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Port Vila Blues by Garry Disher

Publisher: Soho Crime

Reviewed by Robin Thomas, New Mystery Reader

Wyatt Wareen executes the perfect heist. He breaks into the home of politician Cassandra Wintergreen and finds in the safe the $50,000 in cash that he was expecting but also a beautiful Tiffany diamond butterfly brooch. Wyatt decides to sell the brooch and Liz Redding comes highly recommended to broker the deal. Redding is real nervous about being involved in this sale because she knows that the brooch was originally stolen by the Magnetic Drill Gang; a team of professional thieves. No one knows how Wintergreen ended up with the brooch.

The Magnetic Drill Gang is comprised of crooked police officers, professional thieves and their ringleader is a judge. Judge Victor De Lisle gave the brooch to Cassandra and this error in judgment ties him to the Magnetic Drill Gang. De Lisle will do anything to get the brooch back and that includes killing Wyatt. Wyatt has no choice but to come after De Lisle in order to survive and the hunt leads to Port Vila; a luxurious tropical resort located off the coast of Australia.

Garry Disher writes an outstanding classic noir mystery in which all of his characters have “baggage.” In Port Vila Blues the protagonist is a thief with a conscience, policeman are “on the take”, and a judge uses his position to mastermind robberies, he also threatens the thieves who work with him by maintaining damaging information about each of them that could lead to jail time. The novel is fast-paced with a number of violent scenes that crackle with energy and tension. Port Vila Blues is the 5^th installment in the Wyatt series that consists of six books. Although it is the first one in the series that I have read I am certain that it will not be the last.

And When She Was Good by Laura Lippman

Publisher: William Morrow

Reviewed by Ray Palen for New Mystery Reader

Laura Lippman can flat out write.  She has proven this time and again with her terrific Tess Monaghan series --- exemplified by the fact that she has taken home nearly every literary award for that series.

Lippman also knows Baltimore and the bulk of her writing is set in that crime-ridden area.  AND WHEN SHE WAS GOOD is a stand-alone novel that features one of the more unique narrative voices in any of her books. Jumping back and forth in time is a creative style of story-telling and this keeps the pages turning quickly.   Heloise Lewis, a.k.a Helen Lewis, is a single-mother who works as a lobbyist defending the rights of women in the workplace.  At least that is what the IRS thinks.  Heloise actually runs a highly successful call-girl ring and occasionally meets special clients herself.

That premise is somewhat unique but it is not what drives this story.  How young Helen transformed herself into Heloise is a tale of triumph.  In particular, Heloise has overcome years of violence and mistreatment at the hands of men.  Early on it was her hateful step-father who physically and psychologically abused her, telling her she would amount to nothing.  Later, it was her boyfriend Valentine ‘Val’ DeLuca --- a pimp and criminal with a violent streak.

It is hard to feel sorry for Heloise when she takes up with Val because you would have expected her to know better --- especially with all the tell-tale signs of abuse she lived through at home.  However, she realizes soon enough just how dangerous Val is and this is proven when he kills a man who worked for him named Martin. Heloise was quite fond of Martin and wants to see Val punished for this.

She takes a big risk by going to the local authorities and is able to provide them with enough evidence to put Val behind bars, seemingly for life.  Heloise continues to run the call-girl ring that Val built on her own and visits him regularly in prison.  She never lets on that she had anything to do with his incarceration.  She also keeps an even bigger secret from him.  At the time of Val’s jailing, Heloise was pregnant with their child.  She is now raising young Scott by herself --- keeping this fact from Val and telling her son that his father was dead.

Lippman keeps the tension bubbling as word of Val’s legal efforts indicate he might be up for parole.  At the same time, women who had worked fro Val and now Heloise are turning up dead --- women who threatened the business through blackmail.  If Val knew about this business is it possible he knows the secrets Heloise is keeping from him?  If so, what will he do to her?

The latter part of the novel deals with Heloise’s attempts to extricate herself from her life of crime and relocate before Val is released and can find her.  She soon finds out that you cannot run away from your past and when you work with criminals there is no one you can trust.  AND WHEN SHE WAS GOOD is well written and Heloise Lewis is a character you can easily root for.  The last act of the book loses some of its’ steam as not all the tension and threats are followed through on --- but a Laura Lippman novel always features an intense character study and this fast-paced novel is no exception.

Discretion by Allison Leotta

Publisher: Touchstone Books

Reviewed by Robin Thomas, New Mystery Reader

The highest-paid escort in DC plunges to her death from a balcony that adjoins the private office of Emmett Lionel, the much respected District’s Delegate to Congress. Anna Curtis, who is assigned to the Sex Crimes and Domestic Violence unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, gets the call to cover the case, only to find that Jack Bailey, who is Chief of the Homicide section has gotten the same call. He and Anna arrive at the crime scene at same time. Anna and Jack share more than their employer; they are lovers but at Anna’s request they are trying to keep their relationship secret. Jack is part of the senior leadership of the U.S. Attorney’s Office but he needs Anna’s sex offense expertise and requests that she be assigned to the investigation. Anna is hesitant because she fears that it will be impossible to hide their relationship; on the other hand she also realizes that this is a career making case and she agrees to work with Jack.

Caroline McBride’s tragic death could not come at a worse time for Emmett Lionel. He is up for re-election and has serious competition, his wife is about to file for divorce, and Lionel knows that Jack is being considered for a promotion by his opponent. Lionel questions Jack’s ability to lead an unbiased investigation.

Caroline’s tragic death is a shock to the escort service community. Her roommate is wracked with guilt, leading the reader to wonder what she knows about the appointment that led to Caroline’s death and who was she scheduled to meet.

Although  Discretion is the second book in the series, I did not feel that I was missing anything because I had not read the first book. Allison Leotta clearly draws from her experience as a D.C. federal prosecutor specializing in sex crimes and domestic violence to immerse the reader into the legal process without bogging down the plotline with excessive legal jargon. In Discretion, Leotta leads the reader through that hallowed halls of elected office where politicians rub elbows with the rich and powerful in secret social clubs that hide much more than political deals. The reader is also exposed to the mean streets of D.C. where sex and drugs are freely traded. Leotta tastefully interweaves a romantic thread into her powerful legal thriller plotline and accurately captures the damaging impact that the stresses of a professional life can have on a relationship.

I highly recommend reading Discretion because it is so much more than a well-written legal thriller. It includes aspects of a police procedural, political suspense along with a tasteful dose of romantic tension.

Bad Little Falls by  Paul Doiron

Publisher: Minotaur Books    

Reviewed by Jim Sells, New Mystery Reader

Game Warden Mike Bowditch has a tendency to rub the bureaucrats the wrong way. As a result, he has been transferred to a remote area of Maine. This does not prevent Mike from citing locals for violations of state hunting laws, participating in the murder investigation of a drug dealer or becoming involved with Jamie Sewall, the sister of the prime suspect in the murder.

His citations cause Mike to be threatened and harassed by local hunting guides whose revenge extend to loosing a skunk in his trailer. The involvement with the sister of the murder suspect results in scathing scrutiny from the sheriff and a state investigator.

An interesting subplot is the potential relationship that Jamie sees for Mike as a role model for her son Lucas. Lucas is an intelligent yet strange child. While small for his age, he is capable of using underhanded methods in inflicting damage upon those whom harm him.

Doiron has created a winner by exploring the wilderness law enforcement represented by Mike. The author’s character study is well developed from the parallels between Mike and Lucas to the liner thinking of hunters and poachers that will put food on the table at all costs as well as drug dealers and users who stop at nothing to support their habit. Given the extreme poverty of the area, crime is abundant. An extra dimension has been added by having a narrative throughout the book from the perspective of Lucas in the form of his journal. All in all, this is an original and superior piece of writing. 

Some Kind of Peace by Camilla Grebe and Asa Traff

Publisher: Free Press

Reviewed by Jacqueline Corcoran, New Mystery Reader

In Some Kind of Peace, Camilla Grebe and Asa Traff, offer Siri Bergman, a psychotherapist, whose patient dies while Siri is still grieving the loss of her husband.  Although there are a few well-known mystery authors with psychotherapist amateur sleuths—Jonathan Kellerman, Hallie Ephron, and Stephen White—all of these are male, so a female therapist is a welcome addition.  Siri’s patient’s death is ruled a suicide although Siri believes that her patient wouldn’t have killed herself during this stage of her treatment.  As other accidents pile up, Siri comes to believe that she is being stalked by a predator who is out to hurt her. 

The Swedish are becoming quite popular worldwide for their detective fiction.  I don’t know if Some Kind of Peace has anything new to add though.  It’s hard to read about an amateur sleuth who is as passive as Siri. She seems to do nothing to try to figure out the case, but get a crush on one of the investigators and guzzle red wine.  Indeed, she and the people she shares space with in her practice seem alarmingly hard-drinking for a psychotherapist crowd.

One device that is used to structure Some Kind of Peace is the use of alternating, first-person viewpoints of both the main character and the antagonist.  I usually don’t like to hear from the antagonist is a mystery novel, and I don’t see this viewpoint here being especially engaging either.  There are some literary touches in the present tense writing, and the ending lines of chapters I found particularly poetic.  The mystery of Siri’s husband’s death became the more interesting storyline for me, but the main plot was disappointing, despite some pretty prose along the way. 

The Messenger by Stephen Miller

Publisher:  Random House

Reviewed by Ray Palen, New Mystery Reader

The most frightening part of the terrific new terrorist thriller by Stephen Miller is not the deadly premise he has created but the very ‘real’ information included in the Sources and Acknowledgements at the back of the book:

“THE MESSENGER is fiction but is not fantasy.  Bioterror is not only possible, it is cheap, technologically feasible, and, in its opening stages, almost undetectable.  That a large-scale bioterror attack has not yet occurred in North America is simply good luck.”

 Wow!  If I had read only that I would have been hooked.  Thankfully, Stephen Miller has much more up his sleeve with this non-stop work of sheer terror that grabs you by the throat on the opening pages and never lets you up for air.

A young Italian national named Daria is selected for a deadly mission.  Raised in a refugee camp and bounced around by a terrorist organization with full intent on making her a martyr, Daria has no idea what she is about to do.  All she knows is that she has been injected with an untraceable and nearly indestructible form of small-pox and put on a flight to NYC.  Using false passports and documentation claiming her to be a reporter for a European teen magazine named Klic!, Daria receives carte blanche and is welcomed to the U.S. with open arms.

Opposing her is a gristled scientist who had a major falling out with the U.S. Government --- the same Government personnel that are not begging him to assist in stopping what appears to be the most massive bioterrorism attack on U.S. soil ever perpetrated.  The terrorists recognize that bombs and rogue airplanes crashing into buildings will send a message.  However, sending in a human being brimming with a deadly virus produces a ticking time bomb that can do far worse damage.

The scientist in question, Dr. Sam Watterman, reluctantly agrees to help only because the results of early bioterror attacks have piqued his interest.  Even though he was disgraced in the post 9/11 anthrax scares he is willing to put his pride aside to save his country and maybe the entire western world.

Daria meanwhile is unsure of her mission and growing sicker by the minute from the toxic smallpox pulsing through her body.  All she knows is that she is to interact with as many people as possible --- spreading infection along the way.  She treks from NYC to different parts of the country and even makes friends during her mission.  This puts her at a moral cross-roads but one that she has no power to turn back from. As a member of what has been called the Berlin Plague, she and her fellow bioterror subjects are on the top of the FEMA and Homeland Security hit list.  It is only a showdown in a desolate part of the southwestern desert with Dr. Sam Watterman that Daria faces her own mortality and any opportunity for salvation may be lost forever.

Stephen Miller, a successful novelist and part-time actor, has created a uniquely terrifying novel that will shake the foundation of anyone living in the ‘free world’.  THE MESSENGER delivers!

The Caller by Karin Fossum

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Reviewed by Bonnye Busbice Good, New Mystery Reader

Inspector Sejer’s district has been besieged by pranks that seemed designed to eradicate each victim’s sense of security.  In the first occurrence, little baby Margrete’s inattentive parents lose their sense of the world when they carelessly leave the baby sleeping in a pram placed under a tree while enjoying themselves indoors.  When their attention returns to Margrete, the child is drenched in blood, horrifying them and irrevocably changing their relationship.

While the first act truly breeds terror in their family and others, later events seem almost minor in comparison even though each has been carefully thought out to encourage unease at a minimum.  In one instance, a terminally ill man encapsulated by both his illness and bitterness meets someone important to his final destination, threatening what is left of his fragile emotional state.  In another case, a brash young woman loses something personal while still showing her attacker and family something more important.  Sejer knows that he must catch the culprit quickly, etching out a profile of an unhappy person nearly impossible to find amongst the well-populated community.

Quietly and deftly rendered, these vignettes describe the order, peace and love permeating the lives of ordinary people whose worlds are later shattered by these “pranks,” building to a predictable yet no less disturbing climax guaranteed to shake Sejer’s district through its grisly and unnecessary horror.

Norwegian writer Karin Fossum’s Inspector Sejer remains thoughtful and intelligent, personifying an ideal detective in a well-mannered world.  The suspense-building strategy has been ably translated into English by K. E. Semmel, resulting in a mystery as sleek and solid as Danish Modern furniture and ideal for fans of Swedish author Camilla Lackberg.

Valley of Ashes by Cornelia Read

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Reviewed by Stephanie Padilla, New Mystery Reader 

When Madeline Dare moves from NYC to Boulder she finds life to be very different, not only because of the cities themselves, but the fact that she now has a set of one year old twins.  Top that off with a husband who seems to be growing increasingly distant, and it’s painfully obvious that Madeline’s transition from reporter to stay at home mom is more challenging than she’d once thought it would be.  But when she’s finally hired by a small local weekly, she feels that maybe things might finally begin to feel more balanced.  But Madeline can’t seem to stay out of trouble no matter how hard she tries, and soon finds herself investigating a string of arsons.  And when one of those arsons strikes close to home, the truth Madeline finally uncovers will change everything.

Less of a mystery, Read’s much anticipated addition to her series reads more as a humorous, heartbreaking, and irreverent expose of young motherhood and a crumbling marriage, with the mystery playing distantly in the background.  Not that this is a bad thing, this new title from Read still soars above the crowd with her quick-witted lead who always has something interesting to say in her charmingly hipster manner.  But all is not breezy and light here, there’s plenty of darkness in the shadows and plenty of tragedy with hints of more to come.  If you love an intelligent and well-written read, this one does the trick.   

The Map of Lost Memories by Kim Fay

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Reviewed by Bonnye Busbice Good, New Mystery Reader

The Map of Lost Memories takes readers on a treasure hunt while also revealing the imperialism spirit and early twentieth century zeal, both of which were supported by different segments of wealthy westerners whose understanding of other cultures remained one-dimensional.

This particular treasure hunt, fraught with sentimentality and a need for vindication, revolves around two young women and two men that they’ve chosen to bring into the fold.  Irene recently resigned from the Brook Museum after being passed over for the curatorship and Simone needs to escape Shanghai after a life-changing event.  Irene has spent nearly her entire life researching the ancient Khmer of Cambodia (not to be confused with the later, devastating communist Khmer Rouge) and her dying benefactor has just given her resources and funding needed for a major expedition to find a specific set of artifacts at the King’s Temple deep in Cambodia.  While Seattle-based Irene dreamed of Cambodia, Simone considered it her home since she and her parents lived there while maintaining French citizenship. 

Irene invites a mysterious man named Marc and Simone includes her former lover, Louis, to join them on their quest.  Marc has considerable experience managing Asian customs and field experience while Louis’ soul is torn between his love for the fragile, unstable Simone and his devotion to archaeology.  While the four may journey together, each has very different motives and intentions, adding tension to the dangerous trek.

Curiously, the four westerners think of themselves as being alone on this expedition in spite of the Chinese coolies and long train of livestock-borne supplies that accompany them.  The women in particular are unlikeable (Irene angrily calls a fellow ship passenger a “fat Alsatian brood cow”) although author Kim Fay plays with their potential for redemption.  Vivid descriptions add necessary layers to the story, depicting the irony of wealthy communists and also that of westerners annoyed by individuals of the very long-storied culture they swear they want to protect.  Fay offers insight into the triumphant treasure hunters of the twentieth century while revealing baser motives in a creative, thought-provoking novel.

The Exceptions by David Cristofano

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Reviewed by Karen Treanor, New Mystery Reader

Now and then you read a book that leaves you wondering “what happened next?” If the lead characters died at the end of the book, you have no choice but to accept the author’s ending, but if the main characters are still alive, there’s always a chance for another chapter in their shared lives.

At the end of The Girl She Used to Be, I put the book, down with a feeling of loss.  Great sacrifices had been made by both Melody and Jonathan, and somehow I felt cheated out of a happy ending.  They deserved one, dammit!

In The Exceptions, author Cristofano reprises the events that led to Melody’s life on the run and the uncertainties of the witness protection program, then picks up the story of Jonathan’s life, showing the reader how he became what he was, and just how very difficult it was for a man like that to become the man he was by the end of the previous book.  Raised as a little prince in an important mafia family, Jonathan has done something that has estranged him from his past and blighted his future. 

The dangerous warmth of the family makes it a wrench for anyone to leave it, and some of them do so in violent and permanent ways.  When Jonathan confronts his relatives in a shocking counter-move, he almost pulls it off; it’s only when that fails that he takes the path that leads to his own life on the run.

He has to learn how to live his own life on a very humble level, all the while longing for Melody, whom the world supposes to be dead.  As far as Jonathan knows, she is: she’s once again been whisked away by the Federal Marshalls into a new life—or has she?  Not all the people in this story are who they seem to be—there are the exceptions, of which Jonathan is only one.

This is a complex and involving book; the early chapters about the Bovaro family will call The Godfather to mind.  Whether you can accept that a man would be so motivated by love as to do what Jonathan has done—well, that’s why they call it fiction.

Kill You Twice Chelsea Cain

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Reviewed by Ray Palen for New Mystery Reader 

Over the course of four novels author Chelsea Cain has done something thrilling and unique with the serial killer genre.  She broke tradition by making the serial killer and villain of the series --- gasp --- a female!

Gretchen Lowell is the female counter-part of Thomas Harris’ Hannibal Lecter, complete with the genius-level I.Q. and near indestructible make-up.  She has targeted, among others, Detective Archie Sheridan.  Much like the afore-mentioned Hannibal Lecter and his ‘muse’ Clarice Starling, Gretchen Lowell continues to taunt and toy with the damaged hero, Archie Sheridan, and finds it almost unheard of to ever consider ending his life.

Now, four novels into the series, I’m betting Archie Sheridan wished she would!  The first two books in this series, HEARTSICK and SWEETHEART are sheer brilliance and Sheridan is obsessed with taking down the woman who tortured and nearly killed him.  In the third novel, EVIL AT HEART, the roles change and Archie actually uses the now imprisoned Gretchen to help him stop another killer and kidnapper.

With the release of her latest novel, KILL YOU TWICE, the beleaguered Archie is a mere shell of himself and barely recognizable from the first two novels.  Gretchen is drugged beyond belief behind bars and all but useless to Archie.  Nevertheless, Archie and his partner, Henry, are tasked with stopping another violent killer terrorizing the Portland, Oregon area.

This killer is taking particular pleasure in mistreating his victims --- skinning and burning them alive at times.  The only clue Archie is able to glean from Gretchen is a name --- a pseudonym for a man called Colin Beaton.  Colin shares a past with Gretchen and they both shared foster parents at one point.  Archie now realizes the extent of the damaged individual’s psyche that he is up against.  Before the reader can blink an eye from that revelation --- Gretchen escapes from prison.

The question for Archie becomes --- is Gretchen going to help him catch and stop Colin or is she planning to join up with her former foster bro and join him in his sick killing spree?  To make matters worse, Colin believes he is on a spiritual mission and this makes him doubly difficult to stop.  As with all Chelsea Cain novels, all the peripheral characters play a role and the surprises do not stop as each of their individual agendas is revealed.

On its’ own merit, KILL YOU TWICE is a solid thriller and above-average for the serial killer genre.  Having read all four of the novels in the Archie/Gretchen series, I am beginning to tire of the relationship and wish Cain would write a stand-alone novel or spin the series into a completely different direction.  Besides, there’s not much left of Archie either mentally or physically for Gretchen to do damage to.  Time to move on!

The Fear Artist by Timothy Hallinan

Published by Soho Crime

Reviewed by Dana King, New Mystery Reader

Once upon a time—not that long ago—there was a genre of books and movies referred to as thrillers. In this not-so-distant past, a thriller was a story of suspense that kept you on the edge of your seat. Peril lurked behind every activity. The fact that not every activity actually delivered on that peril made the suspense more acute, for two reasons. You never knew which activity would lead to a bad result—thus making you suspect all of them—and the authors and directors understood that action is the release of tension; the suspense necessary for a true thriller comes from the anticipation of what might happen, not watching it happen. The situations, however fanciful, were grounded in realism. The tension remained high because readers/viewers always carried the thought, “This could happen to me,” or, “What would I do next?” in the back of their minds. Frederick Forsythe and Alfred Hitchcock are acknowledged masters.

Times change. Forsythe and Hitchcock have given way to Dan Brown and Michael Bay and situations that defy belief, resolved by übermenschlich heroes with skill sets Alistair Maclean would require an entire platoon to pull off. Bizarre situations. Explosions. Double- and triple-digit body counts. Orgies of violence and vacuums of logic have made the time tested virtues of slowly building suspense and knowing how to release it appear quaint in modern eyes.

Fortunately for those who expect a little more from their thrillers, Timothy Hallinan and his Bangkok-based travel writer hero Poke Rafferty are around. Their fifth story, The Fear Artist, is available now and ready to show what a true thriller is all about.

The story begins with Rafferty buying paint. His wife and daughter are away for a week, and Poke wants their apartment to be painted before they return. Backing into the street with cans of Apricot Cream and Urban Decay in each hand, he is run over by a fleeing mob. Shots are fired. A man falls onto Rafferty, spilling the paint. By the time Poke realizes the man is bleeding, the man is dying. His last acts are to put a laundry ticket into Poke’s shirt pocket, and to whisper three words with his last breaths. Helen. Eckersley. Cheyenne.

A TV news crew is there, followed within seconds by uniformed Thai officers from a branch of service Rafferty does not recognize. The YV crew and body are whisked away, and Rafferty is taken in for questioning. He soon discovers two American have watched this seemingly all-Thai operation from behind a two-way mirror.

Having hit the ground running, Hallinan takes his time letting the reader get acquainted with all the things that could be wrong here. Not everything that looks troublesome is a problem, and some things not thought of as problems are. That’s how suspense is built. You’re never sure who to trust, or what may come of any action, but it all seems like something happening in real time, and Thank God it’s not happening to you. This is a true thriller.

Hallinan’s writing provides the perfect backdrop for such a story. Enough description is given to keep you wondering which facet is important, never so much the mind wanders. The dialog is crisp, and the characters are real and flawed. Humor infuses itself into the dialog and descriptions to keep what could become a relentlessly dark story readable and moving. Rafferty has built up a cadre of people, both in and out of Thailand, he can go to for help, so he needs no miracles or superhuman gifts. Who he can trust, and how much, is an eternally open question.

It’s the Rafferty character that makes all five books work, and that is never more true than in the Fear Artist. He’s Hitchcock’s Everyman, with chops. His travel books describe the seedier sides of Eastern vacation destinations, which has required him to develop some street smarts and a ruthless side. Not cold. He’s not the modern “hero” who drops bodies by the handful, sending each off with a pithy wisecrack. He’s scared, he misses his family, he’s scared for them, and he wants to do the right thing by his friends without getting himself killed in the process. He’s good, and sometimes lucky, though never so lucky you slap your forehead over the convenience of his good fortune.

This is the most overtly political of Hallinan’s books, though far from a polemic. The crisis Rafferty finds himself in has geopolitical origins ranging from 9/11 to recent governmental strife in Thailand and all the way back to the Vietnam War’s Phoenix Program. He makes no more of them than he has to, and is scrupulously fair about how far to go with each. What he has managed to do is to create an excellent entertainment that demands the attentive reader to wonder what is done in the name of Good and question the cost. That comes later. While you’re reading, all you’ll think about is, “What the hell is he going to do now?”

The Fear Artist lacks a little of the visceral impact of The Queen of Patpong, and the climactic scene isn’t quite as well-executed as some of his others. The set-up to that scene is virtuosic, keeping the reader in multiple places at once with no confusion. There aren’t a lot of thrillers out there anymore for readers who like some thought and empathy with their excitement. Theaters and the front displays of bookstores are full of mindless entertainment The Fear Artist is just as entertaining, and far more mindful. Give it a try. You’ll be happy you did.

Buried on Avenue B by Peter De Jonge

Publisher: Harper

Reviewed by Stephanie Padilla, New Mystery Reader

It’s been far too long of a wait for De Jonge’s return with the irrepressible NYPD homicide detective Darlene O’Hara.  This time out O’Hara’s  new case starts out when she is told by an Alzheimer-ridden  ex-junkie about another junkie’s  body he buried beneath  a tree in one of the city’s parks.  But when she finally convinces that powers that be that the junkie just might be telling the truth, their digging instead reveals the corpse of a ten year old boy.  Buried with the boy are some odd mementos such as a CD, a comic book, and some money.  What these clues mean and how they might lead to the killer sends O’Hara on a hunt for the truth not only through the streets of NYC, but down South to Florida and beyond.  And what she eventually discovers might just break her heart if it doesn’t kill her first.

Darlene O’Hara, one of the more unique and inspired female characters out there, makes a more than triumphant return.  There’s something about this woman that is the perfect blend of hard and soft, practical and sentimental, violent and tender that will appeal to fans of the genre who are more used to seeing a male in this role.  De Jonge does a stellar job at character creation, with even the secondary characters shining brightly.  Plan a long weekend for this one because once started it’s easy to get so immersed you won’t want it to end.  Beautifully written and with just the right amount of mystery, this is just about perfect.

Let the Devil Sleep by John Verdon

Publisher: Crown

Reviewed by Stephanie Padilla, New Mystery Reader

After getting shot during his last case, world renowned puzzle solver and semi-retired NYPD  detective, Dave Gurney gets sucked back into the game when  the daughter of a good friend approaches him to help her gather some information on a string of serial killings from over a decade ago for a new documentary she’s shooting.  The killer in question was known as the Good Sheppard, never caught, and only leaving behind one clue: a long and rambling manifesto decrying the rich and greedy, the group from which he chooses his victims. 

But the closer Gurney looks at the cases, the more he begins to disagree with the popular opinion that this killer was using these murders to spread his message, and instead believes there is something far more complicated behind them.  But he’s in the minority on this one with no one willing to revise their long held beliefs, that is until bodies of the loved ones of the previous victims begin to show up.

This is my first time to read from this series, and I have to admit it was a bit difficult to enjoy the main character Detective Gurney.  A bit on the self-pitying side, his bitterness over his injuries, when combined with his over-logical mind, make for a stand-offish man that is sometimes difficult to connect with (which is most likely the point).  And while the plot itself involved a good puzzle to be solved, it’s one that many readers will see coming, perhaps even getting a bit frustrated by Gurney’s own slow understanding of it.  Still, overall this is a good read and one that should delight those who love to solve mystery puzzles with answers gleaned from well-placed clues.

Line of Fire by Stephen White

Publisher: Dutton Adult

Reviewed by Stephanie Padilla, New Mystery Reader

White has decided to put to rest his long running series featuring Boulder psychologist and part time police consultant Alan Gregory in an explosive two-part publishing event.  And while it’s a bit disappointing to see this beloved character go, one can’t help but agree with White’s decision.  It’s always better to go out on top rather than continue a series that risks mediocrity.

In the first of the final two, some life altering events occur that will shake up Alan’s world irrevocably.  The first involves the revealing facts behind a  skeleton long buried in his and Detective Sam Purdy’s closet, literally, coming back to haunt them in the most troubling of ways.  The case involves the death of a woman who had ties with their most hated enemy, a death once thought of as suicide now being examined as a possible homicide.  And what the truth reveals might just end the freedom that these two men have shared since her untimely death.  Along with dealing with that threat, Alan must also deal with his practicing partner Diane’s spiral into mental instability, a spiral that will lead to a shocking and tragic event. 

Readers will be stunned at how this one ends, and will no doubt find it difficult in waiting to read the ultimate conclusion to this long running saga.  Everything we know about these characters is thrown into a tailspin and the result is nothing less than mind-bending suspense.  Morality and character, truth and justice, love and betrayal, all of these are brought into question with White’s typical aplomb, but with many unexpected twists.  How far will these two men go to keep a secret and how much do they have to lose before they break?  Personally, I can’t wait to find out the answers and look forward with a bit of sadness but great eagerness for the final revelations that will tie it all up.          

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Publisher: Crown

Reviewed by Ray Palen for New Mystery Reader 

Award-winning author, Gillian Flynn, has already had tremendous success with her current best-selling novel titled GONE GIRL.  This time around she takes what appears to be a familiar subject --- the break-down and apparently tragic ending of a marriage --- and turns the premise on its ear.

On the day of their fifth wedding anniversary, Amy Elliott Dunne goes missing.  The obvious suspect is her husband Nick.  Nick is portrayed as distant and uncaring.  He shows all the ear marks of a spouse who is floundering in his marriage and looking for a way out.  Amy, on the other hand, is portrayed as a creative and lively free spirit who will do anything to rekindle the romantic flames of her faltering relationship with Nick.

Or so we thought.

What Gillian Flynn does best is toy with the reader’s emotions and pushes them deftly into an area of prejudgment when it comes to making their minds up about Nick and Amy.  GONE GIRL is written in a unique style whereby the chapters trade off between Amy and Nick’s perspectives.  Amy’s part of the narrative starts prior to their marriage and shows a spirited young woman in love.  Nick’s portion of the tale begins on the day of Amy’s disappearance.  The juxtaposition of these two very differing narratives creates purposeful confusion in the mind of the reader and it is easy to go where Gillian Flynn wants you to.

However, GONE GIRL is really two completely different novels.  The first half clearly paints a picture of Nick Dunne as the villain.  His inner monologue refers to several lies he has told everyone around him about Amy’s disappearance --- including the police detectives working the case.  You also uncover an affair Nick has been having with a student of his that has been going on for over a year.  Amy loved treasure hunts and would typically leave clues around the house for Nick to actively search for gifts or special events.  As the clues for their fifth anniversary plans are uncovered --- it reveals Nick in an unflattering light as the location of each clue could also be a potentially damaging piece of evidence to convict him of Amy’s abduction and/or murder.

That is the first half of the novel.  Part two opens up with the revelation that Amy is not only alive but has been playing Nick for months.  She has set up a meticulous scheme to make it look like he was involved in foul play with her disappearance. She knows seemingly all --- Nick’s affair, the clues that the police will discover --- and she is always several steps ahead of him.  Could the once romantic and lovable Amy actually be a diabolical sociopath with a dark history of manipulating people like puppets in a Punch and Judy Show (a nice metaphor that is used throughout the novel)?

To give away any more particulars would spoil the experience.  Leave it said that GONE GIRL will test your opinions and sensibilities and teach you not to jump to conclusions until you know all the facts.  A brilliant, labyrinthine web of a psychological thriller and sure to be one of the most talked about novels of the year.

Odd Apocalypse by Dean Koontz

Publisher: Bantam Books

Reviewed by Jim Sells, New Mystery Reader

Odd Thomas is a fry cook by trade. He has the ability to see and communicate with spirits of the dead. Thanks to his past success in helping troubled spirits cross over, the dead actually seek his help. His sidekick, Annamaria is a charming pregnant teen-ager who can get herself invited as a guest of even the most anti-social billionaire. Her ability has gotten them invited as guests at Roseland – the former estate of a 1920’s movie mogul. A reclusive investor now owns the property.

At the estate, a beautiful blond spirit of a dead woman appears repeatedly to Odd and appeals for his help. Eventually Odd is able to figure out who the woman was and how it connects the investor to the movie mogul.

The story is difficult to follow for the first hundred or so pages. If the reader perseveres, they will be rewarded with a tale that blends the occult with science fiction and mystery.

The style is similar to Stephen King, with biting wit coming from Odd. Despite Koonz’s success, he could perhaps provide some of the crystal clarity present in King’s stories and give an even more enjoyable experience for the reader.

The Skeleton Box by Bryan Gruley

Publisher: Touchstone

Reviewed by Ray Palen for New Mystery Reader

Bryan Gruley’s Starvation Lake mystery series continues with the release of THE SKELETON BOX.  Even though the title may conjure up supernatural or grisly imagery, the resulting novel is far tamer than the title suggests.

With characters named Sherriff Dingus, Whistler and Gus, THE SKELETON BOX plays more like Lake Wobegon than hard-boiled crime noir.  I find the comparisons to Steve Hamilton’s brilliant Alex McKnight series a tad premature and unwarranted.  This novel is far more soft-boiled.

It seems like someone is preying upon the elderly residents of Starvation Lake.  Specifically, while most of them are out at Bingo --- someone is breaking into their homes.  The strange thing is that the Bingo Night Burglar never takes anything, merely rifles through personal and financial information.

Things take a turn for the far worse when one break-in results in a murder.  Phyllis Bontrager is the murder victim.  Her body is found in the home of Bea Carpenter --- mother to the novel’s protagonist, editor of the Pine County Pilot Gus Carpenter.  Making matters worse is the fact that Phyllis was the mother of Gus Carpenter’s ex, Darlene --- a woman he still has feelings for.

With the help of his salty assistant --- intrepid reporter formerly of the Detroit Free Press, Luke Whistler -- -Gus attempts to try and piece together what happened.  With his mother’s memory quickly faltering this is no easy task. Two things soon emerge that cloud the issue further --- the discovery of a hidden lock box or ‘skeleton box’ belonging to Bea Carpenter containing a mix of paraphernalia.  Additionally, his mother remembers Phyllis’s final desperate phone call when she uttered one word: Nye-less.

Further investigation turns up details of a long-dead Priest named Father Nilus Moreau.  He was the pastor of St. Valentine’s dating back to 1951 and may have had involvement in the mysterious death of a local Nun.  Bea Carpenter’s skeleton box contained information about this decades old murder --- but why and how could it possibly be tied to the murder of Phyllis Bontrager?

As old secrets are unearthed the Lake Wobegon town begins to resemble Lumberton from the old TV series, “Twin Peaks”.  No one is as innocent as they seem and the answer to the murder may lie under Gus Carpenter’s nose.  Bryan Gruley, himself a reporter, knows his stuff when it comes to portrayal of the press and he tells a decent story.  THE SKELETON BOX just wasn’t terribly gripping and the ending not much of a surprise.  I think Starvation Lake needs to get a little darker if it is ever going to be given consideration as a serious, hard-hitting crime series.

Suzy’s Case by Andy Siegel

Publisher: Scribner

Reviewed by Jacqueline Corcoran, New Mystery Reader

In Suzy’s Case, personal injury lawyer Tug Wyler is referred the case of an African-American child with sickle cell anemia, Suzy Williams, who has brain damage.  Tug’s job is to set out that medical malpractice occurred rather than just complications of sickle cell anemia.  On the way to trying to win this case, Tug falls in lust with the child’s mother, June Williams. 

The injury that is the basis for the case occurs in third-person viewpoint, but then the rest of the book is written in first-person present tense.  The main problem with this switch of viewpoint is that the reader forms one opinion of the mother and then this has to be revised when we find out that the main character has such a crush on her. 

The child’s mother is painted as a very strong lady, and I wondered what the purpose was of the main character aside from the procedural details of personal injury law, the most interesting aspect of Suzy’s Case.  Why wasn’t June able to make more inroads herself?  She had the evidence and the expert on her side, as well as the muscle.  The main character loves being kicked around by the women in his life, and admits to having the maturity of a fourth grader, so it’s hard to like him.  (He also seems to be overly obsessed with his testicles. )

I was already dismayed at the fact Suzy’s Case had no murder to solve, so I was hoping for some twists and turns to justify this.  Unfortunately, there were no big surprises, which made for a disappointing read.  

The Bourne Imperative  by Eric van Lustbader

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Reviewed by Karen Treanor, New Mystery Reader

Eric van Lustbader has now written more Jason Bourne novels than did their originator, Robert Ludlum.  This newest outing for the indestructible Bourne harks back in some ways to the first in the series.  Bourne is pretending to be fishing on the outskirts of Stockholm, but in reality having a meeting with Christien Norén to discuss the threat posed by Nicodemo, a terrorist who may be a real individual, or may be a construct of a malign organisation.  They don’t get any fish, but they do fish out a half-dead man.  He’s been shot, he’s wet and cold and when he wakes up in hospital, they discover he’s lost his memory.  Sound familiar? 

In an attempt to jog the missing memory, Jason takes the man back to the fishing spot where he was rescued, only to be attacked by a gunman.  Jason and the man he has nicknamed ‘Alef” end up in the icy lake again, and surface to find that Rebeka, a Mossad agent Jason met in  a previous adventure, has saved them.  Thawing out in a nearby cabin, Jason learns from Rebeka that the mystery man with no memory is Manfred Weaving.  Manfred, however, is now convinced that he is Henry Rowland, and when another attempt is apparently made on his life at the cabin, he unexpectedly turns on Jason with murderous intent.

While all this is going on, there are several other stories running parallel, but which eventually link up in an unbelievably complex web of espionage, intrigue, murder, betrayal, counterfeit money and a number of examples of the old adage “Politics makes strange bedfellows”.  Many of the stock characters of previous adventures appear: Peter and Soraya and Don Fernando, plus a number of new ones, most of whom don’t survive their various meetings with Bourne.

If you have a long plane ride in your future, you should consider packing this book in your carry-on; it should hold your attention very nicely for a number of hours.