetic material must be found. Forensic anthropologist Leda Hubbard jumps at the chance to be the first person to find Cleopatra's final resting place. And the chase is on-for whomever gets access to Cleopatra's genetic material will also gain access to all of her knowledge. And though some want to channel Cleopatra for love, others have far more sinister motives. The second in the series, CLEOPATRA 7.2 (to buy, click on the Other recommendations link above), continues the tale of Cleopatra's resurrection as the Queen of the Nile's DNA is blended with two present day hosts.

THE BASS WORE SCALES is the fifth in the Liturgical Mystery series that begins with THE TENOR WORE TAP SHOES and is published by the Saint James Music Press -- honestly. Hayden Konig is terribly wealthy, the full-time Police Chief and the part-time organist and choir master of St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in St. Germaine, North Carolina. He also wants to be a hard-boiled mystery writer which is why he bought Raymond Chandler's typewriter. With it Hayden turns out such unforgettable lines as "It was a dark and stormy night -- a night just like any other night, except it was Tuesday, so it was really a night just like 1/7 of any other nights; a night when the air was just as hot, the streets just as mean and second chances just as likely as a beret-wearing donkey named Wotan tapping out the exact number of Rossini operas with his hoof and taking my last sawbuck".

"Was his ex-lover really a twisted killer?

While cleaning out his dead ex-lover Ronnie's apartment, staid history professor Michael Dunn-Barten makes a grisly discovery ­a mummified corpse in a trunk. Suddenly Michael must travel back 25 years to find answers by revisiting everybody who knew Ronnie. Back to the 1960s, back to the realization of his sexuality and the boy he loved. Back to the troubling time when his wife threw him out and his family disowned him. Back to uncover disturbing answers amidst drag queens and murky memories ­and to reveal whether or not his first real love was truly a twisted killer. Drag Queen in the Court of Death is a taut thriller about a man who needs to face his past in order to forge a future. He must unravel a mystery that's a quarter century old ­no matter how painful the truth may be.

Noted author Caro Soles presents a compelling, entertaining mystery set against the flamboyant backdrop of drag queens and the 'court' system of drag circles.

Drag Queen in the Court of Death is a tense mystery that will haunt you long after the last page is read."

"Life and death action and intrigue aboard a military space vessel!

Two members of the Merculian National Dance Company are ordered by the dreaded Praetan to leave their tranquil existence to go undercover aboard the starship Wellington to discover who is passing secrets about fleet movements and weaponry to the enemies in the Troia. Lovers Orosin At'hali Benvolini and Eulio Chazin Adelantis, both more dedicated to the arts than the military, are thrust into an unexpected world of espionage and danger. The Danger Dance is a futuristic space adventure with enough swashbuckling action and intrigue to keep even the most jaded sci-fi addict enthralled.

The Danger Dance is noted author Caro Soles' taut follow-up to The Abulon Dance, the first book about the pleasure-loving Merculians.

In their search for the traitor, the resourceful Beny and Eulio find themselves in a dance with danger beyond their wildest fears. The Danger Dance is memorable sci-fi entertainment for the discerning fan."

Find more about Caro Soles here.

This is a delightful book for anyone who loves cats. The art, by the author, is wonderful. Once you get into the book you will find the great art on the right-hand side of the page and a quote about cats on the left-hand side. The pages are perforated so that you can remove the illustrations you would like to frame.

Check out her art including the book at: SusanSturgill.com

First there was Enchanted, Inc. (Ballantine books, trade paperback, $12.95) -- then came Once Upon Stilettos (Ballantine books, trade paperback, $13.95). Now Katie Chandler is back -- and Owen Palmer, the dreamboat wizard at Magic, Spells, and Illusions, Inc., has conjured up the courage to get her under the mistletoe at the office holiday party. Everything is going well -- or is it? It seems that whether she wants one or not, Katie now has a fairy godmother, Ethelinda, who is unfortunately quite inept. And to add to the confusion, SI's rogue ex-employees, Idris and his evil fairy gal pal Ari, threaten to expose the company's secrets -and the very existence of magic itself.

Again, not mysteries but books to be read and re-read many times. The stories are set in Ballybucklebo, Ireland, a fictional Irish village in rural Ulster in 1964.

Some short reviews:

"In a style joyously reminiscent of James Herriot, Dr. Taylor conjures up the rural Irish town of Ballybucklebo that is a pleasure to visit and very difficult to leave. I had a hoot following the humorous and at time poignant exploits of the irascible family doctor, Fingal O’Reilly, and his young, wide-eyed (and very urban) apprentice, Barry Laverty, as they confront all manner of man and beast in the eccentric but lovable town. I can hardly wait for more." ­ Daniel Kalla, international bestselling author of Rage Therapy

"Wraps you in the sensations of a vanished time and place. Like Barry Laverty [the hero of the novel] you join the household. You meet his eccentric housekeeper, Kinky (short for ‘Mrs. Kinkaid’), who tends to come bustling in with a tray, saying things like: ‘Tea, and bit of toasted, buttered barmbrack." ­ Vancouver Sun

"With an unerring eye for detail, the talents of a natural storyteller and the ability to pepper his anecdotes with large doses of wit and humor, Patrick Taylor has written a delightful novel... the lives of the engaging and eccentric townspeople, whose hilarious mishaps provide a perfect foil for the endeavors of the town’s medical men." ­ Calgary Herald

These are books to curl up with on a rainy weekend - good stories and wonderful characters.

Jane sent the following information about the two books she currently has out on bookstore shelves:

My new book is A HARD BARGAIN, the sequel to my first mystery for PPP, A CASE OF IMAGINATION.

In A CASE OF IMAGINATION, former beauty queen, Madeline "Mac" Maclin is finding it difficult to be taken seriously as a private investigator. When her best friend, Jerry Fairweather, inherits a spooky old house in the small town of Celosia, NC, Madeline goes with him. Jerry loves the house because it looks haunted and is perfect for his paranormal scams. The last thing Madeline wants to do is get involved with a pageant, but the Miss Celosia Pageant is being sabotaged, and she's asked to help. When one of the contestants is murdered, Madeline steps up to solve the mystery. But an even bigger mystery is what happened to Jerry's parents years ago. Can Madeline solve this crime and convince Jerry she's more than just his best friend?

Publisher's Weekly had this to say about A CASE OF IMAGINATION: "Beauty pageant tomfoolery and psychic shenanigans add comic zest to Tesh's cozy debut."

The Newport (VA) News said: "Interesting protagonists, colorful secondary characters, witty dialogue, and very lively writing. Lighthearted and fun to read."

In A HARD BARGAIN, Voltage Films director Josh Gaskins thinks Jerry's old house will be the perfect setting for his horror movie, "Curse of the Mantis Man," but when Gaskins is murdered, Madeline Maclin has plenty of suspects. Is the murderer her friend Twenty, who was very vocal in her displeasure about the movie ruining Celosia's small town charm, Jerry's pal, Rick Rialto, a shady con man, or perhaps one of the Pageantoids, Madeline's rabid fans from her beauty pageant days? Madeline is forced to make and investigate some hard bargains, at least one of which is with Jerry.

"Fans of Joan Hess' Maggody series will be happy to find a new sleuth on the screwball southern cozy beat" -- Booklist

Thank you for this opportunity!

Sincerely,

Jane

More information about Jane and her books is at her website

The first complete book by J.R.R. Tolkien in three decades -since the publication of The Silmarillion in 1977- The Children of Húrin reunites fans of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings with Elves and Men, dragons and Dwarves, Eagles and Orcs. Presented for the first time as a complete, standalone story, this stirring narrative will appeal to casual fans and expert readers alike, returning them to the rich landscape and characters unique to Tolkien.

Some further information about the book can be found at THE INDEPENDENT -- Another view of the book is at Timesonline.co.uk

I'd be interested in your comments on the book.

Robert W. Walker sent me some information on his historical set in circa 1893 Chicago:

Shadows in the White City, which has garnered a rave review from the Chicago Tribune, was published by HarperCollins this April as sequel to City for Ransom which debuted 2006. Shadows is followed by City of the Absent. These are the cases of one Inspector Alastair Ransom of the Chicago Police Department circa 1893 and they run for the duration of the Chicago World's Fair (backdrop). I wrote these books because this Ransom fellow and the idea of writing about the rudiments of psychology, surgery, postmortems, and forensics fascinated me after reading a book entitled The Century of the Detective by Jurgen Throvald, a book that Dean R. Koontz insisted I read.

After reading Throvald's book, I began a decade long fascination with this time period. When my 11 book Instinct Series came to a natural end and my Edge Series did likewise, finally I had the time to devote to Inspector Alastair Ransom, time enough to do him and his time period justice.

I then ferreted out Mr. Kenan Heise, owner of the Chicago Book Exchange, a bookstore that dealt only in Chicago history. Mr. Heise pulled all the books from the shelves he felt I would need in order to do my plans for Alastair Ransom justice. 300 dollars in hardcover books later, I left Mr. Heise and went to work on City for Ransom, Shadows in the White City, and City of the Absent (all from Harper, paperback, $6.99).

As it turns out, I've gotten the best reviews and praise of my long and checkered career as an author on this trilogy. The Chicago Tribune says of it: "...historical fiction at its best." Ken Bruen said even more wonderful things about the series as have many others. Chicago in its infancy makes for a wonderful canvass to work on. I have enjoyed every minute that I've spent with Ransom and his ensemble, illuminating a stage from history. Even 3 Chicago historians have given this novel series a thumbs up. So I can't be happier with the results.

"My sequel to City for Ransom, Shadows in the White City (6.99 ppb mass market, Avon\HarperCollins, April 1st) continues the exploits of one Inspector Alastair Ransom and his cohort Dr. J. Phineas Tewes as they chase down the Phantom of the Fair - the Chicago World's Fair only to learn there is yet a worse menace to the city than the Phantom, one other than greed and graft. The Leather Apron killer is unique, like none before, and he is stalking Chicago. Unless he is stopped innocent lives will be lost, but the shocking answers could get Alastair killed."

My entire purpose in the creation of this HYstery Novel series was to answer the question what did police authorities ever do without science and in particular CSI and DNA. The answer has been a fascinating window into a rough and tumble time when interrogations could take on a hellish character and at the same time reveal what did work well and how cops relied on a knowledge of the street and human intelligence.

Shadows in the White City debuts April 1st and before that at Malice Domestic where the author will sign copies. For more details go to Robert W. Walker Books
- Robert W. Walker

The Bay Tanner series from Kathy Wall has a new addition. The series is set in the Hilton Head area and the author knows it well since she lives there. Check out her web site.

Publisher's Weekly has this to say about the book: "When brassy South Carolina PI Bay Tanner uncovers the corpse of a newborn baby in her winning seventh outing (after 2006's Bishop's Reach, St, Martin's), her brother-in-law, who happens to be a cop, tells her in no uncertain terms to stay out of it. But Bay is convinced that the strange charm the baby girl wore around her neck is the key to determining her identity, and the identity of her parents (who may be the baby's murderers). Meanwhile, a local real estate developer has hired Bay to find his wife. When the lovely blonde turns up dead, Bay must decide whether to help clear her client of suspicion. She believes he's innocent, but his drunkenly shacking up with another woman before his wife's body is cold doesn't help his case. If that's not enough, Bay's personal life heats up, as two men bid for her attentions. Wall once again delivers credible characters, a gripping plot and pitch-perfect local color."

Kathy, in addition to being a good writer, is also a great supporter of Aliens & Alibis Books which we definitely appreciate. I am trying to figure out a way to get her here to Columbia for a signing. If anyone has a suggestion about where we might do a signing, please let me know.

I was curious about this book after reading the title. I couldn't imagine how the sobriety of an alcoholic could generate an interesting mystery. Elizabeth Zelin found a way and I found that I really enjoyed it. Elizabeth was kind \ enough to send me some information on the book:

"Don’t drink, go to meetings... and investigate a murder. When Bruce Kohler wakes up in detox on the Bowery on Christmas Day, his biggest fear is dying of boredom if he stays sober. Instead, he’s catapulted not only into a murder investigation but also into the world of recovery in the 12-step programs in New York.

When a detox buddy unexpectedly dies in the next bed, Bruce cares more than he expected to. It’s only a few stops on the subway to Park Avenue, where the victim’s family has been trying to ignore their alcoholic black sheep, with his trust fund, his unfortunate nasty streak, and his knowledge of the family secrets.

Helping Bruce stay sober and find the killer are two friends he thought he’d lost: a computer wiz and history buff who loves AA and the world’s most codependent addictions counselor, always ready to help and mind everybody’s business. Their sleuthing takes them from the corporate towers to the church basements of New York."

Elizabeth Zelvin is a New York City psychotherapist who has directed alcohol treatment programs, including one on the Bowery. She has written and lectured widely on addictions, codependency, and online mental health. Currently she does online therapy at LZcybershrink.com. Liz says, "I read and love mysteries myself, and I also wanted to pay tribute to the courage and honesty of people in recovery." Visit Liz’s author website at ElizabethZelvin.com