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Darkness Falls by Kyle Mills

Publisher: Vanguard Press  ISBN-10: 1593154593

Reviewed by Harvey Lau and Geraldine Young, New Mystery Reader

Jenna Kahlin makes the mistake of her life when she helps a rogue environmentalist carry out his extreme solution to global warming, global pollution, and the slow destruction of the environment.

She helps him by taking the bluprint of another biologist, Erin Neal, and using that research to create a voracious oil-eating bacteria that would spread unchecked through oilpipes and underground oilfields, literally destroying them and drying up major oil reserves. The bacteria, however, would be contained, as it would be harmful only to oil and would die quickly on contact with oxygen and the air. She does this only to preserve the Alaskan environment and to stop oil drilling in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Little does she realize that her partner in that successful venture, Michael Teague, had plans for “preserving”  not just Alaska, but the environment of the entire world. When the same bacteria shows up thousands of miles away in Saudi Arabia, destroying major oilfields and oil reservoirs there and threatening major supplies to the United States, Erin Neal is forced out of his self-imposed exile and hermit’s existence to find a way to stop the advance of the bacteria.

He sets out to find Jenna, the only one who had access to his research and thus the only one capable of developing this particular bacteria. Jenna is as horrified as he is to see what uses the bacteria is being made of. The two biologists are even more distraught to find that an even more destructive strain, one that is windborne, has been developed by Teague and is on its way to be delivered to an oilfield in North America. 

The author paints a convincing picture of doom if major oil sources were to suddenly dry up. Our dependence on oil for housing, food, and our basic daily needs is brought home in the course of the book. How Jenna and Erin, together with Homeland Security manager, Mark Beamon, race against time and pit their wits against mastermind Teague, is the basis of this thought-provoking thriller. Well written and full of suspense, it was an enjoyable and informative read.

False Witness by Aimee and David Thurlo

Reviewed by Donna Padilla, New Mystery Reader 

Publisher: St. Martin's Minotaur  ISBN-10: 0312322127

Sister Agatha is an extern nun at Our Lady of Hope monastery is Bernalillo, New Mexico, and with her set of wheels being a red Harley Classic with a side car for her dog Pax, she's far from what one might expect.  Not to mention the well deserved reputation the pair has for solving crimes.  This latest mystery begins when a stolen SUV crashes through the front gates of the monastery and the driver disappears.  And the nuns, having no money for repairs, gladly accept an offer from John Guttered, a friend who is very ill and one who has made several charitable contributions to the nuns in the past.  But the contribution comes with a price tag: Sister Agatha must agree to search for the man's long estranged niece, a search that will most likely put the good Sister into another deadly confrontation with good and evil.

Once again the Thurlos have written an engrossing and entertaining novel with Sister Agatha giving equal diligence to her religious obligations, her fellow nuns, and the sleuthing task she has been given.  Roaring around on her Harley with Pax in the side car she tracks down every lead until she has solved the puzzling case in what proves to be another cozy and delightful read from this talented duo. 

The Best American Short Stories (2007) Carl Hiaasen (ed.)

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin  ISBN-10: 0618713476

Reviewed by Kathryn Lawson, New Mystery Reader

The Best American Mystery Stories (2007) is packed with twenty compelling selections by authors including Lawrence Block, Louise Erdrich, Laura Lippman, Joyce Carol Oates, Ridley Pearson, and John Sandford.  Despite the brevity of the stories, they are marked by characters who come fully to life in their juxtaposition with each other (an ambitious adolescent golfer and her mother’s lovers in “Lucy Had a List,” an overconfident therapist and a remorseless mass murderer in “The Timing of Unfelt Smiles,” a young boy who hasn’t spoken since his twin brother died and an equally young neighbor with a knife in “Stab”).  Sometimes, chance encounters set unpredictable events in motion, as when a handcuffed man leaving the woods encounters a man washing blood from his shoes (“Jacob Loomis”) or when an upscale prostitute and a shameless client are pushed into social interaction at a suburban soccer game (“One True Love”).  There’s plenty of cheating (a bowlegged waiter and his outspoken wife in “Chellini’s Solution,” an ambivalent bank president and two women who don’t want him in “Gleason”) and double-crossing (hapless thugs whose plans conflict with those of a likeable and lucky hired killer in “Keller’s Double Dribble,” a beautiful poker player who ups the ante with her maybe-rapist in “T-Bird”).  The stories range from Sam Houston’s Army near the Texas-Mexico border to New York City in the years after World War II to Washington, D.C. in modern times.  Each story is satisfying on its own; the collection as a whole is gripping in its variety of tones, settings, and motivations.  This is a must-read book.     

The Swamps of Bayou Teche by Kent Conwell

Publisher:  Avalon Books   ISBN 978-0803498587

Reviewed by Victoria Kennedy, New Mystery Reader

An elderly woman hires private investigator Tony Boudreaux to find her son, banker John Hardy.   Tony’s reluctant to take the gig, but his boss Marty insists for it’s in Tony’s home state of Louisiana.  Tony’s friend Jack offers to drive him down in his Cadillac and away they go.  Upon arrival Tony visits the bank where John Hardy’s secretary tells him that she believes her boss is all right.  She gives the PI a number for a resort in the Bahamas.  Tony calls, but the missing man’s not there. 

Tony decides to drive over to the last place Hardy visited before he vanished.   Arriving at the hunting lodge he questions the owners and finds that John Hardy received a couple of death threats during his stay there.  On the way back from the lodge a cypress tree falls across the road and it soon becomes obvious that people are trying to scare Tony off.  One incident becomes two and the danger level is increasing.  Someone wants Tony off the case, but who and why?  He soon finds that the old saying “C’est mon cauchemar!  This is my nightmare,” is starting to have more relevance as the search grows complicated. 

It starts to look bad when the cops pull Hardy’s car from a river.  They ask Tony to keep them apprised of anything he finds out.   Next Mr. Hardy’s body makes a gruesome appearance inside a dead alligator.  It’s obvious the PI is dealing with a homicide.  He has a few suspects, but he must find out who is telling the truth and who’s not.  His attraction to one of the suspects could get him in trouble if he’s not careful.

I loved the Cajun and Creole flavor of the story and it’s many twists and turns kept me turning the pages.  The action’s fast paced and Tony Boudreaux a likable character.  It’s a fun read that I highly recommend.  The Swamps of Bayou Teche is easily one of the best books I’ve read this year.

Down River by John Hart

Publisher: St. Martin's Minotaur  ISBN-10: 0312359314

Reviewed by Stephanie Padilla, New Mystery Reader

Five years ago Adam Chase fled from his privileged upbringing in Rowan County, North Carolina to New York after being acquitted of the brutal murder of a young man, leaving behind his family, his dreams of taking over the family farm, and the one love of his life.  But after a disturbing and mysterious phone call from his troubled best friend asking him to come home, he hesitantly returns to the place he thought he'd never see again.  But home is not the place he knew before, the resentment of those who believed in his guilt, including his own father, still not forgotten.  And when after his return disturbing events begin to take place, he'll have to dig deep into the past to finally discover the ugly truths behind all that's happened that have drained him of faith and hope and that might now bring what's left crashing down for good.

In his new novel, John Hart confronts the shattering repercussions that can result from long held secrets, human frailty, pride, and the purposeful denial of damaging truths.  Like with his first, fans will again enjoy Hart's unflinching look at family dynamics and the roles they play in shaping events and personalities.  But, while this latest is beautifully written, occasionally the character's motivations and feelings do seem a bit strained, with their ability for forgiveness and forgetting changing direction a bit too frequently to be consistently convincing throughout.  However, all in all, this remains a poignant depiction of family and love, denial and truth, and the regrets and promise inherent in each.      

Try Dying by James Scott Bell

Publishers: Center Street  ISBN:  15999568445

Reviewed by Narayan Radhakrishnan, New Mystery Reader

For quite awhile I have been itching to get my hands on a legal thriller; something reminiscent of the style of PRESUMED INNOCENT (Scott Turow) or THE FIRM (John Grisham).  And so when the copy of TRY DYING, the latest from trial attorney turned author James Scott Bell, fell into my hands- I was more than ready.  Having read Bell's previously outstanding mysteries, including CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE and FINAL WITNESS, as well as the collaboration novel, CITY OF ANGELS, (wherein Bell joined hands with Tracie Patterson and introduced a new heroine, lawyer Kathleen Shannon), I knew that I could expect another explosive legal thriller from Bell.

Ty Buchanan is living life on the fast lane. With a great law practice and a looming partnership on the near horizon, life couldn’t be better. And, of course, he has the perfect girlfriend; his decision to marry her hardly requiring a thought at all.  But all is lost when she's killed in a freak accident. At the same time Buchanan is in the midst of a high profile case and neck deep in litigation details.

The cops have brushed the murder off as a regular accident, but when a stranger convinces Buchanan that there is more to the death than what meets the eye, Buchanan has to investigate. But his investigation will soon lead him to mortal peril; with his cases, his practice, and his very life hanging in the balance.

What follows is one man’s relentless persistence to find out the truth in what proves to be a thrilling, action-packed adventure with a spark of the divine that was every bit suspenseful as I'd hoped.  Highly recommended, this is a legal thriller that fans of the genre won't want to miss.

Chat by Archer Mayor

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing  ISBN-10: 0446582581

Reviewed by Stephanie Padilla, New Mystery Reader

When Joe Gunther, lead investigator for one of Vermont's special state investigative teams, arrives at the scene where the corpse of a middle-aged man has been found, he, along with his fellow investigators, has no idea that this is just the first body to be discovered in a string of victims that have been left with no identification and no clues as to how or why they died.  And when Joe finds out that his mother and brother have been critically injured in a suspicious auto accident, his abilities to unravel the secrets in the small communities that surround him will be even further challenged. 

Torn between solving the first case of revenge with its connection to possible victims of chat room predators, and the second case of revenge against his own family, Joe will find that even those closest to him are not as innocent as they seem, and someone he knows might just be hiding secrets that are deadly enough to kill for.

Mayor's return to the idyllic Vermont setting featuring Joe Gunther and significant others will no doubt please fans of the series.  As usual, Mayor provides a good dose of investigative procedure along with his vivid and affectionate portrayal of the Vermont area.  However, Mayor also continues his tendency to digress from scene to scene and case to case; a tendency that makes it much too easy for the reader to become distracted before complete engagement in either case has had the chance to occur.  But, in the end, he does tie it all neatly together; his portrayal of small town secrets and long-held dreams of revenge ultimately providing a good dose of entertainment that fans will enjoy.           

Midnight Rambler by James Swain

Publisher: Ballantine Books  ISBN-10: 0345475461

Reviewed by Stephanie Padilla, New Mystery Reader

After being accused of severely beating a suspected serial killer and "resigning" from the Boward County Police Department Florida, Jack Carpenter's life took a serious downfall.  Having lost his wife, home, and reputation, Jack now barely scrapes by, eking out a barely sustainable living by finding missing children.  But things are only going to get worse when the body of one of the now convicted serial killer's victims is discovered freshly buried in a backyard, a discovery that seems to prove the convicted killer might be innocent.  And when new victims are found murdered bearing the same M.O., making the release of the killer inevitable, Jack must face not only the community's doubts, but his own.

As the creator of the successful Tony Valentine series, many readers will no doubt recognize this author's name.  However, in this new novel, Swain eschews what's come before to take a new direction with his writing, creating an entirely different read full of new characters and an approach that is such a digression from his previous tales, that if not for his name on the book many fans might not recognize this as written by him at all. 

And so having gotten the background out of the way, let it be said that whatever GPS system Swain might now be using to point him in this new direction, it's functioning amazingly well.  Everything about this latest works: from the highly empathetic and self-deprecating main character, to the novel's deep understanding of victimization, to the evocative issues raised concerning justice and the infallibility of the system built to ensure it.  So while fans of Swain's previous novels might initially miss the familiar, it's no doubt they'll get over it pretty damned quickly.  Let's hope this is only the first stop in the new road Swain has chosen to travel, because if continued, it promises to be one hell of a trip from here on out.        

Now & Then by Robert B. Parker

Publisher: Putnam  978-0-399-15541-6

Reviewed by Don Crouch, New Mystery Reader

Grandmaster Parker is in an obviously reflective mode these days. As discussed previously, Spare Change was heavily steeped in the past, revolving around a long-dormant case.

And the newest Spenser escapade, Now & Then takes a relatively straightforward divorce/surveillance case and turns it into a reflection on the life of a long-term relationship, specifically Spenser and Susan Silverman.

Things begin as they so often do, with a client walking into Spenser's office, being put off by Spenserian banter, and hiring him anyway. You've read it many times, but Parker is so good, it feels fresh.

Dennis Doherty is concerned about his wife's behavior. He doesn't think she's cheating, of course. He's just concerned. Long-time readers will realize right away that we are going into A Catskill Eagle territory. That book, of course, was a sea-change event in both the characters' history and Parker's commercial viability (never mind the fact that it's a tremendous adventure novel, and should be read by everyone, 'nuff said).

Spenser takes the case, and before long he, Hawk and, eventually, Vinnie Morris and Chollo, are hip-deep in a near-cult group of radical thugs with murky links to terrorism. Its members swirl around one Perry Alderson, a smooth-talking fire-breather with many women in his thrall, including Jordan Richmond, wife of one Dennis Doherty. And, in short-order, she turns up dead.

As you can see, Parker has all the balls in the air now--of course, the joy is in the juggling. Spenser/Susan using the case to put away some archived baggage, Spenser/Hawk bantering, Spenser/Fellas kicking some tail, all guided by the healthy Spade/Marlowe rhythm of following the case out of respect for its' victims. Did we mention that Spenser's machinations put Susan in serious jeopardy? So there's that, too.

Parker manages everything at perfect pace, and when things wind to their explosive finale, you realize you've been both entertained and moved. He mixes the past tribulations in with the current trials to produce an exemplary episode in the series, full of heart, wit and action.  A strong top-third addition to the series.

Kissing Christmas Goodbye by M C Beaton

Publisher: St Martin's / Minotaur   ISBN 978 0 312 34911 0

Reviewed by Karen Treanor, New Mystery Reader

Middle-aged private detective Agatha Raisin once more gets involved in a number of lives which aren't being lived the way she knows they should.

First there's the waif Toni.  Agatha hires her an an apprentice, having recently lost one of her operatives and being badly in need of someone who can track down lost pets and other modest tasks of that sort.  Toni proves to be a natural at the detecting business, and lucky to boot: she gets evidence in 2 bothersome infidelity cases which Agatha is able to finalize profitably.   Toni's home life with a drunken mother and abusive brother won't do: Agatha sweeps her up and sets her down in a small flat of her own.

Toni is barely settled when Agatha bring her along to the Tamworthy family's manor house, where the matriarch recently died of hemlock poisoning.  The four adult children all had cause to hate their mother Phyllis, who had hired Agatha to watch out for her welfare.  Mother now dead, it falls to daughter-in-law Alison to retain Agatha to get to the bottom of the death.  Alison sees that unless the murder is solved, all four of the children  and their partners will forever be under a cloud. 

From where Agatha stands, she doubts that the four remaining Tamworthys will ever be able to lead normal lives: Phyllis has blighted them for far too long.   The more Agatha pokes around, the nastier a character Phyllis appears to have been.  In the course of their detecting, Agatha and Toni unearth a skeleton which shows just how ruthless Phyllis really was, and this leads to the thought that there's only one really obvious person who could have killed Phyllis.

Threading through the story in between bouts of mayhem and detectivery is Agatha's determination to have a real old-fashioned Christmas with everything picture-book perfect.    Her friends wouldn't give long odds on this happening, but when Agatha's set on something, somehow things get done, even if the result may not be quite what she had in mind.

This is one for the fans of the Classic Cosy murder genre.   There's no wasted motion and few side trips, the story moves ahead like Agatha herself, plain-spoken and determined, and you don't need a degree in Eng,. Lit. to appreciate it.

Written in Bone by Simon Beckett

Publisher: Delacorte Press  ISBN-10: 0385340052

Reviewed by Stephanie Padilla, New Mystery Reader

When London forensic investigator Dr. David Hunter is suddenly called in to help investigate the discovery of a mysteriously burnt corpse on a remote island, while wary, he eventually agrees and heads for the storm tossed island.  It doesn't take long for him to figure out that the death was not accidental, but with a storm raging on that is preventing access to the mainland and the professionals who might be able to help, it's left to him and a couple of incompetent locals to unravel the clues.  And so as storms continue to batter the desolate island, and with everyone in the entire community being a possible suspect, the next murder will only make the investigation that much more deadly. 

Although this second in the series from Becket was very well written, with the author doing a more than competent job of creating quite a few colorful characters, somehow it  still seemed to lack one compelling enough to arouse a whole lot of passion, making complete immersion a bit difficult.  And while the ambiance of the desolate and stormy island helped create a chilling backdrop, making any reader feel glad and cozy for the roof over their head, the mystery itself in comparison seemed unable to provide the same amount of chilling menace.  But, that being said, Beckett did throw in enough red herrings, surprising twists, and shocks at the end to somehow make this an overall entertaining read that is easily worth the time spent.          

Fresh Kills by Reggie Nadelson

Publisher: Walker & Company  ISBN-10: 0802715990

Reviewed by Stephanie Padilla, New Mystery Reader

It was two years ago that NYPD investigator Artie Cohen's nephew Billy was sent to a Florida facility for boys after it was proven that he viciously murdered a man.  Now, 14, Billy has been granted a two week furlough and has returned to NY in order to spend some time with his family.  But with his parents away on a trip to London, it's Artie who ends up with the responsibility of caring for the teen, a responsibility he doesn't mind as the two have always shared a special bond. 

Artie, believing that Billy has been "cured" of whatever drove him to that moment of violence, has high hopes for some quiet time with his beloved nephew.  But the visit isn't as peaceful as Artie had hoped when he's drawn into a case of a missing husband; a case that is soon followed by other seemingly random events of violence that might or might not be connected.  And as Artie begins to put the pieces of this frightening puzzle together, he will find himself increasingly assailed by doubts of just how well he knows his nephew; a outwardly perfect young man whose façade of innocence may be hiding an evil darker than any he's ever known before.

Written up as the last in the 911 "archipelago trilogy," this one had me wary as I had not read the first two; a fear that was quickly forgotten after the first chapter.  Admittedly, there's a good chance that having read the first, which told the beginning of this story, this last might have been even more compelling; however, in the end, that became more and more irrelevant the further I read. 

Nadelson's sense of place and time, her crisp dialogue, her pacing and voice, all combine to create a sense of immediacy and reality that flows so seamlessly it's easy to feel as if it's all real.  Oh, and let's not forget her ability to create a subtly increasing sense of menace and a discomforting growing doubt of what's true and what's not in such effortless tandem that it's only when finally putting the book down do you realize you haven't taken a breath in two hours.  If, like me, you've never read this talented author of this breathtaking and gripping series featuring Artie Cohen, don't let that stop you; otherwise, you'll miss one of the most exciting and absorbing forays into New York that has come along in quite awhile.         

An Ice Cold Grave by Charlaine Harris

Publisher: Berkley Hardcover  ISBN-10: 0425217299

Reviewed by Stephanie Padilla, New Mystery Reader

Ever since she survived a lightening strike, Harper Connelly has had some very interesting gifts, gifts that she now makes a living out of: not only can she find dead bodies and identify them, but she can also tell how they died.  So when she and her stepbrother Tolliver are called to North Carolina to help find a missing teenaged-boy, it seems like just another case; a notion soon dispelled when she not only finds his body, but several other murdered young teen boys in the same area.  And unable to walk away, she'll only find herself closer and closer to danger with each new body she uncovers because the killer in this small town is far from done and much closer than she thinks.

Unfortunately, while this latest from Harris might seem to have all the right ingredients for a creepy crawly mystery, she somehow fails to put them together soon enough to really make it work.  It seems the whole mystery thing doesn't really get going until the read is more than half over, with the time instead being spent on odd, inconsequential details and the more than discomfiting blossoming romance between stepsister and stepbrother; the latter being more creepy than the mystery itself even though the two are not blood-related.  But, still, some might find this quick read to be short enough to suffice when all that's sought is some late night snack entertainment.  

Last Known Victim by Erica Spindler

Publisher: Mira  ISBN-10: 0778324613

Reviewed by Stephanie Padilla, New Mystery Reader

When the body of Patty O'Shay's husband was found amongst the rubble left behind in Katrina's wake, she vowed she would someday find the answers behind his questionable death.  And so when his badge is discovered years later buried beneath the body of what appears to be the victim of city's latest serial killer, a body that's also most likely connected to the finding of several skeletal hands discovered in a discarded freezer, her resolve is only made stronger to find the killer dubbed "The Handyman."   

But things become only more complicated when a local stripper claims to be the target of an anonymous stalker, a stalker whose vows of devotion seem to always be followed by the discovery of a new victim bearing the unique marks of the serial killer.  And so if Patti wants any hope of discovering how these cases are all related, and if this new target is really a victim or something much more deadly, she'll have to be willing to break all the rules she once held as sacred.

Set in post-Katrina New Orleans, fans of Spindler will recognize and welcome the many characters she brings back from her previous tales set in the hard-hit city.  Combining a thrilling who-done-it with the poignant depiction of a damaged city trying to regain its identity, Spindler does an excellent job of drawing the reader into both an invigorating mystery and the hopeful and courageous battle behind the ongoing revival.  And even though some readers may think they've guessed who done it before all is revealed, there's enough red herrings to keep the doubt deliciously alive.  Another great outing from Spindler, this is one fans won't want to miss.

No Time for Goodbye by Linwood Barclay

Publisher: Bantam  ISBN-10: 055380555X

Reviewed by Stephanie Padilla, New Mystery Reader

Milford, Connecticut high school teacher Terry Archer has always known about his wife's mysterious past involving the sudden disappearance of her parents and teenaged brother when she was only 14 in a case that was never solved.  But now, 25 years later, troubling events related to the unanswered questions begin to occur with increased frequency.   And while the cryptic emails, his wife's suspicion that she and their daughter are being followed and watched, and familiar objects from his wife's past appearing out of nowhere all seem to point to the return of one intent on finishing the job, Terry can't help but begin to question just how deeply his wife is and was involved.  So with a danger that seems to be coming only closer with each day, Terry will be forced to face the possibility that he might not know those closest to him as he once thought.

Almost unbearably suspenseful, the biggest challenge in reading this latest from Barclay lies in stopping yourself from rushing to the last chapter to see how it all turns out.  A word of advice - don't, you'll miss one hell of a ride if you do.  Not only does Barclay infuse the read with engagingly realistic characters and a guessing game of the highest magnitude, but also with a sly sense of humor that ultimately balances perfectly with the ever growing sense of alarm.  And just in case you think you have it all figured out about halfway through, you might want to think again, there's plenty more bombshells waiting at the end of the line.   An almost flawless read, this one shouldn't be missed.

Blonde Faith by Walter Mosley

Publisher: Little, Brown  ISBN 978 0 316 73459 2

Reviewed by Karen Treanor, New Mystery Reader

The tenth Easy Rawlins story is one of the most compelling yet, involving as it does an abandoned child, an adoption racket, murder, missing persons and Faith, the blonde of the title.

As with previous Easy Rawlins stories, nothing is what it looks like at first. The child, Easter Dawn Black, hasn’t been so much abandoned as left to the care and protection of Easy by her father, a man on the run who knows Easy can be trusted as few others can.

Trying to track Easter’s father, Easy seeks help from his friend Mouse, only to find Mouse is gone also: on the run from a murder charge that isn’t any less dangerous for being trumped up.

In between trying to find his friends and solve the murder to clear Mouse, Easy gets in a few of his regular private eye jobs, including returning the errant Chevette Johnson to her bewildered father.  The controlled violence of this episode is nicely done: you can feel Easy’s temper balanced like a nocked arrow; you wait for the ‘twang’.

As always, Mosley conveys the poor, troubled but dramatic and occasionally cheerful world of black Los Angeles in the late 60’s with a web of words that draws you into the neighbourhoods and makes you feel you know some of these people.  His prose is like the style of one of those distance runners back before steroids spoiled athletics: spare, sinewy, elegant; no wasted gestures, everything focussed on path to the finishing line.  Here’s Easy at a diner, looking at Faith, the beautiful and compassionate stranger, the untouchable white woman in a black world: “The minutes were not passing by but pooling around, waiting for a sign to continue on their mindless way.”  For a brief time, Faith and Easy inhabit a small joyful oasis before the grim and gritty desert of reality intrudes again.

If you like your mayhem delivered well written and thought-provoking, you can’t go past Mosley.

New Mystery Reader Magazine  editor@newmysteryreader.com