MURDER-GO-ROUND: REVIEWS BY HARRIET KLAUSNER

Harriet Klausner, was chosen the number one reader in the entire USA by BOOK Magazine. What does that mean to you? She reads constantly and knows what's out there and wants to let you know, too. Read on for tips to great books from the wonder reader Harriet Klausner.

November 2011

Black Thunder
Aimee & David Thurlo
Forge, Oct 25 2011, $24.99
ISBN: 9780765324511

A construction crew works on the Navaho Reservation until one of the team hits something solid with a shovel. He digs a bit deeper only to find a human hand. The Navaho cops led by Tribal Police Investigators Ella Clah and her partner Justine Goodluck take charge of the area. There they find a male human corpse with two bullets in the back of the victim’s head, execution style.

A further analysis of the Hogback gravesite vicinity uncovers graves of two men and a woman, but one of them just outside the reservation making that homicide’s jurisdiction belonging to San Juan County, Sheriff’s Department. Ella, Justine and FBI agent Dwayne Blalock work together on the multiple jurisdiction murder case starting with learning who the three John Doe’s and the Jane Doe are before they can figure out the connecting why. As the Fierce Ones member of her tribe demand justice now while also threatening Ella and Justine, the medical examiner reports the murders occurred a year apart from each other while a potential young witness needs protection.

The latest Ella Clah Navaho police procedural (see Never-Ending-Snake) is a super whodunit enhanced by events in the heroine’s personal life while inside the overarching theme of the conflict between Navaho culture tradition vs. modernization. The whodunit is a complex case made more difficult by the multijurisdictional case between cooperating law enforcement, the Fierce Ones screaming for vigilante justice and the time span of the homicides. Ella also contends with her boyfriend Reverend Ford Tome who is being transferred and wants her and her daughter to come with him and her teenage daughter Dawn is starting to rebel while her mom Rose displays signs of something disturbing her but refuses to talk about.

Harriet Klausner

Skeleton Letters
Laura Childs
Berkley Prime Crime, Oct 4 2011, $25.95
ISBN: 9780425243893

Memory Mine scrapbooking shop owner Carmella Bertrand and JuJu Voodoo store owner Ava Gruiex visit historic spooky St. Tristan’s Church in New Orleans’ French Quarter. The friends hear a noise followed by a scream and a crash. A hooded figure pushed a statue onto Byrle Coopersmith, a regular attendee at Carmella’s scrapbook group. The culprit escapes as Ava calls 911. They also learn that an ancient crucifix apparently was stolen also.

NOPD Detective Edgar Babcock warns his girlfriend Carmella to stay out of the investigation as he knows she is prone to snoop. He also tells her the killer used blunt force with St. Sebastian as the murder weapon. However when Babcock fails to take the lead and encouraged by the scrapbook regulars who do not trust dispassionate detective Bobby Gallant to dig deep, Carmella and Ava investigate the murder of a friend.

Although amateur sleuths coincidentally finding a corpse and feeling compelled to behave foolishly by investigating are not new concepts (see Death Swatch), readers will enjoy the latest scrapbooking mystery (see Fiber & Brimstone) as the BFFs place themselves in danger with their inquiry. The cozy is fun to follow and there are plenty of scrapbooking tips. Fans of the series will root for the dynamic duo as they work the case of a regular murdered in a church.

Harriet Klausner

The Chocolate Castle Clue
Joanna Carl
Obsidian, Oct 4 2011, $22.95
ISBN: 9780451234742

In Warner Pier, Michigan, TenHuis Chocolade is owned by Aunt Nettie, but run by her Texas niece Lee Woodyard. After delaying for months cleaning out the storage room, Lee begins the task finding stuff that are four decades old including a trophy and related paraphernalia form over forty years ago when the singing group Pier-O-Ettes won a contest at Castle Ballroom; Aunt Nettie and five other young girls made up the group.

The singing group is having a reunion and everyone associated with the sextet is elated except elderly angry Mrs. Rice, the wife of the late Daniel, owner of the long demolished Castle Ballroom. Mrs. Rice tells Lee and her husband Joe that her aunt is a slut just like the other singers and this time they will get what they deserved over forty years ago when Rice died from a gunshot to the heart. When someone murders Mrs. Rice, Lee becomes the next target as she learns the Pier-O-Ettes were tied to the death four decades ago, but the secrets of how and why remain concealed.

The latest Chocoholic cozy (see The Chocolate Pilot Plot) is an entertaining whodunit as Lee is caught at the angle of a death forty plus years ago and a murder today. The exciting story line includes chocolate trivia, but it is the two deaths of the Rice couple four decades apart that make for an enjoyable amateur sleuth as Lee learns reunions can prove deadly.

Harriet Klausner

The Heart of a Killer
Jaci Burton
Mira, Oct 18 2011, $7.99
ISBN: 9780778312598

Twelve years ago, Anna Pallino worked at an ice cream parlor. She was near closing waiting for her boyfriend Dante Renaldi and his foster brothers (Gabe, Roman and Jeff) to arrive for their nightly freebie. She goes to the dark alley to toss the trash, but someone assaults her with a knife. They hear her scream and rush to the alley where Dante tackles her attacker. The man dies. Anna has the boys flee so they can avoid juvie, but her relationship with Dante died that night too.

Encouraged by her dad Frank, Dante joined the army and for the next dozen years was in the Special Forces. Now his beloved foster mother Ellen Clemens asks him to come home for her twenty-fifth anniversary gala; he would do anything for her and George so he returns to St. Louis for the first time since that night in the alley. However, his return is marred by the murder of George that copy cats what went down in the same alley twelve years ago. St. Louis homicide detective Anna leads the investigating in which her former boyfriend is a prime suspect. More similar murders follow with Anna wondering whether the man she loves is a cold killer.

The Heart of a Killer is a tense second chance police procedural filled with a surprising twist that seems over the top of the Arch. Action-packed, readers will enjoy the marred homecoming of Dante as he struggles with the death of beloved George, helping Ellen with her loss and keeping Anna safe while being the prime suspect.

Harriet Klausner

Against the Storm
Kat Marin
Mira, Oct 25 2011, $7.99
ISBN: 9780778312925

In Houston, former Army Ranger, private investigator Trace Rawlins will tell you dames are trouble; but redheads are the most troublesome of the breed. He knows firsthand as his argument is built around his ex wife Maggie O’Connell the photographer.

Someone stalks Maggie sending her nasty messages and calling her with ugly threats. Though he feels he was born yesterday when it comes to her, Trace knows nothing adds up as he senses she conceals something from him and the cops appear indifferent to her plight. Still in love with her, Trace distrusts his former spouse but he cannot help himself as he has a deep gut need to protect her from whoever is assaulting her.

The third Raines of Wind Canyon (Against the Law and Against the Wind) romantic suspense is a tense psychological thriller in which the terror campaign takes top seat over the second chance at love subplot. Fast-paced with two obstinate fully developed protagonists, readers will feel the growing tension but are unsure what is going on as reasonable twists fool the audience and the hero. Kat Martin is at her best with Against the Storm.

Harriet Klausner

In Close
Brenda Novak
Mira, Oct 25 2011, $7.99
ISBN: 9780778312666

In Pineview, Montana fifteen years ago, Alana O'Toole vanished without a trace. The disappearance was never solved as the case went cold. One of Alana’s two daughters Claire suffered another loss last year when her husband David began an inquiry into what happened to his mother-in-law only to die in an accident.

With a need to know and to pay homage to David, Claire begins an investigation into her mom’s disappearance. Her former boyfriend Isaac Morgan offers to help her though he thinks her probe is a waste of time; he still loves her and feels bad with how their relationship ended badly. However, he becomes fully engaged when he finds evidence that David did not die in an accident; making him think the man found something that required his silence. Someone they know may have killed her mom and murdered her spouse.

This is a terrific small-town amateur sleuth in which the romantic subplot enhances the prime story line of someone apparently silencing those getting close to the truth. Like the lead female, readers wonder if the culprit is a family member as her paralyzed sister and her step parents want her to drop her obsession. As the killer has to be In Close to Claire with Pineview being a tiny town, fans will relish this tense psychological thriller in which an unknown predator kills anyone who learns the truth.

Harriet Klausner

Zero Day
David Baldacci
Grand Central, Oct 31 2011, $27.99
ISBN: 9780446573016

U.S. Army's Criminal Investigative Division Warrant Officer John Puller, Jr. visits his brother Robert, a nuclear scientist convicted of treason at the US Disciplinary Barracks, but his sibling refuses to answer whether he did it or not. Their father the famous Army hero would like to believe his oldest son did not betray his country.

At Quantico, Puller’s Special Agent in Charge Don White assigns the Warrant Officer to investigate the murder of Defense Intelligence Agency Colonel Matthew Reynolds in Drake, West Virginia. The officer worked at the Pentagon, but what disturbs Puller is the DIA should be making the inquiry into the murder of the colonel, his wife and two teenage children in their rural home. He makes contact with Sergeant Samantha Cole, the civilian homicide detective investigating the mass murders, but she considers him an unwanted outsider and acts accordingly towards cooperative Puller.

This is a superb police procedural filled with a twist that takes a local rural homicide investigation spinning it into international waters as only David Baldacci can do and make it feel real. Puller is terrific as the agent holding the story line together. Readers will relish this fast-paced thriller as Zero Day has come to West Virginia and other nearby states.

Harriet Klausner

Mrs. Jeffries and the Mistletoe Mix-Up
Emily Brightwell
Berkley, Nov 2011, $23.95
ISBN: 9780425243572

The holidays are coming, but neither Elaine nor Daniel is feeling very festive. She never loved the husband her father bought with a large dowry settlement, but now she controls her money since her last living relative died. Daniel wants free access to her funds to cover bad investments including a fortune in Far Eastern antiquities; he is broke. Their evening is interrupted by the arrival of guests who he plans to show off his latest acquisition.

A fire breaks out in the servant’s quarters. The blaze is put out quickly, but everyone evacuates the house due to the smell. When they return to the home they find Daniel bleeding to death in his office from a sword bludgeoned into his neck artery. Inspector Witherspoon leads the homicide investigation, which proves difficult because everyone present at the gathering had motive and opportunity. Of course, Witherspoon has a top secret weapon so clandestine he is ignorant of the help he receives on his cases from his brilliant housekeeper Mrs. Jeffries and the rest of his loyal intelligent staff. However, this murder may remain unsolved as the suspects are numerous.

The latest Mrs. Jeffries and retinue Victorian mystery (see Mrs. Jeffries Forges Ahead) is a delightful puzzler as the title heroine and her "under the stairs" crew work a difficult case through their employer. The basic theme of this wonderful long running series remains the same, yet once again the whodunit is fresh as Emily Brightwell provides another riveting historical investigation.

Harriet Klausner

Twelve Drummers Drumming
C.C. Benison
Delacorte, Oct 25 2011, $22.00
ISBN 9780385344456

Several months after his wife’s still unsolved homicide in London, Reverend Tom “Father” Christmas accompanied by his nine year old daughter Miranda, fans of the French version of Nancy Drew, visit his sister-in-law Julia Hennis the music teacher and her husband Alastair the physician Thornford Regis. When Vicar Peter Kinsey failed to arrive to lead the services for the late Ned Skynner at St. Nicholas Church, Father Christmas conducts the ceremony. Tom takes over the vacated position of village vicar

The Christmas pair finds life in the village soothing as they heal from their loss. However, at the fair, someone murders the daughter of the choirmaster; Sybella Parry’s body is found inside a large drum. Although most locals assume drugs were involved in the homicide, Tom thinks otherwise. As he makes inquiries and uses the confessional to gather information, Tom finds several suspects who could easily have killed the teenager.

This is an enjoyable English village mystery that stars a fascinating widower who employs a unique way to gather data. The story line stars slow to establish the cast and setting, but once done accelerates into a fast-paced entertaining whodunit with a great surprising final spin.

Harriet Klausner

The Ionia Sanction
Gary Corby
Minotaur, Nov 8 2011, $24.99
ISBN: 9780312599010

In 460 BC, Pericles commissions Nicolaos to look into why Thorion died from a hanging after sending the Athenian leader a note claiming there is a great threat to the city. Thorion was the proxenos representing the city of Ephesus in Athens. After a fumbled incident involving Araxes the bandit, who fled to Ephesus, Pericles assigns Nico to clean up the mess. Nico buys Asia the slave girl who was with Araxes. She informs him her father is Themistocles, the hero who saved Greece before defecting to the enemy. Nico plans to return the daughter to her father in Magnesia as a means to safely obtain information.

Thus Nico sails across the Aegean to Ephesus, Ionia in the Persian Empire to learn what Thorion died for. However he quickly gets into trouble with Persian laws; only Artemis Priestess Diotima enables him to keep his head. His efforts are hindered by Persian officials, brigands wanting the right price for his head and so does Diotima.

The second Nicolaos and Diotima ancient Greece detecting mystery (see The Pericles Commission) is a jocular whodunit that uses real persona like Socrates the irritant, Pericles and Themistocles to anchor time and place. The lead detecting couple is a wonderful pairing as she rips pounds of flesh from her arrogant partner. Fast-paced, readers will enjoy touring the Aegean with Gary Corby as our guide.

Harriet Klausner

L.A. Mental
Neil McMahon
Harper, Sep 27 2011, $24.99
ISBN: 9780061340789

In Southern California, the local media reports on several strange events over a few months. In February, the local headline news focuses on Municipal Court Judge Berthold trying to bash in his head as he destroys much of his affluent Santa Monica home. In March; Beverly Hills paparazzi favorite, former Miss California Pamela Dutton, acquitted of murdering her older wealthy spouse, lies in a coma. Finally in April, CalTech astrophysics graduate student Peter Janacek ran onto the Foothill Freeway committing suicide.

Not long after people who seemed to have it together went berserk, in Malibu drug addict Nick Crandall tells his keeper brother psychologist Tom that worms are eating away his brain matter. He soon attacks Tom but falls off a cliff. As has been their recent relationship, Tom rescues Nick who is rushed to the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. Tom learns that their sister Rikki has been threatened through a DVD and their brother Paul is involved in the Parallax Productions movie; both tie back to Nick’s odd behavior. Tom goes to the movie set where he encounters former Swedish physicist turned filmmaker Gunnar Kelso whose theories on human behavioral relationships focus on power.

This is an exhilarating nano-technological thriller that grips readers from the moment Nick attacks Tom until the final exposé. The truth is frightening as it fails to set free Tom or readers when he (and we) begins to realize what is going on that has turned L.A. Mental. Filled with action without dumbing down the nanotechnology, readers will Neil McMahon’s cautionary science fiction thriller.

Harriet Klausner

Fever Dream
Dennis Palumbo
Poisoned Pen, Nov 1 2011, $24.95
ISBN 9781590589571

Pittsburgh Police Department Sergeant Harry Polk and Detective Eleanor Lowrey asks psychologist Dr. Daniel Rinaldi, a highly regarded trauma expert, to work with Treva Williams, the first freed hostage of a robbery of the First Allegany Bank. Daniel arrives at the scene while the robbery plays out to its horrific lethal climax. He agrees with the cops that Treva suffers from a form of post traumatic stress disorder after she witnessed the execution of Bobby Marks; his assertion is confirmed when she goes shocky.

Soon afterward while first responders clean up the mess that include a dead robber, district attorney Leland Sinclair and his opponent use the lethal mess to further their runs for governor of the Keystone State. As Lowry with Rinaldi’s consultation digs deeper into the perp who fled from the bank early on, the case twists further as politics intrude on good police work.

The second Rinaldi police procedural (see Mirror Image) is an exciting thriller filled with twists and spins. The fast-paced story line keeps the reader’s attention as Dennis Palumbo provides an engaging spinning tale in which each time fans and the shrink think they know what really happened in the fog of the bank robbery, the plot takes us elsewhere. Fever Dreams is a wonderful mystery.

Harriet Klausner

Angel Condemned
Mary Stanton
Berkley, Nov 1 2011, $7.99
ISBN: 9780425244623

Brianna Winston is a lawyer and advocate at the Celestial Court. She has power to defend her spirit clients at hearings that will determine eternal sentencing. Her legal team consists of a cadre of dedicated angels who will do whatever she needs within the strict boundaries of celestial law.

Bree is working a secular mundane case representing her Aunt Cissy's fiancé museum curator Prosper White in a fraud suit. At an exhibit at the museum, Prosper is killed with a knife belonging to Cissy. Other evidence points to her as the killer too. She is arrested, but quickly exonerated with new information surfaces. The new suspect is linked to a person appealing a Celestial Court ruling. The attorney digs deep at the archeological excavation of the Cross of Justinian which took place decades ago because it connects her two cases in the Georgia and Celestial Courts.

The latest Beaufort & Company legal thriller (see Avenging Angels and Angel’s Advocate) is filled with helping angels and creatures who blinded by the light turned from the heavenly glow. The intrepid heroine deals with nasty demons, haughty nephilim and evil with aplomb as if that is an everyday occurrence. She anchors the whimsical paranormal tale with solid footing in two realms, but then again she has friends in high places.

Harriet Klausner

I Am Half Sick of Shadows
Alan Bradley
Delacorte, Nov 1 2011, $23.00
ISBN: 9780385344012

Eleven years old Flavia de Luce can count on three things: chemistry, irritating her older sisters, and her family being broke. To bring in some needed money in time so the family can eat during Christmas, her parents rent out the rotting Buckshaw estate to a film crew.

While her sisters look forward to handsome actors, Flavia plans to prove to these ill advised siblings that Santa exists. Thus in her lab, she creates a concoction of birdlime. Meanwhile all the local residents of Bishop’s Lacey arrive at Buckshaw to watch the famous actress Phyllis Wyvern performing on Christmas Eve while a blizzard hammers the area and the Vicar begs the star to raise money for a new roof on St. Tancred. However at midnight instead of exposing Santa, she becomes embroiled with a final curtain call with a film strip necktie.

The latest Flavia 1950s amateur sleuth (see A Red Herring Without Mustard, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie and The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag) is a superb locked country house mystery as the blizzard limits travel. Flavia is her usual precocious self as she finds the aging actress performing Juliet a bit strange but appreciates the fact that the woman knows who she is from the publicized Bonepenny case. Readers will enjoy this exciting historical village cozy as Flavia wins bets with her sisters, works the Santa scenario, and a murder mystery.

Harriet Klausner

V is for Vengeance
Sue Grafton
Putnam, Nov 14 2011, $27.95
ISBN: 9780399157868

On May 5 1988, Kinsey Millhone of Millhone Investigations in Santa Teresa turns thirty eight. However, her birthday turns ugly when a virtual stranger punches her in the nose. The assault leaves her shnoz broken (for the third time), her eyes looking like that of a raccoon, and a need for plastic surgery; thankfully paid by her health insurance.

Financier Lorenzo Dante sends his goons to collect from deadbeat Phillip; they send him airborne for failing to pay a loan on time. Just before her battering, Kinsey is in Nordstrom when she notices a woman shoplifting. She informs security who busts the culprit. However, Kinsey failed to realize the thief had a partner until the other felon tried to run her over; she battered her leg avoiding a hit and run. Not long after coming home from Canada, Dante is shocked to learn that Audrey is dead after being caught shoplifting; his ambitious out of control goon Cappi killed her. Soon all this and other events will collide at Kinsey’s nose.

Aptly titled, the V Millhone thriller is an exhilarating tale as the heroine works several cases. The birthday driven story line is fast-paced with much more than just the above as all roads lead to and from Dante. Fans will enjoy this fun tale as the protagonist takes a beating but keeps on ticking.

Harriet Klausner

Rain Falls Like Mercy
Jack Todd
Touchstone, Nov 8 2011, $25.00
ISBN: 9781416598510

In May 1941 in Wyoming, someone murders a girl. Sheriff Tom Call investigates the homicide. During his inquiry he meets and falls in love with Juanita Paint, wife of much older rancher Eli. Progress on solving the homicide goes slow.

Meanwhile Eli’s son Leo and grandson Bobby are serving with the U.S. Navy when the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor. Tom enlists with the Air Force and after a brief basic training he deploys to England to fly bombers. Although leaving home, he still works the murder case as he suspects the almost untouchable psychopath Pardo Bury, son of an influential wealthy oil tycoon William, killed the girl.

The third Paint family epic (see Sun Going Down and Come Again No More) is an engaging look at the 1940s through the Paint and Bury families. Much more occurs than above as the war continues with the invasion of Okinawa while the kamikaze pilots try to sink the ships. Readers will anticipate the confrontation between the good sheriff and the amoral evil Pardo as even a world war is a temporary hindrance to their mano a mano destiny.

Harriet Klausner

The Boy in the Suitcase
Lene Kaaberbol and Agnete Friis
Soho, Nov 8 2011, $24.00
ISBN 9781569479810

As she is overwhelmed at work and in her personal life as a mother of two children, Copenhagen nurse Nina Borg knows she should refuse her friend from nursing school Karin’s favor, but agrees to pick up a package from a locker at the train station. Nina takes out the suitcase only to open it and finds a drugged but alive preschooler.

Not sure what to, she observes an angry man who opens the now empty suitcase. Fearing the cops will only take the child back to his seller, Nina leaves with the little boy Mikas who does not speak Danish or any Scandinavian language. She seeks Karin, but learns her friend was violently murdered. While traffickers search for their commodity, Mikas’ frantic Lithuanian mother seeks her beloved son too.

This is a fascinating Danish thriller that focuses on human trafficking. Filled with taut suspense from the moment the heroine meets The Boy in the Suitcase, Nina and Mikas flee for their lives unsure who to turn to for help. With a nod to North by Northwest, readers will root for Nina and Mikas as some nasty individuals chase after them.

Harriet Klausner

Who Do, Voodoo?
Michelle Staab
Berkley, Nov 1 2011, $7.99
ISBN: 9780425244593

Clinical psychologist Liz Cooper is a rational person who scoffs at the supernatural. On the other hand, her friend Robin believes in voodoo and other paranormal phenomena; so not surprisingly she becomes upset when someone places threatening tarot cards on her front door; these were the cards laid out when read by Liz’s mother. Needing to better understand the supernatural and what the cards mean, her brother introduces her to religious teacher Nick Garfield.

After tracing the cards to a charlatan thanks to Nick’s friend, they are invited to a concert act where they will be able to go back stage due to Robin’s boss. There they meet the boss’s girlfriend Sophie, a powerful person who gets into a fight with Robin who refuses to allow her into the office to see her boyfriend. As Nick and Liz walk to their car, they find a dead Sophie in her vehicle. The police charge Robin with murder. Convinced her friend is innocent, Liz with Nick’s help investigate but to succeed the logical shrink needs to embrace the supernatural.

Ignoring why the professor and the psychologist investigate rather than hire a professional to make inquiries, fans will enjoy accompanying the charming lead pair as they explore the supernatural. In her debut, Michelle Staab provides an entertaining, fast-paced twisting amateur sleuth. The author casts a spell on sub-genre readers with this engaging glimpse into Who Do, Voodoo?

Harriet Klausner

Skating Over the Line
Joelle Charbonneau
Minotaur, Sep 27 2011, $25.99
ISBN: 9780312606626

Rebecca Robbins inherited a skating rink in Indian Falls, Illinois from her late mom. She looks forward to selling the rink where she nay have a buyer so she can escape her hometown and return to Chicago in spite of her attraction to her new boyfriend veterinarian Lionel Franklin.

When a friend of her grandfather Pop has his car stolen and others at senior center likewise complain about vehicles stolen and set on fire, the elderly turn to Rebecca to investigate as she has solved a crime that the cops failed to do (see Skating Around The law). Still embarrassed that a civilian solved his case that stymied him, Deputy Sean Holmes warns her to stay out of the vehicle inquiry. As she ignores the law enforcement official, Rebecca looks into the car crimes only to have her absentee father Stan the deserter salesman arrive along with angry men bilingually informing her and her dad to back off or else..

Readers will enjoy this amusing amateur sleuth starring a delightful heroine who is a combination of sass and mellow. The townsfolk add Midwest eccentricity especially her former classmates, and Pop and the geriatric gang. Fast-paced, readers will appreciate Rebecca Skating Over the Line.

Harriet Klausner

Where All the Dead Lie
J.T. Ellison
Mira, Sep 20 2011, $14.95
ISBN 9780778312680

The Pretender serial killer put a bullet into the brain of Nashville homicide detective Taylor Jackson (see So Close the Hand of Death). She survived the shot but her head trauma left her mute as the bullet devastated the speech center of the brain.

Mute and suffering from PTSD, Jackson goes to heal at the Scottish manor house of detective inspector Memphis Highsmythe who is attracted to her but gives her the space she needs hopefully to mentally and physically heal. His understanding comes from carrying baggage of not seeing the clues before his pregnant wife committed suicide. In Tennessee, Jackson’s fiancé Dr. John Baldwin and her best friend Dr. Samantha Loughley also struggle to move passed the recent harrowing experiences. However, as Jackson begins to feel at home, strange phenomena at the manor house increasingly targeting her has her wondering if the bullet she took destroyed more than just her ability to speak.

This is an exciting suspense thriller that has the audience wondering whether the assault on Jackson comes from the paranormal, the normal, or as she leans towards her warped injured mind; the answer is hidden in twisted yet plain sight especially for Monday morning quarterbacks. Fast-paced from the moment the beleaguered heroine arrives in Scotland, Where All the Dead Lie is a super entry in one of the best police procedural series on the market today.

Harriet Klausner

Defensive Wounds
Lisa Black
Morrow, Sep 27 2011, $24.99
ISBN: 9780061989414

At the Ritz Carleton in Cleveland, someone kills infamous defense attorney Marie Corrigan while a legal convention is hosted at the hotel. The police at the murder scene agree immediately on two things. First the unethical lawyer who falsified evidence got what she deserves and that anyone in the city who came into contact with the sleaze would have a motive for murder; homicide detective John Powell tells forensic investigator Theresa MacLean, whose daughter Rachel works at the Ritz, that they have a hotel filled with suspects.

Theresa knows a hotel room is impossible to cope with as previous occupants will leave behind traces that make it impossible to seek oddities. The immediate positioning of the corpse implies a lovers’ rendezvous that turned ugly. However, Theresa refuses to jump to any conclusion as the killer could have set up the crime scene accordingly. The case turns serial when two more corpses posed as if they were with a lover are found. Seeking the links between the three victims for a common avenging killer, Theresa soon fears she and Rachel could be on the death list.

Readers will enjoy the latest MacLean forensic investigation (see Takeover and Trail of Blood) as Sarah Palin would agree no one messes with a grizzly mama especially if one of their cubs are endangered. The story line is fast-paced with much of the fun being the simplicity of the murders as everyone including the protagonist and readers seek complexities. Although avenging serial killers is a frequent theme and the protagonist has dealt with these predators (see Evidence of Murder), fans will appreciate Lisa Black’s latest forensic locked hotel room tale.

Harriet Klausner

Blink of an Eye
William S. Cohen
Forge, Nov 8 2011, $24.99
ISBN 9780765327642

A nuclear bomb leaves thousands instantly dead in Savannah. They are the fortunate as CDC reports others will soon die horrifically from the radiation poisoning. The Congress and the media demands to know why the Intelligence community including Homeland Security failed to prevent the deadly attack while rumors abound that more bombings of other cities will follow.

As people panic with Congress and the media making things worse with accusations of an Iranian terrorist cell and Presidential election politics demanding retaliation as established by the 9/11 reactions. President Blake Oxley orders his National Security Adviser Sean Falcone to uncover the truth while his opponent Texas Senator Mark Stanfield insists the Savannah incident proves the incumbent soft on terrorism. General George William Parker agrees with Stanfield as he goes to the media demanding an all out assault on Iran.

This exciting political thriller is at its best with the dysfunctional DC crowd who push personal agendas over facts. The story line is fast-paced but lacks the impact of the terrorist attack obliterating Savannah on key elements of American society. Still this is an engaging cautionary thriller that makes a case to gather the facts before hysterically rushing off to war.

Harriet Klausner

National Security
Marc Cameron
Pinnacle, Nov 1 2011, $7.99
ISBN: 9780786024940

A day in infamy, 9/11 was the worst attack on American soil, but it is not last by terrorists or even potentially the most dangerous. Like the Oklahoma City bomber did, a cell of terrorists after years of assembling the needed ingredients drive a truck into a shopping mall killing thousands including sacrificing themselves as martyrs to their cause.

On an American plane, an Ebola like virus rapidly spreads attacking everyone on board. With no other recourse to prevent the spread beyond the tomb of a plane, the military blows up the jet, killing the dying hundreds on board. The French send samples from a top secret lab that contained the man made virus funded by Sheik Hussein al Ferroq. He plans to deploy Typhoid Mary like carriers to spread the disease across American; killing millions. Special Agent Jericho Quinn, who reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence and the President, is assigned to assassinate the “Marys” before the dormant biological bomb they carry inside their body goes active.

Marc Cameron provides a deep look into the mind of a terrorist whose ism is the only icon their brain carries. In this case, the martyrs believe they are doing what the prophet would expect of them. Quinn will remind readers of Captain America (without a sidekick) as he gave up much of his personal life including his wife and daughter to become the ultimate warrior. Somewhat pulp fiction, readers will enjoy this totally entertaining thriller; as a quintessential American hero fight terrorists to keep people safe.

Harriet Klausner

Three-Day Town
Margaret Maron
Grand Central, Nov 21 2011, $25.99
ISBN: 9780446555784

They were life long friends, but last year out of the blue Colleton County Sheriff’s Deputy Dwight Bryant proposed to North Carolina Judge Deborah Knott. She accepted in what she thought would be a marriage of convenience between two older people. Instead love adds passion to their dependable relationship.

Married for one year, the judge and the deputy take Amtrak to New York on a belated honeymoon. The couple is staying at an Upper West Side Apartment belonging to his sister-in-law Kate. Deborah also has a special bronze sculpture small enough to place in Dwight’s bag as a gift from dying Jane Lattimore to her daughter photojournalist Anne Lattimore Harald. Anne’s husband NYPD Lieutenant Sigrid Harald swings by to pick it up as a party is in swing in the apartment next to the one the honeymooners are staying in. When Sigrid and Deborah enter Kate’s apartment, they find the corpse of Sidney the super on the balcony and the sculpture missing. Unable to resist Deborah and Dwight assist Sigrid on the investigation.

The latest Deborah Knott whodunit (see Christmas Mourning) is a delightful refreshing tale as the North Carolina couple finds their Manhattan honeymoon interrupted by murder and robbery. The mystery is clever with roots to 1942; while part of the fun is the lofty attitude of urbane New Yorkers to the country bumpkins as the sophisticated urbanites assume that the entire South lacks six degrees of separation. Fans will enjoy this fine entry enhanced by Margaret Maron having Sigrid (see in Past Imperfect and Fugitive Colors) as the lead investigator.

Harriet Klausner

Scotched
Kaitlyn Dunnett
Kensington, Nov 1 2011, $22.00
ISBN: 9780758238818

In Moosetookalook, Maine the Spruces Hotel hosts the First Annual Maine-ly Cozy Con for mystery fans who prefer limited violence and no graphic sex. The headline at the May gala is actress turned mystery writer Yvonne Quinlan. Also attending is odious blogger J. Nedlinger, who described the actress’ book as trash to be tossed out. The town’s storekeepers look forward to the gala as they expect plenty of cozy aficionados will buy items from shops such as at Liss MacCrimmon’s everything plaid Scottish Emporium.

However, the Con turns graphically ugly when Nedlinger falls off Lover’s Leap cliff. While no one liked the vicious unscrupulous blogger, everyone assumes it was a horrible accident. However, Liss reconsiders that premise when she realizes how many people celebrate the death of J. Nedlinger. When another victim surfaces, Liss and her town cohorts investigate who is murdering the Con.

Scotched is an engaging MacCrimmon amateur sleuth as the heroine and her BFFs look into the homicides. The background of a cozy Con makes for a fun retinue as does springtime in Maine. Cozy fans will enjoy attending the First Annual Maine-ly Cozy Con.

Harriet Klausner

A Dark and Lonely Place
Edna Buchanan
Simon & Schuster, Nov 8 2011, $26.00
ISBN 9781439159170

In 1904 West Florida, Joe Ashley comes home late informing his wife Leugenia that they and their nine kids must leave immediately as a man was shot and he will be accused. His son John grabs his guitar and banjo before running to see his girlfriend Laura Upthegrove to say goodbye for now. However, John is falsely accused of murder and with Laura at his side flees with much of the state’s law enforcement in pursuit.

In 2011 Miami Beach, homicide detective John Ashley leads the investigation into the high profile murder of politically connected Indian lawyer Ron Jon Eagle. However, he is stunned when he notices a model Summer Smith at a photo shoot who looks identical to the woman who has haunted his dreams for years; though he has never mentioned his fantasy female to his fiancé cop Tracy Dominguez. He also believes she sort of recognized him too by her reaction. John catches up with his model, but soon is accused of murder and forced on the lam with Laura (Summer’s real name) at his side while many of the state’s law enforcement pursue.

This is an exhilarating thriller as the premise to A Dark and Lonely Place is history repeats the ugly scenarios because humanity fails to truly understand the lessons instead preferring to forget. The two subplots are fascinating with the historical segue based on a real Sunshine State Bonnie and Clyde. Although at times the contemporary plot seems stretched to make it appear identical to what happened to the first John and Laura, readers will enjoy Edna Buchanan’s taut thriller.

Harriet Klausner

Bonnie
Iris Johansen
St. Martin’s, Oct 18 2011, $27.99
ISBN: 9780312651220

Forensic sculptor Eve Duncan was a kid having a kid when she gave birth at sixteen years old to Bonnie. Eve thought Bonnie’s father John Gallo died on a military mission, but she and her long time significant other police detective Joe Quinn learned John lived incarcerated by the North Koreans until he escaped. Meanwhile when Bonnie was seven, she was abducted in Atlanta. Owing Eve for saving her son, FBI Agent Catherine Ling targeted John who suffers mental illness from his ordeal as the killer of Bonnie, but he proved to be innocent.

Clues lead the quartet to the Louisiana bayous and from there to Georgia as Bonnie’s spirit guides her mom. They track a new suspect with powerful ties enabling a government cover-up of unsanctioned mind experiments. As they get nearer to the truth, the new target prepares to kill if they get too close.

The final of the Bonnie trilogy (see Eve and Joe) is an exciting twisting thriller as the truth can set you free to a degree. Although the serpentine sensational story line contains too many spins that slows down the pace, fans of the Eve Duncan saga will relish learning what happened to Bonnie.

Harriet Klausner

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