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A Prayer for the Damned by Peter Tremayne

Publisher:  St. Martins Minotaur  ISBN:  978-0-312-34833-5

Reviewed by Anne K. Edwards, New Mystery Reader

Hey, mystery fans!  This one's a keeper!  A story you will want to read more than once just to enjoy the flavor and realistic setting talented author Peter Tremayne uses in writing his great stories.

For history buffs, this is an especially good read. Step back in time to the days when the Christian church was in its infancy and a struggle for influence was building between the foreign church in Rome and the local churches.  It was this struggle that led to the death of a very unpleasant church representative the day before the wedding day Fildelma and Eadulf. 

All the kings, including the High King himself, have gathered in Cashel to attend this wedding, only to be thrown into confusion when one of the kings is accused of the murder of the church representative. 

Several people have turned up with equally important motives to kill or wish this man dead, and it becomes Fidelma and Eadulf's job to sort out the truths from the lies and secrets to find the killer. 

I'm pleased to highly recommend this book by Mr. Tremayne as one you won't be able to put down and will want to follow it with his other tales.  Lots of action, lots of mystery and intrigue.  Guaranteed to be an adventure into the past you will long remember.  Enjoy.  I sure did.

New-Slain Knight by Deborah Grabien

Publisher: St. Martin's Minotaur  ISBN-10: 0312374003

Reviewed by Harvey Lau and Geraldine Young, New Mystery Reader

An historian's feel for setting, a musician's love of song, and the writer's fluid prose and imagination combine to make this spell-binding storytelling. A story of love, betrayal and death, and a ballad titled "New-Slain Knight" haunts the pages of this book set in the Duchy of Cornwall in south England. 

A British musician Ringan is entrusted with the care of his niece, Rebecca, for two weeks while her parents are away. Ringan's girlfriend Penny suggests they all drive down to Cornwall for a holiday, and Ringan arranges for them to stay with an old friend and fellow musician, Gowan Camborne.

What began as a holiday by the sea turns into a ghost haunted event for all three, as Penny senses something odd at the first sight of Gowan and his ancestral house. Sensitive to events that have happened in the past and to Gowan's ancestors in Cornwall, Penny sees the death of an unknown man killed by his sweetheart many years in the past. Rebecca, a young teenages, is also affected and becomes haunted by a young woman, perhaps the same young woman seen in Peggy's "dream."

Penny and Ringan and Gown try to find the origin and the history of these haunting spirits in order to free themselves from their powerful and dangerous influences. Sleep walking, near drownings, and journeys up and down the Cornish coast eventually lead them to the tragic story of a sister and brother, and a desolate lover.

The hauntings seem to be brought on by a combination of Gowan's ancestral home, the words and music of the ballad, "New-Slain Knight," and Penny herself, whose presence seems to be a catalyst for these spirits to inhabit her mind and the mind of young Rebecca in these particular settings.

The plot has enough twists and turns and sudden strange events to keep you turning the pages. The Cornish idioms and manner of speech make the setting realistic and immediate.

I highly recommend the book, even to those who might be squeamish about the ghostly or supernatural. These are not "ghastly" spirits, but haunted and haunting.

Salamander Cotton by Richard Kunzmann

Publisher:  Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin’s Minotaur  ISBN:  978-0-312-36034-4

Reviewed by Susan Illis, New Mystery Reader

Called to the suburban home of Bernard Klamm, an elderly and wealthy businessman, Johannesburg detective Jacob Tshabalala  is shocked not only by the gruesome murder scene, but by Klamm’s collection of photographs depicting adolescent girls.  Naked, the young girls display similar bruises and cuts.  Was the murdered man a pedophile, or are the photo albums a clue in his murder?

Questioning Klamm’s estranged wife, Henrietta Campbell, who never agreed to a divorce despite a decades-long separation, provides no answers for Jacob.  However, she does insist that her husband’s killing may be connected to their farm on the Northern Cape.  There, thirty-nine years earlier, their teenaged daughter Claudette disappeared and was presumed murdered.  Her black lover, and Klamm’s former foreman, was convicted of the crime, despite scant evidence and the lack of a body.

Harry Mason, Jacob’s former partner who left the police after the death of his wife, is persuaded to leave his failing business and troubled relationship with his daughter to look into the cold case of Claudette Klamm.  In the bleak landscape of the Klamm farm, Mason encounters a cast of troubled characters, rampant crime, and a community convinced that Claudette’s spirit compels their young girls to self-mutilate.

Author Richard Kunzmann, a South African resident, evokes a stark, unforgiving Africa, dominated by apartheid, AIDS, and asbestos.  Dark and compelling, his multilayered story expertly travels from 1965 to 2004 and back again, showing how greed and prejudice destroys lives across generations.  Kunzmann surprisingly ekes out a quietly optimistic ending to his unsettling tale.

Down Into Darkness by David Lawrence

Publisher: St. Martin's Minotaur ISBN-10: 0312347421

Reviewed by Stephanie Padilla, New Mystery Reader

When first one body and then another is found in a string of killings connected only by the words left  marked on the victim's body, London detective Stella Mooney and her team have no doubt they have serial killer on their hands. But with the victims having no connection to each other, and even the manner of death differing, finding the killer won't be easy.  And so as they search the summertime streets of London looking for their culprit, he'll be busy putting the final touches on his vengeful plan of redemption.     

In this bold new outing, Lawrence once again provides the reader with a stimulating read filled with compelling characters.  And while I was a bit disappointed that he seemed to shy away from his previously intense focus on the angst-ridden Mooney, her own drama being enough to carry his first few tales beyond the ordinary, he still puts forth a gripping story.  So, even though this latest is more along the lines of a fine-tuned police procedural than an in depth character study as seen before, rest assured that the plot itself does manage to offer up some provocative questions that will leave you considering the motivations behind those that make the decisions that impact our lives.          

Precious Blood by Jonathan Hayes

Publisher: Harper  ISBN-10: 0060736666

Reviewed by Stephanie Padilla, New Mystery Reader

Edward Jenner, once a medical examiner in New York City, hasn't practiced his trade ever since his burn-out from working with the tragic aftermath of 9/11.  But when a young woman is found savagely murdered and he's asked to consult on the case by the victim's wealthy father, he warily agrees.  But not only is he faced with tracking a serial killer who has done this before and has no intention of stopping, he's also taken it upon himself to watch over the young woman who just barely managed to escape from the terrifying scene that left her roommate dead. 

In his first outing, Hayes successfully introduces a new protagonist to the ever expanding field of the forensic mystery in a well-told story that holds much promise.  And while this is a familiar plot: the graphic details that many have long since become inured to, the office politics of big city agencies, and the trials and tribulations of the angst-ridden investigator, with the haunting echo of 9/11 playing out in the background, a bit a depth is added.  If there's a quibble to be had, it rests with our hero Jenner's inability to ward off temptation when there's so much at risk.  But, that being said, this is a chilling and exciting read that will no doubt leave most readers eager for more.           

A Christmas Beginning by Anne Perry

Publisher: Ballantine Books  ISBN 978 0 345 48582 3

Reviewed by Karen Treanor, New Mystery Reader

Nobody beats Anne Perry for conveying the flavour and texture of Victorian England.   She can make your skin crawl with the condescending speech of the upper classes to the lower, and make you feel on a personal level the smouldering resentment 'ordinary folk' must have felt for most of their lives for the way they were treated.

This slender book views a shocking crime through the eyes of police Superintendent Runcorn, and follows his attempt to find the murderer despite the inept handling of the case by the Chief Constable, a handsome but inexperienced man who seems more concerned in protecting the sensibilities of the gentry than finding who killed Olivia Costain, flighty sister of the local vicar.

The murder happens very soon after Runcorn's arrival in Wales for a solitary Christmas vacation.  He has just learned that John Barclay and his widowed sister Melisande, whom he first met in a previous book in the William Monk series, are also in this remote village, when he finds the body of Olivia in the cemetery.   Runcorn is given the brush-off by both the Chief Constable and John Barclay, but later, when it become apparent that no progress is being made in solving the crime, he is grudgingly allowed to 'assist'.

It was obvious from the start that the girl was killed by someone she knew, didn't fear, and who hated her: the full-frontal stabbing in the abdomen, the lack of defensive wounds, the violence of the knife thrust, these all indicate to Runcorn that this was a personal killing, not the work of the proverbial madman or escaped lunatic that the village would like to believe in.

Working more or less with both hands tied, Runcorn nevertheless manages to narrow the field of suspects to a handful and then, finally, one.  Faced with unavoidable truth, the Chief Constable proves himself to be a better man than we first thought, and the murderer is brought to justice.  (However, John Barclay remains a supercilious, unregenerate swine.)

While he has been investigating the killing, Runcorn has on several occasions met Melisande.   She goes out of her way to cross his path, and is in fact instrumental in his obtaining some of the clues that direct his attention towards the murderer.   She is supposed to be marrying the Chief Constable, and Runcorn tries to be happy for her, but every time he sees her is painful for him.  On the last page, there is a surprise turn in his silent devotion which goes along way towards healing the hurts of this perplexing case.

Sweetheart Deal by Claire Matturro

Publisher:  William Morrow  ISBN:  9780060773250

Reviewed by Susan Illis, New Mystery Reader

Sarasota attorney Lilly Belle Rose Cleary is deep in negotiations with an Idiot Client when she receives a call from her normally unflappable brother, Dan, informing her that their agoraphobic mother has killed a man.  Willette Cleary is in a coma, in police custody at Bugfest, Georgia’s only hospital.  Lilly hightails it to Bugfest, nearly killing a peacock on her way into town, to deal with her mother’s dilemma, as well as the demons of her childhood and adolescence in Willette’s care in the aptly-named Bugfest.

Before long, she’s dealing with teenage heartthrob turned country singer turned Commissioner Lonnie Ledbetter, who is too closely entangled with Willette’s recent history (and Lilly’s best friend Shalonda) for anyone’s comfort.  Add to the confusing mix the very, very fashion and vocabulary challenged hospital administrator, a retired logger who is inexplicably sweet on Willette and determined to fix Lilly up with his own son, a resentful sister-in-law, the annual Bugfest Mule Day, and the promise of new resort development in Bugfest.

Sound confusing?   Well, it won’t be, especially with Claire Matturro’s E!-reminiscent constant recaps (the novel’s only real flaw).  Matturro not only captures Lilly’s endearing phobias but she perfectly evokes small-town Georgia without ever using the “Y” word.  An entertaining mix of chick lit, amateur sleuth, and Southern literature (I have a theory that all mothers in Southern literature are mentally ill, AWOL, alcoholic or a combination of all three), Sweetheart Deal is a delightful diversion.

Three Sisters by James D. Doss

Publisher: St. Martin's Minotaur  ISBN-10: 0312364598

Reviewed by Stephanie Padilla, New Mystery Reader

With spring right around the corner, things are relatively quiet for once for Colorado rancher Ute Indian Charlie Moon- part time tribal investigator, his feisty Aunt Daisy - shaman and full time curmudgeon, and 15 year old Sarah - the new addition to the family who just happens to be wildly mad for the good looking rancher.  That is until the heiress and daughter of a wealthy rancher is found curiously mangled and dead in her own home near the Moon's  Granite Creek Ranch.  And with the dead woman having a celebrity psychic for a sister, another sister filled with cunning grace and beauty, a charming but smarmy new husband, and plenty of cash worth killing for, this is not going to be the slam-dunk "mauled by a bear" case as first appearances might suggest.   

As always, when picking up a new adventure featuring the luminous and humorous characters from Doss, settle yourself in and prepare to be told a story recited in the way of storyteller's gone past.  Reminiscent of donning an old familiar quilt, sitting before the campfire, and listening to a tale of mystery, Doss once again weaves a story that wraps around the reader with warmth and color and the anticipation of deliciously thrilling things that go bump in the night.  This latest mystery from Doss, like the others that came before, is clever and ingenious, filled with highly engaging characters, and one that will leave you with the glow of satisfaction from having done something good for yourself.       

Double Cross by James Patterson

Publishers: Little, Brown   ISBN: 0316015059

Reviewed by Narayan Radhakrishnan, New Mystery Reader

DOUBLE CROSS marks the 14th outing of Detective Alex Cross, the series hero of James Patterson’s novels. And with the 46 other novels in print, James Patterson is an author who needs no introduction. However, Patterson, for the connoisseur of psychological mysteries, will always be associated with the Alex Cross series.

For the die-hard fan of the series, let me assure you- this is not a direct sequel to the 2006 work CROSS. It is just another installment in the series, but, which of course, takes the series to another lever. Alex Cross has called it quits from law enforcement and is now working as a regular shrink, and though he misses the action, he also relishes the regular working hours and peacefulness of the new job. And this time round Cross has a new girlfriend Detective Brianna Stone of the FBI. And not since the death of his wife has Cross felt so strongly about a woman in his life. But when a series of killings, starting with the murder of a famous woman crime writer in public view and then of that of a Hollywood superstar in front of a live audience, rocks the City, Cross is called back into action. And there is one more thing that has made Cross an integral part of the job at hand- the murderer has personally requested Detective Cross’s attention to the murders, and has challenged Cross to capture him.

What follows is the investigation, with the killer who is now dubbed as the “Audience Killer” always one step ahead. Detective Cross suspects a terrorist might be responsible for the attacks, but is baffled why he kills one at a time. From there we're treated to the usual action fare that we are so accustomed to in James Patterson works;  the suspense, chills and thrills are there, and an ending which I never saw coming. All in all, another great outing from Patterson, and one that I simply loved.  Highly recommended.

Stone Cold by David Baldacci

Publisher: Grand Central Publishers    ISBN 978 0 446 57739 7

Reviewed by Karen Treanor, New Mystery Reader

Based no doubt on the success of his previous books, Baldacci’s publishers are laying on a pretty grand campaign to launch his newest offering.  TV, Radio and print advertising coast to coast; special floor displays: you name it, they are doing it.

All that hoopla no doubt moves books in large numbers, but in Baldacci’s case, word of mouth would probably do the job pretty well, too.  He’s got the knack of coming up with convoluted plots based on quirky premises, acted by an appealing cast of characters.  Throw in some villains you love to hate and what’s not to like?  The editing is a bit light in spots--how did they let a phrase like “still encased in his seat belt” get through?—but to be fair, one should not judge advance reading copies the same way as one would the final print.

“Stone Cold” starts with Harry Finn breaching the security of a major airport and airline with believable ease that will have you looking around nervously when you next fly.  It’s OK, Harry was doing a contract job for Homeland Security, but what if he wasn’t?

Harry’s next job is much, much worse than the airport security problem, and makes the reader suddenly realise that Harry’s nobody to fool around with.  Harry’s family knows nothing of his real job, and that’s how he wants it: unfortunately the real world has a way of breaking into the most carefully guarded heartland. 

Harry’s family is caught up in a very dangerous situation, which involves a bunch of ratbags called The Camel Club, the world’s most successful female con artist (until now, anyway), crooked politicians, and some secrets so dark that their keepers will kill to keep them that way.  Will Harry get his family out of danger?  More to the point, will his wife ever speak to him again now she knows what he does for a living?  And who is the man who calls himself Oliver Stone?

Don’t start reading this book after supper: you’ll be much too tired to go to work the next day.

Murder on K Street by Margaret Truman

Publisher: Ballantine Books  ISBN-10: 0345498860

Reviewed by Stephanie Padilla, New Mystery Reader

Illinois Senator Lyle Simmons and retired DA Philip Rotondi have a friendship that goes back decades, a friendship that has survived through the years despite the differences in the two men's backgrounds and the separate paths their lives have followed.  And so when Simmons comes home one evening to find his wife brutally murdered, one of the first phone calls he makes is to his friend Phil who, as always, rushes to stand by his friend in time of need. 

But as the investigation begins to reveal some closely held dirty secrets, secrets that could destroy the senator's ambitions for the White House, Phil will find himself questioning just how well he really knows his long time friend.  And when an innocent man is blamed for the murder and another woman is found dead, both victims with ties to one of D.C.'s most powerful lobbying firms that the senator himself is closely associated with, the alarm bells really start ringing, and Phil will be forced to face some ugly truths he has long denied.

Truman, a true DC insider, shows once again that she truly grasps how this boiling cauldron of a city filled with unrestrained political ambition really works.  And while for the most part her characters come off as unsympathetic, and the dialogue between them flat and slightly strained, her compelling and provocative insights into the impact of lobbying on our political system more than makes up for it.   This is one timely issue that only seems to become more relevant with each big election, with campaign budgets growing exponentially and politicians seemingly being bought and paid for by special interests that are looking for a hefty return on their investment.  So if you want a crash course in lobbying 101, forget the textbook, this insider's look is more realistic and much more damning, and therefore, all the more frightening than any gory mystery out there.

New Mystery Reader Magazine  editor@newmysteryreader.com