Mysteries

Mystery/Thrillers Coming This Fall

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book leavesThe days are getting shorter, nights longer.  Soon you’ll be looking for that perfect book to curl up with.  Here are some great mystery/thrillers to look forward to this fall.

Doctor Sleep by Stephen King – Stephen King returns to the character and territory of one of his most popular novels ever, The Shining, in this instantly riveting novel about the now middle-aged Dan Torrance and the very special twelve-year-old girl he must save from a tribe of murderous paranormals.

Sycamore Row by John Grisham – John Grisham’s A Time to Kill is one of the most popular novels of our time. Now we return to that famous courthouse in Clanton as Jake Brigance once again finds himself embroiled in a fiercely controversial trial-a trial that will expose old racial tensions and force Ford County to confront its tortured history.

The Gods of Guilt by Michael Connelly – Defense attorney Mickey Haller returns with a haunting case in the gripping new thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Michael Connelly.

The Spook Lights Affair by Marcia Muller – Fans of Marcia’s Muller’s bestselling Sharon McCone novels and Bill Pronzini’s Nameless Detective series will applaud The Spook Lights Affair and future exploits from the annals of Carpenter and Quincannon, Professional Detective Services.

The Death Trade by Jack Higgins – The master of suspense returns with a cutting-edge tale that pits his heroes Sean Dillon and Sara Gideon against the nuclear ambitions of Iran.

Ask Not by Max Allan Collins – Fifty years after JFK’s tragic death, Collins’s rigorous research for Ask Not raises new questions about the most controversial assassination of our time.

Accused by Lisa Scottolini – New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award–winning author Lisa Scottoline revolutionized crime fiction when she introduced her all-female law firm of Rosato & Associates, thrilling readers with her twisty, fast-paced plots and capturing their hearts with her cast of strong and relatable female characters. Now Bennie Rosato, Mary DiNunzio, Judy Carrier, and Anne Murphy are back with all cylinders firing in Accused.

Critical Mass by Sara Paretsky – New York Times-bestselling author Sara Paretsky’s brilliant protagonist V.I. Warshawski returns in another hard-hitting entry, combining razor-sharp plotting and compelling characters with a heady mix of timely political and social themes.

Other titles debuting this fall:  W Is For Wasted by Sue Grafton, Innocence by Dean Koontz, Hazardous Duty by W.E.B. Griffin, Police by Jo Nesbo, Going Dark by James W. Hall, The Mayan Secrets by Clive Cussler, Never Go Back by Lee Child, Second Watch by J.A. Jance. The October List by Jeffery Deaver, White Fire by Lincoln Child, Tatiana by Martin Cruz Smith, Silencing Eve by Iris Johansen

On Our Shelves: New Paperbacks

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New paperbacks to suit a variety of tastes.

Big Sky Wedding (Parable, Montana) by Linda Lael Miller – Wedding bells are ringing in Parable, Montana, but Brylee Parrish hasn’t enjoyed the sound since being jilted at the altar by Hutch Carmody. She’s over Hutch now, and running a multimillion-dollar business is challenging enough for this country gal. So she should avoid falling head over boot heels for A-list actor Zane Sutton.

Gentle On My Mind (Caribou Crossings Series) by Susan Fox – Brooke Kincaid knows second chances don’t come cheap. She’s spent five years repairing past mistakes and making her life in Caribou Crossing steady and predictable. But now a stranger’s Harley has shattered her fence and her peace of mind in one swoop.

Against The Mark (The Against Series) by Kat Martin – A young woman’s quest to find the murderer of her estranged father and the private investigator who helps her.

Love Overdue by Pamela Morsi – Buttoned-up book lover DJ is all sensible shoes, drab skirts and studious glasses. After an ill-advised spring-break-fueled fling left her mortified, she’s committed to her prim and proper look. When she’s hired by a rural library in middle-of-nowhere Kansas, she finally has the lifestyle to match—and she can’t wait to get her admin on.

The Hero (A Thunder Point Novel) by Robyn Carr – In a moment of desperation, Devon McAllister took her daughter and fled a place where they should have been safe and secure. She has no idea what is around the next bend, but she is pretty certain it can’t be worse than what they’ve left behind. Her plan is to escape to somewhere she can be invisible. Instead, an unexpected offer of assistance leads her to Thunder Point, a tiny Oregon town with a willingness to help someone in need.

For The Love of Magic (Spellbound Falls Series) by Janet Chapman – After forty years of marriage, Rana Oceanus has done the unthinkable and run away from her mighty, magical husband. Not that she ran very far, having purchased a house in Spellbound Falls right on the shore of the Bottomless Sea, where she intends to prepare for the scariest battle of her life. The only flaw in her plan, however, is that she is still very much in love with Titus…

The Knight’s Temptress by Amanda Scott – Sir Ian Colquhoun has never feared danger. So when Lady Lachina MacFarlan is captured by a ruthless enemy, mounting a daring rescue seems only natural for the courageous knight.

Realm of Shadows (The Alliance Vampires) by Heather Graham – Tara Mason wants more than tourist sights out of her trip to the city of dreams, something strange and off the beaten path. But is it her own curiosity that draws her to an ancient cemetery on the outskirts of Paris? Or is she lured by a dark, immortal force she is powerless to resist?

 Clammed Up (A Maine Clambake Mystery) by Barbara Ross – Summer has come to Busman’s Harbor, Maine, and tourists are lining up for a taste of authentic New England seafood, courtesy of the Snowden Family Clambake Company. But there’s something sinister on the boil this season.

Love Inspired selections:  The Boss’s Bride by Brenda Minton, The Doctor’s Family Reunion by Mindy Obesnhaus, A Father’s Promise by Carolyne Aarsen.

For the Kings, writing is all in the family

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The New York Times recently published an article about Stephen King and his rather literary family. King, of course, is the best-selling author of over 50 novels and dozens of short stories. His wife Tabitha is also an author with 8 published novels to her name.  Perhaps it was inevitable, with writers for parents, that 2 out of the 3 King children would also pursue a career in fiction.

Eldest son Joseph Hillstrom King, writing under the pen name Joe Hill, published an anthology of his short stories in 2005, and his first novel Heart-Shaped Box in 2007. His second novel Horns is being make into a feature film starring Daniel Radcliffe. Younger son Owen King (whose wife, Kelly Braffet, is also a writer) joined the family business this year with his debut novel Double Feature. No one can doubt that talent runs in the King family!

Next time you’re in the library, check out some of the books by the prolific Kings:

Stephen King:

http://ibistro.libraryconnection.info/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/0/0/57/5?user_id=CHESHIREPUB&password=PUBLIC&searchdata1=9781476727653

Dr. Sleep (coming Sept. 24)

Under the Dome (2009)

Joyland (2013)

Tabitha King:

The Book of Reuben (1995)

Survivor (1998)

Candles Burning (2006)

Joe Hill:

Heart-Shaped Box (2007)

NOS4A2 (2013)

Horns (2010)

Owen King:

Double Feature (2013)

9 New Cozy Mysteries for August

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lady detective

New titles available at Cheshire Library for your reading pleasure!

New for August:

1.  Cross-Stitch Before Dying by Amanda Lee (An Embroidery Mystery)

2.  Do or Diner by Christine Wenger (A Comfort Food Mystery)

3.  Remnants of Murder by Elizabeth Lynn Casey (Southern Sewing Circle Mystery)

4.  Seed No Evil by Kate Collins (A Flower Shop Mystery)

5.  Cloche and Dagger by Jenn McKinlay (Hat Shop Mysteries)

6.  Pall in the Family by Dawn Eastman (A Family Fortune Mystery)

7.  Death Al Dente by Leslie Budewitz (A Food Lovers’ Village Mystery)

8.  Cover Story by Erika Chase (An Ashton Corners Book Club Mystery)

9.  If Bread Could Rise to the Occasion by Paige Shelton (A Country Cooking School Mystery)

Jenn Reads: The Boy In the Suitcase by Lene Kaaberol and Agnette Friis

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The Boy In the Suitcase  by Lene Kaaberol and Agnette Friis was a mystery book club pick by one of our members.

The book starts off fast-paced and with a great premise: Nina Borg gets a

The Boy In the Suitcase by Lene Kaaberol and Agnette Friis

phone call from her friend Karin, who says that she needs to go immediately to a Copenhagen train station and open a public locker. She’s told she will find a suitcase in the locker, but to not open it while in the train station.

She finds a three year old boy, drugged but still alive, in the suitcase.

Surprise! Given the title, there’s no surprise in that bit of knowledge.

Many comments on Goodreads indicated how frustrated people were with the first 60 or so pages of the books, as the authors introduce characters who seemingly have nothing to do with each other. Hang in there! They do!

The action takes place over the span of two days and in several different countries, Denmark and Lithuania. After Nina finds the boy in the suitcase, the logical thing for her to do would have been to bring him to the police. But does she do that? No… she drags him around with her, leaving him in a hot car for a period of time, neglecting to feed him, and letting him see a dead woman.

Nina is supposedly a “do-gooder” but I find fault with that. She’s a terrible mother, wife, and caretaker of this small boy. Nina ignores her family for two whole days while she “takes care” of this boy. At one point, the police go to her house and talk with her husband, who believes her injured or in serious trouble. As indicated in the previous paragraph, she doesn’t take very good care of the little boy, providing him with the minimum of food, sleep, protection, and comfort. And she’s irresponsible! By the end of the book, I’d about had it with Nina Borg.

What I did enjoy in this book were the social issues the authors touched upon. Prostitution, sex slavery, child kidnapping, child trafficking, and the underbelly of Europe were exposed. And let me tell you- it ain’t pretty. Denmark in the past is said to have one of the highest standards of living and some of the happiest and fulfilled people in the world. A socialist nation, they get free healthcare, free college education, long maternity/paternity leave, child care, etc, etc- all of which sound pretty good to me. But, like in any culture, there are also the unsavory aspects of a nation.

A quick, easy, fast-paced read, I thought The Boy In the Suitcase was an excellent pick for this time of year. I listened to it on audio and thought the narrator was excellent. It was very helpful listening to it because I likely would have struggled with the pronunciations of the names, places, etc. The Boy In the Suitcase  is the first book in a series featuring Nina Borg, and while I liked this book, I won’t be continuing the series. Nina just drives me nuts.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.