Posts filed under 'Mystery'
Susanne Alleyn has written two books so far in her series set in post-revolutionary France featuring police agent and investigator Aristide Ravel. In a world turned upside down with “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity” gone bad and with Madame Guillotine waiting around the corner, trust and confidence in one’s fellow citizens is hard to come by.
In A Game of Patience the investigation into a double murder is complicated by uncertainty as to who the intended victim was and by Ravel’s internal doubts and worries about having sent innocents to their deaths via the guillotine. In the sequel A Treasury of Regrets, a servant girl is accused of poisoning the master of the house by adding arsenic to his food. Ravel doesn’t believe that the simple peasant girl was capable of the murder. The victim, a money lender, was not short of people who did not like him, including in his own family. Intricate and detailed historical mysteries with an interesting, even compelling detective can be hard to come by but these certainly qualify.
January 5th, 2009
Liz C. - Alicia Ashman
British novelist Catherine O’Flynns’s What was Lost is my buried treasure. 
Set in 1980’s England this story revolves a young girl named Kate and her mysterious disappearance and how it relates to the local shopping mall Green Oaks. That one sentence description doesn’t do this outstanding first novel justice though, here’s more about it.
Ten-year old Kate Meany lives with her grandmother and dreams of being a private investigator. Her best friends are a 22-year-old son of a shopkeeper Adrian and a stuffed monkey that she takes on her stakeouts. Kate’s grandmother wants to send her to a boarding school, but Kate would rather keep hanging out with her friend Teresa at her public school. One afternoon when Kate reluctantly goes to take an admittance test for the boarding school, she disappears. The ensuing investigation points towards Adrian, who had accompanied her on the bus the morning she went to take the test. Adrian soon leaves town and “what happened to Kate?” is never resolved.
Fast forward twenty years to the Green Oaks shopping mall where Adrian’s sister Lisa is working a dead-end record store job. She’s not happy, hasn’t talked to her brother in ages and has horrible relationships with the people around her, until she meets one of the Green Oaks security guards Kurt who has plenty of tragedy in his life also. Their friendship brings great change in their lives and also helps solve the mystery of what happened to little Kate years ago.
If you are a fan of Kate Atkinson, this book is very similiar. O’Flynn’s writing is excellent and this first time novelist won the Costa Book Award and also was highly reviewed by the Guardian. During this holiday shopping time when unfortunately many of us end up in malls, this book may make you look at people who are working and shopping there alittle bit differently this year.
December 18th, 2008
Katharine
During the presidential campaign I was obsessed. I watched every scrap of punditry, I read every newspaper article, I spent hours at night catching up on blog posts. I was a campaign junkie. So what’s an addict to do when she’s cut off cold-turkey? Watch old Sarah Palin clips on YouTube? Okay, maybe, especially the one with the turkey! Read about Obama’s transition team and quest for a puppy? Sure. But none of that quite gets at what I want. What’s a librarian to do? Find something to read.
Baring Arms by Jo Ann Power is the second mystery featuring five-term congresswoman Carly Wagner. Carly is a divorced mom who juggles caring for her pre-teen daughter and maintaining her political career (both at home in Texas and in Washington). She’s doing well enough that her party is considering have her give a keynote address at the national convention. Her political ambitions are endangered when her daughter, Jordan, finds Judge Goodwin Deeds strangled in his home. In order to protect Jordan and her career, Carly puts her insider savvy to good use. She’s determined to find out who did the deed before more damage is done. Assisting with the investigation is the mysterious Mr. Jones who may or may not have her best interests at heart.
Though the first in this series (Missing Member) had a little bit more of the behind-the-scenes political machinations I like to read about, this Beltway mystery did help ease me off the political juice. But I’m not totally there yet - I’m feeling the urge to visit the blogs again. So if you have suggestions that will satisfy my craving for politics, I’d love to hear them.
December 15th, 2008
Jane J. - Central Library
Many of the books I’ve read that are considered ‘psychological thrillers’ are pretty heavy on the thrill and light on the psychology. Emily Perkins’s subtly creepy A Novel about my Wife and Sophie Hannah’s poetic page-turner Little Face are just the opposite. These are two of the most exciting books I’ve read in ages, and it’s probably just an interesting coincidence that both feature pregnant women… or is it?
Right from the beginning of A Novel about my Wife we know that Anne, the titular wife, is dead, but that’s really all we know; the narrator, her husband Tom, doesn’t tell us how or why she died. Tom, a struggling screenwriter, guides us through the events leading up to her death, which occurs shortly after the birth of their first child. Tom is desperately trying to uncover some sort of clue that will lead to an explanation for the tragey, but Tom, like the reader, doesn’t understand the importance of what happens to Tomand Anne until it’s too late. It might be fair to say the novel isn’t really about his wife, it’s about Tom’s obsession with her. Though Tom’s obsession is a bit disturbing, it’s also surprisingly understandable. Anne is an enigmatic woman, and it’s clear that throughout their entire relationship, Tom wasn’t able to figure her out. She has a secret past (like most enigmatic women, don’t you think?), and the flashbacks that Tom shares reveal her to be a charming variety of almost-crazy. I had a hard time putting this book down, but I wouldn’t say that I was drawn in to Tom’s obsession completely.
In another story about a possibly crazy new mother, Sophie Hannah takes a more traditional approach to the plot of her novel Little Face. Hannah began her career as a poet, and her skill with language is evident in this book, her first crime novel. The story of a baby swap and a murder investigation progress alongside each other in this fascinating story. Adding to the web of a tale is the way Hannah structures her narrative. Chapters alternate between the voice of Alice Fancourt, the distraught mother of missing baby Florence, and Simon Waterhouse, the investigator that develops unprofessionally fond feelings for Alice.
It’s a treat to find a mystery that has both an unpredictable, thrilling plot, well-developed characters, and beautiful prose, and Hannah’s novel fulfills all of the characteristics. It has tinges of gothic suspense, an overbearing mother-in-law, and characters with questionable sanity - pretty much everything I look for in a mystery. Both Hannah and Perkins have used a fresh approach to what could be considered a cliche subject, and I highly recommend both of them to anyone looking for a good wintry book to curl up with - anyone who isn’t suffering from postpartum depression, that is.
December 9th, 2008
Kylee
Michael Connelly’s latest best seller, The Brass Verdict, finds his two popular characters, Harry Bosch and Mickey Haller, together for the first time. Defense attorney Mickey (The Lincoln Lawyer) was planning a gradual return to his law practice after a year away. His plans change when fellow attorney Jerry Vincent is shot and killed.
Vincent’s will left his client list to Mickey including the high profile murder case of Hollywood studio head Walter Elliot. Elliot is on trial for the murder of his wife and her lover. He agrees to let Mickey take over his case as long as he’s the only defense attorney at the trial and he can be ready in ten days. While Mickey tries to prepare for Elliot’s trial, LAPD homicide detective Harry Bosch (The Overlook,etc) enters the scene. Bosch is investigating the murder of Vincent and wants access to the lawyer’s past files. Haller refuses because it would violate lawyer/client confidentiality.
Harry and Mickey meet up several times throughout the story and eventually decide to work together in what could becomes the biggest case in both of their careers. Elliot’s murder trial is described in detail throughout the novel and includes jury tampering, a bribe, the German lover Johan Rilz’s contacts in Europe as well as the hint of a mob connection and the presence of the FBI.
It was fun to see the two characters together in Connelly’s latest thriller. And though the reveal at the end of the book seemed unnecessary, I found this to be another enjoyable read from this popular crime author.
November 29th, 2008
Lesley - Central
One of the reasons I read books is to learn about places that I’ve never been. Russia is one of those places. Fortunately, there are a number of Russian detectives that have provided me insight into and knowledge of this vast and diverse country.
It all started with Gorky Park. Three bodies are discovered in Gorky Park. Renko, a Moscow chief inspector is reluctant to get involved in a case that interests the KGB. Yet he is drawn in due to the death of his partner. There are many complications, yet the cynic Renko perseveres. So far there are five more in the series. The latest is Stalin’s Ghost. I like Renko for his stubborn determination and his patient ability to cut through all the crap to find a bit of justice and to survive.
Another series I enjoy is Stuart Kaminsky’s Inspector Rostnikov mysteries. So far there are 15 books in the series. Although you don’t have to start with the first one, Death of a Dissident, I’ve found it interesting to see how the characters have changed over the years. Porfiry Petrovich Rostnikov is a Moscow policeman who in the first book tracks down the killer of a dissident while trying to stay out of the way of the KGB. This bear of a man with a bum leg tries to find justice and protect his family in spite of the odds against him—corrupt leaders, cunning criminals and an ingrained bureaucracy. With each new outing I look forward to finding out how he and his team are doing and seeing which untouchable case they have been assigned. The relationships between the team members are one of the things that I like best about this series.
In his latest People Who Walk in Darkness, Chief Inspector Rostnikov and his team are scattered across Russia trying to solve within nine days various crimes, including murder, drug and diamond smuggling. The existence of the Office of Special Investigations where he and his staff work depends on their success. Rostnikov and his assistant Emil Karpo are sent to Siberia to investigate the murder of a Canadian geologist in a diamond mine. The death was apparently caused by the ghost of a little girl. Two team members, Elena and Sasha, are off to Kiev to investigate the murder of a drug smuggler, and the other two team members, Iosef and Zelach, are left in Moscow, trying to investigate the murders of two Africans who may have been smuggling diamonds from Botswana. I enjoyed seeing how Rostnikov and his team resolve this high stakes investigation and I look forward to their next case.
Lastly, Boris Akunin, the international best-selling author, has two late 19th century Russian detectives. One is Erast Fandorin, a young naïve Moscow policeman, a bit of Holmes and a bit of Clousseau. Erast was introduced in The Winter Queen, the first of five books. Akunin’s other series stars Sister Pelagia, a young nun in a remote Russian province. Her bishop discreetly uses her deductive skills to solve crimes. I’ve read the first one Sister Pelagia and the White Bulldog, but haven’t gotten to the second one yet, Sister Pelagia and the Black Monk.
If you’re an armchair traveler like me, here’s your chance to visit our neighbor to the east.
November 13th, 2008
Kathy K. - Central
… is the title of the latest Kate Atkinson novel. And you may be asking yourself the above question as the book progresses.
Why? Mayhem, murder, kidnapping (maybe), train wreck, life threatening injuries: its all here in sort of a pile-on fashion. So why didn’t I find it to be grim? Its the tone of the main characters. They seem to just take it as it comes. Roll with it. Survive and thrive. Carry on. Even when their lives get more difficult. They’re both admirable and realistic.
Dr. Joanna Hunter is the lone survivor (at age eight) of a major act of violence that killed her siblings and mother. She’s married now, with a baby of her own. Her babysitter Reggie is a 16 year old smarty whose mother has recently died and who’s brother is a criminal. She’s plucky (and loves Dickens) and has found a way to get support via Dr. Hunter (’Call me Jo’), the Pakistani family that runs the corner store, and her former English teacher that’s prepping her for college. And neither Jo nor Reggie has told the other of their losses. They keep that to themselves, as it isn’t what either of them wants to be ‘known for.’
Add to that mix the duo of Louise and Jackson, an Inspector and a Private Eye, who’ve appeared in two previous Atkinson novels, and you’ve got a great cast of characters. When the dark forces listed above come after Jo and Reggie (separately), you feel quite sure Louise and Jackson will ultimately sort it all out.
Did I mention this book (and the others starring Louise and Jackson) are set in Scotland? I loved the culture references that are so different from our own (Tesco and Topshop stores), Paddington station, the Paki corner store. Another winner from this outstanding author.
November 10th, 2008
Liz - Central Library
Edna Buchanan, author of the Britt Montero series, returns with a new character in her latest book, Legally Dead. Michael Venturi is a deputy U.S. Marshal with the Witness Protection Program until a witness in a union corruption case commits murder after being relocated to a small New Hampshire town. Before he can quit the program in protest, Michael becomes the scapegoat and is fired.
Venturi’s new life leads him to Florida where he and former Marine buddy Danny Trado assemble a secret group of friends to create new identities for innocent people whose lives have been ruined and deserve fresh starts. Their clients include wrongfully convicted molesters, a threatened judge and a wealthy widow whose children want her declared incompetent so they can collect her fortune. Venturi and his friends fake deaths, create new names, appearances and identities and relocate people to obscure locations overseas.
This scheme remains successful until complications occur. Informants Venturi placed in the Witness Protection Program start turning up dead. In addition, the identities of the recent “legally dead” clients are discovered and they begin to die. The race is on to find the murderer before more innocent people are killed.
The scenarios for creating these new lives were clever and really moved the story along. But there were too many coincidences and friends with just the rights skills at the right time to make this a total rave.
November 6th, 2008
Lesley - Central
Diane Fanning has been writing true-crime for a number of years. She has only recently begun novel writing and her sophomore effort, The Trophy Exchange, introduces Lt. Lucinda Pierce. Lucinda is just returning to the job after a suspension and investigation into a shooting. Determined to prove she can still do the job, Lucinda is eager to take on a new case. If only it weren’t this case.
When eight-year-old Charley Spencer returns home from a birthday party she walks into a nightmare. Her mother has been murdered and the only witness is Charley’s baby sister. Lucinda is the detective assigned to the case and she quickly zeros in on Charley’s dad as a suspect even though Evan Spencer was in Afghanistan when the murder happened. The evidence that this murder may be connected to a string of similar deaths frustrates and alarms Lucinda even more. Spencer is keeping something from her but until she figures out what that something is, the case is going nowhere.
This is a solid police procedural and I’ll definitely be back for Punish the Deed (due out in March 2009). My only quibble is the piling-on of Lucinda’s torturous backstory. Her father killed her mother and himself when she was a child, she lost an eye and gained ugly facial scarring from a shotgun blast, and the incident that got her suspended still torments her. I’m all for a complex, dark protagonist, but it did feel like a bit much. That said, I’m convinced this issue is one that comes with being the first in a series and I can’t wait to read the new one in the spring.
October 30th, 2008
Jane J. - Central Library
As an audiobook reviewer for Library Journal, I am often given books to review that I would not normally pick up on my own. The Turnaround by George Pelecanos was one of those and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to it. Pelacanos has a way with the gritty urban experience as evidenced by his writing for the very popular HBO’s series The Wire.
The Turnaround is a well written, complicated, and engrossing story, one that shows the results of youthful indiscretions, and how adults recover (or don’t) from those youthful mistakes. It is set in Washington D.C. and begins in 1972 when three teenagers drive a car into a black neighborhood and set off a chain of events that leaves one person dead.
Fast forward to 2007 and one of the white victims, Alex, is running his father’s diner. Alex has a wife and family and a son recently killed in Iraq. His world begins to intersect with the Monroe brothers, 2 of whom were involved in that long ago crime. James has served a prision term for killing a young man and his brother Raymond is a physical therapist. Another figure fromt he past is Charles Baker. Charles is the man who beat up Alex. He has also been in and out of prision and, unlike the Monroe brothers, is still pursuing a life of crime.
The book is read by a veteran actor, Dion Graham (who also acted in The Wire). Graham does an excellent job with the different characters and creates just the right ambiance. So much so that I am now interested in looking for some of Pelecanos’s early books.
October 13th, 2008
Mary K. - Central
Previous Posts
Susanne Alleyn has written two books so far in her series set in post-revolutionary France featuring police agent and investigator Aristide Ravel. In a world turned upside down with “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity” gone bad and with Madame Guillotine waiting around the corner, trust and confidence in one’s fellow citizens is hard to come by. 
