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	Curiosity may have killed the cat, but Cerri Ellis never let a little thing like fear stop her from playing sleuth. When she's not snapping photos of ghosts, solving riddles or sifting through dusty tomes in library catacombs, she writes articles and book reviews for magazines and web sites. Her hobbies include reading mysteries, herbal gardening, and searching online and estate auctions for arcane curios. She is currently at work on a paranormal thriller set in Southern Appalachia. Ms. Ellis enjoys hearing from her readers. You can contact her at cerridwen_ellis @ yahoo.com Or stop by her blog: www.cerriellis.blogspot.com

BLOOD RED SQUARE
Pat Mullan
LBF Books, December 2005, $14.95, 266 pp.
ISBN 0-9773082-5-1

BLOOD RED SQUARE begins with a tantilizing question. Who killed Dag Hammarskjold? Mullan answers this by leading us through a maze of deception, and intrigue-served with a cold dash of reality.

Before the Kennedy assasination, the death of UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold was the headline of the day. Like the Kennedy assasination, conspiracy theories surrounded the suspicious plane crash that took Hammarksjold's life.

Flash forward to 1997. Secret KGB documents are unearthed, suggesting collusion between Moscow and the U.S. in the death of Hammarskjold. Misha Kedrov, a new breed of Russian businessman, takes the files from the KGB's archives.

He enlists the aid of Conor Brady, aka Eduardo Kelly Herrera-a known terrorist, to help exact his revenge for the murder of his parents. Only one man can stop them from creating a new cold war. Owen MacDara, special envoy of the President of the United States. MacDara moves easily within the international houses of power and just as easily through the murky world of espionage.

I like how Mullan turns his characters inside out for the reader. The style reminds me of Bob Ludlum, or Jack Higgins, yet with a distinctive flavor smoother than the finest Irish whiskey. BLOOD RED SQUARE, is a gripping little dance of shadows readers shouldn't miss.

Cerri Ellis

MURDER ON THE ROCKS
Karen MacInerney
Midnight Ink, May 2006, $12.95, 274 pp.
ISBN 0-7387-0908-5

Murders aren't solved with cranberry-walnut scones, but don't tell Natalie Barnes, the innkeeper and amateur sleuth of Ms. MacInerney's book MURDER ON THE ROCKS. In this cozy mystery, land developers go head to head with animal activists.

Cranberry Island, Maine, happens to be the home of the black-chinned tern and someone is intent on destroying their nesting grounds. Bernard Katz and his development company are the likely suspects. But when Katz winds up dead, it's Natalie the police begin to suspect.

Can she solve the mystery and catch the bad guy, or will she need to learn how to bake scones for an entire prison population?

Ms. MacInerney's debut novel is a well-written page-turner, complete with a plausible hook. Cooking and eating seem highlighted as much as the mystery. Her vivid descriptions of the process and the delicious results fed my anticipation. As an added bonus, the author shares some favorite recipes from her fictional Gray Whale Inn.

I recommend reading this when you aren't on a diet.

Cerri Ellis

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