MAD DOGS by James Grady: Grady’s first novel (Six Days of the Condor, 1974) was awesome and I heartily recommend it to anyone who hasn’t read it. Time will tell whether his latest will stand the same test of time. Five former CIA operatives, deemed to be mentally unable to continue, are housed in a top-secret insane asylum in Maine. When their psychiatrist is murdered they realize they will be framed for the crime, so they break out and make their way to Washington, D.C. and a man they hope holds the key to the mystery. On one level this is a well-written thriller that moves at a rapid pace with plenty of action, or you may consider it an extended hallucination not unlike One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest. Ultimately, it’s a tale of emancipation and coming to terms with the realities of life, and one’s own limitations. 11/06 Jack Quick

MAD MOUSE by Chris Grabenstein: In this terrific sequel to TILT-A-WHIRL, Danny Boyle is applying for a full time position with the Sea Haven police department after spending the summer working part time with John Ceepak.  Ceepak lives by a code of honor that is both refreshing and worth emulating, at least to Danny.  Danny is partying one night at the beach with his friends when they are attacked by someone with a paintball gun.  It's not fun being hit, but it's usually not dangerous either, except one of the girls gets hit in the eye.  And then they get shot at again, more paintballs but also bullets go whizzing by, leaping up the investigation a notch.  All of this is happening just prior to the Labor Day barbeque bonanza weekend, closing the summer season at the Jersey shore resort area.  The new chief of police wants to keep a lid on things and not scare off the tourists and the mayor is worried about local businesses losing money if they have to cancel.  Then another of the friends is shot and seriously wounded, the mayor and police chief are trying to keep everyone calm, and Danny and Ceepak are determined to find the shooter before anything else happens.  Besides the suspense and the humor, you can smell the salt air and taste the taffy, making this the perfect beach read. 06/06 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch

MAD MOUSE by Chris Grabenstein: Labor Day is coming and the New Jersey resort town of Sea Haven is gearing up for a big celebration. Easygoing part-time-summer-only cop Danny Boyle has become so enamored of police work with his partner, super-cop John Ceepak, that he wants to be promoted to full-time and kept on after the end of the season. Luckily, Ceepak, the decorated Iraq War veteran, is on the case when a sniper begins stalking Danny, girl friend Katie and their friends. The mayor wants things solved before the holiday festivities. Danny wants it solved before someone gets killed and John wants it solved period. Having now read both of Grabenstein’s initial efforts, I would comment, not negatively, that they would probably make better television show episodes than mystery books. Think Rockford Files meets Baywatch on the East Coast. Give it a Springsteen soundtrack, some eye candy, and a couple of mis-matched leads as Danny and John. It would be a lot better than most of what’s on the tube today. 11/06 Jack Quick

Madame Mirabou’s School of Love by Barbara Samuel:  If you loved Annie Freeman’s Fabulous Traveling Funeral by Kris Radish, check out Samuel’s latest book. Samuel and Radish are authors who both reach out to grab a woman’s heart. In Samuel’s latest, Nicole Bridges is forced to move into a Colorado apartment complex nicknamed Splitsville when her house blows up following her divorce. Nicole finds a job as a waitress, makes friends, finds a new man in her life. Most of all, she rediscovers her dream of owning a perfume shop, and sharing the scents she creates. As Nikki grows, the author shows the contrast between her and another divorcee, Roxanne, who still stalks her ex-husband. Once again, Samuel writes about a woman’s strength in a beautiful novel. 05/06 Lesa Holstine

MADELINE MANN by Julia Buckley:  Aha, another perky female newspaper reporter with uncanny sleuthing abilities.  Madeline Mann, Madman to her brothers and close friends wouldn’t sign the Declaration of Independence – too conformist.  She must go her own way and if that means getting involved in homicide investigations in her hometown of Webley, Illinois, so be it.  You wouldn’t think a major metropolis like Webley would have political intrigue, love, greed, obsession, and an Annual Fall Harvest Festival.  Count on the madman to find them all in this series, that’s series, not serious opener.  There are appears to be more substance here than say, a big wad of cotton candy, but no steak and potatoes that I could find.  I can’t help but wonder where all these young blonde femme fatales were when I was a newspaper publisher.  All I ever got were like you know, functionally illiterate, or else ex-school teacher empty nesters seeking fame and glory, but heaven forbid you tried to give them direction.  Anyway, it’s enjoyable.  08/07 Jack Quick 

THE MAGDALEN MARTYRS by Ken Bruen: The Magdalen Martyrs is the latest mystery novel in author Ken Bruen's series about a self-destructive Irish crime solver named Jack Taylor. While I think that this is his best so far, if this appeals to you, I would recommend that you go back and read his earlier novels as well and trace his development as an author.

Jack Taylor is a former member of the Irish police force known as the Guardia. His experiences on that job hardened him, turned him to the bottle and led him to resent any form of authority. His boozing and behavior led to his ouster from the Guards and they keep asking him to please give them their uniform coat back.  Jack, at this point in his life, is an alcoholic going down. He hates his life, but finds consolation in his books (he likes mysteries, poetry, A.A. Alvarez and Thomas Merton in particular) and he finds numbness and forgetting in whiskey and drugs. Like Lawrence Block's Matthew Scudder, who he admires, he has at this point in his descent, nonetheless developed a reputation as a detective of sorts and is asked to help various souls who are reluctant to involve the authorities.

The title of this book involves an Irish scandal that had been fairly widely publicized in the past year. It refers to the Magdalen laundry facility, a home established by an order of nuns for unmarried women thrown out of their families for engaging in premarital sex. A far cry from The Cider House, the women are not only forced to work as virtual slaves, but subjected to great physical and mental abuse as well. Many simply did not survive and even the survivors were scarred for life.  In this case, Jack is asked to pay off a favor he owed to a very "hard man" in the Irish underworld. The hard man's sister was a laundry survivor and he asks Jack (on the pain of being killed if he fails to perform) to find one of the teachers who retired from there and was the only good person on the staff. As the plot develops, it is clear that she was not an angel of mercy. In fact, the poor young women referred to her as Lucifer. And the hard man does not intend to thank her, but to make her experience the same sort of misery she meted out.  In the course of investigating this case, and another unrelated matter, Jack gets beaten badly repeatedly, his clothes are ruined over and over again, he is thrown in jail and even his books are destroyed. (This gives him another to excuse to launch into one of his long lists of authors - I am getting a little tired of this, although I like the same writers Jack does). However, this destruction is secondary to that which he is imposing on himself in every page with each sip, each pill and each line of cocaine. I fear greatly for Jack.
Ultimately, and in very clever, but very tough fashion, the various plot lines are resolved, but the larger dilemmas in Jack's life remain. 

I have not enjoyed reading a new mystery author this much in several years. If you like hard-nosed crime fiction with a real Raymond Chandler hero, you can not miss these.  03/05 ~This review contributed by Geoffrey R. Hamlin.

THE MAGDALEN MARTYRS by Ken Bruen: “So I drink. I’m way past my sell-by date and am on precious borrowed time. I should have gone down a long time ago. Lots of days, I wish I had.” Meet Jack Taylor who brings new meaning to the term hard-boiled. An erstwhile detective and full time alcoholic Taylor prowls the dark side of Galway, as if there were no tomorrow. Why? He really and truly doesn’t care whether there will be a tomorrow. After all, it will only be as bad as today and yesterday, anyway. Jack is trying to locate a woman associated with the notorious Magdalen Home for Unwed Mothers as well as determine whether a merry widow was responsible for her husband’s death. Powerful writing from the man called the Celtic Dashiell Hammett. 10/05 ~This review contributed by Jack Quick.

MAGIC CITY by James W. Hall: The Magic City is Miami and Thorn is trying to determine if the magic he has found with Alexandra is powerful enough to enable him to leave his beloved Key West and move to Miami full-time. In the process Thorn gets involved in a betrayal and series of murders that occurred in 1964. A photograph taken ringside of the Sonny Liston – Cassius Clay heavyweight fight in Miami is apparently critical to solving the mystery, and the only remaining copy of the photograph belongs to Alexandra’s father, Lawton, who suffers from dementia. While Thorn is trying to make sense of the matter, a modern day murder spree erupts that reaches from the quiet neighborhoods of Miami all the way to the White House and puts Thorn and everyone he loves into grave danger. Quite a romp. 03/07 Jack Quick

MAHU SURFER by Neil S. Plakcy:  Surf’s up – and so is the body count.  Gay Hawaiian police detective Kimo Kanapa'aka is mahu, a generally negative term for homosexual.  Outed and semi-retired, Kimo must go undercover and stop a brutal killer who has already taken the life of three members of the close-knit surfing community.  If he succeeds he may be able to return to active duty.  If he fails, he most likely will be dead.  Second in the series and certainly different.  Not badly written, but overall not my cup of tea.  It’s not the homosexual aspect so much as the fact that my take on Hawaii is more Gidget and Don Ho than Hawaii 5-0.  A surfer cop is just a bit too much for me, no matter what the sexual persuasion. 11/07 Jack Quick  

MAIDEN ROCK by Mary Logue:  Pepin County is shocked by the Halloween death of a local high school student, an apparent suicide.  When the autopsy reveals traces of meth, Deputy Sheriff Claire Watkins is off on a particularly difficult murder investigation.  The victim is the best friend of her daughter, Meg.  To makes matters worse, Meg and Krista had fought over a boy, just before Krista ran away.  While Deputy Claire is faced with meth labs and doped up teenagers, mother Claire must try to help her own daughter make sense of the situation.  Reminiscent of the J.A. Jance Joanna Brady series, and well done.  01/08 Jack Quick

MAJESTIC DESCENDING by Mitchell Graham: Graham turns from fantasy to thriller in his latest book, and does it very successfully. It's scary to know that his scenario of sabotage of a cruise ship could happen in today's world. Katherine Adams, an Atlanta attorney, goes on vacation with her best friend, Beth Doliver. At dinner the first night on the ship Ocean Majestic, they meet John Delaney, cop turned lawyer, and Professor Ellis Stephen's, who's vacationing after making a scientific discovery that could lead to medical breakthroughs. Katherine and Delaney are just getting to know each other when explosions rip through the ship. While evacuating, Katherine finds the murdered body of Professor Stephens, and turns to Delaney for help because she has suspicions about the killer. Following a hastily convened trial, Katherine and Delaney turn their evidence over to experts, until Katherine finds herself a target in Italy. Suddenly it's up to two lawyers to find the answers to an international disaster. Graham has created likable characters and a compelling story to keep the reader turning pages, Discover him now, because he's only going to get better. 07/07 Lesa Holstine

MALICE IN METROPOLIS by Lonnie Cruse:  Sheriff Joe Dalton, from Metropolis, Illinois, and Massac County, is the kind of man who picks flowers for his wife while waiting for a snitch, dreams of taking his young grandson fishing, and tends to worry about the people he arrests. So who wanted to shoot the sheriff while he was investigating the invasion of meth into his county? His first suspicion is the meth dealers, until the threats start to get personal. As he gathers his family around him, the dangers become greater, and Dalton knows he must protect his family, his deputies, and the citizens of the county. Cruse’s Metropolis mysteries continue to get better, and more personal. Readers who appreciate the family life of the investigators should check out this series. 11/07 Lesa Holstine

Man and Boy by Tony Parsons:  This was cute but not as spectacular as the reviews had led me to believe.  Fairly standard boy meets girl, with the requisite tears and laughter, nods to Ms. Fielding.  Personal note:  the Gone With the Wind reference, which was to the movie as the book had obviously not been read, just pissed me off.  

MAN CAMP by Adrienne Brodeur: Lucy and Marsha are two single New York City girls. Lucy is in love with Adam, until their Valentine’s Day vacation fiasco forces her to confront his shortcomings. Marsha can’t seem to get past the first date, causing her to start a business by dating men and critiquing their dating style. Reminiscent of the Will Smith movie, Hitch, Marsha’s “FirstDate” business soon evolves into a more intense program the girls surreptitiously call “Man Camp”. Lucy’s best friend from college, Cooper, is a gentleman farmer from West Virginia, and he agrees to host the city slickers and coach them on how to be real men, which encompasses teaching them how to change a tire and shoot a gun, but the students end up teaching the teacher when he almost loses the farm. Cooper and Marsha fall in love, but his southern bell of a mother isn’t too keen on her son taking up with a Yankee. Fast paced and fun, this debut is sure to please fans of chick-lit light. Adrienne Brodeur is the founding editor of Francis Ford Coppola's Zoetrope All-Story. Recommended for larger fiction collections. Pub date July 19.  Copyright © 2005 Cahners Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc.  Reprinted with permission.  07/05

MAN EATER by Ray Shannon: The author (really Gar Anthony Haywood) has put together a memorable cast in this Hollywood based tale that is the equal to any Elmore Leonard. There is stone killer Neon Polk who is after Ronnie “Raw” Deal, a sexy producer on the rise, ex-con Ellis Langford who is helping Ronnie, and the Ayala brothers, a pair of vicious, drug-dealing morons. Add in Antsy Carruth, a trashy bimbo who steals drug money from her equally trashy boy friend. Mix in a couple of confrontations, some wounded egos, and scenes like this one: “I better leave you with a little somethin’ to think about. So you don’t go and do somethin’ stupid like tell Five-Oh I was here. Which one of your ears you like best? Left or right?” Start it early in the day if you don’t want to stay up all night. 03/06 Jack Quick

The Man in the Box by Thomas Moran: I was hooked from the beginning: "During the war, we kept our Jew in a box," and read the rest straight through.  This engrossing novel is told from the point of view of the teenagers of a small town in Austria during WWII.  A truly remarkable story.

MAN IN THE MIDDLE by Brian Haig: This book is scheduled to go on sale January 6, 2007. That might he a good day to be at your local bookstore when it opens and to plan on taking the rest of the day off. What is the true meaning of patriotism? During the weeks preceding the 2004 Presidential election, Army lawyer Sean Drummond is caught between duty to Washington's elite and the soldiers in Iraq. Sent to investigate a reported suicide of one of the most belligerent of the hawks supporting the conflict in Iraq, Drummond uncovers the secrets that led to this war. Now he must choose. The soldiers dying overseas or the Washington power brokers, knowing that once exposed the information he has could destroy public support and undermine the presidency. This one has top ten written all over it, with roots in Vietnam, connections to the Carter presidency and to the Iraq Study Group Report. Whether or not its true, it is certainly plausible, and awesomely told. 01/07 Jack Quick

The Man I Should Have Married by Pamela Redmond Satran:  First novel from the very successful author of baby name books like Beyond Jennifer and Jason and the upcoming Cool Names, and one of the first issues from the new Simon & Schuster imprint for Chick Lit and hip reads, Downtown Press.  Kennedy and Frank have been married for a while and have a 5-year-old daughter, Amanda.  Kennedy also has a teenage daughter, Maya, from her previous live-in lover Marco, who she dumped when his interest in drugs superceded his interest in his family.  And also lurking in her past is Declan, who was her boss and best friend until the night she slept with him, after which she ran off to marry Frank.  But Frank's left Kennedy for Sunny, and Maya wants to find her father Marco, who she doesn't even remember, and Kennedy is searching for what she really wants, while dealing with her past, her children and her five-time-married mother's advice.  It's really not as confusing as it all sounds!  These are great characters in a fast paced, sweet and funny story that I could not put down.

MAN WITH THE IRON-ON BADGE by Lee Goldberg: Harvey Mapes, an overeducated security guard for a Southern California gated community, is pulled out of his rut when a wealthy resident hires him to tail his wife. We learn that Mapes is fond of masturbation, television PI shows, nipples, masturbation, gratuitous violence, junk food and masturbation. Actually, this is not a bad read if you are into amateur detectives with lots of on-the-job training. The writing is crisp and the plot interesting, but overall not my favorite to come down the pike. 01/06 Jack Quick

THE MAN WHO WALKED LIKE A BEAR by Stuart Kaminksy: In the sixth Inspector Rostnikov thriller, Rostnikov is visiting his wife, Sarah, hospitalized in their home city of Moscow. The "walking bear" is a man who escapes from the mental ward and alarms the women in Sarah's room before the inspector succeeds in calming him This strange event starts Rostnikov, with his comrades Karpo and Thach, on another series of Moscow adventures where the Inspector divides his time battling criminals, the KGB, and his police superiors. Another first rate police procedural on a par with McBain’s 87th Precinct. 01/06 Jack Quick

MANHATTAN NORTH by John Mackie: Sergeant Thornton Savage and his partners are challenged by a series of slayings – each one a notorious drug dealer. But after one of Savage’s long term friends is killed, the heat gets turned up big-time which in turn leads to threats against Savage and his fiancée. Another first rate procedural from John Mackie, author of Manhattan South, Eastside and Westside. Where will John take Savage next? Whichever direction, you can count on it being action packed. 03/06 Jack Quick

MANHATTAN SOUTH by John Mackie:  Candace Mayhew and her Gambino mob boyfriend are murdered in a bar at closing time.  Later that same morning, Andric Karazov plays with his toy Napoleonic Calvary and thinks about the less-than-perfect job he just completed, a senator in Queens contemplates his run for the presidency while his wife enjoys another rendezvous with her Russian lesbian lover.  All of these people are linked to Candace Mayhew.  NYPD Sergeant Thornton Savage ends up the target of both a shootout and an internal investigation before ultimately fitting all the pieces together of a plot involving infidelity, extortion and political intrigue.  A very well-done police procedural. 01/06 Jack Quick 

MANIFESTO FOR THE DEAD by Domenic Stansberry:  Knowledgeable critics panned this one when it came out in 2000.  Fortunately, I am not a member of the intelligentsia so I enjoyed it immensely.  Its 1971 and real life 64 year old novelist Jim Thompson is drinking himself to death at the famous Musso & Frank Grill on Hollywood Boulevard.  A sleazy producer called Billy Miracle and a fading star named Michele Haze sign the vulnerable Jim to write a novel based on a screenplay, planning to entice movie mogul Jack Lombard into bankrolling both the book and the film.  Haze is murdered and Thompson is set up as the chief suspect.  As homage to Thompson, purists may quibble, but the writing is spare, dark, and full of simple but powerful imagery.  (``He had not died after all. He was in Beverly Hills'')  Maybe not Stansberry’s best work, but obviously audacious, and I thought, enjoyable. 06/07 Jack Quick

THE MARK by Jason Pinter: Rookie reporter Henry Parker has landed his dream job with the New York Gazette.  His first assignments, minor obituaries, have left him yearning for something a bit more exciting.  When his mentor, Jack O’Donnell asks for help on one of his own stories, Henry is happy to oblige.  O’Donnell is working on an article about rehabilitated criminals and Henry is sent to do one simple interview with a Luis Guzman.  Something about Guzman and his wife concerns Henry though and he decides to follow up to find out why.  On returning to the apartment, Henry finds that the Guzman and his wife have been tied up and brutally beaten.  He defends the two and ends up killing their attacker in the process.  Confused and scared, Henry leaves the scene only to find that he is now being accused of murdering a police officer.  Henry must find out the truth behind the Guzman attack and clear his own name before the authorities, or worse, find him.  Pinter’s thrilling debut promises to be a hit with readers this summer.  This is definitely one that will have you hooked until the very last page.  06/07 Becky Lejeune

The Mark of the Angel by Nancy Huston: This was fascinating, well written, shocking and horrific.  About a romance and a marriage, with two different men of course, with the Holocaust and other atrocities thrown in.   Put me in mind of The Reader by Schlink.  I loved it.

MARY, MARY by James Patterson: “Mary Smith” is sending e-mails to a Los Angels Times editor claiming credit for the shooting of a well known actress. She says this wasn’t her first victim nor will it be her last. The FBI Director calls in agent/psychologist Alex Cross who is on vacation with his family at Disneyland. It is like no other case Ales has ever tackled. Is this an isolated incident or part of a bigger pattern? Is Mary Smith really a woman? Delightfully twisty, and somewhat of a return to style of the earlier Patterson thrillers. 12/05 Jack Quick

MASK MARKET by Andrew Vachss: The anti-hero Burke is approached by a man about a job, but as he goes to his car to get Burke’s money, he is killed, leaving Burke with only the “meet money” and a DVD. Now, Burke and his family are trying to find out if there is something in it for them to find the man’s killer. Dark as always, Burke somehow survives in a world that we instinctively know would claim us in a minute. Not for the faint of heart, but Burke and his family, after a time, become familiar, if not trusted acquaintances. 08/06 Jack Quick

MASQUES by Bill Pronzini: Pronzini captures the New Orleans that was and hopefully will be again in this Mardi Gras pot-boiler. Photographer Steve Giroux is trying to put his life back together after a failed marriage and a devastating fire at his photography business. His Mardi Gras trip soon involves his being chased by a masked reveler who thinks Giroux has a photograph that the masked man wants.  Giroux also gets involved with two women, each with a very different agenda. A quick read, very descriptive, which captures the Mardi Gras spirit quite nicely.  Pass me some beads and another drink, please. 11/05 ~This review contributed by Jack Quick.

MASTERS MATES by Peter Corris: Booklist says there are three “evergreen” mystery series that never go stale - Westlake's Dortmunder novels (35 plus years), McBain's 87th Precinct series (49 plus years), and Corris' Cliff Hardy series over 25 years. Having enjoyed McBain and Westlake for years, I am pleased to say that I agree with their analysis of Corris as well. When Hardy is hired by a beautiful woman to look into her husband's heroin-smuggling conviction, he becomes threatened by a conspiracy that may be more than even Hardy can overcome. Another solid outing with believable characters and plenty of action. Lets hope this series could go on another quarter century. 10/07 Jack Quick  

Matchstick Men by Eric Garcia: This book has a rather unusual sticker on the cover; it says, "Read next summer's big movie this winter.  Directed by Ridley Scott and starring Nicolas Cage."  Usually you see the "movie cover" when the paperback comes out, but this time it's right on the hardcover of this just released book.  Interesting.

The story revolves around two con men, "matchstick men", Roy and Frankie, who have been partners for years.  They sucker you in on page one and as the story progresses, the cons get more involved and the monetary rewards much larger until they finally pull the biggest scam of their careers, and go screeching towards the surprise ending.  There isn't a whole lot of plot here, but there is an easy, entertaining read.

MATRIMONY by Joshua Henkin: We meet Julian Wainwright in 1987 when the eighteen-year-old begins his freshman year at Graymont College. Julian dreams of one day becoming a writer. He meets Mia Medelsohn, Mia from Montreal, one evening after picking her out of a yearbook. They fall in love and eventually marry during their senior year. Following college, the couple relocates to Michigan where Mia pursues a graduate degree in psychology – a decision that results from the death of her mother. Julian is now attempting to write his “great American novel” and failing miserably. Henkin’s novel traces the couple through twenty years of life, love, and marriage. Over time, Julian and Mia will face the worst of betrayals and disappointments that life can hurl at them. It’s the mundane and ordinary events that are illuminated in Henkin’s novel, however. Julian and Mia are very real people. They face the same challenges and miseries that every young adult faces today. Some of the more serious issues, like the death of Mia’s mother, are absolutely heartbreaking to read. Julian’s and Mia’s expectations, hopes, dreams, and fears are all so achingly real that readers will find it impossible not to associate with them on some level.  At times funny and always thoughtful, Matrimony is a wonderful literary novel.  11/07 Becky Lejeune

THE MAYOR OF LEXINGTON AVENUE by James Sheehan:  This somewhat uneven story of miscarried justice and loyalty is the debut effort of Sheehan, a Florida trial lawyer.  Rudy Kelly, a "slow" 19-year-old, is arrested for a murder he didn't commit.  Hotshot Miami attorney Jack Tobin, who was friends with Rudy’s father, is asked to intervene to repay a debt to Mikey Kelly, the boy who once named him “Mayor of Lexington Avenue.”  After a somewhat slow start, the book finishes fast and Sheehan's bar experience shows in his courtroom scenes and passages on legal maneuvering. 04/06 Jack Quick

MCCAFFERTY'S NINE by Elizabeth Gunn: Gunn brings back Jake Hines in the seventh book in this satisfying mystery series. Jake is Chief of Detectives in Rutherford, Minnesota, a medium-sized community. Throughout the series, Hines has been struggling with his own identity, since he was found in a garbage dumpster as a newborn. Now, he’s faced with anxiety over the birth of his first child. His dreams of a wolf normally mean trouble, and he worries about his wife and baby. At the same time, he has to cope with the ongoing crimes in the community. There’s an odd cluster of assaults. Women have been mugged by a runner, nicknamed “The Sprinter.” Another department under Hines is dealing with bogus charges on credit cards. When a police sting coincides with a murder, the entire department is in an uproar. It only gets worse. McCafferty’s Nine is one of Gunn’s best in this series. If you enjoy police procedurals with the added element of the personal lives of ongoing characters, check out Gunn’s books. 10/07 Lesa Holstine

THE McCONE FILES by Marcia Muller:  Before there was a V.I. Warshawski, or a Kinsey Milhone, or a Carlotta Carlyle, there was Sharon McCone, the 1977 product of Marcia Muller, credited with the creation of the modern female private eye story.  McCone worked for All Souls Legal Cooperative in San Francisco for many years before starting her own detective agency.  Fifteen of her All Souls cases were written up by Muller, and those fifteen are set forth in this volume.  If you’re a McCone fan like me, it’s a must read.  If not a fan, there still is probably at least one or two that you will enjoy.  An original from Crippen & Landrau Publishers. 02/07 Jack Quick

MELANCHOLY BABY by Robert B. Parker: Sunny Randall is no Spenser but her fourth adventure reaffirms Parker’s ability to tell a story, and to tell it well. Sunny faces the emotional turmoil of her ex-husband Richie’s re-marriage while trying to solve a difficult case that ends up taking two lives and altering others. A young woman thinks her parents are not really her parents. Their actions convince Sunny that something is wrong, but she can’t figure out what. In the meantime she begins to see a shrink – Susan (remember Susan, Spenser’s girlfriend?). Sunny is also assisted by Leonard (remember Spenser’s friend Leonard?). All in all a good read, but definitely Spenser lite. Most memorable line – Sunny after meeting Richie’s new wife –“I spent the next two hours trying to figure out how to kill her without getting caught.” You go girl.  04/05 ~This review contributed by Jack Quick.

MEMORIES ARE MURDER by Lou Allin: The Belle Palmer mystery series take readers to a little-known area of Canada, Sudbury, in northern Ontario. This last book in the series finds the realtor looking back at her own past when a high school boyfriend shows up, tells her why he broke up with her, and, soon, just while they were finding a new friendship, he ends up dead. Belle has quite a lot on her plate, with a new office assistant, and a meth addict after her, but she can’t let her friend’s death be labeled an accident. She teams up with a couple friends to find answers that will satisfy her need for closure to a renewed friendship. Belle Palmer is an admirable character, loyal to her aging father and her friends. She’s trying to make a living in a struggling economy. Don’t miss the chance to read this series. Even though this is the last one, there are five previous mysteries to read about Belle Palmer. 05/08 Lesa Holstine

THE MESA CONSPIRACY by David Kent: Eric Anthony was raised by his tough loving but distant actress cousin Colleen. What happened to his “real” parents has never been an issue for Eric, but now on her deathbed, Colleen reveals to him a cryptic directive from the man who was his father. Now Eric, single dad to his young deaf son, feels obligated to go to Oklahoma and try to learn the meaning of his legacy. There he runs into Department Thirty where U.S. Marshall Faith Kelly is chasing the mastermind behind a wave of domestic terror. Their solo quests meet in a fashion that will have explosive implications for them both. Another good read about the Unit created to serve those whose value to the government outweigh the need to punish them for the crimes they have committed. 09/06 Jack Quick

THE MESSENGER by Daniel Silva: Gabriel Allon, Israeli art restorer and spymaster returns to Rome when Ahmed bin Shafiq, a former chief of a clandestine Saudi intelligence unit, targets the Vatican for attack, in particular Pope Paul VII and his top aide, Monsignor Luigi Donati, who both appeared in Silva's previous novels. Shafiq is allied with a militant Islamic Saudi businessman known as Zizi, a true believer committed to the destruction of all infidels. Gabriel must infiltrate Zizi's organization, and protect his partner, beautiful American art expert Sarah Bancroft. Schedule some decompression time after the ending of this one. 01/07 Jack Quick

MESSENGER OF TRUTH by Jacqueline Winspear: Set in 1930, this is the fourth in Winspear’s successful Maisie Dobbs mystery series. Maisie is in her thirties, a nurse during WWI who suffered from shell shock and a breakdown. She is now a psychologist and private investigator with the ability to ask the right questions that get to the heart of a case. She’s not only interested in whodunit, but why was it done. Georginia Bassington-Hope wants to know if her brother’s death was accidental, or something else. Nick was a gifted artist whose work “could touch the truth,” and that didn’t make everyone comfortable. With his most important work missing, Maisie’s job was to find out if that piece triggered something in an observer. Winspear has her own unique talent. She’s able to bring the time period to life, and create the atmosphere of England in the 1930s, a time caught between wars, when poverty and injustice were major problems. Messenger of Truth is not only a powerful mystery with a surprising ending, but it’s also a story of a time period. 07/07 Lesa Holstine

METRO GIRL by Janet Evanovich: Alex Barnaby is not Stephanie Plum as she tries to track down her missing brother in Miami. Assisted by the despised NASCAR driver Sam Hooker (Stephanie and Joe?), Alex risks life and limb to learn what has happened to Bill. Although the same fem-jep as the one-two-three series, Alex is more capable of defending herself and doesn’t quite fall to pieces like Stephanie. She is however afraid of heights, snakes, sex, and guns, but after all no one is perfect. The Miami and Key West locales are certainly more attractive than Jersey but apparently attracts similar wacky female characters. Bottom line. If you liked Stephanie Plum, you will probably like the slightly more accomplished Alex Barnaby. If you didn’t like Stephanie, take a pass. 05/05 ~This review contributed by Jack Quick.

MEW IS FOR MURDER by Clea Simon: Despite the cute kitten on the cover, Simon's first mystery is not a cutesy cat story. It's the story of Theda Krakow, a thirty-three year old woman trying to find herself as a freelance journalist after her beloved cat dies and her boyfriend moves to Arizona. Theda thinks she's found a story in her own Cambridgeport, Massachusetts neighborhood when a kitten leads her to a house filled with cats and an elderly woman. She may be a "hoarder," a person who takes in so many cats that it's a threat to their health and the cats. When she finds the woman dead, and follows up her story, Theda discovers a woman who tended to her cats, kept her schizophrenic son in a home he enjoyed, and was well-loved by most of the neighbors. When she becomes suspicious as to the cause of death and the motives of a neighbor, Theda teams up with a bartender who swears it was murder. Appearances are not what they seem as Theda discovers she misjudged her neighbor, her schizophrenic son, and others. Theda's life crisis clouds her judgment, and could cause her to trust the wrong person as she follows up a story that threatens the neighborhood, the cats, and her own life. 07/05 ~This review contributed by Lesa Holstine.

MIAMI NOIR edited by Les Standiford:  Akashic’s salute to Miami has sixteen new mystery stories by Carolina Garcia-Aguilera, Kevin Allen, Preston Allen, Lynne Barrett, David Beaty, John Bond, Tom Corcoran, John Dufresne, Anthony Dale Gagliano, James W. Hall, Vicki Hendricks, Christine Kling, Paul Levine, Barbara Parker, George Tucker and Jeffrey Wehr.  From South Beach to Alligator Alley, from Haitian boat people and Cuban émigrés to home grown redneck psychopaths, you will find it all in these stories. Characters like Vicki Hendricks 4’ 10” protagonist - "too short for normal chicks, too tall for a dwarf" to James W. Hall’s “Jumpy”, a "6'4" low life, skinny as a greyhound, pasty-skinned, all knuckles and Adam's apple".  Guaranteed something for everyone.  This is another great anthology. 01/08 Jack Quick

MICHAEL TOLLIVER LIVES by Armistead Maupin: If you were a fan of Maupin’s Tales of the City and its sequels, written in the late 70s and 80s, you’ll want to pick up this novel. Maupin claims it’s not a sequel, but anyone who read the earlier books will be pleased to visit with Michael Tolliver, known as “Mouse” in the earlier books. He survived his wild years in San Francisco, and he’s now leading the life of an aging gay man. He married his partner and lives surrounded by friends. However, he still has to deal with his real family in Florida as much as he would like to forget about the people who rejected him because of his lifestyle. Maupin’s latest book is a warm book about growing older and accepting the changes that come with it. However, just as in his earlier books, and the PBS and Showtime mini-series that came from them, the homosexual themes, sex, and illicit drug use are prominent parts of this book.  Maupin fans, and there are many of them, have been waiting for this story. 07/07 Lesa Holstine

THE MIDDLE PLACE by Kelly Corrigan: Corrigan’s moving memoir is the story of a year with cancer, but it’s also the beautiful story of the love between a father and a daughter. She was the only daughter of George Corrigan, a loud, funny, Catholic man who adored her. The year she discovered she had breast cancer was also the year her father’s cancer came back. Suddenly, she found herself in “the middle place,” caught in “that sliver of time when childhood and parenthood overlap,” when she was a mother trying to protect her children from her cancer, and a daughter worried about her father’s mortality. The Middle Place is a touching, warm story of a young woman, who was at times spoiled and selfish. At all times, though, she was a loving daughter. 01/08 Lesa Holstine

THE MIDNIGHT CHOIR by Gene Kerrigan:  If someone asks you what is a crime novel, show them this one.  Kerrigan’s garda patrol the underside of Dublin in this gritty tale of the inner city.  There are several cases - a woman tries to mug a pair of tourists with a syringe as her weapon; a man plans a jewelry heist; a gangster's life is torn apart by his brother's murder; a detective builds a case against an accused rapist – it’s the day to day attempt to clean the worst of the garbage off the streets, without getting it all over you.  Kerrigan, a veteran journalist who lives in Dublin, is about as good as you can get. 09/07 Jack Quick 

Midnight Pass by Stuart Kaminsky: Stuart Kaminsky's latest mystery features one of his more recent heroes, the process-server Lou Fonseca, who is working out of Sarasota, Florida. Because process-servers have to know their way around town, Lou is regularly asked to "help" find people, despite his lack of a formal P.I. ticket. In this book, he is simultaneously searching for a wayward wife whose husband wants her back and a missing town father whose vote is necessary to preserve Midnight Pass from developers.
    The geographic search for these people is easy and turns out to be tangential to Fonseca's other search, which is to find out why they are missing and how they fit into the lives of many others. He finds them and helps them fit back in better ways. Along the way, Lou helps a lot of other people too.
    Lou is a nice guy. He is desperately missing his dead wife and washes his own clothes at the laundromat. If you like the TV show, Monk, and I do, you will like this book. It is a good story by a good storyteller.  01/04 ~This review contributed by Geoffrey R. Hamlin.

MILK GLASS MOON by Adriana Trigiani:  This is the third volume of the Big Stone Gap series and I am just loving this series all over again.  Ave Maria and Jack are struggling with Etta's teenage years in the still lovely small town of Big Stone Gap, Virginia.  The similarities to the family village in Italy are explored and the laughs and love just warm the heart.  This is comfort reading of the best kind; real characters, interesting settings, and terrific writing that just makes you yearn for more.  Trigiani is always a treat to read.  04/07 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch

Million Dollar Baby by Amy Patricia Meade: Marjorie McClelland is a successful mystery writer in Ridgebury, CT in 1935. She loves her mysteries, but doesn’t expect to stumble over a body when touring the grounds of Kensington House with its new owner, millionaire Creighton Ashcroft. Together with Police Detective Robert Jameson, they delve into the connections between this body and a five-year-old suicide on the same premises. Million Dollar Baby can be enjoyed for the traditional mystery, the atmosphere of the 1930s, and the great character of Creighton Ashcroft. I’d like to see him return in Meade’s next mystery. 08/06 Lesa Holstine

The Millionaires by Brad Meltzer:  With nary a lawyer or politician in sight, this thriller is Meltzer's best work yet.  Two brothers find a way to commit a more or less victimless heist of $3,000,000 when suddenly it turns into much, much more than that.  Everyone is after them and you can't tell the good guys from the bad guys.  It's hard to root for someone who is committing a crime, but somehow Meltzer makes it all work. 

A Minister’s Ghost by Phillip DePoy: Fever Devilin, professor and folklorist, has returned home to Blue Mountain, his home in the Appalachians. He’s asked to investigate the death of two teenage girls, killed when their car stalled on the railroad tracks. His search brings him into conflict with his best friend, the sheriff, who seems to be covering up something. This atmospheric mystery is for readers who enjoy the lyricism and mysticism of folklore. Check it out if you're a fan of Sharyn McCrumb's Ballad series. DePoy’s phrasing and setting creates a dark atmosphere that adds to the haunting nature of this story. 02/06 Lesa Holstine

MIRACLE ON I-40 by Curtiss Ann Matlock: The recent release of this novel is a reprint of an earlier edition. But, it still has that “It’s a Wonderful Life” flavor that so many of us enjoy this time of year. Lacey is a waitress in a truck stop on I-40 in New Mexico. When a trucker offers to take her home to North Carolina, Lacey decides to visit the family she hasn’t seen in eleven years. She hasn’t spoken to her father since she walked out when she was pregnant with the older of her two children. Unfortunately, her trucker friend ends up in the hospital, and Cooper, the substitute driver is a loner who isn’t happy about traveling with Lacey and the two kids. From voice-over narration to introduce the story to the accident in the snowstorm, there’s really nothing new in the story. It’s just one more romantic addition to the magical Christmas stories. 12/05 ~This review contributed by Lesa Holstine.

The Miracle Strip by Nancy Bartholomew: Very light mystery with a twist; the main protagonist is a stripper.  This is the first one of a very cute series, bound to appeal to fans of Evanovich.  The newest one in the series is Strip Poker.

MISSING WITNESS by Gordon Campbell: As a first year associate with the firm of Butler and Menedez, Doug McKenzie has not yet had the opportunity to work on a case. All that changes when Travis Eddington, only son of the biggest cattleman in Arizona, is murdered. The sole witness to the event saw the man’s wife, Rita, and daughter, Miranda, enter the home where the young Eddington had been staying and close the door. The witness heard six shots. Only seconds later Rita and Miranda emerged from the home. Then, the witness saw a gun drop from Rita’s hand. Eddington’s father retains the lawyers of Butler and Menedez to defend Rita.  Why would a father hire a top law firm to defend the woman accused of murdering his son? This question weighs heavily on the minds of the lawyers, but Eddington is a major client for the firm and no one wants to lose this case. Hotshot defense attorney Dan Morgan is assigned to defend Rita, and he requests that newcomer McKenzie assist him. What follows is a series of events that will stay with McKenzie for the rest of his life. This page turning thriller is one of the most realistic legal dramas to come along since Grisham’s A Time to Kill. Campbell, an attorney for over 40 years, originally began work on his debut over thirty years ago. Not to worry, though, he’s already hard at work on his next title. 10/07 Becky Lejeune

Mission Flats by William Landay: This superb debut novel of suspense is set in Boston and the small town of Versailles, (pronounces Ver-sales) Maine.  Police Chief Ben Truman inherited his job when he left Boston University to help his retired police chief father care for his ailing mother, who eventually died from Alzheimer's disease.  Nothing much happens in this small town, so when during a routine inspection, Ben finds the body of a Boston D.A. in a cabin by the lake, the big city cops come visiting. Retired Boston cop John Kelly gets involved, and Ben gets involved with both Kelly and his D.A. daughter.  Inner city drug lord Harold Braxton is the chief suspect and the cops seem determined to prove his guilt.  Landay deftly manages to keep the suspense high through the final shocker of an ending in this terrific new chiller. Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

MISSION FLATS by William Landay: Ben Truman, the young police chief in the Maine town of Versailles gave up his pursuit of a doctorate in history at Boston University to come home and care for his Alzheimer's-stricken mother. His biggest case to date starts with the discovery of the bloated body of a Boston assistant district attorney in a rental cabin. Ben joins a crew of big-city cops and prosecutors in a search through the blighted Boston neighborhood of Mission Flats for the answer to the ADA's murder and a 10-year-old mystery. Will “Opie”, as the big city cops refer to Ben, prevail? Interesting first effort. 03/06 Jack Quick

MISSION ROAD by Rick Riordan: Everyone needs a little Texas in his or her life. Riordan’s PI Tres Navarre fills the bill perfectly. This time he is caught up in a twenty year old murder case involving his best friend Ralph, South Texas’ top mobster Guy White, girl friend Maia Lee (who has her own surprise for Tres), and a bunch of ticked off San Antonio police. And then it gets interesting. Fast paced, well written and portrays that part of the world perfectly. We are relatively sure Tres will survive all this, but at what price. Must read. To be released 06/05. 05/05 ~This review contributed by Jack Quick.

MISTER B. GONE by Clive Barker: Clive Barker’s long-awaited return to adult horror is finally here. In Mister B. Gone, Jakabok Botch, a low-level demon, recounts how he was lured from the depths of hell – Demonation – into our world. Upon his arrival, he is immediately set upon by group of entrepreneurial demon hunters. He manages to escape them only to be attacked by a blood-thirsty mob of village folk amassed in anticipation of a public execution. Botch is saved by Quitoon, a higher level demon with pyrokinetic powers. Quitoon and Botch travel the world throughout the centuries wreaking havoc and mayhem and searching out new inventions that will change the world. Jakabok reluctantly reveals his tale to the reader. You see, Jakabok is in fact trapped between the pages of this book. He sees our world through the lines of print and exists only in its prose. His persistent pleas that the reader burn the novel are amusing and make this read much lighter fare than is typical of past Barker titles.  11/07 Becky Lejeune

MISTER PIP by Lloyd Jones: In 1988, Bougainville Island in Papua New Guinea became the scene of a bloody rebellion that would stretch on for almost a decade. Matilda Laimo, the adult narrator of this tale, recalls how, in 1991, all the whites left the island except for Mr. Watts. Mr. Watts eventually takes over teaching the children of the island, including the then thirteen-year-old Matilda. During this time of turmoil, he introduces the students to Dickens’ Great Expectations. By reading them a chapter a day, Mr. Watts provides a safe and comforting escape from the terror that surrounds the children’s daily lives. Imagination becomes the key to survival for Matilda as the situation on the island deteriorates completely. It will be years, however, before Matilda will truly understand the lesson that Mr. Watts has taught her. While Mister Pip is both disturbingly brutal and realistic, it is also an inspirational and thought provoking novel. 07/07 Becky Lejeune

MISTRESS OF THE ART OF DEATH by Ariana Franklin: Franklin brings twelfth century England to life in a powerful historical mystery. It’s a period of war between King Henry II and the Church, a time when men are returning from the crusades, a time when life was rough for the common man. It was a period of fear. When children in Cambridge, England disappear and are found murdered, the peasants and the Church blame the Jews, and angry mobs attack them. The Jews are quickly sheltered in the castle, and Henry asks the King of Sicily to send someone skilled in analyzing bodies to assist in the murder investigation. Adelia Aguilar, “a mistress of the art of death,” is sent with two companions. The woman who has led a sheltered, respected life in Salerno, is suddenly thrust into a world where women are suspect, and often tortured as witches by the Church. Now she must work her way into the life of the community in order to ask questions, and find a killer, something she has not done before, and does not enjoy doing. Everyone is suspect, from a tax collector who knows a little too much about the bodies, to knights who went on Crusades. This is an involved mystery with stories of cruelty, romance and history. Mistress of the Art of Death is highly recommended for anyone looking for complex historical mysteries. 02/07 Lesa Holstine

The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley: Magnificent book about the King Arthur legends, told from the female point of view.  Don't judge a book by its movie (or mini-series!)

MOIST by Mark Haskell Smith:  Start with a severed arm decorated with an erotic tattoo, add a minimum wage morgue attendant, mix in a one-armed murderer, a Wharton Business School graduate and a masturbation coach with unnatural urges and you have the basis for a one of a kind murder, sex, mobster tale worthy of Carl Hiassen or Elmore Leonard – and it’s a first effort.  The jailhouse scene where Bob has to pee like a racehorse to preserve his manhood is in itself worth the price of admission.  One funny, funny book. 01/06 Jack Quick

Money for Nothing: Donald Westlake has once again written a funny crime story that may very well be turned into a movie, as were The Hot Rock (Robert Redford) and Bank Shot (George C. Scott and Joanna Cassidy). In this particular case, Mr. Westlake must have been watching old Hitchcock, wrong man caught up in events not of his making movies when he sat down to write. The hero of this tale is Joshua Redmont, who has been receiving checks for $1,000 a month from a mysterious "U.S. Agent" for seven years. His attempts to find out where these checks have come from have been to no avail and he has simply accepted them as a needed supplement to his income. Until the day when a stranger sits down next to him and says "You have been activated." Gulp. 

Of course, he is out of his depth. Of course, there is an assassination plot and of course, his wife and child are threatened by the bad guys. Hitch would have insisted on it. But Westlake is in control the whole way and develops his characters with just enough human detail and a lot of humor. Reviewers will describe this book as "a rollicking good time." It is. I was also reminded recently of what a good writer Westlake is when I read his foreword to the reissue of one of Ross Thomas' books, Out on The Rim. They are a pair to draw to. This review contributed by Geoffrey R. Hamlin.

MONEY SHOT by Christa Faust:  “Coming back from the dead isn’t as easy as they make it seem in the movies.  In real life it takes forever to do little things like pry open your eyes.”  Opening lines from Hard Case Crime’s first offering by a female author.  In order to clear her name of a murder charge, former porn star Angel Dare only has to locate a briefcase of stolen money and defeat an international sex-slavery ring.  It’s all in a day’s work for this newest heroine.  It’s Modern Noir at its finest from the woman film director Quentin Tarantino called “Veronica in a world of Betties.”  With endorsements from Richard S. Prather, Jason Starr, Allan Guthrie and Duane Swierczynski – well, lets just say it, its darn good. 02/08 Jack Quick 

Money To Burn by James Zagel:  A federal court judge, a firefighter/arsonist and two Federal Reserve Bank employees team up to rob the Federal Reserve bank of $100,000,000.  Some interesting twists along the way, and even though the story bogs down in places, it's still a good debut novel.

Monkeewrench by P. J. Tracy: This new author is actually a mother-daughter writing team and they are off to a fabulous start.  "Monkeewrench" is a software company in Minneapolis, owned by an eclectic and eccentric group of friends.  Their newest product, still in the beta testing stage, is a game called "Serial Killer Detective," with crime scene photos providing the clues through the various levels of the game until the serial killer is found.  But somehow one of their carefully staged murder scenes ends up happening on the streets of Minneapolis, so one of the partners, the enigmatic ice princess Grace MacBride, reports it to the police.  Turns out this is the third murder and the murderer is playing their game for real.  The software team is able to pinpoint the next murder, making themselves suspects in the process.  Meanwhile, in a small town in rural Wisconsin, the local sheriff has a rather gristly murder on his hands - an elderly couple is found shot to death in the church.  Somehow this all gets tied together - at breakneck speed, no less - and the big city cops and small town sheriff solve their respective cases.  Well developed characters and crisp, witty writing make Monkeewrench a great read.  Don't miss it.

THE MONSTERS OF TEMPLETON by Lauren Groff:  Distraught and disappointed, twenty-eight year old Willie Upton has left Alaska where she was working at an archaeological dig as part of her PhD program, to come home to Templeton. An affair with her professor led to her trying to run over his wife with a plane and now Willie’s returned to home base to try and straighten out her life. Did I mention she may be pregnant? Willie’s own mother left her hometown for California at a young age and only returned after the death of her parents – Willie’s grandparents. The story is that the free-loving Vi was pregnant, unsure of who the father was, and planning to sell the family homestead when she up and decided to stay. The story is not all true. Turns out, Vi has been keeping a secret from Willie, a secret that she finally reveals in the midst of all this turmoil. Willie makes it her mission to uncover the truth about her parentage and in doing so, learns more about her family than she could ever imagine. As Willie unravels the many secrets of her heritage, her predecessors each take turns telling bits of the story themselves. As the most recent addition to a rather large family tree that begins with the founding father of Templeton, Willie and her family’s tale is closely intertwined with the history of the town itself. The cleverness with which Groff unfolds her debut is nothing short of expert. The monsters of Templeton, and they are there both literally and figuratively, make for humorous, touching, and scandalous reading. The Monsters of Templeton is a wonderful debut from a hugely talented writer that should be on everyone’s must read list this year. 02/08 Becky Lejeune

Montana 1948 by Larry Watson:  Be forewarned: this small book carries a powerful punch.  It is the coming of age story of David Hayden, set in a small town in Montana near the Canadian border.  David's father is the gun-kept-in-the-drawer, badge-in-the-wallet Andy Griffith type sheriff, a position he inherited from his father, who is determined to keep this a family business.  His uncle Frank is the town doctor, but when Marie Little Feather, their Native American housekeeper, becomes ill, she gets hysterical when Frank is called in.  David grows up real fast that summer when his father has to arrest his own brother for rape, and murder.  Beautifully written, the stark scenery is as much a character as the family members in this painful, honest page-turner about family secrets and small town tragedy.  12/03

MOON TIGER by Penelope Lively: My book club was supposed to read this a while ago, but I never got around to it until lately since it just didn’t sound like my kind of thing. You know, some old lady on her deathbed, remembering her life, blah blah. BUT IN FACT, her life was pretty dang interesting, and the book carries you right along. She was not always a nice person, but she was never dull. She experienced a wide variety of what was available to upper-class women of the mid-twentieth century, becoming a reporter in WWII and traveling through Egypt, among many other things.
    It won the Booker Prize, and I also found myself thinking about it for days afterwards, both of which are usually good indications of an excellent book. 05/07 Jenne Bergstrom

THE MOON TUNNEL by Jim Kelly: This book offers an intriguing premise and setting: the discovery of a body which has been concealed in a tunnel. The corpse is discovered on the site of an old World War II English Prisoner of War camp; Italian and then German POWs were housed there. Who was this person? And why in heaven's name would he be in what was clearly an escape tunnel heading into the camp? And is there any connection with the "real" treasure being sought on this site, where Anglo-Saxon items have been found?
    The history is interesting and well-described; readers get to read about might be "enemy combatants" who stayed behind after the war was over. Upon realizing they would not be murdered by the Allies, as both Italian and German soldiers had been told, they found England congenial and became members of the community, made their homes, opened restaurants, raised families.
    Not surprisingly, this is a tale of deception and pretty complicated history; I did get lost at times, but it's just as likely that I don't comprehend tangled family ties as it is that the author wasn't clear. The protagonist is a reporter, with connections to the town that police might not have, which makes him a useful sleuth. The very well-written sideline, of Dryden's wife, Laura, emerging from "locked-in syndrome" and learning to communicate after years is told well, with a minimum of bathos and a maximum of understanding. Recommended. 12/05 ~This review contributed by Andi Shechter.

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins:  T. S. Eliot called this "the first and greatest of English detective novels" and I am certainly not going to argue with that judgment.  First published in 1868, this classic mystery involving the theft of a diamond from an English country manor has withstood the test of time.  Collins created a formula that is still being used today, including the bumbling policeman; the famous, albeit eccentric, Scotland Yard detective; the concept of an ‘inside job’; false suspects; reconstruction of the crime; the least likely suspect being the guilty party; and the final twist at the end.  While it is considerably longer in length than contemporary mysteries, any fan of the genre really should add it to their reading list.

MORTAL FEAR by Greg Isles: Futures trader Harper Cole, moonlights as the systems operator of an erotic online services called EROS. When he contacts the New Orleans police with information about the murder of celebrated author-and EROS subscriber-Karin Wheat, he immediately becomes the prime suspect in six other murders of EROS subscribers across the country. Also on the FBI's short list is Cole's eccentric friend and EROS colleague Miles Turner, who has dubbed the killer "Brahma." When Cole learns that the man he thought was Brahma was killed a year ago and that his online identity was stolen, a tense cat-and-mouse game commences. Coles’ digging leads to his posing on line as a potential victim, using as bait a secret that endangers the mother of his child, as well as his wife. The final climax is breathtaking. Recommended. 03/07 Jack Quick

The Mortician’s Daughter by Elizabeth Bloom: Bloom, author of See Isabelle Run, introduces a complicated character into a complicated case. Ginny Lavoie is a cop in disgrace in the NYPD, suspected of being a dirty cop. She’s numb to her own circumstances, but she is not numb when her best friend, Sonya calls begging for help. Sonya’s son, Danny, was brutally murdered, and Ginny returns home to the small Massachusetts town she fled from eleven years earlier. When she learns about the arrest in Danny’s murder, she knows she’ll have to investigate. And, she only turns up more suspects when she finds out about the problems in Danny’s life. Ginny has to deal with her own problems, a boyfriend she left years earlier, family memories in town, and the problems she left in New York. But, she is still determined to find answers for her friend, Sonya. The Mortician’s Daughter is an absorbing mystery about the complicated relationships in a small town. 08/06 Lesa Holstine

MOST WANTED by Michele Martinez: First novel from a hot shot New York Federal prosecutor about a hot shot New York Federal prosecutor. Art imitates life in this fast paced debut. As with many first efforts, Most Wanted would benefit from a tighter editorial hand. We tend to learn too much about too many people. While it is obvious that Melanie the prosecutor is the main character, you're not as certain about some of the others. Major gritty, even for a hard boiled fan like me. Nicely paced, but again just a bit jam packed, as though there is concern about no tomorrow (or second book). Overall a promising start for a shiny new talent. Maybe next time lets just focus on the crime rather than the crime, the separation, the baby, the new boyfriend, the family, the victim, the department... 03/05 ~This review contributed by Jack Quick.

MOTOR MOUTH by Janet Evanovich:  This is the sequel to Metro Girl and what I suspect will be another Evanovich money-making series.  Not because this is such a great book (it's not,) but she has her fans and I'm one of them.  This series features Alexandra Barnaby, AKA Barney, who is much like Stephanie Plum - clueless, sexy, and lovable, but she has only one male love interest, Nascar driver Sam Hooker.  Personally, I find Nascar boring as hell, but I like the books although not nearly as much as the Plum series.  These characters are fairly one dimensional, but this is not great literature (am I repeating myself?) and is completely plot driven.  Motor Mouth centers around some new-fangled technology that can make a car win a race, except that it's illegal.  There are kidnappings, murders, sexual tension and dog jokes galore in this effervescent read that is real short on logic, but is fast & fun.  Let's call it brain candy - too much is certainly no good for you, but if you want to escape for a couple of hours and have a few laughs, go for it.  10/06 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch

MOTOR MOUTH by Janet Evanovich: An epiphany. I have read and generally enjoyed the first dozen Stephanie Plum books. But, I don’t know that much about bounty hunting in New Jersey. This is the second book featuring Alexandra Barnaby in a NASCAR setting. I do know something about NASCAR, which is why this one is DNF (Did Not Finish) before the first green flag pit stop. If you are a NASCAR fan, I suspect you will quickly reach the same conclusion. If you are not a NASCAR fan, maybe the stilted dialogue, improbable plot and unrealistic scenario will appeal to you. Back to the drawing board on this series. 03/07 Jack Quick

MOUNTING DESIRE by Nina Killham: This second effort by Killham (after the very funny How to Cook a Tart) is a humorous inside look at the business of writing romance.  Jack Carter, AKA Celeste D'arcy, is a very successful romance writer - but not finding the romance he wants in his own life.  He takes a vow of celibacy, which proves to be the irresistible icing on the hunky-successful-romantic-guy cake and women are throwing themselves at him, literally.  His sister convinces him to take in Molly, her friend who was fired from her job for inappropriate sexual behavior with a subordinate.  He reluctantly agrees and the sparks fly despite their different agendas;  Jack just wants someone to love, and then maybe he'll think about sex, while Molly just wants sex and then maybe she'll think about love.  Then Molly starts writing her own romance novel while Jack ends up with writer's block.  I don't read romance so I had the sneaking suspicion that I was missing some inside jokes about the business, but it was a fun and funny read nonetheless. 08/05

MOURNERS by Bill Pronzini: When Nameless made his assistant, Tamara, a partner in his detective agency and hired Jake, a new operative, he genuinely felt he was moving toward retirement. But business has increased, and Nameless finds himself reluctant to give up the work that has defined him for so long, even though he has recently become a husband and father. Pronzini's series becomes more layered and complex with each entry. This time the primary characters are all in one stage or another of mourning. A dark, foreboding entry in a classic series. Pronzini is a master. 04/06 Jack Quick 

THE MOURNING SEXTON by Michael Baron: The sexton in this story is an orthodox lawyer with a past.  Having served ten years in the federal penitentiary for embezzlement, David Hirsch is trying to rebuild his life.  He regains his law license with the proviso that he be allowed to practice only under the direct supervision of a lawyer in good standing for at least 20 years.  His oldest friend takes him into his bankruptcy practice and David is working and living a quiet life.  Until one of the minyan at the shul where he is sexton asks him to find justice for the daughter he lost in a car accident three years previously, and he reluctantly agrees to help out.  As he immerses himself in the case, he finds irregularities and starts digging deeper.  But his client is suffering from Alzheimer's disease which is progressing rapidly, opposing council doesn't want him looking into it any further, and things just spiral out of control from there.  This is a well written, fast moving, original legal thriller with some very clever twists and I highly recommend it.  11/05 Stacy Alesi, the BookBitch

THE MOURNING SEXTON by Michael Baron: Michael Baron, who as Michael Kahn writes (or wrote) the Rachel Gold series, set in St. Louis; his characters are sharply drawn, and the stories are often complex without being dizzying, and he knows his city.
    David Hirsch is getting his life back together. A high-flying attorney, he self-destructed, losing his practice, his family, and his sex-filled, embezzling way of life. Upon release from prison, old friends and new-found faith support him. One morning at his synagogue he's approached by Abe Shifrin who wants justice in his daughter's death in a seemingly straightforward car crash. Hirsch, along with his friend and law partner (who has to oversee this felon), ex-con Jumbo and Dulcie, an attorney who becomes a friend, begin to look into the death of Judith, who was the devoted law clerk of a judge.
    This story reminded me (positively) of both Barry Reed's "The Verdict" (made into a fantastic film in the 80s) and of the Gold books, the latter in their detailed knowledge of St. Louis landmarks. A tarnished guy going after big business with big arrogant lawyers is a good story. He's got great loyal friends and is an appealing character. It was hard for me to buy that Hirsch was ever the schmuck he must have been to end up in federal prison, since he's awfully nice here. 12/05 ~This review contributed by Andi Shechter.

Moving Is Murder by Sara Rosett: This first mystery marks the debut of a fresh enjoyable character, Ellie Avery, an Air Force wife who has made four moves in five years. She and her husband, Mitch, are not very happy when they discover the neighborhood they moved to in Eastern Washington state is the home of a large number of people from Mitch’s squadron. But, Ellie is even less happy when she finds the body of another squadron wife. As deaths pile up in the neighborhood, Ellie, the mother of a young baby, takes on another responsibility. She’s determined to find the killer that may be a threat to her and her family. Ellie is a responsible wife and mother, and a great addition to the mystery field. Rosett, an Air Force wife herself, who has moved nine times, includes tips for an organized move. The best tip of all? If you’re looking for a fresh amateur detective, try Moving Is Murder. 04/06 Lesa Holstine

MR. CLARINET by Nick Stone:  Max Mingus spent seven years in Attica for killing three child molesters.  Now the ex-Miami cop and erstwhile PI is trying to put his life back together.  He is hired to find the missing three-year old son of a wealthy white Haitian family in the violent mid 1990’s world of Haiti.  His search for Charlie Carver leads him from the richest to the poorest sections of the island and to powerful drug baron Vincent Paul.  Not for the faint hearted, this first effort is gritty throughout.  Hopefully we will hear more from Mr. Stone in the future. 01/08 Jack Quick

MR. MONK AND THE TWO ASSISTANTS by Lee Goldberg:  I have not seen the USA Network show Monk, but this has a script feel to it.  Monk, apparently a genius sleuth, is dealing with both his current assistant Natalie Teeger (who is the narrator) with his former assistant Sharona Fleming, whose husband, Trevor, is in prison for murder.  The two are jealous and Monk’s idea of them both working part-time is certainly not the smartest thing he has done.  He does deal with a few simpler challenges, gets Trevor out of prison, and is poised for his next adventure, same time, same station, next week.  Very light-weight. 11/07 Jack Quick

MURDER AT THE FOUL LINE edited by Otto Penzler: excellent follow-up anthology to Penzler’s MURDER IS MY RACKET, which focused on the tennis court. In this one, due out in January, a similar group of heavyweights weigh in on the basketball court with new short stories from Lawrence Block, Jeffery Deaver, Mike Lupica, Laurie R. King, S. J. Rozan and interestingly a joint effort by Joan H. and Robert B. Parker, among others. If you’re into hoops, you’ll love this one. 12/05 ~This review contributed by Jack Quick.

Murder Between the Covers by Elaine Viets.  The Dead End Job mystery series is set in Fort Lauderdale, and features great stories interspersed with gentle humor.  This one revolves around the murder of a bookstore owner named Page Turner (you gotta love it!)  Our heroine is Helen, who feels the need to stay on the lam from her ex-husband, preferring to keep out of his, and the law's, radar.  So she takes jobs that are way beneath her talents and education (a former high powered CPA in her married life) and ends up working for cash in a small, independent bookstore that is owned by a real creep.  When the creep gets killed, Helen can't help but get involved along with the zany cast of characters that populate this series.  Sometimes I just want to read something light, fun and fast, and Viets always comes through. 04/04

MURDER BEYOND METROPOLIS by Lonnie Cruse: In the second Metropolis mystery, Sheriff Joe Dalton actually stumbles over a body. While in his niece’s backyard, he trips over the body of an elderly woman, who was beaten and crawled from two houses down in an attempt to get help. Since the Brookport police chief is on vacation, as sheriff of the county Dalton takes over the investigation. Before he even has time to get started, five people in a nearby nursing home die, including the sister of the first victim. Is someone targeting her family, or elderly people in Brookport? Dalton’s investigation and his personal life reveal the importance of family. Cruse’s second mystery is more polished than the first one. Readers looking for a police procedural and an officer with a well-developed family life will find Dalton and the Metropolis series enjoyable. They’re intriguing mysteries, with a Midwestern flavor. 06/07 Lesa Holstine

MURDER CAN DEPRESS YOUR DACHSHUND by Selma Eichler: Who would want to murder Jordan Mills? Everyone loved him, including the dachshund who mourned for him. In the fourteenth book in the Desiree Shapiro mystery series, Desiree is asked to investigate, particularly since Jordan’s brother, who was scheduled to receive a kidney from him, committed suicide a short time later. Was it possible that Jordan wasn’t the target? His brother, Cornell, was disliked by everyone – family, ex-wives, and businessmen. As she works her way around television and ice cream, Desiree finds the time to find a killer. Desiree Shapiro is a detective readers can be comfortable with. She’s overweight, enjoys food, and she’s not afraid to admit her faults. She frequently gets lost, is not a morning person, and allows her friends and family to boss her around. Desiree may be insecure in her personal relationships and reluctant to ask prying questions, but her persistence pays off. 06/07 Lesa Holstine

Murder, Eh? by Lou Allin: Allin returns to Ontario, Canada as the setting for the fourth in the Belle Palmer series. Belle, a real estate agent in her mid-forties, is a tough, independent bush woman, with a good heart. Soon after she finds the murdered body of the local bakery owner, she befriends the woman’s twelve year old son, Micro, a boy who lost his father and sister in a boating accident, and, now, his mother to murder. When Micro runs away from home, Belle feels responsible. In a foolhardy moment, she sets out to try to find him. If Allin’s other books in this series are as enjoyable and as well done as this one, readers are in for a treat. The auther does a wonderful job with the description of northern Ontario in the late fall. Belle is also a warm, caring person to return to in other books. 07/06 Lesa Holstine

MURDER GRINS AND BEARS IT by Deb Baker: Amateur sleuth Gertie Johnson says “Anyone who smears chicken grease all over himself and goes bear hunting with a bow and arrow is plain stupid or has a death wish.”  In seems everyone in this second book in the Yooper Mystery series is some kind of over the top crazy, including Gertie.  Opening day of bear season, game warden murdered, Gertie’s favorite grandson Little Donny (all 280 pounds in his boxer underwear with footballs on them) disappears.  Just another day on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  Oh yeah, did I mention Gertie’s man hungry friend Cora Mae, who, since her discovery of Wonderbras, follows her boobs wherever she goes.  But what really gets Gertie’s goat is her son Blaze, the local sheriff named for one of the horses she didn’t have as a child, seems more interested in arresting his mom for driving without a license than finding Little Donny or catching the killer.  I guess the best description is: think Stephanie Plum, except it’s the wilds of Michigan rather than Newark, and Granny Mazur is the lead character, not Stephanie.  All in all, a fun read that can cause excess laughter.  Then there’s BB.  What does BB stand for?  “Bazooka,” BB said puffing up his chest.  Marlin snorted, “More like them little pellets they shoot rabbits with.”  But Gertie knew the truth – Bottom of the Brain Barrel.  PS: may be offensive to persons of Scandinavian descent, upholders of sobriety and those who feel that society should be staid, but as Grandma Johnson said, “Once I find my pistol, I’m taking one of ‘em down.  Don’t know how I could misplace it, but I’m on the look out.  It’ll show up.” 05/07 Jack Quick 

Murder in Greenwich Village by Lee Harris: Jane Bauer, detective with the NYPD’s Cold Case Squad, returns in Harris’ latest Manhattan mystery. This intriguing story examines the case of an undercover cop who was shot ten years earlier while trying to infiltrate a ring that had stolen 227 guns from an armory. The suspense builds as a cop is kidnapped, suspects are killed, and there is suspicion of an internal connection. Harris brings her characters to life in this compelling story. Fans of cold cases should welcome this latest entry in the Manhattan mystery series. 03/06 Lesa Holstine

MURDER IN METROPOLIS by Lonnie Cruse: Cruse’s debut mystery takes the reader to Metropolis, IL, a small town made famous by its fifteen foot statue of Superman. Sheriff Joe Dalton did not expect to find the body of a high school buddy, wearing a Superman costume, draped over the statue. As far as he knew, everyone in town liked Jack Hatfield. Just when he and his investigative team are working on the biggest case of Dalton’s career, the body of a baby is found buried on a farm. And, they didn’t need the third murder. Cruse delves into the lives of the officers and citizens of Metropolis, revealing secrets that are usually known in small towns. Secrets can kill. This is a fast-moving, enjoyable police procedural with fascinating characters. Don’t expect a small Midwestern town to be as pleasant as you thought. Cruse’s book will ruin your expectations.
    This is the first in a series. The fourth Metropolis mystery will be out shortly. In the meantime, pick up the early books to familiarize yourself with the sheriff’s department in Metropolis. 02/07 Lesa Holstine

Murder in the Hearse Degree by Tim Cockey:  Amusing romp with undertaker Hitchcock Sewell in this fourth book of the series.  His former girlfriend Libby shows up with her kids in tow - turns out she's left her abusive husband.  Things get ugly when her nanny disappears and her body is found in the river, and the autopsy shows that she was pregnant.  The police rule it suicide, but the girl's mother is insistent that her daughter would never do that, and Libby has a hard time with that choice too.  Finding the father may lead to finding the murderer, and Hitch is off and running.  Then things really get interesting.  This is a fun series and does not have to be read in order.  Enjoy them all - The Hearse Case Scenario, The Hearse You Came in On, and Hearse of a Different Color are the first three. 

MURDER IS BINDING by Lorna Barrett: Barrett’s first Booktown Mystery is a delightful introduction to Tricia Miles, owner of a mystery bookstore in a town that welcomes bookstores, Stoneham, New Hampshire. It’s just a shame that the owner of the Cookery, the cookbook store, is found murdered. It’s even worse that Tricia, the newcomer in town, is the primary suspect. Tricia doesn’t welcome her sister’s help, or her presence in Stoneham, but she needs her. She can’t escape the suspicions of the police chief, so Tricia, along with her sister, Angelica, pries into the local secrets. Here’s hoping that Barrett will return readers to Stoneham, and other Booktown mysteries, in the near future. 05/08 Lesa Holstine

MURDER IS MY RACQUET: Original Tennis Mysteries, edited by Otto Penzler: Only the A-list in this anthology of fourteen original stories of love, death and tennis - the game that conjures the height of genteel sportsmanship. I enjoyed all fourteen chapters – I mean what is not to like from Lawrence Block, John Harvey, Stephen Hunter, Robert Leuci, Ridley Pearson and Lisa Scottoline, among others.  Each story is tightly edited and on target. I am surprised Penzler didn’t hold out for one more story so the subtitle could be Love – Fifteen.  A June release that will delight tennis buffs and mystery fans. 05/05 ~This review contributed by Jack Quick.

Murder Most Crafty, edited by Maggie Bruce: This story collection features a number of mysteries with a common theme, crafts. Stellar authors such as Margaret Maron, Jan Burke and Susan Wittig Albert bring murder into the realms of papermaking, wreath-making and gourd art. This is an enjoyable collection for all of us who relish a good short mystery. 05/06 Lesa Holstine

MURDER NEW YORK STYLE edited by Randy Kandal:  New York City – its murder.  This group of twenty-one stories hits all the bases - Manhattan, The Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, Westchester, and the Outer Reaches. This classic look at New York includes Chinatown, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, even a Turkish nightclub.  The stories range in time from the Revolutionary War until now with ghosts and gore, murder and mayhem – all in that particular New York style.  The authors are: Cynthia Baxter, Meredith Cole, Fran Brannigan Cox, Peggy Ehrhart, Erica Harth, Marianna Heusler, Nan Higginson, Randy Kandel, M.E. Kemp, Ronnie Klaskin, Chelle Martin, Margaret Mendel, Terri Farley Moran, Dorothy Mortman, Anita Page, R.M. Peluso, Triss Stein, Deirdre Verne, Pearl Wolf, Lina Zeldovich, and Elizabeth Zelvin. 03/08 Jack Quick 

MURDER OFF THE BOOKS by Evelyn David: If Dan Thayer had taken some responsibility for his life, his sister, Rachel, three teenagers, a private detective and an Irish Wolfhound might not have been put in danger. Dan Thayer ran when he became a suspect for embezzlement and murder at Concordia College in Washington, D.C. Suddenly, Rachel Brenner’s house is broken into, and she’s being followed. Mac Sullivan, a detective dependent on a funeral home fleet of autos for transportation, is only supposed to be looking into the embezzlement. And, who needs three teenagers to play Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys? The first in the Rachel Brenner/Mac Sullivan mystery series is non-stop action and humor. Throw in a loveable Irish Wolfhound named Whiskey, and the book is a treat for readers. 03/07 Lesa Holstine

MURDER ON THE MIND by L.L. Bartlett: A skull fracture gives Jeff Resnick the ability to “see” crimes” starting with the murder of his brother’s banker.  Then there is another victim : the banker’s wife.  Resnick must find out the truth to protect himself and his brother, even at the risk of his life.  A little too woo-woo for me but nicely written and quite twisty. Set for general release 12/05. 11/05 ~This review contributed by Jack Quick.

MURDER ON THE TRANS-SIBERIAN EXPRESS by Stuart Kaminsky:  All good things must come to an end, even the Porfiry Petrovich Rostnikov Moscow police procedural series.  In this, the 14^th (and last) Rostnikov novel is assigned along with Sasha to ride the 6,000-mile Trans-Siberian Express to intercept a courier exchanging money for a package somewhere along the route.  At the same time Rostnikov’s son and fellow policeman Iosef and his fiancé and fellow cop Elena Timofeyeva lead the effort to locate a madwoman whose random knife attacks have injured or slain men at a series of subway stops.   Lastly, the “Vampire”, detective Emil Karpo and Zelach “the Slouch” are trying to locate a kidnapped heavy metal rock performer who is also the son of a powerful Jewish businessman.  Too bad it all has to end. 03/08 Jack Quick  

Murder Passes The Buck by Deb Baker - If you enjoy Joan Hess' Maggody series, check out the first book in the Yooper mystery series. Set in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Baker's debut is filled with quirky characters, beginning with Gertie Johnson. The sixty-six-year-old widow knows that her neighbor's shooting death was murder, even if the local sheriff, her own son, calls it an accidental death. She and her unusual group of cohorts set out to prove it was murder. It's a fun new series, with a serious message about independence and aging. 07/06 Lesa Holstine

The Murder Room by P. D. James:  Sometimes a particular book seems to come along at just the right time. As it happened, The Murder Room found its way to me at a particularly pensive time of the year and suited my mood perfectly.
    It is full of older characters and even Ms. James' protagonist, Commander Adam Dalgliesh of Scotland Yard is showing signs of age. This is not a bad thing as the passing of years instills in many persons of maturity a deeper appreciation for all aspects of life, its colors and smells, its frailties and noble moments and a keener sense of the nuances in all of these. Ms. James' careful prose spelled these out and gave me too a sense of the rightness of whatever is going to happen.
    The story itself involves a modest museum devoted to the history of the period between the First and Second World Wars. When its founder dies, his three children have very different ideas of what should be done with it and how they can best use it to their own personal advantage. The dissenting sib is immolated on the grounds in his precious Jaguar motorcar and Dalgliesh and his special squad are called in when the government senses that sensitive concerns may be involved.
    The careful description of the principal characters in the book makes this more of a real solve-it type mystery than most these days. That too was a pleasure.
    The final delightful twist in this tale is the parallel between the circumstances surrounding various murders and the murders depicted in the museum's murder room of historic cases from the interwar years.
I enjoyed this thoughtful book, but if you want something more fast-paced, you had better look elsewhere. That is not to say that this book is without passion. Adam Dalgliesh believes he has found true love, but they have trouble getting together. His work and her lesbian roommate present serious and perhaps insurmountable obstacles to the flowering of their relationship.
    Hopefully, you will get this book and stick it away for a cloudy day when you are in a reflective state of mind. 12/03 ~This review contributed by Geoffrey R. Hamlin.

MURDER…SUICIDE…WHATEVER… by Gwen Freeman: Remember the scene in Good Morning Vietnam where the Lieutenant was discussing humor with Robin Williams? Well, I will tell you this lady is funny. Laugh out loud, hurt your sides funny. When “Uncle” Ted Heffernan, insurance broker to the (porn) stars is found dead inside a locked office it is up to unemployed bi-racial twenty-something Fifi Cutter and her half-brother Bosco Dorff (who is partial to women with big bazongas) to find out what happened and why. Pretending to be private investigators who are pretending to be grief counselors gives them access to situations which they completely and consistently screw up. How about this for an answer “If he told me, I would know. But if he didn’t tell me, then I wouldn’t.” Whomever invented the “locked room mystery” never had this pair in mind. You would not want to be locked up with them. Excellent debut. Janet Evanovich should be hearing footsteps. 03/07 Jack Quick

MURDER TALKS TURKEY by Deb Baker:  In order to understand Gertie Johnson, you have to remember she named her children Heather, Star and Blaze, all names of horses she wanted but never had.  Blaze is the local sheriff but he’s out of commission with bacterial meningitis on this fine spring day in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.  So there is sixty-six year old Gertie, standing in line at the Stonely Credit Union on April 1 to cash her social security check when a man wearing a ski mask pulls a gun and demands all the money.  Obviously he was from out of town, or he would have known everyone in Stonely was armed and most can shoot a nickel off the top of a soda can.  So the robber is shot down by a police sniper in a room full of witnesses, but where is the money?  In the excitement, the money has disappeared and its Gertie, Cora Mae, and Kitty, the geriatric gumshoes who must track it down.  So pull up a plate of “hot dish” and have it.  It’s a regular whodunit. 04/08 Jack Quick 

MURDER UNDER THE LOON by Gerald Anderson:  John Hofstead always wore a coat and tie, and in winter often a vest as well.  After all, you wouldn’t want to entrust your money to just any insurance man.  John was so good at his work that Hofstead Hail Insurance was now one of the most prosperous firms in Fergus Falls, Minnesota.  So it just didn’t seem right when Hofstead’s body was found in the snow beneath a giant concrete loon, the apparent victim of a snowmobile accident.  Sheriff Palmer Knutson isn’t so sure.  After all there are no footprints in the snow and the death came on the eve of Hofstead’s planned announcement of the successor to his position as President of the Company he had founded.  Had one of the four employees or their spouses taken the matter into their own hands to avoid the announcement?  Its old-fashioned greed, ambition and jealousy in the North Country with a full cast of characters.  Never fear Sheriff Knutson and wily deputy Orly Peterson will prevail. 04/08 Jack Quick  

MURDER UNLEASHED by Elaine Viets: Viets hardcover debut and the latest in the Dead End Job mystery series is a hoot.  Helen Hawthorne is living beneath the radar in South Florida after running from St. Louis and her unsavory past - she went after her cheating husband with a crowbar and then refused to pay him alimony.  She's surviving by living in a dumpy old apartment and taking any job that will pay her cash under the table.  This time out she's working for an upscale Fort Lauderdale pet shop with competing dog groomers, one of whom is a diva of the highest order. The parade of dog obsessed customers gets shorter when one is found with a pair of grooming shears stuck in her chest, a celebrity dog gets caught in a messy custody battle, and another body turns up, all of which is a prelude to the hurricane that's blowing in.  Helen is smart enough to see trouble coming and works hard to avoid it, often with hilarious results.  A fast, fun read and a wonderful addition to the series.  05/06 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch

MURDER WITH RESERVATIONS by Elaine Viets:  This latest installment in the Dead End Job series has our heroine, Helen Hawthorne, finding another dead body.  Still on the run from her ex-husband, Helen takes one low-paying, cash-under-the-table job after another, from bridal consultant to bookseller to dog groomer to this latest, maid in a small Fort Lauderdale hotel.  But finding bodies is not a good way to stay undercover, and Helen is a nervous wreck when sure enough, her sister calls to warn her that the ex is on his way.  Great characters, wonderful location, nice plot twists, and gentle humor make this a must read.  Viets has penned another winner.  05/07 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch

THE MURDERER VINE by Shepard Rifkin:  Joe Dunne is just an ordinary gumshoe trying to make a living in New York City after being kicked off the cops.  He handles a drug pusher for a client and the next thing he knows he is being hired to commit murder.  It’s during the 60’s and three young men who have gone to rural Mississippi to register black voters have disappeared.  Dunne is hired by the father of one of the men to confirm the boys are dead and then take care of the perps.  It goes against all his scruples but the money comprises the proverbial offer you can’t refuse.  Only at the end does he learn the true cost.  Its Mississippi Burning, told yet another time. 05/08 Jack Quick  

THE MUSE AND OTHER STORIES OF HISTORY, MYSTERY AND MYTH by Lillian Stewart Carl: Carl’s latest anthology of short stories is a treat for history and literature lovers. The thirteen stories allow the reader and the author to explore a range of story ideas, with a common theme of history. The variety includes characters as diverse as Thomas Jefferson and Ann Boleyn, and themes based on Dickens and Shakespeare. Cat lovers will appreciate “Sardines for Tea,” featuring two clever cats based on P.G. Wodehouse’s characters. “A Stake of Holly” is set nineteen years after Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Scrooge is on his deathbed, asking Tim Cratchit to find the identity of the ghosts that appeared to him. “A Dish of Poison” relates events leading up to Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. This is a fun, fascinating collection of short stories. 10/07 Lesa Holstine

Must Love Dogs by Claire Cook:  This utterly charming novel is a fun read, perfect for whiling away an afternoon on the beach. Sarah Hurlihy is 40 years old, divorced and happily teaching preschoolers a multicultural curriculum. But her interfering, overzealous Boston Irish family thinks she should be dating, and with much love she is pushed into answering a personal ad from a gentleman seeking a lady "who enjoys elegant dining, dancing and the slow bloom of affection" and the clincher; he's a man who "loves dogs."       

That date turns out to be the last man on earth any woman would want to date, but Sarah pushes on, slowly falling headlong into the dating game with decidedly mixed results. Meanwhile, Sarah's widowed father has his own dating troubles, brother Michael is havin