Fear Nothing-Lisa Gardner

Fear Nothing Lisa Gardner Dutton, Jan 7 2014, $27.95 ISBN: 9780525953081 Forty years ago Harry Day murdered several prostitutes; but before the cops arrested him his wife killed him. His two young daughters grow up without their parents. The oldest Shana committed a homicide at fourteen that incarcerated her for life while three years younger Adeline, only a baby when her father died, became a pain therapist while ironically suffering from congenital insensitivity to pain. Having fallen down stairs while on the job, Boston Homicide Detective D.D. Warren uses Adeline as her therapist. Ironically, when a serial killer copying Day’s M.O. begins a deadly spree, Warren leads the investigation. Warren visits Shana at the Massachusetts Correctional Institute where she has been a resident for two and half decades and talks with Adeline to learn what they know, if anything useful, about the Rose Killer. The seventh D.D. Warren police procedural (see Love You More and Catch Me) is a powerful tense investigative thriller that rotates perspective between the three women although the sisters steal the show of this aptly titled tale. Fast-paced throughout, sub-genre fans will want to read Lisa Gardner’s homage to V.C. Andrews. Harriet Klausner

Zoo-James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge

Zoo James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge Vision/Grand Central, Dec 17 2013, $10.00 ISBN: 9781455525157 Biologist Jackson Oz observes a growing trend in which male animals from a wide variety of species become aggressive attackers of humans. He develops the Human-Animal Conflict (HAC) hypothesis in which he ponders whether the underlying cause that has changed the behavior of even docile pets into violent aggressors could be some form of modern day technology sending out “signals”. He heads to Africa to test his HAC theory, but upon arrival male lions charge at his vehicle with him inside. Barely escaping, Oz rescues ecologist Chloe Tousignant from dozens of attacking alligators. The two scientists try to warn the world, but leaders choose self-preservation proclaiming Oz to be a nutcase with a wacko concept. As Oz and Chloe continue their research, he modifies his theory to include animals working as a cohesive assault unit propelled by industrialization; concluding with mankind will become the hunted if radical changes don’t occur now. After a slow unnecessary early interlude in the sack and throughout too much explanation rather than action, the environmental premise with its deniers makes for an engaging save mankind in spite of itself thriller. Oz comes across as brilliant but fickle while Chloe is never developed beyond being an adulating sexual sidekick for the hero to love and rescue. Overall Zoo is an entertaining tale that could have been a great cautionary parable. Harriet Klausner

Murder As A Second Language-Joan Hess

Murder As A Second Language

Joan Hess

Minotaur, Dec 17 2013, $25.99

ISBN 9781250011961



To fill out the volunteer section of their college applications to schools like Vanderbilt, teenage BFFs Caron and Inez become ESL tutors. At the same time, Caron’s bookselling mom Claire applies as a volunteer at the troubled Farberville Literacy Council. Instead of becoming a tutor like her daughter, Claire ends up on the Board of Directors, but quickly seeks an exit strategy as the FLC is a cesspool filled with embezzlement claims and financial problems.



Not long after Claire joins the FLC, her new husband Deputy Police Chief Peter Rosen rationalizes breaking a personal vow that she will sleuth anyway when he asks his wife to help him investigate the murder of ESL student Ludmila Grabowski; she has insider access he does not have. The elderly acrimonious Russian was found dead in a FLC storage room, but her body seems to have been moved as evidence suggests she banged her head on a copying machine. Claire finds many of her board member peers with the opportunity and concealing all sorts of activities that mostly do not relate to the late Ludmila, but who committed the act remains out of reach.



The latest Claire Malloy Arkansas whodunit (see Closely Akin to Murder, Mummy Dearest and Deader Homes And Gardens) is an exciting mystery. The enjoyable storyline contains the typical albeit somewhat toned down zaniness especially the suspect pool filled with amusing underdeveloped characters. Series fans will enjoy this fun regional whodunit; as Claire learns that volunteerism in her case proves that “the road to hell is paved with good intentions.”



Harriet Klausner

Dust-Patricia Cornwell

Dust

Patricia Cornwell

Putnam, Nov 12 2013, $28.95

ISBN: 9780399157578



After working the Newtown tragedy, emotionally weary Dr. Kay Scarpetta goes to her home in Cambridge for some needed sleep. In the middle of the night the mentally exhausted chief medical examiner is awakened by detective Pete Marino calling her. He tells Scarpetta that a female corpse was found at Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Briggs Field.



Scarpetta arrives at the athletic field murder scene. She quickly realizes that the killer purposely posed grad student Gail Shipton, which implies to the M.E. that she is not the first victim. She wonders why the predator covered the body with dust while thinking her case looks similar to the Capital Murderer investigation her FBI husband Benton Wesley is investigating. Scarpetta and her Cambridge Forensic Center team learn that Shipton sued her fired financial managers and that someone(s) with influence wants the homicide to go unsolved.



The latest Scarpetta forensics investigation (see Postmortem) is an exciting whodunit that as always uses current advances in an understandable manner without dumbing them down. Though the storyline slows down at times when it turns personal, this entry is overall a fast-paced twisting murder mystery with Scarpetta at the top of her game and Wesley deeper than ever.



Harriet Klausner

An Accidental Life-Pamela Binnings Ewen

An Accidental Life

Pamela Binnings Ewen

B&H, Sep 1 2013, $14.99

ISBN: 9780805464320



In 1982 New Orleans, rival attorneys Rebecca Jacobs and Amalise Catoir feel good as they break the male only glass ceiling by becoming partners at Mangen & Morris law firm. However, Rebecca suddenly feels nauseous and decides she must make that call next week.



Meanwhile in nearby Getna, Rebecca’s husband, senior ADA Peter, finds himself working a horrifying case with powerful ethical issues and potential national legal impact. Teenager Glory Lynn Chasson went to the Alpha Woman’s Clinic in Metairie for an abortion, but claims she heard her baby cry and decided to keep her child; the staff told her the baby died. She claims a live-birth homicide occurred.



The sequel to Chasing the Wind focuses on two interesting issues: live-birth abortions and women breaking through the top management glass ceiling in the 1980s. Both subplots are well written, but the female rise to partnership pales next to the abortion issue. In fact the best part of the engaging storyline occurs at the clinic, in the Office of the DA and in the courtroom. Based on a real case, An Accidental Life raises the issue of abortion survivors who in some cases apparently are immediately executed.



Harriet Klausner

Graven Images-Eleanor Sullivan

Graven Images

Eleanor Sullivan

Yesteryear Press/Wyatt-MacKenzie, Sep 1 2013, $14.99

ISBN: 9781939288110



In 1833 the Separatists distrust outsiders staying at the hotel in their Zoar, Ohio village. Impoverished traveling artist Sebastian proves what the rigid leaders believe when they learn he has painted portraits of their girls. When the sinner is hung in a barn, the community rejects one of their members could be a killer; so they look outside and decide Irish tinker Egan killed Sebastian.



Midwife Adelaide Bechtmann does not accept the rationale that none of their pious people would violate God’s Commandment: “Thou shalt not kill.” Instead she remains open-minded, but knows she must tread lightly on her inquiry into the death of the artist; as she recently angered her husband Benjamin and the leaders when she investigated the drowning of a teenager (see Cover Her Body).



The second Singular Village historical mystery is a superb nineteenth century amateur sleuth that brings to life the rigid Separatist community in which followers must fully adhere to all edicts. Adelaide is a wonderful protagonist as her conscience to learn the truth and her need to improve herself and her community battle with her desire to obey the sect's rules. Although readers will need to adjust to a horde of characters introduced rapidly at the beginning, this is a refreshing Americana whodunit.



Harriet Klausner