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The Killing Room by Peter May

Publisher: St. Martin’s Minotaur  ISBN: 978-0-312-36465-6

Reviewed by Kathryn Lawson, New Mystery Reader

A groundbreaking celebration of a joint business venture between China and the United States turns into a public relations fiasco when an American businessman tumbles into a mass grave of dismembered bodies.  Beijing detective Li Yan is called to Shanghai to investigate and finds himself confronted by corruption, infidelities, and political intrigue.  When Li turns to American pathologist Margaret Campbell, his lover, for assistance with the case, the fault lines in their relationship are deepened.  They struggle to preserve their love while they rush to solve the case before more lives are lost.  Complicating these efforts is Li’s counterpart in Shanghai, Mei-Ling, who is interested in more than professional collaboration and makes no secret of her antipathy for Margaret.

Peter May offers readers a vivid depiction of modern China, drawing sharp distinctions between Shanghai and Beijing.  Against this atmospheric backdrop, May creates a fast-paced crime story that transitions smoothly between the police investigation and the characters’ personal lives. The struggles in Li’s relationship with Margaret, in particular, are described with aching authenticity.  A highly enjoyable read that should not be missed.

Anatomy of Deception by Lawrence Goldstone

Publisher:  Delacorte Press/Bantam Dell ISBN:  978-0-385-34134-9

Reviewed by Anne K. Edwards, New Mystery Reader

Dr. Ephraim Carroll has decided to advance his knowledge and career by studying at University Hospital under Dr. William Osler. Their place of study at the moment is the Blockley Dead House, a morgue, where cadavers are dissected and autopsies performed on unfortunates to forward the knowledge of the student physicians.

One particular corpse causes a reaction in Dr. Osler and one of the student doctors.  Dr. Carroll sees this and wonders at it.  His puzzlement continues even when he is invited by Dr. Osler to a dinner given at the home of one of the directors of the hospital when Dr. Osler has announced he may be resigning to accept an appointment at Johns Hopkins that is just now being built as a research hospital. 

At the dinner the daughter of the host takes a fancy to Dr. Carroll or at least leads him to think she has when she involves him in the search for a missing friend who is the daughter of another very influential man who does not like most people it seems.

At the same time, another young doctor and student dies in mysterious circumstances.  Dr. Carroll’s investigation in the disappearance of the young woman leads him to conclude there is a connection to the dead student.  But how?  Where is the woman he seeks? 

Talented author Lawrence Goldstone has crafted a complicated story with realistic characters that will hold your attention and have you wondering if or when he’ll find the missing woman.  The search comes to be conducted with a threat to Dr. Carroll’s life.  The author’s writing style will remind you of the tales of Sherlock Holmes as he so ably catches the mood and tone of those engaging tales, taking you back to the days of London fogs and horse-drawn carriages filling the streets.  The waterfront is a place you will not want to venture, even under the protection of its own denizens so well is the danger made to come alive. 

Recommended as a book you’ll be glad you read and one you will long remember.  Join Dr. Carroll in his search and you’ll smell the fog made hard to breathe in by coal fires, the stench of the river at low tide, and the dank bleakness of the back alleys of London at the turn of the 19^th century.

Enjoy.  I did.

Stranger In Paradise by Robert B. Parker

Publisher: Putnam Press  ISBN-978-0-399-15460-7

Reviewed by Don Crouch, New Mystery Reader

Jesse Stone returns in Stranger In Paradise, another solid entry in yet another solid series for Grandmaster Parker.

Dovetailing events from previous Stone adventures, primarily Trouble In Paradise, the noisiest of all the Stone novels, this is an exciting, character-rich excursion that series fans will enjoy, and a good “jumping-on” point for people new to the series.

As things commence, one of the principle players in the island takeover from that book, Wilson “Crow” Cromartie, strolls into Jesse’s office to lay some groundwork for his temporary presence in Paradise. Seems he’s been hired to locate some people, and wants to make sure he can work in relative openness. After determining that the statute of limitations have passed for all but the most heinous of potential charges (for which he has no evidence), Jesse gives him a most-wary pass to operate in the area.

Parker continues to have loads of fun with the characters here, most notably Molly Crane, who has been clearly made the female anchor of the series, as opposed to Jenn Stone, Jesse’s hot-but-troubled ex-wife/current playpal.  Molly’s ability to keep Jesse level has become a major highlight of this series.

While we watch Crow do what he does, Parker develops a side-plot involving some of the snootier residents attempting to block establishment of a pilot school for disadvantaged kids in what once was a mansion on their hill. It’s racism disguised as concern for property values, and Jesse properly skewers their intentions by riding on the bus with the kids. Parker’s ease with dialogue, and awareness Jesse’s power creates some great scenes with Jesse and the kids.

One of Parker’s topics here is the honor of men, no matter their duties.  There’s a point at which Crow is ordered to kill one of the targets of his search, an order he will not follow because, well, he likes women. Pretty good reason, really. 

Along the way, we learn a LOT more about Suitcase Simpson (heh), Jesse’s favorite foil. We also have more sessions with Dex, Jesse’s shrink. And YES, Parker is developing character archetypes for each of his three series. Some of them are the same characters, performing different roles in different series (see: Susan Silverman), but those familiar with all three will find them. It’s actually a good thing.  Many will no doubt sniff that Parker’s just being lazy, but the functions these characters perform obviously interest him, and are valuable to the evolution of the series, so give him some slack, ok?

The back half of the book primarily describes, in typically exciting Parker style, the efforts of Crow and Jesse to protect these women and neutralize a particularly nasty gang from a neighboring township.

The other joy of Stranger In Paradise is the journey of the title character, Amber Francisco. Introduced as a discarded goth-punk, Parker creates a path for the re-discovery of her humanity, via her exposure to Crow, Jesse, and, believe it or not, Jenn. It’s both effective and affecting, not cloying or trite, which is a tricky line for a writer to walk.

The action-infused conclusion ties both Amber’s journey and the afore-mentioned plot together with the violence and pathos we’ve come to expect from Parker, and as always, it’s very satisfying.

Yep, very solid.

Strangers in Death by J D Robb

Publisher: Putnam Books  ISBN 978 0 399 15470 6

Reviewed by Karen Treanor, New Mystery Reader

Lt Eve Dallas is back, in her 28^th battle with the forces of evil in mid-twenty-first century New York.  The prolific J D Robb has veered away from her recent forays into the really twisted and sadistic killer model and returned to that good old standby, murder for gain.  Which isn’t to say her latest villain is a wimp; no, this is a villain you will join her in hating once you see what’s at the bottom of the crime and the reasons for its doing.

It starts with the death of a well-respected businessman in what looks like a sex-game-gone-wrong scene.  The widow, who’s been holidaying with gal pals, is devastated; the friends and business associates are stunned, and the case is about to be written off as, at worst, accidental manslaughter by a person unknown. 

Eve Dallas doesn’t take anything at face value, and she’s puzzled by a few anomalies. For instance, where are the man’s conservative cotton pyjamas?  If he died by accident, she can understand the partner-in-nooky running out in a panic, but why take the pyjamas?  From such little things the seed of doubt sprouts, and before long Eve’s convinced that she’s got a homicide on her hands.

The more Eve investigates, the more she feels that she’s up against a stone-cold and very clever killer, one who has planned everything down to the last detail, leaving nothing to chance, not even a parking space.   Suspicions are one thing; proof that will satisfy Assistant DA Reo is another.  Eve’s investigation isn’t helped by the fact that among the suspects is a close friend of the Chief of Police’s wife.

Strangely enough, it’s the meticulous planning that gives Eve the loose thread to tug to unravel the complex fabric of murder.  You can plan down to the last inch and the final second, but you can’t ever know in advance how reliable the human factor will be.  For all the killer’s careful arrangements, there’s one area of vulnerability, and you can count on Lt. Dallas to press it until it pops.

This book doesn’t dwell as much on Eve’s horrific early life as some previous books have done, which will be a relief to many long-time Dallas fans.  But it does make enough reference to that bad time in her life to provide insight into why she’s reacting so violently to this particular murder and murderer.  Roarke, Eve’s husband and frequent collaborator, articulates her feelings: “That thin edge of pity around the disgust.”

All the regulars are back for this latest outing: Delia Peabody, Baxter, Trueheart, Summerset the butler, Nadine the reporter, Galahad the cat, and Dr Mira; even a cameo appearance by Mavis and Baby Bella.  And there are a couple of new characters on the scene which one suspects we’ll see again, if only for the lemon meringue pie.

This is a good read which won’t give you the same grade of nightmares some of Robb’s previous works.

Lady Killer by Lisa Scottoline

Publishers: Harper Collins,  ISBN: 9780060833206

Reviewed by Narayan Radhakrishnan, New Mystery Reader

Ever since I read EVERYWHERE THAT MARY WENT and FINAL APPEAL, I have grown fond of the firm Rosato and Associates and its feisty never-say-die attorneys Benny Rosato, Mary DiNunzio, Judy Carrier and Annie Murphy, making it a point to read each one.  And today with this book, I am now the proud owner of 15 Scottoline thrillers.  And while these regular protagonists were absent in the past three thrillers, DEVIL’S CORNER, DIRTY BLONDE and DADDY’S GIRL, and I had the disturbing feeling that perhaps Scottoline had bade farewell to Rosato and team, thankfully that feeling proved incorrect with Rosato and team coming back in roaring colour in LADY KILLER. 

This time out, Mary DiNunzio is in the heat of things. She has her hands full with a couple of cases; one involving a case of a dyslexic teenager, and the second a defamation suit for Dean Martin- the latter case a bit different considering it’s been a couple of decades since his passing.  It seems that some Dean Martin fans have been wounded by an off-the–cuff remark made by a lady on the character of the gifted actor, and to say that DiNunzio is worked up would be an understatement. 

Things only get more complicated when yet another case falls her way when her old high school nemesis Trish Gambone (aka Trash by DiNunzio) seeks her help. It seems that her boyfriend who is heavily involved with the Mafia is out to kill her, and the help she requires is something that the judicial code can’t quite fix. She wants protection- but without the help of the court.  And even though Mary promises to try and do something to help, within 24 hours Trish goes missing, leaving Mary alone to handle the blame for her disappearance.  And when next a body is found, DiNunzio realizes that this is a much more dangerous case than she thought and that she herself might be the target of vicious killer.

What follows is trademark Scottoline suspense- with thrills, chills and frills – that ends with a bang.

Enjoyed it tremendously.

Gone to Ground by John Harvey

Publisher: Harcourt  ISBN-10: 0151013632

Reviewed by Stephanie Padilla, New Mystery Reader

When a gay academic is found murdered, detectives Will Grayson and Helen Walker have more than one suspect to investigate.  Could it be just another hate crime similar to the spate of crimes that have been happening in their growing English village, or might it be the lover he callously dumped recently, or could it have to do with the expose he was writing on a long dead film star whose dirty secrets still pose a threat to those still living?

After having read the last two books from Harvey, both infused with intensive character development, poignancy, and spell binding drama, I was shocked to find myself so utterly disinterested in what each new page from this latest would bring.  As an investigative procedural, sure, you get the fine detailing that Harvey always willingly provides, but what is so sorely lacking is the empathetic character portrayals he is so capable of creating- his ability to depict growth and compassion being nowhere in sight in this new title. Not to say it’s all bad, it’s just not what was expected.  If by-the-book police procedure is what you like, you’ll like this, but if you were counting on more of what’s come before, you might find yourself grudgingly turning the pages only to arrive at an ending that is not any more satisfying as what led to it.

An Incomplete Revenge by Jacqueline Winspear

Publisher:  Henry Holt ISBN:  978-0-8050-8215-9

Reviewed by Anne K. Edwards, New Mystery Reader                    

Enjoy a well-told story with a balanced mixture of mystery and intriguing characters. Talented author Jacqueline Winspear has crafted a tightly drawn plot using several subplots with riddles and secrets blended in you’ll want to know the answers to.

An old acquaintance hires Maisie Dobbs to conduct an investigation into the background of a brickworks he intends to purchase and the surrounding area.  It seems there has been a series of fires over the years as if someone intends to burn the small village of Heronsdene one building at a time. The buyer wants to know if the problems might affect the sale. Is the brickworks in danger of being a target.  The villagers won’t call in the police to catch the arsonist. Why?

Maisie and her assistant, Billy Beale who takes his family to work in the hop fields, are drawn into the acquaintance of gypsies as well as the villagers.  A mutual distrust among the gypsies, villagers and hop pickers from London adds difficulty to the investigation. Then there is another fire—this time at the inn where Maisie has a room.  

Maisie uncovers a second mystery in the village that adds spice to the story.  Then, on a visit to the gypsy camp, she finds yet another secret to be unraveled. 

This story is a combination of side stories of tragedy and the pleasure of old friends and family set amidst a series of mysteries, both small and large, that create a sense of realism and continuity in the life of the characters.  Reading it is like a visit with friends whose presence gives your life added warmth and pleasure. 

I’m pleased to highly recommend this tale to any reader who enjoys a really good read.  You’ll be looking for the other Maisie Dobbs stories as well.  Enjoy.  I sure did.

Of All Sad Words by Bill Crider

Publisher: St. Martin's Minotaur  ISBN-10: 031234810X

Reviewed by Stephanie Padilla, New Mystery Reader

Crider returns with another fun-filled outing featuring the wry and lovable small town sheriff Dan Rhodes from Blacklin County, Texas.  This time out, Rhodes has got his hand full when first one of the local ne’er do wells is found near his blown up home with two bullets in his chest.  And if that’s not enough, soon after he is faced with yet another murder, this one the result of an unfortunate case of truck meets man, the collision being one that came a little too close to putting the final nail in his own coffin.  Naturally, suspicions run high that these two cases are connected, but still, the questions of who dunnit and why are not so easily answered.

Humorously mixing the travails of small-town sheriffing with the larger issues of murder and other assorted felonies, Crider again puts forth a tale that’s sure to please his legions of fans.  And while one might take pause to consider how the heck it is that this small county ends up with so may dead bodies, in the end, most won’t really care.  It’s just great to see this cast of home-spun characters back in yet another clean and breezy read that easily delights.

The Marathon Murders by Chester D. Campbell

Publisher:  Night Shadows Press ISBN:  978-0-9799167-1-7

Reviewed by Anne K. Edwards, New Mystery Reader                    

Greg and Jill McKenzie are drawn into a mystery of a vanished construction worker and some papers found behind the wall of an old building. The client tells them the story began with an embezzlement charge on another man who disappeared when accused and his bones were found five years later. The case went nowhere after that.

Their client is the granddaughter of the grandson of the accused man.  Can Greg and Jill make any sense out of this cold case when everyone concerned with it is long dead?

Talented author Chester D. Campbell weaves a complicated tale of purpose and cross purpose as the interesting cast of characters show us their motives for doing what they do.  Why did the construction worker disappear?  Where are the papers?  What value would they be to anyone else?

These are a few of the questions you’ll want answered as you follow Greg and Jill on their investigation.  Will they be stepping into danger on what started as a simple investigation into the very dim past?

Recommended as a fun read, lots of action, a well written tale to hold your attention.  You’ll be wanting to read other stories by this imaginative author.  Enjoy.  I did.

Primal Threat by Earl Emerson

Publisher: Ballantine Books  ISBN-10: 0345492994

Reviewed by Stephanie Padilla, New Mystery Reader

When avid bicyclists Zack Polanski and his pals head out for a holiday weekend to test their limits on the forested roads of the drought-ridden mountains of Washington State, they have no idea they’ll be testing a lot more than their endurance skills.  But it doesn’t take long for them to realize that they’re being tracked by the ex-boyfriend of Zack’s ex-girlfriend, Scooter, a wealthy and over-privileged young man who is accompanied by other young adults who unfortunately have no idea just how far Scooter is willing to go to get his revenge.  And so as these two camps face each other off in this desolate area that has been closed off to the public because of the fire danger, a string of unfortunate events will place them fighting each other for their very survival in a deadly game nobody can win.

At first, this latest might sound like it has all the necessary ingredients needed for one hell of an adventure, and yes, had the characters and their decisions played out in an even semi-realistic way, this might have worked.  Unfortunately, instead what you get is an improbable tale full of immature and imprudent young men, who when faced with difficult decisions, make the wrong one every single time.  A book that would have made a much better movie, especially for fans of the hard core manly adventure, might leave many readers wishing they would’ve waited for the inevitable big screen version to view this latest.

Slip of the Knife by Denise Mina

Publisher: Little, Brown and Co ISBN 978 0 316 01558 5

Reviewed by Karen Treanor, New Mystery Reader

Paddy Meehan finds herself parked in a Volvo by a cold ocean, talking to a seagull.  That’s only one of the weird things that have happened to her since ‘the death knock’, the visit from the police to tell her Terry Hewitt is dead.  Not only dead, but murdered—left naked in a ditch with a bullet in him, IRA execution style.

Once lovers, Paddy and Terry have been estranged for months, so why would he leave her his house and his notebooks?  Was the seasoned journalist passing the torch to the younger one, giving her some sort of crusade to finish for him?

Paddy’s life has been somewhat less than perfect.  She lives in a run-down flat in Glasgow with her young son and a sub-tenant (and occasional lover), Dub.  She writes pop ed material for a major newspaper which requires her to be continually enraged about something.  Her mother doesn’t approve of her life, and the father of her young son is an unpleasant and tasteless comedian who’s on the skids.  Will being left a house and a bombshell of a story be a good thing for Paddy?  Maybe.

But first, she has to figure out what the story is.  How could the book Terry was doing about Scottish expatriates in New York lead to his death?  Paddy knows it has to tie in somewhere when Kevin Hatcher, the photographer for the book, is also found dead, this time from a forcible drug overdose which the police stubbornly refuse to label murder.

Paddy’s complicated life is made more so by the fact that a convicted child murderer is being paroled into the care of his brother, who was once engaged to Paddy.  She’s being harassed by every other journalist in town because they assume she has an inside track on the killer’s story.  And let’s not forget the IRA hitman whom the police refuse to believe in.  Paddy has met him and she’s certain he’s a stone cold killer.  When he threatens her son, Paddy realises she’s going to have to deal with him, which sets the scene for one of the grisliest denouements in recent fiction.

This is a grim story, enlivened with bits of humour in expected spots.  It’s customary to call rising writers “The New Ruth Rendell,/Ed McBain/Kingsley Amis/Whoever”.  Denise Mina isn’t the new anybody, she’s just herself, and that’s far and away enough.

Unknown Means by Elizabeth Becka

Publisher: Hyperion  ISBN-10: 1401301754

Reviewed by Stephanie Padilla, New Mystery Reader

When a wealthy woman is found murdered in her upscale apartment, Cleveland's forensic investigator Eve James, usually expert at finding clues under the worst conditions, finds herself baffled by the many questions and lack of answers in this daring murder that took place in one of the city's most secure buildings.  And when another woman of wealthy means dies in the same way, the mystery only deepens.  But when her own best friend is attacked and left for dead, the mystery goes from just another puzzle to solve to a desperate search for answers if she's to stop this very determined killer from completing a deadly plot of revenge.

Fans of CSI and other forensic mysteries will no doubt enjoy this second outing from Becka.  And even though some might find the actual science behind the forensic detail to be lacking in the glamour that's come to be expected (falsely idealized, of course) after watching shows such as CSI, aficionados of the genre will enjoy pondering over Becka's more realistic and convincing detail.

That being said, it's certainly not the forensic side of this that prevents this from being a wholeheartedly recommended read, but instead the many investigators' lack of ability to make connections and follow up on all the obvious clues and suspects.   But, all in all, this is an entertaining read that goes beyond the glamour of forensics to the nitty gritty detail, resulting in a read that should satisfy most.

Nameless Night by G.M. Ford

Publisher: William Morrow  ISBN-10: 0060874422

Reviewed by Stephanie Padilla, New Mystery Reader

After being found close to death, Paul Hardy, a name given to him when he was found almost fatally wounded with no memory of who he was, spent the next few years working as a landscaper and living in a home for the developmentally disabled, his awareness and ability to communicate virtually nonexistent.  But when he’s struck down by a speeding car seven years later, this time he wakes up from his near fatal wounds with a new face and shadowy memories of a distant past.  And so with this new found awareness, he determinedly hits the road in search for answers to who he might be.  Unfortunately, he’s not alone in his desperate search, because the closer he gets to the truth, the closer he gets to revealing the conspiracy that led to his near demise and might just again.

Fans of G.M. Ford’s two successful series might at first be disappointed that Ford has this time out chosen to write a stand-alone thriller.  That feeling will last all about a minute or two, certainly not even past the first page, and by the last page, most will be clamoring for G.M. to follow this latest up with a new third series.  It’s hard to choose which is the most enticing aspect of this read:  the adventurous road trip filled with beautifully written characters; the greed and lies that all too often motivate the powerful; or simply the poignant and heart-pounding thrill-a-minute delivery.  Either way, this one’s a winner and one that shouldn’t be missed.

7th Heaven by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro

Publishers:  Little Brown, :978-0-316-00432-9

Reviewed by Narayan Radhakrishnan, New Mystery Reader

Want to have sleepless nights? Want to have a nagging tension filled day? Wanna be compelled to get up at 2:00 in the night and read?  If not, DON’T READ 7th HEAVEN, the latest potboiler from the thriller maestro James Patterson. 

For the uninitiated Patterson reader- (though I seriously doubt whether there is going to be a NewMysteryReader reader who has not read a James Patterson work in his or her lifetime), 7th Heaven is the latest installment in the Women’s Murder Club (WMC) series which started with 1st to Die some years back. Close on its heel came 2nd Chance, 3rd Degree, 4th of July, The 5th Horseman and The 6th Target.  The WMC features four friends, thorough professionals- including Lindsay Boxer, a police detective; the attorney, Yuki Castellano;  a prosecutor; Cindy Thomas;  a journalist;  and the doctor, pathologist Clair Washburn. Together they have formed a team which supports and helps each other out in solving the toughest of crimes that hit San Francisco.

But this time out, the WMC has their hands full with something that might be too much for them. First is the case of the missing boy, Michael Campion, a boy with a congenital heart disease, and who also happens to be the son of the Governor of California. He might have been killed- but no one knows for sure- and there is hardly any clue left as to the whereabouts of the boy.  That is until a tip-off leads to a prostitute who confesses that the boy died in her arms, and that soon afterwards she dismembered the body and got rid of it. And though the girl, Junie Moon, later retracts her confession, she is soon charged with second degree murder, leading to a trial that immediately attracts the nation’s attention.

In the meantime, a series of arson crimes have been reported, all with the common thread of the arsonists targeting only the homes and burning to death the rich and wealthy. And so it’s up to Lindsay Boxer and her team to find out who’s behind the killings. But as they investigate, Boxer begins to realize that it might be possible that the culprit is closer than anyone suspected, and very well could be part of her own investigation team.

Patterson and Paetro are at their tantalizing best in 7th HEAVEN. There are the usual twists, double twists and triple twists usually associated with Patterson novels. And this year sure is goanna be a great year for Patterson fans. FINAL WARNING comes out in March; SUNDAYS AT TIFFANNY’S is scheduled for April 2008, while SAIL is due for publication in June 2008. July will see the release of DANGEROUS DAYS OF DAIEL X- JAMES PATTERSON, while in November the next installment of the Alex Cross novel will be due. And then, of course, I think we can expect the 8th work in the Women’s Murder Club Series. All in all 2008 is going to be a real treat for the thriller aficionado.    

Hush My Mouth by Cathy Pickens

Publisher: St. Martin's Minotaur  ISBN-10: 0312354428

Reviewed by Stephanie Padilla, New Mystery Reader

It hasn’t been that long of a time since attorney Avery Andrews fled the big city to return to her small home town in the Carolinas, a return she’s not quite sure about as evidenced by her unpacked boxes.  But still, she’s more than willing to take on the scraps unwanted by others in her profession of the miscreants and misdemeanors thrown her way.  So when she’s approached by a young woman who needs help to find her best friend who has gone missing, she’s wary, but agreeable, to aide in the search.  But when she finds out that the missing woman’s aunt had been found murdered years before, her case still unsolved, she begins to suspect there might be a connection in the two cases, a connection that might prove to be deadly for anyone who dares to reveal it.

For fans of Southern mysteries, there’s more than one reason to pick up this book.  In addition to the zesty Southern ambiance, the well-drawn characters, and the tightly woven plot, readers are treated to a narrative that zips and zings and rarely misses a step all the way through.  You’ll like these people--those you should like anyway--and you’ll dislike those you shouldn’t.  Pickens knows how to tell a good story, and she does it with conviction and sensibility while still maintaining a bit of the wackiness that is part of the South.  This one is definitely a winner, and we look forward to the next.

Ice Trap by Kitty Sewell

Publisher: Touchstone  ISBN-10: 1416539972

Reviewed by Stephanie Padilla, New Mystery Reader

On the outside it might seem that British surgeon Dr. Woodruff has everything a man could want with his beautiful, successful wife and thriving career.  But the cracks invisible to the naked eye are about to be revealed when he receives a letter from a woman he knew years before claiming he's the father of her twins; a letter that serves to further strain his childless marriage. 

The woman, writing from the depths of nowhere in Northern Canada where Woodruff once practiced during a messy time in his life, comes as a complete surprise; especially considering how much he once despised her, the thought of merely touching her never passing repulsion.  But when DNA tests prove otherwise, and with his crumbling marriage further disintegrated, he has no choice but to go back to a place he never meant to return to in order to find out the truth.

This amazingly suspenseful tale not only manages to totally enthrall page after page but, even more incredibly, it does it without a single gory murder. In this award winning novel, Sewell easily proves that solid writing, a clever plot, disingenuous characters, and challenging questions of what is really the truth can be enough to make the heart pound.  This first from Sewell is simply brilliant, its intricate plotting and memorable characters remind one of how mystery should be written; the thrill is in the guessing, not in the usual blood and gore offered all too often these days.  And that's what separates this one from the pack; making it a must-read for those that enjoy an intelligently written mystery that is convincingly compelling until the final and thrilling denouement.

New Mystery Reader Magazine  editor@newmysteryreader.com