Murder in Mykonos
Jeffrey M. Siger
Poisoned Pen, Jan 2009, $24.00
ISBN 9781590585818
On Mykonos, Greece, the first corpse was found in a long abandoned church; the victim was a tied up female. Soon after that body is found several more dead bound women are uncovered; each turns out is a lost traveler with some over twenty years gone. The police did lip service letting the cases turn cold as no pressure form the outside occurred and tourism rules.
Newly arrived police chief Andreas Kaldis is horrified by the official apathy having come from Athens where there would be a major search for a missing female visitor. He knows a serial kidnapper-killer is loose. With veteran homicide cop Tassos Stamatos at his side they investigate the homicides but obtain no official sanction to do so; in fact the brass wants them to stop their inquiries in case it frightens away tourists. As the number of suspects remains high, they learn of a new kidnapping; in a frenzy to rescue the victim, the case turns shockingly personal for Kaldis.
MURDER IN MYKONOS is an engaging Greek police procedural due to the locale and the lead detective. Armchair travelers will gain a taste of the island while also appreciating Kaldis’ inquiry and his look back to what brought him to Mykonos. The brass, ignoring missing tourists for economic reasons, comes out of Jaws while the rounding up of the usual suspects is fun to follow as the police teammates have to be extra careful since their inquiry is unsanctioned. Fans will enjoy this superb whodunit.
Harriet Klausner
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Dashing Through the Snow-Mary Higgins Clark and Carol Higgins Clark
Dashing Through the Snow
Mary Higgins Clark and Carol Higgins Clark
Scribner, Nov 18 2008, $23.00
ISBN: 9781439129173
In Branscombe, New Hampshire, the townsfolk are excited and volunteering as the village prepares for its first ever Festival of Joy with plans to hold annual galas. Visitors are expected from the rest of New England and especially New York. In fact novelist Nora Regan Reilly and her daughter private investigator Regan Reilly accompanied by their close friends Alvirah and Will Meehan, are in town for the event.
On the night before the opening ceremony, four employees of Conklin's Market win $160 million in the lottery. The Meehans especially understand the joy and pitfalls of lottery winnings as they won $40 million a few years ago. The grateful quartet agrees to share their new wealth with a fifth employee of the store, Duncan Graham who provided the winning numbers at the last moment declined participation on the advice of financial advisors. When they go to tell him what they want to do to thank him, the foursome finds him missing. The NYC visiting quartet begins to investigate a strange trail of cons and lottery winners.
The latest holiday collaboration between the great mother and daughter queens of suspense is a fun tale that focuses on lottery winnings. As with the previous adventures (see SANTA CRUISE and THE CHRISTMAS THIEF) Carol Higgins Clark’s sleuth Regan Reilly is the lead investigator assisted by her retinue. The story line is razor thing, but no one will care as fans will enjoy DASHING THROUGH THE SNOW of New Hampshire along side Regan, her mom and their friends.
Harriet Klausner
Mary Higgins Clark and Carol Higgins Clark
Scribner, Nov 18 2008, $23.00
ISBN: 9781439129173
In Branscombe, New Hampshire, the townsfolk are excited and volunteering as the village prepares for its first ever Festival of Joy with plans to hold annual galas. Visitors are expected from the rest of New England and especially New York. In fact novelist Nora Regan Reilly and her daughter private investigator Regan Reilly accompanied by their close friends Alvirah and Will Meehan, are in town for the event.
On the night before the opening ceremony, four employees of Conklin's Market win $160 million in the lottery. The Meehans especially understand the joy and pitfalls of lottery winnings as they won $40 million a few years ago. The grateful quartet agrees to share their new wealth with a fifth employee of the store, Duncan Graham who provided the winning numbers at the last moment declined participation on the advice of financial advisors. When they go to tell him what they want to do to thank him, the foursome finds him missing. The NYC visiting quartet begins to investigate a strange trail of cons and lottery winners.
The latest holiday collaboration between the great mother and daughter queens of suspense is a fun tale that focuses on lottery winnings. As with the previous adventures (see SANTA CRUISE and THE CHRISTMAS THIEF) Carol Higgins Clark’s sleuth Regan Reilly is the lead investigator assisted by her retinue. The story line is razor thing, but no one will care as fans will enjoy DASHING THROUGH THE SNOW of New Hampshire along side Regan, her mom and their friends.
Harriet Klausner
The Murder Game-Linda Suzane
The Murder Game
Linda Suzane
Wings ePress, Sep 2008
ISBN: 9781597056748
Gwen Wilson travels to Mt. Tamalpais just north of San Francisco to create a murder mystery game based on her literary detective Adam Long for Lawrence Van Hise on his seventieth birthday. Gwen knows Lawrence because her mom worked for him two decades ago at his home Hillside Cottage as his housekeeper until he accused her of stealing a valuable jade statue. Soon afterward she and her mother left allegedly to take care of an ailing aunt but soon after the accused committed suicide.
While working on the game, Gwen, who believes no one will recognize her as that tweener child with a different surname, also plans to investigate the cold case theft as she rejects the notion her mom took it; she also has doubts that her mom took her own life. As she considers what Long would do next she digs deeper into the pasts of her mom and her client, his son Hunter offers to help. When she was younger she was attracted to Hunter and to her chagrin still is. At the night of the event, the guest of honor is found dead with Gwen as the only suspect.
This is intriguing amateur sleuth tale as the heroine seeks closure with her mother’s death and finally after years has the opportunity to try to prove someone else stole the statue as Gwen rejects the premise of her mom being a thief. Her use of Long as her “mentor” guide has been done before, but is refreshed with Gwen’s bumbling efforts that only enhance her as the number one suspect. Readers who appreciate an engaging whodunit will enjoy this fun cozy as Gwen wonders if history is about to repeat itself.
Harriet Klausner
Linda Suzane
Wings ePress, Sep 2008
ISBN: 9781597056748
Gwen Wilson travels to Mt. Tamalpais just north of San Francisco to create a murder mystery game based on her literary detective Adam Long for Lawrence Van Hise on his seventieth birthday. Gwen knows Lawrence because her mom worked for him two decades ago at his home Hillside Cottage as his housekeeper until he accused her of stealing a valuable jade statue. Soon afterward she and her mother left allegedly to take care of an ailing aunt but soon after the accused committed suicide.
While working on the game, Gwen, who believes no one will recognize her as that tweener child with a different surname, also plans to investigate the cold case theft as she rejects the notion her mom took it; she also has doubts that her mom took her own life. As she considers what Long would do next she digs deeper into the pasts of her mom and her client, his son Hunter offers to help. When she was younger she was attracted to Hunter and to her chagrin still is. At the night of the event, the guest of honor is found dead with Gwen as the only suspect.
This is intriguing amateur sleuth tale as the heroine seeks closure with her mother’s death and finally after years has the opportunity to try to prove someone else stole the statue as Gwen rejects the premise of her mom being a thief. Her use of Long as her “mentor” guide has been done before, but is refreshed with Gwen’s bumbling efforts that only enhance her as the number one suspect. Readers who appreciate an engaging whodunit will enjoy this fun cozy as Gwen wonders if history is about to repeat itself.
Harriet Klausner
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Leopard's Prey-Suzanne Arruda
Leopard's Prey
Suzanne Arruda
Obsidian, Jan 6 2009, $24.95
ISBN 9780451225863
In 1920 on the Thompson coffee plantation near Nairobi, the corpse of Martin Stokes, owner of Stokes and Berryhill Store, is found inside a coffee dryer. Since his wife Alice has gone missing as evidenced by Martin putting out an ad asking for help to find her, the local cops assume two murders occurred. Other evidence points towards WWI flying ace, Sam Featherstone.
Having returned from Morocco (see THE SERPENT'S DAUGHTER) photographer and animal rights activist Jade del Cameron refuses to accept Sam the filmmaker as a suspect; he is her lover and aviator instructor teaching her to fly. He also wants to be her spouse, but Jade hesitates. As she investigates the murder of Martin and the disappearance of Alice, Jade and her sidekick Biscuit the cheetah rescue endangered animals.
Paying a strong homage to Africa, Suzanne Arruda provides a wonderful historical whodunit that focuses a powerful light on the changing "Dark Continent"; especially Kenya by bringing to life the geography , the assault on animals, and a deep look at the customs of the Kikuyu and Masai tribes. The story line vividly depicts the era that can be summed up by the rationale of Jade and the Perkins and Daley Zoological Company to save (not capture) animals for zoo relocation in order to keep them safe from hunters. Jade is at her best trying to prove her lover is innocent while eluding his efforts to marry her; all that in between her rescuing endangered species like white leopards.
Harriet Klausner
Suzanne Arruda
Obsidian, Jan 6 2009, $24.95
ISBN 9780451225863
In 1920 on the Thompson coffee plantation near Nairobi, the corpse of Martin Stokes, owner of Stokes and Berryhill Store, is found inside a coffee dryer. Since his wife Alice has gone missing as evidenced by Martin putting out an ad asking for help to find her, the local cops assume two murders occurred. Other evidence points towards WWI flying ace, Sam Featherstone.
Having returned from Morocco (see THE SERPENT'S DAUGHTER) photographer and animal rights activist Jade del Cameron refuses to accept Sam the filmmaker as a suspect; he is her lover and aviator instructor teaching her to fly. He also wants to be her spouse, but Jade hesitates. As she investigates the murder of Martin and the disappearance of Alice, Jade and her sidekick Biscuit the cheetah rescue endangered animals.
Paying a strong homage to Africa, Suzanne Arruda provides a wonderful historical whodunit that focuses a powerful light on the changing "Dark Continent"; especially Kenya by bringing to life the geography , the assault on animals, and a deep look at the customs of the Kikuyu and Masai tribes. The story line vividly depicts the era that can be summed up by the rationale of Jade and the Perkins and Daley Zoological Company to save (not capture) animals for zoo relocation in order to keep them safe from hunters. Jade is at her best trying to prove her lover is innocent while eluding his efforts to marry her; all that in between her rescuing endangered species like white leopards.
Harriet Klausner
Never Tell a Lie-Hallie Ephron
Never Tell a Lie
Hallie Ephron
Morrow, Jan 2009, $24.95
ISBN 9780061567155
In their thirties Ivy and David Rose have been a couple since high school. Both are excited with Ivy being pregnant and the Victorian house they have bought in Bush Hills, Massachusetts where they plan to raise their children. However, they need to rid themselves of what was left behind by the previous owner, but rather than just junk, the Roses decide to have a yard sale.
A former high school classmate, pregnant Melinda White arrives to look over the items for sale. She almost breaks a mirror before buying something. David gives a tour of the house to the excited Melinda who insists she played there as a kid. Later no one notices when Melinda left, but that night Ivy looking out her window notices someone who looks like Melinda looking through the junk left for the morning.
Three days later the local police detectives visit the Roses to question them about the reported missing Melinda. Inside a trunk left out that night is her bloodied top and a bloody knife found in David’s truck A message by David on Melinda's answering machine further incriminates him in what the cops begin to think might be a murder though no body surfaces. Ivy trusts her David though she knows how he treated Melinda back in high school, but begins to believe someone is framing him as everything is too obvious, but who and how to prove it remains the questions.
Although the motive behind the disappearance and the evidence pointing at David has been used frequently in books and movies, Hallie Ephron uses them effectively with a terrific late spin that focuses on how far someone will go with out of control compulsive obsessive behavior. The cast is realistic especially the beleaguered Roses and Melinda; who is mostly developed by how others perceive her. Readers will enjoy this engaging dark psychological suspense investigative thriller.
Harriet Klausner
Hallie Ephron
Morrow, Jan 2009, $24.95
ISBN 9780061567155
In their thirties Ivy and David Rose have been a couple since high school. Both are excited with Ivy being pregnant and the Victorian house they have bought in Bush Hills, Massachusetts where they plan to raise their children. However, they need to rid themselves of what was left behind by the previous owner, but rather than just junk, the Roses decide to have a yard sale.
A former high school classmate, pregnant Melinda White arrives to look over the items for sale. She almost breaks a mirror before buying something. David gives a tour of the house to the excited Melinda who insists she played there as a kid. Later no one notices when Melinda left, but that night Ivy looking out her window notices someone who looks like Melinda looking through the junk left for the morning.
Three days later the local police detectives visit the Roses to question them about the reported missing Melinda. Inside a trunk left out that night is her bloodied top and a bloody knife found in David’s truck A message by David on Melinda's answering machine further incriminates him in what the cops begin to think might be a murder though no body surfaces. Ivy trusts her David though she knows how he treated Melinda back in high school, but begins to believe someone is framing him as everything is too obvious, but who and how to prove it remains the questions.
Although the motive behind the disappearance and the evidence pointing at David has been used frequently in books and movies, Hallie Ephron uses them effectively with a terrific late spin that focuses on how far someone will go with out of control compulsive obsessive behavior. The cast is realistic especially the beleaguered Roses and Melinda; who is mostly developed by how others perceive her. Readers will enjoy this engaging dark psychological suspense investigative thriller.
Harriet Klausner
A Face at the Window-Sarah Graves
A Face at the Window
Sarah Graves
Bantam, Jan 2009, $22.00
ISBN: 9780553806793
Jacobia "Jake" Tiptree, who resides in Eastport, Maine, feels very uneasy after her father was decades on the run as a fugitive. Her father was exonerated from killing his wife because a bomber made a deathbed confession stating he was there and Jake’s father did not kill his wife. The only other adult in the house at the time of the murder was Ozzie Campbell, who loved Jake’s late mom. Jake was three years old when the tragedy destroyed her home; a trauma that she witnessed and remembers in great detail though she never saw the killer’s face. The horrific events haunt her decades later as she can still vividly see what happened.
After Jake give her witness impact statement to the ADA that should close the case, he forwards it to Campbell’s defense lawyer. Right after that Campbell vanishes and Jake fears he is coming to get her. Jake is extra concerned because she is watching her best friend’s toddler Lee while the woman and her husband are in Europe. Her paranoia is warranted when apparently Campbell has two thugs working for him snatch Lee and her teenage babysitter, Helen. He calls Jake telling her to meet him if she wants the kid back alive. While Campbell and Jake play cat and mouse, Helen tries to escape and get help..
Even though a recurring part of the series, the household tips seem a bit out of place in this gritty thriller filled with evil villains who have no qualms about killing an innocent young child and two courageous heroines trying to save the toddlers life and that of their own. From the onset Jake feels someone stalking her, watching her, and waiting to attack. She cannot get the authorities to understand Campbell is coming for her although she no idea why; no one believes her until three females including her are in jeopardy. Sarah Graves’ latest thriller is much darker than usual but even more exhilarating as Campbell’s obsessed purpose becomes clear to the reader while Jake’s sense of hopelessness of saving the teen and the tot grows with each step she takes.
Harriet Klausner
Sarah Graves
Bantam, Jan 2009, $22.00
ISBN: 9780553806793
Jacobia "Jake" Tiptree, who resides in Eastport, Maine, feels very uneasy after her father was decades on the run as a fugitive. Her father was exonerated from killing his wife because a bomber made a deathbed confession stating he was there and Jake’s father did not kill his wife. The only other adult in the house at the time of the murder was Ozzie Campbell, who loved Jake’s late mom. Jake was three years old when the tragedy destroyed her home; a trauma that she witnessed and remembers in great detail though she never saw the killer’s face. The horrific events haunt her decades later as she can still vividly see what happened.
After Jake give her witness impact statement to the ADA that should close the case, he forwards it to Campbell’s defense lawyer. Right after that Campbell vanishes and Jake fears he is coming to get her. Jake is extra concerned because she is watching her best friend’s toddler Lee while the woman and her husband are in Europe. Her paranoia is warranted when apparently Campbell has two thugs working for him snatch Lee and her teenage babysitter, Helen. He calls Jake telling her to meet him if she wants the kid back alive. While Campbell and Jake play cat and mouse, Helen tries to escape and get help..
Even though a recurring part of the series, the household tips seem a bit out of place in this gritty thriller filled with evil villains who have no qualms about killing an innocent young child and two courageous heroines trying to save the toddlers life and that of their own. From the onset Jake feels someone stalking her, watching her, and waiting to attack. She cannot get the authorities to understand Campbell is coming for her although she no idea why; no one believes her until three females including her are in jeopardy. Sarah Graves’ latest thriller is much darker than usual but even more exhilarating as Campbell’s obsessed purpose becomes clear to the reader while Jake’s sense of hopelessness of saving the teen and the tot grows with each step she takes.
Harriet Klausner
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
The Archbishop in Andalusia-Andrew M. Greeley
The Archbishop in Andalusia
Andrew M. Greeley
Forge, Nov 11 2008, $24.95
ISBN: 0765315904
Accompanied by his nephew Joseph and the graduate student’s girlfriend Peggy Anne Nolan, Archbishop John Blackwood “Blackie” Ryan, coadjutor to Cardinal Cronin, leaves Chicago to attend a conference in Sevilla, Spain. Blackie hesitates leaving the States as he is concerned with the health of his superior. However, before leaving Illinois his sister demands he persuade his traveling companions that it is time for them to marry.
In Spain Blackie learns that his reputation for solving mysteries precedes him; as such local Cardinal Diego Sanchez y Tomanos asks him to protect the widowed Duchess of Seville Dona Teresa Maria Romero y Avila from her relatives. Her “loving” family wants her affluence, influence and title. He fears some might choose murder as a means to gain wealth. Blackie agrees to do his best to keep the pious beautiful Duchess safe.
THE ARCHBISHOP IN ANDALUSIA is an engaging mystery as Blackie struggles to unravel the extended Gordian knots of the Duchess’ family relations. This enables the audience to obtain a deep look at South Spain. Although the investigation takes a back seat to the tour of the region, fans will relish Blackie’s amusing take on the deadly sins of pride and greed.
Harriet Klausner
Andrew M. Greeley
Forge, Nov 11 2008, $24.95
ISBN: 0765315904
Accompanied by his nephew Joseph and the graduate student’s girlfriend Peggy Anne Nolan, Archbishop John Blackwood “Blackie” Ryan, coadjutor to Cardinal Cronin, leaves Chicago to attend a conference in Sevilla, Spain. Blackie hesitates leaving the States as he is concerned with the health of his superior. However, before leaving Illinois his sister demands he persuade his traveling companions that it is time for them to marry.
In Spain Blackie learns that his reputation for solving mysteries precedes him; as such local Cardinal Diego Sanchez y Tomanos asks him to protect the widowed Duchess of Seville Dona Teresa Maria Romero y Avila from her relatives. Her “loving” family wants her affluence, influence and title. He fears some might choose murder as a means to gain wealth. Blackie agrees to do his best to keep the pious beautiful Duchess safe.
THE ARCHBISHOP IN ANDALUSIA is an engaging mystery as Blackie struggles to unravel the extended Gordian knots of the Duchess’ family relations. This enables the audience to obtain a deep look at South Spain. Although the investigation takes a back seat to the tour of the region, fans will relish Blackie’s amusing take on the deadly sins of pride and greed.
Harriet Klausner
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